It’s the hot season in Thailand. The sun blazes, the air simmers and I’m covered in perspiration that simply has nowhere to go in this heat. It’s like sex without air-conditioning on the hottest day in August in New York City. A slow, limp breeze blows across the Phuket beach off the Andaman Sea, providing only slight relief. Far more relief comes from gin and tonics–perhaps too much, I realize too late into my fifth cocktail.
“Even Jamie Dimon says it will get worse before it gets better,” I find myself telling the Thai businessman who is buying me drinks in exchange for my ill-conceived ideas about US real-estate. I’m pretty sure he has no idea who Jamie Dimon is but I say the name with such gravity that I’m pretty sure the businessman, who either exports or imports (my Thai is still pretty bad) textile machinery, probably thinks this “Jamie Dimon” character is the Secretary of the Treasury, the Chairman of the Federal Reserve and JP Morgan himself, all rolled into one. And, in a sense, I guess he is.
Where was I? Oh, right. Gin and real estate. I’m telling Mr. Textile Importer/Exporter about how the rapid decline in home price has left many (so-called) homeowners owning more than there home is worth. And this prompts them to default and walk away from their homes, leaving the banks with the keys to declining assets. That’s when Mr. TIE interrupts.
“In Thailand this is not possible. The bank would foreclose but the borrower would still be liable for any additional losses,” he says.
In some states, I tell him, it’s possible for banks to pursue other assets of defaulting borrowers but they rarely do. It’s a costly pain in the neck, and many borrowers don’t have much in the way of assets by the time they are giving up their home.
He explains that what’s really wrong with the US is that we have no honor. Actually, that’s not how he puts it. He says in Thailand the financial and legal consequences of defaulting would be secondary. A defaulting borrower would suffer a serious loss of face and incur negative religious points, or karma. Some real estate investors are still “making merit”–performing redemptive religious acts–for losses following the 1997 crash.
I down the rest of my gin and try to reassure him. Not everyone with overleveraged real estate will default, I say.
“In the US we may not worry about losing face,” I say. “But we do worry about losing our FICO scores.”
–John Carney, who has never owned a house, is “on assignment” in Thailand.
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- Use the Bloomberg command
NH BLG_DEALBREAKER <GO>
to access Dealbreaker
Carney, this was brilliant! Please, please keep posting.
I’m wondering if Carney was there for Songran. Biggest water balloon and super soaker fight in the world.
9:09, are you serious? I didn’t know that!
Loving these columns- you should start a Carney around the world series.
Also I agree, only about 1 % of Americans are familiar with the concept of honour and they are a dying breed…
that better be hendricks gin carney
Carney, the importer/exporter is not buying your drinks in exchange for my ill-conceived ideas about US real-estate. He wants to bone you like you are a 14-year old ladyboy.
@ 9:23
hah! so wrong, but so true.
Hey – now you can write off your vacation on your taxes as a business expense! well done!
Girl:
“Only about 1 % of Americans are familiar with the concept of honour and they are a dying breed”. Wow. Based on your comments about men, Americans, etc., you need to get out more or start hanging out with a different social group. What a depressing outlook.
AB
Its dishonourable (sic) to walk away from negative equity? Wrong: The lender knows that’s a possible course of action when he makes the loan and presumably prices the loan accordingly. So is absurd to inject honor into the picture. Another example: Florida is one of the states that shields a primary residence in a bankruptcy proceeding. Dishonorable? No – that’s the way things work in Florida. When you extend credit to a Floridian you know that’s a possible consequence.
big r: Gonna agree with you on the Hendricks, great stuff. Heard of Plymouth? I’m hearing good things, but tried it and just shrugged. Just me? GAnalYst
Florida = “God’s Waiting Room”
Florida: Not everyone’s old, but a weird place. I think people say they love it cause they cash in their chips, go down there and then are ashamed to admit what a mistake it was.
I wonder how many random Americans in ten could actually tell you a) their FICO scores and b) what a FICO score is
http://deadspin.com/382147/debating-race-and-offensiveness-chicago-style
It isn’t particularly important to know your FICO score. If you pay your bills on time and live withing your means, your score takes care of itself. If you don’t, knowing your score isn’t going to help. Despite what all the whorish financial planners say, personal financial planning, like most things in life, is pretty easy to figure out with the application of a little common sense.
