March 7, 2008
FOUR FOR FRIDAY
Q1 - Storage: Do you have a storage unit? If so, what percentage of items that you currently store would you say you could easily live without? If you do not have a storage unit, would you be inclined to pay for one if the price were right?
Q2 - Affirmative Action: Come election time this November, voters in five states might have a decision to make as big as whom to elect president. Ballot initiatives have been proposed in Arizona, Colorado, Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma that would give voters the chance to decide whether they want to do away with affirmative action in government-funded projects and public schools. How do you feel about affirmative action?
Q3 - Sign of the Times: Which concerns you more... gas prices or home depreciation?
Q4 - Sick: When you're sick (or suspect that you're sick), how many days will you typically wait before making an appointment to see a doctor?
Posted by Mikal at March 7, 2008 7:05 PM
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1. No storage unit. To me, needing one would be a sure sign that I have way too much stuff. Also, the mere idea that I'd be able to put my stuff in a remote location for storage would be proof enough to me that I could definitely live without it.
2. I support Affirmative Action but only if competent people are hired as a result. Hiring and retaining people who can't do the job well isn't doing a service to anyone, especially kids who are taught by a teacher who was hired to 'make the numbers look good.'
3. The price of gas affects me directly. Housing? not so much, except for the fact that it may allow me to actually buy a house.
4. Usually a week or so unless my body's doing something truly alarming.
Q1: No storage unit. If I needed to store something somewhere other than my home or garage or shed, I would get rid of stuff to make more room for what I really need.
Q2: Get rid of it. As long as you have such programs in place, people will use them as a crutch. At one time, I believed affirmative action was necessary to level the playing field. I think it needs to be phased out now.
Q3: My main concern is the devaluation of the dollar. Gas prices are only a symptom of a much more serious problem with the dollar. Home prices will not only recover but soar (along with inflation), and I don't plan on moving in the near future.
Q4: I rarely go to the doctor, even when I'm ill, but this year, I went three times. I was ill for about three weeks before my first visit (terrible, stubborn cough). I was still sick (for about a week) before my return trip to the doc. I was coughing for another week before my third trip back. The third trip pretty much took care of it.
1. I do not have a storage unit, I could probably use one, but do not want an extra monthly payment. I think it's best to just get rid of the things I don't need or use than to pay for them to sit in storage. The thing is, if I had a home of my own, I wouldn't need a storage unit because I would have space for all my stuff (which seems like a lot when cramped into a small space). This questions reminds me that I must start my spring cleaning purge.
2. I say keep it for those who need it.
3. Well, with the threat of $4/gallon for gas, that has me quite annoyed. As I am not in the market to buy a house anytime in the near future, it doesn't immediately affect me, but probably will once I eventually try and purchase a house.
4. I only go to the doctor if I am unable to get out of bed, i.e., I have the flu or something similar, and I know it's serious. If it's just a cold, I know I will feel better within a couple of days and just wait it out.
1. I once worked for someone who had a rule of thumb: after a year, if you still have boxes that you haven't unpacked from your last move, you don't need whatever's in them. I've followed that rule ever since that job. I can't imagine having that much "stuff" that I can't bear to part with.
2. As long as there is a person alive who remembers a time, first-hand, when it was acceptable (not legal--acceptable) in this country to deny someone a job based on the color of their skin, or their religion, or their sexual orientation, or anything other than their qualifications...we need affirmative action. As long as there are people who believe that a kid from the old Robert Taylor homes in Chicago has exactly the same opportunities in life as kid from Downer's Grove...we need affirmative action. As long as there are people who believe that people will use affirmative action as "a crutch"...we need affirmative action.
3. Gas prices, although actually it's a tossup. The housing price crunch is caused by predatory lending practices--large financial institutions granting loans to people who would never have been able to afford them. It bothers me that those at fault will never see justice, and that those affected will never have justice.
4. I will wait until something is bleeding or broken. If it's just a cold, or the flu...what's a doctor going to tell me that I haven't heard ten times over?
1. No storage unit although I do need to do a serious purge of some of the stuff that I've collected. I forsee many weekends filled with ebaying stuff and drop offs to the Goodwill.
2. I'm a strong proponent of affirmative action. I think our society still needs to recognize that the 'playing field' is not yet even.
3. Gas prices. I think that the cost of gas will be a serious factor in the slowing of the economy (although the mortgage crisis has been a big factor).
4. Unless I feel really sick I don't go to see the doctor. For something persistent? I'll probably wait for a couple of weeks before seeing an MD.
1. No way, I don't have enough things to fill an empty bedroom and my life is better for it.
2. I am also a proponent of affirmative action. I think some progress has been made but we have miles to go. Sadly, it is still acceptable to discrimanate against people based on sexual orinetation. It is against the law in a number of states but it is not a federal law.
3. Gas prices, home prices were horribly inflated during a three or four year span. I think the market has finally adjusted itself.
4. About three days, and only if I am getting worse or staying the same. Which happens very rarely.
1- I tend to throw things out, so if it I got to the point where a storage unit could be useful, its time to start throwing things out.
2- Affirmative Action is well intentioned, but I'm in the camp that says it often times means the best qualified person might get rejected based on race... really not what AA is supposed to be about.
3- Gas prices. Homes have been way overvalued for a long time; anyone who didn't see this coming wasn't paying attention.
4- At least a week, unless I get that heavy lung feeling that means brochitis then I'll get in as fast as I can.
1. I can live pretty lean, most of what I own are luxury items though, but stuff I could drop pretty much at any time. I don't have a storage, but I do have a shack out back, not an outhouse but it is a shitshack.
2. Yeah, I'll go for a.action. There are have-nots that I feel should have a good bootstrap method to get up. There is discrimination, and racism that I'm sure do keep them down, even though the white majority probably doesn't believe that. I'm surprised how much people online show their true colors about racial stereotypes. I would like to see if this is effective.
3. I don't know, I think they are a bit interconnected in a way. It's almost lifestyle based - we spend too much and indulge in excess. Our gas consumption has reached a point where we are running out completely and the house building industry and those who invest in loans and real estate have gotten too greedy. It's coming full circle to bite us, and not just in these two topics of U.S. economics. It's funny how it's so ingrained into our government too, we are getting a higher tax return simply so we can indulge and spend that money to stimulate our economy.
4. I draw it out, usually believing that the doctor will probably tell me to go back home and rest. Maybe if I start bleeding through my pores I'll go see what that is all about.
1. Storage: No storage unit. I figure if I reach the point where I need one, I have way too much stuff and I'd start getting rid of it. I had one for awhile when I live with the in-laws (*shudder*). I believe I paid $50/mo for a 10x10 unit. That seemed fair to me.
2. Affirmative Action: I've always figured that the more we talk about race, the more racism is a problem. Sure there's always going to be some redneck skinhead numbnuts out there somewhere and racism (like it or not) is an important part of American history that we'll always have to talk about, but today I tend to think we'd be better off without affirmative action.
3. Sign of the Times: Well, I would normally be inclined to say gas prices, but now that I actually own a home... I would say that home prices have a greater affect on the economy, so I'm gonna have to go with that.
4. Sick: Depends on the level of sickness, but generally I'll put off seeing the doctor for as long as possible so A) I don't have to pay a doctor's bill and B) I don't have to put up with some nurse's snide remarks about how there's nothing wrong with me... unless I know for a fact that the nurse is hot. I'll put up with snide remarks all day long from a hot nurse!
I cuently do not have a storage unit. I dont think I would rent one either unless I had no other options left. Price doesn't really concern me, as long as I know my personal belongings will be safe.
Affirmative action I believe is nice to allow the voters to havea little more say in what happens but, I dont know how great it is right now while we are in such a delicate state.
Uh, home depriciation. Every one has a way around spening more on gas prices, but so many have invested in their homes and have used that as their nest egg and have nothing to show now.
LOL, I never see a doctor unlesss I feel it is effecting my day to day life. Most illnesses dont last more then a week, so why waist money on a doctor visit and cause insrance rates to go up.
1. We have a storage shed thing at the back of our garage, it's busting at the seams! But we don't need to pay for one away from our house, I'd get ride of someones golf clubs and stretch rack first ;).
2. No comment on affirmative action, my brain is too mushy right now :P.
3. Home depreciation, much easier to drive less than to make your house worth more ;).
4. I waited almost a year with a sinus infection before I went in, so yeah, I wait awhile ;). I'm trying to be better though, not sure if waiting that long caused me to need surgery or if it would have been necessary regardless.
1. Don't have one, but my friend does. So, if I needed to store stuff, I was told I could use his. But, I would probably just get rid of stuff before I would pay for one myself.
2. I think it is just another issue people argue just because they can. And, like other principles/things, it could work if people would let it work, or want it to work.
3. Gas...you could try to do things to make your house worth more, but you can't really do a lot to make gas cheaper.
4. I wait until I can't function on a daily basis. Sometimes going to the doctors office is as useful as wiping before you poop...just to have someone say your sick, drink fluids, and treat the symptoms. So, I do as they would suggest, and if it gets worse or stays the same for about 2 to 3 weeks, I will call my friend who is a nurse.
1- If I may refer to my garage as a "storage unit" then yes. I think I could live without just about everything in there (some things have 4 year old dust on them). If I didn't have the luxury of a garage, then yes, i might think about getting a storage unit but i'd try very hard to jam everything into my living space first.
2- This is a tough one - on some levels I think aa perpetuates 'enabling' and ultimately helps to prohibit change. Enabling people to be lazy, enabling society to hold the same views, enabling people to continue to feel wronged etc. At the same time, we clearly still have problems. It's a toss up.
3- To me they go hand in hand generally with the devaluation of the dollar. We've got much to worry about, but maybe these will be motivators to pursue sustainable living options.
4- I wait until the last minute. I hate the process of being 'pushed' through the system and always being told the same thing. Unless I feel like antibiotics are necessary, I'll typically wait it out.
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