Off-topic Random Thoughts Thread

[B35 via Church]

10 hours ago, 46Dover said:

Thanks for playing Clippers.  Johnny, tell em what they’ve won!!!!!

The same thing the Islanders won last night.....

[Deucey]

Anyone here play FIFA on Xbox One?

[Lopiox]

On 10/7/2020 at 6:05 AM, Deucey said:

Anyone here play FIFA on Xbox One?

Used to play but not anymore, too many things to do

[R10 2952]

All this talk about people moving out of the city since March has got me wondering if anything will change real-estate wise in the long term.

I remember back in 2008-009, everyone was convinced that new construction was going to grind to a halt on account of all the problems in the real estate market at the time, but looking back, the recession hardly made a dent; most builders just kept on building.

Edited November 3, 2020 by R10 2952

[Via Garibaldi 8]

52 minutes ago, R10 2952 said:

All this talk about people moving out of the city since March has got me wondering if anything will change real-estate wise in the long term.

I remember back in 2008-009, everyone was convinced that new construction was going to grind to a halt on account of all the problems in the real estate market at the time, but looking back, the recession hardly made a dent; most builders just kept on building.

Prices went down in 2008-2009 and took some time to rebound. Rental prices have definitely went down.

[46Dover]

So my ex gf just recently started blowing up my Instagram 🤦‍♂️.   

[B35 via Church]

20 hours ago, 46Dover said:

So my ex gf just recently started blowing up my Instagram 🤦‍♂️.   

cuffin season, my friend.... cuffin season.

[checkmatechamp13]

On 6/24/2019 at 11:35 AM, BreeddekalbL said:

I never told anyone this,

Back in January My dad passed away of Heart Failure

This may be late, but my condolences go out to you. Sorry for your loss.

[46Dover]

On 11/25/2020 at 4:15 AM, B35 via Church said:

cuffin season, my friend.... cuffin season.

You ain’t lyin man....got another one callin while I was at work

[R10 2952]

What's the deal with these guys who modify their car stereo to the point the whole car vibrates? Do they really think blasting shitty music at 150 decibels while riding around in a 2000 Toyota Camry makes them badass?  Cause that shit ain't dope- it's wack.

Edited December 19, 2020 by R10 2952

[Via Garibaldi 8]

3 hours ago, R10 2952 said:

What's the deal with these guys who modify their car stereo to the point the whole car vibrates? Do they really think blasting shitty music at 150 decibels while riding around in a 2000 Toyota Camry makes them badass?  Cause that shit ain't dope- it's wack.

Part of the drag racing culture. Idiots...

[Missabassie]

These bozos in the Chargers & Challengers doing donuts & burnouts on the streets in the middle of the night..... (Well, not so much now but back in summer & fall)

[B35 via Church]

On 12/18/2020 at 8:03 PM, R10 2952 said:

What's the deal with these guys who modify their car stereo to the point the whole car vibrates? Do they really think blasting shitty music at 150 decibels while riding around in a 2000 Toyota Camry makes them badass?  Cause that shit ain't dope- it's wack.

Agreed, and it's no different than these dudes walking around here with pubes on their faces to appear more rugged/hypermasculine..... They can have all that god damn facial hair, I'm good with what naturally protruded from my face.... Insecurity is a mother', I swear...

I'm all for bumping old school shit, but it don't need to be that damn loud.... Worse than that, dudes be blasting the shit that was wack Back Then....

[Deucey]

On 12/18/2020 at 8:03 PM, R10 2952 said:

What's the deal with these guys who modify their car stereo to the point the whole car vibrates? Do they really think blasting shitty music at 150 decibels while riding around in a 2000 Toyota Camry makes them badass?  Cause that shit ain't dope- it's wack.

You had to be there back in the 90s and 00s when we'd have car meetups to show off engine mods and beat upgrades. And it wasn't like out here - fart can mufflers off eBay and shitty AutoZone subwoofers.

You'd have Borla or GReddy catbacks and folks with cushions under the license plates and Dynamat lining the trunk so the rattle did👏🏾not👏🏾happen.

And it was all for show to get the hot girls' attention, and to try getting sponsored by the aftermarket companies and getting appearance fees at SEMA and Hot Import Nights.

