Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

venture

I got some lumber at Home Depot yesterday. One board needed painted and I was surprised to see this label:

berri

That is surprising. Maybe the tariffs on Canadian wood and sometimes shortage of American wood?

jmonroe1

venture said:

I got some lumber at Home Depot yesterday. One board needed painted and I was surprised to see this label:

Gee, I guess you can make trees in Sweden and get away with it. Here in the US, we have to grow them.

jmonroe

suydam

berri said:

I wouldn't update an iPhone because I'm pretty sure Apple got caught slowing down the phones and/or degrading battery life during an update. Apple's aggressive tactics and pricing means whenever I replace mine, I'm going to switch to a cheaper Android model. I really don't see the big deal about an iPhone and I think Apple has become arrogant. Kids have switched away from Apple and have no regrets, so I don't think it is much of a risk changing. They tell me once I get used to the Android I'll be happy I did while saving money as well.

I have the 6s. I’ve done all the updates without a problem. The slowdowns happen on much older phones when they can’t handle the complexity of the new features. So far not happening with my 6s. Apple got more than 50% of the global market just this year for the first time, so they’re not exactly crying in their beer.

ab348

jmonroe1 said:

It would have been a lot easier with one of these:



FWIW, Son #2 has to replace a piece of his chain link fence due to a hole. I told him I'd help but he has to get a Come-along since I don't have one of these. Probably only one of 5 or 6 tools I don't have.

It must be the season for fence work.

jmonroe

Funny thing, JM, when I couldn't stretch the thing enough with my own brute force I came inside and looked those up online with a thought of running out to buy one. But I couldn't see a way to anchor it to the post in such close quarters. Maybe there is and I just couldn't see it.

Just last week my brother told me a story from years ago about how he, my other brother and my dad adjusted a 2-car garage on its foundation using ropes and pulleys. Dad was an old Navy man and was an experienced rigger there. That made me look up online how to do that and I found a good resource. Was amazed how well it worked and how force got multiplied.

qbrozen

berri said:

I wouldn't update an iPhone because I'm pretty sure Apple got caught slowing down the phones and/or degrading battery life during an update. Apple's aggressive tactics and pricing means whenever I replace mine, I'm going to switch to a cheaper Android model. I really don't see the big deal about an iPhone and I think Apple has become arrogant. Kids have switched away from Apple and have no regrets, so I don't think it is much of a risk changing. They tell me once I get used to the Android I'll be happy I did while saving money as well.

Not really caught. It is easy enough to explain away, as they have, that each new iOS is designed to "take advantage of the newest tech, so if you have an older model the iOS was not designed for, you may see performance issues."

I tried android for my first smartphone, way back in the days before I succumbed to the almighty fruit, and it was incredibly disappointing. After that phone found its demise under a truck tire, I bought a refurbed iphone 3 and have stuck with them since. It is tough to switch once you have all the apps and stuff that you have gotten used to over the years.

stickguy

we got sucked in a few years back to a "free" tablet from Verizon. Some android based one. Hated it when I tried to use it (it was for my wife, I had an ipad). I think it was also likely preloaded with tons of span programs, but I never could figure out how to really make it work. The ipad just works so much better.

though I have the opposite problem using the Mac laptop she has (inherited from our daughter, so pretty old at this point) instead of my windows laptop! She doesn't really like it either, and I think if she had to replace it, would go back to a cheap windows machine.

iluvmysephia1

2017 Nissan Sentra SR turbo 6-speed in Red Alert

suydam

I like the ease of syncing all my apps across all the things I use — laptop, iPad and iPhone.

iluvmysephia1

I discovered a new part yesterday. I want to play my YouTube video favorites on my car stereo for musical enjoyment while cruising. I googled it and found that I needed a part from an electronic store that consisted of a 1/8" wire with connectors on both ends. You connect one end to your Apple or Android device and the other end goes into your car's auxiliary input. I tried it out today - first I got my Motorola moto G4 out and went to YouTube. I pulled up Molly Hatchet live at Hamburg, Germany from 2004. I love that concert so I connected it up and...voila!

