#gold price fluctuation

[talkingheadlines]

Gold Price and Silver Rate Today: December 21, 2024

Today, the price of 10 grams of 24-carat gold in Delhi is ₹76,963. Meanwhile, 1 kg of silver costs ₹93,500 in the city. Gold prices have seen a slight dip this Saturday. The rate of 24-carat gold in India is ₹7,696.3 per gram, which is ₹330 lower than before. Similarly, the price of 22-carat gold is now ₹7,056.3 per gram, reflecting a drop of ₹300. Over the past week, the price of 24-carat gold…

[wealthwise93]

How World Events Influence Stocks: A Guide for Investors

How World Events Influence Stocks. Read more -> www.wealth-wise.blog World events, Stocks, Stock market, Economic calendar, Financial portals, News sources, Investment guide, Global happenings, Interest rate decisions, Inflation data, Corporate earnings

To understand how world events impact specific stocks, there are various approaches and tools that can help you better grasp the connections between global happenings and stock prices: 1. News Sources and Financial Portals Current news about politics, economics, and natural disasters often have immediate effects on financial markets. Here are some platforms that keep you informed about such…

[techmarkethunter]

Understanding the Dynamics of Gold Prices in India (6/1/24)

Title: Understanding the Dynamics of Gold Prices in India (6/1/24) Gold holds a significant place in India, serving various purposes from ornamental jewelry to a reliable investment option. The price of gold is subject to numerous factors, including global market conditions, currency exchange rates, and domestic demand. In this blog post, we will delve into the current gold prices in India as of…

[statsbot]

SITUATION In an alternate history where time travel has been invented, a cabal of time-traveling traders and politicians are engaged in intertemporal arbitrage, using their future knowledge to corner markets throughout history. They've recently set their sights on the oyster trade of 19th century New York City, hoping to use their advanced refrigeration tech and insider info to make a killing. But their actions are destabilizing the timeline and threatening to erase key historical figures from existence. The party must unravel this temporal trade network and confront the mysterious mastermind behind it all before irreparable damage is done to the space-time continuum.

SETTING The adventure spans multiple eras, but key events occur in:

New York City, 1842 - The booming oyster trade has made the city the oyster capital of the world. Oyster cellars line Canal Street, shucking a staggering 700 million oysters a year. The docks bustle with oystermen.

The Far Future Oyster Vaults of Neo-Nassau, 2891 AD - Towering refrigerated vaults hold trillions of perfectly preserved bivalves. Chrono-barges zip through pneumatic tubes overhead. Neon-lit canals crisscross the city.

The Temporal Trade Hub, Outside Time - A mind-bending nexus where past, present and future intersect. Causality-defying architecture shifts like a kaleidoscope. Traders haggle over price fluctuations yet to occur.

CAST

Crassus Rockefeller III - Robber baron, mastermind behind the Oyster Futures Syndicate. Seeks to monopolize history's oyster supply. Wields a Causality Anchor that stabilizes him in spacetime.

Vivian "Viv" Wellfleet - Rogue chrono-trader with a heart of gold. Wants to stop Crassus and restore the timeline. Former collegiate oyster shucking champion.

Shucker Jim - Grizzled 19th century oysterman. Secretly an undercover Chronoguard agent. Rocket harpoon prosthetic arm. Loyal but haunted by a tragic past.

The Muculent Sibyl - Prophetic oyster-human hybrid from an alternate timeline where oysters evolved sapience. Whispers maddening future-truths. Chained in Crassus' vault.

Ostreida, the Oyster Goddess - Eldritch bivalve deity worshipped by a future oyster-cult. Seeks to flood Earth's history, returning it to a primordial sea.

The Chronoguard - Temporal law enforcement. Hardened time-cops in chromed exo-suits. Seek to stop illegal intertemporal trade by any means necessary.

The Oystermen's Union - Tough New York oyster workers, their livelihoods threatened by future sabotage. Burly, bearded, and brawny. Know the oyster beds like the back of their callused hands.

INITIAL CONDITIONS The 19th century oyster trade is booming, but prices have started fluctuating wildly and oyster shortages loom due to temporal meddling. Anachronistic tech has been found in oyster beds. Strange future-cultists lurk in oyster cellars, preaching the coming of an Oyster God. The Chronoguard has dispatched agents to 1842 to investigate, but Crassus' syndicate has a head start and deep pockets. The timeline is already fraying at the edges - historic oyster-lovers like Queen Victoria are fading from existence. The players arrive in old New York to find a temporal powder keg ready to blow.

GOALS

Crassus Rockefeller III - Corner the oyster market across all of history, making trillions. Ascend to economic godhood.

Vivian "Viv" Wellfleet - Stop Crassus, restore the original timeline, save the future. Maybe shuck some oysters along the way.

Shucker Jim - Complete his mission, avenge his partner, keep the space-time continuum safe from rogue traders and their greed.

