The Cost of Friendship

The Cost of Friendship

Jacob Schroeder  Jul 30, 2021

An oak tree can grow to 100 feet tall and live for more than 100 years.

In a mast year, an oak tree can shed as many as 10,000 acorns, hard little squirrel delicacies raining down dozens of feet on your lawn (or head) like tiny missiles.

These are things I learned only after shipping a young oak tree to a best friend and his wife to plant in their yard as a gift to celebrate the announcement of their first baby. I didn't consider whether they had room for such a large tree or even had the desire to deal with the maintenance. Instead, I only thought about the cost.

How much should you spend on celebrating a friend's big life events?

The tree came with a copy of the classic children's book, The Giving Tree, by Shel Silverstein. I sent it as a special way for them to mark the occasion. But truthfully, just like the boy in the book who repeatedly takes from the loving tree for selfish reasons, I also did it for myself. The root of our friendships is just as much about sustaining ourselves as it is about sustaining others.

Which is why I've been wondering lately: What is the cost of friendship anyway?

I took an unplanned month-long break from this blog. It was partly due to the demands of my day job and some other projects I'm building. But more so, because I was having so much fun spending time in the company of others again. Nights socializing replaced nights writing.

After not seeing most of my friends in over year because of COVID, there is a sweet sense of carelessness. No one cares if we meet at that overpriced restaurant. Sitting around a backyard fire is good enough reason to drink the expensive stuff.

After all, what are friends for?

A lot.

Why You Should Spend Money on Your Friends

While it is important to identify what expenses you can cut from your budget, it is equally important to identify what you like to joyfully spend money on.

We should never get too hung up on spending time and money on friends. It sounds trite, but it seems necessary to write because fewer and fewer people have them.

Amidst my time rekindling friendships, the most depressing thing I read about is the growing loss of close friendships. Even with all the communication tools literally in our pockets, we are as lonely as ever, according to a study from the  Survey Center on American Life.

 To continue reading, please go to the original article here:

https://rootofall.substack.com/p/the-cost-of-friendship

What If – The Story of a Ponzi Scheme

What If – The Story of a Ponzi Scheme

By Joshua Parker | November 16, 2022

What if…  What if the entire world was a massive Ponzi scheme?

What if what we think of as money is really just special pieces of paper with sophisticated markings on them?

What if the strength of the US dollar is really only dependent on the “faith and credit” of the US financial system and the Federal Reserve bank?

What if the “Federal Reserve” bank is “federal” in name only and actually a private bank owned by the richest bankers in the world that use the system to build their wealth while taking advantage of (and stealth-fully stealing) yours?

Wait – all of that is true!

And what if the private “Federal Reserve” bank removed the reserve requirement for banks in 2020 to zero percent and banks no longer are required to hold any reserve?

Wait – that’s true also!

Reserve Requirements

As announced on March 15, 2020, the Board reduced reserve requirement ratios to zero percent effective March 26, 2020. This action eliminated reserve requirements for all depository institutions.

A form of fractional reserve lending may have began in the middle ages when goldsmiths debased gold coins with other metals thus diluting their value while these coins were initially traded as pure gold.

The modern form of fractional reserve lending is far more complicated and involves percentages that are supposed to be held by banks as reserve allowing them to loan out more than the deposits show they’ve received.

The even more complicated part is how banks determine just what is considered a “deposit” and this gets deep into the quagmire of the banking system.

Essentially the banking system can’t operate without your signature or agreement to pay a sum of “money” and the way the banks then illegally “deposit” your monetized agreement (promissory note) the same way they would receive a deposit of US Dollar notes (cash). This is the devious way the banks built up their fake reserves of “money” before the Federal Reserve eliminated the reserve requirement.

Once received, the non-existent “money” they receive at the bank (your promise to pay!) is put into the banks double entry accounting as a deposit but the banks never show this side of their books.

I can tell you this first hand because back in 2003 I was sued by Citibank for over $11,000 which I had disputed and through a motion for dismissal and a motion for summary judgement I was litigating to see this side of their books in the discovery process. This is the part of a legal proceeding where evidence is revealed from the other party.

The fact is these banks will do everything in their power NOT to reveal this hidden side of their books.

I actually won that case in summary judgement and was awarded a judgement of court costs but since I had defended myself in court these only amounted to $413 for the costs of photocopying, etc. There’s a funny story that follows this but I’ll save it for a future post if any questions arise from this story.

The long story short of this lesson is that banks are hiding their actions because technically they are not only unethical but also illegal. They simply can’t continue their racket without the power of YOUR signature and the way they do it is to use it to create a fictional deposit out of your promise.

This also reveals the fact that the entire fractional reserve banking system is based on debt and “Federal Reserve Notes” are simply an accounting of debt and that’s why the banks treat them the same way as your “promise” to pay a “debt” or loan they supposedly give you when in fact they simply create the “money” directly by receiving your “promissory note” on their books as a deposit.

