NationStates Jolt Archive

So much for cheaper goods north of the border, eh?

http://www.thestar.com/Business/article/258668

http://finance.google.com/finance?q=CADUSD

It was a matter of time before the loonie became worth something again.

The biggest setback with any form of rejoicing is that the value of the loonie has be reflected at the consumer level. We're still paying more for goods that should be cost less. Of course, it's been this way for a while. No real moves have been made to accommodate the Canadian consumer.

Oh yeah, well...your currency is called the 'loon'...










Obviously I have nothing intelligent to add to this...

The Loonie may be equal to the greenback but try getting an even exchange at the bank. One bank in the area Upstate New York) as of today is still giving only 90cents on the dollar.

Our canadian customers are pissed because most stores in the area only give them the bank exchange not the listed one.

Y'know, when I went north of the border in 1999 (hey, I was 16 and had a bank account, and for the first time in my life, I actually gave a damn what the exchange rate between the Canuck dollar and the Yank dollar was) there was about a 3-2 exchange rate. I took $100 Canadian out at an ATM in Toronto, and my bank debited $68 from my American account.

Five years later, I went to Niagara Falls for my birthday with my now-wife, and the exchange rate was...well, not quite as good. I think it was in the neighborhood of 6-5 or 5-4, maybe as bad at 7-6. That $100 Canadian would have taken, I'd say, around $85 American out of my account. Fortunately, I'd heard of a debit card by then.

And now, three years later, the Canuck buck actually pulls even. This is what we call "not sound economic policy south of the border." If the Americans, myself included although I really don't approve of non-crisis deficit spending, keep this shit up, pretty soon the loonie will be worth significantly more than the greenback, and people in Toronto will be visiting Buffalo, Detroit, and Minneapolis with their loonies and making us all look like dweebs. And all of this could have been prevented by reining in the damn spending.

Oh yeah, well...your currency is called the 'loon'...










Obviously I have nothing intelligent to add to this...

Go on, you know you want to... and here, some more ammunition for you. ;) Our $2 coin is a Toonie. Do your worse my friend.

Toronto will be visiting Buffalo, Detroit, and Minneapolis with their loonies and making us all look like dweebs

And spending those loonies. Personally, I'm not too sad that Canadians will be spending money here (especially in Michigan as we need some sort of economic stimulus) and buying our shit in general. It does make me sad that my annual trip to Sault Sainte Marie will cost a bit more, but such is life.

Oh yeah, well...your currency is called the 'loon'...










Obviously I have nothing intelligent to add to this...

Go on, you know you want to... and here, some more ammunition for you. ;) Our $2 coin is a Toonie. Do your worse my friend.

I have to do this...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=I-uad6zBG1o

O Canada, terre de nos aieux
Ton front est ceint, de fleurons glorieux.
Cartom bras sait porter le pée
Il sait porter la croix!
Ton histroire est une epopée
Des plus brillants exploits.

Et ta valeur de foi trempée,
Protegera nos foyers et nos droits.
Protegera nos foyers et nos droits.

And no, I didn't need to look it up.

I first went to Canada through Blaine, WA/Delta, BC in 1986. The exchange rate was right around 2:1 in favor of the USD. I say GO LOONIES! I love my northern neighbors. My sister IS one (married a vice president of Adams Canada, maker of Trident gum and like brands...we call her the gum goddess).

Not quite par yet! (but 99.9 is good enough) X3

As soon as it hits part I'm going to start tossing money into my US account for my summer vacation in California X3 *pleased*

And it actually was trading at US$1.0004 for a bit. There is no sign of it slowing down either.

I have to do this...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=I-uad6zBG1o

Damn you...brain cells.... dieing...must... reach... little.... x .....button ....

And spending those loonies. Personally, I'm not too sad that Canadians will be spending money here (especially in Michigan as we need some sort of economic stimulus) and buying our shit in general. It does make me sad that my annual trip to Sault Sainte Marie will cost a bit more, but such is life.

I'll grant that MI needs something to boost it economically, what with Ford managing to lose 12 digits in one year, which I didn't think was even possible...frankly, Michigan, upstate New York, a chunk of New England, Minnesota, Wisconsin, the Pacific Northwest, and maybe even a small part of PA will benefit economically from Canadian tourists.

