I have been talking about the economy and the repercussions of the failures in the financial markets for some time now. Back in 2007 I was discussing the effect that oil would have on the economy, and I hinted at how the sub-prime loans would affect banks from New York to China.

But in all that is the fact that while I was an experienced stockbroker, I am not an expert in mortgages nor real estate. With the bailout plan being debated and now finalized I wanted to get a more accurate view of what to expect. So I went out and found a more credible source of information to ask questions of.

The result is my interview with Mr. Gregg Cordero, owner and primary broker of Remax in the Binghamton and Broome County of New York State. The interview has been transferred to video for you to view. The interview took place on Thursday, and the delay was resulting from the limitations on getting the video edited and made into a video clip.

I expect that the conversation will provide some insight and answers for the questions homeowners, real estate owners, and those interested in any aspect of real estate markets might have. And I expect that particularly shrewd minds will be able to see their own opportunities and forecasts on the economy.

Labels: American economy, Binghamton, Gregg Cordero, Michael Vass, mortgages, New York, real estate, Remax, sub prime loans

**This can be found also at All American Blog, where I am a contributing author.**

I was speaking with a friend of mine recently and I was told something that makes no sense. The more I thought about it the more I realized that this idiocy is rampant and pervasive. What was the cause of this insight? Whether people understand the word excerpt.

As many readers may know, I write for multiple blogs (including Black Entertainment USA, Presidential Race Blog, Children’s Health Blog and others) and in some cases (like my myspace blog) I use excerpts to summarize a post I made at another blog. It’s not unique. But often I see people responding to the partial content as opposed to actually reading the blog post. As such they fail to get the actual point of the post.

This led me to the aforementioned comment to my friend. I was told by this parent of 3 that it’s not a word used much. That it’s not a word that is really taught anymore. Which amazed me as I thought this was a basic word, and a 5th grade level word at that. It appears I am wrong.

But as the conversation continued, it brought up the fact that a new school in the Binghamton NY area does not give children homework. I was stupefied. I could not believe it. But then I thought about it. How often have we heard news reports stating that schools are cutting back on homework, to lighten the stress and workload of children?

It’s absolute idiocy, in my opinion. No homework or miniscule amounts of it? Why? Because we think that 8 hours of being in school is enough to educate our children. I hardly think so.

The world may have become smaller, and technology faster, since I was in school but knowledge has not gotten easier to consume. Learning advanced mathematics, or proper use of the English language requires practice and understanding. A mere 45 minutes in a single class or 2 hardly qualifies as sufficient time to absorb the tenants of complex thoughts.

So in effect we are raising our children to become idiots. Already I have heard, and seen in blogs and comments, people using text/instant message shorthand in place of actual words. I’ve seen misspelled and misused words. I’ve noticed completely made up words, or street slang, used in place of actual words. And it’s only getting worse.

A recent protest in Chicago was made because

“According to the National Association for Educational Progress, the average 17-year-old African American student has the reading and math score of a 14-year-old white student.”

That is not acceptable. Nor is such failures to educate limited to African Americans or minorities. Though it may be more prominent and obvious in these groups.

Limited vocabularies restrict the ability to communicate, which limits the ability to form more complex thoughts. Words are merely the expression of thoughts in the mind. Limit the expression you limit the mind. Such a scenario is anything but in the best interest of our children or America.

I have to ask, whom does limited homework benefit? Everyone I am aware of above the age of 30 took home homework. It didn’t stress us out, or impede our ability to perform in life. I would counter that it in fact helped us. So how does the lack of this provide benefit?

And if our kids are being given all this free time, what are they filling it with? What else is burdening the children of today such that they can’t handle learning what the word excerpt means, or how to use the Pythagorean theorm, or what the real primary causes of the Civil War were. They have an extra hour of PS3, or instant messaging (IM) their friends on the computer? They can watch another movie on DVD, or TIVO. They can sit on a couch and surf through 495 more channels of television than when I was growing up.

Seriously where is the massive stress? When I was 13 I started working on weekends. By the time I was 18 I worked the entire summer vacation, before school, and after I was done with classes. [To be clear, I worked the morning selling the NY Times to the teachers, students and classes in my school. I was in an advanced program and spent afternoons attending classes at CUNY, and when I didn’t have clases there – as well as weekends – I worked downtown making patterns in the garment industry.] I graduated 6th in my class. I also forgot to mention I was in the Concert Wind Ensemble, and vice-president of my schools ASPIRA organization. I wasn’t stressed, nor was my girlfriend.

I wasn’t bogged down with the burden of anything. So what in a world of computer spell-checked and printed book reports, calculators allowed in math class, Google enabled kids is stressful?

Labels: Binghamton, Chicago, Civil War, education, homework, instant messaging, National Association for Educational Progress, New York, NY Times, PS3, Pythagorean theorm

Continued from What shopping at Olum's is like

I was told that I would have an answer on my corporate account in 2 days after Olum’s received my corporate ID number. They received the number on Tuesday of last week, the next day after I had come into the presence of Linda. Mr. Dave Titus, as I recall, gruffly reminded me that it would take 2 days, so I am sure I was expecting to get an answer by Thursday.

I say gruffly because if you noticed, Linda in all her efficiency had scheduled my delivery for Wednesday and when I mentioned this and that it needed to be corrected Mr. Titus directly told me that couldn’t happen. When I mentioned that their automated system had already tried to confirm the delivery and that he should take care of it, he emphatical stated he would. Don’t you feel the love.

