patrick.net

SR, fair enough. I was going to say Intel did some good things.

S.X.,

Did I say Kalifornikers? No. I said BA libs, which ruled out Mexicans. Period. Did you know that Mexicans in Kalifornia vote overwhelming republican? 1/2 Mex? I don't know. You be the judge.

Peter P,

The road trip was good. I wish I took a pair of Tevas along and hiked more slot canyons. Let me know if you want to see pictures.

To be fair, republicans aren't conservatives, either. In Amerika, center right is probably the best position.

S.R.,

That's what the Dems did in 2004. They came up with substantial policy proposals that benefitted the working classes in places like Ohio. Didn't matter.

Ditto you. I'm with the Dems because at least many of them are teachable. They may not have all the facts straights, but many of them are willing to listen to a better reasoned argument when it is presented. Anyone who is still supporting Bush after 6 years is not teachable.

I heard Bush is a gay.

Are dare gays on dees bord?

I am not against gays. I actually can see why some turn gay. Not sympathetic. But not anti-gay either.

I think a lot of gaymen are very masculine, or at least appear so. They'll make good warriors.

Happy Canada Day, or Dominion Day, by the way...

...:p

The good thing is, if a Democrat is elected President, or they get control of either house of Congress, the right wing media commentators and voters will of course look back to the previous governments, you know, at least 4-5 years or so, whenever looking to assign blame for current problems or policies.

I'm sure the Dems are looking forward to such a free pass, if they win the next set of elections....

Last time I checked, your governor was a Republican...

Come to think of it, wasn't Reagan the Governor of California, in the last 30 years? I believe he was...

Bap33,

Your answer is honest, and a bit existential for a devout like yourself. Pretty much every event in one's life has a degree of luck/randomness/fate/destiny/karma/retribution (depending upon your belief system) to it. I don't think in black & white terms. Every circumstance has to be taken as it comes. I am very much a utilitarian, which is why I am interested in gathering data so that I can analyze situations myself, or at least verify/debunk others' analyses.

I don't know if the impact of human activity is relevant, and I don't trust the biased analyses from either camp, because they are both politically motivated. I find it depressing that each side makes the allegation that the other is using junk science, then proffers an equally junkish theory. To deny that net carbon is being to released into the carbon cycle by human activity is junk science. And it's an unnecessary position for the anti-global-warming-agenda camp to take.

As to the other stuff...it's too hyperbolic for me. I don't go for incongruent comparisons. Let the debate be about the debate, not "but it's like this or that".

if an astrid were detected heading towards Earth????

I am not against gays. I actually can see why some turn gay. Not sympathetic. But not anti-gay either.

there are theories of incorrect shots of hormones which cause pre-natal sexual differentiation of the brain (hypothalamus, etc) causing same-sex attraction and opposite sex behaviours, e.g. see milton diamond's postulated 4 stages of CNS PNSD.

http://staff.um.edu.mt/mbor7/s_lect05.htm

quite a lot of sheep turn out to be gay, so it's hardly 'turning' or a 'lifestyle choice'...

i question the 0.8% figure in terms of man's net contribution to greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. that appears to be a distortion of the percentages reported in the carbon cycle, where the oceans both absorb and release huge quantities of CO2, acting basically like a giant bottle of Coke. and remember that new CO2 is being added by man at whatever actual rate every year -- the other figures of decomposition etc adding carbon gases to the air represent a sort of natural equilibrium. some of it can be reabsorbed by planting carbon sinks like trees, but man's tendency has been towards land clearing. (especially the supposedly natural 'forest fires' in the amazon basin -- the 'lungs of the earth'). but if the oceans literally start to heat up on an averaged basis, then it's possible that they will release more CO2 back into the atmosphere than they absorb, which in turn causes more heating, which would be the 'tipping point' feared by some climatologists of a positive feedback loop of climate change. in the world of atmospheric chemistry, who's to say that adding even a relatively small amount of an active agent won't cause big effects?

i would point out that more than a few medicinal compounds HAVE been discovered in rainforests and temperate forests. many present-day drugs have been discovered from plant studies, and are still manufactured and extracted from plants. there is still the possibility of discovering more antibiotics, anti-virals and anti-fungals from plant defences, not to mention other wellbeing drugs. destroying them all to grow monocultures for hardwood floors is probably not a good step forward; i would call it acting in unenlightened self-interest. i would point out that California leads the way in the cultivation of 'medicinal mushrooms' which is a major export industry for the state.

Seamus and Pa' were walking in the woods when they came across a sign saying, "Tree Fellers wanted". One of them said, "Ye know, it's a shame Michael isn't here. We could have gotten the job".

Little Fascist Says:

"...Sterilize teenage girls after one baby, and don’t forget the boys."

Oh, we won't forget the boys my little fascist.

As a matter of fact, we'll start with you. Marge, get out the Ginsu kitchen knife, we've got some nuggets to defangle.

FAB said:
I was just thinking that since the only science training most left wingers had was in Jr. HS we should join them in supporting the doom and gloom “global warming problem”.

i did sciences in senior HS, and won the yr 12 physics and computing prizes. i completed a combined science and engineering degree with studies in computing, electronics, physics, chemistry, human biology and math. i went on to do a second degree in social sciences in psych, soc, anthropology and political science with a smattering of philosophy. (which is why i haven't individually saved enough for a housing deposit in boom conditions.) i haven't done much earth science, i have to admit, which is why i have to sift through the global warming evidence carefully, when i can be bothered. however, i suppose i would be characterised as 'liberal' under the american rubric, although i just tend to see myself as thoughtful, analytical, humanitarian, and disliking political or social manipulation of others for personal gain, excessive inequality, and social agendas not grounded in reason and respect for human rights.

moderately good news from the land of oz, although it depends on an interest rate rise to really cruel the market. a price plateau is not the same as a massive correction, unfortunately, in terms of reinstating a decent social settlement... usual angst and spin doctoring from the RE hucksters on the figures, of course...

