The Gang of Five
Beyond the Mysterious Beyond => The Fridge => Topic started by: Jrd89 on December 21, 2012, 12:21:59 AM
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THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ADJOURNED FOR CHRISTMAS BREAK TODAY.. meaning NOW.. (as of the 26th) they have 6 f**king days left.
if no deal's reached.. I can kiss at least another f**king half decade off of my life. and kiss my 20's goodbye. The new car hope will vanish. Hopes of moving out/living on my own will vanish. (and forget about girlfriends/dates.. just screw that) might as well say hello to the possibility of "Jared, the 30-35 year old virgin." O_O Goddd I HOPE NOT.!!
I GO TO SCHOOL FOR 13 YEARS, from 1994 to 2007... have great school years. THEN after I graduate.. I watch america crumble into s**t. DAMN it!! x ( :angry: I live in a country where congress fights and fights and fights and fights and fights and opposes to no end, and doesn't know how to properly maintain the country.
Someone help me out here... > x ( Jared, if a deal fails.. KISS your chances of finally getting the $11,100 back that your mom and dad have owed you (been owing me money since September 2007.) as well as that BRAND NEW Chevrolet Camaro goodbye, and your future Florida life living by yourself independently. :( and being stuck with mom and dad for I don't KNOW how many more years ahead. :cry
This is also the first year that i'm not feeling in a "christmas-sy" mood as I usually am during this time of year.. I'm just not feeling the "spark" that I usually do at Christmas time.
*Sorry,.. i'm dissapointed/panicky..I had a feeling congress'd head into Christmas break with no deal reached. DAMN IT. so on the 26th, they'll have 6 days left to reach a deal... OR LEEEET'S MELT THE F*CK DOWN AND GO BACK TO 2008 ALLLLLLLLLLL THE HECK OVER AGAIN! :angry: *
I'm very angry, and will have felt like i've been hit and stabbed if they don't reach a deal by January 1st. That'll mean BROKE country, chance of returning to college f*cked, and new car f*cked, and eventually a place to live on my own f*cked."
IT'LL STING and it'll sting hard (at least for me guys, and sorry for my overreacting)
I'm sure Obama does NOT want to see us dip baaaack into full-tilt-recession meltdown mode and step backwards..all the way back to 2008 alllll over again. :angry:
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jared, the truth is taxes, at their current rates are too low. going baxck to what they were under clinton will improve the 'checkbook' situation. the feds get more income and the defecit shrinks, becayuse spending is going down too. ki the top rate will be 39.6% a rate you wont hit. heck if you do pay taxes you are likely in the lowest bracket. will them going up mean you pay a bit more, yes, but in reality you should have been preparing for this moment all year, because the Repubklicans are extremely anti-government and wont vote for anything that raises taxes even by a nickel. the tax cuts were designed to expire, in reality they never should have been passed in the first place, as at the time we had projected surpluses going ion for nearly 10 years enough to retire most of our debt. instead we had ten years of tax cuts wars and unfunded expansions of givernment. all that needs to be paid for folks, and taxes need to go up t pay for it. we will have a bumpy first half of the year but ioonce we adjust it tit things will start to pick up..
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It's unwise to get a BRAND NEW car in any decade unless you're a superstar. At your age, you'll get HEAPED in debt if you get a brand new car, especially one of that particular brand. If you want a Camero, get one that's a little older and used. At least it'll have some miles on it.
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Not a '10, that's the first year of the style and i'm staying away from any "first year glitches/bugs" '11? yeah that's ok.. '12's are used, too. (and it was the last year for CD players in them) '13's are still brand new, and they got this new touch-screen radio system called "MyLink".. but they removed the CD player, thinking that the customer audience is young and that they've all gone digital... not me, i'm still all cd's for my music. so that's why I wouldn't want a '13 Camaro.
Before the 2010 camaro, you'd have to return to the stone age 1998-2002 body style. an 11 year old 2002 Camaro? :angry: *BBZZZZTT!* :angry: No way! I've waited 5 years for a new car. I'm not gonna buy one based on a style that became available in the fall of 1997.
A used '12 Camaro with a few thousand miles on it sounds nice. AND I can play all of my cd's in it, too since it was the last year to have cd players in them.
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insteasd of buying a new car jared why not put that money into the bank, so you have it if times are tough. in tough times you need to hold off on the wants for better times, you save money instead of spending it.
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Nick if I HAD that $11,100 all back that my mom owe me.., (owed me money since September 2007) it would be in my bank account right now, and the total'd be nearly $12,000. :(
(BTW, a brand new Camaro, with the trim level that I like) (which is a silver with black leather interior 2LT Coupe with the RS package..) costs about $32,000. (this is the brand new 2013 price i'm talking about). http://www.chevrolet.com/content/chevrolet...mg_stage._3.jpg (http://www.chevrolet.com/content/chevrolet/northamerica/usa/nscwebsite/en/index/cars/2013-camaro-coupe/photos-and-videos/exterior/_jcr_content/mm_gal_c2/thumbnailArea/mm_gal_item_c2_17.img_resize.img_stage._3.jpg)
a '12 is identical to a '13 except for the radio...
(a 2012's radio looks like this..notice the cd slot) : http://jacfab.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/...io-intalled.jpg (http://jacfab.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/sc-radio-intalled.jpg)
(a 2013 Camaro's radio looks like this in the link below.. all new touch-screen, no slot for the cds, cuz they thought most alllll of their customers have all gone digital with their music. however.. I am NOT one of those "digital music/ipod" people. )
http://gmauthority.com/blog/wp-content/upl...SS-MyLink-1.jpg (http://gmauthority.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/2013-Chevy-Camaro-SS-MyLink-1.jpg)
The 2010 and 2011's have a different steering wheel center logo (the word "CAMARO" :http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5203/5205297726_d0a66b7ffb.jpg
instead of the newer Chevrolet "bow tie" symbol the '12's and '13's have, like in this link of a 2012 camaro's steering wheel) http://images.gtcarlot.com/pictures/57685054.jpg (http://images.gtcarlot.com/pictures/57685054.jpg)
and also they has a different design of numbers on the gauge displays.
the 2010 and 2011 Camaro's gauge numbers look like this.. they're in a tall, thin 1960's-ish style http://buyersguide.caranddriver.com/media/..._st0320_062.jpg (http://buyersguide.caranddriver.com/media/eVox/stills_0320/7451/7451_st0320_062.jpg)
They gave the gauges a new number design for 2012, it looks like this: http://www.car0-60.com/wp-content/uploads/...Speedometer.jpg (http://www.car0-60.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/2012-Chevrolet-Camaro-2LT-Convertible-Speedometer.jpg)
There's my technical info, guys. I prefer a '12, because it looks JUST like a new '13, except for the radio, BUT HEY! The only difference is, a '12's radio can play my cd's.. and a '13 can't.
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no need to for all caps jaed, i can tell you're upset, but rather than give up, ask yoursekf, how can i make the best of this situation? we're not going back to 2008 levels, point blank. it would take say greece italy and spain leaving the euro to produce that much of disruption in the world markets..
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He's got a point. Compared to Greece, we're still doing better. A loooot better. I did hear someone say that they went to Greece for a school trip, and tried to go to the bank. But they found out that they closed early because everyone wanted to be with their families. The first thing I thought was "No wonder they're up to their knees in debt".
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Ptyra, the "it'll be 2008 all over again" was my own thought. I'm so un-educated. :( You and Nick are much smarter than me in many areas. :unsure: I'm sorry. :cry
(sorry for typing in all caps. I know I fuss and yell like a spoiled rotten brat (my mom called me that a bunch whenever I threw a yelling screaming fit when I was a boy. :( )
That's my technical Info on any changes the Current generation of Camaro has gone through since it returned for the 2010 model year after a 7 year absence.
You see.. I notice and observe these little details, changes, and updates that a typical person wouldn't take notice of in this car over it's last 4 years. :(
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keeping cool is a strength. you cant get flustered over this. if we had better leadership representing us, we would't be in such a mess , ciourse if we had better leadership, wed be addressing the infrastructure in this country, as well as decreasing the gap between rich and poor.but we're not.
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I can't personally do anything about the poor leadership of the country, Nick. It's not a problem I can personally solve or do anything about. I have no choice but to ride through it, and deal with it.
