Comments for Stubborn Mule http://www.stubbornmule.net Obstinately objective Tue, 31 Jan 2012 12:38:54 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Comment on Australian Property Prices by RobH http://www.stubbornmule.net/2009/06/property-prices/comment-page-1/#comment-27769 RobH Tue, 31 Jan 2012 12:38:54 +0000 http://www.stubbornmule.net/?p=1809#comment-27769 As we have a fiat monetary system I have a simple theory that house prices will always go up by the retail price of money which is backed up by the long term data. The money supply has to keep up with the interest being charged to enable the principal and interest to be repaid. This implies that house prices are on an exponential growth curve, which they are but so is our money supply. Ultimately it must end but we will also see a collapse in the faith of fiat at the same time. Another way to look at house price increases is that we are really only witnessing a reduction in the value of our fiat money and it's purchasing power. I would like to see a long term graph that overlays Australian median house prices with median incomes. This may give us a better picture of whether we are in a bubble. My view is that is that although there is the macro driver of house prices mentioned above all real estate purchases are a micro economic decision. There are many things that affect a property's price such as its condition, proximity to schools, hospitals, shops, etc and it's potential rental return. Good property will always be valuable property though the value of the currency that you use to purchase it maybe beyond simple calculations. As we have a fiat monetary system I have a simple theory that house prices will always go up by the retail price of money which is backed up by the long term data. The money supply has to keep up with the interest being charged to enable the principal and interest to be repaid. This implies that house prices are on an exponential growth curve, which they are but so is our money supply. Ultimately it must end but we will also see a collapse in the faith of fiat at the same time.
Another way to look at house price increases is that we are really only witnessing a reduction in the value of our fiat money and it’s purchasing power. I would like to see a long term graph that overlays Australian median house prices with median incomes. This may give us a better picture of whether we are in a bubble.
My view is that is that although there is the macro driver of house prices mentioned above all real estate purchases are a micro economic decision. There are many things that affect a property’s price such as its condition, proximity to schools, hospitals, shops, etc and it’s potential rental return. Good property will always be valuable property though the value of the currency that you use to purchase it maybe beyond simple calculations.

]]> Comment on Have wheelchair, will travel…probably by Magpie http://www.stubbornmule.net/2012/01/have-wheelchair/comment-page-1/#comment-27750 Magpie Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:33:31 +0000 http://www.stubbornmule.net/?p=4724#comment-27750 Mr. Zebrovsky, Our friend may be stubborn, but he's fair, eventually... ;D Mr. Zebrovsky,

Our friend may be stubborn, but he’s fair, eventually… ;D

]]> Comment on Roadkill Arithmetic by zebra http://www.stubbornmule.net/2011/12/roadkill-arithmetic/comment-page-1/#comment-27746 zebra Mon, 30 Jan 2012 07:37:39 +0000 http://www.stubbornmule.net/?p=4701#comment-27746 @dan - another excellent link. I may try and get in touch with the CSIRO guy. @emmajay - I was warned about the timber trucks but found very few of those or RVs which I was also warned about. Except the RV that came around the corner on the wrong side and noticed me at the last minute and swerved. Now I know how roadkill feel. Or at least road-near-miss. @dan – another excellent link. I may try and get in touch with the CSIRO guy.
@emmajay – I was warned about the timber trucks but found very few of those or RVs which I was also warned about. Except the RV that came around the corner on the wrong side and noticed me at the last minute and swerved. Now I know how roadkill feel. Or at least road-near-miss.

]]> Comment on Roadkill Arithmetic by Emmjay http://www.stubbornmule.net/2011/12/roadkill-arithmetic/comment-page-1/#comment-27737 Emmjay Mon, 30 Jan 2012 04:05:12 +0000 http://www.stubbornmule.net/?p=4701#comment-27737 Our last road trip around Tasmania was about seven or eight years ago. The roadkill was pretty horrific then. So were the monster timber tucks raging around those tiny blacktop strips at something close to Mach II. Co-incidence ? Our last road trip around Tasmania was about seven or eight years ago. The roadkill was pretty horrific then. So were the monster timber tucks raging around those tiny blacktop strips at something close to Mach II. Co-incidence ?

