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Hi-Tech Repo Man
jhaberman writes: "MSNBC has an amusing article.
It is a ride-along with a Silicon Valley repo man. You know, those guys who swipe cars from people who can't pay. He is taking cars right out of all the big players (Apple, Intel, Cisco, Sun) parking lots! Needless to say, he has quite a bit of work right now. Hilarious."
$60000 for a car and it cant even play an mp3
Jeez, talk about 'PROFIT MARGINS'
A disgruntled Cisco ex-employee turned repoman would though... ohh, vengeance is sweet. Repo'ing your managers SUV has got to be the icing on the cake.
Not that I speak from experience or anything. Anybody looking for an IOS coder and reasonably priced Ford Explorer? Let me know.
Lottery tickets
Surely they mean VA Linux shares? Ohh... same thing.
Too bad that, every now and then, it turns out to be his college age son coming home from his dorm to sleep at home because his roommates friends are making it impossible for him to sleep. Oops, looks like his guts are splattered all over the walls. Pity he didn't call first.
If you die tomorrow, you won't get any extra points for having a fat bank account.
However, you may get to the bonus level if you have more than a million dollars.
Why not? They chose to work in a high-risk speculative field for the chance to make it rich. It was their personal choice to do this rather than a more stable, boring job in a more average community. If you want to gamble everything on living high, you have to accept the responsibility for loosing big.
Has he taken the Andover Slashdot cruiser yet?
Of course, he's fucked either way.
--
Personally, I find that happiness is good brain chemistry. Some people have it and some don't. For those with good brain chemistry, nothing will make them unhappy. Once in a while one of these people make it to prominence. You've seem them. A lot of them are fitness gurus. Some of them are insufferable.
For those with bad brain chemistry, only turning around that chemistry will make them happy. This can be done in the short run with drugs or in the long run with therapy. Therapy can be self-administered, even without knowing it, and I'm sure training in getting rid of desire is really good therapy.
I'm just not sure that, without all the mysticism involved, getting rid of desire is all that healthy. Desire, it seems to me, is tightly linked to motivation. Without desire of any kind, it is hard to see getting out of bed in the morning. Even if that bed is going to be repossessed.
Life is a big old mystery. Every day we learn more about it by living it. If our possessions are taken away, and it makes us unhappy, at least we are humbled by the experience. How can life be improved without the experience? Color me skeptical.
Of course that doesn't change the fact that someone with a million-dollar house is by definition quite wealthy. The simple fact that they live in an expensive neighborhood (so they aren't wealthier than their neighbors) doesn't change this. Most people could not afford to move into such neighborhoods to begin with...
10 PRINT CHR$(205.5+RND(1)); : GOTO 10
Erm, isn't that the entire point of the term lease? The bank owns the car, and you are leasing it from them; you have not bought it from them, and thus ownership hasn't transferred from the bank to you.
10 PRINT CHR$(205.5+RND(1)); : GOTO 10
Just because someone is living high doesn't mean they're wealthy....more likely the opposite.
Perhaps, but they're still relatively wealthy to even be able to purchase a million-dollar house, even if it took all their money. Most people couldn't afford a million-dollar house even if they were living well beyond their means.
10 PRINT CHR$(205.5+RND(1)); : GOTO 10
The problem is that we here in America rarely take the long view. It's always "Buy something, hope it lasts a few years, buy something else to replace it." I grew up in a part of the country where keeping old cars running for a long time was a part of the way of life. For some reason we've lost that part of our culture in our "buy buy buy" consumer feeding frenzy.
-E
Send mail here if you want to reach me.
Read The Millionaire Next Door to see how the average millionaire makes (and keeps) his money. The best part is that the average millionaire made his million or more in 25-30 years. The other interesting thing is that the book you refereced touts "how to get rich and get rid of your job." The average millionaire today still works hard at his job because he loves what he does. Humans were meant to work...and when they have protracted idle time, they get *really* bored and jaded. Trust me...I know from experience :)
:)\n"
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From Frank Herbert's Dune series:
:)\n"
Here lies a toppled god-
His fall was not a small one.
We did but build his pedestal
A narrow and a tall one.
--Tleilaxu proverb
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...and still no sympathy. I graduated in June, CS degree from Auburn University, hired and started August 1 with net32. The coapny sells dental supplies over the web to dentists and hygienists. They cut 50% of the staff--including me--in mid-December. 5 months on the job and I got the ax. I didn't study very hard but I worked my butt off at net32. I still got cut, and after living off savings for 2 months, got another job, still doing web and cgi work.
:)\n"
I have no sympathy for people who don't save and plan ahead when it's well within their means to do so. NONE. I can afford that opinion because I *have* been there. I had enough savings that when I totaled my car two months after starting my new job, I could go out and by another with savings. Understand that I've been working 7 out of 9 months, and I could by a 1991 740 turbo wagon (Volvo) with most of the options OUTRIGHT. I still have savings. I live in a 2 br apartment by myself. I work hard, and I spend next to nothing. On top of that 10% of my gross salary goes to tithing, so you can't say that I'm a miser.
I repeat: I'm exceedingly careful with my money. I don't make a lot, but I make enough. If people don't manage their money properly, it's no concern of mine, but I don't want to hear them whining about how badly they were mistreated.
I'm not going to be sadistic and laugh about poetic justice like the guy who started this thread, but it certainly is poetic. I do this work because I love it. I got cut, I bounced back, and I'm happy again. It's a lot easier to go out and get another job than it is to sit home and collect unemployment and whine. If you have to go elsewhere to get a job, do. If you're that sharp, they'll pay for you to move. Try Utah...try RTP.
</RANT>
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:}
:)\n"
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People are gonna get sick of my saying this but read The Millionaire Next Door. Just because someone is living high doesn't mean they're wealthy....more likely the opposite. Most truly wealthy people live well below their means....the people who *can* afford to live in fancy neighborhoods generally don't, and vice versa.
:)\n"
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In college I bought an old Sony Vaio PCG-505GX from Mort (from slashnet) for $850...it was only 1-1.5 years old. I eat like a snake. I pay rent, gas, insurance. I've bought 2 plane trips to Arizona and one to Alabama in the last 9 months, along with a Sony camcorder and a WinTV card. All that, plus the tithing mentioned, plus having to support capital gains taxes....and I still have money left over--even after being layed off and losing a car.
:)
:)\n"
It's unfortunate that most people don't exercise financial restraint and responsibility, but not doing so does not entitle them to whine about their misfortunes
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"...Dynamic 601-b self-loading boom..."
Interesting to see a geek at work in a different field. I'm assuming, of course, that Mr. Kevern told the reported the model number of the self-loading boom off the top of his head.