But remember this much - I live in Ohio, the state shaped like an asshole for a reason. We won't get...ahem, shit from this. So bravo to Michigan, upstate NY, and all those other places for a potential economic boon from people who say "eh?" I'll be here in Ohio plotting to move north of the border.

So much for cheaper goods north of the border, eh?

http://www.thestar.com/Business/article/258668

http://finance.google.com/finance?q=CADUSD

It was a matter of time before the loonie became worth something again.

The biggest setback with any form of rejoicing is that the value of the loonie has be reflected at the consumer level. We're still paying more for goods that should be cost less. Of course, it's been this way for a while. No real moves have been made to accommodate the Canadian consumer.

So, will they lower the cost of goods in Canada since the two dollars are pretty much even? Or are they gonna screw us Canucks over? Should I go shop in Buffalo for cheaper stuff?

So, will they lower the cost of goods in Canada since the two dollars are pretty much even? Or are they gonna screw us Canucks over? Should I go shop in Buffalo for cheaper stuff?

Right now they're going to BS their way to Christmas to avoid lowering prices. It reminds me of a sign I saw last year at Indigo/Chapters. They said they wouldn't lower prices because they were selling only at cover prices. This was their way of saying they don't want to lower prices.

Right now they're going to BS their way to Christmas to avoid lowering prices. It reminds me of a sign I saw last year at Indigo/Chapters. They said they wouldn't lower prices because they were selling only at cover prices. This was their way of saying they don't want to lower prices.

T^T I want to buy books for $9.99!~

T^T I want to buy books for $9.99!~

Me too... I want my books and my manga for that... *sighs* A pipe dream still...

The Loonie may be equal to the greenback but try getting an even exchange at the bank. One bank in the area Upstate New York) as of today is still giving only 90cents on the dollar.

Our canadian customers are pissed because most stores in the area only give them the bank exchange not the listed one.

yeah, not to mention the fact that canadian coins don't work in pay phones, pool tables, laundromats, arcade games, or pretty much any coin-operated machine, really.

You don't know much about currency, do you? Those listed rates are like prime interest rates -- only for the biggest customers that deal in lots of money.

You can get rates approaching the listed rates by using a credit card.My place of business (a grocery store, that is all I will say) is exchanging the two at par right now. Although, it won't give you US coin, only take it.

The Loonie may be equal to the greenback but try getting an even exchange at the bank. One bank in the area Upstate New York) as of today is still giving only 90cents on the dollar.

Our canadian customers are pissed because most stores in the area only give them the bank exchange not the listed one.
You don't know much about currency, do you? Those listed rates are like prime interest rates -- only for the biggest customers that deal in lots of money.

You can get rates approaching the listed rates by using a credit card.

If the Americans, myself included although I really don't approve of non-crisis deficit spending, keep this shit up, pretty soon the loonie will be worth significantly more than the greenback, and people in Toronto will be visiting Buffalo, Detroit, and Minneapolis with their loonies and making us all look like dweebs. And all of this could have been prevented by reining in the damn spending.
Dude, I already go to Buffalo for shopping. Do you have any idea how much cheaper books are in the US? Publishers really need to stop being douchebags to canadian readers.

The only thing that mildly annoys me about this is that earlier this week I bought some headphones on amazon and if I'd waited until today I could have saved myself a whole $2.

My place of business (a grocery store, that is all I will say) is exchanging the two at par right now. Although, it won't give you US coin, only take it.
Individuals can do whatever they want when it comes to exchange rates. Typically, I've seen businesses give worse than the bank rates and much worse than the trading rates.

I've been to some places in the world where they couldn't quite do the currency conversion when I gave them dollars and wanted the native currency in exchange. Not in whole coins, anyway. The typical response was to hand over a few cigarettes or a piece of gum to make up the difference, rather than just handing me the closest change they could provide.

yeah, not to mention the fact that canadian coins don't work in pay phones, pool tables, laundromats, arcade games, or pretty much any coin-operated machine, really.
Yeah, and american coins don't work in coin-operated machines here, what's your point? They're made of slightly different metals.


Oh, and a side note: last month when I was on vacation, I went to a cafe to buy some food and use the internet and they gave me a US $10 instead of a canadian one, but they already treated it as being on par.

When I was in Canada I went to an arcade.

I wanted to play Tokyo Wars. For those of you who don't know, Tokyo Wars is where you drive a tank and shoot other tanks. Needless to say, it's the greatest arcade game ever, and arcades are scarce.

