- On 21 May 2013
in
Best real estate within drive from bay area?,
New Renter said:
I would recommend the Santa Cruz mountains as well. Of course I'm biased :)
After living up here for the past 6 months, all I can really say you guys can keep the "RBA". It's a shit hole. :)
Damn straight! Some nice places up there - nice and secluded for alternative sources of income.
Just be careful of the areas vulnerable to landslides and earthquakes.
- On 21 May 2013
in
Why pedophilia is a witch hunt and the laws are ridiculous,
New Renter said:
Consider this: 1 in 5 women have been abused sexually in the US. Most by a family member.
Who evaluates that? Families were destroyed in the 1980's by "recalled memories" of abuse that never happened.
- On 21 May 2013
in
Best real estate within drive from bay area?,
New Renter said:
APOCALYPSEFUCK is Shostakovich says
Sacramento blows. Way too much pollution from farming and cars. My poor niece suffered until she turned 18 and could escape. A friend of mine adopted a kid and she is so allergic that she required injections. I wouldn't put anyone through that. It's also just too hot with so many extremely sketchy hoods.
Still beats Stockton though.
Having air power in a place like Stockton could be interesting. Imagine the advantages of having spousal rocking an AK from the navigator's seat while you're buzzing a race riot or a cannibal stampede on the way home from work.
Unfortunately that privilege is reserved for the oligarchs.
- On 21 May 2013
in
Why pedophilia is a witch hunt and the laws are ridiculous,
New Renter said:
APOCALYPSEFUCK is Shostakovich says
The cops are just mad because they didn't get to watch.
I'm sure this will be made into a film soon.
- On 21 May 2013
in
Reagan was Great president.,
New Renter said:
Ask what? If Khmer Rouge was a beacon on the hill for democracy?
The Khmer Rouge period (1975–1979) refers to the rule of Pol Pot, Nuon Chea, Ieng Sary, Son Sen, Khieu Samphan and the Khmer Rouge Communist party over Cambodia, which the Khmer Rouge renamed as Democratic Kampuchea.
Cambodia is another failed communist nation.. I never mentioned Cambodia.. as I stated, Thailand, Singapore, and South Korea did become successful. The communist nations become a killing field.
Understood. I was merely pointing out the neighboring countries which share a border with Vietnam - Cambodia, Laos and China did not "became far more stronger and democratic after Saigon fell".
- On 21 May 2013
in
Best real estate within drive from bay area?,
New Renter said:
Sacramento blows. Way too much pollution from farming and cars. My poor niece suffered until she turned 18 and could escape. A friend of mine adopted a kid and she is so allergic that she required injections. I wouldn't put anyone through that. It's also just too hot with so many extremely sketchy hoods.
Still beats Stockton though.
- On 21 May 2013
in
We Live In A Lottery Society,
New Renter said:
"engineers struggle to build life changing nanotechnology at $88,000 a year"
Are you implying $88,000.00 is a low salary?
Living on this kind of income in the SFBA can be done even by a family of 3-4. What it means is the family is limited to a rent budget of ~$2500/mo and will probably be living paycheck to paycheck.
- On 20 May 2013
in
Marijuana fed pork for dinner??,
New Renter said:
One of the age old questions is about to be answered - can bacon be made any more awesome?
Stay tuned...
- On 20 May 2013
in
Best real estate within drive from bay area?,
New Renter said:
What's your budget and what do you want for it? Rancho Murieta looked like it might fit your needs. Big houses (cheap too by SFBA standards), a golf course and an airport as well.
- On 19 May 2013
in
Reagan was Great president.,
New Renter said:
Yes, Pol Pot and his Khmer Rouge dream team were a beacon on the hill for democracy in southeast Asia.
You live in SJ.. so walk down to little Saigon and ask someone..
Ask what? If Khmer Rouge was a beacon on the hill for democracy?
The Khmer Rouge period (1975–1979) refers to the rule of Pol Pot, Nuon Chea, Ieng Sary, Son Sen, Khieu Samphan and the Khmer Rouge Communist party over Cambodia, which the Khmer Rouge renamed as Democratic Kampuchea.The four-year period cost approximately 2 million lives through the combined result of political executions, starvation, and forced labor.[1][2] Due to the large numbers, the deaths during the rule of the Khmer Rouge are often considered a genocide, and commonly known as the Cambodian Holocaust or Cambodian Genocide. The Khmer Rouge took power at the end of the Cambodian Civil War and were toppled with the invasion of Cambodia by neighbour and former ally Vietnam in the Cambodian–Vietnamese War, which left Cambodia under Vietnamese occupation for over a decade.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khmer_Rouge_rule_of_Cambodia
With a name like "Democratic Kampuchea" it must have indeed been a beacon on the hill for democracy in southeast asia.
