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Open Thread
After the rather tumultuous events of the past 48 hours, it is time to take a moderate to quite moderate break. Please use this space to hyperventilate, or else breathe normally, at your leisure.

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At this point I am happy just to be 'ventilating - whichever style it may be.
Did we all pass the Zerohedge "firedrill" in the past 24 hours ?
It was probably all just an attempt to shake loose the chaff.
I thought Tyler might have said something negative about Assange and his RoboHackers targeted ZH servers.
Although...
Apparently, the WL and ZH servers are both in Sweden...
For whatever that's worth.
Are they ever seen together in the same place?
That keg picture reminds me that while it will be bitter cold at the Giants-Eagles game Sunday, there will be beer and sausage grinders, so my survival is virtually assured. Plus, I will have on my new zerohedge hat to keep me warm.
The Central Banks, who have leased "their" "gold" "vaults" at least 100 times over, continued the trend this month as the Federal Reserve Bank did the majority until the ECB did a little this week. But sheit, when everybodies doing it....
Experts agree. It is time to get in the market and take it up the ass again.
http://www.usatoday.com/money/perfi/stocks/2010-12-16-usa-today-investme...
Believe it or not we're walking on air I never thought I could feel so free-ee-ee... something something on a wing and a prayer... who could it be? Bernanke?
That one made my night. The shitty part is that I am going to be humming that fucking tune now until the stubborn brain cell it just lodged itself in is eliminated.
"The shitty part is that I am going to be humming that fucking tune now until the stubborn brain cell it just lodged itself in is eliminated."
This should help ;-)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auDv6cf2PBM
Very good ...
If your going to dislodge, you really need something by the Carpenters.
i Love the carpenters!
I'm on the...top of the world....
hated that song, but she had a great voice...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zmzv5xJ4wE4 MARKET MUSIC
That is truly inspired. Someone (wb7?) needs to come up with a little video or photo montage set to that song. Remember this one?:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LO2eh6f5Go0
Hehe... and throw in a little Congressional "hearing" into the montage... Muppet Show Intro.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtube_gdata_player&v=Uh_aG5MzPVM
Nice! And Miss Piggy as a young Nancy Pelosi....Can you dig it?
The old critics in the box... "no, don't make me watch it!" Lol
Ron Paul and KD
The other night we were trying to remember which series had that song as its theme song. It was American Hero. Perfect!
Bernanke prefers "Greatest American Hero"
..even more perfect.
Oh, that's right. Yes, even better. Gotta love The Bernank. It would be tragic if it wasn't so damn funny. Wait...did I say that backwards?
Abby Baby is hot! I wanna get oiled up and have a go with that filly!
You couldnt pay me to fick her with YOUR duck.
giants get killed at home 20-9 eagles cover big time. I'll take the under.
Vick leaves the game, injured. Giants run the ball all day. Giants 24 Eagles 17
could be, I'm betting eli will throw at least one pick and the eagles secondary has +15 on turn overs. Giants may slowdown vick, plus the weather, it'll be a fun game to watch, 5 bills on the table for this one.
I'll bet Eli throws more than one pick. No Steve Smith. They will run all day, though. Hopefully snow but not freezing rain. I hate to sit through a game in freezing rain. Enjoy it, though, and God Bless either way!
you as well, have a great time! 20% chance of rain/snow, don't worry though as you said, a beer and a couple of grinders and you'll be just fine.
Or a couple of beers and a grinder...either way is good.
yesssir!
Nah...... Eagles walk away with an easy win and sector rotation from football to basketball in NYC begins. Amare and 'mello!!! Beat the fucking heat!
Yeah, they looked good for 59 minutes against the Celtics...
Good coaches win,
Great coaches cover.
Profound, my friend.
lol i luv u zh
Bah-Humbug to all; and to all a good night.
A skeleton walks into a bar.
Orders a beer and a mop....
A blind guy walks into a bar with his seeing eye dog. He picks the dog up by his back legs and starts swinging him in a circle.
The bartender comes flying over the bar and says "SIR CAN I HELP YOU WITH SOMETHING"?
Blind guy says no thanks, I'm just lookin around ;-)
Ha!
Laughed at yours as well...adding it to the repertoire ;-)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgeZEdbv_m8&feature=more_related
.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0GWl9GWawI&NR=1
.
i can't recall the correct tune to link so these will do.
it will come to me ...
and there is this...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FA2BctxpD0o&feature=related
.
but this is the one..