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You want to know the difference between people who succeed and people who fail? They don't spend money unnecessarily. The last thing I purchased for myself (and not for business purposes) was a small Rainbow Dash figure. It came in a pack with Guilda and a Wonderbolt. Before that it was a second graphics cards so I could have triple monitors on the computer in my office. I'd never DREAM of getting a car that's anywhere near new. I sold the car I had that was new and now I don't even own one. If I did buy one, it would be some Subaru Outback from like 1997 or something like that. My mother and I lease a car now (we did this just to axe another car payment) and after the lease we're buying something cheap outright.
Successful people NEVER go into debt and they never buy unnecessary things. People that are NOT successful buy whatever they want and go into debt on every occasion. The last thing you should do in your situation is buy a 2010 car. It's just not smart. Really, it's only practical purpose is to get you from point A to point B. Sure it'd be nice to have a cool car, but it's not necessary. I've had both awesome top of the line cars and pieces of shit worse than what you're driving now and honestly when you step back and compare them objectively, it's much nicer to own a piece of shit.
As for the issue at hand (fiscal cliff), this economy is getting so shitty I'm going to go drop $30k in silver to hedge against inflation and protect myself from this ridiculous fiat currency. It's just such BS. And I'm going to own REAL physical silver, not the BS paper silver. Really, what's the difference between the US dollar and paper silver? People make no sense. I'm gonna go rent a safe deposit box. $30k in silver is quite a lot of silver (about 60lbs).
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OK landbeforetimelover. O_O ok.. you do what you think is best for your life.
I can buy what car I want, I DIDN'T SAY I WAS READY TO BUY.. RIGHT now.. O_O
I go by a saying: "Don't bite off more than you can chew" which means (don't buy something that's too expensive or that would be difficult for me to handle/maintain the payments on... than what i'm capable of handling.
I didn't say I was going to run out and buy a car now, dude. This'll still be several months away. For now, I am working/saving money in my bank account, and if i had that $11,100 that mom and dad owe me.. that'd be put away in the account, too.
I won't be buying a car for several months yet.. I'm ok for now. ;)
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I'm not sure if the Republicans and Democrats will ever come to an agreement on how to avoid the fiscal cliff. The Republicans want to cut beneficial programs like Social Security and Medicare while the Democrats are in favor of raising taxes on the rich (at least that is the vibe I get with those two partisan groups). But neither side will accept the proposal of the other.
Republicans fail to see that cutting Social Security and other beneficial programs like that will not help the defeciet. We will not see any improvement in the society; in fact we will see the opposite. Things will go downhill. Sure the rich will be just fine, but the middle class and poor class who relied on Social Security will suffer and poverty will increase. Social Security, in truth, has nothing to do with the defeciet and, if cut, that money will not go back anywhere where it would help out the economy. Ronald Reagan himself realized this when he was in office years ago.
I am in favor of raising the taxes on the rich like the Democrats are pushing towards, but Republicans are so determined not to let that happen. My guess is they are only doing this because of the financial support. They crave that money they get from the rich and are letting them get richer so they can get bigger and bigger chunks of money.
But I see no other way to avoid the fiscal cliff. The rich have a ton of money. They can part with some of it. Raising taxes on the rich would allow more money to through the economy and ease up the defeciet and help improve our country's condition. Another great option is to reduce the military's budget. The army has way too much money, a lot more than it actually needs. Cutting it by half will not destroy the military and it will greatly benefit the economy as a whole.
We don't need tax cuts for the rich and we don't need an overly bloated military budget. Both are the reasons the country is in such bad shape.
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Jared, just remember that most rich people don't act like their rich, and that's why their rich. A lot of people have fancy toys, new cars, big ass houses, ect, but they're not all as rich as they look. They don't actually own those things, and they're living in dept with huge lease or house payments.
I know you want a BRAND NEW CAR!, but if I was in your shoes, I'd put that 12 grand in savings, assuming I'd ever get it back in the first place.
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Is a brand new car really necessary? What's wrong with a used one?
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I am in favor of raising the taxes on the rich like the Democrats are pushing towards, but Republicans are so determined not to let that happen.
I agree, the rich are a likely target, but how is that fair? Most people who are rich came into that wealth by working their ends off, and now... we want to tax their hard-earned living to our own means?
I mean, I can understand the temptation. Just the other day I read that some well--to-do somewhere had bought a million-dollar Ford Mustang or something obscene like that, so it's easy to tax the rich and let us get off easy.
But is that really fair?
If this keeps up, the rich won't have money to be taxed for, and then where will we be? Without any moneybags to tax... we're screwed. Charge them like you would any other citizen, don't pick on them just cuz their wealth's good.
That's just the way I see it :bang
@Jared, have you thought about leasing a car? I'm leasing a new Jetta for about $200 per month and I'm about as far from rich as you can imagine :) really, I think it's a good way to go.
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I mean, I can understand the temptation. Just the other day I read that some well--to-do somewhere had bought a million-dollar Ford Mustang or something obscene like that, so it's easy to tax the rich and let us get off easy.
Fair? How is it fair?
Let me ask you something.
How is it fair to put heavier taxes on the middle class and the poor? How is it fair that the rich just get richer and richer and don't have to pay a whole lot while the poor and middle class are forced to bear the bulk of the country? How is it fair that the rich make much more money than most people in this country and yet get so many tax breaks while the middle class and poor, who are struggling to make ends' meat, are expected to pay more and more in taxes?
No offense, but the rich are not victims here. The poor and middle class are. The rich act like victims, acting as if "Oh no I won't have as much money!" But the reality is because of all the money they make, they should be taxed higher. It is like asking the tallest person to reach something. It is not "picking on them"; they are the only people who can do that job. The rich should contribute more to society.
They will not be drained of money. Raising taxes on them back to 75% will still leave them with way more money than most people in this country.
My family happens to be middle class, going into poor. They are struggling every day just to get by. My mom talked about that they might even lose the house. Are you telling me they are not 'real victims'? That they are just 'lazy' and 'should try to get better jobs'? Well I'll tell you this: they are trying to get better jobs, but it is quite hard in this day and age.
So please don't tell me how the "Poor rich are being victimized and taken from their money", because there are a lot more people out there more deserving of a tax break than the rich who make tons more money.
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Is a brand new car really necessary? What's wrong with a used one?
That's my thinking too. A 2010 car is still a bad idea, even if it's several months away. The only time that it might be okay to get a 2010 would be in, say 2025...but compared to cars by then, it might be a piece of crud. It doesn't matter how much different the logo design is or the interior design. You will not have the money to afford one. Even in several months! It is an extremely stupid thing to do, especially if you're freaked out over the economy!
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Strut, the top tax rate was as high as 94%, and adjusted for inf;ation required income of more than 80 million to hit. the five waltons have a combined wealth of 100 billion, no family could ever need, or even spend, that much, even if they tried. trying to recapture idle money, money sitting there doing nothing, is why taxes shuld be very high, it puts an incentive to keep reivesting money into your work or business rather than take it out for yourself, use it or lose. as for the tax burden, the poor cannot shoulder it, and the rich refuse to, even through they own roughly 90% of the wealth in this country, and could shoulder the burden the best. so with those two clases eliminated it falls on the middle class.
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What I'm saying is, why can't it be the same tax for everyone? I don't see that the rich should be picked out and made to pay more, it's not fair.
Okay, I'm not rich, but I know that if I ever do get rich, I'm sure as heck NOT going to want to pay more for taxes just because 'I'm rich'. I would have worked hard for that money, and I'm not gonna want it to disappear within the blink of an eye just because 'I'm rich'.
Who says they don't contribute to society?
I don't agree that middle and lower classes have to pay more, with money they don't have, but it's not fair to make the rich pay more. So equality is an issue here... that's all I'm saying.
Nowhere did I say that the poor and the middle class aren't the victims. I'm borderline poverty here, and if my dad 'forgets' to pay the child support, my family and I are screwed!
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StrutEggStealer: To answer your question, yes, one option I could do is lease the Camaro. Remember I am still a ways away from getting the car.
(Strut, I'm still thinking of a 2012, because of it having a cd player. I can't listen to my cd's in a '13 because they re-designed the radios that year to some weird digital-only thing. <_<
and hey! Who said that the Camaro must be BRAND new?" :( No, it certainly DOESN'T have to be brand new at all. It can be a couple of years old still in flawless, excellent condition. That works just as good.. like an '11 or a '12. those 2 years are great, too.
I need one that'll play my rock/Pink Floyd cd's, and a used 2012 would be the newest way to go for me as 2013 Camaros lack cd players.