- On 19 May 2013
in
Robots/AI future, we need a full blown welfare state but not state socialism,
New Renter said:
My brother in law had a mid 90's Mercedes. Also a horrible POS.
Are you really that dense to compare Mercerdes and BMW with Trabant?
Perhaps a link to another time magazine article will help you about that.
Google is your friend.
Just tell this to a German, and he/she will laugh at you. Better yet, tell that to a former east German.
Did you even read my post? My point was even BMW and Mercedes - icons of supposed GERMAN super wonder engineering sometimes make crappy cars. I could include a few Porsches, VWs and Audis as well if you like.
But OK, lets do a comparison of apples to apples. Lets look at Trabant to some of its western contemporaries:
East Germany - Trabant:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trabant_601West Germany - Auto Union (Audi):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auto_Union_1000Sweden - Saab:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saab_96(The latter is an example of a car made by a nearly country whose industry was NOT devastated by war.)
Three companies, two western one communist, two countries rebuilding after a devastating war one untouched yet they all made similar vehicles.
In 2008, Time magazine rated the Trabant as one of the 50 worst cars ever made.[4] In the West, much has been written about the Trabant, mostly negative. Emphasis was placed on the shortcomings of the Trabant, rather than its good points, such as that it could be easily fixed with duct tape. However, many of the former owners of the Trabant still emphasize advantages such as high capacity—the Trabant being able to carry over 1000 kg of cargo.
In 1997, the Trabant was celebrated for passing the "Elchtest" ("moose test"), a 60 km/h (37 mph) swerve manoeuvre slalom, without toppling over like the Mercedes-Benz W168 (1997 A-class) infamously did. A newspaper from Thuringia had a headline saying "Come and get us, moose! Trabi passes A-Class killer test".[19]
It had its good points too.
- On 19 May 2013
in
Robots/AI future, we need a full blown welfare state but not state socialism,
New Renter said:
I would suggest that an economy based on the principle that all rents are paid to the government and used to provide equal distribution of wealth to all citizens is the ultimate solution to a fully automated economy.
That was the ultimate wet dream of a communist. It went really well in East Germany. Did you ever look at their version of a German automobile?
Did you consider:
1) the German industrial base was destroyed by the war.
2) the Soviets HATED the Germans.
3) the West realized a despondent Germany was what facilitated the war. A strong West Germany was also necessary to buffer the eastern threat.
4) despite the help from the west many cars produced in West Germany also sucked.http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1658545_1657867_1657782,00.html
http://www.automobile-catalog.com/car/1962/262505/bmw_700.htmlAs for modern German engineering the BMW X5 my stepdad had was the absolute WORST POS I have seen in a very long time! The X5 was so bad he bought a Fiat because he thought it would be more reliable!
My brother in law had a mid 90's Mercedes. Also a horrible POS. The electrical insulation - made from recycled materials - degraded after 10 years causing all kinds of fun. The valve lifters also went bad, the distributors failed, the list goes on and on.
- On 19 May 2013
in
Zell says buying houses as investment bad idea,
New Renter said:
I dunno about the 100% cotton. JC looks like the kind of guy who would benefit from a wrinkle free polyester blend. Less likely to pick up Cheetos stains too.
Silk's all I take these days. I guess I probably own more silk shirts than any man deserves to.
Oh don't get me wrong, I dig the whole "I yam what I yam and tha's all what I yam" take on things. All the same I'd hate to see his pants go the way of his shirt.
You could do worse, ol buddy. Tis a splendiferous cargo these sansabelts do house. It's not for nothing that a hell of a lot of nookie's passed across Jody's Posturepedic over the years.
Oh no doubt. I hear it's a mans world down there in Chunderville.
- On 19 May 2013
in
Zell says buying houses as investment bad idea,
New Renter said:
I dunno about the 100% cotton. JC looks like the kind of guy who would benefit from a wrinkle free polyester blend. Less likely to pick up Cheetos stains too.
Uncle Jody has style!
Oh don't get me wrong, I dig the whole "I yam what I yam and tha's all what I yam" take on things. All the same I'd hate to see his pants go the way of his shirt.
- On 19 May 2013
in
Reagan was Great president.,
New Renter said:
We got way more mileage in that regard out of WWII. Hell there are STILL mega million dollar films begin made on that war.
Neighboring nations became far more stronger and democratic after Saigon fell.
The Communist regime in Vietnam became isolated and the faith in Socialism crumbled even among their own citizens as many left for over decade. More over Vietnamese saw their own nation as being far more poor and corrupt with no opportunity compared to capitalist South Korea, Singapore, or Thailand which saw a huge boom as an industrial power.
