Investing

[Dan Gilmore]

The Oregon law was changed recently. I think New Jersey is the sole holdout now.

[gehringer_2]

The first gas stations didn't have self metering pump stands, you'd tell them what you wanted and the attendant would turn on the pump and measure that amount as it was pumped into a big glass graduated cylinder that was at the top of the pump stand, turn off the pump when he had the right amount,  and then drop that into your tank. The attendant was actually measuring  the fuel you bought. So of course the operator had to have his own person doing the measuring. From the time self metering pumps were invented it was pretty easy to pump your own but by then there was a culture around it that changed more slowly than the tech - around the service part and esp around women pumping their own.

Edited Wednesday at 03:32 PM by gehringer_2

[chasfh]

I honestly think Mark Fidrych might have had something to do with popularizing self-serve gas. I remember back in that magical year he had, there was a huge feature story on him in the Sunday Free Press, I think it was, and there was a picture of him happily pumping gas into his own car, and part of the story was how salt of the earth he was to want to have to do this for himself, like, look at this guy, this great big league pitcher, he's not putting on any airs. It looked so cool, at least to 15-year-old me.

[gehringer_2]

Treasury yield data appears to be broken at the Treasury Dept site. 

Hmm. Appears the data is there but the pages won't format. 

Edited Wednesday at 04:53 PM by gehringer_2

[Screwball]

A picture of Mark Fidrych pumping gas would be a treasure, but so was he. It wouldn't be out of character, he had his own business, with trucks as I understand it.

I will never forget; after he retired, don't remember how many years later, the Tigs were playing Boston (he lived there at the time) and he spent some time in the radio booth. Don't remember the announcers, maybe Ernie at that time. They said they were going to have him on for a couple of innings. He did, and spent about 5. What a treat that was. He was great. He could have done that too.

One of my favorites. I was there the day he made his comeback. Out in the sticks in right field. Place was packed.

[Tiger337]

1 hour ago, Screwball said:

A picture of Mark Fidrych pumping gas would be a treasure, but so was he. It wouldn't be out of character, he had his own business, with trucks as I understand it.

I will never forget; after he retired, don't remember how many years later, the Tigs were playing Boston (he lived there at the time) and he spent some time in the radio booth. Don't remember the announcers, maybe Ernie at that time. They said they were going to have him on for a couple of innings. He did, and spent about 5. What a treat that was. He was great. He could have done that too.

One of my favorites. I was there the day he made his comeback. Out in the sticks in right field. Place was packed.

He actually did pump gas as a job before signing with the Tigers. He was my all-time favorite Tigers personality and it was all totally natural.  He used to show up as a guest at baseball camps and such in my area after retiremement, so I got a chance to see him in action in a non-professional situation and he was no different that the guy we saw pitching for the Tigers.  He was the best.  

[oblong]

I got his autograph at a show in the 90's.  They were free.  The line was long and moved very slow.  When I got up there I saw why.  He talked to everyone.  This was before camera phones so it wasn't a case of everybody wanting a selfie.  He would listen to everybody's anecdotes and laugh and smile.   He's the first player I remember being excited about seeing.  I don't know the year, I was born in '73.  Doubt it was '76 but I distinctly remember going to Tiger Stadium to see him pitch.  (We left an umbrella there, I do remember that).  

I believe he lived in Bellevile when he played here.  It fits.  Especially back then it was more country than even today.

 

[smr-nj]

20 hours ago, Dan Gilmore said:

The Oregon law was changed recently. I think New Jersey is the sole holdout now.

Yes, New Jersey is the hold out. We don’t pump our gas here.
 

which brings me to my brand new life anxiety. I am moving From New Jersey to Delaware sometime this year. For my whole lifetime, I haven’t had to pump my own gas since I learned how to drive. This is not necessarily a new skill I want to have to learn, but I don’t really have a choice.

I won’t say I’m lying awake at night worried about it, but damn, it’s wonderful when it’s raining out or freezing out, and all I have to do is roll down my window and tell the attendant fill it with regular, or $20 regular.

oh well, all good things must come to an end. Lol.

[chasfh]

1 hour ago, smr-nj said:

Yes, New Jersey is the hold out. We don’t pump our gas here.
 

which brings me to my brand new life anxiety. I am moving From New Jersey to Delaware sometime this year. For my whole lifetime, I haven’t had to pump my own gas since I learned how to drive. This is not necessarily a new skill I want to have to learn, but I don’t really have a choice.

I won’t say I’m lying awake at night worried about it, but damn, it’s wonderful when it’s raining out or freezing out, and all I have to do is roll down my window and tell the attendant fill it with regular, or $20 regular.

oh well, all good things must come to an end. Lol.

Do you tip the gas attendant? We never did in the 70s when gas was invariably pumped for us. In fact, I worked at Sunoco for a day, and I quit because at the end of the day they presented me some dat saying how much gas I pumped, how much money I’d given them, I was short by two dollars and I owed them the difference. Hey, it was the 70s.

Anyhow, pumping gas seems like it would be a tippable service these days. Is it now?