Remember that this is NOT a rush. I'm still liking the '12 because of the whole "having a cd player in it" thing, and that it'd be the newest one, too. As stated before.. the only difference between a '12 and '13 Camaro is the radio, and nothing else. Preetttty stupid to get a car that looks EXACTLY the same as the previous year both inside and outside except for a new radio now, isn't it? ;)
But yes, leasing is on my "options" table. But if I get a '13, I must remember "you can't play your cd's then, Jared. You'll have to settle for just the AM/FM/XM satellite radio only. :( and I don't want that. Therefore, my newest choice is a 2012, and that's pretty freakin' awesome. ;) who said anything about the Camaro having to be brand new? No, it doesn't need to be a brand new Camaro, it can be a couple of years old. ;) I'm not THAT picky! :blink:... sheesh. Lol! :)
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My car is from 2004 and it has a CD player in it
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Guys.. it's not like i'm saying something insane like.. I NEED this brand new Camaro ZL-1 in this picture with a 580 horsepower SUPERcharged engine that goes from 0 to 60 miles per hour.. IN JUST 4 SECONDS! 8D 8D :D THIS Bad-A** BOY is worth $55,000!!! HOT DAMN!!! :D THIS CAMARO ROCKS THE BLOCK! I've heard the ZL-1 Camaro's engine.. and THESE sound like MEGA EARTHQUAKE loud when these babies rev!! *VWWAAAAAAAOOOOOMMM!!!! VVVVVVWWWAAAAAAAOOOOOOMMMM!!!! :D :D NOW THIS Camaro is what I call PURE, SUPER, ULTRA HOT, BLISTERING performance! 8D Check THIS out!
http://media.caranddriver.com/images/11q4/...-s-1280x782.jpg (http://media.caranddriver.com/images/11q4/424525/2012-chevrolet-camaro-zl1-photo-424543-s-1280x782.jpg)
Now THAT... is what I call... one.. HOT... muscle car to cruise around Florida in! :D :D (even though i'm sure as heck NOT going to buy or lease a $55,000 Camaro ZL-1. :blink: NO way!
I'd rather stick with the more "regular" and MUCH less expensive 2LT Camaro coupe that I like.. with the V-6 engine that's worth $30,000-$32,000. Or buy a used 2012 Camaro.
That's what i'm thinking (I'm still a fan of the ZL-1 even though it's way too expensive for me.)
Strut, I will put "leasing" as an option when I do reach that point in time when i'll be ready to get the Camaro and choose between the option of buying or just leasing. You were a great help, Strut, thanks for the support. ;)
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the five waltons have a combined wealth of 100 billion, no family could ever need, or even spend, that much, even if they tried.
Which is why I support the rich getting more heavily taxed. There's no reason why they need all that money. What good is that money to anyone if it just accumulates in some rich dude's house, sitting around and doing nothing?
If the rich truly want to be an important element of society, then they can pay their share. Expecting the middle class to pay for all the taxes is ludicrous. The middle class just don't earn nearly as much. It makes more economic sense to tax the much richer folks who have a lot more money to spare.
The rich can part with huge portions of their wealth and still get on just fine. Taxing them 75%, as I said, will not bankrupt them. What it will do is ease the burden from the two poorer classes and help out the economy as a whole. And the rich can still a good portion of their money. It won't be nearly as much as they used to have, but they will still have tons more money than most people and that will be more than enough to live comfortably.
If my family can live somewhat comfortably just scraping by, than a rich guy can easily do so many times over with just a portion of his wealth.
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No, you don't NEED the car. You WANT the car.
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Ptyra, please understand me. The car dad and I currently share is a 1995 Buick Riviera that hardly works anymore. it runs very rough, TONS of cabin noise, the car has 249,200 MILES on it! I want a nice car now. I live in Florida, I'd like a Camaro. (this isn't a Corvette.. this isn't a Ferrari, this isn't a Porsche, or Bentley, or a Rolls-Royce.)
There's LOTS of Mustangs and Camaros out on the roads here in south-eastern Florida. I see at least 5 or 6 of them on a daily basis out on the roads. I've waited 5 years to get a new car to replace the Riviera. Dad's gonna find his own car first.. we'll share that one... then i'll buy mine.
Please Ptyra, don't stop me. :( I've driven a rental car Camaro, dad and I went driving together with it one night, and It really helped me "get the feel" of driving the car.
I drove it a few weeks ago. Dad rented to go on a trip to a soccer game my sister had to head over to Tampa (because their '07 Mercedes ML-350's electronic transmission wasn't shifting through the gears properly sometimes, and dad needed a rental car to get him and mom over to Tampa that wouldn't have any problems with it. The '95 Buick Riviera, a nearly 18 year old car with 249,200 miles on it, A VERY noisy suspension, rough idle, LOUD grinding noise in the engine.. like a blender (when you have it under 1,500 RPM's on the tachometer, it MAKES A VERY loud grinding noise. My dad thinks that it's the engine's flywheel going bad again in it..and it JUST got the flywheel fixed on it 3 years ago. O_O
The Riviera is too worn down and beat up to go on a cross-state trip. O_O It's too risky.. it is strictly "work wheels" for dad and I to share right now. When dad gets the money, he'll get a new car he and I will share, then, when I get my money back from them, i'll see if I can get myself my own *independent! yes! ^_^ my own INDEPENDENT* new car. (not necessarily BRAND new.... remember. ;) )
But that Riviera is on its last legs, Ptyra. Really. it is an embarassment to drive in down here. I feel like a poor trailer trash dirt-bag hillbilly driving that piece of s**t around, dad agrees too, that it is a piece of s**t.. it is strictly there to get him and I to work and back home. (Did I mention that it has an oil leak and that we paralell park it in the street, not in our driveway, because we don't want little puddles of oil drippings on our driveway, and that the Horn WILL NOT blow because of an electrical wiring problem it had in the steering wheel earlier this year and dad disconnected the wire to avoid un-intentional horn blowing.
The car is not for showing off to/or sporting around in by any means. It's just used to get me and dad to our jobs until dad can afford to get himself a new car. (and whatever car he finds will be his choice. No suggestions please. I believe he saw an ad for a black '07 Ford Mustang somewhere if I remember right. if you really want to know. :( )
If you want to know our income numbers, Ptyra.. this year, my dad earned $115,000 at his job at the nuclear power plant, and I earned over $12,000 at my job bagging/bringing in carts/cleaning at the grocery store. (compared to $5,309 last year... remembering that I had NO job from January through May of last year.)
Sorry that my dad has a high income and that it's more than what your family may have made. :( :(
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My car makes a lot of noise too...hence why I named it "Squeaks". Maybe you're right about 1995, but the cars my family has are all from the early 2000's.
Yeah, you could use a new car, but not one fresh out of the factory! A car from 2004 might do you fine
And why are you making assumptions about how much money my family makes?
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>_< I don't know Ptyra. It's something I never should have even brought up. >_<
No it doesn't have to be a new 2013. My dad may have been slightly..."judgemental" but hey, my parents understand "you buy what you can afford" and when there are times where they see a person in a cruddy crap car.. mom says.. "well, maybe that's all they can afford right now." I know.. a car is ok if it's in great working order and if you can afford it.
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There are plenty of cars that you can get used that aren't crap. I think you're just looking at some pretty bad dealers
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What I'm saying is, why can't it be the same tax for everyone? I don't see that the rich should be picked out and made to pay more, it's not fair.
Okay, I'm not rich, but I know that if I ever do get rich, I'm sure as heck NOT going to want to pay more for taxes just because 'I'm rich'. I would have worked hard for that money, and I'm not gonna want it to disappear within the blink of an eye just because 'I'm rich'.
No, it would be not fair to society as a whole if those of excessive wealth (excessive as in "having more money stored than they will ever need for a comfortable life") are taxed the same rate as those who need to turn every dime thrice before spending it.
