goulet and nibs.com stopped taking orders

[Ray-VIgo]

Best financial advice I ever got, 35 years ago, came from several who said to reduce debt including the late Larry Burkett. It occurred to me once that I shouldn't focus on making more, but spending less. This resulted in buying used cars, and used clothes, paying off the mortgage, and using the 401K system. The children never had a student loan, and they drove $5k cars which required only liability insurance. I could go on.

One reason I love this hobby is that excellent writing tools are readily available for less than a six pack of good beer. Nothing wrong with buying a $1000 pen if you can pay cash.

I also wouldn't give my money to anyone for the possibility of a later shipment. I doubt they have anything in their inventory that I couldn't find somewhere else.

Yeah, persistence goes a long way - you'll sometimes see classic, vintage pens sold for very little money if you look in the right places and keep periodically visiting and hunting. And one of my favorite jackets is an old, very nice canvas barn coat with a leather collar and removable lining. I purchased it for $20 from a computer repair guy who was just getting rid of extra stuff. It's crazy how if you look, you'll sometimes strike gold in unexpected places.

[Chuck Naill]

Best financial advice I ever got, 35 years ago, came from several who said to reduce debt including the late Larry Burkett. It occurred to me once that I shouldn't focus on making more, but spending less. This resulted in buying used cars, and used clothes, paying off the mortgage, and using the 401K system. The children never had a student loan, and they drove $5k cars which required only liability insurance. I could go on.

One reason I love this hobby is that excellent writing tools are readily available for less than a six pack of good beer. Nothing wrong with buying a $1000 pen if you can pay cash.

I also wouldn't give my money to anyone for the possibility of a later shipment. I doubt they have anything in their inventory that I couldn't find somewhere else.

Shame on you! You're the reason Nieman Marcus, J.C. Penny's, J. Crew, and all the others are going bankrupt because YOU didn't spend (charge) your hard-earned money for things you didn't need. How can you sleep at night, you capitalist pig. Think of all the poor now unemployed clerks who won't have saved a dime while working, bought useless trinkets, and charged all their credit cards to the max for cigarettes, Jack Daniels, the latest clothes for nightclubs, and vacations to Disneyland they couldn't possibly afford.

Shame! Shame! Shame! Why don't you make a contribution to the Future Unemployed Clerks Klan so they can continue to live above their means? They need another tattoo, piercing, and cab fare to the club! Where's your social commitment to wokeness and financial equality for those that haven't a clue?

Though I do think you sleep quiet well without the Sword of Big-Spender Damocles hanging over your head!

Cheers!
Sg

I did contribute to the well being of two state universities....LOL!!

[Sailor Kenshin]

Best financial advice I ever got, 35 years ago, came from several who said to reduce debt including the late Larry Burkett. It occurred to me once that I shouldn't focus on making more, but spending less. This resulted in buying used cars, and used clothes, paying off the mortgage, and using the 401K system. The children never had a student loan, and they drove $5k cars which required only liability insurance. I could go on.

One reason I love this hobby is that excellent writing tools are readily available for less than a six pack of good beer. Nothing wrong with buying a $1000 pen if you can pay cash.

I also wouldn't give my money to anyone for the possibility of a later shipment. I doubt they have anything in their inventory that I couldn't find somewhere else.

Shame on you! You're the reason Nieman Marcus, J.C. Penny's, J. Crew, and all the others are going bankrupt because YOU didn't spend (charge) your hard-earned money for things you didn't need. How can you sleep at night, you capitalist pig. Think of all the poor now unemployed clerks who won't have saved a dime while working, bought useless trinkets, and charged all their credit cards to the max for cigarettes, Jack Daniels, the latest clothes for nightclubs, and vacations to Disneyland they couldn't possibly afford.

Shame! Shame! Shame! Why don't you make a contribution to the Future Unemployed Clerks Klan so they can continue to live above their means? They need another tattoo, piercing, and cab fare to the club! Where's your social commitment to wokeness and financial equality for those that haven't a clue?

Though I do think you sleep quiet well without the Sword of Big-Spender Damocles hanging over your head!

Cheers!
Sg

Nieman Marcus is going out of business? 😱

[sgphoto]

"Nieman Marcus is going out of business?

Bankruptcy as of May 7, 2020. Businesses that have excessive debt will be falling like flies. Perhaps they should. It's like restaurant owners who continued to expand their restaurants and add new locations but didn't have money in case of something happening. They too should go out of business or cut their losses to survive. Not be bailed out for poor planning.

