where are the guys who were crowing about the dollar being down?

Hey, here is an idea: We could write a book, something like "The Ziegler-Nichols Method for Policymakers". The we could form the IPFMCE (International Panel of Financial Market Control Engineers), rent a ritzy castle in Switzerland with a moat around it, collect oodles of grant money, get some corporate Lamborghinis and live happily ever after ;-)

--
SCNR, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

"gmail" domain blocked because of excessive spam.
Use another domain or send PM.

Dang, where did I stash that ski wax?

John

Hurry! We got a nice coat of snow on the mountains today!

Jeroen Belleman

Neat. Where's that?

We're expecting our first real snow of the season in Truckee this weekend. On the road up, Donner Summit peaks at just over 7200 feet, and around there they can get as much as 800 inches in a year. In our neighborhood, at 6400 feet, structures have to be designed for 400 pounds per square foot of snow load.

This is an old steam-powered railroad snow plow, destined for a railroad museum under construction:

ftp://66.117.156.8/Red.jpg

I took this a few weeks ago, and you can already see a bit of snow on the peaks in the background.

John

I'm overlooking the Jura mountains just west of Geneva. It peaks at about 1600m. It's been snowing up there for a few days now. I'm going to sample it this Saturday.

Jeroen Belleman

NOoooooooo... you really want them to crank up the gain until a limit cycle is observed and then measure the duration (in years) ?????

There might be less destructive means of reaching that end. Corporate Lamborghinis, eh? Best regards, Spehro Pefhany

--
"it\'s the network..."                          "The Journey is the reward"
speff@interlog.com             Info for manufacturers: http://www.trexon.com
Embedded software/hardware/analog  Info for designers:  http://www.speff.com

Minor problem with that: Many of them lose their jobs when the flat phase of the negative halfwave sets in ...

[...]

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

"gmail" domain blocked because of excessive spam.
Use another domain or send PM.

skrev i meddelelsen news: snipped-for-privacy@d42g2000prb.googlegroups.com...

Why? You can buy it straight from the source in China!!

Property and stocks have another -50% to go.

"John Larkin" skrev i meddelelsen news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com...

I'll be right back crowing once the hedgies are done unwinding the "Short USD / Long Anything" trades.

"Martin Brown" skrev i meddelelsen news: snipped-for-privacy@m74g2000hsh.googlegroups.com...

Stoopid! Why not just ban selling, like Malaysia or Pakistan??

Have you ever tried to buy three pairs of Levy's from a wholesaler in China with the requirement that you be allowed to try them on first?

I see lots of European tourists here in the US who buy the usual stuff: Jeans, Adidas shoes, European cars, electronics, cameras, books, software, computers, USB accessories, cool sunglasses, and so on. And that has never been any different because it has always been cheaper than pretty much anywhere in Europe.

Just accept the fact that you guys are getting ripped off a lot. If you do not believe this go to a car dealer in Denmark. Volkswagen, Volvo, whatever, doesn't matter. Get a quote for a car you'd like. Then, go to the Internet and check prices for the same model in the US. However, before you do that open a nice bottle of Aquavit. You may need it :-)

I don't think so but properties, yes, there will be more downward push until the last foreclosures have made it through the funnel. But not 50%.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

"gmail" domain blocked because of excessive spam.
Use another domain or send PM.

Go to a clotheshop like normal people ;-)

Europe is generally a rip-off - Poland and the Czech Republic are still cheap, Poland is especially convenient since it is close to Denmark.

Don't you start nothing, I live in Denmark - much of a Dane's time is devoted to workarounds around 'the system'.

F.ex. part of the reason that I prefer freelance work is to avoid paying top-rate tax by keeping the profits in the business instead of paying myself enough to hit the top tax bracket. This raises my met hourly rate by 2/3 and I have free time to travel or work on my house too.

