Thoughts at large

**Zacha341** · November-29-17, 06:24 AM

Joyful days ahead -- at the behest of the all mighty dollar.

Originally Posted by jcole

Do you think ISPs are going to allow people to cut the cord from their cable TV? That's the problem with ISPs also being Cable providers.

**Bong-Man** · December-02-17, 01:12 PM

Man, talk about the windows 10 update from hell !

**Zacha341** · December-03-17, 08:01 AM

Yeah. The Apple iOS updates are starting to be hellish too! Apps and products that worked the day before suddenly not supported. Good times.

**Zacha341** · December-03-17, 08:04 AM

How's about the the new iPhone X, $1,000 version? I hear some are not happy with the smaller format. I review all electronics I purchase so the smaller size would not have been a surprise.

Too expensive for my taste anyway. I dispensed with all the drama and just updated to the far cheaper SE version. I am ok with the smaller phone format and lack of bad 'surprises' the X version has.

Anyone have the new Iphone X?

**Honky Tonk** · December-04-17, 12:48 AM

Originally Posted by Zacha341

How's about the the new iPhone X, $1,000 version? I hear some are not happy with the smaller format. I review all electronics I purchase so the smaller size would not have been a surprise.

Too expensive for my taste anyway. I dispensed with all the drama and just updated to the far cheaper SE version. I am ok with the smaller phone format and lack of bad 'surprises' the X version has.

Anyone have the new Iphone X?

No I-sis phones for me, thank you. There's nothing I do that justifies me spending a grand on a cell phone, I-sis phone, Android, or Windows.

**Zacha341** · December-04-17, 03:32 AM

^^^ Ah shucks HT. Get with it, be in style -- you'll be cool and hip. Influence people - gain more friends. Hah.

No, I paid well under $200 for my iPhone version new [[SE 2017 model) and I plan on keeping it as long as possible.

I only change out mobile phones every three years. No hype!

**Bigb23** · December-09-17, 04:53 PM

I did -

# 23 on my bucket list. Rode shotgun in a Smart for Two.

#24 Not a slow soft kiss from Angelina Jolie. [[Waiting, a long time?)

#25 A HUD inspection this [[Tuesday in my apartment- Fuck.)

**Bigb23** · December-09-17, 05:15 PM

Originally Posted by Bong-Man

Man, talk about the windows 10 update from hell !

Creators suite.

Yeah- it crashed my Win 10 computer when I tried to do a previous Win 10 OS. Thanks for nothing, you piece of crap billionaire lurking in a billion dollar house.

No- I'm not pissed- I'm horrified .

**Jimaz** · December-13-17, 04:09 PM

In Minecraft you often find pigs roaming the woods. Normally you just ignore them. I used some fencing to make a pen, lured a pig into it with a carrot and closed the gate. I have a pig pen!

I went fishing. Normally you catch fish but sometimes you catch junk. I caught a saddle.

So I have a pig and a saddle. What am I supposed to do with that? Oh.

Attachment 34725

Good thing I did that in a pen because I had no way to steer it. The pig just goes where it wants.

Next I need to put a carrot on a fishing pole. You're supposed to be able to steer this thing around with that.

Oh, and I named the pig Lupita after the pig in The Milagro Beanfield War.

**Jimaz** · December-16-17, 10:56 PM

Guiding Lupita home with a carrot on a stick [[from the rider's point of view):

Attachment 34746

**Bigb23** · December-17-17, 08:34 AM

Just doing some YouTube and stop me if I'm wrong, but ABBA was a great group with long legged Swedish women doing popular rock.

If you see me with the window rolled down singing along with "Dancing Queen"or "SOS" or "Take a Chance on me" -------

Don't shoot me. Just a one finger salute, and a nod will do.

**Bong-Man** · December-20-17, 02:23 PM

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/new...ent/108777094/

It's about damn time ! It's only been 6 - 8 years....depending where you're counting from. A 6-0 vote from a Republican controlled court shows how hard-headed Snyder is willing to be towards the teacher's unions.

"Snyder said Wednesday he was “pleased that taxpayers will have resolution” to a long-running dispute over the 2010 law signed by his predecessor, former Gov. Jennifer Granholm, a Democrat. The law was in effect from July 2010 until September 2012, when Snyder signed a replacement version upheld by the Supreme Court that year."

What a moron....she may have signed it, but you're the one who singled out Public School employees for an additional 5 years. Your reward from me will be to take the money and spend it out of state.

