Chicken, Alaska Superthread

[Gluey]

I admit that I'd probably feel differently if I was close to retirement, and watching my super fund evaporate... but I'm not

Yeah, Mum turns 65 next month, and she's a little nervous etc...but where there's a will there's a way, and they have made some wise decisions with some very sound investments so I don't see any real drama there.

 

[Axver]

Yeah, I think the media is scaremongering more than anything. What goes up must come down and vice versa It's really just sorted out the cowboys and the stupid people...the rest of us just get on and deal with it and life!

The way I see it, a lot of the furore is revolving around people expecting continual growth in perpetuity and taking on far too much ill-advised risk.

As it stands, we're pretty cosy in Australia and New Zealand since our economies (especially Australia's) are resilient and the global resource boom will keep us going quite nicely, and our major financial institutions are very stable and have not taken on much risk. Not that we can sit here happily and watch America burn, especially as I expect the housing market to collapse, but we're going to fare much better than elsewhere.

 

[Alisaura]

They've been shit for the past 11yrs from what I've discovered (she's been there for 13yrs)...people have tried in the past but never had a good school board to support them etc, and no others backed them. I've just hit it at the right time with the right support it seems!

There you go, the right person at the right time


I still think we need to bust Jen out.

 

[Axver]

Khan still around? And what about Jen? Has she found freedom?

No, Khan's seemingly gone. Jen showed for a good hour or so on Saturday but no, things are still fucked there.

 

[Axver]

Pfft, she wouldn't dare...

I think it's a good thing... I don't know what things were like before all this started, but they were probably shit for a long time, and you had the courage to speak up and not take it any more. So good for you. And once one person does it, it's that much easier for everyone else to do it too.

Seconded. Way to open the floodgates, Kim.

 

[Gluey]

The way I see it, a lot of the furore is revolving around people expecting continual growth in perpetuity and taking on far too much ill-advised risk.

As it stands, we're pretty cosy in Australia and New Zealand since our economies (especially Australia's) are resilient and the global resource boom will keep us going quite nicely, and our major financial institutions are very stable and have not taken on much risk. Not that we can sit here happily and watch America burn, especially as I expect the housing market to collapse, but we're going to fare much better than elsewhere.

Yeah I agree. It's a big scary for us personally with the housing market side of things as that's where a lot of our gravy comes from for our business. But we have always made sure we don't have all our eggs in one basket. We cover a broad variety of skills, and have built up a very sound reputation. We're still booked with work at least 4 weeks in advance, and it's still coming in. But we will still tighten our belts until this is over the worst.

 

[Alisaura]

Yeah, Mum turns 65 next month, and she's a little nervous etc...but where there's a will there's a way, and they have made some wise decisions with some very sound investments so I don't see any real drama there.

Cool... My parents are investment-funded, and they weathered 1987 okay. I think they'll be fine this time too.

 

[Gluey]

There you go, the right person at the right time


I still think we need to bust Jen out.

Aww shucks...thanks

And yeah Lets get Jen back!

No, Khan's seemingly gone. Jen showed for a good hour or so on Saturday but no, things are still fucked there.

Khan can't go, I forbid it!!

And Jen seriously needs our help!!

Seconded. Way to open the floodgates, Kim.

Thanks...

 

[Alisaura]

The way I see it, a lot of the furore is revolving around people expecting continual growth in perpetuity and taking on far too much ill-advised risk.

As it stands, we're pretty cosy in Australia and New Zealand since our economies (especially Australia's) are resilient and the global resource boom will keep us going quite nicely, and our major financial institutions are very stable and have not taken on much risk. Not that we can sit here happily and watch America burn, especially as I expect the housing market to collapse, but we're going to fare much better than elsewhere.

Apparently the compulsory super here has a lot to do with the stability of the Australian market...

 

[Alisaura]

Aww shucks...thanks

And yeah Lets get Jen back!

I just sent her a text... she replied and said that she's been sick in bed for the last couple of days, and she's ordered the UABRS re-master.

Let's dress up as posties and whisk her away...

 

[Axver]

Yeah I agree. It's a big scary for us personally with the housing market side of things as that's where a lot of our gravy comes from for our business. But we have always made sure we don't have all our eggs in one basket. We cover a broad variety of skills, and have built up a very sound reputation. We're still booked with work at least 4 weeks in advance, and it's still coming in. But we will still tighten our belts until this is over the worst.

My uncle's a builder and he often mentions that if you have a good reputation, you don't have to worry too much because people always need something done. He's watched so many shonky people come and go, as I'm sure you have, but his reputation is stellar and same for the guys he works with, and they never struggle for business. Though he and my aunt also speculate a bit with property, and I really fucking hope they know when to get out, because when the bubble bursts, they could end up with a very expensive house that they have to sell for very little.

 

[Alisaura]

On a completely unrelated note, I'm not used to hearing my name in a song.

It's not even a very good song. And more than a little disturbing.... thank you Elvis Costello.

 

[Axver]

Cool... My parents are investment-funded, and they weathered 1987 okay. I think they'll be fine this time too.

1987 hit us hard. I don't really know the details, given I wasn't even a year old and I haven't asked many questions, but it's always been something I've been aware of. In my childhood, I thought 1987 was as bad a crash as 1929, actually. From what I've gathered, I think a couple of my close relatives, though not my own parents, had substantial investments totally wiped out. But I could be totally wrong.

 

[Axver]

On a completely unrelated note, I'm not used to hearing my name in a song.

It's not even a very good song. And more than a little disturbing.... thank you Elvis Costello.

U2 Alison - U2 on tour

Not being an Elvis Costello fan, it took me a while to actually identify that snippet thanks to Bono's typical shocking enunciation. I thought he was singing "ah son" or "now son".

