[poorgradstudent]

I think this depends a lot on your age, and the woman and man involved.

I tend to think a kiss is a nice way to end a good first date. Based on my experience, most women in their mid-to-late 20s feel the same way. But I tend to date liberal, college educated women, which may skew my sampling.

Frankly, if she doesn’t want to kiss you at the end of a first date, that may be a signal of lack of interest, unless she made it clear that she was interested, and just wanted to take things slow.

[poorgradstudent]

I think this depends a lot on your age, and the woman and man involved.

I tend to think a kiss is a nice way to end a good first date. Based on my experience, most women in their mid-to-late 20s feel the same way. But I tend to date liberal, college educated women, which may skew my sampling.

Frankly, if she doesn’t want to kiss you at the end of a first date, that may be a signal of lack of interest, unless she made it clear that she was interested, and just wanted to take things slow.

[poorgradstudent]

I think this depends a lot on your age, and the woman and man involved.

I tend to think a kiss is a nice way to end a good first date. Based on my experience, most women in their mid-to-late 20s feel the same way. But I tend to date liberal, college educated women, which may skew my sampling.

Frankly, if she doesn’t want to kiss you at the end of a first date, that may be a signal of lack of interest, unless she made it clear that she was interested, and just wanted to take things slow.

[poorgradstudent]

There’s a big difference between handguns and rifles. As others have stated, rifles are used for hunting, which is an important family recreation activity in parts of the country. Responsible parents have their kids take gun safety training before buying them their own rifle.

Handguns, on the other hand, are only used for protection and killing, so I’m not sure why a kid or teen would need one.

[poorgradstudent]

There’s a big difference between handguns and rifles. As others have stated, rifles are used for hunting, which is an important family recreation activity in parts of the country. Responsible parents have their kids take gun safety training before buying them their own rifle.

Handguns, on the other hand, are only used for protection and killing, so I’m not sure why a kid or teen would need one.

[poorgradstudent]

A popular rhetorical question around here is “who are the buyers who will step in if prices drop X%?”

*raises hand*

I’m graduating with my PhD this late spring/early summer (’08). Assuming I can find a job in my field, I’ll immediately start saving for a down payment. If prices fall 50% from their peak, you’re damn certain I will have bought when they were down 40%.

That said, they’re still way too high for me to afford on my expected future salary, which is above the median. I still think 50% is a bit high for what the final number will be, but time will tell.

[poorgradstudent]

A popular rhetorical question around here is “who are the buyers who will step in if prices drop X%?”

*raises hand*

I’m graduating with my PhD this late spring/early summer (’08). Assuming I can find a job in my field, I’ll immediately start saving for a down payment. If prices fall 50% from their peak, you’re damn certain I will have bought when they were down 40%.

That said, they’re still way too high for me to afford on my expected future salary, which is above the median. I still think 50% is a bit high for what the final number will be, but time will tell.

[poorgradstudent]

11 of 12.

I could have sworn there are 29 amendments… (maybe I was just thinking there really OUGHT to be, but I’ll abstain from getting too political)

[poorgradstudent]

I find interest rate speculation to be the most frustrating part of the market. Mostly because it often prevents good buying opportunities from happening.

It’s a bad time to be a bull, and a bad time to be a bear. No wonder Bond Markets are active again.

Basically, as long as the stock market is high enough, they won’t cut rates. So there’s an odd cause-effect relationship right now.

I really hope they don’t cut any more in the short run. More liquitity would be like treating a hangover with shots of tequila… might make you feel better in the short run, but bad in the long run.

[poorgradstudent]

“I’m long gold, I’m long oil, I’m long foreign stocks, and I’m short the dollar”.

Sounds smart.

[poorgradstudent]

European and Chinese stocks seem the way to go, along with the usual BRIC investments (ok, technically China is the C in BRIC). I fully expect my shares in DEO to kill the S&P in the next couple of years.

[poorgradstudent]

I felt “Maxed Out” was like a lot of documentaries of its kind, where the sort of person who would watch it already knows a lot of the info in it.

Predatory lending is a huge problem in this country. It shouldn’t be financially advantageous for lenders to go after people who are the least likely to pay their debt back.

Still, it was a dissapointing documentary that completely glossed over personal responsibility and a culture of overconsumption. While government policy (and overspending) are a huge part of the problem, it’s only part of it.

[poorgradstudent]

I felt “Maxed Out” was like a lot of documentaries of its kind, where the sort of person who would watch it already knows a lot of the info in it.

Predatory lending is a huge problem in this country. It shouldn’t be financially advantageous for lenders to go after people who are the least likely to pay their debt back.

Still, it was a dissapointing documentary that completely glossed over personal responsibility and a culture of overconsumption. While government policy (and overspending) are a huge part of the problem, it’s only part of it.

[poorgradstudent]

I felt “Maxed Out” was like a lot of documentaries of its kind, where the sort of person who would watch it already knows a lot of the info in it.

Predatory lending is a huge problem in this country. It shouldn’t be financially advantageous for lenders to go after people who are the least likely to pay their debt back.

Still, it was a dissapointing documentary that completely glossed over personal responsibility and a culture of overconsumption. While government policy (and overspending) are a huge part of the problem, it’s only part of it.

[poorgradstudent]

There are a couple of old truisms about lending friends money.

“Don’t lend a friend money if you plan to keep either”
and
“Never lend a friend money you would miss if they never paid you back”

Now, there may be a way for you to set up something legally binding that would help protect you from the second one. But such an arrangement WILL put stress on the friendship. About the only person on the planet I would agree to such an arrangement for is my own mother; I’d consider it with my brother and sister, but would still be hesitant.

So yeah, usually money and friendship don’t mix.

[Author]

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