YouTube music from my phone is now available whenever I want it while cruising in the 2011 Kia Soul 5-speed stick. Awesome like Foghat in the Seattle Center Coliseum in May of 1978. It was right after they released their Stone Blue album. I have never heard a band play rocking blues like Foghat. Rod "The Bottle" Price's lead and slide guitar remains unrivaled today.

RIP Rod Price
RIP Lonesome Dave Peverett
RIP Craig McGregor

But that was a nice score to get that connector. Also, it appears that the Nissan Connect system lets you through Bluetooth and also MP3 connections stream your own music fairly effortlessly. The Midnight Edition 2017 Sentra SR Turbo in Red Alert has a Bose stereo system. The Nissan Sentra S base model's stereo would probably be weak, though to tell that I'd have to go take it for a test drive. But the Sentra SR Turbo would have with the Midnight Edition a very competent stereo.

It remains my goal to purchase the above vehicle but when that day comes nobody knows. I have two more days off but have a BLS CPR class tomorrow morning, then a meeting at work tomorrow night at 5:30. Tuesday would be the next chance to head west to test drive.

Offer lower than list and talk up the Kia Soul's value. I see Kia Soul sticks with 103-104-105-106,000 miles on them selling for $7998. And KBB and NADA say $3,000 and we owe around $5,000 on our note still.


Rock on.

snakeweasel

stickguy said:

I hate decking that needs to be restained on a regular basis. Something to be said for imitation stuff. Hopefully my next place does not need any decking. Much rather have a patio.

We have a stone patio but there are three steps going down to it that are wood with a small area right at the top. We are ripping that out next spring and putting in stone steps.

bwia

Are you ‘more dumber’ than your smartphone? Thought I'd share this short piece to wit:

"Take what happened on September 6, 2012:

A happy couple meandered through the scenic subarctic hinterlands of Alaska on their way to the Fairbanks International Airport. Although a human was at the wheel, the role of navigator belonged solely to Siri, the iPhone’s virtual assistant. This couple put all confidence in Siri’s ability. When ‘she’ instructed them to turn right, they turned right.

When ‘she’ told them to turn left, they complied. They had so much faith in Siri, in fact, that when her instructions guided them through the airport’s motion-activated security gate and down a mile’s worth of flashing warning lights and a series of signs reading no cars allowed, they drove on, ultimately parking on the airport’s landing field.

A737 careened dangerously close to them but luckily avoided what could quite possibly have been the worst t-boning in the history of man."
Read full article at http://blog.aicpa.org/2018/09/are-you-more-dumber-than-your-smartphone.html#sthash.MXq0FQqU.dpbs

berri

Apple got more than 50% of the global market just this year for the first time, so they’re not exactly crying in their beer.

Gotta be a bit careful here because there are multiple ways to calculate market share. If you dollarize it Apple gets an artificial bump because they tend to sell at higher unit prices. Cell phones are like cars and computers, people buy what they personally prefer. There really isn't necessarily one best brand. The Wall Street Journal and several other publications have noted that Apple has a big concern in China. Ironically, although they make a lot of their stuff over there, they are having sales growth and market share issues. They also have pricing issues in places like India. It will be interesting in this market and Europe to see how the aggressive new pricing works out longer term and whether competitors like Samsung follow suit. At some point in the future Apple may face the same issues as Dell and HP did when computers became essentially commodities. The open nature of Android may assist that trend.

jmonroe1

bwia said:

Are you ‘more dumber’ than your smartphone? Thought I'd share this short piece to wit: "Take what happened on September 6, 2012: A happy couple meandered through the scenic subarctic hinterlands of Alaska on their way to the Fairbanks International Airport. Although a human was at the wheel, the role of navigator belonged solely to Siri, the iPhone’s virtual assistant. This couple put all confidence in Siri’s ability. When ‘she’ instructed them to turn right, they turned right. When ‘she’ told them to turn left, they complied. They had so much faith in Siri, in fact, that when her instructions guided them through the airport’s motion-activated security gate and down a mile’s worth of flashing warning lights and a series of signs reading no cars allowed, they drove on, ultimately parking on the airport’s landing field. A737 careened dangerously close to them but luckily avoided what could quite possibly have been the worst t-boning in the history of man." Read full article at http://blog.aicpa.org/2018/09/are-you-more-dumber-than-your-smartphone.html#sthash.MXq0FQqU.dpbs

That's why you should select a MALE signal caller if given a choice.  

jmonroe

 

dino001

berri said:

Apple got more than 50% of the global market just this year for the first time, so they’re not exactly crying in their beer.

