-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- on or about 980202:0109, in <199802020709.BAA27402@einstein.ssz.com>, Jim Choate was purported to have expostulated to perpetuate an opinion:

I've been doing it for many years. Don't have a checking account, don't own a credit card. I do have a saving account with a local credit union and go in every 3-4 days and withdraw what I need for the next 3-4 days. Pay every bill in cash or money order.

first, the use of the credit union includes your SSN and they have a total cash transaction at least on your primary expenses. if you have "consulting" income which can be converted to cash, and dont deposit it, then you can do you 'high on the hawg' living with the cash --until they bring the IRS CID along and look at your 'imputed' income which is almost indefensible in their kangaroo courts. secondly, you have not dealt with a federal case where there is implied evidence as they find a clerk in the usual store you use... [snip]

I'm going to go tomorrow and buy a new laptop at around $1500.

what are you getting for $1500? out here in the boonies we dont see those kind of prices.

I intend on paying with a wad of $100 bills. Bet you they don't look twice nor will they ask for ID.

well, in the first place, you live in Texas where the attitude to the Feds is rather strong --not as strong as our attitude in rural Utah where the usual transaction is in cash. out here, a Fed is the same as a revenuer in Eastern Kentucky or Tennessee. reminds me of the Fed approaching a child and telling him he'd give him $5 if he took him to his father (still) --the boy asked for the money up front. when the Fed asked why, the boy said: "...'cause you aint coming back".

I've actualy never had a problem paying cash, never had anyone turn real money down...

I did-- tried to lay $14K out for a Mercedes (25 years ago). they wouldnt take it. so I went and picked up two $7K cashiers from two different banks. same thing with a pair of Lycoming IO540 aircraft engines: 2 8s and a 9 --stay under the $10K transaction. of course, if you want to take care of the problem: use a chartered blind "Queens' trust over an Antilles NV, a Dutch BV, and an FL AG --of course with a friendly banker who just arranges to have the bill paid from a correspondent US bank --and who pays your European American Express card for you... need cash under $10K? use an FL bank card. Both the Antilles and Dutch banks are porous, so they remain shells paid from the bottom up. so where is digital cash? probably the most amusing article on digital cash is the Neal Stephenson article: "The Great Simolean Caper" which was in: Time Mag's Special Issue, Spring 1995 Volume 145, No. 12. yes, it presents "our" side of it, but shows the backside and obvious ammo for Freeh... it does not seem to be available on the Time server, so anyone who wants to read it: http://www.primenet.com/~attila/pages/simolean.html until we really do have a virtual country and virtual cash, they will always be able to trace it. As I understand it, the banks keep a record on anything over $1k cash which means there is a master list which can be sorted and filtered. over $10K you must fill out the IRS form; for international you are required to file Dept of the Treasury form 515. -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: 2.6.3i Charset: latin1 Comment: No safety this side of the grave. Never was; never will be iQBVAwUBNNYWmLR8UA6T6u61AQH8+AH9Gr63vhMsfdIXXod5nBpqVzgHDqqWqNq6 sQ7LaI13D2joj9g2crHABfP37G8RnTOekaK4y5CCy1aG0Wa6PgJvDA== =3nUk -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----