Tom Waits - Bad Liver & A Broken Heart
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFCqrd5EYTA
tom waits is brilliant. rather have a free bottle in front of me than a pre-frontal lobotomy
yea
Don't need to be a weatherman to know which way the wind blows ;-)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kOhaIg4e_k
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZgBhyU4IvQ
Bob Dylan - Not Dark Yethttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXrk03aZ6x4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gro3Fga11k&feature=related
Oooh... that was good
Good one! Beer goes through me almost as fast.
that one's hard to swallow (and it took me a second)
Did Marla get a spanking on her naughty bottom? I did ask last night, but it's gone now.
Midnight. Off to bed.
Merry Fuck-n Christmas............!
K-rations "BITCHES"
So much debt; so little maturity!
That's where i'm at. Pouring a nice Belgian Saison.
How much would it cost for JP to hire a hacker to shut down ZH? Jamie wasnted me to do some research on this....errrr, I mean just curious
Go play with your toys, Jon ;)
Might those toys be the (handful of) gold and silver bars that (fractionally) back up all of Kitco's pooled precious metals accounts? Said program, of course, having been designed and set up by none other than Jonny himself, incidentally.
oh, no please, no, don't mention those pooled accounts, I haven't been able to sleep for two weeks and when I get some sleep I have nightmares of Jim screaming "1650 bitch !" and Jamie and Blythe are in the background laughing at me for being stupid enough to believe they could actually keep gold and silver down forever. Well, at least I have my house in Peru where they won't find me...unless DoChen recognizes me... not if I am in woman's clothing. Ms. Creant can you help out here?
Here is a thought to all. Remember when the sneaky banksters and government do their most evil is when all the peeples are relaxing during holiday.Be on the look out for another back door bailout for the banks such as what was done in 2008 with Bank of America, Citi Bank, etc. and all. This would be the perfect time to sneak something through while no one is paying attention say, Christmas Eve??? Just like how the Fed Reserve came into existence while all were away, the elite will spare no opportunities to suck the life out of its pslave workers. Watch for the MER thing to go under the carpet or the mortgage crisis with bond holders gets settled, or the Republicans cave to the Banks just like Obama and the boys did. It truly is pathetic.
You mean like the unlimited bail of Fan and Fred on Xmas Eve 09 ? That fleecing was so obvious on the right timing it make me puke my fruitcake. Only Bill Gross noticed besides me. Not a creature was stirring.
"You mean like the unlimited bail of Fan and Fred on Xmas Eve 09 ?"
How soon they forget...a-bottomless-pit.
(d)
This ES and PM chitchat is all nice and well, but it doesn't change the fact that Qatar is going to hold the World Cup in 2022.
Proof that soccer is going straight into the gutter.
Time for red wine and lots of it. [Don't give a sh*t about the labels.]
Been a fun week. Making money again with less gambling (the old ways before the hedge came to town). Slowly learning with thanks to this crazy-ass site and all you cantankerous nut jobs that make the information actually interesting. Hedge-Love [new shirt to follow]
Cheers all.
It still amazes me that despite the ongoing dollar depreciation, I can still pick up a perfectly-drinkable bottle of sangiovese wine at Trader Joe's for $2.99. Or 1/10 ounce of silver, down from 1/6 ounce about a year ago. Dollar depreciation + price deflation = more alcohol for me.
Trader Joe's is great if you know what to look for. Years ago, while playing hide the debenture games were the rage in the firm I was with, one of the guys was importing containers of wine from Vietnam. About a buck a bottle shipped, good stuff too (not great). All he did was open market bid to the label houses (the ones with no fields of there own). Realized $2 per in profit net. Connections, connections, connections. Great stuff for a large group who just wants to mill around and drink. Hmmm, let's start a collection plate. We just need a destination to receive and let the dispensations / arguments to begin.
Imagine this group ... on alcohol... within reach... LOL
If the gathering is in N. America, count me in. Why not? None of us here have anything left to lose anyway.
+2 buck chuck.
With a plate of their excellent, permantly 1/2 off cheeses.
What bugs me is that in Canada a bottle of Blackstone Cab. Sav. (California)is still $16.99, the same price as when our dollar was $.82.
You cross the border and you can get it for $6.99 (buying six) in Safeway. It's a very good seven buck wine.
An interesting comparison is that you could get basically one bottle per ounce of silver six months ago which was purchased for $20 Cdn. and now you can get over 1.5 bottles per ounce. I like that Silver Train.
