The question of the one million dollar

[stevenrotterdam]

Now I feel happy to live in Rotterdam/Netherlands, in the cheaper part of the city, where you can buy a 3 story house for 250.000, or 270.000 USD, undoubtedly small for USA standards.
The city is not on the list of expensive cities. If you wish to live in the capital of any country, I guess you have to inherit or work your *** off.
140 square meters with a front and back garden in a street so quiet that the cats can play outside safely.
I live in such a house for 20 years now and the workshop is in the ground floor.

 

[Tubelab_com]

But they are looking at their cellphone

.....while driving their car.

 

[Pano]

They aren't texting you know, they are working their playlists.

 

[Tubelab_com]

Posting on Facebook, Snapchat, twitter......I get my daughter's phone bill since I am paying for it.

The addiction to "plastic devices" is very real among the younger generation, as many have never known life without it. Can you imagine the panic and chaos that would ensue if the networks all went down.

Coming from a career in RF and cell phone design, I can say that a well placed virus in a bunch of phones could do it.

 

[Pano]

I work with college students frequently. I've closely watched their behavior on cell phones because I'm curious about it. Yes, they do love their phone (so do I). But when they are walking or driving it's mostly the music they are fiddling with. When they have to sit with nothing to do, then they are into social media. The phone will be out and ready before they even sit down. Texting usually happens when you are trying to have a conversation with them.

The people I see walking and texting or looking at maps are generally 35 years or older.

 

[Fast Eddie D]

The premium for my wife and I.....$2600 per month. Coincidence? The worst part is that the insurance company denied or disputed EVERY claim we submitted.

Every time I try to buy health insurance on the gubment exchange, it always costs 100% of my income.

They set up a big, expensive gubment system to ensure "affordable" health insurance for "everyone." And the result is that premiums went way, way up for the vast majority of people - if you work (or worked), you pay way, way more for health insurance than you ever have before.

I found an old pay stub from 1996 in a book. I paid less than $15/month for health insurance, and there was no problem going to the doctor. (I also made more money in two weeks than I do in two months now, not even adjusted for inflation.)

What happened to the system? They took away all our jobs; now educated and highly skilled people have to work crapola jobs. Health insurance is nigh on impossible to obtain unless you either have zero income or get it through work - and employers are trying to get out from under that burden any way they can. Taxes do nothing but go up, up, up.

I'll say no more about it.

 

[mondogenerator]

Yeah the gov and businesses that are supported by it, are certainly taking away any recourse for the common person to die with any cash left for their kin.

I see a lot of guys I know/worked with, nearing retirement, or retiring due to redundancy, who are either just short of retirement age, or just beyond it.

These guys are the last of a generation that went through the recessions of the 70s, and have known the ideal of a job for life.

However, most of them dont realise how fortunate they are, how they have ascended from being considered merely working class, to middle class wealth.

Large generous final salary pensions, or SERPs schemes, plus redundancy payout of £50k, and despite the down turn in annuity, these guys are looking at trying to exist on that £100k.
Only for the year or so before they claim the state pension as well, free transport passes, winter fuel allowances and all the benefits meant to protect the weak and vulnerable.

I am one of the next generation, no state pensions, and a mandatory self funded pension (preempting the presumed removal of state pensions in my life time), a never ending increase to the retirement age, and a global decline of western economies that I dont believe will be sated.

It's my kids future I fear for - some of the recently retired folks I know are some of the luckiest people I have ever met, as far as retirement age, retirement wealth, quality of life, and free access to health care are concerned.

And sadly, some of the least thankful

 

[JMFahey]

Certainly, I would sleep several "siestas".

You can start today.
In fact, stay in bed and sleep all of next Saturday and Sunday.

Doubt you can stand it more than 2 or 3 weekends, if at all
After a couple of them, you´ll be climbing up the walls trying to do something.

I have sometimes visited friends at Prison ... and I found what the actual punishment is.

No need to flog you, chain you to walls, whatever, the WORST is literally doing nothing for years.

A treasured prize, and it has to be earned, is being given some kind of task, such as mopping a LONG corridor and spending a couple hours doing it, or the BIG prize: being assigned to the kitchen or library or the internal convenience store.

 

[Fast Eddie D]

Yeah the gov and businesses that are supported by it, are certainly taking away any recourse for the common person to die with any cash left for their kin.

This is exactly how the system is set up here, for middle class people. My parent's generation (born 1920-1930) wanted to leave their heirs an inheritance. They grew up in horrible times, were drafted to fight in WWII, and came back with the goal (and at that time, the opportunity) to build wealth. They worked hard and saved, with the goal of amassing wealth so their heirs would get ahead and have a better life than they did. And this point was very important to them: they wanted dearly for their heirs to have a better life than them; to not have to suffer through hard times with no money or opportunity like they did.

The gubment was on their side then. Vets went to college for free. Health care was excellent and virtually free. And very low interest rate home loans (below market value) were available for vets from the VA (Veteran's Association). In fact, the VA financed the building of half the south side of Chicago (maybe more than half) after WWII. These VA loans were issued through private banks and spawned the formation of many community oriented banks.

