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Dipping into gold, mining and fertilizers. Solid trends for a recovering world economy

I dipped back into gold yesterday. My smart friends said the technicals had improved. It had turned.

BHP is flying. The mining and food businesses are increasingly enticing as the world’s economy warms up — especially China and Brazil. Check out names like MOS, POT, BTU, JOYG and ones on my column of favorites on the right.

What would you do? I have a CD in Australia with Westpac Bank. The money is safe. I can renew for one year at 6.3%. The Australian dollar has now risen to par with the U.S. dollar. It won’t go any higher but may go lower. What would you do?

The Verizon iPhone is on sale. The technology press is full of endless burble as to which one to buy and why. My conclusion: Don’t get one, for now. Two reasons: First, Apple will have a newer, better, faster iPhone in July. Why tie yourself up in a two-year contract? Second, Verizon and AT&T are is about to intro phones on  much faster 4G LTE. I’ve experienced the speed. It’s awesome. About ten times faster. You’ll want to use it at your home. Save on DSL, cable modems, etc. Stuff:

+ Verizon’s phone calls are  better than AT&T’s, for now. But it depends on where you are. I go to places where I can speak on AT&T, but not on Verizon. I am not unhappy with the AT&T phone calls on my iPhone.

+ AT&T’s data is much faster today than Verizon’s.

+ AT&T’s  iPhone can multi-task — speak and surf. Verizon’s can’t. Being able to check stuff on the Internet while you’re speaking on the phone is very useful.

Get ready for the Muslim brotherhood.I love Egypt. I pray they get their mess solved quickly. I read all the reports. The best one is by Ayaan Hirsi Ali, who works for the American Enterprise Institute. Click here.

The hearing aid crookery. I need a hearing aid, according to my wife who speaks too quietly.  I see this enticing ad.

I call the number, make an appointment with a local audiologist who loans me two of these things.  I can now hear paper rustling, my bicycle’s squeaks and voices a bit louder. Should I decide to keep them — $6,000.

I eye the array of wondrous gadgetry on my desk — from my laptop, to my iPhone to my 32″ TV, to my digital cameras. Nothing — and I repeat — nothing costs $6,000. Or anywhere near. And all of it has electronics as advanced as these hearing aids. Maybe even more advanced.

I check the Internet. Nobody’s selling Oticon at a discount. There are no discount hearing aid stores. Sales are done by audiologists in sleezy backrooms loaded with mumbo technology that will “customize” my hearing aids to my hearing loss. My audiologist tested me, fiddled with a computer. I walked out with devices no more clear than my wireless $100 Sennheiser headphones or the hearing aids a friend once took out of his ears and let me play with for ten minutes.

Screw the “customization.” Screw the mumbo jumbo sales pitch. I’ll take simple amplification. That’s all  I (and I suspect everyone else) needs.

What’s the  solution? It’s not $6,000. But is it $1,000 for two NeutronicEars or two Melody A1s?

Anyone had any experience?

The health publishing biz is much improved. These three do a great job pandering to an old man’s obsession with his health:

For Men’s Journal, click here.

For Men’s Health, click here.

For Bottom Line Health, click here.

What I’ve learned from all three:

+ Avoid all drugs, if possible. No one has any idea what their long-term horrible effects are. Except that there are horrible long-term effects.

+ Eat colors. Greens, reds, browns, white. What your mother told you.

+ Exercise every day. Nap once a day. Don’t get stressed out because Mr. Market screwed your favorite picks, once again.

+ If you get sick, see a doctor fast. Get on anti-biotics or whatever. New diseases multiply much faster.

+ See a skin doctor regularly.

+ Pray. Luck keeps you healthy.

The weather. It’s been fun.


Harry Newton who wonders why his local bicycle shop feels sorry about having to charge me $85 to fix my favorite Dahon commuter bike, while Mercedes shop feels no guilt when it charges $3,000 to replace a circuit board with one bad five cent microprocessor chip. Life is fun.

12 Comments

  1. some guy says:

    Harry, take a look at http://www.spike.com/video/how…. This is why hearing aids cost more than your consumer electronics gadgetry. The former are bespoke, touched by multiple educated people (with loans to pay off) in developed nations with high cost of living, fronted by middlemen who take a bit off the top at every stage. The latter are milled by machines in large volume, with occasional handling by trained monkeys in developing nations (for slave's wages).

