tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7514357.post1850358377350425871..comments2024-02-25T08:16:25.546-08:00Comments on Exurban Nation: Safe HavensRob Dawghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10042154106850545479noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7514357.post-5601966987328216302008-01-29T06:53:00.000-08:002008-01-29T06:53:00.000-08:00We run our CLK on regular and it's quite happy.We run our CLK on regular and it's quite happy.spooqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09643337236303265564noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7514357.post-50965061760640196662008-01-29T06:48:00.000-08:002008-01-29T06:48:00.000-08:00Just a quick followup.Be sure to compare the price...Just a quick followup.<BR/><BR/>Be sure to compare the price of diesel to premium, not regular fuel.<BR/><BR/>Since high performance vehicles like BMW/Mercedes require premium, not regular.Bill in NChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13183010395531193508noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7514357.post-38331687155907376332008-01-29T06:25:00.001-08:002008-01-29T06:25:00.001-08:00re. www.youwalkaway.comWOW! Only advantage missi...re. www.youwalkaway.com<BR/><BR/>WOW! Only advantage missing that it can also enlarge your junk...<BR/><BR/>Look at the photos of the people.<BR/>All smiles.<BR/>Happy times for sure.<BR/><BR/>Hey, you are not moving in, you are being evicted!!<BR/><BR/>Need to send this link to that lawyer that tracks mortgage fraud, along with the FHA.<BR/><BR/>h.H Simpsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00466102784332540445noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7514357.post-83382971406097223492008-01-29T06:25:00.000-08:002008-01-29T06:25:00.000-08:00I know I am becoming increasingly random, but if y...I know I am becoming increasingly random, but if you think China is on the up, then perhaps top-shelf jade is worth looking at? I have considered in the past Russian antiques as well. Irish antiques increased in value drastically as the locals made their money in property, then looked for something to spend it on. I don't see why the BRICanese would be any different.spooqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09643337236303265564noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7514357.post-87023267536364770652008-01-29T05:57:00.000-08:002008-01-29T05:57:00.000-08:00Thanks wagga, I'm going to look at an emerald tomo...Thanks wagga, I'm going to look at an emerald tomorrow, and maybe a ruby at some point soon, and I want to know what the hell I'm talking about :)spooqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09643337236303265564noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7514357.post-65392736872484750792008-01-29T05:54:00.000-08:002008-01-29T05:54:00.000-08:00@spooq:Blood rubies@spooq:<BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/10/01/wruby101.xml" REL="nofollow">Blood rubies</A>waggahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13124634989978888426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7514357.post-36546042876891077852008-01-29T05:51:00.000-08:002008-01-29T05:51:00.000-08:00Most mines these days don't dig tunnels, they just...<I>Most mines these days don't dig tunnels, they just remove the mountain, take the minerals, then fill in the hole.</I><BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://www.mountainjusticesummer.org/facts/steps.php" REL="nofollow">Well, 2 out of 3 ain't half-bad.</A>waggahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13124634989978888426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7514357.post-27716137752780881922008-01-29T05:39:00.000-08:002008-01-29T05:39:00.000-08:00Anyone have any good resources for ruby or emerald...Anyone have any good resources for ruby or emerald pricing?spooqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09643337236303265564noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7514357.post-80016579022276087492008-01-29T05:26:00.000-08:002008-01-29T05:26:00.000-08:00> There are a lot of smart people and their comput...> There are a lot of smart people and their computers that know all the rules and have all the information.<BR/><BR/>I help the smart people with their computers. The programs are only as good as the weaker of their creator and their user.spooqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09643337236303265564noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7514357.post-76431604634723100012008-01-29T05:16:00.000-08:002008-01-29T05:16:00.000-08:00@w: I like the PIMCO idea. Aren't their fees kind ...@w: I like the PIMCO idea. Aren't their fees kind of high, though?Jean ValJeanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03415115686001808051noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7514357.post-39686917334562126502008-01-29T03:08:00.000-08:002008-01-29T03:08:00.000-08:00Natwest in the UK are offering bonds at well over ...Natwest in the UK are offering bonds at well over 6% interest. Not sure what the customer requirements are, apparently I meet them. I bought the smallest possible amount for 3 months, more as an experiment than anything else.spooqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09643337236303265564noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7514357.post-37514950037991699172008-01-29T02:47:00.000-08:002008-01-29T02:47:00.000-08:00Unsafe havens - arbitrage opportunities