... keep your grip on reality.
(Photograph location: Charles City, Iowa.)
ADDED: A reader emails:
I have been following your blog for quite a while, but never posted....Cool! I love when stuff like this happens.
The reason I am writing to you today is to remark that I lived in Charles City, Iowa in 1966-1968. When I lived there, I lived in the house you photographed with the New Age Realty sign in front of it.
A little history about the house. It is a 1 bedroom house with an unfinished attic. I lived there with my 4 brothers and my parents. All 5 of us boys slept in the unfinished attic,
In May of 1968 a very large tornado tore through the town of about 10,000. Over 1/3 of the structures in the town were demolished beyond repair. The little brick house lost some of its roof and all its windows, but the structure survived intact. It has been a business of one sort or another for at least the past 30 years.
Posts
63 comments:
New Age and Iowa are incongruous, evidenced by this "new age" building. Bonus coverage, we get to see "the" McDonalds.
This is where Crack gets his all-you-can-eat pancakes.
See, New Age is not only bad...it's banal.
A house, a McDonald's and me --
Joy is it in that world to be!
Look at that sign again:
The word is "NewAge," rhymes with "sewage."
Don't you folks ever fly anywhere? I love driving places but for just a short time in the Rockies, why not fly?
"New Age Realty" explains so much about the housing bubble. The Democrats are now into New Age wars and New Age deficit reduction programs.
It's just another one of those "Age" restrauant chains.
Like this one in Gila Bend.
Pathetic Al Gore rant.
Some of the comments are pretty good too.
MarkG,
Isn't it interesting, the paper's READERS are smarter than it's journalist?
Another phenomena worth watching,...especially as papers die. They'd clearly rather be no more than change their editorial policy to fit their reader's needs.
That, more than anything else (the internet, the price of paper, etc.) is why newspapers are going under.
As follow-up to the discussion about the effectiveness of the horse head in the bed in the Godfather, as theater and as a real threat, I noticed this article about Russia uses dirty tricks despite U.S. ‘reset’
In the past four years, Russia’s intelligence services have stepped up a campaign of intimidation and dirty tricks against U.S. officials and diplomats in Russia and the countries that used to form the Soviet Union.
U.S. diplomats and officials have found their homes broken into and vandalized, or altered in ways as trivial as bathroom use; faced anonymous or veiled threats; and in some cases found themselves set up in compromising photos or videos that are later leaked to the local press and presented as a sex scandal.
“The point was to show that ‘we can get to you where you sleep,’ ” one U.S. intelligence officer told The Washington Times. “It’s a psychological kind of attack.”
I just picture Titus screaming after he wakes to see someone else's "loaf" in his toilet.
It is 3pm in the cornfields. Not a single Gradall 534c forklift is to be seen.
I am mistaken. Here comes one now.
Saw Planet of the Apes yesterday. I will say that I didn't *feel* like I was cheering for the end of my species. :-)
Actually, honestly, it really didn't give that vibe and I was surprised how light a touch they used on the issues of medical research using animals. PETA will still love it, but most of what they love about it will be their own projection. My only real complaint was that the three individual villains (none of whom were directly involved in experiments on chimps) were somewhat cartoonish, and I don't think there was any reason that they had to be.
Those of us who were bewitched by his eloquence on the campaign trail chose to ignore some disquieting aspects of his biography: that he had accomplished very little before he ran for president, having never run a business or a state; that he had a singularly unremarkable career as a law professor, publishing nothing in 12 years at the University of Chicago other than an autobiography; and that, before joining the United States Senate, he had voted "present" (instead of "yea" or "nay") 130 times, sometimes dodging difficult issues.
That's why some of us were not "bewitched" by the candidate. The president has, however, turned out worse than any of us could have imagined.
It's rather odd to see a new, probably expensive sign for a business which operates out of a somewhat rundown building with an unpaved parking lot. Note the peeling paint on windowsills and the half-missing gutter. Google Street View also shows a new-looking sign on the other side of the building.
Peter
New Age Realty-
I think I've seen that practiced in some of the developments around here.
They kept subdividing the lots smaller and smaller but raising the prices up and up.
It's like homeowners homeopathy.
After all those road trips through Iowa and Colorado, I'm surprised you never ran a cross a "Kum 'N Go" or a "Loaf 'N' Jug" convenience store. I know they're there.
No wonder you went to McDonald's!
That sign could be read as a realtor's office. What would give it away as a place you'd go to eat?
Unless of course you LIVE in this small town.
Homemade menu. But no guarantee you'd get WiFi.
Look again, NewAge Realty is sitting on a very prime piece of property. So the sign actually says; For Sale. And it's staged like a bargain.
Come back next year to see what's sitting there.
Realtors are still in business?
I thought to buy a foreclosed home, you wait for the bank to give you a list.
And, it's good to see Century 21 is not a chain like McDonald's is.
