Disqus - Latest Comments for stringdude

Re: Patriots of Nassau County Constitution in Chaos

stringdude — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 16:39:28 -0000

Thanks for this update.

Re: Petanque Lessons at the Palace Saloon

stringdude — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 15:25:55 -0000

Getting more and more into this game. Think I'm going to do like Dave Mason of Mason Airconditionng and build a court at the house. Think it's cool.

Re: US Treasury Admits to Lying

stringdude — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 09:23:47 -0000

One of the founding fathers once said: "Democracy is a beautiful thing, but why give it to the people." Democracy is an easy prostitute: she owns it, she sells it, yet she still owns it, and you got nothing. The world's societies have never been anything else but Oligarchies. A small elite hidden behind the "powers" of democracy. No other form of government has any staying power. Look at Stalin, Hitler, Saddam, Pol Pot and every other dictator the world has ever known, when the ruling powers (oligarchy) are fed up with their actions, they're removed. The same goes for democracies. That the US Treasury lies does not surprise me. That they use the old "White Man's Burden" approach to "protect us poor souls from the truth", just strengthens my opinion that democracy is a prostitute.

Re: Three Reasons why the Economy keeps Stuttering

stringdude — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 09:11:37 -0000

I don't know anyone who still watches TV News! The six o'clock news interferes with Happy Hour and the 11 o'clock news interferes with a rerun of Two and a Half Man on Channel 10.

Re: Amelia Island and Fernandina Weather 10-15-09

stringdude — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 09:07:41 -0000

I feel for you. Especially since these local forecaster reportedly make a ton on money, have millions in specialized equipment and seem to get it right one out of every 10 days or so. If I had known, I would have never studied economics, led a much more wholesome life, spent more afternoons on the beach and would have applied for the job of weatherman on a newscast. I don't think there's another job on this planet where you can be more wrong in your forecast. Hang in there, eventually it will get cooler.

Re: Making the Decision Between Renting or Buying

stringdude — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 08:59:15 -0000

Nick I absolutely disagree with you on your statement that buying is much better than renting. Here are some of my arguments for the opposite:
• When the American Dream of homeowner ship was pushed upon the American people speculation was not the motivator. It was the old fashioned sense of a home is a savings account for later. You paid the lender to live there and if you did that for 30 years or so, it was yours and you could sell it to finance your golden years with. The quality of the product was therefore based on a 50-100 year lifespan. Equity based on variables was not an issue. Equity financing was a greedy bank invention that came years later.
• Now treating the house as a golden parachute savings account to finance old age still seems to be a good and solid idea, were it not for the quality of construction that does not offer a 50-100 year lifespan anymore. In addition, technology has moved into the fast lane, meaning a kitchen dating from the 1990's does not do it anymore in 2010. There is a move towards generational home designs with double kitchens for example. In other words anyone buying now needs to get the property at such a low price that it allows for these costly additions, renovations or restorations in the future.
I know of a friend in Europe who just bought a Florida mansion, appraised a while back at $2.75 million for $196,000!! In that situation buying is a definite option.
Mind you however I haven't even talked about property taxes, major repairs, storm insurance premium, and all other expected and unexpected costs that come with homeownership, down to the point that your car insurance premium is higher if you own a home. There is no blanket formula to suggest buying or renting. It depends if you're just starting in life or if you're ending up a career, it depends on children living with you, it depends on where the house is located (as you Nick, I lived my whole life near the ocean; it's much more demanding on a home). In this stage of the economy buying is only good for investors in real estate, renting means for mostly everyone else a much better handle on their finances.

Re: Three Reasons why the Economy keeps Stuttering

stringdude — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 08:29:22 -0000

It is the age old fight whether demand can be created or not. Cheap money suggest yes. With cheap money people buy anything, deal or not. When money becomes expensive or in today's situation hard to get, all the production build up becomes obsolete. Do yourself a favor and get up early one Saturday morning to visit some garage sales. It's not about cleaning out garages anymore. It's about getting rid of all those things bought when money was cheap, but no one really ever had any use for.
Especially fitness equipment seems to be represented on every garage sale. Yep It's going to take long time before that production overcapacity will start up again.

Re: Amelia Island Petanque America Open – Nov. 14-15, 2009

stringdude — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:28:09 -0000

I heard just today that another famous chef is planning to attend, a personal friend of Nicolas Cage I understand. We're in for some celebrity event.

Re: The End of the Dressing Room

stringdude — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 11:17:14 -0000

Even though I'm completely internet positive, there is of course a social flipside to the coin: alienation. Not sure yet how that angle of human interaction is going to be evolving. Plenty of ideas, but none that particularly fit my lifestyle and choices. I don't text so maybe that's it.

