So with the news from Canada that the Trudeau government will accelerate freezing the personal and business accounts of truckers protesting mandates (https://fee.org/articles/did-justin-trudeau-s-financial-crackdown-really-spark-a-bank-run-in-canada/), it occurred to me that some people may need to think about something. This could absolutely happen here in the U.S. This isn’t a “oh, it’s happening in another country, it could never happen here” thing.
So, the problem with the way most people think about banks is wrong…or at least, incomplete. This is an over-simplification, but when you deposit your money in a bank, you have now lost custody of that money. Those numbers you see on your mobile banking app is how much money the bank is holding in your name. But you do not have physical custody of ANY of that money. The government (or indeed the bank itself) can freeze or remove that money at any time, and there’s nothing you can do to stop it. Yes, you might be able to get that money returned, but it’ll be a court battle to get it back. A possibly expensive court battle you have to wage with your money seized and inaccessible. A quick web search will return stories of accounts frozen and seized with little or no evidence of any wrongdoing, which takes weeks, months, or even years of expensive lawyers to resolve.
Now, I’m not saying this to scare people. But I do want people to acknowledge that giving your money for some other entity to hold on your behalf removes it from your immediate control. I’m not saying go and pull your money out of the bank. That would be counter-productive, and very inconvenient. Maybe a layered approach? Have some cash on hand, crypto holdings, and such? I don’t know, I’m not a financial professional, and this is not financial advice.
That’s one reason the government via the SEC, Fed, etc. are trying so hard to eliminate most cryptocurrencies, especially privacy-centered cryptocurrencies. They can’t be controlled, deleted, or frozen, and in the case of privacy coins, it’s very difficult to even track or trace. With some of the crazy things going on nowadays, it would be wise to be cautious.
]]>So my oldest has now graduated high school. John will start college this fall. Not going to lie, I have mixed feelings. I’m proud of the man he’s grown into, happy he seems to be happy and not too traumatized by my parenting skills, and sad that he’ll now be moving out on his own (at least part-time). John, your mom and I love you a whole bunch. Be a good friend, a good man, and a good human being.
]]>Lot of stress going on right now. John is graduating high school in a week, and there are a lot of recitals and concerts to attend. With work and all this personal stuff going on, stress levels are through the roof! But we just have to remember that yes, this too shall pass.
Stay strong, everyone!
]]>Yeah, that one didn’t age well. Lots of effort for little return.
So I decided to play around a little with crypto. I read up on wallets, the different coins and tokens, and some of the basics of the uses of some crypto.
Some of what I learned at first was familiar. Anyone who’s played with asymmetrical encryption (PGP or GPG) will recognize how most crypto wallets work. You have a public key and a private key. The private key is kept in your crypto wallet (either a program, app, or hardware device). This allows you to sign outgoing transactions, or unencrypt incoming transactions. While the public key is used to encrypt transactions to you, or verify signed transactions sent from you.
Some of what I learned was new and foreign. The use cases of some crypto is downright confusing if you aren’t well-versed in it. Such as coins used as some intermediary between large scale transactions, or some kind of tokenized collateral for loans.
But as I read, I began to see at least some of what is trying to be accomplished with most of these coins. The developers are trying to re-make the financial world into something a little more secure, and a lot more free from bad actors trying to influence (or downright manipulate) the economy. Bad actors in this case not only being thieves, hackers, and conmen, but governments, central banks, and large financial institutions as well. That’s not to say the cryptos are perfect. Far from it. The entire crypto industry is still in its infancy. There is a lot more development necessary. But one day (hopefully soon), the corrupt, mostly unsecure financial system may be faster, more secure, and more independent than ever.
Until then, I advise to play around with it. Don’t dump any significant fiat (dollars, pesos, etc.) into it without the advice of a financial advisor, but anyone can download a wallet app (such as Coinomi or Trust Wallet), open an exchange account (such as Coinbase.com, ftx.us, etc.), and buy some Bitcoin, Etherium, or Litecoin. There are some very few stores that will even take crypto as payments. So don’t let the idea of crypto scare you. Get in there and play around. See what it’s all about. And learn.
]]>Hmm. Looking at the date, maybe I should have waited a couple more years. Oh well. LOL
]]>I’ll post a quick review like I did with Y after they’re release on November 21, 2014.
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Just make the Manwich according to the directions, and set aside.
Next, take the biscuits out of their can, lay out a sheet of wax paper, and roll out each biscuit to, say, around 8-10 inches around.
Place one or two spoonfuls of Manwich onto the rolled-out biscuit, and tuck it into a shape of your choosing. I like to pinch them up in one spot at the top, making a round bun, or fold over into a meat pie shape.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 12-15 minutes on a greased cookie sheet. Viola! Pretty yummy, and makes a great snack later!
]]>SO…the good and bad first.
PROS:
CONS:
BOTH PRO AND CON:
BOTTOM LINE:
Note that there are two games, Pokemon X, and Pokemon Y. If you’re buying one of the games for a child, if you prefer no whining, I’d suggest finding out which one they want. I’m just sayin’…
There’s no functional difference between the two, except the main Legendary Pokemon (the ones pictured on the cover of the game) is different, and some of the Pokemon you find in the game will be different. In years past, this would have been a really big deal, as finding the Pokes that weren’t in your game meant you had to go find someone with the other game physically. But with the aforementioned GTS, you can trade anonymously with players from all over the world, so it’s not nearly the problem it used to be.
Not to give any spoilers, but some of the visuals and sounds are really killer. You really have to see a Lucario using Aura Sphere, or Dragon Pulse. And the Lickitung animation is hilarious. Not to mention, if you’ve ever watched the Pokemon cartoon, you’ll recognize Pikachu’s call!
Well, I hope I’ve helped someone decide to get Pokemon X or Y for themselves, a child, or a friend. They really are good games, and I can’t wait to explore the after-game!
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