Why did I get zapped?

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Verdeboy

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I have a bit of a different perspective on things. I prefer communalism (not communism) over capitalism.

I've lived in little "intentional communities" for years, where all my needs were met and little or no money ever changed hands.

Those places have now gone by the wayside, so I am stuck having to make and spend yukky money.

I live very simply now, so I don't need or want the big bucks.

Hey, Rugged. I found the perfect avatar for you:
 

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Cookie

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In my humble opinion, I think that all people would be happier if they lived simpler. People make things harder than they need to be, worry when they don't have to or shouldn't. People work all their lives and then retire and are lost. Well, I think I know why. And, if more people thought about it, they would, too. Their has to be more to living than what I refer to as W & W. Work and Worry. I hear people stating they are worried about this or that and my eyes are wide-open listening in disbelief. I too, live simply. My late husband used to work many many hours a week. We rarely, if ever had a vacation or even, spent enough of time together like I would had liked. I used to worry that he was working too much. He used to worry about " affording our retirement." In short, he lived to the ripe old age of 49. Live simpler, live longer.
 

Dunbar Plumbing

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Do you two take the same medication as I do? Seriously. For some reason your responses remind me of


that ABC wide world of sports beginning clip where they show the different sports and then comes

agony of defeat when that guy on the skies wipes the **** out knowing he's been shamed for life because they made a point of showing it 4 billion times. :D


Are you two condoning income levels to just $20 an hour? Because if you are, we're all going to the Dr. Phil show and going get to the bottom of this "free world" antics.

It doesn't exist, personal success is in the eyes of the beholder. That doesn't mean you have to make a lot of money, but surely you can see the optimism above poverty level wages.

Money makes the world turn, literally. If it didn't exist there wouldn't be a functioning society. Little house on the prarie died years ago, no sharing labor from home to home unless you call adultery the labor of love. :eek:


Living simple does mean losing the computer/phone/car/tv ahem *flat screen* :D


ROFL! Been using that avatar in another forum for probably 3 weeks. Beat ya to it!

Oh I gotta good one coming here for this one. :evilsmiley:
 
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Cookie

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Could you run all that past me again, the chemo went to my brain. :(:D
I can't remember which smiley face to use here. :eek:
 

Cookie

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Are you two condoning income levels to just $20 an hour? Because if you are, we're all going to the Dr. Phil show and going get to the bottom of this "free world" antics.

What makes you think I said to live simply means you have to make less money? I did not say that, but that is what you think.
 

Frenchie

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What makes you think I said to live simply means you have to make less money? I did not say that, but that is what you think.

I believe that was the whole point of the argument he was having with Eric, wasn't it?


Vinyl spackle is made for drywall, plaster, wood, brick, and stone. It is nothing like "mud". It dries hard and doesn't crack. I love the stuff.

On large holes?

Got any repairs you did this way two-three years ago? Go look at them. You might change your mind.

I'm not sure about that, because your climate's pretty different, but I've fixed a lot of spackled patches.

Also, if you want fast-drying, look into setting-type joint compound - a.k.a. durabond - available in 5, 10, 20, 30, 45 & 90 minute formulas.

There's also sandable versions - easysand is the best-known - I don't much like it for big fills, because it's not as tough; but for thin coats, it's okay.
 

Cookie

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That is not what I said, Frenchie.

Their are many ways to live simpler which has nothing to do with what one earns hourly. To live a simpler life, not having so much to be angry over, argue over. I live a simpler life that has nothing to do with money or what I earn or what I have. It has to do with more important things. Do you understand?
 

Lakee911

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Personallym I can not stand that vinyl patching "mud." It's just goopy and we don't get along well. Heh I don't know how you couldn't make it not sag on a ceiling.
 

JWelectric

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My customers love me. I could give them your phone number, assuming you lived close by, and tell them you are a fully licensed and insured electrician. I could tell them you would work for the same $20/hr that I make. They would still call me.

