Worth the Work

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Saving money is how you have money to deal with the cost of being forced to pay out money – as to the insurance mafia and the ultimate mafia, the government.

The latter just sent me a letter  informing me that what is styled the “assessment” of the value of what isn’t my house (for how could it by my house if some other party can “assess” the value of it as the basis for telling me what I must pay that party in order to avoid being forcibly evicted?) has increased by such-and-such and that means I will shortly be forced to hand over an additional sum of money equivalent to what I just saved by replacing the leaking heater core in my old truck myself.

At least it’s a break-even situation.

If I hadn’t been able to replace the leaking heater core myself, I’d be having to scrounge up an additional $1,000 (the sum of the increase in what the parasites who constitute the government of the county where I live decree I “owe” even though as far as I can tell, I have not incurred any costs for services since I neither use nor want to subsidize) to pay the “assessed” increase, which would be harder for me to do if I’d just had to pay a mechanic $1,000 to replace the leaking core in my truck.

This being able to fix things is perhaps the last redoubt or hedge against the depredations of parasites both “public” (as the government likes to style itself) and private (e.g., privately-owned mafias such as the insurance mafia that use the government to draw blood money from unwilling victims).

And that is why it behooves one to learn how to fix things. As many as possible.

Often, this involves just being willing to give it a try – and being willing to learn. As an example, I’m currently trying to sort out a weird electrical problem that manifested after the last time the grid power went out and I used the generator to power up my office, where my computer and WiFi are located.

Well, after the grid power came back on, all of the wall outlets would only be on – that is, “hot” – if I had the wall switch lights turned on. This meant that if I turned those lights off, the power to my computer would also turn off – and then I’d have to suffer through the tedious rebooting process which – for my ancient Mac – takes about 15 long minutes to complete, which I don’t have time for. I like my computer to be ready to go when I am ready to go – so I leave it on 24/7.

Just touch the space bar and it’s ready for me.

I am a pretty good mechanic. I am not an electrician. So, for now I have an extension cord running from another room – where the outlets are always hot – to the computer, so that it stays powered when I turn the office lights off. It works but looks extremely . . . Derelicte. That’s a reference to the hilarious movie, Zoolander – about an aging fashion model who makes a comeback as the “face” of a new line of clothes based on homeless chic.

I could just call an electrician. He’d figure out what’s going on in just a few minutes – and a few minutes later, the wall outlets would be hot again. But my wallet would also be thinner, again. The electrician, of course, has earned his pay – unlike the takings performed by the public and private parasites. The electrician only comes if I ask him to – as opposed to being “asked’ to pay what is styled by those who take it your (and my) “fair share.” And I am only obliged to pay him if I agree to his terms – and he does the work to my satisfaction.

But if I figure out what’s the matter myself – it’s probably a bad ground/switch/outlet or some other such thing – I won’t have to pay anyone. In a very real sense, I am paying myself. And that helps take some of the bite out of what I am forced to pay the “public” and private parasites.

Growing (and raising) your own food is another way to do the same. Put another way, the more you can do, the more you can do without – and that will help having to deal with the parasites both public and private.

Speaking of the latter: “Shopping around” (a sickly term, when you know you ultimately have to buy what’s being forced on you) for a better “offer” than the one made to me by the family I’d been dealing with that summarily jacked up what I am forced to pay by 20 percent yielded no better “offers.” Predictable. Because it’s what happens when private mafias – like the public ones – have the power to threaten you with repercussions if you don’t pay for harms you haven’t caused and services you do not use or want to subsidize.

Ah, well. At least I’m still breaking even.

. . .

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55 COMMENTS

  1. “Put another way, the more you can do, the more you can do without…” -EP

    More words to live by from Our Libertarian Car Guy.

    That would be great on a t-shirt, too, Eric.

  2. I would say the smell test these days is weather or not specialized (dealer) tools are required for any job you’d expect to do within 300K.

    It has to be bad for depreciation knowing that service will cost massive amounts of labor. The conspiracy theorist in me says that’s the manufacturer trying to get people to “buy a new one”

    It would be interesting to see a modern manufacturer use serviceability as a selling point. I think they all got in a room and decided to fix that no one of them will do that.

    I’ve got a water pump job coming up on a 97′ Dodge Dakota 3.9 V6

    It’s a standard affair, except for the fact there is a hosepipe on top that disappears toward under the AC compressor.

    Not an enviable job, but no real special tools required, and no having to remove timing cover because it’s a pushrod engine.

    I wouldn’t want anything new that requires massive amounts of labor to do anything you’d expect within 300K.

    • Amen that, Steve –

      I am not a rich guy, so the idea of paying a mechanic $150 per hour to fix my truck is a non-starter for me. But even were I rich, the idea of not being able to fix my truck – of being dependent on a dealer – appalls me. I like knowing I can handle it myself if my truck develops a problem.

