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"One mortgage in the Abacus pool was held by Ms. Onyeukwu, a 43-year-old nursing-home assistant in Pittsburg, Calif. Ms. Onyeukwu already was under financial strain in 2006, when she applied to Fremont Investment & Loan for a new mortgage on her two-story, six-bedroom house in a subdivision called Highlands Ranch. With pre-tax income of about $9,000 a month from a child-care business, she says she was having a hard time making the $5,000 monthly payments on her existing $688,000 mortgage, which carried an initial interest rate of 9.05%."
That was excerpt from this....
http://finance.yahoo.com/loans/article/109380/the-busted-homes-behind-a-big-bet?mod=loans-home
Did these people have no other choice in housing? Things for me have been a little more challenging lately but during "normal" times my mortgage payment was no more than 1/8th my monthly income and that was plenty. Then again, I don't need 6 bedrooms. This person "obviously" has at least 5 children.
"anyone like me, who grew up on Roy Rogers, Dwight Eisenhower, Cokes in green bottles, and the Cold War"
I was reminiscing this morning, as a matter of fact. Some nonsense on ABC..."That's So Raven" had me annoyed. What happened to Mighty Mouse, Felix the Cat, Huckleberry Hound, UnderDog and nemesis OverCat...?... stuff with substance.
It's rough being over 50, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant....uh, what else went along with being up the creek?
FWIW, my 72 year-old Dad rode his bike 9 miles to the fitness center today where he works out for 2 or 3 hours most days of the week...and then rode the bike back home. He obviously doesn't frequent this board. As for myself, I'm trying to smoke more, eat more sausage & bacon, sleep less and drive closer to the center line.
Just kidding. I still like it here.
Wow. Haven't listened to that in a long time.
I decided to pop by tonite after wearing the blinders for a month or so. Upon reading through a couple weeks worth of selected posts....well, I don't know what I'll do.
I do know that a lot of people I've known
are gone
and I'm still here
I wish for those that remain
no pain
and a Happy New Year
I return now to flying blind
closed mind
and a cold beer
Peace out, relish in your loved ones and just think, you could have been born a slave... building pyramids.
"The skilled trades, especially in construction, rank high among blue-collar jobs that are hard to fill, according to the Manpower survey. Carpenters, welders, plumbers, electricians and masons are in demand, the survey says.
But Eisenbrey questions the validity of these conclusions. “It doesn’t make sense that jobs for construction workers and laborers are hard to fill,” he says. “Wages are declining in most of these occupations; 365,000 of those workers have been laid off in the last 12 months.” In April 2008, as the housing crisis played out, construction employment declined by 61,000 jobs, according to preliminary data from the BLS."
http://career-tips.monster.com/job-search-essentials/10-hardest-jobs-to-fill/IBS.aspx?key=char
I'm of the opinion that Manpower is brimming with excrement.
Yea, our new Gov'ner here in NC...Ms. Perdue has been layin' on the sin taxes and raised sales tax a penny. Nicotine gum is now cheaper than cigarettes in this (what was a) tobacco lovin' state.
Implemented the sticker-less vehicle inspection thing this year. Meant putting online computers in all the shops that do such. The guy that did one for me recently didn't look to happy as he wrestled with inputting all the info in the proper receptacle. They have the inspections, tags, insurance and county taxes wrapped up nicely now so you can't accidentally forget one or the other for awhile.
Then there's the scuttlebutt about taxing by the mile.... probably easier to keep up with that now.
Daggummit, now I'm all irritable again. Gotta go to YouTube and watch an episode of Sanford & Son so I can sleep.
One of my son's friends works at our local "Home Improvement" center. Says her end of shift register total is about half what it was when she started there, not terribly long ago. But that's just hearsay.
Man. Stuff like this makes it tough to plan my future. I've been thinking of starting a little business but they say it takes a year to get established. Have I got a year?
I've been apprehensive, what with the present "climate." Should I just jump in no-holds-barred, with reckless abandon? If it fails, it won't matter anyway. But if I succeed, it won't matter anyway...unless the projection is off and we last to 2012, at which time it won't matter anyway.....again! Sheesh.
Would be simpler to max out my cards and party like it's 1999.
