Bits Bucket For June 13, 2009
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The Housing Bubble
Examining the home price boom and its effect on owners, lenders, regulators, realtors and the economy as a whole.
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Name:Ben Jones
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I can only wonder who the landlord was? (and what do they want with a bunch of sushi farted sitting cushions for anywho?)…
A 305,000,000.00 million dollar $$$$$$$…. rent…reduction!
Lehman Asks to Buy Back Furniture as Barclays Disputes Persist
By Linda Sandler and Christopher Scinta June 13 (Bloomberg)
“…Lehman, which filed the biggest bankruptcy in U.S. history in September with assets of $639 billion, is trying to cut its overhead including lease costs as it liquidates. Its landlord has agreed to cut Lehman’s rent by $305 million to $21 million on an existing lease, partly in exchange for getting the furniture, according to the filing.”
“In an earlier skirmish over chairs, resolved in May, Barclays won the right to carry off as many as 150 of Lehman’s chairs in a building at 399 Park Ave., where they both rent space. The bankrupt firm promised the landlord to replace them with seating of “reasonably similar quality and condition,” according to court papers.
“As part of the acquisition, Barclays received almost $4 billion in securities and cash from Lehman to pay liabilities such as equipment leases, severance and bonuses, said a person familiar with the matter who declined to be named. Later, when Barclays announced its financial results for 2008, the bank said it recorded a gain of 2.26 billion pounds ($3.75 billion) from the acquisition of Lehman’s North American operations, according to the court filing.”
Is the furniture gold plated?
We saw Wicked the musical last week.
This was my first ever musical. The cost of ticket were around $65.00, the seats were good but not the best.
I was amazed that the show was sold out and it did not look like there was any recession.
People are still spending.
We couldn’t go so we had fresh salmon last night,
grilled with lemon. Not bad at $16.00 a pound.
Fresh coffee this morning, overcast, drizzling, all
quiet.
Forgot…….still waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Yeah, Rancher, I know what you mean. It is kind of a “living in the now” sort of peace, isn’t it?
was that way when Wicked was in ATL…got 3rd row dead center which was surprise to me that it was even available..but yes the show was sold out eventually..however, I did note in the parking lot that the cars there were not luxury vehicles, but just the average joe type. Seems to me that the “joneses” have run out of options and the average joes are still enjoying life.
ann:
Thinking back; I did not see luxury cars or anything extravagent that stood out.
This is in Indianapolis
When I was a kid, a major ballet company was on tour and found itself with many unsold seats in Boston. They gave the tickets to a variety of non-profit organizations including a school founded and run by my cousin. If she had had the time, she would have used the tickets to send the kids to the ballet that weekend, but she was contacted fairly late on Friday and the tickets were for Saturday night and Sunday afternoon. No time to arrange a field trip. No time even to distribute them to the children. So the teachers and her family got the tickets.
Just because a cultural event is full, does not mean it was sold out.
Polly,
Is your knee surgery still scheduled for Friday, June 19th?(date=iirc)
Are you enjoying your new nephew?
Yup. Knee surgery is in less than a week. I’m not happy, but I am ready for this to be over. I’ll need to do some extra food shopping this weekend so I don’t have to drive next weekend.
Nephew is great. By the time I saw my new born niece (now two) it was two weeks in and she was colicky, so she was a little harder to cuddle. He was calm. He ate, he pooped, he looked around a bit, he burped, he yawned, he slept. I got to help with the burping, enjoy the looking around and hear the pooping (no smell yet). My niece seems OK with him, though I still haven’t heard her call him by name - she refers to him as baby bruddah.
Polly,
Yeah, I like being on the rental plan as the Aunt (no kids, myself). Babies and toddlers are so cute, but I call them “false advertising”.
I wish you a decent (no such thing as good) surgery experience, and a speedy full recovery. Is this an outpatient surgery?
Evidently, it is an outpatient surgery. Sorry for the dumb question. Need coffee, worked late Friday.
It’s called “papering the house”. Common practice in theater.
Good seats for Wicked , on broadway, are still $125 and up. I’ve been waiting to take the family, where dinner and show would be under $500 (four tickets). It aint happening and I will have to bite the bullet. Broadway’s taken a hit, but the shows people want to see (tourists) still get top dollar. It has surprised me that people will still spend big money for entertainment and that extra money is still around in a credit crunch.
Mid-week flights from NY to Tampa and return last week were full.
extra money is still around in a credit crunch ??
