OT - What are you doing now? (2024)

JohnInCarolina

DoubleEgger said:

Legume said:

Speaking of flip flops, Rittenhouse ran away and then heeled to Trump in record time. Funny how quickly TFG called him a murderer.  That's awkward.

Well that didn’t last long. 

https://www.yahoo.com/news/kyle-rittenhouse-backtracks-says-voting-224919143.html

I think it tells you everything you need to know about the right that they elevated this kid.  He’s just a dumbass who made some pretty terrible decisions and ended up killing two people.  

DoubleEgger

JohnInCarolina said:

DoubleEgger said:

Legume said:

Speaking of flip flops, Rittenhouse ran away and then heeled to Trump in record time. Funny how quickly TFG called him a murderer.  That's awkward.

Well that didn’t last long. 

https://www.yahoo.com/news/kyle-rittenhouse-backtracks-says-voting-224919143.html

I think it tells you everything you need to know about the right that they elevated this kid.  He’s just a dumbass who made some pretty terrible decisions and ended up killing two people.  

You have to fall in line and kiss the ring in today’s GOP. Nothing other than blind compliance will stand. 

JohnInCarolina

Botch

DoubleEgger said:

Nobody's pointed out that the recent prominent person who took a black's job was traitor trumph himself...

TechsasJim

JohnInCarolina said:

Serious question for you John, have you felt the inflation over the last 4 years?   

The same “staples” I bought under both Obama and Trump are now costing me 30% more under Biden.   Prices did not seem to fluctuate under either prior administration.  

When you fill up your vehicle (assuming it’s gasoline or diesel) is it more or less?    

For your home, If it’s electric that’s a whole other conversation bc in Texas, under Biden, even with all the wind/solar (I don’t have hydro/geothermal options) my bills have doubled—yes, doubled!    The highest energy bill I paid under both Obama and Trump were $300.   Last month’s electric bill was $609.  That’s substantial yet the absolute cheapest option (and both my ACs are brand new and highly efficient).  

It’s the inflationary issues, as a consumer, I take issue with.   

I'm seriously just asking the question not prodding for an argument.  

Ozzie_Isaac

If I vote on policies, I cannot vote for either party.

RFK.Jr here I come!  Brain worms and all.

TechsasJim

Ozzie_Isaac said:

If I vote on policies, I cannot vote for either party.

RFK.Jr here I come!  Brain worms and all.

you know, I like that guy but can’t stand to listen to him talk.   Maybe if he had an interpreter…

JohnInCarolina

TechsasJim said:

JohnInCarolina said:

Serious question for you John, have you felt the inflation over the last 4 years?   

The same “staples” I bought under both Obama and Trump are now costing me 30% more under Biden.   Prices did not seem to fluctuate under either prior administration.  

When you fill up your vehicle (assuming it’s gasoline or diesel) is it more or less?    

For your home, If it’s electric that’s a whole other conversation bc in Texas, under Biden, even with all the wind/solar (I don’t have hydro/geothermal options) my bills have doubled—yes, doubled!    The highest energy bill I paid under both Obama and Trump were $300.   Last month’s electric bill was $609.  That’s substantial yet the absolute cheapest option (and both my ACs are brand new and highly efficient).  

It’s the inflationary issues, as a consumer, I take issue with.   

I'm seriously just asking the question not prodding for an argument.  

Of course, everyone has felt it.  But I also understand that inflation hasn’t been specific to the US, and it really doesn’t have much to do with the person in the White House.

I don’t blame Macron for the global inflation any more than I blame Biden. 

Botch

TechsasJim said:
Serious question for you John, have you felt the inflation over the last 4 years?   

The same “staples” I bought under both Obama and Trump are now costing me 30% more under Biden.   Prices did not seem to fluctuate under either prior administration.  

When you fill up your vehicle (assuming it’s gasoline or diesel) is it more or less?    

For your home, If it’s electric that’s a whole other conversation bc in Texas, under Biden, even with all the wind/solar (I don’t have hydro/geothermal options) my bills have doubled—yes, doubled!    The highest energy bill I paid under both Obama and Trump were $300.   Last month’s electric bill was $609.  That’s substantial yet the absolute cheapest option (and both my ACs are brand new and highly efficient).  