Yes, many Vietnamese see South Korea what they too could have been. Ask anyone of them who migrated here. Left wing Hollywood keeps spinning and milking the war.. as they see it ... the reality today is much different.
Yes, Pol Pot and his Khmer Rouge dream team were a beacon on the hill for democracy in southeast Asia.
- On 18 May 2013
in
Reagan was Great president.,
New Renter said:
Warren was a Harvard Law School professor specializing in bankruptcy law after being a practicing lawyer for years. That means her credentials are way the fuck better than yours.
thats it.. a bankruptcy lawyer! fuck.. my pinky has more experience than her.
Somehow I doubt that very much.
- On 18 May 2013
in
Reagan was Great president.,
New Renter said:
Yeah, but...we did get several good war flicks out of it...
We got way more mileage in that regard out of WWII. Hell there are STILL mega million dollar films begin made on that war.
- On 18 May 2013
in
bmwman91's Buying Adventure Log,
New Renter said:
On the used fridge front -- driving around looking at someones old fridge is not my idea of fun (YMMV). Does it smell? Does it work (and does it work when the ambient temperature is higher on hot days)? Definitely BYOT (bring your own thermometer). Does it still work when I bring it home (no warranties on used)? Is there someone to help me load it at the seller's site? Do I have a truck? Do I have someone to help me unload it and position it?
I bought a used refrigerator and a used freezer for the garage off Craigslist. Each was only a few years old but both looked brand new! Was about 1/4th the cost of buying new. No problems with either so far.
- On 18 May 2013
in
bmwman91's Buying Adventure Log,
New Renter said:
It's like buying a BMW to just use the radio.
Common in the Bay Area... very common! do those middle aged women really
dig the power under the hood of their BMW 700.. can muster up. Did they buy it
cause it can go 0-60 in x seconds... else might as well bought a Chevy/Ford/Toy.
Funny you should mention BMW 700. I saw one today for the very first time. It was a BMW 777 sport
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_700
0-60 in in only 28 seconds!
- On 18 May 2013
in
New report may kill the house mortgage interest deduction,
New Renter said:
Old people do not benefit as much with schools as younger people with children.
If those schools didn't exist all those kids would have nothing better to do than run over the old people's lawns.
If the senior centers didn't exist all those seniors would have more time to drive through farmers markets.
- On 18 May 2013
in
Consumers Reports says Tesla World's most perfect car,
New Renter said:
APOCALYPSEFUCK is Shostakovich says
Needs to be able to hit 200 mph in 4 seconds and have a mount for a Gatling gun on the navigator's side.
And a scotch guarded interior to repel bloodstains.
- On 18 May 2013
in
Zell says buying houses as investment bad idea,
New Renter said:
Shirts....
100% cotton shirts.
XL with a nice long front.
I dunno about the 100% cotton. JC looks like the kind of guy who would benefit from a wrinkle free polyester blend. Less likely to pick up Cheetos stains too.
- On 18 May 2013
in
The Size of the Bank Bailout: $29 Trillion,
New Renter said:
After (Cromwell's) death in 1658 he was buried in Westminster Abbey, but after the Royalists returned to power in 1660 they had his corpse dug up, hung in chains, and beheaded.
And the British still put up with their royal family. You'd think they come to their senses and just put the whole lot in the Tower of London and throw away the key.
The tower wasn't so bad if you had money.
- On 18 May 2013
in
New report may kill the house mortgage interest deduction,
New Renter said:
If they get rid of that deduction they should also get rid of property taxes for retirees on their primary residences.
Why?
Because if you are going to take something away from people by taxing them, you should at least give something in return at old age when folks can no longer earn like they did when they were young.
Your argument makes no sense. Taxes on homeowners pay for things - things like police, fire, schools, senior centers, etc. Old people benefit just as much from these as anyone else.
- On 17 May 2013
in
Wall Street As Landlord,
New Renter said:
Wall Street is always looking for something new to sell. Funds that buy single family homes and rent them out is only the latest. This is something that a national fund or a fund covering a large area cannot manage well. It is something that Roberto can manage at the local level that Wall Street cannot manage well at a larger level.
This insanity has hit California which has some of the most landlord unfriendly jurisdictions in the U.S.
It may result in more landlord friendly legislation as these funds can afford to hire the necessary lobbyists, but otherwise depends on these funds “flipping” and driving inventory higher.
Renting out single family homes requires great property management that is monitored by local investors like Roberto. It is not a model that can work on a large scale without good property management, which is usually the missing piece.
From of what I've seen of some of the local slumlords here, Wall Street can ONLY be an improvement.