From the Star Ledger:
Bill to help NJ families avoid foreclosures advances
Legislation that would create a fund to help low and moderate income families afford foreclosure prevention services was passed out of committee Thursday and can now be voted on by the entire Assembly, officials said.
The bill, which is sponsored by Assemblywoman Bonnie Watson Coleman, would establish an $800 surcharge on each foreclosure complaint filed in New Jersey, which would be used to create the Foreclosure Prevention and Neighborhood Stabilization Trust Fund within the Department of Community Affairs, a news release from the Assembly Democrats office said.
“Foreclosure involves the loss of a family’s home, which is often the family’s most valuable asset, and foreclosure undermines the stability, health and economic vitality of neighborhoods,” Watson Coleman said.
Watson Coleman said foreclosures also have a negative impact on property values in the state and cost the state millions in expenses.
If the bill becomes law, the DCA will be able to provide up to $10 million from the proposed fund to nonprofits for the purpose of maintaining or expanding foreclosure prevention programs, the bill said.
The bill was passed by the Housing and Community Development Committee Thursday in 4-1 party line vote, with one abstention.
NJ is for suckers.
And there you have it, NJ’s now got a foreclosure tax too, which means going forward, everyone in NJ is going to pay more for a mortgage to fund this. We are clearly hell-bent on screaming right to the top of the “highest % of homes in foreclosure” list.
Concerted effort? I think you give them way too much credit. It’s incompetence.
$800 surcharge to go to non-profits. Oh great, we can send it to a foundation run by the brother of some politician. I bet he pays himself a $600k salary too from his “non-profit”.
$500,000 of the raised tax revenue will go towards analysis of foreclosure data.
Tell you what, click that donate button on the top right. Or hell, don’t. I bet my analysis trumps whatever they spend $500k on.
Another sinkhole of financial and political corruption. Assume that the fugazy “conservative” Christie will sign off on this with little or no comment.
Burn the mf’er down and start over. The only solution.
DOJ will spring into action if Chuck and Larry can’t have a wedding cronut cake made at their favorite, trendy shop, or if some sportscaster uses the N word, but mortgage fraud? You’re on your own.
http://www.cnbc.com/id/101491445
What the hell is a cronut
You’re kidding right? Ask Stu….I’m sure he’s had one at some point…..
grim says:
March 17, 2014 at 8:50 am
What the hell is a cronut
The End Is Nigh (Internet JJ Hospitality Edition):
A comedian under the impression he had rented out his posh Chelsea pad to a man with family in town for a wedding returned home to a wild 0rgy, he said.
Ari Teman, 31, claimed he left his apartment keys with David Carter, 32, on Friday night and stepped out for dinner before leaving town.
When he returned to the building to grab his luggage, a rowdy s-x party featuring “Big Beautiful Women” was in the process of being shut down by building management.
“This was just so bizarre,” said Teman, who had rented his apartment via the Web site Airbnb.
“The worst part of the Internet right there was in my apartment.”
“There were all sorts of people walking out of my apartment and people coming in from the back yard. It was a huge mess.”
Teman said his apartment was trashed by a group of nearly nud5, overweight people. After the shindig was broken up, Carter was a nervous wreck in the lobby, Teman says.
“This guy had a look of horror on his face,” Teman said. “He didn’t expect to see me for a few days. He said, ‘They shut us down, man, they’re shutting it down.’ ”
Carter, however, claims he just had a small, quiet get-together and that Teman was overreacting.
“I had six people, friends and family,” Carter told The Post. “He is making a big to-do because he is being evicted.”
Carter posted on Airbnb that he wanted a place for his in-laws to stay while they were in town for a wedding, Teman claims.
“He had a verified account and he seemed legit,” Teman said. “He had three positive reviews and so I approved the deal.”
When Teman later searched Carter’s phone number on the Internet, he found the raunchy soiree involving plus-sized women advertised online as “Turn Up Part 2: The Pant!e Raid.”
One person even blasted out Teman’s Seventh Avenue address in a tweet for an “X-X FREAK FEST.”
Carter denied he had anything to do with the ad.
A web ad that was displaying information on the alleged 0rgy.
“There was no address on the advertisement and I had nothing to with it,” he said.
The professional comedian called police, but no charges were filed. He now claims he wants to move.
“I just don’t want to touch anything in there,” he said. “I threw sheets all over everything.”
Carter claimed that a little partying never hurt anyone.
“I was not arrested. I did nothing wrong,” he said.
