Census: Half of Americans Are Poor or Low-Income

[KRonn]

PS Shelf, did you get my email/PM ?

No

Which is odd.  Try the PM again and hopefully it'll get through.

Still haven't received mongers.  I'll PM you my e-mail, you may have an old one.

It's because of the economy... even email has slowed down.   

[Capetan Mihali]

My fear was that if I had a swimming pool, I'd wake up one morning a neighbor's kid would be floating face down in it. It would be like a party at Tommy Lee's house.

 

But I think you're absolutely right, it seems like if you have a home swimming pool these days you have to fence it all around or maybe put in one of those kid alarms they sell on TV.  My dad's friend moved into a suburban development where all the houses had small in-ground pools in the backyard, and he just bricked his up immediately for that reason.  To his neighbors' delight.   

[garbon]

So has anyone asked the important question? Why are all these people choosing poverty? Sounds dreadful!

[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

Yacht ownership has been compared to having an icy-cold shower whilst tearing up £20 notes 

in florida thatd be a hot shower, but the cost of marine gas coupled with a 22 gallon per hour burn rate has certainly affected how much i take her out

[Rasputin]

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

The fucking ones cost extra.

Rasputin can vouch for that 

the girls are free accessories

[Rasputin]

that's just to fill the tanks

add in dockage, insurance, engine services, generator services, sattelite radio and tv bills, hull waxing, etc,  and you are looking at 20,000 per year on an inexpensive yacht

then once you hit 50 feet you're looking at crew expenses and the price increases exponentially

My grandfather docked at the St Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco, took his 68 foot ketch out every weekend in the winter - long cruises in the Spring and Summer, and always had at least 1 full time boat guy to do the brightwork, sails, engine work, etc.

He loved sailing, and thankfully he had the funds to do it, but damn it can get costly.

sounds like a wonderful way to spend a summer