Here's a old thread that's a great read.
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Here's a old thread that's a great read.
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Still a great read from the past.
Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
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There certainly have been a lot of changes since this thread was started in 2015. We will have to see how it all plays out but i think we might be on the cusp of a major paradigm shift after the election next month. The global geo-political landscape is in a state of flux. Power and capital appear to be slowly shifting from west to east. It's all a game of thrones. Great nations rise and fall as they have all throughout human history.
I would keep an ear to the rail and a sharp eye out for any black swan events that present themselves. The sudden emergence of unanticipated crises present opportunities for profit.
You have to change & adapt with the times ... otherwise ... you fall by the wayside and become irrelevant. It's survival of the fittest.
Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
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For whatever it's worth ... i ran across what i believe is a good article at Kitco in regard to inflation. On a gut level ... you know that the cost of living is going to skyrocket after the election. Anyone living on a fixed income is going to be caught between a rock and a hard place. This explains the how and why of it if you think it all the way through.
https://www.kitco.com/news/article/2...fed-rate-plans
On the upside ... we're looking at the possibility of fairly decent scrap metals prices further on down the line. Gold and copper are near all time highs and poised to do even better. Ferrous is currently down but may do especially well if wider conflicts break out in one of the three global hotspots ... Europe, the Middle East, and the South China sea.
Doom & gloom isn't always a bad thing.
Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
Watch what ya wish for.Originally Posted by hills
Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
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Good advise !
Honestly .... i don't want any of this. I'm just saying that this seems to be the way that things are going to unfold in the coming months and years. I suppose we might as well try and make the best of it. It helps if you have some idea of what lies ahead.
Like ... let's say you were a retired guy living on Social Security and a few investments. That might not be enough to make ends meet if the cost of living goes up again. There's plenty of jobs right now. Maybe you take something part time so you have a little more coming in every month.
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I'm sitting good and things are getting better for me around the yard as I've got a lot done this year and things are falling into place quite nicely.
I bought a vehicle to replace what I've been driving for almost 3 years. I figured it was time to replace my 2007 Buick Lucerne as it's getting so rusty underneath. Had a rear brake line go bad so I pinched the line. It will be ok for a bit as I get the 2000 Chevy Blazer ready. It needs a little work but is drivable now. Has a exhaust leak I need to patch so it's a bit quieter and the heater is stuck on, but that's ok for winter.
I put almost 10,000 miles on the Buick in 3 years. Seems my miles a year are about the same in the last 12 years. The Chevy Blazer is in pretty good shape overall. The lady I bought it from bought another Blazer in better condition. I paid $1000 and it's worth twice that. So I did alright.
I liked the ride in the Buick but it's work getting in and out. I would rather have the 4x4 and have to climb up in instead of the crawling into the Buick.
Been working on a couple of old school busses getting them ready for the many 5 drawer file cabinets I bought a few months back for $4.00 each. Will be able to move many things around and into their proper place so I can get at things better and have many things sorted. I have a plan and it's coming along quite nicely.
Will have most of the good tools and hardware in one bus and the other will have about 15 5 drawer file cabinets and 4 2 drawer cabinets next to the rear wheel wells. Will make benches over those that will work out well. That bus is for stuff I'm interested in getting rid of in trade or cash. Collectables and house goods and such. It's already got a lot of stuff in it that I sorted through in the last month. Should be ready to start putting file cabinets in it this week. Have a little more work to do like remove the heaters and a few seats that are left in it. My cousin was getting it ready for his family to drive to Alaska and live in while they worked on their cabin. It was all ready with new carpet and most of the windows covered when the engine went to crap. I got a call from my cousin 9 years ago telling me the engine went to crap when he was moving it out of the shop he was working on it in. He said he was on his way to my place and to have a spot to park it. He gave it to me as a bonus for all the help I had given him over the years.
I don't pay much mind to the "programing" that is out there as it's mostly a BIG game and the powers that be and run things just lie and tell people what they choose.
Don't matter to me who is president and what the religions are up to as it's just more of the same.
Nothing new under the sun when the many want to play and have their fun.
Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
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Ummm .... you probably got stuck with a junker there CD. Twenty five years old on a Chevy Blazer is pretty well past end of life. The chances of it ever passing a state inspection are about slim to none. Those old rattle boxes tend to draw the cop's attention when you're going down the road.
Look .... it's not like you're hurting for money. It's been ages since you've had to work for a living. Why not go out and get something halfway decent ? I know new car & truck prices are up there in god's country but you can still get a good used car or truck for 12 - 15 grand if you shop around. Lay it off on a four year loan and it's only something like 350 bucks a month.
Best part of all ... you get to screw over Mr. banker by paying him off with inflated / devalued dollars.
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The 95 Ford explorer I drove for 9 years worked out well. I could of fixed it but I wasn't interested in working on it. I had about $2000 it with new Goodyear Wranglers and I had to replace the fuel pump and a few other small bits over the 9 years. It's still worth about $450 or so parting out price. The Buick has new tires with less then 10,000 miles on them. I figure the Buick is worth about $450 parted out also. I had less then $2000 in that and got 3 years out of it.
I figure I will do fine with the Blazer as I only put about 3000 or so miles a year on what I drive it seems. I view my vehicle as a private taxi that's ready to go when I want to go somewhere. AND their paid for and we don't have vehicle inspections where I live.
I see no reason for anything better then what I drive as it works for me and keeps me debt free and then some.
I got 1 2 drawer file cabinet and 4 5 drawer legal cabinets moved into the one bus today. Will put some of the regular 5 drawer cabinets in tomorrow. I've been moving the cabinets with a 2 wheeled cart to where the one bus is and it's a bit of a ways. I'm still have my muscles and I'm in good shape for my age. I just put my mind to it and next thing you know those heavy file cabinets are up in the bus in their place.
I worked hard and long for years when younger so I can take it easy and do what I want in my older years. I'm living the way I want and having a blast in my own little world.
We ALL live or try to live in our own little worlds. Mine is better then planed as things just seem to move along quite nicely most of the time. There are always things that come up out of the blue that we have to deal with. I'm aware of that so I don't get stressed when something happens that I would just as well have not happen.
I suppose we will have to see how the Blazer works out. The lady was driving it until she wanted something a little better. I had it sitting for a week and I checked it today and it started right up. I figured I will drive the Buick until I'm ready for the change from comfort to driving something like a army truck.
Debt free and then some works for me.
Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
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Our situations are similar CD. I'm just as well satisfied to drive an old beater and generally drive less than 3000 miles a year. The main thing is that it gets you from point A to point B without leaving you on the side of the road. It doesn't have to be fancy.
It's a little different when you're married. Around here ... a stand up guy will always make sure that his wife and kids are well provided for. The kids come first. The wife comes second. The husband comes last. It's an honorable thing. A fulla can take pride in himself if he's done well for his family. Where it comes to vehicles .... it's a car or truck that will pass a State of Maine annual inspection.
I was working in a repair garage a few years back. It was a real eye opener. A vehicle might look good and drive okay but it's entirely different story when you put em' up on the lift. The underneath is where you see them for what they really are. There's a lot of rust and corrosion damage here in the snow belt states where they sand & salt the roads in the winter. A repair job that might ordinarily take an hour can take a day because of all of the rust damage that had accumulated over the years.Sometimes it turns into a can of worms where you have to fix half a dozen other things before you can fix the thing you were originally setting out to repair.
For whatever it's worth .... i drove the Ford cars & trucks for over 20 years. The last one i had was a 94 F-150. Gotta say .... that was probably one of the most troublesome trucks i've ever owned. It was a couple of grand in parts and two or three weeks of my labor to keep it on the road every year. Seems like with the Fords i've owned .... 20 years on the road is about the limit. Mind you ... 20 years is really quite good. Fords are quality built trucks ... it's just that they don't last forever.
Around here ... most folks have gone to the Toyotas, Nissans, and Hondas. Every other vehicle is a Subaru Outback, Forrester, or Cross Track. Their all wheel drive system is unbelievably good in winter weather.
I hated to do it .... but i just put up a 2004 Honda Civic. It was one of the most trouble free vehicles i've ever owned but it was time to take it off the road. Too much rust damage underneath.
Last edited by hills; 10-16-2024 at 10:23 AM.
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The lady I bought the Blazer from had washed it underneath the whole time she drove it. When I looked under it I found it nice and clean with no rust. My place seems to rust away what is sitting here for some reason. I had 2 1958 Cadillac's, a nice 1958 1 ton Ford pickup with a factory brush guard and the original radio and a 1958 Chevy pickup that I sold to a friend as they started to rust. Figured they needed to be inside or stored in a better place. Bought all of them for about $200.00 each, sold them for a lot more.
As for married with children, that notion never interested me as I saw it was something that I didn't want the responsibility for. I have always been a private person that found that I enjoyed my own company very much. Never wanted to be a super hero or something else that I wasn't. I've NEVER wished I was someone or something other then what I am. I'm still much like I was when I was 4 years old. When I think on it I've never had any real peers as I'm wired VERY differently then most others. Never been a fan of fantasy and fiction as a escape and such. My friends and others I know well tell me that I analyze everything. I like to put plenty of thought into most everything.
I realize that you and others are jealous of the way I live and am. I'm stress free, debt free and living my childhood dreams as I planed
Why should I have to join in with the masses and their superstitions and such? Don't require or need it.
I view the world and it's many much differently then you could imagine.
I see and understand the monster under the bed and the boogieman in the closet very well.
I tell my friends that they have to embrace what they are afraid of or don't understand. That they need to get to know themselves better.
I have found that there are NO others that want to talk about what I think about reality. All I know tell me that they like their fantasy and fictions very much and they require their superstitions.
I've tried to explain myself but the problem seems to be that the words and meanings don't exist as they are meant to be that way.
Nothing new under the sun when the many try an have their fun.
We are all still 4 years old, it all depends on what you were when you started.
I view most others my age as overgrown angry toddlers. I've met few that are happy campers as they are trying to run away from themselves and chase their fantasy and fictional realities.
My reality is far beyond what I say here as I upset others enough with the little that I do say.
Life is what you make it
most just try and fake it
Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
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A lot of the rusting out while sitting has to do with water vapor coming up off the ground. If you park a vehicle on asphalt, cement, or crushed stone with a plastic underlayment ... they tend to rust less.
Rust isn't the only issue with an older vehicle though. All the rubber and plastic parts degrade over time. Dashboards & seats crack. Seat cushions degrade. All the rubber suspension parts and bushings degrade. Hoses and belts crack and break. Tires over ten years old tend to blow out and shred at highway speeds. Wire insulation degrades and the copper wire inside turns all green and rusty from exposure to air and water vapor.
The wiring is a big thing these days because everything is controlled by the different computer modules built into the vehicle. If the wiring isn't pristine ... that vehicle will give you a hundred kinds of problems that are wicked hard to track down and fix.
I had a 1990 Ford Econoline 150 van that i bought for a grand many years back. It came from an elder gent that spent his winters in Florida. It was a good work truck for a number of years but starting giving problems at about 18 years old. The ABS computer module went out. That was okay. The processor in the ABS module was way too slow anyway. I was glad to be rid of it. Awhile later on ... i got a crank/no start condition. It took a week of working outdoors in the January cold to finally track down that electrical problem. I had to retire it from service at year 20.
I picked up a 2004 GMC sierra with 48,000 original miles with a plow for a grand back in 2018. That was a nice truck. Very little rust for it's age. Everything was tight and it rode like a Cadillac. About a month in ... it started throwing codes and occasionally going into limp home mode. I chased the electrical problems on that one for six months and never did track it down.
If memory serves ... the year 2000 Bronco had still had OBD 2 ? You might want to jack into that and see if it has any stored codes for engine, transmission, and brake system. You can do it with a paper clip if you don't have a code reader. Electrical problems are pretty common with a vehicle of that age. Sometimes the easiest thing is to replace the wiring harness if they are still available to buy.
It tends to draw the attention of the police if you have a loud exhaust or break down on the side of the road. There's hell to pay if you have a mechanical failure that causes an accident.
Last edited by hills; 10-16-2024 at 07:53 PM.
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I could say a few things, but I will leave things as they are.
Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
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Ahh well ... just sayin' is all. There have been a lot of changes over the years. It's not like it was back when we were coming up through in the 60's & 70's. It's become a very complicated world ... especially so in the realm of automotive technology. Everything is computerized now.
I don't know if we will live to see it .... but a time will come in the not too distant future where most of the cars & trucks on the road will be electric.
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The changes are motivated by the same thing. You have those in power that collect the wealth and power and the many day dreamers that do the work like ants and bees.
Then you have the few that are like me that live in-between the cracks of society.
If it's profitable to the future "leaders" they might mostly do away with personal vehicles and have drones that transport people that need to go elsewhere.
When you have people that pay to have Walmart slaves put what you order in a cart so you can pick it up or have it delivered, there might not be many that travel elsewhere.
The war powers act has made ALL so called U.S. citizens enemies of the District of Columbia and made the so called Constitution of the United States "null and void" as it's suspended. They do like most other "things" and make it appear that we have rights, but we only have what keeps the illusions moving along.
The worshipers of the morning star and angle of light are the powers that run things from behind the looking glass or curtain.
People like you just choose to try and believe what you wish even if it can be mostly proven wrong.
2 times that I'm aware of a person was found hanging by the neck with their hands bound behind their backs and it was ruled suicide.
I could tell you more, but I've said enough to burst your bubble.
Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
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< Gentle laughter > I'll tell ya man ... it's been a day. I was asked to sit in on a meeting where four bureaucrats from different branches of government were gathering to discuss how to address an environmental problem at the Transfer Station i'm responsible for operating. These aren't evil people operating some secret cabal. They're people just like you and me ... albeit a little better educated.
If i were to boil it all down ... i would say that it's become a very complicated world with all of it's rules & regulations. I'm not quite sure why i was asked to attend other than perhaps to speak for the voice of common sense & reason. By the end of the meeting ... I was left with the impression that they've kinda got themselves all tied up in knots and can't get anything accomplished. It all requires further study.
Lol ... i politely suggested to my boss that we make a start on the project with the resources we have on hand and he didn't like that idea at all !
The only reason i bring any of this up is that it's a real life example of how the world works.
There's a pattern that repeats over and over again. Things start out simple and then grow & evolve over time. Given enough time ... a system grows into such complexity that it becomes unwieldy and impossible to manage effectively. It's at that point where the whole works becomes so cumbersome that it collapses in upon itself and it all devolves into chaos. In time ... a new simple order emerges from the wreckage of the old and the process of growth & evolution starts all over again.
We were talking about your Bronco a few posts back. It's really the same thing. The vehicles were pretty simple when they first started mass producing them back in the early 1900's. Most anyone with a sixth grade education and a little common sense could work on them. In time ... they became more complicated. More powerful engines. Better fuel economy. Lower emissions. Safer to drive. By the time your Bronco rolled off the factory floor ... the machine had become a lot more complicated with it's various sensors and computer controls. Now a days .... the new vehicles rolling off the factory floor are so complicated that a computer has to tell the automotive technician what part needs to be replaced. Whoo boy ... those new vehicles are expensive to buy as well !
This is where the new will most likely emerge from the old in some fashion. We went from the horse & buggy to the the gasoline powered automobile. The next step will probably be to go from gas to electric vehicles.
As it relates to Gloom & Doom ... the original idea of the thread ?
That should be self explanatory. Just ask yourself at what stage of things we are currently in.
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It's a Chevy Blazer, not a Ford Bronco
What "stage" are we currently in?
Time is a illusion as are most other "things".
As for "stages", I'm in one and your in another.
as for...
< Gentle laughter > I'll tell ya man ... it's been a day. I was asked to sit in on a meeting where four bureaucrats from different branches of government were gathering to discuss how to address an environmental problem at the Transfer Station i'm responsible for operating. These aren't evil people operating some secret cabal. They're people just like you and me ... albeit a little better educated.
__________________________________________________ ______
I would say the bureaucrats were much like the judges on Star Search, they are looking for whatever TALENT they can make something from.
I have noticed that with movies and series that the one at the top in charge is the one that makes the money and all under them does the work and are under paid until some become IDOLS and are worth more on the "stage".
Oh it's Elvis, oh oh oh
Elvis I want to have your baby
Elvis I want to be just like you
You haven't much of a real clue how this world runs.
nothing new under the sun.
There are those in power
There are those that dream of being in power and do all the work
and there are those like me that realize that most all is just a grand illusion
The main difference between you and I is your of the popular many and I'm of the few that like to do their own thinking.
Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
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Ahh ... Blazer or Bronco ... they were pretty much the same thing. They evolved from the early covered truck.
Back in the 80's & 90's ... the chevy's were a little more popular around here because they were a bit cheaper to buy. Nowadays ... i wouldn't buy a used Chevy / GMC product. They're nearly unfixable once they start running into electrical problems. I saw it not only with my own truck but with a number of other vehicles that came into the repair shop when i was working there. Some claim that it was the soy based wire insulation coming out of China at the time.
As for all the rest ? I've said it before. You spend an awful lot of time alone and living in your own head. You've kind of isolated yourself from the rest of the world. You never knew loving and caring parents when you were little. You never had a stable home life. You never learned how to love or how to trust. You were never able to fit in anywhere and form close long term interpersonal relationships. It's been a hard life living in poverty most of the time. You're still living at the poverty level.
That would make just about anyone very fearful and mistrustful of the world around them in their elder years. It would make them very bitter & cynical as well.
It seems as though there has been very little joy in your life.
This what i hear when you speak.
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The Chevy Blazer is better then the Ford Bronco in many ways, but the Ford Bronco has it's merits. We will have to see how it works out over time. The Blazer could throw a rod or something, but then it might outlast the Ford Explorer I drove for almost 9 years.
As for my up bringing. We have been through this before. You are once again trying to fit me into a box that you might understand as you haven't a clue to what my world is about. I'm where I want to be and I'm who I am. This so called God that many choose to try and believe in is no mystery to me as I have taken away the superstition and popular ways that others are bound and blinded by and have a very good "relationship" with what others call God and such. We are all connected in this world and most that we see, hear and believe is just an illusion. If you understand the illusions, you understand the truth and reality as well as can be understood.
My friends know I'm different then others, but they are much like you and require their fantasy, fictions and superstitions to try and survive what bothers them.
I don't try and get others to "join in" on what I believe as I know that it is far beyond them and their chosen understanding and perceived reality.
I've always been a different animal then most others as I've never been a fan of fantasy and fiction. I've always wanted to know the best TRUTHS that could be found.
The reason I've never had a cell phone or credit cards is I could see where it went in truth. I've been 100% debt free most of my life and I've did alright in my view as I have far more then I ever "dreamed" of.
Your just jealous because things didn't turn out as you dreamed for you. I can see and understand very well what your life might be like as you like to try and place yourself in boxes and categories as you search for a perfect fit.
The 3 other postings on the list of new postings are what you follow. Someone else doing your thinking for you so you get your bills paid on time and can get your plumbing fixed and such. Now I realize that you could probably fix most plumbing problems yourself and such. Just saying that you like to try and follow the PROGRAMING that is placed in front of you. If Charlton Heston says that this product or that product is what will help you, you try and believe it as Charlie said so.
I can tell that you are over stressed and trying to find the means to be a "happy camper" with what all is going on around you that you can't understand.
I remember when younger how others would try and "pressure" me into seeking marriage or borrowing from banks and such as they were programed for such tasks.
I've had many try and tell me that I needed a smart phone. I would tell them that I needed a smart phone as much as I needed feminine hygiene products. They just didn't want to give up on trying to convince me that I needed one.
I have always been a people watcher and learned much from watching what people do and what they say. I've told you before that I have no peers as I'm a anomaly of sorts.
I have a great understanding of what your personal world is like but you haven't a clue to mine as you lack the information and intelligence to do so. You are just guessing as best you can.
You are caught up in the belief that if you can confuse others more then you are confused that it makes you less confused.
You can try and try, but you will loose as it's a fixed game and I understand the rules better then you do.
I have a good idea of what went on with the JFK assassination and why. I understand why those in power allowed the Japanese to bomb Pearl Harbor and many other things.
I find you to be a o.k. guy in my opinion.
I understand why you must try and find boxes and other popular devices to try and place me in.
You can try as you must, but I won't fit as I'm not of this popular world that you try and understand.
Last edited by ChildhoodDream; 10-18-2024 at 01:11 AM.
Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
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Jeez ... about all i can say on my end is that it's been a pretty good life. It hasn't been an easy life ... but i knew what i was getting into when i made my choices as a young man. I hope i will be around for awhile longer as i've still got some things on the bucket list but we don't always have a choice in the matter. I think i will be able to look back with very few regrets when my time does come. It's been a helluva ride.
As for the other recent posters ? As nearly as i can tell ... they're just basic AI forum bots. You can tell by the heuristics and patter.
Some of the more advanced AI chat bots more closely resemble interacting with a human.
Electronic AI bots ? Human bio-bots ? Maybe they are not all that different from one another. If the base programming was full of bugs & glitches ... the bot is bound to be dysfunctional when it's launched into this world.
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