Was put on the back burner for a while, but recently was able to dust it off and work on it. Much thanks to Tadema for behind the scenes encouragement.

@tomot said:

The interesting thing about Bitcoin is that it’s made everybody start to talk about what money is, and why money has any value. If you think about it, since 1971, when the US came off the gold standard, the dollar hasn’t been linked to gold, it hasn’t been linked to anything. You have a piece of paper which says ‘In God we trust’, it does not say 'In Government we trust'. That piece of paper is absolutely meaningless. You’re putting your trust into banks and central authorities. The Federal Reserve which prints the dollar has nothing to do with anything Federal. Its simply a private banking corporation, which has the authority to print the dollar for the Federal Government. The Fed is also very busy these days printing more paper.

Bitcoin is a whole new idea about what money is, money is basically regulated by network and by the people.

Recently Central banks around the world are looking at the development of Bitcoin with a lot of fear, and not just central banks, but the traditional banking system as a whole. Bitcoin has been around since 2008. Regulators didn’t pay any attention to it, they dismissed it as some sort of monopoly money. But things are changing for Bitcoin.

Funny thing is, the dollar you use daily, no longer supported by gold, is also monopoly money, ... is it not?

Speaking of Gold; Germany recently wanted to repatriate their gold stored in US vaults
http://nsnbc.me/2013/04/18/federal-reserve-refuses-to-submit-to-an-audit-of-germanys-gold-held-in-u-s-vaults-2/

Which raises the question where is the Gold? ...is paper backed by nothing, nothing more than the ultimate Ponzi scheme?....do you care?.

I would hardly call U.S. money absolutely meaningless. If you truly feel that way, you're more than welcome mail me all your money, and I'll take care of that meaningless paper for you.

1. Contrary to popular belief, the Federal Reserve does not print money. U.S. currency is printed and minted by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) under the Department of the Treasury.

2. "In God We Trust" is just a logo. Paper money also has the words "THIS NOTE IS LEGAL TENDER FOR ALL DEBTS PUBLIC AND PRIVATE" and is signed by both the Treasurer of the United States and the Secretary of the Treasury. The value of U.S. currency is backed by the full faith and credit of the United States.

3. Your assertion that the Federal Reserve is a private banking corporation or that it has nothing to do with anything Federal is wrong. The Federal Reserve System (aka the Federal Reserve, the Fed), the central banking system of the U.S., derives it's authority through The Federal Reserve Act of 1923 and subsequent congressional statutes, and is subject to congressional oversight. The U.S. Congress established three key objectives for monetary policy in the Federal Reserve Act: Maximum employment, stable prices, and moderate long-term interest rates. Its duties have expanded over the years, and today, according to official Federal Reserve documentation, include conducting the nation's monetary policy, supervising and regulating banking institutions, maintaining the stability of the financial system and providing financial services to depository institutions, the U.S. government, and foreign official institutions.

very nice design and rendering, Majid.

Damn! I'd say more, but I have to pick my jaw up off the floor first!

@unknownuser said:

@mike lucey said:

From what I can see the USA has lost is manufacturing base to the Far East. The reason for me is that BIG CORPORATIONS rule the roost. Big corporations will do what ever they can get away with for the bottom line ...... making a buck.

Let's not lose sight of our own responsability. We're all quite happy to turn a blind eye on, say, child labour if that means we pay €15 for a T-shirt rather than €45.

A related problem is what internet sales have done to local economies. A lot (most?) people would rather buy through the internet, now, rather than buy locally, just to save a few bucks (or out of convenience), oblivious to its detrimental effects on the local economy.

@olishea said:

@tobobo said:

Tried to pick one or two to share but I can't

The Best Pop Culture From Around The Web | So Bad So Good

We hunt the best & worst pop culture on the web, so you don't have to.

(sobadsogood.com)

The last image scarred me for life!!

Just the last one?
Number 13 looks like it might be a horrible honeymoon pix!

Interesting design.
I was somewhat disappointed, though, when I clicked on the topic and was not greeted by a Hershey's confection.

Looking good. You need to mix up the book components on the shelves a bit more so the repetition isn't as obvious. Also, IMHO, the scene needs some more entourage "stuff" to give it some more life.

Nice work, Fernando.

If you know people using Windows 7 and Windows 8, you might try checking each one out to see how you like 'em and which one you'd prefer. I've been running SU 8 & 2013 on Win 7 with no problems. My parents have Windows 8 - I don't care for it.

Here's a basketball court component from an earlier version of SU (2006). The hoops aren't too great, but the lines and circles on the court are already laid out.

Basketball_Court.skp

Nice wall texture. Be careful where you crop your images - on the first one, the very tip of the roof is cut off (on the left).

For a holiday card, I like the second one.

Fantastic looking, John.

From the Movember website:

"Movember is the month formerly known as November, where men and women across the globe join together to raise awareness and funds for men’s health. Men grow and women support a Mo (moustache) for 30 days becoming walking, talking billboards. Movember supports world-class men’s health programs that combat prostate and testicular cancer."

It does look impressive. Maybe one day, after I win the lottery....

Very cool. looks retro scifi-ish

Looks like a nice day for jousting...
Beautiful images, as always, Davidh

Nice looking room, Usen, but....balloons and ceiling fans do not mix well!

How marvelously bleak!
There's some talented graffiti artists in that neighborhood, though.