The Muculent Sibyl - Escape her imprisonment, reveal cosmic truths, bring about the Oyster Singularity her visions foretell.

Ostreida, the Oyster Goddess - Flood Earth's history, make the world a oyster's paradise. Destroy upstart humanity.

The Chronoguard - Arrest Crassus and his cronies, stop the temporal trade in its tracks, preserve the integrity of the timeline.

The Oystermen's Union - Protect their way of life, drive out strange future interlopers, keep oyster prices stable and bellies full.

TOOLS/RESOURCES

Crassus Rockefeller III - Vast wealth, future tech, Causality Anchor, bribed officials across eras, oyster futures contracts.

Vivian "Viv" Wellfleet - Heirloom chrono-compass, knack for disguise, knowledge of oyster lore, her trusty quantum-shucking knife.

Shucker Jim - Rocket harpoon arm, Chronoguard combat training, 19th century street smarts, loyal oystermen contacts.

The Muculent Sibyl - Precognition, psychic whispers, eldritch oyster magic, fanatical mollusk-hybrid cultists.

Ostreida, the Oyster Goddess - Divine bivalve powers, oyster monster hordes, tidal magic, beachhead temples across history.

The Chronoguard - Jurisdiction across spacetime, stun-harpoons, chrono-cuffs, hardened exo-suits, orbital trawler-ships.

The Oystermen's Union - Strength in numbers, intricate knowledge of oyster beds, sturdy oyster boats, shucking solidarity.

SAMPLE SOLUTIONS

Infiltrate Crassus' syndicate posing as fellow traders, destabilize his operations from within while searching for evidence of his crimes. Coordinate with Chronoguard to arrest him in a dramatic sting.

Rally the Oystermen's Union to sabotage future tech and resist the Syndicate's strong-arm tactics. Stage a general strike to force the city to crack down on rogue traders.

Beat Crassus at his own game by cornering the oyster market first. Flood the market with your own supply via time travel, tanking prices and ruining his monopoly.

Cut a deal with Ostreida, brokering a compromise where oysters and humans can coexist across history. Use her power to threaten Crassus into surrendering.

Rescue the Muculent Sibyl and convince her to aid you with her prescient visions. Navigate the fluctuating timeways to always stay one step ahead of Crassus and his goons.

[britt-kageryuu]

Donnie was in the middle of playing a Game Shop owner simulator game. Their model is dressed in an purple polo shirt, a gold colored apron with the shop name 'Softshell Cards' on it, along with a gold trimmed purple visor over his bandana.

The shop was pretty expanded, the layout and stock were already optimized, not to mention aesthetically pleasing and Donnie was looking over the numbers the determine what to do next.

"So, we have the choice of buying a new product, but so many have dropped in market price that it doesn't look like a good option." Donnie says while bringing up a spreadsheet of the market price fluctuations.

They look over at the NPCs roaming about with their slightly wonky pathing, the employees restocking, and running the register.

"If it were not for the fact that I haven't fully unlocked every possible SKU, and shop expansion, you would think there was nothing left to do. Bored Sigh." Donnie leans back in their chair, still going over the data that was collected.

Donnie slightly minimizes the game, and brings up a video of Leo playing the same game, though he seems to be loosing his mind over the NPCs not buying things.

[Leo: I know I can't actually talk these guys into buying anything, but why do they keep saying these are to expensive?!

He goes to look at the price tag.

Leo with a confused look: When did the price plummet so far? It was like $5-7 higher two days ago!]

Donnie sits watching their twin play the game very differently to they are.

"Inquisitive Hum. Maybe I should change up my strategy. Make a new file, and have Shelldon decide how I go about it." They then do just that.

Exiting to the main menu, making a new save file, and bringing Shelldon into play.

Shelldon leads Donnie to play a bit more chaotically, buying items Donnie wouldn't, selling items that Shelldon though were cool and not caring about pricing.

"Whoa Dude. We can get that shop upgrade! Storage Room acquired!" Shelldon celebrates while having Donnie move back stock racks into their new 'Storage Room', and order more items.

"Don't forget the rent Dude! Then get the license for that new figure!"

Donnie enjoys this even if it's not quite how They wanted to play.

The audience enjoy watching the Father and AI Son gaming together.

---------------------

Masterpost

This is short because I keep getting conflicted on how to write out playing this game, because different people I watched played so differently.

Was going to compare Leo and Donnies ways of playing, but I couldn't really get it into my mind what they would do.

And I kept being like 'well if I played this I'd play like this!'

Yeah the game is TCG Card Shop Simulator

[mrmaticus]

I hate the d&d economy (amongst so many other things) like gold is such a commodity for adventurers to the point a healing potion costs 50 gold, yet an average farmer earns a single gold a year. A suit of armor costs 1500, so a king would need to tax thousands of people just to get one guard armor?? Magic items are thousands of gold???

Lifestyle expenses make no sense. A modest farmer makes 1 gold a year yet has to spend 1 gold a day for a modest lifestyle?