1999....2009....what significance can I derive from that? Years ending in "9" are precursor to bad stuff.
Not much to say about this. It speaks for itself....
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/moslive/article-1212013/Revealed-The-ghost-fleet-recession-anchored-just-east-Singapore.html
Thanks bbotcs. I'm considering that angle. The folks I've helped so far that fit your description are usually more appreciative of the value of my time however, I usually spend a little extra time with these clients explaining what I'm doing or why and how to avoid problems in the future. I also avoid trying to "up sell" things they don't need though the salesman type might consider that a wasted opp.
I may be a bit too compassionate for the job but it's fun and I get a kick out of winning the battle of wits with a misbehaving computer.
bbotcs: An old friend of mine has a daughter going to college to be a pharmacist. The word from him and a couple others is that she can start out at 100-130k. That is hearsay though. I have no confirmation although there is a rather pleasant looking pharmacist at our new Walgreens who radiates an aura of calm unlike myself, who's aura is beginning to radiate darkness and chaos.
This friend and I were discussing the current "enviroment" on his front porch the other night. He mentioned something of interest, that he'd seen some bit of info regarding lifespans of folk in certain careers. He had noted that the avg. lifespan of a brickmason was 60 years. He's 56 and also a mason. I reminded him of a handful of our legendary masons who had passed and that they made it to late 60's early 70's. They'd probably lasted longer if not for a lifetime of Pall Mall cigs and hard drinking.
I've been doing this since about 1977, a pretty long stretch fighting heat, cold, rain and whatever else that can make things uncomfortable. There's been too much time lately to reflect and mull over how to spend the next 15 or so years. The body is showing a little wear though I can still outwork some younguns over the course of a day. Pacing, it's all about pacing yourself.
I've been trying to kick-start a little computer service biz. It's been in existence for 3 years, working out of home. I didn't push it before since I was usually busy but I enjoy doing it. Been nosing around for small storefront opps. in areas less convenient to the established downtown biz's. Trying to think of a "niche". The established ones are basically drop off and pick up but do a pretty steady biz. If I could steal from them some of the ones who have trouble getting out or have to drive across county....hmmm.
Oh well, give me a call about your brick work. I may have to pitch a tent in the backyard til it's completed but.... <G>
The construction biz has been bad enough around here with contractors low-balling bids just to get work. I was talking to a fellow masonry contractor yesterday. He has managed to pick up a couple of decent sized jobs, though he's had to ask his help to take a cut in pay. A deciding factor in getting those jobs was that he had put his business in his wife's name and was able to bid as a minority, which has to get extra consideration.
He had a gig a year or so ago contracting the masonry on some Bojangles restaurants. Said that if he were to do one today, he'd have to do it for 7000.00 less.
We're seeing folks doing work for nearly 50% less than what had become "customary." It's to the point now where I might as well find a crew that's locked into some of the government work and just work for them by the hour. Ft Bragg is gonna be the hot spot around here for the next few years but I don't want to deal with the security, overly protective safety officials and paperwork involved in acquiring that work. I'm getting too old for that stuff. I just like building things, I'm not the pencil pushin' type.
No matter what slightly rosy picture the media tries to paint, it's freakin' nasty around here. I shoulda been a pharmacist.
Don't know if this has been posted here. It was linked in Mish's comment "forum."
http://www.oftwominds.com/blogaug09/KaPoom2CHS.htm
"I Love This Bar"!
Oh yea...that one was added to our song list. Popular sing-a-long later in the night when everyone is "s**t-faced.
BBOTCS
My most recent musical gig was playing drums in a band from '00-07. We played most every weekend in those "beer joints" though some were referred to as "clubs." Fortunately, I was usually with my back to the wall and behind the other band members so I was relatively safe. I have seen some interesting shenanigans but didn't get caught up in any of them.
We played "clubs" in a 50mi. +/- radius of Chesterfield County, SC. As previously mentioned, the most requested stuff was "Skynyrd" and before calling it quits on many nights, we had to play "Free Bird." Fortunately for me, our lead singer was a Skynyrd nut too and a fair drummer so I usually got off the stage and let him have his moment of glory.