There is a lot of residual income sloshing around…See, pensions and social security checks along with legacy money…Go to a Indian Casino around here and see what it looks like… Problem is most of it is provided by government programs or quasi government or (See teachers Union) in one way or the other…There is “No Way” for the foreseeable future that the rates of return the actuaries have estimated for these programs are going to be met..At some point its Cut, Raise Revenue or implode…
I’m going to see Fleetwood Mac tonight in the roughly 11,000- seat Convention Hall in Atlantic City. Saw there were still tix available as of Fri.; will report in with a Local Observation tomorrow or Mon.
Hey– it’s one-thirty already. Chores done. Too early to start getting fired up for the show?
Fleetwood Mac, now that’s nastalgic. The Playboy Jazz Festival is this weekend at the Hollywood Bowl. The cost of the tickets kept us from the festival.
We’re not going on the subway this weekend. It will be a madhouse. There is a free shuttle bus from the nearby subway station up to the Hollywood Bowl.
… or the solution chosen by some states: Cut, Raise Revenue, and still Implode!
Thanks for interesting update. $65 for not a bad seat is relative bargin for a broadway show compared to what prices have been. So a full theater might be deceiving. Also if you saw in NY, keep in might the theatres there are much smaller than most other cities.
Crist trying to high-tail his way off the sinking ship (get the heck out of FL before there’s some really tough decisions to make!!).
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/florida/sfl-crist-unfinished-agenda-061209,0,569250.story
I’m usually pretty lukewarm on politicans, but I think Crist has been incredibly ineffective! He did nothing to attack the problem in FL (out of control spending brought about by Save Our Homes), and spent most of his term fighting with insurance companies. My insurance bill is less than 1/3rd of my tax bill, and, to boot, insurance rates aren’t set by the government, TAXES ARE!!
Anyway, I don’t blame him for wanting to get out of this mess; it’s still a huge mystery to me what’s going to happen when the appraiser can no longer cover up the damage and the taxes fall to ~1/2 of what they were during the boom.
Or rates double.
What are you doing to do? It isn’t that there are all these public services down in Florida.
taxes fall to ~1/2 of what they were during the boom ??
Like Rancher said, he is waiting for the next shoe to drop and I think this will be it…The feds will keep doing what they are doing so the ship does not sink…I the mean time, All level of governments will Attempt to raise revenue to to offset the current budget deficits because they refuse or can’t because of union contracts to “cut” in any meaningful way…Fee’s, VAT, income tax they are going to come at us from every angle…This will CRUSH the private sector and exacerbate the revenue decline to government…IMO, When this happens, that will be the “Other Shoe” unless some black swan appears prior too…
(Hwy wonders what drug companies would do without the elderly & Medicare?)
There’s that word again: “Ethical”
There’s that “other” word again: “Corporation”
There’s that “other other” word again: “Profits”
“By definition, off-label means there is no clear evidence that the benefits of a drug outweigh the risks,” Wolfe said. “The reason why off-label promotion is illegal is that you can greatly magnify the number of people who will be harmed.”
“In 1999, when Lilly began its marketing push, Zyprexa’s only approved use was for patients suffering from schizophrenia, according to the FDA. In 2008, Zyprexa was Lilly’s best-selling drug, with $4.7 billion in sales, while antipsychotics as a group topped U.S. drug sales last year, with $14.6 billion.”
Medical Journals
“The documents also revealed Lilly officials wrote medical journal studies about Zyprexa and then asked doctors to put their names on the articles, a practice called “ghostwriting.””
“Lilly employees compiled a guide to hiring scientists to write favorable articles, complained to journal editors when publication was delayed and submitted rejected articles to other outlets, according to the documents.”
“Insurers and other so-called third-party payers contend Lilly should pay as much as $6.8 billion in damages for downplaying Zyprexa’s health risks, including excessive weight gain and the risk of contracting diabetes, and marketing the drug for unapproved uses to pump up profits.”
Lilly Sold Drug for Dementia Knowing It Didn’t Help:
June 12 (Bloomberg) By Margaret Cronin Fisk, Elizabeth Lopatto and Jef Feeley
It’s a amazing how blatant people are becoming when it comes to stripping the home they’re walking away from…….
http://reno.craigslist.org/mat/1219051781.html
Years ago foreclosed homes were a pretty good deal…less thoughts of stripping and damaging..today..its pretty much the norm…I would be concerned with what I don’t see in damage than what I do.
A perfect example of the moral erosion which permeates american society today.
It’s a perfect example of the “free market” mantra.
I wonder where they learned it from?
True ATE, but the other side is the banks by not negotiating with the homeowners on anything, bring this on themselves.
How much stripping/damage would be done if the banks just foreclosed and allowed the “owners” to rent it back until it gets sold.
