July 26, 2006

HousingPanic Stupid Question of the Day


With the housing ATM closed, their credit cards maxed out, inflation roaring and gas at $3.00-plus, how are consumers going to keep consuming at their old pace?

95 comments:

Anonymous said...

selling their kids to Thai brothels?

Anonymous said...

answer: they won't

watch out below for anyone tied to the consumer. I'd hate to be a retail exec today

Anonymous said...

maybe consumers will run out of money just in time for the christmas shopping season, that should make for a nice recession to ring in 07

Anonymous said...

The Asians must loan us more money. It is our god given right.

Anonymous said...

Solution more War.

Anonymous said...

I found it very funny the other day how NBC news interviewed people by the gas pump. They showed clips from previous broadcasts in 01 02 03 04 05 and today. People were whining about prices at $ 1.30 , $ 1.50 , $ 1.80 , $ 2.10 , $ 2.60 and now at $ 3.00 plus we are consuming more than all those years in the past and whining the same way. AMAZING!!

Anonymous said...

It is going to be a very explosive situation as this unfolds. People are not changing their ways. I did see a real drop in road traffic after Katrina when gas was $3.30 but at $3.00 they are still driving. And smoking. And talking on the cell phone.

I think that people are borrowing to keep rolling. The limit will be reached and as it does people may get desperate. When does the crime rise, riots start, snipers come out, and cries for the gov't to lower rates begin?

Anonymous said...

this won't be a recession......it will be a depression......but they will package it as something softer to the ear.

I can imagine future presidents/prime ministers saying stuff like "we are not in a depression, it's just fashionable for consumers to eat out of trash cans".

Anonymous said...

I know during the tech bust, there were cars lining the streets for sale in the bay area. Maybe this time people will learn to live with-in their means, no I forgot it's America we are dealing with. Its all about buying stuff you really could live without and still be happy.

Anonymous said...

As I have said before,

When I see soccer moms driving SUV's and young kids with the latest i-pods and expensive sneakers...I only wish for a depression to sort us all out.

It's time for America and 'America-like' societies be brought down to size. It would do us some good imho.

Time to turn this generation into a generation into the next 'greatest generation' (1950's, 1960's) and stop living like spoilt baby boomers.

Time to turn the tv off and learn to grow a vegetable garden. Time to buy a shotgun and learn how to hunt. Time to learn how to grow some fowl in the back-yard. Time to for some physical labour, that most of us have become immune to.

I hope my generation (Gen X,Y) wakes up before it's too late.

Anonymous said...

"I hope my generation (Gen X,Y) wakes up before it's too late."

It's too late, generation X (early 90s coming of age period) was suppose to reverse the excesses of the 80s and the Me-generation of the 70s but instead, became a carbon copy of the 80s.

Just look at the decline of music, from the late 80s/early 90s (Jane's Addiction, Nirvana, Offspring, Soundgarden, [pre-Reload] Metallica) to today (Creed, Godsmack, Tool), how can one even say that they live in the same country as the one back in '89? Generation X, or perhaps its leaders and elder statesmen, have achieved absolutely nothing of value. Generation Y, likewise, is brain dead and has nothing to offer, has no conceptual construct of what even the cold war was about, and has no idea what's going on today except what the media says... "Oh ya, terrorism?"

Sorry X/Ys, ever heard of Carlos the Jackal or the Red Brigade? Terrorism's not new, it's just not Soviet/Libyan backed today but the show goes on in different forms. Also, what makes terrorism more scary than mutually assured destruction with 2-3 thousand nuclear missles aimed at the homeland? You see... no perspective and that's the hallmark of generation X and Y.

Anonymous said...

They can still borrow against their 401K and not send the kids to college

Anonymous said...

Yesterday, in my neighborhood, there's a big bright orange "public notice" sign (approx. 8" x 36")hanging by my mailbox that reads: "Attn: Resident - 4 days only. AUTO MANUFACTURERS FORCED TO LIQUIDATE INVENTORY IMMEDIATELY! Many people have filed BANKRUPTCY and Nearly New Cars have been RETURNED TO DEALERS all scross the Nation!"

Yes, it is the beginning of the end.

Anonymous said...

We went to a restaurant last night that we hadn't visited in three months. As usual, the food was great, but the prices had increased $2-$4 on all the entrees, about 25%!

Inflation is here, it's real, and it will change the way Americans spend money. Oddly enough, I suspect the people who live off borrowed money will be the last to change their spending habits.

Anonymous said...

Some call it the "greater depression".

http://news.goldseek.com/DailyReckoning/1149627154.php

And thus we see, dear reader, something interesting. Inflation may be ‘unwelcome” in the dewy eyes of the economics professor who now rules the Fed, but the lack of it is terrifying to the wide open peepers of Speculation Nation.