Gotta be a bit careful here because there are multiple ways to calculate market share. If you dollarize it Apple gets an artificial bump because they tend to sell at higher unit prices. Cell phones are like cars and computers, people buy what they personally prefer. There really isn't necessarily one best brand. The Wall Street Journal and several other publications have noted that Apple has a big concern in China. Ironically, although they make a lot of their stuff over there, they are having sales growth and market share issues. They also have pricing issues in places like India. It will be interesting in this market and Europe to see how the aggressive new pricing works out longer term and whether competitors like Samsung follow suit. At some point in the future Apple may face the same issues as Dell and HP did when computers became essentially commodities. The open nature of Android may assist that trend.

Everybody thought Apple's outrageous margins should have folded long time ago. Yet, they're only expanding so far. Comparison to Dell and HP only works to a point. They never had a "walled garden" environment, as Apple does. However, effectively raising the entry level price (dropping SE) may prove devastating to the marketshare in low income countries. But do they really care? Those people wouldn't be buying Apple Music or Cloud, anyway.

berri

Yeah, Apps is a big money maker for Apple. Wonder how the music streaming sites are impacting iTunes business? Seems like a lot of younger people are opting for the cheaper Android phones. That may be a function of them being more comfortable with tech and not caring as much about Apple's iPhone systems relative simplicity. Asia is a big market with a lot of growth potential compared to the western hemisphere, which is why Apple has some concerns there.

abacomike

berri said:

Yeah, Apps is a big money maker for Apple. Wonder how the music streaming sites are impacting iTunes business? Seems like a lot of younger people are opting for the cheaper Android phones. That may be a function of them being more comfortable with tech and not caring as much about Apple's iPhone systems relative simplicity. Asia is a big market with a lot of growth potential compared to the western hemisphere, which is why Apple has some concerns there.

Don’t forget the dependable security system which is a built in feature - hacking an iPhone - especially the newer ones - is virtually unheard of.

dino001

abacomike said:

Don’t forget the dependable security system which is a built in feature - hacking an iPhone - especially the newer ones - is virtually unheard of.

Hackers get in all the time, Apple's marketing team is just better than others make you believe your iPhone is unhackable. The password/fingerprint protection is is just one thing. Hackers can get in much easier when you are on the phone checking your email using Wifi, or doing other things. Don't believe the hype, Mike.

28firefighter

Agree with @dino001 - Apple devices are extremely secure, when they're locked. Their memory is encrypted in such a way that makes it very difficult to break through without a PIN/fingerprint or FaceID (if appropriate). However, much that security goes by the wayside once a device is being used - data can be monitored when using unsecured connections, people can still click phishing links, etc.

iPhone is generally better than Android in the sense that it does have a lot of software isolation built-in that helps save people from themselves in terms of inadvertently installing malware - Apps are limited to what they can see, what they can access etc, and the App Store is heavily regulated.

fintail

iPhones are the Prius/Tesla of the phone world, there, I said it. User-friendly but controlled, very homogeneous, cult-like following.

Androids can be like a Maserati. You can do more, but there can be issues.

28firefighter

I want to be able to like/use Android. But I'm too institutionalized in the iPhone world.

fintail

I don't own any other Apple devices - years ago I had an iPod, that's it - no universe for device integration. I've worked in telecom since I finished school, and have had a number of devices - I had what I think was the first Android device sold here (HTC Dream) and have used Samsung for a long time now. I haven't had any real issues (other than cringing at the prices).

28firefighter

For a long time my employer blocked the Android devices that interested me due to a security exploit. Once that happened I moved into the iPhone world and haven't looked back. Also cringing at the prices, too.

