[solvegas]

What is the land border crossing like - I've crossed from Canada into the US, at the time with a Canadian who had it easier than I did on a British passport. Is it relatively easy for someone with a US passport to enter Canada?

It is not difficult but I remember well into the 90's an American could cross the border without a passport as long as he/she declared themselves American and declared they did not bring weapons. It was almost like crossing just another state border. I remember back in 1967 we drove from Mexico City to Montreal to see Expo 67 and we crossed the border from Detroit into Windsor and since we carried Mexican passports we had to show them except my mother who as an American they simply took her word for it. Years later we moved to the United States and my parents divorced and so I went to visit my father living in Canada ( his company transferred him there to run a paper mill an hour west of Toronto )  back in 1973 and even though at the time I was dual citizenship ( US/Mexico ) I did not have a US passport and when I told them I was an American they did not hassle me at all ( Dad picked us up at Buffalo since flying there was and still is a lot cheaper than flying to Toronto or Hamilton in Ontario and we crossed the border near Niagara Falls ) . That was the way it was and when I turned 18 after I gave up my Mexican citizenship up ( In those days Mexico did not accept dual citizenship. The Mexican government sent me a nasty letter telling me to give up my US citizenship and to register for the Mexican Army draft. I went to the Mexican consulate in Houston and I gave up my passport and told them to fuck off. I completed the proper forms and that was it. Since so many Mexicans now live in the US, the law was changed in 2002 and Mexico now allows dual citizenship ) and I told them I'm an American and no problem. It was during the 1990's when the US changed things and started to demand that Americans returning to the US need proof with a passport. So now we have to carry passports. Crossing the land borders isn't too much of a hassle but I hate the airport where you are treated like a criminal and some TSA agents take pleasure in making you miserable but as civil servants they are hard to get rid of. The Canadians are usually more relaxed ( Canada is not as important target for the jihadis as the US is ) but they are nowhere near as nice and relaxed as they were 30 - 40 years ago when I was young. The world ain't as polite as it used to be I guess. 

[pedonbio]

Crossing into Canada is no problem.

Getting back into the U.S. can be zoological, even with a U.S. passport. A few years ago I took a wrong turn in Blaine, WA, and found myself at Canadian customs. They were quite helpful and directed me into the turn-around lane to the U.S., where I was taken into a room for questioning while my car was searched. I got the distinct impression that the U.S. customs agents were bored to tears.

[Hiram]

The world ain't as polite as it used to be I guess. 

No, sadly it isn't.

[Hiram]

Getting back into the U.S. can be zoological, even with a U.S. passport.

Next time I cross the pond, I'm going to go via Shannon in Ireland, as they have a US border preclearance facility. I assume that will be easier than doing it when I get there,

[pedonbio]

The mystical presence of Druul predicts a Dow which is ten times the end of the Civil War, 18650, by Christmas. We shall see.

[Robin_K2]

A friend, the founder of this thread, relates to me:
"Druul hopes we can stay above Dow 14000."

[TheZookie007]

"The Dow Jones industrial average crossed the 22,000 mark for the first time Wednesday, boosted by a rally in Apple’s shares.

Apple jumped more than 6 percent in early trades — reaching an all-time high of $159.28 — a day after the world’s largest publicly listed company reported strong results and iPhone sales, and signaled its upcoming 10th-anniversary phone is on schedule.

The iPhone maker’s stock is up about 30 percent this year, giving it a market cap above $800 billion."

[rtpoe]

And Trump and the GOP are trying to take credit for all the good economic numbers.

Which would be fair, if Trump and the GOP had passed ANY laws or policies or anything that had a significant economic effect.

But after six months - one eighth of his term - he's got not a single achievement to his credit. Executive orders are NOT laws, and are actually rather limited in scope. The GOP failed utterly at its attempt to repeal and replace the ACA. He's not proposed any new legislation. The only thing I can think of that he's done is getting a Supreme Court justice appointed - which he was only able to do because the GOP deliberately shirked their responsibility when Obama nominated Merrick Garland.

Gee, all that work! No wonder he's so tired and has to annoy the crap out of the people in Bedminster NJ by going there on "vacation".

[TheZookie007]

As of Friday, Sept. 29th:

[bignatslover]

As of today the Dow is at $24,808.08, down 16% from its high of 29,568.57.
The pundits are blaming the coronavirus.
The technicians are blaming an overdue correction from a way overbought market.
The only question now is when will it find a bottom?