Ain't as big in Cali and the South now since the manufacturers started incorporating what we were doing in their OEM builds - 1000+ watt stereos; sharp angle or predator styling to look like what Erebuni, Veilside, and even indie shops like Extreme Dimensions were doing. Plus when we hit $4.75/gallon gas at the end of the Bush years and early Obama years (the majors in Cali closed refineries; Chevron had a huge fire at one in North SF Bay that took years to fix), we just bought better cars and "grew up" or had kids to feed.

Those were the days. But whatever it is here in NY, it's the "Rent is too damn high" version and is too cheap and sloppy.

[Lex]

Well, I can't say that Donnie didn't deserve it.

[R10 2952]

So it looks like Manchin is the new Lieberman, he's gone rogue and there won't be a $15 federal minimum wage anytime soon... brings to mind the larger issue of the Democrats' inability to overcome a Republican filibuster.  Looking like 2009-10 all over again 🤦‍♂️.

Historically, overcoming a filibuster used to require 67 votes; then, it was reduced to 60 sometime in the 1970s.  Personally, I think it needs to be reduced to 55 votes, with the ultimate goal of eliminating the filibuster entirely in 10-15 years or so.

I'm tired of a bunch of right-wing jerkoffs from Redneckistan trying to impose their pro-corporate, anti-government agenda on the rest of us, especially considering we actually outnumber them population-wise.

Edited February 5, 2021 by R10 2952

[R10 2952]

The post office is really screwing crap up lately; since Biden got elected, aside from the nominations to the board, I really haven't heard him directly address the problem head-on.  Even worse, some Democrats are beginning to embrace that prick DeJoy as part of a strategy to try and get Republican support for stimulus legislation in the Senate.

So sick and tired of this bullshit; if the Democrats drag their feet now, they stand to lose Congress in 2022 and the White House in 2024.  Obama learned the hard way that trying to reason with the GOP gets you nowhere.  When dealing with jerkoffs, you got to play hardball.

Edited March 4, 2021 by R10 2952

[Lex]

Damn, that second Pfizer dose was nowhere near as pleasant as the first.

 

[Via Garibaldi 8]

On 2/5/2021 at 4:43 PM, R10 2952 said:

So it looks like Manchin is the new Lieberman, he's gone rogue and there won't be a $15 federal minimum wage anytime soon... brings to mind the larger issue of the Democrats' inability to overcome a Republican filibuster.  Looking like 2009-10 all over again 🤦‍♂️.

Historically, overcoming a filibuster used to require 67 votes; then, it was reduced to 60 sometime in the 1970s.  Personally, I think it needs to be reduced to 55 votes, with the ultimate goal of eliminating the filibuster entirely in 10-15 years or so.

I'm tired of a bunch of right-wing jerkoffs from Redneckistan trying to impose their pro-corporate, anti-government agenda on the rest of us, especially considering we actually outnumber them population-wise.

$15 FOR ALL... Until those people are standing on the unemployment line...  All of these low-wage jobs meant mainly for teens, etc. now suddenly demand $15+ in some cases to try to support families on. Pathetic. Any company that can is using tech to address that issue.

[Lex]

56 minutes ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

$15 FOR ALL... Until those people are standing on the unemployment line...  All of these low-wage jobs meant mainly for teens, etc. now suddenly demand $15+ in some cases to try to support families on. Pathetic. Any company that can is using tech to address that issue.

"Human labor is expensive, especially if the work they put in creates more value than what we're willing to pay. Now be a good little doggy and beg for the time off that we have no intention of giving you."

The bulk of these low-paying jobs are physically and/or mentally taxing. Corporations would probably have the workers pay them if they could get away with it.

Don't even get me started on the concern trolling over small businesses. It's a ruse to try to keep the wealth funneling up to those with plenty of it.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

1 hour ago, Lex said:

"Human labor is expensive, especially if the work they put in creates more value than what we're willing to pay. Now be a good little doggy and beg for the time off that we have no intention of giving you."

The bulk of these low-paying jobs are physically and/or mentally taxing. Corporations would probably have the workers pay them if they could get away with it.

Don't even get me started on the concern trolling over small businesses. It's a ruse to try to keep the wealth funneling up to those with plenty of it.

