Census: Half of Americans Are Poor or Low-Income

[Ideologue]

Mmm, Sterno.

[Malthus]

Mmm, Sterno.

If you are eating it, you are using it wrong. 

[Capetan Mihali]

I don't really get the point of boats in general.  They must be fun places to get drunk on during the summer, but otherwise they seem like all hassle. 

[MadImmortalMan]

I don't really get the point of boats in general.  They must be fun places to get drunk on during the summer, but otherwise they seem like all hassle.

You're pretty much right.

[Valmy]

#5 One recent survey found that 77 percent of all U.S. small businesses do not plan to hire any more workers.

#8 According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 16.6 million Americans were self-employed back in December 2006.  Today, that number has shrunk to 14.5 million.

These are particularly worrying.  Wages are down, less disposable income, less money for small businesses.  Less money for business in general.  Are the big boys going to be hiring alot soon?  I had a point earlier about declining wages should be leading to more hiring here stateside right?  Then we would get more earners and thus enable more consumers and thus more of a chance for the small businesses to make it.

But it just is not happening.  Heck wages have been declining or low for at least a decade now but unemployment has only increased 

[Ideologue]

We should reduce interest rates.

[Habbaku]

I don't really get the point of boats in general.  They must be fun places to get drunk on during the summer, but otherwise they seem like all hassle.

Having been on plenty, I love other people's boats, but would never own one myself.

[Admiral Yi]

Before I get too worried about that #5 stat I would like to know what the historical average is.

[Iormlund]

#5 One recent survey found that 77 percent of all U.S. small businesses do not plan to hire any more workers.

#8 According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 16.6 million Americans were self-employed back in December 2006.  Today, that number has shrunk to 14.5 million.

These are particularly worrying.  Wages are down, less disposable income, less money for small businesses.  Less money for business in general.  Are the big boys going to be hiring alot soon?  I had a point earlier about declining wages should be leading to more hiring here stateside right?  Then we would get more earners and thus enable more consumers and thus more of a chance for the small businesses to make it.

But it just is not happening.  Heck wages have been declining or low for at least a decade now but unemployment has only increased 

Things are like that over here as well. Hiring anyone else is verboten even when there's too much work. Current employees have to cope, with frozen salaries.

But at least we have work. Many small firms and self-employed have gone under.

[Rasputin]

a ten year payment plan on a boat?

I think what you're ignoring is to get to the point of a yacht you have several other expenses. house, private school, trophy wife. So while plausable to get the boat it's unlikely unless he's willing to give up quite a bit.

the cheapest part of owning a yacht is the cost to buy it

i promise that to be so

[Malthus]

Swimming pools fall into that category for me, too - just seems like something that causes endless hassle and expense, for the very occasonal use.

[HVC]

a ten year payment plan on a boat?

I think what you're ignoring is to get to the point of a yacht you have several other expenses. house, private school, trophy wife. So while plausable to get the boat it's unlikely unless he's willing to give up quite a bit.

the cheapest part of owning a yacht is the cost to buy it

i promise that to be so

Boat is an acronym of Bust Out Another Thousand. and that's fro cheap pleasure craft

[Ideologue]

I'm really sorry I off-handedly mentioned a fucking yacht.

[Ed Anger]

I'm really sorry I off-handedly mentioned a fucking yacht.

[Ed Anger]

Swimming pools fall into that category for me, too - just seems like something that causes endless hassle and expense, for the very occasonal use.

Hot tubs now......