Re: There Ought to be a Law

stringdude — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 10:39:52 -0000

I have a visit to Panama planned in the near future. Problem really is that we have developed a political system that allows for politics to become a profession. Barney Frank has been in government since 1981. He must be thinking by now that his vision and opinion is the interpretation of God's will. By now Barney has fully embraced the impression that Washington is the center of the world and he is a major player. The world needs him in his mind. None of the ideals he had in the late 70's are in place anymore. Two consecutive terms is maximum in politics in my opinion.

Re: The Middle of Hurricane Season

stringdude — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 07:51:06 -0000

Pirate Communications has a service that video tapes and dates your home, garden and all belongings for insurance purposes. People get 5 dvd's for distribution to insurance company, family and themselves. Specialty items are listed and photographed separately. Good service for only $250. Another tip for when a hurricane comes this way. Secure your computer early. You'll be surprised how much personal information has found its way to the computer over the years.
You're talking about homeowners, but what about renter's responsibilities in securing the home?

Re: In Search of Amelia

stringdude — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 10:15:15 -0000

Hey, sometimes a daydream turns into a target to accomplish and comes out with great clarity and direction. Amelia Earhart was dreamer who 70 years after her disappearance still get people to write about her, make movies and have a whole group of scientists still involved in the puzzle of finding out what happened. Not bad...

Re: Southeast Championship Cup Series Motorcycle Racing

stringdude — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 10:07:32 -0000

Hey man, when Lawrence said you crashed I thought you were out for the races. Yet you participated and got some important points. That's what I call " getting back up in the saddle". Great show and good luck. Oh and by the way, you were right about Georgia saving on highway maintenance expenses; I just experienced the same in the Carolinas, Tennessee and Kentucky. Time to have the cows graze the medians clean.

Re: Fernandina Beach Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

stringdude — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 09:55:26 -0000

Great video. Thanks. Nice plug for SearchAmelia too by City Manager Czymbor. Must be good to feel appreciated for your efforts.

Re: Real Economic Growth Possible Next Year

stringdude — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 09:22:02 -0000

I just came back from a whirlwind trip to family in the Kentucky Mountains and if there was any place you could witness the slide of the economy from a year ago, it was there. What was a flourishing little community a year ago, now looks like a ghost town. The for sale signs on stores and properties was unending and made our Fletcher Drive look like a booming real estate market. My 78 year old father-in-law, who is a very active electrician and HVAC installer, in one afternoon was approached at least a dozen times by people looking for a job or a way to make some money. If the economy is supposed to pick up next year, it may happen in the financial centers but it will take years to whittle its way down to the "hinterland". On the highways through Georgia, Carolinas, Tennessee and Kentucky I noticed clearly that the States have no money for upkeep and maintenance. Grass is waist high and many road construction sites are a parking lot for heavy equipment, but no activity. No I don't believe that Wall Street's upswing is an indication that we're coming out of the doldrums. Not by a long shot.

Re: Obama is Continuing With Ben Bernanke

stringdude — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 11:48:45 -0000

This was obviously the right thing to do. We can later document his demise as the Rise and Fall of a Financial Fallacy. Peter Schiff claims 2012 or thereabout to be the true burst of the economy. May as well have Bernanke be at the helm of what he and his predecessor should and could have prevented as Head of the Federal Reserve. Since he and his mentor Greenspan's financial action philosophy is based on retro-active rather than pro-active measures, he carries a large responsibility for our fiscal irresponsibility over the past several decades. He may as well be "at the helm" when we have to face the long term consequences. It'll be interesting.

Re: Bernanke Hit by Identity Theft

stringdude — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 11:39:27 -0000

Sure, but don't expect the Secret Service and the US Postal Inspection Service to hand you your Identity back. May be a little harder for us regular people.

Re: Sheriff on the Prowl for More Money

stringdude — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 20:29:38 -0000

Even though you seem to have the "in" on a couple of reasons here, it is still about following the money. Technically the "madman across the water" is the ultimate law enforcement power as he has stated on many occasions, his problem is that he still tries to get to real power the old fashioned way, installing fear and using a lot of elbow strength. Your assessments however are right on the money and therefore very dangerous for the residents of the island. Less service is only the first part of diminishing returns for their tax dollars. Seagraves is motivated by power and your example of the disgusting and deceitful way he dealt with Animal Control should be a clear mark for everyone.