Am I reading this right? Did you say $40,000 a year assuming that you work 40 hours a week.

Now take out all your overhead and what is left? I would guess it would be somewhere around $26,000 a year or $12 an hour.

How much does McDonalds pay and they give benefits?
 

Cookie

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Actually, I can answer that about benefits. Places like Eat n Parks, Mickey D's give pretty decent health benefits, if you or your children need them for whatever, reason. I know some people who work there because they can't buy a direct health plan and are stuck between a rock and a hard place. So, they work there for 20 hours a week. For the uninsured kids, you can't beat it. Food for thought.
 

JWelectric

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Cookie

This is my point exactly. Most, not all, that work at self employment at a reduced price has some type of health care. It is either the state or some kind of federal subsidized health care that the tax payers are picking up for them or they just go to the hospital and never pay the bill so it gets passed on to those who do pay.

Most, not all, which work at self employment at a reduced price does not pay their fair share of taxes to help with those who are being subsidized either. Some not all have a house full of young ones running around that are drawing state help and guess who is paying that bill.

It has been my experience over the past 40 plus years of being in the construction field that a true bona-fide self employed person can not make it doing work for $20 an hour. There is no way that a profit can be shown at this hourly rate.

It is this reason that so many contractors that do things right and have the proper licenses and insurance sort of look down their nose at the “handy man†repair person that is not doing things like they are supposed to be doing.
 

Cookie

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I really can't remember the stats on this, but, unlike what you said, it is the insurance companies who won't insure someone due to an illness. Or if they do, they subject them to a pre-existing clause for any length of time, it could be 7 years or more as a look-back. Now, if you are talking about someone here with a potentially fatal disease who needs scans, tests, treatments, meds, the person is at a risk of karking it due to this.

These people no matter what their income is just can't get insurance. They all over the guidelines, meaning they make too much money to do as you suggest, living off of others. Yet, they can't buy it either, because of the clauses. So, they are stuck between a rock and hard place. Do you understand what I am saying?

So, the next time you ride thru Mickey D's and someone waits on you, they just might be making 90, 000 a year and working there part time for health benefits. Or they might be a 40,000 a year plumber trying his best, happy as he or she is, just trying to make ends meet. I learned a long time ago, to never, put another human down for you might be there someday. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would have had the medical problems I have been dealing with on a daily basis. In someways, I am glad I have been slapped in the face with my own mortality for it made me a better human being.

If you think, or anyone thinks, you will have enough of that yuckky money stored away if you get hit with medical bills, think again. My imaging scans cost 19,000 a year. My MRI's are 2,000. My chemo's, ( one of them cost 90,000) I have been on many... I should not fail to mention, I paid 20% of these costs. You read it right. That doesn't include the doctor bills, lab work, etc, etc, etc. It adds up.

I am lucky I own a tv that I can even see lol. There aint no big screen in here, no vacations to Hawaii, no frills... but, you see, I am just happy to be here. I smile everyday like this ... :D
 

Statjunk

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Talk about a crazy thread. There is so much truth in here. Good read.

Verdeboy,

You got take the crap when you come in here asking question and calling yourself a pro in roughly the same breath. I also agree that it's a major stretch to call yourself a pro just because your paid. The word professional or pro carries a slightly different meaning in the trades.

Me and Verde and in similar boats. I think I do a lot more of my own work that he does since I flip houses. I'm wondering if others on here could throw out different titles that they deem appropriate for guys like us. These should be constructive and not demeaning.

Tom
 

Cookie

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Verde, why did you start this? LOL, all, I said, was to live simpler! and, now, the whole site is on Dr. Phil for anger management. :D
Everyone go stand in a corner.
 