Carney you have heard our plight and returned to us! Huzzah! I won’t even complain that you seem to be trying to adopt Hunter Thompson’s voice, because I am kind of enjoying it … for now.
@10:13 that would be anyone who has ever financed a car or a house.
Have some fishhead soup while you’re there!
John Carney, your posts are very picaresque. I wonder if credit is as easy over there as it has been here? If credit is extended more on a personal basis, it’s more likely for people to feel shame when they default.
It is a very religious/cultural thing. The Buddhist worldview is that a man achieves happiness by not being in debt.
I like that worldview. The consumer revolution in the US started in the 80′s when credit card debt expanded significantly. It made it look as if Reagan was the savior of the economy, but in fact we’re not in a better place.
AB- I think I have pretty nice views on men, just not their use of prostitutes. If that means I need to get out more then I’d rather stay in my “bubble”.
And as for popular American culture, well if celebrity worship, pervading breakdown of the family unit and overconsumption are any indicators (and those are just 3 off the top of my head) then I’d do well to stand by my word. Feel free to argue to the contrary though, I do so much want to believe otherwise.
Carney, if you get a chance, get to Phu Quoc. It’s Vietnamese but claimed by Cambodia. Hire a scramble bike and bomb around a deserted island on dirt tracks then relax on miles of beaches. The best hotel on the island is about $100 a night. It’s awesome.
Wharfer
girl: interesting that you would add breakdown of the family unit to your list of woes. Many would say the reason for that is that mothers work. No more leave it to beaver families possible, now that the 50s are over, Europe and Japan have rebuilt and America has to compete with the rest of the world. Alternative view is that women work so that the family can buy goodies they don’t need (two cars, Disney vacations – see consumer economy). Not so simple….
someone’s been reading too much Graham Greene/Anthony Burgess…..
Girl:
I didn’t say that popular American culture was admirable. I took issue with your statement that only about 1 % of Americans are familiar with the concept of honour. The majority of people I know are reasonably honest, hard working folks who live up to their family responsibilities. Again, if your acquaitances are less than 1% honest (as only about 1% of them are familiar with the concept) then you should try to meet some nicer people.
AB
I hate to agree with girl, but I do. The breakdown of families and traditions is due to the absolute relativism that pervades us. No one is responsible for anything – or its society’s fault. And if you fags think women dont want good husbands, you’re so wrong. The easiest way into a chick’s pants is for her to see you being kind and loving to a child.
@11:19 Talk about a 180. Are you bipolar?
I wish the perspective of this guy from Thailand were more common here in the US, but I must say the demographic of baby boomers (and their kids who have followed in their footsteps) has thrown out the acceptance of individual responsibility. I speak to my grandfather who fought in WWII, and his perspective if far afield from those boomers who have become engorged on easy money (and the blood/sweat/tears of their parents invested in them).
girl, I do think we should do lunch at some point. I work for GS, and I think it essential to work with people who actually understand the concept of honor, admitting mistakes, and the concept of “long-term greed” rather than “short-term greed”, and the importance of doing a good job as well as appearing like you do. This facade crap that is so common is highly toxic. I agree, this is like a black swan on a Wall Street filled with white swans, but search intently and getting a sense of the vibe…and you will find it.
dantheman…
Where do we leave Carney our Thai food orders and just what exactly is he doing over there?
Some sort of get out of work, Uncle Ben’s for opium smuggling vacation operation going on.
“No one is responsible for anything”. I would put the Iraq war at the top of the list. My #1 peeve: no one is impacted by it except for those doing the fighting. Granted, we don’t all need to be there with a gun, but how about some sacrifice from the rest of us. Its not even included in the budget.
@ 11:11 – In my opinion its due to the fact that selfish pursuits increasingly outweigh the concern for maintaining a bonded family structure- this to me is an issue of personal honor as well as respect for the insitution, one’s spouse and the families involved. Whether work can be considered a selfish pursuit varies on a case by case basis I suppose.
@ 11:19- thanks for the vote of support, even if you’re hating yourself for it.
btw, girl, i’d encourage you to take a trip to Grand Rapids MI, and just walk around, say hi to some random people.
