More Great Economic News

[Billy T]

....President Bush has been the BEST POTUS ever. He has the b@lls to fight evil terrorists. ...

Not only the majority judgment of most Americans and more than 90% of the rest of world thinks GWB has done a very poor job of this. Thinks he has been responsible for a great increase in the number of terrorists who would willingly die for even a small chance of hurting the USA significantly. For example GWB ignored that 15 of the 19 of "9/11" came from and received their “religious schooling” in “Hate USA Schools” and that the financial support for their flight training etc. all came from Saudi Arabia. I. e. Iraq, which had nothing to do with 9/11, was attacked, not Saudi Arabia, which has been big contributor to GWB and his father since long before GWB became Gov. of Texas. If you want to be effective in reducing terrorist’s numbers and powers, you need to at least be able to identify where their education to hate the USA and their funds come from.

Some day the terrorist will get one (or more) of the artillery shell A-bombs that have "gone missing" from the old USSR into NYC etc. The Saudi Royal family will very likely supply the considerable funds to buy from the "Russian Mafia", now probably holding a few*. They will return GWB's favor of flying two planes loads of Saudi friends out of USA, just hours after 9/11, when all civilian air traffic was still grounded, by requiring that bomb not go off near GWB, if they are not too busy watching films of a gang rapped girl get 200 lashes. (Fat lazy rich 70 to 80+ year old men can no longer release sexual tension as they and Saddam’s two sons once did.)

Perhaps your God will make sure you are on vacation and out of the city if the one the terrorist select is one where you normally live. Don’t forget to included this in your prayers for “preferred treatment” over the starving babies. Also, be careful not to choke on your silver spoon. (God works in strange way we mortals cannot understand. He may have a sense of justice also.)

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*GWB's plan and insistence on stationing missiles on or near the Russian border in EU also has made US much less safe. Putin was so "pissed off" that he resumed long stopped flights of the strategic bombers to the boarders of the USA, is now sending nuclear-armed Russian warships back into the Med. Hell, if the rate GWB is destroying US Russian relations continues for a few more years. Tsar Putin may secretly GIVE few small A-Bombs to the terrorist to use on USA and before they go off announce that some Russian stock pile of them has been looted, but the good efforts of the Russian police have "recovered all but a few." GWB IS DESTROYING THE USA, both by his economic policy and by his "pro-military" SIMPLE-MINDED approach to all conflicts.

Fortunately, GWB's plans to attack Iran have just received a serious setback with the NIE report stating that Iran killed its primative nuclear weapon program back in 2003. GWB is no doubt angry about the NIE report and now that his term is ending in about 20 months, not able to control the intelligence agencies as he could when there were WMDs "found" to support the need to invade Iraq; however, he still can fire people in government agencies and this power as a threat, may be why the CIA is now admitting that they destroyed interrogation tapes. - This way, GWB can get "heads to roll" at the CIA, etc. and have Democrats in Congress be the "axe men," not him. - This is far too clever for this plan to be GWB's own idea, but he has several intelligent "neocons" to help him still. (Not all the rats have disserted the ship, yet. - At least the VP is still standing behind GWB, telling him what to do.)

 

[sandy]

More kool-aid?

 

[madanthonywayne]

I do not want to come to sandy's defense, but there is more than "pure luck" to investing.

Why not come to her defense when she's right? I know you two have diametrically opposite views on the economy, but when she's right, she's right.

 

[TruthSeeker]

They didn't steal it from me. They stole it from construction workers, cleaning ladies, roofers, etc...They stole it from AMERICANS who had the jobs before the criminal alien pukes slithered across the border. Legal immigrants are fine for working the fields. Criminal aliens are NOT fine for undercutting Americans and taking their jobs for a fraction of the money. Ugh.

Did you know that the Nazis had a similar attitude towards the Jews and similar view of the Jews?

 

[Billy T]

Why not come to her defense when she's right? I know you two have diametrically opposite views on the economy, but when she's right, she's right.