“In a nutshell,” explained Joseph Quinlan, chief market strategist at Banc of America Capital Management, “the era of easy and abundant global liquidity is coming to an end – a change in the global monetary backdrop that usually inflicts pain on those asset classes highly dependent on easy money.”

But all of America is now highly dependent on easy money. The U.S. government relies upon it to pay for its bread and circuses. Wall Street needs it to keep stock and bond prices elevated. The lumpen need it, too; their house prices will fall without it. And when housing falls, the whole kit and kaboodle comes down with it. The U.S. economy will be in recession within six months.

Anonymous said...

No pain for us kit and kaboodle. You forget one inportant detail, the U.S. dollar is the world's reserve currency, and Mr. Bernanke has told us he's willing to print as many of them as needed to keep us out of a deflationary spiral (aka depression). Politicians don't like pain because it changes voter's loyalties.

We will have inflation and wave after wave of government "fixes" and bailouts. China, Japan, and Korea will indeed feel "pain" as their holdings of Treasury debt become worthless. But what can they do but go along? The alternative for them as exporters is complete economic ruin and riots in the streets.

Anonymous said...

>>> AUTO MANUFACTURERS FORCED TO LIQUIDATE INVENTORY IMMEDIATELY! Many people have filed BANKRUPTCY and Nearly New Cars have been RETURNED TO DEALERS all scross the Nation!"

It's a scam. Car dealers will say anything in the moment that someone may believe in order to get you there thinking there is a "deal".

- First, we are not in a huge bankrupcy wave (yet)

- Cars don't go "back to the dealer" unless they are one of the shady ones selling cars to bad credit people with their own financing

- I am not sure enough near bankrupcy people qualified for, and bought new cars, then filed, thus leaving a large inventory of nearly new cars.

I believe the slimy car dealer is using news of today in the MSM to trick most of the un-informed.

"Yes, I read it in USA Today!"

Anonymous said...

>>> When I see soccer moms driving SUV's and young kids with the latest i-pods and expensive sneakers...I only wish for a depression to sort us all out.

It's time for America and 'America-like' societies be brought down to size. It would do us some good imho.


-- Why are you such an America (US) hater? In the most part, don't these things mean a productive economy overall?

Is it you can't afford these things? Of don't like them? Hey, I don't like the media crap with all the rappers, sports, and celebrities, but I don't think america need to fall because of it...

An if everyone today got a shotgun and hunted in the woods for food, there would not be any animals left to eat in a few months. Also growing vegetables in your back yard may be good for a garnish, but to live off of it?

If we all reverted to old style subsistence farming most of the population would starve and die off. The old ways do not scale to todays population densities on the planet. Are you looking for a massive die off as well? Is that what you are hoping for?

Boy, I love how some people would rather see the country fail just because its not run their way...

Anonymous said...

"f we all reverted to old style subsistence farming most of the population would starve and die off."

I know I'm supposed to think that is a bad thing, but part of me says it wouldn't be so awful...

Anonymous said...

Wait till that first fuel bill(oil,gas,whatever)hits this winter,just in time for the holidays. Slow down will turn into hard stop real fast.Can't afford to drive,can't afford to heat,can't afford to go out black friday.Should be real interesting.

Anonymous said...

Dont forget the California energy crisis with new higher rate schedule. Go ahead and double your bill and stay alive in the new 115 degree Los angeles.

Anonymous said...

"If we all reverted to old style subsistence farming most of the population would starve and die off."

This model of thinking doesn't really apply because the vast majority of America's farms are owned by large companies, therefore, a govt sponsored welfare state would simply subsidize these companies to distribute food stuffs to the masses. There are already farm subsidizes to make these companies underbid producers from the third world. Also, as far as energy goes, the US has 200+ years of coal underground so the end of imported oil also has a domestic workaround. All and all, neither perspectives, present-day economic conservatism or subsistence 'good olde days' thinking applies to a modern nation during a credit implosion.

Anonymous said...

Gary Shilling: Recession likely.

Banks, mortgage lenders, credit card companies, Fannie & Freddie, and consumer discretionary stocks are all sells/shorts on rallies.

Run away from these shares!!!

Anonymous said...

Folks, take a look at GOOG's pattern since its IPO and near quintupling of its price!!! The stock price is tracking CSCO's VERY closely from '99 to Sept.-Oct. '00 (the final peak before the crash).

If GOOG continues to hold to the pattern, the stock is about to commence a colossal meltdown to the $200-$250 by this fall and back to its IPO price by Jan.-Feb. '07 and lower by fall '07 to early '08.