Airbnb said in a statement that Carter has been permanently removed from its Web site and that it will work with law enforcement to get the situation resolved.
Admittedly, I do not follow trendy pastry “innovations” very closely. Really, became very uninterested after the cupcake bubble burst and everyone moved into the bacon-adjuncts – the whole industry jumped the shark when they used a krispy kreme donut for a hamburger bun. If folks really just need stupid names, whatever happened to the old standbys like sfogiatelle or rugelach?
Which, by the way, if you’ve never had chocolate rugelach from Yoichie’s Heimiche in Passaic Park, you are missing out. Rivals anything coming out of NYC.
How Rush Limbaugh appears when reconstituted through a Russian lense……
A government-backed Russian TV journalist warned that his country could turn the United States into “radioactive ash” Sunday as the Obama administration threatened action if Russia annexes Crimea in the wake of Sunday’s secession vote.
“Russia is the only country in the world that is realistically capable of turning the United States into radioactive ash,” Dmitry Kiselyov said on his weekly program.
Kiselyov — handpicked by Russian President Vladimir Putin last year to head a new state news agency — made the inflammatory remarks standing in front of a photo of a mushroom cloud.
The White House blasted the secession vote in Crimea as an illegal power grab by Russia, saying it violated both the Ukrainian constitution and international law.
In a statement, the White House noted that the referendum was held “under threats of violence and intimidation” following the Russian invasion two weeks ago, adding that Russia “has escalated its military intervention into Crimea and initiated threatening military exercises on Ukraine’s eastern border.”
“Russia’s actions are dangerous and destabilizing,” the statement said.
In the Crimean capital of Simferopol, fireworks exploded and cheering crowds waved Russian flags after the polls closed late Sunday. With half the ballots counted, the head of the referendum committee, Mikhail Malyshev, said more than 95 percent of voters had opted to secede and join Russia.
Kiselyov speaks on Russian TV with a mushroom cloud behind him.
Crimea’s pro-Russia prime minister, Sergei Aksyonov, said the Crimean parliament would meet Monday to formally ask for annexation by Russia. Russian lawmaker Vladimir Zhirinovsky said annexation could take as few as three days, Interfax reported.
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) called the crisis “the ultimate result of a feckless foreign policy where no one believes in America’s strength anymore.”
Grim # 8
What is the Cronut® pastry?
The Cronut® is the unique pastry creation by Chef Dominique Ansel that many have described to be a croissant-doughnut hybrid. After its launch on May 10, 2013, Cronut® fans spanned the world from Berlin to Singapore, making it the most virally talked about dessert item in history.
To this date, Dominique Ansel Bakery in New York is the only place that sells the Cronut®, a specific product that is not to be confused with just any other croissant-doughnut hybrid. The Cronut® brand and product is a registered trademark of Dominique Ansel Bakery both in the US and internationally. Please beware of imitation items claiming affiliation with the bakery.
Already more popular than a taylor ham egg & cheese
Another &$#%¥? delayed opening. I usually love winter but this one is making me meshuggah.
[13] chifi
Recommending any defense stocks?
Home inspector for Point Pleasant, NJ. I know it was on the site a while back anyone have a recommendation?
Russia can turn US to radioactive ash……
I better get a Cronut quick. Not quite sure how it will taste with a sprinkle of radioactive ash…..
ReTrademark it as a RadioCronut
http://in.reuters.com/article/2014/03/17/ukraine-crisis-russia-kiselyov-idINDEEA2G01G20140317
I would make bets on things you believe won’t be impacted, as opposed to trying to go blow-by-blow on the whimsy of these knuckleheads…….Putin is playing these guys like a grand piano.
What I have is some beaten down materials stocks that have been pushed up….I will let them run a little more and then sell them off……
Cronut Nom Deplume says:
March 17, 2014 at 10:10 am
[13] chifi Recommending any defense stocks?
Great the Doomsday clock is now currently at 5 minutes, it was 17 minutes back 23 years ago after the Soviet Union dissolved..
I still remember my training to hide under my desk,.
1) duck under your desk
2) cover your head
3) then kiss your rear end goodbye.
Here is a good read if you want to stir up some Cold War memories.
http://www.amazon.com/Command-Control-Damascus-Accident-Illusion/dp/1594202273
“Right now, thousands of missiles are hidden away, out of sight, topped with warheads and ready to go, awaiting the right electrical signal. They are a collective death wish, barely suppressed. Every one of them is an accident waiting to happen, a potential act of mass murder. They are out there, waiting, soulless and mechanical, sustained by our denial — and they work.”