I look and it says: 1 loon to play.

I'm all like, "Loon?!!? What the hell is a loon!?!?! I use dollars!! Loon sounds like a bird! There aren't any birds in my hands! Save me Jebus!!"

I look through my coins, all of them with stupid queen Regina on it, as in Reejina. Not Regina like it should be (After taking latin for 4 years I know it is pronounced Re-gi-na, not Reejina like Vagina.)

I then decide the Two dollar Bear coin is far too fucking badass to be refered to as a, "loon." I just figured the one dollar (.85 USD at the time) coin with stupid Regina on it was the loon. I considered putting on some sort of fake South African/Australian/Rhodesian whatever accent and asking which coin was the loon since Americans are so unpopular, but decided against it.

I was pretty sure the one dollar coin was the loon, but I mean a dollar for an arcade game? Pft, screw that.

Then I played pinball.

The point is, Canadian currency is vastly inferior to American currency with the exception of that totally badass two dollar coin you guys have.

All presidents on US coins > Queen Reejina.

All presidents on US coins > Queen Reejina.

Dude, 'regina' mean 'reign' The queen's name is Elizabeth II.

Dude, 'regina' mean 'reign' The queen's name is Elizabeth II.

Seems your right. My bad.

However, Regina = Queen.

Still, it's Regina, (Hard G short I) not Reejina, as your silly weather people proclaim it is.

Regina is the feminine form of the latin word rex, regis which means 'king' (not to mention was considered a dire insult and swearword when used in Rome), and thus means 'queen'.

DECLINE THIS, BITCH!

Regina Reginae
Reginae Reginarum
Reginae Reginis
Reginam Reginas
Regina Reginis

Excluding the vocative case, however.

I look through my coins, all of them with stupid queen Regina on it, as in Reejina. Not Regina like it should be (After taking latin for 4 years I know it is pronounced Re-gi-na, not Reejina like Vagina.)


Who the hell is Queen Regina? It says very clearly there: Elizabeth II, Dei Gratia (D G) Regina. And, yeah, I don't know where Canadians took the silly idea that Regina rhymes with vagina.

I do like the Canadian 5¢ better than the US one.

I look through my coins, all of them with stupid queen Regina on it, as in Reejina. Not Regina like it should be (After taking latin for 4 years I know it is pronounced Re-gi-na, not Reejina like Vagina.)You pronounce Vagina in a way such that it rhymes with Reejina? WTF is wrong with your people?

It can be worth whatever it wants to be, it will always just be play money from up north to me.
Unless it becomes steadily worth $1.05 or higher, than I shall cross the border and begin complaining about the play money down south. So I guess my first sentence was actually a lie. A very sexy lie, but a lie nonetheless.

Seems your right. My bad.

However, Regina = Queen.

Still, it's Regina, (Hard G short I) not Reejina, as your silly weather people proclaim it is.

Actually, under ecclesiastical latin pronunciation rules, G is a hard G only when before consonants (except N) or before A, O, U. When before I it is a soft G.

Still, you are correct that under these rules it should be rehjeena, not reejina.

Although, it should also be pointed out that the weatherman is referring to the city of Regina, not the latin inscription on the coin. And given that the city was given that name in 1882 for Queen Victoria by her daughter Princess Louise, wife of the then-Governor General the Marquess of Lorne - we'll grant the royal perogative at the time for her to fuck it up as she wished.

And if we want to get into dumbassed pronunciations - if I hear one more person on an american home improvement or decorating show talk about a damned "foy-yer" instead of the correct "foyay" - I'll throw a brick at the screen.

The Loonie may be equal to the greenback but try getting an even exchange at the bank. One bank in the area Upstate New York) as of today is still giving only 90cents on the dollar.

Our canadian customers are pissed because most stores in the area only give them the bank exchange not the listed one.

You can never get the listed one unless you do it electronically. The banks and exchangers have to charge a commission for handling paper money.


Well, my opinion on this is that the two currencies should be set at 1:1 permanently and a single currency soon follows. And for cod's sake, don't call it the amero when BOTH currencies are the dollar. -_-

I do like the Canadian 5¢ better than the US one.
'cause beavers are awesome. :)

Actually, under ecclesiastical latin pronunciation rules, G is a hard G only when before consonants (except N) or before A, O, U. When before I it is a soft G.

