Bits Bucket for November 3, 2012
Post off-topic ideas, links, and Craigslist finds here. And check out Chomp, Chomp, Chomp by a regular poster!
The Housing Bubble
Examining the home price boom and its effect on owners, lenders, regulators, realtors and the economy as a whole.
About Me
Name:Ben Jones
Location:Northern Arizona, United States
To donate by mail, or to otherwise contact this blogger, please send emails to: thehousingbubble@gmail.com
PayPal is a secure online payment method which accepts ALL major credit cards.
Links
-
January 2025 M T W T F S S « Sep 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
Photo Submission: hbbphotos@gmail.com
View the HBB Photo Gallery *updated 4/13/2008
Denver Post - Wife of man accused in real estate scam is indicted as well:
“The wife of a man already indicted by a Denver grand jury for violating Colorado’s racketeering law now faces similar charges for her role in a scheme where the couple falsely bought and sold homes that didn’t belong to them.
Maria Carrillo, 50, is now charged with violating the Colorado Organized Crime Control Act and faces other felony counts of forgery, conspiracy to commit forgery and attempt to influence a public servant.
Her husband Alfonso Carrillo, 50, now faces seven new counts for a total of 25 counts of theft, burglary and criminal trespass among others, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
The indictment alleges that Alfonso Carrillo found homeowners facing foreclosure and convinced them to relinquish their property for a fee, misrepresenting it as a way to avoid foreclosure.
Then he and Rudy Breda, 54, would falsify a sale of the properties to others, taking their money for the “purchase” even though later those “buyers” were forced to vacate the properties when mortgage lenders or actual property owners found them living in the homes.
The scheme was targeting Spanish-speaking home buyers, often undocumented and reluctant to work with investigators out of fear.”
Along with the big companies,there were also thousands of these smaller operations. It will take time to find and prosecute them all, but good to see progress is still being made.
home buyers, often undocumented
Nothing wrong with this picture. Nothing to see here. Kindly move about your way, please.
I thought it was the “Big corporations” that took advantage of illegal aliens, particularly “hispanics”.
Is it possible their fellow compatriots are guilty of fleecing them even more? What a story.
Tell me it just ain’t so.
Infowars dot com - Gun Sales Surge In Fear Of Obama Re-Election:
“Irvin Walker, owner of Triggers Gun Shop in Mills, called Obama, “the best gun salesmen we’ve had,” and said he was expecting another wave of customers after November 6 if Obama defeats Mitt Romney, despite the fact that sales are already riding high.
Gun and ammunition prices are expected to soar should Obama secure a second term, with rifles predicted to double in cost just as they did in the aftermath of Obama’s 2008 victory.
Despite prolonged economic turmoil, gun sales have bucked the trend, with both Ruger and Smith & Wesson operating at maximum capacity and struggling to keep up with demand.
With Ruger’s sales up 86 percent since Obama took office, the company’s previous quarter sales demolished all expectations, with sales totaling $118 million dollars.
“Americans like their guns, and according to the latest quarterly revenues from Sturm, Ruger & Co., that isn’t going to change anytime soon. In fact, over the last five years we’ve seen a massive increase in gun buying. So much so that Ruger was forced to suspend new firearms orders earlier this year because they simply could not keep up with demand,” writes Mac Slavo.
“The single largest determining factor as to why gun sales have surged since early 2008 seems to be a collective fear surrounding the election of a big government anti-gun socialist as the final arbiter and protector of the U.S. Constitution.”
One of the guys who used to work for the same company I do, quit and opened a gun shop here in the Tampa Bay area about a year ago and his business is going like gangbusters, or so I’m told by a couple of my co-workers. They’re jealous. Fellow was in the military (Desert Storm), so I think that’s been part of his success, he kept up a lot of his contacts.
My Ann Taylor frequenting friend wants to go target shooting w/me. She’s just going to find herself a cuter firearm. Even my “CoExist” friend is interested. It makes sense to me as the native American circle of life meme. Sign of the times.
The final arbiter and PROTECTOR? Sorry, but neither side is interested in protecting the Constitution, even though their oath of office requires it. Think NDAA for starters.
snowgirl
Apparently you have different “flavors” in friends. I like a variety as well.
The gun industry should send Obama a thank you card.
I was one of those who went out of my way in the late fall of 2008 to buy what I wanted that might not be available later. I can’t imagine that a re-election would cause as much nervousness as the first election. At this point, I think the only reason to worry about Obama is that perhaps he and Holder might decide to spend his last 4 years on things that if he had done them in the first 4 he wouldn’t have been re-elected. But I’m not expecting that. I’m expecting more of the same…
might decide to spend his last 4 years on things that if he had done them in the first 4 he wouldn’t have been re-elected. But I’m not expecting that ??
I am….If Obama gets re-elected, the changes will be centrist maybe even leaning a little right on some occasions…For one, we will see complete overhaul of the tax code before his 2nd term is over…I think the same would happen with Romney but with him you also get Ryan…I will take Obama…
Dave I think ohbewanna is the most racist president we ever had, he has done nothing about black on black crime, the massive functional illiteracy of blacks , the ghetto welfare entitlement agenda …heck he wont even crack down on the lady that had 30 Ohbahma phones.
