http://www.tocom.or.jp/guide/calen97_e.html

( If it doesn't work right this time, I'll skip the cutting and pasting and just type it in tomorrow ) .

All: Just some thoughts from my perspective at 35,000 feet reference human nature, etc:

Over the years my profession has taken me across hundreds of thousands of air-miles and has

given me the opportunity to observe mankind at it's worst and at it's best. Mostly I've noticed a

change for the worst among certain groups of air travelers.

The greatest change has occurred within the group I would call the 'Priveleged Business Elite'.

Eating With the Sharks, Swimming With the Pirhanas and Negotiating With the Barracudas over

the years certainly has increased their wealth considerably. But at what expense? Many times

their grasp of basic manners or civility to their fellow travelers is painfully missing. ( And what

values are they passing on to their offspring? ) As I stand in t

All: Just some thoughts from my perspective at 35,000 feet reference human nature, etc.

Over the years my profession has taken me across hundreds of thousands of air-miles and has given me the opportunity to observe mankind at it's worst and at it's best. Mostly I've noticed a change for the worst among certain groups of air travelers.

The greatest change has occurred within the group I would call the 'Priveleged Business Elite'. Eating With the Sharks, Swimming With the Pirhanas and Negotiating With the Barracudas over the years certainly has increased their wealth considerably. But at what expense? Many times

their grasp of basic manners or civility to their fellow travelers is painfully missing. ( And what values are they passing on to their offspring? ) As I stand in the cockpit door, in uniform, very few of them look me in the eye anymore. And when I travel in civilian garb to my base 1,000 miles away I never know what to expect. Exam

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Sunday December 28, 12:07 am Eastern Time

Japan should not let banks fail - Sakakibara

TOKYO, Dec 28 ( Reuters ) - The Japanese government should not allow any more bank failures,

Eisuke Sakakibara, vice finance minister for international affairs said on Sunday.

Rather, banks which are having difficulties should either restructure their business, change business

managers or look for ways to survive such as merging with other financial institutions he added.

``The global standard is that we should not allow financial institutions of considerable size to fail, ''

Sakakibara said on a national television show.

He said that Hokkaido Takushoku Bank Ltd ( 8312.T ) , which recently collapsed, should not have

been allowed to fail.

Asked if Japan's financial crisis will become worse, Sakakibara said Tokyo should use its planned

financial stability package which involves a maximum of 30 trillion yen ( $230 billion ) in public funds

for use to stop it from getting worse.

``We must use this system as much as possible. I think 30 trillion is enough. We should implement

this system steadily and as soon as possible,'' he said.

``We should make clear to the public that we will not allow banks to fail. We should not let

securities companies of considerable size fail either. The United States and the United Kingdom

have not done it either. This is the global standard,'' he said.

One of the key factors in the planned financial stability steps is a new fund to be set up within the

semi-public Deposit Insurance Corp of Japan, which would make loans to healthy private banks to

help strengthen their capital base, he added.

Sakakibara said it was up to politicians and bureaucrats to save banks from failing and it was up to

banks to prevent companies from failing.

We shouldn't let companies fail either, he said.

The Japanese economy's current problem was an internal one in that it has lost confidence in itself,

he said.

``If we take measures and confidence is recovered, the economy will go well,'' he said.

It was important for the government to announce sweeping economic policies at one fell swoop, he

said in response to a question about why stock prices kept on falling.

The best friends ( the kids in his neighborhood ) he had died defending this Great Country. Each one of his six best buddies sacrificed their lives so that we might live in a free world. A great many human beings from other countries that befriended my Father, whom he cared deeply about, gave up their lives to stop the murdering bastards.

The only bastards were not overseas by a long shot.

