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Vintage threads from the first ten years

New rules for USA entry!!!

1/9/2004 2:03 PM
Stephen Giles	New rules for USA entry!!! I think a lot of people will now go elsewhere and visit a different dictatorship! We intended to visit the Colorado area this year, but the new long haul flight rules have put paid to that. South America beckons once again. Stephen

1/9/2004 2:35 PM
Mark Hammer	Come to Canada, Steve, that "other" part of the Commonwealth! I'll happily put you and Anne up. The British High Commissioner is but 2 blocks from my workplace, and I'll gladly do whatever legwork is needed. I just wouldn't recommend it this week....brrrrrrrr.

1/10/2004 10:13 PM
Stephen Giles	Thanks Mark - Canada is in our plan, maybe next year. I want to do the coast to coast train ride and of course stop off in Ottawa!. We'll most probably go to Bolivia and Guatemala this year - that's assuming we can get flights which don't stop over in the USA. Lan Chile looks promising, and maybe even KLM again. Stephen

1/9/2004 4:39 PM
Chris ( CMW amps )	probably because of me The 1st plane-trip in my life was in september 2001 , did go to Ithaca on the 5th and was planning to return at the 14th ( thanks to Trace - VoodooAmps it was possible on the 18th ! ) . Anyway ; did have all suitcases , bags , pockets full with guitar- and amp-parts and the line of people was getting bigger and bigger at Boston customs ....... Don't visit the Netherlands , over here we do have a Harry Potter a like vice-pres. ....... LOL Chris

1/9/2004 4:39 PM

Chris ( CMW amps )

probably because of me

The 1st plane-trip in my life was in september 2001 , did go to Ithaca on the 5th and was planning to return at the 14th ( thanks to Trace - VoodooAmps it was possible on the 18th ! ) .
Anyway ;
did have all suitcases , bags , pockets full with guitar- and amp-parts and the line of people was getting bigger and bigger at Boston customs .......

Don't visit the Netherlands , over here we do have a Harry Potter a like vice-pres. .......

LOL

Chris

1/9/2004 10:28 PM
Mental Midget	Re: New rules for USA entry!!! I think a lot of people will now go elsewhere and visit a different dictatorship! The US is not a dictatorship, not yet anyways? I know Bush gives that world that impression occasionally, but really, we still are somewhat of a democracy. And things will only get better once Howard Dean becomes the next president. Dean is the best thing to happen to democracy since the first american mother invented apple pie. Believe me, things will change drastically in 10 months when Dean defeats Bush in a landslide. Also, if you are Bwitish, then you know that Bush has decimated the US dollar which is now less stable in value than the Mexican Peso and the Russian Rubble. Why go to SA when euros can buy lots of dollars and few pesos these days. Yes it's a hassle at US airports these days, but you can't beat the low US prices if you are coming from europe. And you have to admit, the airport delays are a better deal than having your plane crashed into the Atlantic or crashed into a skyscrapper. Believe me, it's a very positive thing to keep terrorists off airplanes even if it requires extra time for check in at the airport. But be forwarned though. Don't hold dollars any longer than you have to. Cash them in back for euros as quick as possible when you get back home. They will just keep going down and down while GW is running things and you will find that they eventually may be worth very little.

1/9/2004 10:28 PM

Mental Midget

Re: New rules for USA entry!!!

I think a lot of people will now go elsewhere and visit a different dictatorship!

The US is not a dictatorship, not yet anyways? I know Bush gives that world that impression occasionally, but really, we still are somewhat of a democracy. And things will only get better once Howard Dean becomes the next president. Dean is the best thing to happen to democracy since the first american mother invented apple pie. Believe me, things will change drastically in 10 months when Dean defeats Bush in a landslide.

Also, if you are Bwitish, then you know that Bush has decimated the US dollar which is now less stable in value than the Mexican Peso and the Russian Rubble. Why go to SA when euros can buy lots of dollars and few pesos these days. Yes it's a hassle at US airports these days, but you can't beat the low US prices if you are coming from europe.

