Good Vibrations

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yogi
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Re: Good Vibrations

Post by yogi »

From the Internet, so we know this is true:
Over 627,000 new businesses open each year, according to SBA estimates. At the same time, about 595,000 businesses close each year (latest statistics as of 2008).
I suppose things could have changed drastically since 2008, but those figures suggest 32,000 new businesses succeeded that year. That's only 5% of those who tried. So, I can see why you would think the system is biased against small business people. I would say it's more complicated than most people figure it would be and that accounts for the mass failures. But, 32,000 is a lot of success stories. When you think about it, if all 627,000 attempts succeeded, that would have a negative impact on the market. Too many businesses and not enough consumers is not good for the economy. I don't think that is the theory behind all those regulations you cite, but it is good that only the best of the best make it into the consumer world.
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Kellemora
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Re: Good Vibrations

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I would think more often than not it has more to do with money than the quality or marketability of a product.

For my little tabletop business, my legal office and registered agent are still in Missouri. All of my orders came in through a St. Louis based ISP mailbox, which I could access from down here. I kept up all of my licenses and followed all the regulations required to maintain my business there.
I could not move my business down here to Tennessee because the annual fee to do so was higher than what little profit I made from the little niche market for my product.
They do have another fee for an out-of-state business doing business here, but I take no orders, nor make any sales in this state which would then require I pay that fee. And the bulk of my packaging materials still come from the same company in Missouri I've bought from since they opened in 1972.

I'm proud to say my product has been on the market now for over 25 years. Unfortunately, modern technology, and a dwindling niche market, has slowly eaten away at my sales. Not buying ingredients in large bulk sizes eats away at the profits too. It costs me almost double to manufacture my product than it did only five years ago, but the sale price has remained the same. If I try to up the price, it is more than the market will pay for the type of product. Besides, it is a product you hope no one needs to buy in the first place. Think of it like Chemo. It's there if someone needs it, but you sure hope nobody does.

I've had several products over the years that advancing technology wiped out completely. Heck, nobody uses a Hectograph or Stencil Duplicator anymore, hi hi.
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yogi
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Re: Good Vibrations

Post by yogi »

One of the reasons I embrace evolution is because its premise is based on change, or going extinct. Adaptation is what moves evolution along. While most people think of it in terms of living creatures, the same idea can be applied to abstract entities, such as businesses. No matter how good your product or service is, the market for it will change. Thus the people who are best at adapting to the current economic climate are the most successful. Having said that, I think you are remarkably successful in spite of the hard times you describe.

Money is indeed the bottom line, isn't it? That's the reason 95% of those start-ups don't survive. They run out of money. But, I would argue the statement that quality isn't a factor. Just look at the automobile industry for a classic example. We were the world leaders in manufacturing of automobiles until those off shore companies made a higher quality product at a lower selling price. The attempt to combat that with tariffs and forcing foreign manufacturers to set up shop in this country didn't change reality. People bought those foreign cars and killed our domestic production because of the perceived quality.
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Kellemora
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Re: Good Vibrations

Post by Kellemora »

My patents were for a hydroculture planting system. I only made about 250 bucks a week when I reached the point of development of my system where it became a feasible alternative planting method. After about 18 years of development, a few others also now had similar products on the market, but none worked as well as mine did, which was most helpful in marketing my product. However, getting it to market would take more money than I made in a lifetime. I still managed to get it done though.

After months of organization and set-up, and getting the items used made. I came home one day with a grin on my face, carrying two of the special liners that help make my system work. Naturally the two liners came out of the same mold so were identical, except for the number 1 I wrote on the bottom of the first one out of the mold.
I set both liners side by side on our kitchen counter and asked the frau if she could tell the difference between these two items. She studied them intently looking for something different between them. After a short while she gave up and asked, OK what's the difference I don't see any.
I said the difference is not something you can see with your eyes. It has to do with the hip national bank. The one on the left cost me a little over $150,000.00, the one on the right, and all 5,000 after it only cost me $4.27 each.

That was just one of the items I had to have dies cut and molds made for.
It was a long hard struggle, but we finally made it, had several stores, and our growing facilities going great guns.
Then a couple of crooks wiped it all out for us almost overnight. While I was out of town on a buying trip they sold everything out from under me, and made off with all the money, including tying up any income still due in. Poof!

