Chris Pirillo » money

How to Detect Counterfeit Money

Chris — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 07:02:49 +0000

How to Detect Counterfeit Money is a post from Chris Pirillo

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There’s no real easy way of knowing whether the money you have is legal. If you hold the bills up to the light, you should see some ‘invisible’ marking that is only seen that way. What you really need, though, is a blacklight.

You can pick up a handy little kit like I did. The Dry-Mark pens are so simple to use, it’s better than taking candy from your kid brother. Make a mark on a bill. If the amber mark turns black or dark brown, the bill is suspect.

There’s also a neat little guide that explains to you exactly where the ‘invisible’ strip should be on each piece of US paper currency. For instance, on the $100.00 bill, the strip is just to the left of center.

You never know when someone could accidentally pass you counterfeit money, especially in today’s economy. Actually, would it even be an accident? Know for sure, and check your money.

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Five Ways to Earn $100

coupons — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 11:40:53 +0000

Five Ways to Earn $100 is a post from Chris Pirillo

This is Jacob Jordan’s submission for the HP Magic Giveaway. Feel free to leave comments for this article as you see fit – your feedback is certainly welcomed! If you’d like to submit your own how-to, what-is, or top-five list, you can send it to me. Views and opinions of this writer are not necessarily my own:

Mom, can I borrow $100 please?

How many times has your son or daughter asked you this question? Or, are you the person that has posed this question to your parents? Either way if this sounds at all familiar to you, then the resulting answer is usually a disappointing “no”. If you are a technology geek like me and have ever been in this situation, then you know what it is like to want the newest technology and not have the money to pay for it. Whether your wish list consists of a flash drive, or a new Mac Pro, somehow, someway, you have to be creative in ways to earn the extra money to pay for it. Below I have created a list of suggestions that might help you make your wishes of being an up-to-date technology geek come true.

1: YARD SALE

Yard sales are a great way for making a little extra money. One summer I had a yard sale and made around $500 bucks. Also, it gave me the opportunity to get rid of a lot of junk in my house. I noticed that movies, speakers, clothes, office chairs, (in good condition) printers, and PC monitors go fast. Let’s face it, most of us have an old CRT monitor from the 90’s laying around.

2: UPGRADE

Most of us don’t realize how easy it is to upgrade a computer. It’s a simple and fun way to make some quick money. For example, you can go on Ebay and spend $100 on an iMac G3 with a one gigahertz processor, half a gigabyte of ram, and a twenty gigabyte hard drive. Spend an additional $80 on another half gigabyte of ram and an eighty gigabyte hard drive. All together, you have now spent around one $180. You could then turn around and sell this system for around $350 for a profit of $270!

3: TECH SUPPORT

Make sure that family, friends, and neighbors are aware of your technical skills. When most people have a problem with their computer such as a virus, they usually call a professional company such as Geek Squad. Companies like Geek Squad charge a lot of money for their services. You could provide the same service for a fraction of the cost.

4: TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE HOLIDAY SEASON

As we all know, the holidays are right around the corner, which means gifts!!! When family and friends ask what you want, say that you are saving for a certain piece of equipment. Let them know what you are saving for and what your goals are. If they know what your goals are and what type of equipment you are saving for, then they may be more inclined to give you that little bit of extra money in your stocking. I know from personal experience that when this tactic was deployed, I accumulated over $500. Also, don’t forget to ask for donations towards your goals on birthdays as well.

5: IF ALL ELSE FAILS

If all of the above suggestions fail, you could always take the adolescent route by throwing a temper tantrum. This may seem pointless and juvenile at first but it can be a very effective tool. First, start out very calm when asking your parents for money to spend at Best Buy. When the obvious answer of no comes, follow the next few steps. First, fall to the floor in a dramatic fashion. Next, open the flood gates and let the tears flow like a river. While on the floor and crying, spin around in a circle, preferably clock-wise. Repeat, spinning counter-clock wise. Warning! Don’t go over board with this process. If you go too far, this could actually result in pissing your parents off to the point that they take what little bit of technology that you do own now away from you. Trust me, this result is no fun. I speak from experience.

What Ways are You Saving Money Today?

Chris — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 06:20:14 +0000

What Ways are You Saving Money Today? is a post from Chris Pirillo

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We all like saving money, right? In today’s World, with the economy floundering, it’s not so easy to do. Commodore256 sent the following top five list to me, full of money-saving tips and tricks.

Reward yourself for being healthy. – Do you smoke? If your answerer is “no”, then you’re in luck. You can save the money that you would have spent on cigarettes (roughly $5.50 per pack) and in one year, you would have saved $2,000. ($5.50 x 365 days = $2,007.50) You could save that for a rainy day, or just buy a excellent computer or go on a vacation. If you saved this money over ten years, that could pay for a brand new car.
Avoid shady business dealings. – Stay away from Get-Rich-Quick Schemes, Pyramid Schemes, Multi-Level Marketing and Ponzi Schemes. If you ever get caught up in one of these scams, get some legal help.
Set up an “Unplanned Emergency Fund”. – You’ll never know when a negative financial event will happen. When that time comes, you’ll need money fast. Examples of a negative financial event would include losing your job, childbirth, sudden illness or even an injury. I believe everyone should have an Emergency Fund.
Use Credit Cards wisely. – When you get a Credit Card, only charge stuff on your Card if you can afford to pay it all off in one single payment. This will give you great credit, and you won’t have to pay any interest. If you’re already in debt, there are some non-profit organizations that can assist.
Enjoy Cheap and Free stuff. – There are plenty of cheap and free alternatives to have fun. Examples: You could buy used instead of new, you could go to the Library instead of buying Books or Magazine subscriptions, or rent movies instead of going to a theater. You could also save $150 dollars by not buying Microsoft Office. Download and install the free (open source) Open Office instead.

