I was reminded last night why people are shit. I am rural, was more rural decades ago, not as much anymore. I like going for a long bike(cycling) ride in the evening. Little traffic, lots of nature. I suspect it happened a half hour or so before I rolled up on the sight.
I just rounded a corner on a T intersection and looking 300 meters up could see something spread out across one lane. In the lane where you would be coming up to the T and have to stop. I was looking at a absolute slaughter. Not a skid mark where he tried to break, not a swerve mark, He should have already been slowing down for the stop, but not this guy, I just knew he did it on purpose. At speed right into and over top a bunch of geese crossing the road with their little baby geese, going to the pond on the other side of the road. Some people you wish you could hunt them down.
That doesn't prove "people" are shit, just that this particular PERSON is shit. You can't generalize to all people by the example of a single individual, after all you also are a person and do not display the same behavior of purposely running over baby geese. I also don't think a majority of people would demonstrate that particular behavior, which is pretty high up on the scale of shitty behaviors but not the absolute worst behavior possible, even with baby geese. He might have stopped to pick up the baby geese, brought them home and tortured each one indivdually for a slow and painful death for his own amusement.
Like most human qualities, shittiness is distributed on a bell curve, with only a few people at each end who are either super shitty or super saintly, 3σ off the mean or more. Most people fall inside 1σ of the mean with a mixture of shittiness and saintliness. In practice, the super saintly are almost as annoying as the super shitty, people in the tolerable range tend to have a few shitty behaviors.
Besides shittiness, other behaviors you have to consider when evaluating people are stupidity, megalomania, greed etc. After you weigh all these qualities, you can split people into 2 general groups, Good People and Bad People. There are a decent number of Good People out there, but Bad People are more noticeabole unfortunately.
RE
I think a dude getting his kicks from mowing down geese is:
Pathetic
And since I am human I make up stories to fill in missing info like everyone else. I'll posit the driver is somewhere on this scale:
(https://miro.medium.com/max/3840/1*H3a8OH1eVSIpXH5NteZFvw.jpeg)
The anger had to come from somewhere.
Neighbour across the road from me mowed down his ditch 10-12 years back, its a particularly wide one. I would guess 70,80 feet from the road edge to his fence line and long, 1/2 a kilometer. I have to look at this every day, not a place for a rabbit, grouse, or bird to feed or hide. A band of dead earth that looks like it belongs on a golf course. I suspect he is spraying it. I just want to smack him up side the head every time I see his face or hear his stupid mower going for hours on end cutting it. I set a example for him to see something better, mine is a little strip of forest, with a winding path down the length just wide enough for walking down. The path part now covered in a thick bed of moss, tall willows and trees keep the path shaded and cool. My ditch is full of life, especially birds, squirrels, and bees, though in spring when the willow branches start to bud the moose like to snack on them. It is not just nature that benefits, the bush helps keep gravel dust down and reduces noise transmission, and increases visual privacy. What the fuck did he move out here for anyway, needless to say I really don't bother with the guy, I give the polite wave and smile when I see him but when he moves away my only thought will be good riddance. Now the A hole who moved in 2 years ago on the west of me is clearing nearly every tree he can, including his ditch. I just hate people.
Quote from: 18hammers on Sep 24, 2023, 10:56 AMNeighbour across the road from me mowed down his ditch 10-12 years back, its a particularly wide one. I would guess 70,80 feet from the road edge to his fence line and long, 1/2 a kilometer. I have to look at this every day, not a place for a rabbit, grouse, or bird to feed or hide. A band of dead earth that looks like it belongs on a golf course. I suspect he is spraying it. I just want to smack him up side the head every time I see his face or hear his stupid mower going for hours on end cutting it. I set a example for him to see something better, mine is a little strip of forest, with a winding path down the length just wide enough for walking down. The path part now covered in a thick bed of moss, tall willows and trees keep the path shaded and cool. My ditch is full of life, especially birds, squirrels, and bees, though in spring when the willow branches start to bud the moose like to snack on them. It is not just nature that benefits, the bush helps keep gravel dust down and reduces noise transmission, and increases visual privacy. What the fuck did he move out here for anyway, needless to say I really don't bother with the guy, I give the polite wave and smile when I see him but when he moves away my only thought will be good riddance. Now the A hole who moved in 2 years ago on the west of me is clearing nearly every tree he can, including his ditch. I just hate people.