-Paul Komarek
All of the crap associated with dotbomb and our economy of recent years is about EGO! :)
The above was a distillation of Bhuddist attitude (it is an attitude.. sort of
If you do Tech (ohmy.. I'm noticing my capitalisation) I would suggest you reread the above, and roll it around in your mind much like you were tasting a wine, or a great cola (me, I'm a CocaCola man)
A Bhuddist stance works, and you get an understanding of the spiritual universe free in the ?? Sorry. I forgot.
There is no bargain or deal to be made with anyone. You choose to see. That's it.
Brak: What's THAT?
Thundercleese: A light switch.. of TOTAL DEVASTATION!
Zillions of studies have been done on WHY millionaires are rich.
THE single largest factor has been a general disdain for extravagance.
Use less than you get, and you accumulate wealth. Simple. Why is this so hard for so many people to understand?
Extravagance doesn't inform the soul. It doesn't please your partner. It might get you laid, but that's all. Laid. NOT loved, which is infinitely more valuable.
It does only one thing really well..
The attractance of Jackals. Land Sharks. Sycophants.
Millionaires are generally rich because they possess and excercise something approximating a value system.
Dot Com bozo's were generally into status, and the getting of STUFF. Illusion.
THAT idea is the germ of self-inflicted brain death.
Brak: What's THAT?
Thundercleese: A light switch.. of TOTAL DEVASTATION!
Excuse me, but Shadenfreude is a (DUH!) German term, tangentially related to enjoyment at seeing the self-inflated succumb to their own hubris.
There's nothing 'only in America' about it.
These people *knew* they were in a speculative bubble, and just chose not to recognize it. They gambled that they'd cash out some tasty stock options befor the souffle' fell, and they lost.
I have ZERO pity for these people. None. Nada.
Having known some leeter than thou yuppie wannabe scum personally, I feel that these folks are getting off far too easily.
Eventually, the greedy have to pay.
The dotbomb debacle was swift, sure justice, and I've enjoyed every second of it.
Brak: What's THAT?
Thundercleese: A light switch.. of TOTAL DEVASTATION!
The sickening read of this article basically states what a high kick this guy gets off the human misery that is a round of layoffs, just so he can make a few bucks.
.com's own damn faults for going haywire when a much more modest care would have not got them in this situation.
Not really. What he was saying is that he feels bad when he has to repo a car from a mother of two that is doing the best she can, and that it's the
Not so much he gets a kick, as it's hard to feel sorry for them.
What are you going to do, throw it at me from your recumbent bicycle on the side of the road? There aren't many overpasses around here bunky!
Be careful, fucker, be careful.
ooooohhhh, you're soooo frightening! Do you do this professionally? I'll bet you work at one of those funhouses where you jump out and scare people!
It seems that for you that Anonymous COWARD account is just perfect.
The revolution will NOT be televised.
Personally, I went with the Porsche. It's amazing how these things depreciate
From new, yes. But older ones hold their value quite well. An '89 911 bought in '98 is still worth almost exactly the same money today.
Enjoy!
The revolution will NOT be televised.
you just might think "i don't care, i want a #&*@ ferrari before i die!".
'cuz life sucks and then you die. or you just get too old and/or fat to get in the bloody car anyway. i mean, point well taken and all, but i find my toys are excellent motivation to get my ass out and working. besides, a little self-confidence and risk-taking is really essential at some point if you're trying to do something career-wise.
don't get me wrong, i have little sympathy for people eating $100 lunches while their car gets towed away, but sometimes you just have to make a fashion statement, and if it doesn't work out well hey, try again next time.
The revolution will NOT be televised.
sure he only takes a drop...so does ticks, and I F$$$Kin hate those creatures. However, I do find it hard to kill an ant or even a fly, my reverence for life ends at mosquitos, green heads, strawberry flys and ticks.
i am so very tired....
I can afford it :-) Sure, I work for a 'dotcom', and we're doing pretty darned well, but I'm not stupid enough to go out and spend a lot of money I don't have. Heck, I'm about to take a honeymoon, and it's all paid for. Now, did that come from money from the 'dotcom' craze?
No! I saved this money into a savings account and some stocks for YEARS, just for either a honeymoon or a serious vacation. Go figure, I have a lot of 'dotcom' friends the repo man will meet, while I have no bills I can't handle on much above minimum wage, and I've even gotten ahead on most of the payments on stuff I do have (car insurance, house insurance, etc) so if I DO have to get a new job, I'm not scrambling for cash.
I have zero sympathy for 'dotcom' geniuses who dug themselves into a hole. Dad worked in a factory his whole life, and I learned what it means to have a backup plan for when it all goes to hell! Thanks dad!
who runs the busses in your city? I've never ridden a bus that stops at every stop even if nobody is getting on or off. Maybe you don't know this because you're too special to take the bus.
If Americans (and, er, us Canadians too) weren't so pig-headed, they would figure out that instead of trying to check their email and browse the web and talk on a cell phone while attempting to control a ton of steel moving down a road fast enough to kill them if they screw up, they could do all that stuff while sitting on a bus, leaving the driving to someone who isn't distracted.
Public transportation has great potential, especially if somebody gets smart and hooks up a bus with ethernet and phone jacks so people can make good use of their time during their commute.
#define X(x,y) x##y
#define X(x,y) x##y
Peter Cordes ; e-mail: X(peter@cordes ,
A reposession man should no more be happy about layoffs than an undertaker should be happy about an epidemic.
Just so they didn't have to move the mental patients when they built the new campus there, Sun hired them all and called it iPlanet. Trust me on this, the place is full of nuts.
;)
--Ben, who knows this all too well
--Ben
It's just an extension of the dotcom craze - borrowing and spending huge amounts of money you don't have, nor have a hope of ever having.
That would be kind of hard - since he *owns it outright*. Grand Theft Auto doesn't tend to look good on a resume.
Uh, hello? Have you ever actually bought a car in California? Apparently not. I've bought several cars in California -- in Silicon Valley, no less. Guess what, things don't work the way you describe at all, here in California.
When you buy cars here, they don't have cardboard plates that "look like regular plates, in that they have numbers and such". When you buy a car in California, the dealer typically leaves the advertisement plates there. The difference between a car on the lot and a purchased car is that they (the dealer) attach a sticker to the inside of the passenger's side of the front windshield that serves as a temporary license plate until you get your metal plate.
If you drive around in the Valley, you'll see lots of brand new cars with cardboard plates that say little more than the dealer's name and URL or phone number. You'll also see quite a few new cars with no plates at all. Yes, I agree that just having a small sticker in the front windshield wouldn't be much help in a high-speed chase. You can go tell that to the California DMV, but that's the way it works here.
- Someone who actually knows what they're talking about
I've never heard of those things called "tags". I've heard them called dealer "plates", but never "tags"...
Two cars are so new their license plates still have dealer tags.
New cars in California, at least in Sillicon Valley, don't have "dealer tags" on their plates. A dealer sticker is placed in the front windshield, and the dealer also typically puts cardboard advertisment where the plates should go (though it's perfectly legal to remove them, and many people do).
