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Went car shopping. Found a pretty clean 2012 Impreza Limited, but the guy at the lot never even greeted me. He greeted people who showed up before and after me. Left without them even glancing at me. Found a 2008 Scion xB and 2009 Pontiac Vibe. Showed up before they opened, but I was able to walk around the lot. Scion was 5 speed, but someone has clearly parked by braille on a daily basis with it. The Vibe was okay looking; well priced, automatic, but well equipped. Clear coat was falling off though, and it was black on black (in TX). There was a 2.5 5 speed Jetta at another lot. A bit on the high side, but relatively low mileage for an 09. Opened the door and thought I had opened the door to an Outback, it reeked of wet dog. Started it and heard some timing chain rattle. AC didn't work. At least the owner of the lot greeted me, apologized about the AC, said he'd get it fixed, and told me if I'm still interested he'll give me a call. Found a couple of Kia Souls at a Mitsu dealer. Got strongarmed for 2 loving hours, complete with the 4 square poo poo. Wouldn't tell me what the interest rate would be, just the payments, months, and "total price". Wouldn't negotiate. Brought 3 loving finance managers out, last one basically getting in my face asking why I'm wasting their time. The original salesperson did talk me into trying out a Mirage G4  - it was surprisingly roomy inside, but a glacier moves faster (and smoother, you should see that 3 pot bouncing in the engine bay at idle, the motor - I caned the gently caress out of it and couldn't hit 60 on a 1/4 mile stretch of road... also need to rev to about 3k to get it moving on flat ground). At least they had a manual transmission version on the lot (I absolutely will not own a CVT unless it's a hybrid), and it was pretty well equipped (nice touchscreen stereo, backup camera, etc). $17k for a loving Mirage, and they wouldn't budge despite it being the last day of the month, nor tell me what incentives were being offered, just that they'd apply them toward the TTL.  Kia has come a long way, the '18 Soul I drove was really nice, even with the automatic, but gently caress that dealer. They also tried to say it would be "only" $550 a month for 72 months, and that's with a cosigner that has 1% offers thrown at him every time he buys a new car.  They're still texting me trying to get me to come back, even threw out an offer of $0 down... so glad I gave them my google voice number (which stays on do not disturb).
randomidiot fucked around with this message at 21:31 on Sep 30, 2019 |
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Sep 30, 2019 21:28
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autism ZX spectrum posted:I would have posted this in the FB but I can't find the group after I made a new account, so I'm posting it here I love that Hasselhoff doesn't take himself seriously. He gets to make some funny and entertaining stuff because of it. Humphreys posted:No That one, too. Rhyno posted:We won't be out late at all so I should be safe. Another goon recommended PL and i spaced on it so this ended up being multiple goon approved. Pfft. It's under 100. This is nothing. Welcome to Texas. And I need to go visit Pecan Lodge one of these days. Not like I've lived in the area for 30 years or anything... Rhyno posted:Dallas drivers all get hosed please. I'd like to say something like, "they're not Dallas drivers, they're transplanted Californians" or whatever, but Dallas drivers are terrible. Welcome to Dallas. Beverly Cleavage posted:New Binky is live. "Hold on - this is the wrong iconic '80s theme tune, isn't it?" That hood latch, though. Unf. STR posted:I see you've discovered 635. The gently caress is it with 635? 4 to 6 lanes each way, but still somehow constantly hosed. One of the few times I will gladly pay for the Texspress. That, and the Texpress is largely underground through there, and 75 MPH, which is rad. The Prong Song posted:$500 month on "entertainment, date night, w/e" and $650/month (averaged over the year) for their vacations. $350/month on "baby items" but those are listed as poo poo that is not disposable goods. Over $3000/month into a 401K. $2000/month for preschool? $5760/month for housing? $400 per month on clothing? I don't spend $400 per year most years.
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Sep 30, 2019 21:34
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$400 a month on clothing in a place with like 2 seasons to boot. "Old Navy Not Gucci" y'all need a Goodwill if you change clothes that often
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Sep 30, 2019 21:37
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STR posted:Went car shopping. Dude, you should have got up and left the second that four-square poo poo came out. This kind of crap is part of why I haven't even tried to look at a Soul for my wife at a dealer. I don't really want to get arrested for punching an aggressive sales rear end in a top hat. Yeah, I'm not the one wasting time, jerklord, you are.
