• Registered: 2007-04-03
  • Posts: 3,489

Topic: Dollars!

All you experts out there please explain this to me.

I fill  today 1,200  litres home heating Oil. 800Euro. Expensive! yes! last year at this time i paid  around 600 euro.

1000 Euro changed today for family member for Boston Shopping. I got nearly
1500 Dollars. Brill.

9 billion wiped off our pension   in the last few months? Now we are only a little island.

All i can hear on the radio here is, The barrel of oil is still below the psychological Barrier of 100 dollars " HuH" While i know what these
words all mean individually. I cannot put the whole thing together in my head.

Are we the world in major trouble. Now this wont keep me awake, But
James Darlin, if your around the site later, as your the stats man,
can you explain please.
Now be gentle with me, im trying very hard to understand this position.

Goodnight now.

Old Doll.

Why Blend in with the Crowd ? When you were made to stand out !
  • From: Starkville, Mississippi USA
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 2,069

Re: Dollars!

Hi Old Doll - I'll try to explain what I think you are asking about.  Seems you are pondering economic theory and monetary exchange rates.  Confusing topics, but there is actually logic to how all this stuff happens.

For better or worse, the US Dollar is the world's benchmark currency - in other words, it is sort of a universally recognized unit of value for international trade.  Goods that are bought and sold around the world (such as oil, cotton, soy beans, and other commodities) are often priced using US Dollars to quantify their worth.

The value of all currencies constantly fluctuate relative to one another.  Currently, the US Dollar is relatively 'weak' compared the Euro and most other major currencies.  This means that when Euros are converted to Dollars you will get 'more' Dollars.  In other words, the US Dollar is now cheap for Europeans and the Euro is expensive for Americans.

As an example, I would love to buy a German-made tandem recumbent bicycle (a ZOX 20x26 http://www.zoxbikes.com/english/duo_e.htm) and have been wanting one for a couple of years now.  When I first started lusting after this sleek machine it would have cost me a little over $4500.  Now that the Dollar is weak against the Euro, this same lovely bike would cost me $5300.  The price of the bike (in Euros) has not changed - what has changed is the relative worth of my Dollars as compared to Euros.

Maybe that doesn't answer your question - but if anybody has 3600 Euros lying around loose, you can buy that lovely recumbent tandem bicycle for me.  My son and I would be most appreciative.  We will think very nice thoughts about you as we zoom down the road on our ZOX tandem.

"That darn Pythagorean Comma thing keeps messing me up!"
[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pythagorean_comma[/url]

James McCormick's Website

  • From: Renfrewshire, Scotland
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 1,359

Re: Dollars!

I may be way off here but I think what's happening in the US housing and mortgage market has got the US economy all jittery. It's even having an effect over here in the UK (Northern Rock). Also while the Dollar weakens the price of oil is increasing. Fuel cost are going to take a big jump in the next few months. Again!

Merry Christmas.

Is anything really made up of zeros and ones??

alvee33's Website

  • badeye
  • The Blues Fixer
  • Offline
  • From: Cape Breton Island, Canada
  • Registered: 2006-09-02
  • Posts: 3,381

Re: Dollars!

For years the Cananian dollar was 30 to 40 cents lower than the US dollar, now our dollar is 2 to 5 cents higher than the US 's  dollar. Big ticket items are starting to go down in price here. On a radio talk show the conversation was about how in Canada an average car would be 10 to 15 thousand dollars cheaper in the USA. People travel to the USA just for the savings. They say if our dollar stays the same in time we will see the price of a car in Canada be that of the USA.
  Hope that refelcts on guitar prices as i would love to add to my collection.

   Take Care.... Badeye.

one caper after another

5 Reply by Old Doll (edited by Old Doll 2007-11-29 21:56:26)

  • Registered: 2007-04-03
  • Posts: 3,489

Re: Dollars!

James,

Thank you for taking the time to answer this one for me. Yes! is a little clearer.

Well me poor segosha, you really want that fancy jalopy? So much your
yearning lept off the post,.
So i have arranged one to be delivered to you christmas eve! will that do you?

Your delivery Gal, said it will take her that long to sort out her christmas lights order. I took the liberty on your behalf to tell her you wouldn't miind at all.
so dont forget now Christmas Eve, 3 pm...:lol:

Old Doll.