One final note for this post is since the time of my case with Citibank most states including mine have created a mandatory arbitration clause that helps prevent such cases from going in front of a judge who may in fact give it fair consideration (like I was lucky to get).

In my case the opposing counsel didn’t take the case seriously and only showed up telephonically and the judge hated that and my motions were incredibly well written (if I do say so myself lol) and I knew the case law very well. Plus I dressed the part with a pin-striped suit and a nice briefcase. The judge thought I was in law school.

Without all those perks I may have not been taken seriously.

It’s pretty nice when the judge is schooling your opposing counsel by telling stories like “when I a young lawyer we had to walk 10 miles in the snow to get to court or we lost the case”!

Here’s some loosely related recent videos and interviews that might help bring this story into modern perspective.

Here’s a video with Gregg Mannarino from www.TradersChoice.net  who’s insight on these topics is clear from his experience and his clear presentation of complex topics:   LINK

Here’s an interview with Aaron Brickman and Mike Adams about the monetary system and what may happen after an implosion:  LINK

References:

Federal Reserve: https://www.federalreserve.gov/monetarypolicy/reservereq.htm

Featured Photo By Kevin Krejci

Lawsuit Image courtesy of: EpicTop10.com

Please share your thoughts in the comments below and if you found this post useful share it with your friends and check out some of our other posts on De-Dolarization

Joshua Parker

Independent precious metals investor since 2006 who has learned through mistakes he hopes to help you avoid. Self employed entrepreneur since birth   Owner of www.HealthHarmonic.com

2022 – Out Of The Chaos Arose More Chaos

2022 – Out Of The Chaos Arose More Chaos

WHITE HAT AUXILIARIES  Information Briefing #181   December 10, 2022

To Empower The Bold – To Explore Truth – To Accurately Inform About The World Global Settlements

I am going to invoke dominus privilegium and personally address you in what will be the last briefing for 2022. These are my words, unless described otherwise.

The year comes to an end, and I am sure there is no need to summarize it here, as all of you are experiencing it firsthand in your daily lives. I am quite sure that depending on how each of you are personally situated, the chaos impacts in very different ways. What is most important is that one learns how to adapt ways and means to survive through it all. And this is certainly not going to be a universal approach for everyone. However you are making your way, I hope you are achieving your goals in doing so, the current malaise notwithstanding.

Let us review a few key areas of interest, and briefly discuss what I would like to achieve next year.

The Global Settlements

For those that don’t know, the World Global Settlements are to be the largest financial transactions in the history of Earth. They are designed to achieve the ethical infusion of off balance sheet Asiatic dynastic wealth into world economies, subject to strict oversight and management, by a core team of trustees, including one of our key site contributors.

As most of our readers know, a serious meeting took place in New York last December, which resulted in a failure to agree on terms for U.S. beneficial access. The U.S. negotiators, we are told, have committed a very serious error in failing to accept terms designed to protect the transactions from earlier acts of treachery that could not be allowed to repeat.

Now we are awaiting a possible commencement of these monumentally huge transactions via a BRICS framework, which would leave the U.S. to go it alone to compete with a world seeking to move away from dollar dominance.

We have the good fortune of direct contact with the one entity that key Asiatic dynastic Elders consult with on the GS, who recently said the following in an internal discussion:

“The potential net consequences now facing America will be draconian. A multipolar split where America loses all dominance. Nations dropping the petrodollar. Ending global reliance upon SWIFT. The end of energy and core commodities priced in dollars. Global suppliers refusing to sell energy or commodities for worthless dollars, demanding the US pay in alternative currencies, or heavily discounting the dollar.

We face pension funds becoming insolvent. Banks bailing in from clients’ savings – stealing from you. Pensions being reneged upon and income losses in value of at least 30%.  Soaring gas, home heating, health care and food costs. Food shortages, and the collapse of welfare with riots expected as former recipients revolt. 990 plus US warfare bases shut down with no money. Vast fleets at sea not able to buy fuel, or food, or pay for docking. An air force not able to buy jet fuel.

The US has exported jobs and industries. It’s made the Third World wealthy and America poor. Old mother Hubbard has nothing in the cupboard. The world knows the US is run by whores.

Is this the new incoming domestic Boston Tea Party where the world says, “Enough!”?

Yet the illegals keep flooding in and crime rises. D.C. is on the take, and corruption rules fools.

What can go so wrong?  The world is cutting D.C. free!  Losing 75% of the world, what then is America’s destiny? War? WWIII? All lose.

Rethink and plan out of bail-ins. A bail-out for those who can! It IS coming, and when it does hit it will go like Rome. D.C. is incapable of planning through this. Scam city. Every snout seeking a hand out.

Information and knowledge, now, is everything. We [WHA] are forewarned of so much. Heed it.”

