The problem of not being a bull or a bear

Cleaver

We tried to go out for a meal tonight. I'd been doing DIY cr*p all day and Mrs C had been writing an assignment and we both fancied getting out the house. We wandered down our highstreet at 8.30pm and tried three restaurants, all of which told us they were fully booked and that we'd have between 40 minutes and an hour for a table. We were starving and we're also a bit new to the area so don't know many other places so gave up and ended up getting a takeaway on the walk home instead.

This leaves me with a problem. What story to tell?

The Bull Story
We went our to our local high street tonight and it was packed. Resturants with queues out of the door, no tables available and bottles of wine aplenty. Full of people enjoying themselves and spending money. We tried three different restaurants and couldn't get a table at any of them! These bears are trying to tell us that there's a recession on, but I see no evidence of this whatsoever, our local places are booming. If people are eating out this much I can only imagine that they would be buying bigger and bigger houses. Good times! I know it was our low-tracker mortgage that funded our night out. Brilliant.

:beer:

The Bear Story
We went to our local high street tonight and, in between closed down shops, we saw three restaurants full of people drinking wine, spending money on expensive food and generally ignoring the state we are in. I'm assuming most of these people are lauding it up on credit cards and are increasing their debt mountain. Yet more evidence of people not paying down their debt or taking control of their finances. It makes me so angry. Many of these people will start losing their jobs when the deflationary vortex takes hold and will bitterley regret these wanton nights of spending.

wageslave

Is anyone still using credit cards to fund their lifestyle?

I sort of assumed everyone had given up on plastic.

The real test is how busy are these places on a wet Wednesday.

Radiantsoul

Just got back from Zizzi and it was packed. Nice meal though, really filled a hole.

I think January is a long month in terms of eeking out money and it has been all snow and ice. Plus some people might be getting valentines day in early.

Cleaver

wageslave wrote: »

The real test is how busy are these places on a wet Wednesday.

If it's raining this Wednesday I'll pop down and take some pictures just for you Wageslave. Actually, you can meet me there for dinner if you like?

Although I believe it's Man United v Arsenal on Wednesday evening which I quite fancy watching, so can we make it an early one?

Cleaver

Desertfox wrote: »

You're such a thanks ho. Have one on me!

You got about 300 words for that thanks though.

I quite enjoy writing away, wittering on about any old cr*p. So I could either have a blog which no one would ever read, or post on here where people kind of have to read by default. So less about thanks, more about ego. Which I guess is why we're all here.

By the way, are you someone else in disguise Desert?

Cleaver

Radiantsoul wrote: »

Plus some people might be getting valentines day in early.

Ahh, how romantic.

Actually whilst we're on the subject, I can't think of anything less romantic that valentines day in a restaurant.

morag1202

Before I discovered this board I'd only ever heard the terms used about the Stock Market where the savy invester would change from bull to bear to bull as the market changed.

But here? Were the bears ever bulls or bulls ever bears? or am I missing something (apart from the confused smilie)

wageslave

Cleaver wrote: »

If it's raining this Wednesday I'll pop down and take some pictures just for you Wageslave. Actually, you can meet me there for dinner if you like?

Although I believe it's Man United v Arsenal on Wednesday evening which I quite fancy watching, so can we make it an early one?

Which one of us is paying?

Cleaver

morag1202 wrote: »

Before I discovered this board I'd only ever heard the terms used about the Stock Market where the savy invester would change from bull to bear to bull as the market changed.

But here? Were the bears ever bulls or bulls ever bears? or am I missing something (apart from the confused smilie)

It's a long running joke on here as the terms have become to mean something different.

Bull: someone who feels the need to be completely positive about everything, all the time. Especially house prices. Unlike in the real world they wouldn't ever consider becoming bearish based on negative signs that they have spotted in a market: their 'character' is positive all time, and they are a 'bull'.

Bear: someone who feels the need to be completely negative about everthing, all the time. Especially house prices. Unlike in the real world they wouldn't ever consider becoming bullish based on positive signs that they have spotted in a market: their 'character' is negative all the time, and they are a 'bear'.

These two types then post articles that support their personalities and the other people in their gang thank and agree with them. The other lot disagree with them and thank others that also disagree with them. Most on here are not in either camp, but I think it's fair to say that most threads are started by a 'bull' or a 'bear'. When the economy is bad there are more started by bears and when things aren't going 'well' the bears start most of the threads.

Cleaver

wageslave wrote: »

Which one of us is paying?

I'll pay. Just need to break out the Capital One Platinum Card.

wageslave

Cleaver wrote: »

I quite enjoy writing away, wittering on about any old cr*p. So I could either have a blog which no one would ever read, or post on here where people kind of have to read by default. So less about thanks, more about ego. Which I guess is why we're all here.

It amazes me how many bliddy good writers there are on this forum. It is what keeps me coming back.

Someday when I have the time and the patience, I am going to piece together some of the posts on here and see if I can make whole cloth of them.