From my POV that occasion (When she is right) rarely presents but when she was told investing success is only luck, I did defend her saying it is more than that.

I know as I spend a lot of time just keeping up with about 40 early stage drug developer's progress* (and more often than not, their failures). I can not agree that praying to God will help you when buying stocks (and obviously hurt the seller) as I do not think God does this for some people and not others who also prayed for his guidance on the transaction, even if God does exist and act in our daily lives.

If her position on God giving good guidance in making investments to all who pray and ask for it is not obviously self contradictory when both side of the transaction have prayed, I would not know what is self condtradictory. Thus surely that is not "when she is right."

Thus, it must be her minority POV about GWB impact on the economy. As I think he has destroyed the US (even if he did not start wars which add to the domestic debt) you can hardly expect me to agree with her on this. History will give it judgment relatively soon, (within the decade if I am correct.)

Please tell me more specifically what opportunity (i.e. what she correctly posted about) and I passed up the chance to praise her.
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*More because I like to learn than for the money I have made with them. I owned both KOSP and RNAi at end of 2006 when big pharma bought up all out standing shares. - I was already showing more than 100% gains on both before they paid about 50% above market for them. Fortunately, I was forced out from one in last week of 2006 and on 4 Jan 2007 from the other, but even with the profits falling in two different tax years, I am selling now some of my "losers" to reduce the tax burden.

 

[Buffalo Roam]

Buffalo, you still haven't asnwer my question. The purchase power of $1 was A LOT different 40 years ago. So how much was it worth?

Here is something I figured out on the cost of living, back in 1965, at $.85 cent a hour it took me 26 minuets of work to buy a Hamburger .18 cents, French Fries, at .11 cents and a Coke at .10 cents, to day, at my present income, it takes me 7 minuets 10 seconds, to buy that meal, which is priced at $3.49.

Starting wages are just that starting wages, I started at $0.85 cents a hour, and the best job I ever held, paid $16.75 a hour, and needless to say my hourly income today is far above that, the only way to get ahead is to start.

Did some checking at the Job Service, the only jobs paying minimum are part time, the Burger Joints are paying $7.50 to $10.00 starting part time, and that is mostly to high school kids working part time.

Factory work starts at $9.50 a hour, and goes up from there depending on your field of expertise.

Truck Mechanics are starting at $18.00 a hour out of school.

My son is making $ 50k+ a year as a truck driver, with no college, and is receiving hefty raises every year.

He started with his company at $7.50 a hour, that's $15,600 a year, so the word is just do it start some where, any where.

 

[Billy T]

Here is something I figured out on the cost of living, back in 1965, at $.85 cent a hour it took me 26 minuets of work to buy a Hamburger .18 cents, French Fries, at .11 cents and a Coke at .10 cents, to day, at my present income, it takes to buy the same meal priced at $3.49 it takes me 7 minuets 10 seconds. ...

That is a 3.63 fold reduction in time in 42 years. Do you think your son will come even close to that in 42 years? I do not. Too many problems are stacked up, with twin deficits and retiring baby boomers for his generation to support.

I think that you and I just were very wise in timing our births for the golden age of the US. What do you think, and why.

 

[Buffalo Roam]

That is a 3.63 fold reduction in time in 42 years. Do you think your son will come even close to that in 42 years? I do not. Too many problems are stacked up, with twin deficits and retiring baby boomers for his generation to support.

I think that you and I just were very wise in timing our births for the golden age of the US. What do you think, and why.

My son should not have any problems, I have been kicking his ass since he started working to save, and now at 29 he has $100,000 in investments, and he is shelling away $5,000 a year, so he won't have to worry about SS, he should have a multi million dollar portfolio when he retires.

Plus when I die he will get another kick to his investment portfolio, and that is if he sell just my arms collection, let alone what he should receive from my estate.

I think that you and I just were very wise in timing our births for the golden age of the US. What do you think, and why.

What timing? and I today I would still be the same hard working stubborn individual I am now, I comes from up bringing, and I did the same for my son, didn't let him feel sorry for himself, kick him in the ass, and showed him the way, and he is well on the way to succeeding in Life.

