Maybe Massalai was right after all

"Go Rinnie Go",

Stay peaceful and communicate on a ont-to-one with the cops to get the message across... Start a "public dirt file" on the elected officials who FAIL to do their civic duty... Distribute as single page flyers with the title of the "offender" as the headline may serve to "keep the ******** honest" - which was the headline/motto of an Australian Political Party... The Australian Democrats, led by Don Chipp initially...

 

Everything published in honesty seems, "Doom & Gloom" but some try tp see the bright side...
http://www.oftwominds.com/blognov11/collapse-of-corrupt11-11.html

and even one of the Founding Fathers, Thomas Jefferson, had a pre-emptive warning and foresaw what was coming so bloody long, "some 200 years" ago, - not many could recall... http://www.forbes.com/sites/robertl...rned-the-nation-about-the-power-of-the-banks/ - - Jefferson must surely be rolling in his grave in total disgust...

""One has to wonder what forces are at work in the world's financial system that keeps this monetary house of cards still standing."" - and -
""I think that most of us are looking for a calling, not a job. Most us have jobs that are too small for our spirit. The challenge, then, is to make your own job big enough to give you what your spirit needs." - Nora Watson"
http://www.caseyresearch.com/gsd/ed...ugh-have-leased-out-all-its-gold-nigel-farage
7353

 

http://www.dailyreckoning.com.au/ "When Money is No Longer Money" 10-Nov-2011
It took three years, but it’s finally here… - - - Australia’s Subprime Crisis - - -

“Mark my words,” says value expert Greg Canavan. “In 2012 you’ll see the first headlines about Aussie mum and dad investors being forced into ‘negative equity’ – owing money to the banks after the sale of their property.”

- - - - - - - - - - *** - - - - - - - - - -

In Australian law, the home owner is still liable for the full amount of the loan that is due to the banks - None of this return the keys and forget about it !!!

 

And yet

 

We have exactly the same rights as the US - we can drop the keys off, and the banks can chase us for any money due if they want - just the same as the US. Of course they may be chasing a bankrupt, unemployed borrower - which as the US found, is a waste of time.

The only people that will be seeing negative equity are a small percentage of people who got 100% mortgages on some overpriced home developments, and some big purchasers of 'top of the range' properties who got conned by local real estate agents in tropical tourist areas.

As long as capital gains isn't payable on the 'prime residence' here in Australia, the prices will stay firm - though not rising at the rates they used to.

As a rule - Banks go out of their way to avoid selling up marginal equity borrowers, but they don't hesitate to get rough on anyone with a decent equity in their property.

If you want to put your money into an inflation resistant medium, houses take a lot of beating in Australia - much better than large multihulls.

 

Oh, Please explain?

 

Which point ?

Houses versus Multihulls perhaps ? - the resale performance of boats is about a self explanatory as you can get.

Every house I ever sold performed better than the stock market or fixed interest, but I suppose waiting for the right house helped a lot.

 

An interesting side note: although I work in the middle of the desert along the Colorado River, where I grew up, we don't live there. I just keep a motor home to stay in. Where we actually live is in a part of Southern California known as the Inland Empire, which lays between the greater Los Angeles area and the desert. Specifically, we have one home near Hemet, and another in Murrieta that we inherited from my mother-in-law.

The area has traditionally been a collection of bedroom communities: suburbs for people who commute to work in Los Angeles and Orange County. And it was hit hard when things went down the toilet a few years ago. There were foreclosed-on homes everywhere we looked, often several to a block. And prices took a dive. Market value of the Murrieta home dropped to less than half of what my mother-in-law paid for it five or six years ago.

The worst of that seems to be over now; you can go blocks without ever seeing a vacant home with a dead lawn and a For Sale sign. But here's the interesting thing: commercial and retail construction is picking up again. It isn't a huge boom, but there's a steady trickle of pharmacies, supermarkets and other retail spaces, home improvement and other big box stores, fast food outlets, office buildings, medical centers, etc. going in -- most of which aren't really needed right now.

