SEARCH BLOG: ECONOMY
More observations via my iPhone.
Had a brake problem coming down the mountains in Tennessee. 6,000 miles after having my truck's front brakes/rotors replaced because of a bad caliper, the truck started shaking while braking on a 6-degree grade. That doesn't sound like much, but there were "runaway truck" ramps every 3/4 mile... so it's steeper than you might think. The dealer here in Florida said a bad caliper had caused the brake pad to rub on the rotor and the excessive friction heat warped the face of the rotor. It's like sliding two flat pieces of metal over each other. As long as they are perfectly flat the effect is smooth. If one gets bumpy, the effect is shudder.
I'll discuss this with the dealer who did the first repair when we get back to Michigan. Glad this didn't happen going back with the truck full of my mother's excess furniture.
All the news around here is about foreclosures. I thought Michigan's housing market stunk, but this is advanced decay here. Vulture "refinancers" abound. Some homes are selling... trying to be sold... for 1/3 of their "market value" of just a few years ago. This problem is not going to be fixed soon and "responsible" homeowners are going to be penalized twice... their home values have been crushed and they will get to pay full original price while subsidizing those who got in over their heads. Of course, not all of those people were irresponsible. Many were 2nd phase losers... as the economy spiraled down, they lost their jobs or businesses and couldn't keep up with their bills. That has hit close to home with my brother-in-law losing his construction business and probably his home, too.
As the old song goes... "what you gonna do when the well run dry?"
More hunting and pecking on my iPhone later.
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