patrick.net

hrhjuliet says

In the words of my grandpa, "Only fools, gamblers and trust fund babies buy above twice their income!". Well, grandpa, sorry to report that we must have a lot of people who fall into those three groups. Don't trust national or census statistics? Don't trust the internet? Fine, I take them all with grain of salt myself, but you really can't trust dear old dad or grandma? Now that would be sad. I dare you all, ask them.

What dear old Grandpa doesn't seem to understand is:

Its Different This Time!

Oh yeah, I forgot to drink the kool-aid because it's different this time. Oh it's different this time alright. Welcome to the destruction of the middle-class. Enjoy the show, I personally am not buying a ticket.

Dominican Republic actually has very high tax rates:

16% VAT tax
25% income tax
1% asset tax
25% asset transfer tax

On top of that DR has a history of high inflation rate and rampant corruption.

It's easy to see how someone trying to run a legit business buying and selling goods and services can get taxed to death under those terms, and run high risk of not getting the initial investment back, never mind profits. So the result is widespread duplicity when it comes to dealing with laws.

sbh says

The capital class and the entrenched pols chap my ass too.

Say what? Are you sure you are not a "skinhead reactionary" of your own description?

But the question is: If the outcome of our structure (representative government) sucks for us regular folks, should we abandon the structure entirely?

Who said anything about abandoning what structure entirely?

If I have more money and better guns than you, I don't even have to "initiate violence" to coerce you. And even if I were to initiate violence, I could buy off the private court.

So why did slave owners keep lobbying for slave return laws that would have government hunting down run-away slaves for them at taxpayer expense? Just because you have more money and better guns doesn't mean you have the time or energy to fight every fight or even hunt down every run-away slave. Having the government enforce the injustice for you at taxpayer expense makes the injustice financially worthwhile for you.

Nah, anarchy is total shit, but at least under our current structure, shitty as it is, you could vote for Skinhead Realty as your fuhrer.

Fuhrer as a title only has meaning when the leader has coercive power.

So what you're saying is they all look alike??

CaptainShuddup says

I see that in spite we're immensely more wealthy than those countries, and our poor people look like their middle class, and their rich looks like our poor.

One of the first things LBJ as Assasi-Prez did was give J Edgar a lifetime appointment and first dibs on runway dresses at New York fashion shows.

It, sadly, appears to be somewhat like that in Sri Lanka now as well - private toll roads running from the airport and down to Galle, empty except for a handful of cars (despite being 'only' 400 rupees ($3 or so) down to Galle). There has also been the seemingly typical further vast concentration of wealth in the hands of the ruling elite in the last decade care of all the reconstruction money that was pumped into the country after the tsunami. Same old, same old with the rich exploiting the poor and corruption rampant.

They catch on fast! I wrote about this back in April last year http://smaulgld.com/student-loans-and-unemployment-are-holding-back-the-economy-and-real-estate-market/

A country where the rule of law is not enforced by the state has nothing to do with Austrian economics. Maybe read up on Hayek?

Call it Crazy says

Homebuilder Confidence in U.S. Slumped in February

It's still February.

Yep. When the bankers are suiciding, that tells you even they don't know how to game the system...

It's if though we are approaching some cataclysmic event!

Capital controls now coming to the States.....remember Cyprus!!!

http://patrick.net/?p=1238635#comment-1054372

Q: What do you call 5 banksters committing suicide?

A: A good start.

I'm still alive.

anonymous says

Why do so many people pay money to visit countries in the Caribbean etc. where conditions are so dire their own people risk death to escape?

Presumably because they are very smug, and want to look at a bunch of poor blacks since they think that will make them feel better about themselves.

they are reporting it as stress, seems more like they knew something

Call it Crazy says

smaulgld says

they are reporting it as stress, seems more like they knew something

Yeah, the stress of knowing too much.....

Call it Crazy, some will call a spade a spade but I'll just call it what it is " an Omen is an Omen"

Call it Crazy says

We're glad you can read a calendar... I guess you did learn something in
school after all...

Apparently you can't.

Isn't slumped a past tense form of the word slump, which would then mean that Feb. is in the past also?
You're quite the beacon of knowledge, or it seems now that you have some sort of crappy and cracked, crystal ball.

RentingForHalfTheCost says

Shorts are long term my boy.

And getting longer and longer as the weeks go by. What is the market up by since you made up your fantasy claim of your biggest ever short, followed soon after with a claim of a double-down? It's about 3-400, isn't it?