Man I just got back from the bunker...35 minutes of the ice queen during auto refresh and I just bugged out hard man!
HA, cancelled my Chase account today, the gal was not happy and asked me why. I said because of the 10 .00 fee and the fact that they basically stole my branch and screwed the shareholders of Washington mutual. I left the kids accounts active because they can't be charged a fee until they are 18 so it will cost them money for the next 6 years.
Nice! +10^10
I had a similar discussion with my Chase "personal banker" on Monday, although I have not (yet?) closed my accounts in advance of the 2/8/2011 deadline. It went approximately thus:
cxl9 [calm, polite]: I have a question about this notice I received in the mail.
Chase: Yes?
cxl9: It indicates that there will be a $10/month fee on my checking account beginning Feb. 8th...
Chase: Yes, but you can avoid the service fee by maintaining a savings balance of $5000 or a checking....
cxl9 [interrupting]: Yes, I can read, thank you. I read the letter. Here is my problem. I originally opened up this account with Washington Mutual, and it was guaranteed free checking for life.
Chase: But Washington Mutual no longer exists.
cxl9: I understand that. Chase purchased their assets, which included my account. Presumably Chase was aware of the conditions attached to that account and, in acquiring it, agreed to those conditions.
Chase: Well, I don't know....
cxl9: I do know. Chase bought the account and knew (or should have known) that it included an obligation to provide "free checking for life". Chase is now attempting to change the terms of the deal after they agreed to it. Suppose they had purchased my mortgage from Washington Mutual. Could they arbitrarily change the terms of my mortgage because they don't like the terms? Can I change the terms of my mortgage if I no longer like them? I never asked to be a Chase customer in the first place, and no one ever asked me if I wanted to be. I just woke up one day and suddenly, through no action of mine, I had a Chase account.
Chase [irritated]: Sir, I am not going to debate bank policy with you...
cxl9: [still calm]: I am not looking for a debate. I would like you to remove the service charge from my checking account.
Chase: Sir, I can't just go in and make changes to your account like that.
cxl9: Sure you can. Or someone else can. Someone in the organization just did. Let's get that person on the phone.
Chase [more irritated]: The only thing I can do for you is advise you about ways to avoid the service fees. I cannot make any changes to your account. If you want to avoid the service fee, the easiest thing to do is maintain a savings balance of at least $5000.00
cxl9: I am not going to maintain a savings balance with Chase because you are only paying 0.1% interest. That's not interest. It's an insult.
Chase: Well, that is in-line with industry standards.
cxl9: The crowning irony here is that when Chase was in danger of going out of business a couple years ago because of how poorly they managed their business, they went running to the taxpayer (me!) for a bailout.
Chase: If there's nothing else I can help you with...
cxl9: Thank you. Good day.
I still haven't decided how far to press them. My time is worth something, so I don't want to waste too much of it on these clowns. I don't believe they care at all if you close or threaten to close your account. They don't need the deposits at all anymore, so I believe the only reason they want you to have an account is so that they can have an opportunity to push financial services on you at each point of contact with the bank (branch visits, telephone, mail, email, etc.) That's really the only purpose now. Checking accounts are just loss-leaders to get access to customers for sales/upsell/marketing purposes.
I'm no lawyer, of course, but I would think they are stuck with the terms of the original contract I had with Washington Mutual. Who knows? My thought at this point is to ram it through to small-claims court and see what happens.
One word: credit union.
OK, fine, two words.
There isn't much difference between a credit union and bank these days.
I bank with goldmoney.com.
How do you like it? Checked the website out. Have you gotten many vendors to join?
and where do credit unions keep their currency? in a bank account. unless they only deal in cash.
maybe it works differently in your part of the world?
Class action suit, baybee!
With things what they are these days, I'd bet there's gotta be some out-of-work corporate law scavenger who'd pick that up in a heartbeat.
Incidentally: I don't suggest this because you expect to win. It's just to cause the organization some pain. Honestly, stuff like this is such a perfect use of the Internet. Get a few million irritated out-of-work people to call Chase customer service, write a letter every few days, etc etc.
Almost my entire family in Mi is either unemployed or underemployed: father, brothers, cousins, aunt, more cousins....I'll get them right on it.
Is $5000 a lot?
2 years from now it won't be.