And you have to admit, the airport delays are a better deal than having your plane crashed into the Atlantic or crashed into a skyscrapper. Believe me, it's a very positive thing to keep terrorists off airplanes even if it requires extra time for check in at the airport.

But be forwarned though. Don't hold dollars any longer than you have to. Cash them in back for euros as quick as possible when you get back home. They will just keep going down and down while GW is running things and you will find that they eventually may be worth very little.

1/10/2004 12:24 AM
WallSt Boy	Re: The dollar, a sad macro picture.. Don't hold dollars any longer than you have to. Cash them in back for euros as quick as possible when you get back home. I try not to talk shop on Ampage, but you have mentioned something very important that we've been following for a long time. George Soros called this pretty well early last year noting that with an artificially low interest rate the savings rate has gone to heck (why save money when you get zippo at the bank and you can get sub 4% financing on just about anything..) debt has skyrocketed, and we're printing money like crazy. Add to that the fact that many other countries (despite moaning about the US) have pegged their currencies to the almighty dollar. The dollar basically has to fall - and ti's going to take lots of other folks along for the ride - and gold etc have to rise.. Perhaps 'have to' is too strong, but the fact is a year later the dollar is in the crapper and Gold is at a high. Naysayers still tout that it must get worse before it gets better. So save yer money, cut your debt, and hold on tight. (no matter who is elected) If/when realestate falls apart, it's going to get bumpy. All sorts of bumpy. Expect lots of foreclosures, esp at the high end of the mkt. All these mouthbreathers on their 3rd mortgages are going to experience living in a van down by the river.. Today's job report did not help in case there was any doubt.. While we don't trade currencies here, some of our peers have made a tidy profit betting on the dollar's slide. It's sort of funny, bc being an equity shop we're really in the wrong business. We are getting forced to buy things (and have been a little bit) steel, gold, palladium.. whatever. we are supposed to be buying us denominated equities.. But if you buy a US$ equity that moves up 20% and the dollar drops 15% you're running to stand still. No fun at all.

1/10/2004 12:24 AM

WallSt Boy

Re: The dollar, a sad macro picture..

Don't hold dollars any longer than you have to. Cash them in back for euros as quick as possible when you get back home.

I try not to talk shop on Ampage, but you have mentioned something very important that we've been following for a long time. George Soros called this pretty well early last year noting that with an artificially low interest rate the savings rate has gone to heck (why save money when you get zippo at the bank and you can get sub 4% financing on just about anything..) debt has skyrocketed, and we're printing money like crazy. Add to that the fact that many other countries (despite moaning about the US) have pegged their currencies to the almighty dollar. The dollar basically has to fall - and ti's going to take lots of other folks along for the ride - and gold etc have to rise.. Perhaps 'have to' is too strong, but the fact is a year later the dollar is in the crapper and Gold is at a high. Naysayers still tout that it must get worse before it gets better. So save yer money, cut your debt, and hold on tight. (no matter who is elected) If/when realestate falls apart, it's going to get bumpy. All sorts of bumpy. Expect lots of foreclosures, esp at the high end of the mkt. All these mouthbreathers on their 3rd mortgages are going to experience living in a van down by the river.. Today's job report did not help in case there was any doubt..
While we don't trade currencies here, some of our peers have made a tidy profit betting on the dollar's slide. It's sort of funny, bc being an equity shop we're really in the wrong business. We are getting forced to buy things (and have been a little bit) steel, gold, palladium.. whatever. we are supposed to be buying us denominated equities.. But if you buy a US$ equity that moves up 20% and the dollar drops 15% you're running to stand still. No fun at all.