My hatred of the above mentioned specific bastards stems from my father's resignation. He resigned his position because the Washington crowd wanted his help to bring NAZIS into the United States after World War II. He refused. They did bring NAZIS onto United States soil, the same soil of freedom that was watered by his friends and many other's blood. Until the day he died they called and wanted him back. I hung up the phone on those lying bastards. That he should be bothered by the likes of them. I would not spit on them. I would however hit them with Armenian Ten Inch Knuckles. ( it's a saying if you are unfamiliar )

These things that they did were not only on American soil. Washington is a charge card and we are getting the bill. WE THE PEOPLE are paying for crimes we would as a people never allow. NEVER.

Those lying bastards know me, where I live and they can KISS my America Loving ASS. Just in case you are interested I HAVE SAID IT TO THEIR LYING BASTARD FACES.

On this forum I have made comments about leaving these United States. I shall not. It is not I who will leave, it is them that are the bastards that will leave. I hope that all will not allow them to dock at your shores so that they may die at sea like the vermin scum that they are.

Other than that I am a teddy bear.

What bothers me is the damage the Communist system did to the minority of Russians who were potential leaders, eg what happened to the religious leaders in Russia among others. That resource, which is necessary for recovery from their current situation, may take nearly a generation to recover.

What sort of leaders can we expect to emerge in Russia, given what has been done to the Russian people by the Communists? Perhaps I am being overly pessimistic -- I sincerely hope so.

It seems to me that great leaders only come to our aid when we have created a severe crisis of some kind. That cycle is also part of the human condition, and seems unlikely to be changed very soon.

In my readings of the Quantization of the Universe, I have begun to realize that free will in the normal sense is not entirely ours.

Easily 1/3 or more of what we do or experience is intertwined with natural events that we have no control over.

I therefor think humans will be always be subject to cycles as a necessary part of our growth, but we do have control over the severity of these cycles, and whether we learn from them, or mindlessly repeat the same mistakes over and over again.

Donald's comments about the benefits of the Great Depression in the USA ring true. Adversity does build character, and I must admit I have learned far more from my failures than from my successes. And -- I am dismayed to see that few of the children of my generation even understand the value of a college education, or the value of the work ethic. I did not experience the Great Depression as Donald did -- but at least I heard about it all the time drom my dad. The current generation doesn't hear about it, and doesn't seem to want to read enough history to learn about it. My children know something about it, but how many other children know?

I also recall that there was a private radar tracking system that just happened to monitor all of the events around the flight 800 episode. Apparently the old radar transmitters can be used with the upgrade. That company ( the name exscapes me ) knew all about what was happening almost immediately. There will be much interest now in using such advanced computerized tracking systems at the larger airports ( provided that they are affordable ) .

I have several observations:

First, Saudi Gold and IMF: Approximately 8000 tonnes of gold have been loaned to get us to the current gold price. These loans must be maintained or converted to sales or the price of gold rises. Perhaps the IMF needs help from the Saudis just to maintain the status quo. Or -- perhaps there are new gold debts that have just materialized. Isn't it interesting that no one is talking about the BIS, the historical source of gold for CB's. Do the Saudi's have enough gold that they rival the Rothschild's?

Secondly, does the Gold bear end near 4/31/98? The deadline for the EURO go live is April 31, 1998, as Carl said. But there may be some dead Central banks out there that need supporting as well, and the powers that be are clearly more concerned about maintaining the current world financial system than they are about the price of gold. Hence, in a full blown financial crisis, gold could stay in a bear market past 4/31/98, though this is hard to believe, given that the tide is shifting. That will be a gold buying opportunity indeed!

Three, Japan and the Saudis: Despite the problems of the Japanese, they do look far into the future -- decades or more -- much farther than the average westerner. I'm sure they are well aware of the US debt problems, and they are probably working out a deal of some kind with the Saudis that bypasses the dollar as an intermediary for oil. I'm at a loss to know what this is, but the Japanese do have a reputation for application of technology. Technology development centers in Saudi Arabia/Arab world? How about military? Perhaps the key is military technology without the stigma of being from the Great Satan -- the USA? The Saudis are shifting toward Iran and the Arab world, and they need to diversify their political contacts.

What I find amusing is that the Japanese do have debt problems, but even at their worst, they are not as bad as those of the western world. And -- we should not think that our part of the world is any less corrupt, despite stricter IMF banking rules. Corruption has a tendency to become apparent after crises are evident, not before. No one went after Orange County until after the derivatives crisis.

I wonder -- perhaps we should watch carefully the activities of our trading partners such as Japan, Saudi Arabia, as well as the European block. Very often one can lean more about your weaknesses from your partners/rivals than from examining yourself directly. In other words, what do the Saudis and the Japanese know that the rest of us don't know?

This is not just about instability in Russia -- but possibly something else.

I think we are moving from an era of international cooperation dominated by the US, into an era of a least three - maybe four centers of economic power. The transition may not be a smooth one.

Now we are officially being told that it was a mechanical defect. If this statement is taken at face value, then why the increase in security measures? What in the Hell are they looking for? The media reports that everyone's luggage will be subjected to a complete hand search. Now, if I were trying to get somewhere with money, gold, jewelry, drugs, deodorant, etc... I think you get the picture. My question is, what do they know ( or expect ) that we don't? No, this is not paranoia. It's about the Bill of Rights. Sorry, I forgot that it's an outdated document. What with the right to keep and bear arms and all, how barbaric.

Another point is that if the crash were due to mechanical failure, then why not undo the security measures already put in place? Something stinks bigtime here.

$100,000,000 in U.S. gold reserves were available to assure

redemption of government obligations. ( see today's 16:30 posting by Donald__A. )

By 1937, 43 years later, U.S. gold reserves had risen to the

$10,000,000,000 mark. ( see 17:11 posting on Ft. Knox ) a hundred-

fold increase!

Had we had a similar prosperity in the ensuing 43 years, when

Reagan was inaugurated in 1980, we would have had gold reserves

of $1,000,000,000,000 ( 100 x 10,000,000,000 ) !

Instead, we had a mountain of debt; and even at $850 gold in

1980 the value of U.S. gold reserves never exceeded $250 billion.

Show the world how you feel about BIG YELLOW! Get your very own GET REAL GET GOLD T shirt today! Only at Gold Eagle.

When the 'tent' collapses

it will not be the center-post

that goes first;

it will be the side-posts,

and even the stakes.

For, as 'Asian Tigers'

shake, shudder, & quake:

...

Hmmm. Sometimes these links from the Kitco's short page don't seem to want to go through. So I'll move the search engine link to the end.

This is one of the most links interesting, from an University in England.

http://www.shef.ac.uk/uni/academic/A-C/chem/web-elements/nofr-index/Pd.html

Search engine: http://www.inference.com/ifind/index.html

I also found but didn't include a couple of links from people alleging that they'd had a severe systemic allergy to it, similar to nickle allergy. So I'm wondering if one of its uses will soon be fuel for megabuck lawsuits? ;- )

Found links using this parallel search engine. http://www.inference.com/ifind/index.html

This is one of the most interesting, from an University in England.

http://www.shef.ac.uk/uni/academic/A-C/chem/web-elements/nofr-index/Pd.html

I also found but didn't include a couple of links from people alleging that they'd had a severe systemic allergy to it, similar to nickle allergy. So I'm wondering if one of its uses will soon be fuel for megabuck lawsuits? ;- )

I found lots of links using the inference find searcher. http://www.inference.com/ifind/index.html

This is one of the most interesting, from an University in England.

http://www.shef.ac.uk/uni/academic/A-C/chem/web-elements/nofr-index/Pd.html

I also found but didn't include a couple of links from people alleging that they'd had a severe systemic allergy to it, similar to nickle allergy. So I'm wondering if one of its uses will soon be fuel for megabuck lawsuits? ;- )

If you divide the $10,000,000,000 gold hoard

that Life estimates was being moved into Ft Knox

from Denver, Philadelphia, and New York, by the

market price of gold at the time ( early 1937 )

you get a total of 286,779,466. ounces. At today's

London gold price of $296.10 that would equal

$84,915,400,057.

