tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25214624965382401362024-03-12T20:08:14.044-07:00The MintFresh ideas on Economics, Monetary Theory, Politics, and Less Pressing but Equally Entertaining Matters for the English and Spanish speaking worlds.David Minthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02946351281477626233noreply@blogger.comBlogger266125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2521462496538240136.post-11125717217430596342015-08-03T19:22:00.000-07:002015-08-03T19:22:00.100-07:00Papa Francisco’s Populist Discourse and the meaning of Evo’s Gift<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<b>8/2/2015 Portland, Oregon</b> - Pop in your mints…</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
During the month of July we found ourselves south of the equator in our second home, Bolivia. It has been two long years since we have walked the earth there and much has changed. The following are some observations made on our journey.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
First off, it is obvious that money is everywhere. From the construction of new apartment buildings to a new style of McMansions that are being erected by those who have benefited by the DEA’s absence in this country: <a data-mce-href="http://www.lostiempos.com/oh/actualidad/actualidad/20150801/%E2%80%9Ccholets%E2%80%9D-el-alto-y-su-arquitectura-de-exportacion_310419_687040.html" href="http://www.lostiempos.com/oh/actualidad/actualidad/20150801/%E2%80%9Ccholets%E2%80%9D-el-alto-y-su-arquitectura-de-exportacion_310419_687040.html" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">The Cholet</a>. The same increase in economic activity that we have noted in Portland is evident here in spades. Everywhere you look, there is a new store, restaurant, cafe, or industrial park, all with the comforts of modern architecture with inimitable South American flair.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
The first part of our visit coincided with the visit of the extremely popular Pope Francisco, or “El papa Francisco” as he is known here. We arrived in Santa Cruz on July 6th, two days before the Holy See arrived. On the 8th, we listened, along with all of Bolivia, the radio call of his descent and landing at the airport in El Alto. The radio call resembled the call of a soccer game here, with the announcer screaming “Llegó” with the same passion that they yell “gol” when the home team scores.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
As a follower of Jesus of Nazareth, we are ambiguous to the activities of the Pope, who to us is simply another follower of the same Jesus, with a slightly larger following. In other words, we do not recognize or attribute any special authority nor clairvoyance to the Catholic church that is not available to all believers.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
That said, it is undeniable that papa Francisco is something special to the Catholic faithful, especially here in South America, as Francisco (or Francis, as he is known in the English speaking world), an Argentinian (though you would never know it as he does not seem to swear like a sailor) is the first Pope to hail from the continent.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Having listened to his discourses over two days, it was obvious that Francisco is well schooled in the populist platitudes that the likes of Che Guevara awakened and contemporary leaders Hugo Chavez and Evo Morales have resurrected.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
True to the populist playbook, Pope Francisco derides economic inequality and envisions a society where all elements of the economy, the productive sector, distributors, and retailers, all carry out their daily chores in harmony with mother earth and one another. Where every child can enjoy a happy childhood, every worker enjoy a dignified position, and every elderly person enjoy a dignified retirement.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Evo Morales, the Bolivian President, welcomed Pope Francisco with a unique gift, a crucifix where in the place of the cross, Jesus of Nazareth is portrayed as being crucified on a hammer and scythe, a symbol synonymous with Socialism.</div>
<div class="mceTemp" style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">
<dl class="wp-caption alignleft" data-mce-style="width: 300px;" id="attachment_8360" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; color: #767676; float: left; margin: 7px 24px 7px 0px; max-width: 474px; padding: 0px; width: 300px;">
<dt class="wp-caption-dt" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px;"><a data-mce-href="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/regalo-Evo-a-papa-Francisco.jpg" href="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/regalo-Evo-a-papa-Francisco.jpg" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Regalo de Evo a papa Francisco" class="size-medium wp-image-8360" data-mce-src="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/regalo-Evo-a-papa-Francisco-300x200.jpg" height="200" src="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/regalo-Evo-a-papa-Francisco-300x200.jpg" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px none; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 474px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle;" width="300" /></a></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5; margin: 9px 0px; padding: 0px 10px 0px 0px;">Regalo de Evo a papa Francisco</dd></dl>
</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Was the Pope offended? Hardly, you see, the artistic origins of the gift lie with a popular Jesuit priest who made what to some is the obvious connection between the Gospel and Socialist doctrine. There is more to the story behind the gift, which you can read here:</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<a data-mce-href="http://www.ehagendaurbana.com.ar/2015/07/el-cristo-del-martillo-y-la-hoz.html" href="http://www.ehagendaurbana.com.ar/2015/07/el-cristo-del-martillo-y-la-hoz.html" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">http://www.ehagendaurbana.com.ar/2015/07/el-cristo-del-martillo-y-la-hoz.htm</a></div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
We bring the whole matter up to state once and for all that the Gospel and Socialism have just one common thread: The Gospel, or the Good News, is that God forgives, and expects us to do likewise. Nothing more, and nothing less. It is the most important spiritual and natural event that has ever occurred, in our lives and the lives of countless others, for it is forgiveness and forgiveness alone that unleashes the supernatural and eternal presence of Yahweh in the here and now.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
To the extent that Socialism demands that mankind treat one another as they would like to be treated, it is in harmony with the Gospel. However, any attempt to enforce what should be spontaneous acts of goodwill towards one another makes a mockery of the Gospel and subjects it to the rules of men. As we have explored in our economic treatise, <a data-mce-href="http://smile.amazon.com/Why-What-Use-Money-Matters/dp/1493587447/" href="http://smile.amazon.com/Why-What-Use-Money-Matters/dp/1493587447/" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">Why What We use as Money Matters</a>, rules made by men are incompatible with freedom, which is the reason for the Gospel in the first place.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
This Freedom extends to the right to be Socialist, but it does not extend to the right to enforce this destructive doctrine on one’s unwilling fellow man or woman.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
We admire the Pope, heck, he gave mass in La Paz with one lung and drew out millions of the faithful in South America. If he wants to use his enormous platform and the freedom afforded to him by the forgiveness of sins through Jesus of Nazareth to expound upon an idyllic worker’s paradise. more power to him.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
The <a data-mce-href="http://cnnespanol.cnn.com/2015/07/10/discurso-del-papa-francisco-ante-los-movimientos-populares-en-santa-cruz-bolivia/#0" href="http://cnnespanol.cnn.com/2015/07/10/discurso-del-papa-francisco-ante-los-movimientos-populares-en-santa-cruz-bolivia/#0" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Pope speaks to the Socialist Movements</a> in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia:<br /><img class="mce-object mce-object-iframe" data-mce-object="iframe" data-mce-p-allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-p-frameborder="0" data-mce-p-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KunBV4cEBQs" height="360" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" style="background: url(http://davidmint.com/wp-includes/js/tinymce/skins/lightgray/img/object.gif) 50% 50% no-repeat rgb(213, 213, 213); border: 1px dotted rgb(58, 58, 58); height: auto; max-width: 474px; vertical-align: middle;" width="480" /><br />The danger in the Socialist doctrine is not evident in meaningless platitudes spewed by its proponents, nor is it evident in postulations about goals that are as unattainable as they are unmeasurable, such as universal dignity in work and retirement. The danger of this poisonous doctrine is only evident in the blood spilled silently over the years in its name. For when authoritarian regimes are allowed to define and enforce such concepts on a large scale, the previously unimagined economic burdens of such a program fall upon everyone, and the end result is invariably a society that lives and treats each other in a quite undignified manner.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
A side note, and certainly fodder for further debate here at The Mint, our Mother-in-law posed a very interesting hypothesis about what may be wrong with Bolivian society, which seems hell bent on self destruction despite the gifts Mother Nature has seen fit to surround it with: The poisonous union of the lie by two strata of society.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
First the rich, or those who come into money, those whom we will call the upper strata of society. This strata of society learns to lie as a means to maintain or improve their status both within their social circle, which in turn feeds a continuous chorus of lies as a group to the populations which they enslave and exploit.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Second, there are the lies of the exploited populations themselves, who learn to lie as a powerful tool of survival in a society where, to paraphrase President Snow of the Hunger Games, the odds are never in their favor.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
The union of the accumulated lies tend to make any society impossible to navigate with any form of moral or ideological compass. For to run the straight and narrow is to be stabbed in the back, and the lies create the sad and universally acknowledged truth that no one can be trusted.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Into such societies the seeds of Socialist ideology find fertile ground in which to grow and take root in the minds of the underprivileged. They begin to grow and, like GMO crop production, look good until one realizes that the crops are only viable with a disproportionate quantity of productive inputs, and that they leave the soil and its inhabitants desolate once the massive inputs stop flowing.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
It is then that the inevitable bloodshed begins, and no amount of platitudes or lofty goals, whether spoken by the Pope or the President, can stop it.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Stay tuned and <a data-mce-href="http://www.ccci.org/how-to-know-god/would-you-like-to-know-god-personally/index.htm" href="http://www.ccci.org/how-to-know-god/would-you-like-to-know-god-personally/index.htm" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">Trust Jesus</a>.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Stay Fresh!</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<a data-mce-href="mailto:davidminteconomics@gmail.com" href="mailto:davidminteconomics@gmail.com" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">David Mint</a></div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Email: <a data-mce-href="mailto:davidminteconomics@gmail.com" href="mailto:davidminteconomics@gmail.com" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">davidminteconomics@gmail.com</a></div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<b>Key Indicators for August 2, 2015</b></div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<a data-mce-href="http://www.kitcometals.com/" href="http://www.kitcometals.com/" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">Copper Price per Lb: $2.37</a><a data-mce-href="http://bloomberg.com/energy" href="http://bloomberg.com/energy" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">Oil Price per Barrel: $46.77</a></div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<a data-mce-href="http://www.farmfutures.com/ffQuotesDaily.aspx" href="http://www.farmfutures.com/ffQuotesDaily.aspx" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">Corn Price per Bushel: $3.68</a><br /><a data-mce-href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=%5ETNX" href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=%5ETNX" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">10 Yr US Treasury Bond: 2.20%</a><a data-mce-href="http://bitcoincharts.com" href="http://bitcoincharts.com/" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">Bitcoin price in US: $279.31</a><a data-mce-href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h15/update/" href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h15/update/" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">FED Target Rate: 0.14%</a><br /><a data-mce-href="http://www.kitco.com/charts/livegoldnewyork.html" href="http://www.kitco.com/charts/livegoldnewyork.html" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">Gold Price Per Ounce: $1,095</a></div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<a data-mce-href="http://davidmint.com/?page_id=557" href="http://davidmint.com/?page_id=557" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">MINT Perceived Target Rate*: 0.25%</a><a data-mce-href="http://www.bls.gov/" href="http://www.bls.gov/" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">Unemployment Rate: 5.3%<br />Inflation Rate (CPI): 0.3%</a><a data-mce-href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=%5EDJI" href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=%5EDJI" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">Dow Jones Industrial Average: 17,690</a><a data-mce-href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h6/current/default.htm" href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h6/current/default.htm" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">M1 Monetary Base: $2,998,600,000,000</a></div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<a data-mce-href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h6/current/default.htm" href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h6/current/default.htm" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">M2 Monetary Base: $11,991,900,000,000</a></div>
</div>
David Minthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02946351281477626233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2521462496538240136.post-86632506671086372652015-06-29T14:00:00.000-07:002015-06-29T14:00:04.419-07:00Greeks are about to learn the virtues of Bitcoin<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<b>6/28/2015 Portland, Oregon</b> - Pop in your mints…</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
It appears that the Greek government is once again on the brink of an inevitable default on its Euro denominated debt. This time, however, Greece’s Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras appears determined to take it over the edge, calling for a referendum on the whether or not the Greek people should continue to abide by its creditors’ bailout terms and extend their own misery or to give the proverbial middle finger to their oppressors in the north.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<b>Monetary oppression</b></div>
<div class="mceTemp" style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px;">
<dl class="wp-caption alignleft" data-mce-style="width: 300px;" id="attachment_661" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; color: #767676; float: left; margin: 7px 24px 7px 0px; max-width: 474px; padding: 0px; width: 300px;">
<dt class="wp-caption-dt" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px;"><a data-mce-href="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/greek-flag.gif" href="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/greek-flag.gif" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Greece, Where the Euro pays tourist prices" class="size-medium wp-image-661" data-mce-src="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/greek-flag-300x193.gif" height="193" src="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/greek-flag-300x193.gif" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px none; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 474px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle;" width="300" /></a></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5; margin: 9px 0px; padding: 0px 10px 0px 0px;">Greece, Where the Euro pays tourist prices</dd></dl>
</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
We use the term oppressors, for the current state of affairs has been held in place to ensure that Germany maintains a death grip on the Eurozone. Greece stopped benefiting from being a member of the Eurozone the moment it accepted the yoke of a common currency. Sure, it was a nice run for the entire Eurozone when times were good, but when times got tough circa 2008 the Euro handlers at the ECB cut rates too slowly, citing a tired “stable currency” bias, and generally struggled to maintain liquidity, which is pretty much “job 1” when one is running a currency regime.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Maybe the Treaty of Lisbon wasn’t such a good idea after all.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
What happened next was a catastrophe that is only possible in a Central Banking/Tax Farm disconnect that the Eurozone’s half baked approach to unity has left as the norm. You see, fellow taxpayer, in the United States of America, we have one Central Bank which runs the tax collection mechanism for the government. This means that, with localized exceptions, the tax farm’s tactics and the Central Bank’s liquidity functions can work in an awkward harmony. For those of us who pay Cesar annually via the IRS, this means that in a demented sense we share society's burdens across 50 states. To those of us in Oregon, it matters not that the State of California cannot pay its obligations (unless, of course, one is a creditor of the State of California). It is taken as a given that the Federal Government will bail them out and the Federal Reserve will provide the cash (indirectly) to the Feds in order to do so. Then, and this is where the magic happens, we all pay for California’s misdeeds via Federal taxes and inflation.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
This same scenario was possible in Europe until January 1, 1999 (a day that lives in infamy) and had played out throughout much of modern history.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Not so today. For today, in Europe, when the government of Greece hits hard times and cannot pay its bills, it has to beg its rich neighbors to the north for Euros, and accept whatever conditions they impose. What is funny is that neither Greece nor its northern benefactors can actively emit currency in sufficient quantities to ensure their new contract can be paid.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<b>What does it mean?</b></div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Which brings us back to the upcoming referendum. While in our mind it is still even money that there will be a further modification of the Greek bailout and that the Eurozone will carry on as it has for 16 years now, there exists the strong possibility that Greece will “opt out” of the inconvenient currency part of the European Union. What does it mean? Nobody knows, nobody has ever opted out of the currency after opting in.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
The Greek people have decided that it means they are in big trouble, and they have been lining up at ATMs in order to get their hands on as many Euros as possible before the lights go out. For Mr. Tsipras, this in turn means he must declare <a data-mce-href="http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/06/28/418276486/greece-tries-to-stanch-bank-run-ahead-of-looming-default" href="http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/06/28/418276486/greece-tries-to-stanch-bank-run-ahead-of-looming-default" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">a banking holiday and capital controls</a>, which is a time tested recipe for causing any remaining economic activity to screech to a halt as anyone with a brain and more than a few Euros to their name starts working 24/7 on ways to keep their assets off the government’s confiscation radar.</div>
<div class="mceTemp" style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px;">
<dl class="wp-caption alignleft" data-mce-style="width: 231px;" id="attachment_5893" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; color: #767676; float: left; margin: 7px 24px 7px 0px; max-width: 474px; padding: 0px; width: 231px;">
<dt class="wp-caption-dt" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px;"><a data-mce-href="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Bitcoin-Portada.jpg" href="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Bitcoin-Portada.jpg" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Bitcoins: What they are and how to use them" class="size-medium wp-image-5893" data-mce-src="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Bitcoin-Portada-231x300.jpg" height="300" src="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Bitcoin-Portada-231x300.jpg" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px none; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 474px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle;" width="231" /></a></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5; margin: 9px 0px; padding: 0px 10px 0px 0px;">Bitcoins: What they are and how to use them</dd></dl>
</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
However, <a data-mce-href="http://davidmint.com/2013/03/18/cyprus-the-waterloo-of-eurocratic-management-or-the-ultimate-catalyst-for-euro-zone-growth/" href="http://davidmint.com/2013/03/18/cyprus-the-waterloo-of-eurocratic-management-or-the-ultimate-catalyst-for-euro-zone-growth/" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">as in Cyprus</a>, smart Greeks with a working data connection have a medium at their disposal that may ensure that their assets stay well away from their government: <a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/Bitcoins-What-they-are-them-ebook/dp/B00CA20Z5Q" href="http://www.amazon.com/Bitcoins-What-they-are-them-ebook/dp/B00CA20Z5Q" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">Bitcoin</a>.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
The mini-spike in Bitcoin indicates that the Cyprus scenario is playing out again. If anyone recalls that event, it took the Bitcoin from relative obscurity to trading at around $1,100 before the mania wore off. Will it happen again?</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
It is anybody’s guess, but here are some statistics that may help guide your own educated ponderings:</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<b>Population of Cyprus:</b> 1.14M, pre banking holiday bitcoin price: $49 (March 2013), post banking holiday Bitcoin spike: $1,124 (October 2013)</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<b>Population of Greece:</b> 10.82M, pre banking holiday bitcoin price: $249 (June 2015) , post banking holiday Bitcoin spike: ???? (January 2016????)</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
We’ll let you do the math on the hypothetical situation we have planted, but the dynamics of what is occurring in Greece, from a monetary standpoint, are extremely similar to the Cyprus scenario.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Stay tuned and <a data-mce-href="http://www.ccci.org/how-to-know-god/would-you-like-to-know-god-personally/index.htm" href="http://www.ccci.org/how-to-know-god/would-you-like-to-know-god-personally/index.htm" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">Trust Jesus</a>.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Stay Fresh!</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<a data-mce-href="mailto:davidminteconomics@gmail.com" href="mailto:davidminteconomics@gmail.com" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">David Mint</a></div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Email: <a data-mce-href="mailto:davidminteconomics@gmail.com" href="mailto:davidminteconomics@gmail.com" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">davidminteconomics@gmail.com</a></div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<b>Key Indicators for June 28, 2015</b></div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<a data-mce-href="http://www.kitcometals.com/" href="http://www.kitcometals.com/" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">Copper Price per Lb: $2.61</a><a data-mce-href="http://bloomberg.com/energy" href="http://bloomberg.com/energy" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">Oil Price per Barrel: $58.74</a></div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<a data-mce-href="http://www.farmfutures.com/ffQuotesDaily.aspx" href="http://www.farmfutures.com/ffQuotesDaily.aspx" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">Corn Price per Bushel: $3.85</a><br /><a data-mce-href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=%5ETNX" href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=%5ETNX" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">10 Yr US Treasury Bond: 2.48%</a><a data-mce-href="http://bitcoincharts.com" href="http://bitcoincharts.com/" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">Bitcoin price in US: $249.46</a><a data-mce-href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h15/update/" href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h15/update/" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">FED Target Rate: 0.13%</a><br /><a data-mce-href="http://www.kitco.com/charts/livegoldnewyork.html" href="http://www.kitco.com/charts/livegoldnewyork.html" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">Gold Price Per Ounce: $1,174</a></div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<a data-mce-href="http://davidmint.com/?page_id=557" href="http://davidmint.com/?page_id=557" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">MINT Perceived Target Rate*: 0.25%</a><a data-mce-href="http://www.bls.gov/" href="http://www.bls.gov/" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">Unemployment Rate: 5.5%<br />Inflation Rate (CPI): 0.4%</a><a data-mce-href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=%5EDJI" href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=%5EDJI" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">Dow Jones Industrial Average: 17,947</a><a data-mce-href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h6/current/default.htm" href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h6/current/default.htm" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">M1 Monetary Base: $2,929,400,000,000</a></div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<a data-mce-href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h6/current/default.htm" href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h6/current/default.htm" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">M2 Monetary Base: $11,970,200,000,000</a></div>
</div>
David Minthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02946351281477626233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2521462496538240136.post-57515057336765500832015-06-07T19:31:00.000-07:002015-06-07T19:31:00.336-07:00Our Latest Audio Book and Why the Fed will take Baby Steps<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcSrXAxpbN-G8q2QNw7F6VdP2JoSf5RBuy8uC1JDBYMPql25gxwTJTUk3HlP8VPVED6fE_-dru6Vr4DhPohW48btNkpx_Fz0rZGxZYfZjZInHRDFfBrgC4BP9d6UF7bNoZNt3RyUZxqwE/s1600/Bitcoin-Portada.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcSrXAxpbN-G8q2QNw7F6VdP2JoSf5RBuy8uC1JDBYMPql25gxwTJTUk3HlP8VPVED6fE_-dru6Vr4DhPohW48btNkpx_Fz0rZGxZYfZjZInHRDFfBrgC4BP9d6UF7bNoZNt3RyUZxqwE/s1600/Bitcoin-Portada.jpg" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">6/6/2015 Portland, Oregon</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> - Pop in your mints…</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Recently we have been working with some wonderful producers to make many of our volumes here at The Mint available in audio format. The experience has been great as those with talent in the voice department, such as Robert Fox, who brought our newest audio offering, </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bitcoins-What-They-Are-Them/dp/B00YK73YK2/ref=tmm_aud_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=&qid=" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bitcoins: What they are and how to use them</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, to life.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We imagine the producers get a good chuckle as they read our prose, to which Long-suffering readers of The Mint are accustomed. We know we do!</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Why the Fed will take Baby Steps when it comes to raising rates</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The US Economy added 280,000 jobs in May of 2015, which was positive no matter how you slice it. To our readers, this should come as no surprise, every one of our key indicators indicates an economy that is roaring ahead. Take the price of oil, which continues to hover near the $60 per barrel mark. While to some, a lower oil price may signal weakness in demand due to a slowdown in underlying activity, we see it as incredibly positive for US consumers, as oil, which translates into gasoline prices, acts as a quasi tax for many consumers whose demand is relatively inelastic.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We also see the steady prices of copper, around $2.70 per ounce, and corn, clocking in at $3.60 per bushel, as signs that the United States economy is on extremely solid footing looking ahead. These prices tend to tank when bad omens are on the horizon.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The only negative (depending upon who you are), as reflected in the Jobs report, is that wages have not risen at a healthy pace. This is great for employers and the Fed, who can maintain their margins on the backs of the working class, but not so good for those employed.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We sense this will change, as the productivity gains of the past several years are not likely to replicate themselves over the next several. The economy is transitioning to <a href="http://davidmint.com/2014/12/15/thomas-friedmans-brief-theory-of-everything/" target="_blank">the second half of the chessboard</a> (as Thomas Friedman would say) and it will take a ton of work to get it there. Once it is there, we will see hyperactivity in the economy, it will be a whirlwind that people will either embrace or run direct the other way from. To an extent, humankind will benefit, but mother nature will suffer perhaps a fatal blow.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If proletariat wages remain low, then why has the stock market reacted negatively to what would otherwise be considered most excellent news? We can only guess that equity traders, who at times are clairvoyant to their own detriment, look around at the plethora of good news and smell a Fed rate hike on the horizon.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">They are correct, of course. However, we believe that the Fed learned its lesson back in 2008. The blind 0.25 per month basis hikes that were implemented to cool off the sizzling post 9/11 economy were blunt and oversized for the sheer breadth of the Fed's economic sphere of influence. It is doubtful we will see such blunt and misguided policy from the current Fed.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Instead, we see baby steps, increases of 0.01 basis points emitted over time so that the economy can absorb the shocks in a manageable way, rather than taking them square on the kisser as it did in 2008. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Will it work? Only time will tell, but for the moment the US economy looks like it's running full speed ahead, and nobody at the Fed is interested in being the next Ben Bernanke.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Stay tuned and </span><a href="http://www.ccci.org/how-to-know-god/would-you-like-to-know-god-personally/index.htm" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Trust Jesus</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Stay Fresh!</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<a href="mailto:davidminteconomics@gmail.com" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">David Mint</span></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Email: </span><a href="mailto:davidminteconomics@gmail.com" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">davidminteconomics@gmail.com</span></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Key Indicators for June 6, 2015</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<a href="http://www.kitcometals.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Copper Price per Lb: $2.69</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span></a><a href="http://bloomberg.com/energy" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Oil Price per Barrel: $59.13</span></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<a href="http://www.farmfutures.com/ffQuotesDaily.aspx" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Corn Price per Bushel: $3.60</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=%5ETNX" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">10 Yr US Treasury Bond: 2.40%</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span></a><a href="http://bitcoincharts.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bitcoin price in US: $227.55</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span></a><a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h15/update/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">FED Target Rate: 0.13%</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><a href="http://www.kitco.com/charts/livegoldnewyork.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Gold Price Per Ounce: $1,172</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<a href="http://davidmint.com/?page_id=557" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">MINT Perceived Target Rate*: 0.25%</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span></a><a href="http://www.bls.gov/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Unemployment Rate: 5.5%</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Inflation Rate (CPI): 0.1%</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span></a><a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=%5EDJI" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Dow Jones Industrial Average: 17,849</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span></a><a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h6/current/default.htm" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">M1 Monetary Base: $3,029,600,000,000</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-f9ec4f9f-cbd9-4b78-ec13-9aff9c948446"><a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h6/current/default.htm" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">M2 Monetary Base: $11,853,900,000,000</span></a></span></div>
David Minthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02946351281477626233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2521462496538240136.post-14555749204965799132015-05-08T04:00:00.000-07:002015-06-06T19:37:27.758-07:00Obama comes to Portlandia<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">5/7/2015 Portland, Oregon</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> - Pop in your mints…</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For those unaware, the Portland metro area is playing host to President Barack Obama. While we had no idea why he is here, we have been made keenly aware of the traffic perils that await us over the next 24 hours. Highways randomly shut in both directions, entire areas of the city impassable by car, rail, or bicycle (perish the thought). Such is the cost of playing host to the world’s most heavily guarded human being.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After some careful research (roughly 40 characters typed in a google search) we now know that he has come to promote something called the “</span><a href="http://www.aflcio.org/Issues/Trade/Trans-Pacific-Partnership-Free-Trade-Agreement-TPP" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Trans-Pacific Partnership</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">,” which we have heard described as “NAFTA on steroids.” He has chosen the Nike campus, which is a mere 10 minute walk from where The Mint resides, to tout what would be his crowning achievement, a free trade agreement that exterminates what remains of US based manufacturing once and for all.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">His choice of Nike, who in a sense pioneered the practice of exploiting cheap overseas labor, has drawn reactions of shock and awe from socialists and unions alike. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">First, the Daily Kos, where an author known as “davej” </span><a href="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/05/07/1383116/-Obama-To-Visit-Nike-To-Promote-TPP-Wait-NIKE-Really#" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">lays out the case against Nike</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> by alluding to sweatshops and child labor, and feigns disgust at the irony that Obama would choose Nike to hold his rally there. For good measure, the article ends with instruction on where to meet at Nike to stage a protest as the President speaks.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The AFL-CIO produced a video enlisting not only American workers but also workers from other countries throughout the Pacific Rim to denounce TPP as a job killer and an enemy of organized labor. You can see it below: </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/zq3ujEx9r5I/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zq3ujEx9r5I?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Finally, Bernie Sanders, the Vermont Socialist and current 2016 Presidential candidate, bemoans the fact that a $320 pair of LeBron XII Elite iD shoes can be sold in America but not made in America. Comrade Sanders, we admire your zeal yet find your logic vexing.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We have no clue what the TPP will do, but generally speaking, free trade is good, and will ultimately benefit everyone. However, circa 2015, there is a fly in the ointment that makes Free Trade act as a lubricant on the once slow moving machinery of global warming: Debt based currency.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Federal Reserve Notes: A License to Strip Mine the Earth</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">While it is fine and well the TPP will enable American consumers to consume at theoretically better prices that those that they already enjoy thanks to pioneers like Phil Knight and Sam Walton, all of this consumption comes at a steep price, both in terms of human suffering and the environmental impact of removing barriers to trade.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">While we would love to appeal to a moral high ground, such as the author at the Daily Kos and the AFL-CIO do in their opposition to the TPP, we cannot. Instead, we appeal to our own at times infallible logic on the matter.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The TPP and the associated increase in trade along the Pacific Rim that it will enable will cause an unprecedented amount of debt based currency to come into being and begin to circulate. While most persons have been trained to think of debt based currency as money, we offer a new definition:</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Debt based currency is a license to strip mine the earth, and entirely too many of them have been issued already.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Yes, when you circulate debt based currency (and on the planet today it is nearly impossible not to) by buying and selling in it, you are sending an erroneous economic signal to the rest of humanity. When you purchase the above mentioned Lebron James Michael Jordan wannabe shoes from Nike, you simply want the shoes to put on your feet. However, what you are saying to Phil Knight and his minions is, “design a shoe that I and 50 of my closest friends will drool over, then drill deep into the earth and extract petroleum with which to run the machines that will make the shoe, then hire labor as cheaply as possible to run the machines and assemble the shoe, kill some cows for leather, pull latex from plants or manmade processes, create dyes to color the shoe just so, and do whatever it takes to bring together the raw materials by which to bring my dream shoe into being.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now the production of the shoe and all of the related activities that it spawns would be fine and well were the shoes to be paid for with real money. However, consumers, no matter what country they are in, pay for things in debt based currency, meaning currency which comes into being on a whim, and derives its value by acting as a hot potato, causing any number of unnecessary or non-beneficial activities to be envisioned and carried out by mankind on a daily basis without a natural counterbalance to said activities.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In layman’s terms, when one is purchasing a product using debt based currency, they are by no means engaging in “fair trade,” despite what the label says, they are trading nothing for something, something that the earth and its inhabitants had to be strip-mined and enslaved to create. For the wants and needs of mankind are limitless, and, when enabled by a limitless supply of debt based currency, cause a chain reaction of 1) increased human activity which leads to 2) increased impact on the environment without a counterbalancing activity of resource replenishment, human or natural, elsewhere in the broad swath of economic activity on the planet.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Federal Reserve notes and their foreign counterparts are nothing more than a license to strip mine the earth and its inhabitants of resources well ahead of their ability to replenish them. Mother Nature is now in the second half of the Chessboard, will we turn in our license before it's too late? Or will we drive nature and ourselves off of the proverbial cliff?</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Stay tuned and </span><a href="http://www.ccci.org/how-to-know-god/would-you-like-to-know-god-personally/index.htm" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Trust Jesus</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Stay Fresh!</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<a href="mailto:davidminteconomics@gmail.com" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">David Mint</span></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Email: </span><a href="mailto:davidminteconomics@gmail.com" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">davidminteconomics@gmail.com</span></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Key Indicators for May 7, 2015</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<a href="http://www.kitcometals.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Copper Price per Lb: $2.90</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span></a><a href="http://bloomberg.com/energy" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Oil Price per Barrel: $58.72</span></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<a href="http://www.farmfutures.com/ffQuotesDaily.aspx" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Corn Price per Bushel: $3.57</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=%5ETNX" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">10 Yr US Treasury Bond: 2.18%</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span></a><a href="http://bitcoincharts.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bitcoin price in US: $236.53</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span></a><a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h15/update/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">FED Target Rate: 0.13%</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><a href="http://www.kitco.com/charts/livegoldnewyork.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Gold Price Per Ounce: $1,184</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<a href="http://davidmint.com/?page_id=557" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">MINT Perceived Target Rate*: 0.25%</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span></a><a href="http://www.bls.gov/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Unemployment Rate: 5.5%</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Inflation Rate (CPI): 0.2%</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span></a><a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=%5EDJI" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Dow Jones Industrial Average: 17,924</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span></a><a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h6/current/default.htm" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">M1 Monetary Base: $3,100,000,000,000</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-f57b552a-324c-8eb2-2937-f332af36d26f"><a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h6/current/default.htm" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">M2 Monetary Base: $11,824,300,000,000</span></a></span></div>
David Minthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02946351281477626233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2521462496538240136.post-11195322741354132492015-03-17T23:19:00.000-07:002015-03-17T23:19:00.050-07:00The US Economy Turns Green in Time for St. Patrick's Day<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<strong>3/16/2015 Portland, Oregon</strong> - Pop in your mints…</div>
<div class="mceTemp" style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px;">
<dl class="wp-caption alignleft" data-mce-style="width: 300px" id="attachment_5576" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; color: #767676; float: left; margin: 7px 24px 7px 0px; max-width: 474px; padding: 0px; width: 300px;">
<dt class="wp-caption-dt" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px;"><a data-mce-href="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/20130223_144528.jpg" href="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/20130223_144528.jpg" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="1 oz .999 Fine Silver Round Irish Green Enamel Four-Leaf Clover With Display Box" class="wp-image-5576 size-medium" data-mce-src="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/20130223_144528-300x225.jpg" height="225" src="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/20130223_144528-300x225.jpg" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px none; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 474px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle;" width="300" /></a></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5; margin: 9px 0px; padding: 0px 10px 0px 0px;">1 oz .999 Fine Silver Round Irish Green Enamel Four-Leaf Clover With Display Box</dd></dl>
</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
A Happy early St. Patrick's Day to our long-suffering readers of The Mint, who know we have an affinity for the color green, specifically the tone which can be found on the coin pictured to the left.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
We have been buried deep in a classic accounting "busy season" of our own design, as, along with our regular duties, we have stumbled upon a vein persons ready to move their accounting systems into the cloud along with a cadre of brilliant entrepreneurs who need solid advice in terms of accounting and systems. This work has gone nicely with our goal of mastering the tax trade this winter and spring. We have also managed to produce our first audio version, <em>What is Truth? On the Nature of Empire</em> (<a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/What-Is-Truth-Nature-Empire/dp/B00SNXMEE6/ref=tmm_aud_title_0" href="http://www.amazon.com/What-Is-Truth-Nature-Empire/dp/B00SNXMEE6/ref=tmm_aud_title_0" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">check it out here</a>).</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Together, it has made little time for reflection. Alas, this is <a data-mce-href="http://davidmint.com/2013/04/03/the-bitcoin-crazy-train-the-great-green-wall-and-are-you-a-soldier-an-athlete-or-a-farmer/" href="http://davidmint.com/2013/04/03/the-bitcoin-crazy-train-the-great-green-wall-and-are-you-a-soldier-an-athlete-or-a-farmer/" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">the life of a farmer</a>. When the season to work comes over us, we work day and night, knowing a season of rest waits.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span class="mceItemHidden" data-mce-bogus="1">Due to our numbers related <span class="hiddenSpellError" data-mce-bogus="1" pre="related " style="border-bottom-color: red; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 2px; cursor: default;">tarries</span>, the last time we took a glance at the US economy for long enough to write about it was October 3rd of last year, according to our records.</span></div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
At that time, when the stated Unemployment rate was 5.9%, we sensed back then that it did not matter as the FED was set on continuing its Zero Interest Rate Policy until its member banks were safely in the clear, and that the US Labor market was getting extremely tight.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span class="mceItemHidden" data-mce-bogus="1">In case you are wondering, <span class="hiddenSpellError" data-mce-bogus="1" pre="" style="border-bottom-color: red; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 2px; cursor: default;">ZIRP</span> and tight labor markets, taken together, is a recipe for explosive economic growth. Five short months later, it appears that the feast is nearly ready, and the US economy is about to eat it.</span></div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
First, let's check in on Unemployment, which stands at 5.5%. According to the March 9th jobs report, US Job Creation has never been stronger:</div>
<div class="mceTemp" style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px;">
<dl class="wp-caption aligncenter" data-mce-style="width: 474px;" id="attachment_8330" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; clear: both; color: #767676; margin: 7px auto; max-width: 474px; padding: 0px; width: 474px;">
<dt class="wp-caption-dt" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px;"><a data-mce-href="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/US-Job-Creation-03092016.png" href="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/US-Job-Creation-03092016.png" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="US Job Creation" class="wp-image-8330 size-large" data-mce-src="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/US-Job-Creation-03092016-1024x768.png" height="356" src="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/US-Job-Creation-03092016-1024x768.png" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px none; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 474px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle;" width="474" /></a></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5; margin: 9px 0px; padding: 0px 10px 0px 0px;">US Job Creation</dd></dl>
</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
And that momentum in the labor market is hotter than it was in 2005 - 2006:</div>
<div class="mceTemp" style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px;">
<dl class="wp-caption aligncenter" data-mce-style="width: 474px;" id="attachment_8326" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; clear: both; color: #767676; margin: 7px auto; max-width: 474px; padding: 0px; width: 474px;">
<dt class="wp-caption-dt" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px;"><a data-mce-href="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Labor-Market-Momentum.jpeg" href="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Labor-Market-Momentum.jpeg" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Labor Market Momentum" class="wp-image-8326 size-large" data-mce-src="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Labor-Market-Momentum-1024x768.jpeg" height="356" src="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Labor-Market-Momentum-1024x768.jpeg" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px none; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 474px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle;" width="474" /></a></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5; margin: 9px 0px; padding: 0px 10px 0px 0px;">Labor Market Momentum</dd></dl>
</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
And you have a labor market that has not been seen since the end of WWII.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span class="mceItemHidden" data-mce-bogus="1">But what about Wage Growth? It is tame, a 0.2% drop, in fact, if the BLS is to be believed. However, the <span class="hiddenSpellError" data-mce-bogus="1" pre="the " style="border-bottom-color: red; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 2px; cursor: default;">NFIB</span> Compensation Plans Indicator and the Employment cost Index are on the rise, meaning American workers are enjoying a rare (long overdue, we might add) post 1971 gain in real wages before the CPI, which clocked in at 0.7% (still well under the FED's target), overtakes them.</span></div>
<div class="mceTemp" style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px;">
<dl class="wp-caption aligncenter" data-mce-style="width: 474px;" id="attachment_8329" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; clear: both; color: #767676; margin: 7px auto; max-width: 474px; padding: 0px; width: 474px;">
<dt class="wp-caption-dt" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px;"><a data-mce-href="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Wage-growth-and-Inflation.png" href="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Wage-growth-and-Inflation.png" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Wage growth and Inflation" class="wp-image-8329 size-large" data-mce-src="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Wage-growth-and-Inflation-1024x768.png" height="356" src="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Wage-growth-and-Inflation-1024x768.png" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px none; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 474px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle;" width="474" /></a></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5; margin: 9px 0px; padding: 0px 10px 0px 0px;">Wage growth and Inflation go hand in hand</dd></dl>
</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
And this chart seems to indicate that the tightening rental market may be the match that starts the Wage/Price spiral in motion:</div>
<div class="mceTemp" style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px;">
<dl class="wp-caption aligncenter" data-mce-style="width: 474px;" id="attachment_8327" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; clear: both; color: #767676; margin: 7px auto; max-width: 474px; padding: 0px; width: 474px;">
<dt class="wp-caption-dt" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px;"><a data-mce-href="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Tight-Rental-Market.jpg" href="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Tight-Rental-Market.jpg" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Tight Rental Market" class="size-large wp-image-8327" data-mce-src="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Tight-Rental-Market-1024x768.jpg" height="356" src="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Tight-Rental-Market-1024x768.jpg" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px none; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 474px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle;" width="474" /></a></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5; margin: 9px 0px; padding: 0px 10px 0px 0px;">Tight Rental Market</dd></dl>
</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
We're not sure about other metro areas, but rental and housing markets in Portland are 'en fuego,' with apologies to Dan Patrick.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
What does it all mean? No one can be certain, but here are a couple of guesses:</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span class="mceItemHidden" data-mce-bogus="1">1) The US Economy will once again become the envy of the world, despite itself. Yes, even with Obama care and other political and economic landmines strewn around it, the US economy is on pace to surpass the growth rates of developing nations, soon to be known as last decade's darlings:</span></div>
<div class="mceTemp" style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px;">
<dl class="wp-caption aligncenter" data-mce-style="width: 474px;" id="attachment_8328" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; clear: both; color: #767676; margin: 7px auto; max-width: 474px; padding: 0px; width: 474px;">
<dt class="wp-caption-dt" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px;"><a data-mce-href="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/US-to-blow-past-emerging-markets.png" href="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/US-to-blow-past-emerging-markets.png" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="US to blow past emerging markets" class="size-large wp-image-8328" data-mce-src="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/US-to-blow-past-emerging-markets-1024x768.png" height="356" src="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/US-to-blow-past-emerging-markets-1024x768.png" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px none; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 474px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle;" width="474" /></a></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5; margin: 9px 0px; padding: 0px 10px 0px 0px;">US to blow past emerging markets</dd></dl>
