Foo - when will the madness stop

1 U.S. dollar = 97.0308558 Japanese yen


9 more months 9 more months :mad:

Rejoice at the opportunity to free yourself of consumerism. You don't need to buy all those Japanese products, anyway. Read a good book instead.

I'm still waiting for the ratio to be 1:1

Don't you feel better knowing this?? Now go ride your bike :)

The dollar's been overvalued for along time in order to bankroll our consumption habit.

Just think of this correction as a great opportunity to start buying American again.

Don't you feel better knowing this?? Now go ride your bike :)

It is raining, cold, and windy so I don't feel like ridng today! I am just going to sit here and be miserable and depressed today thank you!

New president isn't going to fix things unless he/she can convince Americans to stop buying way too much crap. He/She would also have to fix the regulations for bankers, decrease government spending, etc. Even then, we'd still be in a hole and only just starting to come out.

It is raining, cold, and windy so I don't feel like ridng today! I am just going to sit here and be miserable and depressed today thank you!

Well lets try to make it sunny and happy in your home today!!! :)

New president isn't going to fix things unless he/she can convince Americans to stop buying way too much crap. He/She would also have to fix the regulations for bankers, decrease government spending, etc. Even then, we'd still be in a hole and only just starting to come out.

He can't do that. His growth model is based on us buying all that crap.

Does anyone else remember the mid to late 1980s when the dollar declined in value by about 50%? I was living and working in Germany at the time...my living expenses were mostly in marks, but my pay was in dollars (I worked for an American company on an American military base), so I really noticed the change!

Yep. I remember well.

Then in the 90's the value of the dollar rose again (thanks to Clinton? or a Republican congress? or just another business cycle?) and trips to Europe were cheap.

Now they're expensive again.

Wait another 5 years, I'm guessing.

Wow, that means I can start buying US products. I bought my cannondale recently which was a bargain, what else can I buy?

Yeah, the Canadian dollar is slightly stronger than our dollar too. Far cry from a few years ago when everything in Montreal was 60% off. :D Now the Canadians are coming down here to Vermont in droves to spend money. That's cool, but we sure got spoiled before.

Yeah, the Canadian dollar is slightly stronger than our dollar too. Far cry from a few years ago when everything in Montreal was 60% off. :D Now the Canadians are coming down here to Vermont in droves to spend money. That's cool, but we sure got spoiled before.

What sucks is that Canadian prices still remain relatively higher. Not cool when i'm looking to buy a fast ratio steering rack for my car from a canadian based company. :(

March Madness is an annual thing. Just sayin...:D

What sucks is that Canadian prices still remain relatively higher. Not cool when i'm looking to buy a fast ratio steering rack for my car from a canadian based company. :(

Tell me about it, books are still almost 50%, same with most electronics and bike stuff.

Tell me about it, books are still almost 50%, same with most electronics and bike stuff.

Some of that's because it's a P.I.T.A. getting things through customs. Some of it is shipping costs. Some if it is stupidity.

Some of that's because it's a P.I.T.A. getting things through customs. Some of it is shipping costs. Some if it is stupidity.

No doubt, I understand that aspect.

It still sucks for the canadian businesses

Wow, that means I can start buying US products. I bought my cannondale recently which was a bargain, what else can I buy?

Not much. Everything has been outsourced.

I hope it does not. I like "Our House". Have to go check out The Dangermen.

Wow, that means I can start buying US products. I bought my cannondale recently which was a bargain, what else can I buy?

Have you looked under the BB of that Cannondale?
Heard they're now owned by the Canadian Dorel Corp?

It is very tough to frind anything in the bicycle industry manufactured solely in the USA. Good luck with that.

One of the magazines a few years back had a special on a 100% all American mountain bike. However, it was based on an old Schwinn Homegrown frame which is no longer made (I think all Schwinn stuff comes from Shanghai or Taiwan now, but not sure.)

It might be doable, but you will most likely have to buy a custom frame (which isn't a bad thing). However, even the tubing is almost certainly going to come from overseas (due to well intentioned but badly implemented EPA acts which pretty much forced all US steel and metal industries to shut down or move offshore.)

If you can find a way to do an all US bike, go for it.

I believe BMW and Sennheiser are expanding their operations in the US, partly because of the weaker dollar.

I believe BMW and Sennheiser are expanding their operations in the US, partly because of the weaker dollar.

Hey, maybe if our dollar becomes weak enough jobs from China will start being outsourced here. :D

I know India jobs are being outsourced back to US call centers due to the fact they don't have the infrastructure to handle things. So, you get Austin->New Delhi->Las Vegas for call center transferring.

Hey, maybe if our dollar becomes weak enough jobs from China will start being outsourced here. :D

Heh, perhaps. The US dollar was pretty strong when those jobs shifted.

Wow, that means I can start buying US products. I bought my cannondale recently which was a bargain, what else can I buy?
Well, you could plan a family vacation to Portland, Oregon and get measured and order yourself a custom bike. Japanese tourists love Portland because the public transit is so good and the city is so safe. :)

Have you looked under the BB of that Cannondale?
Heard they're now owned by the Canadian Dorel Corp?

It is very tough to frind anything in the bicycle industry manufactured solely in the USA. Good luck with that.

d(^.0) Well I think it was made in the US (the frame at least) Built Jan 2007. It has a rather handsome flag with lots of stars and strips on the top bar with handmade in usa under it. The seat stays have handmade in usa in big letters. Unfortunately they are all under clear coat.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y214/giantcfr1/BIKES%20My%20Bikes/CANNONDALE%20BAD%20BOY%20SI%20DISC/27Oct07cannondale010.jpg

Well, you could plan a family vacation to Portland, Oregon and get measured and order yourself a custom bike. Japanese tourists love Portland because the public transit is so good and the city is so safe. :)

woo woo, look out!! we're going on vacation.

edit...wait wait, how fast are your trains? I ain't goin' on anything that does under 275 km/h.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y214/giantcfr1/JAPAN%20Trains/Shinkansen/17Aug06Hiroshima049.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y214/giantcfr1/JAPAN%20Trains/Shinkansen/tokyo4th5th002.jpg