handiacefailure

 I"m thinking of cutting the cord with Direct.   I can get all the network channels in fine with an HD antenna I just place in my condo window.   And with the live tv channels I also get subchannels direct doesn't have like Antena tv.   And the writers strike and no new shows is making the decision easier, about the only network TV I watch anymore is the local news.

I have Netflix and Amazon Prime.   I have Hulu and Peacock for free with the AmEx $20 streaming credit benefit and I get Paramount Plus also courtesy of AmEx with the free walmart plus benefit.   So I have all three networks covered for streaming when the strike finally ends.

About the only thing I'll miss is the DVR but I can do catch up on the streaming services, I just have to sit through commercials since I have the basic service for all my streaming.

My samsung tv also has a bunch of free built in streaming channels.

1 hour ago, Luv2play said:

I bought my first Japanese car in 1975. Their quality and prices were super competitive. It was a Nissan 280Z. I kept that car until 1991 and I sold it to a kid who promptly wrapped it around a fence post.

Later the Koreans came on the scene and the Asian producers expanded into larger sedans, SUVs and trucks. My longest lasting car is one I still have, a 2000 Mercedes. 130,000 miles on her and will probably outlast me.

I bought a used Camry my final year in college and was nervous because it had 70K miles   I was told that was barely breaking the car in and I kept it for five years and had almost 140K miles on it when I traded it in.   Only issue I had was the brake cylindar and there was some kind of recall on it so the dealershp was able to get it pushed through on the recall.

I made the mistake of buying a dodge omni one time because I was in a financial situation and wanted to save money.   Worse mistake ever.   That car was always breaking down.   

1 hour ago, augustus said:

A very deceptive chart.  Why is the trend from 1990-2005 supposed to be the Rule, while the flattening out after that is supposed to be the deviation that needs correcting with a 40% pay rise?  What is the trend from 1940, 1950, 1960, 1970, etc.?  Are the profit-sharing checks or enhanced benefits taken in account? (No). 

Good point.   Just their 100% paid insurance and pension and retiree health insurance is a huge part of their compensation but I don't think a lot of the autoworkers realize how expensive those benefits are.   

13 hours ago, BSR said:

I'm not sure of the specifics,  but I think the unionized car companies are handcuffed, i.e., previous contracts legally prevent them from simply picking up & moving to right-to-work states.  Any Michigan labor lawyers on the forum?

If they aren[t under a contract right now they may be able to move.   Not sure if any contracts in place have agreements requiring plants to remain in a state through a certain date or not.   

Even if they move to a right to work state, if it's a former big three plant they would stiill have to use union labor and be under the UAW's contract.   

Might make sense to move out of Michigan though for other reasons like lower taxes (especially if they can get tax abatements), utilities, needing new plants because the old one are obsolete, etc.   

My dad managed a grocery store that he retired from that was a regional chain.   

The employees weren't paid as good as autoworkers but had company paid family health care and didn't have to pay any of the premiums and did get a pension and the pay rate back in the 90s was around $17 an hour for a cashier which is decent money in this part of the country back then and is more than what most Walmart cashiers make now.

Chain folded a couple years after my dad retired and he saw the writing on the wall.   Walmart came into the area and the union workers insisted on big raises and didn't want to pay any of their health insurance premiums when their contract was up and my dad said Walmart would put them out of their business since it was hard to compete with their lower prices and he was right.   

He always had a saying when places went on strike "pigs get fat and hogs get slaughtered"   The domestic car industry has a lot of competition now that didn't exist in the 70s.

On 9/6/2023 at 11:55 AM, Charlie said:

He used to advertise under another name, but I don't remember what it was. I suspect that he has shaved a few years off his age.

I remember those pics but he didn't mention kink.   And I think he's shaved more than a few years off his age.

was thinking of hiring him in a couple weeks when I'm in Chicago since he is into a cople fetishes I am.   But no reviews and he looks a little older than 34

17 hours ago, pubic_assistance said:

The US can't produce a decent product for a decent price any more.

They should have all been allowed to go bankrupt bank in the early 2000's.

 

That's why I stick with Toyotas.   Never an issue with them like with my domestic cars, and the Camry is built in the US and has more US parts than any of the former big three.   

They should have allowed Chrysler to fold since they were the smallest of the three and we don't need three automakers in the US.

They should have at least been required to pay back all the money the government fronted them as well as the bondholders.   

I think their profit sharing should be paid out in half stock and they should be forced to hold it for a year minimum before being allowed to sell it.   Would give some incentive to help make a profitable car.  

On 9/15/2023 at 1:10 AM, augustus said:

The UAW's demands are beyond the pale of reason, without a doubt.  Just move out of Michigan and be done with it.  $75k for a Dodge Ram minimum. Absolutely ridiculous!  The UAW workers are notorious for being entitled.

I agree.   They are already making a lot more than most people with just a high school diploma make plus they pay nothing for health care and have a great retirement plan.   

