Forum Replies Created
-
AuthorPosts
-
Allan from Fallbrook
ParticipantEx-SD: I stopped in a grocery store in Fayetteville (circa 1987) following a run. I was wearing one of my old football jerseys (from a Catholic HS). I pass this nice (appearing) little old lady and nod. She looks me dead in the eye and calls me an anti-Christ. No s**t. I was floored. I could have had a pentagram tattooed on my forehead, and could’ve been throttling a helpless child and not drawn a stronger reaction. And she said the word with utter venom.
Yup, them Baptists is a mite serious about (their version of) God.
What is truly funny is the number of honky tonk bars that absolutely rock on Saturday nights. Booze, drugs, fighting and carousing, and then the same group is in church the following morning. Course, as a Catholic, I probably shouldn’t be pointing any fingers in that respect.
ParticipantEx-SD: I stopped in a grocery store in Fayetteville (circa 1987) following a run. I was wearing one of my old football jerseys (from a Catholic HS). I pass this nice (appearing) little old lady and nod. She looks me dead in the eye and calls me an anti-Christ. No s**t. I was floored. I could have had a pentagram tattooed on my forehead, and could’ve been throttling a helpless child and not drawn a stronger reaction. And she said the word with utter venom.
Yup, them Baptists is a mite serious about (their version of) God.
What is truly funny is the number of honky tonk bars that absolutely rock on Saturday nights. Booze, drugs, fighting and carousing, and then the same group is in church the following morning. Course, as a Catholic, I probably shouldn’t be pointing any fingers in that respect.
ParticipantEx-SD: I stopped in a grocery store in Fayetteville (circa 1987) following a run. I was wearing one of my old football jerseys (from a Catholic HS). I pass this nice (appearing) little old lady and nod. She looks me dead in the eye and calls me an anti-Christ. No s**t. I was floored. I could have had a pentagram tattooed on my forehead, and could’ve been throttling a helpless child and not drawn a stronger reaction. And she said the word with utter venom.
Yup, them Baptists is a mite serious about (their version of) God.
What is truly funny is the number of honky tonk bars that absolutely rock on Saturday nights. Booze, drugs, fighting and carousing, and then the same group is in church the following morning. Course, as a Catholic, I probably shouldn’t be pointing any fingers in that respect.
ParticipantBubblesitter: Latest issue of Economist had an article on how Brazil would fare better now than in the past, if a worldwide recession hits. The article also mentioned, in passing, that other countries are less at risk than in previous downturns as well.
I think those countries that have a vested interest in both the US and the US consumer (think China and India) are likely to take the biggest blow. Look how hard the US toy recall hit quite a few Chinese manufacturers in that market.
On the insurance and reinsurance side, you are looking at companies like MBIA and Ambac that are virtually dead in the water if they don’t arrange a seriously large cash infusion and fast. Channel Re has admitted that their holdings are essentially valueless, and I would bet they are only the first to get caught out in this respect. If the reinsurance market starts taking on heavy water, it will get very ugly quickly in the standard and premium insurance markets.
ParticipantBubblesitter: Latest issue of Economist had an article on how Brazil would fare better now than in the past, if a worldwide recession hits. The article also mentioned, in passing, that other countries are less at risk than in previous downturns as well.
I think those countries that have a vested interest in both the US and the US consumer (think China and India) are likely to take the biggest blow. Look how hard the US toy recall hit quite a few Chinese manufacturers in that market.
On the insurance and reinsurance side, you are looking at companies like MBIA and Ambac that are virtually dead in the water if they don’t arrange a seriously large cash infusion and fast. Channel Re has admitted that their holdings are essentially valueless, and I would bet they are only the first to get caught out in this respect. If the reinsurance market starts taking on heavy water, it will get very ugly quickly in the standard and premium insurance markets.
ParticipantBubblesitter: Latest issue of Economist had an article on how Brazil would fare better now than in the past, if a worldwide recession hits. The article also mentioned, in passing, that other countries are less at risk than in previous downturns as well.
I think those countries that have a vested interest in both the US and the US consumer (think China and India) are likely to take the biggest blow. Look how hard the US toy recall hit quite a few Chinese manufacturers in that market.
On the insurance and reinsurance side, you are looking at companies like MBIA and Ambac that are virtually dead in the water if they don’t arrange a seriously large cash infusion and fast. Channel Re has admitted that their holdings are essentially valueless, and I would bet they are only the first to get caught out in this respect. If the reinsurance market starts taking on heavy water, it will get very ugly quickly in the standard and premium insurance markets.
ParticipantBubblesitter: Latest issue of Economist had an article on how Brazil would fare better now than in the past, if a worldwide recession hits. The article also mentioned, in passing, that other countries are less at risk than in previous downturns as well.
I think those countries that have a vested interest in both the US and the US consumer (think China and India) are likely to take the biggest blow. Look how hard the US toy recall hit quite a few Chinese manufacturers in that market.