This prospect implies that the broader market is set to dive, too, perhaps back to the '01 low by fall, a rally to 1200s by next summer, and then another big decline into late '08 or early '09 back to the '02-'03 lows. And, guess what? Wall Street, AJ Cohen, Battipaglia, JJ Cramer, Tobin Smith, Harry Dent, George Gilder, Larry Kudlow, et al., will not warn you ahead of time.

Prepare for the double whammy of another tech wreck and wipeout of trillions of dollars of equity wealth AND a real estate bust.

Good God it's going to be ugly.

Markus Arelius said...

Gasoline will hit $4.00/gallon in 2007 (California). Put that in your pipes and smoke.. wait a minute. That's not a good idea.

Anonymous said...

I feel that the consumer slow down is already happening.

It is starting to show up in company financials and quarterly reports

Tons of vacation deal advertisements this year as people cut back on that too...

Anonymous said...

Vacations are recession proof. The Timeshare industry has guaranteed people their vacations at yesterday's prices. No Bubble in Timeshare.
People will always buy cosmetics, food, and vacations.

Anonymous said...

I have a mountain cabin that I rent as vacation property and this is my biggest year yet.

Matter of fact, a little recession might improve my business more ... its only 1 hour north of metro Atlanta (i.e. not much gasoline costs to get there) and because is sleeps 8, two families get to split the cost, great savings.

Bill said...

working three jobs, uniquely american"
where did we hear that? hmm

I already work 2 jobs and the wife works..oh and not because i am over leveraged, not at all, I choose to work 2 jobs and pay cash when i need something..i will sacrafice for months to save for what i want. No credit cards what so ever, But will admit as i have said in the past, no borrowing hurts my credit score for some reason or another..fucking scam anyway Ill pay cash keep your card.

Anonymous said...

Put me down as one who wants to see the US fail because it's not run like I want.

It will fail, too. Hopefully following a nuclear attack on the RNC.

Bill said...

panicearly said...

borkafatty,
there is always to ways to increase your pay(or profit). work more(increase sales) or cut costs(live on less).
i dont think it will hurt your loan aplication that much as you will put more down payment. anyway renting is the way to go, in a volatile market we have today.
the difference between your rent and what it would cost you to own is your "equity", sock it away.


I have money socked away and a great pension going, for me though it would cost me more to rent..i bought in 1993 (REALISTIC PRICES) refied one time for a pool and what not...my mortgage/rent/ with taxes is only $1344 so i am very comfortable with that..but will admit paying cash for everything is tuff with the inflated costs of things..so sacrifices must be made for certin things.. not that i need anymore THINGS.

Anonymous said...

Bork: "but will admit paying cash for everything is tuff with the inflated costs of things..so sacrifices must be made for certin things.. not that i need anymore THINGS."

Therein lies the secret power of cash. You have to hand it over when you buy (although a more convenient way is a check card). Credit is too easy to use and you may find yourself buying on impulse not need. You do not need a high credit score if you pay cash. Keep it up.

Bill said...

Borkafatty, what part of MA are you in, I live in Rockland.

Dracut, middlesex county area

Bill said...

(although a more convenient way is a check card)

agreed, but i am one of those people who do not keep money in the bank (only to pay bills ), I feel when this crashes and it will i want my money close by, and dont want to wait in line to get it...when there is non to get.

Anonymous said...

hey, I just got another credit card application in the mail! AND JUST IN TIME TOO!

wheew...ok, fill out the app and ask for some of those checks they always have..that way I can write out a check to pay those other cards I'm past due on

well, at least I'll be ok for a couple more months

sure hope they keep those credit card aps coming....

Bill said...

well, at least I'll be ok for a couple more months

sure hope they keep those credit card aps coming....

MO MONEY! MO MONEY! MO MONEY!

sorry had to :)

Anonymous said...

Their House is a Moneytree that the Bank says to Keep Shaking..Everyone in the Real Estate Game thinks their a Cool Hand Luke..Until the BAD Times.

" I'm SHAKING IT BOSS !...SHAKING IT HERE...STILL SHAKING IT HERE BOSS !"

Ooops!..Here Comes THAT FORECLOSURE MAN with NO EYES to COLLECT!

Anonymous said...

A recession is coming. I can see it every day in small ways. The Walmart parking lot is pretty empty. The place where I get my morning breakfast was completely empty today. Restaurants aren't as busy as they were last summer. There is a general chill in the air.

Anonymous said...

Still, it's better to have a CC then to carry hundreds of dollars. My gf's had her purse snatched with $500 inside and every since then, we've both used CCs for anything over a hundred dollars.

But if you don't have the will to pay the full amount every single month with NO exceptions, then don't do it; that's what debit cards (though less secure than CCs with direct access to your checkings) are there for.

