The Trials and Tribulations of the not-so-New Bear Icon

Here's a couple more questions that have come my way...I'm trying to answer them between naps.


1. polomex asks: You are given quite a morbid superpower: you can kill people simply by thought. Your victims would die a natural death, and you would never be suspected. Would you ever use this new power?

While I'd like to say that I'd be all high and mighty and respect the culture of life, I know that I can be quite petty. I guess my question about the power is: How easy is it to use? Is it something that you have to put effort into it, or is it something that would go off at the second you have one of those "I want to kill..." thoughts in your head? If it's the latter I'm afraid I would have a trail of dead.

It also depends on if it works only in proximity or over great distances, because there would have been a widow filing for benefits last night after the call I had with the guy yelling at me in his rage. I know I'd be weak and want some way out of that painful call.

Also, there's be no Karl Rove or Dick Cheney left to testify on anything.

Let's just say, that's not a power I'd want (sort of a King Midas thing, right?) because I'd know the guilt would weigh to heavily on me.

2. mikiedoggie asks: What aspects of your home city do you like and dislike?

Well, Dallas has definitely done better in this economic downturn than many other areas of the country. Housing prices were never as high as other areas, but they haven't fallen as much here. If your business is housing construction, well, you may still have a job here. Except for a large batch of allergen-producing crap, the climate is good, not as humid as Houston. It's hot but you can stay out of it, and you don't get months of snow and cold. For someone who is afraid of driving in the annual ice storms, Dallas is good, even if you have to watch hours of screaming reporters on local news saying how we're all going to die if sleet hits the Dallas roadways.

Food wise Dallas is good for me. For anyone who wants to eat right, well, you are screwed. Dallas is a series of suburbs ringed by other layers of suburbs and then an extra layer of exurbs. It all grew so fast that there really wasn't the time for local neighborhoods to develop restaurants. There are chain restaurants everywhere. Dallas is where Pizza Inn, Chilis, and the late Bennigans began. It shows you the haute cuisine we have here. Still, I love fast food and this is the town for it.

On the negative side, we have to drive everywhere and it takes time out of your day. Walking is rarely an option. Want to know why were all fat? You get used to driving even short distances that would shock anyone in the north. Of course in the summer who wants to walk in the 100 degree heat when you have an air-conditioned SUV?

Dallas also has too many religious nuts.

Dallas is also a place where people would still buy a Hummer. You can take that comment however you want.

Finally, there's always a lot of talk about Texas and the low cost of living. The thing they don't mention is that wages are very low here as well. We are the place businesses send jobs to before they send them overseas. It also keeps people here because their pay here wouldn't give you a sustainable life in other parts of the country. You would need to find a job with a significant pay raise elsewhere to make a move. Sometimes you feel trapped here.

It's not a bad city, but it's a boring city. It's a place where you live, not visit. The city implores you to travel elsewhere. We have a big airport for a reason!

Still, Texas has always been my home. It is what I know.

I have a couple of questions left, and I will keep answering them in other posts. If you have a question, comments are screened if you go to THIS post. Keep asking away.

It's minutes from the opening of the stock market and all of the futures, all of the other world markets results overnight point to a large drop for the market today.

I'm tired of this. I'm sick of talking about the market and telling people how much of their savings they have lost, especially retirees who are counting on this. People are looking to me for guidance, but I can only give them a "wait it out." It's maddening. Where the hell is the bottom of this decline?

I'm also tired of pictures of stock brokers looking dismayed every single day.

We have a set up that people can get more specific advice, but they have to wait for an appointment. The advice specialists only tell them to diversify and wait it out. I have stopped referring people to the advice councilors because they don't tell them anything new, or anything that would belay their fears right now.

I so hate my job right now. Folks, I don't know when things will be better. I can change you out of certain investments, but I can't change the investments themselves, and yes I know some of them have lost 40% or more. It's awful. And from the looks of it, it's here to stay a while.

It took decades for the market to get to it's high, which was about this time last year. It may take a very long time to see your savings get back to where they were.

Aren't you happy that we've all left pensions behind and were told to save in our 401(k)s for retirement. Yeah, that was a great move.

Well, the Dow opened at 250 points down...we'll see where it goes from here.

EDIT: well, now it's down nearly 500 - in just minutes, and if it falls more than 1,100 points - as some have suggested, we'll see a halt in trading for the day. This could be a really fucked up day.


ANOTHER EDIT - 3:00CT: Well, it looks like we've staved off total market meltdown, closing down a little over 300 points. Given the predictions this morning, it's a little surprising, but that's the way it goes. I've learned never to make predictions when it comes to finances.