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Sep 30, 2019 21:39
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Darchangel posted:I'd like to say something like, "they're not Dallas drivers, they're transplanted Californians" or whatever, but Dallas drivers are terrible. I went back to DFW to visit after being in Austin for 3 months, and my first thought was immediately "gently caress Dallas drivers". I essentially grew up in Dallas (18 years in my home town, but I was pretty immature when I moved there). Last time I was up there (a couple of months ago for a funeral), I had to get into the mentality to keep up with traffic. Being up for >24 hours and a whole bunch of Red Bull helped...And Texpress sometimes jumps as high as $15 to enter (TXDOT jacked it up that high during a loving tornado, even), plus more charges along the way. Darchangel posted:$400 per month on clothing? I don't spend $400 per year most years.  Darchangel posted:Dude, you should have got up and left the second that four-square poo poo came out. This kind of crap is part of why I haven't even tried to look at a Soul for my wife at a dealer. I don't really want to get arrested for punching an aggressive sales rear end in a top hat. Yeah, I'm not the one wasting time, jerklord, you are. This wasn't a Kia dealer either, it was Elder Mitsubishi just outside of Austin. They happened to have a couple of Souls on their website that looked promising.
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Sep 30, 2019 21:40
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GiB; I congratulate you on a job well done. There will be many stories told by people you never knew for the rest of their lives. I hope the Neon problems aren't too bigOlympic Mathlete posted:Also I would love to try this level of struggle... Education is important and all...but Pre-K? What in the world? So far we have sent our two oldest kids to a friend in the neighborhood that has a degree/background in teaching that started doing it at her home a couple days a week for a couple of hours each time. I don't think it was even $100 a month. They are well above in their reading/spelling/letter recognition and all that. Good for whoever they are. Clearing $350k/year is not something accomplished by relative standards. Some of their expenses are a bit  but whatever floats your boat (or sinks your house)
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Sep 30, 2019 22:06
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Aside from the mistaken belief that Tampa and Los Angeles are the same size of city with the same opportunities and employment options (they're not even close), one of these cities grew up and spread out over 100 years so all the desirable living places ended up spread out organically by geography and the development planning of the 1930's, and one of them was laid out in 1997 by developers specifically to be a giant suburb, to much success. Houses are cheap when no one wants the land underneath them because there's endless land 50 feet further down the subdivision. Article is still stupid clickbait with almost no bearing in anyone's actual reality, I know a ton of people who are "middle class" who own houses in nice parts of Los Angeles because they're not spending $6000 a month on candles.
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Sep 30, 2019 22:20
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I'm in a lovely town between Denver and Ft. Collins and the last time I looked there were literally 15 places under $300k and they were all shitholes. 2 or 3 of them were houses that were literally falling down, the rest were garbage townhouses. I make good money and knew how expensive it was before I moved here, but it's loving dumb. I'm trying to move back to generic midwestern city where a 15 year mortgage on a pretty nice house will run me what my rent on a townhouse runs here.
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Sep 30, 2019 23:01
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Applebees Appetizer posted:Living right in downtown Boston would be pretty drat cool tho, if I had the money to burn on housing that would be tits. Wouldn't even need a car. can confirm it owned real hard but i still needed a car because i worked in the burbs the "california" thing is kind of weird because you can live in a whole lot of california for cheap. you can buy like any given house in fresno for under 300k. granted most of it is not the parts where tourists go and are more the parts where you farm poo poo and burn to death in the summer and die in a car accident in tule fog in the winter but whatever, it's a living
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Sep 30, 2019 23:37
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I wouldn't live in Bakersfield or Fresno if someone paid me 300k to live there. I'll never be able to own a home in the city I grew up in, my childhood house that my parents bought for $150k in 1989, a modest little craftsman with a decent backyard for Seattle, is valued at well north of $1m now. I did manage to pick up something across the water for pretty cheap, before the bubble started really expanding out here, the house is an absolute pile of trash though.
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Oct 1, 2019 00:29
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Texas is alright yo.
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Oct 1, 2019 00:42
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Ether Frenzy posted:Aside from the mistaken belief that Tampa and Los Angeles are the same size of city with the same opportunities and employment options (they're not even close), one of these cities grew up and spread out over 100 years so all the desirable living places ended up spread out organically by geography and the development planning of the 1930's, and one of them was laid out in 1997 by developers specifically to be a giant suburb, to much success. Houses are cheap when no one wants the land underneath them because there's endless land 50 feet further down the subdivision. Funny how you talk about desirable when all I hear about is the horrible homeless problems and people leaving the state in droves. You may have lots of opportunity there, but it's driving up housing prices to a ridiculous level.
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Oct 1, 2019 01:03
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Rhyno posted:Texas is alright yo. I'd go back to Texas if work asked. It was the least bad place I've lived that wasn't here. Midwest is the best coast, though. I'm easily topping out my 401k and going to pay off my student loans by early next year, without having to really stretch my lifestyle at all because I never changed it from when my income was about half of what it is now.
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Oct 1, 2019 01:47
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Can't we all agree that it's all terrible no matter where you go
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Oct 1, 2019 02:18
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Suburban Dad posted:Can't we all agree that it's all terrible no matter where you go Utah is pretty neat though. And pretty.
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Oct 1, 2019 02:49
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Suburban Dad posted:Can't we all agree that it's all terrible no matter where you go No not at all
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Oct 1, 2019 03:03
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Austin is pretty neat. DFW can eat a dick, Houston can really eat a dick. El Paso shouldn't be considered part of Texas, the culture (and food) are more New Mexico meets Mexico meets US Army.
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Oct 1, 2019 03:04
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Somewhat Heroic posted:Utah is pretty neat though. And pretty. If you aren't Mormon in Salt Lake City on a Sunday it isn't neat, it's loving weird.
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Oct 1, 2019 03:22
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KakerMix posted:If you aren't Mormon in Salt Lake City on a Sunday it isn't neat, it's loving weird. Like downtown center of Scientology Clearwater weird? Because that's some bizarre poo poo STR posted:Austin is pretty neat. DFW can eat a dick, Houston can really eat a dick. El Paso shouldn't be considered part of Texas, the culture (and food) are more New Mexico meets Mexico meets US Army. To be fair, Tampa itself sucks. So does Clearwater. St.Pete and down where kaker lives in Sarasota is nice. Most of the Gulf coast is pretty awesome. Applebees Appetizer fucked around with this message at 03:34 on Oct 1, 2019 |
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Oct 1, 2019 03:30
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Applebees Appetizer posted:Funny how you talk about desirable when all I hear about is the horrible homeless problems and people leaving the state in droves. Also, lol@utah.
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Oct 1, 2019 03:33
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nm posted:If people were actually leaving the state at the rate people claim (v. newcomers) I'd actually be able to buy a house. It's probably mostly hyperbole, but it seems like that's all I hear or read about when the subject comes up. That and the homeless problem, it sounds crazy but is it really that bad? I heard on some podcast that the state has hired people full time to pick up all the feces and that people are putting boulders in front of their houses to deter homeless from camping 
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Oct 1, 2019 03:39
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The homeless problem is pretty loving bad. It requires spending money no one has the political will to spend. Speaking of utah, they're the only ones to have gotten close to solving it, though they recently defunded it despite its success. The state has not hired anyone to clean poo poo.
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Oct 1, 2019 03:55
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STR posted:Austin is pretty neat. DFW can eat a dick, Houston can really eat a dick. El Paso shouldn't be considered part of Texas, the culture (and food) are more New Mexico meets Mexico meets US Army. Eh, I hated DFW more than Houston, the latter has a much better Asian food scene. Don't really like Austin at all. Wish I could move to Marble Falls, that's super pretty. Or maybe way out west like Ft. Davis.
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Oct 1, 2019 03:57
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KakerMix posted:If you aren't Mormon in Salt Lake City on a Sunday it isn't neat, it's loving weird. I guess I don’t have that problem. A lot of my friends that aren’t say it’s the best time to head to Costco. nm posted:The homeless problem is pretty loving bad. Homelessness is bad. Went downtown on Saturday and the homeless are getting pretty aggressive/confrontational. Meth use is getting really prevalent as well which isn’t helping.
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Oct 1, 2019 04:15
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From what our friends have said the homeless population here in Dallas had gotten way out of control.
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Oct 1, 2019 04:23
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Applebees Appetizer posted:It's probably mostly hyperbole, but it seems like that's all I hear or read about when the subject comes up. That and the homeless problem, it sounds crazy but is it really that bad? I heard on some podcast that the state has hired people full time to pick up all the feces and that people are putting boulders in front of their houses to deter homeless from camping It's pretty bad, and I grew up in LA/SoCal. I dunno about boulders in front yards, but I could def see installing good fences if you were in a troubled area. When I was a kid 20 years ago you'd see the occasional mentally-ill homeless dude begging on the corner while screaming at a fire hydrant and your mom would tell you it was sad because it was someone's child, but now I see it almost every day and I'm like fifteen miles from the epicenter in DTLA. Not just the crazies either; people from all walks of life and/or stages of addiction. I used to give people a few bucks here and there but sadly I don't anymore because i'd be broke. A few years ago I was at a 7-11 for a gatorade on a scorching day and there was this poor woman outside; I bought an extra drink for her and handed it to her on the way out (she was super thankful). Some other guy I hadn't noticed came charging over and literally yelled "WHAT ABOUT ME??" in my face, so I offered him my own gatorade and he just snarled and waved me off because he thought I had given her money. I always thought that poo poo was a re:re_fwd:re: from your moron relatives but nah. Course, insane cost of living and income disparity are not helped by surrounding states solving their own homelessness issues with a comparatively cheap one-way bus ticket to Union Station. I interface with the local police regularly in my work, and they say so many of the local vagrants arrived here with nothing more than their bag and a Greyhound ticket from Podunk, AZ courtesy of the local sheriff. California does the same poo poo though so it's not an excuse. poo poo's bad and not getting better. Related article with some nice infographics
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Oct 1, 2019 04:43
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Mr-Spain posted:Eh, I hated DFW more than Houston, the latter has a much better Asian food scene. Don't really like Austin at all. Wish I could move to Marble Falls, that's super pretty. Or maybe way out west like Ft. Davis. Houston has this minor issue with winding up underwater now and then.  Austin, IMO, is the most outdoor-friendly city, but the cost of housing is the highest outside of the oil boom areas. Rhyno posted:From what our friends have said the homeless population here in Dallas had gotten way out of control. It's been bad for a long time in Dallas, but they're a lot more visible in Austin. Every overpass inside the city of Austin has tents setup, while Dallas actively bulldozes campsites (complete with everyone's belongings, such as IDs, social security cards, insulin, meth, etc). Dallas is trying to cover up the problem though; it's more visible in Austin, but the city is at least putting on a show of trying to help, instead of cover up. Dallas can ticket and/or jail people for begging on a corner, or even for sleeping on a park bench IIRC. Most cops I knew in Dallas know that just costs taxpayers money, so they just move the beggars along when they can.
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Oct 1, 2019 04:52
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Applebees Appetizer posted:It's probably mostly hyperbole, but it seems like that's all I hear or read about when the subject comes up. That and the homeless problem, it sounds crazy but is it really that bad? I heard on some podcast that the state has hired people full time to pick up all the feces and that people are putting boulders in front of their houses to deter homeless from camping All I hear about Florida is alligator attacks and Florida Man doing something dumb yet again, because the 3 seconds of non-regional news the average person is able to absorb consists of headline-grabbing sensationalist fluff crap to finish off the 11:30 news. I'm sure other stuff happens there too... like, uh... humidity and.. bugs?
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Oct 1, 2019 05:23
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Just a point to consider - Cali and Texas have huge populations and a good climate where living rough wont kill you. Of course you will see more homeless there. Also more progressive cities tend to not harrass the homeless as badly as regressive shitholes and there's some hope of a job or actual support services. But as far as I am aware, esp given the sheer population size, the actual homeless % isnt that much higher than average. The weather and size does make it more obvious just like in Victoria BC ... where you are much less likely to freeze to death in winter Plus there IS a lot of regressive fuckwits trying to paint progressive areas in a bad light.
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Oct 1, 2019 05:34
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KakerMix posted:If you aren't Mormon in Salt Lake City on a Sunday it isn't neat, it's loving weird. SLC is weird just about any day of the week. But yes Utah is loving beautiful.
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Oct 1, 2019 05:36
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Applebees Appetizer posted:Like downtown center of Scientology Clearwater weird? I'm the wrong person to make fair comparisons between Mormonism and Scientology but they clearly take after the same sort of bombastic excess aesthetically, and yeah the same sort of weirdness like Clearwater. A thick soup of unease. Ether Frenzy posted:All I hear about Florida is alligator attacks and Florida Man doing something dumb yet again, because the 3 seconds of non-regional news the average person is able to absorb consists of headline-grabbing sensationalist fluff crap to finish off the 11:30 news. I'm sure other stuff happens there too... like, uh... humidity and.. bugs? Much like California and Texas, Florida has distinct regions, split into 3. You have north Florida, which is "The South" in all the stereotypical ways you want to apply. The further south you go in Florida, the more Northern it gets. Then you have inner Florida where you don't want to live. This is Florida Man's territory. Then the coast, the strip that runs on the outside of the state and includes the Keys, this is where all the postcards come from and people who want to go on vacations go. The Florida that is advertised.
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Oct 1, 2019 05:56
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Rhyno posted:From what our friends have said the homeless population here in Dallas had gotten way out of control. So have the ponies.
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Oct 1, 2019 06:00
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CAT INTERCEPTOR posted:Plus there IS a lot of regressive fuckwits trying to paint progressive areas in a bad light. ding ding ding we have a winner see also: lol california taxes CARB taxes lol
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Oct 1, 2019 06:03
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I will note that I don't see the homeless issue anywhere in California as dramatically worse than say, Austin. The only difference is that the loin is really close to where tourists often go, which is why I think it gets so much press. Also, LA's skid row is just as bad as the tenderloin but because there are way fewer midwesterners on vacation there you get a lot less press. This is not to minimize a real problem, but I do think that is one reason why CA gets so much press. Previa_fun posted:
nm fucked around with this message at 06:40 on Oct 1, 2019 |
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Oct 1, 2019 06:31
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Yup, and those same house-rich assholes who've mortgaged their property up to its current valuation and are desperate to keep that value so their debts don't come due are why you can't build denser housing in SF. NIMBY is a powerful motivator.
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Oct 1, 2019 08:05
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As far as boulders go, this is Portland a year ago, and I just drove by this spot a month ago and all the boulders were spread out to cover this entire area, spaced just close enough together so you can't lie down or set up a tent. I haven't seen this in Denver yet but I'm sure it's coming. It's one way to deal with homeless, but I can't help thinking there's got to be a better way. Our people are nowhere near as selfish as our culture has become.
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Oct 1, 2019 08:53
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TBH the nature of homelessness is changing and I'm seeing in Sydney where there's supposed to be something like 10-20,000 sleeping rough near the CBD. The expected junkies and bag ladies are being replaced by people who are clearly more like divorced women who have jobs but cant afford the rent and suit and tie dudes (Like WUT) who use gyms to wash in but they are in the back of SUV's or under cleaner blankets near George Street - which you dont see unless you are arriving for work before 6am. People with decent work cant afford to pay loving rent anymore. What the gently caress is wrong with us as a society?!?!?! I mean FFS, I'm living 90kms away from the office because there is zero chance living by myself I can afford a shitter near the city. After the utility bills this month I will be spending 200 more than I get paid. And believe me my budget isnt that meme - I'm cut to the bone. Most months yes I clear a few hundred but this month. I'm doing photography as a sideline so I can afford to see the wife while we get all that immigration stuff done. I can only afford to keep living near a city where there is work in the next couple of years because my wife will be coming and we'll have two incomes Two loving incomes to be able to afford to be within 2 hours of the office... JFC. We as a society are hosed in so many ways and it's all the fault of the cuntervative politicians and their billionaire loving idiot mates. They are driving us to the poverty line as well as setting off a huge climate change disaster. gently caress me.
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Oct 1, 2019 11:49
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New Month, New Thread. https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3900088
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Oct 1, 2019 13:44
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toplitzin posted:New Month, New Thread. Thank god. September was the pits.
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Oct 1, 2019 14:03
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EVERYWHERE 