Over 60% of Crimeans consider themselves ethnic Russians, and not Ukrainians. Clearly Russia has major influence in the region, especially considering the Russian Fleet’s history at Sebastopol.
Playing devil’s advocate here, but maybe the Crimeans prefer this. If this is the case, who are we to object? These borders have been fluid for centuries. Who has claim today? The voting majority, isn’t that what democracy means?
Speaking of doomsday….
Markets
Adjustable-Rate Mortgages Make a Comeback
Mortgages Whose Rates Can Climb Resurge in Popularity
By AnnaMaria Andriotis and Shayndi Raice
Adjustable-rate mortgages, one of the main culprits of the housing crisis, are back in vogue. But banks say this time is different.
Financial groups are sweetening terms to entice customers to take out these loans, known as ARMs, whose rates can jump after a few years. Some ARMs are cheaper, when compared with fixed-rate mortgages, than they have been in more than a decade.
The tactics are reminiscent of the period before the 2008 crisis, when ARMs exploded in popularity as banks and mortgage brokers touted their low initial rates to consumers.
Now, though, financial executives say they are focusing on borrowers with strong credit who are using the loans to take out large “jumbo” mortgages—and not so-called subprime borrowers, who used the loans to stretch their buying power as far as it could go.
ARMs comprised 31% of mortgages in the $417,001-to-$1 million range that were originated during the fourth quarter of 2013, according to data prepared for The Wall Street Journal by Black Knight Financial Services, formerly Lender Processing Services, a mortgage-data and services company. That is up from 22% a year earlier and the largest proportion since the third quarter of 2008.
On mortgages of more than $1 million, 61% were ARMs, up from 56% a year earlier.
“We’re seeing a shift back to ARMs,” says Mike McPartland, head of investment finance for North America at Citi Private Bank, a unit of Citigroup Inc. “My opinion is, it’s going to continue.”
Banks are betting rates will rise high enough for them to offset any interest they give up in the first few years. Borrowers are betting rates will either stay relatively low, or that they will sell their homes before their interest adjusts higher.
Last month, Richard Herrmann of Fairfax County, Va., refinanced out of a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage with a 4.875% rate into an ARM with a fixed interest rate of 2.875% for the first five years. The loan rate resets every five years. Mr. Herrmann, a 59-year-old engineer for the U.S. military, and his wife plan to sell their home in 10 years, so they are only expecting to incur one rate reset.
“It’s always a crapshoot with an ARM,” said Mr. Herrmann. “This seemed to be the best compromise.”
While lenders say this time they are employing tough lending guidelines and focusing on top-rated borrowers, there are signs they are broadening the pool of eligible customers.
Some smaller lenders such as credit unions are targeting retirees and other borrowers who are looking for superlow rates. And banks increasingly are offering interest-only ARMs, which require customers to make payments only on the interest for as long as 10 years, and which were among loans that caused problems for subprime borrowers during the crisis.
Bank of America Corp. and Citigroup say they have been originating more interest-only mortgages over the past year through their wealth-management and private-banking divisions.
The loans were last popular during the housing bubble and were fingered as a cause for many foreclosures, though the banks say they are only approving borrowers with excellent credit who can afford the principal and interest payments on such loans.
Citi Private Bank says about half of the ARMs it is originating are interest-only, and the Bank of New York Mellon Corp.’s wealth-management group says most clients who sign up for ARMs receive the interest-only feature.
Mortgage originations have been down across the industry, following a decline in refinancing activity after interest rates began rising last year.
“It’s only natural in this part of the cycle…that the banks are starting to rethink their conservatism,” said Todd Hagerman, an analyst at brokerage firm Sterne, Agee & Leach Inc. “There are ways that they can loosen the lending standards to generate more growth yet keep a pretty tight rein such that the risk profile of the company is not changing overnight.”
Many banks hold ARMs on their books rather than sell them to government-backed finance firms, as they often do with more conventional mortgages. That means that when the loans’ rates eventually reset, they stand to reap the benefits of larger interest payments from borrowers.
ARMs accounted for 37.1% of mortgages held on banks’ books during the fourth quarter of 2013, up from 35.8% in the same period a year earlier and 31.9% two years prior, according to Inside Mortgage Finance, a trade publication. It is the largest share since 2009.
The surge in ARMs comes seven years after the start of the housing crisis, when rising payments left borrowers at risk of falling behind on their loans or losing their homes. Between 22% and 25% of subprime ARMs were in foreclosure each quarter from the start of 2009 through 2011, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.