From other sources I get a figure of 261,800,000

ounces as an approximate figure for the present US

gold hoard...this would mean a loss of about 26

million ounces since 1936, assuming the original

dollar figure of $10,000,000,000 was correct.

Any comments on any of these figures?

What a total misunderstanding of Russia and their people. Mind you that I have no interest in boosting Russian image - lived under their occupation and sphere of influence so there is no love here, however, if you talk about nations with soul and intellect Russia will have to take somewhere close to the top.

Yes, the move toward free markets was totally butchered, however, don’t put the main blame on Russians, take your aim much more on foreign advisors, capital, governments, investors who thought that the best and fasted way how to bring Russia into international community is to throw away everything what was in place and replace it as soon as possible with free market principles despite a significant reluctance on Russia’s part to move so fast. Don’t you remember all experts from the US, including our Billy C. boy pushing Russia’s modernization and move toward free market and society based on western democratic principles, bankers setting up condition,etc. In a process of doing so this move totally destroyed any social safety-nets for majority of Russians and pushed them into deeper poverty, hunger, and unemployment than they ever experienced under communist regime. Not very good PR for a free market economy.

To add salt into injury, now, when Russia economy is in shambles, international community totally wrote off Russians from any decision making in international arena ( here you touch a very sensitive issue - Russian soul and their feeling and pride for mother Russia ) . Dissatisfaction with current trend between average Russians does not surprise me at all and resurrection of pro-leftist sentiment is quite understandable they at least fed them

Russia a black hole of Europe? Hardly so. Remember that Russia is still a rich source of natural resources and as nation they do have a soul and willing to do anything to bring back the great mother Russia. Unfortunately, failed move toward free society opens the door for nationalistic elements and anti west sentiments. Mind you that this sentiment was cultivated for centuries, because it was always countries on the west borders which threatened mother Russia. That was the main part for a fierce negotiation for post WWII settlement where Russia needed Easter block countries to serve as a buffer between Russia and the West. Well that’s gone and Russia again does not feel too safe.

It’s not over, don’t write Russia off. BTW, for centuries Russia excelled in international politics and diplomacy and they usually out-negotiated their counterparts. Quite frankly, I don’t like what’s happening in Russia at all because I think it may stir events across the world very negative way.

Magazine, November 23, 1936....35 miles south

of Louisville...Treasury Department concentrates

$10,000,000,000 gold hoard...half the world's

supply...enemy, landing on east coast, must fight

its way across 600 wild rough miles to reach

Ft Knox...roof and walls of the storehouse are

of steel and cement so thick that no aerial bomb

( 1936 ) now known can pierce them. Looters must

get over a reinforced steel fence that can be

electrified, cross an open moat under withering

machine gun fire from the pill boxes at each

corner of the building. To get into the gold

vault, looters must cut through barricades of

solid stainless steel which give off poison gas

under the flame of an acetylene torch...as a

final safeguard, the vault can be completely

flooded...weakest link is the gate and moat

bridge which connect with the

I hope you are right and the market does rally soon. There are a lot of people I would like to tell I told you so. Thanks for sharing your opinions. Most posters seem scared to predict the market, unless it is something ridiculous like $8000. I do a lot of lurking on this site but not much posting. I enjoy peoples’ predictions and reasoning the most. Facts and numbers are good to see also.

So far 4 people have had problems - problem solved with one

by redoing in rich text format - have tried this with remaining

3 people. I wonder what will happen Im think I'll go to bed now.....

FINANCIAL TIMES, TUESDAY DECEMBER 23 1997

By Gary Mead, Hilary Barnes and Kenneth Gooding

The vagaries of Asia's financial markets are undermining

demand for furs and diamonds in the region. Wholesale fur

buyers have shunned the December sale at Europe's leading

fur auction in Copenhagen, while south-east Asian demand

for polished diamonds has nearly disappeared.

