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Post by hummingbirdstones on Apr 13, 2020 13:59:21 GMT -5
Good on you, jamesp! Gotta finance that tree-top office.
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Post by RickB on Apr 13, 2020 15:40:01 GMT -5
On a positive note, internet sales are flying. For fire pits anyway. Probably because people are cancelling vacations and buying toys for staying home. Record visits 2 Sundays in a row. James, let us know when Oprah W. places that big order for her entire studio audience.
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pizzano
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Member since February 2018
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Post by pizzano on Apr 13, 2020 20:34:22 GMT -5
This is the real news with a time stamp. (Remember Paul Harvey ? The man spoke the truth, so much so it was like a big bite of euphoria.) A good man like Evan expresses the REAL problems so many are facing as of March 19,2020. He speaks truth. No media exaggeration. These are the folks steering our country. This influenza virus will likely be a tool for the media to mind screw the average person for another 12 months. The world will survive a slightly above average death rate of mostly us older folks. It will not fare well with a 12 month shut down pandemic. Today is April 13. About 3 weeks since Evan started this thread. People don't even know what planet they are on presently due to a flu that has killed +/- the amount that a seasonal flu kills. The authorities closing everything down need to wake up. People need to go back to work. And soon. Who are they ? What information are they using to make these decisions ? See 'war propaganda'. See the power it has. Ask Nazi Germany about it's use by England. The media is no different. Propaganda is a science. Exaggerated media coverage is not bad, it is beyond criminal. No different than war propaganda but it is being used internally within our country. It appears the average US citizen will be living in darkness until the media is policed or prosecuted into being honest and bring reality to light. pizzano , HankRocks , rockstock Your opinions were treasured. The organized science of propaganda, amazing. An art form. Open link, scroll and scan read for 60 seconds. 2005 article.: www.globalissues.org/article/157/war-propaganda-and-the-mediaThe culture in this country has thrived on "entertainment", provided by other's, for years. The "entertainment" industry (to now include) social networking ability the "Internet" has provided, exploded to more than 150 times it's net-worth after 1995. That industry, to include sports and gambling, has become one of our Country's economic top 5 staples. Thanks to "entertainment" more ethnic groups (African Americans, Hispanics, ect.), have become wealthier faster, than any other time in our history. The same goes for every ethnic (white) that has decided to become an "entertainer" rather than a doctor, lawyer, accountant, or other historically well-paid professional........even professional politicians.
This has, in many ways, helped ethnic cultures, which historically have not had otherwise, opportunity to enrich their future generations, to go on to become more recognized serious productive members of society.
However, the high value our society has put on "entertainment" has flooded all aspects of the industry and genre's, to include journalism, newscasters, politicians and every media avenue. Examples are easily depicted: Ex-professional athletes becoming authorities on science, education, economics, government policy, health, the list is endless. Ex-congress, assembly, mayor, city council loser's becoming authorities on science, education, economics, government policy, health, medicine, Wall Street, the list is endless. Ex-military officers becoming authorities on......... Ex-law enforcement becoming authorities on.....
Ect....Ect....Ect..... hope you get the picture......they all seem to have "value" to the viewing public, not because they are authorities, have been academically trained or otherwise professionally held positions of authority in that particular media genre, but because they offer "entertainment" pazazz, name recognition, color, sensationalism to the commentary.......facts and truth aside, our society wants to be entertained and have become intellectually complacent, would rather have someone else look-up the answers and provide an entertaining "sensational", feel-good or pass blame answer......Propaganda thrives on that atmosphere.....feed the beast and the beast will consume you.
