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Screw U: The Next Bubble May Be Higher Education
The banks are lending money that's not theirs or doesn't even exist in the first place. They have not sweated 1 drop and have all the money. They have not EARNED it. The only reason we need them in the first place is because they've cause prices to rise so much my inflating the currency. They have caused the problems and then they make so we need them to bail us out. They're making money on all ends and not doing an ounce of work. You figure the total amount of money you pay into a house on a 30 year mortgage. Over half of the total amount you pay will go to the bank in interest profit. Less than half will go to the actual people who sweated and put the time and labor into building the house. Tell me how that is??— August 2, 2012 9:05 p.m.
Screw U: The Next Bubble May Be Higher Education
totally agree. I'm paying 7% compounded interest!! You are totally right. Why should they be charging any interest at all. TOTAL SCAM, TOTAL CORRUPTION. I thought I had it bad. I borrowed $15k and now its $30K. I couldn't even image having $141k in debt. Question: If you stop paying, will it ever go away or do you think the government will garnish your wages?— August 2, 2012 8:57 p.m.
Screw U: The Next Bubble May Be Higher Education
It seems to me, the cost to run the colleges hasn't increased. I assume the rent is already paid, professors are making relatively the same, books cost the same. What costs have increased so much it would spike the cost of admission? The only thing that is going up are the upper echelon's salary, as you already indicted. As far as a college loan bubble crash. Good possibility. It would largely depend on where these notes are now (as in with the mortgage notes tied with all other types of securities and debt). Its fair to say that if college kids are graduating in an economy where they can't earn an adequate income- their students loans are the last that is going to be paid. But that won't cause the crash, because the banks have already figured these will be very long term debts, not like mortgage notes that start getting paid immediately. The only way the system will fold is if people 20 years out all stop paying their loans all at once. Which is a good possibility. Somebody, somewhere is earning or depending on these debts getting paid.— August 2, 2012 8:47 p.m.
Screw U: The Next Bubble May Be Higher Education
Agree— August 2, 2012 5:54 p.m.
Screw U: The Next Bubble May Be Higher Education
WHY IS THE COST OF HIGHER EDUCATION RISING? Are the schools somehow getting better? Are the students learning more (productivity output)? Technology? Bigger buildings? Smaller classes? Of course not. The answer is simple economics- supply and demand. More students are applying to the same number of schools. This should beg the next question of how or why this is possible. Population growth? Possibly. But certainly not enough to cause this sharp of an increase in tuition fees. Smarter kids? I doubt it. The answer is our good old buddies that caused the housing bubble and the medical cost bubble. Uncle Sam and the banks. By offering government (tax payer) backed student loans, more students are able to apply. When more students apply to the same number of schools, the cost goes up. Basic supply and demand. The common sense answer to this moral issue of equality that many of our poor, disenfranchised citizens were not getting their fair shot at a higher education, would be simply to build more schools of higher education. Surely congress and the media would have been able to make a strong case to increase taxes for the common good. But instead, our government (or should I say, the corporations and banks) decided to take the path of least resistance and offer government (tax payer) backed student loans. This was easy to get by the public. Large PR firms financed by the banks would start their usual frenzy and first appeal to the liberal's socialist views and sensitivity to unfairness and equal rights for all. The conservatives would take their predictable stance by crying foul play and too much government intrusion (in which in this case they would be right) and bingo- we are divided and united at the same time. We have yelling and screaming on both sides on another moral issue and completely distracted away from any real issue or issues of any kind of substance. Now, the old saying if you want to find the root of a problem- follow the money.... Now, the banks love any kind of government (tax payer) backed loans. First, they know students won't be able to pay them back right away, so they will be collecting interest for a very long time, and that's how banks primarily make money. Second, they know that these loans will never default because the government won't allow that to happen, ie the government will garnish your wages if you try to file bankruptcy or not pay. So who's making out in all of this? The banks. Who probably got the idea in the first place? The banks. Who has all the money in our country? The banks. Who owns your house, your car, the building you drink coffee in, the shopping center you shop at? The banks. Who runs our country? The banks. The same was true with the housing bubble when we had government backed home loans because it wasn't fair that everyone wasn't able to experience home ownership. More buyers flooded the market, supply stayed relatively stagnant and boom- housing bubble.— August 1, 2012 9:16 p.m.
Hell is Other People
Some people, like myself, feed off of other people's energy. I happen to be the opposite- I need to talk to somebody, and in a way, you do too, or else you wouldn't have written this long blog, sending out your feelings to the world.. True? The need to communicate is inborn in all of us, to different degrees. As babies, we would literally die if we weren't held and communicated to periodically. Taking it a step further, our identity depends on other people. Who are you in a group, your family, your friends, society? We constantly seek out, evolve and sometimes change or reinvent our identity. This dependency on others to define us can have serious positive or negative consequences. For example, let's take physical appearances. A good looking man (according to today's standards) will receive much positive feedback (positive identity) from others. This will reinforce his ego, confidence, etc.. which will then lead to more positive relationships, a good job, money, etc... The opposite is true of somebody who's looks do not fit the standard. Isolation, low- self esteem, low confidence, etc.. can follow. This dependency on others to define us is tricky and can cause a lot of stress and confusion. The key is first to be aware of it. To be aware of society's constant changing attack on our identity. To constantly have to live up to different people's and society's standards of what is considered acceptable in terms of our physical appearance, an acceptable job, satisfactory income and other social norms. The next step is build a strong enough ego and identity to where you are not knocked off by one or two people's negative opinions of you. Simply find something you are great at, and build on that. And in reality, most of what we perceive as negativity from others is in our own heads. This is the true root of all our problems. For, all of the other people's main focus in life is really no different than yours- themselves....— July 25, 2012 9:43 p.m.
3rd Annual Rock-N-Roll Reunion Benefit Concert Slated for July 28
What a line up!! There's nothing like a concert for a cause...Much love dog!!!— July 25, 2012 9:05 p.m.