Minimum wages for a month. LOL
Google "I hate Chase Bank". You're not alone. A class action suit would probably have people lining up for miles and I'd pay to see it. My mortgage is with them (not by choice). I despise them. The day that they crash and burn can't come soon enough.
"I had a similar discussion with my Chase "personal banker" on Monday..."
Assert constant pressure. Force the decision to come all the way from the top. Let's hear the big man/woman at the top tell you "no"
I just fired off a certified letter to Kenneth Chaunalt, CEO of American Express, and Doria Camaraza, Sr. VP of card member services.
I have an airline trying to pimp me for a thousand bucks and Amex is just rolling over. Amex used to always protect me. So I want to hear Ken and Doria tell me that I don't matter as a customer after a 21 year seven figure spending spree.
I think I'll get my way - I should. The way large corportations, et al, are bullying people around is really bullshit.
If either individual is reading this, btw, you really should have someone call me. It's not about the money, Mr. Chenault.
It's 10K @bofa
good for you !!! you go !! ...... everytime I go into my PNC branch, I wave to the 25-year-old branch manager through his office window, then, pop my head in his office & ask him when he's going to raise the interest rates for savings accounts (l.o.l.) !! I then tell him that if they would raise the interest rates I would stop buying silver & put some cash in my account. He told me that the low interest rates were good for borrowing & I shot back : No one wants to borrow any money ! we want paid off houses & cars ! .
Tough question. Cider or Mead?
Mead in winter, cider in summer, you muppet.
Mmm. Some "cidre" and Normandy college chicks.
Grog
Applejack is the greatest grog.
Just got back from Breckenridge - 14 inches of snow late last week. Great conditons. Short lift lines. Glad I didn't hear, read, or watch the news for a week. WOW! Joy restored - looks like it may last through the weekend.
I A M E:
steep and deep, dude....................
Is a local area network in Australia the LAN down under?
I tried to pull cash out of the bank today...they apparently have lowered their limit to 4k per person per day. I could have sworn I pulled 8K out a couple years ago...
They claimed it was because since they are a small branch they don't stock enough cash to do more than that. When I complained, they put a hold on 2 checks I had just deposited (after telling me that they didn't need to put a hold on them), and told me if I wanted to withdraw more than 4K, I would have to let them know and wait 5 business days for them to order the cash.
In other words for future transactions, it will take me 10 business days to deposit a check and cash it.
Sometimes they tell me to call ahead so that they can order the cash. Been back and forth on it, one manager gets pissed at the employees and tells them they can't do that they have to give me the money. Another day, I must pre-order and they will only give me $2,000.
My CU has sent me two letters saying their sorry for the coming slaughter of my cd, looks like more PM's in the future. Here is to the ZH team, TOAST/DRINK:)
They hate bearer instruments.
Just withdrew 2.2k today in cash & 10.2k on Wednesday with a bank wire to add to physical silver position. They said they should be good for 5-6k without notice, but 10k they can't handle. Imagine if there was a bank run or emergency, they would not be able to handle the demand without a 4-5 day wait while they "order" the cash.
Buying physical silver in bullion, rounds or coins is cheaper than paying the over 10% premium over NAV on PSLV. Junk silver coins at 4.55% over spot. No commissions, no taxes, no records; cash on the barrelhead or bank wire.
When the security at the coin dealer exceeds the security at the bank, you know who has the more valuable asset. The dealer has a double door system to buzz one in & the first thing you see when you enter is a guard with a real gun. He who has the gold & silver has the "goods."
I'm withdrawing for physical silver too (although I'm getting better rates than you :P).
I'm glad I learned this today though. I'm going to start keeping at least 10K in toilet paper at my house, because 4K is chump change, and any bank that thinks 4K is a large amount of money will run out very quickly during an emergency.
Great for you on the silver pricing! My dealer is nearby & I like to do face-to-face business with him. I think I shall do the same for special occasions when mis-pricings occur in the paper markets so I can pick some up at will. Happy Hunting drink or die!
Having physical at hand makes one sleep well at night...
Walstreetpro2's little brother?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BljpQRUhFrs
Speaking of WalstreetPro, here is a message I received from him (Facebook) regarding the kudos he received from ZeroHedge commentators:
10 December at 08:35 Report thanks man that felt good this morning to laugh about those comments i was actually thinking of starting back with videos this spring cause it sure was fun breaking all the shit but the headline news isnt quite so negative but theres still plenty to bitch about i guess thanks alot man for sending this to me it will certainly make my day better im almost ready to go infront of camera again i just need to lose a few more pounds to have greater confidence so the show can be better anyway Nathan thanks again and take care man i really do appreciate the article and comments lol
He is a Fight Club god!