Watch this it will shock you ….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZVqbAUMM9A
Glad you are in the house dj…I wanted to ask you a question…There are some houses on the beach in New Jersey…They are pretty simple houses all on pole piers…There are just rows of them…Saw them in the storm news…I forgot the name of the area but I believe it starts with an O….Question for you is; Do you know what one of these houses cost ??
(Obama) is the most racist president we ever had,
This makes no sense and was not backed up. And “Most” implies relative to other Presidents so even in that light the accusation is false.
(Obama) has done nothing about black on black crime,
Violent crime has decreased under Obama. Besides if Obama had targeted only black on black crime the Rush Limbaughs would be calling Obama a racist for worrying about Blacks more than Whites.
the massive functional illiteracy of blacks
Obama wants to increase education spending Romney/Republicans want to gut it. Enough said.
lady that had 30 Ohbahma phones.
This a meaningless anecdote when discussing racism.
RIO:
Black on Black murders have increased, Money is never the answer to education, i’m surprised at you.
It the expectation of high standards like speaking English when you walk in the school door that’s the key and that doesn’t cost money….It requires GUTS to stand up to the status quo of Stupid.
Well NO ID… No phone just once would I like to see some trailer park trash ho with 30 phones praising ohbewanna
Oh and targeting black crime?? You have a whole PC liberal crew that would find that offensive…Do you really think Rush would be opposed to putting thugs in jail for long sentences? It would be viewed as a positive direction to solving your own internal race problem
Just like the Muslims wont protest against Al Quida.
Probably Oceanside NJ……well probably the housing mania made them worth $500K each..LOL But those types of bungalow are what should be built on those kinds of properties cheap disposable throwaway and easy to rebuild.
Saw them in the storm news…I forgot the name of the area but I believe it starts with an O….Question for you is; Do you know what one of these houses cost ??
Black on Black murders have increased, Money is never the answer to education
Those still provide no support for the statement that “(Obama) is the most racist president we ever had”
Definition for racist:
a person with a prejudiced belief that one race is superior to others.
Obama is a “racist” because he believes Blacks are superior to Whites? What policies has Obama implemented to support such an opinion?
Or Obama is a “racist” because he believes Whites are superior to Blacks? What policies has Obama implemented to support such an opinion?
Or Obama is a “racist” because he believes Hispanics are superior to Asians? What policies has Obama implemented to support such an opinion?
Question: with all the flooding how many rats have relocated above ground. How many died in the sewers and what are the health consequences.
made them worth $500K each ??
Thanks dj…I was just wondering…
“Dave I think ohbewanna is the most racist president we ever had, he has done nothing about black on black crime, the massive functional illiteracy of blacks , the ghetto welfare entitlement agenda …heck he wont even crack down on the lady that had 30 Ohbahma phones.”
WTH?! This doesn’t even make sense.
Your first assumption is that Obama has some kind of dictatorial powers. You are already off the rails at that point.
Eco Rio….
If white people say anything ooh ooh we are racist…so we expected OH to get tough with black people and he Failed miserably.
Did he say anything about the teenage ghetto thugs who almost killed a 13 year old white girl in a reverse Rosa Park situation….Yup the last seat on the school bus and they beat up a white girl for sitting in it….not a word….Thats Black RACISM….
Why wasn’t that 30 obewanna phone loser arrested….shes black of course she entitled to all the phones…..OH should have embarrassed her on national TV…be he’s a Wussie..
He has a Bully Pulpit and he refuses to criticize Black people…
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/brooklyn/11-busted-looting-key-foods-coney-island-article-1.1195993
Just wait till tonight and see if someone get shot in coney island or long beach and Ohbewanna will be on TV tomorrow criticizing white people taking the law in their own hands….
———————
Your first assumption is that Obama has some kind of dictatorial powers. You are already off the rails at that point.
Queens residents arm themselves in the post-storm blackout from looters
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/queens/queens-residents-arm-looters-article-1.1196031
Yup the last seat on the school bus and they beat up a white girl for sitting in it….not a word….Thats Black RACISM….
No that is not racism. Not even close. Check the definition of the word “racism”.
…so we (White people) expected OH to get tough with black people
Check the definition of “racism” in light of what you just wrote and why you just wrote it. Did you expect Clinton to “get tough” with the Irish?
Rio…so beating a white girl to almost death is just a black thing, something we should CO-EXIST with, and not a racist hate crime?
Yes we expected Ohbewanna to talk tough to his own people…if we did it al sharpton would have protesters demanding we be hung for being racists….
Look at Bill Cosby and the ridicule he gets ….Ohbewanna is a WUSSIE face it…ya screwed up electing him.
And Rio it was 7 of the Coexist thugs on one 13 year old girl
http://www.amnation.com/vfr/archives/021392.html
I think the same would happen with Romney but with him you also get Ryan…I will take Obama…
but with him you also get Biden…
Biden is harmless…..His track record shows that… Conversely, Ryan is a radical nut case as his agenda shows…
A VP’s role isn’t to be harmless.
A VP’s role isn’t to be harmless.
No. It’s to be less than useless.
I said it yesterday. I’ll say it again today. VPs have exactly as much power as the president decides to give them.
