• Smokers, heads up!

    From Michael Borthwick@21:4/132 to All on Sat Dec 22 17:02:35 2018
    I know there are a couple of us out there whether you smoke cigars, pipes or you import snus/snuff/chewing tobacco....

    As of 1st July 2019 tobacco will become a prohibited import and you will require a license (no doubt the cost will be in the tens of thousands of dollars) to import tobacco - even for personal use. This won't affect
    travelers coming into the country with a quantity less than the duty free
    limit of one pack opened and one pack unopened or 25g of tobacco.

    Anyone caught importing tobacco after 1st July 2019 without a license will
    have the tobacco destroyed and you will face a large penalty.

    I suggest you research what tobacco is available locally (there isn't that
    much for cigars or pipe tobacco) and if your favorite tobacco can't be purchased locally then you should make an effort to purchase from overseas before the 1st of July 2019.

    Another stupid law brought to you by the derailed train that is the Liberal government.

    --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A39 2018/04/21 (Raspberry Pi/32)
    * Origin: Fusion BBS ~ Newcastle, Australia (21:4/132)
  • From vk3jed@21:1/109.1 to Michael Borthwick on Sat Dec 22 13:48:28 2018
    On 22-Dec-2018 23:02, Michael Borthwick wrote to All <=-

    As of 1st July 2019 tobacco will become a prohibited import and you
    will require a license (no doubt the cost will be in the tens of
    thousands of dollars) to import tobacco - even for personal use. This won't affect travelers coming into the country with a quantity less
    than the duty free limit of one pack opened and one pack unopened or
    25g of tobacco.

    Wow that's a tight limit. When I came back in 2005, the limit was 200 cigarettes, and that corresponded to a carton. I brought back a carton of duty
    free cigarettes for my partner at the time when I came back from the US.

    Today it's all an academic point.

    Another stupid law brought to you by the derailed train that is the Liberal government.

    Yes, this government has to go. I never voted them in, in the first place.


    ... Use it up.Wear it out. Make it do Or do without.
    --- MultiMail/Win
    * Origin: Bush Track BBS (21:1/109.1)
  • From Michael Borthwick@21:4/132 to vk3jed on Sun Dec 23 01:42:14 2018
    Wow that's a tight limit. When I came back in 2005, the limit was 200 cigarettes, and that corresponded to a carton. I brought back a carton
    of duty free cigarettes for my partner at the time when I came back from the US.

    Yeah I remember those days. Those were the days when the government had
    bigger fish to fry than some poor sod brining some tobacco into the
    country.... now they don't seem to be interested in the big stuff instead
    they like to give it to the little man....

    Yes, this government has to go. I never voted them in, in the first place.

    Well at the time they seemed better than the rudd gillard rudd gillard rudd gillard government... not any more lol

    --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A39 2018/04/21 (Raspberry Pi/32)
    * Origin: Fusion BBS ~ Newcastle, Australia (21:4/132)
  • From vk3jed@21:1/109.1 to Michael Borthwick on Sat Dec 22 15:05:40 2018
    On 23-Dec-2018 07:42, Michael Borthwick wrote to vk3jed <=-

    Yeah I remember those days. Those were the days when the government had bigger fish to fry than some poor sod brining some tobacco into the country.... now they don't seem to be interested in the big stuff
    instead they like to give it to the little man....

    Easy targets.

    Yes, this government has to go. I never voted them in, in the first place.

    Well at the time they seemed better than the rudd gillard rudd gillard rudd gillard government... not any more lol

    I'm afraid that for all the Labor government's faults, it was the lesser evil, compared to Abbott. I saw the writing on the wall before the 2013 election, and that was proven right.


    ... Given my druthers, I'd druther not.
    --- MultiMail/Win
    * Origin: Bush Track BBS (21:1/109.1)
  • From Tiny@21:1/130.4 to Michael Borthwick on Sat Dec 22 18:02:24 2018
    Quoting Michael Borthwick to All <=-

    Another stupid law brought to you by the derailed train that is the Liberal government.

    The liberal wack-a-doo's are fucking up Canada at a fevered pitch as
    well. I predict in 3 years the entire country will be on welfare.

    Shawn

    ... "That's the spirit, Thing! Lend a hand." -- Gomez Addams
    --- Blue Wave/386
    * Origin: A Tiny slice o pi (21:1/130.4)
  • From Weatherman@21:1/132 to Tiny on Sat Dec 22 14:12:42 2018

    The liberal wack-a-doo's are fucking up Canada at a fevered pitch as
    well. I predict in 3 years the entire country will be on welfare.

    lol, isn't that the truth. Somehow, we continue to work in an effort to stay free.