On Friday I called Mr. Titus to find out the status of my account. I only got his answering machine, and he never called me back. Hey it was a nice Friday, I figured he was out golfing or something, which I would have done if I wasn’t working. So Monday comes by, and I call him again.

I am on hold for him to pick up for 5 minutes. The receptionist picks back up and mentions he seems to again not be at his desk. It’s 2:30 in the afternoon. She asks me to leave a message in his voicemail, and in 10 minutes she would go in and remind him to call me. Odd that she knows where to find him if he is not at his desk, but I say ok.

At about 5:40 I walk into the same Olum’s store I was at 1 week ago. I ask if Mr. Titus is around, a woman takes my name and goes to check. Nope, not there. (Oh if it matters I’m in a pair of Dockers and a polo shirt – no time off this day). So I ask if I can get the status of the corporate account, I am hoping to schedule delivery as I may be out of town later in the week. 10 minutes to get someone that “might” be able to access the information, and another 10-15 later I find out that there is no one able to get the information and I will have to wait to reach the elusive Mr. Titus the next day.

Now I get a bit snippy, having been serviced poorly since the moment I walked in the door a week ago, and state that I will just purchase the furniture outright. 4 of the women working the sales desk all stopped and were startled. I was not rude in my words, nor loud, but I was direct. They seemed quite flustered that I wished to purchase the office furniture outright. I pulled out my corporate card, quoted the remainder of the balance due, stated that I was told delivery could be done next day as well as assembly of the items that needed it by Linda, and reminded them that this was an imposition as I had preferred to do this via a corporate account but no answers were disrespectful. # of the ladies then started to apply themselves for the first time since I was in the store and found my account, the balance (exactly what I stated it was) and made the purchase and set the delivery. It took 5 minutes of actual work.

Though I was annoyed I apologized to the lady helping me, as she was not whom I was angered by, and stated clearly but a bit more softly that this was the least professional service I had had in a while.

I think that 6 days are more than enough to make a 2 minute call. I think someone should be able to access the status of a corporate account at all times. I don’t think a man in a t-shirt is going to pick up a desk and sprint out of a store. I don’t like being followed as I look over a purchase. I don’t like being questioned if I have enough money for a purchase I state I want, or ignored when I mention I want to make a corporate purchase. I hate when my ability to own a company is questioned.

If you wondered, yes I was the only African American (besides my friend) in Olum’s each time I was there.

What do I think of Olums’s? I don’t use such profanity on this blog. Suffice to say that if I looked different in both instances I was there, and my name was less Hispanic, I would have been treated far differently.

Pass the word on this experience, as I also plan to provide a copy of this to the owners of Olum’s and I want them to know what kind of word of mouth they engendered from me.

This is what I think, what do you think?

Labels: African American, Binghamton, furniture store, New York State, Olum's

So here was a fun day. Before I mention more I want to give you some background. Binghamton, NY is a small town to me. It is considered a city and is the largest place south of Syracuse in the state. There are about 200,000 people living in the greater metro area, which includes several towns, and estimates of the minority population range from 2-5%. The average income in the area is about $30,000 but that includes a small population of executives from IBM and a couple of other companies. I say this so those from other places have an idea of the place.

Last week I went to a local furniture store, Olum’s. They are well known and large here. I was dressed casually in jeans and a t-shirt as I had some free time, it was 5pm, and it was a hot day. I had the intention of getting some new office furniture and asked where that section was. My friend and I were shown the area and selections they had and were there looking over the choices for about 3 minutes before being asked if we needed help.

I replied no and the worker, Linda, went off about 30 feet in direct line of site at all times for about 5-10 minutes. She returned to ask if I needed help 2 more times before I had selected some office furniture. I asked about a couple of options, switching the chair mostly, and then decided to purchase some items.

At this point Linda decided to let me know what the price of the purchase would be, which was clear enough to see that had I been blind I wouldn’t need braile to read the price. I just asked her if there were any corporate options available as this was a purchase I wanted to make via my company. Linda proceeded to explain how lay-a-way worked, which I corrected her 2x about. It was a corporate purchase not personal, not that I needed lay-a-way.

Linda excused herself for her error, and directed me to the main sales area. I was told that there was a form that I could fill out to create a corporate account. I mentioned that I was going to put down a third of the price and the rest in 30 days if that was possible. I was assured it was, which I expected. I proceeded to fill out the form that I was given as Linda went to arrange my delivery date for 2 days later, though the next day was available.

Another woman, I forget her name, came over when I had the form nearly done when I asked why it had no place for my corporate name. Well surprise it was because Linda had given me a form for a personal account. I was given the proper account form, which I filled out except for my corporate ID number, which I don’t have memorized. I was told it was no problem, it would take a day or 2 to process anyway and I could call later in the day or the next day to provide the number from my office.

At this point Linda is back, letting me know the delivery would arrive the day my application would be approved. She also casually dropped the fact, 3x, that I would need to deposit 20% for the corporate account. I reminded her, politely each time that I was placing a third down as I had originally mentioned. She then ran my corporate card, asked me if I was authorized on this account (I had mentioned several times at this point I was the owner/President of the company), I reminded her that it was my name on the card and showed her my ID again, then she ran it thru as a lay-a-way. After correcting her mistake I left, somewhat annoyed.

If you think that I was upset by her persistent implication, I felt, that I could not afford the office furniture, and that I was not an owner of a corporation, wait til you hear the rest.

Continued in part 2...

Labels: African American, Binghamton, furniture store, New York State, Olum's