OK - Wife has been hugged and listened to. She's now on the phone, so I am dismissed.
Random Thoughts
Real Estate - Here in Atlanta, you see a whole lot of "Real Estate investors." You know, people like you and me with regular jobs, yet they think they will make a fortune by "flipping" homes. So they carry as many mortgages as they possibly can, and often live in a home well beyond their means. Thanks to pathetically inadequate screening processes and interest only loans, they are able to play this game just long enough to really get in trouble when the market tanks [which it always eventually does]. Our current predicament is not permanent. We'll bounce back as a nation, and those who lived within their means all along will be generally unscathed. On the other hand, most of these so-called Real Estate investors will find themselves in trouble. While I wish them all well and understand that we all do stupid things, I'm not going to loose any sleep over it either.
On the other side of this coin, people just starting out will now find it more difficult to get mortgage loans. Good! Mortgage loans are serious business and shouldn't be handed out like candy. Had lending guidelines been as stiff as I think they will soon be when I bought my first home, I would have needed to wait a few years while I saved up the down payment. But I also would have appreciated my home all the more when I did get it. People these days have no real investment in their homes,so they'll just surrender it to forclosire when times get tough. The same thing has happened in the business world. CEO's have no real stake in the company. But that's a subject for another discussion.
So. For those of you in dire straights because you got in over you head in Real Estate. Sorry, but learn the lessons that are before you now, less you one day find yourself in an even worse predicament.
Wall Street:
Well, I have to admit, I know nothing about "high finance." But I do know that I've seen these fat, bloated CEO types all over TV lately expaining why Wall Street must be bailed out of their mess. Sory, but even with no training in high finance, I'm just not buying it. How is it possibly good for me to pay someone elses bills, when I had absolutely no say so in the bad decisions they made. As for the government, unless they have some private source of income aside from our tax dollars, they have no business trying to bail anyone out. Besides, the last time I checked, it looked like the government itself was in need of a bailout!
We need to decide in this country whethr or not we really believe in Capitalism or not. I'm tired of seeing th egovernment attempt to manipulate the economy with their tax codes and legislation. If we're converting to Socialism, just say so. Poorly performing companies are supposed to fail in a Capitalist society, no matter how big they are. So what's this "too big to fail" nonsense? I can understand too smart to fail, or too hard-working to fail, but not too big to fail. What kind of sense does that make?
OK - Dinner time
More to come
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Random Thoughts
I decided if I'm going to have a blog, I might actually want to occasionally contribute some content. Here's what's been occupying my thoughts lately.
1) Gas Prices - When I first moved to Atlanta about 7 years ago, gas was barely $1.00/gallon. I hadn't see prices this low anywhere else in the country. Looking at what we have today, I just can't understand what went wrong. When I can't make sense of something, I suspect there's a scam somewhere. Hurricanes aren't new, yet I don't remember this happening in the past. Not saying it never did, just that I don't remember it. We have 2 separate issues with gas right now. Shortages [in the Southeast anyway] and prices. Now, having traveled extensively, I know that gas is still a relative bargain in the U.S., but that doesn't mean it's OK for prices to shoot up as they have with no tangible explanation. All I hear is that it's the speculators. Well, make them stop speculating! I'm forr free market economics, but there has to be a limit. Of course, long-term, we need to find alternative fuel sources. This should be priority one in my opinion, because when we do it,we can send those OPEC &*^&%$ a serious wake-up call.
Wife's home.
More to come
1) Gas Prices - When I first moved to Atlanta about 7 years ago, gas was barely $1.00/gallon. I hadn't see prices this low anywhere else in the country. Looking at what we have today, I just can't understand what went wrong. When I can't make sense of something, I suspect there's a scam somewhere. Hurricanes aren't new, yet I don't remember this happening in the past. Not saying it never did, just that I don't remember it. We have 2 separate issues with gas right now. Shortages [in the Southeast anyway] and prices. Now, having traveled extensively, I know that gas is still a relative bargain in the U.S., but that doesn't mean it's OK for prices to shoot up as they have with no tangible explanation. All I hear is that it's the speculators. Well, make them stop speculating! I'm forr free market economics, but there has to be a limit. Of course, long-term, we need to find alternative fuel sources. This should be priority one in my opinion, because when we do it,we can send those OPEC &*^&%$ a serious wake-up call.