</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
2) US Worker's are likely to get healthy wages from healthy companies. Unhealthy companies will be gutted in this brain drain and fail.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
3) Housing premiums, in terms of rent and home sales, are about to soar.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span class="mceItemHidden" data-mce-bogus="1">4) Interest rates will not go up until the markets yank them up by their shirt collar and hold them up against the wall, the FED will keep short-term rates low and allow the banks to recapitalize on the backs of the US economic miracle:</span></div>
<div class="mceTemp" style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px;">
<dl class="wp-caption aligncenter" data-mce-style="width: 474px;" id="attachment_8325" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; clear: both; color: #767676; margin: 7px auto; max-width: 474px; padding: 0px; width: 474px;">
<dt class="wp-caption-dt" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px;"><a data-mce-href="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/No-Rate-Hike-coming.jpeg" href="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/No-Rate-Hike-coming.jpeg" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="No Rate Hike coming" class="size-large wp-image-8325" data-mce-src="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/No-Rate-Hike-coming-1024x768.jpeg" height="356" src="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/No-Rate-Hike-coming-1024x768.jpeg" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px none; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 474px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle;" width="474" /></a></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5; margin: 9px 0px; padding: 0px 10px 0px 0px;">No Rate Hike coming</dd></dl>
</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span class="mceItemHidden" data-mce-bogus="1">5) There will be no "<span class="hiddenSpellError" data-mce-bogus="1" pre="no " style="border-bottom-color: red; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 2px; cursor: default;">Grexit</span>" to spoil things. Despite European claims to clairvoyance, it was the US who established the Euro zone (and its predecessor treaties) as the vital space for a revitalized German industrial base in the wake of WWII (more on this in our upcoming review of "The Global Minotaur" which was ironically written by a Greek economist). Circa 2014, the Euro currency zone exists for the sole benefit of Germany and to an extent France. The rest of Europe would be better off without it, which is why Germany and the pan euro banks will hold it together with an iron fist, not matter how futile the effort, or how far they have to bend the rules.</span></div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
6) The Chicago River will turn green, and a record amount of beer will be sold tomorrow in honor of St. Patrick</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<img class="mce-object mce-object-iframe" data-mce-object="iframe" data-mce-p-allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-p-frameborder="0" data-mce-p-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1qHHalOaQQs" height="315" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" style="background: url(http://davidmint.com/wp-includes/js/tinymce/skins/lightgray/img/object.gif) 50% 50% no-repeat rgb(213, 213, 213); border: 1px dotted rgb(58, 58, 58); height: auto; max-width: 474px; vertical-align: middle;" width="560" /></div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Be safe out there as the Luck of the Irish and the ignorance of the FED paints the US Economy green for the foreseeable future!</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Stay tuned and <a data-mce-href="http://www.ccci.org/how-to-know-god/would-you-like-to-know-god-personally/index.htm" href="http://www.ccci.org/how-to-know-god/would-you-like-to-know-god-personally/index.htm" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">Trust Jesus</a>.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Stay Fresh!</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<a data-mce-href="mailto:davidminteconomics@gmail.com" href="mailto:davidminteconomics@gmail.com" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">David Mint</a></div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<strong>Key Indicators for March 16, 2015</strong></div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<a data-mce-href="http://www.kitcometals.com/" href="http://www.kitcometals.com/" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">Copper Price per Lb: $2.65</a><br /><span data-mce-style="text-decoration: underline;" style="text-decoration: underline;">Oil Price per Barrel: $43.68</span></div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span data-mce-style="text-decoration: underline;" style="text-decoration: underline;">Corn Price per Bushel: $3.79</span><br /><span data-mce-style="text-decoration: underline;" style="text-decoration: underline;">10 Yr US Treasury Bond: 2.10%</span><br /><a data-mce-href="http://bitcoincharts.com" href="http://bitcoincharts.com/" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;"><span class="hiddenSpellError" data-mce-bogus="1" pre="" style="border-bottom-color: red; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 2px; cursor: default;">Bitcoin</span> price in US: $289.87</a><br /><span data-mce-style="text-decoration: underline;" style="text-decoration: underline;">FED Target Rate: 0.11%</span><br /><a data-mce-href="http://www.kitco.com/charts/livegoldnewyork.html" href="http://www.kitco.com/charts/livegoldnewyork.html" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">Gold Price Per Ounce: $1,154</a></div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<a data-mce-href="http://davidmint.com/?page_id=557" href="http://davidmint.com/?page_id=557" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">MINT Perceived Target Rate*: 0.25%</a><br /><span data-mce-style="text-decoration: underline;" style="text-decoration: underline;">Unemployment Rate: 5.5%</span><br /><span data-mce-style="text-decoration: underline;" style="text-decoration: underline;">Inflation Rate (CPI): 0.7%</span></div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<a data-mce-href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=%5Edji" href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=%5Edji" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">Dow Jones Industrial Average: 17,977</a><br /><a data-mce-href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h6/current/default.htm" href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h6/current/default.htm" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;"><span class="hiddenSpellError" data-mce-bogus="1" pre="" style="border-bottom-color: red; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 2px; cursor: default;">M1</span> Monetary Base: $3,069,400,000,000</a></div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<a data-mce-href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h6/current/default.htm" href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h6/current/default.htm" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">M2 Monetary Base: $11,883,100,000,000</a></div>
</div>
David Minthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02946351281477626233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2521462496538240136.post-11333057033709995732015-02-22T14:00:00.000-08:002015-02-23T12:40:48.024-08:00Bitcoin Panel Illuminates the World of Crypto-currencies for the Oregon AFP<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<strong><a data-mce-href="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Bitcoin.png" href="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Bitcoin.png" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Bitcoin" class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-5898" data-mce-src="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Bitcoin-150x150.png" src="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Bitcoin-150x150.png" height="150" style="float: left; height: auto; margin: 7px 24px 7px 0px; max-width: 474px; vertical-align: middle;" width="150" /></a><a data-mce-href="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Bitcoin.png" href="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Bitcoin.png" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;"></a>2/21/2015 Portland, Oregon</strong> - Pop in your mints...</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
For those who were unable to join us on Wednesday, the Bitcoin panel discussion at the Oregon AFP was a great success. With us were six of the finest minds in Crypto-currencies in the Portland area. These minds, together with some of the finest financial practitioners in the city, worked to bridge the gap between the Bitcoin universe and mainstream commerce. </div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
We were pleased to find that the two are really not that far apart.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
While there were a number of keen insights shared at yesterday's meeting at the Multnomah Athletic Club, three stood out in our minds:</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
1) Transactions volume in Bitcoin has soared over the past two years and the USD/Bitcoin price action has settled down as a result. Further, Venture Capital is pouring into the Bitcoin industry, proving that crypto-currencies, once on the exciting confluence of technology and money, are now entering the relatively boring yet infinitely more profitable economic mainstream.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
2) Bitcoin innovators have largely solved the problem that has thus far kept most bankers at bay: KYC, Know Your Customer.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
3) Concerns about Bitcoin's wild fluctuations in value are addressed by services that instantly exchange Bitcoins accepted in trade into national currencies. This is especially important for those who transact day-to-day business in Bitcoin, as it is technically considered property for tax purposes and could otherwise create an accounting nightmare. It also allows for a clear delineation between Bitcoin speculation and Bitcoin circulation, two completely different activities before were often unwittingly commingled by virtue of one's use of Bitcoin in trade.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Bitcoin has come a long way since we published our <a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/Bitcoins-What-they-are-them-ebook/dp/B00CA20Z5Q" href="http://www.amazon.com/Bitcoins-What-they-are-them-ebook/dp/B00CA20Z5Q" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">48 hour crash analysis</a> of the emergent monetary revolution back in 2013, and our panelists did a superb job of presenting a balanced discussion of the present state of crypto-currencies.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<div style="line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
A special thanks once again to all of our panelists, Lawrence I Lerner, Ian Pulicano, Anna Guyton, Mike Fors, George Fogg, and Rhys Faler, who was planning on spectating and found himself on the panel in the midst of an incredibly rich, informative, and relevant discussion of the merits and challenges of Bitcoin.</div>
<div style="line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Ian had the difficult task of breaking the ice of ignorance and/or skepticism that is often associated with presenting the concept of Bitcoin to someone for the first time, which is never an easy task. Beyond explaining the technical side in a concise manner, the slide near the end which highlighted the exponential growth in transactions and VC funding over the past 3 years got everyone's attention and set the stage nicely for the discussion that followed. Anna did a great job of stepping up as moderator and added valuable insights throughout, Lawrence did an excellent job of bridging the knowledge gap between industry and Bitcoin through helpful analogies, Mike and Rhys provided the evidence that Bitcoin can and is being used in everyday transactions, and George added insight into the inherent challenges and opportunities of Bitcoin on the regulatory and securitization side of the house.</div>
<div style="line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
At the end of the hour, the audience was left with one inescapable conclusion: Crypto-currencies are here, are here to stay, and will be part of one's economic experience in the not too distant future.</div>
</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
For the benefit of those who were unable to join us yesterday, we offer the following bootleg recording of the event over at The Mint: <a href="http://davidmint.com/2015/02/21/bitcoin-panel-illuminates-the-world-of-crypto-currencies-for-the-oregon-afp/" target="_blank">Bitcoin Panel Illuminates the World of Crypto-currencies for the Oregon AFP</a></div>
<div class="wpview-wrap" data-wpview-text="%5Baudio%20m4a%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fdavidmint.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2015%2F02%2FVoice-008.m4a%22%5D%5B%2Faudio%5D" data-wpview-type="audio" style="-webkit-user-select: none; border: 1px solid transparent; clear: both; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 16px; position: relative; width: 473.940979003906px;">
<div style="line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
We also offer the hope that these types of panels will be held in other venues where finance and technology intersect, and that mankind will be all the better off for it.</div>
<div style="line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Stay Fresh!</div>
<div style="line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<a data-mce-href="mailto:davidminteconomics@gmail.com" href="mailto:davidminteconomics@gmail.com" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">David Mint</a></div>
<div style="line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<strong>Key Indicators for February 21, 2015</strong></div>
<div style="line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<a data-mce-href="http://www.kitcometals.com/" href="http://www.kitcometals.com/" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">Copper Price per Lb: $2.58</a><br />
<a data-mce-href="http://bloomberg.com/energy" href="http://bloomberg.com/energy" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">Oil Price per Barrel: $50.81</a></div>
<div style="line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<a data-mce-href="http://www.farmfutures.com/ffQuotesDaily.aspx" href="http://www.farmfutures.com/ffQuotesDaily.aspx" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">Corn Price per Bushel: $3.85</a><br />
<a data-mce-href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=%5ETNX" href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=%5ETNX" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">10 Yr US Treasury Bond: 2.13%</a><br />
<a data-mce-href="http://bitcoincharts.com" href="http://bitcoincharts.com/" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">Bitcoin price in US: $246.31</a><br />
<a data-mce-href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h15/update/" href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h15/update/" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">FED Target Rate: 0.09%</a><br />
<a data-mce-href="http://www.kitco.com/charts/livegoldnewyork.html" href="http://www.kitco.com/charts/livegoldnewyork.html" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">Gold Price Per Ounce: $1,204</a></div>
<div style="line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<a data-mce-href="http://davidmint.com/?page_id=557" href="http://davidmint.com/?page_id=557" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">MINT Perceived Target Rate*: 0.25%</a><br />
<a data-mce-href="http://www.bls.gov/" href="http://www.bls.gov/" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">Unemployment Rate: 5.7%</a><br />
<a data-mce-href="http://www.bls.gov/" href="http://www.bls.gov/" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">Inflation Rate (CPI): -0.3%</a></div>
<div style="line-height: 26.6666679382324px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span data-mce-style="text-decoration: underline;" style="text-decoration: underline;"><a data-mce-href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=%5Edji" href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=%5Edji" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">Dow Jones Industrial Average: 18,140</a></span><br />
<a data-mce-href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h6/current/default.htm" href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h6/current/default.htm" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">M1 Monetary Base: $2,884,400,000,000</a></div>
</div>
</div>
David Minthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02946351281477626233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2521462496538240136.post-84214337902393171272015-02-02T06:52:00.001-08:002015-02-02T06:54:16.376-08:00An Ode to Papa Jerry<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg01Dj-0GV2ETWb2jSVjDIe5SLiiShfm38onQoy_l458F2Iet102jjQ84dGkGW5L_7oBDMDJ0cMCusseX8HAP_gvgG3XhxWnNxrHkWDaF7olEPmM1KQsIW3sdyUB63AZtrptlyUzlszWEE/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-02-02+at+6.36.24+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg01Dj-0GV2ETWb2jSVjDIe5SLiiShfm38onQoy_l458F2Iet102jjQ84dGkGW5L_7oBDMDJ0cMCusseX8HAP_gvgG3XhxWnNxrHkWDaF7olEPmM1KQsIW3sdyUB63AZtrptlyUzlszWEE/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-02-02+at+6.36.24+AM.png" height="315" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jerry and Bettie Mitchell</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Earlier this year in
the <a href="http://davidmint.com/2015/01/26/the-healing-miracles-of-jesus-recorded-in-luke/">class
on Luke</a>, we collectively learned that death is a form of healing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This being the case, our friend Jerry
Mitchell was healed on January 28th, 2015.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In terms dear to us as Samaritans, it may be said that Jerry graduated
to heaven on that day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Jerry Mitchell, or
Papa Jerry, as we knew him, taught in the Beaverton School District until his
retirement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was already retired when
we met him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We came to know Jerry as the
cornerstone of <a href="http://goodsamaritanministries.org/">Good Samaritan
Ministries</a> (GSM), a ministry with a call to "teach nothing but the
Kingdom of God," a call which continues to this day at GSM in Beaverton.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">While Jerry's wife, Bettie
Mitchell, is recognized as the founder of the Ministry, she is always quick to
recognize that Jerry, by giving permission for Bettie to leave her teaching job
to pursue the Ministry full time, was the one who released the calling into
action.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was he who supported and
accompanied her through the years as the Ministry grew to touch lives not only
in Beaverton but also in some 32 countries throughout the world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Jerry was a veteran of
World War II and a member of what Tom Brokaw famously referred to as "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greatest_Generation">The Greatest Generation</a>."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jerry was a great fan of the Portland
Trailblazers and was always quick with a smile and a joke.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was honest and approachable and loved
children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It may truly be said that he
never lost touch with the child within himself.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">His positive impact as
a soldier, teacher, and Samaritan can be seen today on four continents, and we
count ourselves blessed to have had our hearts warmed by knowing Papa Jerry
towards the twilight of his wonderful life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The world is a better place because Papa Jerry lived. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:DocumentProperties>
<o:Revision>0</o:Revision>
<o:TotalTime>0</o:TotalTime>
<o:Pages>1</o:Pages>
<o:Words>308</o:Words>
<o:Characters>1759</o:Characters>
<o:Company>WTC</o:Company>
<o:Lines>14</o:Lines>
<o:Paragraphs>4</o:Paragraphs>
<o:CharactersWithSpaces>2063</o:CharactersWithSpaces>
<o:Version>14.0</o:Version>
</o:DocumentProperties>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>JA</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="276">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Calibri;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<!--StartFragment-->
<!--EndFragment--><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Rest in peace Papa
Jerry, and thank you for your many sacrifices this side of heaven.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We look forward to the time when we will meet
again on the other side.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
David Minthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02946351281477626233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2521462496538240136.post-64157056393577058722015-01-20T17:38:00.000-08:002015-01-20T17:38:00.352-08:00La Granja Tributaria<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="mceTemp">
La Granja Tributaria. Un lugar que parece ser "casa" por el mayor parte del año, hasta que el granjero pasa a sacar la leche.<br />
<div class="mceTemp">
<dl class="wp-caption alignleft" data-mce-style="width: 300px;" id="attachment_8218" style="width: 300px;">
<dt class="wp-caption-dt"><a data-mce-href="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Slide02.jpg" href="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Slide02.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="La Granja Tributaria circa 1964" class="size-medium wp-image-8218" data-mce-src="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Slide02-300x225.jpg" src="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Slide02-300x225.jpg" height="225" width="300" /></a></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd">La Granja Tributaria circa 1964</dd></dl>
</div>
Hace
poco realizamos un curso para dueños de empresas pequeñas y medianas en
Portland y los alrededores. Presentamos aquí, como servicio al publico
de The Mint, las materias del curso por si le puede servir a alguien en
nuestra audiencia.<br />
<br />
El Archivo PowerPoint: <a data-mce-href="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/MESO-Tax-Prep-Class-SPANISH-1-14-2015-Final.pptx" href="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/MESO-Tax-Prep-Class-SPANISH-1-14-2015-Final.pptx">Tax Prep Class SPANISH 1-14-2015</a><br />
<br />
El PowerPoint por YouTube:<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/lvpMSKxecnI" width="480"></iframe>
<br />
Recursos en Portland para preparar su declaración anual: <a data-mce-href="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Tax-Preparation-Guide-English-Spanish.docx" href="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Tax-Preparation-Guide-English-Spanish.docx">Tax Preparation Guide English - Spanish</a><br />
<br />
Páginas web claves: <a data-mce-href="http://www.irs.gov/uac/Newsroom/Ayuda-Tributaria-en-Espa%C3%B1ol-2" href="http://www.irs.gov/uac/Newsroom/Ayuda-Tributaria-en-Espa%C3%B1ol-2" target="_blank">Ayuda Tributaria en Español</a><br />
<br />
El IRS en Español: <a data-mce-href="http://www.irs.gov/Spanish" href="http://www.irs.gov/Spanish" target="_blank">http://www.irs.gov/Spanish</a><br />
<div class="mceTemp">
<dl class="wp-caption alignright" data-mce-style="width: 300px;" id="attachment_8219" style="width: 300px;">
<dt class="wp-caption-dt"><a data-mce-href="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Slide03.jpg" href="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Slide03.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="La Granja Tributaria circa 2014 " class="size-medium wp-image-8219" data-mce-src="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Slide03-300x225.jpg" src="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Slide03-300x225.jpg" height="225" width="300" /></a></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd">La Granja Tributaria circa 2014</dd></dl>
</div>
Un
consejo, los impuestos son un asunto muy personal, y no hay ninguna
situación que sea igual al suyo. Por eso rogamos que, si tiene alguna
duda, que se ponga en contacto con un profesional en su localidad.
Según la situación en la que uno se encuentre, tener sus asuntos en
orden con la granja tributaria puede ser muy valioso.<br />
<br />
Mucha suerte! Y qué el granjero no le saque demasiado este año.<br />
<br />
<dl class="wp-caption alignleft" data-mce-style="width: 300px;" id="attachment_8218" style="width: 300px;">
<dt class="wp-caption-dt"><br /></dt>
</dl>
</div>
</div>
David Minthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02946351281477626233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2521462496538240136.post-35722533012855806722015-01-12T08:30:00.000-08:002015-01-12T08:30:01.704-08:00Digital Silver<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b>1/11/2015 Portland, Oregon</b> - Pop in your mints…<br />
<br />
A
belated happy new year to our fellow taxpayers. While the pages of The
Mint have been quiet, The Mint himself has been pressing forward on a
number of initiatives. Perhaps the most notable being our renewed
interest in Tax Planning and preparation, which is a natural complement
to our virtual CFO and associated services. More to come on that.<br />
<br />
Long-suffering
readers of The Mint are well aware of our views on monetary theory.
Throughout the ages, true money has generally taken the form of gold
and/or silver. However, for roughly 44 years now, mankind has been on an
extremely dangerous experiment in which debt has come to take the place
of money in everyday transactions. While it may seem a completely
normal manner of transacting business today, it is lost on most that
money and debt are actually polar opposites. They are meant to cancel
each other out in trade and, in doing so, maintain the quantity of one
another and by extension all of world trade and economic activity, in
balance.<br />
<br />
However, when money becomes debt, then debt can only be
cancelled by the issuance of more debt, which means that the primary
impulse of all economic activity is not a well thought out response to
the laws of supply and demand, but a response to whether or not the
supply of debt instruments in the world is increasing or decreasing.<br />
<br />
The
period between 2008 and 2013 has been marked by a relative stagnation
in what was until then a steady wave of increasing credit post 1971.
This stagnation was almost fatal to the debt based monetary system that,
by definition, counts on an infinite expansion in the quantity of debt
for its very existence.<br />
<br />
The current expansion, which began in 2014
and is set to accelerate through 2015 and beyond, is already causing
cosmic shifts in the economy. Old, established companies and brands are
being supplanted by a phenomenon that is best exemplified by social
media platforms: Hyper focused content delivery and a wholesale
fragmentation of what were, just five years ago, long-established norms
around consumer behavior. Large brands are losing the edge as consumers
can increasingly tailor the content that passes by their eyeballs on
social media and, further, consume almost any type of media on demand.<br />
<br />
This
shift is once again propelling a large wave of growth, which means that
soon, consumers will begin to demand increasing amounts of credit so
that they can underwrite their various individual activities
necessitated by this shift.<br />
<br />
What place does Silver have in this brave new world? At <a data-mce-href="http://www.kitco.com/charts/livesilver.html#ny" href="http://www.kitco.com/charts/livesilver.html#ny">$16.57 an ounce</a>, physical silver is taking a short breather as the world's best investment. However, a new form of <a data-mce-href="http://silvermoneyservices.com/" href="http://silvermoneyservices.com/">Silver</a> is rising to take its place.<br />
<div class="mceTemp">
<dl class="wp-caption alignleft" data-mce-style="width: 194px;" id="attachment_8206" style="width: 194px;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a data-mce-href="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Silverlogo.png" href="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Silverlogo.png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Silver Money" class="size-full wp-image-8206" data-mce-src="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Silverlogo.png" src="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Silverlogo.png" height="194" width="194" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Digital Silver in the form of unsecured credit at your fingertips</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<dt class="wp-caption-dt"><br data-mce-bogus="1" /></dt>
</dl>
</div>
Silver
Money Service is a simple mobile app that filters hundreds of credit
card offers to help you find unsecured credit that suits your needs.
