Thanks to willwork4beer for compiling this weeks list of Hunterdon County Comp Killers!
MLS#: 2624439
312 BYRAM-KINGWOOD RD
Kingwood Twp
Purchase: 05/14/04 $465,900
Original List Price: 03/25/08 $549,900
SOLD: 01/30/09 $370,000
20.59% off the 05/04 sale price
32.72% off 03/08 OLP
MLS#: 2551061
12 Rowlands Road
Readington Twp
Purchase Price: 09/10/03 $750,000
Original List Price: 04/10/06 $917,500
SOLD: 01/29/09 $637,500
15.00% off 09/03 sale price
30.52% off 04/06 OLP
MLS#: 2577333
38 Hillside Ct
Union Twp
Purchased: 08/18/04 $182,000
Original List Price: 09/13/08 $165,000
SOLD: 01/27/09 $150,000
17.59% off 08/04 sale price
09.10% off 09/08 OLP
And a handful of future comp killers too!
(No Photo)
MLS#: 2638845
619 FOX FARM RD
Bethlehem Twp
Purchase Price: 02/21/07 $265,000
Current Asking Price: 01/27/09 $210,000
20.76% off 02/07 sale price
MLS#: 2639482
33 Jockey Hollow
Bethlehem Twp
Purchase Price: 07/11/06 $565,500
Current Asking Price: 01/27/09 $475,000
16.01% off 07/06 sale price
MLS#: 2637608
24 WILLOW BROOK LANE
Clinton Twp
Purchase Price: 02/01/06 $725,000
Current Asking Price: 01/27/09 $675,000
06.90% off 02/06 sale price
MLS#: 2636882
3 MORNINGSIDE CT
Raritan Twp
Purchase Price: 01/25/05 $935,836
Current Asking Price: 01/25/09 $909,000
02.87% off 01/05 sale price
12.18% off 07/08 OLP
MLS#: 2636915
4 Rachel Court
Union Twp
Purchase Price: 06/07/05 $660,000
Current Asking Price: 01/25/09 $579,000
12.28% off 06/05 sale price
10.93% off 07/08 OLP
frist!
From the New York Times:
A Month Free? Rents Are Falling Fast
IN this painful economic climate of layoffs and shrinking investments, there is a sliver of positive news: it’s a good time to be a renter in New York City. Prices are falling, primarily in Manhattan, and concessions like a month of free rent are widespread.
Although it is notoriously difficult to quantify the state of the rental market, rents fell in almost every sector of the Manhattan market last year, according to the Real Estate Group, a New York brokerage. The steepest drop was in one-bedrooms, down 5.7 percent in buildings with doormen and 6.53 percent in buildings without. The only category that rose: rents for two-bedroom apartments in doorman buildings, up just a bit, by 0.61 percent. But these numbers, like most available data, represent asking rents rather than the final price. Anecdotal evidence suggests that some people are negotiating rents as much as 20 percent lower than the original prices asked by landlords. These figures also leave out incentives, like a month of free rent or a landlord’s paying the broker fee, which can add up to real savings.
Fritz Frigan, executive director of sales and leasing at Halstead Property estimates that when these incentives are considered, rents are actually down some 10 percent to 15 percent since the market peak in mid-2007.
“In that really strong market,” Mr. Frigan said, “landlords didn’t have to do anything.” In 2008, that was no longer the case.
Wow, those houses are really nice. I’m afraid to ask what the property taxes might be.
Noticed on page RE-3 of the Trenton Times the following:
Weidel Add:
Attention First Time Homebuyers: The State of New Jersey wants to GIVE you money to buy a home with 0% down
here is my favorite part, the contact info is:
weidel.com/smart.start
unbelievable
i really, really recommend the jan. 26 issue of the new yorker for a powerful article on doom and gloom and end of days. it was a jarring read.
mentions a lot of the stuff we’ve discussed on here – cities could become dangerous wastelands, for instance – and if anyone has lexis/nexis maybe they can post excerpts.
it briefly talks about a scenario where money is worthless. scary stuff.
“I’m afraid to ask what the property taxes might be.”
More relevant question is what the property taxes are going to be in the years ahead. Annual 20% tax hikes are not fun..
citi
still a joke
http://www.nypost.com/seven/02012009/news/worldnews/citis_sky_high_arrogance_152995.htm
I just heard about the New Yorker article last night. Sounded like something that would be mentioned here, and presto magico here it is. I’ll have to give it a read.
Yikes on the carpet and paint. Consider painting yourself (much cheaper and really not a big deal at all) as for carpet did you check out World Wide Flooring, business Rt 1 in Lawrenceville? I’ve always gotten the best prices from them (we installed hardwood from them that was less than $2 a sq ft; and carpeted our finished basement 500+ sq ft. for less than $3000). They are willing to negotiate a bit and their installation is quick.
JB
comeback year in cycling?? I just registered for Mt. Washington hillclimb. I’m going to get on the trainer
house-4
a little more info on Smart Start…
“LOAN TERMS: The Agency will make Smart Start downpayment and/closing costs loans in the amount of 4% of the first mortgage to qualified Home Buyer Program borrowers purchasing in Smart Growth areas as determined by the Agency’s Smart Growth locator. (Visit http://www.nj-hmfa.com to access the locator tool.) Interest on the second mortgage will be at the same rate as the first mortgage and will be calculated as simple interest. All assistance secured under the Smart Start Program will be partially forgiven in four equal increments starting on the fourth anniversary of the closing of the loan and on each anniversary thereafter until the debt is satisfied. If the borrower lives in the property for seven (7) years the principal plus accrued interest will be fully forgiven. If the borrower sells, refinances or ceases to occupy the property as his/her primary residence full repayment will be due as follows: months one (1) through 48 principal and accrued interest is due. After the 48th month, 25% of the 2nd mortgage will be forgiven. Thereafter, the 2nd mortgage will be re-amortized and be forgiven every 12 months (without apportionment for part of a year), in 25% increments, until fully forgiven after the 84thmonth.”
http://www.realtown.com/BillPruNJ/blog/financing/first-time-homebuyers
Hunterdon Comp Killers — Although there are some really good cheap eats out here, decided to try something new with a decent reputation. Had lunch for two at a Hunterdon rest near my house yesterday –$47 with tip–we each had 1 glass of house wine, no apps, no dessert. thats a box and a half of two buck chuck. how long is that going to last?
ruggles (10)-
There are no good restaurants in Hunterdon Co.
stater (3)-
I live in Clinton Twp. The taxes are ferocious.
All for the kids, you know?
stater (3)-
I think it’s Money or Business Week that says Hunterdon has the worst property taxes in the US. Google around, and I’m sure you’ll find it. I try to avoid reading stuff like that; I’m depressed enough as it is.
