US Dollar Going Downtown

Yes, the dollar is inching its way further to less value, and gold is skyrocketing. Again.

Thank you America for placing zero importance on personal savings, and instead focusing all of your efforts on consuming shit and making yourself look more wealthy than you really are.

Nice going.

Not too sure whether our evil ways are sustainable ones.

California Home Foreclosures Up 160%

$2 trillion in mortgages pending adjustment in 2007 - an amount the world of re-fi has never before seen.

"No Accountability" - $10 Billion In Taxpayer Money Lost in Iraq

When the cat is away, the mice will play.

And so it is with the money of hard-working American taxpayers currently NOT being utilized to secure democratic freedom for "peace loving" Iraqis in the Middle East.

I don't know how anyone can remain an adherent to George W. Bush's administration after reports like these, but I'm not wasting anymore time thinking about it.

Because I'm just not getting anywhere.

What happens when $10 billion dollars of U.S. taxpayer money disappears in Iraq within a sea of private company overcharges and complete lack of fiscal oversight?

This may be news to my Republican friends, but George W. Bush is not a fiscal conservative. And he wouldn't know fiscal conservatism if it struck him in the mouth.

The New American Dream - Smaller Homes

This NY Times article challenges Americans to step outside the big box and "think small" about the future roof over their heads. Perhaps housing should become more affordable, economical, environmental, and small.

Now why didn't David Lereah think of that?

U.S. Realtors: "Housing Crash Is Over"

The USA Today reports that the National Association of Realtors today (February 15th, 2007) considers the real estate market to have "bottomed out".

The crash is over.

We may proceed to clean up the mess that was left behind and then gleefully return to the practice of pumping up pseudo-homeownership and over-leveraging American family balance sheets to achieve it (and the 6% do-nothing commision that rides along side every sale).

In the words of Senior NAR Economist Mr. Lawrence Yun: "At least the bottom appears to have already occurred. Now whether or not that will be sustainable is a different question."

Whoa! Can sellers, future buyers and fence-sitters just feel the rock-solid confidence exuding from those prophetic words?!

Blue Cross: "California Realtors Are Lying"

California realtors filed a lawsuit against Blue Cross regarding the discontinuation of their health care benefits that were organized by CAR (California Association of Realtors)

But Blue Cross isn't backing down, citing breach of contract as grounds for the discontinuation.

Why are train wrecks like these so damn fun to watch?

Why U.S. Economy was "Addicted to Housing Boom"

This video of Christian Weller explaining his report on the U.S. housing boom might scare the ever-living crap out of most over-leveraged homeowners.

I'm curious what U.S. realtors and mortgage lenders have to say about their complicity and contribution to the results of Mr. Weller's damning report?

Should they care? They already have their money.

OC Lifestyle and Missing Mortgage Payments

Come on people! Is this really happening?
Didn't you just buy that Escalade last year?

Champ: "What are we gonna do?"

Ron: "There's only one thing a man can do when he's suffering from a spiritual and existential funk."

Champ: "Go to the zoo, flip off the monkeys?"

Ron: "No, buy new suits!"