    You should see what local government officials have dreamed up over here. Moving section-8 (government assisted / low income homes) into the the middle class neighborhoods. Funny how you don't see politicians and Hollywood stars with section-8 apartments in their front yards..

    They should be eating the same trash they are feeding us..

    - Mark
       
    --- WWIVToss v.1.52
    * Origin: http://www.weather-station.org * Bel Air, MD -USA (21:1/132.0)
  • From esc@21:1/112 to Weatherman on Sat Dec 22 22:02:16 2018
    You should see what local government officials have dreamed up over here. Moving section-8 (government assisted / low income homes) into the the middle class neighborhoods. Funny how you don't see politicians and Hollywood stars with section-8 apartments in their front yards..

    Not trying to split hairs or fork this off into an argument, but...how do you know there's no section 8 housing in their neighborhoods? I live in Palo
    Alto, the highest cost of housing zip code (94301) in the US, and we have section 8 housing all over the place.

    --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A39 2018/04/21 (Windows/32)
    * Origin: Black Flag <ACiD Telnet HQ> blackflagbbs.com (21:1/112)
  • From vk3jed@21:1/109.1 to Tiny on Sun Dec 23 13:13:30 2018
    On 23-Dec-2018 00:02, Tiny wrote to Michael Borthwick <=-

    Quoting Michael Borthwick to All <=-

    Another stupid law brought to you by the derailed train that is the Liberal government.

    The liberal wack-a-doo's are fucking up Canada at a fevered pitch as
    well. I predict in 3 years the entire country will be on welfare.

    Politically speaking, "Liberal" (capital L) means something different in Australia than the rest of the world. They are actually the more socially conservative side of our politics, with an emphasis on small government and free enterprise, and in recent years have been hijacked by far right wing types. Fortunately, we've just had a state election here in Victoria, which is
    the most progressive state. That, some scandals and serious miscalulation by these hardliners rendered the party unelectable in this state - they lost by a landslide, including some normally "safe" Liberal seats.


    ... The word 'meaningful' when used today is nearly always meaningless.
    --- MultiMail/Win
    * Origin: Bush Track BBS (21:1/109.1)
  • From Weatherman@21:1/132 to Esc on Sun Dec 23 14:30:08 2018

    Not trying to split hairs or fork this off into an argument, but...how do you know there's no section 8 housing in their neighborhoods? I live in
    Palo Alto, the highest cost of housing zip code (94301) in the US, and we have section 8 housing all over the place.

    No argument taken, this can be a respectful discussion.

    Cost of living varies all over the place. A $1 million dollar home in Palo Alto could be considered middle class, where the same house in Mississippi would cost $200k and still be considered middle class.

    How many Hollywood stars that have mansions live down the street from section-8? Same with politicians. They make rules for us common folks, not for them. They don't want it in their neighborhood and make sure it never happens.

    Who wants to spend $1 million to live next to a government assisted apartment where they might pay $200/month to live in it?

    When I bought my first townhome, I barely could afford enough gas to drive to work each week, let alone food. Struggled to make ends meet for years. Living
    in townhomes in a neighborhood next to mine at the time was section-8 people sitting on their butt all day collecting free money and rent - while I struggled. Stealing & dealing drugs during the day while I was at work.

    Trust me, no one wants that garage in their back yard.

    - Mark
       
    --- WWIVToss v.1.52
    * Origin: http://www.weather-station.org * Bel Air, MD -USA (21:1/132.0)
  • From esc@21:1/112 to Weatherman on Sun Dec 23 17:23:15 2018
    Cost of living varies all over the place. A $1 million dollar home in Palo Alto could be considered middle class, where the same house in Mississippi would cost $200k and still be considered middle class.

    Fair point. My only rebuttal is that there are no $1 million dollar homes in Palo Alto. :) There also isn't really a middle class...those people are sleeping in bunk beds and ridesharing to google each day to work.

    How many Hollywood stars that have mansions live down the street from section-8? Same with politicians. They make rules for us common folks, not for them. They don't want it in their neighborhood and make sure it never happens.

    I understand your sentiment here, but do you know where all the section 8 housing is? Are you certain there isn't any in bel-air or places like that?