We all got a bit burnt out by the whole thing and decided mutually to give it a rest at the end of '07. Our lead guitarist started trying to write songs. The bass player bought some recording equipment and they've been messing with that for awhile. I started going down there this year and recording with them. My one excuse to drink a few beers. I pretty much gave that up when the band quit.
The better half certainly adapted quickly to me being home every Friday and Saturday night. It might be difficult to "break out" again and now being in my 50's, it takes longer to get over being out til 3am...or later. Whew...get home from work on Friday afternoon, grab a shower and something to eat, drive for an hour or so, set up, play for 4-5 hours, tear down, drive back home in the wee hours of the morning. A lot of work but also a lot of fun.
Gotta be so. There ain't a beer joint around where the live band doesn't hear this request...."Free Bird!" "Free Bird!"
You know, in a few weeks Microsoft will release version 7 which appears to be an improvement over Vista. Buying a system now might grant you a "free" upgrade but it's something you'll have to perform yourself.
The Mac has had a couple of things going for them regarding viruses. For one, lower market share. The bad guys go where the action is. For another, it's probably a lot easier to acquire the knowledge and tools to write software for Windows and viruses are just little programs. It's easier to use Windows software on a Mac now though I think it's done "virtually", where you're running the software inside other software which offers a layer of protection. Just guessing at that, I haven't really researched it.
Mac users are a dedicated bunch and probably with reason. I don't think anyone would hold it against you if you switched over to the other side.
bbotcs Re: Your internet connection
From this read, I get a sneaking suspicion you should shop around for more than a computer.
http://www.complaintsboard.com/complaints/verizon-fios-internet-c52658.html
A DSL or any broadband connection "should be" pretty straightforward. You might have lousy throughput but you shouldn't be having software problems "caused" by the sending or receiving of data. Either their stuff is whacked or yours is.
The only problem I ever have is when something has happened in town where my DSL originates. Sometimes they do maintenance or upgrades requiring me to unplug the modem and router and "reboot" everything.
As you may read from the linked page, your modem may need a firmware update. Or maybe your system needs some straightening out. A new one will solve that problem, well....until Microsoft sends you a bad update and borks your system.
Norton's most recent release was a complete re-write and gets pretty good reviews but the last few versions caused more problems than they could protect you from. Even after you thought you uninstalled it, you could have problems later that come from the pieces left behind. A real pistola.
AND...I just helped a nice elderly lady with her system. She had picked up one of those fake antivirus programs that wants your credit card info so it can "clean" your system. She has/had Norton Internet Security installed. It got past that with no problem. She had recently paid to renew her subscription. She called Norton requesting help with the problem. They told her they would remove the malware for 99.00.
I removed it in 15 minutes with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware. I highly recommend this program for removing a lot of spyware and other junk that causes pop-ups to overrun your desktop. It also finds a lot of trojans that can slow down your system or compromise your personal info.
The Rifleman
I caught it a day or two ago while flipping channels. If I see it again, I'll mention which "network" is showing it. We've seen pretty much all the episodes on Starz Western channel. They were showing two episodes every weeknight for quite a while.
It was a 30 minute show, so the storyline had to move quickly. The father-son relationship made the show stand out. The show featured a LOT of guest stars. Interesting to see a young Dennis Hopper or Michael Landon.
I know you could find this if you were curious but check out the list of guest stars.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rifleman
Yea, Lucas McCain. The marshal always called him "Lucas Boy"
I saw an episode of "The Rifleman" recently that made me think of you guys. It was titled "Seven" and was about seven escaped prisoners trying to take over North Fork. At the end, it was an exchange between Lucas and Mark that gave me pause. I copied this from a Rifleman website......
“Pa, is it possible to loose a town?” he suddenly blurted out.
“Loose a town?” I asked as I looked at him. Then I suddenly realized he was thinking about what happened to those prisoners last night. Mark figured they could’ve taken the town away from us. “They could’ve taken it physically, Mark, but they couldn’t have kept it. Takes more then just guns to hold a town. No son, the time a town or even a country is really lost is when the people who live in it get careless and stop paying attention to how it’s being run.”
Again, Mark surprised me by blurting out, “Oh, you mean like the Roman Empire!” I turned and looked at my child. He never ceased to amaze me!