I would venture a good guess that by stripping/damaging the home while renting it back from the bank would bring criminal charges against the “owners” and monetary damages too.
“How much stripping/damage would be done if the banks just foreclosed and allowed the “owners” to rent it back until it gets sold.”
Why rent to an angry renter? Why not just sell it to someone that can afford the debt service as quickly as possible at an affordable price?
Blasphemous…..you want the banks to write off their bad debt quickly….and make their shareholders even more angry?
————————————–
Why not just sell it to someone that can afford the debt service as quickly as possible at an affordable price?
“I would venture a good guess that by stripping/damaging the home while renting it back from the bank would bring criminal charges against the “owners” and monetary damages too.”
Only the government can bring criminal charges, and a civil lawsuit to collect $25k can very easily run $25k or more. One attorney spending 80 hours @ $300 an hour, plus a few out of pocket costs and expenses will push you above that number. Banks are in the business of making loans, not being property managers. Banks just need to sell quickly at affordable prices and focus on making new loans to credit worthy borrowers hoping they survive the next few years.
Also the renter is unlikely to pay the judgement in any event. Most firms wont take even easy cases that are worth less than $50k and are against those that have actual assets or insurance that will cover the claim.
Good point dj.
EEKS. Is THAT what $15K gets you? I am not impressed.
Just in case it gets flagged:
“Backyard landscaping…trees, rocks, shrubs, plants flowers, natural sandbox, pavers. If you can remove it, you can buy it.
Paid $15000 will let it go for $6000″
I have seen a bunch of the cabinets/appliance obviously from house stripping on PHX Craigslist, but I never looked for used landscaping. Sure, six grand for some used rocks and trees in Reno. Looks like like buying that house was the biggest little mistake of someone’s life.
I’d guess he paid $15K to have the stuff delivered and installed. The raw parts by themselves aren’t probably worth $6K.
Or $1k!
From George Ure this morning:
Saturday Critics Corner
I swear, sometimes when I say something which is ½ in jest, I get people who write to me and ask “What in the world were youi thinking?” Take, for example, my Friday morning remark that “since it’s such a ‘nice quiet Friday….”
“Then you sir, are blind.
From my follow-up post on a lunatic forums site:
They can try to debunk all they want to.
Russia reportedly has ~140 billion in US debt they are trying to get rid of.
There was 134.5 Billion left in TARP at the end of March.
These two people were caught but NOT ARRESTED with 134.5 billion in US Bonds. Italian law states that they should have been arrested. As far as I know, only someone with diplomatic immunity can get away with something like that. Why they didn’t use a diplomatic pouch is anybody’s guess…. unless what they were toting around was under the official radar.
They were “Japanese Nationals,” in Italy trying to get to Switzerland.
Timmy (the cheat) Geithner is currently in Italy, meeting with the Japanese and Russian financial guys in relation to the G-8.
Related links:
Link to SEC to check bonds to see if legit and
Link to German article “Windfall for Italy?”
Russia’s holdings:
L:ink to Russia’s plan to cut Treasury holdings.
And “U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner on Friday will meet Japanese Finance Minister Kaoru Yosano and Russian Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin in Italy, the Treasury Department said on Thursday. ”
And, on top of that, Karl Denninger of Market Ticker notes a Zerohedge story indicating that the Federal Reserve may be tampering with the market.
Which is why we were greatly troubled when we learned recently on good authority that Federal representatives may have opened multiple undisclosed-type accounts with none other than State Street Global Advisors over the past few months. All of these accounts are allegedly handled by one single trader, who is cocooned and isolated from interaction with other partners.
Quiet Friday… I don’t think so.
Love your site though.. I read it often.
Glad to see that someone out there has been following up on this tinfoil hat alert. Very curious indeed….
“…According to the report in il Giornale, two unidentified Japanese in their 50s concealed the bonds, including 249 U.S. Treasury bonds each worth $500 million, in a suitcase with a false bottom….”
-Yesterday’s Japantoday.com
I’m thinking either NK or Sacha Baron Cohen.
Somewhat tinfoil hat alert, but was on Puplava’s show this week. The PR gal that represented Eron in communications to the govt., was hired by the FRB. Ron Paul and 190 Congresscritters (so far who have signed a bill) want the fed audited. A popcorn moment is coming, I hope.
That bill to audit the fed now has 218 co-sponsors in the House of Representatives (over half of the House’s members), and two in the Senate (Bernie Sanders and Jim DeMint).
“You can’t stand the truth!”
More Flags…more fun!
$1.8 B red flag = No fun!