What tips do you have to share with everyone that you use to help save you money?

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What Will you do with Your Tax Refund?

Chris — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 02:16:31 +0000

What Will you do with Your Tax Refund? is a post from Chris Pirillo

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My Uncle Sam just called. The day this video was recorded was April 15th… Tax Day here in America. Let’s say after I paid in taxes I deserved a refund! What am I going to spend that money on? What are you going to spend yours on? Here are some ideas I put together that I think are pretty good.

Hardware Upgrades Why not buy that new RAM you’ve been waiting for? What about a new Hard Drive? It’s always a good time to buy new hardware, but there’s no better time than when you have that check in your hand. You could then donate your old hardware somewhere, and use it as a tax writeoff next year. Or, sell it online and make a bit more money!
Invest it! Why not throw your money into a six month CD at your local bank, and leave it in there for a year! This is just an example. You may want to find something with a higher interest rate. Then next year when you get your next refund, withdraw this year’s money… leave the interest… and invest the new tax check.
Buy a subscription Buy some kind of subscription that will last a whole year. It could be a software subscription, music, magazines… just something that will happen for a year, and remind you on a regular basis what you spent your money on.
Register a piece of software Let’s say there’s a demo on your computer that you have used all the time and enjoy. Why not register it finally? Or what if it’s Freeware and you use it a lot? Why not donate some money to the tool’s creator?
Stick cash in your Car Why would you do this? You never know when you’ll need it. Hide it somewhere in the trunk, or under a seat. What if you’re stuck somewhere that actually doesn’t take credit or debit cards? You’ll be thankful to know you always have money in the car. Also, you can hide small amounts of cash in your home. This can be an “emergency” cash stash. You never know when you might need cash, and the bank just isn’t open.

So what are you doing with your tax check this year? Leave me a comment follow-up to this video, or send an email to me at chris@pirillo.com

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How Do You Save Money?

Chris — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 08:35:57 +0000

How Do You Save Money? is a post from Chris Pirillo

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Recently, I did a video with tips on saving money for gadgets… especially when you’re a teenager who can’t get a ‘regular’ job. This time, I’m going to give you some tips sent in by a community member for saving money in general.

First, and most important, put your money in that bank. Lets say its Christmas, and you receive $400.00 from your family. The next day, you have all that money in your wallet and go to Wal-Mart… only to see a really nice Xbox 360 on sale for $450.00. You buy it, and hardly play it. You’re out the Christmas money, and you are also negative another $50.00. Putting your money in the bank is one of the most important things to do when it comes to trying to save. Making an account where you are only allowed to take out $25.00 at a time will sound like a bad idea, but really be positive one in the long run. This is also a good idea because not a lot of stores will take Debit cards or will have a Debit machine.
Buying clothes is something that everyone has to do at some point in the year. But do you really need that $70.00 American Eagle shirt and those $100.00 pants? The answer is no. When buying clothes, especially when you are growing, it is best to go to a say, Wal-Mart. The American Eagle logo is on the belt area of their pants where no one can even see it. I have seen pants at Wal-Mart that look very similar and feel the same for $19.00.
Do you need whatever it is you’re buying? Sometimes you may be at an electronics store, and might have just received some money from work in cash. You see something that you “think” you want. When you buy it, you love it for the first month or two… but what happens to it after that? It’s going to be sitting on the shelf or in a drawer collecting dust, and if it’s anything but a Mac it’s not going to have a high resale value on eBay. Ways to prevent yourself from the temptation of buying it is to leave the money in the car or at home. Bring only as much as you would like to spend. If you know that you are going to be tempted to buy an electronic device then stay out of that store or aisle.
Buying food is another necessity of life. If you are like me, then you love food. Food can be costly when you have to buy everything once or twice a week. Ways to save money when you are buying food are easy. Look for coupons for like .50$ off of an item, or buy one get one free. Another thing that is really good to do is to buy in bulk. This is something that I will do often when I got to Costco. Buy your food from no-frills or other non-profit food-markets. You will still get your FrootLoops, but for almost 2$ cheaper.
Wait until Boxing Day. Waiting until after Christmas is one of the best things you can do. Boxing day is a really busy day, but you will save lots of Green. When I was looking for a Computer to buy, I noticed this HP computer for about 900$. I looked at the boxing day sale from BestBuy, and noticed that the price on the computer lowered by around $200, and came with a free printer. Waiting is the key to getting what you want. Also, wait for new things to come out like Chris did with his Mac Pro (Big Mac). Chris did the smart thing an waited. He could of gotten the older model for around the same price, but instead got a better one for the same amount.