Although I worked hard most of my life, and my businesses supported a lot of families over the years, very little every fell into my lap. And what did was eaten up paying my late wife's medical bills.
Although we need some money to survive. I've learned the hard way, money is not where it's at. It can help make one more comfortable, but it sure doesn't bring happiness. If we learn to live within our means, we may not have the things we would like to have, but we also don't have the burdens and headaches anymore either.
I wish I did have a little more income than I do, especially when I get hit with unexpected bills that reach the fourth digit.

Just had new brakes put on the frau's car, along with two new rotors, about 3 months ago. Something must have been wrong with two of the calipers, because it burned out the new brakes on one wheel and ate the new rotor up. On another it also ate the brakes and heated up the rotor until it warped. Another case of lousy workmanship at a repair shop. I can't go back to them because they closed down about three or four weeks ago after over 50 years in business.
And that's the way my life usually goes, hi hi.
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yogi
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Re: Good Vibrations

Post by yogi »

I think I mentioned a while back that I was a practicing astrologer at one point in my life. I befriended the owners of a local book store that sold astrology material and they would from time to time recommend me to their customers. I bought enough books from them so that the payback was greatly appreciated. Anyway, I did that for a few years but got tired of it. People would come for an analysis with the same problems, over, and over, and over.

A common thread among my clients was that they felt helpless to make any changes in their life because they were born under the influence of some bad stars - or planets. I think that is the reputation most common when people think of astrology, but that's not what it's all about. One's birth chart depicts an environment, but it does not compel you to do anything. Of course there are certain limitations in every environment, but the choices one makes determines the outcome. It's not the other way round. The sad truth is that people end up doing whatever is easiest for them to do. Making changes, or as I would say, adapting, is not easy. Once you reach age 28, it's all over. You are set in your ways and will not likely learn anything significant about how to face your own personal reality. Be that all as it may, that's the reason I have great admiration for you and people like you. You might not be programmed for extreme success, but you are smart enough to know how to deal with what you have. Kudos for that.

I've had the discussion several times where "money = happiness" was debated. The people who say it's not true were mostly those who were not wealthy. I have to agree that you can't go to the store and buy a pound of happiness, but money will allow you to shop at Neiman Marcus instead of being confined to WalMart's blue light specials. That might not be happiness, but it sure makes misery a lot more bearable.
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Kellemora
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Re: Good Vibrations

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I've always had a saying, money may not be everything, but it's way ahead of what ever is in second place, hi hi.

I've been on both sides of the money fence, but not over the higher up money fence.
Our family was fairly well to do, but not rich. But it got diluted quite a bit with each generation.
I've had a lot of great years, and a lot of lean years, but can't ever say I was rich, even if it looked like it to some for a short period of time.
Medical bills for my late wife is what wiped me out completely, and I've never actually recovered before I too have had major medical issues which prevent me from doing a lot of things.
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pilvikki
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Re: Good Vibrations

Post by pilvikki »

so sorry about your health issues, gary. doesn't seem fair, does it?

when you consider that as we age, we collect health issues like a stray cat fleas, it just seems unreal that one's life savings will be wiped out with illnesses. saving for your old age becomes a cruel joke.

i've been lucky to have been able to have been insured one way or another and now am living in a country that will foot 100 % of any bill that might crop up from cancer i had. the cancer tests, operation, follow up, etc all cost me some $80 for something to do with the hospital stay. i don't know what it was for, i didn't ask. (i can't quite see what 'other' cancer related would be, perhaps another cancer?) but anyway, this year i pay 79 euros/m and pretty much everything is covered regardless of what caused it. that includes teeth and glasses.

squeaki has braces and because punkin is low income (she can only get p/t hours for now), that mouthful cost her a whole 130 euros.

to me this is way more ...civilized. and i've a funny feeling there'd be a lots less of stress related issues if the health care were to be sorted out over there. furthermore, people would likely be seeing their doctors a lot sooner, before things get dire.

oh, and another thing, i also have a health card that (partly?) covers me in other european countries. luckily not had a need to test the theory yet.

we didn't know anything about this before we moved here, but it sure has come handy...
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yogi
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Re: Good Vibrations

Post by yogi »

The way it's being debated over here, you would think providing healthcare for the masses is akin to rewriting the constitution and starting over from scratch. I can understand the concerns on both sides of the issue. It's about money and who is really paying for the healthcare. All the political questions surrounding healthcare seem to be answered in just about every country on earth except mine. Over here it has to do with a paranoia about socialism. If everybody had access to healthcare paid by the government (or some other entity with infinite sources of cash) that would put everybody on an equal health footing. That smells like socialism to some folks, and thus the never ending argument against it. Be this all as it may, we here in America have just about the best medical services on this planet. Part of the reason we excel as we do has to do with the fact that healthcare is not governed by the government. Then again, that leads to only those who can afford it being able to benefit from it.