While at first this may seem an elementary concept, the utility of the
Silver app, which is currently available for Android and iPhone, cannot
be overstated.<br />
<br />
As much as we are loath to admit it, most consumers
will need to increase their credit footprint over the coming year in
order to keep pace with inflation. What the Silver app does is simply
save consumers tens if not hundreds of hours sifting through credit card
offers in the mail and on the internet. By asking a few simple
questions, Silver guides the user to the current credit card offerings
that are best suited to their needs.<br />
<br />
How does it work? As we mentioned above, the app asks the user a simple, multiple-choice question:<br />
<ol>
<li>Which type of card are you looking for?<ul>
<li>Rewards</li>
<li>Cash back</li>
<li>Low Interest</li>
<li>Bad Credit</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ol>
From
there, it asks the user a second, again multiple choice question based
on their response to the first in order to tailor its results to the
user's unique credit needs. The app then presents a list of the
relevant credit card offers alongside buttons that allow the user to
contact the credit card provider directly via telephone, email, or
directly at their website.<br />
<br /><iframe width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Ui3w0Ixn4pU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Silver's refreshingly simple and
intuitive approach to assisting consumers in expanding their credit
footprint. You can download this handy app that the <a data-mce-href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.timidventures.silver" href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.timidventures.silver">Google Play store</a> and the <a data-mce-href="https://itunes.apple.com/app/silver/id915620447" href="https://itunes.apple.com/app/silver/id915620447">iPhone App Store</a> today and get a head start on your peers.<br />
<br />
While
physical silver will always be a safe harbor, the Silver app may prove
more useful over the coming years as a way to fund the next wave of
credit expansion. Even if you are a gold or silver bug, you can use the
Silver app to get a credit card to get ahead of the curve by ordering
your next tube of rounds or silver bars from your favorite bullion
dealer.<br />
<br />
For in the blow off phase, it won't matter how much
unsecured debt one has to pay back, but what real assets one has on hand
to confront the gradual disintegration of the real economy.<br />
<br />
Stay tuned and <a data-mce-href="http://www.ccci.org/how-to-know-god/would-you-like-to-know-god-personally/index.htm" href="http://www.ccci.org/how-to-know-god/would-you-like-to-know-god-personally/index.htm">Trust Jesus</a>.<br />
<br />
Stay Fresh!<br />
<br />
David Mint<br />
<br />
<b>Key Indicators for January 11, 2015</b><br />
<br />
<a data-mce-href="http://www.kitcometals.com/" href="http://www.kitcometals.com/">Copper Price per Lb: $2.79</a><br />
<span data-mce-style="text-decoration: underline;" style="text-decoration: underline;">Oil Price per Barrel (WTI): $47.58</span><br />
<span data-mce-style="text-decoration: underline;" style="text-decoration: underline;">Corn Price per Bushel: $4.00</span><br />
<span data-mce-style="text-decoration: underline;" style="text-decoration: underline;">10 Yr US Treasury Bond: 1.97%</span><br />
<a data-mce-href="http://bitcoincharts.com" href="http://bitcoincharts.com/">Bitcoin price in US: $276.80</a><br />
<span data-mce-style="text-decoration: underline;" style="text-decoration: underline;">FED Target Rate: 0.12%</span><br />
<a data-mce-href="http://www.kitco.com/charts/livegoldnewyork.html" href="http://www.kitco.com/charts/livegoldnewyork.html">Gold Price Per Ounce: $1,225</a><br />
<a data-mce-href="http://davidmint.com/?page_id=557" href="http://davidmint.com/?page_id=557">MINT Perceived Target Rate*: 0.25%</a><br />
<span data-mce-style="text-decoration: underline;" style="text-decoration: underline;">Unemployment Rate: 5.6%</span><br />
<span data-mce-style="text-decoration: underline;" style="text-decoration: underline;">Inflation Rate (CPI): -0.3%</span><br />
<a data-mce-href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=%5EDJI" href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=%5EDJI">Dow Jones Industrial Average: 17,737</a><br />
<a data-mce-href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h6/current/default.htm" href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h6/current/default.htm">M1 Monetary Base: $3,157,800,000,000</a><br />
<a data-mce-href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h6/current/default.htm" href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h6/current/default.htm">M2 Monetary Base: $11,769,400,000,000</a></div>
David Minthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02946351281477626233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2521462496538240136.post-22821568057656785452014-12-19T15:16:00.000-08:002014-12-19T16:00:48.120-08:00'Tis the Season for...Taxes? 7 Tips to Prepare for the Inevitable<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">12/11/2014 Portland,
Oregon</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> - Pop in your mints…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It's that time of year
once again, fellow taxpayers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Time to
listen to the endless drone of Christmas music, time to fret over what to give
whom, time to blow fuse or two on your home's electrical grid trying to outdo
the neighbor's light show, time to see if you will trigger the AMT this year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Yes, the Holiday
Season is upon us once again, and, as if we didn't have enough on our plates
(both literally and figuratively), the remaining 20 days of December represent
the final countdown to a manmade deadline for making and executing any personal
and corporate decisions which may have a direct impact upon how much tribute
one wishes to voluntarily report and render to their local and federal tax
farm.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What might those
decisions entail?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or, more precisely,
what can I do (within the confines of the income tax code, of course) to lower
my 2014 income tax burden?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWLzI4Pza4ZVTldmvQVvWmTeNkAOL_F-c9StX7nk9agag9FSYn4nrdJ2HuIwPrWMamO2PAbv6f4hLla8Jm4KBRGk_b-Brg-q80YqDNH8EbvJFNT5SIThYRfm9LpVTZhRCX6T4vuPfA4xs/s1600/2014+Estimated+Payment.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWLzI4Pza4ZVTldmvQVvWmTeNkAOL_F-c9StX7nk9agag9FSYn4nrdJ2HuIwPrWMamO2PAbv6f4hLla8Jm4KBRGk_b-Brg-q80YqDNH8EbvJFNT5SIThYRfm9LpVTZhRCX6T4vuPfA4xs/s1600/2014+Estimated+Payment.jpg" height="181" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Is the IRS on your Christmas list?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The answers to the
above questions are truly personal, as tax advice, like medical advice, depends
entirely upon the individual's history, present circumstances, and future
plans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here at The Mint, we highly
recommend consulting with a <a href="http://pbsfranklintn.com/franklin-tax-prep-and-filing/">qualified income
tax professional</a> that can sit down and give one a proper assessment of
their situation and help them plan now in order to take the proper steps to
help minimize their current and future tax burden.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Here are<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> 7</b> tips to help you and your tax
professional prepare your 2014 income tax return and, more importantly,
estimate your tax liability while you are still in 2014 and can theoretically
do something about it:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gather state and
federal returns from the prior two years:</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This will give your tax
professional a baseline, if you will, of your income tax situation and let them
know, often at a glance, what steps can be taken to help minimize your
liability.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Think about any life
changes you have had in 2014:</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did you get married? Have a baby?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Send a child off to college?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sell or refinance a home? Relocate for
work?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All of these actions, and many
more, may have an impact on your tax bill.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">3.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gather documentation
to support income and deductions:</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This may seem basic, but why not prepare for
a potential IRS audit before it happens?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Maintain any W-2s, 1099s, Investment account statements, and
documentation related to deductions such as charitable donations, mortgage
interest statements, and child care expenses and keep them in a file along with
the corresponding tax returns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Viola!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Should the IRS call you,
you at least have something to back up your numbers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">4.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Know the basis of your
stocks:</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you
own corporate or mutual fund shares, a very important data point in terms of
tax preparation is how much was paid for it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As many people hold shares for relatively long time horizons, it is best
to keep a running file that is updated with each purchase.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your broker should be able to get this
information for you if you have not kept track of this to date.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">5.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Measure your home
office:</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
home office deduction is taboo in some circles as it is seen as a red flag for
audits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, if you legitimately
have a home office, you could be leaving a decent amount of money on the table
if you do not take it. <o:p></o:p></span>Better yet, if you don't want to tally receipts, the IRS now lets you take a flat $5 per square foot of home office space up to a maximum of $1,500. For more on the safe harbor home office deduction, <a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.bankrate.com/finance/taxes/simplified-home-office-deduction.aspx" href="http://www.bankrate.com/finance/taxes/simplified-home-office-deduction.aspx">click here</a>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">6.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Contribute to
qualified retirement accounts:</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you have extra money and sense that you may be staring a tax liability in the face, consider funding an IRA or contributing
more to a 401(k) plan before year end.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">7.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Consult a trusted tax
professional:</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we stated before, everybody's situation is
unique when it comes to income taxes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>While everyone has to file income taxes, we each have our own, unique
financial fingerprint.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A trusted tax
professional can help you not only catch missed deductions now, they can help
you to plan for future events that, if not properly planned for, could trigger
large income tax liabilities.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:DocumentProperties>
<o:Revision>0</o:Revision>
<o:TotalTime>0</o:TotalTime>
<o:Pages>1</o:Pages>
<o:Words>627</o:Words>
<o:Characters>3574</o:Characters>
<o:Company>WTC</o:Company>
<o:Lines>29</o:Lines>
<o:Paragraphs>8</o:Paragraphs>
<o:CharactersWithSpaces>4193</o:CharactersWithSpaces>
<o:Version>14.0</o:Version>
</o:DocumentProperties>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>JA</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="276">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Calibri;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<!--StartFragment-->
<!--EndFragment--><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In the midst of
overeating, overspending, and generating outrageous electric bills in the name
of the Holidays be sure to take a moment to consult a trusted tax professional.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who knows?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Making a few of the right moves now may just pay for some of those
Holiday bills come April.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
David Minthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02946351281477626233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2521462496538240136.post-51886268950360650102014-12-16T19:00:00.000-08:002014-12-16T19:00:02.124-08:00Thomas Friedman’s Brief Theory of Everything<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<strong>12/15/2014 Portland, Oregon</strong> - Pop in your mints…</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
At the closing session of the 2014 AFP National Conference, New York Times columnist and three time Pulitzer Prize winner <a data-mce-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Friedman" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Friedman" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">Thomas Friedman</a> gave a great discourse related to the biggest trends in the US and indeed the world today. For those who are unfamiliar with Friedman’s work, suffice it to say that he is one of the more influential voices on the planet via his post at the New York Times. As his discourse will reveal, he writes on foreign affairs, globalization, and environmental issues.</div>
<div class="mceTemp" style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">
<dl class="wp-caption alignleft" data-mce-style="width: 200px;" id="attachment_8183" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; color: #767676; float: left; margin: 7px 24px 7px 0px; max-width: 474px; padding: 0px; width: 200px;">
<dt class="wp-caption-dt" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px;"><a data-mce-href="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Thomas_Friedman_2005_5.jpg" href="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Thomas_Friedman_2005_5.jpg" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Thomas Friedman By Charles Haynes (Charles Haynes' flickr account) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons" class="wp-image-8183 size-medium" data-mce-src="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Thomas_Friedman_2005_5-200x300.jpg" src="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Thomas_Friedman_2005_5-200x300.jpg" height="300" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px none; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 474px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle;" width="200" /></a></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5; margin: 9px 0px; padding: 0px 10px 0px 0px;">Thomas Friedman By Charles Haynes (Charles Haynes' flickr account) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons</dd></dl>
</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Friedman is also a bestselling author, and many of his working hypotheses can be found in his 2005 International Best Seller, <em>The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century</em>. In the book, Friedman lays out 10 “flatteners,” or things that he points to that are enabling the trend of leveling the global playing field.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
On the afternoon of November 4<span style="bottom: 1ex; font-size: 12px; height: 0px; line-height: 0; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span> in Washington, D.C., Friedman shared a number of interesting insights with our audience of Finance leaders, among them is his own recognition of the effects that the forces he describes have on his own ability to influence American and global thought. As he puts it {with a slight paraphrase to add context}, “Thirty years ago, James Reston, my predecessor would ask himself every morning, ‘I wonder what my seven competitors are going to write today?’ Today, I sit in my office and ask myself ‘I wonder what my 70 million competitors are going to write today?”<br />
<br />
While we may not agree completely with Friedman’s ideologies at base, it cannot be denied that he is compelling to listen to. His voice is inquisitive and familiar, and his depth of experience in the idea realm gives his opinions, whether one fully agrees with them or not, a strange authority of their own. You can listen via the link below to one of the finest discourses we have ever had the pleasure of listening to:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B13I-aZ7YoZwX0dUdmxteTNrS1U&authuser=0" target="_blank">The Next Phase of Globalization</a></div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Below are some of the most interesting points Friedman brings up, along with their corresponding time stamp on the above recording:</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<strong>At 2:40</strong><strong>: </strong> Is the US’s OODA loop broken? Friedman expresses concern about the US Government’s ability to Observe, Orient, Decide, and Act using a metaphor from the US Air Force.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<strong>At 4:25:</strong> – As Historians look back at our times, Friedman believes that they would identify as the most important things happening in the early 21<span style="bottom: 1ex; font-size: 12px; height: 0px; line-height: 0; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">st</span> is that the three biggest forces on the planet, The Market, Moore’s Law, and Mother Nature, all went into hyper growth at the <strong>same time.</strong></div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<strong>At 5:50:</strong> – The story of the Chessboard brought up in the book <a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0393239357/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0393239357&linkCode=as2&tag=the0e30-20&linkId=LV7HUEWQPHWKMQTN" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0393239357/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0393239357&linkCode=as2&tag=the0e30-20&linkId=LV7HUEWQPHWKMQTN" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">The <em>Second Machine Age</em></a><img alt="" border="0" data-mce-src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=the0e30-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0393239357" data-mce-style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=the0e30-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0393239357" height="1" style="border: none !important; height: auto; margin: 0px !important; max-width: 474px; vertical-align: middle;" width="1" />. The Chessboard parable is cited as popular in Silicon Valley, and the morale is that, when you double something 63 times, you get 18 quintillion of whatever it is. Friedman cites the Chessboard analogy a number of times in the discourse. He believes that the world is in the “Second half of the Chessboard” in terms of the velocity of change with respect to The Market, Moore’s Law, and Mother Nature.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<strong>At 8:00:</strong> – The 2004 Thesis of <em><a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0312425074/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0312425074&linkCode=as2&tag=the0e30-20&linkId=URVD4BFWRHIJVZW5" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0312425074/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0312425074&linkCode=as2&tag=the0e30-20&linkId=URVD4BFWRHIJVZW5" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">The World Is Flat</a><img alt="" border="0" data-mce-src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=the0e30-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0312425074" data-mce-style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=the0e30-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0312425074" height="1" style="border: none !important; height: auto; margin: 0px !important; max-width: 474px; vertical-align: middle;" width="1" /></em> is that the convergence of four factors, the PC, the Internet, Workflow Software, and Search capabilities, that were melding together to form a platform that was allowing for large scale collaboration on a level never before experienced. <em>{<strong>Editor’s Note:</strong> We closely observed this trend as an MBA student in Barcelona and it has continued to transform the way we live and work today, 10 years on. }</em></div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<strong>At 11:07</strong> – In the past 10 years, with the advent of Facebook, Twitter, Skype, and the like, the world went from connected to hyper connected, and from interconnected to interdependent. We are in the second half of the Chessboard with regards to globalization.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<strong>At 13:45</strong> – Friedman begins to speak on the Environment, what happens when Mother Nature enters the second half of the Chessboard. He cites the fact that the amount of carbon in the earth’s atmosphere is increasing 100 times faster today than it was at the end of the last ice age. He also observes that the population of the earth has doubled in his lifetime, from 1959 to 1999, from 3 billion to 6 billion people.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<strong>At 21:00</strong> – Friedman brings up the drought in Syria between 2006 and 2010, the most severe in modern history, as the cause of the revolution that rages there today. One million Syrians, who had previously dedicated themselves to agriculture in the countryside, flocked to the cities, overwhelming the infrastructure. Here, he also highlights the fact that Sao Paulo, Brazil, may become the first major city to run out of water due to a combination of a prolonged drought and the effects of deforestation of the wetlands and watersheds of its major water sources.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<strong>At 22:30</strong> - What does it mean? This is a great world to be a consumer, a maker (Entrepreneur), and a breaker (here Friedman cites ISIS’s use of social media as its command and control system). It is a terrible world to be a leader (every leader is in a two way conversation).</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<strong>At 30:10</strong> – Average is over for countries as Mother Nature, The Market, and Moore’s Law enter the second half of the chessboard. Developing countries are stressed, and weak countries are failing and entering disorder.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<strong>At 32:52</strong> – This is perhaps Friedman’s most important insight Average is over for every worker. Every worker must identify their unique value add. “When I graduated from college, I had to find a job. When you graduate from college, you will need to make your job.” Every middle class job is being pulled up, out, and down. The high wage, middle skill job, is over. There are now only high wage, high skill jobs.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<strong>At 36:31</strong> – Friedman speaks of the effects of Globalization on his own job. Thanks to the internet, he now has 70 million competitors whereas his predecessor, James Reston, had 7.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<strong>At 39:30</strong> – The three tiers of work, the first tier was non-routine, second tier was routine; the third tier was non-routine, local work, are being rattled to the core. The second tier is being crushed, and the wages of the third tier non-routine depends upon the quality of the first tier non-routine. Further, the first tier, non-routine must also be “creative” non-routine.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<strong>At 42:00</strong> – You need more than the three R’s: Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic, you need the four c’s: Creativity, Communication, Collaboration, and Critical Thinking, and the “M”: Self-motivation.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<strong>At 44:07</strong> – Now that the digital divide is gone, the good news ceilings and walls are gone; the bad news is that so are the floors. For example, as an employer, Google doesn't care what you know because it knows everything, but what you can do with it.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<strong>At 45:30</strong> – Friedman’s five pieces of advice for his children, <strong>1)</strong> <strong>Think like an immigrant</strong>, be a paranoid optimist, we are all new immigrants to the hyper connected world, <strong>2)</strong> <strong>Think like an artisan</strong>, make what you make special, give it an extra effort, carve your initials into it, <strong>3)</strong> <strong>Always be in beta</strong>, in Silicon Valley there is only one four letter word, Finished. Always be in beta. Literacy today is the ability to learn and relearn, <strong>4) pq + cq > iq. Perseverance/passion quotient + curiousity quotient is greater than a high intelligence quotient</strong>, <strong>5) Think like an </strong><b>Entrepreneur</b>: Friedman paraphrases this as “Think like a pancake waitress,” do your best with those things under your control, and where you can, add value.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<strong>At 51:12</strong> - Friedman fields a few questions from the audience and shares his thoughts on what needs to occur in the realm of politics. The comments are timely as they come on the date of the 2014 US midterm elections.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
This is one of the better discourses that we have been privileged to attend. It is clear that Friedman is a deep thinker and has learned the art of expressing himself. He is not especially clairvoyant, but he is deeply in touch with the times. Evidence of his hypotheses is literally surging from every corner of the globe.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
What will be your value add in the brave, new, flat, hyper connected world that is fast coming upon us?</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Stay tuned and <a data-mce-href="http://www.ccci.org/how-to-know-god/would-you-like-to-know-god-personally/index.htm" href="http://www.ccci.org/how-to-know-god/would-you-like-to-know-god-personally/index.htm" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">Trust Jesus</a>.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Stay Fresh!</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
David Mint</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<strong>Key Indicators for December 15, 2014</strong></div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<a data-mce-href="http://www.kitcometals.com/" href="http://www.kitcometals.com/" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">Copper Price per Lb: $2.94</a><br />
<a data-mce-href="http://bloomberg.com/energy" href="http://bloomberg.com/energy" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">Oil Price per Barrel (WTI): $55.99</a></div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<a data-mce-href="http://www.farmfutures.com/ffQuotesDaily.aspx" href="http://www.farmfutures.com/ffQuotesDaily.aspx" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">Corn Price per Bushel: $4.08</a><br />
<a data-mce-href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=%5ETNX" href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=%5ETNX" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">10 Yr US Treasury Bond: 2.12%</a><br />
<a data-mce-href="http://bitcoincharts.com" href="http://bitcoincharts.com/" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">Bitcoin price in US: $351.50</a><br />
<a data-mce-href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h15/update/" href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h15/update/" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">FED Target Rate: 0.12%</a><br />
<a data-mce-href="http://www.kitco.com/charts/livegoldnewyork.html" href="http://www.kitco.com/charts/livegoldnewyork.html" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">Gold Price Per Ounce: $1,197</a></div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<a data-mce-href="http://davidmint.com/?page_id=557" href="http://davidmint.com/?page_id=557" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">MINT Perceived Target Rate*: 0.25%</a><br />
<a data-mce-href="http://www.bls.gov/" href="http://www.bls.gov/" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">Unemployment Rate: 5.8%</a><br />
<a data-mce-href="http://www.bls.gov/" href="http://www.bls.gov/" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">Inflation Rate (CPI): 0.0%</a><br />
<a data-mce-href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=%5EDJI" href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=%5EDJI" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">Dow Jones Industrial Average: 17,218</a><br />