Still, you are correct that under these rules it should be rehjeena, not reejina

Seeing as how the "j" and j sound weren't around the until the invention of the printing press, you're wrong.

I.E. Iupiter - Jupiter, Iulius Kiesar - Julius Caesar , Iacob - Jacob.

It would still be Rehgeena, with a G as in guitar.

You can never get the listed one unless you do it electronically. The banks and exchangers have to charge a commission for handling paper money.


Well, my opinion on this is that the two currencies should be set at 1:1 permanently and a single currency soon follows. And for cod's sake, don't call it the amero when BOTH currencies are the dollar. -_-

ummmm...no...No, that's going to lead to some kind of freaky North American Union that I don't think anyone wants....

ummmm...no...No, that's going to lead to some kind of freaky North American Union that I don't think anyone wants....

Anyone who doesn't want a NAU is severely deranged or misinformed. It is just one nice step closer to world unity. Bush's NAU stuff is his only good thing.

Anyone who doesn't want a NAU is severely deranged or misinformed. It is just one nice step closer to world unity. Bush's NAU stuff is his only good thing.

No.

Anyone who doesn't want a NAU is severely deranged or misinformed. It is just one nice step closer to world unity. Bush's NAU stuff is his only good thing.Who wants world unity?

Governmental unity with America? No thanks.
I don't mind working together, but I don't want to be part of America.

Who wants world unity?
Communists, hippies, hippy-communists and dangerous, mad scientists bent on global conquest.

When I lived in Sault Sainte Marie I would try to goad my Canadian friends into declaring a jihad on Minnesota for stealing the loon and putting on their quarter.

Giant quarter pic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Minnesota_quarter%2C_reverse_side%2C_2005.jpg)

That's it, from now on all my savings are going into Loonies.

When I lived in Sault Sainte Marie I would try to goad my Canadian friends into declaring a jihad on Minnesota for stealing the loon and putting on their quarter.

Giant quarter pic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Minnesota_quarter%2C_reverse_side%2C_2005.jpg)

:eek::eek::eek:

THEIF!!!! I DECLARE JIHAD ON ALL OF MINNESOTA!!!!!!

:eek::eek::eek:

THEIF!!!! I DECLARE JIHAD ON ALL OF MINNESOTA!!!!!!

That's what my buddies said, but on the way to Minnesota we'd stop at the mall and get distracted by New York Fries.

And spending those loonies. Personally, I'm not too sad that Canadians will be spending money here (especially in Michigan as we need some sort of economic stimulus) and buying our shit in general. It does make me sad that my annual trip to Sault Sainte Marie will cost a bit more, but such is life.

Michigan would have to get all of Canada to visit to get the kind of stimulus it needs.

keep this shit up, pretty soon the loonie will be worth significantly more than the greenback, and people in Toronto will be visiting Buffalo, Detroit, and Minneapolis with their loonies and ...


... pumping their money into the American economy instead of the Canadian one, which is the *whole point* of devaluing the currency to begin with, and would be a success for the US and a vindication of the weak-dollar policy.

Michigan would have to get all of Canada to visit to get the kind of stimulus it needs.

We'd need them to visit, and then go home and buy our cars, and given the state of the US auto industry I think it'd be more likely to get them all to come visit than to get them to buy our cars.

Who wants world unity?
Sane, rational, humanistic people.

Governmental unity with America? No thanks.
I don't mind working together, but I don't want to be part of America.
Why, you'd bring liberalism and sanity to the US.

Why, you'd bring liberalism and sanity to the US.

No. We'd be outnumbered by the Americans 10 -1 in any sort of congress or Parliament

Sane, rational, humanistic people.


Why, you'd bring liberalism and sanity to the US.

Where is this Tribe of people...I have been lost for too long...accept me back brethren...

Seeing as how the "j" and j sound weren't around the until the invention of the printing press, you're wrong.

I.E. Iupiter - Jupiter, Iulius Kiesar - Julius Caesar , Iacob - Jacob.

It would still be Rehgeena, with a G as in guitar.

Wow. No.

The sound of the hard-palated J was around, in the Latin G. The G was a glottal vowel used for the dark vowels A, O and U (as in gaudia, ego and gustatem) and a palated "dj" sound for the bright vowels E and I (as in gentes and virgine).