At McDonald's you don't need a license to sell stuff to a customer.
But today I stopped by the cafe to ask what you think the market will do tomorrow?
Do you think they'll be forced to suspend trading before 10am?
I do.
I'm looking for a big-ass rally, though it may not last.
I've been to Charles City Iowa. I think New Age may mean something different there than elsewhere. Peehaps it means modern.
MarkG said...
I'm looking for a big-ass rally, though it may not last.
It might be a good time to buy, especially companies that export food and fuel. People may tighten their belts but refuse to eat them, and a tanking economy still needs gas.
__________
wv = "idefall" This cryptic word was recently overheard in the WH.
Armstrong and Getty predict cannibalism.
Invest in companies that sell bowls of human ears with nacho cheese, jalpeno peppers or sea salt and vinegar; companies that make seasoning for shoe leather, companies that make barrels with straps, companies that make nooses.
(Aug 8 hour 2)
Aug 5 hour 2, that should be
Ignorance is Bliss,
It's like homeowners homeopathy.
I don't know if any of you caught this, but it's got a lot of parallels with my story (I had to turn it off momentarily when they mentioned isolating loved ones for not believing). It's a pretty good expose of how to kill with water, how to get away with murder, etc., and, if you play "The Drinking Game" every time a NewAge buzzword is mentioned ("Penelope was an ENVIRONMENTALIST, etc.) you can be pretty schookered by the time it's over.
BTW - I covered this case on the blog pretty well, and am surprised to say I think this television expose' is pretty close to how I saw the case before it came out. That's rare.
They are OBVIOUSLY not hip--sign should read "Nu" Age viz "New" if they wanted to be really George Jetson "futuristic." And the building? ndspinelli beat me to it. LOL!
Oddly enough, while the business sign is unusual enough to attract attention, isn't it bad for business to make your business look crooked enough?
As to "New Age" ... should the realty market tank ... Couldn't a person open a hair braiding business instead? All you have to do is change a few letters to go from "realty" to "REALLY" ...
For real estate? Sure. Location. Location. Location. This house can attract many suitors.
If you had a home, and from your window you could see McDonald's across the street ... Wouldn't you think a sign outside your door would help?
You can even meet "business" by getting out of bed, and throwing on a robe.
Did you knock? Or did you just speed away? I think I'd have knocked. Since I'd have already been outside my car, there, anyway.
You know what's really funny?
The mailbox is not conveniently placed for postal deliveries. Let alone how the postman would know to stop. Because you've put your flag up.
A business, here, that doesn't need mail deliveries?
I first read the sign as "New/Age Reality," which caused some cognitive dissonance, to say the least.
If you click through to original size you can see the dot on the base of the sign above the iris leaves is Mothra.
Apropos of nothing, this is darn funny:
Games Played at Obama's Birthday Party - http://iowntheworld.com/blog/?p=87955
Don't you folks ever fly anywhere? I love driving places but for just a short time in the Rockies, why not fly?
Cost. Unless you plan far in advance.
“The point was to show that ‘we can get to you where you sleep,’ ” one U.S. intelligence officer told The Washington Times. “It’s a psychological kind of attack.”
"We'll throw our baseballs in your yard" - Union Thugs, Wisconsin 2011.
What I really wonder is whether some the women in traditional, family-oriented small towns such as Charles City are traditional in another, critically important respect. Probably not :(
[Captcha: readingsm. It's more fun to do it in person rather than just read about it.]
Peter
Joe Klein says that President Golfsalot problem is that he sucks at public speaking.
Really.
He’s a sane, smart, admirable guy. The trouble, though, comes from his inability to explain these decisions to the public.... Obama is often eloquent–and not just in a big room, big rhythm sort of way; his ability to explain complicated problems using simple words can be extraordinary. But he has never deployed these skills in service of the larger story–never really explained where we are as a country, how we got here and–Westen is spot on here–who the villains have been. He has never gone to war on behalf of the American people. Consequently, as I found on my coast-to-coast road trip last September, most people really have no idea who he is or where he stands.
http://swampland.time.com/2011/08/07/lame-obama/#ixzz1UO3kDIWP
Pat CA @ 4:20 PM
What? No pin the tail on the donkey?
Ok. Random nutty thought.
Do people without narcissistic parents participate so regularly on blogs and comments pages?
@ Michael K 12:42
Those of us who were bewitched by his eloquence on the campaign trail chose to ignore some disquieting aspects of his biography:...
Why?
@ Mesquito quoting Klein Obama is often eloquent–and not just in a big room, big rhythm sort of way; his ability to explain complicated problems using simple words can be extraordinary.
Seriously has had me fooled. Why so many "Let me be clear"s? Why repeatedly explaining?
Oh. I know.
Stupid average Americans again.
... as I found on my coast-to-coast road trip last September, most people really have no idea who he is or where he stands.