“Your up to that already?” I asked a bit shocked. He said Miss. Adams started them on it last week. “Well then you know the value of studying your history. Now, you were a hundred percent right when you said ‘like the Roman Empire.’ By knowing the mistakes people have made hundreds of years ago, we can learn a lesson and profit from not making the same mistakes ourselves.” I thought on that myself as I spoke these words to my son.
“I hope so,” Mark stated.
My tv doesn't work NOW. It operates, current flows through the inner workings and a picture appears on the screen. Taking into consideration that work produces something and that the "something" a tv produces is entertainment....mine doesn't work.
I don't know how this relates to population control or world economics but it seems the number of pickups pulling trailers with lawnmowers is increasing to dangerous levels around these parts. And from what I gather, they're all just covered up with work. The word from my accountant is that one father and son team started cutting grass a couple years ago, quit their regular jobs shortly thereafter, did 80k their first year. And they live in one of the poorest counties in the state. Nothing like the smell of small engine exhaust in the morning. I knew I was in the wrong profession when I noted that those guys were driving nicer trucks than mine.
Do I rant lately? Sorry.
I am disgruntled as hell, and I probably don't have much choice but take it.
Just came from my "neighborhood Food Lion." NC-based grocery chain. Among other things, I needed a jar of Peter Pan....crunchy. Noticed across the top of the jar "New jar uses 9% less plastic per ounce." I know how they achieved this milestone, the jar has 9% less freakin' peanut butter. Went from 18oz to 16.3. Bastadges.
Also noted another serious deception. Food Lion has been pushing their store brands as a way to save money. I do use some that I feel comfortable with. While perusing the cereal isle, I noted the store brand of Special K with a little comparison thing on the pricing. "Store brand- 2.99 vs Special K- 4.54. Save 1.55" On closer inspection, I found that they were comparing a 12oz box of store brand to an 18oz box of Special K. WTH? Lessee, the 12oz box of Special K is 3.35. Why didn't they mention that you could save 1.19 by buying the 12oz box of Special K instead of the 18oz box??
That's okay though, I play the numbers game every time I shop at the grocer. Good mental exercise. Too bad for those that just grab and go.
"Zombie Subdivisions".....
I thought the article was going to be about the ones with people living in them. An off-shoot of the Michael Jackson story or something....pain pills and such. Nah, just more depressing data. Hmmmph.
Thanks for the input Zen
I do have a handful of Bela Fleck cds and a couple or three of Phish. I will check out these others and I'm not afraid of a "harder edge". I wore out a couple of earlier Dream Theater cd's which are practically prog-metal but lately, I've been disappointed that their sounding ....predictable.
Out of high school, I was into fusion jazz...particularly Chick Corea. I also followed several of the guys he was associated with. Seems like many of those from that genre have mellowed to "elevator music" status. Grrr. And Steve Gadd, my fusion-jazz drumming idol back in the day...he's sitting in with Eric Clapton (not a bad gig) and James Taylor. Gadd could pull off one of Chick Corea's complicated compositions in one freakin' take. Jeepers. But....that was then, this is now.
Thanks again.
Moral bankruptcy....
Something else that is or should be noticeable to all is what has happened to the entertainment industry. We seem to have hit a wall re: coming up with fresh ideas. TV as a whole has gone to pot. Who watches the ridiculous shows the major networks are subjecting us to? And music....perhaps the industry sells us what we appear to want to buy and maybe I'm getting old and sound like my parents BUT I don't hear any innovation anywhere. I know there are only so many ways to arrange the chords and stay "mainstream" but most "music" today suggests to me that we have just flat run out of ideas. There doesn't seem to be anywhere else to go with it. Screaming or rapping...the de-musicizing of music. (I made up that term.) Past forms of music (of the Devil, if you will) were at least musical. Elvis? Black Sabbath? Annoying to our parents or their parents but innovative none-the-less. Myself, I'm partial to prog-rock, the best of which comes from .....overseas. I'm 52 and an old "Yes" fan so I'm a bit twisted anyway but love "challenging" music. Today's music makes me want to kill somebody...not stand in awe at the imagination that went into the music.
Perhaps it's all part of the "plan" or the "dumbing down" but I present this as an opinion, suggestion or example that we seem to have have hit walls in many things.
The fact is, I haven't stumbled across a music cd I wanted to buy in a long time. Any suggestions?