Personally I really don't see how the CEO who earns millions per month is working so much more than the one who works eight or ten hours a day in that CEOs plants on the production lines to justify the extreme overpayment of many CEOs. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying that they should all get the same (that indeed would be unjust for giving no credit to additional education required for and additional responsibility required in many white collar jobs), but these days there are many CEOs getting (not "earning" as in rightfully deserving) hundreds of times the money they pay to their workers. And in spite of this we see many CEOs, high ranking bankers etc. not living up to their tasks in terms of responsibility towards the society which made their economic success possible. Out of sheer greed productive plants are being closed down and "outsourced" because slavelabor-like conditions in other countries make it possible to make for example 110 million rather than 100 million in profits there. It doesn't matter than to the CEOs that because of this thousands of workers loose their jobs, end up totally uprooted and will in some cases not be able to land on their feet again. It is the speculations of many with too much money that create the economic bubbles that have been doing so much damage to the global economy in recent years. In spite of all this CEOs who totally f**** up and ruin a company all too often get "compensations" when they are then replaced with somebody else. Compensations which are often higher than the lifetime earnings of many of their workers.
Excessive wealth is a threat not only to the economy (as Nick rightfully pointed out it harms the economy if too much money "sits" rather than circulates as it is supposed to) but even to democracy. Wealth rather than competence is the precondition to hold political office these days. Someone who is not a multimillionaire has little chance to be elected for any high office (or for his or her canidacy even being noticed). With a government thus set up off millionaires for a very long time already it is hardly a surprise that these governments (not talking of the US only) would pass hardly any legislation to allow for greater financial contributions of those who have in excess. Lobbyism is another symptom of the greed that has made politics purchasable to some degree. Ever more governments are drifiting towards total plutocracy (rule of the rich) which oftentimes does not harmonize with the idea of democracy (rule of the people as a whole).
The fortunes of some have reached really excessive, even perverse amounts. Billions and billions in the hand of a single person? There is absolutely nothing natural about it and a single person cannot be so "industrious" as to have actually "earned" that money. Those who life in such excess ought at least to be willing to allow for their fortunes to be taxed in such a way that they contribute what they can without any loss other than somewhat smaller numbers on their accounts of "sitting money". In all too many cases the money of rich people has not been earned by their hard work, their intelligence, or their dilligence, but many of them have just earned money from their ancestors and never ever had to worry about money no matter what they did or did not and would get high paid offices not by competence but by inheritence and a name.
Oftentimes there are false claims about taxation rates about. For example example especially in election times people often claim that if you are taxed higher from a certain income in you may not want to work so hard anymore since the tax would make you end up with less money if you earn more. This claim is total BS however and just reveals that those who propagate it are unfamiliar with the tax system in the US. If in a hypothetical example a tax rate of 30% is imposed for income between $50 000 and $100 000 and a tax rate of 50% abovue 100 000 the 50% would be imposed only on the money in excess of $100 000. Someone who earned $110 000 would still have to pay only 30% for the first $100 000 and only for the $10 000 in excess the 50% would have to be paid so there is no way to earn more but end up with less because of taxes.
Personally I think it would be a sensible thing to allow for CEOs to be paid a maximum wage based on the wages of their lowest paid workers. For example a CEO may only earn 25 times as much as his lowest paid blue collar worker (that is 25 times the amount of money they expect someone else to life from!). In that case the CEO would have a very personal interest to make sure that the own workers share in the profits of the company and he or she would reconsider twice before "outsourcing" to a country where wages are so low that it would require a dire cut in the wages of the CEO as well.
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I am a STRONG supporter of taxing the rich 90% or more on certain dollar amounts (though 80 million is ridiculous). It should be like 5 or 10 million. Maybe then these bastards will stop fucking everyone over for a dollar. I'm SICK AND TIRED of spending a shitload of money on things then finding out their made like CRAP.
Example, I was about to purchase a $4,000 Nikon DSLR camera (for business purposes), but then after reading thousands of reviews of people that are having problem with oil splatters behind the lens, I decided not to buy it. There's no reason why on a $4,000 camera there should be problems like that. The problem is they put a cheap shit part in there and over oiled it to make it work. But the oil will splatter on the back of the camera glass, making you have to disassemble the entire camera in order to clean it all the time. The camera is NOT user serviceable (it has over 2,000 screws) and needs to be totally taken apart in order to clean it.
The worst part? The suspected part would only cost $1.22 to make properly. So for $1.22, they're going to fuck everyone that buys their cameras. No thanks! If they didn't get to keep all that money, they wouldn't have done this. Greedy bastards. :anger
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What personally makes me sick is how many of the people who are rich don't work as hard as those who aren't. I'm not saying their job isn't important, but does a CEO who just sits around and gives orders really more deserving of millions of dollars per month than the man who works his butt off cleaning the sewers, schools, garbage, etc? Or the woman who works 5 days a week trying her hardest to educate the next generation, teaching them about science, math, english, etc?
My dad claims that many people who are rich claim that they are rich because they are "very talented", but in truth there are many more people who work much harder than these rich folks who get scrap for their work, and he sees that as completely unfair. And I personally agree with him.
The way I see it, the harder you work, the more money you should get. But sadly that's not the way this society works.
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Excessive wealth is a threat not only to the economy (as Nick rightfully pointed out it harms the economy if too much money "sits" rather than circulates as it is supposed to) but even to democracy.
Just like how we are over sixteen trillion dollars in debt (it rose two trillion dollars in the time it took my spring semester to start and then finish) I don't see how the rich putting in more money will help as we will just ship its way out to China along with the rest of our money :p
Dang the Federal Bank!! The dollar is losing its value because there is nothing behind it. The Fed just prints out more and more bills...
No, it would be not fair to society as a whole if those of excessive wealth (excessive as in "having more money stored than they will ever need for a comfortable life") are taxed the same rate as those who need to turn every dime thrice before spending it.
Then again, there are those who have worked hard to obtain their wealth, and are treated as a majority who s*** and should have to pay more because they are 'snobby and rich'.
Believe me, I'm all for getting our country out of debt, but I don't see how we will if the majority of the money we pay is just added to the national average and not used to bring our debt down... So, I don't see how it will help us. *shrug*
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most of that 16 trllion strut is to ourselves- 11 trillion to be precise, ss pensions and other liabilities. most of that 16 trillion can be lasid at the republicans feet, especially Bush 43. bush cut taxes repeatedly, even during wartime, which is stupid, because wartime is precisely when you need to gather as much money as you can to pay for it. every country has debt, but we are in better shape then most, first because we're larger than everyone elsse in terms of economy so running a 300 billion defecit isnt a big deal for us but it would be for greece. taxes are at the lowest rate they have since the 1950s in terms of what uncle sam brings in 15%. normally the fede takes in 18-21. so that percentage needs to go up. defecit spendng during bad times helps keep people working until things get better, then you pay off what you spent during the bad times. we are seeing the concebntration of wealth by the richest fifth of this country. there are two kinds of wealth redistribution, from the rich to the poor and the poor to the rich. which do you think has happening in the country since Reagan? you get three guesses, the first two dont count. and becuse what people actually pay - the 'effective rate' is always much lower than the rate on the books, to claim that we are unfairly taxes or taxed too much, is frankly BS. rates need to go up, we probably need 3 more rates, for people making a millon, people making 50 milion and anyone making 100 milion+. the Forbes 400- that is the 400 richest people in America earned an average of 202 million last year, but because most of them make money via capital gains, their rate is justr 15%
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But we are still in debt, no matter if it is to ourselves. With our government spending more than it can produce - another reason why the Fed gets on my nerves - what will happen next? I know we are a large country, so what happened to Greece probably won't happen to us, but how can we be sure? What will happen if we are asked to repay the debt and have no money behind it? What if paper money is devalued. What will we pay with then? Gold?
Are we in the Economical downturn, where we will continue to decline, or the trough, where the only other way is up? What a time to blank on the economics classes I took... Keynes! Aggregate supply and demand! Imports! Exports! Fiscal Cliffs!
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i'm in favor of keynesian economics which deals with countercyclical spending. in other words, spending when times are bad, save when times are good. we will nit be asked to pay back all 16 trillon, debt doesnt work that way. the government always pays its bills,the 14th amendment says the full faith and credit of the us shall not be questioned. at the time it was passed there was talk about repudiating civil war debt, on the part of the union.bthe 14th amendment said, no, all debt on the part of us is too be honored. iour borrowing costs right now are vey low, and we are the reserve curency of the world, there is no safer place to put your money, than the us government. look around. europe is a mess, japan is in decline and china is slowing down. thee is no other country or region that is doing appreciably beter than we are. The Us usually rund defecits, as a structural matter, but as long as they are a manageable amount, its fine. the defecits over the last few years are a result of the Bush tax cuts, the downturn. ad the wars. wity the tax cuts going to expire, our financial situation is going to get a lot better, after some short term pain..
