but that doesn't mean we're immune to the effects. It's like our neighbor has life-threatening pneumonia, and we get a flu.

Because Canada is so resource-rich, especially the kind the world wants, oil, gold, various and sundry metals, we will weather the storm better, at least for the next few years.

Jim Sinclair has been touting the CDN dollar as a safe alternative to the U.S. dollar for some time now, calling it a "non-dollar". I believe that is where our resource based economy is reflected, and why we've seen such a pummeling of our stock exchanges, because they are essentially what is the heartbeat of our economy and dollar, valuation, and exactly what the Plunge Protection Team in the U.S. did NOT want people running to for safe harbour.

The thing is, in uncertain times, precious metals are what folks run to, either to preserve capital in an inflationary market, or to keep their paper dollars from losing more value, etc etc. It's like a lifeboat on a sinking luxury liner: the rich and powerful bully their way to the lifeboat first, telling everyone not to panic, and ridiculing their fears,but once the rich safely have their places, then the general public is allowed in. Kinda like all the rhetoric of late, "The economy is sound, the U.S. dollar is gaining strength, ( remember Cramer? Bear Stearns is safe, don't sell your stock, that's crazy talk>>>ETC)".

I think Canada in general will have some great opportunities for wealth creation in the right investments over the next few years, but eventually the situation will drag us down as well, lost jobs, manufacturing will slow, exports will slow, etc etc. So I think now is the time to make a pile of moolah, and save it for the lean years ahead.

The only other thing I haven't really looked into is the fact that Canada bought some U.S. banks when they figured they were "on sale" some months ago, does that mean they also bought the "liabilities" that go with them?

Just my pre-coffee ramblings.