And, there were jobs. Lots of jobs.

This system worked great. It was a win no matter how you look at it. Incomes rose, wealth rose, GDP rose, tax revenues rose.

This very same generation, the generation that built this country into the powerhouse it is, were impoverished by the health care system when they got old. I've seen it happen over and over. They take your money, they take your house, they practically wheel you out in the alley when the money's gone. One month in a nursing home costs more than these people paid for their first house.

Who is this system working for? The whole objective is to confiscate middle class wealth and transfer it to the greedy hands of the elite class. All the money eventually flows to the top now in this country.

I've said enough.

 

[mchambin]

In France too. As bad and getting worse.
However, was it that good in the 70s in the US.
I remember a pretty dark period; "Nixon freeze", people loosing their job and real bad for not so young employees. A recession in the car and plane industry with massive lay offs.

 

[Fast Eddie D]

In France too. As bad and getting worse.
However, was it that good in the 70s in the US.
I remember a pretty dark period; "Nixon freeze", people loosing their job and real bad for not so young employees. A recession in the car and plane industry with massive lay offs.

70s had "stagflation", a combination of economic stagnation and inflation. The inflation was largely caused by the devaluation of the $US, which was tied to gold at $35/oz on the "modified gold standard" (Bretton-Woods Act). Gold was trading significantly higher in European markets and there was a huge arbitrage gap between gold prices and $US prices in European markets, precipitating a crisis at home. Nixon, with his evil genius, made the infamous deal with the Saudis that propped up the $US on the world market (and made the Saudis filthy rich) at the expense of perpetual war.

Nixon's "wage and price freeze" wasn't slowing inflation, because everybody found a way around it. It did much more harm than good. BUT we still had accessible health care and upward social mobility was still attainable.

Health care is the big problem. Many people have good health care through their employer but a growing number of people are faced with staggering premiums and abysmal coverage. Many middle class people have been unable to obtain any coverage at all because let's face it, it's like paying a second mortgage. And if you do need health care services, you have to cough up thousands of dollars up front before insurance pays a penny.

In the 1990s I paid virtually nothing for health insurance and my out of pocket expenses were capped at $50. I also earned more than three times as much money (not adjusted for inflation). That's what the gubment calls progress. I call it something else.

 

[Cal Weldon]

No more politics or gubment talk please. It's against the rules here.

Next abuser, gets abused.

 

[Tubelab_com]

What happened to the system? They took away all our jobs; now educated and highly skilled people have to work crapola jobs.

It can't all be blamed on the government. I worked for a large communications company whose headquarters is a few miles west of you. A wall street "wizard" who was famous for destroying the airlines industry in Florida bought into the company and installed his henchmen on the board.....then one by one all the separate divisions of the company were packaged up and sold off. After each sale the new owners usually whacked all the old employees within a year or two.

The two way radio division still exists in Schaumburg, but all of the US based plants are closed or closing. All engineering and manufacturing is done in Asia. In the 15 year process over 120,000 people lost their jobs, about 35,000 were US based.....but the stock holders made money....for some of them, lots of money. This is called "unlocking shareholder value."

So after 41 years I was "made redundant" even though they hired a younger guy to replace me at about half my salary. An older person who did two way radio and cell phone design has zero chance of finding employment in that industry, since there is very little left of it here.

I searched for employment for over 2 years and the best offer i got was a maintenance man in a prison for about 15% of what I was making as an RF engineer.

All the money eventually flows to the top now in this country.

No, a good portion is handed over to the poor, many of whom deserve it.

Unfortunately there is a sizeable chunk of the population who make a decent living by "working the system" and never holding a job or even trying to. For them health care is free, so is food, a smart phone, free clothing for their kids, rent is subsidized, so is electricity if used for heat........Who is paying for that.......We are. That's the group that irritates me the most.

 

[Fast Eddie D]

It sounds like you worked for Motorola. Motorola was very, very good to Chicago; a real treasure.

So after 41 years I was "made redundant" even though they hired a younger guy to replace me at about half my salary. An older person who did two way radio and cell phone design has zero chance of finding employment in that industry, since there is very little left of it here.

I searched for employment for over 2 years and the best offer i got was a maintenance man in a prison for about 15% of what I was making as an RF engineer.

I was laid off and replaced by two employees from India. Their combined salary was less than half of mine. And I had to train them.

My first "post career" job paid 10% of my former salary. People laughed in my face when I asked them for a job. I learned to dumb my resume way, way down. (Is that fraud?) None of my colleagues were able to find meaningful employment after the big "layoff." Most lost their houses, but they lived a much more lavish lifestyle than I did. I bought a quite ordinary house, and I still have it.

No, a good portion is handed over to the poor, many of whom deserve it.

I know and I agree that every person deserves dignity. And I'm more than happy to pay my fair share to make that happen.

Unfortunately there is a sizeable chunk of the population who make a decent living by "working the system" and never holding a job or even trying to. For them health care is free, so is food, a smart phone, free clothing for their kids, rent is subsidized, so is electricity if used for heat........Who is paying for that.......We are. That's the group that irritates me the most.

