27 Huge Red Flags For The U.S. Economy

[ELVIS]

Michael Snyder (http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/27-huge-red-flags-for-the-u-s-economy)

If you believe that the U.S. economy is heading in the right direction, you really need to read this article. As we look toward the second half of 2014, there are economic red flags all over the place. Industrial production is down. Home sales are way down. Retail stores are closing at the fastest pace since the collapse of Lehman Brothers. U.S. household debt is up substantially, and in 20 percent of all U.S. families everyone is unemployed.

In so many ways, what we are witnessing right now is so similar to what we experienced during the build up to the last great financial crisis. We are making so many of the very same mistakes that we made the last time, and yet our “leaders” seem completely oblivious to what is happening. But the warning signs are very clear. All you have to do is open your eyes and look at them. The following are 27 huge red flags for the U.S. economy…

#1 Despite endless assurances from the Obama administration that we are in an “economic recovery”, the number one concern for U.S. voters is “Unemployment/Jobs” according to a recent Gallup survey.

#2 Historically, sales for construction equipment manufacturer Caterpillar have been a pretty good indicator of where the global economy is heading next. Unfortunately, sales were down 13 percent last month and have now experienced year over year declines for 17 months in a row.

#3 During the first quarter of 2014, profits at office supply giant Staples fell by 43.5 percent.

#4 Foot traffic at Wal-Mart stores fell by 1.4 percent during the first quarter of 2014. Analysts seem puzzled as to why Wal-Mart is “underperforming“. Perhaps it is because the U.S. middle class is being steadily destroyed and U.S. consumers are tapped out at this point.

#5 It is being projected that Sears will soon close hundreds more stores and will eventually go out of business altogether…

The company said this week that it may sell its 51% stake in Sears Canada, which operates nearly 20% of the company’s stores worldwide. It has quietly closed nearly 100 U.S. stores in the last year. Next week, it’s expected to announce dismal fiscal first quarter results and possibly yet more store closings.

“They have too many stores and they’re losing a lot of money, burning cash,” said John Kernan, an analyst with Cowen.
Kernan expects the company to close 500 of its 1,980 U.S. stores in a few years and, ultimately, to go out of business.

“The lights are going off at Sears and Kmart,” he said. “There are tumbleweeds blowing through the parking lots at Kmart. They’re basically completely irrelevant.”

The “retail apocalypse” just continues to roll on, but the mainstream media is treating this like it is not really a big deal.

#6 The labor force participation rate for Americans from the age of 25 to the age of 29 has fallen to an all-time record low.

#7 According to official government numbers, everyone is unemployed in 20 percent of all American families.

#8 As families struggle to pay their bills, many of them are increasingly turning to debt in order to make ends meet. Earlier this month we learned that total U.S. household debt has increased for three quarters in a row. And as I noted in one recent article, total consumer credit in the United States has increased by 22 percent over the past three years, and 56 percent of all Americans have “subprime credit” at this point.

#9 Interest rates on student loans are scheduled to increase substantially on July 1st…

As of July 1, federal student loan rates will edge up. Rates overall will be up 0.8% compared to current rates.

Federal Stafford Loans for undergraduate students will be 4.66% — up from 3.86%. Federal Stafford Loans for graduate students will be 6.21% — up from 5.41%.

Federal Grad PLUS and Federal Parent PLUS Loans will be at 7.21% — up from 6.41%.

This is going to put even more pressure on the growing student loan debt bubble.

#10 U.S. industrial production fell by 0.6 percent in April. This should not be happening if the economy truly was “recovering”.

#11 Manufacturing job openings in the United States have declined for four months in a row.

#12 Existing home sales have fallen for seven of the last eight months and seem to be repeating a pattern that we witnessed back in 2007 prior to the last financial crash.

#13 In the real estate bubble market of Phoenix, sales in April were down 12 percent year over year, and active inventory was up 49 percent year over year. In other words, there are tons of homes on the market, but sales are going down.

#14 The homeownership rate in the United States has dropped to the lowest level in 19 years.

#15 Trading revenue at big banks all over the western world is way down…

Late Friday, it was JPMorgan who said trading revenues will be down 20 percent this quarter. Now Barclays says trading revenues in the first three months were down 41 percent. The company cited “challenging trading conditions resulting in subdued client activity.” Like JPMorgan, Barclays also warned they were seeing no improvement in trading in the second quarter.

#16 Jan Loeys, JPMorgan’s head of global asset allocation, is warning that the Federal Reserve is creating a huge financial bubble which could “push us into a credit crisis“…

Where do we go from here? To this analyst, still very subdued economic growth, both at the US and global level, implies continued easy monetary policy. The risk is that bond yields rise no faster than the forwards. Financial overheating (asset inflation) proceeds much faster than economic overheating (CPI inflation). Before CPI inflation has a chance to emerge, and before monetary policy is truly above neutral, a financial bubble will have popped up somewhere and will have corrected, pushing the economy down. That is what has happened in the past 25 years. The behavior of central banks gives us no confidence that this time will be different: Central banks talk about financial instability, but appear to define this mostly in term of bank leverage. Each successive boom and bust is always in another place. A bubble can emerge without leverage. It is not possible to project exactly where this boom and bust cycle will take place as knowing where it will be would induce evasive actions that should prevent it from occurring. One possible ending, among many, is that ultra-easy rates having induced credit markets to grow much faster than equity markets, combines with reduced market making by banks (many of whom have become like brokers) to create a liquidity crisis when the Fed starts the first set of rate hikes. This could then be bad enough to close primary markets, and thus push us into a credit crisis.