 

[sandy]

My son should not have any problems, I have been kicking his ass since he started working to save, and no at 29 he has $100,000 in investments, and he is shelling away $5,000 a year, so he won't have to worry about SS, he should have a multi million dollar portfolio when he retires.
Plus when I die he will get another kick to his investment portfolio, and that is if he sell just my arms collection, let alone what he should receive from my estate.
What timing? and I today I would still be the same hard working stubborn individual I am now, I comes from up bringing, and I did the same for my son, didn't let him feel sorry for himself, kick him in the ass, and showed him the way, and he is well on the way to succeeding in Life.

Well done, Buffalo. You and your son sound like absolute winners to me.

 

[USS Exeter]

So let me get this straight, the winners are the ones with lots of money?

 

[Buffalo Roam]

So let me get this straight, the winners are the ones with lots of money?

No the winners are those who do, wether they make a lot of money or not, and they generally get were they want to be, the losers and they remain losers are those who complain about every one else having a unfair advantage, they stay were they are and nothing changes.

I don't have lots of money but I don't consider my self a looser, and I started with less, but i didn't wait for things to be equal I made them equal.

Remember the best job I ever had paid $16.75 a hour.

 

[USS Exeter]

No the winners are those who do, wether they make a lot of money or not, and they generally get were they want to be, the losers and they remain losers are those who complain about every one else having a unfair advantage, they stay were they are and nothing changes.

I don't have lots of money but I don't consider my self a looser, and I started with less, but i didn't wait for things to be equal I made them equal.

Remember the best job I ever had paid $16.75 a hour.

I was sort of being sarctic when I said that. What I mean is that you are not necessarily a winner because you are rich. I have known people that are poor to the point of poverty, work their asses off, and are still happy. To me, those people are winners.

 

[TruthSeeker]

No the winners are those who do, wether they make a lot of money or not, and they generally get were they want to be, the losers and they remain losers are those who complain about every one else having a unfair advantage, they stay were they are and nothing changes.

I don't have lots of money but I don't consider my self a looser, and I started with less, but i didn't wait for things to be equal I made them equal.

Remember the best job I ever had paid $16.75 a hour.

I agree. However, there are a lot of hard working people out there who stays with the same company their whole lifes and when they get to retire, they have to go back to work because they only had a defined contribution pension plan. Also, people who are stricken with critical illness or suffer an accident, or if the income earner in a family dies, or if interest rates go up and you can't afford your mortgage... I mean... all those things affect americans today. It is very hard not to escape at least one of those. Real income may seem higher, but the bottom line is that you can't really survive very well those days.... :shrug:

 

[sandy]

So let me get this straight, the winners are the ones with lots of money?

In some games. In the game of life the winners are the ones with the right thoughts.

 

[Spud Emperor]

In some games. In the game of life the winners are the ones with the right thoughts.

Those with left thoughts are doomed...apparently.

 

[sandy]

Those with left thoughts are doomed...apparently.

In more ways than you can possibly imagine....

Back on topic, I just heard some guy on tv talking about how the economy will NEVER affect him. That HIS success does not come from anywhere else but God. Cool.

I still think that people who make wise financial decisions starting at an early age have a much better chance of succeeding later on in life. (Barring any unusual windfalls such as inheritances, divorce settlements, lottos, etc...)

 

[Spud Emperor]

In more ways than you can possibly imagine....

Yes you are right again, fuck Sandy, (excuse the profane expletive) My life is so miserable without God, money or ...what is that other shit you are so zealous about?
Please show me how to find the successful inner me.

 

[sandy]

Yes you are right again, fuck Sandy, (excuse the profane expletive) My life is so miserable without God, money or ...what is that other shit you are so zealous about?
Please show me how to find the successful inner me.

On another thread or pm, maybe. Not here.

 

[Billy T]

In some games. In the game of life the winners are the ones with the right thoughts.

