Houston hot. And Houston humid.
Yesterday stayed overcast most of the day, so it was less miserable out than it could have been. Still pretty gross.
It was nice to get wet from the power washer. Which I did. For a couple of hours. During which it rained. But hey, I was already wet, and I decided when I first moved to Houston that if you were going to be doing work outside in Houston, you were going to get rained on.
So I finished off my outdoor work. Still have to keep up appearances, even during a global pandemic. Zombies would be easier…
Today I’ve got some pickups to do, mostly household stuff. That should keep me out and about for a while.
And then if I get time, I’ll either do some work at my secondary location, or in the garage. No rest for the wicked.
Gotta keep stacking.
n
I guess I am doing better than most. I could live on SS and nothing else. I would not do a lot of extra activities. A major event would put me under the bus though. It helps being debt free.
They are not like us. People in the projects and the slum neighborhoods have an entire different set of values, thug values. Comes from living on the public dole, single parent families, father could be any of 5 men, no ambition, generally lazy, mostly uneducated.
“A lot of people haven’t saved sufficiently and are headed towards bleak retirements, depending solely on Social Security.”
I guess I am doing better than most. I could live on SS and nothing else. I would not do a lot of extra activities. A major event would put me under the bus though. It helps being debt free.
Most people here accept responsibility for their personal financial situations and futures. A lot of Americans don’t anymore.
The public employee unions in particular are expecting grand retirements, regardless of what it costs everyone else. Look at the cop in the George Floyd case — a $200k condo in Tiger Woods old stomping grounds in Florida?!? Do you think he was the only one?
Tyler Durden cowardice, but the writer is either clueless about why Robinhood pulled access to the tracking data or this is deliberate propaganda to protect the interests of the big firms who buy the trades and pay the bills at the company who ordered the data flows cut off.
God forbid the sheeple get wise and stop lining up to be sheared. Hertz will come back!
https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/days-tracking-robinhood-data-are-now-officially-over
Most get that retirement after only working 20 years. Imagine starting at 25 years old, by 45 retire on about 90% of the average salary for the last 5 years plus full health insurance. Yes, being in law enforcement is stressful, but only work for 20 years? Good grief.
I can’t help but wonder if there was some under the table money from Vito Linguini and his cousins.
Many are living on the public dole and complaining they don’t get enough. One lady I know, “married”* four times, four kids by four different fathers, living on welfare, complaining that welfare was going to limit her “family” to no more than 6 ER visits in a month and only 20 prescriptions per month. She complained that she would not be able to survive under such conditions.
Of course her current “husband”* worked, not married, so not included in her income. He would move out 1 month out of the year so they could qualify for benefits. She filed income tax as head of household and would get several thousands from the IRS having paid nothing in income tax. Food stamp debit card, rent assistance, utility assistance, etc. Her water bill was over $250.00 a month (included sewer) all paid by taxpayers. Electric bill was also sky high as she bragged about keeping the A/C set on 69f during the summer, all paid by taxpayers. Everyone had expensive cell phones to a cost of over $450.00 a month, owned a travel trailer, a fishing boat, wave runner, and an expensive pickup truck.
Yet continued to complain it was not enough and she deserved more. It was becoming impossible to survive on what she was being given. She was entitled to live like someone with a $150K job because she deserved it.
For many staying unemployed provides more income than working, so why work? Yet they think they are entitled to more.
True. I know of many people that missing one paycheck would put them under the bus. Almost nothing in savings, credit cards close to max, a minor car repair is a major problem. Missing two paychecks places them in a position of declaring bankruptcy.
Yet these same people seem to find money to take week long beach vacations at a rented condo. They seem to be able to afford newer model vehicles. Eat out many nights of the week, spend money on lots of booze, have the newest iPhone and Apple Watch and $10 a day on smoking.
They are not like us.
*Never really married, just lived together. Husband was leaching off her benefits until she would throw them out.
Many are living on the public dole and complaining they don’t get enough. One lady I know, “married”* four times, four kids by four different fathers, living on welfare, complaining that welfare was going to limit her “family” to no more than 6 ER visits in a month and only 20 prescriptions per month. She complained that she would not be able to survive under such conditions.
Selling the pills was the real income in that house.
Before I forget — the big VA in Austin is planning a phased reopening starting in a week. Your VA might be planning something similar. The specialists are screaming bloody murder, of course, most of them having been on paid leave since March.
Most get that retirement after only working 20 years. Imagine starting at 25 years old, by 45 retire on about 90% of the average salary for the last 5 years plus full health insurance. Yes, being in law enforcement is stressful, but only work for 20 years? Good grief.
I don’t begrudge a cop a nice retirement with benefits and toys like an RV, bass rig, or whatever else of Jerry Pournelle’s “goods of fortune in moderation” that he felt defined the middle class, but the kind of retirement the cop in the Floyd case had planned was out of reach for all but very wealthy Americans.
More Tyler Durden cowardice. When we visited last year, the focus of keeping things decent in Chicago seemed to be the bridge where Michigan Ave. crossed the river, everything else being secondary in decreasing priority the further we traveled away from the bridge.
I’m guessing the writer works for the Trib. The paper left its landmark building 4-5 years ago, but the new location in Prudential Plaza, despite being in the “safe” radius of the bridge, still places the staff in a precarious commute situation through the train station beneath the office complex on the south side of the river.
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/chicago-raises-bridges-prevent-gun-toting-looters-getting-downtown
Literally raising the drawbridges to keep the invaders out….
n
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8611143/Another-night-violence-Looting-breaks-Chicagos-Magnificent-Mile.html
n
I’m a little behind on all the posts. On Friday you guys were talking about “This Old House” on PBS. A little over a year ago my sister and her husband were in talks with the TOH people. My sister’s house is exactly what they would love to tackle. It’s an old New England home built in 1692 with a name and a Wikipedia page. The last major updates were several decades ago and it could use a little TLC.
They could never reach an agreement. My sister didn’t want to spend more than $200,000 to $300,000 (reasonable with house prices in the area, what they paid for it, and their budget). TOH didn’t want to touch it for less than $500,000 and was really pushing for $1,000,000 (I’m not exaggerating). I remember when This Old House used to be a budget restoration show for regular folks. My parents watched it to get ideas for fixing up a single room.