Subprime borrowers traditionally have been defined as those with credit scores below 620.
Relaxed lending standards—which included loans to subprime borrowers and the sale of riskier products such as ARMs—were a leading cause of the financial crisis. When the U.S. economy tanked in early 2008, many homeowners with ARMs saw the value of their homes drop at the same time their payments were rising.
The profile of an average ARM borrower has changed substantially since then. The average credit score for borrowers who took out ARMs in the fourth quarter of 2013 was 762, compared with 693 in the same period in 2006, according to Black Knight Financial.
Banks are “making these loans primarily to borrowers who are well-heeled, so that reduces the risk enormously,” said Stuart Feldstein, president of SMR Research Corp., a mortgage-research firm in Hackettstown, N.J.
Certain types of risky loans have largely disappeared, such as so-called option ARMs, which allowed borrowers to make small monthly payments that could lead to a rising loan balance.
The average rate on one type of jumbo ARM was 2.91% for the week that ended March 7, or about 1.5 percentage points lower than for the 30-year fixed-rate jumbo, according to mortgage-info website HSH.com. That difference, which has mostly held since November, is the largest since 2003.
Rates on some of the most popular ARMs can increase by a maximum of six percentage points after the fixed-rate period ends, depending on how high their benchmark rate rises.
Yeah I don’t really understand why we need to be involved at all. Maybe we can be involved in a peace broker type role, war is not good for anyone. Is there some strategic reason why the Ukraine should not give up the Crimea that I don’t understand? And who knew McCain was such a warmonger….
22.grim says:
March 17, 2014 at 11:57 am
Over 60% of Crimeans consider themselves ethnic Russians, and not Ukrainians. Clearly Russia has major influence in the region, especially considering the Russian Fleet’s history at Sebastopol.
Playing devil’s advocate here, but maybe the Crimeans prefer this. If this is the case, who are we to object? These borders have been fluid for centuries. Who has claim today? The voting majority, isn’t that what democracy means?
@Gothamist: NYC Hunger Crisis Worsens With 1.4 Million New Yorkers Now Relying On Food Charity http://t.co/CmFSHiXss1
Military bases and gas fields.
yes, let’s concentrate on domestic issues. let’s declare war on poverty and inequality
22.grim says:
March 17, 2014 at 11:57 am
Over 60% of Crimeans consider themselves ethnic Russians, and not Ukrainians. Clearly Russia has major influence in the region, especially considering the Russian Fleet’s history at Sebastopol.
Playing devil’s advocate here, but maybe the Crimeans prefer this. If this is the case, who are we to object? These borders have been fluid for centuries. Who has claim today? The voting majority, isn’t that what democracy means?
Not really a NJ real estate question…
But has anyone purchased a Condo / Townhome in Western Florida? A family member is thinking of moving down there, and generally Condo / Town-home screams danger to me, but the information they are presenting seems surprisingly OK.
The HOA fees are reasonable, less then 100 a month. Taxes are less then 2K a year. Unit prices in general are low.
With Florida clearing out the foreclosure pipe-line and in general recovering fairly well, my normal concerns do not seem to apply.
What concerns would you have about Condo’s in Florida?
Anon [27];
let’s declare war on poverty
LBJ already tried that, 50 years ago to be precise. We now spend $800 B a year on ‘fighting poverty’. To be kind, that war hasn’t exactly gone as hoped —
— or in Twitter-speak so you can understand it: #EpicFail.
http://budget.house.gov/waronpoverty/
Let’s declare war on laws that restrict individual freedom and free markets.
27.anon (the good one) says:
March 17, 2014 at 12:44 pm
yes, let’s concentrate on domestic issues. let’s declare war on poverty and inequality
I’d rather declare war on old infrastructure, maybe in a WPA style program where people in poverty would be given the opportunity to learn a new trade in an apprenticeship.
Dem0crats have no desire to defeat poverty and dependence. They need an endless pool of
foolsvoters to advance their personal interests funded by those with hard-earned means.Property & Casualty Insurance for home and auto…….
A Home Buyer says:
March 17, 2014 at 12:57 pm
Not really a NJ real estate question…
But has anyone purchased a Condo / Townhome in Western Florida? A family member is thinking of moving down there, and generally Condo / Town-home screams danger to me, but the information they are presenting seems surprisingly OK.
The HOA fees are reasonable, less then 100 a month. Taxes are less then 2K a year. Unit prices in general are low.
