patrick.net

Shrek is right on taxes -

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/promise/515/no-family-making-less-250000-will-see-any-form-tax/

The only thing he didn't say is "Read my lips" which we were bludgeoned with over and over again in the '92 campaign. I can still hear the remix in my head "Read my lips...Read my lips...Read my lips...No new taxes". Ahh, back in the day when MTV actually had music videos...

That article was quite an assortment of hodgepodge(awesome opportunity to use that word). If you're still arguing liberals vs conservatives you're caught in a time warp, and have missed the boat. It's rich vs poor, powerful vs weak, and it's not hard to tell which side most of us are on. So whether you believe Obama is a US Citizen, or Palin slept her way to the top, it really doesn't matter.

While you're busy arguing the "finer points" of made up terms used to divide and distract us, the "powers that be" are busy stealing your savings, kicking you out of your house, and drugging your food(maybe not the last one, but they sure want control of it, S510)

So let me know how being "liberal" or "conservative" worked out for you when your broke, homeless, and eating government cheese.

Deflation Nation: Excluding food and energy costs, prices were flat for a third straight month and the increase from a year ago of 0.6 percent was the smallest since records started in 1957.

Tude, Thanks for the field report. It seems to mesh well with MS and CS data -- as well as Roberto's pancake theory. Something's gotta give; will be interesting to see what that something is...

Tude says

Bap33 says

Asking prices don’t mean squat to any BUYER using their head to make a purchase. Banks do not loan based on asking prices of other units. Taxes are not based on asking prices. Asking prices are candycane dreams. Unicorns. Vapor. Pixie Dust.

Sorry, but I am on the ground and until a couple weeks ago was actively looking with a pre-approval. I can tell you that in Contra Costa and Alameda County, CA, buyers are not using their heads, houses are selling fast in the areas I am looking at in the 300-500k range, many for asking or over asking.

welp .. tell ya what, those folks that are buying a house to live in, well ... they are leaving a house that they live in ... so, one must ask, are they jumpers or waiters?? Lets figure it to be a 50:50 split. That means that jumpers are putting top-end homes in the system, and taking your cheese because it looks easy to them. Don't sweat it, that McMansion they just walked from will be yours for the price they just gave for the cottage you wanted. Fear not ... reality bites. The biggest mistake you could make is litening to some REwhore telling you "the market is hot .... cant keep inventory .... your target market is the hottest one ... blah fucking blah, it is all bullshit.

I think it's a pretty good way to test out a cook and/or business relationship. Those things can make insane money too, super low overhead and people flock to them, especially if you park in the right places. If you get a following, they'll just come to you.

Yeah that ignore feature is great. All of a sudden threads that appeared to be full of crap turn back into interesting conversations.

The nice thing about those restaurants that serve only food and not ambiance is that you never need to worry about losing the ambiance. I'm betting the "casual fine dining" must make a fortune, but if you lose your crowd, even for a short period it must be just deadly to get it back. I had friends who owned clubs and that was the nightmare they dealt with every few months. The crowd would change gears and move on and once you lose a critical mass, everything goes.

I still think the roach coaches are probably a great way to get started in the business. Such low over head, and startup costs. All take out foods. If your location isn't working for you, move to a better one. Try out a few. Although you've got a very narrow window to serve food in. Probably 2 hours, from 11:30-1:30.

Nomograph says

If you hit the “ignore” button he magically goes away.

Liberals love censorship. If they can't debate with a conservative, they hit the ignore button, cry "MOMMY" and run away. Pretty sad when you think about it. LOL

shrekgrinch says

tatupu70 says

Nice strawman. That was not his campaign at all.

Maybe not on Planet Moronity. But for those of us on Planet Reality, it was all that.
Hopey Changemas, everyone!
And now…a word from Tatu’s sponsor, Peggy Joseph:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P36×8rTb3jI

I'm glad you are so proud of yourself, but you are still wrong, of course. Obama never campaigned that he would "fix everything". No politician would ever say that. I know you like hyperbole and strawmen arguments--it's a favorite trick of AM radio. Unfortunately, most on Patnet can see through such nonsense easily which is why you feel like you are attacked.

shrekgrinch says

4) With only 5 minutes or so on Google, shrekgrinch proves that Obama in fact did raise taxes.

Don't break your arm patting yourself on the back. In total taxes went down for most Americans. I paid less last year, expect it to be similarly low this year. Maybe you should recheck your returns.