1/10/2004 2:51 AM
Mental Midget	Wake up America! You've Been Had! You are damn right. And because of the weak dollar the price of oil in the US is at a 20 year high. Copper is at multi-year highs in terms of dollars. And the list goes on. And self promoters like Greenspan have the nerve to say we are in a period of disinflation. Get real. These guys belong on the set of the TV program "Jackass" rather than running the US government. GW Bush is nothing but a big spender who advocates big government. As a conservative, he is a fraud. Case in point is descretionary budgetary spending which has increased at a rate of over 9% per year since GW took office. Compare that to the paltry 3.5% increase for the same during the Clinton years. And the sad fact is that we still have millions of brainless US citizens totally brainwashed into thinking GW is a great conservative president who cut their taxes. They so easily forget that hyper inflation, which will soon be here, is the most hidious of all taxes. First the huge deficits, then the uncontrolled printing of money, then the drop in the value of the dollar. Now GW's advocating putting Mexican laborers in the US on Social Security at a time when it has become common knowledge that the social security system is projected to become bankrupt within 20 years. I predict that unless things change, a number of true conservatives will come out and openly drop support for Bush's re-election bid. Former Secretary of the Treasury O'Neil, an arch conservative, did just that today by releasing his tell-all book about Bush in the Oval office. From the descriptions provided, Bush looks like an out of touch idiot who listens to nobody and pretty much makes decisions like a dictator. Keep in mind that this is a guy who is well known not to be the brightest bulb on the planet, making many decisions on his own when other more capable people (his cabinet for example) are more than willing to help him. I hate to say it, but at this point the Democratic Party is the more Conservative party in this country and the Republicans have done nothing but stumble over themselves to see who can most convincingly destroy the stability and the integrity of the US monetary system. No matter who wins the next election, I have to agree with you that a lot of people will be hurt because of the current lunacy. Unfortunately the hardest hit will those who have savings in US cash (which will become more and more worthless) and those on fixed incomes who will find that their fixed monthly dollars will buy less and less as their standard of living drops precipitously. And of course, all GW will do as he ruins millions of peoples lives will be to smile for the camara like some Jackass. Wake up America. You've been had.

1/10/2004 2:51 AM

Mental Midget

Wake up America! You've Been Had!

You are damn right. And because of the weak dollar the price of oil in the US is at a 20 year high. Copper is at multi-year highs in terms of dollars. And the list goes on. And self promoters like Greenspan have the nerve to say we are in a period of disinflation. Get real. These guys belong on the set of the TV program "Jackass" rather than running the US government.

GW Bush is nothing but a big spender who advocates big government. As a conservative, he is a fraud. Case in point is descretionary budgetary spending which has increased at a rate of over 9% per year since GW took office. Compare that to the paltry 3.5% increase for the same during the Clinton years. And the sad fact is that we still have millions of brainless US citizens totally brainwashed into thinking GW is a great conservative president who cut their taxes. They so easily forget that hyper inflation, which will soon be here, is the most hidious of all taxes.

First the huge deficits, then the uncontrolled printing of money, then the drop in the value of the dollar. Now GW's advocating putting Mexican laborers in the US on Social Security at a time when it has become common knowledge that the social security system is projected to become bankrupt within 20 years.

I predict that unless things change, a number of true conservatives will come out and openly drop support for Bush's re-election bid. Former Secretary of the Treasury O'Neil, an arch conservative, did just that today by releasing his tell-all book about Bush in the Oval office. From the descriptions provided, Bush looks like an out of touch idiot who listens to nobody and pretty much makes decisions like a dictator. Keep in mind that this is a guy who is well known not to be the brightest bulb on the planet, making many decisions on his own when other more capable people (his cabinet for example) are more than willing to help him.

I hate to say it, but at this point the Democratic Party is the more Conservative party in this country and the Republicans have done nothing but stumble over themselves to see who can most convincingly destroy the stability and the integrity of the US monetary system.

No matter who wins the next election, I have to agree with you that a lot of people will be hurt because of the current lunacy. Unfortunately the hardest hit will those who have savings in US cash (which will become more and more worthless) and those on fixed incomes who will find that their fixed monthly dollars will buy less and less as their standard of living drops precipitously.

And of course, all GW will do as he ruins millions of peoples lives will be to smile for the camara like some Jackass.

Wake up America. You've been had.

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