Living in Seattle, we switched to T-Mobile from the Deathstar after device payment plans got messed up and several months of billing. Haven't looked back since - and actually just moved to T-Mobile One Plus plan thanks to my employee discount. I've been most impressed with the selection of devices T-Mobile offers and their willingness to basically let me try whatever I want. One of these days, I'll give a Galaxy device a go.

Mr_Shiftright

I use both Apple and Android-based products. To me, they are tools and I don't care about the story or mythology or back-end technology behind them. I'm all about "bang for the buck". A phone is a phone. It's not a camera, it's not a life enhancement and I have no idea if it's changing the world for better or worse. It's a hand-held information module that delivers by sound or text.

Whoever invented the vise-grip was probably a genius, but I don't have a statue of him at home.

dino001

fintail said:

iPhones are the Prius/Tesla of the phone world, there, I said it. User-friendly but controlled, very homogeneous, cult-like following.

Androids can be like a Maserati. You can do more, but there can be issues.

Maserati? Be real.

Mr_Shiftright

The geeks tell me that in the USA, Android wins the speed tests over IOS usually--but not so in many other countries.

fintail

OK, S65?

Compared to a Model X/iPhone X (hey, what a coincidence), yes. You can do more with it, but might find more quirks.

dino001 said:

Maserati? Be real.

fintail

I remember when everyone wanted to use a Blackberry.

T-Mobile is the way forward around here, I think - coverage is fine and prices are the most competitive. This being the home base, I think they might ensure the service works best. They are also I think the pioneer in device leasing, where you can change your phone a couple times a year if you want.

I've had nearly every variety of Galaxy Note. I have a 9 now, and it is indeed the most advanced with its battery capacity.

28firefighter said:

For a long time my employer blocked the Android devices that interested me due to a security exploit. Once that happened I moved into the iPhone world and haven't looked back. Also cringing at the prices, too.

Living in Seattle, we switched to T-Mobile from the Deathstar after device payment plans got messed up and several months of billing. Haven't looked back since - and actually just moved to T-Mobile One Plus plan thanks to my employee discount. I've been most impressed with the selection of devices T-Mobile offers and their willingness to basically let me try whatever I want. One of these days, I'll give a Galaxy device a go.

fintail

At the beginning of this decade, when I traveled, I lugged around a DSLR, as phone pics could be embarrassing, and I never had good luck with a small camera. For the past several years, I just use my phone, and it works fine, especially for scenic snapshot type stuff. In some ways, phones are cameras. I suspect many who would own a camera don't have one now, just using their phone.

Mr_Shiftright said:

I use both Apple and Android-based products. To me, they are tools and I don't care about the story or mythology or back-end technology behind them. I'm all about "bang for the buck". A phone is a phone. It's not a camera, it's not a life enhancement and I have no idea if it's changing the world for better or worse. It's a hand-held information module that delivers by sound or text.

Whoever invented the vise-grip was probably a genius, but I don't have a statue of him at home.

28firefighter

Our phones are our cameras as this point. We use it for everything because we always have it and the photo quality is outstanding (for our purposes).

28firefighter

fintail said:

I remember when everyone wanted to use a Blackberry.

T-Mobile is the way forward around here, I think - coverage is fine and prices are the most competitive. This being the home base, I think they might ensure the service works best. They are also I think the pioneer in device leasing, where you can change your phone a couple times a year if you want.

I've had nearly every variety of Galaxy Note. I have a 9 now, and it is indeed the most advanced with its battery capacity.

28firefighter said:

For a long time my employer blocked the Android devices that interested me due to a security exploit. Once that happened I moved into the iPhone world and haven't looked back. Also cringing at the prices, too.

Living in Seattle, we switched to T-Mobile from the Deathstar after device payment plans got messed up and several months of billing. Haven't looked back since - and actually just moved to T-Mobile One Plus plan thanks to my employee discount. I've been most impressed with the selection of devices T-Mobile offers and their willingness to basically let me try whatever I want. One of these days, I'll give a Galaxy device a go.

