What’s on your mind?

[DaveFromCampbelltown]

When you use a fountain pen, it is common to put the cap on the back end (barrel) of the pen. This is called posting.

It is important that, when you do this, you line the clip up with the centre line of the nib, otherwise the pen won't write straight. You will find that the pen skews to the left or right accordingly. In severe cases, you might also find yourself writing views that are left-leaning or right-leaning at variance to your normal character.

It is the same with a Mercedes Benz car. The star on the end of the bonnet must also be straight. If it leans to the left or right then the car will be constantly veering left or right accordingly.

This is my PSA for the day...

 

[scubachap]

Does the UK have rooms for lease? I rent a room for almost as much as the two bedroom apartment I had almost 10 years ago, which is almost as much as my first mortgage payment in 1998.

Yes, as Fanboy says it's always been a thing. (Even the fictional Sherlock Holmes famously lived in rented rooms).

I did it for quite a while, it's not ideal. The housing hierarchy has generally been seen here as - rented room in shared house > bedsit (large self contained rented room) > studio flat (one room apartment) > flat (apartment) > house.

In years gone by rented rooms were the preserve of the young, students and transient workers but increasingly older people (particularly after divorces etc) are now having to rent rooms as even the smallest studio flats these days seem to require a double income.

 

[Apple fanboy]

When you use a fountain pen, it is common to put the cap on the back end (barrel) of the pen. This is called posting.

It is important that, when you do this, you line the clip up with the centre line of the nib, otherwise the pen won't write straight. You will find that the pen skews to the left or right accordingly. In severe cases, you might also find yourself writing views that are left-leaning or right-leaning at variance to your normal character.

It is the same with a Mercedes Benz car. The star on the end of the bonnet must also be straight. If it leans to the left or right then the car will be constantly veering left or right accordingly.

This is my PSA for the day...

Doesn’t matter what I write with. It looks awful. Keyboard for me every time these days.

 

[Herdfan]

That’s always been my thoughts. Buy a house and at some point it’s paid off.
Rent and you are always paying out.

Do you have property tax over there on homes?

 

[bousozoku]

Yes, as Fanboy says it's always been a thing. (Even the fictional Sherlock Holmes famously lived in rented rooms).

I did it for quite a while, it's not ideal. The housing hierarchy has generally been seen here as - rented room in shared house > bedsit (large self contained rented room) > studio flat (one room apartment) > flat (apartment) > house.

In years gone by rented rooms were the preserve of the young, students and transient workers but increasingly older people (particularly after divorces etc) are now having to rent rooms as even the smallest studio flats these days seem to require a double income.

It's just maddening how expensive everything has become.

I have the largest bedroom in this house at US$700 per month, going up next month another US$25 for electric/natural gas rise. I'm sharing the bathroom with three people who don't clean and although they have a once-a-month cleaning service, that isn't enough.

About 60 miles from here, on the edge of Silicon Valley, our old neighbourhood is now at US$1 million for the houses vs US$12,500 that my parents paid in 1960.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Do you have property tax over there on homes?

When you buy a home you pay stamp duty which is a small %. If your home is below a certain amount this is waved to encourage first time buyers.

If you sell a home (but don’t buy another) you may pay capital gains tax (assuming your investment has increased!).

 

[scubachap]

We also have an ongoing council tax (payable to the local council for local services) that’s based on banded house values. It’s all a bit contentious as the banded valuations often don’t always reflect current values - particularly at the top end and many of the councils it’s supposed to fund are going bust!

 

[Chuckeee]

The housing hierarchy has generally been seen here as - rented room in shared house > bedsit (large self contained rented room) > studio flat (one room apartment) > flat (apartment) > house.

Do they have the equivalent of condominiums? A condominium is an apartment that you buy but then you also pay a small monthly fee for the common areas of the building. In the United States, it’s common that a first home purchase would be a condominium unit.

 

[scubachap]

I'm sharing the bathroom with three people who don't clean and although they have a once-a-month cleaning service, that isn't enough.

Sounds familiar, unfortunately.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Do they have the equivalent of condominiums? A condominium is an apartment that you buy but then you also pay a small monthly fee for the common areas of the building. In the United States, it’s common that a first home purchase would be a condominium unit.

We would call that a flat.

 

[bousozoku]

Do they have the equivalent of condominiums? A condominium is an apartment that you buy but then you also pay a small monthly fee for the common areas of the building. In the United States, it’s common that a first home purchase would be a condominium unit.

Of my friends in Japan, one friend's family lived in two apartments that they owned, one across from the other. They kept geta (tall, wooden "slippers") to cross from one to the other.

 

[bousozoku]

Sounds familiar, unfortunately.

Since I've been renting rooms, it's all too common.

it reminds me of depending on your grade to be good and the three other members of the team don't do their part.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Catching up with a friend on the phone. Telling me his woes. Spending a fortune on fuel where he’s moved to.
Then in the next breath telling me about his latest weekend away.

 

[Clix Pix]

We would call that

Do they have the equivalent of condominiums? A condominium is an apartment that you buy but then you also pay a small monthly fee for the common areas of the building. In the United States, it’s common that a first home purchase would be a condominium unit.

Actually, a condominium is a type of ownership and may apply not only to apartments (the most common) but also townhouses and some communities of joined-together "patio homes" and such. Some apartment condominium communities may have units in just one building, but others may have several buildings with the same number of apartment units in each, with several areas of common grounds within the community.

Yes, owners of a condominium are responsible for paying for their unit (by outright purchase or mortgage) and also for monthly assessments ("condo fees") in order to cover expenses incurred jointly and pay for amenities (some properties have more amenities than others). In my condo community (apartments) we pay for maintenance and upkeep of the small manmade lake which we are on, a swimming pool, trash removal, snow removal, lawn care and landscaping, insurance for the common grounds of the property, community management by a professional management company (they work closely with our Board of Directors which consists of five or six elected owners of one or more units in the community). We also pay as a community as a whole for sewer and water services through the county, but each individual unit owner or resident is responsible for the unit's usage of electricity as well as maintaining our HVAC (heating and air conditioning) units.