#17 Peter Boockvar, the chief market analyst at the Lindsey Group, is warning that the U.S. stock market could experience a 20 percent decline once quantitative easing completely ends.

#18 A lot of other big names are telling CNBC that they expect a significant stock market “correction” very soon as well…

A bevy of high-profile names have warned lately that the market is on the doorstep of a major move lower. From long-term market bulls such as Piper Jaffray to short-term traders such as Dennis Gartman, expectations are high that the major averages are poised for a big dip, with calls varying from 10 percent or so all the way up to 25 percent.

#19 The number of Americans enrolled in the Social Security disability program exceeds the entire population of the nation of Greece and has just hit another brand new record high.

#20 Poverty continues to grow all over the country, and right now there are 49 million Americans that are dealing with food insecurity.

#21 According to Pew Charitable Trusts, tax revenue in 26 U.S. states is still lower than it was back in 2008 even though tax rates have gone up in many areas since then.

#22 Barack Obama is doing his best to keep his promise to destroy the U.S. coal industry…

The EPA is about to impose a new regulation that will reduce carbon emissions from existing power plants starting June 2 and will become permanent in 2015. The new regulation, according to Politico, is the “most dramatic anti-pollution regulation in a generation.” Because the new regulation will further cripple the coal industry, as coal-burning plants will be severely affected, American power will become more dependent on natural gas, solar and wind.

#23 Climatologists are now saying that the state of Texas is going through the worst period of drought that it has experienced in 500 years.

#24 It is being reported that “dozens of Texas communities” are less than 90 days away from being completely out of water.

#25 It is being projected that the drought in California will cost the agricultural industry 1.7 billion dollars and that approximately 14,500 agricultural workers will lose their jobs.

#26 Due in part to the drought, the price of meat rose at the fastest pace in more than 10 years last month.

#27 According to recent surveys, only about a quarter of all Americans believe that the country is heading in the right direction.


:elvis:

[ELVIS]

#28 Roughly 90% of all Government Motors auto loans are sub prime...

[Nitro Express]

The world has split along two systems. A debt based system the US and Europe are on. Then you have economies based on real tangible goods like Russia and China. Why did Russia and China cement a $400 billion energy deal? The Ukraine was the last straw. They are going to start selling their US bonds off and using their influence to kill the Federal Reserve Petroldollar.

Anyone with a brain knows the US will never be free unless we get rid of the Federal Reserve Bank or nationalize it. Congress could have refused to renew the FED's charter but they renewed it. Congress isn't going to End the FED. Well maybe the Shanghai alliance and BRICS will. They have a real economy based on real goods. Ours is based on paper and market manipulation. Illusion if you will.

I think we are seeing the begining of the end of fractional reserve banking. That's not a bad thing. The problem is we have no real leadership in the west right now and basically we could issue a US Treasury Note again. It wouldn't be worth as much as the Chinese RMB but we could be competitive in manufacturing again and make money off of being an exporter. The thing is, do the American people want to work? They have gotten too used to handouts created on illusion.

The world is shifting to real goods because the fractional reserve system got too greedy and is choking. The wild card is how violent the population and government gets. They have armed the agencies to the teeth. I think it might boil down to the communities that can work together will get through it. The ones who are full of self-interest might get very violent. Lot's of variables.

One thing for sure. The US will become more and more isolated on the world stage and until we clean the political situation up, I doubt the economy will improve. The main problem is corruption. The post 9/11 neocon geopolitical objectives have done a lot of damage and the Democrats failure to take us on another course has added to the problem. I don't know. I sometimes think Obama isn't even running the State Department. The situation has flown out of control.

Everyone is just going to do what they want to do. Once you start to break too many laws, the laws just don't mean anything anymore. Once trust and contracts mean nothing, you are in the abyss. That's where we are headed. I don't see anyone turning the ship. The ship is sinking and everyone is arguing over who gets the deck chairs. Nobody has any answers. One thing is certain. We are headed into a whole new realm where the old power brokers will be replaced by new ones. The old system of hoarding wealth and waging war to hoard more wealth has failed. NATO went from a defensive posture to an offensive posture while the IMF and World Bank are all too happy to lap up the goods.

All I know is the old guard is desperate to create any distraction to take the public's attention off their failures. Heck. Maybe the global warming hysteria is part of the distraction program. They laid off of it and now they are pushing that hard right after their attempt to get Putin to invade the Ukraine failed. The fuckers have been trying to start a war because what just happened with this new oil deal is their biggest fear. A unified China and Russia is a nightmare to the old oligarch class.

I think we are going to see all sorts of crazy shit. It's simply a bunch of corporate gangsters trying to hang onto their empire. It's not even really countries anymore. It's corporations. Even our politicians and supreme court justices are admitting they serve corporations now.