JB
still time to register only 473 riders. closes at 600
jamil says:
January 31, 2009 at 9:00 pm
Sorry to break this to you, but you can only get market returns (minus transaction costs) in the long run. I guess only exception is that you may be able to spot massive bubbles (like gold, oil and housing in recent years) and limit exposure to them.
jam master jamil: Essentially, an appropriately allocated portfolio that is tailored to someone’s personal situation, imbued with the intelligence that you above noted, is sufficient to outperform.
#1 mistake that was easily correctible in 2008…..to much equity exposure…..I don’t know whether everyone with whom I work fully appreciates this fact, but anyone who worked with me received a healthy dose of conservative stuff. By definition, anyone who walked in the door at 100% equities should be a satisfied customer. It doesn’t work that way….
Clotpoll says:
February 1, 2009 at 8:36 am
chi (398)- I’m not touching the defensive stuff yet, either.
clot: I don’t appreciate use of the word -yet-….the trade is over. The purpose of defensive tactics was 2008. Then (I didn’t know going in – I observed it), people piled into these names as if they were some magic bullet.
The rationale was the trading down from luxury to value (or the equivalent on the commercial side). Now the trade is traing down from value to crap or nothing……
Clot – what, has Mom’s restaurant gone downhill?
I grew up in East Amwell and can’t argue with you – but at least Lambertville/New Hope was less than 15 mins away. Bartended my way through TSC at The Lambertville Station, not because it was a good restauranat but that’s where a good number of cute waitresses worked
No good restaurants in Hunterdon. Disagree on the Fine Diner in Clinton, I like that one. As bad as they are, they’re better than restaurants in Bucks.
Clotpoll says:
February 1, 2009 at 8:59 am
ruggles (10)- There are no good restaurants in Hunterdon Co.
clot: I remember you mentioning in Morristown that Hughes’ Hacienda de Halitosis was the best place in all directions…..you have a high bar…and I mean top shelf……
Clotpoll says:
There are no good restaurants in Hunterdon Co.
Harvest Moon Inn is excellent and there’s a few in Lambertville. Otherwise, it’s slim pickin’s
Holy cow! I feel like I just won an Oscar. Or maybe the blue ribbon for prettiest pig at the county fair…
I wonder if this will get me a dishonorable mention on Re101’s list of real estate terrorists… LOL
Re: good, cheap eats in Hunterdon
If you like Mexican, try Los Jarochos in Flemington. Major little hole in the wall, but great, authentic food at a cheap price. Family owned and they are soooo nice. Takeout and delivery, too.
Clot(12):
You do not like the Hamilton Grill Room in Lambertville or Harvest Moon in Ringoes?
hurray,
my car just got hit while parked in front of my house……….. their front tire hit my rear quarter panel and rear tire and it ripped their front tire off; my rear tire is now toed inward.
I have a quartto audi. this is not going to be cheap to fix….. oh well i shouldnt have to pay for it…..
ww4b–will have to try Los Jarochos. Mex is my favorite. have been going to the place on broad street a few times, which is okay. thanks
kettle, that’s a crappy way to start the week. I’ve been hit twice already in the car I bought about a year ago.
they have the same Ins as i do. can an Ins company sue itself
Pat,
that sucks
sas: Probability of Israel’s attack on Iran nuke sites in the next 6 months is now 100% as it is evident how naive and dangerous O is (even before appointing that anti-semitic adviser). His childish and factually incorrect BS in al-Arabiya was a disaster that will haunt us for decades. Iran is now openly mocking and ridiculing Messiah and now Iran is actually refusing to meet us without preconditions. They know when they see a weak actor.
Meanwhile, North Korea sees the weakness too and is openly threatening war against South Korea.
In Afghanistan, O is supporting a coup to get rid of Karzai. Everybody in the country knows that Taleban is going to win in the end.
We are also seriously pissing off our allies in Europe and Canada by starting a trade war against them and violating international agreements.
This all in 10 days. It is going to be long (and bloody) 4 years.
One accident (he backed up into my rear panel as I drove past) his insurance paid…the other accident was my sister’s neighbor, who backed into my front passenger side.
He’s a good kid with a new baby, so I agreed that his buddy, who owns a shop for souping up show cars, could fix my car. He did an O.K. job, but the paint was slightly lighter, and when he buffed the end job, he hit the new light and sanded down the edge of the light all the way around. I got over it.
willwork4beer-
Any info on MLS# 2573282, 154 Thatcher Rd. , 08822. Looks like another killer.
Thanks – Joe
The repair the insurance paid for included a 1500 repair bill and the trunk now leaks a bit where they took off the trunk seal.
The non-declared accident (which was worse) cost about nothing to fix. New bumper, paint, light…all at cost – maybe $200.
This if funny/sad.
Microsoft’s inherently-ironic Songsmith software is such a goldmine. Here, some jokester has turned those stock market frowns upside-down by setting them to Songsmith’s relentlessly upbeat Casiotone beats.
http://i.gizmodo.com/5143572/microsoft-songsmith-cheerily-documents-the-collapse-of-the-world-economy
The Asbury Park Press is running a series on the tax increases on the Barrier Island, specifically Toms River’s Ortley Beach section.
Now, these folks haven’t been assessed since 1993. They’ve probably HELOC’d the hell out of these properties, splurging on the usual list of vacations and flat-screens. They’ve enjoyed their ocean access, just try to get a glimpse of the water from anywhere near their property!
Many of these homes are vacation homes for the Bennies, empty 8 months a year. And they are going ballistic over the increased value. Remember, you badgered some appraiser to “come in at a Million” when you wanted twin Escalades, now the tax increase has you pleading poverty.
You’re going to sell your beach house cause the taxes went from $8K to $12K?!?!? You have a $900K home, and you can’t afford an extra $400 a month in taxes?!?!?!
Yeah….that makes sense.
http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090131/NEWS/901310341
yikes, 5
I am soooo itching to see the whole New Yorker article….grrr.
sl
Re. your unauthorised overdraft
Dear Western banking establishment,
I notice that your unauthorised credit facility from international lenders of last resort now totals approximately $10 trillion. As a taxpayer and therefore your largest shareholder I would be grateful if you could repay this facility at your earliest convenience. I have charged you an additional £30 for this letter and a monthly unauthorised overdraft fee of £28. If you do not repay this facility shortly I will have no choice but to become further massively impoverished along with legions of fellow taxpayers for multiple generations to come…… more…..
http://thepriceofeverything.typepad.com/the_price_of_everything/2009/01/an-open-letter-to-the-western-banking-establishment.html
Clot,
:) guess who got their FID card yesterday? Complete with permit…[does the happy dance]
sl
sl yikes,
the abstract:
“The Dystopians,” The New Yorker, January 26, 2009, p. 41
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/01/26/090126fa_fact_mcgrath
Warren County Greasy eats try Toby’s Cup in P-burg (rt 22 west after KeyCity Diner).