I have the notion that "most Americans'" interest in the stock market has something to do with whether or not they'll have money to live on when they retire. "Most Americans" probably wouldn't pay it more than a passing glance on the evening news if their retirement funds weren't linked to the market's performance.
I've spent a good bit of time over the last 10-15 years doing residential work in Pinehurst, NC. At one time it was crazy, the amount of building going on and the number of contractors focused in that one area. Yesterday, we called a couple of the contractors that had used us regularly in the past to get an idea how things were looking. Not so good at this time. One of the guys kept us running for 3 years. He can't get a porch to build now. Said that word from the major local building supply suggests there's like one new house going up and a few re-models. I must admit, the place is pretty full up. Most building was moving to the outskirts of the village. One area was recently developed but nothing new happening there yet. We had pretty much written Pinehurst off a year or so ago but it never hurts to keep your foot in the door.
However.... thanks to your tax dollars at work, the area around Fayetteville/Ft. Bragg will see growth and construction jobs for awhile. The moving of 1000's of troops to this area will create a demand for housing and the like. I've seen plans this week for a on-base daycare center... (2) 30,000sq.ft buildings. 340 pages of site and building plans. Sheesh. The gubment might be wasteful but they build things to last. Architects probably made a killing. Then you have to deal with base security to get to the job and safety guys wandering around keeping you from getting any work done. And don't forget the extra paperwork. I passed on a very short notice opp. to bid on that one offered by some contractor I've never heard of. Got our name from Yellowbook, I think.
I did bid on a on-base car wash. Haven't heard anything from that. For clarification, I bid on the masonry part of the construction.
Anyway, just some things I've noted lately. Heck, I've been working on computers in my spare time. Trying to push that "sideline" into a little more full time. Nobody wants to spend a few thousand on masonry, maybe they'll spend a hundred keeping their pc going. Viruses and spyware, the bane of our existence does create jobs. Is that irony or just sad?
RE: "full lives" doesn't mean they are productive for society (ON AVERAGE).
Though there is not a thing that makes me more "special" than those I've known who are already gone, I'm in no particular hurry to surrender my one chance at existence.
A lot of those 70-80 year old folks are supporting our society by their demand for golf balls, computer tech-support...you name it.
As a member of the building trade, I would like to consider myself "productive" though a few things make me question my "worth." Foremost is the migration of folk from south of the border, doing the same work faster and for less. Kinda changes my "pride" into "foolish pride." Then again, my motives were never pure. The biggest reason I got up every day and went out there was to make money. I wasn't doing it for society.
I don't know if there's any meaning behind this but...
I had a little yard sale Saturday. Tried to get rid of a few items in return for money so I could buy food instead of climbing trees out back and knocking down squirrels so that another family member could bash them in the head.
Of all the lovely, good quality items for offer, the only thing that stopped cars...even turned them around...was a fair sized collection of Bath & Body Works items that my better half had acquired before Christmas at a very big markdown. She gave some as gifts but still had a box full of the stuff. I had set up a nice little display (piece of plywood sitting on a bucket) and had it kinda out front. People spotted that from the road, going by at 50mph.
"HONEY!" (I call her that when I want something)"We might as well go into the Bath & Body Works biz."
It's obvious that nobody around here wants any masonry work done at this time and I've had sporadic success drumming up computer service work. I'm trying to figure out what people with limited resources are still willing to spend their money on. Apparently, they're not ready to give up the sweet smelling soap.
Perhaps I should get the better one to hit the markdown rack more often. We actually turned a small profit. She bought the stuff for about 1/3 retail and I sold it for half off.
Nobody here works for B&BW do they? I mean, I didn't break any laws or anything?
"Might me within my budget now."
It just might. Get a couple or three bids. If things are similar in your area, I think that some would be eager to work out a deal. And you might be doing someone an immense favor by giving them some work. Believe me, I'm very grateful for every job we've gotten lately and make it a point to thank my customer personally (and profusely) for choosing us to do their work.
Thanks. (eom)
OTC...thank you for your concern. Perhaps my statement came off a bit ominous but I was attempting it in sort of a dark tongue in cheek fashion. Sometimes my attempts at humor don't pan out.