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btw, here's a guy getting a brand new Camaro "ZL-1" (that's the high-performance one with a 580-horsepower engine) delivered BRAND new and driven off of the car carrier. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DalR5ds1nw (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DalR5ds1nw) ( the video shows a delivery of a brand new Camaro ZL-1 to a dealership off of a car carrier)
A ZL-1 brand new, is worth $55,000 as I said before. A new 2LT with the RS package is about $32,000. *but remember that I'm not gonna buy "brand" new guys.
I'd also pick a '12 over a '13 because of it's cd player and want to listen to my cds in a car still. I will not leave my cd's and I don't need a "new" car that DOESN'T have a cd player in the radio. I'm NOT gonna buy some stupid I-pod.
Heck, I do not even NEED an ipod. And I sure as heck am not about to go spend a giant crap load of money converting all my cd's to digital downloads onto an i-pod. (I had to have spent a couple hundred dollars all together for my Pink Floyd cd's alone. I SURE as heck aren't throwing my cd's in the trash and buying digital downloads for an i-pod (which I would ALSO have to buy on top of that..which I sure as heck won't.) I will not leave my cd's.. HECK they're still being made/produced today. They're certainly not "dead" by any means. ;) I'm not gonna convert guys. I've heard about the worse sound quality that an "ipod" version of a song has over a cd. I've also heard the "digital" version sucks even more compared to an original vinyl/record/lp version of an album.
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^It doesn't matter that it's not "Brand New." The fact of the matter is, your current level of income is incompatible with buying a 2010 car. If you were making $80k+ per year (preferably more), then a 2010 car wouldn't be too much of a stretch. But blowing every cent you have on a car just because you want it is honestly a really stupid move when you could easily live with something a LOT more affordable. If you keep up this behavior, you're going to be poor all your life. I'm sorry to be blunt, but someone has to tell you the truth.
And I know there are tons of people out there that make $25k a year and are buying 2 year old cars. Just because others are doing it doesn't make it a smart thing to do. You have to be smarter than all the dumbasses around you if you want to survive and actually life the life you want to live. Feel free to do whatever you want. It's your life and you have to live it the way you see fit. Just keep in mind that the decisions you make shape the rest of your life. You're young now and I know it seems that you've got a loooooong way to go. But in reality it comes a LOT faster than you'd think. And the decisions you make now WILL affect you in the not-so-distant future.
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^
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mdinx2fMpq1qcwhkeo1_400.gif)
Be a dear and point a little more up please, Doctor
But yeah, it's like I've been saying. If you're worried about the economy and fiscal cliff, DO NOT buy a brand spanking new car! It's a REALLY dumb move! You keep complaining about how your life is "ruined", but by buying that car, you're only setting yourself up for falling even lower. If you want to go up in life, make better choices. And that includes NOT getting a car under two years old.
As for the CD player, they've been making cars that way since at least 2001. Whe have an Oldsmobile stilloette that has both CD and tape players...and a VHS player (and that's how you know your van is old :lol ). My car from 2004 has a CD player. Trust me, any car you get after the 2002 mark (at least) will have a CD player.
I feel a little hypocritical because I'm getting a brand new sewing machine for Christmas, but that's a bit different :/
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^Exactly. And depending on a variety of factors, it might be best to just keep what you have and fix it up. You can add a CD player to your current car for less than $200. Go with something used and to some guy that does it on the slide (cash only, no reporting to the government) and you can probably get one installed for about $80.
Having an old car isn't that bad. Every time you drive it you can think of how much money you're saving. And that's a GOOD feeling. Just get the thing overhauled so you're not breaking down all the time, install a CD player if you want it, and enjoy the endless savings that go with it.
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Well, I think he's got a point about the car he has right now. It's on it's last legs it seems. Installing a CD player would be pretty much futile.
Still, there are plenty of old cars in working order. My mother and I saw a Thunderbird earlier today. In 2011, my dad and I saw (and geeked out over) a 1930 Ford in such pristine condition, it was driven regularly. And I knew it was a fargin' old car because it had a "vote Roosevelt" sticker in the back window XD . I think that was my favorite part. It even had the old horn and backseat--the owners said they used it for groceries.
Old -/- total crud. It's a real eye-turner I think, and I really enjoy seeing old cars on the road when I can
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My parents tend to get old cars and a lot of them break down after a couple years. Like the one we have now, a Saturn, the reverse is busted and the transmission is going so it's very hard going uphill.
But that's not really the car's fault. It's my dad's. The car's warnings work fine and dad has seen the warnings. But he's the kind of guy that pushes things off until he absolutely has to do something. One of my sisters complains about this regarding my dad. We do not understand why he doesn't fix the problems when they first become apparent. It would save him money, but he insists on not doing anything, perhaps thinking the problem will magically go away or something.
The Saturn can still be saved, but it would cost hundreds of dollars, money dad may not have had to spend had he just gotten it fixed before the problem escalated. Now they are looking to find a new car. I just hope that dad will finally learn the error of his ways and actually get the car looked at the moment something goes wrong.
But knowing how stubborn he is, I doubt he'll do that.
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You're right, Ptyra, this thing IS a piece of crap. IT MAKES A HORRID TERRIBLE LOUD GRINDING NOISE when it's running 1,000 RPM'S and under.. and it has attracted UN-WANTED stares and negative attention. it says "HEY, LOOK AT THE PIECE OF S**T he's driving!* the terribly loud grinding noise sounds like this: (and dad thinks it's the engine's fly-wheel....WHICH WE JUST HAD FREAKING FIXED BACK IN APRIL 2010...by some hillbilly mechanic who lived out in the country (dad gave him the flywheel part he found on a "junkyard" Riviera and put it on ours.. and now THIS one is GRINDING LIKE THE OLD one did in April '10 !!! :angry: :angry: DAMN it! :angry: :angry:
***RUNNGGA RUNNNGA RUNNNGA.. RUNGG-A RUNNG-A RUNNG RUNNNNG RUNNNG RUNNNG RUNNG RUNNGG RUNGGG!!!!!! and the car shakes too, as the engine makes that HORRIBLE HUMILIATING "LOOK AT ME!! I'M A POOR A**ED HILLBILLY DIRTBAG!!" sound. :angry: :angry: :angry: :angry: :angry:*** THAT'S the sound the engine makes when it's running at 1,000 RPM's or lower.
I have to have it revved over 1,000 rpm's (gently holding the gas pedal down very slightly..just so it's above 1,000 RPM's while waiting at red lights and stop signs) to avoid red light/stop sign grinding/embarrassment.
Personally, I say that lbtlover couldn't be more wrong on keeping the damn car.
LBT Fact: That '95 Riviera was built in April of 1994. at that time, NONE..zero! of the 12 LBT sequels EXISTED! (The Great Valley Adventure was released in December 1994)
Ptyra, this is not a car that should belong in a vintage/antique/collector car museum. It's not that kind of a car. It's a '95 Buick Riviera worn to near s**t, NO horn, TERRIBLE LOUD grinding noise due to the "second" fly-wheel problem in the last 2 years..
HAVE I MENTIONED that my dad's had the transmission worked on... TWICE? WE'VE gone through 3 transmissions (and yes the second and third ones were used parts dad found in a junkyard off of another Riviera.)
It's had SO MANY damned repairs done to it in the last 4 years.. it's freaking un-real!
Don't worry. i'm not going to get a brand spanking new 2013 Chevrolet Camaro, rest assured. O_O I'm not gonna get something that's dumped/gotten rid of it's cd player for those young digital music Apple Ipod-nuthead buyers.. and a '12 is IDENTICAL in appearance inside and outside except for the radio.
an '11 Chevy Camaro is identical inside and outside to a '13 except for the style of the numbers on the speedometer/gages.. and the radio. IF you wanted to know.
I will also add..that this coming August-September, the '14's will be released, making a 2012 Camaro 2 years old this coming August-September.
Remember... :) THIS CAMARO will not.. will not...willlll not... be a brand new 2013.
(A used '12 with between 10,000-15,000 miles on it will do and it'll have depreciated a few thousand dollars, too.. PLUS I can play my cd's in it).
:) :) (lets NOT forget the down payment/monthly payment method, too.) :| Remember that you DON'T have to pay for a brand new car IN FULL $$$ on the spot.
I WILL NOT go any newer than 2012 for a Camaro.
Production of the Camaro stopped after 2002. Then, there were NO CAMAROS made between 2003-2009, and then it returned with the neat retro-1960's style in March of 2009 as a 2010 model.
