ATT/DirecTV

[Lennys Tap]

North Dakota is an awful place to live. I had family there for a while.

The oil towns are occupied by trailers full of men, the men to women ratio approaches 4:1, there's nothing to do, the weather is miserable, and its no place to raise a family.

There's one reason to go there, and that's money.

Idaho has the Aryan Nation and North Dakota is essentially a trailer park for men. I can see why a guy would want to escape California for that!

[ZiggysFryBoy]

Nightlife in the Dakota's is great. The Corn Palace absolutely rocks every Saturday til 10 pm.

Corn palace is in mitchell, SD.

ZFB's mineral rights are in ND.

[keefe]

Idaho has the Aryan Nation and North Dakota is essentially a trailer park for men. I can see why a guy would want to escape California for that!

Lenny

There are parts of Idaho that every Scooper should avoid unless you are a Skinhead or a Mo. However, there are parts of Idaho and Montana that are spectacular.

[Coleman]

Lenny

There are parts of Idaho that every Scooper should avoid unless you are a Skinhead or a Mo. However, there are parts of Idaho and Montana that are spectacular.

Northern Idaho is fantastic. I've never left the panhandle but Coeur d'Alene is one of the most beautiful areas in the country. Sandpoint is great too.

[keefe]

Northern Idaho is fantastic. I've never left the panhandle but Coeur d'Alene is one of the most beautiful areas in the country. Sandpoint is great too.

People are amazed that Few enjoys his life in Spokane but as you correctly point out, the Inland Empire is incredibly beautiful. If you love the outdoors it is tough to find a better place to live than the Coeur d'Alene region.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Idaho has the Aryan Nation and North Dakota is essentially a trailer park for men. I can see why a guy would want to escape California for that!

Come live here in Calif, they would love to have you and you can help put a dent in the emigration numbers.

Every state has their downside, but I'll bet the world there are more trailer parks in Calif and more racist supremacists than anywhere else in the states, just do to population.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Lenny

There are parts of Idaho that every Scooper should avoid unless you are a Skinhead or a Mo. However, there are parts of Idaho and Montana that are spectacular.

+ 500 for both Montana and Idaho

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

North Dakota is an awful place to live. I had family there for a while.

The oil towns are occupied by trailers full of men, the men to women ratio approaches 4:1, there's nothing to do, the weather is miserable, and its no place to raise a family.

There's one reason to go there, and that's money.

But GNP....

[mu03eng]

North Dakota is an awful place to live. I had family there for a while.

The oil towns are occupied by trailers full of men, the men to women ratio approaches 4:1, there's nothing to do, the weather is miserable, and its no place to raise a family.

There's one reason to go there, and that's money.

That was what Oklahoma and Iowa were once upon a time as well.

[MU82]

People are amazed that Few enjoys his life in Spokane but as you correctly point out, the Inland Empire is incredibly beautiful. If you love the outdoors it is tough to find a better place to live than the Coeur d'Alene region.

I'm not amazed at all. Few has it made.

He's paid big money to coach at a place that's relatively off the grid. Of course he is expected to win, but that's relative ... nobody expects Gonzaga to contend for the Elite 8 every year.

He basically is the king of his own little country there. Frankly, I'd be amazed if he ever leaves.

[keefe]

I'm not amazed at all. Few has it made.

He's paid big money to coach at a place that's relatively off the grid. Of course he is expected to win, but that's relative ... nobody expects Gonzaga to contend for the Elite 8 every year.

He basically is the king of his own little country there. Frankly, I'd be amazed if he ever leaves.

From what I'm told he has not intention to ever leave. He and his wife Marcy have it made in Spokane and at GU.

http://seattletimes.com/html/sports/2002859771_few12.html?SPID=12965&DB_OEM_ID=3350

[Benny B]

I wonder if India or China are worse on this. A colleague from India told me that his daughter was the first female in his family in like 3-4 generations. (I assume he means up the paternity side.) He also said that it's illegal for a doctor to tell the parents the sex of their child, so they didn't even know until she was born, because sex-selective abortion is that problematic.

My babysitter is Indian.  She says it's not just in-utero sex-determination that's illegal, ultrasounds (presumably just for pregnant women) are illegal.  She has mentioned numerous times that she's glad her three granddaughters were born in the US, which I've always interpreted as being more than just for reasons of opportunity and prosperity.

[keefe]

I wonder if India or China are worse on this. A colleague from India told me that his daughter was the first female in his family in like 3-4 generations. (I assume he means up the paternity side.) He also said that it's illegal for a doctor to tell the parents the sex of their child, so they didn't even know until she was born, because sex-selective abortion is that problematic.

China is much worse due to the one child policy. Because sons care for the parents in old age having a son is imperative from a social policy standpoint. But beyond the merely mercenary, sons carry on the name and a whole host of other cultural imperatives. Having a daughter effectively ends your line.

