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shizzyfinn
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San Diego, like U.S., sees 2 percent growth
Don, you note that real estate constitutes 20% of the San Diego economy. Could you elaborate on what types of jobs that includes? I imagine it includes (and is likely dominated by) construction, because I can't imagine there are that many jobs out there in real estate sales, renting, and financing. Also, Nevin mentions low inventory of homes for sale. Could this be due to lenders holding back on properties that eventually will need to be put on the market? A friend of mine works for a major lender, coordinating sales of homes the lender has repossessed. He claims the firm and its peers are trying to keep prices up by trickling out properties instead of putting everything on the market at once. Final thought: The $8,000 first-time homebuyer credit is not mentioned in your article, but I've been thinking lately, isn't it really a boon to sellers, not buyers? That is, if all (or many) of the bidders on a home have the credit in their back pocket, doesn't the credit just boost everyone's bids by $8,000? Seems like the seller gets an extra 8 Gs while the winning buyer gets a home whose value has been temporarily boosted by an $8,000 margin that will evaporate once the credit is gone.
— January 6, 2010 5:28 p.m.
That PB-Like Demographic
Interesting article. Thanks for the report. One side-story in the real estate disaster is how condo owners could be liable for higher HOAs just because fewer units are occupied, meaning communal costs are spread over a smaller base. I hadn't yet heard of additional HOA inflation risk coming from renegade renters, but it makes sense.
— January 6, 2010 3:55 p.m.
Regarding Michael Oher
Thank you for calling out the elephant in the room with the Oher story: how, if he didn't possess superstar-caliber athletic potential, no one would have given a damn. Michael Lewis's story in NY Times Magazine makes it clear that Oher only got a chance at the Christian high school because of what he could do for the school's athletic department. Quote from one of the high school coaches: “When I first saw him, I thought, this guy is going to make us all famous.” I appreciate how the Tuohys helped Oher: putting them up in their 7,000 square foot house, pushing him to develop his football skills, working relentlessly to help him master the basics of academia. Their efforts show just how much time and work is necessary to help kids with tragic childhoods become effective adults. A question I'd love to ask the Tuohys: Other kids who have backgrounds like Oher's - do they have to be future pro athletes to be afforded the extensive tender loving care that might help them get on their feet? In the Lewis article, Sean Tuohy jokes, “We had a black son before we had a Democrat friend!” So maybe I have an answer to my question after all.
— January 6, 2010 3:48 p.m.
Kids Should Serve Adult Time For Adult Crimes
Could you share more details or evidence about your statement "psychologists say that people rarely change"? Seems to me that psychologists are in the business of helping people change, no? And are you seriously arguing that kids don't change significantly as they grow into adults? I think most adults would report that they think and act a lot differently than they did before age 18, and that their personal moral code evolved considerably as they've gotten older. Is that not the case for you? As for sentencing kids as adults, that's always struck me as institutionalized child abuse, and arguably even more disgusting than the death penalty. When child criminals are treated like adults, justice takes a back seat to vengeance.
— January 5, 2010 9:49 a.m.
Oh, Doctor
Man, what our prohibition of drugs has done to Mexico. It's shameful that we're allowing it to continue. Legalization and regulation is the only way to stop putting billions of dollars in the pockets of these killers. Maybe we've waited too long already, though. With so many dollars flowing in for so many years, who knows how many other industries the kingpins have diversified into. And it's scary to think about where the illegal drug infrastructure would turn next, if the cash cow of prohibition was taken away.
— January 5, 2010 9:02 a.m.
Top 10 Movies of 2009
You're right about the Tyson bit from The Hangover...the big joke was spoiled in the preview. But the worst part was how his daughter had died in an accident about a month before. Seeing him in the movie reminded me of all the troubles he's had, which put a damper on the comic mood. According to
imdb.com
, Moon was shot in 33 days for $5 million. Also says the movie was shot during the writers' strike, so the director was able to hire lots of effects professionals at bargain prices. Not only is it odd that Ebert put Bad Lieutenant toward the top of the 2009 pack, but why on his blockbuster list? Almost no one I know has even heard of the movie, and according to
boxofficemojo.com
, it's grossed a whopping $2 million to date. And I'm not sure where all it played locally, but when I saw it, it was only at Landmark Hillcrest.
— January 5, 2010 8:51 a.m.