exist in s...Unsafe havens - arbitrage opportunities exist in situations like the TROLL.OL shares I mentioned earlier. They are currently at 15.6NOK, and Nokia have made a solid offer at 16NOK. Take the risk that something could happen to that offer between now and then, and you can make a sweet profit. I did a back-of-the-envelope calcuation that came out to around 10% annualised return. You'll lose about 50% of your capital if it goes bad.spooqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09643337236303265564noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7514357.post-37372356024665889492008-01-29T00:08:00.000-08:002008-01-29T00:08:00.000-08:00"Note that I avoid metal mining stocks for the mos..."Note that I avoid metal mining stocks for the most part because in a financial disaster it will be common to see nationalization of mines."<BR/><BR/>In a few places maybe. Nationalization of resources like mines and oil almost always result in greatly reduced output, so the value of the commodity will usually rise due to reduced supply. If you're going to own miners, you need geographic diversification with an emphasis on politically stable democracies. The market already discounts political risk to some extent in mining companies.<BR/><BR/>"Also, it seems that even with the price of metals going up companies don't always turn the profits you would expect. Especially as labor and energy go up."<BR/><BR/>Modern mining is largely mechanized outside of South Africa. Most mines these days don't dig tunnels, they just remove the mountain, take the minerals, then fill in the hole.<BR/><BR/>Energy is definitely an issue for miners, but not as much as you would think. The thing about mining is that the return is very sensitive to the price of the extracted metal. Mines that can operate profitably at today's energy prices should be doing OK even if energy prices rise, as long as the price of the metal rises along with energy. Which is pretty likely, as energy demand and metal demand are both driven by related economic activity. The real risk is a major loss of energy supply, like someone nuking the Saudi oil fields or something.sm_landlordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05240427561510825980noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7514357.post-2340365245426395792008-01-28T22:36:00.000-08:002008-01-28T22:36:00.000-08:00I hear SocGen is launching a new credit card offer...I hear SocGen is launching a new credit card offering interest-free credit on balance transfers of up to $70BFunny Circus Bearshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08020349317910148048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7514357.post-26358275449119587222008-01-28T19:34:00.000-08:002008-01-28T19:34:00.000-08:00Alright I'll try and give my naive two cents on in...Alright I'll try and give my naive two cents on investing right now. I am not a gambler. There are a lot of smart people and their computers that know all the rules and have all the information. I will not deceive myself into thinking I can out guess them. Even being right you can get played when investing. So I am trying to preserve my savings in this bear market. And remember, just because the market goes up doesn't mean it has gone up if it is valued in paper. <BR/><BR/>I have split my savings into:<BR/><BR/>Gold - Maybe 15% as a hedge. If it goes to the moon I will be selling the whole way. It is already way up So I can just hold it as insurance. If the paper world evaporates I can shrug it off and start over with more than most people.<BR/><BR/>Silver - A little. Note that I avoid metal mining stocks for the most part because in a financial disaster it will be common to see nationalization of mines. Also, it seems that even with the price of metals going up companies don't always turn the profits you would expect. Especially as labor and energy go up.<BR/><BR/>Foreign government bonds - PIMCO has a good unhedged fund. You get a good dividend and currency exposure. Last time I checked they were heavy in German and Japanese bonds. I figure let the smart guys manage it. They have a lot of fannie/freddie crap in there too but I figure they can manage the risk. Besides its guarranteed right :)<BR/><BR/>Foreign currency - I like funds, majority Merk.<BR/><BR/>short stock fund - Let an expert try and manage the risks. Don't let them have too great a percentage of your money because they could blow up if they have a bad week.<BR/><BR/>Japanese stocks - buy low sell high right? If there is another modern economy with great innovative companies that has performed so poorly please let me know. This helps with currency diversification too.<BR/><BR/>Dollars - Treasuries or FDIC insured accounts<BR/><BR/>As you can see I am just trying to play what I think are imbalances throughout the world. These are long term themes that should not require daily management. If I get one or two wrong others will compensate. Personally, I would love to be in energy and minerals but I think that has played out for the next few years. I hope to see better buying opportunities on these as the world economy slows. They should lead the next boom (more so than real estate will).<BR/><BR/>When it comes to shorting and sector rotation and other types of gambling that is for play money.whttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10180422369180931361noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7514357.post-14559589919046649832008-01-28T19:05:00.000-08:002008-01-28T19:05:00.000-08:00Everything keeps getting weirder. I think we may h...Everything keeps getting weirder. I think we may have truly entered The Twilight Zone.