We have been repeatedly warned that a BRICS GS release will have potentially detrimental economic effects on the already strained, hyper-inflating USD. As BRICS nations continue to expand, and with their currencies possessing hard metal asset backing, the non-metals backed USD may find itself being supplanted in traditional long standing trade mediums. This could result in a Weimar economic condition in the U.S. I have taken steps to personally prepare for this, and I suggest you research how to protect your portfolios from such deleterious events.

As I would like to think: We are in the right place, at the right time, with the right information, and know the right people who deal with the GS on a daily basis. So our updates on the matter will be right from the source, when possible. I don’t think it could get any better than that.

Tales From The Crypto

Some time ago we added a list of suggested crypto ideas as a courtesy to any readers who wished to avail themselves of it, and we will continue to do so free of charge into 2023.

I continue to point out that this sector is truly terra incognita, and will be subject to very extreme volatility, suitable only for risk capital. Recent events have shown why such warnings were given, and continue to be.

I continue to believe that we have not seen the ultimate highs that are yet to come in future cycles. So the extreme volatility we have seen this year, with prices down where they are, should not be taken as a final capitulation or failure of the industry. Far from it! It is, in essence, the price we will pay for a much larger future payoff, with the ultimate goal of transformational wealth accumulation.

This is a time to cost average your holdings, if right for your circumstances. But one must be careful to choose projects which are well researched and have valid use cases, and not borrow funds to buy them. Our list of suggestions is to guide you if needed. There are thousands of tokens and coins. We have presented only 13 of them to consider.

The Blockchain economy is still very new and struggling to find its legs in a regulatory quagmire of bureaucratic swampiness. But, find them, they will.

We will have to be patient, as I am quite certain that once the regulatory framework is worked out, Wall Street interests will not miss out on fee income they desperately need from offering crypto-based products to their millions of clients with trillions of dollars to invest.

Once they build easy, one-click onramps for techno-dunces to use, combined with new generational inherited wealth that surveys revealed is earmarked for this new space, we should see a monumental rise in demand for potentially scarce supplies of BTC and ETH, and the many quality tokens which transact on ERC-20 blockchains, along with BTC-settled ETFs. Only SEC incompetence, scam artists, and current economic malaise have delayed it.

The current price volatility is not due to lack of interest or a defect in the technology. Not even close. Bad, unregulated brokerages, are. But, brokerages and exchanges are not crypto. They are essentially mirrors of old centralized monetary systems which have the Federal Reserve to bail out the scams.

Crypto has no such backstop, so bad actors will go down and stay down forever. And that is how it should be. It will strengthen the future players who will be forced to operate with greater transparency in order to win the trust of the smarter money that will demand it. So, you will either offer that transparency, or be brushed aside, and not bailed out.

Commercial interests continue to make plans, and adoption goes on. Along side it, we will have to suffer the impacts of scams, bad actors, bad ideas, economic whipsaws, political incompetence and foot-dragging to get to where I want to see us all arrive – life changing wealth accumulation by being early and being disciplined to know we are early and knowing just what is ahead. It will slow us down, but it will not prevent the inevitable. No forward leap into any technological advancement has ever occurred drenched in the effulgence of perfection.

For now, as I write, my personal view is that prices will continue down for a while longer. The margin calls from the FTX debacle are causing forced selling to cover leveraged bets and other similar stupid gamblers’ folly. This is foolishness by greedy players and we can take advantage of it by adding to our positions at discounts, using cash.

Again, we are early, and accumulation is the game right now. It is common in this space for prices to retreat 90% before firing upwards 5,000% and beyond. If you can just buy and hold, think of what awaits you. But, we may see BTC at $12000 and ETH at $500 before we are back on the trip upwards. Bear markets usually end on a very, very ugly capitulation that is sudden and wipes out the last of the weaklings and leveraged death-loving berserkers. We have not seen that just yet. You’ll know, if and when we do.

For now, we will continue to add new quality ideas as they are researched and vetted. And barring that, there is little need for any change of our particular crypto strategy for 2023.

Plans For 2023

We will continue on with the comment section, made available for sharing of information and general discussions. It’s your forum to bring forth anything you consider important, so please do so.

I continue to appreciate the many valuable contributions made by our regular readers on a very wide array of subject matter, and I am very impressed at the genial, dignified tolerance as others present widely diverse views and opinions.

For 2023, I am going to devote less time to my own comments and more to the new portfolios which I have been working on for some time now. I will not go into details on the final shape of the new ideas, which will be presented for your consideration, but rest assured that very careful planning will be done to navigate the uncertainties ahead in the next year, and make available options for you to take advantage of, if you wish.

I feel it is important to offer some tangible value to help survive and hopefully thrive amidst new challenges, and not just talk about them. Some practical application, as opposed to merely the theoretical, so to speak. As always, we cannot and will not give individualized investment advice.

