Showing ID when buying GOLD ???

[Nigel Goodwin]

That is very petty, and nit picky. Using the abbreviation is just habit. Do not read something into it.

Just that many people won't have a clue what you mean, presumably ca is california, but some I don't hav e aclue on.

As far as the metric system, I and most science oriented Americans, support this system as is by far better. What can we do? Industry has made the change, but it is still taught in lower grade levels.

Only metric has been taught in schools here for years - so imperial is dieing out as the older population does

Great fun with work experience kids, asking them to cut something a foot long

 

[Mikebits]

Just that many people won't have a clue what you mean, presumably ca is california, but some I don't hav e aclue on.



Only metric has been taught in schools here for years - so imperial is dieing out as the older population does

Great fun with work experience kids, asking them to cut something a foot long

Like I said the Ca abbreviation is just a habit and not one of arrogance, I often forget the audience. This is in no way a measure of my attitude towards the rest of the world.

After all, I live in America and as such, most of my communication is with Americans. So over here it is presumed. This is not to say that I presume the rest of the world should know this, only I often forget my audience,

And with the metric system, you will get no argument from me, I hate fractions...

 

[Frosty_47]

A common misconception of Americans.

The media really does not speak for the average Joe American, you should know that.

Many Americans embrace all cultures and enjoy outside travelers. After all why would America be called a melting pot? We are made up of many cultures and Nationalities.

Why do we brag? Because we can

Yes, the media speaks for the corporations that rule America.

 

[Sceadwian]

Nigel, if that many more people don't know what we mean then it will do them some good to look up the abbreviations. Apparently Americans aren't the only one's that have to learn tolerance and understanding of differences in culture. Understanding is a two way street, and believe you me nothing gets solved by these petty little squabbles over Metric vs Imperial measurement, industry learned to deal with both LONG ago, except perhaps that whole Nasa mars miss thing =O Even less is learned by blanket statements like Frosty's.

Yes, the media speaks for the corporations that rule America.

Which is just blatant anti-American propaganda. Regardless of it's intent. You try running a country on this scale and getting everything right =) There are approximately 10 times the number of people in the US compared to Canada. We have very different problems.

 

[Frosty_47]

Nigel, if that many more people don't know what we mean then it will do them some good to look up the abbreviations. Apparently Americans aren't the only one's that have to learn tolerance and understanding of differences in culture. Understanding is a two way street, and believe you me nothing gets solved by these petty little squabbles over Metric vs Imperial measurement, industry learned to deal with both LONG ago, except perhaps that whole Nasa mars miss thing =O Even less is learned by blanket statements like Frosty's.

Which is just blatant anti-American propaganda. Regardless of it's intent. You try running a country on this scale and getting everything right =) There are approximately 10 times the number of people in the US compared to Canada. We have very different problems.

My apologies. I meant to say "North American media serves the interests of the puppet governments that are controlled by corporate elite".

 

[Sceadwian]

Frosty, smart people learn to ignore single sourced media very quickly and derive their sources of information from as many places as they can get it, not just the one's that suit their viewpoint. Mind you the US has the downside in population on that front, because there are more stupid people as well as smart people in this country as compared to Canada. Problem is the 'vocal majority' is almost never the smart part of the population. The 'average person' in NO WAY shape or form indicates the thoughts of intelligent people anywhere. The bigger your population is, the bigger the number of people that are stupid you have able to weigh in without being qualified for it.

 

[tcmtech]

Strange how that works though. The people that do know whats going on tend to not say much, While the people that dont have any idea what is going on just cant seem to shut up!

 

[Sceadwian]

Smart people sometimes know when to walk away from an argument. Dumb people don't.
I forget who it is but someone has a signature here that says, "Don't argue with stupid people, they'll drag you down and then beat you with experience."

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

There are approximately 10 times the number of people in the US compared to Canada.

Is that all?, I would have imagined many more than that?.

 

[dknguyen]

What podunk town did you visit All my jobs that I have had, used the metric system. I am taking classes in college and we use the metric system. I have almost forgotten the imperial system. I still like miles yards and feet though. Easier for me to visualize.

Los Angeles! I know! How weird is that?

Frosty, smart people learn to ignore single sourced media very quickly and derive their sources of information from as many places as they can get it, not just the one's that suit their viewpoint. Mind you the US has the downside in population on that front, because there are more stupid people as well as smart people in this country as compared to Canada. Problem is the 'vocal majority' is almost never the smart part of the population. The 'average person' in NO WAY shape or form indicates the thoughts of intelligent people anywhere. The bigger your population is, the bigger the number of people that are stupid you have able to weigh in without being qualified for it.

I always assumed that the ratio of smart people to dumb people stays the same even as the population increases which would mean things stays the same regardless of population. Maybe it doesn't? Or would it be because smart people aren't as vocal (let's just say zero for the sake of what I'm about to say...) and zero is still zero, regardless of how many smart people you multiply it by.

 

[tcmtech]

34 million Canadians and 304 million Americans.

The Canadians must just leave a better impression. Thats why everyone thinks there are more of them!
Or could it be they are they the ones that just dont stop talking and that just makes it seem like there are more of them?

 

[Sceadwian]

DK, ask a politician which worries them more; A group of 10 people that disagree with what 1 person is saying, or a group of 100 people that disagree with what 10 people are saying. All a typical politician sees are bigger numbers, not more important or intelligent topics.

Population scales linearly, opinions do not.

 

[tcmtech]

I always assumed that the ratio of smart people to dumb people stays the same even as the population increases which would mean things stays the same regardless of population. Maybe it doesn't? Or would it be because smart people aren't as vocal (let's just say zero for the sake of what I'm about to say...) and zero is still zero, regardless of how many smart people you multiply it by.

The overall ratio stays fairly balanced. Its the pockets of more extreme ignorance and stupidity that tend to stand out.

You can have 100 intelligent people living within a block of you and not even realize it.
But yet you, and everyone else, knows were every dumb ass lives thats half a mile away!

 

[Frosty_47]

Frosty, smart people learn to ignore single sourced media very quickly and derive their sources of information from as many places as they can get it, not just the one's that suit their viewpoint. Mind you the US has the downside in population on that front, because there are more stupid people as well as smart people in this country as compared to Canada. Problem is the 'vocal majority' is almost never the smart part of the population. The 'average person' in NO WAY shape or form indicates the thoughts of intelligent people anywhere. The bigger your population is, the bigger the number of people that are stupid you have able to weigh in without being qualified for it.

Intelligent individuals don't rely on media for facts. Intelligent people are capable of analytical thinking (that’s why they are intelligent )

 

[Sceadwian]

Frosty, that is blatantly wrong. Intelligence has nothing to do with 'smarts' I've met plenty of stupid people (very low relative IQ) that I consider far smarter than myself even though my relative IQ is higher.

 

[Richard Smith]

Why do you need to show ID to buy or sell gold?

The dealer don't care where you got your money or any of those other reasons I have seen people sugest, this is why. Gold is going up so fast that IRS doesn't want to miss out on "Capital Gain Tax" If you buy $100,000 in gold today and they don't know who you are and you sell it next year for $150,000 to another person who they have no name for they just lost "Capital Gain tax" on $50,000 They got to have names and all the data and if you make a killing don't be surprised if the IRS doesn't come send you an audit letter, lie to them and you got big problems.