Probably even cheaper since you wrote that post.  Woke up this morning and my eyes nearly popped out of my head when I checked bitcoin's price which at the time was somewhere around $17.5k--and as I write this, it's even lower.  I'm not sure if this is a dip being caused by the FTX/Binance fucking disaster or the start of something worse, but I have a feeling that you're right if you compare bitcoin to fiat.

And why do people do most of their shopping (as they claim to in the poll) on Black Friday?  I get that that's when you can get all the good bargains, but dealing with all of the lines in the stores and the crazy people and the chaos....ugh.  Anyway, we'll see what really happened once the numbers come in after the day itself.  People would indeed be smart to cut back on all the gift-giving, even if they're the most generous individuals on the face of the earth. 

I get the feeling that economic armageddon is coming, and you might be right about it being worse than 2008.  I remember that crash very well, and I didn't see it coming at all (probably because I was never into real estate).  Right now I think we all see it coming; it's just a matter of when and to what extent things collapse.  Good times.

True, very true--but aside from Mt. Gox's relative dominance, has there been a bigger collapse of an exchange?

As far as the "don't use a token you created as collateral" statement goes, I don't know whether to agree or disagree with that, because I don't think it matters so much who created a token used as collateral as it does the token's volatility and/or potential to drop like a stone if put under enough pressure.  And frankly, using anything other than a stablecoin as collateral is extremely risky.  Even bitcoin is notoriously volatile, and just look at what would have happened had you used it to secure a loan last month or even last week.  Yikes.

You'd think anyone with significant amounts of money invested in crypto would know this, or even just average investors who know the history of crypto exchanges....but apparently not. 

I'm just learning about what's happening between FTX and Binance, and I don't know about the rest of you but it looks to me like Binance pulled a pretty dick move, even if it was against their biggest competitor.  Good luck to any of you who've got funds on FTX. 

I'm not even in that category, and yet sometimes I still lament what I could have had if I'd just bought and held bitcoin when it was available for $2-400.  I seriously can't think about it for long without going into full despair mode.

I used to know this fact but forgot it: when did signature campaigns really kick off here?  For some reason I thought it was before 2012 (I recall reading the first thread in which signature space was offered up for advertising), but if that's true then the membership count given in the OP seems really low.  I'd be really interested in seeing a graph of time vs. member count with the start of sig campaigns marked on it.  Probably membership exploded, but I'm not certain about that.

Anyway nice data presentation, OP.  I think I'm out of sMerits, but I'll check and if so will give you some.

That's definitely true, and I think it holds for most professions (not sure if construction workers and auto mechanics wear suits to interviews, but maybe someone can clue me in on that).  I've never worn anything less than a shirt, tie, and nice shoes to a job interview. 

And as far as in the workplace goes, I hate dress codes but I also understand why companies have them--especially for men, who can't get away with some clothing choices women might be able to.  I agree that if you're working in a job in which you're dealing with the public (or with clients) it's crucial to dress professionally.  Whether you like it or not, you represent who you work for in the eyes of whoever is dealing with you on a professional basis.  What are people going to think if you show up to a meeting or to work dressed like a slob?  They're probably thinking "Company X lets their employees get away with looking like this?".

There was a thread recently dealing with your style of attire and how it impacts your work ethic.  Aside from how it looks to the public, don't you just feel better, more confident, when you're dressed up and ready to conquer the world?

From what little I've heard, if any country implements a CBDC, it's not meant to exist alongside their traditional fiat currency--and that's kind of the whole point.  The government wants to have a complete record of citizens' financial transactions, which is impossible as long as physical currency exists.

I'm not sure if the United States is planning on creating such a monster or if they've got any plans to eliminate physical money, but if they do they're certainly taking their sweet time doing it.  Even Canada eliminated the 1 cent coin, whereas the US still mints zillions of them per year, and you can find them in every parking lot across the country--just lying there, discarded.  You'd think the US would at least start with the easy stuff like that, but nope.

All of this is like a dystopian nightmare, and I dread the day that our governments and banks have even more control over us than they already do.

Yeah well, a while back I kept hearing about how Amazon was going to be delivering all their stuff via drones.  That had me scratching my head, but after a while I stopped seeing any kind of news related to that.  So they've definitely been looking to control distribution and do it in an economical way.

I'm not sure how much Amazon relies on the USPS (and other postal systems in other countries), but if there's any reliance there it's got to be eating away at their profits--especially now while inflation is increasing and the post office keeps increasing their rates.  I believe their fleet of delivery vehicles are at least semi-electric, but it's been my understanding that they can only increase the price of stamps and services such that said increases track inflation.

Anyway, I don't mind at all if they gain an advantage.  It's not like they're leaving a trail of bodies in doing so, and ultimately it ought to be better for the environment.

I have two questions:
1) What country do you live in? (I don't expect an answer, but I feel the need to ask)
2) Did your landlord tell you to go fuck yourself?

The reason I inquired about where you live is because in certain countries--far, far away from where I live--haggling is part of the culture.  If anyone in the US just asked their landlord to lower their rent because they were trying to get a cheaper rate, it'd pretty much be impossible.  Renters usually sign a lease when they rent, and any negotiations have to be done before it's signed, not when the renter suddenly feels like they're being overcharged.

But hey, as they say, you do you.  When you live in a country where most things are purchased at big box retailers or online, it's not feasible to do anything but pinch pennies through budgeting and buying smart.

My man, don't let that bug you to the point that it seems to be bugging you.  In fact, put it right out of your mind and let's never think of it again, eh?  I'd already accepted Theymos's silence as a refusal, so this is kind of all just fun and games.

Except for this damn chipmunk.  Anyone got a garbage bag?  And o_e_l_e_o, you can attempt emergency micro-neurosurgery if you want, but I don't think any mammal has survived a decapitation before.  Definitely not at a Foxpup shindig.

Edit:

How much you wanna bet it was Theymos who registered that account just to get me to shut up about the name change? 
Also: No chipmunks were harmed in the making of this farce of a thread--and to my fellow Cycling Club members, I expect you to back me up on that.

Shhh.

*BANG*

I told you motherfuckers I was crazy!  And now it's never going to happen--what's there to live for?

I'm pretty sure the topic is about humorous parts of members' profiles in general, not coinzat's in particular--so I think this thread is right where it belongs in Meta.

There are only a small handful of avatars I remember, with one of them being Vod's and the boob-licking thing.  It isn't laugh-out-loud funny, but it's amusing and he's been using it for years (and maybe even since he registered, I don't know). 

Another was Phinnaeus Gage's avatar, which isn't so much funny as it is interesting.  If any of you don't know the story behind the real Phineas Gage, take a look at the wikipedia article on him--talk about one hell of a bad ass, taking an iron bar right through the skull and carrying on like a boss.

Yet another avatar I find interesting is MPOE-PR's.  I don't know who the hell that woman is, but I always found her sexy as hell and for some reason whenever I saw posts from MPOE-PR they always seemed like they were coming from that chick (and I don't think she's who's behind the account).  Anyway, that account got banned years ago for some reason I don't recall.

It doesn't have to be that way, you know.  I suspect if you think we're all dependent on social media, you're probably either under 30 years old or someone who needs it as part of how they make their living.  Using platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and all the other social media sites is a choice (for the most part), and I can tell you that I'm perfectly happy not using any of them.  I don't think bitcointalk counts as social media, but if it does then it's my one guilty pleasure.

I have a hard time taking anything I read in the news (or from Elon Musk) at face value.  You might be correct, but as I said previously when an ultra-wealthy individual purchases some sort of media outlet, it's usually because they want to control the flow of information.  I don't use Twitter, but I'm damn curious as to how it's going to look 6 months to a year from now.  Maybe by then we'll see if the reasons Musk gave are true or if he had another agenda.

Dude, what are you talking about?  I get your bottom-line message of investing in metals and/or bitcoin, but if you're in any way arguing that everyone should start their own business, that's untenable and is never going to happen.  I can't tell if you're fishing for merits with this thread or what, because your post is just a bunch of bloated, general stuff that's been written many times on this forum.

The world needs wage slaves, whether you like it or not, and most people are going to end up being one of them (though it's a harsh way of looking at having a job).  Just keep in mind that there's much more to life than work and money. 

If there were a simple line of text or something that could be added to the banned member's personal text space/avatar that a mod could select from a list of reasons, I don't see how that would add that much more work for them.

Then again, I'm not one who's ever really cared about the issue Dave brought up, nor do I generally click on links to external sites.  So if nothing were done (which is most likely going to be the case as with 99.9% of suggestions like these), it wouldn't bother me at all.  Still it would be nice to have some sort of indication in members' profiles that they're banned.  That used to be the case years ago if I recall correctly.

Yep, already suggested by lovesmayfamilis and I think OP ought to lock this thread lest it turn into a beehive of shitposters.  They're coming, I can hear them buzzing.