And, if the Global Settlements find an optimum environment to proceed, we will certainly be ready to assist with administrative duties pertaining to any post-release related financial products which may be properly made available to our readers.

From all indications, the next year may present some serious challenges, so as I am always reminding you all: BE READY FOR ANYTHING!

I appreciate you allowing my personal indulgence with this message to you. Thank you all for your participation. We will be back after the 1st of January with a new feature and hopefully a lot more.

PAX VOBISCVM  WHA   S*P*Q*R

https://whitehatauxiliaries.com/2022/12/10/information-briefing-181/

7 Facts You Didn’t Know About Pearl Harbor

7 Facts You Didn’t Know About Pearl Harbor

Seventy-seven years ago today, America was changed forever.

By Landess Kearns

Sure, we all know the date and the famous quote (Dec. 7, 1941, “a date which will live in infamy“) and, of course, the implications and significance (more than 2,000 Americans were killed in the attack, which launched the U.S. into World War II).

​ 1. Most of the battleships sunk that day were resurrected.

Of the eight battleships targeted during the attacks, all but two were eventually repaired and returned to the U.S. Navy’s fleet. The USS West Virginia and the USS California had both sunk completely, but the Navy raised them, repaired them and reused them. 

Furthermore, bullet holes and damage from the attacks can be seen to this day at many of the active military installations on Oahu, including Schofield Barracks, Wheeler Army Airfield and Hickam Army Air Field. Rather than being repaired or covered up, the bullet holes serve as a reminder of the lives lost that day and as motivation for our military to stand strong still.

The USS West Virginia gets towed to drydock to start repairs in 1942.

2. Veterans of the attack can be laid to rest at Pearl Harbor.

Survivors of the attack have the option to join their lost comrades and make Pearl Harbor their final resting place. Crew members who served on board the USS Arizona during the attack — the ship that experienced the most devastating damage — may choose to have their ashes deposited by divers beneath one of the sunken Arizona’s gun turrets.

Roughly 30 Arizona survivors have chosen this option and less than a dozen of the 355 survivors are still living. Other military survivors can choose to have their ashes scattered wherever their ship was located during the attacks.

The Pearl Harbor Honor Guard presents arms at the burial at sea for Chief Yeoman Guy Pierce, who was aboard the USS Utah during the Pearl Harbor attack, Dec. 6, 2003.

​3. The USS Arizona still leaks fuel.

The day before the attacks, the USS Arizona took on a full load of fuel, nearly 1.5 million gallons. Much of that fuel helped ignite the explosion and subsequent fires that destroyed the ship, but — amazingly — some fuel continues to seep out of the wreckage.

According to the History Channel, the Arizona “continues to spill up to 9 quarts of oil into the harbor each day“ and visitors often say it is as if the ship were still bleeding.

​4. Service members stationed in Hawaii took care of the memorial during the 2013 government shutdown.

To continue reading, please go to the original article here:

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/pearl-harbor-anniversary-facts_n_5661ce33e4b079b2818e67b0#

87 Best Retirement Quotes: Including Funny, Short and Inspirational

87 Best Retirement Quotes: Including Funny, Short and Inspirational

Personal Finance - Janice Friedman - May 28, 2019

Do you ever think about your golden years after you leave your career? Here are some juicy retirement quotes that will help you think more about it in a different way.

Are you ready to retire? A mention of the word retirement automatically provokes many thoughts to people around. Some think of the graceful age where you enjoy all that you’ve been working for, whereas some only think of problems.

Still, some may not even want to picture it out of fear of the old age and also the loss of that fulfilling career. Various retirement quotes can change your perspective about retirement and maybe paint a different lovely picture.

Whichever the case, retirement should be happy, fulfilling, as well as healthy life later after you have saved enough to sustain you for the rest of your life.

For me, when I think of retirement, I can’t manage to think of anything less than a happy, relaxing, wealthy life full of vacations.  The hard work and painful savings of the youthful years ought to pay fully for that comfortable retirement.

List of the Best Retirement Quotes

I have compiled a good number of words of wisdom or better, what I like to call the best retirement quotes that will brighten your day.  This list of retirement quotes has been compiled from various people whose words of wisdom couldn’t go unnoticed.

Inspirational Retirement Quotes

1. “Just because you are getting older and have retired doesn’t mean that you should have less confidence in your abilities. Think about the experience and knowledge that you have gained by all the years you have worked” -Theodore W. Higginsworth

2. “Retirement: It’s nice to get out of the rat race, but you have to learn to get along with less cheese.” – Gene Perret

3. “Planning to retire? Before you do, find your hidden passion. Do the thing that you have always wanted to do.” – Catherine Pulsifer

4. “Age is only a number, a cipher for the records. A man can’t retire his experience. He must use it. Experience achieves more with less energy and time.” – Bernard Baruch 

5. “Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.” – Lyrics from “Closing Time” by Semisonic

6. “What does retirement mean now that there are so many opportunities for learning, for caring, for serving? We can redefine aging.” – Rachel Cowan, Wise Aging

7. “Retirement is a new beginning, and that means closing the book on one chapter to begin the next.” Sid Miramontes, Retirement: Your New Beginning

8. “Retirement gives you the time literally to recreate yourself through a sport, game, or hobby that you always wanted to try or that you haven’t done in years.” – Price, Stephen D.

