Fractional reserve banking is built on trust and confidence. When confidence is shaken there is a rush to grab that which is at risk. We have all played musical chairs in our youth. Just imagine that we are now playing with not only one chair short but that there is only one chair for all the countless players. Not a pretty sight. Even the winner is so bruised and beaten that it would be difficult to determine his health at first glance. After a long conversation with my father, I got the impression that he was losing faith in the system that he spent his whole working life believing would always carry on. The lack of morals and ethics of those who came after him and their sheer greed has lead to the mess we are now facing. He stated that when the trust is gone there will be an abrupt halt to the way we view financial institutions (insurance, banking, brokerages). No pension fund is safe, there will be a sharp contraction of the money supply, economic activity will slow and there will be quite a few desperate people in society. Not a pretty picture. I thought we were there already!!! He remembers the early 30's and the stories of his parents and grandparents well. He assured me that we haven't seen anything yet. How long can the music play! The answer is, when the bailouts end. In other words, when the ponzi scheme fails. There is no way out at this point. Let's hope Tyhee is positioned to weather the storm. Woody