The device leasing doesn't mean much to me. But I've been impressed with coverage and data speeds across the country and even while traveling abroad. I also really like that when I call customer service now, I get a real human being located in the PNW within a couple of rings. Also we've had ZERO billing issues.

ab348

fintail said:

I remember when everyone wanted to use a Blackberry.

That was when they were pretty much the only game in town. I never liked them much, found them extremely non-intuitive and difficult to use. I resisted getting one from my employer for years, only relenting when they came out with an iPhone-like product, the Torch. They should have torched it, as it was lousy. Thankfully it broke within 2 years and by then my employer had brought iPhones into their system. Night and day, I liked it immediately. Everything just worked. Then I got an iPad for work also and started using iTunes for a music library. I'm quite satisfied and see no reason to change.

I'm sure the Android devices are fine, sort of, aside from the periodic fires and explosions and hardware failures. But I can't see paying Apple money for a Samsung or LG device. Plus I never cared for the cutesy names of the OS releases. Seems very hackable and quite do-it-yourself too.

ab348

28firefighter said:

Our phones are our cameras as this point.

Actually, your camera just happens to also be capable of acting as a phone and internet access point. Camera function seems to be a major differentiator of those devices these days.

dino001

I'm a "late adopter" by nature. Never rush to buy a new thing, especially completely new technology. Part of it is avoiding "gateway" devices when spending on one opens you to spend on bunch of other stuff just to make it work. My first Apple device was Nano, 4th generation. My first cell phone was a prepaid Samsung flip phone that I got to stay in touch with my visiting parents as we were meeting away from my home. It was late 2000s (I had no cell phone till then and I was happy). A few years later I got iPad4. Kept upgrading it every two generations (Air 2, last gen), handing down the old one to my folks in Poland. Still kept my flip phone for number of years and would have for a bit longer if not for a fact our office moved and there was no signal in the new building, eating the battery due to constant search. So I switch to AT&T, also prepaid with some cheap phone. That one had truly poor reception (even though the network was strong enough), so I decided finally I was ready for an iPhone - it was 2015. It was also time, when Verizon finally unlocked and unbundled the plans from the phones, which was what I wanted the most (iPhone 6). Upgraded it to the "seven" less than two years later, only because my nephew wanted my old one. I may do it again, this time handing my "seven" to my sister or mother. Or maybe not. Will see. Still keeping a "skinny" plan with 2GB of data, usually not using more than 1 GB in a month. I might use more on occasion, but most of my activities are on Wifi, at home or at work.

BTW, on the late adopter thing. It was only once, when I bought something relative early. It was HD-DVD player, as Costco put it on sale for something like $299, down from $499, or something like that. Looked like a bargain and it still had a major support at that time. Three months later Warner Bros. (Disney) declared to go exclusively with Blueray. Universal had no choice, but to switch at that point (they were the only one left). Three months later from that (or so), Neflix discontinued HD-DVD format on their subscription. Some bargain I got. Looks like it was a last ditch effort from Toshiba to put the players into hands of the users. Even though they were cheaper than Blueray all the way down, it didn't work. The users somehow believed Blueray was superior (full 1080p) in spite of HD-DVD supporting same resolution, but the problem was first releases were in 1080i/720p and it registered in peoples' heads. So my almost new player became a collector's item in six months after purchase.

Mr_Shiftright

ab348 said:

28firefighter said:

Our phones are our cameras as this point.

Actually, your camera just happens to also be capable of acting as a phone and internet access point. Camera function seems to be a major differentiator of those devices these days.

They seem to be very good at helping people walk backwards over cliffs, too, or video taping somebody bleeding to death in the street.

Point was, they are just one more point of distraction and removal from reality. It's like the photo is more important than the real event (which you will never again experience in real time).

imidazol97

fintail said:

iPhones are the Prius/Tesla of the phone world, there, I said it. User-friendly but controlled, very homogeneous, cult-like following.

Nailed it

imidazol97

Two friends and I were sitting on their porch a few months back. One was talking about how little he spends for his Iphone. It's not the most recent. He was bragging about how he could do this and that with it. I pointed out I do the same with 3-4 year old technology in my Android (LG L41c). Then he mentioned something else his iphone does. Same for my Android. And a couple more things were compared. He seemed stunned his Apple product was not uniquely advanced compared to Android.

