Yes, Liz, this does seem to have happened overnight. One day we’re walking in sunshine and the next…..doom. I’m still reeling and wondering where did all the money go? People like us, the workers, the savers, the conservative living people are really very angry and yes, bewildered. Perhaps it was naive to think that since we did all the right things; we didn’t buy things we could ill afford, paid our taxes, lived in a house that was within our means and saved for the future, we would be okay at this stage of our lives. We were so wrong. We’re senior citizens looking at perhaps a time where we may outlive our money plus now we’re paying for those who lived high on credit and a false economy. Additionally, have either lost what we’ve saved, or lost the marketability of our skills. As well, jobs, even low paying, flipping-a-burger-in-fast-food-restaurants jobs, are just not there. Yes there are a lot of 4:30 in the morning awakenings, scared, trying to figure out what to do, that is, if you can sleep at all.

Andrea, this didn’t happen overnight. And people like you who lived within their means and did all of the right things aren’t to blame…you are victims of a greedy society who bought into the “sky’s the limit” real estate fiasco. Inflated home appraisals, “creative” financing to attract, without good credit ratings and no money down, was aimed at targeted groups to get on the homeowner train whether they could afford it or not has destroyed our economy. It has trickled down and has affected sales in every area. The depression was initiated back in 2002 and it has affected stability on every level. Mind you, new homeowners were buying “big” houses on an interest only low rate KNOWING the rate would double in two to three years. These home buyers were either stupid or didn’t care. We can blame the appraisers, the lenders and Wall Street. Almost every brokerage company went into the “morgage” business to make even more money. All you had to do to get a mortgage loan was show up with a heartbeat and a strong pulse and, oh yeah, a social security number. The rest is now history in the making. Good people CARE about how they are positioning themselves for their futures. I’m with you…it’s hard not to be angry about this situation. Most of the unsold condos in Florida are rotting away and trust me these are not primary residences….these are second and third homes for those who refinanced, pulled all of their cash out and headed down to Florida to buy property to “flip.” Greed in America. When will we ever learn?

liz, i appreciate your reliance on bill cosby’s sense of humor. self, what am i going to do now? when you fall down the basement stairs, you try out the getting up parts and eventually walk back up the stairs.

WHEN I WAS BORN WAS IN 1939  AND  MY DADDY ( MY DAD LIKED BEING CALLED DADDY).WENT INTO THE ARMY IN 1941 HE WAS  ONE WHO GOT THE DRAFTED BLUES . THE BLUES WERE FOR WE 2 KIDS AT THAT TIME.  WE MISSED DAD SO MUCH.  HE WAS SUCH A PART OF POUR LIVES OF COURSE. MY DAD NEVER GOT OUT OF THE ARMY UNTILL I WAS MARRIED AND WE HAD 6 KIDS. HE WAS A NATURAL BOSS AND HE LIKED TELLING THEM GUTYS WHAT TO DO WJHEN TO DO IT AND HE FIT THAT LIFESTYLE.  MY BROTHER AND I GREW UP NOT KNOWING  WHAT MOMS RATIONING CARDS WERE BUT WE LEARNED THEY WERE SO IMPORTANT  WHEN DUEHL AND I WROTE DAD A LETTER AND PUT THE STAMPS ON IT ,  MOM’S RATIONING STAMPS  THAT IS NOT  A REG. POSTAGE STAMP.  WE DID A NO-NO! WHEN WE WENT OT THE GROCERY WQITH MOM WE SAW HER TAKE THEM OUT AND I CAN STILL REMEMBER WHAT THEY LOOKED LIKE. WE CAME OT TIMES WHEN WE WERE OUT OF  SOEM GROCERIES.  THAT WAS A DEPRESSION WHEN WE LEARNED  TO GET ONTO THE FLOOR ON A BLANKET  AND BE QUIET AND LAL LIGHTS WENT OFF EVERYWHERE.  I CAN REMEMBER WHAT THE SIRENS SOUNDED LIKE IN MY MIND.  IT WAS A SCARY THING.  I HOPE WE NEVER SEE THAT AGAIN.

I DO HAVE A REAL FEAR OF THE 50,OOO MUSLIMS COMING OVER FRIDAY, SEPT. 25 ,2009.   WHY DID PRESIDENT O’BAMA THINK IT WAS SO NECCESSARY TO INVITE THEM TO COME OVER HERE FOR THEM TO HOLD THEIR OWN RALLY.  THERE THEY WILL BE IN WASHINGTON D.C. WHERE THE MALL IS ACROSS FROM THE MONUMENTS AND THEN AT THE CAPITOL AND ETC.  WILL THEY DECIDE TO DO ANY SUICIDE BOMBINGS INSIDE OF A MONUMENT OR THE CAPITOL?  AS THEY READ  THEIR KORAN AND CHANT AS THEYU WILL AND ETC. HOW WILL THIS EFFECT AMERICA AGAIN. THEY AR ETHE CAUSE OF THE 9/11/01  INCIDENT  WITH THE TQWIN TOWERS.   I FIND THAT UNCALLED FOR WHAT IS IN O;BAMAS HEAD TO HAVE DOEN THIS THING???? WHERE IS IT HE IS ACTUALLY FROM???  WHY DID HE SAY  AMERICA IS NOT A CHRISTIAN COUNTRY WHEN  WE ALL KNOW  WHEN IT WAS DISCOVERED  IT WAS DEDICATED TO GOD .  GOD ID CHRISTIAN AS YOU CAN GET I THINK.  PRYAERS NEED OT BE SAID OVER AND OVER TO KEEP THE EVIL SPIRITS AWAY AND ASK GOD TO INTRODUCE  THEM ALL TO JESUS THE CHRIST WHO DID DIE FOR THEM TOO . I ASK GOD TO PUT HIS HEADGE OF PROTECTION AROUND AMERICA TOMORROW AND WHILE THEY ARE HERE  KEEP THEM  AWAY FROM BAD THIGNS THAT COULD HURT AMERICA. BECAUS ETHEY ARE GUESTS OF  AMERIOCAS PRESIDENT IS IT TRUE ANYONE  THAT THEY CAN NOT BE ARRESTED LEGALLY? PRAY PEOPEL  PRAY TELL YOUR MINISTERS PLEASE.THEY ARE EXPECTING ABOUT 50,000 MUSLIMS TO ATTEND IT. TOMORROW