Think positive! When they are long gone and have abandoned their rural dreams you will have wonderful pre prepared pasture and hay fields all ready to go into rotation. We have similar obsessives around here we refer to it as retired farmer disease. I do keep a good grass buffer around the house myself due to near ravenous levels of blackflies then mosquitoes. It's a mix of whatever grows with large wild buffers all around though.
Edmonton's finest have been out tossing the homeless out of their tents in -36 C weather. Didn't do it when the weather was mild, no waited until - 40 is in the forecast then thought it a good time to tear down the only shelters these folks have. Largely natives getting the boot and told to move on. They are good sports about it though, seemingly cooperative. In their position I would be looking to bury a blade in someone taking my only shelter in -40 weather. What kind of cop can do that? I just hate people!
Quote from: 18hammers on Jan 11, 2024, 10:07 PMEdmonton's finest have been out tossing the homeless out of their tents in -36 C weather. Didn't do it when the weather was mild, no waited until - 40 is in the forecast then thought it a good time to tear down the only shelters these folks have. Largely natives getting the boot and told to move on. They are good sports about it though, seemingly cooperative. In their position I would be looking to bury a blade in someone taking my only shelter in -40 weather. What kind of cop can do that? I just hate people!
The reason they do that is because in mild weather people generally don't freeze to death living in a tent. With a decent sleeping bag and a few layers ,you're fine. At -40 though unless you have some fire or you have several people (and dogs) and you have insulated your tent by packing snow around it, you probably won't make it through the night. On those nights, they round up everyone and make them go to a public shelter that has heat. Even if there's not enough beds, they let them sleep on the floor. Then when it warms up, everybody sets up their tents again.
RE
Quote from: 18hammers on Jan 11, 2024, 10:07 PMEdmonton's finest have been out tossing the homeless out of their tents in -36 C weather. Didn't do it when the weather was mild, no waited until - 40 is in the forecast then thought it a good time to tear down the only shelters these folks have. Largely natives getting the boot and told to move on. They are good sports about it though, seemingly cooperative. In their position I would be looking to bury a blade in someone taking my only shelter in -40 weather. What kind of cop can do that? I just hate people!
I lived on and off in Edmonton for a year, back in the early 90's. Spent more than a little time in Calgary as well, although usually just downtown, with the wife or daughter. While the presence of homeless was not uncommon, they seemed to have places to stay that didn't involve tents or the kind of homelessness condition so common in America now. Has something happened or changed in the urban homeless situation in general or government treatment of them in the last quarter century? You die pretty quickly at -40C without substantially protection, I've still got some wonderful RCMP and Canadian military surplus gear I keep around for emergency gear in the car during winter. Running folks out into that kind of weather absolutely can be lethal, and Canadians never struck me as individually cruel like many Americans.
It is not the same as it was even 6 years ago, all functioning social systems ( health care is one) are being underfunded to make them disfunctional so they can be smashed apart and privatized for profit. Complete Cristofacists in government serving the interests of their corporate sponsors. You will even see people pan handling at intersections now, I never seen that here before roughly 2017. Even way out in the country I have spotted people I know are living in their car, often elderly.
Quote from: RE on Jan 11, 2024, 10:37 PMHas something happened or changed in the urban homeless situation in general or government treatment of them in the last quarter century?
Same changes in the GWN as the FSoA and Oz as well. All these economies are similar.
RE
Right on cue: Just as I said, the problems of a lack of affotdable housing are the same in the GWN as in the FSoA, OZ and I am certain in Jolly Old England as well. All these economies use the exact same housing model, which treats real estate as an asset to be traded for profit rather than as an essential service the society needs to provide for its members. So for decades the construction industry has been building not the type of housing that most people could afford, but instead the type that promised the greatest profit to the investor/developer.