To continue reading, please go to the original article here:

https://millionairemob.com/retirement-quotes/

"The Story of Rudolph" Posted by Mot at TNT

Mot:  Story of Rudolph

A man named Bob May, depressed and brokenhearted, stared out his drafty apartment window into the chilling December night.

His 4-year-old daughter Barbara sat on his lap quietly sobbing. Bobs wife, Evelyn, was dying of cancer.

Little Barbara couldn't understand why her mommy could never come home. Barbara looked up into her dad's eyes and asked, "Why isn't Mommy just like everybody else's Mommy?" Bob's jaw tightened and his eyes welled with tears.

Her question brought waves of grief, but also of anger. It had been the story of Bob's life. Life always had to be different for Bob. Small when he was a kid, Bob was often bullied by other boys. He was too little at the time to compete in sports. He was often called names he'd rather not remember.

From childhood, Bob was different and never seemed to fit in. Bob did complete college, married his loving wife and was grateful to get his job as a copywriter at Montgomery Ward during the Great Depression. Then he was blessed with his little girl. But it was all short-lived. Evelyn's bout with cancer stripped them of all their savings and now Bob and his daughter were forced to live in a two-room apartment in the Chicago slums. Evelyn died just days before Christmas in 1938.

Bob struggled to give hope to his child, for whom he couldn't even afford to buy a Christmas gift. But if he couldn't buy a gift, he was determined a make one - a storybook! Bob created an animal character in his own mind and told the animal's story to little Barbara to give her comfort and hope.

Again and again Bob told the story, embellishing it more with each telling. Who was the character? What was the story all about? The story Bob May created was his own autobiography in fable form. The character he created was a misfit outcast like he was. What was the name of the character? A little reindeer named Rudolph, with a big shiny nose. Bob finished the book just in time to give it to his little girl on Christmas Day. But the story doesn't end there.

The general manager of Montgomery Ward caught wind of the little storybook and offered Bob May a nominal fee to purchase the rights to print the book. Wards went on to print, ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’ and distribute it to children visiting Santa Claus in their stores. By 1946 Wards had printed and distributed more than six million copies of Rudolph. That same year, a major publisher wanted to purchase the rights from Wards to print an updated version of the book.

In an unprecedented gesture of kindness, the CEO of Wards returned all rights back to Bob May. The book became a best seller. Many toy and marketing deals followed and Bob May, now remarried with a growing family, became wealthy from the story he created to comfort his grieving daughter. But the story doesn’t end there either.

Bob's brother-in-law, Johnny Marks, made a song adaptation to Rudolph. Though the song was turned down by such popular vocalists as Bing Crosby and Dinah Shore, it was recorded by the singing cowboy, Gene Autry. ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’ was released in 1949 and became a phenomenal success, selling more records than any other Christmas song, with the exception of ‘White Christmas.’

The gift of love that Bob May created for his daughter so long ago kept on returning back to bless him again and again. And Bob May learned the lesson, just like his dear friend Rudolph, that being different isn't so bad. In fact, being different may be a blessing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44bL90HP0Ys

Types of Foreign Exchange Transactions

Types of Foreign Exchange Transactions

by William Adkins   Published on 26 Sep 2017

At its simplest, currency exchange is just the buying of the currency of one country with the currency of another country. Individuals, businesses and traders all engage in various types of foreign currency exchange transactions. Some participants in currency exchange do so as part of business dealings while others speculate on the foreign exchange (Forex) market in hopes of profiting off of exchange rate fluctuations. The main types of foreign currency exchange transactions they employ are described below.

Basic Currency Exchange

If you’ve ever traveled to a foreign country, chances are you’ve used some of your cash to buy euros, yen or whatever the local currency was. The price you paid was determined by the exchange rate between the two currencies. Your purchase is an example of the most basic type of foreign currency exchange transaction.

Currency exchange rates change continuously, mainly in response to demand for one currency relative to others. Demand for a currency in turn is affected by many factors, including differences in interest rates, inflation and monetary policy.

Forward Contracts

Financial institutions and businesses frequently want to protect themselves against possible losses due to changes in exchange rates. The forward contract is a way of doing this. A forward contract is like a futures contract except it is a private agreement, rather than an exchange-traded security. In forwards, one party agrees to buy (or sell) a foreign currency from (or to) another party. The currency is delivered at a future date at a predetermined price. A variation of this is the forward window contract. Instead of delivery on a specific date, the transaction is settled during a “window” of time between two dates.