]]> Comment on Roadkill Arithmetic by dan http://www.stubbornmule.net/2011/12/roadkill-arithmetic/comment-page-1/#comment-27736 dan Mon, 30 Jan 2012 03:56:31 +0000 http://www.stubbornmule.net/?p=4701#comment-27736 Sorry to come back to this. (We've all moved on to the JJJ Top 100) but, just back from 4 glorious days in Tasmania - including driving much of the east coast from Hobart to Launceston the long way round. You simply could not imagine the amount of road kill. Wallabies, Possums, Devils, Foxes, Cats, Birds, no doubt the odd Wombat - it was hard to tell (still no whales). So I have to concur with original post. According to this Catalyst report: "The density of roadkill in Tasmania - about one dead animal every three kilometres - is unprecedented worldwide." (http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/3198257.htm) Unprecedented Worldwide! Certainly seemed that way to me. And it was very sad. Sorry to come back to this. (We’ve all moved on to the JJJ Top 100) but, just back from 4 glorious days in Tasmania – including driving much of the east coast from Hobart to Launceston the long way round. You simply could not imagine the amount of road kill. Wallabies, Possums, Devils, Foxes, Cats, Birds, no doubt the odd Wombat – it was hard to tell (still no whales). So I have to concur with original post.

According to this Catalyst report: “The density of roadkill in Tasmania – about one dead animal every three kilometres – is unprecedented worldwide.” (http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/3198257.htm)

Unprecedented Worldwide!

Certainly seemed that way to me. And it was very sad.

]]> Comment on More on the Hottest 100 by Hottest 100 for 2011 http://www.stubbornmule.net/2012/01/more-on-the-hottest-100/comment-page-1/#comment-27721 Hottest 100 for 2011 Sun, 29 Jan 2012 09:17:12 +0000 http://www.stubbornmule.net/?p=4800#comment-27721 [...] UPDATE: there is a little bit more analysis in this follow-up post. [...] [...] UPDATE: there is a little bit more analysis in this follow-up post. [...]

]]> Comment on Have wheelchair, will travel…probably by zebra http://www.stubbornmule.net/2012/01/have-wheelchair/comment-page-1/#comment-27709 zebra Sat, 28 Jan 2012 08:43:54 +0000 http://www.stubbornmule.net/?p=4724#comment-27709 thanks! thanks!

]]> Comment on Have wheelchair, will travel…probably by Stubborn Mule http://www.stubbornmule.net/2012/01/have-wheelchair/comment-page-1/#comment-27700 Stubborn Mule Fri, 27 Jan 2012 10:34:02 +0000 http://www.stubbornmule.net/?p=4724#comment-27700 OK, I've thought about it again: my initial attempt was wrong: I didn't condition on the fact that the given wheelchair passenger was on the plane. I've redone it with <em>n</em> representing the number of <em>other</em> wheelchair passengers on the plane (<em>n</em>=0, 1,...). This probably ends up being equivalent to your approach. OK, I’ve thought about it again: my initial attempt was wrong: I didn’t condition on the fact that the given wheelchair passenger was on the plane. I’ve redone it with n representing the number of other wheelchair passengers on the plane (n=0, 1,…). This probably ends up being equivalent to your approach.

]]> Comment on Hottest 100 for 2011 by More on the Hottest 100 http://www.stubbornmule.net/2012/01/hottest-100-for-2011/comment-page-1/#comment-27699 More on the Hottest 100 Fri, 27 Jan 2012 10:30:02 +0000 http://www.stubbornmule.net/?p=4772#comment-27699 [...] I complained that 2010 data is currently missing from Wikipedia. It seems that this is because Wikipedia is yet to get permission from the ABC. I have decided to risk the wrath of Auntie and have posted the full chart in the table at the [...] [...] I complained that 2010 data is currently missing from Wikipedia. It seems that this is because Wikipedia is yet to get permission from the ABC. I have decided to risk the wrath of Auntie and have posted the full chart in the table at the [...]

]]> Comment on Have wheelchair, will travel…probably by Zebra http://www.stubbornmule.net/2012/01/have-wheelchair/comment-page-1/#comment-27697 Zebra Fri, 27 Jan 2012 09:38:51 +0000 http://www.stubbornmule.net/?p=4724#comment-27697 @mule - reframing the argument? @mule – reframing the argument?

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