Random Thoughts - Part Deux [NO POLITICS]

[Sapphireho]

Originally Posted by elBarto

....
They fuck up, we pay their bill.

Sounds like politicians are about the same everywhere.

[Sapphireho]

On man, I was going to go for a drive and the sheetrock guys have the garage blocked.

[Azzudien]

Originally Posted by Sapphireho

On man, I was going to go for a drive and the sheetrock guys have the garage blocked.

That would make for a great video, Twin blasting through several layers of sheetrock.

I say go for it

[spike021]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

A quick search shows that in California the total tax burden for somebody earning $100K a year is about 36%


Couldn't find a nice calculator for Ontario but the total burden here is said to be 42%.

I'd say that's pretty accurate.

[ScoobsMcGee]

TIL: The 2018 Honda Odyssey kind of ripped off the WRX's fog lights.

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by Sapphireho

I'm sure it will be worth it. I just need to bitch. I don't think the guys who built these little homes in 1959 thought they would still be around now. They are so poorly built. Every time you open a wall there are all sorts of expensive surprises.

Yep, I hear that.

Back in the 60s, I had two new houses built in San Jose. They happened to be on my way to work, so, I would stop by after work to check on the progress.

After a few stops, I couldn't stop by anymore, because I couldn't stand to see the shoddy workmanship ......

So, the 3rd house I had built, I just stopped by when they were laying the foundation, to make sure they had the right lot and the right floor plan. After that, I didn't stop by until it was almost completed.


humfrz

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by elBarto

Hah, I wish it was that low. In Belgium it's 54% (excluding other taxes), realistic it's about 60 a 65% . They even put a tax on a tax because they (government) screwed some (almost all) things up.
They fuck up, we pay their bill.

Yep. The taxation in most of Europe is far more than North America's worst.

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by Sarlacc

Sounds like there's a good story or two behind that statement? I'm intrigued :-)

Oh, yes. Several come to mind. My favorite story is an Army story (I know, Tcoat, I've told it before ...... but, I'm going to claim a senior exemption and tell it again).

It was a cold foggy day in Germany and I was moving an mechanized infantry company (20 armored personnel carriers) , plus an attached tank platoon (5 tanks) through this small German town, with very narrow streets.

The column was led by two of the tanks, commanded by Lt Matsumoto (no, he wasn't Asian - he was very much a hot headed Italian).

The column stopped and the tank platoon leader radioed back that an intersection was blocked by a stubborn German national driving a large Mercedes and that he wouldn't back up ...... because he thought he had the right of way.

I yelled over the radio, as my jeep was driving on the sidewalks to get to the head of the column, "run over the stupid comrade, cause we cannot and will not back the column up"(I was kidding about running him over). Matsumoto radioed back,...... can I shoot the MF ..??

As I yelled, NEGATIVE!, my jeep just approached the blocked intersection and I saw where Lt Matsumoto had disconnected the main gun on his M-60 tank from the travel tie down and was traversing the turret to the front and pointing the barrel of the 105 mm gun right at, and about a yard away from the windshield of the stubborn Mercedes driver.

Now, I knew that we didn't convoy with the main gun loaded, but I doubt that the comrade knew that ......

Needless to say, comrade backed his car out of the intersection and we proceeded to move through the town.

THE END

(sorry for the re-run)


humfrz

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by humfrz

Oh, yes. Several come to mind. My favorite story is an Army story (I know, Tcoat, I've told it before ...... but, I'm going to claim a senior exemption and tell it again).

It was a cold foggy day in Germany and I was moving an mechanized infantry company (20 armored personnel carriers) , plus an attached tank platoon (5 tanks) through this small German town, with very narrow streets.

The column was led by two of the tanks, commanded by Lt Matsumoto (no, he wasn't Asian - he was very much a hot headed Italian).

The column stopped and the tank platoon leader radioed back that an intersection was blocked by a stubborn German national driving a large Mercedes and that he wouldn't back up ...... because he thought he had the right of way.

I yelled over the radio, as my jeep was driving on the sidewalks to get to the head of the column, "run over the stupid comrade, cause we cannot and will not back the column up"(I was kidding about running him over). Matsumoto radioed back,...... can I shoot the MF ..??

As I yelled, NEGATIVE!, my jeep just approached the blocked intersection and I saw where Lt Matsumoto had disconnected the main gun on his M-60 tank from the travel tie down and was traversing the turret to the front and pointing the barrel of the 105 mm gun right at, and about a yard away from the windshield of the stubborn Mercedes driver.

Now, I knew that we didn't convoy with the main gun loaded, but I doubt that the comrade knew that ......

Needless to say, comrade backed his car out of the intersection and we proceeded to move through the town.

THE END

(sorry for the re-run)


humfrz

Oh nothing wrong with repeating stories as long as you realize you are!


Why the term "comrade"? Were you taking a column through East Germany? I would think we would have heard about that on the news (or be a radioactive wasteland).

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by krayzie

Wow I never knew Oslo is like friggin' China but white skinned.

Just YouTube "Bad Drivers of Oslo & Akershus, Norway".

Originally Posted by Sarlacc

LOL I've never even seen those before.
I once asked a cab driver in New Delhi about hiring a car there and if he had any advice, and he said "If you're going to drive in India, you need a vehicle that has three things. Good brakes, good horn and good luck".
Same principle applies in Oslo.

Ok so I watched a bunch of those and didn't see anything that I don't see daily around here. In fact much of their complaints were about very minor actions that half the drivers around probably do without even realizing it. I have driven through most of Europe, the US and Canada and they all have about the same number of bad drivers doing the same dumb stuff.
The only time I have ever feared for my life was driving around Egypt. If they have any rules of the road or traffic laws at all there I was never able to figure them out. Nothing but a free for all in vehicles that should not have even been near a road. NOTHING in any other place I drove comes close.


Reminds me of the old joke about the guy riding in a cab through Mexico.
The driver just blows through every red light so the guy asks why.
Driver replies "It is just the way we do it the red light means nothing"
They come up to a green light and the driver stops.
Guys asks "why stop at green"?
Driver replies "My brother may be coming through the other way".

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

Oh nothing wrong with repeating stories as long as you realize you are!


Why the term "comrade"? Were you taking a column through East Germany? I would think we would have heard about that on the news (or be a radioactive wasteland).

No, we were in West Germany ......

I really don't know why we referred to certain German Nationals as "comrades" ..... or "Rads" for short. I do know that the term was used in a derogatory fashion .......


humfrz

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by humfrz

No, we were in West Germany ......

I really don't know why we referred to certain German Nationals as "comrades" ..... or "Rads" for short. I do know that the term was used in a derogatory fashion .......


humfrz

That was what we called the guys on the other side of the fence. Don't recall anybody using the term for a West German though.

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

That was what we called the guys on the other side of the fence. Don't recall anybody using the term for a West German though.

Yep, that would have made more sense ........


humfrz

[Dadhawk]

Originally Posted by Sapphireho

You haven't been taxed till you live in California.

Originally Posted by Azzudien

Or New York

You know Gents, I hear the Interstates head both in and OUT of those states. Easy fix on that one.

I was offered a job in California back in the 80's and seriously considered it until I did the math. I would have had to have had a 150% raise to even come close to the cost of living I had at that time, and I lived in the DC suburbs at the time.

No thanks.