NEW YORK (AP) — The amusement park company Six Flags is seeking Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, saying it needs to reorganize and shed $1.8 billion of debt.
I wonder which banks/lenders hold these debts.
Dan Snyder destroys everything he touches.
This is interesting because they are profitable. But seeing as everyone else is walking away from their obligations, why should Six Flags be a fool and pay it back?
During my almost daily walks around the Atwater Village area of LA, I see lots of “for rent” signs and no “for sale” signs.
Checked out one of the rentals and it was a one bedroom for $2,000 in a triplex bought by the owner about a year ago. This is very expensive for this area. You can get a one bedroom in my complex - 2 blocks away - for around $1300. My complex has secure parking, swimming pool, gym, jacuzzi, saunas and outdoor gas grills. The one bedroom has none of this.
Classic case of knife catching. It’ll be interesting to see how long the triplex owner can hold on. Did a nice job painting it though.
Oh, and my complex has begun hiring sign twirlers on the weekends to draw in new tenants.
That’s just delusional but that’s par for the course, I suppose.
Delusion is normative.
A friend provided the following analysis:
California’s government risks a financial “meltdown” within 50 days in light of its weakening May revenues unless Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and lawmakers quickly plug a $24.3 billion budget gap, the state’s controller said on Wednesday.
Population of California = 36M
Percentage below 18 = 26%
Percentage above 65 = 11%
(Source: Census Quickfacts.)
There are 22 million productive adults which means they need roughly $1,000 per head in taxes!
To fund those taxes, the productive capacity of those 22 million adults has to be much much higher. And most of them couldn’t even write you a $100 check tomorrow morning!
BWAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!
the productive capacity of those 22 million adults ??
And of those, how many are on the government dole either directly or by contract ?? Furthermore, look at the amount they earn the guarantee of pensions and who and how many are left to pay the freight ??
Yeah, that was implied.
His (= the friend’s) point was that even the most cursory analysis shows a complete disaster. He is one of my “converts” to the power of “long division”.
WOW faster!!! Game Ball to you!
No.
Game ball to “long division”, baby!
Don’t you think the portrait of gloom painted by the California governor is primarily a signal in the bailout qualification game?
Here is a silly article blaming the housing bubble entirely on Democrats and linking it to socialism.
It would be nice if a lot of the smart people who post here would respond. You don’t have to sign up or leave an e-mail address. You just need a name or pseudonym.
http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/06/the_liberal_housing_crash.html
The article isnt that silly…
The article attacks liberal ideology more than the democratic party.
The problem I have with liberalism is, in order to do what their grandview wants, money has to come from somewhere. Liberals never account for this…
When there is a class of people who arent pulling their weight and creating something, you cannot expect them to have the lifestyle of those who are pulling their weight. That is why you cannot give a house to an indigent because he will not care for it because he didnt earn it…
Hello people,
I am super depressed today. I crashed my car on thursday afterwork. I bought my brand new BMW last year when I graduated from school, and it sucks.
The accident was bad, but it wasn’t bad enough to for a total loss. Now, I’m going to be driving a car with major damages that will definitely affect the resale value in the future. *sigh
Weren’t you the guy who wanted to move downtown with a dog with barely any income to back you up?
Why am I not surprised that you bought a brand new BMW outta school?
Stupid is as stupid does.
Harsh, FPSS! But yeah, buying a brand new BMW right out of school may not be the most practical decision, but hey….we all exercise our new freedom/earning potential in some way….
Really, what does resale value matter?! It’s a car. It’s just money. Assuming you’re insured, you pay your deductible and it gets fixed to be almost as good as new.
Considering the phrasing you used “I crashed my car”, I think being out $500 or so really isn’t that bad. Next time just don’t crash your car
(I put my car in a ditch the first time I drove in snow @16. Haven’t had an accident since, aside from getting rear-ended a few times, once in the Taco Bell drive-thru).
we all exercise our new freedom/earning potential in some way
Is it?
Mine was to blow on two speakers (obsessively researched - is anyone surprised?) and a budget for all the music I ever wanted.
What was that? About 1/10th of a car?!?
And it still ranks as one of the best decisions I ever made!
Crazily, those speakers have “appreciated” in inflation-adjusted terms. Nobody had even heard of that maker then!
There is a massive distinction between something that will give you pleasure long-term and the status symbol associated with a new car which evaporates in 6 months.
The Ramones would beg to differ…
What make model Faster….I love classic stereos….
Still have my fathers Macintosh receiver and thorens turntable….still set up in my moms house.