Riding the ups and downs of the construction field for the last 30 years, I've hit my share of bumps so I'm no stranger to a tough patch. The present bump has been prolonged not only by a lack of work but by complications in getting the jobs started that I do have. I have a few weeks work coming up on a new dialysis clinic. This project should have started two weeks ago but bad weather has delayed the site preparation.
I've bid on several upcoming projects. No promises that the contractors I work with will win the projects though. Bidding is ruthless right now. There are outfits out there bidding at what my contractors say is cost of materials. We've had two local school projects come in from .5mil to almost 2mil under what was budgeted. Good for the taxpayers, tough for those of us trying to make a living doing the work.
I visited Pinehurst last week to see if anything was going on there. We spent most of 3 recent years doing residential work for one contractor. Building has basically shut down except for a little remodeling. This particular contractor is now running his business from his savings account and says he hasn't had a payday since last October.
We've done work for a local couple recently. They've been building a small house, doing a lot of the work themselves. I grew up on the same street as the lady half of this couple. She's been back and forth to Duke Hospital, dealing with cancer for quite some time. It seemed that she had had been doing pretty well lately. I found out yesterday that she passed away Friday night after complications from a blood transfusion. (That's how I understood it, anyway.) She was about 57 years old, I think. The house isn't completed yet but it's getting close. She didn't get the opportunity to see the completion, much less live in the house a while.
Yes, I value my time here. The "bumps" in my life are nothing compared to what others have lived. My computer is right by the back window where I can look out over the pond, see the duck chasing the neighbors dog up the hill, the sun glistening off the water.
"Money" is a man-made abomination, not naturally of this world. It allows me to trade my skills for the necessities of survival instead of having to do all the varieties of work myself. I'm concerned about it as any creature is concerned over where the next meal is coming from. I try not to obsess over it as that would be an awful waste of my one shot here.
I have no inclination to "rule the world." Can hardly imagine where such desires come from. I've had various employees in the past. I never desired to "rule" them. I formulate plans for how I want to do something, explain it best I can and then let them do what need to be done. Had a recent employee comment on how much he liked working with us, no screaming, cussing, drugs. Just work and have fun. Everybody knows what to do and just does it. Somebody comes on the job asking for the boss, we all look around and say "there ain't one."
I like it here. I used to say that God would have to take me kicking and screaming. Not so "bold" now, thankful for these 53 years.
I was just wondering if I would feel a sense of gratification in maxing out my credit card at my "favorite" funeral parlor and then killing myself.
"It's a cesspool of poison out there....I think they want to have "us sheeple" all die by age 45"
I'm just 3 hours from the Appalachians. I'm thinking about packing a few things and moving up in the hills. Learn to play the banjo. "Squeal! Squeal!"
This board is not good reading at bedtime. My better half gets mad when there's a rifle in the bed between us. "GET THAT rifle OUT of this bed! WHAT's wrong with YOU!" ...."shush honey, I thought I heard combat boots right out that window...."
"Someone had to be left off...."
Dammit Kyle! It had to be that trip to the principal's office in high school. That stuff follows you all your life.
"population control"
My li'l brother is always ranting about the need for a culling of the herd. Unfortunately, that could backfire on us depending on who decides who gets culled. The evidence is clear though and is provided by Judge Judy, Judge Alex, Judge Joe Brown and so on along with the reality shows on FOX.
Life on Earth is varied and wonderful and to be revered...as long as it doesn't annoy me. Perhaps the Illuminati share qualities with the "Alien" " .. unclouded by conscience, remorse, or delusions of morality." After the cleansing, I and the other 499,999,999 will create the world this was meant to be... a welcome place for the other aliens, who will be arriving soon.
This is my world, you're all just obstructions in the isle of life. Except for Kiefer Sutherland...don't wanna miss "24".
"Did Goldman goose oil?"
http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2009/0413/096-sachs-semgroup-goldman-goose-oil.html
What's disturbing about the truth?
This may have been posted but I haven't looked at everything.
http://market-ticker.denninger.net/archives/910-Whats-Disturbing-About-The-Truth.html
"2012 magnetic pole-shifting"
Hey now, don't be dissin' the 2012 angle. I've been thinkin' about selling t-shirts and bumper stickers at the flea market.