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How to Save Money for Gadgets

Chris — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 06:20:58 +0000

How to Save Money for Gadgets is a post from Chris Pirillo

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A community member writes: “Being 14, I find that 99.99% of the time, no one will help me buy my geeky gadgets.I have created a list from my experiences on how to save money for your tech-related stuff.”

If you are short on cash, start a small business. Since I am only 14 and cannot get a ‘normal’ job yet, I sell computer parts on eBay. I have my own eBay store where I make a little over $100 a week, just from selling RAM and Hard Drives. The point is that on some websites, you can make money on the side with little effort. All you need to do is post a blog with AdSense or try to put up an EBay listing. These are very efficient ways to make money without much time or effort.
Don’t spend your money on stuff you don’t need. You don’t need to go to the movies 3 times a week. You can spend a little money once in a while, but put it towards the things you really want. Also, don’t buy a new notebook instead of paying your rent. Priorities come over tech items. How are you going to play XBox Live if you forgot to pay the electric bill? If you casually watch your money, you will notice quickly that buying your gadgets is not such a difficult task. Buying the store-brand items is not that much of a difference, other than the brand name items. Speaking of this, software is very similar. There is almost always a Freeware or Open-Source alternative. A very good example is GIMP or Seashore compared to a very expensive Photoshop.
Put a little money away. Instead of buying a fancy $60 meal, put $5-20 away a week. This adds up quickly. You won’t believe how quickly you will have money to buy the latest video game or something similar. Putting the money in the bank is also a good idea as you cannot touch it as easily as it would be if you had it in your wallet.
Look for good retailers, and discounts. As I know Chris has some really amazing coupons for software and things like that. Newegg is an amazing electronics retailer. I buy almost all of my electronics from them. It is like the Costco for Geeks. I have bought my Hard Drive, RAM, external Hard Drive and more from them. I highly recommend buying from retailers that sell the same product, but at a more affordable price. Just look around, before you pay an extra $100 for an item.
Most geeks have a bunch of Tech items that we don’t need, but others want. I bought an iPhone a few months ago, so why would I need a 5th gen iPod Classic? Sell the unneeded items on eBay or Craigslist to “save” money on another gadget. This works very well with video games, as EB games. They buy your old games for cheap prices, and you can use that money to buy a new game. Sell your old Hard Drive… get rid of the RAM you just upgraded from… you get the idea. If you don’t need something don’t throw it away… sell it.

POST UPDATE Tom wrote in after this was posted, to offer his method of saving for gadgets to us all!

I wanted to follow up that post by sharing one of my own little methods of saving money for gadgets. I use a simple spreadsheet to track what I have saved, and what I would like to buy. It tracks all the contributions I’ve made to my gadget fund, and tells me how much more I would need to save in order to buy each desired gadget. I primarily use this to save up for photographic equipment, which can be quite expensive. It’s not a very advanced spreadsheet, but it’s not supposed to be… it’s meant to be more of a psychological tool to encourage responsible spending. Sure, I could just grab the money from my short-term savings and pay it back later, but impulse spending is entirely too destructive in the long term. Instead, I prefer to put away small amounts of money over a reasonable amount of time. In the end, it’s much more fulfilling, not to mention responsible.

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Jobs for Teenagers

Chris — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 21:38:08 +0000

Jobs for Teenagers is a post from Chris Pirillo

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A 14 year old community member sent in this top five list. He’ll go a long way, with a determination and work ethic this strong already. Hopefully, his tips will help the rest of you who are looking for ways to make money, but are too young still for “traditional” jobs.

Use your talents. Everyone has something they’re good at, and those skills/talents can be used in a productive way. If you’re an excellent guitarist, what better way than to look around for gigs at a local bar? If you’re an excellent writer, why not look at sending in some articles to a local newspaper for cash? There’s always something productive you can do with your talents.
Don’t shy away from hard work. Raking someone’s leaves isn’t fun, especially when it’s cold outside and you feel like you’re barely making a dent. Don’t give up. Get your hands dirty, it builds character. Sure, spending a day indoors may be a bit more comfortable, but you can’t hope to make money if you’re not willing to work.
Volunteer for everything. Teenagers have plenty of free time, I can attest to that. Umpire at the Little League Field, wash your neighbor’s car. If there’s a job to be done, there’s money to be made. Chances are, you have plenty of time to do it. Like I said previously, don’t shy away from anything. If you’re serious about making money, then get out there and do any odd job you can possibly find. Adults are more than willing to pay you.
Ask around. It can be casual. If you see an adult you know at the grocery store, very casually ask if there are any leaves they need raked or snow they need shoveled. Ask them if they need their dogs walked, or their house watched while they’re on vacation. It can’t hurt to ask, and eventually, adults are going to realize that you’re a good kid and you’re willing to do work. Eventually, they’ll have a job they need done and they’ll think of you.
Get the word out. This is easily the most important tip. If no one knows that that you’re willing to work and available for tasks, no one’s going to ask. It can be as simple as telling your mother to put in a good word for you at the den mother’s meeting by telling the other mothers that you’re willing to rake leaves or shovel snow. It can be as simple as posting an ad on the bulletin board at town hall. Heck, it can be as simple as going door-to-door in your neighborhood and letting your neighbors know that you’re available.