Nervous buyers from South Korea, Japan and Hong Kong -

the world's leading centres for turning raw pelts into

clothing - eschewed the Copenhagen Fur Centre auction.

Prices for mink and fox fur slumped by as much as 20 per

cent from the last auction in September.

Even worse, almost half the skins on offer were not sold, said Erik Neergaard, the Fur Centre's sales director.

Prices at the September auctions were very high. This

month buyers only bought what they needed here and now

and not for stock.

South Korea and Japan each account for 13 per cent of

world demand for farmed mink pelts, and 10 per cent and 7

per cent respectively for fox.

China takes 10 per cent of farmed mink and 22 per cent of

fox, though Russia is still the overall biggest consumer of raw pelts, taking 22 per cent of mink and 30 per cent of fox.

Diamond sales have also been savaged, according to

figures published yesterday by De Beers, the South African

group. Demand for polished diamonds in south-east Asia,

which in 1996 comprised 17 per cent of the global market,

has virtually dried up.

Retail diamond jewellery sales in Japan - with 25 per cent

of the global total, Japan is the second-largest market after the US - are down 20 per cent because of a lack of

consumer confidence and the weakness of the yen.

De Beers' London-based Central Selling Organisation

reported in August record sales of $2.88bn ( £1.74bn ) for

the first six months. Then, second half sales fell by 16 per cent to $1.76bn. This left the year total at $4.64bn

compared with the record $4.834bn in 1996.

Fur traders, at least, are optimistic they can weather the Far Eastern storms. Mr Neergaard said he expected demand

would pick up at the spring auctions. Generally speaking,

the market is all right.

For Haulpak

Resending table in word saved in rich text format - this

worked in Aurator's case -

So far you and one other are having a problem.

As I said separately in email - Id be dumbfounded if anglo went

after newmont - believe they would see it as being overpriced , and

also doubt if they want US presence due risk of restraint of trade

laws and other vagaries of US Dept of Justice. Remember they produce

diamonds platinum manganese coal gold etc etc - If they

go offshore of Africa - it would be Australia I believe - Now BHP

would be a real lulu or maybe western mining.

Webster’s - hoard: a hidden accumulation

Thesaurus- stock, treasure

1. Some central banks are probably still loaning out a lot of gold. I think this probably has the same effect on market price as selling it outright.

2. Mining production has not fallen off very much. The mining companies seem to have the attitude that it is better to mine at a loss than spend the money to shut down the mines. They are in a catch 22. If they really did close all unprofitable mines, the price of gold would quickly go up, and they would look stupid for closing the mines. Unfortunately, by leaving the mines open, the rally will be delayed.

I believe it will be a year or two before any real rally takes place. I think it will be worth the wait. Be patient. I still think this is the time to buy stocks and funds with dollar cost averaging. Gold is a bargian, and if you wait 18 months to sell, you are taxed at only 20%.

Of course, I could be completely wrong, and gold could go to $500 by June. Does anyone else have predictions? I know this site has a lot of optimists.

away...to some serious ballgames....go fish!

Éßafantoday...rah!rah!

gold coins from the 80's run up. I think I should have some more hard assets but do not no the best route to go. Help.

DONALD: Be -a-yoo-tiful quote from Jefferson! Ain't he the best?!

I think this is one of the 3 most important times in this century to be accumulating gold and gold-related assets. Be it in coins, bars, shares, or claims in the ground ( you can really get a lot of ounces for a little bucks that way - the earth is your piggy bank! ) . BTW, the GET REAL GET GOLD Official Goldbug's T Shirt from Clarity Resources, Inc. is going to be making its IPO very soon. Will save one for you!