[ELVIS]

Obomba isn't running the State Department...

I believe he can be pushed around as Cheney said recently...

But these crooks and bankers and globalists aren't going down without a fight...

I think they're gonna stage a major oil conflict and blame it on China and Russia...

[twonabomber]

#4 Foot traffic at Wal-Mart stores fell by 1.4 percent during the first quarter of 2014. Analysts seem puzzled as to why Wal-Mart is “underperforming“. Perhaps it is because the U.S. middle class is being steadily destroyed and U.S. consumers are tapped out at this point.

Our division had a horrible first quarter. Leadership blames the rough winter, claiming consumers didn't go shopping and therefore not buying things that we are a part of. We shall see.



#5 It is being projected that Sears will soon close hundreds more stores and will eventually go out of business altogether…

The company said this week that it may sell its 51% stake in Sears Canada, which operates nearly 20% of the company’s stores worldwide. It has quietly closed nearly 100 U.S. stores in the last year. Next week, it’s expected to announce dismal fiscal first quarter results and possibly yet more store closings.

“They have too many stores and they’re losing a lot of money, burning cash,” said John Kernan, an analyst with Cowen.
Kernan expects the company to close 500 of its 1,980 U.S. stores in a few years and, ultimately, to go out of business.

“The lights are going off at Sears and Kmart,” he said. “There are tumbleweeds blowing through the parking lots at Kmart. They’re basically completely irrelevant.”

The “retail apocalypse” just continues to roll on, but the mainstream media is treating this like it is not really a big deal.

Sears has been fucked for a long time. I'm not sure I see that as an indicator for anything else. People are finding other places to shop.

[Nitro Express]

I think we have a well trained actor as president. I mean the guy grew up as Barry Soetoro. That is who he was in high school and before. Barrack Obama is a stage name. Whoever groomed this guy and created his public image wanted him to have worldwide appeal; especially, in Africa. I smell George Soros. I think our military and intelligence agencies have helped Soros steal oil resources in sub saharan Africa.

The thing with Barrack Obama, he can shamelessly lie. He feels no guilt. Look at the situation with the VA hospitals. People died because of the corruption. A normal human being would show emotion. Jimmy Carter would. Ronald Reagan would. Obama can't. He's lived a life of lies and deception for so long that he has no idea what's real. I actually think he believes his own bullshit. He might be a psychopath. Even Bill Clinton could get emotional. Barrack Obama is like a machine. The guy is stone cold. I find that very disturbing because such a person can inflict a lot of pain, suffering, and destruction. I think Dick Cheney is another cold character as well. I mean I want my president to be a human being, not a fucked up machine.

[Nitro Express]

Our division had a horrible first quarter. Leadership blames the rough winter, claiming consumers didn't go shopping and therefore not buying things that we are a part of. We shall see.




Sears has been fucked for a long time. I'm not sure I see that as an indicator for anything else. People are finding other places to shop.

I went into a Sears store to buy some tools. They were having a big close out clothing sale. I bought a bunch of workout clothes for a great price. I had no idea they sold that stuff. I mean they had better inventory than I had thought. I think Sears problem is marketing. You have to draw people in. When was the last time you ever saw a Sears ad?

[twonabomber]

Commercials sometimes, but every Thursday there's a Sears ad in the paper and maybe a Sears Outlet ad too. Not sure what they run on Sunday.

Sears is using iPads or some shit at the checkout, and no one seems to know how to use them. From what I've read on other forums waiting for the clerk to figure out the iPad is pissing people off and not making them want to go back to Sears.

[VAiN]

I think Sears problem is marketing. You have to draw people in.
Agreed.. they really need to do an overhaul and change/upgrade the brand. They have no juice what-so-ever. They're going to go the way of JC Penny..

[Nitro Express]

Sears is an iconic brand. I had a friend who flipped houses and he was remodeling a Sears and Roebuck house in a historic neighborhood. It was in a railroad town and I guess in the day railroad workers could get a real good deal on freight. There were a lot of Sears and Roebuck homes because of that. Sears had an assortment of kit homes and you mail ordered the kit and the pieces would arrive. It was all top quality wood milled in big wood working shops. If the buyer built a good foundation and followed the instructions he had a nice home. Some of them are really neat houses.

I think Sears should position itself as an iconic brand that's been around and then tie that in with modern times. They need a top notch marketing plan which I don't see. They have a great history and they are letting their brand just die. It's all about branding. With that history you can be something else than just another big box store.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sears_Catalog_Home

[Zing!]

In the past 6 months here in MN, the cornerstone Sears in our mall went belly up (replaced by a Sheel's) and our Sears card was not renewed by them - their reason being we weren't using it enough!?! Talk about disenfranchising loyal customers. That iconic brand can tank for all I care.

[twonabomber]

Maybe Citi has more to do with the credit card than Sears does. I had a decent limit and balance on mine, and paid it off...two months later they dropped my limit to $250. Haven't used it since.

[ELVIS]

Paying it off is a no no...

[Kristy]

I had a friend who flipped houses and he was remodeling a Sears and Roebuck house in a historic neighborhood.