I apologize for getting off topic here......James struck a very raw nerve....blame jamesp.......lol
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Post by knave on Apr 13, 2020 21:37:28 GMT -5
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Post by parfive on Apr 13, 2020 22:04:13 GMT -5
Look no farther than 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Look no further than 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
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Post by jamesp on Apr 14, 2020 5:22:21 GMT -5
The unusually large amount of visits in the past 2 weeks are not typical for this time of the year hummingbirdstones RickB. Lol, timing could not be better for the ongoing financially demanding construction. A Godsend for sure. Whenever the visits increase the sales follow like clockwork. For 3 weeks almost every purchase has been made on Sunday for some odd reason. Local folks are also buying direct almost every day here at the farm. They act as if they have been in exile. Bright eyed and excited to get out of the house. Mostly 40 year old well-to-do housewives escaped the crib and left their kids at home. Also odd, almost all the purchases are the bigger costlier fire pits. Last year this week we sold a $200 fire pit cover, 2nd week in April always dead for sales for 2 years running for some odd reason. Not this #2 week April. There is more to this little saga. Mentioned this before... My dear wife also has an ETSY store for her lighting creations. She does well. She sneaks over and puts my fire pits in her ETSY store and discounts them lower than my prices ! Takes better marketing photos than mine. Her ads run inches from my ads. Rarely sells a fire pit lol. Probably because I have way more fire pit sales, am a dedicated fire pit store, and have so many nice reviews. May have to do with some type of popularity as pizzano mentioned. My company name and it's decent reputation has been well circulated on the internet for close to a decade. I can not say how easy this business was to build. Like long term internet exposure. Much of it's success is due to some lazy efforts and tricks like tagging product photos to your website making Pinterest a big advertising machine for us. Or accidentally putting the word 'Atlanta' in the company title bringing in many local customers. I get it all the time, "can we pick up and avoid the freight costs ?" Of course you can pick up here at the farm and also get a 10% discount because you save me the hassle of shipping. Only the internet could have made this possible. pizzano The internet has changed the world. Excellent points you made about the effect it has on entertainment in this country. I believe Google is owned by an age group that averages 30 years old. They are a super clever bunch many of which write super sophisticated algorithms that few can understand. They were accused of swaying the last presidential election subversively via favorable algorithms for their favored party and allowing more negative algorithms for the other. It is about impossible to prove such charges. Hell, the federal government trusts Google with some serious information as a contractor. Doubt the Feds have a clue about their operation. It will be interesting to watch Google in years to come since they pretty much own and control the internet.
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pizzano
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Member since February 2018
Posts: 1,390
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Post by pizzano on Apr 14, 2020 13:02:19 GMT -5
Can you imagine how much more frustrated and rebellious, the youth (30 and under) of our society today, would be under the current stay at home conditions if it were not for the internet gaming, streaming, chatting, texting, Facebooking, ect......?......not so long ago they'd only have their cell phones and before 1984, they'd be tying up the land lines for hours, watching VCR movie rentals or playing board (bored) games.......I'm sure many feel it's a blessing in disguise........lol
I'm sorry, but for me, I don't need to be or care to be entertained at every turn of the media dial...I have much to keep me entertained today.....I need/want to be informed, enlightened, educated by media that does not have an axe to grind, trying to one-up other outlets, reported by so-called "journalists" who haven't or couldn't write a story/report without a bias and or provide a citation that isn't full of deception and imaginary BS.......hell, most so called media journalists and their editors today can't or are not willing to even provide a presentation that hasn't been already put together by another handful of hacks on someone's payroll and sold to several other like minded broadcaster's. The AP is a perfect example........just spin it for the entertainment and sensational value and let the chips fly, to encourage more spin............I'm jumping off the soap box now....................
jamesp, I'm happy to hear your business is staying afloat and you've managed to keep a sense of humor through all of this........and it's nice to know like minds can and continue to bond through the.......... Internet .......... like we do........there's still light at the end of this dark tunnel we all travel....!
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Post by RickB on Apr 14, 2020 13:34:40 GMT -5
Check sighting - Daughter and granddaughter both got their direct deposit checks today.
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Post by parfive on Apr 14, 2020 14:00:47 GMT -5
I believe Google is owned by an age group that averages 30 years old. Well, Page and Brin are pushin’ fifty and Vanguard, BlackRock and T. Rowe Price are pushin’ the nursing home. : )
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Post by parfive on Apr 15, 2020 2:10:49 GMT -5
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Post by knave on Apr 15, 2020 5:06:47 GMT -5
Bread landed in the jar 4/15/20.
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Post by fernwood on Apr 15, 2020 5:41:00 GMT -5
Just an FYI and not meant to be political. I have read many articles regarding the direct deposit checks. No links to info, but you should be able to find them.
There is nothing preventing creditors from claiming the stimulus money once it is deposited in your bank account. This was stated over and over by the current Secretary of the Treasury, Steven Mnuchin. The stimulus package allowed for this.
Creditors can be a mortgage company, if you have fallen behind on payments or some others. Specific examples that were noted were credit card companies, landlords, utility companies (in some states), medical providers and anyone else you are making monthly payments to. This does not include payments you are up to date on, only ones you are at least a month behind on.