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Track Your Finances Online for Free (without Software)

Chris — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 07:21:05 +0000

Track Your Finances Online for Free (without Software) is a post from Chris Pirillo

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In this day and age of investment opportunities available, how do you manage to keep track of everything? Did you know you can track all of your finances online… without software? The caller for this video said he is ready to make a switch to OS X, but is hesitant due to not being sure if there is something he can use to track his finances without being able to use Microsoft Money.

If you’ve watched my show for any length of time, you’ll have heard me say many times that the future of software is online. A couple of friends have recommended a website that you can consider for the future of your financial tracking… Mint. Mint’s tagline is “Refreshing Money Management”.

Mint does NOT store your usernames, passwords or account numbers. Mint partners with Yodlee, the leading provider of online banking services to major banks for more than 10 years, to ensure a secure connection to your personal financial information. Mint protects your information using bank-level data security and 128 bit-encryption, verified by Verisign and HackerSafe. Mint is TRUSTe certified to provide industry-leading privacy protection and partners with RSA to provide anti-phishing protection.

Eliminate the need to manage multiple Web sites to get a comprehensive view of your personal finances. Mint.com connects securely with more than 5,000 US financial institutions. By adding your bank, credit card and investment accounts to Mint.com, you get a complete perspective of your finances in one, easy to use location. Planning your personal budget just got a lot easier.

Once your accounts are added, Mint.com retrieves new transactions and balances from your bank, credit card and investment accounts automatically, every day. This means you’re on top of your money, with no budgeting spreadsheets, expensive desktop software or manual labor required. Mint.com automatically keeps your personal finances up to date for you so you can save more money and focus on living.

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How to Invest Money

Chris — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 03:41:16 +0000

How to Invest Money is a post from Chris Pirillo

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MrBogosity wrote: “I liked your top 5 tips on saving money. One of them dealt with investments, which is really important. He made investment sound like gambling, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Invested properly, it’s the best thing you can do with your savings. So here are my top 5 investment tips.”

Keep permanent money separate from mad money. Permanent money is money you want for your retirement, your kids’ college tuition, for medical emergencies, or whatever. This is the money with which you want long-term stability. Mad money is money that you could blow and not worry about, whether it’s risky nvestments, gambling, going on a tropical vacation, or buying lots of shoes. Don’t touch your permanent money.
Learn the difference between “investing” and “speculating.” Investing is when you put money into a market in order to get the market return. Speculating is when you think you can beat that and get a better return, with better timing, inside information, or some kind of scheme. DO NOT speculate with your permanent money; only mad money. Consider speculating to be the equivalent of gambling. This also means don’t fall for the schemes that investment advisers try to convince you to follow. Really, they’re about as accurate as psychics–that is, not at all. A disturbing number of them base their schemes on pseudoscience such as numerology, and none of them have been shown to work long-term.
Diversify investments. I recommend that your Permanent Portfolio be equal parts stocks, bonds, gold, and cash. Yes, markets are volatile, and are prone to slumps, but not all at the same time. Each market responds differently to different economic indicators. For example, right now stocks, bonds, and cash are all hurting as inflation rises and interest rates fall, but gold is doing VERY well. They usually offset each other, and with a robust portfolio, losing years are rare. I do NOT recommend that you invest in real estate. I have real estate stocks as part of my stock portfolio, but as far as buying a house and considering it an investment, I think it’s foolhardy. After all, if you want to liquidate part of your investment, you can hardly cut off your back porch and sell it. Buying a home should be considered consumption, not investment. Buying a property to rent should be considered a business venture. Buying property figuring the value will go up is speculation. Don’t do this with your Permanent Portfolio.
Invest in market-wide funds. For stocks, get an S&P500 fund or some other market fund instead of trading individual stocks. (I have 5 funds in my stock portfolio: S&P large cap, small cap, growth, value, and a real estate fund, all invested equally.) Get a negotiable bonds account instead of buying in individual companies. Get gold bullion instead of collectible coins, so your value will be the market spot price. For cash, a good money market account will be fine, but you can also get accounts in other currencies (such as euros) for additional protection. If you have an IRA or a 401(k), you should have many funds to select from that’ll get you most of these. Unfortunately, very few have gold accounts (gold stocks are NOT the same thing), so you may have to go somewhere else for that. I use GoldMoney.com.
Think long-term. Once you have your Permanent Portfolio, LEAVE IT ALONE. When you put in new money, put it in evenly in all four areas (if you’re putting money in monthly, you can alternate months–stocks one month, bonds, the second, etc. to reduce transaction costs). Check it every six months or a year and balance it out; for example, if your money in stocks has increased while bonds haven’t done so well, move money from stocks to bonds so that they all stay around 20-30% of your portfolio. Above all, DO NOT panic and take money out of stocks when the stock market starts doing bad (same with the other areas). Remember, you’re not speculating, you’re investing, and you want the market’s long-term strength, not the fickle instabilities of the short-term. This isn’t advice for the rich, the business executives, or anything like that (although they could benefit from this advice, too). If you do like the other video says and just take $20 out of each paycheck, before long you’ll have a nice amount to play around with. Figure out how much of that you want for your retirement and put it in a Permanent Portfolio. You–and your kids–will be very glad that you did.