2011 Camaros look exactly like a '10 does. a '12 Camaro has the chevrolet "bowtie" logo on the horn pad of the steering wheel instead of the word "C A M A R O" on it like the '10's and '11's did. and a '13 has that new. AM/FM/Satellite/Mp3/ipod player in it with NO cd player.
If I get a Camaro, i'll choose an '11 or a '12, Ptyra. (I'd like the '12) (I repeat once again that this is an event that is still several months away, and I do not know when it'll happen either.)
the '95 Buick Riviera WILL get sold GOOOOOOOOOOOOOD-BYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!! > : )
Dad and I have no intentions of keeping the car, ALL KINDS of repairs...dad's poured HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS of dollars of repair work into it, taking it to several different mechanics/guys... and will put that heap of trash out for sale (when we can GET our freaking Michigan house/property sold, and when mom really starts making sales in real estate and gets to really selling houses so that our money supply is great again. I'M doing MY part at my job..Dad's doing HIS part at his job.. mom's the one who's not making money getting regular paychecks every 2 weeks like dad does (I get paid once EVERY week at my job).. because as a real estate agent..my mom ONLY gets paid when she's sold something.) When mom's gotten to bigger sales, earning more money, and/or our Michigan house is sold.. then mom and dad can give me all of the money back that they owe me. Meanwhile I can build my bank account and save the money as the wait continues. ;)
We'll see what happens with my mom in this busy Florida winter season and how she does on her condo/home sales.... the winter tourists here in Florida really start to pour in after Christmas is over. and it'll be really busy with all the tourists until the very end of April when those people start going back to their homes up in the north for the summer. First though, I want to see how the first half of 2013's going to play out for me, my mom, and my dad money-wise.
Ptyra: To me, your car's age is fine. mid 2000's ('04, '05, and '06) is ok. those aren't "old/pieces of crud" to me. I'd call "old"... a car more than 10 years old.
My car age scale is: ( between brand new-5 years old is "young". between 6-10 years old is "middle aged". and 11 years old or older is "old". )
So Ptyra, to me, your Dodge Neon is in it's "middle" years.. meaning of course it's nothing new, but it's also not an old junk-heap on its last legs ready to collapse and die. You're ok for right now, and you can keep it for as many years as you want to, and sell it whenever you want to. ;) It's your car, Ptyra. ;)
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THE MERCEDES HAS SHIFTING PROBLEMS.. THE RIVIERA has acceleration issues and trouble keeping a steady engine idle. It now has 249,399 miles on it. THE Darn car stalled out on me 5 times today..but I recovered things, I stopped on the side of the road.. re-started the engine..and got it running again..and I continued my driving.
Somehow, I need to remain calm and keep relaxed. All the "tough stuff" has to pass eventually. :|
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Well, look on the bright side. You keep the car going way beyond what the manufacturer intended. You could become a car repair wizard. ;)
But everything has its limits. Are you sure that car will hold out until you have enough money for the 2011 Camaro? Why not settle for something cheaper and a bit older? It won't be a 2011 Camaro, but it will still leave your current car in the dust.
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Jansenov, what we'll do, is dad will get a car first.. dad and I will share whatever that vehicle is... then when I have enough money, i'll get my own car (the Camaro) and IT WILL be used ;) it is not going to be brand new. ;)
That's the car plan with me and my dad, Jansenov.
I'm not a repair wizard. :| that's dad and the auto repair center mechanics. Not me.
(although I do know how to check fluid levels (the list includes washer fluid, oil, transmission fluid, and engine coolant) and also tire pressure. I know a few things, anyways. I'm not some idiot who only drives it and puts gas in it and doesn't do anything else. ;) No way! Lol!
I'm fortunate to know how to do a few things, but not everything. (and I do not know how to change a flat tire, (i've never had one anyways, and my dad doesn't let the tires go completely bald on our cars and gets new tires regularly when necessarty.)
Btw, In my high school days, (2003-2007), they did not have an auto shop class like my dad did in his high school years (1973-1977). I'm not a car mechanic wizard. O_O but I know a few things anyways. ;) and I can name the years a body style ran for on some cars (nearly all I know about for "styling" info are American cars (Are GM and Ford.. i've never been a fan of Chrysler or a Chrysler person.. and think they're the crappiest of America's big 3 automakers.
Ford has brushed up on their quality, and are not the "ollllld" "Fix Or Repair Daily"..."Found On the Road Dead".. Ford that they used to be several years ago)
To give you an example for styling info, for the Riviera.. the 1995 Buick Riviera's body style ran from 1995-1999 and it was the last body style before they quit making them due to very low sale levels. (only 1,956 1999 Buick Rivieras were built) and the last 200 were called "Silver Arrows", which is a special paint scheme/trim.. hearkening back to the original 1963 Riviera "Silver Arrow" concept car.
I'm not those "well, it's a thing that has an engine and 4 tires" and my dad and I know a lot about cars (well.. my dad's specialty.. information-wise, is GM..especially the '60's and '70's.., he knows things about Ford's too, but he likes GM the most, if you wanted to know. ;)
my mom is the dumbest on cars in our family. Dad and I are the smartest (well, with GM and Ford vehicles anyway.) with cars in our family. Don't ask me or my dad about foreign cars though. heh heh. My dad likes European Luxury brands (Mercedes/BMW) if you talk about foreign stuff.. But don't talk about asian/jap cars..we do NOT do that in our family. No "Jap/slant-eye rice-burners" as my dad sometimes says.
But dad and I are about american cars for information. (GM and Ford, we're not into Chrysler..(dad knows some 60's/70's Chrysler info though, he's best with the '60's on that... and all his "when dad was a boy, he used to see those..".. flashbacks..etc.. you know.
and dad knows/likes GM the best personally. It's made him sad to see the end of Oldsmobile in '04.. who used to make models such as the Cutlass Supreme and the Toronado.
and the end of Pontiac in '09, who used to make cars like the Grand Prix, the Trans-Am, the Firebird, the Bonneville, the GTO.. :| y'know, those cars.) It made my dad very sad to see those 2 brands go. I strongly love Chevrolet's Camaro resurrection to return to competing against Ford's Mustang, and Camaro is winning currently in sales. I know last year (For "new" car sales in 2011) there were more Camaros sold than Mustangs, so Chevrolet's muscle/pony car is winning the battle (right now), guys. ;)
But as I was saying.. the plan is...dad'll buy another car to replace the very old/ancient Riviera.. dad and I WILL SHARE his new car.. THEN,. when I have enough money.. I'LL buy my own car. ;) ok? that's my plan.
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If you want to get the car by the time it will be used, you will be living under your parent's roof for a looooong time.
If you want a Camero, get an older model. I have neighbors selling one that they've had for several years now, but I'm not sure what it is or condition or how much for. But don't get that model unless you want to be in your parents house until you're 35!
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Ptyra, i know you're on the "home team"... I know you're telling me to watch out and be careful with what you're doing. By the way, if you wanted to know... the last year of Camaro before they brought them back for 2010...was 2002. :|
I want to see what happens in the year ahead. I'M NOT BUYING BRAND NEW. Dad and I will share his "next car" he buys to replace that trash piece '95 Buick Riviera.
Our house in Michigan MIGHT SELL this year.. remember that. ;)
I MIGHT be getting my $11,100 that they owe me..given back to me. remember that, too. ;)
It's not like i'm Mr. Crazy-Car-Headed Jared and want to get some brand new $65,000 662 horsepower Ford Mustang Shelby GT-500. >: O !!! . or a brand new $126,000 Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 with 638 horsepower >8 O !!!. THAT WOULD be beyond the most insane point of insanity in existence..
(PLUS i can't drive manual transmissions anyways.. I only know how to drive automatic..plus I don't want to "work constantly shifting through gears all the darn time. : ( I hate stick shifters personally."
I want to see how the upcoming year is going to play out. I can do what I want to. :( I made $12,071 this past year alone at the Publix grocery store (more than what i've earned in any year before in my life.).., my dad earned $125,000 at the power plant.. that's 1/8 of a million dollars. (but remember the bills/all the crap my parents are catching/keeping up on, too. that's the only reason why I don't have my owed money back, and why we haven't replaced the old Riviera with another car yet.