Since you knew about Calvin, perhaps you know about Wallace also? He was the first to publish the idea Darwin is given credit for. Darwin had a high position, good standing in the scientific community, wealth, etc. and did not want to jeopardize it by making public his point of view about evolution which contradicted the universally accepted POV that "GOD made all the creatures, just as they are today." His hand was forced by a friend who sent him a copy of Wallace’s work. As Darwin was getting old, he decided to risk his elevated position and published. This position also allowed him to very effectively, thru his many also well placed friends in the scientific community, suppress any credit going to Wallace, for more than a century.

Wallace had no stature in the scientific world and was also unlucky. He collected many more specimens than Darwin ever did. - Wallace went way up the Amazon River to do so and traveled widely in South America, while Darwin was still studding to be a preacher and long before Darwin, with his good family connections, was invited to "Take a little trip on the Beagle. See the world, before settling down to lead your assigned parish for the rest of your life." Wallace was especially unlucky because all of his specimens were being shipped back to Europe on a slow old boat (all he could afford) that sank.

I would say, based on the rich, well connected Darwin vs. poor, but "right thinking" Wallace history that sure it helps to be "right thinking" but being wealthy and well connected in society is much more important. History, even scientific history, is filled with examples of "success" of the rich and well connected who "had wrong thoughts."

For example, phrenology's founder(s) made very good and comfortable livings telling other members of the upper classes in Europe why they were better than the lower classes in Europe for more than 50 years, by measuring the shape of their heads.

Next time you are in Florence, Italy go to the small (seldom visited by the busy tourist) "science museum" (It is near the river, a short walk from the main art museum). There, in addition to one of phrenology founder's fingers in a glass bottle, you can see two floors of their drawings of "criminal head shapes", the head bumps that make a man too passionate, the "intelligent head shapes" etc.

SUMMARY: you like to deign it, but the most important thing to do to become "rich" and "successful" is to chose parents that already are. I agree they are not essential, but they sure help. For example:

My rural West Virginia father was smart, well educated for the time (an MD degree for the Un. of Arkansas, not the best school, but what he could almost afford, by like me later, working for his meals, etc.). His brother did not graduate high school but married a very rich lady* and was considered by most (but not by me) much more "successful" than my poor father. That brother did add considerably to that wealth by using her money to buy and sell real estate.

This personal information is told to illustrate one of the typical real reasons why children of rich people often are even richer when they have children: I.e. it takes money to make money easily.

I know as I graduated with none, but fortunately without the large student loans that many economically poor students now have upon graduation. I was more than 30 before I could afford to marry. I had a net worth of less than $50K at about age 40 etc. but then, with a little capital to invest, I could, and did, build it rapidly up and retire at age 55 with about almost one million. That was some time ago. I do not look at most of my investments more than once or twice a year (they are at TIAA/CREF or Vanguard, and rarely moved.) But the one million of so I play with in stocks, even though I basically buy and hold, I do track at least every other day. Of course I like the $50K up days more than the $40K down days, but it really does not matter.
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*She was very smart combination of egg and sperm. - The sperm came from the owner of several coal mines, which like all in that era, had "company stores" that gave credit to the miners for them to buy food, but prices were set so they never could get out of debt. Thinking "right thoughts" and working hard, loading 10 or 15 tons of coal each 14 hours 6 days per week until "black lung" killed them, did not reverse that fact. You can be sure they prayed a lot. Often for short term help like: "Please God, make that roof timber hold when this slab does come down." etc. My father, after returning with his MD degree often rode horse back up into those valleys to deliver a baby and returned with the respect of the miners and perhaps a jar of home made pickles or a couple of freshly killed rabbits. They had no money.

PS My childern were of course, like you, born with silver spoons in their mouth. One is much richer than me and still not 50. The spoons in my grand children’s mouths at birth were either gold or platinum but only one is exceptionally intelligent. The general “regression towards the mean” is at work here.

 

[USS Exeter]

In some games. In the game of life the winners are the ones with the right thoughts.

Right thoughts? Are you referring to something?