You may restore your faith in the traditional values of a good number of people. I lived there about 6 yrs and it was slower pace of life and more traditional.
I love kids, but I think it is totally and absolutely cruel to be kind/loving to a child just to manipulate a girl in order to deflower her. Of course, one has to wonder how so many single women get stuck with raising a kid while the dad is out and about playing mind games with yet other young women. These deadbeat dads are a real scourge and the sooner other guys step up and call their bullshit for what it is, the better.
dantheman
dantheman, i don’t know where you live but that is not the way that MOST single mothers got that way. loose morals, not the predations of evil men on innocent little flowers, is what got us here.
@ dantheman,
No need, I’m a midwestern gal already. I could tell you stories that happened on my suburban block growing up that would make Ron Perelman and Ellen Barkin look like the ideal family.
But if you’re serious about the other stuff, contact me.
@ 11:30 What kind of sacrifice would you suggest?
ps I agree Carney bring me back some Pad Seew
ask those single mothers how many of THEM grew up in broken homes or had abusive fathers/brothers/uncles. Many have had screwed up family lives and were hoodwinked by a guy who manipulated them in their weakness w/r/t judging a character due to their own background.
(11:42 == dantheman)
11:42==mildly racist
racist? Umm, > 50% of marriages end up in divorces, including in religious homes that would in theory have stronger marriages. I am not at all racist -> I’ve had cousins (white, father was pastor) who have been shafted by a messy divorce. I’ve volunteered in an inner-city juvenile detention center and have discussed issues related to this…
I am far from racist, and realize that if you want to point out others’ faults, you have to be wiling to point out your own as well. I am not so keen on taking on responsibility either…it is a hard thing to do.
(11:55 == dantheman)
I guess if I try to think and analyze the reasons why so many marriages fail, why kids become single parents (or have abortions as teens for that matter), and so on. I’ve had a second cousin (at least once) who became pregnant as a teen, a group of cousins who grew up with an abusive dad, another group who went through a difficult divorce. When you’ve seen it up close, you want to know what you can do differently to not become another statistic. Or…you remain blind and experience the pain of lack of foresight of preparation.
dantheman
P.S. Girl, we can meet for lunch provided you promise you won’t blog about it afterwards. I will email you from your blog email…and work out details. Chalk it up to building out my network through DB… :)
As 11:55 through 11:59, I realize I’m hogging up the comment space and will shut up (enough preaching)…
dantheman
girl, you’ve got mail…
I just would mention that until we realize that guys have a ton more blame than they might first realize for their kids growing up as single parents. It would be nice if more men actually stood (up) for something so that their sons would have an example in how to treat women. And their daughters would have an example of what good qualities to seek in a guy…
Whether it’s the frat leader or gang leader or popular guy in high school who became the new role model, all have supplanted the dad’s role as mentor. I am extremely fortunate to have experienced this and to be able to walk close to people who have not and try see the world through their eyes…
dantheman
Women’s role is to have children, and make nice homes for men. Why is that so hard for any of you to understand? School, working etc are simply ways for women to meet men so they can reproduce with superior gene pools.
Dan:
Please shut the fuck up. Nobody gives a crap about your whining about society.
Thanks,
AB.
Girl picks up more guys on this blog … I swear … is your non-cyber social life this active? it’s uncanny!
woohoo, I have a hater! Someone who says “please” before STFU. A gentleman and a scholar!
I’m glad it is someone who has the distinctive taste to actually enjoy Dunkin’ Donuts coffee, and who has had lived the high life as an ex-D&Der. Of course it’s ad hominem…apologies to the distinguished bandersnatch.
And guest 1:04PM, I’m not trying to date girl. She knows the terms of engagement. Maybe I can read her sincerity, a rarity on the Street.
dantheman
uh, 1-2 is the 1st and last guy i would ever, ever go out with from DB.
Furthermore, I live in a basement and have lots of blow up men/imaginary friends who keep me company.
I hope that answers your question
dan: are you a Mormon? Only Mormons talk the way you do. Which is why they’re so irritating (and why Romney went nowhere).
Not a Mormon. Hence, I disproved your point that “only Mormons talk the way I do.”
Also irritated by Romney. He seemed remarkably opportunistic.