Will the issues ever be resolved? Not in my lifetime. :bleh:
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Kellemora
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Re: Good Vibrations

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I have a long time friend who lives in the UK. His daughter is very ill, and her illness is not covered.
He started a go fund me group to get the funds necessary for her life saving operation.
Needless to say, he and several others with similar illnesses are none to happy with their healthcare system.
They would rather let his daughter, and others, die, than proved the needed operation and healthcare.

So I don't see your system any better than ours. We pay for insurance, only our insurance can cap out.
And after you turn 65 you are forced onto Medicare, and still have to buy supplemental insurance to cover part of what Medicare doesn't. And even that doesn't cover everything.

We do have lower cost advantage programs which closely emulate the UK system. You pay into it, then they tell you where to go in such a nice way you are supposed to enjoy the trip.
And then theres ObummerCare, a disaster from day one! Hopefully soon eliminated.

We have numerous free healthcare clinics and state run hospitals for those who cannot pay. But like the UK, the waiting list is often longer than you have to live if not treated.
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yogi
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Re: Good Vibrations

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Our co-administrator, Rusty, lived in the UK. She died recently from lung cancer. Over the years we had more than a few discussions about healthcare, and she would be the first to admit that their NHS was less than perfect. She got to pick her own doctors and surgeries (clinics) by the way. She said it was all free and available to everybody. There also is a system of privately owned healthcare institutions in England. Most people could not afford going that route, which tells me that the citizens of England mandated the use of NHS over private care. Well, people die of cancer in both systems. In spite of Rusty insisting NHS was free, they were paying high taxes to support the system. However, she never mentioned doughnut holes, preexisting conditions, or lack of service for those who wanted/needed it. To be fair, she did point out that in some cases there is a waiting list for surgical procedures. It's not that the surgery is unavailable, there just is a shortage of doctors and facilities when the government runs things. There is no shortage of doctors or hospitals in this country. It's just that not everybody has access to them. While her views about doctor satisfaction were less objective, she also claimed that by far the majority of doctors prefer working for NHS over private practice. Seems odd, but then I don't live in the UK.
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Kellemora
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Re: Good Vibrations

Post by Kellemora »

Their are good points and bad points on both of our healthcare systems.

On both sides I see selectivity of who gets help and who doesn't.

I pay around 300 bucks a month for healthcare insurance, and many of the things I need are not covered.
My frau is paying closer to 400 for hers, and over 300 bucks a month more for her medications. That jumps to 600 bucks a month while she's in the donut hole too.
Since we are both on SS, it nearly wipes out all of what we get, which is one reason she had to go back to work.

I may be wrong here, but I think doctors who belong to the NHS in the UK are immune to lawsuits, while those in private practice are like ours and must carry massive amounts of liability insurance.
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yogi
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Re: Good Vibrations

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The argument against universal healthcare going around these days is simply that the government should not be in the healthcare business. Unless we turn somebody into a monopoly I don't see any other institution that could handle such a massive project. For all the dissing going around about Obamacare, it's probably the best starting point for reinventing our healthcare system. I don't think it would take much to iron out the bugs if the congress were really serious about it. Unfortunately, healthcare is going to be a plank in the political platforms come 2020, and that means it will get a lot of hype but next to no action when the new regime takes over. Being the old guy that I am, of course I think it's a good idea for everybody to be covered 100%. When I was younger and working I didn't see the point of it. All I do see is that single provider healthcare is working in a lot of countries which are not as well off as we are.