It’s the inflationary issues, as a consumer, I take issue with.  

I would like you to explain how the Executive Branch of our government has any control over the things you've mentioned?  
I have to disagree with your staples not going up during the trump years; after COVID hit, both grocery shortages, and costs, skyrocketed (not all his fault).  Costs kept going up once the supply chain challenges were cleared up (your google assignment for this evening: show us the profit curves for the four main meat suppliers, vs the profit curves for ranchers.  Do the same for grocery conglomerates vs farmers/truckers.  Report back tomorrow).
My gas/electric bills have NOT doubled under Biden, but I live in UT and you live in TX, very different cases (insurance rates, I think we're ALL getting killed).  Again, how does the Executive Branch have a say in this?  
 
I agree with you that rising costs are killing most of us Americans, really, since the late '70's.  But is it the fault of the Executive Branch (either party) or a certain party in congress who grants huge tax cuts (can you say $1,900,000,000,000.00?) to the wealthy (from 93% tax rate at the end of WWII to less than you or I pay today)?  I'll leave you with a chart:
 

 

 
(okay, two charts)    

TechsasJim

Hmmm.   Ok so when Biden specifically targets oil and gas jobs, kills pipelines, kills LNG exports (but pushes for the Russian gas pipeline) THEN begs OPEC to sell us oil. And then releases millions from the SPR only to have to buy it back at higher costs…that’s not on Biden?    

I know you’re a smart guy, you understand the pull-through from oil and gas.  The tires on your vehicles, the cups that hold Starbucks, the fertilizers that help our crops grow which helps sustain livestock, etc, all stem from O&G bi-products, which is what his administration has tried to kill or at least severely deflate.

Again man, not trying to pick a fight, and I don’t give a crap what Macron does.   The US was energy independent prior to Biden.   That was achieved by both Obama but mainly Trump policies.   Biden crushed that with a swipe of a pen.  

JohnInCarolina

Rising costs really shouldn’t be viewed independently of rising wages, either.  It’s been a decent couple of years for wages at the bottom of the scale.

TechsasJim

JohnInCarolina said:

Rising costs really shouldn’t be viewed independently of rising wages, either.  It’s been a decent couple of years for wages at the bottom of the scale.

Dude 3.5% wage increases does not combat 9% inflation.  

John, again, not trying to poke but at least acknowledge.   

However I’m not in private education, maybe your wage increases are greater than inflation.   Not seeing it on my end, nor anyone else I know who work on real estate, medical, etc here in Houston.  3.5% is what they are giving and 9 is the inflation.  

Ozzie_Isaac

COVID **** **** up.  The lockdowns did more harm than good.  That was bad science, bad policy, and bad results.  I will say Trump didn't want the lockdown and fought it, but lost.

COVID was bad and it was deadly, but not as bad as isolating people for 3 years.  That did more mental harm and long term damage than COVID ever could have.

JohnInCarolina

TechsasJim said:

JohnInCarolina said:

Rising costs really shouldn’t be viewed independently of rising wages, either.  It’s been a decent couple of years for wages at the bottom of the scale.

Dude 3.5% wage increases does not combat 9% inflation.  

John, again, not trying to poke but at least acknowledge.   

However I’m not in private education, maybe your wage increases are greater than inflation.   Not seeing it on my end, nor anyone else I know who work on real estate, medical, etc here in Houston.  3.5% is what they are giving and 9 is the inflation.  

I wrote at the *bottom* of the scale, lol.  I’m definitely nowhere close to the bottom.  

Regardless, these kind of things really aren’t the responsibility of the President.

Now, if you want to talk about things that ARE due to the President, let’s talk about tariffs.  Because those do put direct price increases on the American consumer.  And here Trump’s tariffs were idiotic, and it’s a sorry state of affairs that Biden continued most of them.  I hope a President Harris finally kills them, because the only thing they really hurt are everyday Americans.

