I thought today I'd take a departure from discussing technology to talking just a little about our money system. I know, off-topic, but that's why you come here - for interesting stuff you don't find elsewhere!

Specifically, I'd like to share something that may be disturbing, but worth knowing.

Did you know that if you have a pile of cash in the bank, unless you're earning interest, you're actually losing money?

Don't panic. Nothing's "going on" that hasn't been going on for a long time. But let's look at a basic fact. Since 1913, the dollar has fallen 96%.

That's right, one dollar put in the bank in 1913 would be worth exactly 4 cents today!

Over time, our money becomes worth less. Some might even run those two together and say "worthless."

One of the driving forces of this unfortunate trend is the way our monetary system works. When the government needs more money, if often prints it. This dilutes the value of all the rest of the money in circulation. That means that the government is literally stealing your money bit by bit over time.

No, I'm not being overly dramatic - this is the truth. If more money is printed, by the laws of economics then the money is worth less than before the printing. This is one of the reasons gold keeps skyrocketing - the money used to buy it is worth less and less over time, so the "value" of gold apparently goes up.

I could go on and on, but something you might consider would be to put your money at least in conservative investments earning 4% or more per year, to stay ahead of inflation.

A very provocative, and controversial look at this topic, and many others, is found in a new movie called Thrive. You can see the website and rent or buy the video here: http://www.thrivemovement.com/

A Happy December to everyone!