That means some heavy hitters are placing bets that this area is on its way up and out of the recession. They're positioning themselves to service an expected resumption of growth...

 

Well around here we still have four vacant houses on just my street alone. I guess I've seen a little construction but not much. I myself am damn fortunate to be working. I'm not seeing much of a recovery. More like everyone is treading on eggshells. I know soooooo many people out of work. And Denver is supposed to not be so hard hit. The guy down the street that offed himself when they tried to take his home, his house is still vacant. There are two more that someone bought and fixed up ( used 0 legal help ) but now can't rent or sell. so I suppose its six instead of four.


The funny part is that the pizza place just down the road can't keep help to save its life. Ok not so funny and I couldn't think of a worse job than pizza delivery.

Once upon a time I had work stacked up for nearly a year out. Constantly, now I'm thrilled to just have something going on. Trying to save money for the boat now but damn, this is one frightening economy. Its a three steps forward and two back kinda process.

My question is if someone thinks this is getting better then where do you suppose the improvements are coming from. I see no increases in domestic manufacturing no decreases in % of imports. There is still the horror called globalization where whole countries bid out there work force as the lowest bidder, and were multinationals gut domestic policy by simply moving manufacturing to those countries. Leaving whole economies in ruins ( US for instance )

If there is any real improvement, I'd be real curious to know what improved. Looks more to me like tangible assets are still on a pretty slippery slope.

 

I saw an amusing vidoe clip a while ago that showed pumas lying around some expensive-looking vacant houses , but I can't remember which US state it was.

Are there pumas in Colorado? (Or are cougars more of a worry for you? )

 

we call em mountain lions and yes they are very common in the mountains and foothills, specially around boulder and evergreen areas. Actually all up and down the front range. They tend learn to eat pets, cats and dogs, so you gotta be careful about letting the dog out. Typically there are one or two "interactions" a year.

 

My only problem with cougars is that I'm not young enough to interest them anymore...

 

Hi Troy - I thought that was COUGARS - the vernacular for predatory "older women"...
- - - - What is the opposite? - - - wealthy younger women looking for older men - - "ancient pieces of s*it" - may suit me... ???


These folk seem confused too "Are Markets Finally Heading In the Right Direction?" http://www.dailyreckoning.com.au/are-markets-finally-heading-in-the-right-direction-2/2011/11/14/ - I am nicely inebriated with a mellow red from a "Chateau cardboard" at $4 / 2 litres, so do not intend, nor have the capacity to read it, but the title is a bit of a giggle delete all after the slash "/" and there are more but who gives a F... now-days...

I now have 200 litres, (Au$274.00), of fuel on board and the bridge deck is carpeted, - slowly getting there, ready for another adventure... A big supply of this "chateau cardboard" is also in the to-do-list.......... (2 black balls hanging from the yard-arm, one above the other, "vessel is not under command", and the 'rubber-duckie' tied ashore with the boat keys... "Cap'n went ashore, F'ed if I know where ... ... Who am I? - - 'The-bilge-pump' - I suck up what is in the bilges and piss it overboard - lotsa booze was spilt at the party t'other night......... " )

 

Yep, predatory older women -- who hunt prey younger than they are, not older.

I don't have any cheap wine around, but I've had such good luck with generic bourbon that I tried a bottle of blended whiskey. Big mistake; it's seriously nasty. I'm getting ready to head back to work this afternoon, and I'll pour out what's left. It isn't even worth keeping around for cooking or mixed drinks. Whiskey has to be pretty bad to be undrinkable even mixed with Coke or 7-Up....

 

I consider most of the fluid like substances often referred to as "well" brands as unsuitable for human consumption. Your better off drinking gasoline than touching well tequila vodka or Whiskey. I've seem otherwise sane men turned to ruin, drinking cheap alcohol. All I can say is don't do it Troy, buy half the amount at twice the cost and enjoy it. Your right, you can get away with it occasionally, but not often.

My two cents

Until recently spent many an evening dealing with the effects of cheap booze on the uninitiated/amateur drinkers in the crowd. Might be the demographic, but the cheap drinkers in the pile are always the trouble makers.