DoubleEgger

Ozzie_Isaac said:

COVID **** **** up.  The lockdowns did more harm than good.  That was bad science, bad policy, and bad results.  I will say Trump didn't want the lockdown and fought it, but lost.

COVID was bad and it was deadly, but not as bad as isolating people for 3 years.  That did more mental harm and long term damage than COVID ever could have.

That’s a hard sell to the million plus families that lost a loved one to Covid. 

TechsasJim

Ozzie_Isaac said:

COVID **** **** up.  The lockdowns did more harm than good.  That was bad science, bad policy, and bad results.  I will say Trump didn't want the lockdown and fought it, but lost.

COVID was bad and it was deadly, but not as bad as isolating people for 3 years.  That did more mental harm and long term damage than COVID ever could have.

Don’t disagree there man.   

Should we even broche him interest rates?    They were what, 3% 4 years ago and now 7.9%?    

My daughter and SIL make really damn good money for their ages but can’t afford a home bc home
prices have skyrocketed the last 4 years and interest rates have more than doubled.  

I get interest rates.  Parents paid roughly 18%.  We paid about 8% when we bought (clearly refinanced) but talk about a tough pill to swallow that wasn’t there 4 years aho

JohnInCarolina

Yes, it is odd that the Fed raised the rates.  I can’t imagine what they were possibly trying to accomplish…

Ozzie_Isaac

DoubleEgger said:

Ozzie_Isaac said:

COVID **** **** up.  The lockdowns did more harm than good.  That was bad science, bad policy, and bad results.  I will say Trump didn't want the lockdown and fought it, but lost.

COVID was bad and it was deadly, but not as bad as isolating people for 3 years.  That did more mental harm and long term damage than COVID ever could have.

That’s a hard sell to the million plus families that lost a loved one to Covid. 

I have friends who lost people to COVID. My daughter had a classmate die of the "flu" in February of 2020. We also had a few different friends who lost parents or spouses.  They were all tragic, but I also had more friends who had people in the sphere who died from suicide.  They attributed it to the isolation.

I am not saying one death is worse than the other, but the mental damage done by isolating a generation of kids for 3 years should not be taken lightly.

These are all anecdotal, but based on what I have seen done to the world the isolation and complete shutdown of industry and the pumping of money has done more damage than COVID.  We will be unwinding this for a generation.

TechsasJim

JohnInCarolina said:

TechsasJim said:

JohnInCarolina said:

Rising costs really shouldn’t be viewed independently of rising wages, either.  It’s been a decent couple of years for wages at the bottom of the scale.

Dude 3.5% wage increases does not combat 9% inflation.  

John, again, not trying to poke but at least acknowledge.   

However I’m not in private education, maybe your wage increases are greater than inflation.   Not seeing it on my end, nor anyone else I know who work on real estate, medical, etc here in Houston.  3.5% is what they are giving and 9 is the inflation.  

I wrote at the *bottom* of the scale, lol.  I’m definitely nowhere close to the bottom.  

Regardless, these kind of things really aren’t the responsibility of the President.

Now, if you want to talk about things that ARE due to the President, let’s talk about tariffs.  Because those do put direct price increases on the American consumer.  And here Trump’s tariffs were idiotic, and it’s a sorry state of affairs that Biden continued most of them.  I hope a President Harris finally kills them, because the only thing they really hurt are everyday Americans.

Dude, Trump went after countries that were low balling.   

I work with steel every day.   China had to be stopped.on that front.   It was wholly economically infeasible to manufacture for what they were trying to sell for.  

I applaud Trump for stepping in to stop/mitigate/tariff horaeahit China crap.   

I can get on an entire soapbox about this as we have many lawsuits against Chinese companies for attempting to steal IP and lowball commodities.  

JohnInCarolina

TechsasJim said:

JohnInCarolina said:

TechsasJim said:

JohnInCarolina said:

Rising costs really shouldn’t be viewed independently of rising wages, either.  It’s been a decent couple of years for wages at the bottom of the scale.

Dude 3.5% wage increases does not combat 9% inflation.  

John, again, not trying to poke but at least acknowledge.   