Nursing homes are non-existent in Asia. In Japan, women are now avoiding marrying oldest sons because they know that means caring for their in-laws. Since Japanese have one of the longest life-spans this can be a decades long proposition.

[brandx]

My babysitter is Indian.  She says it's not just in-utero sex-determination that's illegal, ultrasounds (presumably just for pregnant women) are illegal.  She has mentioned numerous times that she's glad her three granddaughters were born in the US, which I've always interpreted as being more than just for reasons of opportunity and prosperity.

Thought you were talking about Redskins 'til I read the 2nd sentence 

[keefe]

My babysitter is Indian. 

Why do you have a babysitter or is this a Forum Letters segue?

[jesmu84]

Guys, guys... Mergers always work out for consumers

[GGGG]

Of course this chart conveniently ignores all of the bank start-ups, and the other banking options, that are out there.  For instance, there are about 250 banks and 175 credit unions in the state of Wisconsin.  You don't have to use a big bank if you don't want to.

[jesmu84]

Of course this chart conveniently ignores all of the bank start-ups, and the other banking options, that are out there.  For instance, there are about 250 banks and 175 credit unions in the state of Wisconsin.  You don't have to use a big bank if you don't want to.

True. but how much influence do those start-ups have? And, how much will they ever really have?

Once the big ones are at the top, they can change the rules of the game so they stay there.

[jesmu84]

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2303080/bill-would-prohibit-fcc-from-reclassifying-broadband-as-utility.html

I hope Mr. Latta enjoys his future job as a Comcast exec.

[Chicago_inferiority_complexes]

True. but how much influence do those start-ups have? And, how much will they ever really have?

Once the big ones are at the top, they can change the rules of the game so they stay there.

This is true, and it's why the process of regulation will rarely serve the general consumer. Regulations are designed by monopolists for the little people so that they do not become big people.

[GGGG]

True. but how much influence do those start-ups have? And, how much will they ever really have?

Once the big ones are at the top, they can change the rules of the game so they stay there.

What influence are you talking about?  What rules have they changed?  I do all my banking at a bank that exists in about five counties.  They were the cheapest interest-rate wise for my mortgage, zeroed out pretty much all fees since we have a mortgage there, and offer everything I need from an internet banking standpoint.  

The issue with bank consolidation is probably felt much more on the commercial side than on the consumer side.  But most of the time that consumers get screwed by big banks, is because they don't shop around.

[jesmu84]

What influence are you talking about?  What rules have they changed?  I do all my banking at a bank that exists in about five counties.  They were the cheapest interest-rate wise for my mortgage, zeroed out pretty much all fees since we have a mortgage there, and offer everything I need from an internet banking standpoint.  

The issue with bank consolidation is probably felt much more on the commercial side than on the consumer side.  But most of the time that consumers get screwed by big banks, is because they don't shop around.

I'm talking about government/legislation influence.

[Silkk the Shaka]

I actually think big banks are way more convenient from my (consumer) perspective. Their ATMs & branches are all over the city, and can usually be found all over the major cities I enjoy travelling to. How is that a bad thing? I get the perception that there's less selection/competition from a private/small business loan perspective, but there will always be competition in that arena keeping rates where they should be for the current economic environment. Consolidate away!

[ChicosBailBonds]

True. but how much influence do those start-ups have? And, how much will they ever really have?

Once the big ones are at the top, they can change the rules of the game so they stay there.

I would look deeper into your chart and ask why many of those mergers happened?  Including the Savings and Loan collapse, the bankruptcy of some banks, and the home collapse in 2008.  Many of those banks weren't going to survive at all, thus they were bought or merged.

Not all mergers benefit consumers, not all mergers are supposed to.  Some mergers certainly do.  It's also how you look at things.

Let's use Comcast Time Warner.  Sure as the day is long, when that merger goes through and prices rise people will scream and say "SEE, the merger didn't help".  What they will fail to do is ask the question, how much MORE would prices have risen without the scale they are creating to beat back Disney, Viacom, NewsCorp, CBS, HBO, etc, to try and contain rates.  Too many people fail to think it through.  Just the way it is.   Prices are a combination of your costs, what profits you are trying to make and\or put back into the business (R&D, etc).  When costs go up meteorically, your only hedge is to get bigger and use that scale to pound them back. 

[Chili]

Northern Idaho is fantastic. I've never left the panhandle but Coeur d'Alene is one of the most beautiful areas in the country. Sandpoint is great too.

Have to totally agree. I made 2 trips to our hop farm in Bonners Ferry, ID and stayed in a lake house near Sandpoint, ID and I would go back for a vacation in a heart beat. It's one of the most beautiful places I have ever been.