Makes me a bit suspicious about the accuracy of the rest of the article...
Forget Keating... he got the press and trial but the biggest of the s&l failures was Silverado... with Mr. Neil Bush on the Board. That's the son of GHWBush and bro to Dubya for y'all a little slow on the draw. Course Neil only got a little fine as a result of a civil suit brought against Silverado. No Congressional hearings were held in a case that cost Amercian taxpayers $2 Billion (that's with a B, 2 thousand million for you on the other side of the pond) compared to countless hearings about whether a stain was or was not on a certain dress.
And frankly... the pilfering of loot from suckers by dot com boards and executives does not even come close to what the S&L's sucked out of the economy. Pud can rant about dot bombs til the mad cows come home... but simply put...Lump em all together and ya still don't have $300 Billion (that's with a b, 300 thousand million for you on the other side of the pond) paid by American taxpayers to clean up the mess left by Bush and Keating during Reagan's administration.
And in the end... a fool and his money are soon parted... and the P.T. Barnum's and Fidelity's (go check their financial statements) make out as your money gets fleeced from the sheeple of America. And BMW of America has to create a certified used car program like Lexus of America already does.
not many got the ref. but that is funny shit man :)
errr....umm...*whooosh* *whoosh* Is this thing on ?
is not good money ?? As a repo man I worked 3 to 4 days a week, at night always of course. Actually one day of that was purely research, calling around posing as family members or salesmen. And the bottom line is I had a KEY to 95 % of the cars I recovered, or a manufaturer's key gun which makes it easy. If people would pay for what they bought there would be no need for these folks but so many people spend the car payment on a stereo and don't seem to understand why the car dealer is upset :).
errr....umm...*whooosh* *whoosh* Is this thing on ?
only in about 3 bass-ackwards states buddy. Protecting your property IS NOT a valid excuse for homcide.
:)
:) A shitty job but it DOES PAY WELL.
Also if the repo man is ANY good the only way you'll find out is when he honks driving out of your driveway or when the dead-beat tries to drive his car again
I say this as a retired repo man from the Bay Area Calif
errr....umm...*whooosh* *whoosh* Is this thing on ?
My family is from Latin America. I have relatives that, I assure, have studied as hard and worked twice as hard as you do, and never even had a chance at the kind of lifestyle you were enjoying. There are physicists and doctors from the former eastern bloc that drive cabs in the US. During the boom, folks like you (although not necessarily you) smugly claimed that they *deserved* their wealth, which (since wealth is relative) is an implicit claim that others deserve their lack of it. That is what makes the comeuppance so sweet.
"People just explode. It happens. Natural Causes" and, of course "Lets go do some crimes" "Yea, lets eat sushi and not pay" last but not least "Oh, you dont want to look in the trunk"
He is taking cars right out of all the big players (Apple, Intel, Cisco, Sun) parking lots!
I don't believe he'll be taking any cars from Apple employees. Apple returned profit last quarter and hasn't been laying off any employees.
Actually it doesn't surprise me at all. Everyone in Silicon valley follows stock. For the past few years, I took the bus to work because I didn't have a driver's license. The bus driver was sometimes talking about the market with the passengers ! Monday I finally got a driver's license because I couldn't bear the bus' slow schedule anymore. I'm driving a new car (Toyota Prius hybrid) but there will be no reposession for me - I didn't take a loan for it and paid cash ;)
-- Julien Pierre http://www.madbrain.com/blog
I bought a home in 1997 in Silicon valley - the only debt I've ever had in my life. I didn't drive, I had a bicycle and also used the bus. My boyfriend was driving me around when needed.
My place does have a 2-car garage though because I planned ahead.
Earlier this year I started taking driving lessons and got my driver's license monday. I'm driving a new car - but I paid cash for it, and it's an economy Toyota Prius hybrid. Small 4 cylinder engine (70hp) plus an electronic motor providing an additional 44hp. It gets about 45 to 50mpg average. It's a great car and it wasn't all that expensive. It's pretty high tech, with an LCD color touch screen in the middle showing the consumption and for some controls like the stereo. What I like the most is that it's so quiet, especially at low speed, when only the electric motor is running !
-- Julien Pierre http://www.madbrain.com/blog
Many of the people in the article were living beyond their means and ripping off lenders. Considering the best place to find luxury cars in the article was swanky restaurants. If they cant pay thier loans, whey are they buting $100 meals?
When some people were doing very well during the InterNet bubble, there was no shortage of articles admiring and envious of those smart and lucky to make a fortune.
Now during the downtown the media is going to the other extreme and amusing us on the misfortune and greed of others.
Perhaps it is because their TV set, their government, their magazines, and practically everything else in our culture is constantly urging them to buy, buy, buy! Gotta keep the economy rolling, you know....
I don't care if it's 90,000 hectares. That lake was not my doing.
That's not good at all. If these companies really wanted to help they would encourage their people to give the cars back and help out with the carpooling.
-- Remember: Wherever you go, there you are!
M5, 750iL
--
Leonid S. Knyshov
Leonid S. Knyshov
Find me on Quora
My dream is a Mercedes SL500 - who can blame me? :)
:-)
I found an extremely limited edition of it (97 La Costa edition, 30 made) in just the color scheme I wanted at 45K with 45K miles.
I know what I am doing, so I can afford this even now. However, when I called up my insurance company and checked overall monthly payment with decent conditions, that amounted to $1200-1400/month over everything I am paying now on my Rav4 '00. I decided for that price I can rent an SL-500 or a Ferrari a couple of times a month and have cash leftover if I wanted to.
Now my $2000/month is in a 6.5% moneymarket account and it makes money instead of being a liability. I'll buy my SL soon enough
--
Leonid S. Knyshov
Leonid S. Knyshov
Find me on Quora
I chatted with a guy who works for a telecommunications firm in Little Rock, AK. The repo business has been big business for as long as he's been there (long before the dot-com crash). Seems that the ratio of people who care more about appearances than a decent standard of living is pretty high.
:)
Its not uncommon to find a twenty something guy who drives around in a $40,000 car and a nice pair of clothes. But those are the *only* decent clothes he has, he lives in an efficiency (bare bones cheap housing) and works full time at McDonads and Wendys to pay for his car.
The guy I talked to parks in a lot that takes 5,000 or so cars, and half a dozen visits from repo guys are not uncommon. He also said its a great place to sell used cars.
"One day I came home, and accidentally stuck my car key in the lock instead of the house key. To my surprise, it started right up. So I took it for a spin.
I parked it in the middle of the Interstate, and started yelling at all the drivers to get the hell out of my driveway."
Pope
Freedom is Slavery! Ignorance is Strength! Monopolies offer Choice!
It doesn't mean much now, it's built for the future.
"The more you drive, the less intelligent you are"
:P
I ride a bike, and read on the subway when the weather sucks
Pope
Freedom is Slavery! Ignorance is Strength! Monopolies offer Choice!
