The Housing Bubble

realtytimes dot com is a propagandist wet dream.

“realtytimes dot com is a propagandist wet dream.”

+1 I used to stumble on their website back around 2002-03 when I knew something was really wrong with the RE market, but had a tough time validating my suspicion. Propaganda indeed.

Hey, Mike up there in Bend! Long time, no post! Good to read ya again!

I suggest any prospective SF homebuyers try their best not to get outbid by Chinese all-cash investors on those 16 homes left in for-sale inventory.

“Max Liar”

As long as he is just a Liar and not on antidepressants or bipolar meds with access to 30 round Mags we are OK.

with enough funding…you can prove anything is real…even a space alien attack. thermometer.

ther·mom·e·ter
/THərˈmämitər/
Noun
An instrument for measuring and indicating temperature, typically one consisting of a narrow, hermetically sealed glass tube marked with…

you’re the perfect example rio.

It is cold here in California, predicted for tonight is 12 below F.

Gore is going his bet kicked in a climate bet:

http://www.theclimatebet.com/?p=515

When it posts, it is getting his butt kicked in a bet:

Of the first 60 months of the 120 month (10 year) Climate Bet, Scott Armstrong’s naive model forecast of no change in global average temperatures has been closer to the actual temperature than Al Gore’s IPCC-orignated 3°C per century warming forecast for 40 months. The updated Climate Bet Graph is to the right.

Mr Gore and much of the media are concerned about global warming. They should be relieved to learn that over the last five years (2008 to 2012) temperatures were flat or down from the previous month for 62% of months. The year 2012 ended with the global mean temperature for December the same as for the base year for the bet, 2007.

We calculate from the Hadley Center’s global average annual temperature estimates from 1850 to 2012 that the next five years would have to witness a rate of annual average temperature increase greater than 78% of previous five-year sequences in order for Mr Gore to win the bet. Perhaps, like the UK Met Office, he would like to reconsider his forecast.

“It is cold here in California, predicted for tonight is 12 below F.”

Lunchtime up here in eastern Washington, and it’s 16-degrees F with the windchill. That windy cold cuts right through the first layer of Filson 24oz wool, but not the inner one. Sure hope I can afford to be a snowbird when I retire.

54.1 deg F here in NE OH at the moment. It has been colder this winter and it will be colder in a few days. Snow birds will likely change their migration patterns to match reality.

“BTW, the major reason cited for the drop in gold and oil today is a report on inflation in China.”

MSM types make up all kind of whacky explanations for whatever happens, no matter whether it fits.

Saying a drop in gold prices is due to heightened inflation expectations makes about as much sense as blaming unusually frigid winter temperatures on global warming.

The higher inflation numbers means that China is less likely to ease monetary conditions so it is not good for world growth and that hurts gold. A bit counter intuitive but what I would have answered yesterday if I would have answered my own question.

“The higher inflation numbers means that China is less likely to ease monetary conditions so it is not good for world growth and that hurts gold.”

Central banks signaling an intent to keep inflation under control can definitely hammer gold prices, unless their threats to contain inflation are not credible.

That chart serves well to document that gold had a historic run which peaked in late 2011, after which the price appears to have reached a permanently high plateau.

But I am missing the humor; please enlighten us.

But I am missing the humor;

I guess you didn’t buy at the far left side of that chart.

Looks like this last year is a lot like 2008…then what happened?

“I guess you didn’t buy at the far left side of that chart.”

True, and that admittedly might explain why I didn’t get your point.

Somewhat ironically, we were in a position of needing to sell gold to raise cash at the time corresponding to the left side of the chart. We were definitely the weak hands in the gold market at the point.

Now that gold has bubbled up to unsustainable heights based on several rounds of QE, I expect a new generation of weak hands to have to sell once they figure out that further appreciation is going to turn out “smaller than expected.”

The precious took a breather, while the market is waiting to see how much more money central banks around the world are going to conjure out of thin air to cover budget deficits around the globe?

An under-utilized meme I’m considering expanding is designating congresscritters by who they *really* represent. For example, Marco Rubio (R-Jerry Falwell), Henry Waxman (D-Israel), Darrell Issa (R-Northrop Grumman), or Scott Brown (R-Goldman Sachs). RIP Scott Brown, btw. But Goldman still won… Scott Brown was an important vote in favor of big banks during a very important time for banking (non) regulation.

