patrick.net

And when I say green space, I don’t mean a baseball diamond, I mean a multi-use space.

We can afford more green space if we build more high-rise condos. More capacity and more space. Two birds with one stone.

Tokyo also has green space...

Which is more expensive? Central Park or the Imperial Palace?

I was surprised while watching local news here in Portland just what an impact something as "harmless" (no pun intended) bottled water has! Just a few years ago the local recycler handled a couple of tons a week. Now he has an entire sorting line dedicated to JUST bottled water. On the bright side it did provide 4 Oregonians w/full time employment!

There’s a good post at the end of the thread by PolishKnight’s innermost thoughts. You might like it. I know I did.

That was too funny. Also loved "PKIT's" email: women_scare_me@aol.com

Damnit, I missed the troll again.

"As an example of why we need change, I know many people who drive 5 to 10 miles each way to a health club to run on a treadmill or ride an excercise bike." --Hoss Cartwright

I know a lot of people that do that too and I don't get it. I bicycle commute to work every day and it actually SAVES me time (not to mention money) because it allows me to integrate my commute and work-out time into one block of time. Not trying to sound sanctimonious, I do it because I LIKE to, not just because it's more energy efficient. Still, it chafes my ass when SUV driving bastards occassionally buzz me and scream "get the fuck out of the road!" It's always the SUV drivers, no idea why...

“As an example of why we need change, I know many people who drive 5 to 10 miles each way to a health club to run on a treadmill or ride an excercise bike.” –Hoss Cartwright

I know a lot of people that do that too and I don’t get it.

Often the equipment you need for your exercise schedule is located at the club, not on the street or on a bicycle. Many people require things like ellipticals or various strength stations.

SFRenter,

What I find even more odd is when you're in traffic next to a guy (alone in a 9 passenger SUV) and you see him pull into a Hollywood Video. Dude, you need something with a 12 cyclinder engine to return a DVD?

I realize no one here is on my "payroll" but what's the word on the "qualified vs. taxable RE calculator"?

Not too-bad parody site:

http://www.fantasylandmortgage.com

I realize no one here is on my “payroll” but what’s the word on the “qualified vs. taxable RE calculator”?

Sorry, I have no idea. I cat try to look up on that.

He was a realt-whore returning Glengary Glen Ross?

LOL :lol:

"He was a realt-whore returning Glengary Glen Ross?" --Newsfreak

That's hilarious! I'll bet Alec Baldwin is the God of Realt-whores everywhere!

"Often the equipment you need for your exercise schedule is located at the club, not on the street or on a bicycle. Many people require things like ellipticals or various strength stations." --Randy H

Yeah, this is true, I lift weights in the "off-season" myself. But I ride my bike to the gym dammit!

Riding a bike on open roads is definitely outside of my risk tolerance.

The neighborhood I live in is very urban. It has bars and bums close by. I hate it. I fear for my life every day. The "kids" get drunk all the time.

The lease does not end until the end of April. :(

to whoever started that tangential thread about brokeback mountain linking to http://www.rense.com/general69/prop.htm:

"Contrast this with the scenes of marriage. Every time marriage is depicted in the film, it is shot in a tiny dark squalid hovel, with screaming children and absolute pandemonium. The house is a mess, the wife never communicates on any kind of meaningful level. Wives in fact, are portrayed as a constant annoyance, and more irritating than understanding. But children receive the worst treatment in this slanted rant against family. They are usually crying, often two at a time, or smashing things, the general feeling the film presents, is that these joyless hellions are an intrusion into life, an encumbrance and a terrible burden.