It doesn't mean much now, it's built for the future.
But then you won't get as much of a kick out of having. The thrill of having is part realization that not having would make you miserable. You can't have eat a cake and have it as well.
-- ATTENTION: do not read this sig. It doesn't say much.
Fight club was just a dumb-ass movie pretending to be philosophical. It was kind of funny that dumbasses got fooled by this pseudo-insight of the movie and hated it, even though it was meant for them. Oh well.
-- ATTENTION: do not read this sig. It doesn't say much.
And holding stock in a hot company in an up market is *smart*, not stupid. You can't blame folks for lack of 20-20 foresight for the current market conditions unless their name is Uri Geller.
I was thinking of the immortal words of Socrates, who said, "I drank what?"
Life is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.
William Shakespeare
The science of matter over mind... It seems that Mr. Nesmith's predictions of the early 80's may be true...
"You ever feel like your mind is going to explode???... You ever been to Utah?" - J. Frank Parnell
"Find one in every car, You'll see" - miller
Attention Moderators: before going ape on my karma, please check out http://us.imdb.com/Details?0087995 for a better understanding of my comments as well as the parent threads... Great movie with an even better soundtrack!!
-- Life: Hate the Game... Love the cereal
People who exercise options and just hang onto the stock are being incredibly stupid, or are severely misinformed. There is *NO REASON AT ALL* to do such a thing. Simply holding the options harbors no risk at all. There is absolutely no need to exercise until you want to sell.
You can exercise, and then have your broker shortsell on the exercise date to recover your costs. Or before, if you want (slight risk if the stock goes up before exercise date).If you short it and your exercise date is a day or two later, and the stock drops, all the better (you incurr a slight capital gain on top of the option benefit, but that's good)
Blaming the fall of silicon vally on this option benefit tax is rediculous; again, there is absolutely no reason to exercise the options until you are ready to sell. The options themselves harbor no risk, but if you exercise, you open yourself up to a dangerous tax liability.
Also... (this is how it works in Canada)... capital losses can only be used to offset capital gains... so the massive capital loss you get in your scenario doesn't help you at all unless you happen to have some large capital gains elsewhere.
I made the mistake of not selling all the stock I exercised, and it cost me dearly. It's silly that I have to pay tax on money I never really had... but I knew the risk beforehand. If you ask me, stock option benefit should be capital gains, not income... but unfortunately, it's not.
Cheers.
Let's say you exercise 2000 options, say, to buy a stock at $1, and it's now at $11 . The benefit you will be taxed on is $10 x 2000 = $20,000 of added *income* (not capital gains). If you then sell, say, 500 shares at the same price, earning you 500 * $11/share = $5500 bux to put away for tax. There is not a dime of capital gain in this situation. Your 'purchase price' for the stock, for gains caluclation is the fair market value on the day you exercised, not your option price, because you already incurred a taxable benefit on the difference between the fair market value and your option price. You don't get taxed twice for the same thing.
To repeat, the instant-money you make from exercising stock options is not a capital gain, it is a taxable benefit (income). You did not invest and have your capital increase in value, you purchased something that was worth more than what you paid (just like if you buy a house for $1, they tax you on the market value of the house anyway).
Cheers.
So what you are really saying is, if you have to exercise, and you think the stock has a good chance of more growth, you should let it stay, but have some standing sell orders in case the stock drops, to cover your tax liability.
That makes good sense, but of course, if it DOES drop, you end up with less money than you otherwise would have had...though you can cover your taxes. It's just another calculated risk.
And about getting the advice of an accountant.. ABSOLUTELY, WITHOUT QUESTION, you should do this. I sure wish I had. (I ended up paying a great deal more tax than planned this year simply because I didn't know I had to file a simple piece of paper with my employer to defer an option benefit into next year. Or more accurately, because I waited too long to get professional advice.)
Cheers.
How many of us are just building beautiful and sophisticaed systems that will die when the company runs out of funds in three months? In a way, that's almost more tragic...
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
That is an excellent point, I had forgotten that the difference between the option price and the excercise price is trated as normal income, and is not subject to capital gains tax.
However, even though I was totally off-base about needing to hold the stock to avoid capital gains, I still think it would be a good plan to hold on to the stock with a sell order on some shares at a level to cover the tax bill for your gain in income. At least then you can get as much benefit as possible out of the stock.
If I ever do have options I need to excercise I mean to get the advise of a professional accountant (which it would appear I need quite badly!)
Again, thanks for the correction. I also thought your explanation at the end was an excellent way of phrasing simply why it would be income and not a capital gain.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
At the company I work for, you can only hold options for four years after you receive them. They have some additional screwey properties that mean you might very well want to exercise them long before the time limit, but I won't go into that here...
I really wanted to address the point of selling enough stock right after you excercise to pay for the taxes. The issue I have with doing that (and I think one reason why perhaps a lot of people didn't sell stock as soon as they exercised) is that then you pay short term capital gains taxes if you sell the stock right away, whereas you only have to wait a year to pay long terms capital gains and a LOT less in tax! If I had exercised anything last year I'm pretty sure I would have been screwed over as well, since I would have figured just waiting one year was probably safe...
Now that we are all wiser, what I would do after exercising is to set aside a certain amount of stock with a sell limit set at an amount to cover my tax liability should the stock price drop. That way I potentially get the benefit of selling all my stock at the long term rate, but also am covered in case the stock really tanks. Of course, using that system you could be hosed by temporary dips but I figure you could set the selling point fairly low if you had some other savings or assets you knew you could rely on to cover losses (though of course as the original poster said, it's pretty painful to have to pay for money you never saw).
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Good advice. How I wish my parents hadn't *encouraged* my short-lived interest in SUV's back when I started working (pre-dotcom '93). I bought an expensive Jeep, which had me strapped until I finally sold it so I could get on with life and buy a house.
Now the only debt I carry is a mortgage. Overspending is a serious problem in our society. Why don't people value living within their means?!
This book is probably a much better read. I've heard Kiyosaki on the radio and don't like his approach at all.
Lottery tickets in the glove boxes of expensive cars purchased by once-rich executives. I love it.
like most other repo men, he owns his car outright.
Too bad I can't say the same about all the code I've written...
.. Did you notice the story from msnbc didn't mention him repo'ing from any MS employees?
That would be because he was a silicon valley repo-man, not a Redmon or Austin repo man.
Simon
Coming soon - pyrogyra
I already knew that -- and it's tiny compared to the Redmond and Austin campuses.
Simon
Coming soon - pyrogyra
At which point they had to turn on each other and snatch each other's cars.
Well, actually he is restoring the cars to their rightful owners, which might make it a bit better (remember, if those people default on their loans, _you_ will get the pleasure of paying for it one way or the other).