Re: Nassau County A Beautiful Place for Home and Work

stringdude — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 10:51:13 -0000

Thanks for the numbers. Here is my great concern with the 5 largest employers. THEY ARE ALL FACING BIG FINANCIAL PROBLEMS. The Schoolboard being the largest employer in this and similar counties has always struck me as awkward.
When I lived in Columbia County (Lake City) more than a decade ago, the Schoolboard was the largest employer as well. After receiving my property tax bill one year I gathered all the numbers from the county in order to analyze the result ratios between the Schoolboard number of employees, the percentage of contribution to its expense through property taxes and the final successful output of students through the school system. The success percentage was 21%, meaning one out of 5 students that enrolled into the school system, came out as a highschool graduate. Maybe I should do a similar calculation here. Numbers don't lie.
The 10 largest employers you listed represented in 2008 a total of 5709 employees (I bet 1 to 10 that those numbers are lower today), which represented about one quart of the working county population (est. 30% of 69,000). This would imply that 75% of the county's workforce earns its income in a small business type environment.
Maybe its time for banks in the county to start working together with the Small Business Administration to apply for Federal guaranteed loans, administered by local banks, if economic survival in the county is an objective.

Re: Faulting Entire Swiss Banking System is a Witch Hunt

stringdude — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 10:31:27 -0000

I will, as soon as I can find some money in my budget to put aside

Re: Is Amelia Island Interested in Attracting Family Vacations?

stringdude — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 10:29:11 -0000

First of all thanks for bringing the comments back on topic. Secondly I completely agree with your assessment even though that makes less of a conversation. Controversy is usually more animated. But here is the thing that bugs me about today's so-called tourism professionals; they are stuck in the old ways, the old ways being:
1. They feel the need to go to at least 3 or 4 big tradeshows per year (all expenses paid) to promote my destination. The perks of the job.
2. They demand impossible budgets to be able to advertise in major trade magazines and on TV around the nation or the world or else all bets about results are off.
3. Glossy destination brochures and picture perfect videos are also a must, never mind if effective distribution of these tools has been arranged for.

I have been involved in tourism promotion for 35 years now for entire Caribbean Islands, complete regions in Europe and a handful of yachting destinations around the world; I have done the show circuit for years, from the World Travel Market in London to the ITB in Berlin and Hiswa/Boot and dozens of other ones. I have been on the board of the International Skal Club, a world organization for tourism professionals and I have learned one thing from it all: illusions of grandeur, too big for their britches. Instead of aiming to expand horizontally in visitor attractions that complement what's naturally already available, they all want to expand vertically and add more different attractions aimed at different visitor demographics. This will ultimately clog up the arteries of a community and kill the tourism egg.
So yes, you are absolutely right, we need to capitalize on what we have and market the niche demographics.
Wouldn't surprise me however to find out that across the bridge in Yulee a theme-park or two will one day be erected and we will still be overrun. Word is out that we may be looking at a small cruise ship facility several years from now. In the current economy mass resorts like the Ritz and the Plantation may choose any option to survive. "Apres nous le deluge", may be the " cri de coeur" for a while.

Re: Drunk Driver Knocks Out Power to Island

stringdude — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 11:18:17 -0000

Why is it always the drunk drivers? I understand from my kids that somewhere on Rt 17 near the Redneck Marina, there is a Nickel a Bottle night establishment. Don't know the exact location but do know that a One Dollar Bill will put 20 bottles into your bloodstream. That's enough to hit every utility pole on A1A. Guess we need to get a bit more serious about this problem.

Re: If We Lose Our Ability to Care, Then What?

stringdude — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 10:41:38 -0000

So what do you suggest we do to change this slide into the abyss?

Re: Hunting Permit in Nassau County

stringdude — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 10:38:03 -0000

I'm glad they didn't sell them all yet. Maybe that proves that I finally moved to a more sophisticated community, where not everyone who is an avid hunter tries to explain to me that they are doing nature a favor. Used to live for a while a couple of counties to the west in Lake City and believe me there is a waiting list for licenses there. Although come to think of it, those rednecks would not pay $385. They simply take their trucks and disappear in the woods at dusk and shoot at anything that moves. No joke. When I lived there, they shot a 12 year old boy in Lulu (suburbial Lake City) on his way home through the woods. I don't even leave the island when Deer season comes around in the middle of November.

Re: A Food Lover’s Review of the Movie, Julie and Julia

stringdude — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 10:28:15 -0000

Maybe that's just another role she has mastered. The woman has more personalities than a chameleon; guess she confuses some of them on occasion. Wonder if she actually knows who Mary Louise Streep actually is. Her dad was Dutch descent, as witnessed by the name Streep, which means "straight line". She may be thinking that her ancestry empowers her to command people around on the Dutch Caribbean island of St.Maarten. Oh hell no...Just showing off. She is a "beeatch".