Cellphone terrors

[Timothy]

Spent another day avoiding European motor vehicles again in Boston!  All set for a few months I hope!

Is it a requirement that Audi, BMW, Porsche, and Mercedes drivers be brain dead or just coincidental?

Update:  I cannot forget the douche bags driving the Infinity, Lexus and other assorted Japanese crap..my bad!

[tombogan03884]

Bitch all you want.
But don't forget, unlike Ford the "Japanese crap" is American made.

[Timothy]

Thanks, I appreciate your permission to bitch!

[PegLeg45]

Bitch all you want.
But don't forget, unlike Ford the "Japanese crap" is American made.

Yep.

My current truck is the first Japanese vehicle I've ever owned. It was built in San Antonio, TX.
I've been a GM man my whole life and other than my first car that was gifted to me, GM vehicles are all I ever owned until 2019.
I do still have my 2003 Silverado that I bought new and it's rolling along at over 240k miles. It does need new rear gears but that's about it. It was built in in GM's Louisiana plant.
My last GM truck was a 2013 Chevy Silverado Z71 crew-cab. It was built in Mexico. At 120k miles the engine took a dump while were on vacation camping 180 miles from home. After some research, I found the main reason for the engine problem was due to an issue or two that GM had known about since they changed designs on the 5.3 in 2007 but refused to issue recalls (because of the overwhelming cost to correct the issue in so many vehicles....but they took the gubmint check though).

All I can say is until GM stops using that silly-assed AFM crap in the valve-train to try and save a mile per gallon, I'll never buy a gas GM truck again. If I wanted a 4 cylinder truck instead of a V8, I'd buy one.

Back on topic, Like BillT, our new truck is synced to our phones via blueteeth and connects as soon as it's started up if the blueteeth is turned on on the phone.

[Timothy]

I worked for GM as did my Pop!

Owned three, one new, two used!  Two junk...my ‘64 Impala SS was cool and $125 bucks!

Last one Pop bought was a ‘63 wagon!  From then on, all Ford!

[Sponsor]

[TAB]

I like my 1990 f250.   It has every option, and by today's standard its bare bones

[tombogan03884]

Had an Uncle that swept the floor at the Ford dealership in High School.
He retired as South East Regional Sales Manager for the parts division, MotorCraft ? Delco ? What ever.

Can't do that any more unless your damned lucky.
Read somewhere the average worker changes jobs a dozen times and complete new career at least once.

[Timothy]

My brother held two jobs.  Six years Navy and 37 years at Electric Boat!  I still have a few friends at EB from when I worked there in ‘82.

Damn rare these days for true!

[billt]

Had an Uncle that swept the floor at the Ford dealership in High School.
He retired as South East Regional Sales Manager for the parts division, MotorCraft ? Delco ? What ever.

Can't do that any more unless your damned lucky.
Read somewhere the average worker changes jobs a dozen times and complete new career at least once.

Our generation is the last generation to where long term service with a company was regarded as an asset. Today it is looked at as a financial liability. Long term employees get paid for more vacation time. And usually have more expensive, (read valuable), pension vesting, 401-K, or whatever. They also get paid for more sick days, etc.

So when they weigh it all out, they can hire 2 peons off the street, for what they could one long term employee. They're glad to see you go after 4 or 5 years. Out with the old, in with the new. People have become their most renewable resource, pure and simple. There is no contract to expire. It ends when the door hits you in the ass. The sooner, the better. And healthcare, which used to be a gimme with most ANY full time job, is now becoming a payroll deduction.... If it's even available at all. If it is, most of the low end peons can't afford it, so they just go without it.

We have become a nation of insecure job hoppers as a direct result. No one gives a damn anymore. You see this reflected in product quality and service. Most of the time you're lucky if you call a modern company, and a human being answers the damn phone. All of this stinks on ice, because no one gives a shit about anything or anyone anymore. Right back to hooray for us, and F*#K you.

[Rastus]

Our generation is the last generation to where long term service with a company was regarded as an asset. Today it is looked at as a financial liability. Long term employees get paid for more vacation time. And usually have more expensive, (read valuable), pension vesting, 401-K, or whatever. They also get paid for more sick days, etc.