Was this before or after flying "choppers" with you in the C.I.A.?

You seem have a lot of "friends" everywhere in all lines of work.

[Kristy]

#4 Foot traffic at Wal-Mart stores fell by 1.4 percent during the first quarter of 2014. Analysts seem puzzled as to why Wal-Mart is “under performing“. Perhaps it is because the U.S. middle class is being steadily destroyed and U.S. consumers are tapped out at this point.


Wal-Snot has been steadily destroying the middle class by simply undermining and stripping away any other competition with "Roll back prices" that are no bargain whatsoever until they can monopolize the local businesses into bankruptcy leading them to eventually close. They pay shit wages, no health incentive for employees most of which are on food stamps to survive, and these cocksuckers are "puzzled."

How anyone can shop at one of these warehouse shitholes in good conscience is beyond me.

[ELVIS]

Life itself is beyond you...

[DONNIEP]

#7 According to official government numbers, everyone is unemployed in 20 percent of all American families..

A gubment big enough to give you everything is big enough to take it all away. A hell of a lot of unemployed people are unemployed because they wanna be. It's gonna be a real shocker when their Obama Phones don't work anymore...

And yes I know when the damn phone program began. I just like to say Obama Phone.

[ashstralia]

Where does Krispy get her latex pants? Latex pants mart? How's their employee benefits? Question mark?

[Kristy]

Life itself is beyond you...

Employment and self-sufficiency is beyond you.

[Kristy]

Where does Krispy get her latex pants? Latex pants mart? How's their employee benefits? Question mark?

Right here, you fucking bogan:

http://vexclothing.com/collections/womens-latex-bottoms

[ashstralia]

That shit is really expensive!!

Oh, and nobody likes a bogan. :)

[Kristy]

Exactly.

[ashstralia]

I concur.

[DONNIEP]

Kristy's pants aren't latex. They're made from the skins of baby seals.

[ashstralia]

But the baby seals can only be humanely euthanased; they get bored to death by a Smiths album.

[vandeleur]

or she sits on them :biggrin:

[Kristy]

Heaven knows I'm miserable now.

[Nitro Express]

Heaven knows I'm miserable now.

LOL! The Smiths!

[Nitro Express]

#7 According to official government numbers, everyone is unemployed in 20 percent of all American families..

A gubment big enough to give you everything is big enough to take it all away. A hell of a lot of unemployed people are unemployed because they wanna be. It's gonna be a real shocker when their Obama Phones don't work anymore...

And yes I know when the damn phone program began. I just like to say Obama Phone.

There's more work opportunities than people think. If you are reasonably intelligent and willing to work hard, you will always find something. There are always people looking for good people to hire. Talk to anyone who hires people. Good employees are hard to find. People have gotten lazy and they want to start higher than their experience is worth.

[Nitro Express]

Was this before or after flying "choppers" with you in the C.I.A.?

You seem have a lot of "friends" everywhere in all lines of work.

Oh yes. Being a carpenter and home builder is a real exotic occupation. I do know a lot of people and guess what they have to make a living. What do most guys talk about when it's not sports or pussy? What they do for a living. It's called socializing and yeah, you hear about what goes on when someone is trying to make some money to put the Corn Flakes in cupboard.

[Nitro Express]

Wal-Snot has been steadily destroying the middle class by simply undermining and stripping away any other competition with "Roll back prices" that are no bargain whatsoever until they can monopolize the local businesses into bankruptcy leading them to eventually close. They pay shit wages, no health incentive for employees most of which are on food stamps to survive, and these cocksuckers are "puzzled."

How anyone can shop at one of these warehouse shitholes in good conscience is beyond me.

Here's how the Walmart model was explained to me. A shipment of shirts came in. The manager noticed the buttons and button holes were misaligned so if you buttoned up the shirt it was crooked. He called up corporate headquarters to explain the problem. They just told him to put a Rollback on them and put them on the isle and they would sell. Of course when the customer discovers the defect they probably just decide to eat what they had spent because it wasn't that much money and returning anything at Walmart is pain in the ass.

Walmart understands it's customer base and knows what they can get away with. But you are right. If you live in Denver you have alternative choices. If you live in Butt Fuck, Montana Walmart might be the only choice unless you want to drive 80 miles.

[cadaverdog]