On the insurance and reinsurance side, you are looking at companies like MBIA and Ambac that are virtually dead in the water if they don’t arrange a seriously large cash infusion and fast. Channel Re has admitted that their holdings are essentially valueless, and I would bet they are only the first to get caught out in this respect. If the reinsurance market starts taking on heavy water, it will get very ugly quickly in the standard and premium insurance markets.
ParticipantBubblesitter: Latest issue of Economist had an article on how Brazil would fare better now than in the past, if a worldwide recession hits. The article also mentioned, in passing, that other countries are less at risk than in previous downturns as well.
I think those countries that have a vested interest in both the US and the US consumer (think China and India) are likely to take the biggest blow. Look how hard the US toy recall hit quite a few Chinese manufacturers in that market.
On the insurance and reinsurance side, you are looking at companies like MBIA and Ambac that are virtually dead in the water if they don’t arrange a seriously large cash infusion and fast. Channel Re has admitted that their holdings are essentially valueless, and I would bet they are only the first to get caught out in this respect. If the reinsurance market starts taking on heavy water, it will get very ugly quickly in the standard and premium insurance markets.
ParticipantEx-SD: If you think telling them you’re an atheist gets ’em going, try telling them you’re Catholic. When I was stationed in the Army down South, I made the mistake a couple of times. After that, I kept my mouth shut. They do take their God very seriously in that part of the world. Have you ever caught any of the local televangelists telling viewers to touch their TV screens to feel God’s healing love? That is one of my all-time favorites. It doesn’t work with porn, either. Or so I’ve heard.
Svelte: Scientology is exceptionally litigious, and uses lawsuits and the threat of same very effectively. I had heard similar things as to how they exerted control over followers, as well as those that had fallen away. I don’t ascribe Tom Cruise’s wackiness to Scientology; I think he would have been a wingnut regardless of faith or denomination.
ParticipantEx-SD: If you think telling them you’re an atheist gets ’em going, try telling them you’re Catholic. When I was stationed in the Army down South, I made the mistake a couple of times. After that, I kept my mouth shut. They do take their God very seriously in that part of the world. Have you ever caught any of the local televangelists telling viewers to touch their TV screens to feel God’s healing love? That is one of my all-time favorites. It doesn’t work with porn, either. Or so I’ve heard.
Svelte: Scientology is exceptionally litigious, and uses lawsuits and the threat of same very effectively. I had heard similar things as to how they exerted control over followers, as well as those that had fallen away. I don’t ascribe Tom Cruise’s wackiness to Scientology; I think he would have been a wingnut regardless of faith or denomination.
ParticipantEx-SD: If you think telling them you’re an atheist gets ’em going, try telling them you’re Catholic. When I was stationed in the Army down South, I made the mistake a couple of times. After that, I kept my mouth shut. They do take their God very seriously in that part of the world. Have you ever caught any of the local televangelists telling viewers to touch their TV screens to feel God’s healing love? That is one of my all-time favorites. It doesn’t work with porn, either. Or so I’ve heard.
Svelte: Scientology is exceptionally litigious, and uses lawsuits and the threat of same very effectively. I had heard similar things as to how they exerted control over followers, as well as those that had fallen away. I don’t ascribe Tom Cruise’s wackiness to Scientology; I think he would have been a wingnut regardless of faith or denomination.
ParticipantEx-SD: If you think telling them you’re an atheist gets ’em going, try telling them you’re Catholic. When I was stationed in the Army down South, I made the mistake a couple of times. After that, I kept my mouth shut. They do take their God very seriously in that part of the world. Have you ever caught any of the local televangelists telling viewers to touch their TV screens to feel God’s healing love? That is one of my all-time favorites. It doesn’t work with porn, either. Or so I’ve heard.
Svelte: Scientology is exceptionally litigious, and uses lawsuits and the threat of same very effectively. I had heard similar things as to how they exerted control over followers, as well as those that had fallen away. I don’t ascribe Tom Cruise’s wackiness to Scientology; I think he would have been a wingnut regardless of faith or denomination.
ParticipantEx-SD: If you think telling them you’re an atheist gets ’em going, try telling them you’re Catholic. When I was stationed in the Army down South, I made the mistake a couple of times. After that, I kept my mouth shut. They do take their God very seriously in that part of the world. Have you ever caught any of the local televangelists telling viewers to touch their TV screens to feel God’s healing love? That is one of my all-time favorites. It doesn’t work with porn, either. Or so I’ve heard.
Svelte: Scientology is exceptionally litigious, and uses lawsuits and the threat of same very effectively. I had heard similar things as to how they exerted control over followers, as well as those that had fallen away. I don’t ascribe Tom Cruise’s wackiness to Scientology; I think he would have been a wingnut regardless of faith or denomination.
ParticipantBubblesitter: I would also pay close attention to the reinsurance community. The debacle at Channel Re is probably just the opening shot there.
As to the world catching the same cold as the US: How could it not? For all the talk of “decoupling”, the world remains not only closely tied to the US, but reacts to the same positives and negatives that we do.
-
AuthorPosts