I get their complaints about some exec salaries, but those salaries are based on profitability and they also have to have a decent profit to entice shareholders and give them a decent dividend if they want to sell their stock.   People don't buy stocks to keep the workers happy.

Wonder if the big three can hire permanent replacements since there is no contract?    I'm sure plenty of people would be glad to work for $32 an hour with those benefits or even a lot less.   

I'm surprised the big three aren't doing what GM did during the last strike and just stop paying the strikers insurance     

20 hours ago, augustus said:

Michigan has been bleeding jobs for years because of these unions.  $33 an hour for HS diplomas just in wages is not bad in a state with low real estate costs.  It's best that these companies leave this state.  There are more problems to come, like no electricity as they want to shut down the nuclear plants in Michigan and have already shut down one.  Move to a right to work state.  

I do understand the complaining about the temporary employees.

asking for a 40% pay raise on a $32 an hour position is absurd considering they get nice profit sharing checks, don't have to pay for health insurance and a company pension and retiree health care.  I'd love to not have to pay into a 401K and have retiree health insurance and had been able to have retired after 30 years.   My main retirement concern is health care costs.   I would gladly work for $32 an hour if I had those benefits and especially making time and half or double time and not having to pay for college 

I really liked Any Day Now with Alan Cumming   Based on a true story.   I thought he was great in the part   Really sad movie though

Something else my hygentist recommended is using the Waterpik before brushing.   Forget her reasoning

will definitely cause a trickle down effect since suppliers will end up being laid off as well, and a lot of them aren't well paid auto workers who would have a big safety net so they'll be spending less and UAW workers will certainly be spending less only having $500 a week strike pay and if the autoworkers stop paying their insurance, all that will be eaten up right there (not sure if the strike fund pays their coba or not or if they are under a union funded plan how that works).   

Totally get them pissed off about not making the temp workers permanent hires at the same rate.   But I don't think the big three will give a forty percent pay raise

Could be good news for toyota though.   Their camry alone sells more cars than all of Chrysler passenger vehicles combined.   You know the increased wages will be passed down to the consumer, making imports seem even more attractive if they don'thave to raise their prices  

I like mine and my hygentist said to put listerine in the water.   I was also told it wasn't a substitue for flossing and to still floss.

Strictly legit and they have some female employees.   Not sure about massages but they have females that do facials.

I haven't been there in a few years but they use to accept spa finder gift cards and you can buy $100 cards for $80 at costco to save a little money

6 hours ago, robear said:

I can't speak for his husband, but I suspect he's monitoring business accounts Bryan maintained simply to communicate the sad news as broadly as possible.  Bryan might have used the RMs (Men and Massage) as well as other accounts to communicate with clients.

Good point  He should have froze the account but maybe he didn't know how.   I see his ad is down anyway. 

I just found out he died because a mutual facebook friend of ours who knows him posted it (only met him one time when he was a guest at my friends party).

Really weird thing is though he is showing up as last being online today on Rentmen, so someone has access to his account.   Why wouldn't they just delete it?

I loved Beautiful Thing and they are makinga musical out of this fall in the west end.   Hope it makes it broadway   

On 5/5/2023 at 5:00 AM, samhexum said:

Try gayforit.eu

Uploading for free, and anytime you want to download from them, just upload pretty much anything and you get 24 hours of downloads for free.  You can also only view HD videos if you've uploaded something (doesn't have to be HD).

I like that site.   If you upload do you get to watch HD content for free for 24 hours?   A lot of the videos are HD and whenever I click on them it says I’ve reached my 24 hour limit and never allows me to watch them in the US.  Overseers isn’t an issue.   I just hate the search function on that site but maybe it works better for paid members

Any recent meets?   I think he’s hot and into a lot of the things I’m into but his rate is kind of high.  $400.   Usually $300 is my max for someone that isn’t a well know porn star.  

When I moved into my current condo my old condo was on the market fort a while and State Farm insured it with no issues.  They just insured the structure with no contents.

I refuse to bb with a provider or anyone for that matter.  Just takes one time   and its not just HIV   good friend of mine got anal warts and that wasnt fun

I wire a couple times a month for our company and they have a series of questions you have to answer and one if anyone contact you on the internet or if you were promised funds if you execute the wire.

The branch manager said he has had people answer yes and they encourage the people not to send the wire but a couple people have insisted

If someone is offering you a lot of money and demanding you wire the fee, wouldn't common sense tell them they'd take the fee out of the settlement  

On 8/23/2023 at 7:57 AM, FrankR said:

I have gotten calls from banks, the IRS and Amazon - all scams.  My standard advice to friends, clients and my parents: don’t talk to anyone that calls you or email you. Dead stop. Call the number on the back of your card or the number on your statement. Have them do a proper authentication before you discuss any details.

The IRS will never contact you by phone.   It's always via snail mail.

And never wire money to anyone.   A wire is non reversable.  

Surprised Netflix didn't send me an email suggesting this.

Watched it this afternoon.   Great movie.   Had a tearjerker ending

Remdinded me of a gay asian version of the movie "Ghost"    Anybody who likes Ghost will prrobably like this.