There's more work opportunities than people think. If you are reasonably intelligent and willing to work hard, you will always find something. There are always people looking for good people to hire. Talk to anyone who hires people. Good employees are hard to find. People have gotten lazy and they want to start higher than their experience is worth.
If you're over a certain age and don't have any marketable skills it's not as easy as you think to find a decent job. Let's say you worked doing manual labor for 20 years but you can no longer handle the physical demands of the job. You might get lucky and find an entry level job that will pay you enough to get by until you start getting a decent paycheck or you might end up going from temp job to temp job working three to six months for a companies with unrealistic quotas that mainly hire people from third world countries. The state of Texas has thousands of those kinds of jobs. Some never hire anyone but temps and there's no way to advance in the company. Several companies I worked at don't even allow temps to enter the offices. All temps enter and exit through the warehouse. Even the supervisors were temps. They'd just been there longer. Some people live in places where there used to be jobs but now the only local jobs are service jobs. Once someone gets one they don't quit to get a better one because a better one doesn't exist. The best job I've had in the last 6 years was Walmart. It's the only full time direct hire job I've had in almost ten. The guy who had the job before me got so stressed he had a stroke. He was 25. I was 50. I quit and went to work for one of the temp agencies I already described. They can send you home or make you work 12 hours a day 7 days a week without prior notice. You might show up at 4:30 am and get sent home with no pay for the day. You might show up at 4:30 am and work until 5 pm. You might come in at 4:30 and find out you no longer have a job. Don't bother filing for unemployment if you've worked for a temp agency in Texas. They'll figure out some way to deny you even if you show up there everyday. Some temp agencies require you to sign in at a certain time and wait until someone hires you for the day. You might work for the same company but you still have to sign in at the temp agency every morning. You might find an employment agency that will find you a direct hire job but they get a certain amount of your pay until you've paid them a percentage of your expected annual pay. They get there money even if you don't work there for a year. They get it all in the first couple months. One company offered me a minimum wage job for 10% of my annual pay. I wouldn't even make minimum wage until I'd been there three months. Good employees are hard to find but so are good employers. I got my current job without even filling out an application. My boss bought a car from me on Craigslist and thought I'd make a good employee. I can't advance there until I can raise my credit score a few hundred points but at least I have a job now. That's another thing. Now employers give you background checks and credit checks. I can pass a background check but my credit sucks. If I can't get a decent job because I have bad credit how am I supposed to fix it? Bankruptcy is my only option unless I want to wait another 6 years till it clears up by itself.

[cadaverdog]

Oh yes. Being a carpenter and home builder is a real exotic occupation. I do know a lot of people and guess what they have to make a living. What do most guys talk about when it's not sports or pussy? What they do for a living. It's called socializing and yeah, you hear about what goes on when someone is trying to make some money to put the Corn Flakes in cupboard.
What would you do if the place you lived in didn't have enough water to go and quit letting people build anymore houses or it slowed down so much only a small percentage of carpenters could find work? We get all our water from Northern California in Southern California. They don't have enough water there either. The only way any new homes are built is if they buy older ones and tear them down. If you own a home here what are you going to do, sell it? Good luck if you owe more than it's worth. The housing market here went to shit about 8 years ago. Before that houses were worth 2 0r 3 times what they are now. The guy I sold my house to is upside down to the tune of almost $200,000. I paid $55,000 for the house when I bought it in 2000. It's worth about $50,000 now. I made out like a bandit. He got made out like like Ned Beatty in Deliverance.

[twonabomber]

If you're over a certain age and don't have any marketable skills it's not as easy as you think to find a decent job.

I know this is going to be like kicking a wasp's nest, but who's fault is that?


My boss bought a car from me on Craigslist and thought I'd make a good employee. I can't advance there until I can raise my credit score a few hundred points but at least I have a job now. That's another thing. Now employers give you background checks and credit checks. I can pass a background check but my credit sucks. If I can't get a decent job because I have bad credit how am I supposed to fix it? Bankruptcy is my only option unless I want to wait another 6 years till it clears up by itself.

Can't advance into what? I had bad credit when I applied at Progressive, passed a federal background check and had no problem getting hired for a job where I handled credit card and checking account info all day.


Paying it off is a no no...

Maybe to the bank it is, but they can kiss my ass. :D

[Kristy]

Oh yes. Being a carpenter and home builder is a real exotic occupation. I do know a lot of people and guess what they have to make a living. What do most guys talk about when it's not sports or pussy? What they do for a living. It's called socializing and yeah, you hear about what goes on when someone is trying to make some money to put the Corn Flakes in cupboard.

Yeeeeaaaah, okay.

[Kristy]

Here's how the Walmart model was explained to me.

From other C.I.A. "chopper" pilots?

[ELVIS]

Employment and self-sufficiency is beyond you.

You wouldn't know the first thing about being Self-sufficient...

[Jesus Christ]

Oh yes. Being a carpenter and home builder is a real exotic occupation.

I wouldn't call it "exotic" but it's decent work if ye can get it. I started working as a carpenter as a teenager with My stepdad Joseph, and when he went to his reward in Heaven, I took over the family business until My younger brothers were old enough to run it, because I had other things I needed to do.... that whole Messiah gig, of course.

[Kristy]

You wouldn't know the first thing about being Self-sufficient...

Wow. Such an insightful and original comeback.

[Kristy]

I wouldn't call it "exotic" but it's decent work if ye can get it. I started working as a carpenter as a teenager with My stepdad Joseph, and when he went to his reward in Heaven, I took over the family business until My younger brothers were old enough to run it, because I had other things I needed to do.... that whole Messiah gig, of course.

Were you in the Union?

[Jesus Christ]

Were you in the Union?

No, it was a small family business. Verily, I had no concerns that Joseph would try to exploiteth My labour! :jesuslol:

[DONNIEP]

Were you in the Union?

Not many people know this, but Jesus was really a Southern Baptist. And we don't believe in unions.

[Nickdfresh]

Right here, you fucking bogan:

http://vexclothing.com/collections/womens-latex-bottoms

I have a boner...