HOW EVER! Tomorrow nights forecast is a little different. A 'big' storm is forecast ( whatever that means! ) . Snow to start Monday night and end Tuesday. Funny though, they won't stick their necks out and predict amounts! The last storm was 'only' supposed to be one to three inches. I guess they used a different ruler. It was more like ten to twenty plus, depending on where you were...

I wish I could be as wrong on the markets as the weather boys are forecasting, and STILL make the money that those video talking/graphic heads make!!!

Seriously, Salty, advertising, and any and all of its techniques are only valuable when they are applied to a specific, worthwhile, and moral goal. Myrmidon pointed to DeBeers using the heart sell to push diamonds, and that is very nice and proper when your sole motive is to move stones. My concern is NOT necessarily the price of gold, though I would like it to rise as much as any gold bull here. My concern is not for sales of gold coins or artifacts or decorations by dealers and fabricators, though I wish ALL business owners, generally, prosperity and financial health. My concern with gold is that people own it for the right, historical reasons, at the right time. My concern is for the tenets of liberty, true democracy, and financial honesty upon which all progressive minds attempt to found nations. My concern is against the subterfuge and ignorance that allows civilizations to dissipate and sink, taking us all with it. I want people to buy gold for the right reasons. It does no good to sweet Talk them into it, and let them wake up one day marvelling at how their wives' wedding bands or their tacky bracelets are suddenly worth more than their silver houses. If they don't KNOW why, then they will have it taken from them again. If they DO know why, they are blessed, and have a chance at preserving some of their freedom and intellectual integrity. I do not support greed. I support knowledge. I do not fault those who seek and work with knowledge if they are wrong. I consider only their apparent motive. If it takes a soap box, or if it takes a T Shirt, it is a message worth getting across. Do not be so harsh and salty with those who go off to prove or claim things that seem seamed and unacceptable to minds who would be stopped by tiny incongruities. It is better to live one's life in the light of a great glowing vision, however flawed, than to be stopped at every turn by a grey, and lifeless detail that drains all energy and enthusiasm. There will always be such a detail, or someone to point it out. It may or may not be relevant to anything. Beware of it, however, at all costs. Get Real. Get Gold.

tolerant1 - I was confused too! When I looked at postings for Nando, I saw the same story as was released by Reuters. Not that this means anything other than the news services have the same news feed. Besides, who said that news people got their stories right anyhow. Sometimes I think they exist to confuse me! :- ) )

Donald__A - Thanks for your 23:16 post on Saudi mining. I thought they 'only' had oil there. Who woulda thunk they had 'minerals'. :- ) )

BBML........

Your thoughts on the value of mining shares versus the price of gold echo comments I made a while ago. Clearly, if the price of gold gets too high, then some action will be taken. I've speculated a while back that a good exit price for mining shares would be somewhere around $600/oz. Who knows this time? Perhaps we have to allow for some inflation in these numbers. :- ) )

Clearly though, the point of 'confiscation of gold in the ground', ( through taxes or whatever ) will come when the currencies ( dollar ) 'store of value' comes under severe questioning by the general public. After all, isn't this what made the 1980 spike and gave us 20+% interest rates in the U.S.?

The bottom line to all of this is the old question of the 'store of value'. Funny how all of the arguments, sooner or later come back to this fundamental point. A person works for 'money'. This money represents their stored 'work value'. If this money is debased, then the past work is essentially stolen. I grant you that very few people look at money in this context, but is it not true?

People look at inflation as too much money chasing too few goods. Could this definition be restated as a loss in the 'store of value' perception of money? If so, then you restore currencies 'store of value' by increasing the interest rate on it. What a con-cept, I promise to pay you more of this 'currency' in the future to compensate you for it's OBVIOUS devaluation today. :- ) )

Buy physical gold when it's cheap ( platinum too ) ! :- )

Regarding your 3:37, Excel version problems? In other words, an older version of Excel trying read a newer version? Who else but Microsoft would think of such an improvement. :- ) )

Sorry to you both.

If you need something quickly, speed up your words so that they run together. Speaking in a context usually gets perspective more quickly than a simple issue.