And that is precisely what he wanted ... only it doesn't work when you are President of the United States.
Stupid average Americans. Plus all those disillusioned liberals and independents.
Here's reality ...
Not Forgiving Obama ~ Peeling the Oreo Cookie Obama ~ Gutless Obama Squandering the Political-Theology Tradition that Lincoln Took a Bullet to Hand Him
http://randomarrow.blogspot.com/2011/08/not-forgiving-obama-peeling-oreo-cookie.html
Apparently, none of you read S&P's report detailing why they dropped the US's credit rating. It says, quite literally, that the GOP's failure to introduce any measures to raise revenue was the main reason for dropping the rating. I know you all despise the notion of reading, but hey, maybe you should try it.
Ren,
Apparently you don't realize that there are ways to deal with debt that don't involve jacking up taxes.
Cutting spending for instance. Get rid of Obamacare, raise the SS retirement age, means test for any and all entitlements.
But that would require a rollback of the govt. and as we all know the left follows the Brezhnev Doctrine when it comes to govt. growth.
Ren-
I read it. Here is a link to the full report, would you care to provide the quote where it says that, quite literally, so that everyone here can judge the truth of your statement?
Oh, and in case that wasn't clear enough, I'm flat-out calling you a bald-faced liar.
Well, Ren @ 7:04 PM, Boehner's not allowed to run with scizzors.
Oh, and the den of 12 ... won't cut anything either. (Except, maybe, the hearts out of the tea party people.) Once, we were just called an Army of David's.
We are also the country that elected Harry S. Truman to office in 1948. When the pundits, and Gallup, said it wouldn't even be close. And, Dewey would win.
Dewey was certainly better dressed.
I don't put any faith in what the press reports. There's a number out there to which housing and stocks will fall. (Don't know it, yet.) But there's still a lot of dropping to go.
The house/office is quite mundane for new age. Guess new age isn't all I thought it would be, but rather bland.
"We have changed our assumption on this because the majority
of Republicans in Congress continue to resist any measure that would raise
revenues, a position we believe Congress reinforced by passing the act."
Raising taxes is something that simply needed to be done. Cutting spending is only one way to contribute to increased revenue. The tax cuts for the rich, which have proven to not lead to more jobs, as well as a failure to raise taxes do not help our revenue stream.
Couple that with the GOP, a party full of Tea Party lunatics who refuse to compromise on any bill, and the credit downgrade was inevitable. We're all screwed. God, I hate politics.
Also, Carol--take your meds. You're one looney fucker.
Oh, Ren, you became a doctor? Did you pull that shingle out of your ass?
DADvocate,
The house/office is quite mundane for new age. Guess new age isn't all I thought it would be, but rather bland.
Not all you thought it would be?
What did you think it was?
Isn't it cute when someone like Ren calls other people crazy.
The Left passes bills increasing spending by trillions utilizing all sorts of accounting shenanigans to try and hide the debt it creates and somehow the fact that the revenue isn't there is the opposition's fault?
That's quite some logic there.
Spending cuts alone are enough, but the Left will resist any and all non-defense cuts in the govt.
Ren-
Still waiting for the quote that says, quite literally, that the GOP's failure to introduce any measures to raise revenue was the main reason for dropping the rating.
@Carol Herman: Ren is just a "resident" Dr. Sullivanist.
To those discussing economics, here is your problem.
It's all NewAge, folks, every last bit of it.
Compare my post - and the video embedded in it - to this one from Glenn Reynolds' blog. I love this comment on it:
I don't think you're crazy, at all. You are self-aware and suffering. There is a difference.
No, I think you are with the wrong person, and I think *you* know that you are with the wrong person. Bridging the gap between knowing something and doing something (productive) about it is the hardest thing us first-world, modern people face.
Take care of yourself.
Destroying things - especially relationships - that's all NewAgers know.
What did you think it was?
Something really stupid. That's just a boring, but very practical house.
I imagined a world of crystals and dream catchers. Positive energy flowing through the world in such a way that everything is sweetness and light. But, NO, just an incredibly ordinary house. (That's for the better, though.)
Ren, is this the "quite literally" part:
Standard & Poor's takes no position on the mix of spending and revenue
measures that Congress and the Administration might conclude is appropriate
for putting the U.S.'s finances on a sustainable footing.
DADvocate,
I imagined a world of crystals and dream catchers. Positive energy flowing through the world in such a way that everything is sweetness and light. But, NO, just an incredibly ordinary house.
What is a dreamcatcher when you're no longer in a delusional state? A bunch of string and some bent wood. What is a crystal, but a rock?
NewAge is the willingness to see gold while you're sitting in shit.
Or "an incredibly ordinary house."
NewAge is the willingness to see gold while you're sitting in shit.
That about sums it up.
New Age: Being willing to spend thousands of dollars to experience the horrors of a Chinese illegal migrant working hiding in a shipping container.
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