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OK, great. The Feds are going to give Bush a boatload of money to "bail out" the country.
What's wrong with this picture?
Ummm, guys, isn't this the very thing that everyone is ragging on homeowners about? We borrowed our way out of (and into) debt?
It doesn't work.
You can't borrow money to pay off debt, thereby making more debt that will sink your future.
What we NEED to do is finish our business in Iraq. Yes, I don't think we should abandon the Iraqi peoples, but we need to finish up and get out of their way. At this point, we may well be making things worse, not better.
Once we're out of there, we need to redistribute the monies spent on the war effort. (BTW: the war has been over a LONG time, this is a mopping up/police action.) We need to refurbish our Social Security system, pay down debt, assist families and homeowners with crushing debt, whether it's due to medical bills or fraudulent loans, assist them with proper loans with fixed rates so their lives are back in balance.
We need to assist with childcare costs, so people can afford to work, and childcare providers can afford to stay in business.
We need to do a lot of things in this country.
But borrowing against our future isn't the way to go.
Sorry Bush, you're just perpetuating the problem.
It's not going to work...
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Saturday, September 20, 2008
The Mortgage Meltdown
My neighbor lost his house.
I'm so sad for him.
In his case, he lost his job (oh, I know that one!) and got behind. With the market being the way it is, he couldn't refi and he couldn't get caught up. His ex is waiting, hoping that he can pick up the house later, once the foreclosure is finished and the bank puts the house on the market for a fraction of what my neighbor owed.
Yes, he's hoping to buy the house back. Those guys put so much work into their house, it's a darn shame this happened to them.
I know that I can't refi right now. I'm only about $20,000 upside down right now, so I'm stuck in my loan for a bit. In this market, at this time, it's not as bad as it sounds. Fortunately, I don't have to refi until 2010, so there's time for the market to swing up again.
I'm watching the mortgage meltdown with much cynicism.
You see, the mortgage companies are freaking greedy. They don't WANT to renegotiate loans. They don't WANT to give up a prepayment penalty so the customer can refinance into a better loan product. They don't WANT to work with the customer.
It's all backfired on them!
LOL, now they're paying the price for the misrepresentation of the loan products, of the under and over valuing of properties, for straight up fraud (like manufacturing the numbers without the customer even realizing what was done!).
Yes, sometimes they deliberately undervalued a property, forcing the homeowner into a less desirable but more profitable loan product, knowing that the homeowner had to refi NOW. Taking advantage of the situation doesn't make it right.
Even so, houses are starting to sell again. Prices have dropped enough that many people are starting to look toward buying that first home. Truly over valued house prices have dropped dramatically and people are looking to buy.
So the mortgage meltdown will eventually pass. Again.
Because this isn't the first time it's happened. Nor will it be the last.
The politicians and bankers and mortgage companies will all be on the bandwagon about what they did to help the consumer.
And we'll know they're all full of poop. Because nice guys like my neighbor don't live in this hood anymore.
The market will recover. So will he.
But the mortgage companies' lies, misrepresentation, and out and out fraud have been revealed.
Finally.
I'm looking for more banks and mortgage companies to go under before we completely recover from this mess. More fraud will be revealed. More lies and misrepresentations will appear to haunt these huge companies.
I don't know that I want the government to be all up in the mortgage business, but I do know that I want the rules and regulations, the laws that are already in place, to be enforced.
Make the greedy bastards pay.
And pay.
And pay.
Just like we, the consumers, usually have to pay.
It's nice to see it happen to the big guys for a change. Even though it messes with the economy for a while.
We little guys are used to it. We will survive the mortgage meltdown. It's just once more mess in our lives and we know how to hunker down and hang on.
That's the operative phrase in this mess, "Hang on!"
Hang on, change is coming!
Hang on!
I'm so sad for him.
In his case, he lost his job (oh, I know that one!) and got behind. With the market being the way it is, he couldn't refi and he couldn't get caught up. His ex is waiting, hoping that he can pick up the house later, once the foreclosure is finished and the bank puts the house on the market for a fraction of what my neighbor owed.
Yes, he's hoping to buy the house back. Those guys put so much work into their house, it's a darn shame this happened to them.
I know that I can't refi right now. I'm only about $20,000 upside down right now, so I'm stuck in my loan for a bit. In this market, at this time, it's not as bad as it sounds. Fortunately, I don't have to refi until 2010, so there's time for the market to swing up again.
I'm watching the mortgage meltdown with much cynicism.