With Florida clearing out the foreclosure pipe-line and in general recovering fairly well, my normal concerns do not seem to apply.
What concerns would you have about Condo’s in Florida?
I’m declaring war on ChiFi.
“You’re kidding right? Ask Stu….I’m sure he’s had one at some point…..”
And no, I never had a real one. I tried a ShopRite knock off that Gator brought home once (I’m sure it was on super sale) and it was pretty much a flaky donut not dissimilar to elephant ears.
Chifi –
Can you expand on that? My understanding is that its just insurance on Property (like we have around here) and for “at fault” incidents.
Why is that an issue?
If Hawaii took a vote to become part of Japan and it passed, would you accept the result? Also, what if the people who would otherwise choose to remain part of the U.S. did not vote because their feared reprisals?
In terms of what Russia is doing, if the U.K. had the might and gumption to expropriate Manhattan, Cairo, South Africa, Australia, HK…..would you just let them do it? Even if the local populations supported it?
Street Justice says:
March 17, 2014 at 12:27 pm
Yeah I don’t really understand why we need to be involved at all. Maybe we can be involved in a peace broker type role, war is not good for anyone. Is there some strategic reason why the Ukraine should not give up the Crimea that I don’t understand? And who knew McCain was such a warmonger….
22.grim says:
March 17, 2014 at 11:57 am
Over 60% of Crimeans consider themselves ethnic Russians, and not Ukrainians. Clearly Russia has major influence in the region, especially considering the Russian Fleet’s history at Sebastopol.
Playing devil’s advocate here, but maybe the Crimeans prefer this. If this is the case, who are we to object? These borders have been fluid for centuries. Who has claim today? The voting majority, isn’t that what democracy means?
A Home Buyer says:
March 17, 2014 at 1:22 pm
Chifi – Can you expand on that? My understanding is that its just insurance on Property (like we have around here) and for “at fault” incidents.
Why is that an issue?
I’m no expert…..but here…
http://blog.al.com/wire/2013/06/gulf_coast_residents_crumble_u.html
Oblama on the phone with Putin: “But… But… Vlad, I don’t understand, I have flexibility now! Aw, c’mon, I thought we were BFF!”
To be clear….I’m not saying this WILL be a problem. I am just directing you to something that COULD be a hidden cost. This is the point of your question, yes?
http://www.thrillist.com/eat/nation/sick-of-cronuts-here-are-the-10-new-breakthrough-pastry-hybrids
Croissant + Muffin = Cruffin
Danish + Bagel = Dangel
Doughnut + Toaster Streudel = Doughster Streunut
Kouign-Amann + Scone = Scouign-Amone
Pie + Cake = Pake
Sfogliatelle + Croquembouche = Sfogembouchatelle
Profiterole + Mille-Feuille = Prolle-Fitereuille
Baklava + Waffle = Wafklavle
Hamantaschen + Cannoli = Hannoli
Cookie + Doughnut = Dookie
39 – Chifi
Yes, that is the point of my fishing expedition. I didn’t mean for my response to come across as accusatory if that is how it sounded.
I wasn’t sure why that was a “potential” problem (ie. if the state was lawsuit happy, vandalism or destruction). Your second post clarifies the concerns about storms causing rising premiums.
Thank you.
combo of kielbasa & pierogi?
grim says:
March 17, 2014 at 1:30 pm
http://www.thrillist.com/eat/nation/sick-of-cronuts-here
Now you’re talking!!!
“grim says:
March 17, 2014 at 1:07 pm
I’d rather declare war on old infrastructure, maybe in a WPA style program where people in poverty would be given the opportunity to learn a new trade in an apprenticeship.”
Too bad the unions would never let that happen.
Well said. War on poverty pretty much solved nothing. Great attempt, but sad conclusion.
My two cents, it’s a total waste of time to attack poverty if you are participating in a capitalist society. It comes with the system. Can’t have the definition of rich without the existence of poor. Trying to eliminate poverty in a capitalist system is the definition of “waste of time”. Sad but true.
“Anon [27];
let’s declare war on poverty
LBJ already tried that, 50 years ago to be precise. We now spend $800 B a year on ‘fighting poverty’. To be kind, that war hasn’t exactly gone as hoped —
Despite trillions of dollars in spending, poverty is widespread:
• In 1965, the poverty rate was 17.3 percent. In 2012, it was 15 percent.2
• Over the past three years, “deep poverty” has reached its highest level on record.3
• About 21.8 percent of children live below the poverty line.
