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Post by kerouac2 on Jun 16, 2022 15:11:34 GMT
I'm sure the photos still exist, but it can be a herculean task to go back and recreate a thread from scratch.
Of course Bixa and I remember a previous site whose manager accidentally deleted "The World" one day, which was the section that corresponds to "Compass Points" here. It was a horrific tragedy, even if the items lost were not nearly as wondrous, extensive and indispensable as our own section.
Shit happens.
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Post by cheerypeabrain on Jun 16, 2022 15:20:32 GMT
On Tuesday I spent the day with my niece as it was her birthday (and she wanted to spend the day with me for some reason).. I treated her to a light lunch at our favourite vegetarian restaurant then she decided to buy a new apple smart watch. The Apple store is staffed by bright-young-go-getter-VERY-POSITIVE young people...it was exhausting...all that enthusiasm. Anyway...niece got her very expensive (but well deserved and as she was paying I was fine with it!) 'smart watch'. My sisters and I bought her a really lovely silver necklace for her birthday and she loves it. I had a nice time having a basic smart phone explained to me and have decided to treat myself to one in September for my birthday...perhaps. After wandering around the shops I bought myself a pair of skechers (white 'leather' lace up trainers) we came back to my place where I prepared chicken salad (I wasn't hungry but everybody else was) and we had cake...My niece announced that she will give me her 'old' smart watch! so I will be able to count my steps every day and see how little sleep I'm getting.
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Post by kerouac2 on Jun 16, 2022 15:46:09 GMT
I still have not understood the utility of a smart watch, and I am counting on you to explain everything about it.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jun 16, 2022 16:10:55 GMT
Sounds like a lovely day! How old is your niece?
That was really sweet of her to give you her previous watch. I'll be curious to know if you wind up (ha ha) using it much & for what purposes.
I absolutely love Skechers because they're so comfortable, but am annoyed by the last pair I bought. An older pair, which I've had since at least 2017, still have great treads on the sole. They are internationally travelled and I've walked an untold number of miles in them. Now they're all battered looking and the the insoles have had to be replaced, but I still wear them around the house, to the market, & for dog walking. Fairly recently, within the last year I think, I bought a new pair very similar to the old. A couple of weeks ago I was out walking in them and slid on a wet place on the sidewalk. Checking the soles when I got home, I was furious to see that they're all worn down, even though they've barely been worn, especially in comparison with the old ones. When I buy from a company because of good experiences with their product in the past and something like this happens, it really feels like bait & switch. It's particularly galling because, as far as I know, there is no other brand with Skechers' comfort level.
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Post by mickthecactus on Jun 16, 2022 16:21:47 GMT
I wear Skechers boots for work. They are good and solid if a bit heavy.
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Post by onlyMark on Jun 16, 2022 20:01:30 GMT
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Post by lugg on Jun 16, 2022 20:18:32 GMT
Note that Lugg's post was written several hours ago, before she learned that the world as she knew it was about to go up in flames and that she should never trust anyone again. My faith in you continues Bixa - I know how hard you have worked on sorting out my mess. We shall overcome our IT issues .
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Post by bixaorellana on Jun 16, 2022 20:21:12 GMT
You are THE BEST, Lugg. And it is surpassingly kind of you to refer to my elaborate self-confusion & subsequent screw-up as "our IT issues". *laughs to keep from crying*
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Post by htmb on Jun 16, 2022 20:22:14 GMT
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Post by lugg on Jun 16, 2022 20:24:48 GMT
Found this, but obviously no commentary - Found this, but obviously no commentary - We will sort it thanks Mark. But ..... I was wondering how to ask you here if you have seen Sherwood ? BBC 1. If not I think you would find it interesting - would love to know your thoughts. Going to post a link later on What Series Have You Watched ..
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Post by mickthecactus on Jun 16, 2022 21:06:47 GMT
Why does raising interest rates reduce inflation?
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Post by bixaorellana on Jun 16, 2022 21:35:35 GMT
Htmb -- Lugg's single thread on Herefordshire public gardens was divided into separate threads so that each of those gardens got its own thread. In the process, I managed to delete the one on Hergest Croft, so at the moment there is one missing. Why does raising interest rates reduce inflation? Supposedly because people will spend less because credit will cost more. So I guess that if customers stop buying, prices will come down? Whatever -- the premise is based on the idea that everyone is living on credit, which could be true.
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Post by htmb on Jun 17, 2022 3:11:09 GMT
Thanks for the explanation.
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Post by onlyMark on Jun 17, 2022 5:19:40 GMT
I was wondering how to ask you here if you have seen Sherwood ? BBC 1. If not I think you would find it interesting Not seen it, no. I know about it and the story(ies) behind it and I am very familiar with the locations. These are places/villages I know well as they are but a stone's throw from where I was living and at one time formed part of my police area. I followed the real happenings closely, as you would, but was then living in Germany. I know I'd be struggling to watch it without shouting often decrying 'poetic licence', but I'm sure I'd enjoy spotting the locations. I have watched some trailers which seem interesting, but a minor point and something I'd never thought of noticing, is the accents are not accurate. You'd be struggling to find actors with the right ones though. There's a local pub, the Badger Box, which I often frequented. The days of the strikes in 1984 are also extremely familiar as I was working for the National Coal Board then and I have no need to relive them.