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Cookie

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Tom, I got a question and since, this thread has just turned into a bashing, I will ask it, even though it doesn't belong. You mentioned you flip houses? I have a house down the road from me that I have been looking at. I love the house, always did actually. It has a garage with an apt over it, that I was thinking... hmm... for the boys! and, the house would be MINE, lol. It was put up for sale by owner, and now someone has been ripping it apart. If, I say if, really iffy, but, if I were interested in looking into buying it, you got any suggestions or advice I would need to look for in it. I know, some about the mechanics, but, any particular advice? I thank you in advance. Oh, it is a 2 story, and some kind of wooden frame. I would approximate its age to be maybe, around 80. The work I see so far that they are doing is the roof, the fascia (sp?) and they dug up the driveway looked like some kind of plumbing? that is now fixed. The house is smaller than I got now, and might be easier for me to handle. Thanks again. Yes, I hijacked this thread. :D

 
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BrianJohn

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1 - heart attack cost 92,000.00 they wanted 20,000.00 for a helicopter ride to go 20 miles I REFUSED it took the ambulance 2,400.00. It is very easy to fall off the deep end in this country. There was a time when the pick your self up by the boot straps and get a job might work. If you slapped with medical bills that exceed your insurance, very possible to end up homeless.

Oh and what the Dems are proposing AIN'T the answer another government program, like government retirement (Social Security), yeah that works.
 

Cookie

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Sorry to hear that. I hope you are doing ok. I once used to add mine up but, I don't anymore. It got too mind-boggling and I couldn't count that high, :D
Tell me what are the Dems proposing? I am ashamed to admit this alittle, I haven't been paying attention at all.
 

Statjunk

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Tom, I got a question and since, this thread has just turned into a bashing, I will ask it, even though it doesn't belong. You mentioned you flip houses? I have a house down the road from me that I have been looking at. I love the house, always did actually. It has a garage with an apt over it, that I was thinking... hmm... for the boys! and, the house would be MINE, lol. It was put up for sale by owner, and now someone has been ripping it apart. If, I say if, really iffy, but, if I were interested in looking into buying it, you got any suggestions or advice I would need to look for in it. I know, some about the mechanics, but, any particular advice? I thank you in advance. Oh, it is a 2 story, and some kind of wooden frame. I would approximate its age to be maybe, around 80. The work I see so far that they are doing is the roof, the fascia (sp?) and they dug up the driveway looked like some kind of plumbing? that is now fixed. The house is smaller than I got now, and might be easier for me to handle. Thanks again. Yes, I hijacked this thread. :D


Cookie,

Other than the obvious stuff like being able to identify major structural issues with a property and investigating whether or not a property needs major services over-haul (plumbing, electrical and HVAC) most houses end up costing about the same to rehab. The size of a property has little to do with the end price of a job. I also do a lot of the work myself and only hire out what I'm not qualified to do. Since I'm the owner of the property in most cases it is within code for me to do my own work. If you want a most specific answer you can IM me. However I think there are others on here that can offer you equally good advice.

One other thing is that usually you can never get a house cheap enough. There is so much that you run into that you didn't expect.

Tom
 

Frenchie

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...for some reason, the quote button's not working.

Cookie -

I wasn't disagreeing with you, I was just pointing out that considering the context - the conversation already going on between Eric & Rugged - it's no surprise that Rugged thought that's what you meant.



Statjunk -

Sorry, I can't think of a non-demeaning term for "flipper" - but I know a few guys who use it proudly, sort of daring anyone to judge them for it. :)

How about real estate speculator? I guess that sounds worse. Small-scale develloper? Property rehabilitator?

As far as the wider category (you and Eric), I don't think of "handyman" as a negative term.

And I've argued, in other forums, for the creation of a seperate licensing that would cover people who do minor electrical repairs & etc. Something akin to the way Doctors have Physician's Assistants.

Like I said, it's not the illegality of Eric's business that bothers me - we each decide what risks we're comfortable with - it's the reckless attitude he displays at times - if someone else gets harmed, that's not okay.
 
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