Local economy

Just before going to Seattle, we had visited 3 of the local malls in the south bay here to shop for gifts and they were all downright gloomy. Not many people, not many bags, half lit malls (to save electricity?).

The malls in Seattle were brimming with people. Happy people, who were shopping after Christmas, with lots of bags in their hands. Decked out malls that screamed "happy"!

The contrast was too obvious.

It almost appeared as though Seattle had not yet seen the job slump that has hit the bay area.

This mornings news mentioned lots of job losses in the Seattle area and it made me feel sad. They are going to see what we see and it is not a pleasant sight!

Hope that this downturn gets reversed soon.

A lot of friends have forwarded me a funny news item. Apparently the Porn industry wants a 5 billion dollar bailout !!!

Looks like everyone wants a bailout of sorts. Reminds me of how at one point in TamilNadu (when we were in high school) 90% or more of the population was eligible to be called a Scheduled caste/ Scheduled Tribe/ Backward Caste / Most Backward Caste or Other Backward Caste. How could 9/10 people be backward? As a percentile that didn't even make any sense!

Vividly remember, going to Anna University to drop off our DOTE application forms with two numbers on the top of the application. There were piles of applications on the floor and you would shudder when you saw your application getting dropped in the forward caste pile!

Today eveyrone in the US is part of some group or other that has been hit and need some rescue or protection ...Banks, Securities, Insurance folks, Car Makers, Porn makers...

The entire post can be summarized in one word

Kaliyugam!

.

My blood boils

When seeing things like this...

Happened to see a one line ad. above my email list on gmail.

It simply said

"Unemployment Grant Kit - Unemployment-Grants.com - $30,000 in Unemployment Grants. Billions Available. Never Repay!"

Free money folks! Free money... so some poor tax paying schmuck like me can make that money free!

.

Playlist for the clinically depressed

A buddy asked me yesterday, "What is this connection to Bob Dylan and the bailout man? Why do you keep connecting them in multiple posts?"

For some reason, when I am depressed there is a tendency to seek out even more depressing songs. That seems to be silly, because one would try to listen to upbeat songs when in a sad mood, or at least that would make sense, right?

It also happened that two Dylan CD's were in the CD player at the time and a few of the songs were so in with my mood and thoughts at that time, that they kept playing in my head. The same thing happens with old Ilayaraja songs or Kannadasan songs at times.

The lyrics do the damage, but it is the sad voice that makes it all the more depressing (all lyrics courtesy of this link)

Like a rolling stone

Postively 4th street

Stuck inside of Mobile

and the really fitting..

Subterranean Homesick Blues

Time to stop worrying about the economy and focus on the daily routine.

No more depressing posts on Bailout related topics...

.

They do get the bad guys

Was having dinner at a friends place saturday and the conversation veered towards the one thing at all conversations veer towards these days..

Yes. Note that down..

All party conversations lead to the Bailout!

The probability of this happening is actually higher than all roads leading to Rome.

A tax accountant there answered my question "so what does happen to the bad guys? Do they go free?"

He said "Lets say the guy bought a house for 400k with 10k down, which he should not have in the first place and lets also say that the house is now worth 200k, if his loan is forgiven to an extent of 200k, not only does he lose his 10k, he gets a 1099 from the IRS for the forgiven 200k on which he has to pay taxes!"

This, made me happy for all of 10 minutes.

While driving back home, I was just thinking... wait a second.. The guy declared bankruptcy? So how is he going to pay taxes?

Also he is supposed to be a credit risk and this is supposed to make it difficult for him to borrow going forward and make me, a five-star borrower?

He is going to go to the same banker who gave him that 390k loan and get himself some more money?

No?

Let me know....

ps. A corollary to Bob Dylan singing "when you got nothing, you got nothing to lose" is "when you are bankrupt, you got no taxes to pay"...

.

Just plain tired..

Somehow feel powerless.

What is the point in working so hard, paying your taxes, voting, trying to be a good citizen when you know that

half of your work goes to fund things you do not support (thanks to tax money),

another tenth of your work goes towards the garbage into unscrupulous hands (your retirement money) and

another thirty percent goes into mortgage at ridiculous rates when there is a whole bunch of guys enjoying free money out there!

Just plain tired..

they might as well give me a ration card and some food stamps. Maybe my health will improve and I will be less stressed out?

Should we even bother to teach our kids to be responsible when the irresponsible seem to have an upper hand today? or should I just ask my kids to just figure out "how to beat the system"?

After leaving you with that thought, really wanted to change the mood of the post with some joke.. but not one comes to mind.

The joke, really is on me!

ps. A friends neighbor (only an aquaintance of mine) has bought three houses with each house being loaned based on previous house with different banks, and has bought two jet skis, a hawaii vacation, rented the entire floor of a San Francisco popular destination for his daughters 16th birthday party (apparently it is a tradition for people from that country) and he has no collateral on anything except the houses because he has no down payment in any of the houses. Dude says he has nothing to lose, considering he has already spent all the money!!!

Bob Dylan's voice echos through my head right now as I go to bed..

When you got nothing, you gott nothing to looooossssse
How does it feeeel
How does it feeeeeeeeeeel

To be on youurrrrr owwn
With no direction hooome
Like a complete unknownnnnn
Like a rollllllllling stonnnnnnnnnnnnnne?

.