Comments on: Nobody respects craftsmanship anymore

By: John Dominik

John Dominik — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 02:52:33 +0000

That 900 square foot house was one they built when Grandma didn’t want to move to a home. I remember hearing them talk with my parents about it (and this was back in 1978 or 1979) and telling them that it was going to cost them about two years worth of nursing home bills to build the house – and the garage – and the chicken coop – and the shed… Grandma lived with them for another twelve years before passing away, so it was a pretty good investment, I guess.

By: Dave Farquhar

Dave Farquhar — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 21:44:42 +0000

In reply to joseph.

Actually, money and investing don’t have to be political at all. Politicians can want whatever they want, but in the end, it’s my decision.

There are some uncomfortable topics that are OK for me to broach, and some that are not. Politics is not. If you want to discuss politics, you’re going to have to discuss them someplace else. If I ever had to make a choice between a day of unemployment and this blog, it’s an incredibly easy decision to make. The blog would go.

By: joseph

joseph — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 03:31:38 +0000

Dave,
Every time you talk about saving money and investing you are entering the realm of politics. The politicians want you to do it their way. Their way is not to work and save. They want to tax you, both alive and dead, after all it’s not your work that gave you your success, but the government that provides for you.
I understand that you don’t want to discuss this, because in the future it could cost you a job. I’m surprised at some of the subjects that you broach, because of the possibility that you might offend an employer. Good luck with the next job.
…
No need to post this, even though it is on the subject of some of your last few posts.
….
“There are three kinds of men. The one that learns by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves.”
Will Rogers

By: Dave Farquhar

Dave Farquhar — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 22:34:22 +0000

In reply to John Dominik.

Nice idea. I was actually hoping that maybe, just maybe, when I removed the paint the finish underneath would be serviceable. But if not, I wouldn’t mind trying my hand at refinishing it.

It’s a shame about that house’s fate. 900 square feet and .25 acre is an ideal rental property. There are young families who need houses like that to rent until they’re ready to buy something bigger. That’s big enough to live in, but not so big that taking care of it consumes your life.

By: joseph

joseph — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 16:42:11 +0000

Dave,
The war is over. The ants lost. The grasshoppers won.
Go out and buy something. Spend! Spend! Spend! You can’t take it with you, [rest of comment deleted. Let’s keep this non-political and on-topic, please.]

By: John Dominik

John Dominik — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 12:43:38 +0000

Refinishing that old cabinet might not be as hard as you think. I did quite a bit of furniture refinishing with a buddy of mine as a teenager, and I’m sure things are better (and much less toxic) than they were thirty years ago. Just be sure to follow the directions, work in well-ventilated areas (outdoors is best), and dispose of the rags when you’re done. We did a couple of dressers and some overhead cabinets and reinstalled the cabinets for his Grandma.

Of course, the guy who bought that solid little 900 square foot house and the .25 acre lot tore it down, cut down the trees, and built a McMansion with a fountain and 3 car garage… At the time, the county had no building requirements preventing you from building a house that extends to your setback limit all around EVERY edge of your property…