Fried Hot Dogs w/ raw onion, pickles & mustard $1.10 each. Wash it down w/ a thick milk shake $3.40 & if your still hungry try the Triple Cheese Hot or Mild Cheese Steak. Great starter for the big game tonight don’t worry about the calories tomorrow is another day.
Excerpts and Commentary on Ben McGrath’s “The Dystopians” – Jan 26th, New Yorker
http://www.hedgeco.net/blogs/2009/01/21/excerpts-and-commentary-on-ben-mcgrath%E2%80%99s-the-distopians-%E2%80%93-jan-26th-new-yorker/
SL
congrats!
Excerpt from Tax Increase article –
Welcome to the new Jersey dilemma, in a scene that will be repeated often…..
“I’m really disappointed. I want to make this my home, but I can’t. I’m now being forced to sell,” said Marchetti, 59, of Oradell in Bergen County.
He said that the new assessment placed on his house here — $939,000, up from $200,000 — will increase his annual property taxes by almost 70 percent, to $11,578.
ruggles,
we like the fine diner.
don’t know what she’s on, but we’d wish she’d share :)
Pat,
This was a younger girl and her grandma. she had to really be on the gas, as my car was pushed forward and into the raod a bit. My E-brake was on and the car was in 1st.
turns out they live a few houses down from me….
kettle:
why doesn’t electricity work after a nuclear explosion?
“$939,000, up from $200,000”
WMFG.
did he add another whole house to it between assessments?
harry:
calories?
methinks you’d need to worry about seizing up your arteries, not calories…
thanks, ket! And for th article too…. been hoping to see it since last night.
sl
Casa Maya in High Bridge is good cheap mexican eats.
A lot of food for the money.
BYOB.
Spam,
EMP. A nuclear blast creates a substantial Electro-Magnetic Pulse. This pulse causes a sudden surge of current in electric circuits (including power grids) and fried the electronics. In general (there are definite exceptions)the fried electronics cannot be repaired and must be replaced.
The only electronics that survive the EMP are ones that are shielded (most military electronics are shielded)and ones that are turned off. Even some electronics that are turned off will get fried, it depends on how how the electric circuit is that device is designed.
You can create and EMP without a nuke. The US used E-bombs in Iraq. These are bomb that are designed to create an EMP only
Future Comp Killer:
102 Robbins Rd
Branchburg Twp, NJ 08876
Last Purchased 10/19/07 $390,000
Current Asking $365,000
http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/102-Robbins-Rd-Branchburg-NJ-08876/39851388_zpid/
Crappy location, house right behind huge parking lot for major corporation. Agent says they won’t go any lower b/c they “can’t” Looks like they won’t have a choice.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2009/01/29/america/bacon.1-418363.php
Spam – Me thinks you may like this…
Chicago – Here it is cooked….
Super bowl fare….
Spam,
an EMP will fry most of the electronics that control a powert grid and will also destory a significant aount of the components themselves due to the sudden high voltage and current.
1 megaton sized nuke detonated about 20 miles high above the east coast would wipe out most of the electronics in the northeast.
Consider that most cars are run by mini computers in the engine. All transportation short of horses and bikes would be shut down as would the power grid. It would takes years if not decades to recover from such and event.
HERF is also related to EMP but can be directed and fired like a sniper rifle
kettle:
Ty. You know a lot for just being a janitor ;)
Spam a nuclear EMP would essentially wipeout 90% of modern tech instantly! bye bye, PC, refrigerators, cars, tv’s, cell phones, medical equipment,……
Spam
a nuclear EMP would essentially wipeout 90% of modern tech instantly! bye bye, PC, refrigerators, cars, tv’s, cell phones, medical equipment,……
spam,
mopping floors leave you a lot of time for reading highschool science books
kettle, ya’ know…
I was talking about comrade’s compound to my other half (the one with the deuce) how comrade said he didn’t need a deuce…
my other half said, “after a nuclear attack, he will…”
I wasn’t sure why, I knew the electricity was an issue, but thought it was because of an imbalance of protons/electrons in the air.
you know, you shouldn’t read while you mop. If you don’t put your WHOLE effort into getting deep into every hallway corner and under every single locker with your mop, I would think you are just another gov’t slacker on the fed t*t. ;)
So our EMP weapons didn’t work (out too well) because Iraqis are by-and-large mostly living in a world where they are sustenance farming?
We’re so cute. We bring all these huge toys to the warzone and the Iraqis just want the bag all the toys came in…
I’m having a hard time understanding where we bridged from a couple of housing losses over in Hunterdon to nuclear armageddon.
EMP effects are a bit unclear (beyond some small-scale EMP generators for cellphones etc), it has never really been studied under real nuke conditions (only simulated, and some memories from early nuke tests in the Pacific).
It also depend a lot on the altitude and other things. Still, I’d not want to be around to find out the details..
http://www.reason.com/news/show/130843.html
The Next Catastrophe – Pensions
“Instead of focusing solely on maximizing value, fund managers have used the economic clout of concentrated stock holdings to make a statement by divesting from companies that don’t make it through certain “sin screens.”
Well, what a bunch of bull! I sure didn’t ask them to do that. No wonder we aren’t making any money. What do these yahoos think will survive during bad times!
no alcohol
no guns
No wonder CalSTRS/ calPERS are going broke!
(65) I’m hot about this. If I want to be socially active I’ll make my own donations. What about their feduciary duty to MAKE MONEY.
what’s a deuce? (haven’t had my 5th cup of joe yet — pardon the igniance]
sl
This is almost too rich. What goes around, comes around..
In 1986, in confirmation hearings for republican nominee for Sec Of Agriculture, R. Lyng who was supported by dems like Harkin:
“Rep. Tom Daschle, D-S.D., called Lyng “a limousine-lounging corporate executive that knows about as much about farming and what it’s like on the farm today as a kernel of corn.””
On related note:
““Make no mistake, tax cheaters cheat us all, and the IRS should enforce our laws to the letter. ” Sen. Tom Daschle, Congressional Record, May 7, 1998, p. S4507.”
Spam,
yes the older cars and truck (early 80’s and older) often have purely mechanical engines and would run fine after an emp. A deuce is a purely mechanical engine (well most are).
Jamil:
true, the effects of EMP depend on many variables, i was giving a general effect.
Grim,
sry, its the fault of the New Yorker article…..
http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/land/deuce.htm
Kettle – is this a deuce?