<a data-mce-href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h6/current/default.htm" href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h6/current/default.htm" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">M1 Monetary Base: $2,966,700,000,000</a></div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<a data-mce-href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h6/current/default.htm" href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h6/current/default.htm" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">M2 Monetary Base: $11,635,400,000,000</a></div>
</div>
David Minthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02946351281477626233noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2521462496538240136.post-67240061693598312042014-12-03T19:30:00.000-08:002014-12-03T19:30:01.767-08:00The Bank of Russia Dwarfed in Oil Price War<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="OLE_LINK2"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="OLE_LINK1"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">12/3/2014
Portland, Oregon</span></b></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> - Pop in your mints…<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In case you haven't
been following our key indicators lately, the price of oil has taken a nosedive
over the past three months, falling nearly 30% from late September.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you drive an SUV or run an airline, this
is great news.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you are Russian or in
some way invested in or employed by US based shale oil operations or work
extracting oil from the Alberta Tar Sands, this is bad news.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">First, let's take a
look at the effects on Russia, which have dominated the headlines.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Russian economy is heavily reliant on oil
and has one of the largest petroleum industries in the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has the world's eighth largest oil
reserves and is the largest exporter of oil in the world in absolute
numbers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since the chart below, which
highlights the rise of Russia's productive capacity and post cold war era
export capacity, was produced in by </span></span></span><a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Plazak"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Plazak</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> back in 2013, Russian production has continued its study rise
through 2014, posting a post-Soviet record of 10.61 million barrels per day in
September.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjooy_x5_sQosSf9pDz2SAzj0zas8UYgzgOsn3EtGVwEuMQQ8Qz3DkUaxywob2TXjUXfQeGNmOmGeCtW-MbEUVJth-ePDTz9T4jjzxUK8UlxGB6QGzEE5IWb9IgQXpRq9B4uKvCsxXySMo/s1600/Russian+Oil+Production.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjooy_x5_sQosSf9pDz2SAzj0zas8UYgzgOsn3EtGVwEuMQQ8Qz3DkUaxywob2TXjUXfQeGNmOmGeCtW-MbEUVJth-ePDTz9T4jjzxUK8UlxGB6QGzEE5IWb9IgQXpRq9B4uKvCsxXySMo/s1600/Russian+Oil+Production.png" height="246" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 17.77777862548828px; line-height: 20.066667556762695px; text-align: left;">Russian Oil Production Chart By Plazak (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Further, Russia
produces approximately 73 barrels of oil per day per 1,000 inhabitants,
compared with approximately 37 barrels of oil per day produced in the US per
1,000 people.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Oh yes, and it has
been reported that the 2015-2017 budget forecast of the Russian Government </span></span></span><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/28/russia-oil-forecast-idUSL6N0TI1RK20141128"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">was
based on the assumption of oil being priced at $100</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> per barrel (they are now revising it to around $85, $20 some
dollars ago in the real world).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unlike
the most of us in the US, that is a revenue assumption for them.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Financial markets are
watching this and licking their chops, Russia is a short no matter how you
slice it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their oil industry and economy
live in a world that ceased to exist about the time the price of oil spiked and
drove the world's largest consumers, the US, to search for alternatives.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQMKTo_3GzluXgtyXV_crpNa-qsGr7wDmqZVtuHAHcY8pBK9kvsGERHXrtjCLsiknjIBWXp-ly5UvWx3AE_EPdxKgx1WE9hELL7hQ2ubhtp9YBoBJiOQ1tPMISwXdNkflGzfxgg8TQiAM/s1600/Bank+of+Russia.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQMKTo_3GzluXgtyXV_crpNa-qsGr7wDmqZVtuHAHcY8pBK9kvsGERHXrtjCLsiknjIBWXp-ly5UvWx3AE_EPdxKgx1WE9hELL7hQ2ubhtp9YBoBJiOQ1tPMISwXdNkflGzfxgg8TQiAM/s1600/Bank+of+Russia.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Bank of Russia: to the Rescue or Miscue?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Russian Central
Bank has spent at least </span></span></span><a href="http://www.cbr.ru/eng/hd_base/?PrtId=mrrf_m"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">$82 Billion in
its foreign exchange</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
reserves through October of 2014 in what has proven a feeble effort to prop up
the Ruble.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It spent </span></span></span><a href="http://www.themoscowtimes.com/article/512493.html"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">$700
million on Monday alone</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">,
and it is not working.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Were the heads of
the Russian Central Bank thinking a bit more clearly, they may have been wise
to carefully intervene in the oil markets before their currency got lashed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Alas, the Central Bankers of the World are
seldom blessed with the gift of clairvoyance.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But what about the
US?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the world's largest oil producer
at nearly 12 million barrels a day, won't the United States economy fall victim
to the latest drop in oil prices as well?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That is the premise of Michael Snyder, writing over at The Economic
Collapse blog:<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/guess-happened-last-time-price-oil-crashed-like"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Guess
What Happened The Last Time The Price of Oil Crashed Like This?...</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">While Snyder does make
some compelling points about the </span></span></span><a href="http://www.midwestenergynews.com/2013/01/10/u-s-chambers-fracking-job-boom-behind-the-numbers/"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1.7
million jobs that the fracking boom has produced,</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> the US is nowhere near Russia in terms of oil price dependency
for its economic health.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We have three concrete
reasons that we place forward for your inspection, fellow taxpayer, as to why
the impact on the US will be minimal or even positive:<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1) While the US produces
12 million barrels per day, it </span></span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_oil_consumption"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">consumes
18.8 million barrels</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As such, the higher price of oil still works
as a quasi tax on the US as opposed to a concrete revenue source.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">2) The US economy is
the most dynamic on the planet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As long
as credit is available, it will create jobs.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">3) The Fed is still in
a mode of underpinning the economy and has maintained its unconditional
guarantee of the post financial crisis stock and bond markets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They would quickly contain the oil based junk
bond issue that Snyder brings up.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The US economy is
eternally susceptible to one thing and one thing only, a sustained decrease in
consumer credit and government debt, neither of which is likely in the near
term.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While the Fed has hinted at
raising rates, the current crisis in Russia, if anything, gives them sway to
keep their various stimuli in place or on the ready as the crisis is feeding
dollar strength, so the Fed doesn't have to.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It will not always be
so, as the Fed itself will one day implode on its own merits (or lack
thereof).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the moment, it is the Bank
of Russia playing the jester in this play.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Stay tuned and </span></span></span><a href="http://www.ccci.org/how-to-know-god/would-you-like-to-know-god-personally/index.htm"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Trust Jesus</span></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Stay Fresh!<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">David Mint<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Key Indicators
for December 3, 2014</span></b></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.kitcometals.com/"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Copper Price per Lb: $2.92</span></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span><span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022http\:\/\/bloomberg\.com\/energy\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><u><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Oil Price per Barrel (WTI): $67.10</span></u></span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></u></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022http\:\/\/www\.farmfutures\.com\/ffQuotesDaily\.aspx\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><u><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Corn Price per Bushel: $3.68</span></u></span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <br />
</span><span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022http\:\/\/finance\.yahoo\.com\/q?s=%5ETNX\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><u><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">10 Yr US Treasury Bond: 2.29%</span></u></span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span></span></span><a href="http://bitcoincharts.com/"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Bitcoin price in
US:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>$377.28</span></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span><span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022https\:\/\/www\.federalreserve\.gov\/releases\/h15\/update\/\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><u><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">FED Target Rate: 0.13%</span></u></span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span></span></span><a href="http://www.kitco.com/charts/livegoldnewyork.html"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Gold Price Per Ounce: $1,205</span></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://davidmint.com/?page_id=557"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">MINT Perceived Target
Rate*: 0.25%</span></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span><span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022http\:\/\/www\.bls\.gov\/\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><u><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Unemployment Rate: 5.8%</span></u></span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span><span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022http\:\/\/www\.bls\.gov\/\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><u><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Inflation Rate (CPI): 0.0%</span></u></span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span></span></span><a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=%5EDJI"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Dow Jones Industrial Average: 17,880</span></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span></span></span><a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h6/current/default.htm"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">M1 Monetary Base: $2,765,000,000,000</span></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:DocumentProperties>
<o:Revision>0</o:Revision>
<o:TotalTime>0</o:TotalTime>
<o:Pages>1</o:Pages>
<o:Words>937</o:Words>
<o:Characters>5346</o:Characters>
<o:Company>WTC</o:Company>
<o:Lines>44</o:Lines>
<o:Paragraphs>12</o:Paragraphs>
<o:CharactersWithSpaces>6271</o:CharactersWithSpaces>
<o:Version>14.0</o:Version>
</o:DocumentProperties>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>JA</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="276">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Calibri;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<!--StartFragment-->
<!--EndFragment--><br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h6/current/default.htm"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">M2 Monetary Base: $11,607,000,000,000</span></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></u></span></span></div>
</div>
David Minthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02946351281477626233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2521462496538240136.post-4360209438255522252014-11-26T07:07:00.000-08:002014-11-26T07:07:00.085-08:00On Obama's Immigration Gambit<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; line-height: 26.666667938232422px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
For those who missed it this past Thursday, the American President, Barack Obama, announced that he was taking action via an Executive order to fix the US Immigration system. Depending upon one's feelings on the subject, Obama either an extremely bold step to do what the US Congress should have done years ago, or He made one of the most shameless power grabs by the Executive in recent history.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; line-height: 26.666667938232422px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Whatever one's feelings, it is reported that the action will allow some 5 million undocumented immigrants to now live and work legally in the United States.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; line-height: 26.666667938232422px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
In the following piece, Katie Couric frames up what has occurred:</div>
<iframe frameborder="0" height="351" scrolling="no" src="http://news.yahoo.com/video/now-three-sides-immigration-story-140638338.html?format=embed&player_autoplay=false" width="624"></iframe>
<br />
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; line-height: 26.666667938232422px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
For most thinking persons, the stated results should come as very good news, especially when one considers that it now gives the right for undocumented parents of children who do have legal status to stay with their family and to provide for them in a more dignified manner. However, the GOP appears to have taken to extreme rhetoric in opposition to the President's humanitarian actions.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; line-height: 26.666667938232422px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Even the writers at Saturday Night Live seemed inclined to highlight the power grab element of what presumably will be <a data-mce-href="https://www.federalregister.gov/executive-orders/barack-obama/2014" href="https://www.federalregister.gov/executive-orders/barack-obama/2014" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Executive Order 13683</a> once it is recorded.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; line-height: 26.666667938232422px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/JUDSeb2zHQ0?list=UUqFzWxSCi39LnW1JKFR3efg" width="560"></iframe></div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; line-height: 26.666667938232422px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
While the GOP position, that America should do more to protect its borders in conjunction with allowing those who are here without documents to receive amnesty, appears logical, it is completely devoid of morality and human decency.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; line-height: 26.666667938232422px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
We are all immigrants. And failure to recognize this basic fact is cause for seemingly endless strife in many places on God's green earth. The right to reside on a certain piece of geography via a piece of paper and a formal relationship with the tax farm is a construct of 20th Century Imperialism. The idea of carrying a passport for the common man or woman only came into being around the time of WWI.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; line-height: 26.666667938232422px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span class="mceItemHidden" data-mce-bogus="1">People Immigrate because they are looking for a better life. It should flatter the current inhabitants of the United States of America that they believe that they can build that life here, as the ancestors of the current inhabitants, the immigrants of generations past, have been able to do. To put unreasonable measures which rip families apart and deny those who are ambitious and courageous enough to leave everything behind to pursue the modern-day American Dream is not only wrong, it is self-defeating to any nation that desires to remain on the cutting edge of progress.</span></div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; line-height: 26.666667938232422px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<strong>Our Time as an Undocumented Immigrant</strong></div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; line-height: 26.666667938232422px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
It may come as a surprise to our readers that we have spent time as an "undocumented" immigrant in both Spain and Bolivia. We did not sneak across the border into these lands, as one might imagine. We arrived via normal channels through airports, as many undocumented immigrants in America have come.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; line-height: 26.666667938232422px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Our passport was stamped and away we went, in search of pursuing our dreams. There was one catch, the achievement of our dreams in these places was to take a good deal more than the 90 days supposedly allotted us on our visitor's visa. As such, we went to the immigration authorities of the respective countries and began the long and expensive road to legitimizing our status through a process that can only be described as a colossal waste of time and effort for all involved.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; line-height: 26.666667938232422px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
In Spain, we waited all morning in a cue only to arrive at the window 6 hours later to submit our application. When we arrived, we were told to wait some more. Amazingly, they did not even give us the dignity of a lavatory and, after the seven hour ordeal, our bladder was in rough shape.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; line-height: 26.666667938232422px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Once our school was done, w<span class="mceItemHidden" data-mce-bogus="1">e were fortunate enough to land a job with an American company, Sara Lee, and we thought our immigration troubles were over. However, after waiting in two similar cues over the course of seven months and still not being able to begin work as we waited on the Spanish bureaucracy to process our application, we'd <span class="hiddenGrammarError" data-mce-bogus="1" pre="we " style="border-bottom-color: green; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 2px; cursor: default;">had</span> enough. The process was ludicrous, and we parted for Bolivia with our bride to be.</span></div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; line-height: 26.666667938232422px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
In Bolivia, the process did not involve as many cues, but it did involve some nervous periods of time when our passport was sequestered for weeks on end to be "translated." </div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; line-height: 26.666667938232422px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span class="mceItemHidden" data-mce-bogus="1">Perhaps the most blatant example of the sham of Immigration processes was their requirement that we obtain an "International Criminal Record" from an organization next door called "Interpol." Once inside, the kind gentlemen at Interpol would give you two options. Option one, which carried a cost of 10 <span class="hiddenSpellError" data-mce-bogus="1" pre="10 " style="border-bottom-color: red; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 2px; cursor: default;">Bolivianos</span> (roughly $1.50) would render a "Criminal check" in about a week. However, there was another, slightly more expensive option, running around 100 <span class="hiddenSpellError" data-mce-bogus="1" pre="100 " style="border-bottom-color: red; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 2px; cursor: default;">Bolivianos</span>, which would render a "Criminal check" on the spot.</span></div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; line-height: 26.666667938232422px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span class="mceItemHidden" data-mce-bogus="1">Naturally, the more expensive and necessarily less thorough 100 <span class="hiddenSpellError" data-mce-bogus="1" pre="100 " style="border-bottom-color: red; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 2px; cursor: default;">Boliviano</span> International criminal check was the more popular choice.</span></div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; line-height: 26.666667938232422px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
The point of recounting our struggles with Immigration abroad is this: There are many people living within our borders who desperately want to do the right thing and legitimize their status. However, they do not have 5 to 10 years to put their life and ambitions on hold wait for their fate to be decided by some sort of visa lottery or bureaucratic process. All the while living peaceful, productive lives with the constant fear that it could all be taken away on a whim.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; line-height: 26.666667938232422px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
The Immigration system is not just, it is inhumane and a great impediment to the further progress of the United States of America or any Country that puts politics and nationalism ahead of people. If President Obama has taken steps to remedy this stain on America, then he has done a great service to 5 million human beings who can now live their lives without fear. If he had to sidestep a political process to do this, then the true problem lies in the political process, not in the actions of one who is acting with humane intent.</div>
David Minthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02946351281477626233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2521462496538240136.post-6117319166510491972014-11-25T22:18:00.000-08:002014-11-25T22:18:00.640-08:00Our Unwitting Journey Towards Lumbersexual Fashion<blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Though he works for a software company he looks like he just walked out of the forest: His beard is shaggy, (he wears) the boots and shirt of a lumberjack. The Lumbersexual man, with his savage style, is displacing the Metrosexual in the urban landscape."</blockquote>
</blockquote>
-Rough translation of the opening paragraph of following article from Cochabamba's "Los Tiempos":<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.lostiempos.com/diario/actualidad/tragaluz/20141121/adios-metrosexuales-el-lumbersexual-salio-del_281735_620359.html" target="_blank">Adiós metrosexuales, el "lumbersexual" salió del bosque</a><br />
<br />
The Spanish-speaking media recently picked up on the what has, at least from our perspective, become a slowly developing trend over the past few years: The rise of the Lumbersexual.<br />
<br />
If you need a primer on what exactly is a Lumbersexual, Tom Puzak, writing over at GearJunkie.com, who's work is referenced in the Los Tiempos article, sums it up well in the following article:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://gearjunkie.com/the-rise-of-the-lumbersexual" target="_blank">The Rise of the Lumbersexual</a><br />
<br />
Fashion is not our forté here at The Mint, but this trend is somewhat personal as we have unwittingly begun to embrace it.
The seeds for this fashion trend, at least in the Portland area, were planted by the publicity tactics of the Portland Timbers in 2011, who at the time began to drape billboards and painted buildings in the city with <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/14745319@N03/sets/72157625653726593/" target="_blank">images of men, women, and children wielding chainsaws and axes</a>. This continues to some extent today.<br />
<br />
With this subliminal messaging firmly embedded in our subconscious, we were thrust into the Lumbersexual style via our well publicized tree incident back in 2012, in which an unfortunate household accident caused us to get in touch with our inner lumberjack (<a href="http://davidmint.com/2012/08/15/the-ctp-and-the-black-locust-a-lesson-in-deferred-maintenance/" target="_blank">Scroll down to the "Black Locust" heading</a> on <a href="http://davidmint.com/2012/08/15/the-ctp-and-the-black-locust-a-lesson-in-deferred-maintenance/" target="_blank">this link</a>). While we had the larger tree felled by an arborist, we purchased the requisite chainsaw and the other tools of the lumberjack and went at the beast in our yard until we could no more. We left it for the winter.<br />
<br />
The following summer, our inner lumberjack was summoned once again when the HOA presented us with an ultimatum to "get the wood off of our lawn."<br />
<br />
While we had the tools (we have since moved up to an 8 pound axe and added a 9' pole saw to our arsenal), it was not until two years ago that we began to wear a beard. We simply felt it was time. The only time we had worn a beard before was for two unfortunate weeks in the mid '90s when we contracted the chicken pox at 19 years of age and we were unable to shave under the threat of permanent scarring. When we began to hear reports that men in Miami, who could not grow a beard, were paying up to $8,000 for facial implants, we knew we were squarely in the middle of a fashion trend, a rarity for The Mint.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSOLnXw51hPFvSTMkdgO-HwDagPCM4__AWiLzGXUgQz5P3pdhZ8dppSVIpqKD63cT9FRIlc8Qz_az7Ln-f4aWh3F6isPMlXUi62TgaMVWEQ7UP9yFuMx0oK_u5mCWsvlyQn-cnNQ57L6A/s1600/Davidwilcox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSOLnXw51hPFvSTMkdgO-HwDagPCM4__AWiLzGXUgQz5P3pdhZ8dppSVIpqKD63cT9FRIlc8Qz_az7Ln-f4aWh3F6isPMlXUi62TgaMVWEQ7UP9yFuMx0oK_u5mCWsvlyQn-cnNQ57L6A/s1600/Davidwilcox.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">The Lumbersexual Look circa 2013<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Where did it all start? While Lumberjacks have been admired, especially here in the Land of Giants, from time immemorial, we like to attribute the latest trend to comedic origins such as Monty Python:<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/mL7n5mEmXJo" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
And Red Green:<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/hIxVCqxE4wo" width="420"></iframe><br />
<br />
Whatever the origins, the Lumbersexual is now out of the Forest and into the Urban landscape. For the sake of the trees, it come as a relief that most of us wield iMacs instead of axes.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
David Minthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02946351281477626233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2521462496538240136.post-43484631621560214802014-11-24T16:51:00.000-08:002014-11-24T16:51:00.044-08:00A Conversation with Ben Bernanke<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="OLE_LINK2"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="OLE_LINK1"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">11/23/2014
Portland, Oregon</span></b></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> - Pop in your mints…<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">At the 2014
Association of Financial Professionals Annual Conference in Washington D.C.