– or in Twitter-speak so you can understand it: #EpicFail.
http://budget.house.gov/waronpoverty/“
Condo risk is all the same
How many unit owners are in arrears?
Any units entering bk?
How much is reserve fund?
If reserve fund is low does building have a lot of upcoming work? If so that is a problem. If work just done no big deal
Any history of assessments?
Is flood insurance included in the maint? Some condos cheap out and only do homeowners?
Does condo have an outstanding loan?
Do they have a good board and what do owners think about building.
Also little tail tale signs of property being run down shows how buildings finances are?
Some condos are amazing, Some condos suck. Unlike a house you are tied to neighbors for better or worse.
Finally, unlike coops it is much harder to collect arrears in a condo. They could be in arrears several years then declare bk and bank takes back unit and poof. In Florida I think bank is liable for up to one year back maint.
Condos are kinda like marriage. You new wife have rich parents and sisters and brothers is better than deadbeats who will be hitting you up for money one day
36 – I know what you mean but, I have to say, I would gladly give Manhattan to the UK.
ChiFi [42];
combo of kielbasa & pierogi?
Timely — http://pdinner.com/
Michael [45];
Well said. War on poverty pretty much solved nothing. Great attempt, but sad conclusion.
Great attempt? O RLY? Whatever…
It sounds like you’re on board to cut $800B from the budget, then. Pat yourself on the back, you just solved the federal deficit…
[44] grim,
Massachusetts of all places tried something called workfare, which was also being pushed in the UK. Unions beat it into dust
http://www.thecrimson.com/article/1982/3/16/final-version-of-workfare-regulations-to/
Borscht. Nectar of the Devil. My parents used to make me eat that purple mess way too often in my adolescence.
[36] street
If Di blasio is still in charge, the UK might not want it.
[38] eddie
Obama is showing Putin that he is flexible now.
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ7Xsqg5zuUBpl1__dLE9dhxOYBgapbQW0RSaSstYns3o_6F5cD
Speaking of War on Poverty, I recently started reading The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. It’s a public domain document and therefore free to those who want it. He was very politically incorrect. He was born poor and struggled to support himself for years, mostly through hard work and thrift in his early years. And he repeatedly noted how people who failed to improve their material situation in life had generally caused their own suffering through vices like idleness, drink, bad temper, willful ignorance, etc. Franklin started his own “war on poverty” via the publication of “Poor Richard’s Almanack”, which became a best seller in the American colonies, combining calendar and weather information with self-help advice and humor. Never did I see him dream that somehow government or society was to blame for their state. Instead he gave encouragement that today would be considered hate speech by today’s politicians and sociologists:
All things are easy to Industry, all things difficult to Sloth.
Rather go to bed supperless than run in debt for a breakfast.
Diligence overcomes Difficulties, Sloth makes them.
Prodigality of Time produces Poverty of Mind as well as Estate.
Pardoning the Bad, is injuring the Good.
Dally not with other Folks’ Women or Money.
Having been poor is no shame, but being ashamed of it, is.
Plough deep while Sluggards sleep; and you shall have Corn to sell and to keep.
I certainly don’t agree with all of Franklin’s views, but he was remarkably optimistic about the ability of people to help themselves with diligence, and harm themselves with the opposite. And this was in an age when the access of the poor to information and books (and thus self-improvement via education) was dramatically lower than is the case today. The difference is that today’s leading intellectuals tell everyone lacking something that nothing is your fault, that it’s always someone else to blame: society, corporations, Koch brothers, etc.
#46…JJ has it right, after being on the Condo Board and having successfully sued and enforced performance from the original builder and having successfully sued NJ and related parties for tax assessments and dealt with Mortgage Rental ratios, re-assessments, special assessments, reserves, warranty issues with roofing, etc…there is a lot involved. Plus, my rule, like apartments, you are always subject to the stupidest person in your particular building regarding fire/flood, etc.
Be careful!
Thanks JJ & 1987.
That is a nice list of things to pass on. Sounds like most / if not all can be overcome with Due Diligence and Reinforced Concrete Walls.
blow + smack = speedball
Stick with the classics. They never disappoint.
Ragnar (54)-
Were Ben Franklin alive today, he’d be smeared by the DNC, rejected by the Tea Party, pilloried by all the media and prolly marginalized to the same niche occupied by Ron Paul.
Any advocate of individual effort and self-improvement flies in the face of the rethugs and dumbos’ efforts to shape malleable parasite constituencies in order to curry influence and win elections.