A dagger is two gold? So some guy needs to save every penny for two years to get a kitchen knife?

To compare it to USD let’s use a mug of beer which costs 4 copper. Or 4/1000 (0.004) of a gold piece. In my town a domestic beer (assuming domestic bc they are not importing Heineken into the Sword Coast) costs $3-5 dollars depending on how “good” you want. I will call it a happy $4. Easy and obvious math says 1cp=1 USD. Perfect and happy. Thus 1gp=100 USD, But that means your average farmer earns 100 USD a year.

Then if you start applying that to other items cost fluctuate out the ass. Loaf of bread (2cp) is 2$, not bad. A pitcher of wine (2sp) is $20. Not bad again.

Let’s look at adventuring gear. A suit of leather armor is 10gp or $1000. Chain mail is 75gp or $7500. Plate mail is 1500gp or $150,000. Shortsword is 10gp or $1000. The real life versions of adventuring gear are WAY cheaper. Looking at magic items - each level of rarity (on average) increases in value by 500 gp or $50,000 per level of rarity.

If you go through the players handbook most of the daily use items for normal people fluctuate around logical. However, every item for adventurers is insanely over priced. This supports my main theory that adventurers are an invasive species in the sword coast and the easiest way to keep them in check is to charge them so much money and send them to die to dragons.

[zaksdolls]

The Skelita Howliday doll has been on sale on Amazon (at fluctuating prices) so I gave in and bought her as a birthday gift for myself. As I scrolled through the reviews I was concerned that she would arrive in a mangled box and damaged. Thankfully, she turned up pristine!

The packaging is quite nice. I very much like the skull winged butterflies. It's a shame that they are not really used anywhere else besides the fabric print of the dress.

Anywho, I've already complained enough about the doll's design and I'm sure there are plenty of reviews out there so I'll go quickly!

STAND:

Yes, very nice details on stand base. Good. I was surprised when I realized it's a saddle stand. I've had to stick a wad of putty on the saddle to keep Skelita in place lest she falls out.

Now she topples over stand and all! X'D

HEADPIECE:

I was happy to see the skullettes in the flowers have all this sculpted detail! Unfortunately, the painted detailed are a bit off.

The headpiece is made of a harder plastic and is hollow with an open back.

At first, I thought, "Oh, nice. It's much lighter than the first adult collector Skelita's headpiece!"

But then I remembered that I actually really dislike when companies cut corners by neglecting the backside of their toys and products. All angles should be taken into consideration.

Especially on a collector doll.

SHOES:

Shoes are nice. I like the detail of the sole and flowers.

JEWELRY:

Itty bitty skullette beads.

And another skullette with sculpted details. A nice touch.

I'm honestly surprised to see a total of six bracelets and a necklace on this doll. They don't have much in the way of painted details, but I'll take what I can get.

DRESS:

Skelitas used to come with a plastic piece in the shape of the standard Monster High torso to help clothes fit on her boney frame. Now she comes with this. Undergarments I guess? ;P

The ruffle and sleeves are made of the same stretchy fabric and covered with some gold glitter. The sleeves' edges are secured with an overlock stitch while the ruffle is left raw.

Beginning to fray.

The dress's skirt fabric is that thick plasticy fabric that kind of feels like paper. I do not care for this fabric in the least.

(I was trying to capture the stiffness of the fabric by scrunching it in the photo.)

------------------------------------------------------

After disassembly, I washed her and her clothes. The purple stretchy fabric began to stick onto itself during the washing process. Perhaps the glitter adhesive reactivated with the water and/or the heat. Thankfully, I was able to separate it all again. The top portion of the skirt ruffle folded over during washing and I actually prefer it this way.

Happy accident.

I was able to bring down and relax the sleeves with some added (light) heat. Thank goodness because I did not like how those sleeves looked from factory.

I also took it upon myself to straighten and quickly style her hair with a half ponytail.

For a collector doll, I expect some styling from the company but she came with nothing.

-----------------------------------------------------

Here she is:

The more I look at her, the more I appreciate her. The colors are nice and are pretty cohesive. There are some nice details and she's a "pretty" doll.

However, for this being a collector doll priced at almost 50USD and knowing that Mattel can and has done so much better in terms of design and materials, I'm very disappointed.

But for what I actually paid?

She's okay.

Either way, I'm very happy to have her.

In truth, I would like to buy another one. Either for fodder, or to keep one as factory and another customized. Will only do that if she drops considerably in price.

[materialsscienceandengineering]

Silver Recycling

As a metal, silver is considered an infinitely recyclable material, with no loss in quality after recycling. As a precious metal, however, the rates of silver recycling tend to fluctuate in concert with the current cost of the metal - when the price of silver is higher, the recycling rate tends to increase. The United States is considered the world's largest silver recycler, though the rate at which they have recycled silver has decreased slightly compared to a decade ago. Worldwide, it is estimated that around 25-30% of silver produced today comes from recycled silver, though statistics are difficult to track.