On other aspects in my life. I didn’t get my day in court last Thursday on the restraining order. The woman I have the RO against pulled some shenanigans claiming she couldn’t do it by phone (as is the process in COVID world) so there will have to be an in-person hearing. I get to where a suit, a tie, and a mask. Luckily this didn’t delay things too much; the hearing is tomorrow. I just want this to end!
Around here a cop’s retirement is a percentage of their average pay their last 3 years on the force. It came to light that officers nearing retirement were heavily favored for overtime, so for many of them their pensions are larger than what their full time active duty pay was. So, for example, they retire at 75% pay based on their last 3 years, but because of OT their last three years were paid at like 150% of what their standard base pay would be. Horseshit.
Literally raising the drawbridges to keep the invaders out….
Still a socialist mayor — she didn’t have the bridges raised until a lot of damage had been done north of the river, probably as a message.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8611809/Simon-Malls-considering-turning-ailing-Sears-JC-Penney-stores-Amazon-fulfillment-centers.html
The ongoing retail apocalypse….
n
@JLP, don’t dress up too much. The only people in the courtroom in a suit are the lawyers.
Ask your lawyer what would be appropriate for that particular court. You want to look respectful of the process and court, but you don’t want to look ‘rich’ or too successful, or you’ll look like a good target.
n
FEMA’s summary of the earthquake that hit Barbara–
n
–added– I don’t recall earthquakes being on Bob’s list of local hazards
I remember when This Old House used to be a budget restoration show for regular folks.
As I’ve noted before, there is a reason that the current host of the show, Kevin O’Connor, is a former VP at Fleet Bank.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8611809/Simon-Malls-considering-turning-ailing-Sears-JC-Penney-stores-Amazon-fulfillment-centers.html
The ongoing retail apocalypse….
Sears Holdings missed a serious opportunity 20 years ago to convert pieces of their real estate into data centers. Most of the stores had serious comm and backup power capability as well as excellent locations. Advantis wasn’t too far in the distant past circa 2000, and the IBM employees connected to the venture were only handed off to AT&T in 1999.
Simon is smart to jump on the JC Penney stores before, like the building prominent in “Back to the Future”, they get converted into gyms, movie theaters, etc. Any Penney’s still standing built before ~ 15-20 years ago has infrastructure for catalog order fulfillment even if the capability has been ignored.
Amazon did convert portions of a few Sears stores in FL into Whole Foods as an experiment, but Sears Holdings limited the sites, holding out hope that they could leverage the real estate into a Berkshire-Hathaway type capital growth machine and turn the stores around as a sideline once they weren’t necessary as cash cows. I remember Cramer peddling that crack smoking fantasy on his show.
There are days that I’m surprised that Cramer, his buddy/college roommate Elliot Spitzer, and their former boss at Goldman Sachs John Corzine haven’t all been fitted for 20 years of orange suits, but that’s crony capitalism, Dem style.
Republican crony capitalists seem to end up in prison more often, like Kenny Boy.
More Tyler Durden cowardice. When we visited last year, the focus of keeping things decent in Chicago seemed to be the bridge where Michigan Ave. crossed the river, everything else being secondary in decreasing priority the further we traveled away from the bridge.
I’m guessing the writer works for the Trib. The paper left its landmark building 4-5 years ago, but the new location in Prudential Plaza, despite being in the “safe” radius of the bridge, still places the staff in a precarious commute situation through the train station beneath the office complex on the south side of the river.
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/chicago-raises-bridges-prevent-gun-toting-looters-getting-downtown
Wow, one of the comments:
“IT’S LIKE THE VIETNAM BOAT LIFT OUT OF IL
UHAUL 26′ TRUCK CHICAGO TO AUSTIN TX $4,147.00
UHAUL 26′ TRUCK AUSTIN TX TO CHICAGO… $828.00”
People are obviously leaving Chicago. More signs of people getting smarter:
“Mayor Lightfoot Pleads With Walmart, Other Retailers To Not Abandon Chicago”
https://wbbm780.radio.com/articles/mayor-lightfoot-pleads-with-walmart-to-not-abandon-chicago
My sister-in-law moved to a Chicago suburb last January when she got promoted to VP of special projects. Her company has a large campus in the Chicago suburb with several office buildings. She told me that it is perfectly safe, much safer than Houston. She even told me that when she becomes CEO of her Fortune 500 company, she is planning on moving the business to downtown Chicago because that is where her Millennial employees want to live. I decided to shut my mouth as she obviously knows more than me.
Sears Holdings missed a serious opportunity 20 years ago to convert pieces of their real estate into data centers. Most of the stores had serious comm and backup power capability as well as excellent locations.
Sears missed many opportunities. The largest miss was the conversion of the famous Sears catalog to a massive sales website. They would have cornered the buy at home in your jammies market that Amazon built.
Even the catalog desks were inconveniently located in the stores. Many were not even located in the air conditioning, back at the loading dock for the store.
Guns/Ammo/Storage Food/Silver
In a hardly comprehensive trip around the ‘net, I find Glock 17 gubs available for ~$600, 9mm out of stock, 223 for $1.35 a round, 22LR at 15.5 cents/round, .45ACP unavailable, 1 year freeze dried food supply $7500 pre-order (almost double pre WuHoo price), American Eagles at $9.50 premium over spot pre-order, 1 type of Maple Leaf oz @ ~$36, $7 over spot premium, deliverable.
Just sayin’.
Just used the nifty search tool, and found this one mention of earthquakes by RBT
Read a lot of good posts from the past during the search. I mentioned earthquakes more than anyone else…. which makes sense coming from Cali I guess. I probably mention hurricanes more than anyone too.
n
@ nightraker,
were those G17s actually orderable? Did you limit results to ‘in stock’?
223/556 was $0.40/rd a week ago if you could find it (there were a couple of sellers with 556, no 223 that I could find, and last week limits were 3 boxes of 20! at some of the big retailers.)
Some just went by in a couple of local auctions, it went for more than I was willing to pay….