This has forced people over the same period of time to take on ever increasing debt loads to afford the housing, possiblee for as long as the "value of real estate always goes up". You could always sell at a profit and keep leveraging up. That all crashed spectacularly in 2007, banks forclosed and former owners were driven back to the rental market while the banks got bailed out. Da Fed dropped interest rates and new mortgages were handed out with now affordable homes...as long as nterest rates stayed low. When the interest rates came back to normal, those homes bacame unaffordable again, but there hasn't been investment in lower priced housing. So this time, there's nowhere for peoplw to go when shut out of the expensive home market.
There will be another crash in real estate, but this time the ability of Da Fed to drop the interest rates again is limited. The housing crisis will get a lot worse before it gets better. Count on more homeless people flooding the parking lots with tents.
https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/canada-facing-housing-shortage-consider-cap-international-students-minister-2024-01-13/
Canada, facing housing shortage, to consider cap on international students
RE
Quote from: RE on Jan 14, 2024, 12:58 AMRight on cue: Just as I said, the problems of a lack of affotdable housing are the same in the GWN as in the FSoA, OZ and I am certain in Jolly Old England as well. All these economies use the exact same housing model, which treats real estate as an asset to be traded for profit rather than as an essential service the society needs to provide for its members. So for decades the construction industry has been building not the type of housing that most people could afford, but instead the type that promised the greatest profit to the investor/developer.
This has forced people over the same period of time to take on ever increasing debt loads to afford the housing, possiblee for as long as the "value of real estate always goes up". You could always sell at a profit and keep leveraging up. That all crashed spectacularly in 2007, banks forclosed and former owners were driven back to the rental market while the banks got bailed out. Da Fed dropped interest rates and new mortgages were handed out with now affordable homes...as long as nterest rates stayed low. When the interest rates came back to normal, those homes bacame unaffordable again, but there hasn't been investment in lower priced housing. So this time, there's nowhere for peoplw to go when shut out of the expensive home market.
There will be another crash in real estate, but this time the ability of Da Fed to drop the interest rates again is limited. The housing crisis will get a lot worse before it gets better. Count on more homeless people flooding the parking lots with tents.
https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/canada-facing-housing-shortage-consider-cap-international-students-minister-2024-01-13/
Canada, facing housing shortage, to consider cap on international students
RE
All the above is true but consider this, who would want to own and rent out a home, the idea of doing that is for those without experience in how the system works. Renters are given incredible protection, you can not evict someone yourself, it all has to go through the court system and at best if you have done everything right maybe just maybe at the three month mark they can be evicted, by sheriffs that you have to pay. You are out court costs, time, 3 month rent, and will have a property that you need to spend thousands on getting it into rentable condition. The rental market is for the big players who have legal on staff, painters, electricians and stuff like that in house. It takes a large player in the rental market to make money and of course with large holders of rental property they can move the cost to rent upwards.
Quote from: 18hammers on Jan 14, 2024, 11:53 AMAll the above is true but consider this, who would want to own and rent out a home, the idea of doing that is for those without experience in how the system works.
I never said anybody wanted to rent out private homes, only that they can't afford mortgages. The people renting them out are banks trying to get some revenue while they look for a qualified buyer, or Hedge Funds who bought delinquent mortgages from the banks. In any case, those private home rentals don't address the affordable housing problem, they rent out at too high a price.
RE
Quote from: RE on Jan 14, 2024, 12:42 PMQuote from: 18hammers on Jan 14, 2024, 11:53 AMAll the above is true but consider this, who would want to own and rent out a home, the idea of doing that is for those without experience in how the system works.
I never said anybody wanted to rent out private homes, only that they can't afford mortgages. The people renting them out are banks trying to get some revenue while they look for a qualified buyer, or Hedge Funds who bought delinquent mortgages from the banks. In any case, those private home rentals don't address the affordable housing problem, they rent out at too high a price.