The application silver is used for can also affect recycling rates. High purity silver, like that used in jewelry, is easier to consider than low purity silver, such as what is used in photographic applications.

Sources/Further Reading: (Image source - Statista) (Physical Gold) (emew blog) (Burhouse) (2014 article)

[talkingheadlines]

Gold Price and Silver Rate Today: December 23, 2024

Gold prices saw a slight dip today, with 24-carat gold priced at ₹7,761.3 per gram in India, reflecting a decrease of ₹10. Similarly, 22-carat gold is priced at ₹7,116.3 per gram, also falling by ₹10. Over the past week, the price of 24-carat gold has changed by 1.42%, while over the last month, it has shown a variation of 3.7%. Silver prices have also dropped slightly, with the current rate at…

[somethingclevermahogony]

Happy WBW! Does your world have any interesting systems of currency?

Currency in the Green Sea

Thank you for the question!

Currency is a complicated topic, primarily owing to the fact that money isn't actually all that common in the Green Sea and is a relatively new innovation. In fact it was a Labisian King, Mushadi the Third, who first implemented a palace controlled coinage. Mushadi happens to be the grandfather of both Ninma and Akard, just to give you an idea of how recent coinage actually is. Most of the Green Sea trades primarily via barter, and in practice the coins now used in parts of Kishetal, Shabala, and Makora, are based on the goods that were once bartered. The perceived worth, size, and shape of coins will vary from city to city. For most of the world, even in places like Labisa where coinage exists, most economic activity is still based on bartering, the direct trade of goods. In certain regions of both Kishetal and Korithia, cattle are seen as a show of wealth, and things may be priced in terms of heads of cattle or other livestock.

For those regions that do use coinage, it is perfectly normal to accept money from other regions as payment, in this instance these coins will be thought of purely from a material standpoint, as pieces of metal, rather than with palatial backing.

The Labisian Currency System

Most commoners in Labisa don't use coins or if they do they will only do so using bronze coins, most commoners are unlikely to ever even touch a gold coin, much less earn one.

The examples of Labisian coins above come from the reign of Hutbari. The holes on each coin are meant to specify their worth in terms of baskets of barley.

The smallest unit of Labisan money is the Zubakip, a bronze coin, typically made from the scraps leftover from armor, tool, and weapon production. The worth of the coin is regulated based on the palatial administration with price being tied to the price of two baskets of barley. The actual size of these baskets, and thus the buying power of the coin, will fluctuate. A Zubakip can be thought of as 3 days worth of work for a Kishite commoner. The front of these coins are typically emblazoned with symbols related to the city itself, in this instance the glyphic symbol of the mountain and lake.

The second unit is the Sysbakip, a silver coin. The sysbakip is worth approximately five times as much as a Zubakip, 8 baskets of grain, or roughly the same price as the average ewe or a good quality horned-rabbit. These coins are typically marked with an image of the ruler that commissioned the coin. The example above shows Hutbari flanked by two Kiriki.

The last and most valuable coin is the golden Fetabakip. Fetabakip are very rarely actually made and reserved almost exclusively to nobility and for purposes of trade. These are typically the least adorned coin, marked only with the name of the reigning king. One fetabakip is equivalent to 7 Zubakip, or half of the price of a mid-quality heifer.

[rubiatinctorum]

Day 1: GOLD PRICES are MORE AFFORDABLE today compared to yesterday. KOTOKO is INNOCENT today!

Gold prices, as of the time I checked, dropped 1.17% from yesterday.

Every day I remember to, I'll be voting Kotoko guilty or innocent based on gold price fluctuations.

[wuxiaphoenix]

Worldbuilding: War and Rumors of War

What does being a veteran mean in your world?

One of the most interesting elements of Glen Cook’s Garrett Files fantasy detective series is the ongoing war in the Cantard. Over silver mines, because silver fuels sorcery. Every human man in his kingdom is drafted; every man part-human, gets the choice of being drafted or surrendering all rights as a human citizen. And someone nonhuman can earn full citizenship by serving.

This has multiple effects that crop up through the books. Three of the most obvious are that first, any guy on the street can and probably does have experience with weapons and violence. Second, about half of those who serve don��t come back, meaning there are a lot of unattached women and even an all-girl street gang. Third, as the price of silver versus gold fluctuates with military advances and reverses, various speculators and other more nefarious types take advantage of it. Or try to, with schemes ranging from kidnapping to murder to demonic summons. Plenty of crime to keep a P.I. hopping.

A war, however distant, means Garrett’s home city of TunFaire lives in interesting times. Consider if your story needs that kind of interesting. Are there any kingdoms or planets in your story at war? Threatening to go to war? If so, why? Or why not?