There were some decent prices in this auction– https://www.proxibid.com/Lewis-Maese-Auction-Company/Gun-Auction/event-catalog/182852
There were some crazy high prices too. Revolvers went for FAR more than I thought.
n
@nick
G17s from GunBroker.com sorted Low/High and “Buy It Now”. Seemed to be Gen2 from a pawn shop.
LuckyGunner.com ammo prices, emergency essentials for the food, and JMBullion for silver. I admit, hardly comprehensive, just reputable sites.
@Nick “don’t dress up too much”
My lawyer told me to wear a tie, nice shirt, nice slacks. I’ll wear a blazer, too. That can always be taken off. I have to look respectable. I hope this will be the beginning of the end of this ordeal.
Of course, a lot of her stuff is still in the house and she has made no overtures about getting it out. If I prevail tomorrow, she will have no choice but to get it out quick. If she prevails she may try to prolong the process. Well, that’s why I have a lawyer, to advise me and write the appropriate letter saying “get you stuff out now”.
The chap that caused my accident, he was DUI, on drugs, first showing in court his hair was long, unshaved, clothes unkept. He had no attorney. The judge informed him to get an attorney and return at a later date.
When he returned with his lawyer the cretin looked totally different. Nice clothes, clean shaven, nice hair cut. Radical difference. Obviously on the advice of his lawyer.
His lawyer was good, got the case moved from traffic court to criminal court where his prior DUI convictions, and the pending DUI charges, could not be admitted in court. Criminal court looked upon it as his first offense. Really ticked me off. I was not allowed to speak even being the victim. I was not the plaintiff, the district attorney was the plaintiff. I was considered a spectator and was informed to keep my mouth shut.
My sister-in-law moved to a Chicago suburb last January when she got promoted to VP of special projects. Her company has a large campus in the Chicago suburb with several office buildings. She told me that it is perfectly safe, much safer than Houston. She even told me that when she becomes CEO of her Fortune 500 company, she is planning on moving the business to downtown Chicago because that is where her Millennial employees want to live. I decided to shut my mouth as she obviously knows more than me.
The Trib is looking for an out on the lease for their space in Prudential Plaza. Maybe your sister-in-law could negotiate a deal with them, possibly swapping for the offices in the suburbs.
Millennials tend to be heavily subsidized by parents. The ones I work with seem very detached from the true cost of things, particularly their political choices.
I’ve written before that I work with one Millenial who went to what is possibly the single most expensive engineering school in the country, but because the student loans were cosigned by the parents, who make most of the payment, this individual feels no compulsion to get a better job than one of our support group positions. Bernie voter, of course. “It isn’t fair that my dad has to pay all that debt for my school.”
No. No it isn’t.
I have no idea if my lawyer is good or not. He was recommended by someone I trust and has good reviews on the various sites that review lawyers. What else can I go by? I have no experience at all with such things.
Having the person removed from my house removes the immediate source of abusive behavior, but the legal process itself feels somewhat abusive (psychologically and financially). I want this to be done with. Whatever happens, happens.
Currently at Spring Lake RV park northeast of Crossville TN for the next 4 nights. Take the trailer out once a month to a new location. Commercial RV park but really nice. Not packed in like sardines, trailer back to a large pond, nicely mowed grass, level spots (packed gravel), water, sewer, electricity, cable TV, internet. $38.00 a night which is about normal for an RV park.
Dumped buckets of rain on the way here and had to slow to 40 mph on the i-state. Currently clear until later this afternoon. Have DVD’s, movies on the iPad so should be OK. Nice to get away from it all.
Don’t the majority of people in the USA have IRAs and/or 401Ks ?
Uh, no.
I talked with my accountant this morning and she agreed with you. She thinks that about 25% of the people in the USA have an IRA and/or a 401K. That is sad and not good.
My dad had profit sharing in his business from 1975 to 1990. A lot of his employees had well over a hundred thousand dollars each in that plan when he shut it down and distributed the proceeds. That was when a hundred thousand dollars was worth something.
We have had a Simple IRA in our current business since 1995. If my employees have not signed up then I go have a talk with them. I do a dollar for dollar match up to 3% of salary, that is a 100% return on their invested money on day one. And 100% vesting on day one into their own Fidelity account with no recourse at all.
https://www.fidelity.com/retirement-ira/small-business/simple-ira/overview
and
https://www.irs.gov/retirement-plans/plan-sponsor/simple-ira-plan
The Trib is looking for an out on the lease for their space in Prudential Plaza. Maybe your sister-in-law could negotiate a deal with them, possibly swapping for the offices in the suburbs.
She has 15,000 employees in Chicago alone. Fortune 500 company. Their campus is several million square feet. Gonna need several buildings downtown. Or the old Sears Tower (now Willis Tower).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willis_Tower
The public employee unions in particular are expecting grand retirements
Most get that retirement after only working 20 years. Imagine starting at 25 years old, by 45 retire on about 90% of the average salary for the last 5 years plus full health insurance. Yes, being in law enforcement is stressful, but only work for 20 years? Good grief.
One of my employee’s son-in-law was a Houston city cop. He started at age 20 or 21. When he was 49 in 2005 ???, they moved him to 3rd ward in Houston on the graveyard shift (a very bad area at night). He had 15 and 12 year old sons that he wanted to spend time with. He told the Captain no freaking way. The Captain said your new job starts tonight. He immediately went to HR and filed for retirement. He took his retirement pay at 90% since he had been on the job for 28 years. Houston has the 25 year rule at 90% for police and firefighters.
“Children with disabilities are regressing. How much is distance learning to blame?”
https://www.chron.com/news/article/Children-with-disabilities-are-regressing-How-15470234.php?cmpid=hpctp
“The 6-year-old is deaf, blind in one eye and has cognitive delays, heart issues and other physical difficulties that are part of CHARGE syndrome, a disorder caused by a gene mutation. At her Bay Area elementary school, she had a one-on-one aide. At home she has three siblings and two parents trying desperately to offer some semblance of education.”
““I don’t feel comfortable doing this,” Simon Tan said of trying to follow the directions of her professional therapists and teachers through a computer. “If somebody asked me just from a standpoint of — are the special education services sufficient? The answer is blatantly no, in no way are they sufficient.””