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Post by mickthecactus on Jun 17, 2022 6:12:37 GMT
Htmb -- Lugg's single thread on Herefordshire public gardens was divided into separate threads so that each of those gardens got its own thread. In the process, I managed to delete the one on Hergest Croft, so at the moment there is one missing. Why does raising interest rates reduce inflation? Supposedly because people will spend less because credit will cost more. So I guess that if customers stop buying, prices will come down? Whatever -- the premise is based on the idea that everyone is living on credit, which could be true. I know zilch about economics but surely there's a better way that doesn't make people's lives even more miserable. It seems so blunt and unimaginative.
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Post by kerouac2 on Jun 17, 2022 6:59:24 GMT
Considering that when I bought my flat at the beginning of the 1990s, my principal loan was at 12.5% it will take a long time to shock me with interest rates.
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Post by mickthecactus on Jun 17, 2022 7:28:52 GMT
When we had bought our first house in the 1970’s it got up to 17%.
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Post by bjd on Jun 17, 2022 7:29:52 GMT
Even if everyone is not living on credit, higher prices will make people hesitate to spend, hence lowering demand for certain things and slowing economic growth. The problem is that the capitalist system is predicated on more and more stuff being produced and consumed. If people stop buying, then fewer goods are produced, factories close, workers are laid off. The fact that so much has been globalized also makes everything more complicated. For example, the reduction of "fast fashion" where clothes are cheap and rapidly discarded, has put workers in South Asian factories out of work.
I don't know what the solution is.
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Post by mickthecactus on Jun 17, 2022 11:05:43 GMT
I suppose there’s always communism....
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Post by bjd on Jun 17, 2022 13:37:16 GMT
I suppose there’s always communism.... Yeah, we all know how attempts at communism have worked out, or rather, haven't.
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Post by whatagain on Jun 17, 2022 13:40:29 GMT
Inflation, regardless of tve cause, and i will come to that reflects a higher expected cost in the future.
That means that something you buy 100 today is expected to be sold 110 next year : 10% inflation.
So if a bank or you neighbour gives a loan of 100 at 2%, when youbrepay it he cannot buy the thing you bought last year at 100. He is thus poorer than the year before.
This is excellent news when you buy stuff like a house, with a year fix interest rate of 2%. Imagine you buy a 100 000$ house. First year you repay 10 000$ of capital + 2000 interest. Second year 10 000$ of capital, 1800 of interest.
But if inflation is 10%, after 2 years you can sell your house for 121 000$. 100 000 +10% : 110 000 + 10% = 121 000$. You repay the rest of your house : 80 000$, you paid 3800 of interest you make a benefit of 121 000 - 103 800 (not totally true as the first 2000 of interest should be perequated, but close enough).
Niw if you work and get pay rise of about 8% you don't lose too much. If you get a retirement allowance thzt is not indexed, meaning flat, after 2 years you are a lot poorer...
Now the causes of inflation. Usual cause : people overspend. They buy, buy and buy. More and more. We increase the cost of the goods, they buy less. We have too much of the product on the mzrket, the price goes down. By raising interest rates, you curb the offer. People are satisfied with what they have.
Actual cause : the demand doesn't grow, people want to keep buying what they bought. You get less product on the market. The cost of the product increases (inflation) because you cannot give it to all who want it. You raise interest rates. What is the impact ? The demand stays high becausr people still need it. Simply some people cannot afford to buy it anymore. There is still a shortage of product on the market, prices will remain high.
I think we are in this scenario. When too many people cannot afford to buy whzt they need, the systèm will collapzse or readjust sharply. Ouch.
After say 5 years,
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Post by casimira on Jun 17, 2022 17:14:04 GMT
The current economy here fluctuates so much that every estimate we get for building our house is contingent on the rise and fall of certain materials, Lumber prices are up and then down. In an effort to get a clear idea of what the whole thing is going to cost is impossible to predict therefore, each estimate is making it that much more difficult to budget for us. Everything from nuts and bolts and all the other construction materials all vary. It's the worst possible time to try and build a home. We may have to skimp on items and materials we would like to incorporate into the design of the house and the preferred materials we would like to use. Currently, pricing tiles for the bathrooms and kichen one would be astounded at the range of prices.
Certainly not what I signed up for at this point in my life.
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Post by mickthecactus on Jun 17, 2022 17:20:35 GMT
Does the insurance not pick up the bill?