Anonymous said...

With 40 year mortgages of course!~

Anonymous said...

Talked to my brother this morning. He was at a gas station and the lady at the pump next to him was on her cell phone - pleading with a credit card drone for a limit increase so she could fill up the SUV.

Anonymous said...

hope the cc company said NO, she needs to ditch the SUV if she can't afford the gas

Anonymous said...

I don't like the wasteful attitude we have in this country. Drive a SUV is fine by me. BUT do NOT bitch about gas prices. Buy an overpriced house, fine by me. BUT do NOT bitch about the high price. No one is putting a gun to anyones' head to buy ANYTHING. Pay the market premium or wait until it is at the price you want to pay.

Anonymous said...


-- Why are you such an America (US) hater? In the most part, don't these things mean a productive economy overall?
Is it you can't afford these things?


Yes I am an American Hater !!!! I hate the America of today. I wish it was bombed back to the ear;y 50's and 60's....where people actually WORKED for a living and lived within their means.....and an SUV was only used by the farmers and the people who were actually wealthy.

I wish I lived in the 50's where people didn't consume 5000 calories a day and actually cooked their meals, rather than pick up a phone and have it delivered. Where meat would be considered something special to be eaten on a once maybe twice a week.

Where boys would know how to hold a hammer at the age of 15, and where girls know the actual meaning of femininity not sexuality.

Don't get me wrong....I'm no right wing evangalical Christian, I am a believer in the market/capitalist system, it's just that I think there is something very wrong with a 20 year old driving around in a 50,000 dollar car because daddy took out a second mortgage.

We are merely an ugly extension of the 'ME GENERATION' baby boomers, where men are defined by the size of their car and women by the size of their breast implants.

It's time we went back to the basics. We don't need Oprah telling us how to live, we don't need some pimp doctor telling us how to have sex............and (getting back to the subject of the blog) we certainly don't need houses that will take us 2 lifetimes to pay off.


...enough said.

Anonymous said...

Was that a joke or do you have a timeshare to sell? Vacations are one of the first things to go. Besides, everyone I know who ever owned a timeshare lost money when they sold, and that was in good times.

I am a joker, but I worked as a Marketing Executive the Timeshare business during the last financial bust during the mid 80's and the during the gas crisis in the late 70's. We had no recession, no gas lines or fiscal downturn here in Central Florida. The Timeshare/Vacation Business was not affected here. We did not feel any recession pain.

Common sense agrees with you. But people buy on emotion and what they believe they deserve.

85% of people that own timeshare are very satisfied. Their TS purchase locked in their vacation prices at yesterday’s low costs. I am just telling you what I have lived.

Even during the hurricanes, housing prices went up because supply goes down, way down, because of tarps and damage. No one can close. So, if there is another Big Hurricane here in Central Florida, home prices could go up more, rather than stay flat as they are now.

Now we watch and wait.

Anonymous said...

What's the purpose of a time share? How about simply getting a hotel/resort room for a week whenever you want to go on a vacation? That way, you can go on your own schedule and can also decide not to go if you're strapped for cash.

Anonymous said...

"-- Why are you such an America (US) hater? In the most part, don't these things mean a productive economy overall? "
No, this means that 70% of the country is frigin out of control!! In Debt. Way over their heads. Not saivng a dime. Most of it is watching too much TV and keeping up with Joneses.

Anonymous said...

I like the "sell sh*t" idea. Toys for pennies on the dollar. This hasn't shaken out enough (yet) but I have already seen the toys selling. The start was the gas crunch after Katrina. Picked up a coupla nice pool sticks on that one.

EBAY may be a good stock pick when this takes off.

Now I want a nice dirt bike like a EXC 520 because my 490 Yamaha is just plain old like me. And as always, more guns.

Anonymous said...

I wouldn't dream of ever buying a time-share. Downright lame.

Anonymous said...

I do not own one.

But people that do are very happy with their purchases. In fact if you buy three months, Beach Front, in say, West Palm Beach, FL, you then live in a million dollar second "winter" home for a few hundred thousand dollars and no insurance worries. Happens all the time.

What can I say.

Anonymous said...

"It was boomers and older that largely bought the terrorism nonsense and therefore took their eyes off the ball."

I think the boomers (Me Generation types) simply sold out and stopped caring about the big picture whereas the Xs were suppose to take charge and turn things around but they bought the tech bubble, hook, line, and sinker and in some ways, were a lot worse than their parents because there was no cold war on the horizon to keep their ambitions for gloating in check.

Anonymous said...

"
Don't get me wrong....I'm no right wing evangalical Christian, I am a believer in the market/capitalist system, it's just that I think there is something very wrong with a 20 year old driving around in a 50,000 dollar car because daddy took out a second mortgage."