Yeah, that's the real problem in situations like this where there's no way (or will) to keep banned members from creating new accounts and just picking up where they left off--like naim027 and his alts.  Hopefully this jackweed will just get the message that he's going to be wasting his time and pick another forum where mods aren't as on the ball.

I guess I don't understand what's happening behind the scenes with these BTCATM operators, because it seems bizarre to me that what you said could be the case.  How do the operators buy the bitcoin they sell?  What could possibly be causing this supposed backlog?

I've never used a Coinsource machine before, nor have I ever heard a complaint like this.  I seriously don't think their BTCATMs are being used so much that they've been drained of bitcoin....and then for some reason are having difficulty acquiring enough to meet their obligations to people who've bought it from them.

Ah, I just looked on coinatmradar and there's one Coinsource ATM in my town, and I've never visited that one.  After reading this thread, there's no way in hell I'm going to, and unless there's some positive resolution to this I'm not going to use any of their machines.  OP, I hope you get what you're owed.

Awww...thank you.  I also have a fondness for it, though I never could stand working in retail drug stores.  Many people think that's the only place pharmacists work, but there are nursing homes, the prison system, home care, and all sorts of areas where pharmacists can practice.  Nuclear pharmacy is another niche area.

Christ, don't make me waver in my decision to shoot this goddamn chipmunk.  This mo fo is staring down the barrel of a cannon and the silence is deafening.

I seriously doubt that, but thanks for your kind words.  And please do pray for this animal in my grasp.

I've developed an oddly warped sense of time--wasn't this thread started before naim027 was exposed for ban evasion?  Either way, I agree that it's certainly hypocritical on his part to call out others for those particular offenses.  The nerve of some people, you know?

LOL.

No doubt there would be at least some drama, and probably more so than with moderators.  They usually only get criticized when somebody's posts get deleted, and in those cases it's not even a big deal except to the person whose posts got nuked.  

With merit sources, anybody can see how many merits they're giving out and to whom--and I'm sure that data would be analyzed and scrutinized to death, since merits and the ranking up process are of such high importance.  People are going to wonder which merit sources are slacking or look like they're giving preferential treatment to members, or whatever.  And while it's true that there's no public list of who's a merit source, that secret has already been cracked.

What?  So you think it's a reward to have a bunch of sMerits that you're required to distribute properly, in addition to carrying the burden of helping the entire merit system function properly?

Merit sources aren't just gifted with a large number of sMerits and that's the end of it.  They're expected to be active in giving them out (even though I don't recall Theymos ever stating as much) and be way more responsible in that task than a non-merit source.  Personally I don't consider it a reward that Theymos tapped me to be a source.  I'm honored that he thought enough of me to make me one (I didn't apply; one day I got a PM saying I was a merit source), but I do feel like I have a job to do even if it isn't a particularly demanding one.

It's the witching hour tonight, and I've come to Foxpup's cycling club meeting after a long and grueling shift at the cracker factory.  All the regulars are here.  As usual no faces can be recognized because of our masks, but the person I suspect is JollyGood won't make eye contact with me; the cigar-smoking fellow holding court before we begin the ritual sacrifice has got to be LoyceV, and there's somebody over in the corner wearing a pair of faggy effeminate bicycling shorts.  And the rest of the bunch.

About to doze off for a moment, I checked my phone and read this here post and an idea was sparked in my noggin.  Cut to the present moment:  Foxpup has been knocked off the altar, and I have pulled a Colt Python from under my robes.  It is now pointed at the head of a very cute, very meek, very furry animal and I shout: "Theymos, change my username or this here chipmunk gets it right in the temple!".  I'm not even sure that chipmunks have temples, but no matter.  If I pull the trigger, not even good ol' Dr. o_e_l_e_o would be able to sew its head back on.

So where do we stand, big T?  It's either a name change or the death of this fine forest creature, which will be on your conscience.  And trust me, I'll do it.  I haven't slept in 87 hours, might have ingested something bad, and am in no mood to negotiate.

I don't subscribe to the modern-day theory that people have or are brands.  That's a millenial/zoomer generation thing they made up, like so much other stuff.

Edit:  Clock's ticking, Theymos.  Mr. Sissypants over in the corner is going to be next, and come sunrise this forum might have lost a few very good members.  And a chipmunk who says it has a wife and kids, dreams and aspirations, and is begging me not to do it.  I'm crazy man, so let's not play around here.