<BR/>Given various references to 19th century French lit in this thread and our current "president" who has thankfully finished his BS speech I have to quote Flaubert:<BR/><I>To be stupid, and selfish, and to have good health are the three requirements for happiness; though if stupidity is lacking, the others are useless.</I>Akubihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05214321836465499032noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7514357.post-25834175844529194172008-01-28T18:13:00.000-08:002008-01-28T18:13:00.000-08:00Ho Ho Ho - It's Santa Flipper Clause@akubiI figure...Ho Ho Ho - It's Santa Flipper Clause<BR/><BR/>@akubi<BR/>I figured the housing mess could get worse.<BR/>I did not think it could get any weirder.<BR/><BR/>Santa F. ClauseSanta Flipper Clausehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18417238958466019434noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7514357.post-59995010232318427602008-01-28T18:09:00.000-08:002008-01-28T18:09:00.000-08:00sk,Half hacked. I get unlimited data and voice an...sk,<BR/>Half hacked. I get unlimited data and voice and 200 SMC text msgs for $29.99/mo with the honest contract, I'm okay. No leaving the family for me. Still I will be building/contracting three apps that I hope will allow me to buy one of those ranches we've been looking at. <BR/><BR/>The iPhone is a device that puts magic to shame. The iPhone does everything magic does but doesn't need faith in the occult. <BR/><BR/>Hacks to come:<BR/><BR/>Billing. Clients auto print specific emails containing their invoice.<BR/><BR/>WTFAW (where the fck r we?) for mileage.<BR/><BR/>Not mine. DVDpedia so we can buy DVDs without duplicates.Rob Dawghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10042154106850545479noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7514357.post-19221315504382635242008-01-28T18:05:00.000-08:002008-01-28T18:05:00.000-08:00@Santa Flipper Clause,That is unbelievable. I'm s...@Santa Flipper Clause,<BR/>That is unbelievable. I'm speechless.Akubihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05214321836465499032noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7514357.post-28588092872434899862008-01-28T17:47:00.000-08:002008-01-28T17:47:00.000-08:00Rob - That IPhone of yours - you planning on unloc...Rob - That IPhone of yours - you planning on unlocking it ? As per this story, a 1/4 of the IPhones out there have been unlocked -<BR/>http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aWmgi08ZjbpM<BR/><BR/>If you do so, since I enjoy understanding and doing hacks I'd love to hear of your experiences at it.<BR/><BR/>-Kskhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05744393408613566528noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7514357.post-19198577689891678642008-01-28T17:37:00.000-08:002008-01-28T17:37:00.000-08:00Ho Ho Ho - It's Santa Flipper ClauseOK, A little o...Ho Ho Ho - It's Santa Flipper Clause<BR/><BR/>OK, A little out of place, but check this web site out:<BR/><BR/>www.youwalkaway.com<BR/><BR/>Very Caseyesq.<BR/><BR/>Santa F. ClauseSanta Flipper Clausehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18417238958466019434noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7514357.post-15301016322719340882008-01-28T17:13:00.000-08:002008-01-28T17:13:00.000-08:00I've been buying diesel in CA for 4 years now and ...I've been buying diesel in CA for 4 years now and it has been under the price of regular a few times but never for very long. This is not neccessary true in other states.chickelithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10773887469972534979noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7514357.post-52436604428118162352008-01-28T16:51:00.000-08:002008-01-28T16:51:00.000-08:00Right now Diesel is running $3.40 and I gassed up ...Right now Diesel is running $3.40 and I gassed up today for $2.839. Currently no price advantage per mile for the inconvenience and higher initial vehicle purchase price. <BR/><BR/>The diesel tank bit is fine. Better still recall I am surrounded by aquaintances who own ranches. They all have diesel bunkers already. <BR/><BR/>Special thanks for the link. I was preparing an Angelo roasting of my own but that is far superior.Rob Dawghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10042154106850545479noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7514357.post-10105646195384461452008-01-28T16:35:00.000-08:002008-01-28T16:35:00.000-08:00And another Countrywide article for your enjoyment...And another Countrywide article for your enjoyment:<BR/><BR/>http://www.lewrockwell.com/englund/englund43.htmlBill in NChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13183010395531193508noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7514357.post-85793229304573290252008-01-28T16:19:00.000-08:002008-01-28T16:19:00.000-08:00If you're going to go BMW/Mercedes, pick a diesel ...If you're going to go BMW/Mercedes, pick a diesel pusher, get better mileage.<BR/><BR/>Grab a home heating oil tank and fill it with on-road diesel as insurance against uncertain times.<BR/><BR/>Like when Katrina hit and some local stations here would only fuel emergency vehicles.Bill in NChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13183010395531193508noreply@blogger.com