You see, the mortgage companies are freaking greedy. They don't WANT to renegotiate loans. They don't WANT to give up a prepayment penalty so the customer can refinance into a better loan product. They don't WANT to work with the customer.
It's all backfired on them!
LOL, now they're paying the price for the misrepresentation of the loan products, of the under and over valuing of properties, for straight up fraud (like manufacturing the numbers without the customer even realizing what was done!).
Yes, sometimes they deliberately undervalued a property, forcing the homeowner into a less desirable but more profitable loan product, knowing that the homeowner had to refi NOW. Taking advantage of the situation doesn't make it right.
Even so, houses are starting to sell again. Prices have dropped enough that many people are starting to look toward buying that first home. Truly over valued house prices have dropped dramatically and people are looking to buy.
So the mortgage meltdown will eventually pass. Again.
Because this isn't the first time it's happened. Nor will it be the last.
The politicians and bankers and mortgage companies will all be on the bandwagon about what they did to help the consumer.
And we'll know they're all full of poop. Because nice guys like my neighbor don't live in this hood anymore.
The market will recover. So will he.
But the mortgage companies' lies, misrepresentation, and out and out fraud have been revealed.
Finally.
I'm looking for more banks and mortgage companies to go under before we completely recover from this mess. More fraud will be revealed. More lies and misrepresentations will appear to haunt these huge companies.
I don't know that I want the government to be all up in the mortgage business, but I do know that I want the rules and regulations, the laws that are already in place, to be enforced.
Make the greedy bastards pay.
And pay.
And pay.
Just like we, the consumers, usually have to pay.
It's nice to see it happen to the big guys for a change. Even though it messes with the economy for a while.
We little guys are used to it. We will survive the mortgage meltdown. It's just once more mess in our lives and we know how to hunker down and hang on.
That's the operative phrase in this mess, "Hang on!"
Hang on, change is coming!
Hang on!
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Arnold, The Idiot You Voted In
Don't blame me, I didn't vote for that actor turned politician!
Heck no I didn't.
California's legislators FINALLY get a 2/3 vote to pass the budget, and doofus is threatening to veto it? And if his veto is overturned, he'll veto all the 800 or so bills that the legislators have worked so hard on?
Say what?
It's a DARN good thing I'm not in the legislature.
I would stand up, all five foot two of me, probably as red in the face as my hair, and tell him:
"You just go ahead. And then we'll vote to overturn it, we'll vote our budget in.
"And when you veto every one of our bills, we'll just vote them ALL back in!
"You think you're all that, dude, you aren't worth the bird poop on your windshield.
"So go for it, and see how stupid we can make you look."
I have ZERO patience with this idiot that the people of California were stupid enough to vote in.
Yes, California was stupid.
Actors are paid to put on characters. And politicians will tell you anything you want to hear, just so they get reelected. So actors make even better lying politicians...
Arnold should have stuck to acting. His movies were barely palatable.
He's utterly incompetent as a leader.
Good at being a lying politician, but incompetent at running our state.
Yeah, I know. California voted him in so we're stuck with him and his arrogant attitude toward us working people.
You get what you pay for.
And we'll keep paying...
And paying...
And paying...
Heck no I didn't.
California's legislators FINALLY get a 2/3 vote to pass the budget, and doofus is threatening to veto it? And if his veto is overturned, he'll veto all the 800 or so bills that the legislators have worked so hard on?
Say what?
It's a DARN good thing I'm not in the legislature.
I would stand up, all five foot two of me, probably as red in the face as my hair, and tell him:
"You just go ahead. And then we'll vote to overturn it, we'll vote our budget in.
"And when you veto every one of our bills, we'll just vote them ALL back in!
"You think you're all that, dude, you aren't worth the bird poop on your windshield.
"So go for it, and see how stupid we can make you look."
I have ZERO patience with this idiot that the people of California were stupid enough to vote in.
Yes, California was stupid.
Actors are paid to put on characters. And politicians will tell you anything you want to hear, just so they get reelected. So actors make even better lying politicians...
Arnold should have stuck to acting. His movies were barely palatable.
He's utterly incompetent as a leader.
Good at being a lying politician, but incompetent at running our state.
Yeah, I know. California voted him in so we're stuck with him and his arrogant attitude toward us working people.
You get what you pay for.
And we'll keep paying...
And paying...
And paying...
My Friend Isn't Going To Vote!?!
Oh - my - gosh!!
I can't believe this.
I was just talking to one of my buddies and he told me he isn't going to vote.
WHAT!!!