I have my SAE and Berwen Pop and click filters for records…
I use these for DJ the price is for 1 and I have 4 plus 2 subwoofers….plus i use the smaller FBT for my home stereo too
http://www.fullcompass.com/product/288523.html
You mean after they get a “real” bass player?!?
I love classic stereos
Speakers not stereo - any modern stereo is excellent compared to the clunkers.
And subwoofers are a “hack” - real speakers don’t need them unless you listen to a lot of organ music.
You mean after they get a “real” bass player?!?
Eh?
Is that a swipe at the late Dee Dee Ramone?
His style fit the music perfectly, and hell, he was the band’s primary songwriter to boot. Punk ain’t about sounding like Jaco or Ron Carter or Chris Squire or [insert preferred name here]. Good ol’ Mikey Watt excepted, of course, for his ability to lay down ye olde punk bottom end with chops to spare.
Yeah, ET. Yeah.
Just rebuilt my 15YO Cerwin Vegas with new foam - no comparison on sound.
Speaker systems are not susceptible to traffic accidents.
Speaker systems are not susceptible to traffic accidents.
Sure they are. You’ve never encountered speakers that have “fallen off the truck”??
we all exercise our new freedom/earning potential in some way….???
We also need to “exercise” the concept of “Delayed Gratification”…
Man, I love how I’m getting picked apart for trying to show *some* sympathy to Brett here.
Yes, FPSS…some of us are more “responsible” than others…but we’ve all “splurged” on something that, in retrospect, wasn’t the best idea. I have a hard time believing you’ve been above that your whole life.
Personally, I bought a brand new car my senior year of college. Yes, it was stupid…I got “lucky” and didn’t get totally hosed on the financing, and as a Computer Science graduate in 2000 with a job already lined up I knew that I could pay the thing off quickly as soon as I graduated.
Would I advocate someone do that, knowing what I know now? No. But younger folks (I’m still young, so not trying to omit myself from this behavior) are impulsive. It happens.
I have a hard time believing you’ve been above that your whole life.
Obviously not but I don’t whine about it either. I take my lumps and move on.
+1
“I take my lumps and move on.”
And lumps suck!
I am glad you don`t have to wear them forever or I`d look like the G.D. Elephant Man.
Being young and foolish is being young. God bless, enjoy!
+ (and this from a 50 year old)
If only it were true that that the only persons that bore the consequences of bad financial decisions were the people that made such decisions. It just isn’t true. Ask some of the unemployed. They are not hard to find these days. A collection of bad decisions results in market distortions and eventual collapses.
Ask some of the unemployed
I would, but the DSM-IV says that something is wrong with me if I start talking to myself in that way….
But your point is taken. Bad financial decisions can affect other people. However, a new grad going out and spending a bit too much money on a new toy is unlikely to have repercussions on other people. The sum of a bunch of people making bad decisions? Maybe…I feel like that’s a bit of a stretch though (At least regards with this specific story)
it seems like only read what you want. i graduated from school with a master’s in engineering from one of the top ten programs in the nation.
as far as my car, it is paid off. i had a fellowship, a second scholarship, parents help, and i also worked as an intern. so whem i graduated, i went and bought the car i wanted cash. not everyone has a zero balance.. some of us, save.
as far as my place downtown, i ended up moving and i enjoy it a ton. i was concerned about the rent cause i am financially reponsible and have zero debt. 1400 a month isnt that bad… im still saving 20% of my salary.
If nobody is dead or hurt and you were not drunk, you can recover from stupid. Get the POS BMW fixed, get a loan for what it won`t bring when you sell it and pay cash for a beater until you can AFFORD a nice car. Life is too short to be “super depressed” over a car.
Yes, jeff. Piece of tin, ya know…?
I have driven station wagons for many years presently drive 96 Ford Escort Station wagon…not exactly a chick magnet…but they get seem to get over it when i bring home some nice cash after a wild party!
I’ve got a 97 Mercury Tracer wagon (which is an Escort with another name plate and a slightly different nose…)
LOVE it, perfect for tooling around Queens, AND gets 30 MPG on the highway!
Anyway, car ownership of any kind is a status symbol in NYC.
LOL, never thought of it that way. It was always a needed item to make money with. Plus i like to drive and see America.
—————————————
Anyway, car ownership of any kind is a status symbol in NYC.
If you were in a car crash and weren’t hurt, you should be happy. A lot of people suffer permanent impairments of one sort or another from car crashes, or die.
There must also be a lot of people around who live with knowing that they made a driving mistake that caused someone else to die or be seriously injured.
“Driving a car with major damages that will definitely affect the resale value in the future” is not the worst thing that could have happened and doesn’t (IMHO) merit days of being super depressed.