This is a freaking disaster. Children with cognitive issues need one on one help.
She has 15,000 employees in Chicago alone. Fortune 500 company. Their campus is several million square feet. Gonna need several buildings downtown. Or the old Sears Tower (now Willis Tower).
As CEO, she’ll get a negotiated relo package, of course, like the AT&T execs did for the brain dead decision to consolidate in Downtown Dallas from San Antonio and other distant locations in the country.
This is a freaking disaster. Children with cognitive issues need one on one help.
The teachers unions want a bye year with pay.
“Democrat-Chicago Riots: “Black Lives Matter” Communist Goons Loot Tesla Dealership, Apple Store, Nordstrom, Walgreens, Macy’s, Coach, Gucci and Louis Vuitton Using U-Haul Vans”
https://www.foxnews.com/us/chicago-looting-videos
Vans ? Vans ? Well, that was planned well.
Looks like it was successful so it will happen again.
Hat tip to:
https://thelibertydaily.com/
She has 15,000 employees in Chicago alone. Fortune 500 company. Their campus is several million square feet. Gonna need several buildings downtown. Or the old Sears Tower (now Willis Tower).
As CEO, she’ll get a negotiated relo package, of course, like the AT&T execs did for the brain dead decision to consolidate in Downtown Dallas from San Antonio and other distant locations in the country.
She ain’t CEO yet. She does have a company penthouse apartment that looks out over lake Michigan. She is VP of Special Projects and must fix a serious problem that they have in order to be the next CEO.
“Metro Nashville Council Member Wants People Not Wearing a Mask to Be Charged with Murder or Attempted Murder”
https://tennesseestar.com/2020/08/09/metro-nashville-council-member-wants-people-not-wearing-a-mask-to-be-charged-with-murder-or-attempted-murder/
What the heck on going on in all of the cities ? Is every city above a quarter million people a liberal stronghold ?
Hat tip to:
https://thelibertydaily.com/
This is a freaking disaster. Children with cognitive issues need one on one help.
The teachers unions want a bye year with pay.
Yup, they want to treated like federal employees. My friend’s IRS auditor son has been “working” from home since March. Since he is a field auditor who cannot go out in the field (auditing farmers in their farms is dangerous ?), he does not have much to do.
BC: Waking Up With a T-Rex
https://www.gocomics.com/bc/2020/08/10
Maybe the T-Rex will become the rooster ?
Yup, they want to treated like federal employees. My friend’s IRS auditor son has been “working” from home since March. Since he is a field auditor who cannot go out in the field (auditing farmers in their farms is dangerous ?), he does not have much to do.
My wife is non-stop on tele-visits with patients from 8 AM until 6-7 PM in the evening. She’s actually looking forward to being back in the VA clinic within the next few weeks since it will be a fixed schedule.
It still beats private practice. The figure we heard at her old employer is a 40% haircut, and at her old salary, I was effectively subsidizing the practice of medicine again in the last six months or so she was there. I can’t imagine losing another 40%
OTOH, most of the VA specialists have effectively been on paid leave since April since most of them cannot do consults over a phone or video link.
My lawyer told me to wear a tie, nice shirt, nice slacks. I’ll wear a blazer, too. That can always be taken off. I have to look respectable. I hope this will be the beginning of the end of this ordeal.
Of course, a lot of her stuff is still in the house and she has made no overtures about getting it out. If I prevail tomorrow, she will have no choice but to get it out quick. If she prevails she may try to prolong the process. Well, that’s why I have a lawyer, to advise me and write the appropriate letter saying “get you stuff out now”.
Please tell me that you have video of the beating she gave you !
Very generous. Anyone who hasn’t taken that deal is probably living paycheck-to-paycheck.
We have had a Simple IRA in our current business since 1995. If my employees have not signed up then I go have a talk with them. I do a dollar for dollar match up to 3% of salary, that is a 100% return on their invested money on day one. And 100% vesting on day one into their own Fidelity account with no recourse at all.
Very generous. Anyone who hasn’t taken that deal is probably living paycheck-to-paycheck.
I had to argue with one of my Ph.D. Chemical Engineers about signing up. He does not believe in IRAs and did not believe that I would do the 100% match. It took me eight years to get him to sign up. He voted for Hillary in 2016 …
Both of the earthquakes I felt in Big Spring Texas in the 1970s/80s, the local paper or radio reported that although Colorado measured them, they were too small to be recorded for posterity as they were “below 5.0” in magnitude. In the pre-personal computer days, 2s 3s & 4s were just considered nuisances apparently.
You have to hope that one lesson learned is “how to dress” to be taken seriously. Long long ago when I was very very young, I worked for a lawyer. We would tell people to “dress for church” and have them meet at the office before court. Sometimes women would show up for court in sequined halter dresses. It was sad, really… people just didn’t know how to dress. My boss’s wife would often bring clothes out of his closet for male clients to wear.
Gee, seems to me an offer to have up to 3% match going into an IRA is an easy choice. I’d put in 4%.
$40 out of each $1000 is a problem? Might drink Miller High Life at $21 for a 30 pack instead of the $8+ a six pack flavors. But that’s me.
I had to argue with one of my Ph.D. Chemical Engineers about signing up. He does not believe in IRAs and did not believe that I would do the 100% match. It took me eight years to get him to sign up. He voted for Hillary in 2016 …
What’s his retirement plan, then?
The Millenials at work are distrustful of the high deductible healthcare option with the HSA required. They either take the PPO with the higher premium or the HMO with a restricted set of doctors and penalties for “out of network” services that the company offers at no cost.
The Dems have done a good job of vilifying HSAs.
The ADA reasonable accommodation should have set a limit. We can quibble what it is, but there should have been a limit. 2X the cost of a regular student. Accommodations costs of no more than US median household income. Something.
My last job was a match of 100% up to 6% of my salary. Money put into TIAA-CREF, my choice of investments within TIAA. It served me well over the 13 years. Was not able to join until I had been employed for one year.
That guy that was living paycheck to paycheck, always hounded by creditors, never did put the money in as he well past his eyeballs in debt. Losing that 6%, in exchange for money later on, was not something he could tolerate.