Call it Crazy says

I guess you didn't read the link in the OP to see where the title came from,
just jumping into the end of the thread, as usual....

Why would I, considering that the title of the post contained this word:

Call it Crazy says

Slumped

So, Feb. isn't even over, and was what, maybe 2/3s past when the article was 'researched' and written, so is it really an accurate description of confidence, especially Feb.? And then claim that it did anything?
Never mind, I forgot for a moment who I was responding to(you can beat a drum, but you can't drown a fish).

zzyzzx says

anonymous says

Why do so many people pay money to visit countries in the Caribbean etc. where conditions are so dire their own people risk death to escape?

Presumably because they are very smug, and want to look at a bunch of poor blacks since they think that will make them feel better about themselves.

Such people don't need to travel outside our borders to do THAT.
A quick trip to your local prison will do just fine.

zzyzzx says

anonymous says

Why do so many people pay money to visit countries in the Caribbean etc. where conditions are so dire their own people risk death to escape?

Presumably because they are very smug, and want to look at a bunch of poor blacks since they think that will make them feel better about themselves.

I don't think so. People go to puerto plata and punta cana because of all inclusive resorts. Wifey and I got a room for about $150 a night - all food, drinks, entertainment, beach access, sauna/pool/jacuzzi/gym included. The only extra costs are if you take optional tours out of the resort. You can't get these types of deals in united states. In fact, I don't think we have any "all inclusive" resorts. I am sure that labor costs have quite a bit to do with it. Even if we had such a concept, a couple would probably spend at least $600 per day if not more.

Yeah I like the taxi concept in central america. You negotiate with the driver and can hire them for a day or multiple days. Equivalent types of rides in america will land you in bankruptcy.

Call it Crazy says

I guess you should contact the NAHB and tell them to stop publishing their
reports in the middle of EVERY month and wait until Feb. 28th so the grammar
police don't show up...

Would that make you feel better???

The NAHB jumped the shark long ago, the evidence is what you posted 'about' Feb., and they've turned into some ideological based joke that mostly lobbys, which is why Businessweek ran the story, and the same reason that you posted it here. You ever go through ANY of their data and see just how it's compiled or how they get to the conclusion that they always come to? I just answered my own question, because it's obvious that you never have.

Most of the data that maybe worth anything is done outside of the NAHB and they don't give it away for free, even to the media.

Call it Crazy says

Since you're such the expert, why don't YOU go through the data in the
article and tell us why it's wrong or tell us the true data??

Just as I thought, you haven't. Have you ever answered ANY of their polls/questionaires? Doubtful, at best.

If you had, and been burned like I have by buying expensive and basically useless data(but they give you a small break if you're a member), you'd agree with me instead of resorting to you're well worn out routine of trying to antagonize me.

Call it Crazy says

Since you're such the expert,

This much is definitely true, you aren't.

BTW, how did you not ever lose internet access recently, but yet you lost power and had to rely on a generator?

Bigsby says

What is the market up by since you made up your fantasy claim of your biggest ever short, followed soon after with a claim of a double-down? It's about 3-400, isn't it?

RFHTC is making a lot of calls , but I do think he is right on this one long term. The market is easily 20% overvalued and Nasdaq might be even more overvalued. Facebook just diluted shareholders by a lot and stock is not even down. If you look at biotech, valuations are crazy. My point is that we will get a big correction sometime this year, my guess is within three months, unless Yellen starts printing more.

The problem is sex. This is the most powerful force that shapes humanity.

As long as their lust is easily quenched, there will be no pressure on men to manifest any ambition beyond mere survival.

They need a religion that denounces every natural impulse as sinful, and a state that enforces strictly bedroom decency rules.

And yes, they also need to "educate" their women so they become entitled and spoiled.

Once this happens you will see men there work their asses off and compete hard with each other.

The Dominican Republic economy will become known as the Caribbean Dragon.

Why does this thread disappear from the main page?

This is interesting

Robber Baron Elite Scum says

I'm still alive.

For now...

Bigsby says

RentingForHalfTheCost says

Shorts are long term my boy.

And getting longer and longer as the weeks go by. What is the market up by since you made up your fantasy claim of your biggest ever short, followed soon after with a claim of a double-down? It's about 3-400, isn't it?

Actually about even if you took the time to pay attention. 16K is my mark and one that will prove to be the peak in this fake market. Better have clean underwear and some vaseline handy.