Top 10 Movies of 2009
Pete, your suspicions are correct: plot enthusiasts will find Avatar's to be as cliche as they come. Not a lot of chemistry between the actors, either, IMHO. It's the 3-D visuals that set the movie apart. And the visuals are amazing. (Anyone seen it in 2-D? Would love to know if it holds up.) cold666pack, hear hear on Star Trek - that one has lots of plot, terrific chemistry, and the visuals are darn spiffy, too. In fact, if you take the hype out of the equation, Star Trek probably out-Avatars Avatar. Josh, I'm with you on The Hangover. Can't figure out where all the love is coming from. I laughed about 4 times, groaned at least 16 times, wanted my money back. The Mike Tyson bit was purely depressing. As for the intro to A Serious Man, that worked for me - after some reflection. Through almost the whole movie I wondered, "What was that intro supposed to mean?" Then the answer came to me: "Exactly." Great call on tossing Moon into the mix. I loved that movie, mainly from a special effects standpoint. Seems like life on a moon station would look and feel just like that.
— January 4, 2010 9:21 p.m.
In Sum
Props to Duncan for nailing it with his pick of A Serious Man as best film of 2009. Just saw it this past weekend, and laughed the whole way through. In addition to the comedy, the philosophical questions at its center are intriguing and well developed. And the movie is a top-notch period piece, transporting viewers back to 1967 almost as effectively as a time machine would. Man, those Coen bros are somethin' else. Just read yesterday that their next project is another adaptation of the novel True Grit, the first of which came in 1969 and starred John Wayne and Glen Campbell. The Coens' version is due in 2011 and is set to feature Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, and/or Josh Brolin.
— January 4, 2010 8:27 p.m.
Claim Jumper
After the first few paragraphs, I thought this story would be going in a different direction, but the holiday-friendly finish was a nice little heart-warming surprise. On the parking etiquette tip, I vote that sending someone out of the car to claim a spot is not an acceptable maneuver. In fact, claiming in general should be frowned upon. The only legit way to claim a spot is to park in it.
— December 22, 2009 10:49 a.m.
A City Under Television Skies
Reminds me of one of the greatest Simpsons moments, when Bart and Lisa are bored over the declining quality of Itchy & Scratchy episodes, so they decide to write their own: Scratchy sits down for a haircut at Itchy's barber shop. Itchy pours a bottle of barbecue sauce on Scratchy's head, followed by a box of flesh-eating ants. The ants quickly reduce Scratchy's head to a skull. Itchy then raises the barber chair through the ceiling. Scratchy's skull crashes through floor of the room above, and into a television set, which Elvis is watching. Seeing Scratchy's skull in the set, Elvis says "This show ain't no good," pulls out a gun, and fires a round into the TV.
— December 15, 2009 3:29 p.m.
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This Week’s
Reader
This Week’s
Reader
San Diego, like U.S., sees 2 percent growth
Don, you note that real estate constitutes 20% of the San Diego economy. Could you elaborate on what types of jobs that includes? I imagine it includes (and is likely dominated by) construction, because I can't imagine there are that many jobs out there in real estate sales, renting, and financing. Also, Nevin mentions low inventory of homes for sale. Could this be due to lenders holding back on properties that eventually will need to be put on the market? A friend of mine works for a major lender, coordinating sales of homes the lender has repossessed. He claims the firm and its peers are trying to keep prices up by trickling out properties instead of putting everything on the market at once. Final thought: The $8,000 first-time homebuyer credit is not mentioned in your article, but I've been thinking lately, isn't it really a boon to sellers, not buyers? That is, if all (or many) of the bidders on a home have the credit in their back pocket, doesn't the credit just boost everyone's bids by $8,000? Seems like the seller gets an extra 8 Gs while the winning buyer gets a home whose value has been temporarily boosted by an $8,000 margin that will evaporate once the credit is gone.— January 6, 2010 5:28 p.m.
That PB-Like Demographic
Interesting article. Thanks for the report. One side-story in the real estate disaster is how condo owners could be liable for higher HOAs just because fewer units are occupied, meaning communal costs are spread over a smaller base. I hadn't yet heard of additional HOA inflation risk coming from renegade renters, but it makes sense.— January 6, 2010 3:55 p.m.
Regarding Michael Oher
Thank you for calling out the elephant in the room with the Oher story: how, if he didn't possess superstar-caliber athletic potential, no one would have given a damn. Michael Lewis's story in NY Times Magazine makes it clear that Oher only got a chance at the Christian high school because of what he could do for the school's athletic department. Quote from one of the high school coaches: “When I first saw him, I thought, this guy is going to make us all famous.” I appreciate how the Tuohys helped Oher: putting them up in their 7,000 square foot house, pushing him to develop his football skills, working relentlessly to help him master the basics of academia. Their efforts show just how much time and work is necessary to help kids with tragic childhoods become effective adults. A question I'd love to ask the Tuohys: Other kids who have backgrounds like Oher's - do they have to be future pro athletes to be afforded the extensive tender loving care that might help them get on their feet? In the Lewis article, Sean Tuohy jokes, “We had a black son before we had a Democrat friend!” So maybe I have an answer to my question after all.— January 6, 2010 3:48 p.m.