SL:
Ours is painted Ford Mustang yellow with stripes, but here’s one in full military drag:
http://www.vintagemilitarytrucks.com/M35A2%20Kaiser%20Jeep%204%20JPC.htm
jamil
“smale scal emp for cell phones” what??? i think you mean RFI generators (Radio Frequency Interference).
A pocket emp is the sort of thing only the cia would be able to build and that would be questionable.
here you go jamil
http://tinyurl.com/c2a7x5
PS these are illegal in the US per the FCC
cindy
No,
A duece, is slang for a militray 2 1/2 toin transport truck ( a duence and a half)
it’s called a deuce (really a “deuce and a half”) because the payload (cargo capacity) is 2.5 tons in OFFROAD conditions…
there’s a bigger one called a “5-ton” which is obviously a bigger payload.
http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/land/docs/990400-klein.htm
Kettle – Spam – Still
Now I’m confused..I thought this was a deuce????
ours in non-military drag…
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b385/damonr/DEUCE/DSC01499.jpg
Cindy,
The machine you references is a DEUCE.
The truck we were referencing is a 2 /1/2 ton transport that is called a deuce and a half as a slang term
Cindy,
that’s not a deuce, in the common slang…
it sounds like someone came up the acronym, not knowing the military already has a vehicle nicknamed “deuce”…
(76) Spam – You sure keep some cool vehicles around your place…
Thanks for clearing that up…
I know Clot would want me to be clear on my military terminology.
Cindy
M35 2-1/2 ton cargo truck – Wikipedia
“A truck in the 2 1/2 ton weight class, it was one of many vehicles in US military service to have been referred to as the “deuce and a half.” The basic M35 cargo truck can carry 5000 pounds across country or 10,000 pounds over roads.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deuce_and_a_half
kettle: yes, FCC does not allow them. It does not mean they don’t exist. I agree that those RF jammers are not really EMPs.
Your link did not work. Here is one example of some sort of small-scale EMP generator (no, I haven’t tried one and I can’t vouch for it):
http://www.aerostich.com/catalog/US/EMP-Cell-Phone-Eliminator-p-17404.html
2~1/2 ton “transport”.
(giggles)
It even transported our horse’s run-in sheds across a creek…
http://s23.photobucket.com/albums/b385/damonr/DEUCE/?action=view¤t=MOV03335.flv
warning: crappy video
36.
fiddy
That 400 a month really cuts into the Von Dutch, body wax and tribal tattoos budget.
Yo.
jamil,
did you even read what you linked to. from your link….
Requires a flux capacitor, walnut, and alternator output of 600 watts. Special order only. Range is up to 30 feet. From Stubbco.
that website is selling snake oil to the stupid! if you want to fry a cell phone at short range you would use a HERF. If that device actually did what it claims it would also instantly kill your car’s engine, all you car’s electronics and the cars next to yours the second you fired it!
jamil,
cell phone jammers
http://www.phonejammer.com/home.php?cat=249
(82) Spam – OMG!
kettle: Yes, I know about those RF jammers and I said I can’t vouch for the Stubbco stuff. May very well be snake oil and I had no intention of testing that..
#63
Grim
I think Clots comment #12 “There are no good restaurants in Hunterdon Co.” could be the bridge your looking for.
http://www.pbs.org/nbr/headlines/Bailout_Foreign_Workers/index.html
“Banks collecting billions of dollars in federal bailout money sought government permission to bring thousands of foreign workers to the U.S. for high-paying jobs, according to an Associated Press review of visa applications.”
Of course they did – and paid them less…
I wonder how many were actually hired then laid off…
Halftime;
Born to Run
Working on a Dream or Born in the USA
Glory Days
Rising
No specific order
http://www.calculatedriskblog.com/
San Diego house – Deal of the week…
Taxes on comp-killers:
1. $9,061
2. $19,425
3. $2,943
4. $10,951
5. $12,443
6. $20,922
7. $11,541
clot:
It’s not unusual for Jennifer Litkowiec to have problems with her husband’s off-the-wall ideas, but this one took the cake.
Hispanic gangs had seeped into the couple’s quiet corner of the working-class town of Cudahy, Wis., just south of Milwaukee, stealing garage door openers and returning later to score the contents.
So what was Jason Litkowiec’s plan? Shine a light on the night. “I finally had enough,” he says.
Against his wife’s loud protestations, the young steamfitter joined a dozen other neighborhood men and set up the Rosewood night patrol.
Armed with nothing but flashlights and cellphones, the group followed suspicious cars and even set up an impromptu sting when a neighbor left town and forgot to close his garage door. They called in police to arrest the suspects after a brief chase.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0127/p01s02-usgn.htm
Violent clashes in Russia as angry protesters call for Putin to resign over economy
Russia was rocked today by some of its strongest protests yet as thousands rallied across the vast country to attack the Kremlin’s response to the global economic crisis. The marches, complete with Soviet-style red flags and banners, pose a challenge to a government which has faced little threat from the fragmented opposition and politically apathetic population during the boom years fuelled by oil. Pro-government thugs beat up some of the protesters.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1133002/Violent-clashes-Russia-angry-protesters-Putin-resign-economy.html
someone above used my handle.
i’d rather that person not use my handle in order to maintain post accountability.
also, you may not want the FBI at your door & NJ state detectives on your tail.
because the above 2 agencies follow me like hawks, even track my internet histroy.
(along with a few other people)
so, you may not want to be me.
thanks bloke,
SAS
Governments across Europe tremble as angry people take to the streets
France paralysed by a wave of strike action, the boulevards of Paris resembling a debris-strewn battlefield. The Hungarian currency sinks to its lowest level ever against the euro, as the unemployment figure rises. Greek farmers block the road into Bulgaria in protest at low prices for their produce. New figures from the biggest bank in the Baltic show that the three post-Soviet states there face the biggest recessions in Europe.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/jan/31/global-recession-europe-protests
you don’t work 30+ years in the overt & covert world without peeking the interests of people with very diverse backgrounds.
SAS
ps. oh yeah, and i love to talk, its my gaurentee that i will see tomorrow:)
ta ta :P
SAS
There is no need to worry. We are well aware of your activities and online proclivities.
We will investigate the impostor next time we get bored and perhaps ransack his house just for kicks and because we can. You have to love the patriot act.
Sincerely, your friendly MIB
Reykjavik
Proud of its status as one of the world’s most developed, most productive and most equal societies, Iceland is in the throes of what is, by its staid standards, a revolution. Riot police in Reykjavik, the coolest of capitals. Building bonfires in front of the world’s oldest parliament. The yoghurt flying at the free market men who have run the country for decades and brought it to its knees. An openly gay prime minister takes over today as head of a caretaker government. The neocon right has been ditched. The hard left Greens are, at least for the moment, the most popular party in the small Arctic state with a population the size of Bradford. The IMF’s bailout teams have moved in with $11bn. The national currency, the krona, appears to be finished. Iceland is a test case of how one of the most successful societies on the globe suddenly failed.
