swissie

I coulden't disagree more. The current US administration is strictly following the textbooks of Hitler and especially that of Josef Goebbels when it comes to dismantle any democratic order in order to establish an autocratic regime. Step by step. It's like the current administration has decided that the pathway to "greatness" can be found in the actions/writings of Josef Goebbels. The similarities are absolutely mindboggeling.

To rearm Europe is high on the agenda. Unfortunately, even under the best of circumstance, this will take between 8 to 10 years. If Putin hungers for European soil, he is not going to wait that long. In the meantime, every European soldier knows that versus Russia they are "undermanned" and ""outgunned" for many years to come. These days (as opposed to soldiers before our time) they are well informed. Come war, will they head for the front to serve as cannon fodder or will they head for home? A grotesk scenario: Half of the soldiers heading for home, the remaining half being ordered to chase down "deserters", with nobody left at the front. Nothing surprises me anymore, considering the state of affairs in todays Europe. AND: Look at the youngsters. Spoiled by prosperity, cherishing their social media crap above any sort of "fatherland". Will they make for fearsome warriors, defending their soil and "western values"? I think not.

Definitely "dumb-luck". The God of coincidence is neutral. He just throws the dice.

Your picture shows "swiss" as a smelter. There is no such thing as "swiss" as a globally accepted smelter. You may want to verifiy your Gold purchases by buying a device that proves the Gold-Content, before you buy. Look here: www.gold-analytix.com The Bid/ Ask price quoted by you above is so narrow that nobody could make a long-term profit, especially as to "hedge" Gold for any downturns costs an average of 6% per year. What did your parents tell you before? "If it sounds to be too good, it probably is".

I myself give thanks to the most powerful God of all: COINCIDENCE.

There seems to be great confusion as to "when the boomer generation started". Here it is: The "boomer generation" started earlier in the US than in Europe. After the big war, the US as a country was not destroyed as opposed to Europe that lay in ashes at this time. In the US, in a very stable environment, the circumstances to "start a family" were favorable. As opposed to Europe, where people living in their devastated countries had other problems to worry about than "reproduction" and burden themselves with offspring. This is why the Baby Boom kicked in later in Europe than in the US.

Never mind when the "boomer generation" exactly started. We had 80 years of peace and a certain amount of prosperity for most. 80 years of this constellation is very rare in history. Since recorded European history, only in some 300 years Europe was totally free of any wars. Cumulatively. Historically, we have lived in a rare "peace bubble", combined with incresing prosperity for most. That is the essence of this thread. I personally am grateful that I was born at the right time at the right place.

Clearly, you are not a boomer. But, partially you are right. European Colonial Empires gave us the world on a silver platter. A good start. But everytime you activate your smart phone, you being engulfed in a functioning society etc etc etc. Who made all this possible for you? The boomers.

To me, true "boomers" were born between 1955 and 1970.

The "boomers" were too young for the Korean/Vietnamese war.

In order to compare spreads, one would have to compare spreads in "weight/purity". The standart measure is still 1 Oz in USD.The spreads can vary widely, depending on seller or even country. Hua Seng Heng sounds good to me so far. Question: Is "Hua Seng Heng" a public company (listed on a stock exchange) or is it a "Family-Business"? If listed on any stock exchange I would be interested, as I have some valuables to store. If not, I would prefer to stay away from any "Family-Business", especially in S/E Asia. As "Family-Businesses" and their assets in S/E Asia can "dissapear" overnight. Judicial/Police efforts to recover funds from dissapeared businesses are practically zero. Be careful!

So Hua Seng Heng stores it for free. Very nice. But there is no "free lunch" when it comes to store any valuables. What is the Bid/Ask spread of their Gold? Have you checked? There is a good chance that they finance their "free-storage" with a wide Bid/Ask spread. Again: Check it out!

I diden't know. I wake up once to go to the toilet. Conciously. PS: For the last 10 years, I have always gone to sleep with the radio on. Radio stays on all night. I choose boring "talk-radio-stations" at a very low volume. Any relevance?

Hello fellow "boomers". I think it's time for us to realise in what "golden age" most of us lived. An age where most "little people" were able to improve their financial standing. With the outlook of a financially secure old age. We diden't have to fight in any disastrous wars like generations before us had to. And we live longer than our grandparents. We should be thankful. The "new age" that is now dawning is more than worriesome. Generations can handle 1 or 2 major problems. But the multitude of problems at our doorstep will likely surpass the capability of humans to handle the multitude of major problems all at the same time. I myself find being an old man is not that great. But at least I have some sort of "solace". Hopefully, I will have passed the "pearly gates" before king Chaos will reighn the world once more. So, fellow boomers, thankfullness and gratefullness is in order. We were truly born into a historical "window of opportunity" that is rare in history.