This article is apt to this

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-02-19/charles-gave-gold-%E2%80%98deflation%E2%80%99-hedge

jazz music says

"Q: What do you call somebody who hangs around with musicians?

A: A drummer."

A man visits Africa. He has a guide who is showing him around. Everywhere they go, the man hears the sound of drums off in the distance. Finally, he asks the guide, "What is that constant drumbeat I'm hearing?" The guide says, "Drums good! When drums stop - very very bad." The next day, the drums are still playing. All of a sudden, the man can't hear the drums anymore. He frantically asks the guide, "Oh my god - the drums stopped! What's going to happen now????" The guide says, "Now bass solo starts."

Call it Crazy says

If their data is so useless, why did all the other financial news media
publish the same news release yesterday?? Surely, those financial news people
should know how useless the NAHB's data must be.

You apparently didn't read what I posted above.

And just how useful is data about February when February isn't even past yet? You posted it here on 2/18, so the rest of February is irrelevant then????

So they left out 10 days(probably more because of the time needed to edit and post/publish the 'report') worth of potential data, or 36% of their 'field' or the total days of the month, and that's not important?

But I forgot who I was responding to. LOL. You do yourself no favors.

Call it Crazy says

upisdown
says

But I forgot who I was responding to.

Yea, I forgot... The irresponsible one, per his wife...

LOL, mean and nasty coming from the p-ro fessional blogger. BTW, thanks for the spam mail, loser.

OOOHHHHH NNNNNNNOOOOOO, what will I do?

What's next on your schedule of useless BS, analyzing 2013 but conveniently leaving out Jan.- Oct.?

Call it Crazy says

upisdown
says

BTW, thanks for the spam mail, loser.

Spam mail.... ???? What???

Stay off of the porn sites and you'll won't get any spam..

Are you drinking early again today???

Same old shit with losers like you, isn't it. Maybe someday you'll get yourself out of that rut of meager existence and move on from being an internet bonehead. Apparently it returns a few more dimes than I thought, because you're still here spouting your usual nonsense (that's out of date a couple of years ago), but how you live beyond that is a wonder.

This bears repeating though, I'd have better luck trying to drown a fish than ever expecting and/or getting anything rational or useful from you.

Call it Crazy says

Nice ad hominem attack!! So adult of you!!!

Since you are totally unable to dispute the data in the OP, you resort to the
personal attacks...

Who needs to grow up here???

LOL, and he's/she's off to the races!!! Again.

Sigh. Redundancy isn't an admirable quality, and neither is trying to run me in circles again with your usual circle-jerk routine.

You REALLY need some new material for your act.

Call it Crazy says

Hey Ducky, does that answer your question??

How about this post of mine quite a way up towards the top:

upisdown says

Just as I thought, you haven't. Have you ever answered ANY of their
polls/questionaires? Doubtful, at best.

Is your NAHB membership still valid? LOL maybe you can show the parameters of how the data was collected and based upon what restrictions or by what definitions, right?

RentingForHalfTheCost says

Perfect attack on a topic and then when presented with facts you use the skill of diversion. Nice work. So predictable and becoming of you.

Wow... The hypocrisy in your statements are astounding.

Here's an example of the validity of your BS poll.

From Fox:

http://search.yahoo.com/r/_ylt=A0LEV0IwjAZTNwcAW8BXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTEzcmE4b3FnBHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDOARjb2xvA2JmMQR2dGlkA1NNRTMyMF8x/SIG=13gr0j5sj/EXP=1392966832/**http%3a//www.foxbusiness.com/markets/2014/01/16/home-builder-confidence-ticks-down-in-january/

And for the same month from Bloomberg:

http://search.yahoo.com/r/_ylt=A0LEV0IwjAZTNwcAVsBXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTEza2VlYjVxBHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDNQRjb2xvA2JmMQR2dGlkA1NNRTMyMF8x/SIG=140cua6gk/EXP=1392966832/**http%3a//www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-01-16/homebuilder-confidence-in-u-s-held-in-january-at-six-year-high.html

And from your same source, Businessweek:

http://search.yahoo.com/r/_ylt=A0LEV0IwjAZTNwcATcBXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTEzMmd1dWFzBHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDMQRjb2xvA2JmMQR2dGlkA1NNRTMyMF8x/SIG=137v1bal6/EXP=1392966832/**http%3a//www.businessweek.com/ap/2014-01-16/us-homebuilder-confidence-dips-in-january

All the 'news' sources used the same source for their story, the NAHB homebuilder confidence poll.