Why Be a Nation of Mortgage Slaves?
Preventing foreclosures has become a top priority of politicians, economists and regulators. In fact, allowing foreclosures to happen has merit as a free-market solution to the crisis. If the intent is to help homeowners, then foreclosure is undoubtedly the best solution. Household balance sheets have been destroyed by taking on too much debt via the purchase of inflated assets. With so little savings, a household with negative equity almost implies negative net worth. Walking away from the mortgage immediately repairs the balance sheet. Credit may be damaged, but homeowners can rebuild it. And by renting something they can afford, instead of the McMansion they cannot, homeowners are most likely to have some money left over each month that they can save toward a down payment on a house they can eventually afford.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123336541474235541.html
Gee, Kettle, I feel so out of touch about nuclear weapons.(I hate when that happens.) Back before everything was electronic, I thought a 20 megaton airburst was considered optimal and anything above that was just showing off. You know, making the rubble bounce. I gotta do some reading.
3 letter
can you please stop searching me at airports, its getting a little old and i am not a blackops guy like SAS is….
Thousands in UK poised for 8p-a-month mortgages
The 8p-a-month mortgage is set to become a reality for thousands of borrowers next week because of over-generous loan terms offered by banks and building societies in the benign era just before the credit crunch hit. Thousands of borrowers on tracker deals struck in the early summer of 2007 will pay almost no interest and could even be in a position to demand payment from their banks on a strict interpretation of the fine print. Their effective mortgage rate is set to fall close to or even below zero if, as expected, the Bank of England cuts base rate from 1.5 per cent to an unprecedented low of 1 per cent next Thursday.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/money/property_and_mortgages/article5622453.ece
“Violent clashes in Russia as angry protesters call for Putin to resign over economy”
k4ettle,
Sovereign defaults occur when currencies implode. History tells us that this leads to civic unrest and eventually revoultion. If anybody thinks that this is isolated to Russia, Latvia, France, Iceland, etc.., you are kidding yourselves. The great race to devaluation/debasement has begun with a bang. One should be careful what they wish for.
Bump-
Can anyone pull the info on my post #32.
Thanks
Just got this interesting site in an e-mail…
Just put your mouse on a city anywhere in the world and the newspaper headlines pop up… Double click the orange dot and the page gets larger…Then at the top of the page you can either read the pdf version or click through to the paper website itself in the upper right corner..
http://www.newseum.org/todaysfrontpages/flash/
#32 psjoe
You are correct. Its a comp killer.
The requested details:
MLS#: 2573282
154 THATCHER RD
Kingwood Twp
SLD: 08/14/06 $550,000
OLP: 05/29/08 $532,000
Withdrawn DOM: 83
OLP: 09/03/08 $519,900
SLD: 01/23/09 $420,000
DOM: 118
23.67% off 08/06 sale price
21.16% off 05/08 OLP
Japan’s bubble;
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nSTO-vZpSgc/STN7bDreVEI/AAAAAAAAD40/KTF00Y_csAI/s1600-h/japan-land-prices-update-2008-11-rgb-176-10-10.png
willwork4beer-
Thanks for the info..
-Joe
Cooper (105) – Thanks for passing that site along. Very slick.
10 cooper thanks for the info…my husband said these are paid back by the buyer in some fashion. Just the idea of seeing no money down is crazy in this aftermath
#26 ruggles
We like Viva Mexico on Broad St., too. Mrs. Beer loves their enchiladas and carne asada. I go with the sopes and tamale del dia. Lots of food for a cheap price. :)
At Los Jarochos, Mrs. Beer loves the empanadas. I like everything there. They even serve breakfast…
I work nearby the Fine Diner in Clinton. Went there once. Parking is horrible during the week. Not very many good options out there so its usually packed for lunch.
This is a comp killer.
Not sure if this has been posted.
“Manhattan apartment prices, as a result, have dropped as much as 20% since the summer,
HousingPredictor.com is projecting a 19.4% decline in Manhattan home prices in 2009. And Moody’s Economy.com is predicting that condo prices in New York City, Northern New Jersey, and Westchester County will fall 29% by the fourth quarter of next year.”
http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/dec2008/bw20081223_927689.htm
Jamil[113],
Now you’re talking.
[51] kettle,
aside from EMP, herf, Decapitation Theory, there is the very obvious fact that a nuclear blast will also vaporize or physically damage the infrastructure in its blast radius.
i read this, BC, and i wonder: Could something like this REALLY happen in the US? i suppose it COULD, but will it?
i suppose a revolution where the government is overthrown in the US would qualify as a black swan. i just can’t envision it.
there is, however, a part of me that wants to ramp up the arsenal to add another gun or two, get an SUV gassed up and armed (bulletproof windows) and kept in the garage, buy some kevlar, and have a six month supply of food ready to bounce if the sh*t hit the fan.
but where would you go? (good friend has a cabin in the middle of where, which is nice). what would you do with no radio, no internet, no TV and no way to find out just how bad things are?
it all just seems too movie-like.
strange. I just got an urge to see “The Postman” by Kevin Costner.
She’s a beaut! Don’t let this one get away.
http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/45-Beacon-Hill-Dr_Metuchen_NJ_08840_1103808823
[60] spam,
While I concede that today’s vehicles are vulnerable to EMP (as are older vehicles with solenoids, I believe), the compound idea has to make economic sense, including economic sense in the event things don’t come crashing down. Further, this presupposes that vehicles at the compound would be vulnerable to EMP. If we had stock vehicles, I would likely have them in a semi-hardened location anyway, just for normal security purposes (e.g., buy and bury a shipping container or two for general secure storage). Remember, the compound is designed not only to be a lifeboat but a pleasure boat, and the primary focus is to get it up and running as a going concern. Equipping it for The Day After comes later.
Now, if there is a potential co-investor in the Compound that wants to contribute a 2 1/2 ton truck that will survive EMP, I would consider it. But (1) I would not attach a high in-kind value to it as a compound vehicle (it is better suited to being a Bug Out vehicle) and (2) if there is a nuclear armageddon, no one would be getting into that deuce and a half to drive it to the compound.
Folks,
if there is a nuclear armageddon, I want to be in Times Square with my husband and kids.
I’d rather incinerate than watch my children die slowly of radiation poison.
Its get a grip time. Superbowl on tonight. Go getcha some hotwings and a few beers.
[116] yikes,
I agree, and feel that a post-apocalytic world is unlikely. And one doesn’t sink a ton of cash into rural land on the off-chance that the unlikely happens.