Kids Should Serve Adult Time For Adult Crimes
Could you share more details or evidence about your statement "psychologists say that people rarely change"? Seems to me that psychologists are in the business of helping people change, no? And are you seriously arguing that kids don't change significantly as they grow into adults? I think most adults would report that they think and act a lot differently than they did before age 18, and that their personal moral code evolved considerably as they've gotten older. Is that not the case for you? As for sentencing kids as adults, that's always struck me as institutionalized child abuse, and arguably even more disgusting than the death penalty. When child criminals are treated like adults, justice takes a back seat to vengeance.— January 5, 2010 9:49 a.m.
Oh, Doctor
Man, what our prohibition of drugs has done to Mexico. It's shameful that we're allowing it to continue. Legalization and regulation is the only way to stop putting billions of dollars in the pockets of these killers. Maybe we've waited too long already, though. With so many dollars flowing in for so many years, who knows how many other industries the kingpins have diversified into. And it's scary to think about where the illegal drug infrastructure would turn next, if the cash cow of prohibition was taken away.— January 5, 2010 9:02 a.m.
Top 10 Movies of 2009
You're right about the Tyson bit from The Hangover...the big joke was spoiled in the preview. But the worst part was how his daughter had died in an accident about a month before. Seeing him in the movie reminded me of all the troubles he's had, which put a damper on the comic mood. According to imdb.com, Moon was shot in 33 days for $5 million. Also says the movie was shot during the writers' strike, so the director was able to hire lots of effects professionals at bargain prices. Not only is it odd that Ebert put Bad Lieutenant toward the top of the 2009 pack, but why on his blockbuster list? Almost no one I know has even heard of the movie, and according to boxofficemojo.com, it's grossed a whopping $2 million to date. And I'm not sure where all it played locally, but when I saw it, it was only at Landmark Hillcrest.— January 5, 2010 8:51 a.m.
Top 10 Movies of 2009
Pete, your suspicions are correct: plot enthusiasts will find Avatar's to be as cliche as they come. Not a lot of chemistry between the actors, either, IMHO. It's the 3-D visuals that set the movie apart. And the visuals are amazing. (Anyone seen it in 2-D? Would love to know if it holds up.) cold666pack, hear hear on Star Trek - that one has lots of plot, terrific chemistry, and the visuals are darn spiffy, too. In fact, if you take the hype out of the equation, Star Trek probably out-Avatars Avatar. Josh, I'm with you on The Hangover. Can't figure out where all the love is coming from. I laughed about 4 times, groaned at least 16 times, wanted my money back. The Mike Tyson bit was purely depressing. As for the intro to A Serious Man, that worked for me - after some reflection. Through almost the whole movie I wondered, "What was that intro supposed to mean?" Then the answer came to me: "Exactly." Great call on tossing Moon into the mix. I loved that movie, mainly from a special effects standpoint. Seems like life on a moon station would look and feel just like that.— January 4, 2010 9:21 p.m.
In Sum
Props to Duncan for nailing it with his pick of A Serious Man as best film of 2009. Just saw it this past weekend, and laughed the whole way through. In addition to the comedy, the philosophical questions at its center are intriguing and well developed. And the movie is a top-notch period piece, transporting viewers back to 1967 almost as effectively as a time machine would. Man, those Coen bros are somethin' else. Just read yesterday that their next project is another adaptation of the novel True Grit, the first of which came in 1969 and starred John Wayne and Glen Campbell. The Coens' version is due in 2011 and is set to feature Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, and/or Josh Brolin.— January 4, 2010 8:27 p.m.
Claim Jumper
After the first few paragraphs, I thought this story would be going in a different direction, but the holiday-friendly finish was a nice little heart-warming surprise. On the parking etiquette tip, I vote that sending someone out of the car to claim a spot is not an acceptable maneuver. In fact, claiming in general should be frowned upon. The only legit way to claim a spot is to park in it.— December 22, 2009 10:49 a.m.
A City Under Television Skies
Reminds me of one of the greatest Simpsons moments, when Bart and Lisa are bored over the declining quality of Itchy & Scratchy episodes, so they decide to write their own: Scratchy sits down for a haircut at Itchy's barber shop. Itchy pours a bottle of barbecue sauce on Scratchy's head, followed by a box of flesh-eating ants. The ants quickly reduce Scratchy's head to a skull. Itchy then raises the barber chair through the ceiling. Scratchy's skull crashes through floor of the room above, and into a television set, which Elvis is watching. Seeing Scratchy's skull in the set, Elvis says "This show ain't no good," pulls out a gun, and fires a round into the TV.— December 15, 2009 3:29 p.m.