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How Do I Make Money on the Internet?

Chris — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 03:11:18 +0000

How Do I Make Money on the Internet? is a post from Chris Pirillo

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A few years ago, I got the crazy idea of selling things on my chest. I had offended someone, and made up for it by writing the apology on my chest. I actually ended up making a couple grand by having things written on my chest.

Behind me you’ll see the Chest 2.0 website. You pay through PayPal, securely. You then choose the colors and text. Choose the word that’s not already taken, or suggest your own. Your website will then forevermore be associated with that word on my chest. You can customize text color, size, and style with your purchase. Let my chest be your billboard!

If you want to make money online yourself, here are some simple tips: Be creative, be “nutty”… be yourself. That’s the most creative and easy way I can tell you to make money, or have ANYTHING online succeed. Thinking outside the box is a good thing.

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How to Save Money

Chris — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 05:18:44 +0000

How to Save Money is a post from Chris Pirillo

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I love saving money. Don’t we all? I’d rather save it than spend it. My wife, on the other hand, likes to save… spend… make… and even invest money. Of course, most of her investments are in shoes. GTPeach sent in her top five tips for saving money.

In investing, never spend more than you can afford to lose. The markets are volatile, and you could be in trouble.
Discern what you really need from what you think you need. It could save a lot per month. Do you really need that meal out? Can you honestly say you need that $4.00 cup of “coffee” from Starbucks?
Set up a budget. Designate columns for expenses, savings and needs. Then… stick to the budget!
Plan your shopping list before you go. Decide what you need, and how much you’re really willing to spend on those items. Keep in mind that often the brand names aren’t always better… but they are more expensive. Always eat before grocery shopping… you know as well as I do how much more junk you’ll buy if you are hungry.
Set money aside for savings from each paycheck. Even $20.00 per week adds up to a good chunk over time.

Anyone else that has legitimate financial advice, or credit advice… I’d LOVE to have them, and share them with everyone.

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Understanding The Golden Rule

Chris — Sat, 14 Jul 2007 04:29:08 +0000

Understanding The Golden Rule is a post from Chris Pirillo

Ever wanted to know how “the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer?”

The truth is out there if you care to look – plain as daylight, well-documented, and extremely important for you to see and understand the world around you. History is always written by those who are in power…

“I sincerely believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. The issuing power should be taken from the banks and restored to the people to whom it properly belongs.” – Thomas Jefferson

“History records that the money changers have used every form of abuse, intrigue, deceit, and violent means possible to maintain their control over governments by controlling money and its issuance.” – James Madison

“The inability of the colonists to get power to issue their own money permanently out of the hands of George III and the international bankers was the PRIME reason for the Revolutionary War.” – Benjamin Franklin

“If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and the corporations which grow up around them will deprive the people of all property until their children wake up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered.” – Thomas Jefferson

“I wish it were possible to obtain a single amendment to our Constitution – taking from the federal government their power of borrowing.” – Thomas Jefferson

“The hand that gives is above the hand that takes. Money has no motherland; financiers are without patriotism and without decency: their sole object is gain.” – Napoleon Bonaparte.

“I have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the states where it now exists. I believe I have no lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so.” – Abraham Lincoln (months after his election)

“My paramount objective is to save the Union, and it is not either to save or destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave, I would do it.” – Abraham Lincoln (weeks after the first shot of the Civil War was fired at Fort Sumter)

“The division of the United States into federations of equal force was decided long before the Civil War by the high financial powers of Europe. These bankers were afraid that the United States, if they remained as one block, and as one nation, would attain economic and financial independence, which would upset their financial domination over the world.” – Otto von Bismarck

“The Government should create, issue, and circulate all the currency and credit needed to satisfy the spending power of the Government and the buying power of consumers. The privilege of creating and issuing money is not only the supreme prerogative of Government, but it is the Government’s greatest creative opportunity. By the adoption of these principles… the taxpayers will be saved immense sums of interest. Money will cease to be master and become the servant of humanity.” – Abraham Lincoln (upon the creation of ‘greenbacks’ as full legal tender in the United States, after refusing to take loans at 24% to 36% interest from New York money changers)

“The money power preys upon the nation in times of peace and conspires against it in times of adversity. It is more despotic than monarchy, more insolent than autocracy, more selfish than bureaucracy.” – Abraham Lincoln

“The death of Lincoln was a disaster for Christendom. There was no man in the Untied States great enough to wear his boots… I fear that foreign bankers with their craftiness and tortuous tricks will entirely control the exuberant riches of America, and use it systematically to corrupt modern civilization. They will not hesitate to plunge the whole of Christendom into wars and chaos in order that the earth should become their inheritance.” – Otto von Bismarck

“I went to America in the winter of 1872-73, authorized to secure, if I could, the passage of a bill demonetizing silver. It was in the interest of those I represented – the governors of the Bank of England – to have it done. By 1873, gold coins were the only form of coin money.” – Ernest Seyd (based upon the reason that silver was plentiful in the Americas, and thereby virtually uncontrollable by the established banking cartel in Europe)

