August 13, 2013

How should mortgages work in the US?

It looks like Obama is planning to change the landscape for Freddie and Fannie. I know many folks here are not happy with this and wondered how exactly people think mortgages in the US should be handled?

August 12, 2013

How much money would you need to never work again?

I'm sure this is a game we all play with ourselves on a pretty regular basis. The Oprah purse thread made me play another round of this with myself this morning. What's your number and the conditions, i.e. house paid?

August 9, 2013

Music For Altered States

Whatever that state might be...

A couple favs of mine are:

August 7, 2013

That Metal Show

Kicks arse.

That is all.

August 4, 2013

ITT: Things that are making you happy today

So many problems in the world we talk about so I thought a nice thread to mention what is making you happy today was called for.

Making me happy at the moment is I'm done my daily torture (what I call a workout) and have a purring cat cleaning it's face on my lap. Make seeing the laptop screen a bit difficult though, lol.

August 3, 2013

What are you drinking at this moment?

If it does not have alcohol in it I don't want to hear it.

I'm having a nice martini.

3 oz Citadelle gin
1 oz Nolly Prat vermouth
.5 oz olive brine
1 dash Fee Brothers West Indies orange bitters

Stirred in my mixing glass
Poured into chilled cocktail glass
3 olives

Probably will not be my last tonight.

July 31, 2013

What's your favorite domestic vacation destination and why?

I'll start.

For our #1 domestic spot to unwind from busy life, decompress and relax, it's Paso Robles. A quiet, sleepy little central coast CA town, great food, great wine, and we stay at a little 14 room boutique hotel with two huge outdoor fireplaces. We sit outside in front of a fire place after a great dinner out and sip a bottle or two of wine we purchased that day at one of the local wineries. Rinse and repeat daily.

Yours?

July 30, 2013

Has anyone ever considered

fast food is a societal problem and we should just tax them out of existence? My case would be:

1) The food is just plain bad for you
2) It is expensive relative to a normal home cooked meal (I mean, prime rib will be more than a Big Mac so we're talking daily fare here)
3) The destroy regionalism. The McD is Santa Fe is going to be like the McD in Seattle like the one in NYC. Local character is a good thing and food is a huge part of local character.
4) Drive mom&pop type restaurants out of the market.
5) Not good corporate citizens.
6) Chick-fil-A. Need I say more?

I think there is actually much to be said for this thought.

July 27, 2013

New Zealand Expelling Obese Immigrant

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-23475583

The long and short is that a man is being denied a renewal of his work visa due to weighing 286 pounds. The immigration minister states it is important for immigrants to stay healthy so they do put a drain on the healthcare system. I always thought New Zealand was a good place to live too.