You should reserve (R-Goldman Sachs) for Paul Ryan. Biggest protector of the carried interest abomination in Congress.

Obama (D-Big Hollywood/Wall Street)

The House would never allow real immigration reform.

If you believe they would, I have a bridge to sell you… but you’re just obfuscating. You know that asset owners benefit the most from cheap labor. You choose not to put 2 and 2 together, but I can’t help you with that.

And before you assail me on immigration, I absolutely believe we should (really) close our borders now, have a comprehensive program to find out who is here, and put an emphasis on a reasonable immigration policy going forward (allowing more legal immigration, making it more balanced, etc). I’m not some open borders advocate.

Check this story from Monday:

Huge Amounts Spent on Immigration, Study Finds

The Obama administration spent nearly $18 billion on immigration enforcement last year, significantly more than its spending on all the other major federal law enforcement agencies combined, according to a report published Monday by the Migration Policy Institute, a nonpartisan research group in Washington.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/08/us/huge-amounts-spent-on-immigration-study-finds.html?_r=0

Now I suppose you could you say that much more needs to be done if we have have 11 or 12 million illegals running around the country, but it does appear that a great effort is being made to enforce the laws.

Sorry Joe, I think even most of my critics would have to admit that I have made that connection. I have talked about how meatpacking wages have dropped from $20 an hour to around $12 from the 1980’s until now despite inflation. I said that the rich want open borders.
Comprehensive is just code word for open borders. We do not need more legal immigration, just better use of the slots that we have. More balanced? What does that mean? Unless you are willing to end chain migration but doing away with family reunification then you just want essentially open borders. The democrats would not even do away with the lottery to get into the country. How does the average citizen gain by people getting in by a lottery.

P.S. You hate the tea trash because they are the only ones blocking open borders your real agenda. I am not buying your bs invented story. That many in your family are immigrants is the only thing I accept. Not your position or their country of origin.

It is not just the amount of money you throw at a problem, it is other actions such as blocking states from enforcing immigration laws that actually work and not moving to make e-verify mandatory on all employers.

I actually have to agree with Dan on legal immigration point. We’ve had levels of legal immigration for decades now. What is the rationale for even more legal immigration?

I meant to write that we’ve had very high levels of legal immigration.

What is the rationale for even more legal immigration?>/i>

Any other questions?

html fail. *sigh*

“Sorry the immigration laws were on the books, both Presidents refused to enforce them.”

Say what?!

Obama administration sets deportation record

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2012/12/21/record-2012-deportations/1785725/

see above, also now that he is reelected he continues to dial back who will deport first you needed to have a criminal record and now he has made it only a severe offense. Just in the country illegally, you have no chance of deportation.

Correction: who he will deport

the rich want open borders.

According to Marx, capitalism needs surplus labor.

You don’t have to be a Marxist to admit that many of his predictions have come to pass.

I have talked about how meatpacking wages have dropped from $20 an hour to around $12 from the 1980’s until now despite inflation. I said that the rich want open borders.

On this I agree with you. The rich won’t be happy until everyone has been reduced to Lucky Ducky status. And open borders is a way to accomplish this

“You don’t have to be a Marxist to admit that many of his predictions have come to pass.”

The mass killings part?

God Bless Romney, Corzine and their minions like Joe Smith.

“God Bless Romney, Corzine and their minions like Joe Smith.”

Hey, the tea party voters and their reps in congress LOVE us. As goon always says, the more they cut “government” spending, the better for “private” contractors and their lawyers/accountants. Every contract protest we file at GAO on behalf of our “invisible hand of the free market” clients generates hundreds of thousands in fees for us (at minimum) and millions of dollars in expenses for the taxpayers from having the contracting agency have to re-open bidding or take other corrective measures. In addition, cost overruns, indemnification, etc… all of these fall on the government. And most of these costs would not exist if the government actually did the work.

And most of these costs would not exist if the government actually did the work.

May be the “work” doesn’t need to be done. Haven’t we peaked bombing and killing every brown children we can see?

“I wonder how long tea trash would last against the military industrial complex?”

the afghans are fairing pretty well.