Well try getting laid without one. Doesn't happen.

I haven't gotten laid since I decided to stop spending money on women and bought a Hyundai.

Women will bang a guy in huge debt but won't bang a frugal one.

Oh, well.

foxwoodlief said...

The majority live within their means and pay their credit card bills in full each month. Others only care about the monthly minimum payment and will spend till they go bankrupt and then get anoher credit card and start all over again.

If the economy tanks the fed will copy Japan and reduce interest rates to zero and print money like Japan did since deflation seems to be worse, though in the US we write off the bad debt and restructure more effectively than Japan did so we can start the cycle all over again.

I guess the Jews were right in having a year of jubliee every 50 years where the captives were set free and all debts forgiven.

Some people will take second jobs. Some will send their wives to work if they don't already. Some wll make thier teenage kids work at McDonalds and pay rent. Others will rent out rooms or shack up with someone to share the rent, others will be like Californians with three generations living in one house to make ends meet.

I have no doubt American engenuity will find a way to survive and spend.

Anonymous said...

Timeshares suck, especially when you have to reserve time and can't get it when you want it, or they accidently double-book or the people who didn't get the reservation decide to show up anyway, unannounced, and then argue with you as to why they're there.

Just say no to timeshares. They're an extremely stupid thing designed to make people other than you rich.

Anonymous said...


Well try getting laid without one. Doesn't happen.

I haven't gotten laid since I decided to stop spending money on women and bought a Hyundai.

Women will bang a guy in huge debt but won't bang a frugal one.

Oh, well.


Hire a hooker...it will be cheaper in the long run

Anonymous said...

It astounds me how almost everyone I talk to where I live thinks the good times are gonna just keep on rolling. Builders and real estate agents make up probably 50% of the workforce in my area, and whenever somebody even hints at a slowdown in the economy and housing all I hear is " yeah but not here ,Bend Oregon is different , this is a resort area". Everyone moving here is from california or washington,and have been able to sell their homes for sick money and pay cash for a house here, which real estate agents then exploit and drive up prices. We have become a country of shallow, soft people with no character. We need some upheaval to help us find our humanity again.

Anonymous said...

Where's all the white women at?????

Anonymous said...

Many good points here but the one that most resonates with me is the one about the failed X and Y gens.

The gen Xers are total ego maniacs that have a crisis breakdown if Starbucks is closed or if they can not get a signal on their cell phone. By far they are mostly total human garbage that are all me me me.

Gen Y scares me to death because if our society does not crumble they will one day be in charge of this nation. YIKES! These people are based on the money for nothing principle of living. They do not want to earn or work their way up from the bottom when it comes to anything under the sun. They feel they are entitled to luxury goods like fancy cars, homes, clothes, etc.

Gen X may be able to dodge a major breakdown of society simply because the effects of high energy and inflation will be quite protracted. When gen Y reaches their mid 30s to mid 40s the nation will go right into the crapper. I am 99.99999% sure of this.

Anonymous said...

Many good points here but the one that most resonates with me is the one about the failed X and Y gens.

The gen Xers are total ego maniacs that have a crisis breakdown if Starbucks is closed or if they can not get a signal on their cell phone. By far they are mostly total human garbage that are all me me me.

Gen Y scares me to death because if our society does not crumble they will one day be in charge of this nation. YIKES! These people are based on the money for nothing principle of living. They do not want to earn or work their way up from the bottom when it comes to anything under the sun. They feel they are entitled to luxury goods like fancy cars, homes, clothes, etc.

Gen X may be able to dodge a major breakdown of society simply because the effects of high energy and inflation will be quite protracted. When gen Y reaches their mid 30s to mid 40s the nation will go right into the crapper. I am 99.99999% sure of this.


The GenX's and GenY's would be fine if they didn't have to pay for the exuberence and greed of the Baby Boomers.....who are the real culprits here.

The GenX's and GenY's have not been given the opportunity to shine......they are sarcastic because they realise the hypocracy of the over-indulgent control freak hippy generation.....basically they are it's by-product.

Anonymous said...

hey nobody, you guys need to work out more! six pack abs trump money every time. You don't need money to do sit ups and you'll be able to find a sugar momma ;-)

Anonymous said...

This terrorism nonsense is just like Pearl Harbor. Only 2000 Americans were killed at Pearl Harbor and people made a big deal out of it. People were more likely to fall in the bathroom and die. Why do we even have a police force? People are more likely to die in car accidents than be murdered. Yet we waste all this time and money on funding a police force, prisons and scaring people into locking their doors and worrying about their children being kidnapped. Let's bring back some common sense and get rid of the 9-1-1 system and that Amber Alert crap

Anonymous said...