[cadaverdog]

I know this is going to be like kicking a wasp's nest, but who's fault is that?




Fault? I worked as a carpenter until I had a heat stroke. I became a truck driver after that. My boss laid me off because he knew he could pay somebody else alot less money and in retaliation for taking time off to bury my mother. I worked for that ungrateful bastard for almost ten years. I worked everyday while my mother was in the hospital dying of cancer. He laid me off a few weeks later. I gave away everything I could and sold the rest. Contrary to what's been posted here I've never collected welfare or disability. I lived off the money I made when I sold my house. I got $180 a month for food for a couple months before I started going to school in 2012. Before that I went from temp job to temp job in Texas. I tried working in Washington but the cold wet weather didn't help my back any. I finally went to the doctor last year and found out I have degenerative disc disease. I have to take muscle relaxers 3 times a day just to function but I still work a part time job until I find something better. Most of my friends who were carpenters or truck drivers are on permanent disability but I'm still trying to work for a living. If some smartass wants to call me a lazy bastard I don't give a fuck. I could make more money selling drugs but I don't believe in benifitting from other peoples addictions. If they want to ruin their lives they can do it without my help. I know some people were expecting me to just tell you to fuck off and I probably should have. I'm sure I'll get plenty of shit for trying to explain the situation instead.

[Jesus Christ]

Not many people know this, but Jesus was really a Southern Baptist. And we don't believe in unions.

Actually, I am the orginal Reform Jew.

My cousin John was the original Baptist! :jesuslol:

As for My views on unions, do the Scriptures not say that a Labourer is worthy of his hire?

[cadaverdog]

Actually, I am the orginal Reform Jew.

My cousin John was the original Baptist! :jesuslol:

As for My views on unions, do the Scriptures not say that a Labourer is worthy of his hire?
Sometimes I think you've actually lost your mind. How many personalities do you have Sybill?

[Jesus Christ]

Get thee hence, sock fornicator.....

For Dad & I did not create men with a menstrual cycle, but verily, ye seem to hath a PMS outbreak about the same time every month?

Why is that? :jesuslol:

[vandeleur]

i think its clever , he never drops character . obviously because it's really himself :)

[Seshmeister]

Fault? I worked as a carpenter until I had a heat stroke. I became a truck driver after that. My boss laid me off because he knew he could pay somebody else alot less money and in retaliation for taking time off to bury my mother. I worked for that ungrateful bastard for almost ten years. I worked everyday while my mother was in the hospital dying of cancer. He laid me off a few weeks later. I gave away everything I could and sold the rest. Contrary to what's been posted here I've never collected welfare or disability. I lived off the money I made when I sold my house. I got $180 a month for food for a couple months before I started going to school in 2012. Before that I went from temp job to temp job in Texas. I tried working in Washington but the cold wet weather didn't help my back any. I finally went to the doctor last year and found out I have degenerative disc disease. I have to take muscle relaxers 3 times a day just to function but I still work a part time job until I find something better. Most of my friends who were carpenters or truck drivers are on permanent disability but I'm still trying to work for a living. If some smartass wants to call me a lazy bastard I don't give a fuck. I could make more money selling drugs but I don't believe in benifitting from other peoples addictions. If they want to ruin their lives they can do it without my help. I know some people were expecting me to just tell you to fuck off and I probably should have. I'm sure I'll get plenty of shit for trying to explain the situation instead.

Sounds like your life would have been a fuck of a lot better if you had lived in a country with universal healthcare.

[cadaverdog]

Sounds like your life would have been a fuck of a lot better if you had lived in a country with universal healthcare.
My life would have been better if I'd have just gone to a doctor when my back starting bothering me about 8 years ago. Then again maybe not. I worked my ass off to live the American dream. When I had to get rid of my mothers belonging after she died I realized it doesn't matter what you have when you're dead. You can't take it with you and somebody else will have to get rid off it when you die. I saved them the trouble. I already got rid off my shit. If you don't have anything you don't have anything to lose. I try not to think like that but it's not easy. When you're down there's always somebody who wants to remind you. That's probably why I fly off the handle everytime somebody yanks my chain. My dog's probably the only thing that keeps me from doing something that would put me behind bars the rest of my live.

[vandeleur]

. When you're down there's always somebody who wants to remind you. That's probably why I fly off the handle everytime somebody yanks my chain. .

If you dont want them to get your goat dont show them where its hid.......................... some one once said that :D

[cadaverdog]

Get thee hence, sock fornicator.....

For Dad & I did not create men with a menstrual cycle, but verily, ye seem to hath a PMS outbreak about the same time every month?

Why is that?
Because I keep hearing how fucked up everything is every fucking day of the week from people like you.

[cadaverdog]

If you dont want them to get your goat dont show them where its hid.......................... some one once said that :D
My problem is I'm not full of shit and admit I don't always make the right decisions. It hasn't made my life any better but that's just the way it is.