"Making sure it drums in its message in no uncertain terms, the film keeps switching back and forth between the two contrasts. The great outdoors, wild and free, close to nature, close to God, close to hot gay sex without any negative consequences. Back inside the dark little messy box of marriage, with horrible in-laws, demon spawn children, berating nagging wives, endless pressures and even the loveless, passionless sex has hanging over it the dread of producing more parasitic offspring."

absolutely right, i'm afraid - sex is nature's way of tricking people into reproduction. i'm straight, and i have no interest in reproducing and taking care of squawking babies and bringing them into a world which is full of US propaganda and will soon look like costner's apocalyptic waterworld post-peak oil. who cares what the 5% of gays in the world do? leave them alone. it's not going to spread like a disease, for chrissakes, it's a genetically hard-wired condition not of their choice. moron.

It has running trails and a couple of parks close by. I love it

Nice. I also need an local environment that allows me quick exercise. We're pretty happy to have a paved foot/bike trail leading from downtown to the ferry terminal (our commute). Then there's our waterway leading out to the bay--great place to let off steam in my kayak.

Different Sean Says:

"...absolutely right, i’m afraid - sex is nature’s way of tricking people into reproduction."

Wha-? Quit universalizing your own particularity. It's narcissistic. There are plenty of people who don't feel tricked by sex into procreation. They eagerly see the two as beautiful expressions of love: the unselfish act of giving oneself consensually, and the resulting creation of new life which brings welcomed children into the world.

"i’m straight, and i have no interest in reproducing and taking care of squawking babies and bringing them into a world which is full of US propaganda and will soon look like costner’s apocalyptic waterworld post-peak oil."

The squawking of babies is like the sound of angels. Only the US is full of propaganda, right? Don't buy the line that your lib history prof is feeding you at De Anza college. And don't be such a selfish little Dominos Pizza Noid devoid of common sense and compassion, and scared like a shivering, little, sopping-wet baby rabbit so fearful of life.

"who cares what the 5% of gays in the world do? leave them alone. it’s not going to spread like a disease, for chrissakes, it’s a genetically hard-wired condition not of their choice. moron."

I don't buy the propaganda. Maybe 1% are born that way but there are other reasons people go the other way. They should keep it in their pants and show some self restraint. I'm sick of the gays shoving their psychosexual pathology into our elementary school kids' consciousness.
Keep it in the bedroom.

Besides, I'm not really interested in movies like "Bare Butt Mountain" that glamorize this unhealthy, unnatural lifestyle.

who cares what the 5% of gays in the world do? leave them alone. it’s not going to spread like a disease, for chrissakes, it’s a genetically hard-wired condition not of their choice. moron.

Gee, that's too bad. If gayness were capable of spreading to non-gays, then that could solve the world's overpopulation problem. If birth rates declined, then population growth/illegal immigration to California would cease and there'd be no justification for NIMBY laws. Bummer :-(

I’m sick of the gays shoving their psychosexual pathology into our elementary school kids’ consciousness.

So, who's their spokesperson for that demographic--Sponge Bob Square Pants?

KurtS Says:

"So, who’s their spokesperson for that demographic–Sponge Bob Square Pants?"

Good question Grasshopper.

The answer: Every swinging Tom, Dick (no pun intended), and Harry militant, homosexual activist.

That's who.

The answer: Every swinging Tom, Dick (no pun intended), and Harry militant, homosexual activist.

I didn't realize they invited those guys into grade school for "show-and-tell".
Otherwise, can't the parents adequately control their source of influence?
Sorry for the total OT; but where's the burden of proof that kids are remotely interested in adult's sex lives, straight or no?
Again, sorry--stupid tangent. :P

Why we are on the brink of a good advance(s) in energy technology

Remember MEG (Motionless Electromagnetic Generator)? I have faith in perpetual energy.

Please remember, it is unlawful to hunt Realtors within 200 yards of a BMW dealership.

Why are dead Realtors buried 12 feet in the ground?
Because deep down, they are honest and trustworthy.

Why we are on the brink of a good advance(s) in energy technology

http://futurist.typepad.com/

"The Futurist", from what I've read, is pretty much nothing more than intellectualized wishes about the future. Most of the arguments are either outright logically invalid, based on errant data, or dependent upon flawed models. I won't even bother reading any more of these links. This author could be well served by repeating his 5th grade science class.