Great comparison. Let’s see…

a) The Afghans have nothing to lose, whereas if teabillies rebelled against the government, the world’s biggest economy would be on the line
b) The Afghans are fighting a US military that is 12 time zones from home
c) The Afghans have 3-4 decades experience as insurgents
d) The Afghans are fighting “outsiders”
e) Afghan insurgents are supported by wealthy middle easterners and worldwide narcotrafficking interests
f) I could go on and on… your comparison is just stupid.

Yeah, it wouldn’t go so well for the teabillies here.

Also, how’s that Afghan economy, government, and standard of living doing? The insurgents have really achieved a lot, right?

It would last a lot longer than you may expect.

The fascist police state had no problem mopping up Occupy, which was centered on specific locations. Do you really think the DHS goons can go door-to-door across all of USA and confiscate the gunz? It’s not happening.

It would be a nationwide bloodbath on an unimaginable scale

What have the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan taught our military leaders? Syria? Chechnya? Vietnam?

Our MIC can not effectively fight and win an asymmetrical conflict. In point of fact, no modern army can. The principles of Sun Tzu regarding warfare, set down thousands of years of ago, have not changed. A prolonged, bloody conflict is expensive and no government or society can afford one…

Another point I’ll mention… we’ve sent thousands of young Americans to learn the lessons of asymmetrical warfare first-hand. Many know how to create IED’s, how to perform hit and run raids and ambushes and how to effectively operate as a sniper… all from being on the other side of these tactics.

We have tens of thousands of veterans coming back from these conflicts with this hard-won knowledge and not much else. How long before those skills are put to use? What use is a tank, fighter-bomber, attack helicopter, bunker buster or drone when your enemy dresses like a civilian, blends in a crowd, and creates mayhem by using remote-detonated explosives like IED’s?

We have the most modern, powerful military in the world, and we are leaving Afghanistan in defeat(the Taliban are still fighting) and left Iraq in the midst of sectarian violence…

I wonder how long tea trash would last against the military industrial complex? If they rebelled would it be over in hours? Or would it actually take a few days?

Don’t forget that the actual trigger pullers in the MIC are mostly the children of the “tea trash”. Might not be nearly as clean of an operation as you are thinking. Expect massive desertions.

Do you really think the DHS goons can go door-to-door across all of USA and confiscate the gunz?

All they have to do is get the ammo off of store shelves.

I think you fail to take into account that the resistance in 2 separate countries has successfully held the US military at bay for a number of years now. Hell, lots of those dudes are semi-literate goat humpers with weapons left over from the WWII era.

Any sort of militia vs. MIC fight in the US would likely be long, bloody and costly for both sides.

So the tea trash’s strongest bargaining chip is… that they could plunge the US into a revolution and basically destroy the country to the point it won’t be worth saving?

Hmmm, I guess it just speeds up the inevitable.

Of course, the reasonable alternative would be for the rest of Americans to reject the tea trash *and* the far left, throw out the current tax code (which is all about preferences and loopholes), and put the country back on a decent path.

Tea trash talking of war (and therefore basically destroying the country) seems like a kid who takes his football and storms off the field because his team is losing a backyard touch football game. Really sad and pathetic stuff.

Thanks to HBB poster Spook for sharing this link several weeks ago:

http://westernrifleshooters.wordpress.com/

It would be a nationwide bloodbath on an unimaginable scale

Just like the Civil War… only weapons and tactics have become more deadly, and since WWII, the compunction against bombing or attacking civilian targets has disappeared.

Given how we decided to deal with insurgents in Fallujah, Iraq, I have no doubt what would happen in US cities if the conflict progressed. For those not up to speed on modern military history, the US military surrounded Fallujah, an Iraqi city which was a center of insurgent activity, and proceeded to bomb it with attack helicopters, fighter-bombers and artillery. Then infantry, supported by tanks pushed through the city, destroying what was left.

The insurgents that stood their ground and fought, died. Those that fled with civilians prior to the fighting, lived to fight another day…

It’s interesting to see what tea trash consider to be viable options in case they keep losing elections. Rather than real compromise and rejecting hardliners in both parties, they’d like to have a destructive revolution to fight for some vague principles that they can’t even agree on amongst themselves. And destroy any reasons left for living in this country anymore.

It’s perversely funny to me.