So when they weigh it all out, they can hire 2 peons off the street, for what they could one long term employee. They're glad to see you go after 4 or 5 years. Out with the old, in with the new. People have become their most renewable resource, pure and simple. There is no contract to expire. It ends when the door hits you in the ass. The sooner, the better. And healthcare, which used to be a gimme with most ANY full time job, is now becoming a payroll deduction.... If it's even available at all. If it is, most of the low end peons can't afford it, so they just go without it.

We have become a nation of insecure job hoppers as a direct result. No one gives a damn anymore. You see this reflected in product quality and service. Most of the time you're lucky if you call a modern company, and a human being answers the damn phone. All of this stinks on ice, because no one gives a shit about anything or anyone anymore. Right back to hooray for us, and F*#K you.

And we can thank the government for most of that.  I remember in the late 90's the gov made a law that company insurance was required to provide psychological services and drug rehab (inc. alcohol).  The total cost on our monthly bill went from ~865 to ~950.  Then when Obamacare came in it jumped from ~1145 a month to ~1925 a month and that increase was immediate a year before it kicked in.  That was for a family of five.  Now for two I'm paying out of pocket $1900 a month with a huge deductible, restricted services, etc. 

There is some culpability to those who had the insurance.  When someone else pays who out there do you know really challenges the charges?  With sick children we were aghast to see $10 charges for a tylenol and $10 for a diaper along with $75 to $100 for the chicken poo water dispenser and plastic cups they "give" you.  We started bringing our own. 

And then there is the greed factor that was enhanced, at least in Louisiana where we lived then, by the government in the 80's.  Under Gov. Edwards last fling in office hospitals were allowed to be for profit.  It had not been that way in that state prior to the change in the law. 

I'll never forget under Reagan when Ed Meese led the charge to define retirement funds as owned by the companies sponsoring them...not the employees.  My Gulf Oil retirement was sucked up by Chevron and instead of getting...or around $800 a month for 10 years of service at age 55 at age 65 it's $212 a month from Chevron.

Write this one down.  Janet Yellen the new Treasury Secretary said the US dollar value should be market based.  Here's the reason, the politicians get to blame the future dollar inflation and collapse on bankers and Wall Street...the Dodd-Frank bill did the same thing. 

And remember this also, Janet's speeches in the last week or so included two things.  Using accounting doublespeak parsed in political terms she confirmed the Biden administrations has thrown in the towel on the debt.  She also confirmed that the debt is going to increase.  So by the end of the year we'll see inflation....perhaps hyper-inflation.  If you hold a loan then you should call it as soon as you can.  If you have cash...well, buy something that will retain value and have some liquidity.  If you are buying a house....do it quick and lock in a 30 year and don't be an idiot and get an adjustable rate loan.  If you currently have an adjustable rate loan dump it for a fixed loan right away.

Despite their best efforts, our economy has not crashed yet and Wall Street is still foolishly hopeful (well, they did support Biden...they are in denial).  The economy will suffer with the weight of new regulations and taxes we are promised.  Not only personal taxes, but corporate taxes will increase and those corporate taxes will be paid by an increased cost on the goods you and I purchase...just like always.  For he new personal taxes, also expect a huge new round of fees.  The leftists are setting up fees on banking and stock transactions.  Every time you cash a check you pay a fee, when you make a deposit you pay an additional fee, when you make a withdrawal you pay a feed and when you buy or sell a share of stock...you pay a fee. 

If you own an AR15 or other "assault weapon" expect to pay a tax just like you would for a silencer, SBR or a machine gun.  Oh yeah, that is in the works too.  And huge tax increases on ammo and guns.

Also, watch for new taxes on 401k's and IRA's.  Those are what is called by the government "qualified funds" so the gov thinks they own that.  I would only put money in a 401K if it had a corresponding match from your employer...otherwise no.  I am hoping the taxes they raise this year are not retroactive for qualified funds (they will be for other things) so I can dispose of the qualified funds I have.  If you have a child with an IRA/401k buying a first time house that there is $10k they can withdraw paying only the tax and not a 10% penalty (Roth excluded) and they should do that this year to get that 30 year fixed rate.

I am hoping this is just normal liberal stupidity but I am afraid it is more than that.  It appears thought through...which would be total communist/totalitarian plans to absolutely crash the economy and cause a crisis.  Government's are toppled during such crisis.  We may lose our Constitution.

There is no firewall.  They have the administration and congress.  The Supreme Court will fold like a cheap deck of cards.  We are entering a time at least as dangerous as WWII for our republic.

Good fortune to you all.....