[vandeleur]

Man your not full of shit ???? Dude thats your problem , we are all full of shit , who cares . we need a shrugs shoulder emo :)

[Never was]

Funny under similar threads is "the huge enormous cock pic thread". In a thread with multiple Jesus posts having that be similar makes me laugh but might I digress.
The premise of the article 37 random data points to make a pre decided argument is just pure shite and weak, Easy way to hide intellectually. You can post 27 random fuckwad data points and say how incredible the economy is and that's not true either.

C-Dog if we knew 20 years ago what we know now we all would make some different choices. No time machines we have what we know now in today's context and hope to hell to make better decisions tomorrow. Good luck to getting to a better tomorrow hope you get there somehow but won't happen if you quit on yourself. Keep plugging away and here's to a new pair of socks in the future.

Kristy, Jesus, some enjoyable posts thanks cheers cunts be good to yourselves

[ELVIS]

What ??

[cadaverdog]

Man your not full of shit ???? Dude thats your problem , we are all full of shit , who cares . we need a shrugs shoulder emo :)
Then I'm richer than the Sultan of Brunei. I wipe my ass with thousand dollar bills. I pay somebody to wipe my ass with thousand dollar bills. I'm better looking than Brad Pitt and my arms are bigger than Hulk Hogans. The most interesting man in the world wishes he was me. I can have any woman I want and destroy anyone who looks at me crosseyed. The universe revolves around me. You're right. I feel much better now.

[vandeleur]

oh and a flies straight over someones head emo :D

[cadaverdog]

C-Dog if we knew 20 years ago what we know now we all would make some different choices. No time machines we have what we know now in today's context and hope to hell to make better decisions tomorrow.
I'd need to go back a little farther than 20 years to correct the mistakes I've made. I really fucked up when I didn't stay in the Navy. That was about 30 years ago. I'd be retired with full pay and benefits by now. Any mistakes I made before that were inconsequential. I'm reminded of that everytime I go on Facebook. All my Facebook friends are retired Navy guys.

[cadaverdog]

oh and a flies straight over someones head emo :D
I caught your drift. It's not about lying, it's about not telling the truth. I lied about paying someone to wipe my ass. They pay me.

[ELVIS]

Don't let this jailbird fool fool you into feeling sorry for him...

It's the only game he knows...

[Seshmeister]

#23 Climatologists are now saying that the state of Texas is going through the worst period of drought that it has experienced in 500 years.

#24 It is being reported that “dozens of Texas communities” are less than 90 days away from being completely out of water.

#25 It is being projected that the drought in California will cost the agricultural industry 1.7 billion dollars and that approximately 14,500 agricultural workers will lose their jobs.

#26 Due in part to the drought, the price of meat rose at the fastest pace in more than 10 years last month.


:elvis:



http://blogs.agu.org/wildwildscience/files/2014/03/ASuToiS.jpg


.....

[ELVIS]

What a joke...

http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1707464!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/article_970/selfie2n-1-web.jpg

[Seshmeister]

http://www.elvisblog.net/Elvis%20Meets%20Nixon/The%20Real%20picture%20.jpg

[ELVIS]

http://www.michaelmoore.org.uk/ftp/galleries/images/8/additionalimages/michael%20bill%20clinton%20compressed.jpg


:elvis:

[Nickdfresh]

Sounds like your life would have been a fuck of a lot better if you had lived in a country with universal healthcare.

He could have had VA coverage. Of course, they put you on a waiting list to die in some places. I sort of know how that feels...

[Va Beach VH Fan]

He could have had VA coverage. Of course, they put you on a waiting list to die in some places. I sort of know how that feels...


The VA is only for service-connected disabilities, I don't believe C-dog has ever indicated he had any of those during his time in the Navy, not that he should have to tell us schmucks anyway...

[Nickdfresh]

The VA is only for service-connected disabilities, I don't believe C-dog has ever indicated he had any of those during his time in the Navy, not that he should have to tell us schmucks anyway...

That's not true. Anyone honorably discharged has the right to benefits provided they don't make too much money. I don't think thing c-dog was honorably discharged though...

Years ago I had a major illness and was put on a waiting list for like four months to see the appropriate specialist. It was pretty fucking gauling actually. I have to say the actual doctors and care was great, but navigating the system is a huge learning experience...

[cadaverdog]

That's not true. Anyone honorably discharged has the right to benefits provided they don't make too much money. I don't think thing c-dog was honorably discharged though...


Wrong. And I was honorably discharged. After the Vietnam era and before the gulf war you have to have 24 consecutive months of active duty to get VA medical benifits. I know because I went to the VA on Wilshire in LA and they told me I didn't qualify. I reenlisted for two years to get my VA benefits but my ship was going into the Indian Ocean for an extended period so they sent me home early. When I got back to San Diego they told me it didn't matter about the time I was short. I didn't find out until 2008 that it did. I tried to appeal at the federal building next door and was told there's nothing they can do about it. If you want to give someones life story out stick to your own. The only thing you got right is I didn't think.

[Nickdfresh]

Wrong. And I was honorably discharged. After the Vietnam era and before the gulf war you have to have 24 consecutive months of active duty to get VA medical benifits. I know because I went to the VA on Wilshire in LA and they told me I didn't qualify. I reenlisted for two years to get my VA benefits but my ship was going into the Indian Ocean for an extended period so they sent me home early. When I got back to San Diego they told me it didn't matter about the time I was short. I didn't find out until 2008 that it did. I tried to appeal at the federal building next door and was told there's nothing they can do about it. If you want to give someones life story out stick to your own. The only thing you got right is I didn't think.

