As the Solstice draws nigh and the winds grow bitter, I recall a conversation I had last year with my dear friend, Mrs. Miller. An ex-Carmelite nun now well into her 70’s, this remarkable woman has done everything from a stint as Bob Hope’s social secretary to founding

When we were kids, my brother’s best friend practically lived with us while the two of them pursued their Eagle Scout merit badges. Gunther’s parents both worked “in aerospace” and kept irregular hours. Our busy household was well-stocked with after

by Ahansen

For those of us born in the immediate aftermath of WW2, the knowledge that we were a demographic phenomenon was never far from our awareness. As our teachers and the popular press of the day constantly pointed out, our numbers overwhelme

by Ahansen -

August. Typically a month when we Americans take our annual two-week recess from the day-to-day in order to be miserable and harried in a slightly different setting. Some of us hit the road, some the hammock, some hit

A post by ahansen,

Following the Great Purge of ‘81, when the first generation of female middle-management was systematically “downsized” in face of looming recession, American business refocused its energies from customer satisfaction

The opinions expressed in this GUEST POST are solely ahansen’s and do not necessarily reflect those of the owner, administration, or readership of thehousingbubbleblog.com

First a bit of business.

With all the grim news and hot weather of late, the con

The opinions expressed in this article are ahansen’s, and do not necessarily reflect those of the owner, administration, or readership of thehousingbubbleblog.com.

“Shadow Inventory” May Not Be So Shadowy After All….

I recently spoke with a dear friend in Singapore.

by ahansen

Last weekend I attended my 40-year high school class reunion in Palos Verdes, CA. As someone who would prefer sticking hot needles into my eyes over making cocktail chitchat, the whole thing was doubly horrifying for me. Not only

by ahansen

“The government had absolutely nothing to do with [my economic success at Halliburton].”

–Dick Cheney 10/5/00

“Keep your government hands off my Medicare!”

-Irate voter at Simpsonville, (!) SC tow

Some Civic Benefit In What Lies Ahead

by ahansen

What has happened to the markets –or so we’re being told– is a recession; which, they say, has bottomed and is on its way to a slow recovery. But what has happened to We the People—those of us folks out her/

by ahansen

My weekend neighbor invited five of her alpha-female friends up from Santa Barbara for a few days of extreme horseback riding and caloric self-indulgence. Because I know the mountain trails pretty well, I was asked to ride

It’s pretty simple to figure out when a news story has jumped from the wire services to the Popular Press. Just reading through the online comments will tell you, minute by minute, when an article has crossed over from journalism i

According to a Wall Street Journal analysis released last week, 23 publicly traded Wall Street banks and securities firms are on track to pay out record employee retention bonuses for 2009.

Only the timely intervention of Balloon Boy sa

According to a Wall Street Journal analysis released last week, 23 publicly traded Wall Street banks and securities firms are on track to pay out record employee retention bonuses for 2009.

Only the timely intervention of Balloon Boy sa

Exactly one year ago this morning, I found myself strapped into a rescue helicopter en route to UCLA Medical Center.  It had been a little over an hour since a predatory black bear attempted to make a lunch of me, and I was determined to make it