That’s all the rage right now, but food fads have a steep upward and downward curve.
I suppose a couple of deaths (or bad cases of food poisoning) may put a damper on things, but I think the gourmet trucks are a direct response to the RE bubble and unaffordable commercial rents. Secondly, they are enabled by social media (which didn't exist previously), and thirdly, they are part of the entrepreneurial trends that SFAce mentioned.

I believe Obama said as a candidate that HIS PLAN would not raise taxes. There's a difference there.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8erePM8V5U

Then he became President. Congress passed some bills for example raising tobacco tax, and he did sign those into law. Not part of his original plan perhaps, but that's politics.

I don't expect all "pledges" from candidates to all be considered legally binding after they are in office. It's not that they are all evil, it's that once you are in office the situation may dictate you have to change your plans. You may have to....gah!... compromise! Personally I'm down with tobacco tax, and RayRay's "Fat Tax".

Nomograph says

My neighbor owns a nice little neighborhood Italian restaurant and he makes money hand over fist. He told me that after he finished cooking school he decided on Italian because the margin is so high. Pasta, sauce, and a little ground beef or sausage costs pennies per plate, and he can get $12.95 for it.

Mrs. Vicente is Italian and finds it hilarous Americans will pay so much for pizza and pasta. Pasta in particular is the food of the poor and is cheap over there. Americans also ALWAYS overcook their pasta into a soupy mess. Take a couple of minutes off the "al dente" number on any American package if you want it to be actually cooked right. She was also amused by what we call Alfredo sauce. She'd never heard of it, over there and in the rest of the WORLD it's called Bechamel sauce. We do go to some Italian places, but only for dishes which are tedious to prepare, not friggin spaghetti.

Fisk says

SoCal Renter says

Areas with relatively low taxes and excellent government service … will see phenomenal growth in home prices.

And when you think of such areas,
CA and particularly Bay Area is the 1st thing that obviously comes to mind.
But I agree with your general premise, so prices in Singapore may well go up.

Believe it or not, California and the Bay Area have a lot of great government services for the amount of taxes paid. Workers make more money, have better benefits, and have better legal protections than in other parts of the US. This doesn't appeal to employers of low skill wage jobs, but this is a plus to the educated highly skilled workforce. If you look at things like in-state university tuition and Prop 13, you can't find another state that even competes with the value offered by California.

The final piece you did not address. California and the Bay Area in particular are very immigrant friendly. Worldwide skilled labor pool feels welcome to make a better life in these areas. If you're a black doctor born and educated in Ethiopia, and you decide to make a better life for yourself in a new country, are you going to choose China or California?

Vicente says

Mrs. Vicente is Italian and finds it hilarous Americans will pay so much for pizza and pasta. Pasta in particular is the food of the poor and is cheap over there ...

How long has it been since Mrs. Vicente arrived from Italy?
Been to a restaurant in a major Italian city recently?
But she/you are right about overcooking pasta, I also cut it off early.

Troy,

I highly doubt that there will be a buyers' strike, cause we are so conditioned to be a home owner. I sure would like to see that happening. But there is just too much money out there. And only the rich and investors are going to buy those properties to drive up the cost of housing once again. Fine, the price of housing may go up. But again, it won't involve people like me.

So Iwack maybe right in this instance. He is a real estate agent who has nothing to do all day but to visit this website to preach something that may or may not happen. This time, my vision is not so clear like it was 6 years ago, when I foretold the impending disaster to everyone. Of course nobody listened to nobody.

I saved and waited for a good opportunity for 6 years. If Iwack is right, I may have missed an opportunity, because I simply have gotten used to waiting. Now I have about more than a few hundred thousands to sit in the banks that give me only 2% annual return. Unless Republicans is at it again, our economy will most likely recover within the next few years. Since I don't have a crystal ball this time, I think I will just keep the money in the banks just for a disaster that may never happen.

Fisk says

How long has it been since Mrs. Vicente arrived from Italy?

Been to a restaurant in a major Italian city recently?

But she/you are right about overcooking pasta, I also cut it off early.

She came here in 1997 but her family is still there. She visits and
even totes along Vicente Jr. What's your point? There's a family
restaurant on nearly any street that will serve you cheap food like
pizza or pasta at rates a student can afford. Sure there are nice
restaurants with fancy dishes that cost more, just as here.

I liked the moment in "Big Night" where Tony Shaloub has a fit
when the patrons don't want his amazing risotto they want
spaghetti with meatballs.

This line of thought awakens a dormant craving for Mozarella di Bufala.

Oil in the pasta water? Discuss.

PS - "Big Night" is a must see.

tatupu70 says

I know you like hyperbole and strawmen arguments–it’s a favorite trick of AM radio.