there were a number of incredibly insightful sessions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps the most interesting, at least on the
playbill, was the opening general session, which featured Ben Bernanke, the
former chairman of the Federal Reserve.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6mPvwR4GATF8A5qOZVz2JdYWKJRuQls2vl2ty5i6Q79jjAjWBs8jMvxhgQdYoGeZfnw9Vn1vZLxzhfAGYNrqjw0pUh5uHLt40inkkvHbI72tg1xzkbClMpl4vcq7JyklG1ewiWm_zDVM/s1600/Ben+Bernanke+Tesimony-775805.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6mPvwR4GATF8A5qOZVz2JdYWKJRuQls2vl2ty5i6Q79jjAjWBs8jMvxhgQdYoGeZfnw9Vn1vZLxzhfAGYNrqjw0pUh5uHLt40inkkvHbI72tg1xzkbClMpl4vcq7JyklG1ewiWm_zDVM/s1600/Ben+Bernanke+Tesimony-775805.jpg" height="191" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Bernanke is on tour
selling his upcoming 2015 book, </span></span></span><a href="http://www.latimes.com/books/jacketcopy/la-et-jc-bernanke-geithner-books-20140507-story.html"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">a
memoir focused on his front row seat and actions during the Financial Crisis</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, for which he has received an advance of roughly $8 million.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">He took the
opportunity to speak to over 5,000 members of the AFP, ourselves included, on
November 2, 2014 in Hall E of the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in
Washington, DC.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Bernanke addressed the
audience for approximately 30 minutes in what, for the most part, appeared to
be an apologetic for the actions of the Federal Reserve and other major actors
who found themselves in the middle of the Financial Crisis.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The final 60 minutes
of the session were much more interesting as the presentation changed in format
to that of an interview conducted by Bernanke's friend and former Princeton and
Federal Reserve Colleague, </span></span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Blinder"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Alan S. Blinder</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We will have more
insights from Blinder later in this series of AFP sessions on The Mint.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<script charset="utf-8" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?rt=tf_cw&ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=US&ID=V20070822%2FUS%2Fthe0e30-20%2F8010%2F07297f0c-93c0-40fe-839e-61c88002ae9f&Operation=GetScriptTemplate" type="text/javascript"> </script> <noscript><a HREF="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?rt=tf_cw&ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=US&ID=V20070822%2FUS%2Fthe0e30-20%2F8010%2F07297f0c-93c0-40fe-839e-61c88002ae9f&Operation=NoScript">Amazon.com Widgets</A></noscript>
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">You can hear a large
portion of the conversation between Bernanke and Blinder by clicking on the
audio file at the link below:<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B13I-aZ7YoZwUV9ielJwZEk0Qnc/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">A Conversation with Ben Bernanke</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">On AIG:</span></u></b></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At minute 11:30 - Bernanke observes that the
only "True Bailout" performed by the government during the Financial
crisis was that of AIG.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He observed that
AIG was like an unregulated hedge fund.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They doubled down by taking the cash they received from insuring the CDO's
against the risk of default and purchasing those same CDOs, essentially leaving
them with double exposure to the CDO market.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There was a sense that they were either not doing proper risk management
or that their actions were cynical.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Bernanke was most irritated by the AIG bailout of all of the actions
that were taken to stave off the Financial Crisis.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">On His scariest moment during the crisis:</span></u></b></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Tuesday that they
went to Congress to propose TARP when some of the largest firms under pressure.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not unsurprisingly, Bernanke maintains
that TARP was good policy under the circumstances, and it gave the Fed the
legal authority to take many of the actions that, in Bernanke's opinion, staved
off the total collapse of the financial system.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">On Lehman Brothers:</span></u></b></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was no legal way
to save Lehman Brothers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At 7:00 he
addresses this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was not buyer for
Lehman Brothers, and at the time, everybody was pulling away from Lehman, and
the firm would have collapsed with a week anyway.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">On Quantitative Easing:</span></u></b></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At minute 16, Blinder
brings up the fact that Bernanke lobbied for a time for the series of programs
which were known as<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>"Quantitative
easing" to be called "Credit easing" in order to distinguish it
from the actions previously taken by the Bank of Japan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The key difference being that while the Bank of
Japan pumped funds directly into the banks as reserves, the Fed was creating
liquidity to the system as a direct actor in the credit markets.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><strong style="background-color: white; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; line-height: 26.666667938232422px;"><em>{<strong>Editor's Note:</strong> </em></strong><em style="background-color: white; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; line-height: 26.666667938232422px;">Those interested in satire can see our 2010 rendition of the Bare Naked Ladies hit If I had a Million Dollars as sung by Ben Bernanke, inspired by the </em><em style="background-color: white; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; line-height: 26.666667938232422px;"><a data-mce-href="http://davidminteconomics.blogspot.com/search?q=If+I+had+a+trillion+dollars" href="http://davidminteconomics.blogspot.com/search?q=If+I+had+a+trillion+dollars" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">early rounds of QE here</a>}</em></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">On the stock vs. flow theory:</span></u></b></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Around minute 21,
Blinder and Bernanke move into a conversation about the "stock"
versus the "flow" view of the Fed's balance sheet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The key difference being that those holding
the stock (meaning money stock) view look at the Fed's balance sheet as it
actually is to infer the effects that the Fed is having on monetary policy,
while those that hold to the "flow" view, namely almost everyone on
Wall Street, look at the Fed's buying and selling of assets to infer the
effects.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Bernanke is a strict
adherent to the stock view, and wonders what will happen if and when the Fed
looks to unwind its Balance sheet at a future date.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For those who followed
the Financial Crisis closely, Bernanke offers his own, less guarded take of the
events in the interview, which we assume will be a precursor for the contents
of his upcoming memoir.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">One of the stark
takeaways that we are compelled to pass on to our readers is the
following:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bernanke's assertions that
the Fed did not have the legal authority to save the financial system until
TARP was passed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>TARP was essentially
railroaded through Congress on the advice of then Treasury Secretary Henry
Paulson.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While it may have been the
expedient thing to do at the time, it is unclear whether it was a good idea to
give the Federal Reserve and the Treasury (for they work in tangent with one
another) the authority to backstop the financial system.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It is a question that
is still waiting to be answered today, on the eve of yet another great
inflation event.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Stay tuned and </span></span></span><a href="http://www.ccci.org/how-to-know-god/would-you-like-to-know-god-personally/index.htm"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Trust Jesus</span></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Stay Fresh!<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">David Mint<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Key Indicators
for November 23, 2014</span></b></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.kitcometals.com/"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Copper Price per Lb:
$3.07</span></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span><span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022http\:\/\/bloomberg\.com\/energy\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><u><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Oil Price per Barrel (WTI): $76.45</span></u></span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></u></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022http\:\/\/www\.farmfutures\.com\/ffQuotesDaily\.aspx\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><u><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Corn Price per Bushel: $3.72</span></u></span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <br />
</span><span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022http\:\/\/finance\.yahoo\.com\/q?s=%5ETNX\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><u><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">10 Yr US Treasury Bond: 2.32%</span></u></span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span></span></span><a href="http://bitcoincharts.com/"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Bitcoin price in
US:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>$367.00</span></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span><span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022https\:\/\/www\.federalreserve\.gov\/releases\/h15\/update\/\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><u><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">FED Target Rate: 0.10%</span></u></span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span></span></span><a href="http://www.kitco.com/charts/livegoldnewyork.html"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Gold Price Per Ounce: $1,282</span></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://davidmint.com/?page_id=557"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">MINT Perceived Target
Rate*: 0.25%</span></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span><span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022http\:\/\/www\.bls\.gov\/\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><u><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Unemployment Rate: 5.8%</span></u></span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span><span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022http\:\/\/www\.bls\.gov\/\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><u><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Inflation Rate (CPI): 0.0%</span></u></span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span></span></span><a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=%5EDJI"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Dow Jones Industrial Average: 17,810</span></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span></span></span><a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h6/current/default.htm"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">M1 Monetary Base: $2,758,900,000,000</span></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:DocumentProperties>
<o:Revision>0</o:Revision>
<o:TotalTime>0</o:TotalTime>
<o:Pages>1</o:Pages>
<o:Words>1019</o:Words>
<o:Characters>5811</o:Characters>
<o:Company>WTC</o:Company>
<o:Lines>48</o:Lines>
<o:Paragraphs>13</o:Paragraphs>
<o:CharactersWithSpaces>6817</o:CharactersWithSpaces>
<o:Version>14.0</o:Version>
</o:DocumentProperties>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>JA</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="276">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Calibri;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<!--StartFragment-->
<!--EndFragment--><br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h6/current/default.htm"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">M2 Monetary Base: $11,585,100,000,000</span></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></u></span></span></div>
David Minthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02946351281477626233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2521462496538240136.post-34509033225173644212014-11-10T07:00:00.000-08:002014-11-10T07:00:00.276-08:00Catalunya Employs Classic Democracy as Oregon Taxes Weed<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-520092929 1073786111 9 0 415 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Georgia;
panose-1:2 4 5 2 5 4 5 2 3 3;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
margin-top:0in;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:10.0pt;
margin-left:0in;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:Calibri;
mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;
text-underline:single;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
color:purple;
mso-themecolor:followedhyperlink;
text-decoration:underline;
text-underline:single;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
font-size:10.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;
mso-header-margin:.5in;
mso-footer-margin:.5in;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
-->
</style>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="OLE_LINK2"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="OLE_LINK1"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">11/9/2014
Portland, Oregon</span></b></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> - Pop in your mints…</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For those among our
readership who do not follow Spanish Politics, Catalunya, the region of Spain
most easily recognized by its leading city, Barcelona, held a vote on two
matters of the utmost importance to the Catalans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The questions were posed in the following
manner:</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1) Do you want
Catalunya to be a State?</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">2) Do you want that
State be Independent?</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The vote today in
Catalunya, of which 80.72% voted "yea" on both questions, was not
sanctioned or recognized by the Spanish government in Madrid, other than to say
it was nothing more than propaganda.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHR2gQElmsevGcRh3Z5YyO5Dxiwfa2RaRKXNaY6lGVcoUH1MVU00h5lotJIuRFPKcaZvWyQ91TuyfooLbPMZ-oLxponseyUBU_8DjmTE2d93Ct_bSfFaVj3aNNX8KFa5ozY2JEvBVTRWk/s1600/2000px-Estelada_blava.svg.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHR2gQElmsevGcRh3Z5YyO5Dxiwfa2RaRKXNaY6lGVcoUH1MVU00h5lotJIuRFPKcaZvWyQ91TuyfooLbPMZ-oLxponseyUBU_8DjmTE2d93Ct_bSfFaVj3aNNX8KFa5ozY2JEvBVTRWk/s1600/2000px-Estelada_blava.svg.png" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">According to </span></span></span><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/nov/10/catalans-vow-push-independence-80-favour-split"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
Guardian, roughly 2 million of the 5.4 million persons</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> who were eligible to vote cast a ballot today, a roughly 37%
turnout, which means that today, roughly 32.3% of those living in Catalunya
took the time to submit a symbolic ballot in favor of their Independence from
Spain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For a quick comparison of this
figure, 68.9% of eligible voters cast a ballot in Spain's last General Election
in November of 2011.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">While voter turnout
today in Catalunya may not seem impressive on the surface, it takes on more
meaning when one considers that, as it was unsanctioned by the Spanish
Government, over 40,000 volunteers took it upon themselves to receive and count
the ballots.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Catalans have
employed what we call Classic, or Grass-roots, Democracy in an effort to allow
their citizens to determine in a civilized manner the most basic of questions
with regards to self governance:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shall we,
as a region, be Independent?</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Admittedly, Catalunya
is in a unique position to do so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most
regions, for which Independence is more a romantic idea than a practical one
(the most recent example being </span></span></span><a href="http://davidmint.com/2014/09/19/the-new-labor-market-scotlands-lesson-to-labor/"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Scotland's
referendum to break ties with the UK</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">), have much to lose and little to gain by declaring
Independence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Catalunya, on the other
hand, is essentially self-sufficient and for them, remaining part of Spain has
little upside.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For a time, the
argument could be made that Spain provided Catalunya access to markets that it
otherwise could not have sold into.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Today, this is a non-issue, as the EU trade agreements would continue to
cover an Independent Catalan State.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Spanish Government
has a big problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While Spanish
officials are swiftly and publicly denouncing the Catalans for holding what, in
their mind, had already been declared an "illegal" vote, the Catalans
have cleverly and very publicly made a mockery of what passes today as
"Democracy" in the Sovereign States of the world who embrace this
model of governance.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For what is Democracy
if not the people's right to self determination? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet modern democracy for most boils down to
questions of which hand picked candidate will occupy an embedded power
structures, and whether or not to increase the existing tax and regulatory
burdens imposed by this power structure.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">With today's actions,
the Catalans struck at the heart of the existing system.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our guess is that one day, they and many
other regions in similar situations will enjoy sovereign status as peers to
their former oppressors in the EU.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Throwing off the EU's
chains, however, would be a matter settled by arms, as the French, American,
and every other successful revolution against the clutches of Empire have shown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is not the nature of Empire to negotiate
or put to vote matters of self-determination.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Oregon Taxes Weed</span></b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In our local
elections, our fellow Oregonians chose to decriminalize marijuana. Joining them
were the people of Washington, DC, making a total of four jurisdictions in the
US that have changed the innocuous plant from a huge drain on tax revenue to a
potential source of revenue with the stroke of a pen.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Weed:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It got your parents kicked out of school, now
it can pay for yours.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Which way did The Mint
vote on the issue?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We didn't.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can read our reasons for abstaining from
voting on State and Federal Matters in the links below:</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://davidmint.com/2012/11/09/ballot-burning-our-breaking-point-and-why-the-next-gold-rush-just-began/"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ballot Burning, Our Breaking Point, and Why the Next Gold
Rush Just Began</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> (notice the reference to Catalunya's Independence preparations)</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://davidmint.com/2012/10/18/three-reasons-why-weve-stopped-voting-the-trail-of-tears/"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Three Reasons Why We've Stopped Voting, The Trail of Tears</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://davidmint.com/2012/10/23/the-silent-majority-why-no-one-will-win-the-2012-presidential-election"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Silent Majority, Why No One Will Win the 2012 Presidential
Election</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As the Catalans have
seen in the case of the Spanish, government, once it exceeds a certain size,
ceases to serve the people who created it and becomes at best parasitic and at
worst, antagonistic and violent as it increasingly resorts to the use of force in
an effort to advance a failed system.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Can Catalunya
peacefully remove the yoke?</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Stay tuned and </span></span></span><a href="http://www.ccci.org/how-to-know-god/would-you-like-to-know-god-personally/index.htm"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Trust Jesus</span></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Stay Fresh!</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">David Mint</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Key Indicators
for November 9, 2014</span></b></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.kitcometals.com/"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Copper Price per Lb:
$3.07</span></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span><span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022http\:\/\/bloomberg\.com\/energy\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><u><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Oil Price per Barrel (WTI): $79.02</span></u></span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></u></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022http\:\/\/www\.farmfutures\.com\/ffQuotesDaily\.aspx\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><u><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Corn Price per Bushel: $3.67</span></u></span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <br />
</span><span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022http\:\/\/finance\.yahoo\.com\/q?s=%5ETNX\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><u><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">10 Yr US Treasury Bond: 2.31%</span></u></span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span></span></span><a href="http://bitcoincharts.com/"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Bitcoin price in
US:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>$361.80</span></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span><span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022https\:\/\/www\.federalreserve\.gov\/releases\/h15\/update\/\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><u><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">FED Target Rate: 0.09%</span></u></span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span></span></span><a href="http://www.kitco.com/charts/livegoldnewyork.html"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Gold Price Per Ounce: $1,179</span></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://davidmint.com/?page_id=557"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">MINT Perceived Target
Rate*: 0.25%</span></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span><span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022http\:\/\/www\.bls\.gov\/\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><u><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Unemployment Rate: 5.8%</span></u></span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span><span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022http\:\/\/www\.bls\.gov\/\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><u><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Inflation Rate (CPI): <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>0.1%</span></u></span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span></span></span><a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=%5EDJI"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Dow Jones Industrial Average: 17,574</span></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span></span></span><a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h6/current/default.htm"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">M1 Monetary Base: $2,939,700,000,000</span></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h6/current/default.htm"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">M2 Monetary Base: $11,485,000,000,000</span></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></u></span></span></div>
</div>
David Minthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02946351281477626233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2521462496538240136.post-83311264193863507512014-10-31T14:07:00.000-07:002014-10-31T14:07:00.028-07:00Happy Halloween from The Mint!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
As all hallows eve approaches, we are glad to inform you that we will be in attendance at the <a data-mce-href="http://an14.afponline.org/" href="http://an14.afponline.org/" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">AFP annual conference in Washington, DC</a> along with Dr. Ben Bernanke, Thomas Friedman, and 6,500 other Financial ghouls and goblins over the early part of next week. If any of our readers will be there, feel free to drop us a line, we would love to connect with you, it will be a welcome respite from the deluge of mainstream economic/finance/banking information that has already started to bombard us in the mail!</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
We leave you today with what may just be the world's first "Bit o Latern": </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwfQYobtcRzidhKTBvU4CDTREKkMJBg7u18R9qevLNXKIskWKAVuMwpMmoh9Y_7psGL5c5QwqE8B2z8HoEdHK_D-5pwSNpD_CKAcGgcKcxZJ69vo4PbM4CQueNNOgRdqtABWeq9tQVJOI/s1600/20141031_002849.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwfQYobtcRzidhKTBvU4CDTREKkMJBg7u18R9qevLNXKIskWKAVuMwpMmoh9Y_7psGL5c5QwqE8B2z8HoEdHK_D-5pwSNpD_CKAcGgcKcxZJ69vo4PbM4CQueNNOgRdqtABWeq9tQVJOI/s1600/20141031_002849.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKEoRdlqHvvWwLLSrCMEX0xIfYRfrWpKHLA1Z7dDv_-2cI_E3g6-E3KFwsJBj-bMZUzqHBIkezn0mkZSdmbt-c30FfAorb72cvObM2VjDMrzdGicN85mH3b3fBvqIJfSeDZZ-Q7Y27w5k/s1600/20141031_002858.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKEoRdlqHvvWwLLSrCMEX0xIfYRfrWpKHLA1Z7dDv_-2cI_E3g6-E3KFwsJBj-bMZUzqHBIkezn0mkZSdmbt-c30FfAorb72cvObM2VjDMrzdGicN85mH3b3fBvqIJfSeDZZ-Q7Y27w5k/s1600/20141031_002858.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The World's First ever Bit o Lantern?<br /><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="background-color: white;">W</span><span style="background-color: white;">e wish you all a safe and fun Halloween here at The Mint</span><span style="background-color: white;">!</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span></div>
</div>
David Minthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02946351281477626233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2521462496538240136.post-85461296232178498392014-10-27T22:07:00.000-07:002014-10-27T22:07:00.154-07:00What created the Bolivian Economic Miracle?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">10/27/2014 Portland,
Oregon</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> - Pop in your mints…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For those who do not follow
Bolivian Politics, Evo Morales has one a third term as President of the South
American nation we are happy to call our second home.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As Morales is seen as
a Socialist hero, his reelection coincided with a deluge of praise for his hand
in the Bolivian Economic miracle that has unfolded over the past 10 years from
the left. It seemed to start with an
article from the New York Times back in February, which highlights Morales’
success and the paradox that it presents.
On one hand, he is a, well, a proclaimed Socialist. On the other, he runs a balanced budget and
has largely rejected the advice of the IMF and other financial overlords of the
world:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/17/world/americas/turnabout-in-bolivia-as-economy-rises-from-instability.html?_r=0"><i>Turnabout
in Bolivia as Economy Rises from Instability</i></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 20.1pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 15.05pt;">Then, a widely read
article in the Guardian, where the author makes the bold claim that <i>“socialism </i></span><span style="line-height: 20.0666675567627px;"><i>doesn't</i></span><span style="line-height: 15.05pt;"><i> damage economies,”</i> which sparked a swift reaction from the neo-con/neo-lib
right.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://yardiasptx11.com/60022PCRI/pages/menu.aspxhttp:/www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/oct/14/evo-morales-reelected-socialism-doesnt-damage-economies-bolivia"><i>Evo
Morales has proved (sic) that socialism doesn’t damage economies</i></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy-dEp3l11e-D3O-uOj_PrhIVFzz6TtVli0968A2ZFxDlITAgvMiduIl_TNAUUc8CBSWnzeh6_SLGcXjbCdkp6CwaovLQveCe715623b7phg6mBuNbKLdqyA4FItReMOcqsUtu4u0WrC8/s1600/Evo_Morales.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy-dEp3l11e-D3O-uOj_PrhIVFzz6TtVli0968A2ZFxDlITAgvMiduIl_TNAUUc8CBSWnzeh6_SLGcXjbCdkp6CwaovLQveCe715623b7phg6mBuNbKLdqyA4FItReMOcqsUtu4u0WrC8/s1600/Evo_Morales.jpg" height="400" width="293" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It is true that the
Bolivian economy has grown at a mighty pace over the past 10 years, however, to
simplify this miracle to solitary policy changes such as the legalization of
coca farming, a deeply personal matter for Morales, or other various social
policies noted by the authors is to miss the point completely.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As a public service,
we present to you today the short list of reasons why Bolivia is experiencing
an economic miracle in the eyes of many Westerners:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;">1)<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://davidmint.com/economics-2/benfords-law/">Benford’s Law</a>, which
would account for Bolivia’s rapid relative growth. As a country, it was near the bottom of many world
measures in terms of economic statistics.
As such, things tend to go up from a low level quickly on a relative
basis.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;">2)<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Currency policy: The Boliviano trades tightly with the USD
similar to the Yuan. This is due to the
fact that much of the country’s savings are held in dollars. Currency stability = real growth<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;">3)<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Legalize it:
While the legalization of coca is controversial, the removal of
regulations has opened up a wild west of trade and attendant economic activity.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;">4)<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Anarchy reigns: Ever since Simon Bolivar freed it from
Spanish rule in 1825, Bolivia has had <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_Bolivia">81 Presidents</a> and
been ruled by various “Juntas” or forms of military rule 9 times. By contrast, the US has been around for 50
years longer and had just 44 Presidents.
If our theory that <a href="http://davidmint.com/2013/06/29/the-primary-reason-for-the-superiority-of-anarchy-as-a-system/">Anarchy
produces stability</a> holds, it would follow that the Bolivian economy is one
of the most resilient on the planet, one that cannot help but grow from a solid
base.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;">5)<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Evo’s Charisma: While Evo Morales is often chided, he is simple
and lovable at heart, an anomaly in the cesspool of modern politics. He has drawn a great deal of positive
attention to Bolivia as the first indigenous President in the nation’s
history. This has given Bolivia international
exposure not before seen.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;">6)<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Open Letter: While it is a longshot, perhaps Evo has read <a href="http://davidmint.com/letters-to-world-leaders/open-letter-to-evo-morales-president-of-of-bolivia/">our
open letter to him</a> and is secretly implementing our policy proposals.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;">7)<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">While Bolivia was extremely poor in the eyes
of the world, yet rich in so many ways.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We love Bolivia, it is
one of the most precious, pristine, and complicated places on the planet and we
are honored to call it our second home. While
speculation as to what has caused the current economic miracle there will
continue, we know one thing to be true:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It is Bolivia’s time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Stay tuned and </span><a href="http://www.ccci.org/how-to-know-god/would-you-like-to-know-god-personally/index.htm"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Trust Jesus</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Stay Fresh!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">David Mint<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Key Indicators for October
27, 2014</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<a href="http://www.kitcometals.com/"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Copper Price per Lb: $3.08</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span><a href="http://bloomberg.com/energy" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Oil Price per Barrel (WTI): $80.66</span></a><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<a href="http://www.farmfutures.com/ffQuotesDaily.aspx" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Corn Price per Bushel: $3.63</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <br />
</span><a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=%5ETNX" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">10 Yr US Treasury Bond: 2.26%</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span><a href="http://bitcoincharts.com/"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Bitcoin
price in US: $350.95</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span><a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h15/update/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">FED Target Rate:
0.09%</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span><a href="http://www.kitco.com/charts/livegoldnewyork.html"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Gold Price Per Ounce: $1,225</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<a href="http://davidmint.com/?page_id=557"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">MINT Perceived Target Rate*: 0.25%</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span><a href="http://www.bls.gov/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Unemployment Rate: 5.9%</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span><a href="http://www.bls.gov/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Inflation Rate (CPI):
0.1%</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span><a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=%5EDJI"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Dow Jones Industrial Average: 16,818</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span><a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h6/current/default.htm"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">M1 Monetary Base: $2,747,700,000,000</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h6/current/default.htm"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">M2 Monetary Base: $11,514,900,000,000</span></a><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
</div>
David Minthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02946351281477626233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2521462496538240136.post-7313412903684350532014-10-25T16:47:00.000-07:002014-10-25T16:47:00.604-07:00Are you Street Smart? Our 15 day challenge with Business Street Smarts<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="OLE_LINK2"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="OLE_LINK1"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">10/24/2014
Portland, Oregon</span></b></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> - Pop in your mints…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Are you teachable and
willing to learn new things? Are you
interested in making better financial decisions? Are you interested in making
more money? Then you may just be ready for Business Street Smarts. What is Business Street Smarts? According to the marketing copy, it is a
program which will allow us to 1) Know our Finances, 2) be Efficient, 3)
Control our taxes, and 4) Prevent Fraud.
What business owner wouldn’t be interested in these skills?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Best of all, it is a
fireside chat with a former colleague or ours, none other than Mike Field, CPA,
JD. For those who don’t do acronyms, he
is an accountant and a lawyer. Despite
these handicaps, Mike is a fun guy, and rivals Tom Cruise in the category of
person producing the most dental glare when they smile. Here he is pitching Business Street Smarts on
a segment of Colorado’s Best:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<br /></div>
<script height="365px" src="http://player.ooyala.com/iframe.js#pbid=47658b6fe4a043a48f5296392ce1db7f&ec=15ZjRvcDqfCm24eAlxH4cyeQmulqywdD" width="650px"></script>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We have just completed
the first audio portion of the downloadable MP3 series, which is a lesson in establishing
“hooks” for memory retrieval. In this
section, Field shows you how to organize Information in your mind so that you
can instantly retrieve it. He employs a
unique teaching technique to achieve this goal.
The technique seems basic, and it is.