Since Romney would be running for re-election from the first day, he might have to give Ryan visibility, at least. People don’t vote for the down ticket, but Ryan has more street cred with the conservative end of the Republicans than Romney has. If wanted to be absolutely sure of not having a primary challenger, he might do it by making Ryan look important.
As for real power? VPs are kept in the “not annoying” range.
As for real power? VPs are kept in the “not annoying” range ??
Yes….All the way up to the point when “What If” happens….Then you will hear this;
Mr. Speaker…The President of The United Staes….Mr. Paul Ryan….If that does not scare the crap out of the majority of American voters I don’t now what will…Palin was scary because she as Nit-Wit…Ryan is super dangerous….He would make Bush look like peace activist…
Biden was selected to keep Ohbewanna alive and so far it worked.
I recall the 2008 election quite clearly.
The siren call of the LEFTISTs supporting Obama was “just one heartbeat away from the Presidency” , Just one heartbeat away…..
blah, blah, blah,
Claiming that Sarah Palin was incompetent and should never be that close to the president.
So, now, we have idiot Joe Biden, who is “harmless” and no one cares about him.
It doesn’t matter, he’s only the Vice President.
So, which is it?
Is Joe just “one heartbeat away from the Presidency. Yes, he is, and THAT should terrify anybody with a sound mind.
So, is what you purchased still available now that it is four years later?
For some reason gun nuts are afraid Obama will somehow get a weapons ban in place.
Surprisingly, Romney is the one that signed an assault weapons ban still in force in Massachusetts while Governor and still managed to get an endorsement from the NRA.
Repub hypocrisy is epic in scope and will one day be THE textbook example of mass delusion, much as pre-Nazi Germany is used as the current example.
Amazing example, but wrong party.
The “masses” have been mesmerized by Obama, not a republican. I’ve often compared pictures of Obama to IL Duce in Italy, holding his head high to breathe in the acclaim of the “masses”. I’ve seen the rallies with the crowds cheering and girls crying in hysteria………
and NAZI is acronym for NATIONAL “socialist” Party.
Do you think the Republicans are socialists.
You, i am afraid, have been brainwashed by the media who feed you a daily dose of misinformation and misdirection.
Yes, I’m happy to see that Obama hasn’t touched guns so far.
the election of a big government anti-gun socialist as the final arbiter and protector of the U.S. Constitution.” ??
What a bunch of BS….Bunch of mental midgets…
So if guns were banned, It would be illegal to own a gun right ?? So you rush out and buy one now so you can be subject to a Felony crime for having one later ??…Its all the neocons have…The fear card…
That is one felony brand on me I would be proud of, to stand up against the group of thugs called “government.”
That is one felony brand on me I would be proud of ??
Kind of a ignorant statement really so I will suppose that it was flippant because that Felony gun conviction may have a tiny-weeny impact on your next job application…
to stand up against the group of thugs called “government.” ??
Yeah…Right up to the point when the SWAT team arrives….
Right up to the point when the SWAT team arrives….
Nope, right up to the point where he loses his Security Clearance.
That would kinda destroy his world.
Talk is cheap.
My “ignorant” statement is basically an assertion of my RIGHT to bear arms, rag or not (constitution or not). It’s my life and I have the RIGHT no matter what you say or what a thug (whether a thugernment official or not) says to DEFEND it.
Don’t forget Bill, guns are a really popular method of suicide too. If the socialist (Obama) gets elected on Nov. 6th you can always check out of this reality and into the next with a squeeze of your index finger. Maybe that why gun sale are so high?
LOL….
Kind of a scofflaw Bill or are you just blowing bad gas ?? Taking bad & acting bad for the sake of acting ?? Because, what you suggest is kind or moronic…
So if guns were banned, It would be illegal to own a gun right ??
Dude, why are you crushing a nascent growth industry? Are you anti-business?
Everybody, quick, open a gun shop!
You too can be rich.
Buy now before you get priced out by the liberals.
Fer heaven’s sake, let’s get off the gunz thing again. Just one more distractor.
Just my opinion, but I don’t see anybody doing anything about guns - the issue is dynamite. If he does, it will be with the understanding that the debates, discussion and tee-vee opps will keep congress critters occupied for the entire first term, serving as chaff to keep people’s minds off of the real issue (whatever that is). At the point of the next election, it will become a super platform issue - “look how I saved the Second Amendment”.
I say this as somebody who is pro-Second Amendment. I have no illusions about my capability, the likelihood that I would ever use them other than on a range, or my odds in case I were faced with a home invasion. I just like to keep my freedom of choice.
Tax evasion?
He already has that one in reality. Getting caught is an entirely different matter.
Polly if I found out who you were I would SUE YOUR ASS FOR SLANDER.
That is one felony brand on me I would be proud of, to stand up against the group of thugs called “government.”
Security clearance?
Oh but those who would severely institute Marxism instead are given a green light? I see. Who is the bigger threat you YOUR liberty? Me or School Marm? Check your premises.
Wall St just stole TRILLIONS of dollars from us, the taxpayer, but it’s the government thugs you’re afraid of?
And you wonder what’s wrong with this country?
NO. Wallstreet didn’t steal it. The government thugs took our money and gave it to them. Don’t you remember the Trillion dollar programs.