Not as irritating offline as i can be on DB. Maybe OD on the coffee…
@1:35 Thanks for clearing that up. Its just that the earnestness that you express is so… so… mormonlike. I can’t think of any other word for it. Glad to hear it doesn’t come across in person. It would be a career killer in a lot of places. Keep fighting the good fight though. Sounds like your heart is in the right place.
@girl I know most of us are sorry to hear that, and also, your underground fantasy camp sounds totally hott
“Women’s role is to have children, and make nice homes for men. Why is that so hard for any of you to understand? School, working etc are simply ways for women to meet men so they can reproduce with superior gene pools.”
Says who? Almost half of all marriages end in divorce. Most women work and raise children, because for one reason or another, they have to. That’s why it’s important for women to get a good education – to support themselves and have an inner life if all the tinsel fantasies have crumpled.
Why are there so many single women with children? Well, one reason is that there is still a lot of domestic abuse, drug addiction, and alcoholism out there. These things may not surface until a child is born and things get a little rough for a couple. Women used to have to put up with everything a man brought to the marriage, but now have broader options. Being a single mom is a very hard life, but it may be better than the alternatives open to the woman involved.
Women who have committed, loving husbands are the lucky ones, and they tend to know it. They’re probably doing more housework and cooking than the man, contributing more to the children, and also working at some job, but they understand that as difficult as it can be sometimes, they could be in far worse circumstances.
Girl, I hope you maintain your standards!
I like girl. She’s got moxy. Also, she seems intellectually honest, at least as much as one can anonymously through those tubes on the internets I guess.
@1:45 another reason is some women have loose morals. sad but true.
@1.45–its just too easy to set you know-it-all liberals off.
Those women dont mind when their bills are paid on time and the spas and booze flow freely. The cars, vacations, clothes etc, if they didnt look good and offer sex on demand, they know they’d be kicked to the street in favor of some 23 yearold bimbo with sweet implants. Greenwich is a very forgiving town.
Agreed.
>I like girl. She’s got moxy. Also, she >seems intellectually honest, at least as >much as one can anonymously through those >tubes on the internets I guess.
It’s definitely interesting when the lines have blurred between know-it-all-liberals or conservatives like with the post by @1:45. Or shall we just call it intellectual honesty…?
I’m going to say there are some fairly quick ways to measure a guy. Ask what he thinks about the girl who “took down” Spitzer. Or who took down whom in that. And as far as measuring a woman, ask what her opinion is of the 3 women who live with Hefner.
That way, you can’t blame the other person you date/marry/live for their loose morals anyway. And if you ask yourself the tough questions, you’ll address more surprises upfront rather than too late. Warning: thinking required.
-dantheman
@dan — do you think before you type out that crap?
dantheman…
By continuing to sling the shit that you do, you give the db posters a new target of opportunity to keep them occupied while the three Guys from Delaware are not on db.
db posters are always looking for some cheese to chew on.
The Guy from Delaware
@guy–maybe you & dan can meet in a public toilet and swap some body fluids
I prefer to be the target of opportunity.
The Other Guy from Delaware
Guest@2:46…
You sound like a genius. Tell us all about your own experiences with public shitters and the exchange of fluids.
The Guy from Delaware
@dan I am not saying that girl is intellectually honest just because she has views that are liberal, or charitable or otherwise. I am saying it because she posts around here all the time and she seems like the sort who is willing to acknowledge strong arguments with which she does not necessarily agree, and might even in a private moment admit that she has made a mistake, unlike many others.
Do not think that you are included in that description.
Interesting observation:
Look at the 2:56PM time stamps on the postings from the two different Guys from Delaware.
2 postings, same time, equals 2 separate posters.
This should offer proof to the multiple personality disorder crowd who doubt the existence of more than one Guy from Delaware.
The Guy from Delaware
Why admit your mistakes when you can just shoot down your opponents by posting as guest and signing “Guy from Delaware” or “Other Guy from Delaware”? It seems more fun anyway and way more Internet-appropriate.
You do read quite a bit into girl, and yet all I get in response is the occasional “STFU”, “stop posting crap”, and “you must be a Mormon” or “you sound like a genius”. At least if you want to disagree, post something intelligent and pertinent to the points I raised. The closest attempt was the “some women have loose morals” claim that was put out there without any support or logic behind it.
