johnnyalpha1

I haven't done any in-depth study of the cause of the price increases in housing. However, I think there are two things that are most likely:

1) the vast expansion of the money supply (Covid and the so-called "inflation reduction act") caused asset prices to skyrocket.

2) the importation of millions of illegal immigrants and the housing of them with inflated ("government") money added fuel to the fire to housing prices.

Western Europe is just as bad or even worse than here. It's like there was a plan put into action to undermine western societies not only financially but also politically (by incorporating a new voting bloc to enshrine power among leftists).

The worse part for Europe is that their migrants are mostly muslim and given the demographic trends, the native populations will shrink at a faster pace. Western Europe is going to hit a tipping point soon and the future is bleak for them.

Interesting video about Portugal. The native population is 10 million. Recently, the government has admitted 1.3 million from the Middle East and Africa. The "government" pays for the migrants' housing and an additional stipend daily. Housing costs for others have skyrocketed and crime is out of control.

Absolute chaos has ensued. This is happening in many/most western European countries. What is the end game here?

LINK

I always wondered about Proverbs 14:1: "The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down." I wondered how a woman would actually tear hers down.

You can see it now clearly through the foolishness of so many in social media.

Hah!

Sammy Reshevsky was a prodigy and was one of the best U.S. chess players (perhaps the best) until Bobby Fischer took center stage in 1957.

When he was an old man he advertised in Chess Life (magazine) to play people in postal chess (for a fee). He actually listed his home phone number. As a teen (in the 1980s), I called him up to ask how much he charged. I assume his wife answered and then she called him to the phone. I asked how much he charged per game and I believe he said it was either $16 or $32.

I've been doing a Bible study on the 4 horsemen of the apocalypse from Revelation chapter 6. The first horse is the white horse: (NKJV)

"2 And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer."

I had always thought that the bow referred to a weapon and it might. However, I also learned that the word "bow" translated from the Greek is "toxon" and it can also mean "rainbow." In fact, the first mention of this word "bow" from the Septuagint comes from Genesis 9 when God establishes his covenant to not destroy the earth again by water (after the flood during Noah's days): (KJV translation)

"12 And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations:

13 I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth."

Now I am wondering whether the rider of the white horse is actually carrying a rainbow (seeking to enforce the LGBTQ philosophy) rather than an archer's bow.

FYI, the crown is not a monarchical crown but is a conqueror's crown (as in the type of crown an ancient general would wear after victory or an athlete would wear after a competition). It is "stephanos" in Greek.

In 1993 I bought my first new car. Was looking at the Saturn SL2, Toyota Camry, Nissan Altima (first year of production if I remember correctly), Mazda 626, and Honda Accord. After test driving all of them I dropped the Saturn (definitely rougher ride and cheaper feel) and the Honda (dealership was a headache with sales tactics and I didn't care for the road noise in the Honda). The Camry with the 4-cylinder seemed a little sluggish so I decided to pass on it.

I really liked the Altima the best because the 2.4 liter was peppier than the 626's 4-cylinder engine. The Altima did not have a theft alarm. I wanted one installed and would have bought the car if the dealership would install one (would have paid extra for it). They refused so I went with the 626 with 5-speed. Great decision. The 626 was rated 26/34 MPG but got 40 MPG on road trips. We gave it to our oldest child when he graduated high school. He finally traded it in on a used car in 2022. It still ran fine (with around 190,000 miles on it) but the fuel gauge no longer worked, the electronic door locks did not work, the trunk wouldn't open, and the sunroof leaked (had to use silicone to seal it). That 1993 626 was a new model year. The 5-speed transmission was bullet-proof and the engine only needed an air-idle control valve replaced in 1996 and a fuel pump replaced around 2010 (it was almost bullet-proof).

Interesting article on tradwives and how women are realizing that the lifestyle of not working outside the home (being a stay-at-home wife) is actually attractive.

LINK

Another interesting tidbit mentioned in the article was the female happiness paradox:

"Regardless of how to interpret the data, the facts of the matter remain that women are either miserable but happy or happy but miserable. And if scientific researchers can’t figure out what to do about this paradox, can 20-year-old women?"

We've all heard that if momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy. But it also seems that if momma ain't unhappy, then momma ain't happy. :lol: