We have Created a Nightmare in this Country

[jkust]

Re: We have Created a Nightmare in this Country

You should be living in Wayzata...what are you doing up north in Maple Grove with all the "middle class folk" LOL!

Wayzata schools are like a Sea Ray bow rider. They sound nice in theory but in reality they bus and cab kids from the distant low income areas plus then there is so much wealth, there is a whole other set of problems related to drugs. Also we are 30 seconds from a lake, one minute via snowmobile from the 22,000 mile trail system and school is a block away. We bought the house in our 20's and with the kids and their friends, we are embedded here for a long time.

 

[Philster]

Re: We have Created a Nightmare in this Country

Personally I think we are hard wired for what I call bigger, better, faster. That does not mean we should be irresponsible, but it does mean we are driven. If we weren't we wouldn't pursue improved living conditions, stuff, inventions, anything. It is a result of our deeply ingrained need to improve. I have read quite a bit about our origins. While raising teenagers I asked myself "whether it is God or an uncontrolled evolution for some unknown purpose, why are teenagers such idiots?" I determined that it was because they needed to get kicked out of the cave, or they needed to leave of their own volition. They needed to believe they knew better. My point? We are who we were 30,000 years ago. We are driven to see what's around the corner, to find the "best" cave. To search for the biggest game, to seek better climates, more fruits for the gatherers, bigger herds for the hunters. We are supposed to stick our necks out, push the envelope, pursue bigger, better, faster.

Oh, and through lots of research, I determined long ago we actually need seven (7) boats. It's a fact.

AGREED.

It's part of the human condition.

 

[hostage]

Re: We have Created a Nightmare in this Country

I agree here with a few exceptions where special equipment is needed or where weather won't permit. I actually just did my own brakes/new rotors on one of my SUV's having never done brakes before. I can tell you that nobody I know, literally not a single person would do their own brakes to save a couple hundred dollars. A couple neighbors happened to stop by while I was doing it and they were shocked to see me doing what I was doing. I think the fact that I own an impact gun has them scratching their heads.

There is a completely different mindset amongst certain types of people as to how to get wealth and how to handle it and how to act fiscally when you have it or don't have it. A silly example is the cable tv mentioned above. It would never dawn on me in 10 lifetimes to buy cable tv. I wouldn't buy even a $50 dollar package it's just not in my DNA to make the spending decisions so many take for granted.
As for the house situation mentioned above, I do disagree there. The house falls into the 'you live once category' and although our house is well over 5000 sq ft, it is much less stressful to live in a larger space than a smaller space with young boys. If you are a diyer, a large home isn't a big deal but does take a bit more cleaning and again we are the only ones around without a cleaning person. I think many people could be a heck of a lot wealthier if they really put their mind to it.

Believe it or not, I actually do like to change my own brakes. Having a desk job really leaves me with a need and want to get to my manly roots. I won't do my own oil change or tire rotation, not really worth the time for the money you save IMHO. I use todo my oil change, though to save $10-$20 at tops it isn't really worth getting dirty. I like changing my brakes as it saves a lot more money, I bet a lot of places loose money on oil changes. They just give them away to get their foot in your door.

You and I are living a parallel life You don't happen to have some buddies who love to get sloshed on the weekend and then run around whining about how they are so poor? That's the problem with some of my friends around my age, some of them either don't understand how life works or are just waiting for handouts that will never come.

The funny thing is I really don't have many friends my age. Some are busy with familiy, others party to much, and then there are the friends that haven't moved out of the rent's basement. My social circles tend to me being the youngest in the group. It seems hard to find someone my age with the income to do the activities I do as well as the time.

My fiance went wedding dress shopping with a close friend/nieghbor. Another customer at the shop said, "is that your daughter" to my neighbor. The horrofied look my neighbor gave the other customer, instantly made that customer start to back peddle and apologize.


-Hostage

 

[JoLin]

Re: We have Created a Nightmare in this Country

Personally I think we are hard wired for what I call bigger, better, faster. That does not mean we should be irresponsible, but it does mean we are driven. If we weren't we wouldn't pursue improved living conditions, stuff, inventions, anything. It is a result of our deeply ingrained need to improve.... My point? We are who we were 30,000 years ago. We are driven to see what's around the corner, to find the "best" cave. To search for the biggest game, to seek better climates, more fruits for the gatherers, bigger herds for the hunters. We are supposed to stick our necks out, push the envelope, pursue bigger, better, faster.

It's what I've always believed. Even though I'm often overwhelmed by the degree and rapidity of 'development' (as my father was before me, his father before him, and... well, you get the picture), I realized a long time ago that it's been going on since the first human discovered a way to make fire, or create a tool, or think his way around a roadblock. Personal 'betterment' has been the driving force behind humanity since day 1.

 

[jkust]

Re: We have Created a Nightmare in this Country

Agreed, oil change is 20 bucks and 20 minutes at a shop sold as the loss leader. Used to do my own oil changes in college to save money way back when I owned my first house when even 10 dollars was important but it always ended up messier than intended. Brakes are one of those things where the marked up parts cost and labor cost are misalligned with how unbelievably easy the job is and cheap even good parts are. And in relation to this discussion, nobody I know would spend a couple hours to save a couple hundred dollars. I used it as a teaching moment for both my kids. Letting them help with the impact gun and explaining how it all works and my youngest decided to sketch what it looked like with the wheel off and took a dozen pictures with his DS. It was actually one of the better bonding moments with the boys since they'd never seen such a site as a car being worked on.

 

[dingbat]

Re: We have Created a Nightmare in this Country

It's what I've always believed. Even though I'm often overwhelmed by the degree and rapidity of 'development' (as my father was before me, his father before him, and... well, you get the picture), I realized a long time ago that it's been going on since the first human discovered a way to make fire, or create a tool, or think his way around a roadblock. Personal 'betterment' has been the driving force behind humanity since day 1.

I'll second that. Those that accept status quo will never get ahead

 

[korygrandy]

Re: We have Created a Nightmare in this Country

Wayzata schools are like a Sea Ray bow rider. They sound nice in theory but in reality they bus and cab kids from the distant low income areas plus then there is so much wealth, there is a whole other set of problems related to drugs. Also we are 30 seconds from a lake, one minute via snowmobile from the 22,000 mile trail system and school is a block away. We bought the house in our 20's and with the kids and their friends, we are embedded here for a long time.

Makes 100% sense! I am 2 walking blocks away from Island Lake / St Odilia so when we do have kids...it will be easy!