LOL, no one who could easily see through that would ever claim that it was a "favorite trick of AM radio," which by the nature of the accusation implies that it is not a favorite trick of the left or was not at least as prevalent on the left, including Obama himself, the king of strawman arguments.

EightBall says

Not sure where Vicente would best serve - department of justice seems appropriate.

Head of the BATF of course, duh!

Once marijuana is legalized it'll be all mine, not those DEA dimwits.

I think I'll reorder the name to BAMFT, at least it's pronounceable without spelling it every time.

Oh wait, gotta throw in regulation of Ray America's Fat Tax.

So then it becomes BAMFFT. Hmmm...

Paralithodes says

tatupu70 says

I know you like hyperbole and strawmen arguments–it’s a favorite trick of AM radio.

LOL, no one who could easily see through that would ever claim that it was a “favorite trick of AM radio,” which by the nature of the accusation implies that it is not a favorite trick of the left or was not at least as prevalent on the left, including Obama himself, the king of strawman arguments.

You need a primer on logic. Saying A does one thing does not in any way imply that A's rival doesn't do said thing.

OK, you are just delusional.

robertoaribas says

actually, a failed auction of government debt would lead to a currency crisis, not hyper inflation. The US government would have to begin shutting down, and/ or paying in IOU’s.
I would expect, that the world bank would not let an economy the size of the US shut down, if they don’t even let Greece and Ireland shutdown, and especially given the importance of the dollar in international trade.
HOWEVER: they would probably insist on sizeable cuts to government spending immediately as conditions of any loan package, so the effect would be severe. And yes, interest rates would rise along with unemployment, house prices would get slammed.

There will be no failed auction. At the last resort, Fed will cover the shortage no matter the cost to dollar exchange rate and other effects. IMF and WB cannot and will not get involved with this and demand anything of the US govt., for one because US has an effective veto power over them and WB president is an American appointed by the US govt. As said many times, Ireland and Greece borrowed in the currency not under their control, hence the problem.

What might happen (improbable but might) is that Congress will refuse to lift the debt ceiling at some point. Then even Fed couldn't help: for them to "lend", the Treasury must be able to "borrow".

world bank certainly has no assets to bail out US...nobody can US can bail out itself.

an auction can certainly fail, Feds would not be able to react in time to save it.

Chinese shifted their buying of US debt to shorter term (1-3 years), so they are posed to bail out.

investors can certainly lose faith in US Fed and Treasury, if they're going to keep up piling up debth and printing money for few more years (and there is nothing that can suggest otherwise). I already have.

sure, US default (unlikely) or massive money printing (most likely), may and probably would lead to world-wide recession and USD losing reserve currency status and maybe becoming not freely convertable, but other countries would recover soon, kick out US of free trade agreements as currency manipulator or quit themselves and set up trade barriers and will go on...

everybody would survive, some with their asset quite devaluated in real money, others not so much.

Vicente says

shrekgrinch says

4) With only 5 minutes or so on Google, shrekgrinch proves that Obama in fact did raise taxes.

Don’t break your arm patting yourself on the back. In total taxes went down for most Americans. I paid less last year, expect it to be similarly low this year. Maybe you should recheck your returns.

Yes, but he is right. Obama campaigned on NO FORMS OF TAX INCREASES so we should hold him to that. Now, if he had said our overall taxes would not increase then that would be a whole other story....I stand with politifact. PROMISE BROKEN.

========================================================

Smokers, tanning aficionados, the happily uninsured: More taxes coming at ya!
Updated: Thursday, April 8th, 2010 | By Angie Drobnic Holan

We were willing to give President Barack Obama a Compromise rating on this promise when a new cigarette tax went into effect. But the latest health care bill includes more broad-based taxes that are pushing us toward Promise Broken.

We should state at the outset that if you think Obama only meant he would not raise income taxes on people making less than $250,000, then you might think Obama is keeping his promise. The Bush tax cuts expire at the end of 2010, and Obama said he would extend those tax cuts for those making less than $250,000. We still have that promise rated In the Works. People who make more than $250,000 will likely see their taxes go up, just as Obama promised during the campaign.

But Obama's campaign rhetoric took him beyond just income taxes. "Under my plan, no family making less than $250,000 a year will see any form of tax increase. Not your income tax, not your payroll tax, not your capital gains taxes, not any of your taxes," Obama said. It's that "not any of your taxes" that is the sticking point.

The health care law that Obama signed on March 23, 2010, raises taxes on some things regardless of income. Two taxes in particular stand out. A tax on indoor tanning services begins this year. And in 2014, people will have to pay a fine, levied through their income taxes, if they don't have health insurance. Neither of these taxes are pegged to income.

Obama has made the case that the tax penalty for people who decline to buy insurance should not be considered a broken promise on taxes. If that tax, better known as the individual mandate, were the only new measure we were considering, we might be inclined to rate this a Compromise. But the fact is, if you're a happily uninsured smoker who likes to tan, you are facing a triple whammy.

Obama made many other tax promises that are rated In the Works, and may ultimately move to Promise Kept. But this promise was so broadly phrased that almost any type of revenue-generating measure could have contradicted it. We're now willing to rate it Promise Broken.

tatupu70 says

You need a primer on logic. Saying A does one thing does not in any way imply that A’s rival doesn’t do said thing.

Perhaps we can take a class together. You are partially correct. By it self, saying A does one thing does not necessarily imply that A's rival doesn't do said thing. But saying A does one thing, as a means of drawing a distinction (whether directly or indirectly) between A and A's rival, certainly may imply that A's rival doesn't do (or is less likely to do) said thing: it includes an "unstated premise" or ... as a primer on logic may call it, an enthymeme.

Your statement was...

I know you like hyperbole and strawmen arguments–it’s a favorite trick of AM radio.

Do you also like hypbole and strawman arguments in the same fashion as you accuse here (regardless of whether it comes from AM radio, Jon Stewart, President Obama, etc.)?

Maybe you were just engaging in gratuitous abuse? I would be somewhat surprised if you in particular were engaging in that, but it does seem to be something that is easy for everyone, regardless of their politics or character in real life, to do at least occasionally on chat boards.

Paralithodes says

Perhaps we can take a class together. You are partially correct. By it self, saying A does one thing does not necessarily imply that A’s rival doesn’t do said thing. But saying A does one thing, as a means of drawing a distinction (whether directly or indirectly) between A and A’s rival, certainly may imply that A’s rival doesn’t do (or is less likely to do) said thing: it includes an “unstated premise” or … as a primer on logic may call it, an enthymeme.

I think you are making large jump to infer that that statement had an unstated premise in it. It implied only that you listen to AM radio.

You think I am a liberal (I'm not) so you assume that I must be making some sort of political statement there. I think gratuitous abuse is probably closer to the truth--what fun is it to post to anonymous boards if you can't have a little fun...

tatupu70 says

I think you are making large jump to infer that that statement had an unstated premise in it. It implied only that you listen to AM radio.

To be pedantic, you implied that one likes hyperbole and strawman arguments because they listen to AM radio (which of course around here means "right-wing" radio). Yes, I do think you are generally a "liberal," but I believe you are making some sort of political statement primarily because you are engaging in a political thread.

tatupu70 says

think gratuitous abuse is probably closer to the truth–what fun is it to post to anonymous boards if you can’t have a little fun…

Fair enough and absolutely!

Meanwhile...

"Self-identified liberals and Democrats do badly on questions of basic economics."

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703561604575282190930932412.html

Clarence 13X says

1. Repeal the Bush Tax Cuts
2. Make Fair Trade a reality
3. Tax the hell out of offshoring companies
4. Tax imports from China until they play fair
5. Pull out of Afghanistan…you aint gonna find him.
6. Education Reform: Require 7-6 school days, provide single parents with a safe haven for their children.
7. Increased spending on innovation and infrastructure
8. Healthcare Reform: No preexisting clauses, reduce costs
9. Increase/Reform Social Security, welfare, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac requirements

Number 4 could very well spark a trade war, not saying I’m disagreeing with you, but everyone needs to be aware of the downside.

As for Number 5, I say stop taking half measures. If Korengal Valley is the most dangerous place in Afghanistan, a Taliban stronghold and a base for there operations. I say nerve gas the entire valley. This is war and people die in wars. If there are no safe havens for the Taliban, they will be defeated in short order. While I would agree that getting involved in Iraq was a huge mistake, I can’t say the same with Afghanistan. If our enemies remained unchecked, it’s only a matter of time before the next big terrorist attack comes.

Number 1 and 7 will cost a lot, can’t see how you can say it’s no cost to taxpayers. If you eliminate bush tax cuts, taxes will INCREASE for most tax payers. Also infrastructure improvements cost money.
Number 8 will cost more for the insurance companies, thus they will pass the costs on to there customers. If you write some laws preventing them for passing on the costs, that will only last until they are driven out of business, then the will be no insurance companies.

