well, I'm entering an new phase here. I lost my job last week, which is unfortunate, but it will bring a new perspective I am sure. It'll push me to finish my law school applications quickly. It will bring be to train on my bike a good deal (hopefully).
Oh, yeah, emily and I just joined a cycling team for the '09 season. We're both excited to get involved in some sanctioned races. Primarily track, to begin with, but I would very much like to get involved in both road and cyclocross racing, if I can only afford the gear. A job would be necessary for that I suppose.
Friends and family from colorado were in town over the last week. They all helped me enjoy the first bit of my transition to unemployment. But with them all leaving I'm ready to start in on a new search. Looking for work for the 8 months or so befor starting at law school, hopefully.
The status of the economy does leave me weary of my choice to go back to school. Articles have been put out detailing the large numbers of law school graduates actively seeking employment that just isn't there. I don't want to be one of those masses. But at the same time, I do feel that the education law school would give me would be quite valuable if I am able to pursue the types of international policy work I would like to do. I have grand dreams. I am certain, though, that they will not come about exactly as I see them, and that's quite fine with me.
We talked about progress, about accomplishment. I'm ready to see some of that. I'm ready to feel like my career is valuable, like my status is secure. Like I've accomplished some worthwhile goals, like I'm set apart. Sure, this is partly vanity and greed, but I think there is more too it. Maybe. I may not have the words I need to express this. I want to prove my ability to myself, that I can get the job I love, that I can provide for my wife. I don't think the job and the money will make me happy, but knowing I have the ability to get there might help me build the courage I need to take big steps. hmmm....
It's going to be a challenge. Nothing too threatening, yet, but a push nonetheless. Tomorrow I will ride my bike. I will look for a job, and I will ride a bike. That sounds about right.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Friday, September 19, 2008
let's privatize our gains and socialize our losses!
This is a sure fire plan.
I've been reading about the One Trillion Dollar bail out that Congress is putting together a bit today. I'm not quite sure how to react. I firmly believe that the government's roll is, in part, to regulate the economy and the distribution of wealth. In it's attempt to avoid massive national and international collapse, i think what congress is attempting is, at least in some manner, necessary. i just think it's at the wrong end of the system, and a bit late.
the sub-prime mortgage crisis is what spawned the massive credit crunch and economic downturn. and the cause of the sub-prime mortgage crisis was a lot of people who didn't have the credit or the income to buy a house buying houses, and then not making their mortgage payments.
now, i'm a capitalist to some degree, and people need to make healthy decisions about what they can and cannot afford, but when someone is offering you an intrest only loan on an asset that has only appreciated in the last large number of years, the average american sees this as a great plan. it's not, and never was, but it looks pretty good.
one day, to the jaw-dropping surprise of the wall street elite, the artificial inflation of the real estate market began to slow down. prices even began to fall. now, if all your paying is intrest on you home loan, and the value drops, suddenly you owe more than the house is worth. even if you wanted to move, you'd have to give the bank thousands of extra dollars after you've sold it at market value.
so, what do you do? either suck it up and keep throwing money into a hole, or just give up, get the house foreclosed, move on, and wait for your credit to go back up. looks like you're fucked either way from here.
so this is the first of a string of dominoes to tip that brings us to a $1,000,000,000,000 federal bail out.
but the bailout goes to the guys setting up the sub-prime mortgages, and selling the pieces of them to investors, and making LOTS of money. the guys who made risky business decisions giving money to under qualified people, to get them into homes that were far to expensive to them.
i'm willing to bet that $1,000,000,000,000 would have covered a few mortgage payments when the foreclosures started. but that's redistributing wealthy people's money to the poor. that's socialism (BOO! HISS!!).
maybe it's just me, but if my money is going to somebody else anyways, i'd prefer to see it go to the people scraping ends together, who just can't make their payments; who got a little cheated by the financial system and are losing their homes, and not back into wall street corporations exploiting loopholes in the existing lax federal regulations.
I've been reading about the One Trillion Dollar bail out that Congress is putting together a bit today. I'm not quite sure how to react. I firmly believe that the government's roll is, in part, to regulate the economy and the distribution of wealth. In it's attempt to avoid massive national and international collapse, i think what congress is attempting is, at least in some manner, necessary. i just think it's at the wrong end of the system, and a bit late.
the sub-prime mortgage crisis is what spawned the massive credit crunch and economic downturn. and the cause of the sub-prime mortgage crisis was a lot of people who didn't have the credit or the income to buy a house buying houses, and then not making their mortgage payments.
now, i'm a capitalist to some degree, and people need to make healthy decisions about what they can and cannot afford, but when someone is offering you an intrest only loan on an asset that has only appreciated in the last large number of years, the average american sees this as a great plan. it's not, and never was, but it looks pretty good.
one day, to the jaw-dropping surprise of the wall street elite, the artificial inflation of the real estate market began to slow down. prices even began to fall. now, if all your paying is intrest on you home loan, and the value drops, suddenly you owe more than the house is worth. even if you wanted to move, you'd have to give the bank thousands of extra dollars after you've sold it at market value.
so, what do you do? either suck it up and keep throwing money into a hole, or just give up, get the house foreclosed, move on, and wait for your credit to go back up. looks like you're fucked either way from here.
so this is the first of a string of dominoes to tip that brings us to a $1,000,000,000,000 federal bail out.
but the bailout goes to the guys setting up the sub-prime mortgages, and selling the pieces of them to investors, and making LOTS of money. the guys who made risky business decisions giving money to under qualified people, to get them into homes that were far to expensive to them.
i'm willing to bet that $1,000,000,000,000 would have covered a few mortgage payments when the foreclosures started. but that's redistributing wealthy people's money to the poor. that's socialism (BOO! HISS!!).
maybe it's just me, but if my money is going to somebody else anyways, i'd prefer to see it go to the people scraping ends together, who just can't make their payments; who got a little cheated by the financial system and are losing their homes, and not back into wall street corporations exploiting loopholes in the existing lax federal regulations.
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