(But then to me, a car is just a box of air on wheels that I use to get a load of groceries home - it doesn’t have anything to do with my identity or my image or my personal pleasure and I’d rather have a decent public transportation system than a BMW. So I’m not well-equipped to empathize.)
it doesn’t have anything to do with my identity or my image or my personal pleasure and I’d rather have a decent public transportation system than a BMW. So I’m not well-equipped to empathize.
But hip, you’re also not trying to pick up 20-something women in Ausitn, TX. Sadly, a beat-up old Toyota 4Runner 4×4 with 160k miles on it just doesn’t get the women to come running, even if it did cost as much new as the BMW does.
Luckily, I’m old enough at this point where I don’t care about that kind of thing, and don’t care for the type of woman who’s going to walk away because I have a beater of a car (with a six-figure bank account balance).
You could try different bumper stickers?
But seriously, screening out women who are overly impressed by expensive glossy superficiality seems like a good thing - for an HBBer.
You could try different bumper stickers?
What, my “Don’t Blame Me - I voted for Ron Paul” bumper sticker isn’t going to attract the women?!
Should I get a PETA or dog rescue one instead? Or “My Boxer is Smarter Than Your Honor Student”?
“My Dad Spent Last Evening Eating Out your Son”
My Dad Spent Last Evening Eating Out your Son
I think this might be the first time I really have no idea how to respond/what to say. Well done.
Man, the *ONE* time my extension gets an error and doesn’t load on the page is the time I improperly close my tags. Bummer.
TEE HEE !!!
Right on, Hip in Zilker!
One of my sisters had a Civic and her car was totaled. Drunk driver in the other car who crashed into several cars in the middle of the day. She survived without a scratch, although she went to a chiropractor for years. I saw the pictures of the damage to her car. She and my mom even went to the junk yard to look at it later and took a pic of my sister sitting in the driver’s seat with the door open and thinking what could have happened…
You did say that “YOU” crashed your car. No mention of who or what other party was damaged by YOUR crashing the car, or could have been in danger.
“Mistakes were made”
Passive voice - the final refuge of the criminal class.
700,000 people call digital TV hot line
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Nearly 700,000 people called a federal hot line this week, confused about the nationwide switch from analog to digital TV broadcasts that occurred Friday.
Too funny. This many people couldn’t bother to prepare for a FREE tv conversion… wait until mortgage rate adjustments start hitting.
Right now I’m glad I don’t watch TV. I had no clue about the conversion, nor do I really care. Netfix + hulu.com/the internet for the win.
15 yrs with no TV in our home. Yeah, hulu is great for nostalgic TV. PBS Documentaries are free online. We use Red Box for DVD’s for $1.00 .
We use Red Box for DVD’s for $1.00
Wouldn’t you need a TV in your home to be able to watch these?
DVDs work fine on a computer. One year with no TV for me. Anybody going to the Telluride bluegrass feet?
Yep, we watch DVD’s on the computer.
The govt. wants everybody to be cozy and happy in front of their TV’s. WMD= weapon of mass distraction.
How long has this sh+t been airplayed, between, whatever they watch on TV?
Does this mean that 70 million will call FEMA when the SHTF??
Just wait until the Conversion Czar is appointed with a 500 Billion dollar budget. That should fix everything. I’m thinking Rosie O’Donnell.
What a true Hog.
ROTFLMAO
You owe a lot of hogs an appology, ATE-UP.
I bought my first ATSC DTV tuner - an RCA DTC100 - back in 2003 IIRC. I am always amazed by those who aren’t with the program. OTA HD uses less compression than satellite or cable HD so it’s even higher quality. I haven’t paid a monthly fee for television in a decade and haven’t missed anything.
Good Morning from Maui
Summer is here. First time in many months, the island is packed. While there are quite a few houses for sale I have seen more For Rent signs all over including one on my street. They want $1200 for a 700 sq ft 2 bd 1 ba.
Since Summer is here that means ROAD TRIP! Once a year either wife or I get to check our rentals. This year It is my turn. And the theme is golfing across the west.
We land in L.A. Visit MIL. First stop Boulder City. I need to pull the carpet upstairs and tile the basement unit. We will be there for a week.
Then we hop in the car and head up to Ketchum. Our duplex there is taken care of by a rental service and they have cleared one side for us. We have a week there but we will probably head out early and head south. The friend that I am taking with me is an Island Boy and his idea of the mainland is Las Vegas. He has no idea of the American Southwest. So we have to check out Zion and Arches Parks on the way to Ridgway Co. That and any golf course on the way. We will be in Ridgway for at least 2 weeks. That house should be in good shape but I know I will have to slap a coat of Waterseal on it.