The J came into use and gave the I a rest from starting so many words. The Latin "Jesus" is pronounced "YEH-soose". I don't know how J got it's palatal snap, but it acquired it along the way through French, where J gets the "zh" treatment.

So Regina, if pronounced in the most recent ecclesiastical Latin, would indeed be pronounced "reh-DJEE-na".

But that doesn't matter a whit. The Canadians got their pronuniciation from the English, who've been saying "rih-DJYE-nuh" (rhymes with "vagina") for centuries. Being that the city belongs to Canada, I think it most appropriate that we say it they way those who live there say it.

Otherwise, you wind up being one of those morons who insists that the people who live there have it wrong, like those who come into Nevada and pronounce it "ne-VAH-duh". Nevadans really hate that. And try saying "pee-AIR" in the capital of South Dakota. You'll quickly learn that it's pronounced "PEER". I know that it might seem like the right thing to do, pronouncing place names in accordance with the language that spawned them, but it's just plain rude to insist on that pronunciation when a century or more of the local vernacular have given it the sound it knows today. [/soap box]

Go on, you know you want to... and here, some more ammunition for you. ;) Our $2 coin is a Toonie. Do your worse my friend.
Now get it right.....it is a Twoonie:

http://www.roadsideattractions.ca/campbellford2.htm



:D

'cause beavers are awesome. :)
Save a forest.....eat a beaver!!














OMG.....did I really say that?

And YES!! Beavers are awesome!!:)

The parity of the currencies isn't really due to any strength of the Canadian dollar - it's more that the US dollar has been collapsing for the past 6 years or so. Mostly because the US government has seen fit to create roughly one trillion extra dollars (a power they wouldn't have if they hadn't abandoned the gold standard), thus devaluing the currency. It's a short-term gain for the government in terms of revenue, but it really screws over American consumers.

Welcome to the wonderful world of inflation, folks.

Save a forest.....eat a beaver!!













OMG.....did I really say that?

And YES!! Beavers are awesome!!:)

Can we shave the beaver before we eat it...I don't like fur

Now get it right.....it is a Twoonie:

http://www.roadsideattractions.ca/campbellford2.htm



:D

Toonie (sometimes spelled twoonie or twonie) is the name of the two-dollar coin,

:p

Can we shave the beaver before we eat it...I don't like fur
Of course we can......I'll bring the cream!! :D

Sane, rational, humanistic people.
Sure. People like that really exist. You just keep believing that and maybe it will be true some day.
Why, you'd bring liberalism and sanity to the US.
No, the US would just bring its political quagmire to Canada. The US would slowly, but surely, erode liberalism in Canada.

Seeing as how the "j" and j sound weren't around the until the invention of the printing press, you're wrong.

I.E. Iupiter - Jupiter, Iulius Kiesar - Julius Caesar , Iacob - Jacob.

It would still be Rehgeena, with a G as in guitar.

I clearly stated that the pronunciation under ecclesiastical latin (http://www.ewtn.com/expert/answers/ecclesiastical_latin.htm) used the soft G. Now then, perhaps you are unaware of the two versions of Latin, however the ecclesiastical version has been the accepted latin as used by the Church for centuries. It is, admittedly, at variance with Classical Latin, however at this point you are left with the rediculous equivalent of arguing as to which is the "correct" pronunciation of "bouy" or "lieutenant" between an Englishman and American.

However, given that the standard royal "God bless" about which we are arguing WAS granted by the church - I think it is fair to state that the Ecclesiastical pronunciation would be the official pronunciation as originally bestowed.

I clearly stated that the pronunciation under ecclesiastical latin (http://www.ewtn.com/expert/answers/ecclesiastical_latin.htm) used the soft G. Now then, perhaps you are unaware of the two versions of Latin, however the ecclesiastical version has been the accepted latin as used by the Church for centuries. It is, admittedly, at variance with Classical Latin, however at this point you are left with the rediculous equivalent of arguing as to which is the "correct" pronunciation of "bouy" or "lieutenant" between an Englishman and American.

However, given that the standard royal "God bless" about which we are arguing WAS granted by the church - I think it is fair to state that the Ecclesiastical pronunciation would be the official pronunciation as originally bestowed.

Why did I even bother posting (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=13072551&postcount=50)? :rolleyes: