>> ^jwray: If you're cooking, you need a car to efficiently ferry groceries from bigbox stores that are typically built several miles from residential areas, or else pay a 50% premium (on average) to get groceries from closer small-scale inefficient stores.
I can carry eight bags of groceries on my motorcycle - two handlebars, a backpack, a tank bag, and a box on the passenger seat . In fact, heres a picture of me coming back from the store with groceries: http://tinypic.com/r/14ch5iw/6
But I rarely see the need to take home more than 2-3 at a time since I live within 2 miles of like five Supermarkets and a Walmart, with the closest Supermarket being about 2 blocks away, so I can ride my bicycle to get groceries if I want (again 2 handlebars and a backpack).
>> ^Ryjkyj: Do you ride to work in the rain? Because nobody I know rides their bike in the rain. So what then, call in sick every time it rains?
Rain, snow, lightning, fog, hail, tumbleweeds, crazy drivers. The weather here ranges from -10 F to 105F and yes I ride every day no matter what. Riding in the rain isn't that big of a deal if you have a waterproof helmet, jacket, pants, gloves, and boots.
You can buy a used dirt bike for about $1000 - in fact my very first motorcycle was a used Ninja 250 (sport bike) which I bought for $1400. Gets 70 MPG. As far as maintenance on my current bike goes; spark plugs are about $2 (single cylinder) and an oil change is what $10? Mine was $7000 brand new, but I don't make minimum wage. Most people spend what, 10, 20, 30 thousand on a new car? Why would you spend $20,000 on a car? They are slow, dangerous, get terrible gas mileage, and can't even ride down single track
Thing is, if you are making minimum wage, why would you need a car to commute in the first place? Theres a McDonalds on every block and used bicycles are like $30. Anyone working less than 10 miles from their house could easily ride a bicycle to work. One of my coworkers does it every day (14 miles) ...yes in the rain and snow too.
Its not a question of "can" its a question of "will." People in America think (know?) they need a car yet theres really no need for it.
As far as TAXES go...you know I'm a libertarian right? I don't believe in taxation...so that part is on you...if you want to steal 20% from someone making minimum wage thats on you, not me
well i ride a 610cc dirt bike 365 days a year so that probably explains the difference in transportation costs are most people wiling to do that? no. can most people do it? of course.
typical rent in this area is $500 to $1500, my house is 550 square feet. Would most americans want to live in a house that "small?" no, probably not. can you? of course. 95% of the world would kill to live in the conditons i do, yet 95% of americans wouldnt dare.
thats a cultural flaw if you ask me
...kind of like eating out in a food industry where workers rely on tips, and not tipping because you "cant afford it" . by the way, do you guys only ever eat somewhere more than once? i would be worried about the urine content of my food with tipping histories like that
I make more than 15k a year but I make it a point to keep my living expenses under $1000 a month and I'm no pauper, so I'm sorry but I have to call bullshit.
In fact, not only can someone live on $1000 a month, someone doing this and making 15k a year would be putting $3000 a year in savings so I'm sorry I just don't buy your argument.
If you wanna make it personal, why don't we compare living budgets and we'll see just why living on $1256 a month is so difficult. Heres mine:
I've included two numbers since I live in a one-bedroom house with my girlfriend. The left is what I would pay if I lived alone, the right is what I pay splitting costs with her (would be the same situation as having a roommate, and if you are that strung up on cash then thats probably the best option for you)
Rent $450 ($225) *One Bedroom house, in a nice neighborhood, 2 miles from downtown in a city with ~1 million people
Water $30 ($15)
Electricity $50 ($25) *Electric Heat
Trash $20 ($10)
Internet $40 ($20) *5mbps Broadband
Cellphone $70 ($70)
Gas $25 ($25) *150 miles a week, 50 mpg, $3/gallon
Insurance $16 ($16) *$200 a year
Food $300 ($300) *$10 a day: bacon ($2/lb) eggs ($1.5/dozen), steak/chicken/pork ($3/lb), fruit ($1/lb) and vegetables ($1/lb)
Total $1001 ($706)
So here I am, someone who makes more than minimum wage, choosing to live on $700 a month. Had I been making $1256 I would still have $550 left over for savings, emergencies, going out, etc. Its not that it can't be done, its that people choose not do it.
Every day I eat bacon and eggs for breakfast and a 16oz new york strip, ribeye, pork lion, or roasted chicken breast with fresh fruits and vegetables for dinner, I have high speed internet, a cellphone, a vehicle, clean water, heat, a front yard, and a roof over my head, and you are telling me this is "unlivable" ?
Thats hyperbole if I ever heard it. $15,080 a year = $1256 a month. I don't care what city you live in you can find a $500 a month apartment.
15k isn't enough money to live on for most Americans because most Americans spend their money like fucking retards...which isn't much surprise, because most American's are fucking retards. It has absolutely nothing to do with cost of living.
We are digressing even further, but most American's don't even realize that their lives only exist to work, make, and give money to someone else. If you are a typical American, you spend 20-30 years working 2,080 hours a year making somewhere between $15,080 to $100,000 and at the end of each year you spend almost your entire paycheck regardless of your income level. It doesn't matter whether you have a hyundai or a lexus, your money (and thus your work, your time, and ultimately - your life) is handed over to someone else with hardly a second thought.
All I know is I live in a town where a bunch of white cops white a shot a white guy 30+ times...fuck going out like that....when I get pulled over for a speeding ticket in broad daylight, I slowly point at my back pocket as I say "Can I grab my wallet, sir?"
I keep a 9mm next to my bed in case of a break in, and if something ever happened, I would call 911 and get my ass out of the area...no way am I waiting in my house when a bunch of officers storm my house looking for a perpetrator. A (white) guy on the news caught a home-invader and told his son to call 911 while he held the guy at gunpoint...the cops came in and shot in him the back like 10 times.
I'm sure racism is the root of some small percentage of these issues, but most of the time its probably the suspect doing something sketchy because he feels innocent. Think about the worst-case scenario going through their heads, or risk getting shot, its that simple.
Digression, but lets be fair; approximately 80% of the worlds population lives on less than $5.15 a day = $1875 a year. Minimum wage in the US is $7.25 per hour = $15,080 a year. If you can't live off 15k a year you are either a dumb ass, or a jack ass.
>> ^Ryjkyj Minimum wage is absolutely not a living wage.
I've always thought people should have at least one job in some kind of service industry, just to help them realize they shouldn't be pricks to these people when they grow up. But yeah, I don't really get the anti-tip sentiment as well; I understand the cultural differences between countries and wages, but people should respect whatever culture they are visiting, not impose their values (or tipping preferences) on the host country.
In reply to this comment by blankfist: My first job was as a bus boy/dishwasher at a Western Steer restaurant in North Carolina. I hated it. I, too, tip at least 20% and typically more depending on what I order. It figures the ones everyone else would want to label as heartless libertarians would be the ones who tip the greatest.
I'm not sure why everyone else on that post hates tipping waitresses so much.
In reply to this comment by imstellar28: My first job was as a bus boy/dishwasher, and the waitresses I worked with made $2.13 an hour - three dollars less than minimum wage at the time. Waitresses don't just keep their tips...they have to "tip out" other people like the bus boy, etc. So as a bus boy, sometimes I would bring home $50 a night in tips from what the waitresses would give me - outside of my regular wages which were above minimum wage.
To this day, as a rule I tip 25-30% on all bills, usually with a minimum of 20%. If the person gives really lousy service - aka - charges me for extra bread etc. I subtract that out of the tip sometimes; otherwise I always tip at least 20% even if they are mediocre. For really good service (especially on low-priced bills) sometimes I'll tip upwards of 50%.
Worst tip I ever gave was -$1.00 yes I actually subtracted money from the bill and signed it on a credit card. The restaurant had a deal "$5 pitchers for domestic drafts" and I had ordered Yuengling...ended up being charged like $9.50 a pitcher when there was a sign at the very bar "Yuengling...America's oldest brewery"
It should be noted that a lot of times people penalize the waitress for problems with the cook. If the food is bad, or wrong, or late - that could be the cook's fault; many times it has nothing to do with the waitress. And if its busy, and/or the restaurant is under-staffed, how is that her fault and why should she be penalized? If it takes one hour to get your food, eat somewhere else don't be a dick to the waitress.
My first job was as a bus boy/dishwasher, and the waitresses I worked with made $2.13 an hour - three dollars less than minimum wage at the time. Waitresses don't just keep their tips...they have to "tip out" other people like the bus boy, etc. So as a bus boy, sometimes I would bring home $50 a night in tips from what the waitresses would give me - outside of my regular wages which were above minimum wage.
To this day, as a rule I tip 25-30% on all bills, usually with a minimum of 20%. If the person gives really lousy service - aka - charges me for extra bread etc. I subtract that out of the tip sometimes; otherwise I always tip at least 20% even if they are mediocre. For really good service (especially on low-priced bills) sometimes I'll tip upwards of 50%.
Worst tip I ever gave was -$1.00 yes I actually subtracted money from the bill and signed it on a credit card. The restaurant had a deal "$5 pitchers for domestic drafts" and I had ordered Yuengling...ended up being charged like $9.50 a pitcher when there was a sign at the very bar "Yuengling...America's oldest brewery"
It should be noted that a lot of times people penalize the waitress for problems with the cook. If the food is bad, or wrong, or late - that could be the cook's fault; many times it has nothing to do with the waitress. And if its busy, and/or the restaurant is under-staffed, how is that her fault and why should she be penalized? If it takes one hour to get your food, eat somewhere else don't be a dick to the waitress.
I make it a point to avoid fiction but the plot sounds pretty interesting...I wish they would have made it a movie or tv series... but I guess I'll have to read it.
if you still dont understand after reading the comments above, chances are youll never understand.
there is no such thing is gay rights, or black rights, or womens rights so show me any spokesperson be they martin luther king junior or a ten year old with an overactive vocabulary and ill show you a person who doesnt understand human rights
A 10 year old has 'a lot of friends' who are gay when his age group doesn't even hit puberty for 2-3 years?
I'm sorry but isn't this a valid question; if a 10 year old kid knows the sexual orientation of his friends, much less himself, thats probably suspect don't you think?
I was going to upvote until he said "a lot of my friends are..." not because its dubious - which it is - but because theres nothing admirable about protecting the rights of groups you agree with, or groups you belong to. Whats admirable is protecting the rights of people you don't know or even hate.
He'll sit down for gays but I'm sure theres lots of other groups he could care less about, atheists maybe?
Gently (Blog Entry by youdiejoe)
Couple Arrested for Not Paying Tip
If you're cooking, you need a car to efficiently ferry groceries from bigbox stores that are typically built several miles from residential areas, or else pay a 50% premium (on average) to get groceries from closer small-scale inefficient stores.
I can carry eight bags of groceries on my motorcycle - two handlebars, a backpack, a tank bag, and a box on the passenger seat
But I rarely see the need to take home more than 2-3 at a time since I live within 2 miles of like five Supermarkets and a Walmart, with the closest Supermarket being about 2 blocks away, so I can ride my bicycle to get groceries if I want (again 2 handlebars and a backpack).
Couple Arrested for Not Paying Tip
Do you ride to work in the rain? Because nobody I know rides their bike in the rain. So what then, call in sick every time it rains?
Rain, snow, lightning, fog, hail, tumbleweeds, crazy drivers. The weather here ranges from -10 F to 105F and yes I ride every day no matter what. Riding in the rain isn't that big of a deal if you have a waterproof helmet, jacket, pants, gloves, and boots.
You can buy a used dirt bike for about $1000 - in fact my very first motorcycle was a used Ninja 250 (sport bike) which I bought for $1400. Gets 70 MPG. As far as maintenance on my current bike goes; spark plugs are about $2 (single cylinder) and an oil change is what $10? Mine was $7000 brand new, but I don't make minimum wage. Most people spend what, 10, 20, 30 thousand on a new car? Why would you spend $20,000 on a car? They are slow, dangerous, get terrible gas mileage, and can't even ride down single track
Thing is, if you are making minimum wage, why would you need a car to commute in the first place? Theres a McDonalds on every block and used bicycles are like $30. Anyone working less than 10 miles from their house could easily ride a bicycle to work. One of my coworkers does it every day (14 miles) ...yes in the rain and snow too.
Its not a question of "can" its a question of "will." People in America think (know?) they need a car yet theres really no need for it.
As far as TAXES go...you know I'm a libertarian right? I don't believe in taxation...so that part is on you...if you want to steal 20% from someone making minimum wage thats on you, not me
Veteran returns to Vietnam; returns photo of man he killed
Crazy Girlfriend Smashes Xbox
Couple Arrested for Not Paying Tip
typical rent in this area is $500 to $1500, my house is 550 square feet. Would
most americans want to live in a house that "small?" no, probably not. can you? of course. 95% of the world would kill to live in the conditons i do, yet 95% of americans wouldnt dare.
thats a cultural flaw if you ask me
...kind of like eating out in a food industry where workers rely on tips, and not tipping because you "cant afford it" . by the way, do you guys only ever eat somewhere more than once? i would be worried about the urine content of my food with tipping histories like that
Couple Arrested for Not Paying Tip
In fact, not only can someone live on $1000 a month, someone doing this and making 15k a year would be putting $3000 a year in savings so I'm sorry I just don't buy your argument.
If you wanna make it personal, why don't we compare living budgets and we'll see just why living on $1256 a month is so difficult. Heres mine:
I've included two numbers since I live in a one-bedroom house with my girlfriend. The left is what I would pay if I lived alone, the right is what I pay splitting costs with her (would be the same situation as having a roommate, and if you are that strung up on cash then thats probably the best option for you)
Rent $450 ($225)
*One Bedroom house, in a nice neighborhood, 2 miles from downtown in a city with ~1 million people
Water $30 ($15)
Electricity $50 ($25)
*Electric Heat
Trash $20 ($10)
Internet $40 ($20)
*5mbps Broadband
Cellphone $70 ($70)
Gas $25 ($25)
*150 miles a week, 50 mpg, $3/gallon
Insurance $16 ($16)
*$200 a year
Food $300 ($300)
*$10 a day: bacon ($2/lb) eggs ($1.5/dozen), steak/chicken/pork ($3/lb), fruit ($1/lb) and vegetables ($1/lb)
Total $1001 ($706)
So here I am, someone who makes more than minimum wage, choosing to live on $700 a month. Had I been making $1256 I would still have $550 left over for savings, emergencies, going out, etc. Its not that it can't be done, its that people choose not do it.
Every day I eat bacon and eggs for breakfast and a 16oz new york strip, ribeye, pork lion, or roasted chicken breast with fresh fruits and vegetables for dinner, I have high speed internet, a cellphone, a vehicle, clean water, heat, a front yard, and a roof over my head, and you are telling me this is "unlivable" ?
No...this is unlivable:
http://lboudouani.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/starvation3.jpg
Top Gear - The Best Road In The World
Cancer Breakthrough. Believe It.
Couple Arrested for Not Paying Tip
15k isn't enough money to live on for most Americans because most Americans spend their money like fucking retards...which isn't much surprise, because most American's are fucking retards. It has absolutely nothing to do with cost of living.
We are digressing even further, but most American's don't even realize that their lives only exist to work, make, and give money to someone else. If you are a typical American, you spend 20-30 years working 2,080 hours a year making somewhere between $15,080 to $100,000 and at the end of each year you spend almost your entire paycheck regardless of your income level. It doesn't matter whether you have a hyundai or a lexus, your money (and thus your work, your time, and ultimately - your life) is handed over to someone else with hardly a second thought.
1 bedroom, 3 bedrooms, 5 bedrooms, bus, hyundai, lexus, .10 acres, 1 acre, 10 acres - you think it really matters?
If you are working for anyone but yourself, you're a fool.
>> ^longde:
^if the coat of living was the same the world over, you would have a valid point. 15k in the US gets you a tent city address.
Michael Moore Helps the NYPD Distinguish Wallets from Guns
I keep a 9mm next to my bed in case of a break in, and if something ever happened, I would call 911 and get my ass out of the area...no way am I waiting in my house when a bunch of officers storm my house looking for a perpetrator. A (white) guy on the news caught a home-invader and told his son to call 911 while he held the guy at gunpoint...the cops came in and shot in him the back like 10 times.
I'm sure racism is the root of some small percentage of these issues, but most of the time its probably the suspect doing something sketchy because he feels innocent. Think about the worst-case scenario going through their heads, or risk getting shot, its that simple.
Couple Arrested for Not Paying Tip
>> ^Ryjkyj
Minimum wage is absolutely not a living wage.
blankfist
In reply to this comment by blankfist:
My first job was as a bus boy/dishwasher at a Western Steer restaurant in North Carolina. I hated it. I, too, tip at least 20% and typically more depending on what I order. It figures the ones everyone else would want to label as heartless libertarians would be the ones who tip the greatest.
I'm not sure why everyone else on that post hates tipping waitresses so much.
In reply to this comment by imstellar28:
My first job was as a bus boy/dishwasher, and the waitresses I worked with made $2.13 an hour - three dollars less than minimum wage at the time. Waitresses don't just keep their tips...they have to "tip out" other people like the bus boy, etc. So as a bus boy, sometimes I would bring home $50 a night in tips from what the waitresses would give me - outside of my regular wages which were above minimum wage.
To this day, as a rule I tip 25-30% on all bills, usually with a minimum of 20%. If the person gives really lousy service - aka - charges me for extra bread etc. I subtract that out of the tip sometimes; otherwise I always tip at least 20% even if they are mediocre. For really good service (especially on low-priced bills) sometimes I'll tip upwards of 50%.
Worst tip I ever gave was -$1.00 yes I actually subtracted money from the bill and signed it on a credit card. The restaurant had a deal "$5 pitchers for domestic drafts" and I had ordered Yuengling...ended up being charged like $9.50 a pitcher when there was a sign at the very bar "Yuengling...America's oldest brewery"
It should be noted that a lot of times people penalize the waitress for problems with the cook. If the food is bad, or wrong, or late - that could be the cook's fault; many times it has nothing to do with the waitress. And if its busy, and/or the restaurant is under-staffed, how is that her fault and why should she be penalized? If it takes one hour to get your food, eat somewhere else don't be a dick to the waitress.
Michael Moore Helps the NYPD Distinguish Wallets from Guns
Jimmy Carr - "Mother Theresa Looks Like My Balls"
Couple Arrested for Not Paying Tip
To this day, as a rule I tip 25-30% on all bills, usually with a minimum of 20%. If the person gives really lousy service - aka - charges me for extra bread etc. I subtract that out of the tip sometimes; otherwise I always tip at least 20% even if they are mediocre. For really good service (especially on low-priced bills) sometimes I'll tip upwards of 50%.
Worst tip I ever gave was -$1.00 yes I actually subtracted money from the bill and signed it on a credit card. The restaurant had a deal "$5 pitchers for domestic drafts" and I had ordered Yuengling...ended up being charged like $9.50 a pitcher when there was a sign at the very bar "Yuengling...America's oldest brewery"
It should be noted that a lot of times people penalize the waitress for problems with the cook. If the food is bad, or wrong, or late - that could be the cook's fault; many times it has nothing to do with the waitress. And if its busy, and/or the restaurant is under-staffed, how is that her fault and why should she be penalized? If it takes one hour to get your food, eat somewhere else don't be a dick to the waitress.
What if Earth had rings like Saturn?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ringworld
I make it a point to avoid fiction but the plot sounds pretty interesting...I wish they would have made it a movie or tv series... but I guess I'll have to read it.
Boy Won't Say Pledge of Allegiance Until Gays Can Marry
there is no such thing is gay rights, or black rights, or womens rights so show me any spokesperson be they martin luther king junior or a ten year old with an overactive vocabulary and ill show you a person who doesnt understand human rights
Boy Won't Say Pledge of Allegiance Until Gays Can Marry
I'm sorry but isn't this a valid question; if a 10 year old kid knows the sexual orientation of his friends, much less himself, thats probably suspect don't you think?
I was going to upvote until he said "a lot of my friends are..." not because its dubious - which it is - but because theres nothing admirable about protecting the rights of groups you agree with, or groups you belong to. Whats admirable is protecting the rights of people you don't know or even hate.
He'll sit down for gays but I'm sure theres lots of other groups he could care less about, atheists maybe?
NASA's UFO Footage [10:11]
Still...very interesting; it would be difficult to explain away many of these objects.