Get Money

[Borachio]

Money doesn't buy you happiness, but at least you can be miserable in comfort.

 

[Lohrenswald]

I don't care about money.

I care about food, clothing, shelter, transportation, some luxuries, various tools and so forth.
We have it set so that these things can be valued against money, and thus having money can give you these things, but all in all it's completely arbitrary and can be misused to exploit others.

That's my take on it.

The urban proletariat must sieze the means of production and so on

 

[Narz]

Money doesn't buy you happiness, but at least you can be miserable in comfort.

Yes, certainly its better to be miserable in a nice jacuzzi with an Asain woman rubbing your shoulders than shivering on the street.

 

[Kozmos]

Money is like VR for the real world.

 

[Perfection]

I don't care about money.

I care about food, clothing, shelter, transportation, some luxuries, various tools and so forth.
We have it set so that these things can be valued against money, and thus having money can give you these things, but all in all it's completely arbitrary and can be misused to exploit others.

That's my take on it.

The urban proletariat must sieze the means of production and so on

Seizing the means to production is pretty much what getting money is.

 

[warpus]

I know it's not easy (or possible) to predict currency exchange rates..

but..

This graph has swung in the right direction for me! We're almost back to "You can get the most Norwegian currency for your Canadian dollar than you could ever before" levels. Any idea what behind the scenes factors are driving this? Can we expect these trends to continue or is it pretty much impossible to predict what's going to happen?

 

[Borachio]

Dunno. Norway? Something to do with oil prices, then?

 

[Lohrenswald]

Yea oil prices have fallen and the crown has hit its lowest value in several years.

 

[Birdjaguar]

I know it's not easy (or possible) to predict currency exchange rates..

but..

This graph has swung in the right direction for me! We're almost back to "You can get the most Norwegian currency for your Canadian dollar than you could ever before" levels. Any idea what behind the scenes factors are driving this? Can we expect these trends to continue or is it pretty much impossible to predict what's going to happen?

Markets don't go up forever and the higher one goes, the greater the likelihood of it taking a downturn. Even in bull markets where the long term trend can be up for many years, there are always periods of correction. Currency markets are less free than stock markets because governments can intervene and try to drive exchange rates one way or the other. Currency markets are less likely than stock to have long long trends without government interventions. So if you plan on taking advantage of the current trend in C$ and Norway Ice crystals, I suggest that you "dollar cost average" your purchases. Estimate how many Ice crystals you are going to need and buy some % of that every week until you have the total you will need. If the exchange rate continues to climb, you will get better and better rates and if it turns, you will have already bought much of your needs at a higher rate. This way you get good if not the best rates and you don't have to try and guess the top. If the rate fluctuates up and down, you get a good average rate.

 

[Hygro]

IMHO, the bull market is the correction :bananananananana:

 

[Birdjaguar]

Yes, it does depend upon which side of the transaction you are on.

Markets don't go down up forever and the lower higher one goes, the greater the likelihood of it making an upturn downturn.

 

[warpus]

I never considered thinking about how "free" or not free a market is and what sort of an impact it can have on currency conversion trends. But that makes sense to me when you put it like that. (Well, after I thought through each sentence admittedly a bit slowly)

I'm going to see what the rate is tomorrow and then maybe head to the mall and take out a bunch of Norwegian ice crystals aka Norwegian spending money. I don't like carrying large amounts of cash, but in Norway that isn't going to make me anxious.. I don't think. Now that I think about it, it might.. in a hostel-like setting, with many other travellers around. .. I guess I've always wanted to carry a fake wallet around - might as well carry 2 wallets. And figure out some secret compartments! Yes.. this is starting to sound like fun. We'll see what happens tomorrow. Thanks for the help.

 

[Birdjaguar]

Good luck and two wallets is not a bad idea. The rich one could be on a strap around your neck or in your underwear.

 

[Narz]

IMHO, the bull market is the correction :bananananananana:

That's why humanity is screwed, IMO, we've gotten used to/addicted to the constant expansion upward growth to the point where we think exponential growth is 'normal' and contraction is necessarily temporary.

Somehow we understand that everything else in natural needs to be in balance but us humans are above the law.

 

[Hygro]

That's why humanity is screwed, IMO, we've gotten used to/addicted to the constant expansion upward growth to the point where we think exponential growth is 'normal' and contraction is necessarily temporary.

Somehow we understand that everything else in natural needs to be in balance but us humans are above the law.

You think humanity is screwed because I among virtually nobody you've ever heard thinks fuller employment, investment-is-balanced-to-savings economies are more "market correct" than economies and markets recessed due to made up financial shortages?

 

[Narz]

Mady up?

Not sure what you're saying here. Maybe I misunderstood your views.

I was talking more about celebration of bull-markets (seeing them as correct) and despair, immediate attempts to 'correct' bear-markets.

 

[warpus]

Can someone explain "bull market" ? Wikipedia doesn't really seem to do a good job of summarizing the phrase.

 

[Godwynn]

Can someone explain "bull market" ? Wikipedia doesn't really seem to do a good job of summarizing the phrase.

Generally increasing stock prices. E.g. the US equity markets since March 2009.

 

[Hygro]

Mady up?

Not sure what you're saying here. Maybe I misunderstood your views.

I was talking more about celebration of bull-markets (seeing them as correct) and despair, immediate attempts to 'correct' bear-markets.

While most like to use the term "correction" to mean a reduction in equity prices, implying they were mispriced too high, to reflect too strong an economy. I find this dubious, and regard anything short of high employment of existing resources (labour and capital) as a sign of misallocation. Ergo, the bull market reflects an economy better managed.

You can try to spin it into some narrative of overpopulation and exhausting resources if you like, but you'd be twisting the differentiation between bull and bear into something it isn't. Especially since it's when times are good we actually fund the technology we need to maintain high standards of living without pillaging the planet. Both bull and bear markets are within a system predicated on infinite exponential growth. That part doesn't change.

The only reason the economy's been poor has been financial. There were no real world constraints these past eight years holding us back.

Generally increasing stock prices. E.g. the US equity markets since March 2009.

And since at least the 80s the market strength nearly perfectly correlates to the economy's strength. I was surprised to discover this.

 

[Narz]

Ok. It's probably true that tough times may cause as many negative behaviors (hoarding, thinking short-term) than positive ones (using less fuel, reusing, etc.).

The only reason the economy's been poor has been financial. There were no real world constraints these past eight years holding us back.

Probably true, yeah.

My problem with economics is that its not a particularly fair game, those who least need to make the rules, make the rules. If it were board game no one would buy it because of the ridiculous unbalance.