So too will the average person with excessive debts unless they get bailed out by the government to continue their bad habits.

It's like pen people who bought expensive pens on credit, paying top dollar, and are now finding that market severely depressed and are unable to sell most of those pens for 50-60% of what they paid.

Now, people who have saved money can buy used expensive pens for far less than they could a year ago. Look at the 'Sell" forum for example.

People and businesses make their choices and should rise or fall by those choices. It's called responsibility.

[724Seney]

"Nieman Marcus is going out of business?

Bankruptcy as of May 7, 2020. Businesses that have excessive debt will be falling like flies. Perhaps they should. It's like restaurant owners who continued to expand their restaurants and add new locations but didn't have money in case of something happening. They too should go out of business or cut their losses to survive. Not be bailed out for poor planning.

So too will the average person with excessive debts unless they get bailed out by the government to continue their bad habits.

It's like pen people who bought expensive pens on credit, paying top dollar, and are now finding that market severely depressed and are unable to sell most of those pens for 50-60% of what they paid.

Now, people who have saved money can buy used expensive pens for far less than they could a year ago. Look at the 'Sell" forum for example.

People and businesses make their choices and should rise or fall by those choices. It's called responsibility.

The people you describe, sadly, learned nothing from the financial crisis of 2008
"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." George Santayana 1905

[sgphoto]

Many times it's not that they don't remember, it's willful ignorance, stupidity, and their personal feeling of entitlement. Plus, the social 'wokeness' crowd always willing to bail them out (with other people's money, of course).

That's the failure of financial socialism. Taking from those who were frugal, worked hard, saved, and lived below their means to give to those who did none of those things.

[azkid]

The people you describe, sadly, learned nothing from the financial crisis of 2008
"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." George Santayana 1905

I wonder where folks learn about managing money?

My grandmother was a master of frugality and saving, having started out dirt poor with one and only one dress in high school and getting a bookkeeping job after and managing to save up a considerable amount. My mom was frugal too and saved a lot on a teacher's salary (dad didn't make much usually). They were able to put me through college which saved me from being saddled with student loan debt.

For kids unfortunate enough to be born to parents who are bad at pinching pennies and saving... Do we expect all of them to pick it up on their own?

I'm sure some can but I wouldn't be where I am if I had not had parental instruction.

I wonder if fewer people would've lost so much if money management, mortgages, etc., were part of public education. Maybe it is now. My kids' school does some training along these lines in 5th grade. I never got that at any grade level.

If we did provide that kind of instruction then it probably wouldn't have been as easy for predatory lenders to have their way and it would've been harder for the folks with extra capital to buy up foreclosed houses.

[Sailor Kenshin]

The people you describe, sadly, learned nothing from the financial crisis of 2008
"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." George Santayana 1905

I wonder where folks learn about managing money?

My grandmother was a master of frugality and saving, having started out dirt poor with one and only one dress in high school and getting a bookkeeping job after and managing to save up a considerable amount. My mom was frugal too and saved a lot on a teacher's salary (dad didn't make much usually). They were able to put me through college which saved me from being saddled with student loan debt.

For kids unfortunate enough to be born to parents who are bad at pinching pennies and saving... Do we expect all of them to pick it up on their own?

I'm sure some can but I wouldn't be where I am if I had not had parental instruction.

I wonder if fewer people would've lost so much if money management, mortgages, etc., were part of public education. Maybe it is now. My kids' school does some training along these lines in 5th grade. I never got that at any grade level.

If we did provide that kind of instruction then it probably wouldn't have been as easy for predatory lenders to have their way and it would've been harder for the folks with extra capital to buy up foreclosed houses.

I didn't grow up with any financial instruction, and it was a mess. In fact, we ran into big trouble a couple of times. Then I discovered The Tightwad Gazette. I earned a Black Belt.

[sgphoto]

People can be given lessons in finances, but it eventually (as it always does) comes down to personal responsibility. With four generations of entitlement many parents have no idea of personal responsibility. It's always been handouts for sloth with no incentives to improve.

In many cases public schools teach 'social justice' and its tenants of 'You Owe Me Whatever I Say You Owe Me' rather than ethics, morality, and the need for hard work to succeed.

I wouldn't have any child of mine in public schools today.

[countrydirt]

In many cases public schools teach 'social justice' and its tenants of 'You Owe Me Whatever I Say You Owe Me' rather than ethics, morality, and the need for hard work to succeed.

I wouldn't have any child of mine in public schools today.

Well, at least that's what your version of the media wants you to believe. I'm a public school teacher and I've never taught anything like that. In fact, I spend quite a bit of time teaching about personal responsibility, work ethic, doing the right thing, personal financial management and actual ethics and to be a wise consumer of information. Educated consumers of information make a better society and don't accept one person's rants as gospel, regardless of political or economic persuasion.
Thank goodness I'm retiring in the next 6 years. The uneducated attacks on public schools and teachers (yes there are some bad ones) with a broad brush and the parroting of political campaign slogans that fit on a bumper sticker have made this profession not as noble as it once was.

[guyy]

Many times it's not that they don't remember, it's willful ignorance, stupidity, and their personal feeling of entitlement. Plus, the social 'wokeness' crowd always willing to bail them out (with other people's money, of course).

That's the failure of financial socialism. Taking from those who were frugal, worked hard, saved, and lived below their means to give to those who did none of those things.

“Financial socialism” ?

The people getting bailed out in 2008 were the rich, German banks, Wall Street firms and so on. The people who gave them the bailout were politicians committed to the preservation of the status quo, which was and is very much capitalist.

If you consider any redistribution to be “socialist”, what do you consider capitalism, which is among other things, one mode of distributing the social surplus.

[sgphoto]

Many times it's not that they don't remember, it's willful ignorance, stupidity, and their personal feeling of entitlement. Plus, the social 'wokeness' crowd always willing to bail them out (with other people's money, of course).

That's the failure of financial socialism. Taking from those who were frugal, worked hard, saved, and lived below their means to give to those who did none of those things.

“Financial socialism” ?

The people getting bailed out in 2008 were the rich, German banks, Wall Street firms and so on. The people who gave them the bailout were politicians committed to the preservation of the status quo, which was and is very much capitalist.

If you consider any redistribution to be “socialist”, what do you consider capitalism, which is among other things, one mode of distributing the social surplus.

Bank bailouts, Wall Street bailouts, all those bailouts are not capitalism, rather they are a form of socialism by a government again taking from others to support their 'corporate buddies.' Capitalism is not the same thing though in truth not many actually know what real capitalism is and confuse it with the wrongs of corporations and big business. Government support of Corporate Cronyism is as much a fault as the socialism of unearned entitlements.

I'm opposed to bailouts whether to a restaurant or bank.

[TSherbs]

Sg, it's one thing to oppose bailouts. It's another to take a blind swipe at teachers. I am one, too, for 35 years now. I'm gonna let this aspersion pass this time. I don't know what you do for a living, but my guess is that if you told us, we might be able to take some tiredworn swipes at it, too. Which we shouldn't.

But please don't pick this fight here.

I'm am not opposed to bailouts in principle. Just to some in practice. I do chose, for example, to help out family members in time of need. Not always, but sometimes. Depends on the particulars. I feel the same way about govt bailouts. Some do "promote the general welfare" of the nation.



Sent from my Moto E (4) using Tapatalk

[sgphoto]

I don't get my views from the media. I don't trust any of the major news outlets from Fox to CNN. They are agenda-driven political entities, not looking for the truth but to propagandize.

I'm sorry as I could have worded my comments about public schools better. I was raised in public school where teachers could actually teach, didn't have federal guidelines to march in step with, and schools were safe for students and teachers.

I don't see that today. There are good teachers. But in many cases, they spend more time fighting social administrators, worthless parents, the security of students, etc, than doing what they can do best which is teaching.

I'm fortunate that I grew up in an era where teachers controlled the classroom, taught their subjects, and didn't have to put up with the constant intrusions of social correctness.

There are good teachers in public schools, but I still wouldn't send my kids to public school today. Not because of the teachers, but the rest of the conditions.

My apologies to those who think I was insulting teachers. I'm not.

[TSherbs]

Gov't protection of business started long before whatever time you seem to be referring to. Gov't even sided with business and sent troops to maraud and break up strikes. That's not a "bailout" in terms of a loan or cash payout, but it is another form of support that costs money and resources. Our police forces' main purpose is to guard property (including business) owners against violence, damage, and theft. Education, health, and training can be seen as gigantic personnel infrastructures to provide businesses with functional and productive workers (certainly from, say, 1850-1930, this was the purpose of its expansion). Business (manufacturing, trade, commerce) have been supported by government for centuries. The history of slavery in the US is one of the clearest examples of government sanctioned support of business (agri-business, in this case) and "property" owners. The 1808 clause is one of the greatest "bailouts" in the history of the country (in its support of a form of business in a region of the country).

Cost-free loans from gov't clearly raise your ire, but they exist on a continuum of government support (via money, resources, incentives) that has no clear divisions and has existed for a long time, even back into what you might consider to be "better times." There were no "better times." Basically, the poor and the laboring classes have been shafted for centuries, purposefully and pointedly. Our US experiment in "democracy" was barely that. It's real intent was to support business at the expense of the poor laborer with little regard for their lives. These "bailouts" are not a corruption of civic values; they are just a revealing of the true nature of American society: make shit and sell it to make the owners of property wealthy.

[TSherbs]

And I'll say this: capitalism, in spite of its virtues (there are a few), is a rigged game of dodgeball where the less fortunately-born are clumped together, trained to a mediocre level in the rules, indoctrinated in false virtues of the game, and then not permitted to band together to defeat the other side. They are given worse food, worse training, and worse air to breathe and water to drink, they are told it is their fault that they are weaker, and then the ball is deflated each time it is their turn to throw. When they want to change the rules of the game to make it more just, they are told to do it at the voting booth, but then election day in most of their neighborhoods is a work day and they will be docked pay if they miss or the booths will be closed at 8pm if the lines are too long. Or one party or the other will have tried to cut up their districts into further dodgeball games whose outcomes are already statistically guaranteed. The other side has police and gleaming white teeth. And the other side gets half the points that the poor side earns for themselves (that's called "profits").

And that is capitalism.

[sgphoto]

I did not state that old times were better. Governments of all stripes have always supported businesses with other people's money. B

You mentioned that you could, if you chose to, bailout your relatives. That's a personal decision you make. But you can do so with your own money. You have no right to make me bailout your relatives with my money. That's what governments do to a greater or lesser extent with the force of arms behind it.

I can accept pooling resources to support police, military, courts, certain infrastructures with support provided that there's good oversight (which is lacking). Public roads are a form of socialism that I understand and have little problems with. But there are now products that can make roads last longer, stay in better shape, safer, and long-term cost-effective, but the road-building lobby who makes big profits from not using such materials and want to keep the staus-quo going by supporting politicians who won't allow such products to come to fruition.

I'm not a right-winger at all. Nor am I an illogical lefty. I want the liberty to choose and to suffer the consequences of my actions, good or bad.

Protecting people from the consequences of their bad actions repeatedly does no one any good. Charity as such is not charity if it's forced upon a non-willing contributor.

Should Goulet get a bailout? Should a restaurant get a bailout? How about all the out-of-work musicians, should they get a bailout?

Why?

As this conversation has devolved, I'm stopping here. Others may continue, but I'm done.

[TSherbs]

I did not state that old times were better. ...

Not directly, no. But you did blame schools for their teachings over the decades, which is the same refrain used by so many who want to blame the "socialist" growth of the government since about 1932 and the dawn of the New Deal and then the development of new teaching techniques and university departments over the 60s and 70s and the rise of Dr. Spock and the softening of parenting since 1952, etc. I know you didn't mention these specifically, but both countrydirt and I heard the same dogwhistle tune in the air. You brought it up, and we responded. Old dogs still respond to those whistles, I guess. We're not so wise yet not to get our hackles up. I'm not quite ready yet to retire, either...thanks to COVID.

[dneal]

You guys should take this discussion to the political forum.

[azkid]

People can be given lessons in finances, but it eventually (as it always does) comes down to personal responsibility.

Of course.

Since everyone is responsible for their finances, and since most of us would be better off if more people were financially competent, public education should teach financial skills and knowledge.

With four generations of entitlement many parents have no idea of personal responsibility. It's always been handouts for sloth with no incentives to improve.

I have no idea what this even means. Is this the old chestnut about "poor people are poor because they are lazy?" That's a load of malarkey in my experience.

In many cases public schools teach 'social justice' and its tenants of 'You Owe Me Whatever I Say You Owe Me' rather than ethics, morality, and the need for hard work to succeed.

I'm not entirely sure what you're trying to say here but regarding that last phrase, "rather than..."

My experiences have been that students are required to earn their grades. And I see only reinforcement of ethics and morality. That's how it's been for my kid, how it was for me, how my mom did it in the classroom for 30+ years and how my sister in law for several years she's taught.