After Ridgway we head south to Flagstaff. Last house is there. We will be there for a few days check out the Grand Canyon and head for home.
And that, Boys and girls, Is my summer vacation. Bring it on.
Take him up to the Sawtooths while you are in Ketchum.
Don’t forget Bryce.
I have beautiful pictures of the Painted desert, and i have a rainbow over the grand canyon, yup we had a power failure from a thunderstorm, and then this stunning rainbow
swam in the Great Salt lake, man those were the days of sleeping in truck stops, off the sides of roads…..fun carefree….Nobody even thought you could be a criminal waiting for its prey. Even cops would leave you alone to sleep.
I’ll bet your friend will be astonished by how much blasted desert there is between Boulder City and Ketchum.
These two Japanese in Italy were idiots. If they take a commuter train like that, they should have worn hiking boots, backpacks, a three day beard and put the 134 billion in a greasy old “Hiking the Alps” guidebook. Heck, they should have gone with a group excursion to the Jungfrau Joch.
It is strange, though, that the Finance Police finds such people, yes sometimes they do. Think about the all the ones they don’t find.
milkcrate -
are you out there? I saw your post, I’m in your former neck of the woods - You’re a Brinton - Do you know any of Delco’s other founding families’ offspring, e.g. the Wilcoxes or Darlingtons?
There are a few historic societies around here that have very interesting tours, there’s one coming up. This area is a shadow of its former self, sad to say. There’s been even more development since you left. A real love for the 55+communities on the part of the Twp. supervisors has taken root, they’ve got to love the tax revenues those places generate.
However wildlife still manages to find and make a home here. There is a great white heron that has taken up residence at the creek running parallel to Stony Bank Road. He says hello.
Phillygal…
Herons one of my faves, though I prefer the great blue, because I sometimes mistakenly identify the whte heron when I see an egret, mosly because of the color.
I think I recall those names you mentioned in a Brinton family history book, though I do not have contact with them. I also know there are a lot of Brinton descendants in SLC, where a brother of mine lives, but I haven’t mingled with them.
I really appreciate your update of area.
The Brandywine is a favorite.
From wsj online…
California… “spends $10 billion a year on its 33 prisons, which house about 160,000 inmates.
In addition to changing sentencing guidelines, Mr. Schwarzenegger’s plan also calls for deporting 19,000 illegal-immigrant inmates, as well as allowing some low-level offenders to serve the final year of their sentences under house arrest. It also called for reducing such inmate-rehabilitation programs as substance-abuse counseling and vocational training.
Together, the cuts would save California about $3 billion over the next three years, says the state finance department…
———————————-
For my mathcentric friends, 20,000 illegals out of a total population of 160,000, equals one out eight. We can agree to call that 12 percent.
A good start: Line up the buses and planes and send them home. Good riddance. What to do when the new chief of Homeland Security looks the other way when they sneak back in, is another issue. Troops at the border might work, though political will is not there.
Here’s another good idea:
Decriminalize drug use. Tax and regulate marijuana et al, but not to the point where smuggling is economical again. Legalize brothels just like in Nevada. And just like in Canada. Prison population will probably drop to less than 80,000 if such actions are taken.
+100
‘California… “spends $10 billion a year on its 33 prisons, which house about 160,000 inmates.”
You had to mention ‘mathcentric’…
$10,000,000,000/160,000 =
$1,000,000/16 =
$250,000/4 =
$125,000/2 =
$62,500 per prisoner housed per year.
Median income in California (from the Census Bureau’s 2006 American Community Survey):
$64,563 per household.
Conclusion: It costs nearly as much to house a single California prisoner as it does to house the median-income California family. Hummmmmm…
‘64,563 per household.
Conclusion: It costs nearly as much to house a single California prisoner as it does to house the median-income California family. Hummmmmm…’
Yeah, saw that too. My conclusion is that we are doomed…..
Reposting a comment from jane in yesterday’s Bits Bucket so that I can respond here, and others can chime in…will post a response below.
Jane, I appreciate the long, thought-out response.
First off, while your point is taken that if one gets laid off at 52 and goes searching for insurance, the rates can end up being high. However, there’s a reason for that - you’re more expensive to insure. Basically you’re contending that those who are at greater risk of requiring medical care (and expensive medical care at that) shouldn’t have to pay “market rate” for that insurance. I’m sorry, but someone who’s likely to require heart bypass surgery shouldn’t be paying $200/month in insurance premiums. If you’re older but in good shape, it shouldn’t be an issue. If you’re overweight, diabetic, have had a poor diet all your life…there’s no reason taxpayers (or younger employees at the same company) should be subsidizing you. Do you think that people with 50 accidents in the past 5 years should have their car insurance subsidized by the safe drivers out there?