    To be fair, I assume there probably is more section 8 housing where cost of housing is less simply because it costs the government less to subsidize it. Taxpayers wouldn't be happy if tax dollars were buying multi million dollar plots of land to house those in need if they could buy something more run of the mill.

    When I bought my first townhome, I barely could afford enough gas to
    drive to work each week, let alone food. Struggled to make ends meet
    for years. Living in townhomes in a neighborhood next to mine at the
    time was section-8 people sitting on their butt all day collecting free money and rent - while I struggled. Stealing & dealing drugs during the day while I was at work.

    Yeah, this bums me out as well. My girlfriend and I do fairly well yet are confined to a tiny 1 bedroom in Palo Alto. I'm not complaining - don't get me wrong. But we have section 8 housing right down the street and there's a lot
    of riffraff in tow. We work hard for what we have and it does bum us out when scumbags walk around keying cars and stuff. But I don't know the alternative...put these people on the street and then what? Anyway, that's a bit outside the scope of the initial discussion.

    --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A39 2018/04/21 (Windows/32)
    * Origin: Black Flag <ACiD Telnet HQ> blackflagbbs.com (21:1/112)
  • From Weatherman@21:1/132 to Esc on Sun Dec 23 18:20:27 2018

    Fair point. My only rebuttal is that there are no $1 million dollar homes
    in Palo Alto. :) There also isn't really a middle class...those people are sleeping in bunk beds and ridesharing to google each day to work.

    At least they are working. The middle class are normally the ones that bear the brunt of everything. The poor are taken care of and the super rich can buy
    enough property that they wouldn't ever be near section-8.

    I understand your sentiment here, but do you know where all the section 8 housing is? Are you certain there isn't any in bel-air or places like
    that?

    I can guarantee no one in Bel Air or Hollywood that has hundreds of millions of
    dollars has their children going to a school mixed in with section-8 families.

    Yeah, this bums me out as well. My girlfriend and I do fairly well yet are confined to a tiny 1 bedroom in Palo Alto. I'm not complaining - don't get me wrong. But we have section 8 housing right down the street and there's
    a lot of riffraff in tow. We work hard for what we have and it does bum us out when scumbags walk around keying cars and stuff. But I don't know the alternative...put these people on the street and then what? Anyway, that's
    a bit outside the scope of the initial discussion.

    We pay lots of money to be away from riffraff. Otherwise, I could buy a much cheaper home in a junky neighborhood.

    How many people like to live next to an automotive junkyard? How would that effect property values? Or a community dump? Or even a prison? Yes, they all exist in most counties but not next door to decent neighborhoods.

    The worst part is the government is using our own tax money to screw decent neighborhoods up. There is a lot not too far from where I live which the county government purchased last year for 2.9 million. The purpose was to build 3 section-8 apartments. They could have purchased 1/4 of Baltimore City for that much money..

    - Mark
       
    --- WWIVToss v.1.52
    * Origin: http://www.weather-station.org * Bel Air, MD -USA (21:1/132.0)
  • From Blue White@21:4/134 to esc on Sun Dec 23 20:14:52 2018
    esc wrote to Weatherman <=-

    You should see what local government officials have dreamed up over here. Moving section-8 (government assisted / low income homes) into the the middle class neighborhoods. Funny how you don't see politicians and Hollywood stars with section-8 apartments in their front yards..

    Not trying to split hairs or fork this off into an argument, but...how
    do you know there's no section 8 housing in their neighborhoods? I live
    in Palo Alto, the highest cost of housing zip code (94301) in the US,
    and we have section 8 housing all over the place.

    Unless you are a politician or Hollywood star, I think you might be proving
    his point. :)


    ... Computer Hacker wanted. Must have own axe.
    --- MultiMail
    * Origin: Possum Lodge South * possumso.fsxnet.nz:7636/SSH:2122 (21:4/134)
  • From g00r00@21:1/112 to Weatherman on Sun Dec 23 22:10:06 2018
    How many Hollywood stars that have mansions live down the street from section-8? Same with politicians. They make rules for us common folks,

    I can say that in my old neighborhood where I lived most of my adult life, we actually did have politicians who lived in the neighborhood (a senator). We also had section 8 and in fact at one time we even had a project housing skyrise. It was blown up a while back and along with other things... our neighborhood improved greatly over the past 15 years or so. Even so, I've
    seen someone get shot 6 times. A person was murdered in the middle of the street outside my house, and so on. A senator lived within walking distance.