I'm not sure about doctors' liability in the NHS system. You would think that if they are government employees, they would be protected. I don't know what is done about malpractice in that case. Rusty never admitted that the doctors there did anything wrong. LOL
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Kellemora
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Re: Good Vibrations

Post by Kellemora »

The whole thing about Obamacare was all the things added into the bill, and went unread, before it was passed.
There is a lot of very nasty stuff in that bill and it should have never been passed with the things that were hidden in it.
It was only about healthcare on the surface, it's what lied underneath that is a major danger to the USofA.
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yogi
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Re: Good Vibrations

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Apparently the current congress learned a lot from Obama. I'm thinking of the way the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 was enacted.
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Re: Good Vibrations

Post by Kellemora »

I think the words Poly-TICK-ians, and Criminals are synonymous!

How does one become a multi-millionaire on a 150k a year salary, unless they are crooked and accept bribes?
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yogi
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Re: Good Vibrations

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Gary wrote:How does one become a multi-millionaire on a 150k a year salary, unless they are crooked and accept bribes?
I already explained it here: viewtopic.php?f=23&t=2336&start=20#p37524
There is ample evidence that money laundering has made not only Donald Trump vulnerable, but most of the Republican leadership as well. Among other sources these corrupt politicians are being funded by the NRA, yes, the National Rifle Association. The NRA is being funded by Russian oligarchs. It doesn't take much analysis to see what is going on. And, I don't want to sound overly political because it's not only Republicans who are beholden to the Russian Mafia. Democrats, Progressives, and Independents seem to be falling in line as well. Your guess is as good as mine. I don't know if democracy in this country will survive. I do know we are at a critical juncture.
To put it in simple terms, the current administration, most if not all his cabinet, the RNC, and nearly every Republican in congress is being bought and paid for by the Russian mafia (via contributions from the NRA) to enact laws and policies favorable to Russian interests.
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Kellemora
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Re: Good Vibrations

Post by Kellemora »

I thought most of the bribe money was coming in from Chinese sources?
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yogi
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Re: Good Vibrations

Post by yogi »

China is in the game too, but Putin is Hell bent on taking over the world. This goes back to the days of Ronald Regan who was in charge of things when the Cold War was lost by the USSR. Putin at that time was deeply involved with their equivalent to our NSA and CIA. He took much of the loss personally and eventually went into politics. He promised the people a "democratic" government and everyone cheered. However, Putin and his buddies raped the treasury and became powerful influences given that they had all the money. That wasn't enough for Putin because he was pissed off at us for winning the Cold War. Every day since then he has been engaged in espionage and cyber warfare. He was particularly pissed at the Clintons for their backing of the Ukraine, which is why you hear a lot now about how the Russians deliberately manipulated things to make Hillary look bad, and allow Mr Trump to take the presidency.

There is no doubt about the Chinese, North Koreans, and the Iraqi governments mounting similar attacks. Fortunately they are not as well developed as are the Russians. The key to understanding the political picture these days is in realizing how our so called president is being manipulated to serve the Russian agenda. It would never be possible if the congress too were not involved. In our system of governance the president cannot act alone. A lot of the money laundering is still not public information, but the role of the NRA contributions and PACs is well known. They even admit to Russian money coming into their organization. The end result of all this is going to be the downfall of the United State's as a world leader. Russia was the only other super power until they lost the war. The Russians are well placed to fill the vacancy we create by our absence, but the Chinese cannot be discounted given their massive resources. They have been mostly focused on their own self-interests but can easily take an aggressive stance if they need to. For the time being it's just wait and see.
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pilvikki
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Re: Good Vibrations

Post by pilvikki »

well, one thing, gary, i live in france and france i a haven for sick folk: people walk out of the pharmacies with boxes and shopping bags full. need opiates, have a few hundred. sleeping pills? what kind would you like? a bariatric operation, sure thing!

the only thing my doc is fussy about are antibiotics. could you manage without? no. oh well, i hate to, but if you insist....

once the ins company sees that one is not abusing the system by say, multiple prescriptions etc, they leave you alone, so if i go to get refills a week ahead of schedule, they don't care. at first it was "come back next week".

i expect that this will eventually backfire, but atm everyone appears well-rested and happy in a Brave New World kind of way. :eek: :eek: :eek:
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pilvikki
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Re: Good Vibrations

Post by pilvikki »

oh yeah, the russians... just yesterday ran into a bot! misspelled 'time', too.

putin... 15 yrs ago squeaki's dad told us the guy was a snake and that's before anyone actually knew much about him. the polish airplane crash? no accident, a hit. notice how quiet it got about it so quickly? funny how that works...
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