- On 15 May 2013
in
In Rare Praise of Teachers,
Philistine said:
A grade school teacher with a master degree make 85 k a year with gold plated health insurance and retirement is transferable to the spouse.
Horse pucky. That doesn't happen until about year 16 of teaching. Most teachers don't make it half that long. Entry level pay for teachers in LA county is $45k. $45k in Los Angeles is a joke unless you are dealing crack on the side.
- On 11 May 2013
in
Update from ECBB,
Philistine said:
Even picking paint colors...It's so nice not having to look at "apartment white" anymore.
Does "apartment white" include the green, charcoal, orange, apricot, and blue that we've been painting our walls in the last three rentals we've lived in? God our LL's must be the biggest assholes in the world.
- On 9 May 2013
in
bmwman91's Buying Adventure Log,
Philistine said:
Houses are boring as shit. This thread is now about cars. 1..2...3...GO!
Ha, congrats, I am major jealous of your garage, and that is the only thing that I would buy a house for at this point, given my current rental is way cheap but cannot accommodate my stable of shitty American '70s cars in its 1/2 car "garage".
Another ZDDP zealot here. The other thing that is sucking is what ethanol does to your fuel delivery components. I have bombed out two carburetors and a throttle body; before this, I hadn't rebuilt a carb in 15 years. Something is bad about this gas for old cars.
- On 5 May 2013
in
Food inflation: Forget it,
Philistine said:
the beginning of skyrocketing inflation in the late '70s (think 18% interest rates in 1980).
I did explain why I'm calling it specious: Do you not think the out of control inflation in the late '70s makes for a bad control when comparing CPI? Inflation is not constant throughout time. Most things are not. I'm not being argumentative, just inquisitive.
- On 4 May 2013
in
Food inflation: Forget it,
Philistine said:
I used 1977 because it was the only 1970s Denny's menu I could find.
I think it's specious to use 1977, since that is the beginning of skyrocketing inflation in the late '70s (think 18% interest rates in 1980).
I do think we are seeing more of our income go to non-discretionary spending, especially in the form of housing, but I don't think it's Sky Is Falling territory. I'm having to cut more and more out of my lifestyle to keep saving the money that I am used to saving. I think a lot of people are having to do that, and I make twice the median income (whatever that number is worth) in LA.
- On 1 May 2013
in
Why Occupy Wall Street Failed,
Philistine said:
And the thought detention on the freedom of speech
You overlook that your beloved Bush made the largest strides in that department with his Patriot Act and Homeland Security nonsense. If you conservatives weren't so damned obsessed with Us versus Them, maybe you'd see who We are.
Obama is not having a love fest. The only one obsessed here seems to be you, the way you invoke him for everything under the sun. Myopic ignorance of recent history.
I find it ironic that a Boomer wantsta bitch and moan about OWS, but forgets about the sell-out Flower Power hippie "protesters" that had their peyote beans and Canned Heat records and were happy to move on in the '80s and buy Bimmers and gated homes and engage in one of the most egregious credit swindles of the 20th century.
- On 28 Apr 2013
in
Is Capitalism Killing Our Morals and Economy?,
Philistine said:
I don't have kids, and I am damn happy to pay taxes which fund the education of others'. Even if it is mildly substandard in some places. Society would be much worse for all of us if our children were even less educated than they are right now.
- On 26 Apr 2013
in
Financial advice for the people without money,
Philistine said:
Section 8 fabuloso with glitter nails
Wow this is mighty delicious!
- On 25 Apr 2013
in
Williams-Sonoma Pulls Pressure Cookers Off Shelves,
Philistine said:
But you can still buy dildos at Spencer's in the mall!
- On 19 Apr 2013
in
Lower The Minimum Wage,
Philistine said:
Is $75k/yr considered minimum wage in CA?
- On 18 Apr 2013
in
Big mortgage rates spike today (downward),
Philistine said:
weighted risk analysis that I have done in my head makes the 7/1 ARM look like a
fairly risky bet at this point in time. How are you looking at the coming 7
years?I would be interested in knowing, too. Sometimes the counterintutive call for ARMs comes across as contrarian sophistry, given the interest rate environment we are in right now.
My mortgage broker didn't flinch when I suggested a 7/1. Which is dubious at best.
- On 18 Apr 2013
in
By 2015, Producing in China Will Be as Costly as US,
Philistine said:
But now mexico was about 20% cheaper than Chinese workers?
That's pretty close to my experience. But Mexico is a goat rodeo to get anything produced, unless maybe you are a *huge* buyer and you are commanding your own production and factory terms from across the border. Ultimately, the 20% less they might be in labor barely offsets the cost of late delivery, not following explicit instructions/corrections, etc.
- On 18 Apr 2013
in
By 2015, Producing in China Will Be as Costly as US,
Philistine said:
An interesting point in this article is the Chinese factories converting to domestic production. Not only do they have no problem going to domestic production, many are actually proactively shutting down their export production, and part of that is because other countries are buying less in China, and these factories are happy to deal with their own exploding market.