    There are also some of our sports stars that live in residential neighborhoods and some of them that rely heavily or exclusively on public transportation and so on. You used to be able to ride a train and see one of the Eagles every day taking the same train to practice for example. They're not Hollywood stars but some of them are probably as rich as an A list star.

    --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A39 2018/04/21 (Windows/32)
    * Origin: Black Flag <ACiD Telnet HQ> blackflagbbs.com (21:1/112)
  • From esc@21:1/112 to g00r00 on Mon Dec 24 06:08:38 2018
    There are also some of our sports stars that live in residential neighborhoods and some of them that rely heavily or exclusively on
    public transportation and so on. You used to be able to ride a train
    and see one of the Eagles every day taking the same train to practice
    for example. They're not Hollywood stars but some of them are probably
    as rich as an A list star.

    That's basically what I'm trying to say here. Palo Alto is full of 1%ers. Hollywood A-listers don't come close to C-level folks at Facebook/Google/Twitter/Apple, but those are the people that live here, and
    we have section 8 housing all over the place.

    --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A39 2018/04/21 (Windows/32)
    * Origin: Black Flag <ACiD Telnet HQ> blackflagbbs.com (21:1/112)
  • From g00r00@21:1/108 to esc on Mon Dec 24 16:12:19 2018
    There are also some of our sports stars that live in residential neighborhoods and some of them that rely heavily or exclusively on public transportation and so on. You used to be able to ride a train and see one of the Eagles every day taking the same train to practice for example. They're not Hollywood stars but some of them are probab as rich as an A list star.

    That's basically what I'm trying to say here. Palo Alto is full of 1%ers. Hollywood A-listers don't come close to C-level folks at Facebook/Google/Twitter/Apple, but those are the people that live here, and we have section 8 housing all over the place.

    Yeah. I think if there was any point I was trying to make (I really didn't make any point) it would be that I think people these days are a little to quick to try to categorize everything into a bucket (ie liberal vs conservative) but the reality is somewhere in between.

    Maybe its not common for senators to live in the projects, but there is no doubt some who do. Not everyone fits into a single mold particularly in politics, yet that is where we are guilty of doing this the most.

    --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A40 2018/12/23 (Windows/32)
    * Origin: Sector 7 [Mystic BBS WHQ] (21:1/108)
  • From Weatherman@21:1/132 to G00r00 on Wed Dec 26 00:58:43 2018

    There are also some of our sports stars that live in residential neighborhoods and some of them that rely heavily or exclusively on public transportation and so on. You used to be able to ride a train and see one
    of the Eagles every day taking the same train to practice for example. They're not Hollywood stars but some of them are probably as rich as an A list star.

    It probably varies wildly depending on the state/area and sure there are exceptions. Some people that are rich do prefer to live in the big cities where they are still close to just about everything, including section-8.

    Historically around here, there are no section-8 homes unless you drive much closer to the city. Most are in the less expective zip codes where low income homes are the average. Not spread and mixed in with expensive homes.

    There is one way to stop section-8 and overbuilding of neighborhoods in general. Have it re-zoned where each lot needs to be at least 3 acres. No builder will want to plan anything there due to the low profit margin on lots that size.

    - Mark
       
    --- WWIVToss v.1.52
    * Origin: http://www.weather-station.org * Bel Air, MD -USA (21:1/132.0)
  • From Weatherman@21:1/132 to G00r00 on Wed Dec 26 01:11:02 2018

    Yeah. I think if there was any point I was trying to make (I really didn't make any point) it would be that I think people these days are a little to quick to try to categorize everything into a bucket (ie liberal vs conservative) but the reality is somewhere in between.

    No doubt. For example if you really were to analyze "a liberal" or "a conservative", more often than not each have views that could be contrary from the "sterotype".

    For example, I have a good friend that considers himself very liberal, but is very pro-gun and pro-military. There are also people like myself that are "conservative" on the average, but will be quick to admit there are some evil companies out there (ones that have no competition - ISPs comes to mind).

    Maybe its not common for senators to live in the projects, but there is no doubt some who do. Not everyone fits into a single mold particularly in politics, yet that is where we are guilty of doing this the most.

    There are always exceptions and I applaud people that think for themselves, make their own decisions and don't follow any particular crowd.

    - Mark
       
    --- WWIVToss v.1.52
    * Origin: http://www.weather-station.org * Bel Air, MD -USA (21:1/132.0)