A friend gave me a heads up. The family had fallen behind on a payment to an electric contractor. The nonpayment was due to one family member becoming unemployed, as where they worked was considered a nonessential business in their State. There was a delay in their Unemployment benefits. They did not have the money to pay for one month, March. They received the stimulus payment, based on a household of 5 people. The contractor received some of their stimulus payment within 48 hours of it being deposited in their account. This will prevent them from making their mortgage payment for April.
I am checking my bank account several times per day. As soon as the payment is received, I am headed to my bank ASAP and withdrawing it.
So far, I am not behind on any payments, but do have one I am concerned about, as I will not have enough $ in my account for the auto withdrawal in a week. They have already said I cannot cancel the withdrawal and it is over 50% of my current Unemployment benefit.
Am asking all who receive a stimulus check to know what you plan to do with it once received to protect yourself.
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,154
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Post by jamesp on Apr 15, 2020 5:49:00 GMT -5
I believe Google is owned by an age group that averages 30 years old. Well, Page and Brin are pushin’ fifty and Vanguard, BlackRock and T. Rowe Price are pushin’ the nursing home. : ) Page and Brin may be their distant boss at this point. The Google workforce is no different than any other. They obviously own the rights to their own political orientations as employees. Who will censor them now that they 'control' the most powerful media source in the world ? Trump deserves to have his signatures printed on these checks considering how Google molested his campaign.
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Post by RickB on Apr 15, 2020 6:00:43 GMT -5
I am checking my bank account several times per day. As soon as the payment is received, I am headed to my bank ASAP and withdrawing it. Just checked banking accounts and found out the combined check was deposited in my wife's account and not my account. She said she was going to take it from me anyway when it came in. Dang, that was fast, I never actually got my hands on it.
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,154
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Post by jamesp on Apr 15, 2020 6:06:21 GMT -5
Can you imagine how much more frustrated and rebellious, the youth (30 and under) of our society today, would be under the current stay at home conditions if it were not for the internet gaming, streaming, chatting, texting, Facebooking, ect......?......not so long ago they'd only have their cell phones and before 1984, they'd be tying up the land lines for hours, watching VCR movie rentals or playing board (bored) games.......I'm sure many feel it's a blessing in disguise........lol I'm sorry, but for me, I don't need to be or care to be entertained at every turn of the media dial...I have much to keep me entertained today.....I need/want to be informed, enlightened, educated by media that does not have an axe to grind, trying to one-up other outlets, reported by so-called "journalists" who haven't or couldn't write a story/report without a bias and or provide a citation that isn't full of deception and imaginary BS.......hell, most so called media journalists and their editors today can't or are not willing to even provide a presentation that hasn't been already put together by another handful of hacks on someone's payroll and sold to several other like minded broadcaster's. The AP is a perfect example........just spin it for the entertainment and sensational value and let the chips fly, to encourage more spin............I'm jumping off the soap box now.................... jamesp, I'm happy to hear your business is staying afloat and you've managed to keep a sense of humor through all of this........and it's nice to know like minds can and continue to bond through the.......... Internet .......... like we do........there's still light at the end of this dark tunnel we all travel....!
How on earth would I have a fine oppurtunity like this without the internet pizzano ? I did a serious steel inventory purchase back in April 2019 before steel prices started rising. For my fire pits biz. Call it a commodity investment due to the trade 'embargo' deal placed on China and other countries. Our steel mills are now in operation. Job situation looking good. This is great. I stay in touch with Henan Shenzhou, one of China's more competitive pressure vessel manufacturers. Thanks to the internet... Henan had been stiffed on an oversea container's worth of 48" 304 stainless bowls .2 inches thick and wanted to sell an oversea container to me for little of nothing($160 EA). Such a bowl would cost about $1000 new as compared to the $80 4 foot carbon steel scratch and dents I have been buying in the states. People would pay big for a 4 foot stainless fire pit. I messed up and did not make the purchase. Still kicking myself...
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pizzano
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Member since February 2018
Posts: 1,390
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Post by pizzano on Apr 15, 2020 14:02:32 GMT -5
Jim,
Yes......that was an amazing deal for sure.......even if it was a "strategic" china based commodity.......!
The business side of the Internet has been good to me as well, once I got over the fears and understood how to effectively protect myself.....there still remains a certain amount of scepticism and constant care required. But I don't social interact anywhere except here and another old website I & others put together and sold.
