Passing By (Color)

This is 'Passing By' in brown and blue, in the People's Republic of

Portland, as it is affectionately (sometimes) known by denizens of

Portland, Oregon, recently named the most depressed city in America,

(psychologically, and possibly economically as well). Your ratings and

critiques are invited and most welcome. If you rate harshly or very

critically, please submit a helpful and constructive comment; please

share your superior photographic knowledge to help improve my

photography. Thanks! Enjoy! John

Worst part is under the current adminastration this is what they seek for all of america , I now believe we will see a dow between 3000 - 5000 within next 30 days , If you still have any CHANGE left get it out of the market asap !

I looked at my house and the skyrocketing housing prices about two years ago, heard about 'liar loans' and phonied incomes, predicted that banks were going to go bust from lending at 120% of the loan value, and sold my overpriced home.

 

Never regretted it.

 

I'm about to e-mail my broker a three word message.

 

'Told ya so!'

 

I predicted all of this, but not at the scale at which it is happening because I was unaware that the role of banks was being played by credit instruments, such as credit default swaps, money market funds, hedge funds, etc., all of which basically were unregulated along with the insurance industry (AIG anyone? -- they once cheated me out of well over a million dollars -- possibly several.)

 

Their downfall couldn't have happen to a worse bunch of scum . . . . and I'm just sorry they've been bailed out by the US government and their old boss Morris Greenburg got out before they hit the skids, because he was the engineer of their cheating methods.

 

(I am prepared to defend this, so anyone who wants to challenge this, take note -- truth is an absolute defense, and the matter never has been tried on its merits, and moreover, if you sue me it will revive the statute of limitations (Mo Greenburg OK'd or denied all claims above a certain amount and mine surely was one he denied wrongly and fraudulently, is what I have learned, and the scheme of insurance was designed to defraud -- and not pay claims for an entire nation of groups . . . . . and disguise AIG's role.

 

They're scum at AIG and good riddance; the old administration there should have gone down the toilet with the new administration.

 

As to the market, well AIG took my money - well over a million they owed me and now they have blown it major.

 

I've invested what I have in my photography.

 

I can't hug a photograph, but I get great joy in pleasing a critic such as yourself.

 

(You're a little late being a Cassandra. I would think that soon is the time to start gathering up the downtrodden stocks that will survive, just as bankers have been buying at huge discount the mortgage paper -- (40 cents on the dollar or less with government guarantees) with hopes of turning a 20% annual profit or more,

 

Buyers include former executives of Countrywide, which started the whole mortgage mess (and which held mine as well) (more lying and thieving scum.)

 

I am not venting anger, and am not in the habit of doing so. I am stating FACTS.

 

Pure and simple facts.

 

Business greed unchecked caused our nation to lead all nations in a global economic recession of unparalleled modern day proportions. Regulation was needed and was lacking (Capital will police itself was the wrong mantra --it couldn't and didn't, and this is the result).

 

It was the new 'economic paradigm', and our modern day business has been besotted with 'bubbles' -- the high tech bubble, and the housing bubble along with the mortgage/cheap money bubble which fed it.

 

Things have been falling to earth.

 

Reality has set in with a vengeance.

 

Now you say, 'the sky is falling' just as we skydivers are about to hit the earth.

 

I say it's about time to invest in that little plot of eath where we're going to hit -- the price soon may be right.

 

I only half jokingly told my real estate broker "I'll be back in two years when the market breaks and buy my house back for half its sale price'

 

Maybe it's time to do just that.

 

But frankly, I've developed a taste for living in Ukraine, where people live on a sack of potatoes in rough times and do pretty well.

 

I've learned from them about being hardy.

 

And they're still producing people who are toughened up for society and women who don't complain and are grateful for a better life when they get an opportunity instead of worrying themselves to death over every little thing. (and they've also got some of the world's most beautiful women, as well.)

 

Our nation has been very spoiled, and maybe I also.

 

I've learned even before our nation stumbled and fell.

 

The rest of the nation is learning fast too.

 

But Warren Buffet, during the high tech boom, bought basic industries -- steel, commodities, etc., and bucked the trends. This time he got nailed, but not much (10%), though his stock tanked.

 

If I had money,I'd be buying up distressed mortgages from the government with government guarantees intact.

 

It's essentially 'free money'.

 

So long as you do some work . . . and have some skills.

 

(But Oregon is hard hit. They've got in major neighborhoods a person on every street corner with a sign saying 'Please help! God Bless! and at many freeway entrances - while in Los Angeles there are no such people at all.)

 

Oregon's economy is 9.9% unemployed (in January and probably much more now) PLUS not much personal wealth as a cushion. People there are very scared.

 

Prices even of food have plunged.

 

Jobs are nonexistent unless you have one,and then you're scared too to lose yours, like in UK, Ireland, Spain, and all of Eastern Europe.

 

The Swiss Banks had to be rescued by the Swiss Government . . . . with all that stolen, tax-haven money inside and have now started revealing the names of depositors (violating the first rule of Swiss Banking law).

 

The world's gone topsy turvy.

 

Fundamentals willl reign once again.

 

Get ready to buy if you've got any cash.

 

Cash is king now.

 

Sorry, Jeffrey, but Cassandra warnings are a little late.

 

(major in economics, used to talk regularly with Sam Walton about his business - used to be a business writer/editor)

 

Turned down an editorship of 'Business Week' to go West to law school and practice law.

 

And,I follow my own advice (when I have money).

 

John (Crosley)

 

 

 

 

John I love your street photography, some really master work. But I really can not relate to this for you this is really average. 4/4 anonymous.

I like the image but the cropping bothers me a little. I think it would be improved if you could crop out that bit of white sky in the top left hand corner, and perhaps do something to fix that bit of grey that's peeking out at the top right of the garage door (while the bottom of the doorframe is being cut off?)

 

I do like the overall feel of the image though - thought provoking.

Perhaps you missed that this scene is entirely in browns and blues?

 

That and the composition is the reason for its posting.

 

John (Crosley)

 

 

I'll consider your cropping suggestions.

 

I prefer to do as little cropping as possible, for reasons of personal taste.

 

It's a personal idiosyncracy.

 

Thanks.

 

John (Crosley)

Kathy, it cannot be cropped out because it is Wide angle distortion which alone ruins this photo (edit,, doesnot ruin just hurts .... Better to be across the street :-(. Good colors