“It is advisable to do all in your power to sustain such prominent daily and weekly newspapers, especially the Agricultural and Religious Press, as will oppose the greenback issue of paper money and that you will also withhold patronage from all applicants who are not willing to oppose the government issue of money… To repeal the Act creating bank notes, or to restore to circulation the government issue of money will be to provide the people with money and will therefore seriously affect our individual profits as bankers and lenders. See your Congressman at once and engage him to support our interest that we may control legislation.” – James Buel, American Bankers Association [1877]

“Whosoever controls the volume of money in any country is absolute master of all industry and commerce… And when you realize that the entire system is very easily controlled, one way or another, by a few powerful men at the top, you will not have to be told how periods of inflation and depression originate.” – James Garfield (weeks before his assassination)

“The Aldrich bill was condemned in the platform… when Woodrow Wilson was nominated… The men who ruled the Democratic party promised the people that if they were returned to power there would be no central bank established here while they held the reins of government. Thirteen months later that promise was broken, and the Wilson administration, under the tutelage of those sinister Wall Street figures who stood behind Colonel House, established here in our free country the worm-eaten monarchical institution of the ‘king’s bank’ to control us from the top downward, and to shackle us from the cradle to the grave.” – Rep. Louis McFadden (D-PA)

“The … bill grants just what Wall Street and the big banks for twenty-five years have been striving for – private instead of public control of currency. [The Glass-Owen bill] does this as completely as the Aldrich Bill. Both measures rob the government and the people of all effective control over the public’s money and vest in the banks exclusively the dangerous power to make money among the people scare or plenty.” – Alfred Crozier, Ohio attorney

“This [Federal Reserve] Act establishes the most gigantic trust on earth. When the President signs this bill, the invisible government by the Monetary Power will be legalized. The people may not know it immediately, but the day of reckoning is only a few years removed… The worst legislative crime of the ages is perpetrated by this banking bill.” – Rep. Charles Lindbergh (R-MN)

“To cause high prices, all the Federal Reserve Board will do will be to lower the rediscount rate… producing an expansion of credit and a rising stock market; then when… business men are adjusted to these conditions, it can check… prosperity in mid-career by arbitrarily raising the rate of interest. It can cause the pendulum of a rising and falling market to swing gently back and forth by slight changes in the discount rate, or cause violent fluctuations by a greater rate variation, and in either case it will possess inside information as to financial conditions and advance knowledge of the coming change, either up or down. This is the strangest, most dangerous advantage ever placed in the hands of a special privilege class by any Government that ever existed. The system is private, conducted for the sole purpose of obtaining the greatest possible profits from the use of other people’s money. They know in advance when to create panics to their advantage. They also know when to stop panic. Inflation and deflation work equally well for them when they control finance…” – Rep. Charles Lindbergh (R-MN)

“[The fed reserve act brought about...] A super-state controlled by international bankers and international industrialists acting together to enslave the world for their own pleasure.” – Rep. Louis McFadden (D-PA, Chairman of the House Banking and Currency from 1920 – 1931)

“In the United States today we have in effect two governments… We have the duly constituted Government… Then we have an independent, uncontrolled and uncoordinated government in the Federal Reserve System, operating the money powers which are reserved to Congress by the Constitution.” – Rep. Wright Patman (D-TX)

“If our nation can issue a dollar bond, it can issue a dollar bill. The element that makes the bond good, makes the bill good, also. The difference between the bond and the bill is the bond lets money brokers collect twice the amount of the bond and an additional 20%, whereas the currency pays nobody but those who contribute directly in some useful way. It is absurd to say that our country can issue $30 million in bonds and not $30 million in currency. Both are promises to pay, but one promise fattens the usurers and the other helps the people.” – Thomas Edison

“A great industrial nation is controlled by its system of credit. Our system of credit is privately concentrated. The growth of the nation, therefore, and all our activities are in the hands of a few men who, even if their action be honest and intended for the public interest, are necessarily concentrated upon the great undertakings in which their own money is involved and who necessarily, by very reason of their own limitations, chill and check and destroy genuine economic freedom.” – Woodrow Wilson

“Some of the biggest men in the United States, in the field of commerce and manufacture, are afraid of something. They know that there is a power somewhere so organized, so subtle, so watchful, so interlocked, so complete, so pervasive, that they had better not speak above their breath when they speak in condemnation of it.” – Woodrow Wilson

“We have restricted credit, we have restricted opportunity, we have controlled development, and we have come to be one of the worst ruled, one of the most completely controlled and dominated, governments in the civilized world–no longer a government by free opinion, no longer a government by conviction and the vote of the majority, but a government by the opinion and the duress of small groups of dominant men.” – Woodrow Wilson

“If one understands that socialism is not a share-the-wealth program, but is in reality a method to consolidate and control the wealth, then the seeming paradox of super-rich men promoting socialism becomes no paradox at all. Instead, it becomes logical, even the perfect tool of power-seeking megalomaniacs. Communism, or more accurately, socialism, is not a movement of the downtrodden masses, but of the economic elite.” – Gary Allen

“Power from any source tends to create an appetite for additional power… It was almost inevitable that the super-rich would one day aspire to control not only their own wealth, but the wealth of the whole world. To achieve this, they were perfectly willing to feed the ambitions of the power-hungry political conspirators who were committed to the overthrow of all existing governments and the establishments of a central world-wide dictatorship.” – W. Cleon Skousen