Swaps

 To continue reading, please go to the original article here:     

https://bizfluent.com/list-6893817-techniques-exposure-management.html

"Letter in a Wallet" Posted by Mot at TNT

Mot:  ~~~~~~~ “Letter in the Wallet,” .............

As I walked home one freezing day, I stumbled on a wallet someone had lost in the street. I picked it up and looked inside to find some identification so I could call the owner. But the wallet contained only three dollars and a crumpled letter that looked as if it had been in there for years.

The envelope was worn and the only thing that was legible on it was the return address. I started to open the letter, hoping to find some clue. Then I saw the dateline--1924. The letter had been written almost sixty years ago.

It was written in a beautiful feminine handwriting on powder blue stationery with a little flower in the left-hand corner. It was a "Dear John" letter that told the recipient, whose name appeared to be Michael, that the writer could not see him any more because her mother forbade it. Even so, she wrote that she would always love him. It was signed, Hannah.

It was a beautiful letter, but there was no way except for the name Michael, that the owner could be identified. Maybe if I called information, the operator could find a phone listing for the address on the envelope.

"Operator," I began, "this is an unusual request. I'm trying to find the owner of a wallet that I found. Is there anyway you can tell me if there is a phone number for an address that was on an envelope in the wallet? 

She suggested I speak with her supervisor, who hesitated for a moment then said, "Well, there is a phone listing at that address, but I can't give you the number." She said, as a courtesy, she would call that number, explain my story and would ask them if they wanted her to connect me. I waited a few minutes and then she was back on the line. "I have a party who will speak with you."

I asked the woman on the other end of the line if she knew anyone by the name of Hannah. She gasped, "Oh! We bought this house from a family who had a daughter named Hannah. But that was 30 years ago!"

"Would you know where that family could be located now?" I asked.

"I remember that Hannah had to place her mother in a nursing home some years ago," the woman said. "Maybe if you got in touch with them they might be able to track down the daughter."

She gave me the name of the nursing home and I called the number. They told me the old lady had passed away some years ago but they did have a phone number for where they thought the daughter might be living. I thanked them and phoned. The woman who answered explained that Hannah herself was now living in a nursing home.

This whole thing was stupid, I thought to myself. Why was I making such a big deal over finding the owner of a wallet that had only three dollars and a letter that was almost 60 years old?

Nevertheless, I called the nursing home in which Hannah was supposed to be living and the man who answered the phone told me, "Yes, Hannah is staying with us. "

Even though it was already 10 p.m., I asked if I could come by to see her. "Well," he said hesitatingly, "if you want to take a chance, she might be in the day room watching television."

I thanked him and drove over to the nursing home. The night nurse and a guard greeted me at the door. We went up to the third floor of the large building. In the day room, the nurse introduced me to Hannah. 

She was a sweet, silver-haired old timer with a warm smile and a twinkle in her eye. I told her about finding the wallet and showed her the letter. The second she saw the powder blue envelope with that little flower on the left, she took a deep breath and said, "Young man, this letter was the last contact I ever had with Michael."

She looked away for a moment deep in thought and then said Softly, "I loved him very much. But I was only 16 at the time and my mother felt I was too young. Oh, he was so handsome. He looked like Sean Connery, the actor."

"Yes," she continued. "Michael Goldstein was a wonderful person. If you should find him, tell him I think of him often. And," she hesitated for a moment, almost biting her lip, "tell him I still love him. You know," she said smiling as tears began to well up in her eyes, "I never did marry. I guess no one ever matched up to Michael..."

I thanked Hannah and said goodbye. I took the elevator to the first floor and as I stood by the door, the guard there asked, "Was the old lady able to help you?"

I told him she had given me a lead. "At least I have a last name. But I think I'll let it go for a while. I spent almost the whole day trying to find the owner of this wallet."

I had taken out the wallet, which was a simple brown leather case with red lacing on the side. When the guard saw it, he said, "Hey, wait a minute! That's Mr. Goldstein's wallet. I'd know it anywhere with that bright red lacing. He's always losing that wallet. I must have found it in the halls at least three times."

"Who's Mr. Goldstein?" I asked as my hand began to shake.

"He's one of the old timers on the 8th floor. That's Mike Goldstein's wallet for sure. He must have lost it on one of his walks." I thanked the guard and quickly ran back to the nurse's office. I told her what the guard had said. We went back to the elevator and got on. I prayed that Mr. Goldstein would be up.

On the eighth floor, the floor nurse said, "I think he's still in the day room. He likes to read at night. He's a darling old man."

We went to the only room that had any lights on and there was a man reading a book. The nurse went over to him and asked if he had lost his wallet. Mr. Goldstein looked up with surprise, put his hand in his back pocket and said, "Oh, it is missing!"