I always thought that Sleep Apnea is when you stop breathing during sleep and wake up in horror. That would not be the case concerning me.

The OP has a great opportunity to find out if this love is real: Tell the lady that he is living on a very limited income. Depending on the reaction of the lady, he will know "what is what". No more guesswork needed.

I forgot to mention: Yes I am napping during the day. After eating something, I fall asleep, wether I want it or not.

a) For the last 5 to 6 years. b) Annual lung function test at the hospital, 2 weeks ago. Blood oxygen saturation a bit less than last year (no problem). c) I inhale 3 pumps of "Spiolto-Respimat" daily. I don't know if steroids are part of it. = Olodaterol/Tiotropium, manufactured by Boehringer/Ingelheim. The medics have no answer. But I am scheduled for a "Heart-Echokardiolagrophie" and a Thorax CT by the end of the month. Scrapping the bottom of the barrel, as the surface offers no clues.

A good nights sleep is a healer. Or not? Every morning I wake up with all kinds of aches and general "weakness". Every physical activity is strenuous during the day. I am just "weak", can't put it in any other way. Come evening, I am getting better. So I do "strenuous" household work between 9 PM and 11 PM. During this time, I am at my "physical-peak" of the day. (To activate my vacuum cleaner at 11 PM has not made me any friends in the house). I suffer from COPD. Could it be, that during sleep I don't absorb enough oxygen? Making my mornings/days miserable? What else? I know this is contradictory to "standart medicine", generally declaring sleep as a "healer". Unfortunately, for me sleep is something that messes up my day. No, "stop sleeping" is not the advice I am looking for.

Vladimir (the shepherd) wants to bring back the lost sheep. The lost sheep were the former soviet republics: -Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. Most of those sheep diden't really get lost, as they still obey the shepheard. Except for Estonia, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Ukraine. Those are the remining sheep that he must bring back home. Ukraine is happening, Georgia is next. Will the shepherd consider the former "Eastern-Block" countries as lost sheep? Yes, unless somebody will stop him. The shepheard is on a mission from God: He wants to make "Russia great again". Strange, isen't there an other guy that wants to make his country "great again"? Cant't think of the name and country right now. But surely, he also must be on a "mission from God". To make the rich richer and the poor poorer. But as long as it sails under a heavenly order, it must be OK.

Remarkably, an increasing number of voters favor "strong man" to take the future of their countries into their "strong hands". Especially in "Eastern Europe". No Mexican revolutionary pistoleros throwing over a gouvernment, no, they are voted into office !!! Maybe (on a global scale), the "Little people" of this world realise, that in spite of constant "economic-growth", very Little of this "growth" finds is's way into their pockets, while the rich are getting richer year after year. So, maybe the "little people" of this world have come to the conclusion that something must fundamentally change concerning the current "world-order", under the motto: "It cant't get any worse for us". Let's try something new, no matter what it is. A highly dangerous conclusion I find, if the electorate can't diffentiate between "Mexican Pistoleros" and well dressed "pied pipers", both persuing the same goals.

Great idea! Let all the "foreighn-money" be withdrawn from the US treasury to be raplaced by "American Investors". Incresing taxes by 20% for the working class to fill the gap. Brilliant idea, this is how to make "America Great Again".

A good part of this dept is financed by foreigh investors by buying US T-Bills and US T-Bonds.

The US has found a new enemy. The communists are gone, but now the US has basically declared economical war to the rest of the world. OR: Every country that sells more in the US than it buys from the US is considered a economical adversary. A trade deficit means nothing else that the products of a certain country can not compete in a globalised market. To compensate this by imposing protective tariffs is the last resort of any country to protect a domestic industry that can no more compete in a globalised market. (Outside of Silicon Valley nothing much has happened in the US in recent times). Note: The US was much in favor of "globalisation", starting with Ronald Reagan. Fast foreward to 2030: By then, the US will be confronted with some "Military Conflict" concerning Taiwan / South China Sea. Facing the new superpower alone. Sadly, as the US will have no friends left, especially if the US should pull out of NATO.

I am wondering what your "newssource" is. But I can help you out. Just look at who is making territorial gains. That's all you need to know to find out who is winning this war.