And the systems built by a lot of the bombed dot.commers were neither beautiful nor sophisticated, nor used by very many people apparently. Paid for by money conned out of the inexperienced and gullible in a lot of cases too.
So the choice isnt exactly as clear cut as you might think.
Microsoft has a very large campus in Mountain View (read: in Silicon Valley). It's on La Vienda off of Shorline. You can see it from the 101.
Just thought you'd like to know.
Justice? No-one owes you a job, no matter how smart or hard working you are. It's up to you to handle your own life, and find your own way to make a living. It's your choice if you stay in the midst of the layoffs living off your savings - other people might choose to move someplace else where they can get a job.
i'll second this one. i've always done the same thing mainly cause im a geek and have zero interest in stuff thats expensive. bought a really expensive laptop (well...it woulda been expensive if it was new...got it secondhand in good condition of ebay for 1.4K$), pay rent, food, clothing, occasional entertainment and travelling..thats it. musta spent 5K or so in travelling/vacationing (put it under entertainment) and 10-12K in rent plus 10K in food+clothing. paid 15K odd in taxes. saved 30K which got dumped into a bank account in 1 year.... its not for everyone but its a fairly decent existance i think...i can prolly buy a house/car in cash in 8 yrs or so at this rate..although i have little interest in doing so..more interested in travelling at this stage. im reasonably happy so i guess im doing something right. and i still have a job.
and w/o leaving license plate images on the security cameras (so trespassing charges can't be filed)
According to the article, repo men have the right to enter private property to retrieve their customers' property. Hence, no trespassing charges could be filed. Now a locked parking area, that's a different story....
As much as I love the idea of Microsoft getting their just desserts, I doubt that it is happening much. People who are making money don't get their cars repoed. I'll grant that many here don't like some of the ways that Microsoft is making it's money. However, people who are making money by whatever means tend to make their car payments. If you want to see the towtrucks in Redmond's parking lot then lets hope that .NET turns out like BOB.
If that should happen (NOT!...damn it!) then let's hire an elementary school student body to come out to the parking lot in cute little Tux costumes to perform "Ding dong the wicked witch is deeeeaaaaad!"
Now Eazel on the other hand.......
But their hardware runs well without Windows; find it here.
--
Slashdot: Failed Car Analogies. Amateur Lawyering. Anecdote Battles.
Yahoo profile on Advanced Wireless
Advanced Wireless home page
wow that's great! Now the bank can sue your company for aiding you to defraud them.
How we know is more important than what we know.
when they still work for someone else?
I wouldn't call this work.
when they still have to act a certain way,
Havn't noticed any change.
dress a certain way,
t-shirt and shorts, no shoes, same as always
or be in certain places at certain times?
Meetings suck, but if I didn't go I wouldn't cop too much shit.
when being without a few paychecks would mean losing your toys, or even your home?
have neither a home nor toys I own (well, there is that laptop..)
when I started enjoying success in a high-tech job I didn't go out and buy a bmw.
me either
I drive a 60's model volkswagen.
dont drive.
I didn't "buy" real estate in california either.
why would you want to live here for longer than you have to? It's a fucking suburb, everything is too far apart, there's nothing to do here, the pubs close at 2am, and most of em only serve beer and wine anyway.
what the fuck were you people thinking?
They weren't, they were reacting to the wants and needs that have been driven into them by society.
that you shit gold and pee perfume?
Indeed.
How we know is more important than what we know.
Heehee...
"Sun Microsystems. We put the dot in 'OH SHIT, WE'RE BROKE!'"
- - - - -
Napster-to-go says "Fill and refill your compatible MP3 player", which is a lie. It's not MP3. It's WMA with DRM.
That's an interesting idea, almost impossible to impletement. What do you do when you change jobs? Move every time?
Don't most tech jobs not last that long?
Democrats or Republicans. They are both taking us to the same place and they are not afraid of us anymore.
As tragedies go, some rich people getting a little less richer is hardly
much to brag about. Almost all those people are skilled professionals and will get new jobs soon, and do fine, just not with millions rolling all around them.
The repo people don't get the kick from the human misery, but from the business opportunity and chance to put some more and better food on the table. These guys make $30-60k, live in Silicon Valley, and you expect them to feel sorry for overspending tech workers?
Like the guy said, when it's real human misery, he does feel bad about it.
Learn life
Want Root?
"It's too late - you already are."
I write trance music.
"The life of a repo man is always intense." - Bud
I write trance music.
What your saying is that we should all become heartless, uncaring, unmotivated individuals!
I AGREE! That will SURELY make the world a more peaceful place... after everybody has DIED from apathy!
I'm ALL FOR IT!
"Everything you know is wrong. (And stupid.)"
"Everything you know is wrong. (And stupid.)"
Moderation Totals: Wrong=2, Stupid=3, Total=5.
Hey, don't get down about it, look at it this way: somebody has to free() the malloc()s.
All your cars are belong... nevermind. Couldn't help myself.
--
The vastness of space and time, and I end up here?
If you know someone that bought a BMW and payed over $100 000 US, send them my way, I've got some swampland I've been meaning to get rid of.
Kidding. I just can't think of which ones cost over $100k, to be honest.
The Z8 comes to mind, but that's about it (and there aren't many of them to be had).
One thing I haven't seen here is the flip side. People are saying "they should have lived in their means" yet many of these people DID live in their means. The tax code, however, screwed them out due to some quirks in it. If you owned options and exercised them, many times you have to pay taxes on the price of the stock AT THE TIME YOU EXERCISE the stock, not how much you sell the stock for. This is taxed as income, and there is pretty much NO WAY TO AVOID IT. If the stock goes down after you exercise it, then you can take a capital loss off the stock, but you can only write off $3,000 a year for that. So, if you excercise 1000 shares of stock that was values at the time at $100 and your strike price was $10, then it dropped back to $10 and you sold, then you would owe taxes on $90,000 of income you never saw. Put that on even a fairly good income and you would see why many people in the valley are screwed. Lots of people didn't see it coming till it was too late as they have never seen this type of money, and the tax advisors never told them about the risk of excercise and holding stock. People know about it now though...
..just five seconds ago on FOX. The dumbass got his car jacked.
Yes, and British cars are known for their reliability!
Free Hans!
Maybe if you had some real skills you wouldn't have such problems. "Web consultant" - what kinda of sissy-ass job description is that?
--
Lord Nimon
And the men who hold high places must be the ones who start
To mold a new reality... closer to the heart
Well, this guy had lost his job, wife, dog, pants, whatever, and low and behold awakes to someone breaking into his truck. He promptly opens the door and fires off a few rounds. The repo man made it about half a mile before giving it up in a ditch. The next morning this man went to see what all to commotion down the road was about. When he approached the investigating officer and said, "Sir, I shot that man last night because I thought he was stealing my truck," the officer responded with, "Ok, sir. Thanks. You have a good day."
As a side note, justifiable use of force is covered under Pa. Consolidated Statues Title 18, Sections 505-507. Deadly force is (almost) never authorized for the protection of property, however, if the bad guy(tm) enters your house and you reasonably believe he is going to hurt someone inside, you can feel free to shoot him. ie You are not required to retreat in your own dwelling in PA.
Section 507 - Use of Force in Protection of Property in PA
People live beyond their means everywhere. Silicon Valley is no different from Lincoln NE.
Unlimited growth == Cancer.
We've enjoyed the longest peacetime economic expansion in our history, but it's over. The saying is that a recession is when someone you know loses his job. A depression is when you lose yours. There but for fortune...
Things fall apart, the centre cannot hold...
the Z8 on the showroom floor of the BMW/Mercedes/Porsche/SAAB/VW/Mazda Dealer I work for is being sold for $170,000 because of the demand. The origional sticker is somewhere around $120,000.
"Dancing is the vertical expression of a horizontal desire" --Robert Frost
I was talking about the BMW Z8 Roadster :)
"Dancing is the vertical expression of a horizontal desire" --Robert Frost
Well, if you read the actual article instead of the /. blurb, you'll find that's not what the reporter wrote.
-Legion
If you reread the post, I think you'll find that he didn't mention not doing anything. His point was not to become a perfect human vegetable. In fact you can do whatever you like to do, own whatever you like to own and be with whomever you like to be with. Just avoid becoming disappointed when it ALL fails, get rid of expectations because they make you unhappy. If you know the bible, I think it was Job that lost everything he had: job, house, family, health, etc. It was a lesson from God. The whole point is to see desire for what it truly is, an endless chase while you are never truly happy. It's about reclaiming peace in your mind, balance in your life, freedom from endless worries, expectations, speculations and desires. Remember when you were a kid; you didn't constantly worry about this and that.. As Jesus said, it's about becoming like that kid again. And No, I didn't say we should all start acting like kids. ;)
;)
The reason you see all this as pathetic, is because you only see it in light of psychology and science. You speak of higher things, without really defining what those are to you. Lastly you indirectly state that you don't strive for what is beyond your current framework, which is the very definition for stagnation in this world. This is excactly the kind of barrier spirituality is meant to break.
Lastly: No, I'm not religious. I don't like authority that much.
- Steeltoe
http://www.debunkingskeptics.com/
I agree that I might be playing with semantics, if Everything is what was meant. However, the word "framework" and the way it is used to define and limit is not a word I would use for Everything. It is too limiting, typical of us humans, we want to define everything around us so that we think we understand it. If the universe is infinite in every way (hypothetically speaking at least), "framework" is just not a good word. Additionally, I and many others can't use "everything" to mean what we really mean by that word, since very many have limited that word in their minds as well. It's no use to use the correct words, when people don't relate to them equally. So we use other words/semantics to be better understood.
;-)
;-) of that relationship or for longer periods of time. It is healthy though, when people learn from it.
However, it's not really a difference in semantics or definitions. It's a difference in attitude: one is looking at the world with authority of opinion, "for something to exist I must see it", the other is (trying) humbly looking at the world as something that always will give you a surprise at the next corner, and that there might be more than what we currently see.
Btw, it's an interesting coincidence that you begin talking about "clinging" philosophies. I've just been robbed of my bicycle (30 mins ago) while I was shopping for a Robert Jordan book. Now I really feel the bittersweet taste of my own words as I read my posts. It really sucks to lose stuff you know
So, as I write this, I have strong feelings of torn attachments myself. It doesn't make me very happy. I guess I could stop clinging (dealing with that now), but you're right I could start clinging to something else then. However, that is not a failure in my opinion. Because I see it as another step on the ladder.
Btw, to understand the "clinging" philosophies, you shouldn't look at it so totally and generally. It's not about not caring for other people or value them. It's about not trying to imprison your fellow human beings in unhealthy relationships. For example, it's not healthy for an adult to be completely dependant on another (with exceptions for disabled people of course). It might be an interesting and valuable experience, but not healthy in the framework
I think many are beginning to realize that true love isn't one trying to tie you up, but let you freely do what you desire. Everything with modifications according to common sense and who you currently are though.
- Steeltoe
http://www.debunkingskeptics.com/
I'll settle for getting laid, LAID!!! :-)
Land grabs are a speciality of Santa Clara county .This has been going on since long before you where ever born .Go up to La honda and Stevens creek area this has been going on since the late 70's.
Prudence and moderation in all things.
(Well, we could sometimes do with a little less modeation around here. But that's a whole other topic...)
---
Book(n): Utensil used to pass time while waiting for the TV repairman
I think if you looked closely at the people getting their cars repoed you would see that its not the big money guys. Its the people getting paid like they were big money guys. Like the article said, the Intel execs weren't getting repoed, but the execs elsewhere were. The difference there is that the Intel execs are big money guys for having produced something. They were people that could run a company within its means. Then there were the execs who had millions in options because they owned a domain name and business plan along the lines of heavyassbricksbymail.com. Dorks are dorks. Executive dorks, no matter how much you pay them, will never be money players.
t
Maybe I can work with my local car dealer to have one of their buyers hit a repo auction and get me a good price on a PT cruiser, and be able to get it delivered to me at a good price.
They've come far and fast by having the right kind of smarts at the right time and place. That they didn't know they were living in a speculative bubble and far beyond their means
I refuse to believe that anybody smart (heck, anyone with an ounce of intelligence) couldn't tell that LEASING three cars for his girlfriend was a stupid idea when he was a salaried employee for a company that was extremely overvalued (they all were) and not a rich millionairre with cash in the bank.
--
I feel sorry for the guy. Instead of building
beautiful and sophisticated systems which thousands people will use every day, he spendshis day goind after people, taking away their cars.
Even if I would have my car reposessed
some day, I would not trade jobs with him.
Damned darkfriends, they're everywhere, I tell you. I guess next time you'll spring for the U-lock with the herons on the lock-keys, won't you? :)
hell no. very bright people get involved in this work, and in general, towers of all stripes are the wackiest, most interesting types around. just because someone works a trades job, do not assume he is stupid- rather, it is more often the other way around.
besides, think- he would be a [poor repo man if he didn't know his quarry, inside and out. stock quotes are probably the very tip of what he could know about you...
Sounds like one might make a nice B2C auction site for the repoed cars. Of course, whe the economy perks up again, repo.vulture.com will crashland...
This is not a signature.
But what if someone just stopped caring after they already settled the basic needs: food, air, shelter? That would be a truly pathetic human. Even though they don't need anything more, to not try to achieve higher goals would be foolish. They would have nothing to do. They would just sit there until they were hungry again. What a truly marvelous existence you speak of!
I'm all for living within my means, and not sweating the small things. But to feel sufficed with no more than is required to keep a human vegetable alive, that is truly pathetic. If that is existence, then I might as well be the human vegetable. But I am not. I strive for higher things. And I strive for these things within the framework that I exist, because there is nothing else beyond me and this framework. What happens in the world (the framework) does matter to me, and I am not ashamed of this.
