It’s well known that the US dollar was originally modeled off the Spanish milled dollar, or “piece of eight.” And it’s also well known that the name “dollar” came from the German word thaler, the name of a silver coin of a certain weight. Whereas the mark was the primary unit of weight in measuring […]
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The policymakers at the Federal Reserve, and at most central banks for that matter, have a horrible track record when it comes to figuring out when an economy is in a bubble. By the time they realize that the bubble has even existed, it has already burst. They end up playing catch-up, reacting to a […]
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In the aftermath of Iran’s downing of a US surveillance drone last week, the Trump administration placed new sanctions on Iran’s supreme leader and Foreign Minister. The sanctions, which most analysts agree won’t actually have any effect, served mostly as a slap in the face to the Iranian government. And the Iranian government’s response was […]
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One of the key factors behind judging Bitcoin’s continued popularity is the number of addresses that are active in using or trading Bitcoin. Today that number stands at over one million, a figure that was first reached in November 2017 but that hasn’t been broached since then. That’s nearly double the number of daily active […]
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In the aftermath of Iran’s shooting down a US surveillance drone last week, the warmongers in Washington were ready to pounce. That was just the provocation they were looking for to launch military strikes against Iran that likely would have spiraled into all-out war. But President Trump, to his great credit, called back the planned […]
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Many people think that money or assets they store in a bank safe deposit box is guaranteed to be safe. With the security of a bank vault and the requirement of two keys to get into the box, what could go wrong? But while a safe deposit box may deter ordinary thieves, it isn’t immune […]
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When looking back at the history of firearms, the development of brass-cased ammunition happened relatively quickly. From foil-wrapped gunpowder to pinfire ammunition to rimfire ammunition to centerfire ammunition, within only a few decades it seemed that hunters, sport shooters, and militaries migrated from muzzleloading muskets to the centerfire rifle ammunition that is still in use […]
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With the UK poised to leave the European Union at some point through Brexit, the divisions among the EU’s member states are growing more and more apparent every day. It isn’t just members such as the UK either, which despite its EU membership was never fully integrated into many aspects of the union. Core members […]
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Caffeine is probably one of the most widely-consumed drugs in the country. Millions of Americans get their daily fix with a cup or two (or more) of java. And while drinking coffee does have many health benefits, many of us are concerned that we get too much caffeine in our systems. Not only do we […]
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Due to recent volatility in stock and bond markets, many investors have turned their attention to precious metals as a hedge against that volatility. With memories of the 2008 financial crisis and its aftermath still fresh in many investors’ minds, their thoughts naturally turn to gold and silver, two assets that protected investors’ assets during […]
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