Why Blend in with the Crowd ? When you were made to stand out !
  • From: BELGIUM
  • Registered: 2007-01-27
  • Posts: 3,403

Re: Dollars!

Doll, James, Alvee, badeye
- FIRST badeye, Is it my imagination, or is The C$ almost equal to the US $
- Here in Europe it is correct that you get, for 1000€ ---> +- 1500$.
Last year it was for 1000€----> 1250$ and I did some great business buying guitars there. 3-4 years ago, the $$ was = €€
It will be for us Europeans, cheaper to do Christmas Shopping than here

[color=blue]- GITAARDOCPHIL SAIS: TO CONQUER DEAD, YOU HAVE TO DIE[/color]   AND [color=blue] we are born to die[/color]
- MY GUITAR PLAYS EVERY STYLE = BLUES, ROCK, METAL, so I NEED TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY IT.
[color=blue]Civilization began the first time an angry person cast a word instead of a rock.[/color]

gitaardocphil's Website

  • badeye
  • The Blues Fixer
  • Offline
  • From: Cape Breton Island, Canada
  • Registered: 2006-09-02
  • Posts: 3,381

Re: Dollars!

Yes Doc Phil the Canadian is at par or a few cents higher than the US dollar for the first time since the 1970's.It's good for some and bad for others. Good for consumer as prices are starting to go down in price, bad for manufactering
companies as they pay higher for imports of raw materials.
Mortgage rates are higher as well.

...Badeye.

one caper after another
  • From: Scotland.
  • Registered: 2006-07-13
  • Posts: 218

Re: Dollars!

'the psychological Barrier of 100 dollars'

I think all that means is; that the price of oil per barrell has never been $100 or more. So, pyscholigacly it would be a bad thing if it did, Re; peoples faith in the econnomy etc. It would probably lead to a slowdown in the econnomy if it broke the barrier of $100.
Hope that makes sense, I know what I'm trying too say but not sure if I've said it! smile

Craig.

Blind acceptance is a sign, of stupid fools who stand in line.  John Lydon.

'Mod' is a shorter word for 'young, beautiful and stupid' - we've all been there." - Pete Townshend.
  • upyerkilt
  • upyerkilt
  • Unofficial king of Scotland
  • Offline
  • From: Balloch, Scotland, UK, Earth
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 3,290

Re: Dollars!

well, America is to blame for all these crazy rates since they let millions of people have mortages at ridiculous terms to start with . Now these people cannot afford the houses and cannot carry on with their mortage which is not too good for the bank if they get the house back but cannot sell it, and who can rehouse millions of people?
It affects all other countries since the banks lend and loan from each other.
America lends a bank i.e. Northern Rock $6 billion at an interest rate of 5%. Now when the american people cannot afford their mortgage so the banks are not getting as much interest as they expected to get, so to get that money they add more interst on to the loan to northern orck to 6%. Northern rock are forced to put up their interest rates but do not get more customers because of high rates. People go for the lowest rates for loans so Bye bye northern rock.
I made up all these % rates, they are only for examples. And I maybe completely wrong with what I say. But that is the way I perceived it from the news a few weeks ago.

As for oil, i dont think it matters at all what america do, the middle east will continue to increase their prices while the UK and U.S keep trying to bully the middle east into their way of thinking.

We should all get used to the idea of not having oil or gas unless you are well off enough to buy it in  less than 20 years time. Prices just keep rising over the inflation rate so soon no one will want to buy it. Which means train companies and buses will rake in the profits, and their prices just keep going up and up too. Also logistics go up because of fuel. Everything goes up, but at one point it must all stop somewhere.

I am glad I go up into the hills to bothies and love it. I know I can survive without electric or gas lol I will adapt very easily.

Ken

ye get some that are cut out for the job and others just get by from pretending
  • From: Grimsby, UK
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 604

Re: Dollars!

I am waiting for Mad Max to come hurtling down the road any day now!  It's damn scary when you think of all the freight, private cars/vans, trains, buses and boats all drinking fuel 24/7.  Power stations, factories all using this NON RENEWABLE resource - it's all gonna come crashing down around our ears in about 15-20 years, tops.

I'm the son of rage and love
  • badeye
  • The Blues Fixer
  • Offline
  • From: Cape Breton Island, Canada
  • Registered: 2006-09-02
  • Posts: 3,381

Re: Dollars!