Back to the Prious/Tesla moment.

I suspect, other than Apple's restricting ability to improve on the actual box you own as a phone with additional apps, the two are comparable in service.

Google playstore hasn't given me a bad app yet. Also I discovered my Android blocks adding apps that are NOT from the playstore as a safety feature.

I had to turn off the blocker to have the ability to run a ChickFilA legacy app to restore it on my phone.

dino001

imidazol97 said:

Two friends and I were sitting on their porch a few months back. One was talking about how little he spends for his Iphone. It's not the most recent. He was bragging about how he could do this with it. I point out I do the same with 3-4 year old technology in my Android (LG L41c). Then he mentioned something else his iphone does. Same for my Android. And a couple more things were compared. He seemed stunned his Apple product was uniquely advanced compared to Android.

Back to the Prious/Tesla moment.

I suspect, other than restricting ability to improve on the actual box you own as a phone with additional apps, the two are comparable in service.

Google playstore hasn't given me a bad app yet. Also I discovered my Android blocks adding apps that are NOT from the playstore. I had to turn off the blocker to have the ability to run a ChickFilA legacy app to restore it on my phne.

Let me say this - I grew up on PC, never had a Mac and most likely never will. Just too expensive, period. However, once the technology matured, I did get iPhone and iPad. I like them, I don't love them. It's technology, there is nothing to "love". It works, it's useful. Apple's way of making money on some things (like memory upgrades, cheap 5W charger but advertising fast charging capability, no jack adapter in the new models) is just shameless and I sometimes hope people rebel for just a day or a few months, so they stop treating their customers like cows to milk. Their marketing is all about evoking positive feeling while providing as little actual detail as possible. However, the most annoying part of their marketing is, when they come with a feature that was already present on competitive products, sometimes for years, they act like it's an incredible breakthrough, nobody on this Planet ever thought of before genius Apple engineers. If you didn't know, they'd make you believe they invented photography (or at least "reinvented"), not to mention inductive charging, or wireless headphones. It's truly insulting at times. We all can understand "truthful exaggeration" from commercials, or politics, as a part of salesman's toolkit, but there are limits to the insult of our intelligence. But, I guess I'm a hostage - I still buy it, regardless. Stockholm syndrome, anyone?

dino001

OK, one thing Apple is superior to Android - updates. You buy a flagship Samsung or LG, you may get timely updates. You buy a midlevel phone, also from Samsung, still paying $300, or more - they abandon you the same day, or within a year, not even pretending to care about you. This makes you vulnerable to an attack, as older versions of Android have better recognized exploits and gaps. Apple will get you update for years. I don't buy people saying they'll make it slow on purpose. What's more likely, people use new features on the older machines and not understand it takes more power. Also, the websites, or apps get more complex and require more power to run. I know people with older phones and they're fine with updates, as long as they stay careful about loading up their machines, they're usually fine.

suydam

I like that when traveling my phone, email and camera are all in one device. You can walk backwards off a cliff with a camera too. But most people don’t. I also sync across all my devices, as I prefer to read or work on my iPad or laptop. The usefulness of these devices really came into sharp relief when I had my somewhat unexpected transplant. M Suddenly we find ourselves in the hospital for 8 days, 100 miles from home. Emailing students, arranging for people to care for our animals, and even a few pics to send as updates to our caring friends. All possible because of the smartphone. Some people prefer Android systems. Having had both, Apple works best for me.

qbrozen

what are these "vulnerabilities" people talk about on phones? What can anyone do even if they were to totally steal my phone? Call my parents? Have fun talking to mom!

dino001

It all depends what you do. You obviously don't do much on your phone. Some people do their entire banking, shopping, etc. This means they have personal and financial information stored, i.e. somebody who gets in may try to get it, if they can.

thebean

time.com/longform/teaching-in-america/

I believe this is why the US is going to decline fairly rapidly in the next 20-30 years. We can never hope to attract great people into teaching when we pay them like this. It's disgraceful to pay celebrities millions a year and starve teachers, police, and firefighters.

driver100

I think we have covered cell phones pretty well. I just have my Pay As I Go $100 a year phone....in the U.S. $3 a month, so if I can call if I am going to be late for dinner.