He isn't going to vote. I seriously can't believe it.
He's so stubborn, I know I won't be able to convince him that he should exercise his right to vote.
Yeah, I already tried...
You knew that didn't you?
I can't believe this.
I was just talking to one of my buddies and he told me he isn't going to vote.
WHAT!!!
He isn't going to vote. I seriously can't believe it.
He's so stubborn, I know I won't be able to convince him that he should exercise his right to vote.
Yeah, I already tried...
You knew that didn't you?
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Obama And The Pastor
Here we go again.
I read about this last week, but honestly, I haven't had a lot of time to write.
So I'll keep this short and blunt.
What the heck does Obama have to do with his FORMER Pastor's apparent affair?
Not a blasted thing!
The Pastor apparently has some moral failings, in the area of marriage and relationships.
But what does this have to do with Presidential candidate Obama?
Not a darn thing!
I would hope that most Americans are smart enough to know that just because someone you know, whether your Pastor, boss, neighbor or friend, cheats on his/her wife or husband, it doesn't have a darn thing to do with your own morality.
Unless, of course, you knew all about it and helped cover it up.
Which is not relevant to the Pastor's latest media uproar.
AND
While I'm ranting about this, yes, Pastor Wright was all wrong if he had an affair.
And so was the woman.
It takes one to sin, but two to tango.
Pastor Wright sinned the minute he conceived the seduction. (Or maybe it was Elizabeth Payne, if she seduced him.) But the other party still had the opportunity to say NO.
Just like Adam and Eve.
Eve sinned not by being deceived but by disobeying God's instructions. She could have been deceived but then chose to obey, just because God said so. She could've chose to wait and ask God what He had to say about Satan's deceptions.
But Adam then quadrupled the problem, because he chose to sin. He CHOSE to take the forbidden fruit. And then he CHOSE to blame Eve for his own failure, even though he was equally guilty of the sin. He disobeyed God. Instead of saying, "hold up here, let's take this back to God and see what He says about this situation" Adam just went ahead and ate that forbidden fruit anyway.
And didn't repent.
Didn't take it right to God and say "We screwed up Lord."
Nope, tried to hide themselves, tried to hide the sin, tried to blame everyone else but themselves.
It took two to get kicked out of the Garden.
The same as Wright and Payne.
Whoever started it, well then, the other STILL had the CHOICE to not participate.
So I return to the question: What the heck does Pastor Wright's alleged affair have to do with Obama?
Not a darn thing.
Oh, yeah, and I have little sympathy for her crying now about her ruined marriage and being banned from her church.
Like, duh!!
The wages of sin are death.
But not all deaths are physical.
Death of a marriage. Death of a relationship. Death of her church membership. A high price to pay for an empty promise.
So what was it I was saying?
Oh, yeah, what does all this have to do with Obama?
Not a darn thing.
It's "just" another failed attempt by the media to make Obama look like he condones bad behavior.
Ummmm, yeah. Right.
Obama led his Pastor to sin? Really?
Ummmm, so do you blame your own bad behavior on the Twinkies you had with lunch? Or on the guy down at 7-11 that sold you the Twinkies? Or the food company that makes Twinkies?
Yeah, it's the same.
Obama doesn't have a thing to do with his FORMER Pastor's inability to follow marriage vows.
So move along now, let's get back to the issues.
Don't be distracted (and yes, this is deliberate distraction) from the issues.
Don't believe the hype. Don't believe everything you read.
A + B does NOT equal Z.
Wright plus Payne does NOT equal Obama.
NOPE, sure doesn't!!
I read about this last week, but honestly, I haven't had a lot of time to write.
So I'll keep this short and blunt.
What the heck does Obama have to do with his FORMER Pastor's apparent affair?
Not a blasted thing!
The Pastor apparently has some moral failings, in the area of marriage and relationships.
But what does this have to do with Presidential candidate Obama?
Not a darn thing!
I would hope that most Americans are smart enough to know that just because someone you know, whether your Pastor, boss, neighbor or friend, cheats on his/her wife or husband, it doesn't have a darn thing to do with your own morality.
Unless, of course, you knew all about it and helped cover it up.
Which is not relevant to the Pastor's latest media uproar.
AND
While I'm ranting about this, yes, Pastor Wright was all wrong if he had an affair.
And so was the woman.
It takes one to sin, but two to tango.
Pastor Wright sinned the minute he conceived the seduction. (Or maybe it was Elizabeth Payne, if she seduced him.) But the other party still had the opportunity to say NO.
Just like Adam and Eve.