Only problem with TIAA-CREF is that the money has to be taken out over a period of 10 years. I started the process for 2019 and it will be 2029 before I have all the money out. Currently money is in fixed income at a guaranteed 3% interest, compounded daily. Of course I have to pay tax on the money, grrrr.
Welfare.
That is what my mother chose. A small retirement from the phone company was not nearly enough to live. She lived in public housing, a small one bedroom apartment. More than adequate for a single person. I think she paid $100.00 a month for rent, $14.00 a month for electricity, water was included. In Victorville CA where daytime highs regularly exceed 100 f. Real electric bill was probably $300.00 a month.
@Jenny
Your local restaurant dust-up story made Lew Rockwell:
https://www.lewrockwell.com/political-theatre/pushback-is-real-and-heating-up-in-alaska/
No. Not even in Cali. Kevin McCarthy is my congressman.
I had to argue with one of my Ph.D. Chemical Engineers about signing up. He does not believe in IRAs and did not believe that I would do the 100% match. It took me eight years to get him to sign up. He voted for Hillary in 2016 …
What’s his retirement plan, then?
The Millenials at work are distrustful of the high deductible healthcare option with the HSA required. They either take the PPO with the higher premium or the HMO with a restricted set of doctors and penalties for “out of network” services that the company offers at no cost.
The Dems have done a good job of vilifying HSAs.
No, he lives very simply. He drives a 20 year old Nission Sentra to and from work. His wife drives a 12 year old Kia Sorrento. They live in a paid off house. They save a lot of their money.
He was raised in a Minnesota log cabin way out in the sticks. Their only heat was firewood which he and his dad and brothers cut all summer long. No air conditioning. His dad was a dentist in the Army. He is incredibly liberal. He wants Medicare for All ™, Basic Income, free college, etc, etc, etc.
“This is a freaking disaster. Children with cognitive issues need one on one help. ”
— while I’m sympathetic to the parents, there is no way I want that kid in a ‘normal’ classroom. And there is no reason for the kid to be in a normal classroom. Each kid like that sucks at least $100K/year out of the school district JUST for the full time aide. The special buses and all the rest just add more cost, and the benefit is extremely marginal.
After 12 years of that, what is the outcome? Meanwhile, that $100K could half the class size for all the other kids, who are going to graduate with a 12 year education, hopefully ready to take their place in society. What happens in those classrooms where those kids and ones with less severe issues are ‘mainstreamed’ is that the rest of the class suffers from reduced teacher time and increased distraction, and sometimes physical abuse. My buddy had a kid in his classroom who would run around trying to BITE the other students (high school) until he got tired and went to sleep at his desk with his book bag over his head. That kid got NOTHING out of the class, and the other students’ learning was diminished. Because he had a diagnosis, he was untouchable.
If we accept that teaching kids with issues like that kid in the story is a desirable thing, then teach them in a way that maximizes the value they receive, while minimizing impacts on the other students. Resources are not unlimited.
n
@nightraker,
my local buddy’s store has zero ARs available for online ordering (and it’s really just a portal to an online fulfillment deal). He has almost zero stock in the store, except for consignments. When he gets ammo it goes out the door before it even hits the floor to whichever of his repeat customers is in the store, or whoever asks while they’re standing there.
G17s were selling for $450 not too long ago, and decent ARs were $550-650. M&P Shields were selling for $250.
I think gunbroker is everyone emptying their safes after stocking up during previous panics. I did use their pricing to guide my bids in that auction, and I think I did pretty well, considering current retail, if it’s available.
I’d like to have sold my very expensive safe queen and replaced it with 6 mid-price rifles, but if I sell it now, there aren’t any mid-price to be had… Freaking AKs are bringing $850-950.
n
Where’s the best place to learn about gubs (handgubs)? Where to purchase (locally, mail order, friends that might live out of state)? What price range? What type of handgub?
Assume that the person is a total noob – well, he’s used one at a friend’s shooting range. And that it is for possible self-defense, and maybe some use at a local gub club.
Asking for a friend that lives in Washington state.
The parents got a free babysitter during the day. Free transportation. Free meals. Well, free to them.
Had one of those students in the local high school. Did nothing but sit in his wheelchair all day and slobber on himself, crap in his pants, and disrupt the rest of the class with his screams. His parents were adamant that he deserved an education, to be able socialize with other kids, to be normal.
Nope, never happened. The kid even got a diploma, required two people to push his chair for the graduation ceremony, neither of which were the parents.
At what point do the rights of the other kids in the class to get an education get trumped by someone who disrupts the class a dozen times in an hour? The needs of the one do not outweigh the needs of the many. That child should have been in a special school with others that have disabilities. A school where specially trained people exist to handle special needs.
“Economic prosperity is no longer the priority. Guess what happens next… ”
https://www.sovereignman.com/trends/economic-prosperity-is-no-longer-the-priority-guess-what-happens-next-28526/
“And towards the end of the call, one of our members asked– what do you think the future looks like for the US, and the West in general?”
“Peter went off into one of his classic tirades about how the US dollar is doomed because of how much money the central bank is printing.”
“And while I generally share Peter’s dim view about the dollar (were it not for all the other world currencies that are being printed into oblivion), my answer was a bit different.”
“In deference to the 20th century Danish Proverb– “predictions are hard, especially about the future”– I do think it’s possible to look at major trends to at least have a sense of direction.”
The dollar is not dead long term but it is being severely devalued. Like all other currencies in the world except the Swiss Franc.
That child should have been in a special school with others that have disabilities. A school where specially trained people exist to handle special needs.
Didn’t we used to have those special schools ? The wife has a cousin who is brain damaged (108 F fever at age one) and blind. She went to a live-in state blind school in Austin, TX until she was 35 when they shut the school down. She is now 55 and lives with her 80 ??? year old mom in Humble. The wife talks with them on the phone weekly.
@fred, in normal times, I’d recommend a local gun store with an attached range. They almost always have classes ranging from “so you bought a gun” to “advanced carbine operator” levels, and often have rental guns available to try out on the range.