Of course, Franklin’s autobiography is largely a satire.
http://www.benfranklin300.org/_etc_pdf/AnatomyofAnAutobiography.pdf
@ActingAnEejit: That type of gun is illegal in Ireland as we’re not fukcing morons.
RT @NRA Happy St. Patrick’s Day from the NRA! http://t.co/BM1W02bKk2
28 Home Buyer:
Ask to see the minutes of the condo association meetings. Many of the things others have brought up will come to light there. And your comment about reinforced concrete walls (ceilings and floors too) is spot on. I don’t know how you check for that but I can tell you from first hand experience that the soundproofing in some condo complexes, especially between ceilings and floors, is non-existent.
http://www.thebryancrabtreeshow.com/realtors-sexcapades-in-their-clients-home/
rosC0Z nlvqdidmqtng, [url=http://gilbuzbcpazr.com/]gilbuzbcpazr[/url], [link=http://nvmwzyvdchxh.com/]nvmwzyvdchxh[/link], http://nujxoezmerva.com/
In your hypotheticals, you’re referencing part of the U.S. In the current situation, the US is not directly involved. I think that’s the main driver behind Brian’s point.
chicagofinance says:
March 17, 2014 at 1:22 pm
If Hawaii took a vote to become part of Japan and it passed, would you accept the result? Also, what if the people who would otherwise choose to remain part of the U.S. did not vote because their feared reprisals?
In terms of what Russia is doing, if the U.K. had the might and gumption to expropriate Manhattan, Cairo, South Africa, Australia, HK…..would you just let them do it? Even if the local populations supported it?
Street Justice says:
March 17, 2014 at 12:27 pm
Yeah I don’t really understand why we need to be involved at all. Maybe we can be involved in a peace broker type role, war is not good for anyone. Is there some strategic reason why the Ukraine should not give up the Crimea that I don’t understand? And who knew McCain was such a warmonger….
22.grim says:
March 17, 2014 at 11:57 am
Over 60% of Crimeans consider themselves ethnic Russians, and not Ukrainians. Clearly Russia has major influence in the region, especially considering the Russian Fleet’s history at Sebastopol.
Playing devil’s advocate here, but maybe the Crimeans prefer this. If this is the case, who are we to object? These borders have been fluid for centuries. Who has claim today? The voting majority, isn’t that what democracy means?
“war is not good for anyone”
War is immensely profitable and GREAT for those in the right places. War is a racket.
“McCain…”
Can’t imagine any conflict he hasn’t endorsed joining (Graham too)
Street Justice says:
March 17, 2014 at 12:27 pm
Yeah I don’t really understand why we need to be involved at all. Maybe we can be involved in a peace broker type role, war is not good for anyone. Is there some strategic reason why the Ukraine should not give up the Crimea that I don’t understand? And who knew McCain was such a warmonger….
Problem is that Hawaii was never part of Japan, nor is it in a region where the borders changed significantly in the past 500 years.
Ukraines right to the territory is less than 50 years old. Hell even the Ukraine government views crimea as a some sort of indepently governed area.
“Can’t have the definition of rich without the existence of poor.”
It’s relative. 50% of the population will always be below the median.
Also, your statements ignore the possibility of both parties benefiting in a transaction which often happens within voluntary exchange.
Michael says:
March 17, 2014 at 2:22 pm
Well said. War on poverty pretty much solved nothing. Great attempt, but sad conclusion.
My two cents, it’s a total waste of time to attack poverty if you are participating in a capitalist society. It comes with the system. Can’t have the definition of rich without the existence of poor. Trying to eliminate poverty in a capitalist system is the definition of “waste of time”. Sad but true.
My biggest issue with the Crimean crisis is that I don’t believe it possible to find unbiased reporting of the situation. Everyone involved appears to have an agenda. So what’s the truth?
U.S. based business news reporting……especially the editorials….
Maybe Tim Seymour who often appears on CNBC…..I don’t follow him closely, but he worked on the ground in Moscow for several years and probably is as straight shooting as possible, but that said, I don’t necessarily agree with many of his investment themes….
http://emergingmoney.com/
Grim says:
March 17, 2014 at 9:20 pm
My biggest issue with the Crimean crisis is that I don’t believe it possible to find unbiased reporting of the situation. Everyone involved appears to have an agenda. So what’s the truth?
How about this one?
GLOBAL VIEW
Stephens: How Obama ‘Gets Things Done’
We need a president who rarely thinks and never speaks about how he looks in jeans.