"This kind gentleman found a wallet and we wondered if it could be yours?"

I handed Mr. Goldstein the wallet and the second he saw it, he smiled with relief and said, "Yes, that's it! It must have dropped out of my pocket this afternoon. I want to give you a reward."

"No, thank you," I said. "But I have to tell you something. I read the letter in the hope of finding out who owned the wallet."

The smile on his face suddenly disappeared. "You read that letter?"

"Not only did I read it, I think I know where Hannah is."

He suddenly grew pale. "Hannah? You know where she is? How is she? Is she still as pretty as she was? Please, please tell me," he begged.

"She's fine...just as pretty as when you knew her." I said softly.

The old man smiled with anticipation and asked, "Could you tell me where she is? I want to call her tomorrow." He grabbed my hand and said, "You know something, mister, I was so in love with that girl that when that letter came, my life literally ended. I never married. I guess I've always loved her."

"Mr. Goldstein," I said, "Come with me."

We took the elevator down to the third floor. The hallways were darkened and only one or two little night-lights lit our way to the day room where Hannah was sitting alone watching the television. The nurse walked over to her.

"Hannah," she said softly, pointing to Michael, who was waiting with me in the doorway. "Do you know this man?"

She adjusted her glasses, looked for a moment, but didn't say a word.

Michael said softly, almost in a whisper, "Hannah, it's Michael. Do you remember me?"

She gasped, "Michael! I don't believe it! Michael! It's you! My Michael!"

He walked slowly towards her and they embraced. The nurse and I left with tears streaming down our faces.

"See," I said. "See how the Good Lord works! If it's meant to be, it will be."

About three weeks later I got a call at my office from the nursing home. "Can you break away on Sunday to attend a wedding? Michael and Hannah are going to tie the knot!"

It was a beautiful wedding with all the people at the nursing home dressed up to join in the celebration. Hannah wore a light beige dress and looked beautiful. Michael wore a dark blue suit and stood tall.

They made me their best man. The hospital gave them their own room and if you ever wanted to see a 76-year-old bride and a 79-year-old groom acting like two teenagers, you had to see this couple.

A perfect ending for a love affair that had lasted nearly 60 years.

“Letter in the Wallet,” written by Arnold Fine (1985)

4 Common Thanksgiving Myths And The Real Facts Behind Them

VERIFY: 4 Common Thanksgiving Myths And The Real Facts Behind Them

Author: VERIFY, Terry Spry Jr.

The VERIFY team separated fact from fiction on 4 popular Thanksgiving myths including who started the turkey pardoning tradition and how Black Friday got its name.

Thanksgiving is almost here and with the annual festivities also comes years upon years of myths that have developed around one of the biggest holidays of the year for Americans. The myths, misconceptions and legends around Thanksgiving predate the internet, yet have persisted in the digital world all the same. Here are four common Thanksgiving myths, all of which are false, and the truth behind the holiday weekend’s various stories.

MYTH: Thanksgiving has been celebrated every year since the nation’s founding

According to the National Archives, George Washington issued a proclamation that named Thursday, November 26, 1789 as a "Day of Publick Thanksgivin".

At that point, however, Thanksgiving wasn’t codified into law as an annual holiday. It was up to the sitting president to declare a day of “Thanksgiving and Prayer” and set the day and month for the holiday. And there were some years where no such day was declared.

For example, Thomas Jefferson opted against it while president. Monticello says Jefferson was against it because of his beliefs in separating religion from the government. Back then, Thanksgiving days were more religious-focused holidays.

Thanksgiving was established as one of the first four federal holidays in 1870, when Congress passed the Holiday Act. That law established Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Day and Independence Day as holidays, but Thanksgiving was the only one where the president had the discretion to set the date each year.

By that time, Thanksgiving already had an informal date. Abraham Lincoln’s 1863 proclamation set Thanksgiving as the last Thursday in November and subsequent presidents had followed that precedent.

However, Thanksgiving would have fallen on the last day of the month in 1939, so Franklin Roosevelt moved it to the month’s second-to-last Thursday because he worried a shortened Christmas season would dampen the nation’s recovery from the Great Depression. Some states defied the president’s move and made it state law that Thanksgiving was the last Thursday and so Congress sought to set a fixed date for the holiday to combat the confusion. A law was passed in 1941 that set Thanksgiving as the fourth Thursday of November.

MYTH: Presidential turkey pardoning began with Abraham Lincoln or Harry Truman

To continue reading, please go to the original article here:

https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/verify/verify-tackling-common-thanksgiving-myths/507-e580ed91-8abc-47e0-8ffa-2b93a357bbeb

35 Thanksgiving Quotes That Capture the True Meaning of the Day

35 Thanksgiving Quotes That Capture the True Meaning of the Day

By Annie O’sullivan And Kelsey Hurwitz 

When it comes to Thanksgiving, a lot of emphasis gets put on the food; and, rightfully so. Between the juicy turkey, savory sides, and sweet desserts, there are a lot of edible elements to focus on come Thanksgiving Day. But as you make your way through the day, it’s important to practice gratitude and give thanks for the good that’s come your way. (Yes, even in a year filled with a lot of bad.) One way to do that is to read a Thanksgiving quote — aloud or to yourself — that captures the true meaning of the holiday.

