Busch Gardens Tampa and SeaWorld Orlando stop just short of $80 admission

Banks are looking at that ratio very strictly these days when they approve a loan, which is not at all surprising.

That's good to know. For both of the houses I've bought, we came up with home price that at then-current rates would have worked out to a bit less than 28%, but both times the bank was willing to lend us *much* more than that, with no penalty on the rate. We had a hard enough go as it was the first few years with the payment that we thought we could afford; I can't imagine what it would have been like if we had gone as big as the bank would have let us.

And its interesting Jeff, because society where I live has turned having nice things like; fancy cars, lots of jewelry, brand name clothing (not like thats a new one), big houses and top of the line electronics and have set these materialistic items as the social norm for acceptance. Its almost seems as if you are not on the same page, you are seen as deviant or an outsider, or at least I'm finding this in adolescence to young adulthood. This is not the case for every person don't get me wrong but it is a growing trend.

Some of my favorite research in the past few years has been on Native American culture ,and even more astonishing, Native American religion. Now I see you chose the word "Indian" in you reply. That strikes me in an odd way. Is that word still politically correct in your time and place? Here I think the word is almost seen as racist or prejudice. I'm just curious and no pun intended.

Native americans do hold a very high value and respect for the earth, natural resources and family traditions and beliefs. They take there values and pass them down through the generations, and I am not surprised one bit to here word from you, a guy that is hundreds of miles away from me, speak of the values they hold. Its quite remarkable really, to read evidence of Native American morals and standards.

I think I've gone off topic a bit here, but I still see a ton relevance to the values cultures hold and how they choose to use there money, or dispose of it. You don't see many "Indians" goning out and buying new cars or having leases on a Toyota Prius. Such a cute little car.

Lord Gonchar said:

Pete said:
Sorry, but riding roller coasters or watching animals for one day just is not worth that much.

And that's what it all comes down to.

Not how much you make, not how much you have, not how much you spent for something else...

Is $80 worth it to you for a visit to Busch Gardens or Sea World?

We're all going to answer differently.

But the bottom line is that it is worth it to enough people to keep the parks not only in business but full of people and thriving as a vacation spot and tourist destination.

To show just how subjective it is, there are smaller parks that charge half as much that I haven't been back to because these bigger parks at twice the price are the better value for me and more in line with the price/experience ratio I'm after. The $80 park holds value for me while the $40 one doesn't.

Probably the most subjective topic we get on around here is pricing. But it all comes back to the fact that people keep going - to both the $40 parks and the $80 parks.

Do I feel $80 is out of line for a day at the park? Nope. I've done a lot less and paid a lot more to do it.

That's all true and believe me I have opted out of going to parks because they weren't worth it before but if you were a park and your park value is worth a certain precent than you need to mak money somehow off of that. You can't build something you don't have all the funds for and not make a profit in some way off of it. Than again in the case of disney although their park(s) values are above many of the other parks that are around the same price for one day, It can't really charge what it is worth because there are certain limits. I think that all amusement parks have to stay in a certain limit or else the amount of people coming will fall alot and you can't have (in most cases) a place that only rich $$$ people can go. Disney however makes up the smaller price for bigger value by getting it's large attendence. so it all levels out for them. Plus I think Busch Gardens is worth it.

CoasterDiscern said:
...Some of my favorite research in the past few years has been on Native American culture ,and even more astonishing, Native American religion. Now I see you chose the word "Indian" in you reply. That strikes me in an odd way. Is that word still politically correct in your time and place? Here I think the word is almost seen as racist or prejudice. I'm just curious and no pun intended....

It's absolutely politically, socially, and ethically correct when you are talking about the Indians that Jeff is talking about. Read through Jeff's comments a little more closely, especially the part where he talks about his Indian co-workers talking about the changes happening "back home, as India's middle class grows larger." :)

(and for what it's worth, most of the Native Americans I've associated with not only do not claim to object, but actually tended to associate themselves with the term, "Indian". But then, most of that was nearly 20 years ago, so things may have changed again...)

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

At one point, banks used a rule of 28/36 when looking at consumer loans. Housing debt (including principal/interest/insurance/taxes) couldn't exceed 28% of monthly gross income and total debt payments couldn't exceed 36% of monthly gross income. For certain parts of the country banks moved away from that rule because housing prices were just too high for it to work for many people. And banks often moved away from it for just about all areas of the country. Now I understand they have moved back to the old rule (and even requiring meaningful downpayments--novel concept :) ).

For me, the rule of 28/36 always seemed like too much debt when looking at things like retirment savings, college savings, etc. Banks don't really care how much money you save for retirement or for kids college costs. They also don't care if you ever take a vacation. But a lot of folks got caught up in the idea that just because a bank would lend them the money that it was a good idea to borrow it.

Should I have said "people who live next door to Pakistan?" Really? If naming the country wasn't enough, I would think the parts about a growing middle class and the implied notion that they work in the software industry would have at least sketched an obvious picture.

CoasterDiscern said:
Some of my favorite research in the past few years has been on Native American culture ,and even more astonishing, Native American religion. Now I see you chose the word "Indian" in you reply. That strikes me in an odd way. Is that word still politically correct in your time and place? Here I think the word is almost seen as racist or prejudice. I'm just curious and no pun intended.

Wow... if someone is a Native American than that's what they are. It isn't prejudice or racist it is just that they happen to be Native American. It is more descriptive than anything else. If someone from France came up in a conversation then most people will not leave out the deatil, when describing the person, that they are French. There is no prejudice there. If i was in Asia and I get to know someone there and they are talking to their friends about me then they wouldn't leave out the detail that I asm American and on vacation there. come on Idiot there is no prejudice there at all it is just what you are

Wow. Calling someone an idiot for not understanding someone's post when you yourself don't understand the aforementioned idiot's post. Genius. Couldn't make this stuff up. Thanks.

I find posts from both of these guys nearly unreadable...for different reasons.

Where's that Like button again?

As they say nowadays, +1 to kpjb. :)

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

I honestly dont even know what to say, its like there is no point getting involved in a conversation almost. Thats okay, I'll take the abuse. ;)

Okay, CoasterDiscern, here's the thing. You see, you were talking about Nati -- oh, never mind. Carry on. :)

Do we have to explain that Native Americans were called Indians because that's where settlers thought they landed, India?

Um......Vator could you be more specific?

well lets see, I just got off the phone with my Native American friend here in London and asked him what he thought about being referred to as an Indian, and he said that in a lot of ways and a lot of places here in London its offensive because people use the word as a way of being rude. This is leading back to why I asked you the question in the first place, I wasn't being rude, I wasn't trying to ask dumb questions, I was simply asking how the word is viewed in you area. WOW! Now that where comparing apples and oranges I should call him back and ask him to call his relatives while I'm at it.

I'm part Indian (the Native kind, not the ones next to Pakistan), and I don't care either way. Neither does any of my family, some of whom happen to live on *Indian reservations in Spokane.

*still banging head on keyboard*

I dont know then, I honestly never hear anyone use the word Indian when they refer to a Native American. Thats just my take, take it for what its worth.

Heres a good question! How come every single piece of government issued documentation that asks an individual to release information on their ethnic background here is Canada, asks the person if they are either Aboriginal or Native American? I have never once seen the word Indian.

Just to smooth things out a bit, and not seem like such a pessimist, I'm really going to take a close look at my budgeting this spring and see If I have the money for admission prices. I am a student and money is hard to come by, which sucks BTW. Money will be a big deal for me this year.

I guess I should have posted this at the beginning and left it at that. ;)

*Wiping sweat from forehead*