The jest of it is to use the familiar and join it, mentally, with the
unfamiliar.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">At the end of the
first day, we are aware that we will do the following over the course of the
next 15 days in terms of sections:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="line-height: normal;">1) Build a Foundation of Primary Financial Statements, Balance Sheets, Income Statements</span><br style="line-height: normal;" /><span style="line-height: normal;">2) Learn how to analyze these statements</span><br style="line-height: normal;" /><span style="line-height: normal;">3) Understand Business Taxes and the interplay with one’s personal taxes</span><br style="line-height: normal;" /><span style="line-height: normal;">4) Learn how to detect and prevent Fraud, as well as some basics in bookkeeping</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">However, all we know
at this point is our way around an unfamiliar house with some incredibly
strange things involving Olympic gymnasts, Count Dracula, and a cat happening
in the front yard, on the porch, and in the living room. Yet somehow, it all makes sense. Will it translate into better financial and
business decisions for The Mint? Stay
tuned.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If you are as intrigued
as we are and want to learn more, visit: </span><a href="http://www.businessstreetsmarts.com/"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">http://www.businessstreetsmarts.com/</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> for more information on this unique and
entertaining program.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And by the way, don’t
believe the </span><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/markets-chart-of-the-day-october-24-2014-10"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">hype on deflation</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, for the debt based monetary system cannot
tolerate it. The economy is going
gangbusters, and will continue to until further notice.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Stay tuned and </span><a href="http://www.ccci.org/how-to-know-god/would-you-like-to-know-god-personally/index.htm"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Trust Jesus</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Stay Fresh!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">David Mint<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Key
Indicators for October 24, 2014</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<a href="http://www.kitcometals.com/"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Copper Price per Lb: $3.06</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span><a href="http://bloomberg.com/energy" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Oil Price per Barrel (WTI): $81.01</span></a><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<a href="http://www.farmfutures.com/ffQuotesDaily.aspx" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Corn Price per Bushel: $3.53</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <br />
</span><a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=%5ETNX" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">10 Yr US Treasury
Bond: 2.27%</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span><a href="http://bitcoincharts.com/"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Bitcoin
price in US: $358.50</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span><a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h15/update/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">FED Target Rate: 0.09%</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span><a href="http://www.kitco.com/charts/livegoldnewyork.html"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Gold Price Per Ounce: $1,231</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<a href="http://davidmint.com/?page_id=557"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">MINT Perceived Target
Rate*: 0.25%</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span><a href="http://www.bls.gov/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Unemployment Rate: 5.9%</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span><a href="http://www.bls.gov/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Inflation Rate (CPI): 0.1%</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span><a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=%5EDJI"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Dow Jones Industrial Average: 16,805</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span><a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h6/current/default.htm"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">M1 Monetary Base: $2,747,700,000,000</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h6/current/default.htm"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">M2 Monetary Base: $11,514,900,000,000</span></a><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
</div>
</div>
David Minthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02946351281477626233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2521462496538240136.post-67810876559754110492014-10-22T22:22:00.000-07:002014-10-22T22:22:00.353-07:00What to do if you are Laid Off in Portland, Oregon circa 2014 <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="OLE_LINK2"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="OLE_LINK1"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">10/22/2014
Portland, Oregon</span></b></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> - Pop in your mints…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Approximately one
year ago, we had the good fortune of being laid off from our most recent employer
of seven years. We say good fortune as
the first time this happened to us, after seven years at our first employer (on
September 10, 2001, which is a story for another day) it marked the beginning
of what continues to be the greatest adventure of our lives.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji0EuP7YIbSN6Z9bLNEmXaLBQ16lrA3MWAMjOiNUhOkDIeODqBoW62oJQ6rbL2K-B8IKtt4h485GJjCzH2JG6z-guSrkRKkEZqqPohHVrdHLDj-aNw2c1EulnJz3LWd2yW1huZeGOB2aM/s1600/Flag_of_Portland_Oregon.svg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji0EuP7YIbSN6Z9bLNEmXaLBQ16lrA3MWAMjOiNUhOkDIeODqBoW62oJQ6rbL2K-B8IKtt4h485GJjCzH2JG6z-guSrkRKkEZqqPohHVrdHLDj-aNw2c1EulnJz3LWd2yW1huZeGOB2aM/s1600/Flag_of_Portland_Oregon.svg" height="226" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Laid off in Portlandia? Here's what to do!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Staying in one
place is comfortable, one knows what to expect, what to do, more or less what
the rules are. It is easy to see why
many people get a job and then go on autopilot for 30 years. However, staying in one place is also dangerous
in that one runs the risk of stagnating to the point that they unwittingly join
the ranks of the walking dead.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Humans desire to
be comfortable, but it is only to the extent that they are uncomfortable that
there is any hope for them. Margie
Warrell, writing at Forbes, sums up this sentiment well in her April 2013
article, </span><a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/margiewarrell/2013/04/22/is-comfort-holding-you-back/"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Why Getting Comfortable with Discomfort is Crucial
to Success</span></a><span style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">If you have just
been laid off, you are likely uncomfortable, which is good, because there is
hope for you. There will be time for
that hope to blossom and trust us, it will.
However, if you have just been laid off from a long time employer,
chances are that what you feel at the moment is intense discomfort laced with
panic. This is normal, and should drive
you to take decisive action.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">What should that
action be? As a public service here at
The Mint, we are offering a series of steps that were applicable to our
situation in Portland, Oregon, circa 2014.
They may or may not be useful and/or accessible to you depending upon
your situation, and are not to be taken as any manner of legal/financial/tax or
any other sort of advice.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">With that
disclaimer out of the way, we hope to guide others and save them some time and confusion
in navigating the system of public support available in the Willamette Valley.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">One last caveat,
the following list is comprised primarily of public resources. At this moment in time, faced with losing a
primary source of income, it is unlikely that one’s political ideology will stand
in the way of taking advantage of the resources available to them. If you find yourself struggling at all with
this, be reminded that these public resources are absolutely necessary given
the broken monetary system that we live in.
Indeed, the use of debt as money and the economic distortions it causes
every day is likely the indirect cause of your present circumstance. Acknowledging this fact should put to rest
any hesitations about whether or not to apply for public assistance, not matter
what your present circumstance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: 0in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">1.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b><u><span style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Unemployment Insurance:</span></u></b><span style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> The first thing we recommend,
unless you have a job that you will start within the next 5 days, is to file an
unemployment claim against Oregon here: </span><a href="https://ssl8.emp.state.or.us/ocs4/index.cfm?u=F20141022A163756B40164586.0519&lang=E%C2%A0"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">https://ssl8.emp.state.or.us/ocs4/index.cfm?u=F20141022A163756B40164586.0519&lang=E </span></a><span style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">if you were working in Oregon and laid
off (not fired with cause), you should have no problem qualifying. The
reason not to delay this step is that you have the right to claim the first day
you are out of work and have to wait a week before you can claim a week of
benefits. They last for six months and are usually ~$500 per week on the high
end as of this writing.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> Even if you were fired for cause,
you may still qualify for unemployment insurance. Oregon is generous in this sense and many <span style="background: white;">employers are paying for it in the form of an
employment tax anyway and will encourage you to take it. Do not delay on this step! Call the same day you are dismissed,
otherwise you are literally leaving money on the table.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br />
The next two steps may or may not apply to one’s
specific circumstance as they are income qualified programs which take into
consideration other income sources that a household may have. If you and your household have no other
income source, bear in mind that you are below many of the income thresholds as
of the day you were laid off and are likely to qualify based on the current
circumstance. This is important, because
certain programs, such as SNAP, last for six months before you have to
recertify income. At that point, you
will be employed (we here at The Mint believe in you!), but in the meantime,
you get a six month stipend.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br />
<br />
<b><u><span style="background: white;">2. SNAP (Food Stamps):</span></u></b><span style="background: white;"> They usually will give these within a week as
they are considered essential. It is scaled on income and you qualify the
minute your income drops below a certain level based on the number of people in
your household. Below is the website to apply through if applicable: </span></span><a href="http://www.oregon.gov/dhs/assistance/pages/foodstamps/foodstamps.aspx" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1414014042702_19870" style="outline: none;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;">http://www.oregon.gov/dhs/assistance/pages/foodstamps/foodstamps.aspx</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br />
<br />
<b><u><span style="background: white;">3. OHP (Obamacare):</span></u></b><span style="background: white;"> If you qualify for SNAP, you are likely to qualify
for OHP, Oregon’s version of Medicaid, which is basically free health insurance
thanks to Obamacare. The website is here: </span></span><a href="http://www.oregon.gov/oha/healthplan/pages/apply.aspx"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">http://www.oregon.gov/oha/healthplan/pages/apply.aspx</span></a><span style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">In some cases, enrolling in SNAP will
automatically qualify you for coverage, which is nice, because by this time,
you may be getting sick of pulling together all of your personal data and
submitting it to a government agency that will no doubt be hacked. This step is important as, once qualified,
you will not have to pay COBRA or a private health insurance. The coverage may not be great, and, depending
upon how much you use your health insurance, it may be best to stick with the current
provider, but if all you need is peace of mind on this front, it will save a
chunk of change.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br />
<br />
<b><u><span style="background: white;">4. Housing Assistance:</span></u></b><span style="background: white;"> Depending upon
your housing situation, there may be rent or mortgage assistance which you now,
overnight, have become eligible for. They
can be a pain to apply and take a while to kick in (if they do at all), but may
be worth it if they do. Here is a list
of resources in Oregon: </span></span><a href="http://www.oregon.gov/dhs/assistance/Pages/housing.aspx"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">http://www.oregon.gov/dhs/assistance/Pages/housing.aspx</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; margin-left: -.25in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">The above four
steps are "defensive," now for the job search, or "offensive"
side, assuming you will be looking for a job, at least for the short term until
your next movie deal comes through:</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">2.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b><u><span style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> Networking</span></u></b><span style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">: There are a number of
networking opportunities that any job seeker or small business owner would be
wise to attend from time to time.
Attending these events will not only give you something to do other than
surf the internet for jobs, it will inevitably encourage you to see you are not
alone. You may even be inspired. One of the best in Portland is Portland
Connect, you can request an invite here: </span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/groups/Portland-Connect-36370/about"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">https://www.linkedin.com/groups/Portland-Connect-36370/about</span></a><span style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> They host a number of popular events and
is a nice and efficient way to get to know some people who are there to
mutually help each other.</span> The
group drives home an oddity that we have found to be true in Portland, that it
is a town where you must network face-to-face.
Portland Connect is a great place to do just that.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: -.25in;">
<b style="line-height: 15.05pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">3.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></b><b style="line-height: 15.05pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><u><span style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Recruiters:</span></u></b><span style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 15.05pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"> If your profession is in such
demand that it can support a recruiting industry, reach out to them, as they
are literally in the business of finding you a job. In Finance and Accounting, which happens to be
our industry, we recommend </span><a href="http://www.roberthalf.com/" style="line-height: 15.05pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Robert Half</span></a><span style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 15.05pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">.
There are many others as that are industry specific. Find them, call them, they will help.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">4.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b><u><span style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">As for internet job searching:</span></u></b><span style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> For the most part, applying online,
while giving a strange sense of accomplishment, is akin to sending a message in
a bottle. Chances are it will never get
read and, if it does, the chances of it reaching the intended recipient at the
right time may be slim. It is always
best to call someone at the company if possible to at least know you are not
sending an “SOS to the world.”
Nevertheless, there are some sites which tend to be more responsive than
others. We seemed to have the most luck
in terms of response from Craigslist posting, and Mac's List:</span> <a href="http://www.macslist.org/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #196ad4; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">http://www.macslist.org/</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></span><span style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">which is specifically targeted towards
non-profits, our present area of expertise. Idealist:<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><a href="http://www.idealist.org/" style="outline: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #196ad4; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">http://www.idealist.org/</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></span><span style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">also has good leads in terms of
non-profits. Generally speaking, we had little luck with large
companies and wasted a lot of time on their sites applying, though it can be
good practice.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">5.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b><u><span style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Friends and Family:</span></u></b><span style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">
Now is the time to reach out rather than retract. Theoretically, your friends and family are
another set of eyes and ears on the ground and generally be willing to assist
you in your plight if it is within their means.
Reach out to the great brother and sisterhood of mankind, for we were
made to help each other. Indeed,
disinterested service to others is the sure path to happiness. Just remember to lend a hand when you are on
the other side as well!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">There are
innumerable resources out there which may or may not apply to your
situation. We provide those listed above
as a public service, for they were pearls of wisdom that we had to grasp for
mostly in the dark, if it sheds the light on someone else’s way as they walk
the path of unemployment, the time spent compiling it has been well worth it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Above all, stay
encouraged! The US economy is going
gangbusters and you have a place in it, it may require relocating, training,
and generally becoming uncomfortable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Get used to it,
for you are now being asked to play a larger part of the long story of human progress.
Embrace it.</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Stay tuned and </span><a href="http://www.ccci.org/how-to-know-god/would-you-like-to-know-god-personally/index.htm"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Trust Jesus</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Stay Fresh!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">David Mint<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Key
Indicators for October 22, 2014</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<a href="http://www.kitcometals.com/"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Copper Price per Lb: $3.02</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span><a href="http://bloomberg.com/energy" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Oil Price per Barrel (WTI): $80.42</span></a><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<a href="http://www.farmfutures.com/ffQuotesDaily.aspx" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Corn Price per Bushel: $3.53</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <br />
</span><a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=%5ETNX" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">10 Yr US Treasury Bond:
2.23%</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span><a href="http://bitcoincharts.com/"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Bitcoin
price in US: $383.00</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span><a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h15/update/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">FED Target Rate: 0.09%</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span><a href="http://www.kitco.com/charts/livegoldnewyork.html"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Gold Price Per Ounce: $1,241</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<a href="http://davidmint.com/?page_id=557"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">MINT Perceived Target
Rate*: 0.25%</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span><a href="http://www.bls.gov/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Unemployment Rate: 5.9%</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span><a href="http://www.bls.gov/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Inflation Rate (CPI): 0.1%</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span><a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=%5EDJI"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Dow Jones Industrial Average: 16,461</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span><a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h6/current/default.htm"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">M1 Monetary Base: $2,815,400,000,000</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h6/current/default.htm"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">M2 Monetary Base: $11,513,000,000,000</span></a><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
</div>
David Minthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02946351281477626233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2521462496538240136.post-61979776107467555972014-10-17T07:07:00.000-07:002014-10-17T07:07:00.168-07:00BofA FX Strategist breaks down the state of G10 Currencies<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="OLE_LINK2"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="OLE_LINK1"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">10/16/2014
Portland, Oregon</span></b></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> - Pop in your mints…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Yesterday we had the
pleasure of hearing a presentation by John Shin, the G10 FX Strategist at Bank
of America. Mr. Shin is highly
intelligent and a deft presenter, as one would expect from someone of his
caliber (Harvard PhD in Econ, etc.) He
also managed to make the material, essentially a rehash of Central Bank rate
policy over the past several years through today, somewhat entertaining and
relevant.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">One of the big
takeaways from the presentation was that the ECB has not been performing well
in its role when compared to the FED, Bank of England, and Bank of Japan, against
which it is often compared. Mr. Shin
acknowledged that in many cases their hands are tied as, while they have the
experience, they seem to struggle with their mandate, to maintain a stable
currency, as they are vilified in a world where other Central Banks have taken
stimulus to extremes once thought unimaginable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Euro is a very
important currency. The Euro and the ECB
as its managing institution are also very young relative to their
counterparts. Making their job even more
difficult is the fact that they are managing the currency for the Eurozone,
whose internal fiscal and market dynamics at time defy analysis if not logic. Here at The Mint, we recognize that the ECB
is simply making the best of what’s around as they constantly mend the currency
union that holds what is at times a tense economic union together.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Mr. Shin also spoke at
length about the Unemployment rate in the US and the associated workforce
participation rate (roughly 64%) which has rapidly declined due to, according
to Shin, a roughly 50/50 mix of demographic and economic factors. He also put the workforce participation rate
in perspective, as it is still above where it was in the 1960’s, roughly 59.5%.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Generally, he was
bullish on the US Economy and the US Dollar, and had pegged his expectations
for FED rate increases to mid-next year.
It will be interesting to see if his call plays out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">After the presentation
was finished, we asked him for a nugget of advice in terms of what his one Key
Indicator was to keep a pulse on economic activity. He said that, while they track many
indicators, as one would expect, there is none that speaks more to the
contemporaneous state of the US economy than the monthly jobs numbers. Concretely, when they top 200,000, the
economy is in good shape, anything below that is a bad thing in his view. He said no other data point correlates so
well with other economic growth indicators.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So there you have it,
the dollar will remain strong and as long as the economy adds 200,000 jobs or
more per month, all is well from the perspective of one of B of A’s best and
brightest.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Yjnmb6wCkEY22Udb6t_f2n-kxKH1ohH3mCn9kn2_QxzT_OcwmDMQZQV4wS0_A9bozB-65b9grdZZQ7sMPyQdETkPYkAYSOOmgh1O3UQq07QloVNWkju6FaL8oGkWQci1jz_PL2ADRXQ/s1600/Credit+Suisse+Fully+Priced+First+Hike+Date.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Yjnmb6wCkEY22Udb6t_f2n-kxKH1ohH3mCn9kn2_QxzT_OcwmDMQZQV4wS0_A9bozB-65b9grdZZQ7sMPyQdETkPYkAYSOOmgh1O3UQq07QloVNWkju6FaL8oGkWQci1jz_PL2ADRXQ/s1600/Credit+Suisse+Fully+Priced+First+Hike+Date.jpeg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 15.05pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 15.05pt;">Mr. Shin is in charge
of the “World at a Glance,” which is their flagship publication which
highlights the bank’s key forecasts in FX, rates, and commodities.</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 15.05pt;"> </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 15.05pt;">An extremely interesting read put together by
some of the best in the business.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Will his forecasts on
FED rate increases come to pass in mid-2015?
If today’s market action is any indication, low rates could be with us
for a long time to come.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Stay tuned and </span><a href="http://www.ccci.org/how-to-know-god/would-you-like-to-know-god-personally/index.htm"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Trust Jesus</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Stay Fresh!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">David Mint<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Key
Indicators for October 16, 2014</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<a href="http://www.kitcometals.com/"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Copper Price per Lb: $2.98</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span><a href="http://bloomberg.com/energy" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Oil Price per Barrel (WTI): $83.02</span></a><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<a href="http://www.farmfutures.com/ffQuotesDaily.aspx" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Corn Price per Bushel: $3.52</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <br />
</span><a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=%5ETNX" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">10 Yr US Treasury
Bond: 2.15%</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span><a href="http://bitcoincharts.com/"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Bitcoin
price in US: $391.63</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span><a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h15/update/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">FED Target Rate: 0.09%</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span><a href="http://www.kitco.com/charts/livegoldnewyork.html"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Gold Price Per Ounce: $1,239</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<a href="http://davidmint.com/?page_id=557"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">MINT Perceived Target
Rate*: 0.25%</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span><a href="http://www.bls.gov/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Unemployment Rate: 5.9%</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span><a href="http://www.bls.gov/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Inflation Rate (CPI): -0.2%</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span><a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=%5EDJI"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Dow Jones Industrial Average: 16,117</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span><a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h6/current/default.htm"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">M1 Monetary Base: $2,815,400,000,000</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h6/current/default.htm"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">M2 Monetary Base: $11,513,000,000,000</span></a><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
</div>
David Minthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02946351281477626233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2521462496538240136.post-82183478969892370862014-10-10T17:01:00.000-07:002014-10-10T17:01:29.789-07:00Positive Money UK is on the right track<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">10/10/2014 Portland,
Oregon</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> - Pop in your mints…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For some time we have
followed a group known as </span><a href="http://www.positivemoney.org/"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Positive Money UK</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> on Twitter. They seem to
be among the few people/groups that have a decent comprehension of the flaws in
what we call the insane debt based monetary system in which the inhabitants of
the earth are either coerced or compelled to live by. They describe themselves as “a movement to
democratise money and banking so it works for society and not against it.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We were reminded of
this by one of their tweets today: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjioc5YIarKLzwxYe1lsnnukUrtPWXZjrt4-ACoiMkEewCwa9BnjHflZu1EJWpR7tRxTCa8UKmzCJ8TBQx6pPAWcdSyJmQIK8oeOq7GkXRHqdmv74WTH5FHaNVpKal56yKSB3Q6CwqVmpo/s1600/Positive+Money+Tweet.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjioc5YIarKLzwxYe1lsnnukUrtPWXZjrt4-ACoiMkEewCwa9BnjHflZu1EJWpR7tRxTCa8UKmzCJ8TBQx6pPAWcdSyJmQIK8oeOq7GkXRHqdmv74WTH5FHaNVpKal56yKSB3Q6CwqVmpo/s1600/Positive+Money+Tweet.PNG" height="270" width="400" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The alien meme sums up
what we have been driving at for some time now here at The Mint. We tend to focus on the acceleration of the
damage that humankind causes to nature as the nasty side effect of using debt
as money, but it is well noted in other corners that indeed, many of the
distortions in relationships between persons and nations have the concept of
extinguishing debt as their root.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The video which is
linked to in the above Tweet from Positive Money UK is presented as a public
service below, it does a nice job of showing how the only way to create money
in our insane, debt based monetary system, is to go deeper into debt or have
someone else go into debt.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/lrQX4CF6Bxs" width="560"></iframe>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">While the video is
spot on in terms of money creation, they present only half of the solution
(which we find is common in many monetary reform circles, namely Bitcoin). The second half that is too often ignored is
that 1) money, as a concept, necessarily will take on many forms in the world
and 2) whatever is used as money by a majority will necessarily require an
associated debt market to successfully operate for any length of time (the lack
of a viable debt market is killing Bitcoin).
This is the great supposed advantage of using debt in the form of
Central Bank notes as money, infinite debt markets = infinite liquidity,
meaning there is always money available.
It is this advantage that any viable monetary reform must include, or
else it is doomed from the start.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">On their website,
Positive Money UK points out that “Only 1 in 10 MPs understand that 97% of
money is created by banks.” As the
English are generally cleverer than Americans, we would imagine the ratio in
the governing bodies on the US side of the pond to be even lower. If you need proof of this, just watch the
next </span><a href="http://www.banking.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Newsroom.Video"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Senate Banking Committee session on C-Span</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Nobody seems to get
that today, circa 2014, money and debt are the SAME THING. What passes as money today are nothing more
than liabilities of Central Banks. This
is a worldwide phenomenon, and the effects are profound.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Money is a concept
that attaches itself to certain real world things in various forms. Credit is another concept which attaches
itself to various agreements. They are
the antithesis of each other. Most
people generally understand this and spend a good deal of their time working or
causing others to work in order to attain a reasonable balance between the two
on their ledgers, regardless of the size.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">However, as the above
video partially illustrates, most people are wrong, the only way to “make
money” is to “make debt.” This is
causing SEVERE imbalances in the natural world as the activities of mankind
continue with an unconscious disregard for the effects of the real world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The effects on the
real world are this: There is an
inordinate amount of fallow land left unattended while an increasing share of
mankind passes time in urban settings, with their own productive capacity squarely
aligned, day in, day out, in conflict with the needs of the natural world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The irony is that many
have taken note of the dire state of affairs of nature (read Climate Change,
etc.) and then misdiagnose the cause.
