Anyone else noticing that Euros...
 

....seem to be becoming the "lingua franca" of currency for purchases in
Europe? US dollars used to speak mightily, but more and more I'm coming
across vendors abroad who have dropped their references to dollars and
want payment in Euros. This isn't inconvenient when paying with
plastique, but there sure seems to be a downward shift in the intrinsic
value and usefulness of the dollar. And, not necessarily connected, I've
noticed increasing interest in gold as a hedge. I haven't followed the
precious metals markets for 25 years, but I have seen more references to
gold recently than I have in a long, long time. Now where is that roll
of kruggerands?




--
Email sent to is never read.

Anyone else noticing that Euros...
 

Gee Harry, I would just quit buying anything from there. I quit French wines
a few months back, finished my "Grand Marnier" and don't plan to buy any more.
Although I have driven BMW's since the mid 80's and bought new ones every few
years, my next automobile purchace may be a Chevrolet....

Hope you have a good holiday...

//Al

...seem to be becoming the "lingua franca" of currency for purchases in
Europe? US dollars used to speak mightily, but more and more I'm coming
across vendors abroad who have dropped their references to dollars and
want payment in Euros. This isn't inconvenient when paying with
plastique, but there sure seems to be a downward shift in the intrinsic
value and usefulness of the dollar.

Anyone else noticing that Euros...
 

On Sat, 06 Dec 2003 08:08:21 -0500, Harry Krause
wrote:

...seem to be becoming the "lingua franca" of currency for purchases in
Europe? US dollars used to speak mightily, but more and more I'm coming
across vendors abroad who have dropped their references to dollars and
want payment in Euros. This isn't inconvenient when paying with
plastique, but there sure seems to be a downward shift in the intrinsic
value and usefulness of the dollar. And, not necessarily connected, I've
noticed increasing interest in gold as a hedge. I haven't followed the
precious metals markets for 25 years, but I have seen more references to
gold recently than I have in a long, long time. Now where is that roll
of kruggerands?

part of it might be that, right now, the euro is trading at an all
time high against the dollar. good for our exports but bad for balance
of trade payments.

---------------------------
to see who "wf3h" is, go to "qrz.com"
and enter 'wf3h' in the field

check my blog at:
http://www.bobview.blogspot.com/

Anyone else noticing that Euros...
 

AFitz10368 wrote:

Gee Harry, I would just quit buying anything from there. I quit French wines
a few months back, finished my "Grand Marnier" and don't plan to buy any more.
Although I have driven BMW's since the mid 80's and bought new ones every few
years, my next automobile purchace may be a Chevrolet....

Hope you have a good holiday...

//Al

...seem to be becoming the "lingua franca" of currency for purchases in
Europe? US dollars used to speak mightily, but more and more I'm coming
across vendors abroad who have dropped their references to dollars and
want payment in Euros. This isn't inconvenient when paying with
plastique, but there sure seems to be a downward shift in the intrinsic
value and usefulness of the dollar.


Really? I just bought a case of moderately priced French wine. I'm not a
big fan of France, but my dislike of the French is of long standing and
has nothing to do with their disdain for the idiot in the White House.
They do make some fine wines.

I am not a fan of GM cars, except for the Corvette, which I believe is a
good value sports car. I also like Chevy trucks, though, for a
full-sized hauler, I prefer Ford's F250 with the six liter diesel. GM's
cars, for the most part, seem unclever and cheaply engineered.

The issue, though, was not the relative quality of merchandise, but the
rise of the Euro and the decline of the dollar as lingua franca.






--
Email sent to is never read.

Anyone else noticing that Euros...
 

Did it happen just after you started 'colouring' your money?
Maybe they mistake it for Canadian eh?.

Harry Krause wrote in message
...
...seem to be becoming the "lingua franca" of currency for purchases in
Europe? US dollars used to speak mightily, but more and more I'm coming
across vendors abroad who have dropped their references to dollars and
want payment in Euros. This isn't inconvenient when paying with
plastique, but there sure seems to be a downward shift in the intrinsic
value and usefulness of the dollar. And, not necessarily connected, I've
noticed increasing interest in gold as a hedge. I haven't followed the
precious metals markets for 25 years, but I have seen more references to
gold recently than I have in a long, long time. Now where is that roll
of kruggerands?




--
Email sent to is never read.