 

[Axver]

Khan can't go, I forbid it!!

And Jen seriously needs our help!!

I want her back too ... but eh, bullshit politics isn't worth getting into. Especially because it seems the more bullshit politics are engaged in, the more bullshit politics there are and the worse things get. I think that's probably why the Aussie crowd has done so well; it hasn't engaged in it so much to begin with.

And re: Jen, I wish I knew what to do.

 

[Alisaura]

1987 hit us hard. I don't really know the details, given I wasn't even a year old and I haven't asked many questions, but it's always been something I've been aware of. In my childhood, I thought 1987 was as bad a crash as 1929, actually. From what I've gathered, I think a couple of my close relatives, though not my own parents, had substantial investments totally wiped out. But I could be totally wrong.

I was about 8 or 9, but I don't remember anything about it at all. All I know is that we moved the following year, so I don't know if that indicates anything or not (they sold our Melb house and a block of land in Gisborne, and bought the larger C'maine house outright, I think). And my dad said something about declaring capital losses for some time afterwards, but I don't know the details.

 

[Axver]

Let's dress up as posties and whisk her away...

This sounds like something out of a Jen fantasy.

 

[Axver]

I was about 8 or 9, but I don't remember anything about it at all. All I know is that we moved the following year, so I don't know if that indicates anything or not (they sold our Melb house and a block of land in Gisborne, and bought the larger C'maine house outright, I think). And my dad said something about declaring capital losses for some time afterwards, but I don't know the details.

I've always been under the impression that 1987 wiped out some significant savings unpleasantly, but it was the 1973 Oil Shock and its after-effects that hurt day-to-day life much more for my family.

Not to be the bringer of doom (unless said doom is doom metal), but I get the impression that within the next 10-20 years, the shit is going to hit the fan and 1973 and 1987 are going to appear as mere dress rehearsals.

 

[Alisaura]

U2 Alison - U2 on tour

Not being an Elvis Costello fan, it took me a while to actually identify that snippet thanks to Bono's typical shocking enunciation. I thought he was singing "ah son" or "now son".

Geez, Bono, it's not as if that's your wife's name or anything.

And WHY he would snippet that song, name coincidences aside, I don't know.

 

[Axver]

Worthwhile reading for Australians:

The implications of all this ring loud for Westpac and its $17 billion takeover offer for St George. Like HBOS, St George is highly dependent on wholesale markets for its funding and in the absence of the Westpac bid would now be in strife.

Although the deal is still likely to proceed, much cost and effort having been sunk already, it is now clear that Westpac is paying top-of-the-cycle prices for an asset which it could have picked up a lot more cheaply. Great for St George shareholders, not much good for Westpac.

That CBA kept its powder dry, and sensibly shied away from a shot at investment bank ABN Amro, puts it once again in the box seat for dominating the banking sector in the next cycle. While Westpac's Gail Kelly will now be bedding down the overpriced acquisition of her old alma mater, CBA's Ralph Norris and his gang can relax and wait for a bargain.

No doubt the investment bankers will be endeavouring to tee up a deal for CBA to partner with an insurer the likes of QBE to split up the struggling Suncorp.

Australian banks, especially Westpac, are yet to feel the full impact of overseas market turmoil, Michael West writes; ASX:WBC; ASX:SGB

 

[Alisaura]

Hah. Some chick from Westpac rang up and tried to sell me a credit card today.

"Good news, you've been pre-approved..." Sod off.

 

[Axver]

Geez, Bono, it's not as if that's your wife's name or anything.

And WHY he would snippet that song, name coincidences aside, I don't know.

What, you expect snippetry from Bono to make sense? This is the guy who has snippeted Christmas Is Coming in March and Do They Know It's Christmas almost non-stop from January to July!

I can't remember what he sung when Alison was snippeted in MW, but the couple of times he snippeted it in Bad, he sung the chorus. I think over the intro? Can't recall quite that much.

 

[Alisaura]

Texting with Jen... she said "It's not too bad but still not totally free"... I replied that that sounded pretty bad, and asked her to take care... she said "I am xxx"

So.

I can't bring myself to get really nosy and ask more personal questions.

 

[Axver]

Hah. Some chick from Westpac rang up and tried to sell me a credit card today.

"Good news, you've been pre-approved..." Sod off.

I got some pre-recorded shit yesterday about how "congratulations, you've won a trip to Cancun! Just hit 1 ..."

No, go away.

 

[Axver]

Texting with Jen... she said "It's not too bad but still not totally free"... I replied that that sounded pretty bad, and asked her to take care... she said "I am xxx"

So.

I can't bring myself to get really nosy and ask more personal questions.

Well ... good that there's improvement, at least? I just don't fucking get it, though. I'm very suspicious of what's gone on out her way.

Any Aussie U2 Show gigs on the horizon that we can coax her to?

 

[Alisaura]

What, you expect snippetry from Bono to make sense? This is the guy who has snippeted Christmas Is Coming in March and Do They Know It's Christmas almost non-stop from January to July!

I can't remember what he sung when Alison was snippeted in MW, but the couple of times he snippeted it in Bad, he sung the chorus. I think over the intro? Can't recall quite that much.

Well, it seems to make even less sense with this one, or it makes kinda scary sense... I always read that song as being the guy going to kill Alison.

 

[Axver]

Kim's gone quiet all of a sudden ...

 

[Axver]

Well, it seems to make even less sense with this one, or it makes kinda scary sense... I always read that song as being the guy going to kill Alison.

Bono's wife better watch her back, then?

As if she doesn't have enough to worry about from PLEBAns who'd happily knock her off and take her place.

 

[The Sad Punk]

Hey brews.

 

[Axver]

Bonnie, good evening.