patrick.net

Sandibe,

OT, but still on the general topic of profit through deception. Apparently your "notion" of HF's profiting through the use of blatant insider trading wasn't so far-fetched after all? UBS, BofA and Bear Sterns all claim that the conduct of these individuals is in direct conflict to their written policies, and I'm fine with that.

I stand corrected sir.

PAR,

Fault lines in the Portland Metro area have been more active than usual as well, relative to yourselves of course.

Trouble in the Primeland

An NBC Dateline Exclusive?

Gin? Check!

Sleeping Bag? Check!

Saved you a trip to Home Despot, no need to thank me. :)

PAR,

Herb is a good man. The notion that "home equity" has replaced savings in the consumer's mind is frankly...... shocking!

It's still good though to hear the Fed finally gets it.

PAR,

I think astrid, Robert Cote and I are the preparedness geeks. I replaced my canned goods from Costco for my earthquake/('we'll institute martial law, not let you outside for two weeks and claim it's avian flu) kit a couple of days ago. Get lots of bottled water and things in cans that you'd being willing to eat at room temperature or you'll also need a camp stove.

After watching French news coverage of Katrina (and having a dozen people ask why our government wasn't helping people) I figure you need to be able to help yourself.

PAR,

I think you can turn off the input to your hot water heater after a big earthquake and then have 50 gallons or so of water right there.

Hmm, looting. I guess I should get a balaklava for my earthquake kit.

SFWoman,

Hmm? That's a good idea! (I'd never thought of that) but can you tell us how to convert a water heater into a "still" Mrs. Smartypants? :)

trader,

That really cuts to the core of what we're confronting in equity markets right now. Just how big a bite of the REIC meltdown sh@t sandwich are "we" going to have to eat?

This is an excellent preparedness guide, extremely thorough and thoughtful. Don't be put off by the source. Liberals can be quite sensible, especially if they're actually progressives put off by Bush's antics.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/9/9/161748/9747

Drat - I have a bunch of money in some nice CD's with Merrill Lynch. Hope they don't go under...

trader,

Short term I'm bearish too but one astute posters here explained sometime back that ultimately it's the banks that will control the REIC. Many of these mortgage houses will be defunct anyway as banks control the entire distribution channel. NAR is ALREADY fighting it by introducing legislation to mandate "minimum service standards" to keep the discounters out, fighting this with their last die'n breath.

In the end it won't matter b/c everything is trending toward "flat rate" mortgage and RE commissions! George was so convinced of this sea change in the REIC infrastructure that he is actively seeking other employment. Stick a fork in it.

The main thing you need is water.

My wife buys everything in bulk at Costco and we have a gas grill in the back yard, so as long as we have water, we should be fine.

You can use the water in the back of your toilet (as long as Surfer-X hasn't done one of his patented Upper-Tankerâ„¢''s to you!) as long as you have a way to boil it, plus the hot water trick SFWoman described. But I still need to set aside some more water in a jerrycan or something.

I have a few cases of wine in the cellar, so it could be a pretty fun party. I was here last time (1989) and it actually was a blast, even though I lived in the hood and me and my roommate were the only white guys on the block. It gave us a great chance to meet our neighbors. We were all kind of disappointed when the power went back on.

On the other hand, I am a key member of the Disaster Recovery team at work, so I would probably have to find some way to get to the office, or at least check in. I doubt that my wife, stuck home with the baby, would think too highly of that.

Checked our water stored outside in a cupboard the other day and I guess the cold weather had made the plastic containers leak - 4 out of 7 containers were empty!

Balaklava, baklava. One is to eat, one is to rob food./i>

Huh?

Did Henry Blodget and Mary Meeker also make their mama cry?

Mary Meeker made me cry.

This is an excellent preparedness guide, extremely thorough and thoughtful. Don’t be put off by the source. Liberals can be quite sensible, especially if they’re actually progressives put off by Bush’s antics.

Is a shotgun recommended?

DinOR,

Turn off the electricity and gas to the water heater, then feel the pipes on top of it and turn off the cold intake pipe (so dirty water doesn't go in).

I should probably buy paper plates and plastic cutlery for my kit. I wouldn't be able to wash dishes if the water lines broke.

astrid,

That is a good guide, and I hadn't thought about the payphone thing before. The best man at my little brother's wedding actually found a working payphone near WTC on Sept 11th and called his mother to tell her he had gotten out.

I have a BB gun. I considered getting a shotgun when I saw a mountain lion in my drive way last year, but I've been too lazy to look into building a gun safe.

"anyone know where i can find a good bricklayer for some renovations?"

Comrad DS,

If the party thought you needed such a decadent Bourgouise service to pamper your vanity, it would be provided. Now go do your socialist duty to the utmost of your abilities, with fresh enthusiasm!

Es liebe des Dictatur des Proletariats!!

SFWoman,

Oh, I'd never thought of that either? We lived out in the country for years and usually kept plenty of potable water around anyways. A friend worked at Pepsi and gave us these really neat 14.7 gal. plastic barrels that had to be thoroughly rinsed out (Mountain Dew, Pepsi "syrup" etc.).