“The state does not function as we desired. The car does not obey. A man is at the wheel and seems to lead it, but the car does not drive in the desired direction. It moves as another force wishes.” – Vladamir Lenin

“The course of Russian history has, indeed, been greatly affected by the operations of international bankers… The Soviet Government has been given United States Treasure funds by the Federal Reserve Board… acting through the Chase Bank. England has drawn money from us through the Federal Reserve banks and has re-lent it at high rates of interest to the Soviet Government… The Dniepersotory Dam was built with funds unlawfully taken from the United States Treasury by the corrupt and dishonest Federal Reserve Board and the Federal Reserve banks.” – Rep. Louis T. McFadden (D-PA)

“These International bankers and Rockefeller-Standard Oil interests control the majority of newspapers and the columns of these papers to club into submission or drive out of public office officials who refuse to do the bidding of the powerful corrupt cliques which compose the invisible government.” – Theodore Roosevelt

“The warning of Theodore Roosevelt has much timeliness today, for the real menace of our republic is this invisible government which like a giant octopus sprawls its slimy length over city, state, and nation… It seizes in its long and powerful tentacles our executive officers, our legislative bodies, our schools, our courts, our newspapers, and every agency created for the public protection… To depart from mere generalizations, let me say that at the head of this octopus are the Rockefeller-Standard Oil interest and a small group of powerful banking houses generally referred to as the international bankers. The little coterie of powerful international bankers virtually run the United States government for their own selfish purposes. They practically control both parties, write political platforms, make catspaws of party leaders, use the leading men of private organizations, and resort to every device to place in nomination for high public office only such candidates as will be amenable to the dictates of corrupt big business… These international bankers and Rockefeller-Standard Oil interests control the majority of newspapers and magazines in this country.” – John Hylan (Mayor of New York, New York Times, March 26, 1922)

“It was not accidental. It was a carefully contrived occurrence… The international bankers sought to bring about a condition of despair here so that they might emerge as rulers of us all.” – Rep. Louis T. McFadden (D-PA)

“I think it can hardly be disputed that the statesman and financiers of Europe are ready to take almost any means to reacquire rapidly the gold stock which Europe lost to America as the result of World War I.” – Rep. Louis T. McFadden (D-PA)

“Actually, it was the calculated ’shearing’ of the public by the World-Money powers triggered by the planned sudden shortage of call money in the New York Money Market.” – Curtis Dall, son-in-law of FDR

“The Federal Reserve definitely caused the Great depression by contracting the amount of currency in circulation by one-third from 1929 to 1933.” – Milton Freidman (Nobel Prize-winning economist)

“After WWI, Germany fell into the hands of the German international bankers. Those bankers brought her and they now own her, lock, stock, and barrel. They have purchased her industries, they have mortgages on her soil, they control her production, they control all her public utilities. The international German bankers have subsidized the present Government of Germany and they have also supplied every dollar of the money Adolph Hitler has used in his lavish campaign to build up a threat to the government of Bruening. When Bruening fails to obey the orders of the German International Bankers, Hitler is brought forth to scare the Germans into submission… Through the Federal Reserve Board… over $30 billions of American money… has been pumped into Germany… You have all heard of the spending that has taken place in Germany… Modernistic dwellings, her great planetariums, her gymnasiums, her swimming pools, her fine public highways, her perfect factories. All this was done on our money. All this was given to Germany through the Federal Reserve Board. The Federal Reserve Board… has pumped so many billions of dollars into Germany that they dare not name the total.” – Rep. Louis T. McFadden (D-PA)

“Practices of the unscrupulous money changers stand indicted in the court of public opinion, rejected by the hearts and minds of men… The money changes have fled from their high seats in the temple of our civilization.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt (during his inaugural speech to our nation)

“Allegations of missing gold from our Fort Knox vaults are being widely discussed in European financial circles. But what is puzzling is that the Administration is not hastening to demonstrate conclusively that there is no cause for concern over our gold treasure – if indeed it is in a position to do so.” – Edith Roosevelt

“The powers of financial capitalism had [a] far-reaching [plan], nothing less than to create a world system of financial control in private hands able to dominate the political system of each country and the economy of the world as a whole. This system was to be controlled in a feudalistic fashion by the central banks of the world acting in concert, by secret agreements arrived at in frequent meetings and conferences. The apex of the system was to be the Bank for International Settlements in Basel, Switzerland, a private bank owned and controlled by the world’s central banks which were themselves private corporations. Each central bank… Sought to dominate its government by its ability to control treasury loans, to manipulate foreign exchanges, to influence the level of economic activity in the country, and to influence cooperative politicians by subsequent economic rewards in the business world.” – Carroll Quigley (Professor, Georgetown University)