QED:
Many people are pessimistic, after the lack of progress over the last 30+ years. However, I am still optimistic, as the complex cocktail of accelerating, exponential innovation, market forces, and renewed political interest in this is building a head of steam in this field. I have commented recently on why $70 oil is good for America.

His article about $70 oil ignores very basic macroeconomic realities, not to mention basic market truisms about globally priced commodities. And, what exactly is "complex cocktail of accelerating, exponential innovation, market forces"??? Sounds like a two-bit way to say "things will get better, I can feel it".

"..what is left on the Anger thread.." - ajh

How does one navigate to the Anger thread?

I would like to post things like "Regression analyses on the Keebler-Palmolive model have shown that a 37% decline in RE prices contradict both the Bernanke Flipper hypothesis and the NAR estimate for Q1 of '06," or "The assertion that the NorCal condo market is 43% over-valued is supported by the Bubblicious Dirigible Theorem, a widely alluded to but not so widely understood metric," but alas I don't possess the education in economics.

"Randy H seems like a chronically pessimistic loser. Well, that is typical of liberal faggots.
He is even bothered by ‘The Futurist’, for Chrissake… " --Peter K.

Huh?

@Peter K, Michael Holliday & Barnum:

Letterman's Top Ten Signs You're A Gay Cowboy

10. "Your saddle is Versace"

9. "Instead of 'Home On The Range', you sing 'It's Raining Men'"

8. "You enjoy ridin', ropin', and redecoratin'"

7. "Sold your livestock to buy tickets to 'Mamma Mia'"

6. "After watching reruns of 'Gunsmoke', you have to take a cold shower"

5. "Native Americans refer to you as 'Dances With Men'"

4. "You've been lassoed more times than most steers"

3. "You're wearing chaps, yet your 'ranch' is in Chelsea"

2. "Instead of a saloon you prefer a salon"

1. "You love riding, but you don't have a horse"

I had another discussion with a friend today who told me that SF can never come down!

Some people live in a bubble. We should not try to disturb them. Let them have a sweet dream for now. Reality will not be too kind in the coming months.

Damn, I missed the troll again. And this one was directed at me, apparently. Being called a liberal for daring to evoke neo-classical macroeconomic theory? (which is quintessentially conservative last I checked) Interesting. Perhaps a little less KSFO and a little more reading would help this poster out a little.

Perhaps a little less KSFO and a little more reading would help this poster out a little.

KSFO the airport or KSFO the radio station?

I know little about neo-classical macroeconomic theory and I am not a liberal, but the trollish comment needed to be deleted because I did not like it.

I know little about neo-classical macroeconomic theory and I am not a liberal, but the trollish comment needed to be deleted because I did not like it.

Also, how could I allow personal attacks against you. ;)

Thank God you’re on a lease and don’t “own”! Now imagine spending every waking moment trying to “improve” your property just so the “realt-whore” (I just love saying that) can help the potential buyer step over bums to show them your lovely home. That’d be greaaat, yeah. I put up with dirtbag neighbors for years, make sure you have a buddy wait by the moving van (just in case).

Yes, otherwise we would be stuck for a long, long time.

However, some will argue that being a homeowner allows one to make improvements to the home. I guess one can line his home with Kevler(tm) just to be safe. :)

I had no idea your neighborhood was THAT bad! I guess most Oregonians come down to visit relatives or on business and natives keep showing us all the glitzy places?

Perhaps I exaggerated a little bit. :)

But I am definitely trying to escape from San Jose.

Everything I know about asset bubbles I learned from my older brother who was fond of chewing gum and rocking out to Smashing Pumpkins. He would work up a wad of Bubblicious Watermelon Wave¹ and the bubble would grow until his face disappeared. Finally it would rupture, leaving a sticky goo on his eyebrows and chin. There you have a perfect model for the Housing Bubble.