Eve sinned not by being deceived but by disobeying God's instructions. She could have been deceived but then chose to obey, just because God said so. She could've chose to wait and ask God what He had to say about Satan's deceptions.
But Adam then quadrupled the problem, because he chose to sin. He CHOSE to take the forbidden fruit. And then he CHOSE to blame Eve for his own failure, even though he was equally guilty of the sin. He disobeyed God. Instead of saying, "hold up here, let's take this back to God and see what He says about this situation" Adam just went ahead and ate that forbidden fruit anyway.
And didn't repent.
Didn't take it right to God and say "We screwed up Lord."
Nope, tried to hide themselves, tried to hide the sin, tried to blame everyone else but themselves.
It took two to get kicked out of the Garden.
The same as Wright and Payne.
Whoever started it, well then, the other STILL had the CHOICE to not participate.
So I return to the question: What the heck does Pastor Wright's alleged affair have to do with Obama?
Not a darn thing.
Oh, yeah, and I have little sympathy for her crying now about her ruined marriage and being banned from her church.
Like, duh!!
The wages of sin are death.
But not all deaths are physical.
Death of a marriage. Death of a relationship. Death of her church membership. A high price to pay for an empty promise.
So what was it I was saying?
Oh, yeah, what does all this have to do with Obama?
Not a darn thing.
It's "just" another failed attempt by the media to make Obama look like he condones bad behavior.
Ummmm, yeah. Right.
Obama led his Pastor to sin? Really?
Ummmm, so do you blame your own bad behavior on the Twinkies you had with lunch? Or on the guy down at 7-11 that sold you the Twinkies? Or the food company that makes Twinkies?
Yeah, it's the same.
Obama doesn't have a thing to do with his FORMER Pastor's inability to follow marriage vows.
So move along now, let's get back to the issues.
Don't be distracted (and yes, this is deliberate distraction) from the issues.
Don't believe the hype. Don't believe everything you read.
A + B does NOT equal Z.
Wright plus Payne does NOT equal Obama.
NOPE, sure doesn't!!
Monday, September 1, 2008
Palin's Daughter Is News?
Let's put today's big news flash in perspective, per my own 17-year-old daughter.
"So she's like every other teen in America?"
Naturally, being a teen, she's a bit over the top with that statement.
However, like all too many teens, whether from intact or broken homes, evangelical Christian or not, political family or not, Palin's daughter has had sex.
OK. And ummm, the point was????
Look, the girl is 17, pregnant, keeping the baby, marrying the father.
Even Christian kids have sex and gasp, get pregnant!
Nothing to see here folks, move along to the issues.
This is not even news. The media needs to get back to the issues, both international and at-home.
Not "just" another teen pregnancy in America.
At least she's going to marry the father. Now THAT might be a small splash in the news. Nothing more.
Palin's daughter is news? Really?
Again, nothing to see here.
It's not news...
"So she's like every other teen in America?"
Naturally, being a teen, she's a bit over the top with that statement.
However, like all too many teens, whether from intact or broken homes, evangelical Christian or not, political family or not, Palin's daughter has had sex.
OK. And ummm, the point was????
Look, the girl is 17, pregnant, keeping the baby, marrying the father.
Even Christian kids have sex and gasp, get pregnant!
Nothing to see here folks, move along to the issues.
This is not even news. The media needs to get back to the issues, both international and at-home.
Not "just" another teen pregnancy in America.
At least she's going to marry the father. Now THAT might be a small splash in the news. Nothing more.
Palin's daughter is news? Really?
Again, nothing to see here.
It's not news...
Downgraded To A Category 2!!
YES!
Gustav has been downgraded to a category 2 hurricane.
That still isn't good for New Orleans, I pray that the levees hold. I heard on the news that they're still expecting torrential rains and seven to ten foot storm surges. That can't be a good thing for those old levees.
I was pleased to see that the Republicans took this hurricane more seriously, delegates went home to handle their business. A convention is NOT as important as human lives. When a hurricane hits, it's not "business as usual".
Glad to see that lesson was learned with Katrina.
Gustav has been downgraded to a category 2 hurricane.
That still isn't good for New Orleans, I pray that the levees hold. I heard on the news that they're still expecting torrential rains and seven to ten foot storm surges. That can't be a good thing for those old levees.
I was pleased to see that the Republicans took this hurricane more seriously, delegates went home to handle their business. A convention is NOT as important as human lives. When a hurricane hits, it's not "business as usual".
Glad to see that lesson was learned with Katrina.
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