Catalonia

[Brambles]

You can make a lot of money off free bingo offers if you know the system, which I learned on moneysavingexpert - I can point anyone to the part of their forum that goes through it. It's had a lot of changes because of input from Gamblers Anonymous, and you have to learn it *really* slowly, but its possible.

Bitcoin - I'm absolutely certain that 99% of what we see is a scam, and also that it was adopted by the dark web to pay for illegal activities, but I also have a vague online acquaintance with 1 or 2 people in bitcoin mining syndicates (though they won't talk about it, rats!) and I'm sure it can be done legally, wiht a small profit.

So can other stuff - like being a lender on P2P, which I *do* do, in a small way. Not spectacular, but there.

**coughs**

The headline of this thread is Catalonia. And as I write, the tv is still showing that door to the government offices in Barcelona where Puigdemont (sp?) works - is he going to turn up or not? Spain is the only Western European country with a civil war thats still just about in living memory, and it certainly still has huge fallout from having had a civil war so recently. It could get bad, depending on what happens over the next year or so.

One of our members bitcoin mines and I'm sure he went into detail about it. I'll have a look later. I feel for Catalonia. I think they are suffering from a similar political affliction as Scotland and I often wonder what is going on under the table while you're busy watching the turmoil at the podium.

[grenfell]

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2017/ ... ent-gamble

I've been doing a little research. Seems to me this whole crypto currency is not only something of a Ponzi scheme,its also linked to drug dealing,terrorism and the Dark Net.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryptocurrency

When it sounds too good to be true,then it usually is.

As I said I don't really understand these crypto or virtual currencies and tend to view them sceptically as a ponzu or scam. . I dare say the whole thing was set up with the best of intents but where there's something to be made from nothing there's always going to be some sort of dodgy activity going on. The other thing that worries me is the total reliance on technogoly and a functioning internet and as far as I'm aware the complete lack of any actual physical form of bitcoin. If fiat systems go tits up I really can't see how cryptocurrency would remain immune .
Of course physical money isn't completely safe either. Banknotes are nothing more than an IOU with a perceived value and gold and silver have been debased numerous times in the past. Even now there's the same process going on with all coins of 10p and below being made of plated steel , something that a little while ago when metal prices were high made 1&2p copper coins being worth more than their face value. I suppose the other disadvantage of using gold and silver is the ecological destruction that mining involves , try watching Gold hunters or whatever it's called on discovery to see the countryside being turned into slag heaps.
In the thread about barter I put a link off jansman's link . While trying to get 7billion people all bartering is a complete non starter i find myself drawn to the remarks of Karl Marx in that link where he proposed that money be replace with labour certificates so one got out of the system what one put in. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critiqu ... ha_Program
Granted it's not a system that could be adopted overnight , there's a lot of things to be worked out and there would be huge resistance from the "moneyed classes" so in reality it'll never happen .
Going back to Catalonia , while bitcoin may be a decent investment I would even entertain the idea of putting anything into a Catalonian cryptocurrency even if it exsisted . It looks like Madrid is coming down heavy handed which can only seem to indicate instability and risk.

[korolev]

As I understand it, the referendum the Catalans had recently was deemed illegal under the Spanish Constitution (like it or not, at the time of the referendum they were bound by the constitution) so I imagine a lot of anti-independence people though "no point in voting, doesn't affect anything one jot".
Now the pro-indys are claiming they have an overwhelming mandate.
It reminds me of the British Leyland industrial disputes of the 1970s "Show of hands, all those in favour" [some people raise hands] "Right, All out".

If they want a legitimate mandate then they have to have a legal referendum like Scotland did.

[Arzosah]

One of our members bitcoin mines and I'm sure he went into detail about it. I'll have a look later.

Thanks Brambles, I'd be grateful.

[Arwen Thebard]

It will be interesting to see how Madrid handles the "take over" . Will they be heavy handed again like before the vote?
The media will be watching more intently this time.

[Deeps]

It will be interesting to see how Madrid handles the "take over" . Will they be heavy handed again like before the vote?
The media will be watching more intently this time.

The media were watching last time, the EU and the rest of the West seemed to turn a blind eye. I was amazed that the lead story was "Yank goes berserk and goes on rampage with guns" rather than "EU State sends in riot police to beat the bejezus out of peaceful protesters shocka". Not taking anything away from what happened in Las Vegas, it was horrible but not exactly the first time its happened. Its been the first time in a while that a Western 'civilised' power has quashed an (albeit illegal) vote for independence with such a heavy hand. It struck me that it was such a fundamentally wrong way to approach it, bad PR and more likely to push people into the leave camp and push those already there to further hatred against Spain.

[Brambles]

One of our members bitcoin mines and I'm sure he went into detail about it. I'll have a look later.

Thanks Brambles, I'd be grateful.

I must have imagined it. It was Shocker, but I can't find the post

[Arwen Thebard]

For anyone interested in Bitcoin mining, here is just one (basic) editorial explaining that aspect in general. Its not expansive but a quick read.

http://www.techadvisor.co.uk/how-to/int ... t-3515249/

[Arzosah]

Thanks Brambles, thanks Arwen - I'm on it

[Plymtom]

It will be interesting to see how Madrid handles the "take over" . Will they be heavy handed again like before the vote?
The media will be watching more intently this time.

The media were watching last time, the EU and the rest of the West seemed to turn a blind eye. I was amazed that the lead story was "Yank goes berserk and goes on rampage with guns" rather than "EU State sends in riot police to beat the bejezus out of peaceful protesters shocka". Not taking anything away from what happened in Las Vegas, it was horrible but not exactly the first time its happened. Its been the first time in a while that a Western 'civilised' power has quashed an (albeit illegal) vote for independence with such a heavy hand. It struck me that it was such a fundamentally wrong way to approach it, bad PR and more likely to push people into the leave camp and push those already there to further hatred against Spain.

I like your powers of observation on the Vegas thing I hear some victims are sueing the hotel, bum fire stocks are a clear cheat, but then I know people who can pull the trigger more than once a minute no one should have gotten that arsenal into a hotel room.

Catalonia could be a really big thing, I believe in part the rest of Europe are holding their breath and know not what to say It was heavy handed, the rest of Spain must want that bit so badly that you think there was oil under it, I know little of the situation nor the history, other than it hasn't always been sweetness and light in some Spanish regions..... must be the heat.