As I mentioned before, my family has such land in Maine. It would be ideal and I am sure that I would be welcome (since I bring arms, ammo, skills, and supplies). But it is in Maine, meaning that if I were to co-invest, I wouldn’t get to use it much. And that is one of my premises–that I get to use the property currently. Land can be leased to other farmers if not needed to support your small community (spam, chime in here). A house on the property can be rented out if it has proximity to recreational areas (skiing, lakes, etc). And co-investors have a weekend getaway when it isn’t rented out). There are also tax angles that, for obvious reasons, I haven’t fully fleshed out here.
I agree that the idea of the compound is slightly paranoid, and amounts to an expensive insurance policy against TEOTWAWKI. But if we think of the compound as a multi-use investment property, it takes on a new character and the insurance is basically free.
[105] coop
I like it.
FWIW, conservatives working in DC called that museum, the Nauseum.
Fiddy Cents on the Dollar says:
February 1, 2009 at 10:48 am
“I’m really disappointed. I want to make this my home, but I can’t. I’m now being forced to sell,” said Marchetti, 59, of Oradell in Bergen County.
He said that the new assessment placed on his house here — $939,000, up from $200,000 — will increase his annual property taxes by almost 70 percent, to $11,578.
fiddy: we know this is not the whole story….either this guy is too stupid to understand that the reval in itself does not increase his taxes to that extent as there will also be an adjustment to assessed rates….OR ELSE…his prior assessment was so completely disconnected from reality that we can openly state that he was more than happy to steal money from all of his neighbors. He is either stupid or a scumbag…neither is enviable….
comrad – so perhaps a lake house is the answer? may not be totally isolated and totally off the grid, but still far enough out that you probably wont feel the effects of a rebellion immediately.
question – is there a good site for how to prepare (talking about purchasing of items) for TEOTWAWKI?
after reading that new yorker story, and that article about TURNING JAPANESE, i almost wonder if i should at least price a generator … you know, just in case.
turning japanese
http://www.financialsense.com/editorials/quinn/2009/0128.html
[120] barbara,
The idea of nuclear armageddon was never an impetus for the Compound. A massive nuclear strike is a hard thing to predict sufficiently in advance so as to get out of Dodge, and if it is that massive, no place in the Northeast is safe from fallout.
With SLBM’s you don’t get much warning. So I am not stockpiling much in the way of iodine pills.
[124] yikes,
There is a lot of info out there, and I try not to listen to the true TEOTWAWKI stuff as you can go overboard.
A while back I posted some excerpts from a guy in Argentina named FerFal. His insights were very good, and tailored toward what is more likely, not toward what is very unlikely.
I am all about playing probabilities and planning for what is more likely, and having the hedge. If I buy rural land in Montana, turn it into a self-sufficient compound, and the world doesn’t end, I will be quite pissed. But if I have investments in farmland, standing timber, and the area will support my family off the grid, and I can use it for a weekend retreat, then I will know that I made at least a defensible investment. Remember, everything I suggest and plan to do has equal utility if things DON’T go bad.
So, the message is to not go overboard, and to get the advice/info that is likely to be relevant, rather than what won’t be.
Probability for a large-scale high altitude nuke attack is minimal. Only Russians and Chinese can do it (and North Korea can wipe out California) and we owe too much money to them..
Much higher probability would be some sort crude small nuke bomb in Boston harbor (or just dirty bomb in Manhattan). So immediate destruction would be limited only to a small area.
besides, our missile defense systems can destroy incoming missiles with high probability (unless O cancels the system).
Yikes [124],
I posted that on Friday, it’s a MUST read.
Off to the SB.
Chifi 123 – My vote is stupid. 2+ years after our reval, my supposedly highly educated and intelligent neighbors still don’t understand how exactly it impacted their taxes and what their recourse is if they got shafted by the inspector.
Nom,
a high altitude nuclear detonation would have almost no ground effects. you would almost all fallout and EMP effects. that is the scenario i was describing.
a buried steel shipping container could work very well as a faraday cage and hence shield anything in from the EMP
Stu, Lil Gator and I took a little field trip to an Open House in New Providence today. House is listed for $569k, yet it is assessed like it is worth $805k based on NP’s average ratio for this tax year. If they actually manage to sell at list, which is doubtful since it is in need of updates, they are paying at least an extra $4300/year in taxes by my calculations. Not an insignificant chunk of change.
Stu thought that this house would sell quickly based on it’s LP and online listing. After looking at it, we think it could still be sitting when we’re closer to being ready to buy.
[132] gator,
I liked NP, but nixed it because of the fact that it is hilly, spread out, and would be difficult for little nom to go on playdates or visit nearby friends (if she had any nearby). Also no real downtown, so I think that, if you moved from Montclair, you would experience a bit of culture shock.
As it is, little nom has lots of friends nearby, lots of playdates in walking distance, and baby girl 2 is already assured of girls her age nearby. And the elem. school is 400 yards away, and I can walk to downtown and the train. (25 min. to train).
Thus, I think that you would find NP a bit rural after the PRM. My $0.02.
[131] Kettle,
That settles it. You are the designated NBC officer for the Compound Militia.
A while back I posted some excerpts from a guy in Argentina named FerFal. His insights were very good, and tailored toward what is more likely, not toward what is very unlikely.
yup, printed it out.
i agree – no point in investing in the sticks for the end of the world. i’m thinking more of a bunker or protect yourself/your family situation.
being out here in Bucks i dont think is like the hustle and bustle of NNJ. less than a mile from us is a guy with farmland and a couple horses; he has a well in his front yard. there isn’t a massive walmart within at least 10 miles.
By the way, this conversation started in response to a question about the New Yorker article…. no one was advocating a nuclear armageadon scenario…..
Nom 133 – Stu doesn’t mind the “ruralness”, he actually likes it. We were really just looking for sport today (we were visiting friends in Summit and went to open gym at The Connection and figured we’d drop in since we were so close), and are still considering Millburn, Summit, Madison, Montclair and Glen Ridge.
Surprisingly we find ourselves drawn heavily towards GR. Many of Lil Gator’s little friends live there and it would offer me the best commute of all towns, great schools and the proximity of all the Montclair has to offer without having to put up with most of it’s BS. We’re still worried about the tax burden there and would probably look solely in the southern part of town with the lower tax burden and proximity to the train station in Bloomfield. Many of Lil Gator’s friend’s bought what they might have thought were starter homes, but since they all bought at peak, they will be living there a good long time! GR also would make it easier for Stu to maintain our current place as a rental property since we would be only a few minutes away.