If you look at the bay area housing market, though, you'd find out that a Million dollar house isn't the shit.
- ------
I live in a one bedroom apartment for a cool $1250 a month, because that's what a one bedroom is worth out here. A million dollar house will get you three bedrooms and a decent yard, to own, and raise a family in. The same house in my home town would run you $240k - $400 a month LESS in mortgage than my rent.
Sure, it looks good on paper to say "This chick has a million dollar house and can't afford a car!". But the fact is, if you live in the bay area between Mountain View and San Francisco, *every* house is a million dollar one.
-------------------------------------------
True enough. But I spent 3 years working as a medic for a busy city fire department, and I took a lot of pleasure in it.
- --------
Not once, however, did I ever say "Woohoo! Another near-fatal car wreck involving three children! Today's my day to be good at giving IV's."
-----------------------------------------
While right now the tech industry is in a slump, and I'm lucky to be one of the techs who was intelligent enough to live within my means, I still have to resent the tone of the article.
- --------
"Whenever another company announces layoffs, we get all excited". Straight from the article.
Yes, it means you get more business, Mr. Repo man, but slow down for a second and realize that the 8,000 layoffs mean two things. 1) They mean that 50 workers who lived too lavishly will pay for it. 2) They mean that the other 7,950 workers who were just trying to get by in the most expensive place on this coast to live, are now probably apartment/home-less.
The sickening read of this article basically states what a high kick this guy gets off the human misery that is a round of layoffs, just so he can make a few bucks.
The article portrays the tech workers in a very bad light by focusing on the lavish, stupid guys. But frankly, when I read the article, it puts this repo guy in a FAR worse light.
-----------------------------------------
Lots of celluloid is rotting away in film vaults because the material, although representing historic representations of period attitudes, are considered to be too "racially charged." It's another form of revisionism. It would be like banning any kind of footage of Nazi-era Germany, because it's too "Racially Charged". In fact, I recall reading here on /. (I can't seem to find the article at the moment) that Bill Cosby has the rights to either movies, TV Series, maybe both, that are "racially charged," that he doesn't allow to be shown, because he doesn't want anyone to see it.
I know comparing censoring Bugs Bunny cartoons to the censoring Third Reich footage seems like apples and oranges, but my point is that they are both materials that demonstrate the "human condition" in their respective periods of time.
It's as bad as "revisionist history", and I'm sure Big Brother of 1984 fame would approve of it.
--
--
Intelligence is definitely a recessive trait.
If you were thinking of picking up a cheap, repossessed Beamer, forget it. The reason these people get into financial trouble is that instead of buying a car for a modest amount, they are buying an image: "Look at me! I'm driving a car that cost 6 figures - aren't I wonderful." The fact that it's second hand and repossessed isn't an issue, it's a Beamer! If you want the image, go ahead; if you want comfortable, reliable transport, there are better value cars for a fraction of the price.
Kidding. I just can't think of which ones cost over $100k, to be honest.
Fair point - I was thinking Oz dollars (rough conversion rate at the moment is A$2 = US$1.)
For instance, the 2001 BMW 530I Sport 4 door sedan with Steptronic transmissions costs a bit over A$100,000 - not including extras, stamp duty, insurance, dealer "delivery" fees etc. The 7 series starts at A$160,000 and the top end is over A$200,000... Ouch!
So what? We're talking about Micro$oft bashing here. There are no frontiers or any sort of rules for that. Let the guy show his indignation.
I say do what like me. Take slightly old 4 cylinder toy and make more fun. Don't waste large amount of cash, when such exciting toys as a conversion kit for a vovlo 240 to support a chevy (corvette) v8 exist! Thereby you save money, live within your means, and satisfy your geek instict for altering and playing with stuff. I installed my car CD player myself, made a few mistakes, but saved 50 bucks!
DIY + thrifty trips to junkyards == cheap, cooler car at low cost.
Lemure, wtf! Don't you mean Lemur?
Funny, even before the dot bust one of the perks I got working for a chip maker in colorado springs is "repo man protection".   Seems some of the fab workers had/have credit trouble so about the only thing security actually does besides endangering all donut species is chase tow trucks out of the parking lots.   Since some of the good ones can get in and out faster than security can respond, and w/o leaving license plate images on the security cameras (so trespassing charges can't be filed) there is a special locked parking area for those that really don't want to take chances.   Sounds like this practice may become more common
Speaking of money, I forgot to pay the rent again! ;)
Pray you don't come home from work one day and find your apartment building is gone. Those damn repo men can do anything these days.
NO CARRIER
Come on man, get the quote correct before you post it:
Eyes melt, skin explodes, everybody's dead.
It's so immoral working on the thing can drive you mad.
That's what happened to this friend of mine.
So he had a lobotomy, and now he's well again.
Otto: What kind of car does your friend drive?
J. Frank Parnell: Chevy Malibu.
not that I've seen the movie 100 times or anything like that...
Don't want no commies in my car... no christians either!
-- It is my strong belief that it is a mistake to hold strong beliefs.
Those that has support the concept of a trickle down economy will be happy! Proof of concept is here and now.
----
There's no point in being grown up if you can't be childish sometimes. -- Dr. Who
Problem with that is, we live in a very large country. We can drive for DAYS, and still be able speak the same language! Out states are like EU countries. Besides, who wants to ride a bus, that takes forever to get anywhere because it stops at every bunghole bustop, no matter if there's anyone there or not?
-- "Perceptions create reality. By changing your perceptions you change your reality."
hehe.. too bad i used up my mod points yesterday..
"You find a lot of lottery tickets in repossessed cars," he says. "It's their last hope."
so thats what drives people to play lottery.. i just thought it was ignorance.. Did you notice the story from msnbc didn't mention him repo'ing from any MS employees?
I have seen it in a number of areas of the country. Heck even in SF, where you can have studio apartment for thousands per month. Shear insanity. talk about herd mentality (we are all individuals!)
Check out the Vinny the Vampire comic strip
"It is a greater offense to steal men's labor, than their clothes"
If you know someone that bought a BMW and payed over $100 000 US, send them my way, I've got some swampland I've been meaning to get rid of.
Kidding. I just can't think of which ones cost over $100k, to be honest.
Go Kathryn Thurber!
... me thinks this story may be a bit untrue?
That would be kind of hard - since he *owns it outright*. Grand Theft Auto doesn't tend to look good on a resume.
Sorry, it was a joke. I guess my humor didn't translate well into that post.
"And like that
I'd like to give him a taste of his own medicine!
Off the job, he drives a rare 1971 AMC Javelin that he restored himself; like most other repo men, he owns his car outright.
--
"And like that
Um, I live in Portland, near the shipyards. Um what are those shiney colorful things with 4 wheels they unload off the ship with the big word Toyota on the side? True some Japanese cars are assembled in the US but not all.
