CrowdFunning

Can’t you get all 12,975 Filipinos in the picture?  My Mom can.

filipino_zumba
Select your favorite caption for this photo.

1. The other right.

2. Okay put away the red glasses.  There is always one in a crowd!

3. Better avoid the yogurt shops after this.  They will be swamped!

4.  We are the champions, my friend.

This is a photo of 12,975 Filipinos dancing to Zumba to set a World Record.

Enjoy!

Dear Federal Reserve: Please Raise The Price of Gold

This sounds selfish but this is the only solution to prevent a world-wide recession.

prayingtogold

There are two possible solutions to the problem of the high dollar value and low gold price.  But before discussing the solutions, we need a little background information.

The Federal Reserve, the European Financial Organizations and the largest banks in the world have agreed to keep the US Dollar as the monetary standard.  To do that they need to manipulate the price of gold so it does not replace the dollar.  This means keeping the dollar high and the price of gold low.

Keeping the dollar high has the added advantage of keeping imports low which improves the US trade deficit.  Having a good trade deficit and a strong dollar gives the impression of a strong US economy.

One problem is Russia and China.  They are not happy with the high dollar value and low gold value.  Consequently they are creating their own monetary standard and creating exchanges in their own currency.  This allows them to avoid the US dollar completely.

Another problem is the largest banks such as JPMorganChase are dealing in large quantities of gold derivatives which is lowering the price of physical gold.  See this:

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-07-09/are-big-banks-using-derivatives-suppress-bullion-prices

The real problem is the amount of debt of many countries around the globe.  Greece and the US are just 2 of 12 countries out of 64 whose debt is greater than their country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).  That means almost 20%of the largest countries in the world are in debt as seen in this website:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_public_debt

Now to discuss the solutions to the problems of  high debt and the high dollar value and the low gold price.

One solution is to let the nations in debt exchange their US dollars for gold.  But this could result in the depletion of US gold reserves and then the world would find out that the paper gold value does not equal the physical gold valueThat would cause a run on banks, a rush to cash and possibly a global recession.

Chris Powell of the Gold Anti-Trust Action Committee said, “The system may end when one country pulls the plug on it, exchanging U.S. dollars and government bonds for more gold — real metal — than is available, or when ordinary investor demand exhausts supply, which is more or less how the London Gold Pool ended in 1968.”

So a better solution is to raise the price of gold to eliminate the debt around the world.  Some people are proposing a 7 fold increase in price.

Chris also said, “… a study in 2006 by the Scottish economist Peter Millar concluded that to avert such a catastrophic debt deflation, central banks would need to raise the gold price by a factor of seven to 20 times in order to reliquefy themselves and devalue their currencies and society’s debts…”

For more information on what Chris Powell said, read the following website:
http://www.gata.org/node/14839

Okay.  I admit I own GLD and UDN and this would benefit me.  But now I am giving you the chance to also profit from this information.  here is some more useful information:

https://michaelekelley.com/2014/10/16/8-things-to-do-when-recession-happens/

Thanks

I Think I Can. I Think I Can.

Ever feel like there is a rabbit right behind you trying to over take you?

turtle_fence
Select your favorite caption for this photo.

1.  I could use some Rocky theme music right now.

2. Alley oop whatever that means!

3. Should I push or pull the last bit?

4. Good thing I had the breakfast of champions.

Enjoy!

Greece Is Like Lehman Brothers

Both Lehman Brothers and Greece were denied a bailout.

Specifically the United States Government and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) refused to bailout Lehman Brothers and Greece, respectively.

stop_bullrun

 

Unfortunately close behind were/are lots of other troubled and unstoppable financial organizations and debt-ridden countries.  [It is like trying to stop a bull run with your bare hands, oh yeah, and a red bandana.]

Countries like Italy, Portugal, Ireland, and Belgium all have public debt over 100 percent of their country’s GDP.  Japan is over 200 percent.  See the following for detailed statistics.

http://www.statista.com/statistics/268177/countries-with-the-highest-public-debt/

Unfortunately Greece had debt payments that looked like Mount Everest on a graph.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/greeces-looming-debt-repayments-in-a-pair-of-charts-2015-06-02

The US Government and the IMF have been strict with Lehman and Greece, respectively.  Like the US Government, the IMF can be expected to panic with the next oncoming overwhelming group of debtors. 

To learn more about the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy, read this.

http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2013/09/lehman-brothers-bankruptcy-and-the-financial-crisis-lessons-learned

Thanks

Now What

Ever achieve something and then wonder now what?

boy_in_falls
Select your favorite caption for this photo.

1.  I wonder where this pipe goes?

2. Good thing I brought a rope.  Oh, crap.  Where is my rope?

3. Oh, oh.  I just saw a pair of eyes inside.

4. I really hated to lose that boogie board.

Enjoy!

Do Not Take Any Wooden Nickels

I was a curious 6 year-old when my Grandfather said those words to me.

grandpa_and_me

At the time, I asked my Grandfather what it meant, but he just smiled.

But his words stuck with me and a few years later when I heard him say those exact same words to another 6 year-old, I had a better idea of what he meant.

He probably meant “do not take anything at face value.”

Today when I look it up, it means “be cautious in one’s dealings.”

That sums up my view of life and of finances.

When I see a curious 6 year-old in the future.  I know not to say, “Be cautious”.  That would be boring.  But saying “Don’t take any wooden nickels.” makes one think.

I owe a lot to my Grandfather for making me think about nickels and finances.

For more information on the history of wooden nickels, see

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wooden_nickel

 

Bad Hair Day

Ever have one of those days?

dog_walk_on_beach

 

Select your favorite caption for this photo.

1.  I’m stylin’. I’m stylin’.

2. I hate when it rains right after a perm.

3. Beach fever. Beach fever. We know how to do it.

4. Let’s see the Shaggy Dog do this.

Enjoy!

Cheating Death By Procrastination

Michael E Kelley's avatarMichael E Kelley

Here is my logic.  If most people retire at age 65 and the average life expectancy is 84 years, than that means most people live 19 years after retirement.

pushretirementThus if you postpone retirement, you should postpone death.

In other words, if I delay retirement until age 75, then I should live to age 94, right?

I gotta think positive.  I need time to rebuild my nest egg.

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Bears Gone Wild

This bear thinks he can catch the cyclist.  What do you think?

bike_bear_race

Pick your favorite caption from the following choices.

1. How can that guy wear shorts in this weather?

2. Hey you. Am I in time for the triathlon?

3. I should have waited to have my fish dinner.

4. Did that guy smell like Honey Boo Boo?

Let me know your favorite.  Have a great day.

 

Iraq Launches PFI (Patio Furniture Initiative)

Iraq is not taking the war sitting down as it launches the PFI.

iraq_patio2

Who wants to shoot rifles all day long while standing up or kneeling?

Well obviously Iraq doesn’t.  Consequently, Iraq has announced a goal of one plastic patio chair for every two soldiers.  They will take turns sitting while shooting.

Some 4,000 Sunni tribal fighters are participating in the fight in Anbar province, al-Assadi said Tuesday. Ramadi is surrounded from three sides by Iraqi forces, he said.

Therefore, Iraq needs 2,000 plastic patio chairs and they need your help.

Please go to http://www.gofundme.com/ and help Iraq meet their goal.

Thanks to USAToday for the photo.