There is an ad on my Emunds page...a car for iluv....probably about $17000 in the U.S.

dino001

I'm reading more and more companies push their "subscription" plans for the vehicles. Volvo seems to be in the forefront. Subscription seems to be an essentially all-inclusive leasing program (rental with insurance) with slightly different rules regarding the mileage and more flexible terms on turn-in. What's interesting, they are removing the dealer from price negotiation, probably paying them a flat fee for the transaction. This of course means that if the fee is generous, they will be pushing it hard, if not, you won't see any info there and your salesman will be going deaf every time you mention word subscription.

I don't think this will catch on in the US, unless they pump it with hidden incentives to make the payment attractive enough, which will of course cost them on the back end. Also, the insurance thing is risky, as different people have different protection needs. I've seen manufacturers throwing in insurance packages as incentives in other countries, but those have a very standarized insurance market, i.e. there is only one liability coverage limit, usually something like million bucks, or unlimited, as those nations are not run by trial lawyers.

However, some people may go for it, as "set it and forget it" type of a program. I also doubt that "no price negotiation" stance will last. Saturn dealers also started as "no negotiation" place and by mid 2000s they were just like everybody else.

dino001

thebean said:

time.com/longform/teaching-in-america/

I believe this is why the US is going to decline fairly rapidly in the next 20-30 years. We can never hope to attract great people into teaching when we pay them like this. It's disgraceful to pay celebrities millions a year and starve teachers, police, and firefighters.

Here is my problem. The lady shown as an example of poorly paid teacher makes $69K/year and claims she sometimes can't pay her utility bills. I'm sorry, but something is wrong with this picture. Granted, $69 grand won't buy you a luxury car and home, but it should be plenty to pay a utility bill, even with two children, unless there is an additional hardship, like illness or special care. Unless she bought a house she can't pay for, due to some misguided notion that only a nice house in "best school neighborhood" will give her children a chance. It is also possible she felt a need to "keep up" with her more financially successful siblings, which can get you in real trouble quite quickly. I don't want to judge, but 79 grand a year is not a fortune, but it's not a poverty level, either. I lived on less than that for at least 10 years. Granted, I don't have children, but I saved a decent portion of my salary, bought a house during that period, and never had credit card debt, not to mention unpaid utility bills. Something does not add up in her story.

BTW, I'm not saying she is paid enough. I'm just saying she should be able to pay her utility bill for that salary.

Paying obscene amounts of money to the entertainers is a separate issue. I sometimes do think we are civilization in decline, as we do seem to be much more concerned about entertainment and self-image issues that anything else. We are (as a society) willing to pay thousands of dollars to see people running and throwing the ball, buy $10 jersey for $100, because it has some stupid logo on it, or pay somebody millions for singing, or playing guitar.

iluvmysephia1

Thanks for that, driver100. I am focusing now on a 2018 Nissan Sentra S in Super Black. Selling for $13,490. 6-speed stick. First thing I'll buy for it is some cool wheels. Comes with hubcaps. I want a good Warranty.

jmonroe1

driver100 said:

I think we have covered cell phones pretty well. I just have my Pay As I Go $100 a year phone....in the U.S. $3 a month, so if I can call if I am going to be late for dinner.

C'mon man what's so bad with a dinner that is a little over cooked? I think you're afraid of being chased around the table. It's time to man-up. :@

jmonroe

stickguy

what happened to the nicely equipped fun to drive turbo? Back to a strippo putt putt mobile instead? By the time you get it and upgrade the inferior parts, might as well get the nice car instead.

jmonroe1

stickguy said:

what happened to the nicely equipped fun to drive turbo? Back to a strippo putt putt mobile instead? By the time you get it and upgrade the inferior parts, might as well get the nice car instead.

Don't worry. By next week we'll see this change at least twice.

jmonroe