Wife's home.
More to come
Friday, February 22, 2008
The Presidential Race
I was just watching CNN's coverage of the "Race for the White House." It occurs to me that everyone is arguing over which candidate speaks to their issues etc, when we should be insisting on better candidates altogether. Of course, to get better candidates, we would have to greatly simplify the process of becoming one to the point where it might actually interest well-intentioned and intelligent individuals. The system we currently have in place can only produce the types of candidates we are now seeing. Power hungry zealots, smooth-talking masters of rhetoric, or venerable war heroes way past their prime. Oh, I almost forgot... Rich late-bloomers with well-connected Dads.
If we're sure we actually need a president [I remain unconvinced,] then we should get serious about how we go about electing them. What we're doing now makes about as much sense as our tax code, and that's a matter for a separate discussion.
John
If we're sure we actually need a president [I remain unconvinced,] then we should get serious about how we go about electing them. What we're doing now makes about as much sense as our tax code, and that's a matter for a separate discussion.
John
Intro
Welcome to my blog. I have a lot to say about lots of things. Up to now, I have limited my posts to responses to others posts. Several months ago I posted to a forum and another poster took offense to my comments. She suggested I start a blog since I had so much to say. Well, I couldn't argue with that, so The World According to John is officially born.
I don't think a persons opinions matter much without some context, so let me introduce myself. My name is John Phillips. My middle name is Dirk, which is what my family calls me. Before you ask, "no" you can't call me that.
I was born in Muskegon Michigan in March of 1966. I lived there until age 15 and then moved to San Jose California to live with my older brother who was attending San Jose State at the time. When I graduated high school I immediately joined the US Navy as a Fire Control technician, which is essentially an Electronics Technician with an emphasis on weapons systems. I later trained as a Hospital Corpsman. During my 4 year Navy career, I visited Japan, Korea, Guam, and the Philippines.
Since my Navy days I have settled into a career in computer networking. I spent 5 years working for Pacific bell Internet Services in San Francisco, CA and moved to Atlanta, GA in 2001.
My interests are as follows.
1) Home Theater
2) Guns
3) Music (I played oboe and percussion in school, but I love all forms of music)
4) Technology
Politically, I would probably fit the Libertarian category best, although I detest labels. I have been happily married for the past 4 years, and now work for a large HMO as a network engineer. As for siblings, I have 5 sisters and just as many brothers.
That should be enough for now. I'll be posting my take on current events as well as some general thoughts here. Until I have cause to think otherwise, all comments are not only welcomed, they are encouraged. I am not an overly sensitive person, and I can take a punch. Just keep it civil and productive. That's all I ask.
More to come...
John
I don't think a persons opinions matter much without some context, so let me introduce myself. My name is John Phillips. My middle name is Dirk, which is what my family calls me. Before you ask, "no" you can't call me that.
I was born in Muskegon Michigan in March of 1966. I lived there until age 15 and then moved to San Jose California to live with my older brother who was attending San Jose State at the time. When I graduated high school I immediately joined the US Navy as a Fire Control technician, which is essentially an Electronics Technician with an emphasis on weapons systems. I later trained as a Hospital Corpsman. During my 4 year Navy career, I visited Japan, Korea, Guam, and the Philippines.
Since my Navy days I have settled into a career in computer networking. I spent 5 years working for Pacific bell Internet Services in San Francisco, CA and moved to Atlanta, GA in 2001.
My interests are as follows.
1) Home Theater
2) Guns
3) Music (I played oboe and percussion in school, but I love all forms of music)
4) Technology
Politically, I would probably fit the Libertarian category best, although I detest labels. I have been happily married for the past 4 years, and now work for a large HMO as a network engineer. As for siblings, I have 5 sisters and just as many brothers.
That should be enough for now. I'll be posting my take on current events as well as some general thoughts here. Until I have cause to think otherwise, all comments are not only welcomed, they are encouraged. I am not an overly sensitive person, and I can take a punch. Just keep it civil and productive. That's all I ask.
More to come...
John
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