Costs have been rising annually for pretty much as long as I have lived here, because not only do we have to pay all of the above in our monthly condo fees, a percentage of the amount of those fees also includes funds to be put into the state-required "reserve" fund and another for any emergencies which might arise.

Ah, but there's more! In addition to the regular monthly payments which change (sigh, increase) annually, there may be a "special assessment" from time to time to cover additional situations which aren't already funded. This usually involves some major project which will benefit the entire community, but nonetheless none of us are happy when we get a notification of a special assessment. Ouch, those can be expensive on top of everything else!

So, yes, living in a condominium apartment can have some advantages but also can still be expensive, although not as much so as living in a single-family dwelling or trying to purchase one.

 

[mtbdudex]

Do they have the equivalent of condominiums? A condominium is an apartment that you buy but then you also pay a small monthly fee for the common areas of the building. In the United States, it’s common that a first home purchase would be a condominium unit.

In USA pre Great Recession

Great Recession - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

it was very common for some people to “move up” in homes every 3-5 years. Buy a fixer upper, fix it with sweat equity, buy a nicer home, live in that 3-4 years, then your 3rd home may be “the home”.
Great Recession changed all that.
For longest time seemed new home construction vanished.
Just now seems still very constrained so prices are high and not affordable.

 

[Herdfan]

Slight vent here.

So the offspring called because her car wouldn't turn over. It exhibits signs of a dead battery. Something must have gotten left on or something so we told her to call Roadside Assistance. She did and they showed up.

Now every time I have ever called roadside assistance they came in a tow truck. This guy came in an Infiniti Q60. Let me paint a clearer picture, Mercedes roadside assistance sent an Infiniti. Wow. I know they contract it out, but when my Ford truck was in the shop one time and Ford was paying for my rental, I had to wait a day because they wouldn't pay for the Dodge that was available. Had to be a Ford.

Anyway, his Infiniti didn't have enough power to start it so it is being towed to the dealer. I told her when the tow truck shows up, see if he can jump it. So we will see.

 

[bousozoku]

Slight vent here.

So the offspring called because her car wouldn't turn over. It exhibits signs of a dead battery. Something must have gotten left on or something so we told her to call Roadside Assistance. She did and they showed up.

Now every time I have ever called roadside assistance they came in a tow truck. This guy came in an Infiniti Q60. Let me paint a clearer picture, Mercedes roadside assistance sent an Infiniti. Wow. I know they contract it out, but when my Ford truck was in the shop one time and Ford was paying for my rental, I had to wait a day because they wouldn't pay for the Dodge that was available. Had to be a Ford.

Anyway, his Infiniti didn't have enough power to start it so it is being towed to the dealer. I told her when the tow truck shows up, see if he can jump it. So we will see.

What, the Infiniti Q60 couldn't tow her car?

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Bins, blood oranges, sausages and coffee are all on my mind.

I have placed orders for the latter two items, am waiting for the first to be attended to, and have been happily and greedily stuffing my face with freshly squeezed blood orange juice.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Preparing dinner (slow roasted pork belly), the bins have been empties, and are now tucked back into their respective niches, and this morning's wash has migrated to the tumble dryer.

And the barometer is tumbling, and the sky darkening ominously, neither of which are a good sign.

 

[yaxomoxay]

Another interesting related chart (for living in the US). Basically retiring early is good for your lifespan. I suspect this specific chart is a bit out of date but the basic trend is still there

View attachment 2350404

I expect to retire at 54. According to this chart I am basically going to die within the week.

 

[Chuckeee]

I expect to retire at 54. According to this chart I am basically going to die within the week.

Sorry to see you go. Although I think you might be reading the chart wrong.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Funnily enough I’ve just got off the phone with a friend. He’s just back from a two day conference his work sent him on about retirement. He has two years to go. But his retirement is a little more complicated. Being a Vicar he will have to move out of the area where he works, find a house and such. Lots of big changes to do in your mid sixties.

 

[mtbdudex]

Well this was interesting..
I made a thread in the watch forum while at work, I was very busy not had time to respond.. and it went on a few left and right unexpected turns …
Then got locked .. oh well.
Don’t discuss its subject matter here.

Tracking sexual activity

Well .. as the topic asks .. Apple Watch tracking sexual activity?? Did not know that was even there, was looking at the health app and it’s kinda way buried . So, you wear the watch 24/7 and it’ll then let you know your frequency, etc, doing “it”? Ha, how does it know the various types of...

forums.macrumors.com

My lesson learned is people lens of life put a different spin on it than I would have thought.

 

[sjsharksfan12]

I paid a lot to the dentist today. It actually is kind of overwhelming how much things are. I can afford it, but I was also thinking about buying a new bed soon and n emotionally from how much I spent today.

 

[bousozoku]

Well this was interesting..
I made a thread in the watch forum while at work, I was very busy not had time to respond.. and it went on a few left and right unexpected turns …
Then got locked .. oh well.
Don’t discuss its subject matter here.

Tracking sexual activity

Well .. as the topic asks .. Apple Watch tracking sexual activity?? Did not know that was even there, was looking at the health app and it’s kinda way buried . So, you wear the watch 24/7 and it’ll then let you know your frequency, etc, doing “it”? Ha, how does it know the various types of...

forums.macrumors.com

My lesson learned is people lens of life put a different spin on it than I would have thought.

Imagine posting that in a game forums with all the lonely young men who sit behind the computer 18 hours a day. 😆