If I bought the car in Denmark and exported it to the US I would get the 25 % VAT + the 280% envy-tax (applied in that order to maximise the ripoff - currently a case within the EU court b.t.w.) back, in which case the car would be cheaper than the one I could buy in the US ;-P

People in Copenhagen are beginning to act rationally and move to Malmö - houses are 1/3 or less than in Copenhagen, Cars are 1/3 of the price in Denmark and one can commute via the bridge. Takes always one hour to commute around Copenhagen whatever the distance or the means of transport ;-)

At least they lovered the tax on alcohol so it's only 20% cheaper in Germany. Must go there soon, the stock of Weissbier is depleted and we need some air-dried ham e.t.c. too (ridiculously expensive in the DK).

At *least 50%*! We are hardly started on job losses and inflation yet!! In England they ususally see -60% drops in property prices when the bubble bursts. They eventually will this time too but thanks to Gordon Brown's interventions this time they will also see the GBP falling raising the costs of living.

I predict that most of the buyers from 2006 - 2008 will just save the mortgage payments for deposit on a flat, get evicted and simply drop the keys in the mailbox and walk away because it doesn't make sense to pay a mortgage for something that is 30% underwater when they could buy similar property across the street much cheaper - except they have to wait until their credit record is cleared.

Essentially there will be several years of buyers out of the market and renting. The 'mortgage relief plans' proposed will even encourage people to not pay the mortgage in order to get the relief.

Plunking down dollars for a Volvo has always been sort of a reverse IQ test.

My Rabbit cost just under $19K, with taxes and all, 5-speed manual with sunroof and some fancy wheels I didn't really want. I needed a car in a hurry and didn't have time to shop around/haggle. That's OK, I only buy a new car every 15 years or so, and pay more for insurance than for the car.

What might a Rabbit cost in Europe?

Time to buy?

John

I've heard of Europeans going to Russia and buying cheap 2nd hand (but not very old) Japanese cars. Strange world.

Oh, I know the drill, I've lived in Europe. Sometimes it even makes sense to take four weeks off and do the bathroom remodel yourself. As an engineer (!). Which puts the tile layer down the street out of business but, of course, left leaning politicians will never understand that.

This envy tax is ridiculous. You guys need to speak at the voting stations, and loudly.

Oh, did you have to mention air-dried ham just now? Can't get it here :-(

Most of that has already happened out here. It's trailing out in some counties, meaning home sales start to pick up. But now it's different, buyers have to come up with some serious down-payment. That is how it always should have been. It was plain stupid to give credit to someone who doesn't put at least some personal risk into the matter as well.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

"gmail" domain blocked because of excessive spam.
Use another domain or send PM.

A LOT more. That's what someone told me who is going to be in the market for a new one over there soon.

Maybe not just yet, but who knows. However, then you'd be landlord and might end up with renters who are p.o.'ed at life because they were foreclosed upon before.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

"gmail" domain blocked because of excessive spam.
Use another domain or send PM.

[snip] [snip]

My experience was just the opposite. The wife of the engineering manager at Bosch (Bühlertal) was of Russian origin. She drove used cars from southern Germany to Moscow and sold them for a healthy profit ;-)

...Jim Thompson

-- | James E.Thompson, P.E. | mens | | Analog Innovations, Inc. | et | | Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus | | Phoenix, Arizona 85048 Skype: Contacts Only | | | Voice:(480)460-2350 Fax: Available upon request | Brass Rat | | E-mail Icon at

| 1962 | Today will forever go down in history as the second Black Tuesday.

d

Used (or stolen) cars both from Europe and Japan was a big business in=20 Russia in 80-90x. Very criminalized and not for the faint hearted. Now=20 it is largely gone due to the custom regulations.

VLV

That was all the rage in the 90's.

I've heard Russians say it was market over-saturation. Everybody who wanted (and could afford) a not-quite-legit 7-series BMW already had one.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

"gmail" domain blocked because of excessive spam.
Use another domain or send PM.

I would never want to be a residential landlord, especially in California. Renting to businesses is a lot better, since they only have civil law on their side, not "tenents' rights", so you can sign any sort of agreement you like with them, and it's enforcable.

John