These aren’t normal times though. Guns (since I’m talking generically and not anything searchable with my name attached) are in high demand and short supply, with higher prices than just a short while ago, even when they are available.
Which gun to buy is a perennial question. My answer is “one you can shoot well”. For some people that might be a small .22, 32, or other pocket pistol. For some it will be a revolver. For others it will be a “full frame” monster of a semi-auto…..
Does the friend want something to carry concealed? It’s a lot easier to carry a small or mid-sized relatively flat semi-auto than a revolver with a 6″ barrel. Ruger LC9, or Smith and Wesson M&P Shield in 9mm, or Glock G42 (380) or G43 (9mm), are all good reasonably priced well respected concealed carry semi-auto pistols. Smaller pistols are harder to shoot accurately than somewhat bigger pistols, but are more than acceptable at short ‘defensive’ ranges.
If the friend has age or infirmity issues with his/her hands, the mechanics of running a semi-auto pistol might be difficult, and they’d be better served with a small revolver, especially if concealment is less of an issue. The classic ‘nightstand’ gun is a mid sized revolver in 38 special.
Will your friend be willing to put in the practice with their pistol to master chambering a round, or taking off a safety? If not, a revolver is a good choice, or a “striker fired” semi-auto like the glock, Shield, or LC9, or any of a number of other pistols without external safeties would do the trick.
FWIW, I’d be happy with a Glock, G17 (full size 9mm), G19 (slightly smaller 9mm), G43 (compact 9mm), M&P Shield, or glock G42 (380).
They are all straightforward to shoot, reliable and accurate for most people, and between $250 and $650 during normal times.
There are other brands with their own fanbois but I have direct experience with most of the models listed above.
The main thing is, can you shoot it well? Does it fit in your hand? Does it “point” naturally for your hand and wrist? Is the caliber/recoil a good match for your physical ability?(there isn’t any point in shooting something that hurts your hand, or that you can’t pull the trigger well, or that you can’t reload or arm)
While I don’t have any experience with revolvers, they are dirt simple, don’t jam, and are generally as easy to use as a hammer. The Glock style mid sized semi autos give you a few more bullets, and are usually easier to conceal on your person, but take a bit more practice to learn about working the slide, magazine changes, dealing with malfunctions, etc.
To sum it up, if they can find a store with rentals and a range (or a range with rentals) and can try a couple of different styles, sizes, and models of pistol, some will feel much better for them than others. They can safely try a couple under the watchful eye of someone with a bit more experience, or even a store employee. Training to USE the pistol effectively, and training on the legal aspects (concealed carry license class) can come after purchase.
If I had to make only one recommendation, for a conscientious person, with average skills/strength/ hand size, Smith and Wesson M&P Shield in 9mm with or without the external safety option. It’s a solid all around choice. For full size, if concealment isn’t an issue, the hammer of pistols is the Glock G17.
nick
No, he lives very simply. He drives a 20 year old Nission Sentra to and from work. His wife drives a 12 year old Kia Sorrento. They live in a paid off house. They save a lot of their money.
The Kia is a money pit unless they were very lucky. I’ll give him the early 2000s Nissan, but a new Sentra wouldn’t give him that kind of service thanks to liberal insanity about CAFE.
We don’t live high, but we had the Vantucky mistake. I no longer indulge my wife with my savings because I don’t have anything left except for what I’ve put away since finishing grad school. Of course it is amazing how much money we save now that I put my foot down about subsidizing my wife’s patients’ care or employees’ paychecks.
My wife working for the Federal Government has actually improved our financial situation. Sad but true. Even unemployed I subsidized the medical practice pre-VA.
No, he lives very simply. He drives a 20 year old Nission Sentra to and from work. His wife drives a 12 year old Kia Sorrento. They live in a paid off house. They save a lot of their money.
The Kia is a money pit unless they were very lucky. I’ll give him the early 2000s Nissan, but a new Sentra wouldn’t give him that kind of service thanks to liberal insanity about CAFE.
The Kia Sorento has been a fairly good vehicle for them. It is a base model with the four cylinder, does not even have cruise control. They have driven it to Minnesota a couple of times. It had some sort of a fuel tank issue but he got it fixed.
The Nissan Sentra never goes above 55 mph and has 150K miles on it. He had some catalytic converter trouble with it and fixed it by offsetting the O2 sensor. He is much better with his hands than I am. He rebuilds lawn mowers in his spare time for grins since the source lawn mowers are free (side of the road on garbage day).
Yes, we did. But they were considered bad for the students because they were not mainstreamed and exposed to normal students and education.
The parents swore their child is doing so much better in the regular school. I didn’t see it. Would still grunt, scream, slobber and craps his pants. Unless his crap doesn’t smell as bad but what do I know?
The student was constantly disrupting the class, even with an aid. The teacher would have to stop, wait for the student to calm down or otherwise be quiet. Multiple times in a class period. The regular students complained about not learning anything. None wanted to sit next to him because of the crapping events, sometimes involving his hands in the process.
Complaints to the school board were met with the threat of a lawsuit by the parents. The parents did not want to lose the babysitting service. I suspect they knew their child was no different, not improving, but to admit that would damage their entire case.
Anyway, the student got a special diploma. Considered the same as a regular diploma as far as the state was concerned. The student could not speak let alone do anything beyond a six month child’s level.
I originally felt some sympathy for the parents until I realized they were using their child to benefit themselves. The baby sitting in school, the money from the state, special considerations of a lawsuit if the parents did not get their way. The child was merely a tool to get what the parents wanted.
Fred, my advice is even simpler than Nick’s: if obtaining a firearm is a priority now, get whatever you can obtain and for which you can get some ammo. Whether that means cash purchase from a friend-of-a-friend or lucking into something on the shelf at the shop, get what you can find.
I haven’t spent hardly any time in gun shops (or any shops other than groceries and hardware) in months, but what little I saw, the shelves were bare except for some very expensive match rifles and such. Ammo was pretty well gone except for weirdo sizes and birdshot.
That being the case, if you or your friend really need to get something, you can’t be picky.
I have spotted lawnmowers out with the trash. I figure it must be shot beyond repair. But maybe I snag a couple and see what I can do.