P.M. Griffin’s Star Commandos series is another that uses war as a backdrop. In this setting there was a massive interstellar war that ended just a few years ago; the Federation versus the Arcturian Empire. Aftereffects include pirate wolfpack fleets, people trying to avoid the colonization bureaucracy and start over on new planets, a lot of well-armed merchant shipping, and too many jumpy spacers ready to rile up a mob against anyone who looks like an Arcturian. This makes life far too interesting for Captain Varnt Sogan... because he is an Arcturian, War Prince Varn Tarl Sogan, living in exile under the threat of death because he failed to conquer the Federation. It’s tough being an honorable enemy!

Two different series, two different settings, two very different ways of treating veterans. Because they are two different wars.

The war in the Cantard is resource-driven. Sure, everyone would like silver, but it’s the powerful sorcerers who need it. And their magic gives them the power to persuade nobility to commit regular forces to their ends. Guys like Garrett get drafted, do their best to survive and come home, and their society shrugs and moves on. “No one cares what you did in the war.”

The Federation’s war against the Empire started because the Arcturians from the beginning expanded by conquest, and the Federation was in the way. Almost all Federation soldiers were volunteers. Their ultrasystem is proud of them and they are respected.

Begrudged survival, or honest respect? Fighting for a cause, or because you have no choice? Who, or what, did your veterans fight?

Know these, and you know a lot about your world!

[leon-swedfinqs]

Good Omens D&D AU Master Post - Character Breakdown

Aziraphale (Alias: Ezra P. Fell)

Human Cleric

Aziraphale grew up in what is essentially a religious cult that worships the goddess Ecliel, the goddess that birthed the universe and brought life to earth. She is the original bringer, the original light. The church believes that humans are part of her original creation, a world of everything pure. Magic is seen as supplementary, or impure, as it goes against the original plan of the universe that Ecliel created since it can be used to manipulate and change it. Members of this church are marked by their halos, an object imbued with a charm to make them impossible to remove without a magic source more powerful than its creation. It emits a constant soft glow. Aziraphale has an innate sense of magic, which is fueled by his pure faith in Ecliel and the life she brings. He hid his magic, using it sparingly in his youth. As he got older, it became harder and harder to contain his magic and hide his spells, due to the fact that they would occasionally produce residuum, and he was forced to hide it in the storage rooms of the church. Once the older bishops found the residuum, they did a sweep to find the magic user to dispose of them. Due to his nervousness, his fellow brother Gabriel became suspicious of him and lashed out with his sword demanding a duel to test his faith and loyalty. Under the pressure and fear, Aziraphale’s sword ignited in holy flame, giving him an opening to escape and run away from the church and go into hiding. He became a wandering low level cleric, struggling to learn spells on his own and make money, before he struck immense luck landing a high paying job. However, it came with a price: a partner he had to collaborate with.

Anthony J. Crowley (Previously known as Raphael)

Tiefling Rogue

Anthony, back when she went by Raphael, was a top student at an exclusive arcane academy. This academy specialized in the sacred art of zodiac elemental magic. There are those born with an innate connection to a particular zodiac, and those with this connection can utilize the constellation’s power to cast spells that mix traditional arcane magic with the elements. Raphael had an innate connection to the fire signs, and spent years studying the stars and practicing spells. She noticed, however, that her power fluctuations ran off of a different calendar from her peers. This curiosity lead her to discover a new potential zodiac: Ophiucus, or the Serpent Bearer. Her mentor, Lucifer (the holder of Aries), caught wind of her discovery. The introduction of a new zodiac would lead to a power dynamic shift, creating a domino effect that knocks all of the other holders down in their power. In order to assert his dominance over her, Lucifer challenged Raphael to a magic duel to prove that Aries will always be the most powerful fire sign. Raphael nearly lost the fight, her base level and experience being significantly lower than the near immortal Lucifer, and out of desperation made a minor connection to Ophiucus to draw power from him. This brief connection overwhelmed her, causing the spell to backlash and set the whole stage, the whole school on fire. Raphael fled, cutting the connection from Ophiucus as she went into hiding. She changed her name to Anthony, and swore away magic as he took up the art of being a rogue. The connection left him with small snake like features (slitted yellow eyes and scales scattered across his skin), which made it difficult to get patrons to trust him. He struck gold one day, getting a high paying job that came with a significant price: he had to work with a partner.

Insert Photo Here

Anathema Device

High Elf Divination Witch

Anathema comes from a prestigious family blood line known for their divination magic. Starting back with her great great great grandmother Agnes Nutter, the Devices became known for their foresight and predictions for the future. As an academic, Anathema has spent all of her life studying the different branches of unknown magic and the histories of the smaller gods that are worshipped. Hired as a tutor for Adam Young, to help him guide his desire to learn magic (and his uncanny ability to cast elemental-based magic, one of the more unusual types), Anathema starts getting visions into her future. A weary pair interwoven by fate, grand battles with her at the front lines, and fire. So much fire.

