Maine's Off-Topic Thread: Part Nine (Charleston: taxes, to live, cost of)

[msina]

Gee Maineh that stinks. I am sorry.

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by msina

Gee Maineh that stinks. I am sorry.

Just bitchin'. Other people have real problems. I really have nothing to gripe about.

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by Maineah

I tried over the years to acquire "The Best " in whatever appliance, utility machine, electronics , or stereo component I could find. I have a lot of great stuff and have had it for a while. All of a sudden I'm finding the stuff I thought would "last forever " hasn't. One of my stereophile $1500.00 speakers just blew up. The company is out of business so no replacement parts are available....bummer. My John Deere lawn tractor I paid several grand for just blew the motor as I was getting it ready for spring. Out of warranty and not worth putting a new $2000 engine in. Our top of the line Maytag Front loading washer is on it's last legs and will soon need to be replaced. We already replaced the furnace this year! All at once! Yes they lasted a long time and I have no regrets paying the extra money for them in the first place but ALL AT ONCE!!!! 'Cmon give us a break!

It really takes the wind out of our sails when these happen.

Everything gets more expensive, and nothing lasts anymore.

I see old tractors still running after decades, and yet I learn the Massey Ferguson I bought a year ago may have only been designed to last for 8 years.

Less than a year ago Verizon took over my previous cellphone company, since they were replacing the old repeaters they gave all of the former customers new cell phones. So new that there were no customer reviews written on these models yet. So it seemed like a good deal. Now a year later I am getting coupons from Verizon urging me to upgrade my cellphone before it is too obsolete. So it appears that in somewhere in the wardroom of Verizon they already know that these cell phones will all begin to fail soon.

Not that I expected cellphones to last 20-years. But it seems to me that every product today from cell phones to tractors are all being designed to be consumable.

[moughie]

Originally Posted by forest beekeeper

It really takes the wind out of our sails when these happen.

Everything gets more expensive, and nothing lasts anymore.

I see old tractors still running after decades, and yet I learn the Massey Ferguson I bought a year ago may have only been designed to last for 8 years.

Less than a year ago Verizon took over my previous cellphone company, since they were replacing the old repeaters they gave all of the former customers new cell phones. So new that there were no customer reviews written on these models yet. So it seemed like a good deal. Now a year later I am getting coupons from Verizon urging me to upgrade my cellphone before it is too obsolete. So it appears that in somewhere in the wardroom of Verizon they already know that these cell phones will all begin to fail soon.

Not that I expected cellphones to last 20-years. But it seems to me that every product today from cell phones to tractors are all being designed to be consumable.

You can never win with cell phones. 1 - 2 years MAX!! Verizon isn't all that bad. If your phone misbehaves within the first 12 months, they will replace it multiple times Even after 12 months, if your phone acted up enough, they will replace it. Please do not be afraid to ask!

[maureenb]

Originally Posted by forest beekeeper

It really takes the wind out of our sails when these happen.

Everything gets more expensive, and nothing lasts anymore.

[...] But it seems to me that every product today from cell phones to tractors are all being designed to be consumable.

It's a sad direction that society is traveling. Company takeovers seem to have become de rigueur, too; yes, often making finding parts to fix stuff impossible.

My recent peeve is over a garage door I'm replacing. The new door is exactly the same as the old one. The track is fine, it's just the door that's pooched. Do you think you can buy just a new door? Nope. Seems wasteful.

Rockland's Transfer Station motto reads, "Reduce, Re-use, Recycle." But then they put the kabosh on dump pickin'! Even that, some might say, unwholesome, sub-culture is being discouraged. Sure, they have "Wink's Place," where folks can drop off household-y items (read: Harlequin novels & plastic dishware) that might appeal to someone else. But there's lots of stuff being forced into the almost full quarry that the "old boys" would love to re-allocate, and can't.

My rant & roll is over! Well, except to say the words that usually close such dialect, "things just aren't made the way they used to be!"

[Submariner]

Outside of the topic of short-life-spann products; how about recycling.

I took some bottles to Hannaford last week for refund.

They have changed their policy, now you must purchase a plastic bag from them to put the bottles into. You need an account, each bag must have a tag on it to identify it as being your account, the bags are then emptied off-site where your 'refund' goes into your account with them.

You have to sign a statement that if the off-site sorters find any bottles that were purchased out-of-state you will be fined for it.

[maureenb]

Originally Posted by forest beekeeper

You have to sign a statement that if the off-site sorters find any bottles that were purchased out-of-state you will be fined for it.

Good grief.

I love Hannafo-d in RockLand, and undoubtedly, they've instituted the policy there. Hannafo-d must have their reasons, like not wanting to be in the redemption business...

Depending on which end of town I'm on, I might take my empties to indy redemptions. Or "gift" them to any number of folks, young & old, who collect them for reasons like: necessity; school trips; to buy Bibles for missionaries; it's something to do.

They're worth too much to use for target practice, eh?

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by maureenb

Good grief.

I love Hannaford in RockLand, and undoubtedly, they've instituted the policy there. Hannaford must have their reasons, like not wanting to be in the redemption business...

Depending on which end of town I'm on, I might take my empties to indy redemptions. Or "gift" them to any number of folks, young & old, who collect them for reasons like: necessity; school trips; to buy Bibles for missionaries; it's something to do.

They're worth too much to use for target practice, eh?

We were slicing the tops away from 3-liter bottles and using them as planters in our greenhouse and for window-sill plants.

Our gardening efforts progress each year, we have decided not to use them anymore.

[cebdark]

Yep. The other day I bought a set of sheets that you can literally see through, but such is the way when a few people choose to demand lower prices to the detriment of the rest of us. It used to be that you could pay more and actually get more, but now that's not the case. IMO, we have hoisted our own petard but that's neither here nor there I suppose.

It used to be that retailers had merchandisers who kept track of what sold best and continued to reorder it accordingly. When POS (point of sale) ordering came into vogue (mid to late 80s) that went away, and now most retailers toss "come what may" from the warehouses and sell it until it's gone. If you find something that you really like, you better purchase 12 of them, because you may never see them again (or in a very long time).

We recently purchased a used Massey Ferguson. The DH looked at the shiney brand new plastic hooded ones (a different brand) but quickly realized that he will use it like a tractor should be used, so he wanted something that wouldn't snap 10 minutes after he started using it, and require him to replace a hood in short order and at a big expense. It has the accessories that the DH wanted and he got a very good deal on it. A new one (although nice) would have busted the budget.

It'll be interesting to see if it will last as long as the 2 Allis Chalmers that we have (both of which survived a grandfather who didn't by any means "baby" them over the years). They are at least from the mid to late 1940's - and mow the fields quite nicely still.

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by forest beekeeper

Outside of the topic of short-life-spann products; how about recycling.

I took some bottles to Hannaford last week for refund.

They have changed their policy, now you must purchase a plastic bag from them to put the bottles into. You need an account, each bag must have a tag on it to identify it as being your account, the bags are then emptied off-site where your 'refund' goes into your account with them.

You have to sign a statement that if the off-site sorters find any bottles that were purchased out-of-state you will be fined for it.

Yes that system is a bit much.
I think it's time to repeal the bottle law. The idea was to get people to practice recycling by giving the bottles and cans a real value of a dime or a nickle. People caught on and have been doing it now for 20 some odd years. We got it! We're doing it and most towns now have recycling stations which can handle the different glass and plastics for recycling. Many towns now have curbside recycling and trash recepticles where you can seperate the valuable cans, bottles and what not from the trash. Hey we're doing it with soup cans and milk jugs without the nickle incentive...we'll do it with beverage containers too. Drop the deposit, free up the distributors and pass the savings on to the consumers!