[Tiger337]

1 hour ago, smr-nj said:

Yes, New Jersey is the hold out. We don’t pump our gas here.
 

which brings me to my brand new life anxiety. I am moving From New Jersey to Delaware sometime this year. For my whole lifetime, I haven’t had to pump my own gas since I learned how to drive. This is not necessarily a new skill I want to have to learn, but I don’t really have a choice.

I won’t say I’m lying awake at night worried about it, but damn, it’s wonderful when it’s raining out or freezing out, and all I have to do is roll down my window and tell the attendant fill it with regular, or $20 regular.

oh well, all good things must come to an end. Lol.

It's so easy.  The hardest part is getting the machine to accept your credit card.   I like it better than dealing with an attendant.     

[CMRivdogs]

52 minutes ago, Tiger337 said:

It's so easy.  The hardest part is getting the machine to accept your credit card.   I like it better than dealing with an attendant.     

Except when you pull up at a WAWA, Sheetz,or other quasi mega station/inconvienance store and half the pumps are either down or occupied by someone buying coffee and other stuff after they finish pumping

[oblong]

The worst part is when it's cold.  Like "my hands hurt" cold.  Then it asks you a million questions.  Want a receipt? Want a car wash?"

 

[Tiger337]

2 minutes ago, oblong said:

The worst part is when it's cold.  Like "my hands hurt" cold.  Then it asks you a million questions.  Want a receipt? Want a car wash?"

 

Enter your zip code.  

[chasfh]

5 hours ago, oblong said:

The worst part is when it's cold.  Like "my hands hurt" cold.  Then it asks you a million questions.  Want a receipt? Want a car wash?"

 

Want to join our rewards program?

[Screwball]

Around here, there is nothing worse than standing behind someone buying 87 thousand dollars worth of lottery tickets - one at a time - and also not sure which one out of a couple of dozen they can choose from - at the only two lines in the gas station.

They had trouble with people buying tickets and then scratching them off right on the counter. Even put a sign up. They also drive.

[oblong]

1 hour ago, Screwball said:

Around here, there is nothing worse than standing behind someone buying 87 thousand dollars worth of lottery tickets - one at a time - and also not sure which one out of a couple of dozen they can choose from - at the only two lines in the gas station.

They had trouble with people buying tickets and then scratching them off right on the counter. Even put a sign up. They also drive.

Or the people who do step aside and play but then think they can just sneak in front of the line to exchange their winner for another ticket.  
 

the only time I am patient with these players is if it’s an old person getting regular lottery tickets.  They have their little book they tuck it in. It’s a routine.  For them I recognize it might be their only fun thing they do that day and their only interaction with a human. So getting out is a big deal to them.  It keeps them going.  

[Tiger337]

1 hour ago, Screwball said:

Around here, there is nothing worse than standing behind someone buying 87 thousand dollars worth of lottery tickets - one at a time - and also not sure which one out of a couple of dozen they can choose from - at the only two lines in the gas station.

They had trouble with people buying tickets and then scratching them off right on the counter. Even put a sign up. They also drive.

Yes, that is the worst.  They deliberate over which losing lottery tickets to buy as if it matters.  They are just pissing away what little money they have     

[oblong]

"But I won $50 on this one time....."

I had a conversation yesterday with a business owner.  She's been stressed because somehow people on the staff got it in their heads that their pay level should be higher.  She pays competitive.  She hires a marketing firm each year to do an analysis.  She isn't a greedy business owner who wants every nickel due to her, she's very empathetic, to a fault.  Then she relayed how one person wanted a raise because they're sending their kid to a private school.  On the surface she's receptive to that need... but then she observes the door dash lunches, the expensive pineapple flavored drink every day, the lottery scratch offs....  My friend the business owner packs her lunch every day.  So no.... she's no getting a raise.

[chasfh]

I find it ironic that we are talking about playing the lottery in the Investing thread. It would be even more on the nose if we were talking about gambling.

[chasfh]

2 hours ago, oblong said:

"But I won $50 on this one time....."

I had a conversation yesterday with a business owner.  She's been stressed because somehow people on the staff got it in their heads that their pay level should be higher.  She pays competitive.  She hires a marketing firm each year to do an analysis.  She isn't a greedy business owner who wants every nickel due to her, she's very empathetic, to a fault.  Then she relayed how one person wanted a raise because they're sending their kid to a private school.  On the surface she's receptive to that need... but then she observes the door dash lunches, the expensive pineapple flavored drink every day, the lottery scratch offs....  My friend the business owner packs her lunch every day.  So no.... she's no getting a raise.

Reminds me of when Elissa Slotkin defended her focus on the economy to appease the red hats in her district by saying "someone" told her, "I can’t pay for my kid to go to summer camp with democracy."

[CMRivdogs]

More of a peeve than a comment, but the mortgage folks are out in full force. Fortunately nobody gets thru unless they actually leave a voice mail. Several texts as well. If I'm feeling ornery, I'll respond asking if they can beat my current rate from May 2020, otherwise what's in it for me. 

I don't think it would be worth to trade equity for a rate that's nearly 2 points higher especially when I look at the payback cost.