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December 4, 2014 at 10:17 AM #780697December 4, 2014 at 10:19 AM #780698CoronitaParticipant
[quote=spdrun]Not everyone has the same level of health and stamina. Mine has never been good. I burnt out a long time ago, probably in my late 20s.[/quote]
I got you beat. I’ve been on chemo for the past 2.5 years….while working…Actually, for me it was easier to work… Gets my mind off of things…Before that, was out getting a colectomy for a couple of months. Before that, oh never mind…wah wah wah….
Life if is short to be miserable for an extended period of time…(occasional misery is acceptable)
…And that’s what is so great about this country. We’re usually only have to put up with about about 4-8 years of worst case misery if your viewpoints don’t jive with the ruling party!
December 4, 2014 at 10:43 AM #780701anParticipantflu, I’m confused to as to why spdrun is still in the US and not in Europe already. If I was in his shoes, I would be there a long time ago. After all, Europe have a lot more free time, so he can visit his family in the US very often. There’s more opportunities in Europe, so there shouldn’t be any issue with him making money over there, regardless if it’s blue collar or white collar. Maybe he’s masochistic and love to live in misery.
December 4, 2014 at 11:02 AM #780702FlyerInHiGuestTo be fair, asking spdrun to love it or leave it is lame. He grew up in here and is familiar with the real estate environment. That’s his home and he’s entitled to his opinions.
But, flu, you do have a point about money. Many Americans live abroad because their money goes further and they live better then the local population. So it does come down to consumption, what you can do with money, and relative social standing.
Scaredy had a good quote about money being the elixir of life or something like that. You can’t avoid it unless you join a monastery, or get off the grid to live alone in the country. To live in the big city, enjoy cafes and companionship, you need money. The more the better.
December 4, 2014 at 11:07 AM #780705anParticipant[quote=FlyerInHi]To be fair, asking spdrun to love it or leave it is lame. He grew up in here and is familiar with the real estate environment. That’s his home and he’s entitled to his opinions.
But, flu, you do have a point about money. Many Americans live abroad because their money goes further and they live better then the local population. So it does come down to consumption, what you can do with money, and relative social standing.
Scaredy had a good quote about money being the elixir of life or something like that. You can’t avoid it unless you join a monastery, or get off the grid to live alone in the country. To live in the big city, enjoy cafes and companionship, you need money. The more the better.[/quote]
I wasn’t asking him to love it or leave it. I’m just surprised he’s still in the US just base on how much he hated he. So, love it is not even an option. He claim he’s only here long enough to extract some $ from the US economy before he leaves and he’s counting down the day till he leaves. So, I was just asking why he didn’t leave yet, because I would have left a long time ago.December 4, 2014 at 11:54 AM #780707FlyerInHiGuestIn a global economy, I’m OK with people seeking investments in different locations.
spd is a small business person investing in USA. He has no duty to love the USA. A GM manager working in Peking doesn’t have to love China. He can criticize all he wants then leave when he’s ready, or not. Sometimes the opportunity to leave has not arisen. Maybe he married a local woman who won’t leave her family? He loves his wife but hates were he lives. Maybe he hates his job too, but the income sustains the family.
Life is very complex. There are all kinds of reasons people don’t just pickup and go.
December 4, 2014 at 3:20 PM #780713anParticipant[quote=FlyerInHi]In a global economy, I’m OK with people seeking investments in different locations.
spd is a small business person investing in USA. He has no duty to love the USA. A GM manager working in Peking doesn’t have to love China. He can criticize all he wants then leave when he’s ready, or not. Sometimes the opportunity to leave has not arisen. Maybe he married a local woman who won’t leave her family? He loves his wife but hates were he lives. Maybe he hates his job too, but the income sustains the family.
Life is very complex. There are all kinds of reasons people don’t just pickup and go.[/quote]I have no issue with him not loving USA. I just find it interesting that he claims there is just as many opportunity in Europe, the economy is just as vibrant, and he loves it over there and he hates it over here. Then why stay? All of those other reason you gave are just excuses. If he is not ambitious like he said and Europe has a great safety net and he would be much happier there as he claim, then why stay and complain instead of just follow his heart and be happy. Is a few $ to buy a few more baubles really worth not being happy?
December 4, 2014 at 3:31 PM #780708CoronitaParticipant[quote=FlyerInHi]To be fair, asking spdrun to love it or leave it is lame. He grew up in here and is familiar with the real estate environment. That’s his home and he’s entitled to his opinions.
[/quote]Well, again. That’s where I think we have a disconnect. I’m not asking him to do anything. I’m merely asking has he considered living in europe instead of the u.s. because from the previous couple of posts, seemed to imply he would a lot happier if he lived in Europe and from his perspective, Europe seems like it would be much better for the average person. If that was a case, I was curious what are the reasons for not moving.
I think what’s really missing from the context is often when one compares how the U.S. is run to other countries, it’s not exactly the same thing. The U.S. is a 316million people country. Germany is around 81 million. You can’t run a 316million people country the same way you run something 1/4 that size (fairly) in the same way you can run a 10,000+ company the same way you run a startup….
I included “fairly” in the sense that it means you try to take into account as many people as possible. You can of course have a very large country more efficiently run if you throw out democracy completely out the window AND if the ruler(s) that have absolute control have their heads pointed in the correct direction(like 21st century china), but you end up screwing over the majority of the people who aren’t capable enough to be part of the decision making process…
So in many ways, it’s like asking yourself: do you prefer to work in a bigger company (with all the + and -), or do you prefer to work in a startup (with all the + and -)..If you really like the startup company, chances are you’re going to be miserable in that 10k employed company, and vice versa.
December 4, 2014 at 3:33 PM #780714FlyerInHiGuest[quote=spdrun]I don’t want to work in IT. Requires constant learning which takes too much effort.
Ideally, I’d be a full-time landlord, a carpenter, and/or a plumber. I’m tired of working with my brain — I’d prefer to use my hands strictly.[/quote]
I too like working with my hands.
I like remodeling houses. I can do demo, plumbing, tile setting, cabinetry, painting, etc… But it does take brain or good intuition to get it all together. Lots of people can do the work but the whole is crap.
When you go to Prague next, try some experiments. Tell people that you’re a carpenter and people will treat you a certain way. Tell them you’re a smart IT professional and they’ll treat you differently. Tell them you’re a hobo and you’ll get different reactions. Tell them America is beautiful and they’ll ask you certain questions. Tell them that life is miserable in USA and you’ll see a puzzled look.
You’re still the same person, but the way strangers treat you generally has to do with perception of social standing and wealth. That will confirm how money is critical to life.
December 4, 2014 at 3:34 PM #780715CoronitaParticipantSpeaking about Europe and France… I stumbled across this….
http://www.hg.org/article.asp?id=6353
[quote]
Handing keys back to the bank simply is impossible in France. It would not be a good idea anyway. You cannot personally go Bankrupt in France unless you are a French citizen, or a foreigner whose main place of residence is France. If one decides not to continue paying the mortgage and return the keys to the lender, the latter will initiate foreclosure proceedings and the property will eventually be sold at auction, which could result in the owner remaining liable for any shortfall, including mortgage penalties and auction charges that may not be covered by the auction proceeds. I am unaware whether it is, or not, lenders’ policy to enforce payment of loans/mortgages (the shortfall) against borrowers situated overseas. A Judgment would have to be obtained in France first and the process for enforcing such Judgment in the UK or Ireland, is called ‘Exequatur’. The procedure for this between EU Countries is simplified nowadays. I have little doubt that foreign Courts would accept such requests from a French entity. A UK Judge for example, could not re-assess the case, unless the French Court Order contravenes essential legal principles of UK law, which is extremely rare in financial & tax matters.Pursuant to the French Consumer Protection Code, borrowers can apply for a ‘repayment holiday’ (deferred payment) of up to 24 months if they are suffering financial hardship. Where the mortgage in arrears is less than 3,800 Euro, a simple Application, rather than a Summons, can be filed with the local Court. This, if applicable, must be done prior to lenders formally issuing a notice of foreclosure, i.e. that the borrower is defaulting on his/her loan repayment.
[/quote]December 4, 2014 at 3:46 PM #780716FlyerInHiGuest[quote=AN] I have no issue with him not loving USA. I just find it interesting that he claims there is just as many opportunity in Europe, the economy is just as vibrant, and he loves it over there and he hates it over here. Then why stay? All of those other reason you gave are just excuses. If he is not ambitious like he said and Europe has a great safety net and he would be much happier there as he claim, then why stay and complain instead of just follow his heart and be happy. Is a few $ to buy a few more baubles really worth not being happy?[/quote]
I think that spd is not so much complaining about his own circumstances, but about the culture and environment in general.
Misery and happiness equally want company. He wants people to share his philosophy of life, people he can hang out with at cafes.
Generally speaking, life is America is less social. People and families live far away and it’s hard to get like minded people together on the spur of the moment. People are busy with their own nuclear families and they don’t hang out much with friends and extended family.
We do however live in large, well-appointed houses full of material goods.
December 4, 2014 at 4:08 PM #780717CoronitaParticipant.
December 4, 2014 at 4:15 PM #780718CoronitaParticipant[quote=FlyerInHi]
When you go to Prague next, try some experiments. Tell people that you’re a carpenter and people will treat you a certain way. Tell them you’re a smart IT professional and they’ll treat you differently. Tell them you’re a hobo and you’ll get different reactions. Tell them America is beautiful and they’ll ask you certain questions. Tell them that life is miserable in USA and you’ll see a puzzled look.
You’re still the same person, but the way strangers treat you generally has to do with perception of social standing and wealth. That will confirm how money is critical to life.
You’re still the same person, but the way strangers treat you generally has to do with perception of social standing and wealth. That will confirm how money is critical to life.[/quote]
But wait, I thought europeans cared less about money than americans do…I mean, it seems like what I’ved learned from this discussion is that americans are more materialistic than europeans. But why would wealth be that much of a factor in one’s social standing in europe?
December 4, 2014 at 4:20 PM #780719FlyerInHiGuest[quote=flu]
But wait, I thought europeans cared less about money than americans do…I mean, it seems like want I’m trying to learn from this discussion is that americans are more materialistic than europeans. But why would wealth be that much of a factor in one’s social standing in europe?[/quote]We are all the same humans.
But the environment does shape us. We rationalize the way we live.
My point to spd is that when he does move to Prague, he will be the popular new American for a while. But after some time, if he doesn’t live up to what is expected of an American (generous goodlooking, wealthy world citizen who tips well), his new found friends will drift away.
December 4, 2014 at 4:31 PM #780720CoronitaParticipant[quote=FlyerInHi][quote=flu]
But wait, I thought europeans cared less about money than americans do…I mean, it seems like want I’m trying to learn from this discussion is that americans are more materialistic than europeans. But why would wealth be that much of a factor in one’s social standing in europe?[/quote]We are all the same humans.
But the environment does shape us. We rationalize the way we live.
My point to spd is that when he does move to Prague, he will be the popular new American for a while. But after some time, if he doesn’t live up to what is expected of an American (generous goodlooking, wealthy world citizen who tips well), his new found friends will drift away.[/quote]
So having a lot of money would matter in europe?
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