At the end of the day, it was the banksters who were behind it all.
Bill in Los Angeles for President
Bill in Los Angeles for President of the Natl. Assn. of Government Contractor Libertarians. (Phoenix Chapter)
Obama is gonna take yer guns! Any day now! Any day now! Just you wait! Any day now!
http://www.nps.gov/glac/parknews/news10-05.htm
Date: February 19, 2010
WEST GLACIER, MONT. – A change in federal law effective February 22, allows people who can legally possess firearms under federal and Montana law to possess those firearms in Glacier National Park. The new federal law makes possession of firearms in national parks also subject to the firearms laws of the state and communities where the parks are located.
Non-Union Utility Workers Turned Away From NJ | Fox Business Video
http://video.foxbusiness.com/v/1942089923001/non-union-utility-workers-turned-away-from-nj/ - 27k - Cached - Similar pages
21 hours ago … Non-Union Utility Workers Turned Away From N.J. … Utility crews who drove it from Alabama to donate their time and equipment to help rebuild …
sad people try to help out and the red tape prevents them. The hoops you have to jump through just to donate your time is ridiculous.
Direct report from a friend of mine there says this story is bullcrap.
There as in “right there”.
America’s two-tiered future: The deterioration of the once-mighty middle class
“When Sean Crawford and three co-workers hit the road for their daily carpool to a General Motors Co. factory, they talk about drama at work, home renovations and cars. But they seldom talk about money.
That’s because inside the car rolling along I-75 out of Flint, Mich., there’s a two-track version of America’s future: one with a secure, traditional path to middle-class comfort and the other to a less-prosperous existence with lower pay, no pension and meagre benefits.
Mr. Crawford and his colleague Dave Duehring are so-called tier-two workers, employees hired in recent years at lower wages as part of the Detroit Three’s bid to ratchet down costs and become globally competitive. For them, the classic middle-class life of a house in the suburbs, a new car every five years or so and maybe a cottage or regular travel isn’t possible on pay of $18 (U.S.) an hour.
By contrast, the other men who share the ride and work on the same assembly line get paid a lot more – $28 an hour, and they enjoy better benefits and can look forward to a healthy pension. The higher wage equals about $20,000 more a year.
The 2000s were a cruel decade for middle-class America. Incomes dropped, net worth fell and jobs that once promised a middle-class lifestyle were vaporized amid globalization and the restructuring of entire industries such as airlines, steel and pharmaceuticals. As if that wasn’t enough, the decade ended with the real estate crash and the Great Recession.
The growth in income inequality and the crisis facing the middle class have spawned fears that the long era of economic growth that turned the United States into the wealthiest nation on earth has ground to a halt. The risk is that the country is entering a period of economic stagnation, shattering the optimism that led generations of Americans to improve their lot in life.”
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/economy/americas-two-tiered-future-the-deterioration-of-the-once-mighty-middle-class/article4898538/
I think we all know the higher paid tier will be the ones scheduled for lay-offs soon enough. Just need to get the new guys up to speed.
As an aside, we’ve talked to someone in a key position in a communications firm that seems to be expecting some major layoffs going forward. She’s trying to position herself to be one of the survivors in an expected culling. This spring perhaps?
Maybe she needs to open a gun shop?
I’m hearing there’s growth there.
“… and they enjoy better benifits and can look forward to a healthy pension.”
Red alert! This “healthy pension” that can be looked forward to is something that can be whacked by the company - given the chance - without hurting the company’s bottom line because retirees can be seen by the company (and probably ARE seen by the company) as a non-productive expense.
Promises are much easier to make (less expensive too!) than they are to keep.
As the pool of the retired grows so grows the expense of funding the pool and thus so grows the danger to the safety of the pool.
Sometimes there is strength in numbers, sometimes there is weakness.
Uh…no…if the company properly accrues the cost of the pension at the time it is earned, there is absolutely no danger to the funding pool.
The danger is when the company decides to use creative financing - “We can expect to earn an 8% return on our money due to our fantastic investment people over at Goldman Sachs, so we do not need to set aside any money for pensions this year. Bonuses for everyone!”
‘This “healthy pension” that can be looked forward to is something that can be whacked by the company…’
In light of ERISA, how exactly does this ‘whacking’ process work?
One step at a time.
… and by any means necessary.
An example:
“AT&T to Place $9.5 Billion in equity in Pension Plan”
(says Morningstar)
Equity does not necessarily equal money. This $9.9 billion is “valued” by AT&T at $9.9 billion but this “value” placed by AT&T does not necessaily mean the Mr. Market will agree.
But the numbers on the books look go so everything is wonderful.
Link to follow…
“look go” = “look good”
Link:
http://news.morningstar.com/all/dow-jones/us-markets/201210191625/000558/att-to-place-95-billion-in-equity-in-pension-plan.aspx
that combos a bad muthah…
Leverage the retirement fund as collateral in a structured buy out to another company. Top management gets xxx million dollar bonus for ‘negotiating’ a deal and exits the company. Short time later… surprise! company hits the rocks, restructures, gets court relief to reduce future benefit payouts. Corporations are people too.
If corporate executives do not cash-out the corporation’s pension fund then the company is not being managed properly.
