Tuesday, October 07, 2008

Are you...

...foregoing the leather interior and postponing that winter ski trip to Aspen?

...brown-bagging a PB&J and brewing your own cuppa joe?

...patching your tubes?



Are you battening down the hatches in preparation for a bumpy ride?

Do you believe we're on the cusp of another Great Depression?

10 comments:

Tom Anhalt said...

I'm guessing you're putting off the remodel plans for a bit...

BTW, why do I get this funny feeling that in...oh, let's say, about a month or so, if a certain party gains the White House that suddenly we'll be inundated with stories in the press about "Hey, the economy really isn't all that bad..." ;-)

Call me cynical, I guess...

Marco Fanelli said...

1. No way, not putting off the remodel. Damn the torpedoes... Full steam ahead!

2. Well, let's see... One candidate has admitted that the economy is, in his words, "not my strong suit", which he clearly demonstrated by saying that it's still "fundamentally strong" ...before flip-flopping three hours later at the command of his handlers. Whereas the other candidate has been on the same message the entire campaign and has demonstrated that he understands the complexities. Nobody will be claiming the economy isn't all that bad.

3. OK, you're cynical.

Anonymous said...

"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the merger of state and corporate power."
-Mussolini

Paulson just hired a guy named Kashkari, a former Goldamn Sachs exec to run the bailout program. This is fascism defined, and it is beyond what one person can do from the whitehouse. Although, Ron Paul would have been a FAR better choice than the two clowns running now. Hopefully one of these days the American people will wake up and realize both parties are bought and paid for sellouts!!
On a lighter note, the weather is awesome-enjoy the ride!!!!

Anonymous said...

Hey Seth, I'm banking that the new bike will make me faster next year. Don't burst my bubble.

And yes Mark, as a guy who's trying to sell a house all of a sudden, I can attest that this real estate market is suckin'. Perception is reality, so if folks are skiddish, then the economy (even if not entirely unhealthy) will be in some serious poo-poo.

Goldfish said...

eh? i think you guys have enough equity to hold you over.

hey mark how the c-bone holding up? i cracked mines at mbgp (along w/ 6 ribs and lower scapula). is the hardware coming out?

Marco Fanelli said...

Anony,

The WSJ said the guy Paulson named won't be approved by congress until after the election, and then he'll probably be replaced by the new administration. What's he gonna do in two months?

I really do see some benefits to letting the system collapse with a hands-off approach. It would (will?) be very painful for awhile, but just like a good bonk, we'd come back stronger eventually.

Re Ron Paul... I am conflicted about folks like him. I like a few of the libertarian principles, but there's one thing I can't get past... I will never trust corporations in an unregulated, truly free market to make the best long-term decisions on issues that impact the environment and the health of society as a whole. The pursuit of short-term profits is too great a temptation. I also think the U.S. needs to play a role in certain areas around the globe. It's unconscionable to ignore genocide when we can do something about it. Also, it's at our peril to do nothing about major polluters like China and India. Does the air and water stay within their borders?

---

Seth,

You da man, and you'd be crushing it on a KMart tricycle. No, the $5.5K bikes don't make anybody faster. But it's nice not to worry about reliability, and that's (hopefully) one of the main attributes of a new bike with top-o-the-line equipment. Sounds like you're getting a good deal. In my opinion, the most bang for the buck is getting good wheels/tires (assuming of course that your bike fits well).

---

Prof Smitty-

I hope a buyer materializes for your house. Then you can move down here!

Other than the horrible red ink on my brokerage statements ...about which I should be totally freaking out... I can't say that this crisis has hit me personally yet. In daily life I mean. I expect that it will, but I'm not sure when and where. Will friends/family/neighbors lose their jobs? Will businesses that I patronize close their doors? Will our bank fail? In what form will the pain become real?

---

goldfish-

Less and less equity every day!

c-bone is fine and the hardware is still in place. It's only annoying sometimes wearing a backpack. Your breakage sounds much worse! When was your crash? Which race? (You don't need to answer those not-to-subtle questions as I play the identity-guessing game!)

Goldfish said...

Cat.2 at MBGP just before the bell for 5 laps to go.

Kk said...

I'm with you, Marco, on the "DtTs" approach. I'm getting busy on seeing to Santa Barbara's bid for the ToC 2010.

I mean, come on! Merced, Modesto, Clovis, Escondido, Rancho Bernardo...!? Lance is coming. Clovis can afford a stage finish but not SB!
Lance may or may not be in the game in 2010 but ToC won't pass us by if I have anything to say about it.

Also, as an artist I say to you thank you for continuing to remodel!

Marco Fanelli said...

Dang, goldfish! bummer so close to the end. That race is bad news sometimes.

KK, have you talked with Barney Berglund? He led the ToC's SB local organizing committee the last few years. I haven't seen him for awhile, but my impression is that he was pretty frustrated with a few things ...and not just with the city of SB.

Kk said...

Yes, talked to BB a couple days ago. Cajoling ensued. There are others like myself interested in carrying the torch and BB might assist...