Number 6 will require teachers to work 6 or 7 days a week, or you will have to hire additional teachers to make up the difference. Adding even one school day a week, adds 20% to overall education costs. Guess what, BIG tax hike at the local level.

Your simple fixes to save America are not very well thought out, I glad your not running the Country. Try to at least think about what the cause and effects are before you sharing your thoughts again.

Paralithodes says

Meanwhile…
“Self-identified liberals and Democrats do badly on questions of basic economics.”
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703561604575282190930932412.html

Did you read the questions? It was BS.

tatupu70 says

Did you read the questions? It was BS.

How so?

The questions were specifically chosen to cater to one type of political leaning. Additionally, many were trick questions or open to interpretation.

eg. Minimum wage raises unemployment.

If the US had a minimum wage of $.25/day would that raise unemployment?

Free trade causes unemployment.

Are you refering to unemployment in the US or global unemployment?

It's the same problem you get with 95% of surveys...

And in actual news, Bay area house prices and sales fell in October.

"The median price of a house or condominium dropped 1.8 percent from a year earlier to $383,000, the first annual decline since September 2009."

"Sales in the nine-county Bay Area fell 23 percent to 6,122, the second-lowest tally for October since the company began keeping records in 1988."

Read more:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/11/19/BUHO1GE6LC.DTL

EBGuy says

Oil in the pasta water? Discuss.

Are you kidding? Of course. Italians put olive oil, in their olive oil. Just a teaspoon though in the pasta water. I used to get by with just a small bottle. Now that I live with an Italian, we have to buy the Costco giant size I forget it's like a 2 or 3 liter bottle. Salad dressing? Well that's olive oil too, although maybe mixed with a little something like balsamic vinegar from Modena, which is where her sister is living.

She's from Naples so of course Pizza Margherita is another home-bake favorite. Yeah we make all kinds of basic dishes at home. Carbonara, yum, just make it with bacon though it's cheap and easy nearly the same as pancetta. Pasta with tomato sauce maybe toss in some eggplant or zucchini or squash, it is cheap and easy. Gnocci however I find a pain to make so usually eat out for that.

The whole euro currency situation is designed to ensure no countries within the zone gets a free lunch, even though some of them need it at this point. Instead of fixing these countries problems, they're helping them stay alive but keeping them bleeding. In essence they have to fail eventually. All of this because the other countries don't want to pick up the load for these other countries, no matter what. They want 100% of the good benefits of a strong currency without paying the price for having that strength.

While everyone hates states who get welfare or more tax revenue than they bring in, it keeps all parts of the country strong.

I didn't say this was good for Ireland in any way. It helps the other countries by
a) Them not taking a loss on anything
b) Keeping the currency strong for the time being

Eventually Ireland will fail, along with the other countries and then the stronger countries will probably really hurt.

The states redistribute wealth to keep things level. California wouldn't default it could have it's debt taken over by the US, but they won't have any crazy rules placed on them either.

It's like living in a nice neighborhood where crime takes off. You say you aren't helping at all because you've got an alarm system, giant wall, and guns to keep your house safe. Meanwhile every other house gets broken into, and eventually you're living in the slums. You saved a few dollars by not contributing to helping everyone else out, who didn't put in place all the safety features you had, but in the end your property has dropped drastically in value. Eventually this will be the EU. With failed countries surrounding the wealthy ones, and no one trusting the currency. The wealthy ones will lose exports. They'll lose their currency strength and the whole region will be set back decades, while every other region in the world passes them.

Pinch the pennies, throw the dollars.

shrekgrinch says

Ireland needs to look after itself, just like the Icelanders did and homeowners here with brains and underwater mortgages. Ireland just needs to walk away. It is the most superior option for them compared to the alternatives.

The difference is that Iceland had and has its own currency, while Ireland use Euro and can't "walk away" without losing it. If it does, the economic consequences would likely be even worse than those of such "receivership".

shrekgrinch says

Obama’s own people admitted to this after the election.

http://www.wimp.com/dramaticeagle/

Hard liquor is where most of the stealing happens. Did they under pour? Over pour? Spill? Where did it go? Or did it not go anywhere... Did the employees buy a bottle of vodka and simply pour from that? It costs them very little for the product and now the owners don't even know it's missing. They could marry the bottles during the night, so they could be pouring from your bottles but you would never know. They don't need to do this very often to really put a dent in sales and give themselves a huge boost in earnings.

Speaking of Italian restuarants, looks like this space will be available soon. Ducky, your concept might work here as the higher end stuff doesn't seem to have the staying power.