Newton Pulsifer

Half-Orc Artificer

Newton was never really for the extraordinary. He lived a simple life in his small village, tinkering with machines and making his own strange creations. As he got older, he struggled to hold any sort of job, especially one that involved magic. This is due to his unnaturally ability to dispel any casting by trying to cast his own magic. And sometimes magic gets dispelled just by standing near the caster. Desperate for some work, he takes up a sketchy job from a man named Sergeant Shadwell: his bosses are looking for a serpent and a saint, who were just recently spotted to be traveling with a witch.

Insert Photo Here

Adam Young

Half-Elf

A boy who embodies chaos, Adam Young is a spry young half-elf who loves to play games with his friends and pester his parents with question after question. As he reached age 11, his father would find Adam sitting in his windowsill, gazing up at the stars. It wasn’t long before he started to display proficiency in magic, a strange type that mixed typical conjuring with elements (the fire he kept producing made his poor mother nervous). In order to control and properly teach him, the Youngs hired Ms. Device to tutor and train his new abilities.

Muriel

Human Bard

A member of the same church as Aziraphale, Muriel is one of the most cheerful voices in the choir. With a deep love of music, Muriel spends most of their time (when not training or going out to preach with their siblings) practicing songs that will be performed at the next service. Yet to be “ordained” with their halos, Muriel is desperate to lend a helping hand so that they may be seen as worthy of rising higher and joining the rest of their siblings. Due to this slight desperation, Muriel was picked to go on an essential mission for the church: find their banished magic user and see if he was even still alive. If so, gather information. Anything they can grasp. They need him under surveillance as the time was coming soon.

[head-post]

HP Insight

Trump to pay off US national debt with bitcoins

During his election campaign, Donald Trump assured the entire planet that he would be able to repay the US national debt by paying it off with bitcoins. Most of the people took his words as a peace move or a joke. However, it was for nothing.

The Bitcoin quote depends solely on the balance of supply and demand, it is not regulated or constrained by anyone. At the same time, no one is obliged to accept bitcoins, i.e. there is no mechanism to get anything for them if for some reason they refuse to buy or accept them as payment.

Its price will rise due to increased demand and limited supply, which creates tremendous value, unlike conventional money, which can be printed as much as you want, and the more it is printed, the more it depreciates. Experienced stock speculators know very well how to create (or simulate) increased demand. Here we can recall how George Soros, using insider information about the artificial collapse of the pound sterling rate, earned his first billion dollars, and he did it in just one day.

Pragmatic financiers always dream of making money quickly, easily and a lot. Financial pyramids are built on the exploitation of this desire, which are created from nothing, promise a lot and obey the only law: the organisers and those who enter the pyramid among the first can grab their piece of the pie.

Bitcoin is also a phenomenon from this sphere. Its difference is that pyramid builders, as a rule, announce what fixed increase of the capital invested today will be tomorrow and the day after tomorrow (for example, any financial pyramid). No one announces in advance the quotation of bitcoin, the named unit of the cryptocurrency system. It is only known that its growth or fall depends on the ratio of supply and demand of this crypto.

Initially (in 2008, which coincidentally coincided with the global economic crisis), the author of this system, hiding behind the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto, announced its creation and “participants of the exciting game for money” rushed to mine bitcoins. How did it happen and is it happening now?

Specialists explain that “miners computers solve a complex cryptographic problem, which consists in selecting (actually – guessing by brute force) a combination of numbers and letters that will enter a new block of the blockchain. Without mining, no new transactions would be added to the network that are written to the same blocks, and so the whole mechanism would cease to work. The computer that finds the right solution first receives a bonus of a certain amount of crypto coins.” The participants of the system will be able to mine 21 million bitcoins by joint efforts. The founder has decided that the issue will not expand.

At the start of the mining process, these 21 million bitcoins were worth exactly $0 and 0 cents. As bitcoin miners produced more and more bitcoins, new participants were drawn into the game, a cryptocurrency exchange appeared, and rates began to fluctuate. Surely there were people who noticed that the coin invented by Sakamoto is not backed by anything. But does that surprise anyone? Dollar since the middle of the 70s of the last century, after its unbinding from gold, also exists, although it is not secured by anything, except the obligation to pay for transactions in this currency. And there are no problems – it is quoted on exchanges.

As conditional units were mined and interest in the system grew, money flowed into it, and cryptocurrency began to be quoted on exchanges. The cryptocurrency went from a value of zero per unit of nothing to $1 in almost three years, reaching that level in March 2011. Today, the “unit of nothing” rate fluctuates up and down around $100,000. Is this the limit? No, of course not.

Bitcoin price

It is impossible to give an exact answer to the question ‘how many times the price of bitcoin can still grow. But if the count goes into the hundreds of thousands – it is unlikely to surprise. In 2010, American Laszlo Hanyecz bought two pizzas for 10 thousand BTC (the value of 1 BTC at that time was $0.0025). If Hanyecz had simply saved this electronic money for 10 years, his bitcoin account would be worth up to $450 million in 2021.

What influences the price of bitcoin? – Supply and demand on cryptocurrency exchanges, – Regulatory decisions by governments of different countries, – Technological updates and network security, – Statements by well-known investors and public personalities, – Activity of large holders (whales of the market), – General state of the world economy, – Introduction of cryptocurrencies into traditional businesses.

One can still list a number of factors and see that none of them can be categorised as “events that exist independently of the individual.” Including even such phenomena as economic crises, which their organisers carefully try to disguise as “processes that arose spontaneously as a result of lack of control over certain areas of the economy, overproduction of goods and services,” etc.

It is sometimes suggested online that it is impossible to accumulate a large number of bitcoins in one hand. This is not the case. Firstly, such a ban would violate the freedom of trade. And secondly, it was impossible to accumulate in one hand when bitcoins were only being mined and there was no other way to get virtual currency. After it started to be listed on exchanges, buying and selling started and it became possible to accumulate a large amount in one hand.

Besides, “in the same hands” does not mean under one name. There can be many formal owners, but all of them, in fact, can work for one pocket.

That is, the phenomenon that really influences the cryptocurrency exchange rate is the notorious “human factor.” And since this is the case, there is no problem to catch up the value of bitcoin to the level needed by the US to pay off its astronomical national debt. At today’s rate of $100,000 per bitcoin, Trump needs 350 million units of the cryptocurrency to do this. Among experts today there is speculation that the US now has about 200 thousand BTC at its disposal. In the total issue, which is, let me remind you, 21 million, America’s need does not fit yet. But it will not pay off its debts tomorrow.

By the right moment, there is no doubt that the exchange rate, using the points mentioned above, will be driven to the required height. And the states will not even have to have on their balance sheet the entire volume of existing bitcoins.

One fine day for the US, it will transfer its crypto-money to all the treasure holders, which, few doubt, it bought at the dawn of the system for mere pennies. Or (more likely) during Trump’s first administration, when at the end of 2018 the value of bitcoin fell by 80% compared to 2017 and miners sold their businesses en masse due to their inability to recoup their losses.

Consequences of paying off US government debt with cryptocurrency

Some time after the debt is zeroed out, it will not be difficult for the world hegemon to close the channels to the recipients of the payment. That is, an unknown (or known) hacker group will once again hack the crypto exchange. What will happen next can be understood on the example of the Mt. Gox platform, where bitcoins were traded. In February 2014, it was hacked not for the first, but now for the last time. Hackers stole 744,408 units of cryptocurrency. The exchange went bankrupt, the bitcoin price collapsed by 36%, and the stolen virtual money was not returned to the owners.

Of course, there will be many who want to say that all this is a conspiracy theory and conspiracy theories. But COVID-19 in 2019 was also called a natural phenomenon, and the other day almost the entire world press agreed that the origin of the virus-carrier of the disease is the fruit of laboratory efforts of scientists.

Trump’s warning has been sounded. But bitcoin holders will cling to it to the end – it fluctuates up and down, and every time it goes down, the owners of this cryptocurrency have greed over fear – you just have to wait for a good deal and the lost will come back. To then fall again. Already irrevocably.

THE ARTICLE IS THE AUTHOR’S SPECULATION AND DOES NOT CLAIM TO BE TRUE. ALL INFORMATION IS TAKEN FROM OPEN SOURCES. THE AUTHOR DOES NOT IMPOSE ANY SUBJECTIVE CONCLUSIONS.

Erik Kelly for Head-Post.com

Send your author content for publication in the INSIGHT section to headpost.social@gmail.com

[dailyanarchistposts]

VIII. Emancipation of Credit

Having shown that the voluntary organization of mutual credit is fully practicable; that the medium of exchange would thus be shorn of the difficulties which prevent labor from freely capitalizing products; that the various “banks” thus organized, private or associative, to exercise social functions, by a system of mutual clearance would indefinitely extend credit; that all the difficulties now so easy to conjecture would be solved as they were respectively recognized : – we may now proceed to claim for it the following beneficent results:

1. LABOR THE STANDARD OF VALUE. In demonetizing gold and silver, thus depriving them of the royalty they now exercise among commodities, it would destroy their use as standards of value and leave labor expended, the cost of production, the regulator of value. Value being determined by the proportional relation between products, this relation would no longer be sought in a fluctuating standard but measured by the extent and degree of labor expended and thus establish equity in exchange. Nor need there be a conventional standard agreed upon, for free competition would itself lead to equitable relations by and through experience and equality of opportunities, establishing a just rate measured by the intensity and skill of the exertion and degree of repugnance overcome. The agreement being voluntary, every banking company would find their own interest enhanced through competition in finding and acting upon what might be called this natural value. Prices, like everything else following the line of least resistance, in the absence of artificial conduits would naturally flow into equitable relation with cost of labor, thus giving to exertion its full reward. Inflation of credit could not be greater than the increase of surplus wealth deemed acceptable as security, and no such increase of circulating medium, therefore, could affect prices disastrously, or otherwise, below the standard of labor value, for it would measure it as the thermometer does heat. Nor could contraction raise prices, for in currency as in everything else under freedom supply would follow demand.