However I’m not in private education, maybe your wage increases are greater than inflation.   Not seeing it on my end, nor anyone else I know who work on real estate, medical, etc here in Houston.  3.5% is what they are giving and 9 is the inflation.  

I wrote at the *bottom* of the scale, lol.  I’m definitely nowhere close to the bottom.  

Regardless, these kind of things really aren’t the responsibility of the President.

Now, if you want to talk about things that ARE due to the President, let’s talk about tariffs.  Because those do put direct price increases on the American consumer.  And here Trump’s tariffs were idiotic, and it’s a sorry state of affairs that Biden continued most of them.  I hope a President Harris finally kills them, because the only thing they really hurt are everyday Americans.

Dude, Trump went after countries that were low balling.   

I work with steel every day.   China had to be stopped.on that front.   It was wholly economically infeasible to manufacture for what they were trying to sell for.  

I applaud Trump for stepping in to stop/mitigate/tariff horaeahit China crap.   

I can get on an entire soapbox about this as we have many lawsuits against Chinese companies for attempting to steal IP and lowball commodities.  

Who pays tariffs?  Hint: it’s not the Chinese.

TechsasJim

Oh it’s not, agree with you there.  I have customers who absolutely refuse to have any Chinese fingerprints on anything.    There’s a reason for that.  

John, you work in the ME space, I honestly would think that you over anyone, should get this.   The Chinese attempt to steal all IP, especially in the ME/ChemE space.  Do you want your work, your efforts, your patents, to be stolen by the Chinese?   We sure as **** don’t…but they try damn hard.   

JohnInCarolina

TechsasJim said:

Oh it’s not, agree with you there.  I have customers who absolutely refuse to have any Chinese fingerprints on anything.    There’s a reason for that.  

John, you work in the ME space, I honestly would think that you over anyone, should get this.   The Chinese attempt to steal all IP, especially in the ME/ChemE space.  Do you want your work, your efforts, your patents, to be stolen by the Chinese?   We sure as **** don’t…but they try damn hard.   

You are arguing against points I haven’t made.  This is what’s called a straw man argument.

TechsasJim

Ok.  We can stop.  

JohnInCarolina

TechsasJim said:

Ok.  We can stop.  

I’m not asking you to stop, I’m just asking you to stay focused.  You’re wandering off into all kinds of tangents.

TechsasJim

JohnInCarolina said:

TechsasJim said:

Ok.  We can stop.  

I’m not asking you to stop, I’m just asking you to stay focused.  You’re wandering off into all kinds of tangents.

Ok well you brought up Tariffs.  

Let’s hypothesize, you and your team come up with some amazing new ME technology, the Chinese somehow scoop it and replicate then try to sell t
back to the US ?which happens often) how would you feel?    You work for Duke and I’m sure you see this regularly, at least achieving patents.  

So, knowing this, wouldn’t you want the Chinese to be tariffed to the extreme knowing they stole your work and are selling it sub-market price?   

My FIL is a ME with a PE and he has several patents (a couple expired) but he has been crushed by the Chinese.   

So when it comes to tariffs, hell yah.  Tariff the F out of them bc they do not engineer, they reverse engineer great work like I am certain you and your team does.   

Good banter John.   Need to hit the hay.   Big golf tourney tomorrow.  I’ll reply to any feedback tomorrow evening.  

JohnInCarolina

Tariffs are not an effective method for protecting against intellectual property theft, in general, simply because the technology can be sold anywhere, to any and every other country.  

lousubcap

Well, this has been a good read for a Friday.  Going back to the primer (at least as I recall) for me, there is no way I will vote for CHEETO regardless of who he is running against.  Policies not at play here.  It is the sum and substance of the person.  
I have never known a public individual with less integrity, no moral compass, no ethics and so self-focused and narcissistic.  Character counts.
The oath of office he took meant nothing to him and won't should he become compelled to once again take it (He!! he may suspend that part of it...  (edit) like that part about supporting and defending the Constitution).  I loathe CHEETO.  

JohnInCarolina

In reference to my earlier comment about wages vs inflation, here’s the data:

JohnInCarolina

LOL - what else does he want - the questions in advance?

JohnInCarolina