I went down to one of those "brew your own beer" outlets (yeah we have a lot of those in OR) and they had all the spigots, gaskets etc. Years of living in the Philippines (which is like a big "camp out" anyway) prepares you mentally as well! I swear, nothing phases me any more.

“anyone know where i can find a good bricklayer for some renovations?”

Comrad DS,

If the party thought you needed such a decadent Bourgouise service to pamper your vanity, it would be provided. Now go do your socialist duty to the utmost of your abilities, with fresh enthusiasm!

Version 2, the other got stuck in moderation, possibly because of a German DDR phrase

Why am I in moderation?

All things in moderation.

"tell us how to convert a water heater into a “still” Mrs. Smartypants?"

DinOr,

Can't use the radiator from the old Buick on blocks in the front yard?

Oh, DinOR, I get it, Sorry it went right by me. You want to use your hot water heater as a still. Hmmm, I'll have to think about that. Can't you just stockpile alcohol, it would be easier?

I have a BB gun. I considered getting a shotgun when I saw a mountain lion in my drive way last year, but I’ve been too lazy to look into building a gun safe.

Yeah, I think a gun safe is important when you have young children. You can just get a pistol, which requires only a very small gun safe.

Peter P.,

You don't get to do that 'tcht-tcht' thing with a pistol. I think the 'tcht-tcht' noise is important in guns.

I like this. Real estate is local, right? Well of course, unless you are the NAR trying to polish turd-ish numbers to look nice for Bay Areans.
http://www.realtor.org/reinsights.nsf/pages/forecast?opendocument

39 straight years of real estate gains! (Well, not where you live, but if you lived averaged out...across the entire country, in every single state)

SFWoman,

"Can't you just stockpile alcohol"?

My good woman, what makes you think I haven't tried exactly that BEFORE!

Now what was that famous quote from Mark Twain.....?

IMHO we may be overstating the effectiveness of "brandishing" shootin' irons. Perhaps there was a time when rational thieves would be deterred by looking down the barrel of an "8 guage" but I fear those times have past.

My wife and daughters took like 3 years of martial arts and the instructor shared an article that said in effect a loaded weapon doesn't have the visual impact it once may have had. From REIC addicted intruders to jealous ex-boyfriends just showing them the cold blue steel isn't enough. You have to be ready to use it!

showing them the cold blue steel isn’t enough

This is why they make guns in stainless steel! Part of the SS appliance series. ;)

Once you take out that gun, there’s no going back. Just shoot first and ask question later. Any hesitation, you’ll just get killed.

I am trying to learn shooting (in order to improve focus). Any advice?

Do people regularly store/carry guns in condition 3 (loaded but unchambered) for safety? (In movies, don't they all rack the slide after drawing the weapon?) Just curious.

If you want to acquire true fire-fighting skills, there are private companies that teach you street gun fights and in-house gun fights, for $1000-3000.

Forget about carrying in the Bay Area. My home is quite safe (or is it?).

I just need to focus. I am a sagittarius, I need to shoot something. ;)

As you said (and pointed out by Art of War), the best strategy is to avoid confrontation (which I am actually very good at).

Absolutely.

RE: demolitions skills

Huh?

you know, explosives…

You mean destructive devices? I thought they are illegal for civilians.

My point (and it's real simple) is that crack addicted attackers/intruders don't use the same reasoning skills most of us do. How many times have we seen dash cam video clips of naked, bleeding and obviously disoriented people surrounded by armed law enforcement officers actually on THE ATTACK!

What more verification does any of us need?

Rick, please go prepare for your race war. Please.

DinOR Says:

> IMHO we may be overstating the effectiveness of
> “brandishing” shootin’ irons. Perhaps there was a
> time when rational thieves would be deterred by
> looking down the barrel of an “8 guage” but I fear
> those times have past.

Guns are not designed to “deter” criminals; they are designed to “kill” them…

> My wife and daughters took like 3 years of martial arts
> and the instructor shared an article that said in effect
> a loaded weapon doesn’t have the visual impact it once
> may have had. From REIC addicted intruders to jealous
> ex-boyfriends just showing them the cold blue steel isn’t
> enough. You have to be ready to use it!

Over the last 30 year I have studied Karate, Aikido and have also been involved with competitive trap, skeet and pistol shooting (5 years as a NRA slow fire pistol competitor).

I have never been in a fight (but have used a few Aikido locks on drunk stupid people), or ever been even close to using a gun for anything but target shooting.

What I have learned over the years is that you never want to play your cards (you never mention to an attacker that you have 30 years of martial arts training or a gun).

You should always try and “avoid” or “escape” from a bad situation, but if a guy breaks in to your home or has you cornered in an alley you should use your martial arts training or gun(s) to kill the guy…

depends on whose law you’re going by.

Whether you like it or not you must obey all local laws so long as you choose to live here.

Both Jesus and Socrates would agree with this.

"Guns are not designed to "deter" criminals"

Exactly. Go for "center of mass"! Better to be judged by 12, than carried by 6!

I had a buddy that worked the ER and he said they would get meth/crack addicts show up w/gun shot wounds, put them in a room and then come back to find they UP AND WALKED OUT! And you think "showing" this guy your piece is gonna slow him down? I don't think so!