I would consider Cranford and Westfield too, but I am scared about the lack of a direct train and the impact of that commute on my quality of life. But it does sound like Lil Nom et sa petitte soeur have a pretty sweet setup.
[137] gator,
I don’t commute into the City so I could consider this area. I think I would be in NP, GB, or Chatham right now if I did need the midtown direct.
Lots of folks make the changeover, and probably because, if you work in LM, you are changing trains anyway (tho I can’t stand the PATH). I don’t know where you are (midtown most likely), so you need service to Penn Sta.
NYTimes OPED,
Good Bank, Bad Bank; Good Plan, Better Plan
[137] gator,
Lately, the little nom has been complaining that she wants to be back at our tiny rowhouse in Philadelphia. It is because she misses her Philly buds, but it turned into a great guiltfest yesterday, so I am gonna leave the office now so I can go home and play with the little nom, even if it means barbie and High School Musical.
Mortgage crisis spreads to more affluent areas of Silicon Valley
Take, for example, San Jose’s 95125 ZIP code, which includes the picturesque, sought-after Willow Glen neighborhood. The portion of serious delinquencies — loans that were at least 90 days overdue — rose steeply from November 2007 to November 2008, from just 0.3 percent to 1.7 percent.
Nom – I’m in Times Square, so I do need Midtown Direct.
I agree re PATH. My first city job had me taking the PATH for Newark to WTC and that was 44 minutes a day of pure misery.
My time with Lil Gator is limited enough as it is. I don’t want to give any more of it to NJT.
NJT lists travel time from Westfield to NYP at about 50 minutes including transfer time. That’s about the same travel time as Chatham/Madison except the second half of the trip is likely to be spent in similar comfort levels as the PATH as you have to transfer to an already overpacked NEC train in Newark.
[139] sg
That author presumes that the loans would eventually pay down, but with Kaptur and others advocating a mortgage strike, what is very likely is that folks that know their paper is held by the Feds will simply strike en masse, daring the gov to foreclose and evict, and using their power as voters to get the feds to cram down the loans to a ridiculuously low level, thus assuring a massive taxpayer-funded bailout.
enough ranting, time to go home and play with barbie dolls.
the bad bank concept is already hitting the wall. The idea is falling apart because the banks cant agree on a price to come clean on the bad assets with the government.
I personally am betting on nationalization after a very long drawnout road consisting of failed plan after failed plan.
Unless the government is willing to completely sell the souls of the american taxpayer and pay the banks the rate they want for worthless assets there arent really any other options at this point
*sigh* sis just got laid off. Her husband does biz in china but all of that is on hold so, no money is coming in.
3 school aged kids, mortgage etc.
Booya, are we at blood in the streets yet?
Barbara,
Two friends of mine were axed this past week.
that Jennifer Hudson can sure belt it.
hot damn that was good!!
SAS
Comrade:
If you were serious (I think you are not), I would sit down with you and give you a LOT of food for thought.
Depending on how “isolated” you want to be, determines what you need to look for.
Look, I can f**k my downstream neighbors by easily tainting (or removing, by diverting) their water source.
I can f**k my downhill (lower elevation) neighbors by cutting down trees at the property line.
I can f**k my uphill neighbors (higher elevation) by cutting swales in the property line.
re: buried shipping container:
uh…they rust out. And then you’d have a sinkhole filled with dirt and useless equipment.
What do you need? A few years of experience REALLY living off the land.
I don’t mean killing bunnies so you don’t starve, but truly living where you FULLY provide clean and protected sources for your basic needs:
clean, potable water.
clean air.
sustaining food. (NOT MREs)
protective clothing. (forget clothes as fashion; go nude in the summer, but you need winter cold protection and protection from work tasks: leather chaps, leather gloves, boots or moccasins, etc.
heat.
tools.
the ability to re-sharpen tools and to fashion new or modify tools.
draft animals if you foresee fuel shortages.
milk animals.
meat animals, if you deem meat necessary. but meat *IS* a luxury. Trust me, I’ve lived off the land and meat was a distant fond memory… we used to daydream about pushing a milk cow off the cliff…. “ooops! she fell… so we had to put her out of her misery…and then…well, we didn’t want to see her carcass get taken by hawks and buzzards…so we…ah…uh…”
don’t forget, you need your health. You won’t have aspirin, cholesterol lowering drugs, drugs for high BP, anxiety meds, insulin or whatever other drugs us Americans seems to be living on…
“GlaxoSmithKline to slash 6,000 jobs”
http://tinyurl.com/ab86q7
spam
i think that we already have a lot of the answers to your points, but it is a discussion to be had offline by those interested.
looks like we need a shooters GTG and a compound GTG
Barb & Grim:
Sorry to hear about your friends.
Let’s hope ChiFi doesn’t post a song for them…
*WE*?!?! Kettle?
*WE*?!?!?!
You, Mr sanity, is actually positing this idea as possible?
spam ????
kettle?@?@
:)
spam,
i must be a little slow tonight, i dont get it
*WE*?!?! Kettle?
*WE*?!?!?!
You, Mr sanity, is actually positing this idea as possible?
Sunday night treat:
http://oyc.yale.edu/economics/financial-markets
Yale offers FOR FREE a course by Robert Shiller:
You just download it to your MP3 player and you can download the course materials, too.
I love FREE.
“Financial institutions are a pillar of civilized society, supporting people in their productive ventures and managing the economic risks they take on. The workings of these institutions are important to comprehend if we are to predict their actions today and their evolution in the coming information age. The course strives to offer understanding of the theory of finance and its relation to the history, strengths and imperfections of such institutions as banking, insurance, securities, futures, and other derivatives markets, and the future of these institutions over the next century. “
Kettle:
I stated right off in my reply to comrade that I think he is not serious.
Although I believe he THINKS he is, I get the feeling he’s a talker, not a do-er.
With that said, I was shocked to read your reply:
“I think that we already have a lot of the answers to your points…” (snip)
The *WE* in your sentence shocked me.
I didn’t think you were party to comrade’s castle in the sky.
Seems like a lot of half-time ads bought by NBC itself, no? I would have thought they will reduce their rates.
160 Victorian
DH just said the same thing. I thought I heard this morning that they sold their last 2 ads last night. I guess they could have had more spots.
“Yale”
if you want a treat..
follow the illegal money trail to Ivy League endowments.
ever wonder why college systems are some of the biggest donations to political campaigns? tax havens?
but hey, what do i know.
SAS
spam,
i find the general concept interesting….. implementation is the hard part and having everyone on the same page. its nothing more then a thought experiment at this point, at least for me.
SAS
did you hunt down the impostor and drop him off in afghanastan yet?
victorian,
i noticed that, too.
Right off the bat: their own ads…
hmmm.
victorian,
I noticed that too. Lots of ads for NBC, GE, or other subsidiaries.