I’m not saying someone is intellectually honest because of their unsubstantiated views, but people who acknowledge the facts and draw conclusions the best they can are intellectually honest. There may be other facts, but calling someone a Mormon is a “shoot the messenger” fallacy which only increases rhetoric at the expense of substance.
It is the most annoying thing that a DB forum most often turns into a trollfest and is infested by flamers, much like politics in real life. One would think that if you are in the business world, you have a tiny bit more intelligence than most politicians. Evidently, the bar is pretty low…
-dantheman
Hey genius,
You have a full minute to make 2 posts. How hard is that?
How do you know it’s not some random dude signing himself as “The Other Guy from Delaware”?
Proof? Perhaps you’ve worked a little too long pricing CDOs?
Amazingly, there is more than one guy who lives in Delaware! I’ve even seen 2 at one time once!
The Guy from Delaware
>Look at the 2:56PM time stamps on the
>postings from the two different Guys
> from Delaware.
>2 postings, same time, equals 2 separate
>posters.
This should offer proof to the multiple
>personality disorder crowd who doubt the
>existence of more than one Guy from
>Delaware.
>The Guy from Delaware
ok dan, I’m the one guilty of the Mormon accusation. Let me give it another try. I’m marveling at the self-righteousness of your posts. That women should be paragons of virtue, that men should always take responsibility. It goes on and on. Nice thoughts and all true, but life is more complicated than that. Its a cruel competitive fast paced world out there, and those that stumble suffer badly. And as far as I can see, the stumblees are sometimes lacking in virtue, but not always. So get off your silly Mormonesque soapbox.
“The closest attempt was the “some women have loose morals” claim that was put out there without any support or logic behind it.”
Dan how about Genesis 3:1-6 ?
As I said earlier:
I am not so keen on taking on responsibility either…it is a hard thing to do.
I hold myself to no lower a standard than I seek in others. In fact, if I know the consequences of a wrong action, I hold more responsibility than those who don’t.
I realize life is more complicated, and some who stumble suffer badly (girl who gets AIDS upon first random hookup or guy who spirals into alcoholism after one social drink).
But, having had my own grandfather die of emphysema from smoking, and my youngest uncle die from drunk driving, I have had opportunity to learn the extent of what price you can pay. I have no problem with drinking though, but remembering my uncle does keep me reminded that moderation is far better than excess.
Sure, there are people who pay dearly after one stumble, and I realize this…but that was not the general point with reference to walking away from a house that you bought when it goes underwater, or a child you fathered, or a girl you committed yourself to…
The same rule applies (even more so) to me…
-dantheman
Dan: No need to admit or deny, but let me just say that I’ve met guys like you that turn out to be total animals in bed. GAnalYst
I have some friends who are *very* happily married. And secure in each other’s love.
No need to admit or deny, but if you find a guy who genuinely cares for and seeks to please you outside the bedroom, will your love life be enhanced or diminished? One who knows that sometimes little things can really mean a lot…
Thoughtfulness cuts both ways… :)
dantheman
This thread is wildly fun! We have one obsessed stand-up guy, the always worthwhile girl, and the Delaware guy with the dissociative identity disorder posting messages to and from himself. The straw-man approach (establishing a position, than having his alter ego dismantle it) is the guy from Delaware’s apparent attempt to distinquish his characters. Here’s a suggestion to the guy from Delaware: get in touch with the two other putative guys, go out and have a beer, and jointly agree to get help.
eh i preferred the Norman-bashing thread.
stupid Normans. GAULOISE RULE!!!
“obsessed stand-up guy” – scary assessment, but true. This is a rather like me in real life from what friends and family say… :D
I have even been known to argue against myself, but decided to avoid it for sanity’s sake.
I’m sorry, Delaware Guy. I posted as 2:56 guest (Other Guy from Delaware) and 3:18 (Delaware Guy). But it was kinda fun to stir the pot.
It was fun, hopefully interesting. later…
dantheman
Carney, you don’t even own a home? It’s so easy to be the expert on the sidelines, the view is always better from there.
dan do you have some bad bad skeletons in your closet? NObody is this holier-than-thou without having beaten a few kids at some point in his life.
dantheman – Thanks for pointing that out dude! I thought I was having an out of body experiance or something. It’s too odd to see your handle used by someone else. I feel…..somewhat used, I guess. But,it was funny.