>>> I haven't gotten laid since I decided to stop spending money on women and bought a Hyundai.

Women will bang a guy in huge debt but won't bang a frugal one.

Oh, well.

-- Maybe women are different now, but I used to get laid 20 years ago when I drove and old Nova...

But, yes women do notice the car since its a proxy as to whether you are managing yourself well (ignoring the fact you could be in hock up to your eyeballs for the car)

I then used to have a red Corvette. Sure I went on dates in it, but never "picked" up anyone with it. Most women think the guy is a guido on the hunt... (I bought since I wanted to go stinking fast after years of an old Nova ;-)

Want to know a car secret guys? Don't buy a car you and other guys lust after. Buy a "chick car" such as a BMW convertible, Miata, etc. I had more women comment on my car around town, coffee shops, etc., when I drove that one. *Never* had one do so with the Corvette (or Nova ;-(

Oh yeah, throw a baby seat and the back and they fell you are safe to come up to and talk....
(I actually have a kid, so it was not for show, wish I knew this when I was younger and could have baby sat for my sister)

Anonymous said...

>>> Where's all the white women at?????

Plenty up here in Seattle, as well as plenty of asian, indian (country), hispanic, european, eastern europe, you name it. You know, I find a beautiful woman to be just that, regardless of race.

Besides, what does this have to do with this blog? You can't tell peoples skin color from text postings, and why should it matter?

Bill said...

"I've Never Seen A Soft-Landing"


“‘I’ve never seen a soft-landing in 53 years, so we have a ways to go before this levels out,’ Countrywide CEO Angelo Mozilo said on a Tuesday conference call. ‘I have to prepare the company for the worst that can happen.’”

Anonymous said...

>>> f we all reverted to old style subsistence farming most of the population would starve and die off."

I know I'm supposed to think that is a bad thing, but part of me says it wouldn't be so awful...

-- As a personal choice, it may not be so bad for a while. Hey, I've had my Walden Pond moments as well...

But it's not scaleable for the population densities we have. We can't rely on it for everyone today.

Anonymous said...

>>> Concerned....

I actually agree with most of what you said, and feel somethings have gone to far. But we go through cycles, and just because some (?most?) people behave in these ways is not a reason to hate america. America is an ongoing experiment.

Also, have you noticed that other countries as they get richer complain about the same problems? I read articles about the issue with young people in Japan, the new workers in India, and even the newer generations in China's cities. So it's not uniquely american for these things to happen. (Buying on credit, sexualization, clothes, cars, excess calories, fast food, etc.)

Bill said...

My thing is sure we talk of the coming doom and gloom, but we dont talk about how we are going to get out of this mess. How long will the reccession factor linger.

Like the above poster i see more an more parking lots empty in my area (retail that is) food stores are still flowing after all one must eat.

Anonymous said...

>>> My thing is sure we talk of the coming doom and gloom, but we dont talk about how we are going to get out of this mess. How long will the reccession factor linger.

I believe there will be a pain of pain and adjustment, but will work out in the end. Same as Japan in the 90's, and US in the early to mid 90's. Maybe be a little deeper given the huge credit leverage in the system, so it could get as bad as the 70's. But not the end of the world.

Anonymous said...

"Also, have you noticed that other countries as they get richer complain about the same problems? I read articles about the issue with young people in Japan, the new workers in India, and even the newer generations in China's cities. So it's not uniquely american for these things to happen. (Buying on credit, sexualization, clothes, cars, excess calories, fast food, etc.)"

Well if you consider that that's WHAT ALL THE ADVERTISEMENTS ARE FOR then guess consumers are no better than sheep.

Anonymous said...

I agree with the guy that said we should get rid of all of this money spent on emergency things and terrorism. Common sense should prevail instead of the govt. stepping in to solve all of your problems.

I would like to add that we sould every 5-8 months have a huge purge in prisons by adding cynanide to the drinking water given to a random 30% of the crimials. This would make the prisons something to be feared instead of a place for them to just hang out for a while and learn more crime from prison gangs. Crime would not drop overnight but there would be a significant savings to the taxpayer.

Bill said...

I would like to add that we sould every 5-8 months have a huge purge in prisons by adding cynanide to the drinking water given to a random 30% of the crimials

Extreme but i like your thinking, better yet, give them all jack boots & camo uniforms a gun and away they go, crime would drop 2 fold.

Anonymous said...

