pbrman71

You gotta love mm17's enthusiasm. I used to talk to him online when I was in Iraq and before he became a big mucky muck on the other site. He's an old retired Boatswain's mate from the Coast Guard. Good guy. I miss chatting with him, he is pretty solidly informed and not a pumper or anything,but since I got banned from the other site I havn't been able to talk to him at all.

Wow. Sounds like this post has gotten some people's blood going here. Personally, I am pretty convinced the rate will be in the 1 to 1.17 range. For one thing, Shabbs (?) pretty much said exactly that...on par with the dollar. Now, even if the dollar does plummet ( which some are convinced of, although I don't really believe it) the facts of the matter are that the whole world revolves around the dollar. The dollar is king. Taking that into consideration along with Shabibbi's now infamous remarks of "par value", for them to come out at a rate close to or equaling the dollar would be an astronomical coup on their part. The gain financial stature as well as prestige. I have no doubt that in time it will rise significantly ( in the 1930's it was something like 5.00 USD!) The 1 to 1 right out of the gate would be a solid footing for them and a heck of a gain for investors as well as a warning shot to all the world that they are "up and coming". I also agree with the so called "world monetary realignment" scenario. The world is in a recessionary spiral now...Greece, Italy, many of the European countries, etc, are up against formidable odds right now. The days of rich countries versus poor countries just doesn't work any more. The world has become too small, and too overpopulated. We've basically become too big for our britches, not only here in the US, but elsewhere as well. The US used to be a producing country, and now we have become a consuming country. Think of this: How many HUGE items come from Japan? A stunning amount...automobiles alone are staggering. Now look at the size of that country and you have to ask how can one country that small make so much money? Answer: work ethic for one, and proper and wise money management for another. What it amounts to is that we ( the US) and quite a few other major players on the world stage have set ourselves up for this "realignment". The old " Ah, we'll take care of it tomorrow" syndrome. It's been coming for years, many people have tried to warn us about it, and we just blew it off. Well, here it is maybe at last. Have no doubts whatever that Iraq is not aware of all this...they most assuredly are, and will use it to their advantage. They will set their money close to the dollar now and when and if the dollar devalues, they will have the resources to value theirs higher. They are not nearly as dumb as a lot of people make them out to be...not by a long shot. Iraq is poised to pull off one of the greatest coups in history, and we are helping them do it

Someone told me the other day that Okie is living proof his ancestors had way too many drugs and indiscriminate sex. While I agree, in the interests of propriety, I will withold opinion on it...

Well! Maybe my "by end of March "scenario isn't so farfetched after all. Maybe...

Well, don't know about y'all, but I'm confused. Is this good news? Maybe I'm confused from all the drugs back in the 60's and 70's...although I didn't inhale!!

Right-o-mate. You do the best you can with what you have and screw the rest of it.

No. I'm not even sure they have anyone there that fits that description...

You know, to tell the truth, if we didn't need the money so badly, and I wasn't so positive it was going to happen, I'd sell what we have left and move on cause I am sure sick and tired of all the bs involved with these folks over there. I spent 5 years there as a civilian, and I can tell you first hand, it is NOT anyplace you want to visit!! Put up with the rockets, the mortars, the heat, the cold, the tents, the unbelievable dust and sand storms...just oughta get something back for all of that. And that's saying nothing about not seeing my wife for like 6 months at a time! Still hanging in there. Thanks for asking. Good days, and not so good days...

Still hanging in there. Thanks for asking. Good days, and not so good days...

Sorry, luggage rack is spoken for. Maybe I can rig up the wheelbarrow behind or something...we'll do something. No worries.

Thanks broke for making it a little easier to read and decipher. Got on kind of a roll there and just kept going. I still wonder though about the credibility of Shabbs...everyone SAYS he's a good guy and all that, but how do we know for sure? I mean, at one point Maliki, and Allawi and company were all touted as being "good guys"...