Living in Paarl, Worschester, Stellenbosch, ......wonderful. Sorry missed out the Hex River Valley. Long way from the coast, stay away from waves. Cheap living mate, or have you not noticed.

Watch the news.

Aye, Haggis

For Flash

ASA is fine - lots of good script but heavy in dries which not

my favorite. Ask your broker if its at a discount to underlying

assets. if so - consider buying long calls maybe striking 25 or 30.

A run to 50 in a year may be in the cards.

In that line, I prefer a company called AMGOLD which you can get in the US im sure. It has more Vaal reef oriented stock in it and less dries but it has no options.

I posted about 20/25 copies of the spread sheet info.

Its about as much as I can cope with. I must revise

the dbn - deep info and I await comment from anyone

who found boo-boos.

One lady had I problen in that the could not convert

the data - she got a message - like must be converted

from bin tex 4 - any comments Id like to help her

but dont understand her problem.

I don't feel comfortable picking individual gold stocks yet so the mutual Funds work for me.

I refer your question to Colleen on joberg house

prices. Cape town more expensive than joberg and price depends

on suburb.

Im looking at the paper - I think one could get a

house in Hout Bay - near beach for 1 mill easy -

prices negotiable by maybe 20% - I see another there

for 825 asking with 3 beds 2 baths + en suite guest

room - ( knock off 20% ) - for stuff On the beach

( llandudno ) -spend up to 2 mill. Constantia - top stuff

1.5 - 2 mill - down market Constantia area - 1.0 mill.

use 4.8 to us$ for exchange rate.

Check with colleen but I think most South african

are in hock and battle to make bond payments. Many

are in stock markets - sometimes when some drunk

in the ANC says he's gonna kill all the whites -

k-rand sales go up for a day or two - that passes

away quickly when the guy sobers up in jail and

apologizes. They arent the gold holders you would

expect them to be - in 1988 many left with k-rands

hidden in shoes and other places. This depressed

house prices, and yours truly was the only blue eyes

arriving as the others were leaving. Perceptions

have changed but people in the North worry about crime

and everyone worries about employment and education.

The ANC government is supportive of

the gold industry as it employs many of its

constituency - The advantage of being more labour

intensive. However, if gold went to 5000$, I think

they would change their policy and either tax the

industry to death or nationalize it - in doing

so I think they would simply be following precedents

that would be established in the USA and Australia. It

is too easy to see gold in the ground as a National asset

if you are a broke polititian and cant print money any

more - see roosevelt in 1933 or whatever.

In other words, I think the mines almost ANYWHERE ( but North

america ) are great up to say $750/oz - after that I think

switch to metal.

Too easy to change ground rules on mines and milk them.

Any one of these signs is enough to make a sane person look at gold as a safe haven but that is not the reason I purchase gold.

I am hoarding this precious metal because I like the feeling I get touching, stacking and adoring the heavenly glow it radiates in the sunlight. What other investment vehicle out there has the magical power of gold? It is portable, exchangeable, and coveted by all nations.

I buy bullion coins with June 99 put options to limit my risk ( 10% ) . Sure my money could sit in a MM earning 5.25% interest but all I would have is a statement each month outlining my taxable income. Greed is Good! imho

If the aussie are up - I show my passport - If not I put it away.

Looks like the rock spiders are only good for the one days not the

tests. Dont seem to have the attention span. Minds seem to wander.

For Nick

Re your comment on bread - Did you ever read Henry Miller's recipe

for making American bread palatable - excellent. Aussie bread was

great in the 1970s but the fancy loaves at twice the price were starting to flower ( he he ) in the early 80's. Sorry to hear of the decline. Bread here still good. Give it a few more years -

To All

The press reports that there were 121 people executed by beheading in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia last year. I believe there were only 60 -70 the year before. That's what I call progress.

The Japanese will jump at ANY chance to scratch in the Saudi sand

pile.