¹ Not an endorsement of the Cadbury Adams Bubblicious product line²
² Not an endorsement of Cadbury Schweppes PLC [Symbol CSG]³
³ Before deciding to invest you should carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and favorite flavor of Bubblicious¹

"buyers that have the money for a custom YOU dreamed up and built will, more often than not, buy land and build the custom THEY dream up."

Good point. I used to ride motorcycles (before my risk/return rationality took over) and there is a similar situation with motorcycles. You see you can "bling out" and customize a motorcycle by purchasing and adding many different aftermarket parts (custom pipes, brake lights, fairings, etc.). What's interesting and kind of funny is that this "blinging" process actually DECREASES the resale value of the bike despite the fact that the "blinger" is pouring vast amounts of money into buying aftermarket parts! Anyway, it decreases resale value because it turns out most people don't agree on what makes a bike "bling" and would prefer to have stock machine that they can customize themselves!

"Don’t get overly concerned with the whole risk/reward thing (you usually don’t get far before you have to work on it again)." --DinOR

Yeah, I'll probably get another M/C again someday, but as you know those machines are a big investment in time and money and I've got a lot of stuff going on these days.

"What do you say of this article:
ETF’s Are Not A Real Asset!
http://www.gold-eagle.com/editorials_05/laird010606.html"

I didn't even read the article, but I read the excerpt and that should be enough. It is true that ETF's are not real assets, but whether or not you invest in actual gold & silver or whatever depends on just how much of a doomer & gloomer you really are.

The idea behind buying commodity ETF's or funds is that you can profit from spikes in these assets and hedge your equity and fixed income investments which are probably taking a hit if gold/silver/palladium/whatever is spiking (because the economy is likely going to shit too). But of course if you're holding shares in physical asset funds or ETF's in a portfolio of some sort, ALL of your money in there is in USD fiat currency.

So the only reason in my mind to buy physical gold or silver or whatever is if you actually think we are going to have hyperinflation, total annihilation of the US Dollar, the US Government is going to collapse, therefore causing the Economic system of the world to collapse, and everyone is screwed anyway. At that point people will come to kill you and take your physical gold unless you've already bought a vault and lots of guns. And of course at this point you are spending money to service your "investments" rather than holding something that pays you interest/dividends.

So obviously in my mind I think it is pretty ridiculous to buy actual physical commodity investments like gold or silver or whatever, but I'm not a hard-core "doomer." I think we're going to have a recession by the end of '06, early '07 at the latest. Maybe even a slight depression. I don't think this translates into the end of the world as we know it. Even if you want to factor in Peak Oil, and I know about all the possible doomsday eventualities people throw around regarding that. Recessions and depressions are a normal thing that have happened countless times throughout human history. A lot of people are going to get screwed, maybe me too, ya never know really. All you can is prepare as best as possible. For me that means being debt-free, living well below my means, investing somewhat conservatively, whatever. For others it may mean buying gold bars and sleeping with him, and if that makes them feel secure then more power to them!

Disclaimer: I don't even own a gold ETF.

"At that point people will come to kill you and take your physical gold unless you’ve already bought a vault and lots of guns." - SF Renter

That's why it makes sense to skip the commodities and just buy guns and ammo. The gun will be the Visa Card in the new society - the tool to get everthing you need by force. Show their heads just once and everything they've got is mine.

"... another form of terrorism: Ability to get NINA loans ..." -ha ha

Plumbing my deep well of ignorance, I should be disinclined to opine, but it seems to me a landslide of financial problems in the U.S.A. started with banking deregulation. Once the strict rules for consumer lending were circumvented by our highly esteemed legislators, the debt snowball got rolling and never stopped. The Fed's low interest rates only fed a fire that started years before. I don't care to speak with contempt for sheople -> sheeple -> sheepholes because the rank and file are, to some extent, victims of lender predation because the laws (eg. usury) that once protected them are toast. Mmmm toast with melted butter...