Mad Max wow.That was a cool movie eh. Hey i was foolin round with a tune about oil. Goes like this:

D                                       B+
I dreamed of the future, there wasm't much for me
A7                    D                      B+      A7             D
burn more oil, burn more coal, burn more fossil fuel.
D                                  B+
I thought of the past, when the world was green,
A7                   D                      B+     A7              D                   
burn more oil, burn more coal,burn more fossil fuel.




   Feel Free to add to it.

  ...Badeye.

one caper after another
  • Registered: 2007-04-03
  • Posts: 3,489

Re: Dollars!

In  lands that had plenty
sunshine and soft showers
Acid rain and emissions
Killed all the flowers.

Old Doll.

Why Blend in with the Crowd ? When you were made to stand out !
  • badeye
  • The Blues Fixer
  • Offline
  • From: Cape Breton Island, Canada
  • Registered: 2006-09-02
  • Posts: 3,381

Re: Dollars!

Thank you Old Doll, I wrote that some time ago and got
stuck. I'm writing that down . MMMM the tea is good tonite.
How's your cup??

...Badeye.

one caper after another
  • From: BELGIUM
  • Registered: 2007-01-27
  • Posts: 3,403

Re: Dollars!

Badeye, DOLLY, Alvee, UYK Bonedaddy, moddish, James.
A lot of names, I hope I didn't forget 1 single person, he may come to "expensive" Europe".
I even didn't know that the Canadian was Higher. I went 3 times to Canada, and I always thought that, the difference was a lot more. US $$ around 1982 was a lot cheaper, but than again, I was thinking in Belgium francs in stead of EURO's, my fault, there was about 50 cent difference. Do you US citizens, FEEL this problem? Politics: if the USA, which is a GIGANTIC Isle, surrounded in the North by Canada, in the South MEXICO, and very close to VENEZUELA, having also a gigantic oil reserve and "Chavez".the president of Venezuela, you can create a complete isolation. If Europe closes, example: Golf War II, costing so much money and why? Because Saddam was a "cruel dictator"? There are other "very civilised" people with power who should stand trial, but if Europe decides to stop trading with the USA, starts to get a contract with China, it will be a catastrophy. What should happen if tomorrow a 200.000 terrorists, would invade? I don't know, I am living in a cocoon, I DON'T SPEAK, I DON'T HEAR AND I DON'T SEE, but I am
in love with the USA, but about politics???? I am not in a position to talk about this, I just know how nice the people are, and how beautiful it is.

[color=blue]- GITAARDOCPHIL SAIS: TO CONQUER DEAD, YOU HAVE TO DIE[/color]   AND [color=blue] we are born to die[/color]
- MY GUITAR PLAYS EVERY STYLE = BLUES, ROCK, METAL, so I NEED TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY IT.
[color=blue]Civilization began the first time an angry person cast a word instead of a rock.[/color]

gitaardocphil's Website

  • From: Pico Rivera, Calif. U.S.A.
  • Registered: 2006-10-26
  • Posts: 785

Re: Dollars!

I am in love with the USA, but about politics. Quote By gitaardocphil:

Well Phil my friend The policitians here is the US speak out of the side of their mouth (tell you what you want to hear) But it is a good place to live. America is the land of excess, you can become what ever you want if you have the drive and or determination. Unfortunately most persons don't (strictly a generalization) they want it given to them. But as I mentioned all in all it is a good place to live.

With respect.
Bootlegger.

  • upyerkilt
  • upyerkilt
  • Unofficial king of Scotland
  • Offline
  • From: Balloch, Scotland, UK, Earth
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 3,290

Re: Dollars!

bootleger wrote:

But it is a good place to live. America is the land of excess, you can become what ever you want if you have the drive and or determination. Unfortunately most persons don't (strictly a generalization) they want it given to them. But as I mentioned all in all it is a good place to live.

With respect.
Bootlegger.

Bootlegger, is that what they call the american dream? Ye can be whatever you want to be most places in the world with determination but like in the U.S as wit hthe etrst of the place on the planet it is lack of determination that dont get people where they want to be.
As for your politicians, not just there but everywhere, they will say what you want to hear.
There is not much difference with America and the UK apart from currency and accents and a fw other beliefs.

I tihnk the earth is a good place to live, no matter where you are. It all depends who is in charge.

KEn

ye get some that are cut out for the job and others just get by from pretending