Bubbsy, you've given more life stories here than 1001 Arabian Nights...

[Va Beach VH Fan]

That's not true. Anyone honorably discharged has the right to benefits provided they don't make too much money. I don't think thing c-dog was honorably discharged though...

Years ago I had a major illness and was put on a waiting list for like four months to see the appropriate specialist. It was pretty fucking gauling actually. I have to say the actual doctors and care was great, but navigating the system is a huge learning experience...


Yeah, you're mostly right, it's "separated under any condition other than dishonorable"....

But the website lists all sort of eligibility requirements as well....

I was confused because my situation is different as a retiree... I can only use the VA if my service-related disability, my bum knee, would require further work.... But even in that case, I would just get it done at a civilian hospital and pay the co-pay.... TRICARE negotiates those rates waaaay down.....

[cadaverdog]

The VA is only for service-connected disabilities, I don't believe C-dog has ever indicated he had any of those during his time in the Navy, not that he should have to tell us schmucks anyway...
No service connected disabilities. On two seperate occasions VA reps tried to get me to lie and say I have ringing in the ears but I refused. I probably deserved to get thrown out of the service but I didn't. I continued to smoke pot even though I knew I'd get tossed out if I got busted a second time. I had to give a sample everytime they had a test but somehow I didn't get caught. I'm glad I didn't but even though I enjoyed my time in the service military life wasn't for me. I lived in a hippy commune for a while in the 70s but that wasn't for me either. I was a firecontrolman. I was taught how to troubleshoot electronic components of the gun fire control system on a destroyer but I spent my time in the Navy swabbing decks and mess cranking. By the time I got out I forgot most of the stuff they taught me in school and became a carpenter.

[cadaverdog]

Yeah, you're mostly right, it's "separated under any condition other than dishonorable"....

But the website lists all sort of eligibility requirements as well....

I was confused because my situation is different as a retiree... I can only use the VA if my service-related disability, my bum knee, would require further work.... But even in that case, I would just get it done at a civilian hospital and pay the co-pay.... TRICARE negotiates those rates waaaay down.....
I did my hitch and got out. At one time they considered putting all the people who had failed a drug test out but my division officer and department head recommended to keep me. probably because most of the FTs coming out of A school were push buttons then. They needed an E3 or below for working parties and other menial tasks petty officers don't have to do. I'm an shellback and I earned a sea service ribbon but I was an E2 when I reenlisted from the reserves and an E2 when I got out. I made E3 but I got busted back to E2. I could have gotten it back before I got out but all I cared about was getting out. It was after I was discharged when they decided to get rid of anyone who failed a drug test without a second chance. They figured out most of them would keep doing drugs after they got busted anyway. They were right. All the restricted men would hang ouit together and find a place to get high before they got off restriction. Somebody squealed and they tested all the guys on restriction after 30 days. Everyone of them had THC in their system. Some were even doing cocaine. After that they let the guys stay in long enough to pay their fines and dishonorably discharged them and escorted them off the base. No plane ticket, no cab fare, nothing. Their last check would come in the mail 4 to 6 months later.

[cadaverdog]

He could have had VA coverage. Of course, they put you on a waiting list to die in some places. I sort of know how that feels...
If that's true they lied to me at the VA. But in California if you need medical attention they'll give it to you first and bill you later. If it's not an emergency they'll still check you out but that's about it. Now they give anyone who earns less than a certain amount free medi cal to comply with the Obamacare rules. In L A we have clinics for medi cal patients only. If it's an emergency you go to a county hospital otherwise you make an appointment at your local clinic. It's usually about a three month wait but it will get longer when more people realize they can go there instead of a county hospital. You get some dental but there's a huge co pay. Medical is 100% free including prescriptions.

[ELVIS]

What is this...

One Cadouchebag's Life to Live ??

[FORD]

General Sockspital? :biggrin:

[ELVIS]

:biggrin:

[Nitro Express]

If that's true they lied to me at the VA. But in California if you need medical attention they'll give it to you first and bill you later. If it's not an emergency they'll still check you out but that's about it. Now they give anyone who earns less than a certain amount free medi cal to comply with the Obamacare rules. In L A we have clinics for medi cal patients only. If it's an emergency you go to a county hospital otherwise you make an appointment at your local clinic. It's usually about a three month wait but it will get longer when more people realize they can go there instead of a county hospital. You get some dental but there's a huge co pay. Medical is 100% free including prescriptions.

Let's say you go to Hong Kong and get the clap. Would the VA still cover that or would they blame you for not wearing a rubber wiener hugger?

[jacksmar]

I would like to add the fact that since John Boehner became speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives on Jan. 5, 2011, the debt of the federal government has increased by $3,064,063,380,067.72 and is still growing.

[FORD]

So I guess we need to vote Repukes out of the House then, right?

[Nickdfresh]

General Sockspital? :biggrin:

I just pissed myself while spitting up beer :D