"It astounds me how almost everyone I talk to where I live thinks the good times are gonna just keep on rolling. Builders and real estate agents make up probably 50% of the workforce in my area, and whenever somebody even hints at a slowdown in the economy and housing all I hear is " yeah but not here ,Bend Oregon is different , this is a resort area". Everyone moving here is from california or washington,and have been able to sell their homes for sick money and pay cash for a house here, which real estate agents then exploit and drive up prices. We have become a country of shallow, soft people with no character. We need some upheaval to help us find our humanity again."

Upheaval doesn't work. Just look at 9/11. Instead of having some humility and realizing that even lowly scumbags can really hurt us, so we should be nice to the world, instead we decided to attack two countries and completely alienate most of the world.

Hubris is a bad thing, and the U.S. has it in spades.

Bill said...

http://tinyurl.com/ngghd

911 is nothing compared to what is coming..doesn't anyone question as to why we have had no attacks in the us since 911..oh ya thats right bush and his hitler youth are protecting us from the bad guys, ya sure.
The neocons are foaming at the mouth over what is going on in the middle east..and now bush is mulling more troops fuck housing when the shit hits the fan kiss the hole global economy goodbye

Anonymous said...

Wow well Said - Many good points here but the one that most resonates with me is the one about the failed X and Y gens.

The gen Xers are total ego maniacs that have a crisis breakdown if Starbucks is closed or if they can not get a signal on their cell phone. By far they are mostly total human garbage that are all me me me.

Gen Y scares me to death because if our society does not crumble they will one day be in charge of this nation. YIKES! These people are based on the money for nothing principle of living. They do not want to earn or work their way up from the bottom when it comes to anything under the sun. They feel they are entitled to luxury goods like fancy cars, homes, clothes, etc.

Gen X may be able to dodge a major breakdown of society simply because the effects of high energy and inflation will be quite protracted. When gen Y reaches their mid 30s to mid 40s the nation will go right into the crapper. I am 99.99999% sure of this.

You Said just What most Americans over the age of 45 think about their younger Peers - that they failed as Parents - and that they Laid a big Pile of SHIT...

Anonymous said...

Well, as far as generations go, I'm not having any kids (approaching 40) so I don't have to worry about generation Z (or Z+) since I wouldn't have any part of creating it.

Instead, I'll watch my poor ex-classmates go through hell as their kids stop listening to them and then they'll be coming over my place to drink Patron Tequila or Encantado Mezcal (I mean since I don't have kids, I can afford the good stuff) just to forget about their lives at home.

Anonymous said...

The tequila that can be bought in stores kindof sucks.

What's that stuff they bring back in the bottles that's clear and like 180 proof?

Anonymous said...

:they bring back in the bottles that's clear and like 180 proof?

Clear is usually a silver which hasn't spent much time in a wooden container, usually <2 months in a metal tank. They're normally 80-100 proof (40-50% alcohol). Silvers have the fullest taste of the Agave whereas Resposado is like 1/2 year in a barrel, and Anejo, a full year in oak which gives them both darker complexions and smooth, brandy-like flavors, depending upon Agave grown and storage conditions. All of whom are good for sipping, however, usually the mixed drinks (Tequila Sunrise or Margarita) are best with either a pure silver (100% Agave) or a blend of a silver and a cheaper resposado (half/half Agave and a Sugar blend) for added smoothness to save money by getting the most for your dollar for a Margarita, since the fruity elements makes up more of the taste. As for pure sipping, alone, the chilled Resposados and Anejos are the best. Patron makes pretty decent Tequila in all 100% Agave categories, minus the sugar blends, with an extraction process to remove the bitter sprouts, and they start at $50 per 750 ml.

Anonymous said...

To the Tequila fan above, the 100% Agaves aren't all created equal and the top tier Patron brand is beginning to take off in restaurants and bars that want to take a slice off the big spenders.

I've found the 100% Agave 1800 brand (owned by the same Cuervo family but not the same product line) to be the most economical, maybe half the cost of a Patron, for the non-connoisseurs and is now available in the Ultimate Margerita at places like Bugaboo Steak House. The ones to avoid are the Sauzas and regular Cuervos, cheap stuff and crap. Even with a tasty lemon-lime mix and some Cointreau, you can still taste a crappy Tequila. Also, don't be fooled by el cheapo bars that use more of the Cointreau in the Margarita mix to mask a bad in-house Tequila because that's quite the scam nowadays.

Anonymous said...

I wrote that stuff about gen X and Y. It may come as a shocker to you but I am 27 years old and I feel the way most people past 50 do about my gen and the ones that are in high school now.

I worked about 30 hours a week while I was in college so you could say I have been working since I was 18 or 19 as a full time person. I've done retail, service, airline, and now I work in rental property management. Yup, we expect to do very well as the bubble pops and renters come our way.

Anyway, I have consistently seen one pattern in all of my jobs. The younger workers always want to do it their way and either just want to do the job and that is it or they kiss ass to management to try to get ahead. I have yet to meet one person under 35 years old that did a job above and beyond what was required motivated only by the reward that comes from knowing you performed so well; a sense of accomplishment is lacking in the workplace.

Don't get me wrong, I've met plently of asshole managers over 50 that just get involved when there is a problem. They do not motivate the people or set goals to meet. There is just total chaos in many cases. I have met maybe 3 or 4 people in the workplace that I would classify as being accountable for their work, not feeling entitled to anything, and truely worked their way up from the bottom.

A Gen Y president of the USA = time to head for the hills and hunker down because the decades of instant gratification will lead to an ICBM launch and hell breaking loose if it does not before that time.

Anonymous said...

"A Gen Y president of the USA = time to head for the hills and hunker down because the decades of instant gratification will lead to an ICBM launch and hell breaking loose"

Not to worry, we'll be a full blown banana republic with all of our science and engineering work done in former Soviet republics and China and everyone else making money than US. We'll be Mexicamerica.

Anonymous said...

Yes, Bend, OR is way over priced. There are outside people moving in, but prices have made it much, much harder to move into the cummunity. The locals born and raised there are not able to stay. All the places (AZ, SD, OC and Bend) where RE agents and builders keep saying it can't happen here and just WRONG.

Anonymous said...

All HP regulars are Hitler Youth

Anonymous said...

"All HP regulars are Hitler Youth"

Why not Stalin's Prime?

Or even Pol Pot extraordinare.

You gotta get some range in making monikers.

Anonymous said...

"All HP regulars are Hitler Youth"

See Goodwin's law (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodwin%27s_law)

It's not about different ethnicities and nationalties not getting along, it's about E Puribus Unum.

For instance, when a group of Croats and Serbs arrive in America in 1920, they first dislike one another and avoid socializing and perhaps even live in different neighborhoods, their kids, however, absorb a lot of American culture, and finally, their grandchildren are mostly friends, they get along with everyone around them and do not want a Balkanized country and have wives/gfs of other Slavic or even non-Slavic backgrounds (i.e. Italian, French, British, Chinese, etc). That's the America we grew up in and it works because all these ancient tribes are now Americans.

Where it doesn't work, however, is when a whole nation shows up, decides not to learn English, and lives in separate encampments from everyone else; this is the story of Mexicans in the US. With a setup like this, even generations later, there are ethnic/culture/language divides. That's a Yugoslavia type of nation, not the USA, where there are regional differences, like Dixie vs Yankee, but not national/cultural, both Southerns and Northerns can have a dialogue even if they don't agree and believe it or not, they do tend to respect each others' space.

Jip said...

Simple, they go to stores like Ross, Marshalls, TJ Maxx and Burlington Coat Factory. Heck the one in Seattle was picked clean when I popped there during a business trip last year. As a matter of fact, the demand has gotten so great, me and some of the other regulars have started seeing a price increase in the items that are available...

Anonymous said...

Generation x,y,z, what ever you are should have stayed in school.

Anonymous said...

Hi there Blogger, a real useful blog.Keep with the good work.
If you have a moment, please visit my secured canadian credit cards site.
I send you warm regards and wishes of continued success.

Anonymous said...

I am here because of search results for blogs with a related topic to mine.
Please,accept my congratulations for your excellent work!
I have a secured debt elimination site.
Come and check it out if you get time :-)
Best regards!

Anonymous said...

Your blog I found to be very interesting!
I just came across your blog and wanted to
drop you a note telling you how impressed I was with
the information you have posted here.
I have a sed rate
site.
Come and check it out if you get time :-)
Best regards!

Anonymous said...

This is an excellent blog. Keep it going.You are providing
a great resource on the Internet here!
If you have a moment, please take a look at my secured credit cards in canada site.
Have a great week!

Anonymous said...

A fantastic blog yours. Keep it up.
If you have a moment, please visit my sed rate site.
I send you warm regards and wish you continued success.

Anonymous said...

I am here because of search results for blogs with a related topic to mine.
Please,accept my congratulations for your excellent work!
I have a secured debt elimination site.
Come and check it out if you get time :-)
Best regards!

Anonymous said...

I am here because of search results for blogs with a related topic to mine.
Please,accept my congratulations for your excellent work!
I have a bad credit lender loan mortgage site.
Come and check it out if you get time :-)
Best regards!

Anonymous said...

Your blog I found to be very interesting!
I just came across your blog and wanted to
drop you a note telling you how impressed I was with
the information you have posted here.
I have a 2006 new car reviews
site.
Come and check it out if you get time :-)
Best regards!

Anonymous said...

Man this is gonna hurt!