RE
Court costs, time, 3 month rent, and a property that you need to spend thousands getting it into rent-able condition. Yes only a big player can afford to do that. A cost of business big players want reduced. Expect the ability of an owner to evict to become easier with time. Big players have the money to sponsor a Republican or Democrat and change the law to suit their needs. Ma and Pa could not do that.
Quote from: K-Dog on Jan 16, 2024, 04:02 AMQuote from: RE on Jan 14, 2024, 12:42 PMQuote from: 18hammers on Jan 14, 2024, 11:53 AMAll the above is true but consider this, who would want to own and rent out a home, the idea of doing that is for those without experience in how the system works.
I never said anybody wanted to rent out private homes, only that they can't afford mortgages. The people renting them out are banks trying to get some revenue while they look for a qualified buyer, or Hedge Funds who bought delinquent mortgages from the banks. In any case, those private home rentals don't address the affordable housing problem, they rent out at too high a price.
RE
Court costs, time, 3 month rent, and a property that you need to spend thousands getting it into rent-able condition. Yes only a big player can afford to do that. A cost of business big players want reduced. Expect the ability of an owner to evict to become easier with time. Big players have the money to sponsor a Republican or Democrat and change the law to suit their needs. Ma and Pa could not do that.
Not entirely true. Brian is a small time, non-corporate slumlord with a dozen McHovels in Seattle and 1 here in Alaska that he rents out. That's his retirement income.
RE
Quote from: RE on Jan 16, 2024, 06:03 AMQuote from: K-Dog on Jan 16, 2024, 04:02 AMQuote from: RE on Jan 14, 2024, 12:42 PMQuote from: 18hammers on Jan 14, 2024, 11:53 AMAll the above is true but consider this, who would want to own and rent out a home, the idea of doing that is for those without experience in how the system works.
I never said anybody wanted to rent out private homes, only that they can't afford mortgages. The people renting them out are banks trying to get some revenue while they look for a qualified buyer, or Hedge Funds who bought delinquent mortgages from the banks. In any case, those private home rentals don't address the affordable housing problem, they rent out at too high a price.
RE
Court costs, time, 3 month rent, and a property that you need to spend thousands getting it into rent-able condition. Yes only a big player can afford to do that. A cost of business big players want reduced. Expect the ability of an owner to evict to become easier with time. Big players have the money to sponsor a Republican or Democrat and change the law to suit their needs. Ma and Pa could not do that.
Not entirely true. Brian is a small time, non-corporate slumlord with a dozen McHovels in Seattle and 1 here in Alaska that he rents out. That's his retirement income.
RE
And Brian can't afford the headache of a bad renter. You make my point. Brian has zero political influence.
Brian's rentals are the result of him investing his own money and getting a reasonable rate of return for it. If he is careful and gets good renters, and he keeps the properties up, it is a good system. Brian's is the only form of rental arrangement we should allow. Brian's rentals are on the edge of what is considered personal vs. private property. If there is a problem with a rental, Brian responds quickly to make things right.
A cap on rental income (before it gets a 100% tax) would currently be about 100K, it would be tied to average income.
100K being on the high end of average income. The system would be heavily regulated to make sure it provides retirement income and nothing else, and housing meets standards. Regulated to make it fair for all.
A dozen units is pushing it. Money begins to make all decisions and money goes for short term profit. By itself money will not keep properties up. That requires humanity intelligence and work. Can Brian respond well to a dozen?
Quotewho would want to own and rent out a home
describes my situation. My part time job, replaces the actual work (fixing shit) of being a landlord, and the income it gives is on par with what a well regulated rental market would provide.
Quote from: K-Dog on Jan 16, 2024, 10:34 AMBrian's rentals are the result of him investing his own money and getting a reasonable rate of return for it. If he is careful and gets good renters, and he keeps the properties up, it is a good system. Brian's is the only form of rental arrangement we should allow. Brian's rentals are on the edge of what is considered personal vs. private property. If there is a problem with a rental, Brian responds quickly to make things right.