I liked the video because my first thousand ounces was exactly that, 500 eagles and 500 maples.
so, uh.......where y'all live?
HA! yeah, let's get the addresses & GPS coords.........
I'm quietly celebrating the passage of the extension of the
tax breaks. I'm convinced that any tax increase would have
been detrimental to the stock market and our economy.
Now, congress should turn it's attention to reducing
government expenditures. They should not use a meat
clever in this process. A reduction in our deficit say from $1.5
trillion to $1.2 trillon in the current fiscal year would be a
very good start. A $1 trillion deficit in fiscal year 2011/12 and a
reduction in the deficit of $200 B per year until we arrive
at a balanced budget. Is this to much to ask?
Think I'll circle over this one for a while, sounds like he might just walk in front of a bus or something.
Nicely played.
Corporate Tax Collection
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBt8xEWP7RU
I miss my college days.
Yeah, me too. Tyler's kegger post got me all sentimental about those college days..... passed out but always close to the keg like a good soldier gone down.
Yes, but we used to salute the empty keg as a good soldier gone down. I don't know, I can't really remember much, though....
The depiction of a man down on the floor consuming grog is one of the lesser positions, it should in zero hedge aspirations...be a head stand.
A House on the hill across from CU had a corner in its rather large common room with countless foot prints upon the ceiling, with echos of turkey baster shots drawn from a sacrificial bowl, and illuminated by the suns refraction from a 6G red felt couch...donated...by an occupants girl friends father, remnants of a make over in Sun Valley, UT.
I wonder how the Newport CA. investment banker for the Gov fairs these days, daughter concussed to the 6th grade...riding bike after a few drinks...watching football at friends place, and boyfriend offered MM to babysit as long as his discretion in affairs was resolute....last I saw him he was working the door at the old theater on the hill across from CU....methinks he choose wisely....
Skippy...monies has gravity of which only a few can escape...
i miss my college tuition
Encumbered Gold & Silver = Trash IOU
i.e. Swiss, New York, Singaporean, Australian bank vaults.
Keep it real, keep it physical.
How much is lost when you translate Ernst Junger into French?
None. Neither make any sense.
"Le terre possede encore des vallees reculees et des recifs aux riches couleurs ou ne retentissent ni le sifflet des usines, ni la sirene des vapeurs, elle possede encore des chemins detournes qui restent ouverts aux farfelus romantique."
The earth still has out of the way places and rich colored reefs where there's no echoes of factory whistles or steamer horns. It still has byways open to the daydream believers.
Damn...I didn't know The Monkees" were inspired by Junger.
LOL. ...and a homecoming queen.
"ouest les poules feu"
Written by John Stewart of Kingston Trio fame. He probably read Junger.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Stewart_%28musician%29
didnt nesmiths mother invent white out
If so, maybe she should have used it on him.
Not much if translated by Thomas, Plard, Hervier or Poncet.
All I have is Hervier. How's he rank?
Right at the top...he is very good at translating the German nuance and understood well Junger's style.
So that kind of disconnected, fuzzy feel is pure Junger?
Depends on which books you have read. But yes, Junger has often been criticized for excessive emotional control in his writing...even though he is considered the father of Magical realism. A note: Junger refused to allow Der Arbeiter to be published in France. after his death, it was translated by Hervier, even though some had considered it "untranslatable."
Are the outlandish financial bonuses inversely proportional to current dollar value?
No but moral outrage is multiplied by the number of financial bonuses.
The very same moral outrage is also divisible by the number of large banks supporting the "There is Enough Blame to Go Around" hypothesis of 2008.
Needs to go check on my savings accounts in Vegas.
I don't know why...but Sam Kinison always brought such clarity.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vN7ehccspao
Wow! He is younger, skinnier, and funnier than I remember.
He does look younger doesn't he ;-)
They can say what they want...ole Sam lived his life to the max with no apologies...LOL.
One of my ALL TIME favorite comedy bits! Thanks for the laugh.
Welcome.
Ha ha! One of his best bits ever.
Many a time have I wanted to use a girls earing as a fishing hook.
Tyler, something wierd going on. I have tried two different browsers for your new .org site, and everytime
I am kicked back to .com
server side redirect due to .com is fixed. all normal..
I think I swallowed a bug