Anyone else noticing that Euros...
 

Don White wrote:

Did it happen just after you started 'colouring' your money?
Maybe they mistake it for Canadian eh?.

Harry Krause wrote in message
...
...seem to be becoming the "lingua franca" of currency for purchases in
Europe? US dollars used to speak mightily, but more and more I'm coming
across vendors abroad who have dropped their references to dollars and
want payment in Euros. This isn't inconvenient when paying with
plastique, but there sure seems to be a downward shift in the intrinsic
value and usefulness of the dollar. And, not necessarily connected, I've
noticed increasing interest in gold as a hedge. I haven't followed the
precious metals markets for 25 years, but I have seen more references to
gold recently than I have in a long, long time. Now where is that roll
of kruggerands?




--
Email sent to is never read.


That must be it...it's those off-brand, ersatz Crayolas Bush's mommy
gave him last Christmas for something to do while the rest of the family
discussed world affairs.

--
Email sent to is never read.

Anyone else noticing that Euros...
 

Why are you not supporting American workers and buying American?


"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...
...seem to be becoming the "lingua franca" of currency for purchases in
Europe? US dollars used to speak mightily, but more and more I'm coming
across vendors abroad who have dropped their references to dollars and
want payment in Euros. This isn't inconvenient when paying with
plastique, but there sure seems to be a downward shift in the intrinsic
value and usefulness of the dollar. And, not necessarily connected, I've
noticed increasing interest in gold as a hedge. I haven't followed the
precious metals markets for 25 years, but I have seen more references to
gold recently than I have in a long, long time. Now where is that roll
of kruggerands?




--
Email sent to is never read.

Anyone else noticing that Euros...
 

Harry,

I had a Blazer with the 6.2 diesel. It was an 84 I bought in 89 with 100k
miles on it. Hauling my 26' Penn Yan HT over the hills between Frederick, MD
and Erie, PA twice a year, I put 7 or 8 transmisssions in before I got rid of
it in 96. It had over 300k miles on it. I only had to pay for the 1st tranny
as I had a lifetime warranty from AAMCO. They were sure glad to see me get rid
of it.

I bought a new Chevy 3/4 ext cab HD 4 x 4 pick up with the 6.5 TurboDiesel in
95. It has a 5 speed manual with a "Granny" gear. It does those mountains at
70 and I don't even realize the boat is back there most of the time. Couldn't
go that fast with the Blazer. Truck now only has 95k miles on it. No problems
so far outside of warranty replacement of the injector pump (twice). Some
problem with the sulfer content of the fuel.

As far as the French go, I have had a problem with them for a while also. It
goes back to when that idiot Carter was in the white house. I had a meeting
with a Frenchman who asked me what I thought of the hostage situation in Iran
at the time. He was kind of talking down our country and I told him he had no
room to talk as they had not paid their WWII debt to us.

Although when I went to Paris in 89 on the Oracle Quota Club trip, the French
people treated us pretty good. It could have had something to do with the
amount of money we were spending.

BTW Harry, I understood your point..I was just messing with you.....

//Al


I am not a fan of GM cars, except for the Corvette, which I believe is a
good value sports car. I also like Chevy trucks, though, for a
full-sized hauler, I prefer Ford's F250 with the six liter diesel. GM's
cars, for the most part, seem unclever and cheaply engineered.

The issue, though, was not the relative quality of merchandise, but the
rise of the Euro and the decline of the dollar as lingua franca.

Anyone else noticing that Euros...
 

On Sat, 06 Dec 2003 08:08:21 +0000, Harry Krause wrote:

...seem to be becoming the "lingua franca" of currency for purchases in Europe?

Well, DUH!

It's the currency of Europe: why are you surprised it's what they deal in? Do US
firms deal in Yen when dealing with Japan?

Lloyd

Anyone else noticing that Euros...
 

On Sat, 06 Dec 2003 08:08:21 -0500, Harry Krause
wrote:
And, not necessarily connected, I've
noticed increasing interest in gold as a hedge. I haven't followed the
precious metals markets for 25 years, but I have seen more references to
gold recently than I have in a long, long time.
====================================

Yes, and oil will be next in my opinion as soon as OPEC fully realizes
that they're receiving 20% less for their product, and demand is still
high and going higher. It may be a good time to load up on energy
company stocks; might turn out to be a better hedge than gold in the
long run.