Now, to be clear, the origins of the holiday have dark historical roots that have more to do with colonization than appreciation. But over the years, Thanksgiving has become synonymous with thanks (I mean, it’s right in the name.) So make sure to take a moment from your busy day to give thanks.

These Thanksgiving quotes emphasize the role gratitude can play in your life — and not just one day a year. Even in the darkest of times, there is so much to be thankful for, and in a year that has included global pandemic and continued racial injustices, Thanksgiving can be a day to remember all of the good things, big and small. And make sure those in your life are doing the same.

Consider writing on of these quotes in a Thanksgiving card or incorporating them into your Thanksgiving centerpieces to bring a little extra gratitude to your meal.

“Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayer. And let faith be the bridge you build to overcome evil and welcome good.” — Maya Angelou

“I awoke this morning with devout thanksgiving for my friends, the old and the new.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.” — Voltaire

“When you arise in the morning, give thanks for the food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in yourself.” — Tecumseh

“For my part, I am almost contented just now, and very thankful. Gratitude is a divine emotion: it fills the heart, but not to bursting; it warms it, but not to fever.” — Charlotte Bronte

“He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.” — Epictetus

  “The heart that gives thanks is a happy one, for we cannot feel thankful and unhappy at the same time.” — Douglas Wood

“Wear gratitude like a cloak, and it will feed every corner of your life.” — Rumi

“We are all more blind to what we have than to what we have not.” — Audre Lorde

“‘Thank you’ is the best prayer that anyone could say. I say that one a lot. Thank you expresses extreme gratitude, humility, understanding.” — Alice Walker

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow." — Melody Beattie

"When asked if my cup is half-full or half-empty my only response is that I am thankful I have a cup." — Sam Lefkowitz

"Thanksgiving reminds us that no matter what befalls us in life, we can take the charred remnants and we can reconstruct a life unimaginably richer than that from which the shards and pieces fell." — Craig D. Lounsbrough

"Some people are always grumbling because roses have thorns; I am thankful that thorns have roses." — Alphonse Karr

To continue reading, please go to the original article here:

https://www.womansday.com/life/g1973/thanksgiving-quotes/

The Golden Secrets Of Fort Knox Revealed

The Golden Secrets Of Fort Knox Revealed

America's gold stockpile has fueled curiosity and conspiracy theories. How much do we know?

By Doug WhitemanJun. 10, 2022

You may be aware of Fort Knox from the James Bond movie Goldfinger, or from the old cartoon where Bugs Bunny tricks Yosemite Sam into digging up some of the gold bars and getting arrested.

But what do you really know about the U.S. bullion bunker in Kentucky?

The Fort Knox gold vault is one of the most secure and secret places in America. Because few people have ever gotten inside, the gold depository is a subject of fascination and speculation.

Here are 10 things we know — and maybe don't know.

1. It Holds Tons Of Gold — Literally

Fort Knox currently houses 147.3 million ounces of gold. The government says the bullion has a "book value" of $6.22 billion.

However, that's based on a fixed price that officials set in 1973. Based on the current market value of gold, the reserves at Fort Knox are worth a far more impressive $273.7 billion, roughly speaking.

Much of the gold in the vault is in the form of 27-pound bars, while a percentage is in gold coins.

At one time, the point of having all of that gold was to provide backing for U.S. currency — but the dollar was taken off the gold standard in 1971.

2. Is The Gold Really In There?

So why does the U.S. hang onto its gold stash?

"Just in case we need it," is the explanation a former Federal Reserve Board chairman reportedly gave.

Conspiracy theorists have insisted that the government secretly sold off the gold and that the gold bars are actually tungsten bricks painted to look like the precious metal.

There's no way for outsiders to say with absolute certainty if there's really bullion — or if it's all bull. Over the years, there have been few audits to test the gold, or inventories to count it.

3. Outsiders Rarely Get Inside

In 2017, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin led a rare visit by outsiders to peek at the gold reserves inside the Fort Knox vault.

He was accompanied by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, and the two of them were photographed holding gold bars.

Afterward, Mnuchin had an answer for the conspiracy mongers. "Glad gold is safe!" he tweeted.

The last time Fort Knox had opened its vault to civilians was more than 40 years earlier. A congressional delegation and some journalists got a look at the gold in 1974.

4. Only One US President Ever Got Inside

To continue reading, please go to the original article here:

https://moneywise.com/life/lifestyle/fort-knox-secrets