I’m sorry, but I just don’t feel that unrestricted medical care is an inalienable right. It comes at a cost to other people. Freedom of expression, association, etc, don’t require essentially enslaving others (yes, I consider taking the fruits of one’s labor at gunpoint effective enslavement). Using taxpayer dollars to pay for someone’s medical care does.
If one has opted out of corporate insurance coverage all along, there will be no abrupt change in premiums. There are other groups one can join to allow for collective bargaining - look at the NRA, AARP, etc. One can get the “benefits”/reduced costs of insurance through an employer without having your insurance come through your employer. If one goes this route, one doesn’t have to fear the job loss, or worry about COBRA, or any of that nonsense (and I say that as someone who’s just been dropped by COBRA due to their crappy policies and is fighting to get re-instated).
Bottom line is I have no right to force others to subsidize my life or lifestyle. That includes housing, food, health care, etc. It’s a great notion that no one should go without medical care, or without housing, or food, or etc. But it must come from somewhere. You (or anyone else) has no moral right to put a gun to my head to fund your objective. Donate all you want to whatever cause you believe in. I’ll do the same. If it’s really in the best interest of society, it’ll get enough funding without putting a gun to someone’s head.
BTW, the “Obama subsidy” for COBRA is 65%, not 40%.
I’m 50. My premiums are $139 per month. I have been focusing on health before career for over 30 years and I can still run over 7mph on a treadmill for 30 minutes and still outswim most 20-somethings in a lap pool for a 30 minute to 1 hour swim.
I think obese people should certainly pay higher premiums than people who are in shape. Same thing with smokers.
Mathematically, if health care was socialized, I would be paying more for health insurance than I currently pay. That’s if 50% of the people over age 50 are obese.
This is why I’m against socialized health care. It robs the responsible to pay for the irresponsible. Just like TARP!
It robs the responsible to pay for the irresponsible.
Isn’t that pretty much all government programs?
Yep! That is why I am upset that peopple who are against bailouts of big banks and mortgage payers want to socialize health care. Grr!
If we get to national health insurance, it should cover just two areas: preventive and palliative. Spend your own money on any other treatments, or choose not to.
There are just too many people in the world to continue trying to keep them all alive.
I agree Bill.
The trick is to be poor enough to get medicaid….and hide assets.
Ownership means denial of benefits because they have a record of it.
You could have $50K in gold coins, and get food stamps.
I got a really strong feeling you would change your tune if something nasty happened to you, Bill. But I hope we never have to test that theory.
Believe it or not, BR, there are people out there who are principled, and don’t just believe things because it’s convenient to do so at the time.
There are people who make mistakes, and rather than expect someone to mitigate the costs for them, suck it up and say “well, this is what I get for making a stupid mistake…consider it the cost of the lesson”.
Many people on this board are that type of person, I think.
I quit my last job at age 52 so I could cash out my San Jose house in May 2006. After COBRA ran out I qualified for BC since I’m generally healthy. Right now the premiums are $407/month with a high deductable. I pay out of pocket for most stuff and have the BC as a high backstop.
Hi, All; I was browsing Craigslist, and checked out the Mexico City site..
Not too much there, but this one stood out..
Neat R/C plane, with 2 remotes, one for Takeoff, and one for Landing.
Nice range too, of around 750 miles..
Good payload of 250 pounds… Lots of tortillas and beans.
Stealth to fly under radar & Can land in remote sites..
Wonder what else it could carry besides Tortillas and Beans?????
(any of that funny white powder??? Nah, thats aginst the law !!)
Unmanned Cargo Aircraft - $65000 (South Texas)
Watching Bill Maher last night, and he said some really good things about Obama. It is one of the reasons I can call myself a Democrat. Basically, Bill told President Obama to stop being seen on TV so much, and start doing something. Like pushing through health care, for example. He actually slammed Obama several times for trying to be popular, and went as far as to say he should be more like Chimp. You know, go with his gut, screw what anyone else says, and just make it happen.
I agree. President Obama is not in a popularity contest. Push through the health care, decimate the insurance industry, and lets move on.
No more Mr. Nice Guy. Give the country some good old Bush love!
If he could stop going on tv I could get back to my life’s little pleasures.
but the constant policy speeches is effin’ overwhelming.
and yes I watch all three cable shows.