“Leverage the retirement fund as collateral in a structured buy out to another company.”
Isn’t that idea from a page in Mitt Romney’s playbook?
Mitt Romney’s Bain financed one of its first takeover deals, with department stores Beals Brothers and Palais Royale with money dirtied by Michael Milken.
“…one of Romney’s first LBO deals, and one of his most profitable, involved Mike Milken himself. Bain put down $10 million in cash, got $300 million in financing from Milken and bought a pair of department-store chains, Bealls Brothers and Palais Royal. In what should by now be a familiar outcome, the two chains – which Bain merged into a single outfit called Stage Stores – filed for bankruptcy protection in 2000 under the weight of more than $444 million in debt…But here’s the interesting twist: Romney made the Bealls-Palais deal just as the federal government was launching charges of massive manipulation and insider trading against Milken and his firm, Drexel Burnham Lambert. After what must have been a lengthy and agonizing period of moral soul-searching, however, Romney decided not to kill the deal, despite its shady financing. ‘We did not say, ‘Oh, my goodness, Drexel has been accused of something, not been found guilty,’ ’ Romney told reporters years after the deal. ‘Should we basically stop the transaction and blow the whole thing up?’”
…
“In light of ERISA, how exactly does this ‘whacking’ process work?”
The same way it does now. They “accidentally” forget to funded the pensions as mandated and now, due to the hardships and burdens of record profits, can’t make of the difference.
This is done every day.
I thought it was more that during the bubble years, stocks did so well that corporations had little if any need to fund pensions. Once the stock market tanked and corporate profits and interest rates plummeted, pension liabilities soared along with funding requirements. This is a good time for a company to go BK and dump the underwater pension on the PBGC…
The 2000s were a cruel decade for middle-class America. Incomes dropped, net worth fell and jobs that once promised a middle-class lifestyle were vaporized amid globalization and the restructuring of entire industries such as airlines, steel and pharmaceuticals.
This is why I’m voting Romney/Ryan. The Republicans have always supported the Middle-Class because corporations are people and cutting taxes on the rich will create jobs this time and the Democrats want to raise taxes but they don’t want to pay for it.
http://www.romneytaxplan.com/
It’s all explained here.
are the sheep eating the carrying costs of fannie and freddie back loans they have choose not to foreclose on?
I saw the latest Obama campaign ad, starring The One himself. In it he essentially says, “Forget about my first term; it never even happened. For my second term I have a real plan, which you can read about in this little booklet.”
By contrast, Romney’s plan is…????
pay back all the wall street contributors.
By contrast, Romney’s plan is…????
He is going to tell us all about it later….
Romney’s plan: extend and pretend, keep taxing young working people but don’t give them any benefit of the bargain (no Obamacare, no way), and take away or protract their rights. Also, keep fighting wars around the world, next up: Iran.
next up: Iran ??
You Betcha….Shock & Awe Scene Two….
Most Romney voters lived through Vietnam and now the “War on Terror”. You’d think they’d have learned something over the past 40-50 yrs!
(On the other hand, I can understand why defense contractors would love to keep this up.)
Romney’s plan involves math.
People are too stupid to understand math.
Just trust him. He has good hair.
“He has good hair.”
Fake, painted.
http://www.romneytaxplan.com/
“By contrast, Romney’s plan is…????”
Pretty extensively laid out on his website. Here is a link to his 160 page book laying out his plan.
http://www.mittromney.com/sites/default/files/shared/BelieveInAmerica-PlanForJobsAndEconomicGrowth-Full.pdf
Obama’s website is sparse in comparison.
Romney was getting ridiculed for his long plan for a LONG time (being way too corporate, etc.). He put this PDF out in 2011.
Obama just came out with his pamphlet recently.
My link won’t show up for a while, but Romney has had a 160 page plan on his website for over a year (for which he was ridiculed because it was too “corporate”).
Obama put out his little booklet just recently.
but Romney has had a 160 page plan on his website for over a year
(that he slipperly disavowed during the debates)
“By contrast, Romney’s plan is…????”
We’ve already seen Obama’s plan which failed on a grand scale. Why does he deserve a second term? Because you like him? Or are you in favor of his Fundamental Transformation of America?
Or are you in favor of his Fundamental Transformation of
Americayour sanity ?Do you know who’s on the short list for Romney’s cabinet? There are very few articles that seem to address this question.
Here are few I did find in the last few weeks.
Interior secretary
Jack Gerard, president of the American Petroleum Institute
-or-
Tony Garza, former U.S. ambassador to Mexico under President George W. Bush and chairman of the Texas Railroad Commission before that; Ken Buck, district attorney for Colorado’s Weld County who made an unsuccessful tea party-backed bid for the Senate in 2010.
Energy secretary
Jack Gerard, president of the American Petroleum Institute: After four years heading the nation’s largest oil and gas industry group, Gerard may be itching to push the sector’s priorities from within the Romney administration. Gerard is also mentioned as a potential chief of staff or interior secretary. But any of those roles would mean leaving a high-profile, high-wage job.