The truth shall set you free!
Mr. Kevern is offering prizes to all dealerships to hand over the names and addresses of all Microsoft employees buying 'clean' cars (ones without payment protection plays).
While Mr. Kervern does not believe all Microsoft employees intend to default on their repayments, he feels he has a right to be ready just in case.
Meanwhile, in other news... Bugs Bunny episodes are going to be banned for being "racially charged." Now that's news for nerds, stuff that's interesting, I'd think. I may be wrong.
--
A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
>>>Silicon Valley's reluctance to give up its cars is a remnant of the great optimism that led to their purchase in the first place, adds Mr. Kevern's boss, Mr. Doyle. "You find a lot of lottery tickets in repossessed cars," he says. "It's their last hope." It was an entertaining enough article, but a little mucky. There may be a certain amount of "new money" stupidity to one person leasing 4 or 5 cars and spending like it's 1999, but it's still sad to see the optimism Suein Hwang cites in the last 'graph (quoted above) eulogized. Oh Well. Rox
Looks like you should read this.
Emin
used equipment. The look on my wife's face was priceless when I brought home an old 19" rackmount chassis the size of our fridge. What the heck am I going to do with a Sun 180?
+++ UGUCAUCGUAUUUCU
They stuck me in an institution, said it was the only solution, to...protect me from the enemy, myself
There is nothing wrong with having debt in something like a house.
:)
Going into debt for a car (which is much more easily repossesed, clearly!) Is somewhat more stupid, your house will go up in value if you take care of it, that can't be said for most cars.
Hell, I'm only 20 (almost...) and i'm already starting a life of operating in debt, but i'm trying to do it for worthwhile things...right now it's my computer
Sure, i want a car, but i'm not going to think about it until I really NEED it for a job and it can actually help me, instead of pouring money into some flashy thing that's only going to make my life worse.
So, while I may not be as smart *technically* as all those "millionaire" dot-commers in CA, somehow, this article makes me feel a bit brighter!
Since this article is from MS, I got an idea: "Repo in the Valley" for the X-Box! Pop real cars from real spendthrifts, like Apple, Sun, and Oracle! Use your WinCE PDA to download new pop jobs, and dodge security systems running on OSX! All they need is the competitors' license.
Did you notice how the protagonist lived in a world of plenty and lacked for nothing and was protected from the problems of life by his corporate job and consumptive lifestyle? Just like the Buddha.
Then he can't deal with it anymore because his job exposes him to the fact of death (in motorcar collisions). Just like the Buddha.
Then he visits the real world and has the experience of living with the sufferers with disease, and then lives in poverty, and then joins a cult, and then in meditation (sorry, no Bodhi Tree) finds enlightenment. Just like the Buddha.
And enlightenment means understanding a message of non-consumerism, inner peace, non-attachment, releasing the ego, right livlyhood, &c, &c. It's a modern Buddhist message for the Twentyfirst Century that values working in a community and favors simplicity, riding the bus, getting in touch with nature, gardening, walking, running, sports (probably even boxing), and taking risks for what you believe in and opposes corporate art, chain stores, status motorcars, manipulative advertising, brand identification, and a comfortable but meaningless life.
The only way it could be more Buddhist is by including a pamphlet with the Four Noble Truths with every ticket.
And great special effects, too. Good looking cast, fine acting, drama, amazing costuming. I don't agree with Buddhism but a message movie this powerful and coherent and consistent and plot driven and beautiful on the screen is a piece of magic. Furthermore, every scene is there for a reason and the reason relates to the ultimate message -- not like a jigsaw puzzle or a proof but like a little decoration that matches the aesthetic of the whole.
It is by far the greatest movie ever made.
-Brian
And there are so many riffs and philosophies and movements referenced I may have missed some...
...give aquent a call. I've worked for them a couple of times between "real" jobs - pretty nice, as far as temping goes (health insurance, 401k, etc). Not doing too shabby if you can still afford to live in a Brookline apt!
I spent a year in Iraq looking for WMD and all I found was this lousy sig.
fyi, as any BMW aficionado will know, the car is a bimmer, the motorcycle is a beemer.
"I saw weird stuff in that place last night! Weird, strange, sick, twisted, eerie, godless, evil stuff!! And I want in!"
avoiding tense situations... A repoman spends his life getting into tense situations.
"I saw weird stuff in that place last night! Weird, strange, sick, twisted, eerie, godless, evil stuff!! And I want in!"
Memorable line from the cult movie, The Repo Man.
Did anyone see where I left my fucking sleigh? I thought I left it out by the goddamn reindeer pen. Jesus H. Christ, I've got fucking errands to run!
Dancin Santa
People with as deep a connection to your homeland as yourself confuse me. Move to Seattle if you like nice scenery. Move to Texas if you like cheap housing and sprawling land. There's a lot to be said for freeing your mind from territorialism.
Look at me, I left the comfort of Scandanavia to live at the North Pole.
Dancin Santa
Speaking of money, I forgot to pay the rent again! ;)
A friend of mine was working for a rental company for a while. It was his job to go reposess all the tvs and washing machines people couldn't afford.
He seemed to get some perverse pleasure from reposessing some old lady's tv.
Go figure.
What about MS?
What car BG drives in, anyway?
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Two witches watched two watches.
Which witch watched which watch?
OK. I am a foreigner. Who is Keating?
Darn. I thought it was Dubya himself who was caught. Still pretty shameful.
The Adventures of Repoman and Robbin'
Ok Ok, mod me down I am drunk
Maybe this is really a story about power of habit. People get so used to commuting that, even after getting laid off, they continue to drive to work and park in the company lot.
Needless to say, the company's venture capital dried up and with it my consulting gig. Now I'm working as an office temp slave,* but at least I can still pay rent.
Fight for your right to read books!
Hell, you can buy Z8's at DigiKey for a lot less than that. Price depends on what on-chip peripherals you want, and stuff like that. Check the Zilog website. Or (and this isn't that bad an idea) salvage 'em off the circuit boards on many failed hard drives.
(this is a geek board, right? What's with the yuppie car thread in the first place??)
You know, I wonder if I can get in on some of those repo sales. The silicon valley people have some insanely nice cars. Imagine getting a BMW with a built-in server-class computer? Pennies on the dollar man
I'm an Angry Clam. You would be angry too if you were a ball of snot in a shell.
Look here.
And here.
Actually they're more like advertisements, but I thought they were a pretty good look for getting an idea as to what the guy is working with.
Defending your home is arguably more about self defense than property. If somebody is willing to break into my home with me there, i have to assume the worst. Not being much for a gun, I'd probably use a sword or a bat.
Reboot macht Frei.
The guy uses an "unmarked white truck"... that could look very much like somebody stealing your car, rather than a legal reposession. Hope nobody flips out and pulls a gun on the guy.