I'm just stating facts. Everyone can scream and yell about how these are physically and/or mentally taxing jobs. I've heard it all and I'm not arguing one way or the other; I'm simply talking about economics. If you're paying 20 workers say $10.00 an hour, and now you have to pay them $15.00 an hour, plus any other benefits, well that money doesn't just come out of the sky. It has to be accounted for, otherwise there's no point in being in business if the business isn't turning a profit. I'm not anti-worker or anti-union, but I run a business, so I get the big picture. Some businesses have sizable profit margins like the Amazons of the world, but not all businesses are like that, and some people don't realize how thin profit margins are in some industries, the food sector being one of them (I'm not in that industry, but I'm giving an example nonetheless). 

You want higher wages for workers? Ok, sure. Are you willing to pay a substantial amount more for your food? Likely not. You probably think the businesses should be able to eat the costs, so the end result usually is jobs being replaced with automated labor in some way. See how many self checkout areas are popping up these days in stores? So yeah, the workers get their $15.00 an hour, but there are fewer of them, so fewer jobs available. Can't have it both ways. You either get higher wages with fewer jobs and/or higher prices for consumers.

Edited April 8, 2021 by Via Garibaldi 8

[Lex]

3 hours ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

I'm just stating facts. Everyone can scream and yell about how these are physically and/or mentally taxing jobs. I've heard it all and I'm not arguing one way or the other; I'm simply talking about economics. If you're paying 20 workers say $10.00 an hour, and now you have to pay them $15.00 an hour, plus any other benefits, well that money doesn't just come out of the sky. It has to be accounted for, otherwise there's no point in being in business if the business isn't turning a profit. I'm not anti-worker or anti-union, but I run a business, so I get the big picture. Some businesses have sizable profit margins like the Amazons of the world, but not all businesses are like that, and some people don't realize how thin profit margins are in some industries, the food sector being one of them (I'm not in that industry, but I'm giving an example nonetheless). 

You want higher wages for workers? Ok, sure. Are you willing to pay a substantial amount more for your food? Likely not. You probably think the businesses should be able to eat the costs, so the end result usually is jobs being replaced with automated labor in some way. See how many self checkout areas are popping up these days in stores? So yeah, the workers get their $15.00 an hour, but there are fewer of them, so fewer jobs available. Can't have it both ways. You either get higher wages with fewer jobs and/or higher prices for consumers.

You say that as if the government lacks the power to address those concerns. In reality, it's a matter of will, something that is sorely lacking.

I have absolutely no reason to believe that the increasing use of machines is simply because they don't want to pay higher wages. Maybe this flew over your head, but corporations want automation because they don't need to pay machines a damn thing, nor do machines fall ill/risk injury on the job. The most the machines would need is a bit of maintenance on occasion and eventual replacement when they get too old/broken for continued use.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

42 minutes ago, Lex said:

You say that as if the government lacks the power to address those concerns. In reality, it's a matter of will, something that is sorely lacking.

I have absolutely no reason to believe that the increasing use of machines is simply because they don't want to pay higher wages. Maybe this flew over your head, but corporations want automation because they don't need to pay machines a damn thing, nor do machines fall ill/risk injury on the job. The most the machines would need is a bit of maintenance on occasion and eventual replacement when they get too old/broken for continued use.

I like how you glossed over my question... I asked you if you were willing to pay MORE so that people can receive higher pay? Answer the question. The people that think that the wages are so terrible for these jobs generally are not willing to cough up more out of their own pockets to help those that are less fortunate. Now me on the other hand, I am willing to pay more and do so that people earn more, but I also don't add to the problem by doing things like ordering from those third party services. I go and pick-up my own food so that all of the money goes directly to the business and the workers.

As far as the government goes, I'd LOVE to hear what you think the government is supposed to do to help offset costs that the average business will incur as a result of these higher wages, and I'm not talking about the Amazons or other deep-pocketed, multinational companies with large cash reserves. As it stands right now, especially here in NYC, the only thing that the government is doing is raising corporate taxes. That's the "help" they're providing. That and more regulations, which serve to drive up overhead expenses in a time when so many businesses are struggling to keep their doors open. 

[IRT Bronx Express]

Don't know if there's a general covid thread, so yeah.

Hope all of you are doing well out there. I was very unfortunate last year.

[R10 2952]

Here's a very off-topic, very random thought.  What was the deal with the NYPD using station wagons back in the day? Growing up, I remember seeing Chevrolet Caprice station wagons (not just the sedan) being used as cop cars- the '90s Caprice and a few '80s ones that were still on the road.  Never made sense to me; the vans I could understand, those were for transporting larger amounts of equipment or personnel, but the station wagons? That was just an odd choice.