The last two factory trips I have made to China, their domestic market has gradually taken over and many of the people I used to do business with had to tell me "thanks, but no thanks." My orders have shrunk, too, and certainly costs in China have risen to the point where I am having to look at Mexico as an alternative (which so far is a disaster--5 hour siesta, no calls or emails ever returned . . . I think they have no interest in making money over there).
Many types of production are just not ready to come back to the US, though. At least in my category, there haven't been factories or skilled labor in probably 20 years to produce these goods. They would be maybe only marginally better than minimum wage jobs (my guess $15/hour for what we manufacture).
- On 18 Apr 2013
in
925 Oddstad Bl, Pacifica CA, 94044,
Philistine said:
Looks like my dream home is pending. That is the first house that I have seen and *really* wanted.
There will be others. Think less like "dream home" and more like "ideal house"--then you'll see more options. #1 rule of Fight Club is there are no emotions allowed when purchasing a home.
- On 16 Apr 2013
in
case shiller up 8.1%,
Philistine said:
price paid 1 year ago and the price sold for or being listed for this year. Then
use a calculator to add the numbers and make your conclusion. Is that person a
fool for making a nice chunk on his investmentBuying to only hold for one year and then sell is called speculation, not investment.
- On 16 Apr 2013
in
Why House Prices Change (or Do not),
Philistine said:
if you live in CA, I see no reason (financially) to NOT buy a house for primary
residence when it beats rent. If you lose your job and the house price goes
down, return the key back to the bank and squat in it. Don't ever put more than
5% down payment though.Where in CA are you putting down 5%? LA and SF I gaurantee you nobody is getting a $650k love shack with 5% down. And 5% loans are usually of the FHA/deadbeat type with all the extra points and fees. More waste of money.
- On 16 Apr 2013
in
Student loans kill "American dream" for millions,
Philistine said:
It's easy, take out a bunch of credit cards, and divert your income to paying the student loans off, not the credit cards. Then file bankruptcy for the CC debt. I don't know why nobody has figured this out yet.
P.S. College should not be viewed as some job service center. That's when everybody got the wool pulled over their eyes.
- On 15 Apr 2013
in
925 Oddstad Bl, Pacifica CA, 94044,
Philistine said:
I know most people would gut/remodel, but this house is almost perfectly preserved as a time capsule of the late '60s. Great bones and nice architecture for the period it was built. With a few careful updates, this house could be less 'Brady Bunch' and more 'Mad Men', though that split level ranch thing always weirded me out: walk in the front door and immediately have to use stairs.
- On 14 Apr 2013
in
Song reminds me of my time in California,
Philistine said:
This is the closest thing I could find
As in, Titusville, Florida?? Oh the memories. Maybe only slightly more charming than Bithlo. Ah, a land remembered. . . .
- On 13 Apr 2013
in
Are physician salaries way too high?,
Philistine said:
pseudo-professionals like chiros
Naw, please, these are true professionals. After my chiro pops the bones in my back, I flip over and she works on the bones on my front.
- On 13 Apr 2013
in
Man tries to take photo of beaver; it kills him,
Philistine said:
Boring video. The ending is like 'Blair Beaver Project'. I wanted blood, carnage. And jeezus does this KSDK "news" source look like a real bunch of muck-raking assholes, to judge by all the yellow journalism headlines and cruddy reporting on their site.
- On 12 Apr 2013
in
Mental illness didn't kill Rick Warren's son: A gun did,
Philistine said:
background checks would help
Seems to me, a criminal mind would just steal the gun. I mean, I lock my car when I park in Atlanta, but the druggies don't use locks: they use bricks on glass.
Not saying background checks are bad, just that they are an opt-in for the law-abiding citizen and still really don't focus too sharply on criminals. Background checks are just a salt lick for public opinion and Tee Vee lip service.
- On 10 Apr 2013
in
Japanese Architects On Drugs (Part II),
Philistine said:
I recall that odd North American bathroom trend of putting carpet down. Between bathtub splashing and fecal spray from "the commode", I guess this was a short-lived fad, but much crazier than a Japanese shower.
- On 9 Apr 2013
in
Can you see the Recovery??,
Philistine said:
Where does wage declines fit in? The Babyboomer demographic is a nonstarter. Who cares what employment rate is if wages are lower, hours are shorter, people are overqualified, job positions are more menial, etc.
- On 3 Apr 2013
in
Home prices still 50% too low in Bay Area - rent STILL cost twice the mortgage.,
Philistine said:
Part of total expenses is closing costs from the initial purchase plus later the selling commissions. A lot of money--especially on a $1mill purchase--flushed down the crapper for only a couple years' tenancy.
Makes you wonder why you need a $1mill house if you know you are only living in it for that short of a term.