2. CESSATION OF INTEREST. It would remove the cause for usury without destroying incentive to production. In taking from capital its ill-gotten usufruct of labor the impetus to the production of wealth, in which all classes would be equally benefited and with no artificial limit to its scope and development, would remain because individual initiative would have greater freedom and fuller opportunities. But under our present boasted “incentives” we find individuality narcotized by divorcing capital from labor, accompanied with exhibitions of paternal care. And this would naturally result without calling in authority to accomplish what it, from its very essence, has always been averse to entertain – liberty. The necessity for exertion remaining, opportunity open to gratify wants and means to capitalize wealth, or even day’s labor, together with increased leisure and the more perfect development of individual aptitudes, is sufficient ground for the firm conviction that the extension of freedom into economic relations would not cause mankind to deteriorate into barbarism as our economic apologists for militancy affect to believe. To thus except Economics from the universally beneficent effect of greater freedom is to impugn evolution itself.

All wealth would in a just sense be available as capital when desired; and freedom prevailing no more could receive acceptance as security than would guarantee such. Every portion of this wealth converted by credit to reproductive purpose would be employed without exploiting one of those who give to products their real value, for labor and capital would be united, the reverse sides of the came exertion.

3. EMANCIPATION OF LABOR. The industrial type of social life could then realize its ideal, wherein plasticity excludes rigidity and order be founded on progress; than [sic] only would industrial emancipation become a fact. The producer would no longer be repressed by the fluctuating demand of a speculative market, nor beguiled by twilight schemes of occupancy of land without access to means for use, but be benefited by every new appliance which tended to reduce the exhaustiveness of toil. The opportunities for labor would increase as its wealth-producing qualities became more equitably shared, and ability to increase it receive no damper from fear that the fruits of exertion would be swallowed up by some device of privilege. In the incentive given to production emulation would be incited, ambition aroused, higher desires created and every element of individuality called into healthful exercise rather than repressed. Economics would no longer assert with Roscher that

“The condition of workmen can be continued good or materially improved only on condition that their number increase less rapidly than the capital destined for its wages.”

Nor follow it with the remark:

“Much especially depends upon their foresight and self-control as regards bringing children into the world. Without this latter virtue even the favorable circumstances would be soon trifled away!”

On the contrary, the toiler instead of remaining a hireling in the industrial forces, would not only have every manly faculty aroused, but every opportunity given through increased demand and fuller reward to rise to independence. While free land has been posited as the first element, because land is the source of all wealth, it is now evident that access to vacant land alone would not emancipate labor. As in the realm of biology the higher we rise in the scale of being the more complex functions become, so in Economics we find social functions much more complex in exchange than in land tenure. Waiving discussion whether abolition should precede from the simple to the complex to facilitate normal growth, it may be easily shown, if not already seen, that the monopoly of exchange involving the whole domain of distribution has a much more depressing influence upon the realization of the industrial type than land monopoly. Monopoly of credit carries with it privileged capital, extortion of interest, the struggle for profits, the greater part of the necessity for taxation and the prime cause for labor exploitation. With abolition of privilege here the desire to monopolize land would be curtailed. Bonanza estates are valueless to their holders save as restriction of access to capital drives needy labor to sell itself thereon. Even if emancipation here had no reflex action upon land holding, inability now possessed by capital to exploit would render land held for other than useful purposes a most undesirable investment. The difference is as great as between broad daylight and hazy twilight.

Social wealth and prosperity would then be attained, and by the only way it ever can be, by the wealth and prosperity of the individuals who together constitute society. The “Dismal Science” would no longer compute averages to show that in the prosperity of some an average well-being results, but in the incentive given to exertion, in the ever-widening circle of wants that freedom can alone call forth, betake itself to computations on the possibilities of a civilization founded on “ the greatest good to” ALL, instead of being the philosophy of speculation upon human misfortune and misery, and the art of expounding existing temporary relations as natural laws.

Finally, in the words of Col. Greene:

“The existing bank reproduces the aristocratic organizations; it has its Spartan element of privileged stockholders, its Laconian element of obsequious speculators, etc., on the outside a multitude of Helots who are excluded from its advantages. Answer us, reader: If we were able at this time to bring forward the existing banking system as a new thing, and should recommend its adoption, would you not laugh in our face and characterize our proposition ridiculous? Yet the existing system has an actual and practical being in spite of all its imperfections; nay, more, it is the ruling element of the present civilization of the Christian world; it has substituted itself, or is now substituting itself, in the place of monarchies and nobilities. Who is the noble of the present day, if not a man who lends on interest? Who is the emperor if not Rothschild? Now, if the present system of banking is capable of existence, how much more capable of actual existence is the system of mutual banking? Mutual banking combines all the good elements of the method now in operation, and is capable of securing a thousand benefits which the present method cannot compass, and is, moreover, free from its disadvantages! ”