[AK]

Seems like everyone wants to move into the highest-end communities to avoid the “riff-raff,” but naturally their salaries can’t support their aspirations. So they gravitate to gated communities in the hope that if they have to live around the “riff-raff,” at least the gate will keep out “those people.”

(Substitute appropriate social / economic categorizations for “riff-raff” and “those people.” For example, a cosmetic surgeon might not want to live around to a mere internist, and would puke at the thought of a teacher or landscape contractor moving in next door.)

Of course their new neighbors have the same mindset and likewise consider them to be “riff-raff,” so you end up with a “community” full of people who are too good to interact with each other.

The process accelerates as prices drop … it was bad enough living among the “riff-raff,” but now “those people” can afford to live inside the gates.

I read some of these HOA rules and wonder what’s happening to our country. Things like a list of 20 “approved” plants by species, or mandating that garage doors be opened just long enough for vehicle ingress/egress.

[AK]

I’m guessing the big food processors hedged against commodity price increases, much as the airlines did with fuel prices. That helped keep prices under control when food and fuel went through the roof, but now they’re stuck paying above market price for stuff they ordered last year.

And some of it might be plain old greed. Now that gas prices have come down, they figure they can squeeze a few extra bucks out of us.

But yeah water supply is the big ??? in all of this. We’ve taken farmland out of production and diverted water supplies to residential landscaping … in some cases homeowners can’t conserve because the CC&Rs prohibit anything but absurd expanses of lush, water-hungry Bermuda grass. I wonder if there’s anything the legislature can do to void such wasteful, environmentally destructive covenants.

[AK]

I’m guessing the big food processors hedged against commodity price increases, much as the airlines did with fuel prices. That helped keep prices under control when food and fuel went through the roof, but now they’re stuck paying above market price for stuff they ordered last year.

And some of it might be plain old greed. Now that gas prices have come down, they figure they can squeeze a few extra bucks out of us.

But yeah water supply is the big ??? in all of this. We’ve taken farmland out of production and diverted water supplies to residential landscaping … in some cases homeowners can’t conserve because the CC&Rs prohibit anything but absurd expanses of lush, water-hungry Bermuda grass. I wonder if there’s anything the legislature can do to void such wasteful, environmentally destructive covenants.

[AK]

I’m guessing the big food processors hedged against commodity price increases, much as the airlines did with fuel prices. That helped keep prices under control when food and fuel went through the roof, but now they’re stuck paying above market price for stuff they ordered last year.

And some of it might be plain old greed. Now that gas prices have come down, they figure they can squeeze a few extra bucks out of us.

But yeah water supply is the big ??? in all of this. We’ve taken farmland out of production and diverted water supplies to residential landscaping … in some cases homeowners can’t conserve because the CC&Rs prohibit anything but absurd expanses of lush, water-hungry Bermuda grass. I wonder if there’s anything the legislature can do to void such wasteful, environmentally destructive covenants.

[AK]

I’m guessing the big food processors hedged against commodity price increases, much as the airlines did with fuel prices. That helped keep prices under control when food and fuel went through the roof, but now they’re stuck paying above market price for stuff they ordered last year.

And some of it might be plain old greed. Now that gas prices have come down, they figure they can squeeze a few extra bucks out of us.

But yeah water supply is the big ??? in all of this. We’ve taken farmland out of production and diverted water supplies to residential landscaping … in some cases homeowners can’t conserve because the CC&Rs prohibit anything but absurd expanses of lush, water-hungry Bermuda grass. I wonder if there’s anything the legislature can do to void such wasteful, environmentally destructive covenants.

[AK]

I’m guessing the big food processors hedged against commodity price increases, much as the airlines did with fuel prices. That helped keep prices under control when food and fuel went through the roof, but now they’re stuck paying above market price for stuff they ordered last year.

And some of it might be plain old greed. Now that gas prices have come down, they figure they can squeeze a few extra bucks out of us.

But yeah water supply is the big ??? in all of this. We’ve taken farmland out of production and diverted water supplies to residential landscaping … in some cases homeowners can’t conserve because the CC&Rs prohibit anything but absurd expanses of lush, water-hungry Bermuda grass. I wonder if there’s anything the legislature can do to void such wasteful, environmentally destructive covenants.

[AK]

Sorry peterb, that wasn’t meant as a spelling flame … I meant that not wanting something because it wasn’t expensive any more was more of a mental disturbance than a normal thought process 🙂

[AK]

Sorry peterb, that wasn’t meant as a spelling flame … I meant that not wanting something because it wasn’t expensive any more was more of a mental disturbance than a normal thought process 🙂

[AK]

Sorry peterb, that wasn’t meant as a spelling flame … I meant that not wanting something because it wasn’t expensive any more was more of a mental disturbance than a normal thought process 🙂

[AK]

Sorry peterb, that wasn’t meant as a spelling flame … I meant that not wanting something because it wasn’t expensive any more was more of a mental disturbance than a normal thought process 🙂

[AK]

Sorry peterb, that wasn’t meant as a spelling flame … I meant that not wanting something because it wasn’t expensive any more was more of a mental disturbance than a normal thought process 🙂

[AK]

peterb:

That sounds more like psychopathology than psychology 🙂

[AK]

peterb:

That sounds more like psychopathology than psychology 🙂

[AK]

peterb:

That sounds more like psychopathology than psychology 🙂

[AK]

peterb:

That sounds more like psychopathology than psychology 🙂

[Author]

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