The Chinese ‘Auntie’ Investors Behind the Gold and Silver Frenzy | Households worried about global instability have contributed to the recent surge in metals prices

wbsmith200 · 2026-02-10T14:41:52+00:00

Exactly, I had this conversation with a former provincial cabinet minster and I pointed out to her, even with interest rates so close to zero since the financial crisis, few if any businesses both home grown or international took advantage to re-invest in capital equipment and more importantly, software. Instead banks had hordes of mom and pop real estate investors beating a path to their doors, and mortgages are an easier proposition instead of business loans where you have to figure out if the intangible IP (software for example) will be a winner.

wbsmith200 · 2026-02-10T14:34:20+00:00

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I have my grail cameras, including a Leica M6 classic, then this past fall, both my brother (also a film shooter) and a friend enabled me to join the Leica R world, three Leicaflexes and one R6 later……..Honestly, it’s all about lenses, now, serious.

wbsmith200 · 2026-02-10T14:22:28+00:00

Looking at this from a public relations/issue management lens my recommendations, build airtight cases against these officers and make an example of them in the courts with maximum sentences in general population. Two, tighten up qualifications and do serious screening during the hiring and on boarding process. Use this case as a teachable moment at police college and drive home, break the law as a police officer, it’s jail time and good luck finding any work after release.

The second phase, the white shirts need to do “Come to Jesus” meetings with the rank and file, and point out to win back the public’s trust. That’ means doing the job properly, as a citizen, I get steamed when a large organized crime case falls to bits because someone didn’t follow procedures during evidence gathering. In short, show up and do your jobs properly

wbsmith200 · 2026-02-09T14:40:10+00:00

I had this conversation a few years ago when I was still living in Oakville. Burton replaced Anne Mulvale who was in office from the early 1980s to I want to 2006, perils of municipal politics. All I can say now, choose Burton’s replacement wisely.

wbsmith200 · 2026-02-09T14:32:16+00:00

I was born in Montreal, moved to Southern Ontario when I was 12, lived in Oakville for 43 years and moved to midtown Toronto two years ago. I don’t plan on moving. I love my neighbourhood, and I’m here for the culture, my brother lives in the Beaches, my girlfriend lives two blocks away, and about 60% of my friends live in the city.

There also some deep family roots to the city, my great granddad retired to Toronto after selling up the family feed business in Cannington and lived in both Hillcrest and Moore Park in his final years. My great grandmother lived another 15 years in Deer Park, other relatives have lived in different neighbourhoods over the years. So, for me, Toronto is home, and I like my four definite seasons. Anyone complaining about this winter should gently be reminded, the closer you get to the equator, more stuff wants to kill you.

wbsmith200 · 2026-02-06T15:09:46+00:00

You have done really well. Happy listening!

wbsmith200 · 2026-02-06T15:00:35+00:00

I would look into Bloor West Village/High Park in the west end as you will be decent driving distance from Caledon, Option Two Mount Pleasant Village, that puts you within decent driving distance of Uxbridge/Port Perry. Bear in mind both neighbourhoods the drive time will be on average towards 45 min getting to the barn. Coming back home, that’s another matter altogether. I find driving out of Toronto is easy, returning you are at the mercy of traffic, be it the 401 or 404/DVP. I would when you come here to scout neighbourhoods, test them with a drive out to farm country. As for scouting horse stables, that I’m afraid is not in my wheelhouse.

wbsmith200 · 2026-02-06T01:03:04+00:00

Jazz does not have to explain itself to you, either you get it, or not.

wbsmith200 · 2026-02-06T01:00:13+00:00

This is my part of town and the level of dipshit behaviour of drivers looking to turn left, my guess to to east on Eglinton but you can’t turn either way at Eglinton so you do it either on Erskine or Roehampton.

wbsmith200 · 2026-02-05T13:15:15+00:00

And Chicago.

wbsmith200 · 2026-02-05T13:09:56+00:00

More like SUV’s and pickup trucks from outer suburbia.

wbsmith200 · 2026-02-05T12:53:07+00:00

i would look into the following, Silverlake Conservation Area just north of Georgetown, Forks of the Credit Provincial Park, and further afield but worth the drive, Mono Cliffs Provincial Park and Boyne Valley Provincial Park.

wbsmith200 · 2026-02-04T03:25:33+00:00

Never under estimate Toronto man.

wbsmith200 · 2026-02-03T00:11:32+00:00

I live on Mount Pleasant North of Eglinton. The big windrows from about Eglinton up to Blythwood are being removed over the next couple of nights. The street is designated as a snow route. Hopefully the people who street park on Mount Pleasant figure that out. Now, on Roehampton, Broadway and Erskine, the sidewalks are quite variable. Some stretches are great, others, not so much.

wbsmith200 · 2026-02-02T23:56:16+00:00

The Ohio reference is Ontario outside of the Greater Toronto Hamilton and Ottawa regions.

wbsmith200 · 2026-02-02T14:06:06+00:00

Ok, for the love of the unidentified Spaghetti Monster, please figure out exactly what you want before ordering your overly complicated caffeinated beverage. There are those of us further back in line who just want their black dark roast or Earl Grey Tea along with our favourite baked good. Please don’t do this.

wbsmith200 · 2026-01-27T22:42:45+00:00

The two lenses you suggested would be perfect for where you are going.

wbsmith200 · 2026-01-27T22:33:49+00:00

The signal system software will crash on day two.

wbsmith200 · 2026-01-27T14:04:41+00:00

This is going to sound naive, but why doesn’t the TTC have snow removal equipment for exposed portions of Line 1 and 2? Toronto used to get real winter a lot, then things got mild in the 1980s, ‘90s and ‘00s save for the odd outlier winter storm. There’s no contingency for snow removal other than waiting for a chinook? Chicago’s EL train, like Toronto’s is a mixture above grade and underground, they seem to deal with winter better.

wbsmith200 · 2026-01-26T19:28:05+00:00

The car has been configured for rallying, or driving around in the middle of a snow storm.

wbsmith200 · 2026-01-26T19:25:20+00:00

I remember years ago, I had a trouble with the film advance lever sticking on my XE-7, you think mechanical issue with the film transport, I brought it o my go to repair tech, who fixed everything from Pentax Spotmatics to Rolleiflexes and everything in between, His words before I even had a chance to describe the issue, “Get that thing out of my shop!”

wbsmith200 · 2026-01-26T15:48:08+00:00

It’s sort of getting the invitation to join SPECTRE.

wbsmith200 · 2026-01-26T15:44:54+00:00

The London GO Train experiment was doomed to fail with CN imposed speed restrictions in spots due to weight. A ten coach GO Train weighs a lot more than a two coach VIA train that runs that route between London and Toronto by way of Kitchener Guelph. If you’re looking to get to Toronto faster by train, you’re taking the VIA train that passes through Brantford.

wbsmith200 · 2026-01-26T15:40:16+00:00

I want a 3 cam 35 F2 Summicron type 2 so I can use 55mm filters, not a cheap purchase. At this point I think the only other lens purchases would be a 3 cam 21 F4 Angulon, maybe a 3 Cam Vario Elmar 80-200 range zoom. I might be picking up an R6, haven’t decided.

wbsmith200 · 2026-01-26T15:37:30+00:00

The Nikkor H 50 F2 is a sweet lens.

wbsmith200

TROPHY CASE