Quite frankly if it was easy the PTB would have already done it. Democracy has slowed down their timetables. Bush wanted a NAU before he left office.

http://westernrifleshooters.wordpress.com/

That website is a-maz-ing. I’m amazed people like that exist, though I shouldn’t be.

It’s interesting to see what tea trash consider to be viable options in case they keep losing elections.

I think you underestimate the polarization of the moderate attitude that has occurred. There is little or no compromise left.

All political power is had at the muzzle of a gun… why do you think we have a 2nd Amendment? It wasn’t for hunting or sport.

has successfully held the US military at bay for a number of years now.

I’m pretty sure the US military is being held at bay by the PTB. The goal is occupation, not conquering and leaving.

So the tea trash’s strongest bargaining chip is… that they could plunge the US into a revolution and basically destroy the country to the point it won’t be worth saving?

95% of Tea Baggers are cowards. And 50% of the 5% who are not cowards are too old or fat to matter. And 50% of the 5% who are not cowards have below average IQ’s.

Yea. I really fear the Tea Baggers.

joesmith: it’s not tea trash or teabilly or even tea partier.. it’s tea bagger. Love it. Accept it. Because they are the people whose nuts you are going to have to suck when they turn out to be right and you have to crawl to them whining for pity and food.

joesmith: it’s not tea trash or teabilly or even tea partier.. it’s tea bagger. Love it. Accept it. Because they are the people whose nuts you are going to have to suck when they turn out to be right and you have to crawl to them whining for pity and food.

The problem is tea party sold out long time ago just like everybody.

lol

Because they are the people whose nuts you are going to have to suck when they turn out to be right and you have to crawl to them whining for pity and food.

Their SS disability and medicare will still be paying?

the wife and kids would have to stay with extended family though.
They have to continue to eat, don’t they? They probably need fuel to keep warm in the cold season also. Shutting down interstate transport of food & fuel & turning off the grid for rebellious areas would eliminate a lot of these reasons to fight. There is little that men with small arms could do about this. It’s a huge interdependent country.

You guys who think this would be a big battle are deluding yourselves. I know A LOT of military and LEO types. NONE of them are prepared or willing to turn their weapons on their own countrymen. We are far more like to have a military coup before we have a revolution.

Believe it or not, most military folks are conservative thinkers….at least the actual trigger pullers are and they are the only ones who count. They won’t go shooting their own neighbors.

Not to mention this: These same people who would be tasked with enforcing any martial law live amongst you. How would that work out? If you are the resistance all you have to do is remind them that you know where they live, where their kids go to school, where their spouses work, etc.

I could do it… the wife and kids would have to stay with extended family though.

That’s one of the funniest things I’ve read in awhile.

It perfectly highlights the absurdity of your posts on the subject.

So the tea trash’s strongest bargaining chip is… that they could plunge the US into a revolution and basically destroy the country to the point it won’t be worth saving?

It has always been the strongest bargaining chip of the working class, anyone that has studied the labor movement or the western cattle wars etc. knows that.

You guys who think this would be a big battle are deluding yourselves. I know A LOT of military and LEO types. NONE of them are prepared or willing to turn their weapons on their own countrymen.

I know quite a few ex-military who would go to war for what they believe… and know quite a few who just follow orders and would continue to do so because they are paid to do so.

As to military and LEO not prepared to turn their weapons on their own countrymen… does Waco or Kent State or Katrina ring any bells?

basically destroy the country to the point it won’t be worth saving?
This work of wrecking the country has been in progress for a few decades now. When the Vampire Squid gets through with us, there will be very little worth saving. Survivors if any will have to start over again. Of course, I have been wrong before and have survived many other predictions of doom. Things have been looking up ever since the Cuban Missile Crisis.

I have to laff at the zombie apocalypse chest-beaters who think that by stockpiling guns and ammo they’ll be able to stave off the ravaging hoards.

1. As IF “they”‘re going to target your pathetic stash of MRE’s and Power Bars.
2. And even if “they” do, how many 24-hour cycles do you think you are going to be able to stand watch without sleep/relief? Anyone who’s ever tried to keep persistent little birds and varmits out of a ripe orchard can tell you how well THAT’s going to work out….

That said, the knowledge that an armed citizenry with attitude (of ALL ideologies) is out there watching is probably the best defense against our government getting any really stoopid ideas about screwing with the general public.

It perfectly highlights the absurdity of your posts on the subject.

Maybe you got the wrong impression… my response was in regards to Goon’s statement of pulling a “Red Dawn” and having to live in the hills while fighting as an insurgent. No, I wouldn’t be taking the wife and kids with me into the hills. They would go live with extended family and try and live as normal an existence as they could.

So you are just going to leave the potential hostages with the people closely connected to you?

There is always Canada…

“There is a lot of HATE out there

http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-TV/2013/01/10/Crowd-Laughs-Applauds-Chicago-Teachers-Union-President-After-She-Talks-About-Beheading-The-Rich

There is a lot of HATE out there

That’s not a hate. It’s a freedom of speech. It’s an artistic expression. It’s an imagination of a brilliant mind.

There’s also a huge difference in the literacy and critical analysis of the posters.

From yahoo when seconds count the police are just hours away:

Two burglars took 14 people hostage overnight at a Nordstrom Rack store in Los Angeles, stabbing one hostage in the neck and sexually assaulting another.

LAPD spokesman Christopher No said police were notified at 11 p.m. that the robbery was taking place.

At about 3:30 a.m. a SWAT team freed the hostages, according to the L.A. Times. The suspects had already fled with an undisclosed amount of money.

The hostage who was stabbed has been treated and released. Police are now investigating a white SUV in Culver City, which they believe may have been the getaway vehicle, and are still looking for the two suspects.

There’s a difference between passing a law and issuing an executive order. Biden made a comment about executive orders, but was not specific about what they might be. Yes, that part was on CNN and all of the other major news outlets. When people start worrying that Obama will issue an executive order to confiscate assault weapons, that is when you start getting into right-wing, Fox News, Drudge fantasy.

Also, if you really think that there is going to be some massive battle in this country between the Federal government, shouldn’t you form a militia with like-minded citizens, the way people were doing back in 1990s? You’d have much better chance than if you were battling the feds on your own?

Also, if you really think that there is going to be some massive battle in this country between the Federal government, shouldn’t you form a militia with like-minded citizens, the way people were doing back in 1990s? You’d have much better chance than if you were battling the feds on your own?

If confiscation at a Federal level were to pass, I guarantee there would be insurrection and outright rebellion. It would probably run along the lines of the electoral map, with red states, and particularly Texas declaring their independence from Federal authority. As to any “massive battle”, one would have to see how many military units defect to the other side to understand whether a more conventional fight would occur. I would fully expect blue states to take the brunt of any “asymmetrical action”.

As to forming a militia, that’s a bad joke right? I’m not plotting or planning anything of the sort… if all this were to play out, there would be plenty of time and opportunity to assess and act. So far, it is all conjecture and debate. There is always the hope that cooler heads will prevail and we’ll step back from the brink.

I guarantee there would be insurrection and outright rebellion
If/when food/fuel deliveries stop and the grid and internet don’t work, various parts of the US will have a great many other things to worry about. Insurrections may or may not be associated with failure of business as usual.

You’ve given this WAY too much thought, NE. Thank you.

Here’s a little quote from the Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee (and first-tier Iraq/Afghanistan war monger) that sets a new standard for blindered hypocrisy:

“But how many more shootings must there be in America before we come to the realization that guns and grievances do not belong together?”

-Diane Feinstein

Back by popular demand…

If Every U.S. State Declared War Against the Others, Which Would Win?

http://www.slate.com/blogs/quora/2012/11/27/civil_war_who_would_come_out_on_top_if_the_united_states_all_declared_war.html

Oh well, it’s their aquifers that will get ruined.

Please. Let them secede already so they can fight it out with the Mexican cartels again.

A rebellious Texas?

Ever heard of Fort Hood? Among 15 other military bases in the state.

Rebel? I don’t think so.

They are welcome to try.

Major Nidal Hasan made a pretty good start…

What does that mean?

The limited liability of a corporation is the limit on the liability of its shareholders, not the corporation itself. If you can win a lawsuit big enough, you can take every cent that a corporation has (that is not some how promised to other creditors in a way that supercedes your claim).

My point was that corporations and their limited liabilities were created by legislatures. Today’s electorate and MSM-think seems to pre-suppose that nothing enacted by a previous legislature can ever be UN-done.