Then I have to figure how to sell it. But worse case is that it goes to the scrap metal recycle place and I get a couple of bucks.
+1 on the “rent a gun at the range” idea.
I have a Glock 22 in 40S&W. Fits my hand like they built it just for me. Er, don’t get in front of me, just saying.
But I’m a weirdo and I would like it a lot more if it had more of a safety than the trigger. Because I’m the kind of idiot that tries to grab a dropped Cuisinart blade before it hits the floor. Did you know the bone at the end of your index finger is textured? Not smooth like a chicken bone.
I have an oldish .22 revolver. The grip is small, yeah, my little finger sticks out like someone holding a tea cup. It works well for raccoons in the live trap, snakes in the chicken coop, and the random beer can. You have to cock the hammer for each shot. The safety blocks the hammer from the firing pin. It seems to be about as safe as a gun can be.
And then there is, well, never mind. 🙂
I have spotted lawnmowers out with the trash. I figure it must be shot beyond repair. But maybe I snag a couple and see what I can do.
Oil change and/or air filter. Most people don’t bother. My father-in-law had four mowers in his garage when he died, including a very nice key start Honda. Never changed the oil. My brother-in-law has that Honda now, running perfectly.
Spark plug is another possibility, but the mower goes into the trash before the plug goes bad most of the time. Plug changes are so God-awful on a lot of machinery anymore that the manufacturers make much better electrodes which last unless the mower burns a *lot* of oil.
Sears going away is a huge problem for DIY mower repair. Home Depot/Lowes don’t cut it as far as stocking the most common mower spark plugs and air filters. Points and other ignition assembly pieces? Yeah, right.
The only time I’ll give/throw away a mower is when the self-propelled mechanism fries. I’ve destroyed two over the years cutting St. Augustine, and the replacements are always the cost of a new mower.
Oh, and a new blade. Don’t mess around with sharpening the old one. If they hauled the mower out to the trash because of an air filter or missing oil, you never know what they may have run over with that blade juuuuust right.
While I don’t have any experience with revolvers, they are dirt simple, don’t jam, and are generally as easy to use as a hammer. The Glock style mid sized semi autos give you a few more bullets, and are usually easier to conceal on your person, but take a bit more practice to learn about working the slide, magazine changes, dealing with malfunctions, etc.
I have moved to revolvers from semi-automatics. My dadgum wrists hurt too much to properly fire a semi-automatic due to the need to hold them extra-tight to get a proper reload. My awesomely accurate XDM .40 caliber jams on me about every 20 to 30 rounds nowadays. I scored a 250 out of 250 in the Texas Concealed Carry Class with the XDM.
I now carry a plain jane S&W .357 Bodyguard model 360 with .38 +P hollow point rounds in it. Only five rounds but, if it was good enough for Johnny Carson then it is good enough for me.
https://www.smith-wesson.com/firearms/model-360-pd
I keep a number of other loaded revolvers and carbines at the house and my office. Just too many varmints running around nowadays.
Bad gas, or clogged up carb is the most common problem I see IRL and when I watch the repair vids on youtube. For small 2 strokes, it’s air cleaners totally caked over.
Air, fuel, spark. That’s what a pro race driver told me once when I was complaining about small engines. He got his start in carts….
n
Major 100mph straight-line wind event in the Midwest. Following I-80 east like a lawn mower from about Omaha to Des Moines, Quad Cities, and Chicago. Weather report said it could keep going for 10-15 hours. 400,000 people without power. Corn futures may be different tomorrow.
I have a Whites brand self propelled. Heavy cast aluminum deck, single handle for height…. handy to level a fie ant bed.
The alcohol gas messed it up. I didn’t know better and took it to a shop. Lying bastards. They pulled the heads because of? Decided the crank was bent, laid the head back on, no bolting it back on or anything, or calling me ever, and parked it out in the weather.
Nice folks. Threatened to call the cops when I called them a group of thieving morons.
I’ve since learned to check the gas tank for fuel, check the plug, then drop the carb bowl and clean out the trash. So far it’s always been trash in the carb.
Or the rubber seals. $25 makes it new again. So longs as Sears stays around.
I’ve heard that the Swiss Central Bank has a huge portfolio of FANG stocks as the bulk of their reserves.
IMHO, the dollar has value only as long as the Saudis accept nothing else for their oil. If that royal family is put out of power or some other events incentivize ’em to accept yuan or euros, Katy Bar the Door.
As it is, I expect the ’70s to be looked upon nostalgically when inflation takes off.
Per the discussion of deadbeats and welfare queens:
No Payment, No Problem: Bizarre New World of Consumer Debt
https://wolfstreet.com/2020/08/07/no-payment-no-problem-bizarre-new-world-of-consumer-debt/
“So longs as Sears stays around. ”
— the useful and valuable parts of Sears will be salvaged. The outlets are already being run by the logistics company that used to provide them with shipping and warehouse.
The iconic brands live on at other stores.
SearsPartsDirect probably hasn’t been Sears in a while, although that’s just a guess. They will likely continue in any case.
n
@nightraker, WOW, that is some financial shenanigans right there… that’s gonna come due at some point, and then the whole thing will explode.
n
Lots of scary stuff in that article.
Ally Financial, formerly known as GMAC, has 21% of their customers in deferral. Yeah, I think that will be a problem in a little bit…
IMHO, the dollar has value only as long as the Saudis accept nothing else for their oil. If that royal family is put out of power or some other events incentivize ’em to accept yuan or euros, Katy Bar the Door.
No other government entity wants to run the kind of trade deficits which would be necessary at this time to knock off the dollar as the world’s reserve currency.
China playing catchup to put that much Yuan into circulation would throw millions of people out of work.
Lots of scary stuff in that article.
Ally Financial, formerly known as GMAC, has 21% of their customers in deferral. Yeah, I think that will be a problem in a little bit…
Ally is the shotgun wedding of GMAC and Chrysler Finance with the Fed providing the dowry to make the whole thing palatable to the groom’s extended family — GM’s unions.
The last time I looked, the Fed still owned 85% of the paper at Ally even though the car companies were turned loose.