-or-
Dean Heller, senator from Nevada: If the Republican loses his bid to keep the Senate seat he was appointed to last year, he could draw Romney’s eye as a Westerner with oil and gas knowledge
-or-
David Kreutzer, an economist and a research fellow in energy economics and climate change who has been at the conservative think tank the Heritage Foundation for more than four years. He has been active in analyzing the effects of energy and climate change policy.
-or-
John Rowe, chairman and CEO of Exelon Corp.: As head of one of the nation’s biggest electric utility companies, Rowe is no stranger to Washington, D.C., where he has frequently spoken in favor of plans for tackling climate change by putting a price tag on greenhouse gas emissions. Rowe’s private sector experience and background with nuclear power also make him a top Romney candidate.
-or-
– Others: Texas Gov. Rick Perry; Tom Kuhn, president of the Edison Electric Institute; Linda Stuntz, a former deputy Energy secretary under George H.W. Bush and a Romney campaign surrogate; and former Missouri Senator-turned-lobbyist Jim Talent.
EPA administrator
Jim Connaughton, former head of the White House Council on Environmental Quality under George W. Bush: Since then, he’s been in the energy industry, first as a lobbyist for Constellation Energy and most recently as an executive vice president at Exelon Corp. While Connaughton is viewed as more conservative than most environmentalists, he still could be seen as too moderate for Romney’s base. Connaughton, who like Romney is Mormon, has been a big donor to the GOP candidate and the Republican Party.
-or-
Scott Nally, director of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency: Nally has regulated oil and gas drilling in Ohio and battled a company’s bid to send treated drilling wastewater to treatment plants. He also drew attention this year for breaking with the National Association of Clean Air Agencies over its support of EPA policies and trying to recruit like-minded state regulators to form their own organization. Nally could help politically, given Ohio’s swing-state status.
-or-
Jeff Holmstead, lobbyist at Bracewell & Giuliani: The former assistant EPA administrator from 2001-2005, Holmstead was the architect of clean air policies under former President George W. Bush. He could face a confirmation battle over his client list, which reads like a Who’s Who of electric utilities and coal producers.
Take Perry. Please!!!!!</b<
For those that don’t know, the Texas Railroad Commission, despite its name, regulates the oil and gas industry in Texas.
Hi HBBers
Miss you all. We’re in this space between redo hell and post redo glee. Plumbers in my hood are higher than a Dentist per hour. Quotes per project are blowing our minds. stay tuned….
Say, anyone know of a resonably priced pool vacuum? Any experience would give us a data point. Thanks
The tradesmen like to think they piss perfume, but if you do your legwork you can find someone reasonably priced, especially since the bubble popped. They trained a lot of flunkies to do the real work while they drove around in their turbo diesel F-350’s delivering overpriced quotes. Now those flunkies are unemployed and hungry.
It can be hard to find reliable, honest tradesmen. a lot of people will pay more for someone who has a good reputation. they figure spend a little more and get the job done right the first time rather than take the chance of doing it twice. you get what you pay for I guess.
I had some contractors come look at my house for a few jobs and I find this to be true. The bigger the truck, the less work they actually do personally and the higher their overhead is.
…is correct.
The flip side is the broken down beater. They too, will do less actual work, if they finish at all, and still charge you for it.
If what you’re saying is, go with a contractor who lives within his means, I agree. I believe this generally and would stay clear of people who overspend or talk a good game. I have found that the more competent and secure professionals tend not to hype themselves or try to impress people. For a contractor, a basic F-150 or regular SUV seems like it’s enough to get the job done without showing off.
Another thing I like to do is pull a potential contractor’s legal records. If they have liens against their house or outstanding judgments, it’s a big red flag. Sometimes you even find DUIs or other interesting criminal issues. Again, I stay clear. No thanks.
Word of mouth is best. Ask friends, neighbors, family etc. Find a quality plumbing parts store in the area, usually the counter clerk knows who does the best work at the lowest price. A local plumbing store here told me the best way to solve a problem; he was all for the DIY’er.
Word of mouth is best. Ask friends, neighbors, family etc.
That’s how I’ve done it over the years. And the guy always shows up in a beater pickup truck, does good work and charges half of what the perfumes pissers charge to have an illegal do the job.
If you live in/near any good-size metropolitan area I suppose you can consult Angie’s List.
Drive around and look for professional flipper rehab projects, get the business cards from those guys. They are usually cheap, fast and decent quality, especially the ones working for experienced flippers. I agree with others about the guys in the big new trucks, they will soak you.
Thanks to all of you. Great advice and insight.
Found a great pool store today. The owner sold us down from fancy equipment and told us to go manual cleaning tools for now. Also gave us how to DYI lesson verbally. He’s a keeper. Savings of $1,400/yr if we don’t pay someone $20/5 min. Manual pool cleaning is great upper body exercise. We’re game.
Barring some shocking revelation, Obama should win pretty comfortably Tuesday. I don’t buy that we won’t know the outcome when we wake up Wednesday morning. It looks like Romney isn’t even doing that great in Florida, which should be a lock for him, given that it has lots of olds and poors and it’s housing-based economy was crushed over the past 4-5 yrs.
I also don’t personally know many Romney voters my age. I know a bunch that are voting for Gary Johnson or Jill Stein, but most of the educated/successful 30ish types are voting for Obama. I myself would like to see Gary Johnson at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., but voted for Obama purely to express disgust at Romney. Neither Romney or Obama are significantly different on what they could do economically, but Romney’s backwards social views are digusting. What. a. pig. I’ll be very happy to see Obama pick 1 or 2 more SCOTUS nominees.