Rate rise chance cools already shaky market

THE spectre of an interest rate rise on Tuesday may have had an impact on Sydney's already gloomy property market yesterday.

The Saturday auction clearance rate plummeted, falling 13.5 percentage points in a week. Of the 185 properties scheduled to go under the hammer, 80 sold and 24 were withdrawn. The 43.2 per cent clearance compared with 56.7 per cent a week earlier.

And if the Reserve Bank Board decides on Tuesday to lift rates, experts predict house prices - as well as auction clearance rates - will suffer further. Australian Property Monitors research director Louis Christopher said clearance rates were already struggling following the May rate rise, and were down compared with the same time last year.

http://tinyurl.com/pguv3

let's say we'll pay him to develop a full php web forum with member profiles, proper search features, dedicated static areas for the glossary, etc, AND keep up the links. patrick will get some serious marketable skills and immense satisfaction in a job well done. now we're on to something.

sorry about the irish joke earlier, pa :(

sqt,
you are not wrong.
Sorry, but it's a sell out.

Want to fix things?
Step #1) Vote in a full set of CONSERVATIVE folks from County Supervisor on up and things will get better. Much better. And Bush aint nearly conservative enough for my taste. Mike Savage would work.

yeah, that would fix things alright. well and truly. conservative? what do they want to conserve? the forests?

by a coincidence:

'We should not be exporting uranium because you are exporting cancer'

by paediatrician and anti-nuclear activist dr helen caldicott

see also Helen Caldicott - Books

e.g.
'THE NEW NUCLEAR DANGER: GEORGE W. BUSH'S MILITARY-INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX '

THE NEW NUCLEAR DANGER: GEORGE W. BUSH'S MILITARY-INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX

"A timely warning, at a critical moment in world history, of the horrible consequences of nuclear warfare." Walter Cronkite

On September 18, 2001, one week after the World Trade Center disaster, Lockheed Martin, the country's leading manufacturer of conventional weaponry, nuclear delivery systems, and national missile defense, took a full-page ad in the New York Times echoing JFK's famous call to "pay any price to assure the survival and the success of liberty." The ad offered an unusually public display of what is typically the invisible hand and muscle of the arms industry guiding American sentiment and government.

In her uncannily timely new book, Dr. Helen Caldicott looks at the indebtedness of the Bush Administration to the arms industry and warns of the incredible dangers inherent in allowing weapons manufacturers to dictate foreign policy. Recounting the history of government collusion with industry, Caldicott shows how the merging of weapons firm in the 1980s created hugely powerful "death merchants," including Lockheed and others, ready to lobby politicians and manipulate public opinion on behalf of their corporate interests.

Now, with unprecedented acts of terrorism fueling the American public's willingness to grant its government broad power to wage war, the constant pressure from weapons makers to use military force -- and by extension, buy more of their weapons -- poses the very real threat of nuclear war. Enumerating, as a physician, the medical consequences of such a war, Caldicott demonstrates conclusively that the notion of nuclear survival is a complete fantasy, and that nuclear victory is an oxymoron.

In the same way that a generation embraced Caldicott's hugely influential Nuclear Madness and Missile Envy, The New Nuclear Danger stands to educate, alert, and mobilize millions of young people and concerned citizens, who must understand the planetary threat posed by overly aggressive nuclear scientific establishments and weapons industries in a volatile world.

SQT -

I agree with you on the links, but if anyone here wants to post a wordpress site where everyone can blog, let us all know, and we can link it to a page with housing links on it.

Actually, I could do that...

Bap33-

Boy, ‘ol B33 sure dont mind flapping his lips about America while swatting flies in Death Valley. Aint there a political CA blog that needs your attention B33? Just kiddin’.

If it is good for America the repubs will attack it and hate it. No matter what “it” is. If it is bad for America repubs will support it and protect it. No matter what “it” is. Is that simple enough for ya pardner?

Mirror image, why not, I'm right and you're squat.

The road trip was good. I wish I took a pair of Tevas along and hiked more slot canyons. Let me know if you want to see pictures.

Sure. I always like pictures of roadtrips.

I have a question for some of the other Patrick.net regulars. Am I wrong in being a little annoyed that Patrick now wants to charge for the housing article links?

I am not annoyed. However, I think a donation button (like the one on Ben's blog) may also be effective.

I will admit I have spent less and less time authoring threads as it’s a completely thankless task most of the time. But I have authored quite a bit more than Patrick and I guess I am feeling a little put out.

I personally thank you, SQT. If you have a subscription service, I will probably subscribe too. ;)

But then I’d have to pay you too, you do at least as much.

No, I probably have to pay you to read my silly threads.

My contribution is not much beyond huh, duh, and doh.

I just make silly comments to compensate.

Huh? Okay, you are going to author the next thread.

If I can think up a decent topic, sure.

Be creative. Think outside the housing bubble. ;)

How about best women in the world?

How about best wine you've had for under $100?

How about best wine you’ve had for under $100?

Pinot Noir, Robert Sinskey, 2001

I do not drink much. So please forgive my ignorance.

New Topic

Do people move more often when prices are rising? It seems to me that people can move to a larger house when their old one sells quickly.

When prices are falling, people must stay put for much longer. Even if they want to buy a bigger but cheaper foreclosure they cannot, because the sale of their old house won't even cover what they owe on the mortgage.

What are your thoughts Hobbson?

It seems to me that people can move to a larger house when their old one sells quickly.

It is easier to move up when

1. there is significant price compression
2. the move-up house is priced above the said compression, and
3. credit is easy and cheap