Stupid Guest Tricks

TdcOgre wrote:People don't feed the animals :animal: (Couldn't find a troll smilie)

You'd think we had enough trolls here without putting one on the payroll. <sigh>

Here he is, and no, it's not a crack about the previous post:

Originally posted by Mr. D

Are you suggesting that I claim to be a FL resident to get the deal??????

Someone needs to read and re-read before they post. I said the offer was for Florida residents. Someone also must really want to be permanently banned from this forum as they seem to be begging for it. ;)

Zazu wrote:You'd think we had enough trolls here without putting one on the payroll. <sigh>

What's it pay? I'm looking for a job-nights and weekends.

:p:

If he's a troll he's a very entertaining one. I love watching people tangle themselves up in their own internally inconsistent logic and fall on their faces.

:eatpopcn:

8^)

I remember when I used to pay--as a kid--between five and fifteen cents for a candy bar; now I have to pay several times that, depending on where I buy it. You should see the looks on today's kids' faces when I say that. I remember when gas was between fifteen to twenty-five cents a gallon; now it's nearly five dollars a gallon. What made the difference? On the candy, there was a problem with sugar production, which was integral to the manufacture of candy bars. With gas, there was this event called the Arab Oil Embargo in the early 70s; when both the supply of foreign made sugar and oil went back to normal, prices had increased to to supply and demand, and never went back down.
Inflation is defined as basically too much money chasing too few goods. If someone is content making $4 an hour, then they will find that the prices of goods and services remain low. But when someone demands they be paid $10 an hour, that's when things go up. And it effects all of us. Yes, there's a place in the scenario where greed has a part, but it's more likely to be at the start of the line, not near the end.
I understand that for every dollar we spend in a grocery store, the store gets a profit of only one cent. Where does the other ninety-nine cents go? Well, there's utilities, insurance, taxes, wages, shrinkage(theft and spoilage), materials (groceries to sell), and similar expenses.
I once read a story where a couple's four children were getting an allowance of a dollar each; they told their parents that other kids they knew were getting bigger allowances, so why couldn't they? After trying to explain to the kids about where the money both parents earned went and getting nowhere, the parents decided to show them. They got their paychecks cashed in one dollar bills, brought them home, and put them on the kitchen table in front of their kids. The kids were very impressed with the "riches". The parents then brought out envelopes marked food, utilities, etc., and began dividing the money. When they finished, only four dollars was left--one dollar for each child. They finally made the connection and stopped asking for bigger allowances.

felinefan wrote:I remember when gas was between fifteen to twenty-five cents a gallon; now it's nearly five dollars a gallon.

I remember Chevron Custom Supreme that was 120 octane.

felinefan wrote:Inflation is defined as basically too much money chasing too few goods.

True, but Inflation is caused by the money supply being "inflated." When Spain, which used gold and silver for money, brought in the treasures they'd stolen from the South American Indians, they suffered inflation. As the gold and silver supplies went up, their value went down.

If the money supply isn't connected to actual precious metal (gold or silver), or something else of value, then the government can just print up more of it than it used to. That's why you'll see people saying something cost so much "in 1960 dollars" -- 1960 dollars were worth more than current dollars because there were a lot fewer of them. Whenever the government prints more money, the first time it's used it's worth what it was before printing the extra bills -- but over time, the market adjusts and the bills become worth less. It's a form of invisible taxes; that's why governments like "fiat" money (money that isn't connected to gold or anything else with intrinsic value). They can tax us without most people realizing it.

The recent housing debacle was caused, not by printing more money, but by inflating the money supply by making loans easier to get. Housing prices skyrocketed because so much money was available to buy houses, meaning there were a lot more people in the market for them.

felinefan wrote:When they finished, only four dollars was left--one dollar for each child. They finally made the connection and stopped asking for bigger allowances.

I should try this with my eldest son, who seems to think he can move out and live well on his current (part time) job.

shilohmm wrote:I should try this with my eldest son, who seems to think he can move out and live well on his current (part time) job.

And you haven't greased the skids yet?!?! Dude!!!

hobie16 wrote:And you haven't greased the skids yet?!?! Dude!!!

He isn't eighteen yet. He hits eighteen and he's going to discover what rent means, if nothing else. :p: Son plans on fixing up the main level of hubby's house (which is currently full of the stuff hubby sells on the 'net), and moving in there on his birthday, but if he doesn't get moving he's not going to get it done in time.

shilohmm wrote: I should try this with my eldest son, who seems to think he can move out and live well on his current (part time) job.

In the Pilot episode of "The Cosby Show", Cliff (Bill Cosby) did this with Theo. Even went as far as to make the other family members play characters such as Theo's Boss, Theo's Landlord, etc... It was a very funny yet enlightening episode.

The Cosby Show - Edited