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Post by whatagain on Jun 17, 2022 18:00:44 GMT
Inflation, regardless of tve cause, and i will come to that reflects a higher expected cost in the future. That means that something you buy 100 today is expected to be sold 110 next year : 10% inflation. So if a bank or you neighbour gives a loan of 100 at 2%, when youbrepay it he cannot buy the thing you bought last year at 100. He is thus poorer than the year before. This is excellent news when you buy stuff like a house, with a year fix interest rate of 2%. Imagine you buy a 100 000$ house. First year you repay 10 000$ of capital + 2000 interest. Second year 10 000$ of capital, 1800 of interest. But if inflation is 10%, after 2 years you can sell your house for 121 000$. 100 000 +10% : 110 000 + 10% = 121 000$. You repay the rest of your house : 80 000$, you paid 3800 of interest you make a benefit of 121 000 - 103 800 (not totally true as the first 2000 of interest should be perequated, but close enough). If you don'tsell, sfter a few years your sakary diybles but your loan stays the same. Younend up paying peanuts compared to your salary. Now if you work and get pay rise of about 8% you don't lose too much. If you get a retirement allowance that is not indexed, meaning flat, after 2 years you are a lot poorer... Now the causes of inflation. Usual cause : people overspend. They buy, buy and buy. More and more. We increase the cost of the goods, they buy less. We have too much of the product on the market, the price goes down. By raising interest rates, you curb the offer err demand me udiot and iffer follows. People are satisfied with what they have. Actual cause : the demand doesn't grow, people want to keep buying what they bought. You get less product on the market. The cost of the product increases (inflation) because you cannot give it to all who want it. You raise interest rates. What is the impact ? The demand stays high because people still need it. Simply some people cannot afford to buy it anymore. There is still a shortage of product on the market, prices will remain high. I think we are in this scenario. When too many people cannot afford to buy whzt they need, the systèm will collapse or readjust sharply. Ouch. After say 5 years,
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Post by whatagain on Jun 17, 2022 18:03:46 GMT
The current economy here fluctuates so much that every estimate we get for building our house is contingent on the rise and fall of certain materials, Lumber prices are up and then down. In an effort to get a clear idea of what the whole thing is going to cost is impossible to predict therefore, each estimate is making it that much more difficult to budget for us. Everything from nuts and bolts and all the other construction materials all vary. It's the worst possible time to try and build a home. We may have to skimp on items and materials we would like to incorporate into the design of the house and the preferred materials we would like to use. Currently, pricing tiles for the bathrooms and kichen one would be astounded at the range of prices. Certainly not what I signed up for at this point in my life. I can tell you how much a lot of raw material increased lately, and energy and some more. Now wages will follow- so i hope your pension also follows ... Plus delivery timings increase.
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Post by casimira on Jun 17, 2022 18:59:10 GMT
Does the insurance not pick up the bill? Mick, our homeowner's insurance had expired 2 days before the fire and I was in the midst of exploring other insurers that acquaintances had recommended. The insurer we had had increased their premium $4,000USD as they now require wind and hail damage. So, the whole project is coming out of our pockets.
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Post by whatagain on Jun 17, 2022 19:01:48 GMT
I was in Charleroi today. With Papa (Daddy). He wanted a light salad but i managed to go to a Thai restaurant, him in tow.
Whilst ordering we told the owner ( a beautiful thai, waw) that we used to come a lot before and it turned out she was the daughter in law ! Then my father made some mental calculation and said we were there 32 years ago.
32... time flies.
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Post by bjd on Jun 17, 2022 19:58:14 GMT
re:building. When we bought this house, we had all the windows changed except for 2 bathroom windows. In March we ordered some new windows, with mosquito nets on them. They were supposed to be installed in May. Mid-May I started calling to ask where the windows were -- I have discovered that if you don't hassle these tradesmen, they forget you and deal with people who do bother them. After several calls, I was told they would install them yesterday and she would let me know on Wednesday whether they were coming in the morning or afternoon. I called at 6 pm and it turned out that the mosquito nets were still missing, even though the windows are ready. ARgh.
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Post by lugg on Jun 17, 2022 21:07:52 GMT
Not seen it, no. I know about it and the story(ies) behind it and I am very familiar with the locations. These are places/villages I know well as they are but a stone's throw from where I was living and at one time formed part of my police area. I followed the real happenings closely, as you would, but was then living in Germany. I know I'd be struggling to watch it without shouting often decrying 'poetic licence', but I'm sure I'd enjoy spotting the locations. I have watched some trailers which seem interesting, but a minor point and something I'd never thought of noticing, is the accents are not accurate. You'd be struggling to find actors with the right ones though. There's a local pub, the Badger Box, which I often frequented. The days of the strikes in 1984 are also extremely familiar as I was working for the National Coal Board then and I have no need to relive them. I don't know the stories behind the murders and have resisted ab urge to google but can quite understand your thoughts. The series does open with an disclaimer re poetic licence. I agree that the accents are not quite accurate but most don't do a bad job and I really enjoy hearing colloquialisms from this area again.happy memories by and large of my time in Notts.
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Post by onlyMark on Jun 18, 2022 6:22:31 GMT
It is and will be a good series, just not for me.
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