Maybe Barack Obama should have given Zach Galifianakis an off-ramp, like the one he keeps trying to offer Vladimir Putin. Those were some pretty barbed lines the president unloaded on the comic actor last week in their semi-parodic “Between Two Ferns” interview.
In case you’re wondering why I’m writing about this—well, I am too. A Malaysian jetliner has vanished into thin air, while Russia has completed its seizure of Crimea and may yet invade other parts of Ukraine. Serious stuff, you might say. But the big story of last week as far as the president is concerned is his appearance alongside the star of “The Hangover” movies, the guy who last year smoked a joint live on the Bill Maher show.
“Zach actually was pretty nervous,” Mr. Obama later told Ryan Seacrest, the”American Idol” impresario, in a radio interview. “His whole character is to go after the guest and I think he was looking around and seeing all these Secret Service guys and thinking, ‘I wonder what happens here if I cross a line?’
“But we had a great time.”
Incidentally, I quote these lines from the Us Weekly report of the Seacrest interview. Us magazine is where I go for my political news these days. The online article also had a link to a photo gallery of Mr. Obama hanging out with various celebrities, like Justin Bieber. “What’s up, my dude!” the Canadian teen star says to the president of the United States. “What’s up, Biebs!” the president of the United States answers back.
In fairness, this was before Biebs’s Miami DUI. In fairness, also, the president does important work. Just the other day, he was photographed standing by his Oval Office desk, casually dressed in jeans, speaking to Vladimir Putin on the phone. The president had been savaged by Sarah Palin “as one who wears mom jeans and equivocates and bloviates.”
Retorted Mr. Obama: “The truth is, generally I look very sharp in jeans.” The sole exception, he added, “was one episode like four years ago in which I was wearing some loose jeans, mainly because I was out on the pitcher’s mound and I didn’t want to feel confined while I was pitching.”
Thanks for clearing that up, Mr. President.
In the meantime, Mr. Obama is imposing the sanctions he had previously threatened on Russia in the event Mr. Putin went ahead with his Black Sea conquests. “These are by far the most comprehensive sanctions applied to Russia since the end of the Cold War—far and away so,” crowed one administration official to reporters.
By which the White House means a total of seven Russians and four Ukrainians. The sanctions were so light that one of the intended targets, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, instantly spat back his contempt in a tweet: “Comrade Obama, what should those who have neither accounts nor property abroad do? Or maybe you didn’t think of that?”
Maybe he did, maybe he didn’t: Even now the unanswered question about Mr. Obama’s personality is whether his insouciance is a mask for ideology, ignorance, or simple indifference. When the president goes before the cameras to announce tough sanctions, and the sanctions are not only not tough but laughably weak, what’s going through his head?
Should he be wearing loose jeans more often so he can feel less confined geopolitically?
Alternatively, the president might consider rearranging his work schedule. Last year came the news that Mr. Obama was unaware of the problems plaguing his health-care website until after its rollout and that he never once had a private meeting with Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius between July 2010 and November 2013. How does something like that happen?
An answer of sorts comes in an article by Sean Blanda on “How Barack Obama Gets Things Done” on the 99U website. The president, Mr. Blanda reports, wakes up at seven o’clock. He works out 45 minutes a day every day, not including his regular basketball games. He watches a lot of “SportsCenter.” Dinner each night with his family. To limit “decision fatigue,” he likes to set policy via memos where he can check the box on “agree,” “disagree,” or “let’s discuss.”
What do I take away from all this?
The obvious: A cavalier foreign policy by an inattentive president that elicits the contempt of the people it intends to punish ultimately encourages their aggression as well.
The less obvious: We need a fat president. Or at least one who rarely thinks and never speaks about how he looks in jeans. And one who doesn’t spend his day testing his wits against a Hollywood stoner or bantering with Ryan Seacrest while a European ally is being pummeled by Russia. And one who would rather spend his time working than working out, even if it means putting on a few pounds. And one who can pitch from the mound and reach home plate. However confined.
Barack Obama is probably the coolest president this country will ever have. But with Vladimir Putin trying to step on the West’s throat, I’ll take President Mom Jeans any day.
But my heart sank that day. My defiant sense of style had attracted attention, sure, but not from the ones I wanted. My classmates still more or less ignored me, by now used to my quiet, bookish mannerisms and dress. Stores and distribution expense for the fiscal year was $1.888 billion, or 45.4% of net sales. Excluding charges for impairments and write downs of store related long lived assets of $82.7 million and charges related to store closures and lease exits of $19.0 million, stores and dis
works in firefox, but not working in crome.