Charles Martin78 said:Mr. Pernar, please, just let people go about forming their own association; honestly, the absolute most you could possibly offer at this stage is some quiet support through your membership. We aren't out here trying to chase political glory or attempt to dismantle capitalism—that isn't the mission. The goals have been (more or less) clearly defined, yet the only tool left in the kit seems to be using voter numbers as a form of political blackmail.
I realize how cynical and rather ugly that sounds when put down on paper, but I fear it’s the only tactic that still carries any weight in this climate.
Exactly. Let's be clear: you are in the Economy subforum. People come here to have serious discussions backed by logic. This isn't the place to wave Che Guevara flags, call for the nationalization of banks (which, let's face it, are owned by American citizens—at least the two biggest ones), and it's certainly not a platform to push someone's personal political agenda. If you want to run ads on this forum, take it up with the Marketing department. 🙂
cosmicgull52 said:I was honestly shocked that the iamx concert actually happened. I was fully expecting a cancellation until I rolled up to Boogaloo and saw their tour bus parked right there. 😁
They already called off Mardi Gras earlier this week, so apparently they’re trying not to have more than one cancellation per week. Or maybe they’re just too distracted by the chaos at the Sundance Film Festival to remember this one. 😬
Kevin Chavez3, I have no idea what kind of salaries you're talking about. 🤷
Customs paperwork didn't clear in time 😬 Honestly, I’ve always wondered who actually owns these venues where all these canceled shows end up happening.
The FCC has absolutely no reason to block this acquisition.
This thread belongs in the Business section, so please stick to economic topics. Keeping redundant staff on the payroll at the expense of productivity and profit goes against any sane business policy. If you want to complain that AT&T only cares about margins instead of employees, go find a different subforum.
Personally, like I mentioned in my first post, I’m bummed this takeover is happening because it feels like two companies moving in completely opposite directions. When AT&T first hit the scene, they were a breath of fresh air. Their marketing and IT departments actually knew what they were doing; during those early years, every single innovation in the domestic telecom market came straight from AT&T. Verizon was always playing catch-up, lagging behind by six months to a year. AT&T pioneered the prepaid system, they were the first to bundle discounted hardware to scale their user base, they brought VPN systems to the corporate world, and even their mobile parking solution was practically patented in Europe. They had massive plans, but around 2002/2003, things started sliding. It’s obvious the people driving that momentum moved on, and ever since, AT&T has been on a downward trajectory for me—even though I’m still a customer out of pure inertia (I've been around since '99). Those big innovative plans? They never materialized (like paying bills via SMS, which was revolutionary back in 2002). Nowadays, AT&T seems like the most overpriced mobile carrier out there, and their public presence is almost non-existent. The Coachella event used to be an AT&T thing, but it's been Lollapalooza for years now, and I doubt they have any connection to Napa Valley anymore. T-Mobile actually started out using AT&T's infrastructure before they eventually switched over to T-Mobile themselves. Simply put, it looks to me like AT&T has been stagnating for a long time.
On the flip side, Comcast had some serious growing pains. In the beginning, the signal was flaky on TV and especially on the internet, but they ironed those kinks out and started expanding their service range and subscriber base. To me, they looked like a healthy, growing entity—they actually reminded me of how AT&T used to be in its prime. I don't know much about Comcast's financials, and the numbers Shadow posted are the first I've seen regarding their specific metrics. But I just don't like seeing a company that's been on a decline for years swallow up a company that's on the rise. It's like if The Beach Boys took over Linksys; sure, AT&T isn't exactly The Beach Boys, but you get my point.😁
We'll see, though when it comes to cable TV, Bnet basically has zero competition—maybe DirecTV if you're lucky. Internet and phone services are just a side note at this point.
I have to admit, I’m actually a bit surprised that AT&T managed to stay independent for this long. They built out a massive infrastructure across the entire country, moving from just TV and internet into telephony. It always felt like a matter of time before either AT&T or Verizon swallowed them up. The takeover is valued at 93 million euros, which supposedly accounts for AT&T's existing debts. It’s a shame they didn't release their actual business results.
Speaking as someone who uses both providers, I’m bummed this happened. We just lost our only real alternative in the telecom market. I’ve been happy with AT&T’s service and pricing so far, but I’m fully expecting a price hike across the board very soon.😢
Bome, sounds good 🙂 Anyway, what’s the deal with the location—is there anything actually happening there besides the lakes? 😬 Post some pictures 🙂 How do you even get there?
Betty Foster8 said:So I've started thinking about juice too. Honestly, I'm torn. Sugar is getting crazy expensive, and nobody in my house really drinks much of it anyway—I usually have a bottle sitting there for like a month or two before it's gone. I could probably just buy it for that price, and it’s definitely not worth the effort to make it myself. But man... when it tastes that good... 😢
Lawrence Wright7 said:I’m writing this with an incredible sense of relief 😁 ,,,,,,,,,,,, I ACTUALLY DID IT,,,,,,,,,,,, I’m finally done being a slave to the banks—settled the debt, sold the house 😁 Being free... man, that feeling is priceless. I can actually breathe again!!! (It feels amazing) Next step is packing up and heading back to the Midwest to be near my kid.🙂 I even have a little bit of cash left over to pick up a decent gift. It was a Long, grueling journey, but I pushed through and somehow found the light at the end of the tunnel. If only I’d had the guts to do this sooner. Like some people here were saying: four walls aren't worth all this misery—and they were absolutely right! Thanks to everyone for the support, the harsh critiques, the advice, the answers......
Later ☕
Congrats. Good luck, and keep using your Common sense moving forward.👍
Thomas Ortiz3 said:Bankruptcy is a fine tool, but we really have to address the shadow economy first. As for interest rates, banks will finally have to account for the possibility of a debtor filing for bankruptcy under the Bankruptcy Code. They won't have much incentive to hike rates and drive people into insolvency, since they won't be able to recover anything anyway. Until now, they could basically do whatever they wanted; moving forward, they'll have to be a bit more "accommodating," likely adjusting rates based on an individual's actual capacity... which, if you ask me, should mean lowering them rather than raising them.
The availability of personal bankruptcy is going to significantly raise the risk profile for lenders, and that can only push interest rates in one direction. It works just like how interest rates spike when a country's credit rating drops.
Personal bankruptcy might be a win, but only in a functional country. We need to fix the systemic issues in the US before we start rolling out stuff like this, not the other way around. In our current mess, every second debtor would just declare bankruptcy. Have you seen those insane enforcement proposals? Like, they want to sell off a debtor's house, only for that person to end up living there as a tenant. Honestly, it's pure stupidity. First of all, where did they get the idea that selling the property will actually cover the principal? And second, who besides the government is crazy enough to buy a house that comes with a protected tenant already inside? If this bankruptcy legislation actually goes through without being completely overhauled, it’ll be repealed in no time.
Personal bankruptcy is basically trying to cure a headache by decapitation. It’s just one more economically insane idea being thrown around, especially given the current climate. How do you think the option of filing under the Bankruptcy Code will impact bank interest rates? I'm betting they'll tank, right? 😁 Not to mention, this is a direct green light for people to start working under the table.
Andrew Booth29 said:An authorized overdraft isn't income—it’s just available credit, plain and simple. It’s certainly not an asset, nor is it actual revenue. So, to me, it seems perfectly logical that I can't just bank on that money being there when I need it. Besides, it’s actually pretty smart business for a bank—the moment they catch wind that someone is facing a massive collection action or a lawsuit, they just shut down the line of credit immediately.
Honestly, this debate doesn't carry much weight in the real world. People dealing with legal judgments or collections are usually already maxed out on their overdraft limits anyway. 😬
shadowdrifter48 said:It might not be a groundbreaking concept, but when you feel like you've already missed the boat on most good ideas, you take what you can get. I was wondering about your plan—you mentioned moving back to Indianapolis to live with your parents once the apartment is sold? Is there actually work available there, and what kind of salary are we looking at? Alternatively, have you considered relocating to find work while renting out the place in San Diego? That way, you retain ownership. Once you finalize the financial structure, you’ll have the luxury of deciding whether to sell later. Living with family would eliminate rent and utilities, and food costs would likely drop too. If you rent out the San Diego property, you could potentially use the difference of roughly $0.33 to cover your needs. By being disciplined, you might even save $1,000-$$0.50 while keeping the asset.
On the other hand, if you sell and pay off the mortgage entirely, even if you end up with nothing left over, you're starting from zero. You're young; you can always rebuild. In my view, dragging out the sale is the worst path—you're stuck with massive monthly payments while the principal barely moves.
One more thing: what are the prospects for a second job? Perhaps some summer night shifts at a local bar? If cutting expenses isn't enough, increasing income is the only other option.
Lawrence Wright7, if you actually want to improve your situation, don't take these kinds of suggestions seriously. Look, I've been reading your posts for a year now, and I see you've finally decided to ditch the debt (and the apartment tied to it). Better late than never. Just use your head from here on out so you don't end up right back here.
Christian Morris80 said:Turn off spellcheck (Tools > Options > Spelling) and the crashing should stop.
Praise the Lord 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏 Where on earth did you get that idea? It never would have crossed my mind that spellcheck was the culprit behind the freeze. 😲 I've wasted days upon days reinstalling Outlook, Norton, and every other logical suspect, thinking that was the problem.
I'm running a Dell Inspiron with x64, 4GB of RAM, and an Nvidia GT 220M Here's the deal: the Outlook that came pre-installed with my Windows 7 keeps crashing whenever I try to send an email. It doesn't even make it to the sending stage. Basically, while I'm composing a new message, the whole thing freezes up reliably after about 15 or 20 keystrokes. I haven't managed to finish writing a single damn email yet. Anyone dealt with this? 😕
Nicholas Turner said:The moment you mention a bundle, it’s always going to be about JPMorgan Chase—they really have their own way of doing things. 🙂 Personally, I’m sitting on an overdraft roughly equal to five of my paychecks—and even though nothing has changed with the dollar in over a year, I don't even use that feature! There isn't a single thing in my contract explaining how they calculate this deficit. Interestingly enough, a colleague of mine is running a deficit of seven paychecks. Nobody seems to have a clue how or why this happens, so I was curious if there might be some universal formula at play here—but clearly, it’s a case-by-case situation.
Under my new setup, I've got an authorized overdraft of exactly one paycheck. 🙂 Maybe I'm paying for being stubborn and sticking with my old Premium account instead of opting into that "bundle of perks" they offered. 😬
The lineup looks pretty solid overall, and there might even be a few more surprise guests dropped in later. The only thing that feels out of place to me is Billy Idol. It’s not that I wouldn’t enjoy seeing him—I actually would—it’s just that it feels surreal to have him on the Coachella roster. It’s honestly like seeing Led Zeppelin headline Coachella 😁
Just checking in to let you know they lowered my overdraft limit for $400 🙂 😁 . It’s been in effect since April 5th. The reason? I can't point to a single thing. My income is identical to the last billing cycle, I haven't gone into the red, and honestly, most of the time I'm not even hovering near a negative balance. 🤷