Cheer me on, guys. Hope that our old Michigan house sells (we have renters in it now..and they MIGHT buy it! it's only a matter of time and decision from them) , and also... hope that my mom can sell a bunch of real estate/houses/condos this season. ;) Stay positive, guys..
Plan is.. Dad buys new car... dad and Jared share "that" car... when the "Month/point in time" comes that Jared has enough money, he'll get his own car. ;) IT WILL NOT BE BRAND NEW! I promise, guys.
I WILL keep working and WILL keep saving money. :| I got raised to $8.25 an hour. I made $12,071 in 2012 alone. I think i'll be saved up to $17,000 before the end of summer..and if i still haven't bought yet.. i think i'll be at $23,000 before the end of 2013.. (REMEMBERING that the price of a brand new 2013 Chevrolet Camaro 2LT coupe with the RS package.. is about $32,000. the '12's will have depreciated below $30,000... PLUS I DON'T NEED ALL THE MONEY at once to pay for it. I can do the down/monthly method. :( I have faith in myself. I know I can do this. Be optimistic.
:( it's a bummer that you're the only guys i've talked to who are against me getting a Camaro. :( (except for Struteggstealer and Belmont so far.) not any.. "good luck, Jared. ^_^".. or "You can do it Jared, keep working at it, you'll get it. ;) " :(
Those who i've talked to (at the store) about the Camaro support it and some give me encouragement. :( OF COURSE my dad does, too... saying.. "think of that new Camaro, Jared".. or.. "don't worry Jared..things are going to get better.. we're just going though some s**tty times right now.. but they ARE GOING to get..better. just keep hanging in there... they're going to get better."
And I know that they will eventually get better.
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i think the problem here was that of context. you gave the impression that you were thinking of a topflight, almost new car in the teens and paying for it yourself. which was not your intention at all, but that was the impression some of us were getting. . having your dad help pay for it makes it much more reasonable for you, after all, he makes much more than you do. lets say you split the cost 50=50, at 15K that means your share would be 7500. that would be covered by the money your folks owe you, and you can pile up cash from your jobs for other things. lets say you want to take a trip to a national park, for instance. you'll have money to do that, if you keep putting money away. obviously, you guys need a car as your car, well, is falling apart, and you're keeping it together with duck tape at this point. saving money is a good thing, and that raise eill help rack up money faster. having self confidence is good, and we like earning things. having your own car is obviously a big goal for you, and thats a very good thing, you keep working hard and saving money, then you'll get that car. once you get enough money you look for something you like, thats in your budget, or a little above if dad is willing to pitch in a little. i'm roooting for you jared, hopefully 2013 will be better for you.
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I'll keep saving my money, Nick. Let's see what 2013 will bring me. (Sorry for sounding like a hot-shot showoff).. I didn't mean.. "hey guys.. I'M getting a nearly new Camaro.." what I mean to say was.. "i'm saving my money" so eventually i'll be able to get one.
Dad'll buy a Riviera replacement, we'll share the replacement, then when i'll have enough money, when my income is right, when the time is right.. i'll get the Camaro. :| Right now it's about hanging in there and saving money..it's not about buying the car as soon as possible. Right now for me, it's about saving.
Thanks for rooting for me, Nick. Yes, I am looking forward to having a better 2013. ;)
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Which is why I support the rich getting more heavily taxed. There's no reason why they need all that money. What good is that money to anyone if it just accumulates in some rich dude's house, sitting around and doing nothing?
If the rich truly want to be an important element of society, then they can pay their share. Expecting the middle class to pay for all the taxes is ludicrous. The middle class just don't earn nearly as much. It makes more economic sense to tax the much richer folks who have a lot more money to spare.
Then again, what incentive is there for people to be successful if they're just going to get taxed more?
Just bc some executive isn't doing 'real work like physical labor' they are still doing work. Filling out order forms, planning deals, getting in touch with employees so they are covered, finagling schedules is a lot of work. Don't ever think of 'rich people' as just sitting on their rears doing nothing, they earned that much money by working HARD, doing physical labor, and now they are in the execs position, and someday, that's where we will be, if we work hard enough.
The middle class don't HAVE to pay for everything, and neither do the rich.
Who says they don't pay their share? Obama, you're a rich guy, set the example if you want people to follow you.
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Taxes may be higher if you earn more, but so is the income. Contrary to popular legend there is no way you can end up having less because you earn more due to higher taxes. If a higher tax rate is imposed upon people who earn more than a million bucks a year someone who earns a 1 000 100 a year will still get more than someone who earns 999 999. Thing is that the first million is still taxed at the same rate and only what is earned beyond that first million is taxed at the higher rate.
No work one person can do justifies that person getting paid hundreds of times as much as someone else who is working. Given the havoc caused by many bankers, CEOs and other so called "financial experts" and given how many get paid pensions way beyond what most people can ever dream to earn in their lifetimes as "compensations" for being replaced after totally messing up in business I really don't see why those who have in abundance should not be required to pay higher rates.
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I don't understand it either.
Interestingly enough, there are rich folks who want to be taxed higher. I forget the article, but it mentions a lot of rich people (either most or half) do want to pay higher taxes. But the Republicans won't let them.
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Don't ever think of 'rich people' as just sitting on their rears doing nothing, they earned that much money by working HARD, doing physical labor, and now they are in the execs position, and someday, that's where we will be, if we work hard enough.
People like you just don't get it. It's just like it was hundreds of years ago. America is NOT a place of opportunity like it once was. You're born into a social class and it's almost impossible to get ahead unless you win the lottery or happen to invent some million dollar invention. There are exceptions, but it's rare. Taxing the rich higher on their upper brackets of income won't fix this problem, but at least the little guy won't have to pull most of the weight anymore.
The "work hard, earn money, put it in the bank, and retire at 55" thing hasn't worked for at least 20 years now. Now it's nothing but big fat cat bastards cutting your wages/hours and making you do the job of three people. Then they fire you right before you retire so they don't have to pay your retirement. Oh and I love how they give you 38 hours a week of work so they don't have to pay you any benefits. That's just lovely. The greed of the 1% needs to be curbed. You can do that by taking away 99% of the money they make over a "reasonable" amount. It worked in the past and it will work now. But the amount needs to be a LOT lower than it is now. Any more than 5 million a year is just ludicrous. Remember, they can KEEP their $4,999,999 and save it up. So they'll "retire" with a couple hundred million. If that isn't good enough for them, then TOO BAD.
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While I agree with progressive taxation, it alone cannot mitigate the consequences of catastrophic decisions of certain people in powerful positions. Higher tax rates above a certain income can bring in additional trillions, but they are of little comfort when bad decisions destroy tens of trillions in wealth and lives.
So even more than progressive taxes, we need to devise an effective way to remove psychopaths (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychopathy) from positions of power. And while I read various estimates of the percentage of psychopaths in the general population, from 0.3% to 4%, all those studies agree on one thing: the more powerful a position in society, the greater chance it is occupied by a psychopath. That type of personality is naturally attracted to power and, being reckless and irresponsible, has no moral issues in doing anything necessary to reach it.
I like socially just societies, but even more I like societies led by people who fear for their fate and the fate of their fellow humans.
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(Ptyra I do have an alternative plan too if I can't do the Camaro. I got serious in my thinking today. :(
An alternative plan that i've been keeping in my mind... to a 2011-2012 Camaro.. is an '05-'09 Ford Mustang)
The busy winter tourist season here in Florida runs through the end of April. (before they head back north to their homes for the summer). IF I KNOW for SURE.. that I still CANNOT afford an '11 or '12 Camaro... then i'll go looking for a 2005-2009 Ford Mustang, since Chevrolet made no Camaros from 2003 to 2009.
An '09 Mustang doesn't sound too bad (4 years old, it'll be 5 model years old when Ford releases the '14 Mustangs this spring) How about that? :| :|
Having a latest design available/top notch car is not my life! :|,
and the important thing is... I've gotta have room money-wise for other things that I want to do in my life besides making car payments/car insurance payments...
Summary: If I can't afford to buy an '11 or '12 Chevrolet Camaro when I reach the point in time when i'm ready to buy....... then i'll use my alternative plan and try for an '05-'09 Ford Mustang.
I want to have nice, fun wheels..but I don't want to go bust the bank open on it either. I like the new Camaros/Mustangs .and I love their 1960's-retro styling. (Mustang's debuted in 2005, and Camaro's debuted in 2010)
and I'd like to have one of my own. so if the 2011-2012 Camaro is STILL goint to be too much for me to buy when i'm ready to do it... then i'll look for a 2005-2009 Mustang if I want something cheaper, and an 05-09 Mustang IS going to cost less, but it'll be just as nice/fun of a car as an '11-'12 Camaro.