I know a guy that bought a BIG house and got his kids and their spouses, and his grandkids, to move in. This guy made big bucks, retired at 50, and has millions squirreled away (actually he "gave" it all to his oldest daughter for "safekeeping"). His kids and their spouses work and pay taxes on their income. He keeps his income below $25K a year and gets EVERYTHING free. Meanwhile, his household income is almost $300K/yr. He won't even file for SS (his wife collects) because he'll lose his freebies. He just bought a new Toyota 4x4, for cash.

He doesn't call it "working the system." He says "They make the rules, I play by the rules."

 

[Tubelab_com]

It sounds like you worked for Motorola.

I worked at several of the Motorola facilities in south Florida. All were closed by 2010 except for Plantation where I worked. There had been persistent rumors that the facility was up for sale, so the CEO called a plant wide meeting where he vehemently denied that the plant was up for sale. One phone call to a friend in Libertyville got me a link to an article in the Chicago Tribune detailing that Mr Brown was indeed telling the truth. The plant was not for sale.....it had already been SOLD!

So in 2013 I get a letter from Mr. Brown telling me that I'm part of a target group....translation...you are old, you have worked here a long time, it's bad publicity to lay you off, so here is a big bucket full of money, go away. And if you don't, we will lay you off anyway. Most of my friends said it was yet another bluff, but I took the money and ran...1200 miles away.

Those friends......they were part of a 300+ person mass "reduction in force" about a month after I left. What was once 5000+ employees in a million square foot complex of 5 buildings is now about 200 to 300 people in a leased corner of one building. Their lease expires end of 2020. Bye Bye Motorola in Florida.....IBM left in the 2000's, they had a huge complex where the PC was developed, maybe 10,000 people in the 80's.

Many said that I should have been angry, but I walked into that plant in 1972 with a high school education and got a job tuning up HT220 radios making $3.57 / Hr. I left in 2014 as a Principal Staff Engineer with two engineering degrees paid for by Mot, and a 6 figure salary.

....much more lavish lifestyle than I did I bought a quite ordinary house, and I still have it.

I bought the cheapest new construction house in the county in 1977. I lived in it for 37 years, but sold it when I decided to leave Florida for about 6 times what I paid for it. That allowed me to build a nice house here in the middle of nowhere.

Most of the people who had refinanced their Florida housed to buy fancy cars or rental property did lose everything in 2007-2008 when it all crashed. I had already paid off my house, so it didn't matter, but all the foreclosures did turn the neighborhood into a combat zone.

 

[Osvaldo de Banfield]

Motorola is now On semiconductor. They manufactured really bad devices, the MC34063 and the 78S40 are disastrous SMPS circuits.

 

[Tubelab_com]

Motorola is now On semiconductor

One little piece of Motorola is now On Semi. Motorola decided to exit the discrete semiconductor business in 1999. They just planned to pull the plug and walk away selling off the old wafer fabs. Several key employees managed to secure funding to buy out the operations from Motorola and keep it running. They have become quite successful today.

They manufactured really bad devices, the MC34063 and the 78S40 are disastrous SMPS circuits.

I used the MC34063 in several projects with no issues. I have no experience with the 78S40. In the early PC days the popular hard drives were the Seagate 20 MEG ST-225 and the 30 MEG ST-238. I learned early on to look at the PC board on a dead drive. If the stepper motor driver was a MOT part, replace it and the drive would work. The SGS parts did not fry, but the PC board turned brown. The parts were operated out of spec in the Seagate design.

In reality every vendor has lots of good parts and a few clunkers. I got free silicon just by filling out a sample request, and have built far more solid state audio and guitar amps in my life than tube amps. Overall Mot silicon was better than that from RCA, Sylvania, Harris, and many of the other US silicon houses.

In 2004 the wall street henchmen were dealing out Motorola's fate and the remaining semiconductor business was spun off as Freescale, which is now part of NXP.....again the Freescale facility in Florida was shut down and all employees laid off.

The Motorola phone division was sold to Google who kept the patents and sold the remains to Lenovo. All Florida employees were laid off. A few remain in Chicago. My "Motorola" phone says "Motorola a Lenovo company" on start up. After that, only the Motorola name is used. Lenovo owns the Mot name in their phone business, but uses the Lenovo name in some Asian markets.

There are lots of companies with the rights to the Motorola name in their particular business unit. Only the two way radio business unit remains property of the original Chicago company that started out as the Galvin Manufacturing Company.

 

[Osvaldo de Banfield]

The two IC's mentioned was being used in several industrial and home appliances, I repair electronic of both kinds. MC34063 and their heritage, the 74S40 are almost 100% faulty. They have no compensation pin, so the vast majority of them oscillates at some audio frequency, and are unstable, so one day they dead short input to output destroying the logic or shorts to ground starting fire. Several times they catched fire under normal working conditions. The PFC from On, the MC34262, has lots of problems because its topology and are extremely difficult to repair, some SMPS's that uses this chip, the PFC section must be deactivated.