They clamor for more “money” to solve problems that have come about as
an indirect result of the creation of more “money.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Humankind was never
meant to live under that shadow of such an overabundance of credit. The removal of limits on credit creation has
effectively removed the natural governor of the activities of man, the need to
create real, free market money, making certain that debts are settled in terms
of real goods which are demanded by a free market economy. The return to this natural governor on human
activity is indispensable if humankind is to even begin to address climate
change and world peace.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The return to this
natural governor will be painful, but it is inevitable, and the more one can
prepare now to operate in a world where money and credit operate in their
appropriate the capacities and take their appropriate places in a balanced
economy, the better.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The world is headed,
kicking and screaming, towards a forced monetary reset, and things will be much
different than they are now.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We applaud the efforts
of Positive Money UK, for they are on the right track. You too can follow them on Twitter or YouTube
and learn more about this fascinating and important subject that, by our own
reckoning, only one in a million comprehend.
Will that one be you?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Stay tuned and </span><a href="http://www.ccci.org/how-to-know-god/would-you-like-to-know-god-personally/index.htm"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Trust Jesus</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Stay Fresh!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">David Mint<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Key Indicators for October
10, 2014</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<a href="http://www.kitcometals.com/"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Copper Price per Lb: $3.04</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span><a href="http://bloomberg.com/energy" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Oil Price per Barrel (WTI): $85.82</span></a><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<a href="http://www.farmfutures.com/ffQuotesDaily.aspx" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Corn Price per Bushel: $3.34</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <br />
</span><a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=%5ETNX" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">10 Yr US Treasury Bond: 2.31%</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span><a href="http://bitcoincharts.com/"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Bitcoin
price in US: $360.13</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span><a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h15/update/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">FED Target Rate:
0.08%</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span><a href="http://www.kitco.com/charts/livegoldnewyork.html"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Gold Price Per Ounce: $1,223</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<a href="http://davidmint.com/?page_id=557"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">MINT Perceived Target Rate*: 0.25%</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span><a href="http://www.bls.gov/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Unemployment Rate: 5.9%</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span><a href="http://www.bls.gov/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Inflation Rate (CPI):
-0.2%</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span><a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=%5EDJI"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Dow Jones Industrial Average: 16,544</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span><a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h6/current/default.htm"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">M1 Monetary Base: $2,969,100,000,000</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h6/current/default.htm"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">M2 Monetary
Base: $11,407,100,000,000</span></a></span></div>
David Minthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02946351281477626233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2521462496538240136.post-2137849587042274502014-10-05T21:33:00.000-07:002014-10-05T21:33:16.334-07:005.9% and why it doesn't matter<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; line-height: 26.666667938232422px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">10/3/2014 Portland, Oregon</span> – Pop in your mints…</div>
<div style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; line-height: 26.666667938232422px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Today the BLS reported that payrolls grew in September and that the stated unemployment rate dropped to 5.9%. They also published the labor force participation at 62.7%. The handy chart below from the folks at<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/labor-force-participation-rate-september-2014-2014-10?nr_email_referer=1&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_term=Markets%20Chart%20Of%20The%20Day&utm_campaign=Post%20Blast%20%28moneygame%29%3A%20Labor%20Force%20Participation%20Falls%20To%20Its%20Lowest%20Rate%20Since%201978&utm_content=COTD" style="border: 0px; color: #24890d; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"> Business Insider</a> shows how steeply labor force participation has dropped over the past five years.</div>
<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_8082" style="color: #767676; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; line-height: 26.666667938232422px; margin: 7px auto; max-width: 100%; width: 474px;"><a href="http://i2.wp.com/davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/cotd-lfpr-1.jpg" style="border: 0px; color: #24890d; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="Labor Participation Courtesy of BI" class="size-large wp-image-8082" height="355" src="http://i2.wp.com/davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/cotd-lfpr-1.jpg?resize=474%2C355" style="border: 0px; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="474" /></a><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5; margin: 9px 0px;">Labor Participation Courtesy of BI</figcaption></figure><div style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; line-height: 26.666667938232422px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Labor Market Participation aside, the 5.9% unemployment is exciting for banks. On one hand, it can be seen as a sign that more people are working and theoretically becoming creditworthy. This is big because consumers with deposits are cherished in the Basel III framework that they are painfully working their investment ladders into.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; line-height: 26.666667938232422px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
On the other hand, it is seen as just high enough that the Federal Reserve will not raise short term interest rates for fear of “derailing the recovery” or whatever phrase Janet Yellen chooses to employ in her latest effort to mask the brutal fact that they are continuing to provide money free of charge to a painfully inept banking cartel.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; line-height: 26.666667938232422px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
While much will be written about today’s “Goldilocks” job report, it matters not in terms of Fed policy. The Fed will continue to offer money free to banks until they are certain that Basel policy reforms will not inadvertently cause (rather than prevent, as they are designed to do) the financial crisis. Meanwhile, in the real world, the cost of labor, meaning the cost of hiring someone who can actually perform a specific task, is about to skyrocket.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; line-height: 26.666667938232422px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
The reason for this is that there remain severe imbalances in the labor market caused by recent advances in technology, namely cloud based administrative services and logistics, which are now colliding with a relative decline in the recent productivity gain that said technology was providing. While large productivity gains having been the norm, there is soon to be a lack of persons who have the requisite skills to run such systems efficiently, which means that those productivity gains will at a minimum not continue and may even be lost.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; line-height: 26.666667938232422px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
There is also another labor undercurrent that the BLS data does not capture. This is the large scale disruption of entire industries that the cloud and logistics revolution is enabling.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; line-height: 26.666667938232422px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Indeed, there is much more to the labor market than a tidy percentage point can express, as nearly five years of ZIRP is pushing the division of labor to new extremes. Employers, Employees, and the BLS may soon become archaic terms, as American Society moves towards outsourcing on steroids.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; line-height: 26.666667938232422px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Today’s 5.9% is little more than bad information, unless of course, you are a banker, in which case it means that the Goldilocks days are here again, and the Fed’s subsidy, a license to strip mine the earth that is provided on the backs of its inhabitants and nature herself, will continue until further notice.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; line-height: 26.666667938232422px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Stay tuned and <a href="http://www.ccci.org/how-to-know-god/would-you-like-to-know-god-personally/index.htm" style="border: 0px; color: #24890d; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Trust Jesus</a>.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; line-height: 26.666667938232422px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Stay Fresh!</div>
<div style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; line-height: 26.666667938232422px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
David Mint</div>
<div style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; line-height: 26.666667938232422px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Key Indicators for October 3, 2014</span></div>
<div style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; line-height: 26.666667938232422px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<a href="http://www.kitcometals.com/" style="border: 0px; color: #24890d; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Copper Price per Lb: $3.04</a><br /><a href="http://bloomberg.com/energy" style="border: 0px; color: #24890d; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Oil Price per Barrel (WTI): $89.68</a></div>
<div style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; line-height: 26.666667938232422px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<a href="http://www.farmfutures.com/ffQuotesDaily.aspx" style="border: 0px; color: #24890d; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Corn Price per Bushel: $3.23</a><br /><a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=%5ETNX" style="border: 0px; color: #24890d; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">10 Yr US Treasury Bond: 2.45%</a><br /><a href="http://bitcoincharts.com/" style="border: 0px; color: #24890d; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Bitcoin price in US: $377.60</a><br /><a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h15/update/" style="border: 0px; color: #24890d; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">FED Target Rate: 0.09%</a><br /><a href="http://www.kitco.com/charts/livegoldnewyork.html" style="border: 0px; color: #24890d; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Gold Price Per Ounce: $1,192</a></div>
<div style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; line-height: 26.666667938232422px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<a href="http://davidmint.com/?page_id=557" style="border: 0px; color: #24890d; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">MINT Perceived Target Rate*: 0.25%</a><br /><a href="http://www.bls.gov/" style="border: 0px; color: #24890d; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Unemployment Rate: 5.9%</a><br /><a href="http://www.bls.gov/" style="border: 0px; color: #24890d; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Inflation Rate (CPI): -0.2%</a><br /><a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=%5EDJI" style="border: 0px; color: #24890d; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Dow Jones Industrial Average: 17,015</a><br /><a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h6/current/default.htm" style="border: 0px; color: #24890d; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">M1 Monetary Base: $2,833,300,000,000</a></div>
<br />
<div class="sharedaddy sd-sharing-enabled" style="border: 0px; clear: both; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; line-height: 26.666667938232422px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
</div>
<br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 26.666667938232422px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; orphans: auto; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
<a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h6/current/default.htm" style="border: 0px; color: #24890d; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">M2 Monetary Base: $11,418,000,000,000</a></div>
</div>
David Minthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02946351281477626233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2521462496538240136.post-86155260631741658332014-09-24T19:00:00.000-07:002014-09-24T19:00:00.830-07:00It’s Rosh Hashanah 5775, is your Lamp Lit?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<a data-mce-href="http://www.forvo.com/word/shana_tova/" href="http://www.forvo.com/word/shana_tova/" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Shana Tova</a>! Today marks the beginning of the Jewish high holiday <a data-mce-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosh_Hashanah" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosh_Hashanah" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">Rosh Hashanah</a>, a celebration of the new year, a celebration of the creation of the world. Once again, we pause and reflect on what has been, what is, and most importantly, what is to come.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
With each new year comes a deeper understanding of what is occurring in the world. This understanding is a gift from God, as we have all been given a unique dose of both wisdom and perspective. As Rosh Hashanah 5775 is upon us, God is calling each and every one of us to use the wisdom and perspective he has given us to carry on in <a data-mce-href="http://davidmint.com/ebooks-by-the-mint/why-what-we-use-as-money-matters/" href="http://davidmint.com/ebooks-by-the-mint/why-what-we-use-as-money-matters/" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">our unique calling</a>.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
This year it has been given to us to explore <a data-mce-href="http://physics.about.com/od/quantumphysics/p/quantumphysics.htm" href="http://physics.about.com/od/quantumphysics/p/quantumphysics.htm" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">quantam physics</a>, and its how it explains any number of phenomena, such as prayer and eternity, which are often dismissed by natural science. It is a call to believe and walk in faith and courage.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
It has also been given to us to present the healing miracles of Jesus presented in the Gospel of Luke, during the first ten weeks of 2015 on the Gregorian calendar.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
It is now time to remind ourselves why Rosh Hashanah is especially important for those of us who believe that Jesus of Nazareth is the promised Messiah.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<strong>The Feast of Trumpets and the Messiah's Return</strong></div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
We are convinced that the Messiah, Jesus, is returning. We are equally convinced that it has not been given to any man to know the exact time of his return.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
What we do know is that we will know the season of his return. The interpretations which we have heard of Jesus’s declaration recorded in <a data-mce-href="http://www.ebible.org/web/MAT24.htm#V0" href="http://www.ebible.org/web/MAT24.htm#V0" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" title="Matthew 24:36">Matthew 24:36</a> generally center around the premise that some sort of series of great catastrophes will be unfolding and a series of signs will be in some stage of fulfillment, implying that these things will mark the season of Jesus’s return.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Here at The Mint, we subscribe to a much simpler and more profound understanding of this scripture, drawn from an understanding of the <a data-mce-href="http://www.bibleprophesy.org/rapturewedding.htm" href="http://www.bibleprophesy.org/rapturewedding.htm" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" title="Jewish Wedding Ceremony">Jewish wedding ceremony</a>. Jesus will arrive during the fall season in the Northern Hemisphere.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
In fact, based on the timing of His death and resurrection, the Passover, we believe that His triumphant return will logically take place over Rosh Hashanah. The celebrated Feast of Trumpets.</div>
<div class="mceTemp" style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">
<dl class="wp-caption aligncenter" data-mce-style="width: 750px;" id="attachment_4733" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; clear: both; color: #767676; margin: 7px auto; max-width: 474px; padding: 0px; width: 750px;">
<dt class="wp-caption-dt" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px;"><a data-mce-href="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Rosh-Hashanah.jpg" href="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Rosh-Hashanah.jpg" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Feast of trumpets by Aleksander Gierymski (1850–1901): Painting of Hasidic Jews performing tashlikh (ritual washing away of sins) on Rosh Hashanah, placed on the banks of the Vistula River in Warsaw." class="size-full wp-image-4733" data-mce-src="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Rosh-Hashanah.jpg" height="556" src="http://davidmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Rosh-Hashanah.jpg" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px none; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 474px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle;" width="750" /></a></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5; margin: 9px 0px; padding: 0px 10px 0px 0px;">Feast of trumpets by Aleksander Gierymski (1850–1901): Painting of Hasidic Jews performing tashlikh (ritual washing away of sins) on Rosh Hashanah, placed on the banks of the Vistula River in Warsaw.</dd></dl>
</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Not necessarily this fall, mind you. For it is impossible to know for certain. If one were to attempt to pick a specific year, the logical choices would be one of the upcoming Jubilee years, 2018 (starting on Rosh Hashanah 2017 on the Gregorian calendar) or 2068, or the final year of the <a data-mce-href="http://goodnewspirit.com/hebrew_calendar.htm" href="http://goodnewspirit.com/hebrew_calendar.htm" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" title="Hebrew Calendar">6000 year Jewish Calendar</a>, 2240.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Yet it could be tomorrow, or the next day, as Rosh Hashanah has the element of uncertainty as to precisely when the new moon occurs. This detail fits nicely with Jesus’s declaration that we would not know the day or time.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
With all of the things that are happening in the world, many have begun to speculate that the end is nigh.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Clearly, the end is always nigh, and calamities such as the ones humanity is currently suffering have always taken place to some degree ever since mankind chose to disobey God and turn their back on their Creator.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Today, with billions of us on the planet, these calamities are multiplied to a staggering degree. The good news is that God’s grace and mercy are experienced in abundance as well, and this will overcome all suffering and calamity as He daily establishes His Kingdom within and amongst us.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Rosh Hashanah may be the most important and least observed/understood holiday for anyone who is not Jewish. However, what occurs over the next nine days will set the tone for the coming year. They occurrences are of such magnitude that the Jewish title, the “days of awe,” may be the only appropriate descriptor.</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
The following is an excerpt from our teaching last year on the <a data-mce-href="http://davidmint.com/2012/12/31/the-healing-of-the-man-blind-at-birth-during-the-festival-of-booths-the-sixth-sign/" href="http://davidmint.com/2012/12/31/the-healing-of-the-man-blind-at-birth-during-the-festival-of-booths-the-sixth-sign/" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">sixth sign performed by Jesus that is recorded in the Gospel of John</a>, which took place during this season some 2000 years ago.</div>
<blockquote style="color: #767676; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 19px; font-style: italic; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; quotes: none;">
<div style="margin-bottom: 24px;">
<b>Sukkot and the days of awe</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 24px;">
Under these circumstances, Jesus announced that He would not attend the upcoming <a data-mce-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feast_of_Tabernacles" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feast_of_Tabernacles" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">Feast of Booths (Tabernacles), or Sukkot</a>, the Jewish Festival which follows <a data-mce-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yom_Kippur" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yom_Kippur" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">Yom Kippur</a>, the day of atonement, which was the holiest day of the year. Jesus’ initial reluctance to attend the Feast, and ultimate decision to attend, has great significance, both for our understanding of the sixth sign and for Jesus’ future second coming.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 24px;">
As you may recall, <a data-mce-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosh_Hashanah" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosh_Hashanah" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">Rosh Hashanah</a>, the Jewish new year, marks a new beginning. The Jews believe that on this day the fate of each person for the upcoming year is written by YHWH in the<a data-mce-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Life" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Life" style="color: #24890d; text-decoration: none;">Book of Life</a>. The days (approximately 9) between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, known as the the days of awe, are spent in deep reflection, fasting, and prayer. It is a time of confession and repentance, it is a time of recognition that we are but dust, yet infinitely precious in YHWH’s sight.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 24px;">
The Jews believe that the fate which is written on Rosh Hashanah is then sealed by YHWH on Yom Kippur, at which point the Feast of Booths begins. It is our speculation that Jesus made the decision to ultimately attend the Feast of Booths to symbolically seal His fate. He would give His life for humanity on the upcoming Passover.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 24px;">
Yom Kippur is regarded as the Sabbath of Sabbaths, as such, it is only appropriate that the Jewish leaders who were looking for a reason to kill Him, would carefully observe Jesus in hopes of catching Him breaking their observance of the Sabbath.</div>
</blockquote>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
As Rosh Hashanah begins, we hold fast to our faith, cleanse our minds and spirits, and resolve to love and forgive as God has loved and forgiven us. May this year be filled with a generous portion of wisdom and perspective, and the faith and courage to use it to fulfill our calling. The Messiah is coming, the trumpet is about to sound!</div>
<div style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Is your lamp lit?</div>
</div>
David Minthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02946351281477626233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2521462496538240136.post-68112623452468775242014-09-21T10:30:00.000-07:002014-09-22T10:33:56.865-07:00The New Labor Market – Scotland’s Lesson to Labor<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">9/19/2014 Portland,
Oregon</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> - Pop in your mints…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The results of the
Scottish referendum on independence are in, and in the maneuvering leading up
to the vote as well as the results themselves, the Scottish question has
brought to light a new dynamic that many economists, including yours truly,
have been late to properly identify: The
astronomical rise in the cost of labor that is on the horizon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What do Scottish/English
politics and the labor market have in common?
Nothing, really, save the dynamic between an overlord (England/Employer)
and underling (Scotland/Employee), and the rapidly changing status quo.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">First, a brief overview of the Scottish
referendum from an economic standpoint. Astute readers will note that we have
an extremely basic understanding this.
That said, the little we do understand serves our metaphor. As such, we dare not risk deepening our understanding
at this point.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Our aforementioned understanding
is the following: As part of the United
Kingdom, Scotland enjoys a £32 Billion per year block grant, for which it cedes
approximately £7 Billion per year in North Sea oil tax revenues, and
approximately £16 Billion in other taxes rendered to England, bringing
England’s net subsidy to Scotland to roughly £9 Billion per year. You can read more about the economics of
Scottish Independence at the ever Clairvoyant Market Oracle.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<h1>
<a href="http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/Article47228.html">Scottish Independence YES Vote Panic</a></h1>
<h1>
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/FM1NJBfRDRY" width="500"></iframe></h1>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As you can see at the
end of the above video, the chances of Scotland actually voting “Yea” for the
referendum were extremely far-fetched and rightfully cause for panic. Furthermore, we observe that the reaction of
the English, predictably, was to cave to Scottish demands for autonomy and,
ultimately, an increase in the net subsidy in exchange for remaining part of
the UK.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As the Scottish
economy represents roughly £160 billion annually, it is clear that the £9
billion hit in terms of the subsidy loss would be devastating. Devastating as it may have been for the
Scottish people, the loss was at least calculable and to some extent
containable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">On the other hand,
while England appears to have forfeited a good deal of autonomy, not to mention
being out a net £9 billion on the Scottish subsidy, their zeal to keep Scotland
in the UK is explained by one simple fact:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Scotland is
irreplaceable, and for England to forfeit its allegiance now is not only to
turn its back on a union forged over the course of 300 years, it is to look
forward to a future of Balkanization and an incalculable demise in its political
and economic power as the sun finally sets on an Empire that at one time could rightfully
claim that the sun never set upon it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Do you now see how the
metaphor applies to the labor market fellow taxpayer? In simple terms, Employee (Scotland) threatens
to leave Employer. Employer reacts by
giving employee more autonomy and pay. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This scenario is
playing out across certain cross sections of the US Labor market and is about
to have a tremendously disruptive effect on what many have come to understand
to be the status quo in terms of Corporate employment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">While it may be true
that, unlike Scotland, most employees are replaceable, it is also true that
with each employee that walks out the door, an incalculable amount of synergies
and institutional knowledge leaves with them.
Couple this loss of intangibles with the fact that the employee that
will be hired to replace them is likely to be 1) More expensive, 2) Less
productive, and 3) Less loyal than the one that just walked out the door.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Like Scotland, many
employees are finding that, while they have something to lose by leaving their
employer, the loss is calculable and often more than compensated for by the
potential gains awaiting them as the current game of musical chairs disrupts
the low cost of labor, a hidden subsidy that many corporations have come to
rely on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">While it may appear
that employees, like Scotland, have much to lose and little to gain by
declaring their independence and seeking new alliances, in reality it is the
corporate status quo, such as England, that stand to lose the most in this
latest game of musical chairs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In the end, England
will pay dearly for maintaining its alliance with Scotland. Will your employer pay dearly for you? You may be surprised by the answer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Stay tuned and </span><a href="http://www.ccci.org/how-to-know-god/would-you-like-to-know-god-personally/index.htm"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Trust Jesus</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Stay Fresh!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">David Mint<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Key Indicators for September
19, 2014</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<a href="http://www.kitcometals.com/"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Copper Price per Lb: $3.13</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span><a href="http://bloomberg.com/energy" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Oil Price per Barrel (WTI): $92.41</span></a><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<a href="http://www.farmfutures.com/ffQuotesDaily.aspx" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Corn Price per Bushel: $3.31</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <br />
</span><a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=%5ETNX" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">10 Yr US Treasury Bond: 2.58%</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span><a href="http://bitcoincharts.com/"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Bitcoin
price in US: $396.09</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span><a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h15/update/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">FED Target Rate:
0.09%</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span><a href="http://www.kitco.com/charts/livegoldnewyork.html"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Gold Price Per Ounce: $1,216</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<a href="http://davidmint.com/?page_id=557"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">MINT Perceived Target Rate*: 0.25%</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span><a href="http://www.bls.gov/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Unemployment Rate: 6.2%</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span><a href="http://www.bls.gov/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Inflation Rate (CPI):
0.2%</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span><a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=%5EDJI"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Dow Jones Industrial Average: 17,279</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span><a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h6/current/default.htm"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">M1 Monetary Base: $2,747,800,000,000</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 15.05pt; margin-bottom: 20.1pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h6/current/default.htm">M2 Monetary Base: $11,479,800,000,000</a></span></div>
</div>
David Minthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02946351281477626233noreply@blogger.com0Scotland, UK56.490671199999987 -4.202645800000027547.764661199999985 -24.856942800000027 65.216681199999982 16.451651199999972