Rants, Ravings and Other Helpful Nuggets

Per the SuperGoober's request for another post, here it comes.   Going to be several (at least two) items in here so buckle up.

 

The Bailout.   Honestly I'm glad that Congress is taking it's sweet time hammering out a package that will not reward the greedy bastards on Wall Street for being kids in a Candy Store.   Seriously, these bastards whined and whined about too much Government interference with the free market.  When the Gov backs off, the Greedy and Unethical bastards ran rampant; not caring who or what was destroyed in the process.  Like a pack of freaking locusts they chased profit at whatever the cost.  Now these same greedy bastards are asking You and I the American Taxpayer to give them our money so they won't lose their 5 Yachts, 10 Multi-Million Dollar Homes, 12 Sports Cars, Limo Service, etc etc.    Nice huh?   They dupe Americans into taking loans they can't afford or really don't qualify for (yes Prof...I know, we should all know what we are getting into, but not everyone in this Country is the GoG......).  C'mon folks, yes these people should have read the fine print, but the lenders should have spelled it out in plain terms as well.  If these lenders would have said "well with this loan package you will end up paying more for your house than it's worth, but hey in today's market the price should increase so it's okay.  Then when you have enough equity in the house you can refinance to a standard mortgage.  Of course, if the housing market slumps, you will get stuck owing us more money than your house is worth and that could be financially ruining to you.  Still want this loan, or would you rather just rent for awhile and build up your credit?"  I know, in the Real World lenders won't tell you the whole truth.   It would be nice if they did.  Here's a helpful nugget of information.    Housing Markets rise and fall all the time.  Any loan with a variable rate can, and most of the times will, increase and cause your payments to get out of reach.   I have yet to see an instance where a variable rate loan goes below the starting interest rate, they are just not set up that way.  Normally if say the Prime is 5%, your rate on a variable is about 6-7% to start.   A few points higher, but definitely not at Prime.  If you could qualify for Prime, why the Hell would you get a variable rate loan???  Think about it.  Most loans are from anywhere between 5 and 30 years (cars, personal loans tend to be in the 5 range whereas Mortgages are longer), do you really think that in that 5 years you're going to get a better rate than Prime?   My Wife's car loan is at 2.9% fixed.  Notice the word fixed.....I'm not stupid to think that it's going to go lower.   My mortgage refied at 5.85% FIXED.  Notice the word again.  That's right FIXED for 30 years at almost 6%.   If the trend of the cost of living continues the way it has, which so far it has, then I've done good.   I'm not going to gamble my freaking HOUSE on the chance that the Prime interest rate could go down to 4% or lower.  Ain't. Happening. Period.   Gas is between 3.50 and 4.00 a gallon, 8 years ago it was just over a dollar.   Remember what it cost to get into a movie 8 years ago?  10 years ago?  It's a lot more now isn't it.   I honestly think Congress should let these companies fail, crash and burn.  Look this "crisis" isn't as bad as it seems.  The market lost over 700 points on Monday, then rallied on Tuesday.   I don't think we have to worry about Soup Lines or "hey Brother can you spare a dime (like that would get you anything anyway....)".   I seriously think we should just let these greedy bastards die a slow painful death.  Oh, BTW, did you notice amidst all this financial "crisis" the price of a barrel of oil drop 10 bucks.    Funny that.  The reality; this Financial Crisis doesn't just affect us.  It's Global.  China owes their economy largely to the US (I mean 95% of what we sell here is made there.).  Japan the same (who buys more Japanese electronics and cars besides the Japanese......).  Seriously, this is bad but not so bad that we have to basically reward greed and bad ethics with a bucket of money.

 

Singles.  Now I know some of my friends are single, and others in extremely long term relationships but aren't married.  None of the following applies to you.  You folks don't whine and complain about your situations or want to be treated special for it.   I read an article in the Chron the other day (sfgate.com) about National Singles week or something like that.  Apparently there are Single folks who feel like they are being treated like second class citizens.  WTF?????  Get the sand out you whiny bitches!!  If you don't like being Single, then remedy the situation.   If you don't want to do that, then STFU!  So what would you like exactly?  Your benefits where you work are cheaper than mine.  You just have you to pay for.  I have to pay for me, the Spouse and any dependent children.   You get no sympathy from me.  Oh wait, you want domestic partner benefits?  Okay, that I'll give you.  If you are in a committed relationship and you and your SO live together, it would be cheaper for one party to pay for the medical.  But guess what?  You will be paying what I pay.   Actually I don't pay because it's too damn expensive.   That's a legitimate beef.  See I'm fair.  But, you have to be committed to that person for at least a year for it to kick in.  Sorry, being married should still have it's benefits.  You see being married should be rewarded because it's a lifelong commitment as well as a second job.  Ask any of your buds that are married.   A good marriage takes work.  Seriously, it's like the band on the finger is a beacon.  Married guys get flirted with more often than Single guys.  I think it speaks to our baser natures.  The Male of the species is supposed to attract that perfect mate for life and the Female of the species is supposed to actively seek out that mate.   Of course that is, like I said, our basest instinct.  Like the base, primitive, Male instinct is to spread his seed to as many fertile Females as possible for the continuance of the species.  So Single Dudes, stop whining like little bitches.  You get to indulge your inner primitive.  You get to only think about you.  You don't have to worry about having cash set aside for school clothes, fees and you don't have to use your gas being a chauffer.  You don't have to "clear it with the boss" as some guys put it.  If you want to go, you go.  Even if you are a married couple with no children, there is still someone else's agenda/plans to take into account.  I'm not sure how these people get the feeling they are Second class citizens.   Look, your married friends aren't going to the wild Orgy Party down the street unless they and their spouses are into that kind of thing.  Most aren't.  The majority of the GoG is married or in such long term relationships that they might as well be with the others Single.  The Single folks go out and party it up while the Marrieds don't.  In between marriages I used to attend a rather wild party called the KoK with the Perfect Line and other members of the gang.   The Discourser and the Prof never went.  Why?  Married guys.  The KoK is not a place for married guys unless that guy and his Wife are into the whole open marriage thing.  The Craftsman got married; he stopped going.  Pretty much now it would be the Perfect Line and maybe the Mighty Mook going.  Do you hear them whining about the fact that we can't go.  Hell no.  Do you hear them whining because they wish we could go.  Hell no.  They laugh and point is what they do.   So please, if you're Single I don't want to hear a freaking peep out of you.  If being Single gives you feeling so loneliness and isolation, then fix it.  Re-evaluate what you want out of a relationship and stop jumping into one just because.   Yes, more and more couples aren't getting married nowadays, and I don't really understand why.  There's a couple on the new season of Amazing Race (yes I know, but it's really the only Reality Show I actually like on TV) who have been together for 4 years, have lived together for most of it and now she wants to get married and he's freaking out about it.   I guess it's levels of commitment.  A marriage means it's that person and that person only.  That person comes before anyone else. At least that's how I look at it.  Maybe others see it differently, but I really still don't understand how it changes anything.  Honestly, you love that person, have been with them a long time and have no desire to be with anyone else so why not reap the benefits of being married (taxed less, health benefits...a married couple can conceivably have double coverage on medical insurance which is a good thing....etc).