**Zacha341** · December-21-17, 06:48 AM

^^^ Yeah, this has been long awaited for teachers across the state.

The moneys to be refunded will be from the moneys held in escrow by the way. Some comments to the varied articles are stated that this is but another money grab ala our taxes from the 'greedy', nine-month-working teachers.

On the other hand I wonder what the interest amounts will be. And how will that be funded.

**Honky Tonk** · December-21-17, 10:42 AM

Originally Posted by Zacha341

^^^ Yeah, this has been long awaited for teachers across the state.

The moneys to be refunded will be from the moneys held in escrow by the way. Some comments to the varied articles are stated that this is but another money grab ala our taxes from the 'greedy', nine-month-working teachers.

On the other hand I wonder what the interest amounts will be. And how will that be funded.

If indeed, it had been sitting in escrow, I'm pretty sure it's been accumulating interest the whole time.

**Bong-Man** · December-21-17, 03:32 PM

^ ^

@ .76% interest rate.

**Zacha341** · December-22-17, 06:35 AM

^^^ Hmm, how'd you get that figure bong-man? That'd be great if interest was paid as well. The figures and time frames keep changing. Initially, per what I've been reading and seeing on the news the refund spanned 2010-12, today it's thru 2013 to be paid by the districts late January!

**Zacha341** · December-22-17, 06:36 AM

How's about that!

Originally Posted by Honky Tonk

If indeed, it had been sitting in escrow, I'm pretty sure it's been accumulating interest the whole time.

**Bong-Man** · December-22-17, 07:29 AM

Originally Posted by Zacha341

^^^ Hmm, how'd you get that figure bong-man? That'd be great if interest was paid as well. The figures and time frames keep changing. Initially, per what I've been reading and seeing on the news the refund spanned 2010-12, today it's thru 2013 to be paid by the districts late January!

The figure came from one of the News/Free Press articles. That's some consolation, but when you consider that money would/could have been deferred to the stock market thru my 403[[b) for retirement, not much. Since I'm already retired, I'm going to guess the State is going to give us the option of deferring that money to their only investment option, VOYA. Another option is to use that money for yet another retiree trip to Colorado, and send it up in smoke in Mr. Snyder's honor.

**Honky Tonk** · December-22-17, 07:41 AM

Originally Posted by Bong-Man

The figure came from one of the News/Free Press articles. That's some consolation, but when you consider that money would/could have been deferred to the stock market thru my 403[[b) for retirement, not much. Since I'm already retired, I'm going to guess the State is going to give us the option of deferring that money to their only investment option, VOYA. Another option is to use that money for yet another retiree trip to Colorado, and send it up in smoke in Mr. Snyder's honor.

Do you think there might be a problem with that bong, man?

**Bong-Man** · December-22-17, 07:47 AM

Originally Posted by Honky Tonk

Do you think there might be a problem with that bong, man?

Only if I try to carry it down a ski slope under my parka, but they've got some special cookies and candy for that.

**Honky Tonk** · December-22-17, 07:59 AM

Originally Posted by Bong-Man

Only if I try to carry it down a ski slope under my parka, but they've got some special cookies and candy for that.

Where do you ski out there, Bong-Man?

**oladub** · December-23-17, 09:29 AM

When I was a teenager, I read Thorstein Veblen's book 'Theory of the Leisure Class" chronicling ways the rich differentiated themselves with conspicuous consumption. This BBC article is an update claiming that the rich are headed in a new direction to differentiate themselves with "inconspicuous consumption" heavily emphasizing "education, healthcare and retirement has a notable impact on consumers’ quality of life, and also on the future life chances of the next generation". They have always done the latter but "Inconspicuous consumption – whether breastfeeding or education – is a means to a better quality of life and improved social mobility for one’s own children, whereas conspicuous consumption is merely an end in itself – simply ostentation."

http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/201...l-their-wealth

**Bigb23** · January-01-18, 10:54 AM

What am I'm missing here -

I'm stuck in sub zero temperatures with a dead battery Jeep, while a little town in Thailand has 80% white non- Asian foot traffic.

I love scooters as much as the nextguy. But I really want to go there.

But is this the retirement for people liike me ?

**Bigb23** · January-01-18, 11:00 AM

What am I'm missing here -

I'm stuck in sub zero temperatures with a dead Jeep, while a little town in Thailand has 80% non- Asian foot traffic. Retirement?

I love scooters as much as the next guy. But I really want to go there.

But is this the retirement for peoplelike me ?