Ok...got quite a bit of insight and some good answers to the last couple posts I did re: r/v possibilities for the month of March. A couple of things have been running around in my head, so I will lay them out here for y'all to pick apart and answer. 1. Do we KNOW...and I mean absolutely KNOW Shabbs is the only one who can pull this off single-handedly? Yes, the CBI is rather autonomous from the GOI and all that,but I would think it still would have to have some support and backing from the GOI, so the question in my mind is do we really believe in the credibility of Shabbs?2. Is it possible he has a different agenda and motives, etc. than what we are privy to? Seems for a long long time now, he has been presented as about the only one single morally ethical person over there...but do we know this to be true? It occurs to me that a great deal of our opinion is unintentionally manipulated by our desire to see it r/v. In other words, perhaps we see and believe what we WANT or NEED to see or believe, as opposed to what is factually true.3. Could this be the case with Shabbs, Maliki, Allawi and all the rest? We see this and attempt to understand it from our Western mindset, which is fundamentally the wrong approach, although we really have no other choice. We cannot help what we are, or the way we think. What I'm getting at is that all our interpretations of this, that and something else could be fundamentally flawed because we are not Middle Easterners, so to speak, and can really have no idea of their mindset, intentions or anything else. This is a section of the world that has thrived for milleniums on misinformation, deception, etc. The old addage about the goat being tied to the tree as bait for the tiger...is the goat informed before hand as to his fate? Look at the r/v that way. We know Maliki manipulates much of the media, so how much of what that media putsout is really the truth?

So let us all, on a serious note, say a prayer this night that our heavenly Father blesses us and ends the anguish we have all been through all these many years now. SO much good we can do for SO many people who need and deserve what we can make happen with even a moderate r/v. I don't usually wax religious, but I am definetley a believer. I think He has led us all down this road for a reason, so it behooves us all to give thanks in some very very special ways... yes? So...that being said: GO R/V!! Roll tide!

Hey, if we run out of seats, we can just strap y'all on a fender or a bumper...more the merrier!

What with all the latest "good news" seemingly coming out of everywhere the last couple days, I am wondering if anyone cares to perhaps rethink their position regarding the possibility of r/v by the end of this month? Articles from yesterday and today sure seem to kind of point more in that direction than they did a few days back. For the first time in quite a few months, I am feeling pretty optimistic right now...to say nothing of hopeful of course...

Let's get a rope...

I don't know about the rest of y'all, but this post has got me pretty jazzed. I'm thinking right now that we are farther along and even closer to r/v than we thought even yesterday. Yes?

Close, but not close enough. You get Don King!

Anybody know what you get when you mix viagra with rogaine??

Ah...finally an answer. Pretty much as I suspected. But you have to admit, the article seems to be pretty optimistic in it's content. And, oh yes, I sort of remember the 60's and 70's...after I can back from Nam, I let my heir grow for 15 years. Used to be able to sit on it while I rolled some of that 10 buck mexican...oaxacan, michoacan, acapulco... wait! I'm having a flashback! I'm forgetting how to breath!! Look out...giant flying frogs! lol Doing ok right now tirebiter...just taking it day by day and keeping the fingers crossed. Lot's of conflicting and confusing info flying around right now!

And the answer is: Achmed's Print and Go", at the corner of Baghdad Blvd, and Mohammed Avenue, Baghdad. Also FAX, copy and internet cafe facilities available...

Actually it's an Afghani assault vehicle

Well, looks like right now we're about 50/50 for end of March. Come on y'all...don't be shy. Get your opinions in here...this is getting better. Some good thoughts surfacing here and some good solid debate.

Wow. Quite a bit more than I anticipated when I asked the question. I was really just interested in like a yes or no answer, but this thread has apparently gotten some people thinking and sharing and that has to be a good thing. There was quite an article in the chatlog section posted by ronscarpa(?) alluding to an almost any day now scenario. I asked the question there and I will ask it also here : is the post and the poster credible, or is it just more "guruspeak"? I intend no disrespect to anyone in asking...just curious as I am not familiar with the poster...