“The stock of money, prices, and output was decidedly more unstable after the establishment of the Reserve System than before. The most dramatic period of instability in output was, of course, the period between the two wars, which includes the severe [monetary] contractions of 1920-21, 1929-33, and 1937-38. No other 20-year period in American history contains as many as three such severe contractions. This evidence persuades me that at least a third of the price rise during and just after World War I is attributable to the establishment of the Federal Reserve System… and that the severity of each of the major contractions – 1920-21, 1929-33, and 1937-38 – is directly attributable to acts of commission and omission by the Reserve authorities… Any system which gives so much power and so much discretion to a few men, [so] that mistakes – excusable or not – can have such far reaching effects, is a bad system. It is a bad system to believers in freedom just because it gives a few men such power without any effective check by the body politic – this is the key political argument against an independent central bank… To paraphrase Clemenceau: money is much too serious a matter to be left to the central bankers.” – Milton Friedman

“I know of no severe depression, in any country or any time, that was not accompanied by a sharp decline in the stock of money, and equally of no sharp decline in the stock of money that was not accompanied by a severe depression.” – Milton Friedman

“Banking is conceived in iniquity and born in sin. Bankers own the earth. Take it away from them, but leave them the power to create money and control credit, and with the flick of a pen they will create enough money to buy it back again. Take this great power away from the bankers and all great fortunes like mine will disappear, and they ought to disappear, for this world would be a better and happier world to live in. But if you want to continue the slaves of bankers and pay the cost of your own slavery, let them continue to create money and to control credit.” – Sir Josiah Stamp

“On the one side there is the party which holds the power because it holds the wealth; which has in its grasp all labor and all trade, which manipulates for its own benefit and its own purposes all the sources of supply, and which is powerfully represented in the councils of State itself. On the other side there is the needy and powerless multitude, sore and suffering. Rapacious usury, which, although more than once condemned by the Church, is nevertheless under a different form but with the same guilt, still practiced by avaricious and grasping men… so that a small number of very rich men have been able to lay upon the masses of the poor a yoke little better than slavery itself.” – Pope Leo XIII

“In our days not alone is wealth accumulated, but immense power and despotic economic domination is concentrated in the hands of a few… This power becomes particularly irresistible when exercised by those who, because they hold and control money, are able also to govern credit and determine its allotment, for this reason supplying, so to speak, the life-blood to the entire economic body, and grasping, as it were, in their hands the very soul of the economy so that no one dare breathe against their will.” – Pope Pius XI

Doesn’t matter if you’re black or white, you’re a slave in America.

Most of us are sadly under the delusion that either a Democratic or Republican candidate would save us and the freedoms which are actively being stripped away from us. Both leading political parties are equally as corrupt, so [if you'll pardon the all-too-familiar religious card] finding salvation with either devil will lead you nowhere but straight into hell.

We keep ourselves busy fighting over issues like abortion, gay rights, Medicare – and while these are VERY important issues to discuss, they serve to divide and disguise the real issue at hand: that America is no longer a country for the people and by the people, but an un-country that is ruled by corporations and private interests.

Let me put it to you another way: does foreign policy REALLY matter if a single group already controls both sides and wins, no matter the outcome? This is not a conspiracy theory. This is documented history. Our forefathers knew exactly what they were doing, and it’s about time you open your eyes and figure that out for yourself.

Money reform is the superlative issue for America and the rest of the world.

Under this illusion of a country, we all became, and remain, slaves. You have more power than you think you do, although it doesn’t begin and end with voting. Understand, too, that the tally infrastructure of the United States is already corrupted – and remains completely unchecked.

Vote for Hillary. Vote for Obama. Vote for Mitt. Vote for Guliani. They’re all the same. None of them are talking about the true issue at hand. They understand how the system works, and pray that you stay in the dark for the rest of your life – and never tell your children how and where they lost control of their country.

You will be kept in the dark, with radical assertions such as this very post swept aside as alarmist or conspiratorial in nature. People like me will be chastised, labeled unpatriotic, slandered, debunked, and dismissed. Why? Because I’m not telling you to vote…

…I’m telling you to THINK.

In the interest of transparency: I never quite understood how economics worked beyond supply and demand, I never did well with complex mathematical equations, and I once stood partially naked on the bough of a Holland America cruise ship while visiting the Hubbard Glacier in the summer 2006. Does that make me any less of an American? You don’t need to be a rocket scientist, nor a world-class intellectual, to put two and two together here!

I believe in capitalism – I believe in free markets, free enterprise. But we do not live in a society (or a world) that enables these markets to exist truly – so long as money is controlled and “governed” by a single source. It’s not just the purchased politicians; we are equally a part of the puppet show, just as easily swayed and controlled.

You should be outraged.

And if you’re still not following me, take three and a half hours out of your life and watch this very powerful documentary. The Money Masters should be viewed by every single American who gives a lick about our country and its future. Share this information, share this video, show your children, forcibly remove your head from the sand:

A solution is outlined near the end of the video (and still a subject for truly independent discussion).

This is what we should be demanding of our elected officials – this discussion – this, and nothing else that would keep us living under tyranny, blindly and boldy marching forward into a single world economy (read: currency) ruled by a single world government. At that point, you’ll only wish you could complain about Medicare, gay rights, or abortion – issues which pale by comparison.

How much more power are you willing to concede?

“We are on the verge of a global transformation. All we need is the right major crisis and the nation will accept the New World Order.” – David Rockefeller

How to Handle Remote Tech Support

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chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMT

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chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 07:56:13 GMT

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