I'm sorry for being Mr. Show-off/showboat back there in my earlier posts. : |
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(at the eleventh hour) they did it! The Senate reached an agreement! ^_^ Yes!
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That's great news man glad things are working out for you.
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Any news on what this deal entails yet, or are they still ironing things out?
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estate taxes go up top rates go up for oeople above 400k, captal gains go up. not as good as what i'd like, but thats the bnature of compromise..
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Yeah tough times are ahead of us. The government needs to stop spending .
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Today, the senate's fiscal cliff deal was OK'D by house of representatives. IT'S A DEAL! Congress has...at the eleventh hour-last minute..
...passed the fiscal cliff deal to avoid a major economic disaster. they DID IT! :) thank God.
That's a big relief ;) . I was getting scared back there, guys :( because I thought they weren't going to do anything but continuing to fight, argue, and oppose!, and let us fall off the cliff and economically suffer (those darned republican congressmen hadn't been agreeing to ANY proposals no matter what! because they DON'T like any of the democrats ideas/ways. But, they FINALLY gave in on a very last minute and the deal cleared the house of representatives and moved onto the president.
Had congress NOT reached a deal and let our economy suffer, I would have lost every last drop of respect :angry: :angry: for U.S. congress. I'm telling you guys, they don't know how to get things done worth a s**t today. Ughhh. <_<
But, I am very happy. :) A deal was reached by congress in time before any hard economic blows would've been taken!! ;)
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Well of course the US wouldn't partly be in this mess in the first place if Bush wouldn't have passed those stupid tax cuts to begin with and THEN get into two wars to something like the tune of 2 billion dollars a week for JUST the Iraq war alone! Everyone complains about ludicrous things adding to the deficit, but nothing has added to it more than the two wars the US has been involved in over the past decade. I mean I don't see how ANYONE can believe they can cut taxes AND spend over 4 billion a week on two separate wars WITHOUT increasing the national deficit.
Malte was absolutely right on how the US tax system works and breaking down the different percentiles. You can't add all the percentiles together, as it just doesn't work that way. I feel he's also right in saying that being a CEO does NOT justify getting paid hundreds of times more than someone who works equally as hard. The US Congress is alarmingly unaccountable for their actions and seems to be the only place where one can get away with NOT doing one's job and still keep one's position. In a stratified society of upper and lower class, one HAS to be accountable, and Malte's also correct in saying that concentration of wealth is an extremely dangerous thing; just look at Spain.
Throughout its history, Spain had NO middle class. Just an aristocracy that had everything, and everyone else who had nothing. One in four males were not getting married at the start of the 19th Century because they simply saw no point to starting a family if they'd NEVER be able to go anywhere in life. Wiping out the middle class only stagnates economies and societies.
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**This is about the new car subject**
I've known for several weeks know, and know well enough.. that I was dreaming. You can dream of something you can't afford, but you can't buy it. It's simple as that. Don't set yourself up for a burden. : ( I get it. I learned back in January. My income CAN'T handle that expensive of a vehicle.
Looking back at my previous posts (not about the fiscal cliff, but the Camaro nonsense), I feel so so stupid. I sounded like a stupid butthead..
Saving for/wanting to buy a $31,000 2012 CAMARO at my current income level? o_o X_X NO WAY!
I'm sorry. (I had my nose in that Camaro book I got for Christmas way too much.) I needed to get real.
"Get an older car" is right, Ptyra. But still, ;) something that will leave the '95 Riviera in the dust. (which now currently has a blown motor, which happened to dad on new years eve, the engine stopped working, the car is un-drivable now.
It's been the Mercedes and a rental car since then. My dad will have to either find a used motor off of another Riviera from a junkyard and tow the car to a repair garage to get the good motor put into it (a car heart transplant...) or get rid of the '95 Riviera..and find a very cheap car to use just for work purposes temporarily. (as soon as he has enough money to do so.) So that he doesn't have to keep shelving out hundreds of dollars, week after week, on rental car fees.
Now, back to "my" car. Your quotes are true, Ptyra. (I admit was being a really stupid idiot back in December to you guys. :( Very stupid. And i'm sorry for it.
Yes, Ptyra. :( I need a car that will not be TOO expensive for my income and one that's a few years old. but like.. 6-8 years old, right in the middle.
Your quotes are true and I'm very sorry I fussed with my "2012 Camaro crap/nonsense" I'm sorry. You were trying to help me and set me on the right path, and I wrongfully ignored you. :( You're right.
Ptyra: At your age, you'll get HEAPED in debt if you get a brand new car, especially one of that particular brand. If you want a Camaro, get one that's a little older and used. At least it'll have some miles on it.
Darkhououmon: Is a brand new car really necessary? What's wrong with a used one?
Ptyra: It doesn't matter how much different the logo design is or the interior design. You will not have the money to afford one. Even in several months!
Yes, Ptyra. :( I was such a brain-dead stupid dummy on my '12 Camaro crap. FORGET THE CAMARO! IT IS too much! : | That was my fault.
But I've thought of an '07 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS (I do love the Nascar Sprint Cup Series, and they did race Monte Carlo's up to 2007, before they switched over to the impala, and now the ALL-NEW Chevrolet SS (that's not hitting dealerships until this fall, but SCREW that, I've read it'll cost $40,000+ ).
But! the '07 Monte Carlo SS has a 303 Horsepower engine, too! :) how about that? that's really good power.
Now, the price it goes for now is about $12,000-$13,000 right now, and with my last payday (before I made this post).. I crossed the $13,000 mark (including what mom and dad owe me) ;) So now I can keep saving,.. for the extras that come with a car purchase.. and save for non-car stuff, too. ;) I can pull off an '07 Monte Carlo SS.
It's a nice Chevy sport coupe. and great for the NASCAR fan. The Impala they raced from '08-'12 is very very boring/white bread yawn, but the Monte is great.
(I used to love them when I was in Middle School when the '01's and '02's were brand new. This is what an '07 Monte Carlo SS looks like. It's nice and it's priced right. 6 years old. I can handle this car money-wise. Here's what one looks like:
http://media.motortopia.com/files/17628/ve...1b/Cars_015.jpg (http://media.motortopia.com/files/17628/vehicle/49bc60341f91b/Cars_015.jpg)
And here's a left-rear shot of one:
http://i.oodleimg.com/item/3081813698u_13x...rlo/?1341502489 (http://i.oodleimg.com/item/3081813698u_13x424x360f_2007_chevrolet_monte_carlo/?1341502489)
Yes, like that one pictured above, some did come with the silver rally stripes. I think those were the ones that were LOADED with all of the available options, too. :) ) Those aluminum wheels add a really nice touch, too.
My car makes a lot of noise too...hence why I named it "Squeaks". Maybe you're right about 1995, but the cars my family has are all from the early 2000's.
Yeah, you could use a new car, but not one fresh out of the factory! A car from 2004 might do you fine
Well, it's an '07. '07 was a great year for me. I graduated from high school that year! :) It's not TOO expensive for me to handle. It wouldn't be at all like that '12 Camaro crap I was talking about. I CAN'T afford a freaking $31,000 CAR! I just had my nose in that Camaro book from Christmas for way too long and started dreaming. <_< I needed to get real, and I did a couple of weeks later. It didn't take long at all. I'm sorry for ignoring your advice, guys.
You wouldn't know that it'd be a 6 year old car if you take a good look at those 2 pictures above. It still looks like a nice, spiffy/sporty coupe, and not at ALL, old and crappy. ;) And I believe I can manage one.
My main point is, i'm sorry for my earlier posts. You're RIGHT, Ptyra. And I am sorry. I was dreaming too much.. thinking I could get it. BUT.. I KNOW better. I can't.
But, like I said, I have found a different more affordable car in a better, easier-to-handle price range, and I wanted to share my thoughts on it with you guys, and was just curious on your thoughts of me and an '07 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS?
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I got a 1990 Volvo and it still runs like a charm! :)
All I can say is just bide your time, your money, and look for ANY car that can go. Do not stress yourself about what year it is. Just find a car that works and will not cost too much in maintenance.
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As you know, Jared, I have an 8 year old car that runs amazingly. :DD So yeah, just get yourself something practical and something that will go a long way for your needs. :)