I should also note that being in a blue state (MD) I really only voted because of some interesting ballot questions — in support of marriage equality and the Maryland Dream Act, for example.
A government subsidized college education is not a reward for graduating from high school. Government subsidized college education is infrastructure spending to make sure that there are enough educated adults around for local businesses to hire. Since the young adults that would benefit from reduced tuition of the MD Dream Act can’t work legally in Maryland, I see no reason to further subsidize their college education by granting them resident tuition rates. I will be voting no on that one.
Same sex marriage is an obvious yes. No reason for there to be a gender restriction on two people, each one picking the other to be his or her closest relative (which is what a civil marriage really is, despite the loaded connotation of the word).
Joe, you have a BIG surprise coming next Tues. It won’t even be close.
Bottom line: Romney 315, Obama 223. That sounds high for Romney. But he could drop Pennsylvania and Wisconsin and still win the election. Fundamentals.
http://washingtonexaminer.com/barone-going-out-on-a-limb-romney-wins-handily/article/2512470#.UJUNnMXA_Lt
You have been living in the MSM bubble where none of the outside news is considered “worthy”. Nevertheless, we shall see which news sources are better. MSM/CNN/MSNBC etal vs Fox News/Talk Radio.
Any of our other obsessive poll watchers want to chime in on their electoral college predictions? As you know, I don’t share your interest, but I’d kind of like to know who will be closest.
Obama at 290-300 EVs would be my prediction.
Mitt’s map of states won will look like 2 things: 1) states that receive more tax money than they pay and 2) states with largely poor, ill-educated white people (Mitt will obviously run the board in the south, from Tennessee to the FL panhandle and westward from there)
Nevertheless, we shall see which news sources are better. MSM/CNN/MSNBC etal vs Fox News/Talk Radio.
???? Do people on the Right consider AM Talk Radio a “news source”.
I think the 538 Blog (on NYTimes.com) is pretty reliable.
I also think expansion of early voting generally (not in every state, maybe) benefits Obama. Younger, working people tend to do early voting. Romney will still crush Obama among people over age 50, but the 50+ crowd will be a slightly lower % of overall votes. Even just a slightly better % of people 25-40 yrs old voting would be a significant boost to Obama.
There is a lot of anger among young people over us paying the taxes for old people who had their time and screwed it up. All these old gramps will be in pine boxes when we’re paying off the debt from their entitlements, their wars, and their crony capitalism.
“Do people on the Right consider AM Talk Radio a “news source”.”
THE news source for them.
Everything else, EVERYTHING else is just librul media.
My personal view on Republicans (based on being invited to innumerous parties) is that most of these politicians are actually quite socially liberal. They’d have to be.
They just state these fairly backward views in public to appease the rubes and ret@rds of flyover country.
We all know who they work for. Wall St. not Main St.
In other words, it’s etch-a-sketch all the time. Even if you are the Senator from Louisiana!
Get elected and then get to drink the 1982 Chateau Margaux. (Pretend to like American beer but secretly prefer Belgian!)
Just for the records, the Democrats are no better. They have absolutely nothing in common with the “common man”.
It’s quite funny to watch so many people fall all over themselves supporting these people (of both persuasions) when they’ve never even met any of them in real-life!
Many Democrats are just as bad as Republicans, that much is for sure. Obama can actually relate to working his way up in the world, unlike Mittens, so I appreciate this. I also appreciate that a second term President at least has the possibility of forgetting about popularity and and an ability to make some meaningful decisions without 2016 in mind. I do not doubt that Obama is heavily influenced by the people around him and by the people who paid for his campaigns.
Rights are important things and Mittens has been wrong (in my opinion) every time Rights have been discussed. Like I’ve said, I’d rather see Gary Johnson have a shot but both parties have successfully kept 3rd (or 4th) parties from participating for over a decade now. Sad.
“Obama can actually relate to working his way up in the world,”
N—a please!
I don’t see how this was debatable. Obama was not born on 3rd base like Mittens or Bush 43
I went to a “Republicans for Pro Choice” event a while ago. The stat that surprised me…75% of all Americans are Pro Choice to some degree.
I wish we simply had a constitutional amendment legalizing abortion to simply take that topic out of discussion. Unfortunately, I think the only to make that happen would be to overturn Roe v. Wade, and the time between the overturn, and the constitutional amendment would be too long for anyone who has daughters (myself included).
As long as religion(run almost exclusively by males) has any influence then men will use the law to exert control over females. Been that way since most religions were invented 3000BC.
A womans agency is through her manipulation of men. Either directly through sex/fertility; or indirectly through voting/feminism.
Translation: women use men to get what they want from other men.
“The game men play is money. The game women play is men.”
““The game men play is money. The game women play is men.””
I must be neither a man nor a woman.
My personal view on Republicans (based on being invited to innumerous parties) is that most of these politicians are actually quite socially liberal. They’d have to be.
True or not, this observation is meaningless on a practical level and in light of the laws Republicans pass and want to pass.
Americans don’t care what a politician says or acts like at a NYC party but many will care about the regressive Republican public policies pushed, passed and plowed down our throats.
AhYup, Puss.
As a dear friend once put it (after I gave him flack for an ad campaign he’d done for Gallo Winery) “I’d rather be selling Gallo and drinking Ch. Lafite Rothchild than selling Ch. Lafite Rothschild and drinking Gallo.”
You got it!
“Barring some shocking revelation, Obama should win pretty comfortably Tuesday.”
You haven’t been reading Albuquerquedan’s posts. All polls but Rasmussen are askew.
Scandinavian countries top the list of world’s most prosperous nations… but U.S. drops out of top ten for the first time
Norway has topped the list of the world’s most prosperous countries, followed by Denmark and Sweden in the annual rankings
The U.S. has dropped out of the Legatum Prosperity Index’s top ten for the first time to 12th position
The UK has kept its place 13th in the global index
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2227334/Scandinavian-countries-list-worlds-prosperous-nations–U-S-drops-time.html
Oh well your still above the UK.
Scandinavian countries top the list of world’s most prosperous nations… but U.S. drops out of top ten for the first time
Because American wealth inequality is at an all time high. Prosperous nations tend to have much less wealth inequality than America has.
Cool.
My surname originates from a small city in Norway. Maybe I should move back?
Looking out over the American political landscape in 2012 there appears to be only 2 types of politicians left: Masochist & Sociopaths. If it’s your guy he’s a masochist because he’s trying to ‘change the way Washington works’ and if it’s the other guy then he’s is evil incarnate that wants to destroy America. There actually is a third type of politician - the realist, that’s someone who is fed up with the system and is not running for another term**. They have decided their sanity is more important than selling their soul to big money.
** unless they are planning to becoming a lobbyist then their still sociopaths.
B’klyn bat man: Run, looters!
By IKIMULISA LIVINGSTON and JAMIE SCHRAM
Last Updated: 11:04 AM, November 3, 2012
Posted: 2:40 AM, November 3, 2012
Hardened New Yorkers are ready to battle lowlife criminals to protect their homes and stores in storm-ravaged areas plagued by looting and break-ins.
In Coney Island, several residents were loading up their guns, sharpening their machetes and brandishing other deadly weapons.
Jacinto Gonzalez, 42, picked up a baseball bat and stood guard outside his two-story rowhouse on West 27th Street near Neptune Avenue with his family.
Another Coney Island resident, Roberto Aviles, brandishing a rusty 3-foot machete and warning he has a gun, who has lived in Coney Island since 1995 with his wife, says he’s ready to take on phony burglars posing as Con Ed workers.
“I’m prepared inside here,” the 76-year-old Aviles said, showing off his rusted, three-foot machete and warning he had a gun.
Chris Lane, a 50-year-old resident of the Coney Island Houses, put together a small arsenal with his double pump action gun.
Lane said he scared off a bunch of thugs skulking around the hallways
of his building when the storm struck Monday night.
“They were roving in packs, not just one or two people. I had more than a little something, too,” Lane said, referring to his weapons. “I let it be known that my floor is off limits.”
A sign outside a home in Long Beach, LI, summed it all up for storm weary New Yorkers. It read, “Looters will be shot by local vet.”
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/brooklyn/klyn_bat_man_run_looters_VxfnY8FAH2MYZZ9GrKM6eJ - 76k
Warriors…come out to play!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRM2YcGpmxg
Top Comments
being in a gang looks like fun. where can i sign up to join a gang.
ryaninmilwaukee 1 month ago 65
Saw that…good stuff.
Don’t forget the utilty of a big mean dog.
Theres a deleted scene in the “Training Day” DVD where Lorezo is telling Jake about a dog training incident he observed as a rookie while on patrol with his TO one day.
Very interesting, and also very true.
* you do what you hafta do*
I love that movie.
Sandy impact turning out “worse than expected…”
Who’d've thunk?
ft dot com
On Wall Street
November 2, 2012 8:32 pm
Sandy will have a wider effect on growth
By Gregory Meyer
The storm surge may have receded from New York, but hurricane Sandy’s impact on the economy is just starting to hit.
The high winds and water that caused dozens of deaths, knocked out power lines, shut down the stock market for two days and paralysed much of the US east coast will play havoc with economic data and may damp growth. Its effects will be one more complication for investors already dealing with enough confusing signals until the end of the year.
Loss estimates from Sandy have escalated from $10bn to as much as $50bn and could keep climbing. In the New York region, there is a palpable sense of economic slowdown: hours wasted pumping out the basement, queueing for petrol, skipping business meetings and finding friends with electricity.
Calls to contacts in lower Manhattan and New Jersey this week did not get voicemail but incessant beeping. Emails sometimes yielded a response and sometimes messages like this: “I am OOO [out of the office] all week trying to get my wife and family set up to survive with no power next week.” This is economic activity lost.
Steven Ricchiuto, New York-based chief economist at Mizuho Securities USA, did respond. He estimates that Sandy could drag down growth by one half percentage point. The economy expanded at an annualised rate of 2 per cent in the third quarter.
…
God damn you empire debt slave traders and paid propagandists….. damn you all to hell.
The forbidden zone was once a paradise.