A cap on rental income (before it gets a 100% tax) would currently be about 100K, it would be tied to average income.
100K being on the high end of average income. The system would be heavily regulated to make sure it provides retirement income and nothing else, and housing meets standards. Regulated to make it fair for all.
A dozen units is pushing it. Money begins to make all decisions and money goes for short term profit. By itself money will not keep properties up. That requires humanity intelligence and work. Can Brian respond well to a dozen?
Quotewho would want to own and rent out a home
describes my situation. My part time job, replaces the actual work (fixing shit) of being a landlord, and the income it gives is on par with what a well regulated rental market would provide.
My educated guess is Brian's gross income from the properties is well in excess of $100K, but figuring what his net income is quite a bit more difficult. I don't know how much his insurance policy costs him, for instance. I don't know his total annual tax assessment either. He also doesn't do any big repairs himself, he contracts out the work. For the AK property, this year he hired a property management company to handle everything. He had to invest a lot to fix it up because prior tenants messed it up so bad, but now after new tenants and rent raises, he makes more net than before.
Some of this came from his own investment, but he inherited some of the properties from his dad. He's not a 100% self-made man.
As slumlords go, he's one of the better ones, he does fix stuff in a timely fashion and so forth. He's had to do some evictions, but mostly has had good luck with his tenants overall. His vacancy rate most of the time we talk about it is no more than 1 unit.
Basically, he's done just a little better than you, another Boomer who got the Amerikan Dream.
RE
QuoteBasically, he's done just a little better than you, another Boomer who got the Amerikan Dream.
A piece of it. As in a rising tide lifts all boats. I absolutely claim credit for my accomplishment because it was my good sense to cultivate my skills and take advantage of opportunities.
How many did I have? When I had an average wage I saved next to nothing, but I did not go into debt. When I had an above average job I saved the excess. All of it. The 'good' jobs only accounted for eight years in my working career.
Mrs. Dog has a shopping Jones as most women do. Packages arrive all the time and I have had friends who have asked, is this ok with you. I then explain that most of what she orders is returned. So much so that the Home Shopping network banned her years ago.
Above average frugality and making the choice of a career that paid above average made my success. I don't claim it was 'hard work' and I earned it. I worked as much as an average American drone and capitalism gave me my share of unemployed days too. When I was unemployed getting paid by the state was a HUGE help. Unemployment comp got me through until I got back on my feet.
The 2008 crisis almost did me in but I got lucky and Mrs. Dog was working. Again we stayed out of debt, and the money we have saved we pretend we do not have. I was one of the lucky few who were not forced into retirement and found a 'good' job that paid a little better than what Bill Gates paid his minions. That job is where I was able to save up.
An unskilled person (In America) who only made an average wage could easily have what I saved if they never had to be unemployed and ALLWAYS lived within their means, stayed out of debt and were frugal.
Many who made a more average wage who participated in the right investments have done far better than I. If you worked for Fed Ex for 25 years, and put all you could into their investment program you would have a low seven figure net worth in retirement. My investments are always made so the possibility of losing money is zero. This means they don't pay as well.
To be clear, I am not rich. I earn enough from my savings to augment my part-time McJob by about one third. I am however 'solid' and from a Stoic point of view I am as rich as a king.
Contentment comes not so much from great wealth as from few wants. If I don't do it every day I can eat expensive food. Good food is often expensive. Mrs. Dog likes to put good clothes on me. Our home is paid off so we only have to worry about tax. This makes our 'rent' reasonable.
I am in a situation where my wants are satisfied enough to be on the top. Or if not the top, close to it. Where everyone should be.
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It is about time Maslow's Pyramid showed up.
And as to achieving the American dream, I realize that saying I got only part of it would make no sense to someone living on a runway in a tent, in freezing weather, bussed up from the Texas Border.
To them I am the dream.