Either way, Ally doesn’t want the GM product back. The Ram trucks and Dodge cars may have some resale value, but that part of Fiat has an uncertain future. Contrary to popular belief, the manufacturers are only beholden to provide parts through the end of the warranty. The often quoted “10 years” is a myth.
@nick @ITGuy1998
Repo, foreclosures, evictions, bankruptcy, bank failure galore. If, a big assumption, the wheels stay on till after the election that SHTF will be 2021 at the latest.
There was another article (that I can’t find right now) that pointed to paid down credit card balances in somewhat contradiction. And the big banks have apparently reduced credit lines and accounts to some 60 MILLION credit card holders.
“Memorandum on Deferring Payroll Tax Obligations in Light of the Ongoing COVID-19 Disaster”
https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/memorandum-deferring-payroll-tax-obligations-light-ongoing-covid-19-disaster/
“On March 13, 2020, I determined that the COVID-19 pandemic is of sufficient severity and magnitude to warrant an emergency declaration under section 501(b) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. 5121-5207, and that is still the case today. American workers have been particularly hard hit by this ongoing disaster. While the Department of the Treasury has already undertaken historic efforts to alleviate the hardships of our citizens, it is clear that further temporary relief is necessary to support working Americans during these challenging times. To that end, today I am directing the Secretary of the Treasury to use his authority to defer certain payroll tax obligations with respect to the American workers most in need. This modest, targeted action will put money directly in the pockets of American workers and generate additional incentives for work and employment, right when the money is needed most.”
“(a) The deferral shall be made available with respect to any employee the amount of whose wages or compensation, as applicable, payable during any bi-weekly pay period generally is less than $4,000, calculated on a pre-tax basis, or the equivalent amount with respect to other pay periods.”
“Sec. 4. Tax Forgiveness. The Secretary of the Treasury shall explore avenues, including legislation, to eliminate the obligation to pay the taxes deferred pursuant to the implementation of this memorandum.”
Wow, this may be legal ! That act gives the President enormous authority.
I won’t be doing this in my business. The word is deferred, not forgiven. I, and the other officers in the corporation, are personally responsible to the USA for the payment of all taxes due by the corporation. So if the corporation does not collect the payroll taxes from the employee, and remit those collected taxes to the USA, then the corporation becomes responsible for the payroll taxes. If the corporation cannot pay the payroll taxes, then the officers of the corporation become personally liable for the payroll taxes. Seen that, saw the guy get the t-shirt. The very expensive t-shirt.
https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2020-08-10/trumps-move-to-defer-payroll-taxes-may-not-guarantee-bigger-paychecks
Lots of scary stuff in that article.
Ally Financial, formerly known as GMAC, has 21% of their customers in deferral. Yeah, I think that will be a problem in a little bit…
Ally is the shotgun wedding of GMAC and Chrysler Finance with the Fed providing the dowry to make the whole thing palatable to the groom’s extended family — GM’s unions.
The last time I looked, the Fed still owned 85% of the paper at Ally even though the car companies were turned loose.
Either way, Ally doesn’t want the GM product back. The Ram trucks and Dodge cars may have some resale value, but that part of Fiat has an uncertain future. Contrary to popular belief, the manufacturers are only beholden to provide parts through the end of the warranty. The often quoted “10 years” is a myth.
Gonna be a lot of GM and Dodge trucks on the market soon for pennies on the dollar. I’ve seen this movie before, it was not pretty. People would default on the high priced object as they bought the same object at a way lower price from somebody else.
In other words, houses in 1986 in Houston, Texas. People would assume the payments on the nicer house across the street and walk away from their house. And so many people did it that the paperwork got lost in the shuffle. And lenders went belly up at the end of the day and the cleanup crews for their offices threw all the paperwork in the dump.
@nick, would this solve your garden issues ? “A Free Solution For Raised Bed Gardens”
https://www.theorganicprepper.com/a-free-solution-for-raised-bed-gardens/
“Surely there is some inexpensive way to establish a viable garden?”
“There is. I’m here to tell you about an excellent free resource for raised bed gardening which nearly everyone ignores because of a powerful but incorrect urban myth about the dangers. I refer to gardening in tires. Yes, tires. Car tires, truck tires, tractor tires…you name it. And, these can be used tires!”
That’s a neat solution.
I’ve already got raised beds though.
I’m looking at adding some more tubs to do something similar in my driveway as it gets better light than almost anywhere and it’s inside my fence. Part of the problem is probably the raised bed soil, some is the heat. Raised bed soil can get hotter than soil in the ground. Even weeds won’t grow in some of my soil…
n
BTW, there is hope for the US Postal Service. I got some mail last week that had been sent out the first week of July, only a month late. At least they did not throw it into a ditch. But the news in the newspaper was fairly old.
“Siege to” and “Occupy” the White House Next Month”
https://www.theorganicprepper.com/whitehousesiege-occupy/
“The group that takes credit for the Occupy Wall Street movement of 2011 has a new and even more outrageous plan in mind. They intend to “occupy” the White House.”
Time to get your popcorn ready, September 17th, 2020 may be interesting.
Hat tip to:
https://thelibertydaily.com/
Now I see this, “Secret Service shoot armed gunman near White House, rush President away from news conference”
https://noqreport.com/2020/08/10/secret-service-shoot-armed-gunman-near-white-house-rush-president-away-from-news-conference/
I watched the video, the SS agent entered, got his attention, said something in his ear, he said “huh” and walked out with the agent. No “rushing” at all.
Watched the gun wielding nutter get shot too. just walking along with the gun down at his side. Then bang. and he’s laying on the ground. then the other protective service cops handcuff him.
n
“The group that takes credit for the Occupy Wall Street movement of 2011 has a new and even more outrageous plan in mind. They intend to “occupy” the White House.”
A random miscellany:
Could Terrorists Really Take Over the White House?
10 Security Measures Used For The White House
Does the White House Have a Secret Laser Defense? (Updated)
Methinks the videos of any “occupy” mischief-making will merely become visuals for Trump’s reelection ads.
@DrWilliams, here are some pics of the wind, thanks for the heads up!
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8613303/Powerful-derecho-leaves-path-devastation-Midwest.html
n
added- no matter where you are, there are reasons to prep…