Awesome game. I guess Leinart will have to wait another year to get to start. I too noticed that every two paid ads was immediately followed by an NBC plug. Additionally, the game went quicker than I’m used to it going, especially considering the number of personal fouls and instant replays.
As for the compound. If it gets to the point of not having electric or a source of clean water, then I’m pretty certain that I will just forage my way to a warmer climate. I’ve hiked the AT from Kent, Connecticut down to the border of North Carolina and would have no problem doing it again. Might even pick up the pace a bit quicker this time. Can’t vouch for the rest of my family though. Wife and son might slow me down a bit.
I will say this about our current economy. It has really ground to a halt over the last few weeks. Anecdotal reports and financial data are proving it. There will be a bloodbath this spring in residential real estate. Looking at the consumer discretionary numbers, as bad as those number were, people were still obliged to buy gifts for the holiday season. This quarter has nothing but Valentine’s Day going for it and I doubt anyone’s buying their significant others gold anything at $920/ounce + the standard V-day mark up. The next set of earnings are going to be nothing less than dismal.
I’m sure most of you have happened upon the articles touting the average taxpayers cost for the bailouts so far at ~$10,000 per taxpayer. They best be deflating in a hurry before our children notice how impossible it will be to have any kind of a future. Lord knows the angst from this generation is already intolerable. Wait until they figure out that they are going to paying for the gubmints failure after failure.
Hope everyone had a pleasant weekend.
“The idea is falling apart because the banks cant agree on a price to come clean on the bad assets with the government.”
kettle,
I’m a little confused. Since when does the offer decide the price? Better solution, heads or tails. Heads, the banks win, tails, the taxpayers lose.
Anyone else notice how short the lines at the bagel and donut shops are? Even back in October the lines were usually at least 10 deep, the 2 times I’ve gone this year, there was only 1 or 2 people in front of me.
Speaking of heads/tails. My brother won, 1K, the coin toss, heads.
Slap to the head- Thunder Road
WSJ
CAREERS FEBRUARY 2, 2009 Now Hiring: Lehman
As Bankrupt Firm Winds Down, Gigs There Are Hot Commodity
By PETER LATTMAN
It’s bankrupt. Its reputation is in tatters. And it has been forced from its plush headquarters building. Yet working for Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. — what remains of it — has become one of the hottest jobs on Wall Street.
That’s because Lehman, though a shadow of its former self after selling many of its businesses to Barclays PLC and Nomura Holdings Inc., retains a broad patchwork of assets. It has some $7 billion in cash and more than 1,400 private investments valued at $12.3 billion. Then there’s a thicket of about 500,000 derivative contracts with 4,000 trading partners worth some $24 billion.
Obama to Unveil CEO Pay Plan, ‘Bad Bank’ Delayed
last?
Anyone remember that trip to iceland we all joked about a few months ago???
Lets go! in august the exchange rate was 1 USD to 78 ISK. it is now 1 USD to 115 ISK.
I hear the riots are lovely this time of year
Violent unrest rocks China as crisis hits
Bankruptcies, unemployment and social unrest are spreading more widely in China than officially reported, according to independent research that paints an ominous picture for the world economy. The research was conducted for The Sunday Times over the last two months in three provinces vital to Chinese trade – Guangdong, Zhejiang and Jiangsu. It found that the global economic crisis has scythed through exports and set off dozens of protests that are never mentioned by the state media. While troubling for the Chinese government, this should strengthen the argument of Premier Wen Jiabao, who will say on a visit to London this week that his country faces enormous problems and cannot let its currency rise in response to American demands.
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/economics/article5627687.ece
more from above…
In the southern province of Guangdong, three jobless men detonated a bomb in a business travellers’ hotel in the commercial city of Foshan to extort money from the management. The Communist party is so concerned to buy off trouble that in one case, confirmed by a local government official in Foshan, armed police forced a factory owner to withdraw cash from the bank to pay his workers. “Hundreds of workers protested outside the city government so we ordered the boss to settle the back pay and sent police armed with machine-guns to take him to the bank and deliver the money to his workforce that very night,” the official said. On January 15 there were pitched battles at a textile factory in the nearby city of Dongguan between striking workers and security guards.
On January 16, about 100 auxiliary security officers, known in Chinese as Bao An, staged a street protest after they were sacked by a state-owned firm in Shenzhen, a boom town adjoining Hong Kong. About 1,000 teachers confronted police on the streets of Yangjiang on January 5, demanding their wages from the local authorities. In one sample week in late December, 2,000 workers at a Singapore-owned firm in Shanghai held a wage protest and thousands of farmers staged 12 days of mass demonstrations over economic problems outside the city. All along the coast, angry workers besieged labour offices and government buildings after dozens of factories closed their doors without paying wages and their owners went back to Hong Kong, Taiwan or South Korea.
more of these confidence statements…. we all know how this ends…..
Gordon Brown says: London is not ‘Reykjavik on the Thames’
Gordon Brown mounted a spirited defence of his government’s economic record at the World Economic Forum in Davos yesterday, pointing to the country’s low inflation, low interest rates and low public debt. He dismissed suggestions that London was “Reykjavik on the Thames” and rejected the comments of Jim Rogers, the investor, who warned a few days ago Britain was finished.
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/economics/article5627301.ece
hype (24)-
Hamilton’s & Harvest Moon Inn?
Yuck.
Do like Fine Diner & Los Jarochos…I just never thought of them as restaurants.
sl (38)-
Congrats! Shoot to kill.
You’d think a place like Harvest Moon Inn, that has $30+ entrees, would have chairs that didn’t feel like they were designed in a North Korean prison.
I don’t have a bad back, but just sitting and eating in that tomb gave me sciatica for about three days. And a stomach ache.
BTW, nice work there, Beer. Some real stories of personal hell in those comps.
Harry (52)-
I can almost see that house from my office. A spectacular POS.
Seller “can’t go lower”? Ha. The limbo of RE collapse knows only one phrase: “how low can you go”?
What, no bad bank? A focus this week on CEO pay?
O and his retreads are stuck. They have now retreated to PR mode.
No solutions at hand; matters getting worse. Bond vigilantes just called Bernanke’s bluff.
The decline will begin to accelerate now.
Exactly how much long-dated maturities will the Fed have to buy to keep their diabolical plan afloat?
Methinks it’s a lot.
These are some great houses – are any of them being sold through Taylor Morrison? My sister just bought a home through them and I requested information from their website (http://dreambig.taylormorrison.com/?utm_source=bc) and was signed up to win a dream vacation and I think they’re a company I’d like to work with.
Lance, does that website have a link to get me
MY TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS?
njrereport.com – cool sitename man)))
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