The “Real” Other Guy From Delaware
PS: Good luck with girl. She seems interesting. Can you post a report like they do on ISG?
Why would anyone admit to being from Delaware in the 1st place? Let alone like 8 of you? The mind boggles.
@ 3:55 that had me laughing out loud.
Dan: As someone who is also happily “married”, can’t argue with your @3:49 retort. Your tenacity is also admirable. You’re gonna make someone very happy some day. GAnalYst
girl, in for the cleanup. :)
Dear Other Guy from Delaware,
I feel somewhat used when using your sig as well…as girl said, I’d not be proud to sign off with: xoxo Delaware rocks!
Another thing – if I have the honor of meeting girl in person for lunch, I would definitely not share any details on DB. I don’t want to feed any of the pigs in the pigpen, and I think girl preserves her mystique without any description.
girl holds sway here, I’m just a flapping jaw. She knows my last name from my email address, so it’s an inside joke only girl would understand… :)
-dantheman
dantheman@4:07PM…
Thanks for fessing-up to masquerading as The Other Guy from Delaware and as The Guy from Delaware. Apology accepted.
Guest@3:55PM…
Glad you’re having wild fun, but I really don’t know who the other two Delaware Guys are.
Perhaps you should establish a moniker for yourself too. You know, something with meaning. “ShitForBrains” might work well.
The Guy from Delaware
girl – I take it you’ve never been down this way? Why don’t you visit and write it up on your blog? (Perhaps that would generate a few comments. I see those are…ah,lacking.) Perhaps such a trip would change your mind. (Boggled or otherwise.) I can suggest many events that you could review. Have you ever had scrapple before? We admit to being from DE b/c we like it here. For most Delaware folks, my commute is long: 35 minutes. Most of us have associations and family ties that go back decades. (Ditch the in-bred jokes you morons!)There really are three of here – not eight.
The Other Guy From Delaware
You guys are quite the interesting bunch and while I am honored at the invitation, I generally don’t tend towards making the same mistake twice. So there will be no outings and certainly no reports.
Anyway its been lively all the same, naturally! Cheers…
GAnalyst you are too kind. Maybe the guys on the board are realizing that at this point you and girl are the only ones who count on this board right now. If I go off the deep end, please let a girl correct me…
Muchas gracias.
Which explains why I’ve often had better female friends than male friends…they generally tend to make more sense. Sorry guys.
My advice to most of you guys: step away from the porn and then we can talk.
-dantheman
girl – Had a problem with the livestock on you last visit here, eh? Happens…..
The Other Guy From Delaware
Please, Karma is huge in Thailand?
Obviously, with their rampant prostitution and the prevalance of STD’s they’re huge believers…and thats only off the top of my head.
Good try, but no.
I’ve given up trying to sort out the comments on this post. Dantheman is trying way-y-y too hard, and to what end? And it’s utterly strange that Dantheman posted as any of the guys from Delaware. (After all, who in their right mind would do that?) Or was that the (one and only) guy from Delaware posting as Dantheman posting as two alter egos of the guy from Delaware? And why is the (one and only) guy from Delaware so hung up on cows? It just gets curiouser and curiouser …
Just a thought – don’t try sorting out my posts at 1 AM. ;)
I am proving to girl and to myself something that she mentioned off-line. The whole Delaware was a fun diversion from the main points I raised.
I simply ask – how can I try way too hard when you don’t even know what my purpose (or end) is? How hard is too hard in that case?
I pour a bit of energy and thought into my posts. Well, I’m sorry for not posting while drunk like a few others on this board…hah.
-dantheman
Mr Carney, I recommend you learn more about a culture before taking such a comment at “face” value. [pun intended]
In Thailand, the citizens worry about being powerless, caring for their families, and how to avoid being victimized by those more powerful every day of their lives.
Your comments from the beach in Phuket make you sound like an ugly American.
BR
Dantheman — you “pour a bit of energy and thought” into your posts? The energy part is believable since you posted at least 19 comments on this board. The thought part is a little harder to accept.
In one of your earlier posts, you claim to work at GS. I call bullshit. It seems to me that the guys at GS work pretty hard and might look askance at someone spending a large amount of time during work hours on an online pick up, spewing out philosophy straight out of Hallmark, and posing as commenters from Delaware.