That seems to help with vulnerability and not electronically having deposits and payments dealt with through my banking institutions......which means we'll see any "stimulus" money we receive via hard copy mail........lol.......more than sure that means we are in the last queue to be dealt with..... also, most certainly because we still owe the Fed's some back taxes as well.....oh my......lol
We take it in stride, we haven't relied on any "benefits" until my recent Social Security kicked in, for over 35yrs, which was the last time we even collected an unemployment check.......that's just the way we ride.....old school for sure.....our kids just shake their heads and mumble under their breaths........lol
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Post by parfive on Apr 15, 2020 15:32:45 GMT -5
State and federal tax deadbeats can rest easy . . . Congress exempted those debts from debt collection if the debt is owed to federal or state agencies, unless the debt involves a child support payment.
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,154
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Post by jamesp on Apr 16, 2020 6:01:54 GMT -5
Jim, Yes......that was an amazing deal for sure.......even if it was a "strategic" china based commodity.......! The business side of the Internet has been good to me as well, once I got over the fears and understood how to effectively protect myself.....there still remains a certain amount of scepticism and constant care required. But I don't social interact anywhere except here and another old website I & others put together and sold.
That seems to help with vulnerability and not electronically having deposits and payments dealt with through my banking institutions......which means we'll see any "stimulus" money we receive via hard copy mail........lol.......more than sure that means we are in the last queue to be dealt with..... also, most certainly because we still owe the Fed's some back taxes as well.....oh my......lol We take it in stride, we haven't relied on any "benefits" until my recent Social Security kicked in, for over 35yrs, which was the last time we even collected an unemployment check.......that's just the way we ride.....old school for sure.....our kids just shake their heads and mumble under their breaths........lol
Curious what you mean by a 'strategic China based commodity'. Those stainless parts were totally expensive being given away for little of nothing. Mysterious. I would have felt like Enzo Ferrari making race cars if I could make large fire pits out of 304 stainless steel ! Like China almost gives their products to us seemingly to steal the US customers to buy China instead of buy America' ? They sure do own the manufacturing industries ! Stiff competition for US factories. The real incentive checks are annual fed tax savings from certain investments pizzano. Federal and state tax incentives for real estate investors, farms producing generic to exotic products and some self owned businesses are large annual gifts to those engaged in those categories. A high percentage of politicians invest in real estate, own nice farms and have made it with their own businesses. I was a kid in my 20's with a nice paying degreed engineer's job getting slammed by fed/state taxes when I started an interest in real estate investing which included this mysterious tax protection as "some kind of a benefit". In studying I came across interesting facts like 'more millionaires made thru real estate' and 'real estate income has historically been taxed at low rates'. Motivating... So I bought "Ramshackle", a 1905 Sears and Roebuck kit house often built along railways that had been converted to a 4 unit apartment on a half acre on the town square of a small town. Come tax time the accountant did my taxes and I was stunned at the tax savings. Can't quite remember but I think the depreciation was like 12k the first year 10.5K the second, 9k the third, etc. Not including other write-offs. Yet the building value was appreciating at a higher rate ! Come time to sell the basis value had reduced a great deal but the appreciation more than made up for it. How does a 1905 house depreciate so much ? Using accelerated depreciation I believe it was depreciated to zero value in 12 years but the building was over 90 years old after 12 years ! 90 divided by 12 = a cat with 7 lives ! Anyway, it never made sense but my net income from the engineer's job rose substantially due to tax savings and the rent income not bad either.
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pizzano
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Post by pizzano on Apr 16, 2020 12:15:11 GMT -5
Jim.....
China just like the U.S. (they learned it from us), strategically trades commodities, soft and hard (steel being a hard, agriculture being a soft), to either dominate or try to compete in the market place. Steel has been dominated by China for years, due to it's abundance of natural resources, cheap labor to extract and manufacture, as well as lacking environmental constraints to prohibit pollution..........I'm sure you are aware of this. That's what I meant. Their strategy is to dominate and control, just like the U.S. does with specific agriculture products, where labor and resources are inexpensive (relatively speaking).
The major exception is real estate, where here, is mostly privately owned, not government owned like China and Russia..........and that is where many of my friends, like yourself, have made their biggest part of their incomes. The tax breaks for such can be quite intricate and financially rewarding ........ risk/reward over the longer term has proven to be very rewarding........as you and those who trade in such, can attest to. In this country, other than natural resources (water, oil, gas and electricity) which include certain aspects of real estate, and Wall Street investments (post 1985) have been some of the largest single transaction money makers ever.............with tons of tax incentives and loop-holes (written for and by those political influences) you mentioned, that invest in such.......lol
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Post by parfive on Apr 16, 2020 16:21:38 GMT -5
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