    Don't forget that consumer gadgetry lives for a year. Hearing aids have a longer lifespan. Doesn't mean they don't break (so someone has to absorb the cost of repairs as these typically aren't chucked like the iPhone you'll discard in the next upgrade cycle).

    Incidentally, use of headphones – on every occasion – causes hearing damage. Every occasion, no exception. It's a question of how much, not if.

    If your hearing is good enough to allow use of completely-in-the-canal units, go for that. Try one. The improvement in hearing using two devices is marginal. Pay the three grand. Look up at the sunshine, listen to the birds chirp and smile.

    • Harry Newton says:

      They actually want $6,000 for Oticon Agil MiniRite devices that fit behind the ear and have a tiny speaker in the ear. So there's no molding, and little customization. After ten minutes of fiddling, I walked out of the store with them. I've worn them now for a couple of days. No question that that amplification is nice and you do hear new sounds — like the sounds of my typing this reply — which I actually don't want to hear. I tried them in a restaurant. They didn't filter out the irksome background. They actually amplified it.

      To me, the little improvement is not worth $6,000. I'll try some others. Some readers (see below) have made great suggestions for cheaper alternatives. And some have money back guarantees.

      I do not believe that headphones cause damage to your hearing — so long as you don't cranke them up.

  2. frank pilmar says:

    Harry I have been using 2 SiemensCielo2P for the past 18 months and they`ve worked well for me a nd i paid about 1500.00for both of them.Good luck and Thanx for your daily updates. Frank in Tucson

  3. Capt Bill says:

    Re-new the c.d. – but then you didn't need me to tell you this – you know my feelings on all existing markets and my affection for the local credit unions… Australia still has something to sell (commodity based economy) all we have is rhetoric and vile and that does not support either employment or the value of the greenback… The banksters are out to steal all you have in anyway they can – it's NOT a consumer driven business any longer… Like you I want to end up with a small fortune – only problem is, I don't have a large fortune to start with…
    capt.bill (PS: stay away from national car rental)

  4. Jjlove says:

    I agree – keep the CD. The U.S. dollar will continue to shrink. I need hearing aids too. Gotta check out Starkey Labs.

  5. JimBobToo says:

    Keep the CD; no brainer. Only get a Hearing Aid from Starkey Laboratories, also a no brainer. Trust me.

  6. Gary S says:

    I’ve been wearing hearing aids for over 25 years and what used to cost less than $1,500 for a pair (I like the smallest CIC, completely in the canal style) now are running at $6,000 like you said. It is a major rip off. My long term audiologist wanted close to $6,000 back in 2006 when I needed a new pair. Instead I found a local audiologist via the Internet and paid $4,000. Next time I need a pair, I like to upgrade every five years or so, I’m going to check out Costco who have CIC listed at $3,000 for a pair. Costco has the your behind the ear type listed at $2,000+ for a pair. I’ve used Costco for a pair of eye glasses but not hearing aids. Please ask if any of your readers have used for hearing aids.

  7. Jim2e says:

    Hearing Aids are one of the biggest RIP OFFS in the Medical field today. I have found the BTE (behind the ear) models are more comfortable and you get more for your money but they still run $2000 each – retail. I haven't thought of Canada but it may be worth a look, any audiologist can make the tuning adjustments so you are free to purchase anywhere.

  8. david warfel says:

    ZOUNDS,HEARING AID,MINE COST $2,400,00. WORKS BETTER THAN ANY MY FRIENDS HAVE,THEIRS COST OVER $4,500.00. 1-888-5ZOUNDS, 1840 S Stapley Drive,Suite 201 Mesa,AZ 85204

    • redzone says:

      David,

      Why are you yelling?… 😉

      • Nancy E says:

        Oticon is great. Ive been wearing them most of my life. Try my audiologist, Karen Greer at Yorkville hearing on 18th street. I had recommended that group to you awhile ago. When are you going to LISTEN to me??? Sounds like to need a good pair of aids!
        Nancy E