You ask how can you try way too hard when a skeptical reader doesn’t even know what your purpose (or end) is? How hard is too hard in that case?
When you post a dozen times or more on a single thread, and you become the thread, you’re trying too hard. When you assume other people’s identities, you’re not only trying too hard, you’re scary.
I do work at GS. I guess I got somewhat carried away with the posting, but I did put in over 12 hrs at work, so I don’t think people would complain overall…
I have never given a card from Hallmark and hate their tripe. My ideas are my own, even if the philosophy is, on balance, rather traditional in some ways.
I was being facetious with the skeptical reader who didn’t know my purpose. How can I be trying too hard (or not) if they don’t know what I’m trying to do or for whom?
Maybe I posted a lot to get the most commented item on DB, and assumed a person’s identity because it’s a fun way to show you need to maintain a low degree of trust on an online forum…because you can’t assume.
Hope that helps…and you may appreciate that I’ll lay off the DB for a bit (especially posts during daytime hrs) because DB has gotten less informational than before and I have a lot of work to do. And I understand that you don’t have to believe me on the GS claim, because you have a right to show skepticism to a random stranger posting on DB.
dantheman
dantheman — You assumed a person’s identity because “it’s a fun way to show you need to maintain a low degree of trust on an online forum”?
The person’s identity you assumed has enough trouble with his identity as it is. It’s just not nice to monkey with other people’s posting identities, no matter how “fun” it might be. You’re posing as a nice guy, but you have a darker side.
You “posted a lot to get the most commented item on DB”? That never occurred to me. I didn’t realize that commenters posted to achieve that. The original post was about the Thai sense of honor! It was a perfectly fine post, but why were you motivated to make it the most commented item on DB? Uh, that’s a rhetorical question.
I don’t buy that while authoring at least nineteen comments you worked a solid twelve hours. You may have stayed at work twelve hours, but you weren’t working during a lot of that time.
I don’t care what your purpose was, unless you’re fighting against the Nazis, posting nineteen times on one topic is excessive.
I don’t agree that DB has gotten “less informational.” Their editor is on vacation, but he authored this post! As usual, a lot of information comes from the commenters.
I agree you might want to taper the number of comments and concentrate on work. I’ve read about these nasty “360 reviews” at GS, and I’ve read that GS is not as immune to economic troubles in 2008 as it was in 2007.
A quick bit of googling on the Thai real estate industry (especially mafia like activity in the tourist oriented areas) will quickly show the reality doesn’t match the high minded image portrayed. As does anecdotal evidence from my Thai inlaws in their experiences…
It’s more than 1%, Girl (4th post), but not a one of that >1% of them bought houses in the bubble.
Honor? Where is the HONOR in Angelo Mozilo or Chuck Prince? Our CEOs now routinely are cleaning out the company safe and telling lies, while telling US that we should live up to our responsibilities? What utter hypocrisy! We don’t have an aristocracy of any sort or anyone in leadership with any sense other than to get whatever they can steal and run away to a private island. That all these CEO are not in orange jumpsuits right now instead of getting bonus worth hundreds of millions, that is a shameful thing for us all.
Thais believe in KARMA which is spiritual responsibility; it transcends to personal responsibility.
How can we (US as a a whole) have morals when we can’t even mention prayer/God w/o being sued??? Put it back in schools so children regain spiritual responsibility and have it when they grow up to become moral financial contributers of this country instead of what we now have.
We can’t have it both ways US and we will reap what we sow or as the Thais say KARMA is going to come back and kick us.
Dharma was a fine looking women, her Mom, not so much….
I am hoping to catch a new tour of LA’s vacant McMansion communities with wax replicas of the sub-prime idiots who bought it wearing a Bush supporter pin, a wife with fake boobs, a fat son playing tennis on Wii, daughter with a cell phone using Facebook in a laptop computer, and a baby with an illegal alien nanny, illegal Mexican as a gardener, loud volume a 52 inch LCD TV showing Bush’s mission accomplished speech on CNN, SUVs parked in the 3 car garage, and unpaid credit card bills on a table with take out food from McDonalds so not to over use the fully furnished kitchen.