      I hate not knowing much about computers – and thus being dependent on computer techs to deal with them. I am right now facing the decision as to whether spend money on my ancient iMac and laptop or just throw them way and buy new ones when I can afford to. I ought to have learned about the damned things. But unlike machinery, I am uninterested in the workings of computers – and now I’m paying the price for that.

      • Also Eric,

        It’s always strange giving advice on computers to people for whom it doesn’t automatically click. I wouldn’t know what to say to someone that is using an ancient iMac.

        Like explaining what a timing belt is to the lady who walks into the mechanic shop who’s generally uninterested.

        But I would feel bad if I didn’t say don’t get a Chromebook. You’ll no doubt get into a situation where it won’t be able to do what you want at some point and be left with no remedy.

        Whatever you get see it has an “SSD”, otherwise it will feel lime a 1.8T with a broken turbo making no boost and lugging around,

        • Thanks, Steve –

          I’m just not wanting to have to deal with anything PC-related because I just don’t have the time or interest. I’ve got too many other things to do and at least with the Mac I know what to do. I it and type and there it is, easy peasy.

          PS: Mail goes out today!

  3. I don’t mind paying up for stuff like electric. I recently had a bunch of outlets fail. Called the electrician and he said I lost a leg. He took me outside where a directv installer pounded in a ground spike about 10 years ago. They hit my underground power main and it’s taken this long for the wire to corrode to nothing.

  4. So an assessment of your home found an increase in value?

    Could it be a solution to alter your house in such a way as to bring the assessed value back down? One could live in a very nice house that looks like a not very nice house, superficially. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Or something about reasonable men.

    There is increased chatter on the world wide webz about the abolition of property taxes. The TrumpMusk thing might maybe do it.

  5. Eric,

    Look at getting a small UPS system to run your computer. There a quite a few available on Amazon and other places – A good one will keep your computer running just fine during the switching process to your house generator.

    Regarding the property tax reassessment – that is nothing more than a tax on unrealized gains. The .gov/insurance/realtors/everyone else that benefits from high property values love them some inflated property values.

    Anon

  6. Eric, if I understand your electrical per-dicker-ment correctly (In a hurry, so didn’t re-read), your problem could be as simple as a GFCI outlet just having tripped. If you don’t know what that is, just look in your bathroom(s) and kitchen for any outlets that have a little red button between the two thingies that you plug the plugs into. That li’l red button is a special circuit breaker and it may have tripped. Just press it in to reset it. It can affect all outlets on a given circuit.

    Here’s a pic of a GFCI outlet:

    https://www.fusionkc.com/wp-content/uploads/GFCI-Outlet.jpg

  7. Hi Eric,
    I’m not sure what you consider to be an ancient Mac, but one option is to replace your hard drive with an SSD. I have done so in all my Macs for years and also use them in any PCs I build. It takes the most failure prone component out of the system and improves performance. Have a look at macsales.com or ifixit.com for details. Also, blowing out the accumulated dust helps

    • Thanks, Giuseppe!

      I am ashamed to admit I know next to nothing about computers and how they work – and so dread opening one up. At least, the one I need for work because if I mess it up, I am out o’ luck! I have a backup laptop, but it is also of similar vintage and no longer stays operational if left unplugged (dead second battery). So I keep on gimping along, hoping – like the Fuhrer in the bunker – it’ll all turn out ok…

    • My son in law talked me into a SSD for my Windoz machine, wow what a difference. The 3 minute cold boot up went to 40 seconds, everything zips along. Totally resolved any need for a new computer. Two years in still same performance.

      Eric’s issue is that is his work computer, hiccups during a hardware update not good for business. Hope someone nearby with skills can help him out.

      • SSD’s are the cat’s meow, hands down. There is no single greater upgrade you can make to a computer if it has an “old-style” electro-mechanical hard drive.

  8. Worst electric failure here was the neighbor across the street. The underground wiring from the ‘hood transformer was installed poorly, in the rocks and clay soil we have not bedded in sand or whatever is the standard for long lived wires. He complained about odd power surges, then low light levels. Finally it failed completely and the arcing underground across the feeds took out some home electronics and I think his fridge (modern one with a control board.

  9. I fixed the whole house air conditioner twice, thankfully it was simple, the compressor motor start capacitor is the common failure and of course on a hot day.

    So the DIY can be vital, when the ac failed it was 102 here and the house quickly climbed to 85. Two weeks wait for a service call, height of summer! Thanks YouTube the swollen can was the tell. Can be dangerous the capacitor needs to be discharged just to sure it doesn’t zap you. Local AC contractor sold me one for 20 bucks that day & back to cool house by that night.

  10. Re: hiring an electrician, once again great if you find a thinker with experience. Coworker had a funky outlet for several years & several electricians didn’t figure it out. Turns out a flaky GFCI upstream was the culprit ( he finally figured it out himself )

    I’ve had light switches fail and the standard outlets (cheap) in homes don’t age well either. I’ve seen videos where the guy explains why it is worth a couple bucks for a better quality outlet. I’d expect it’s true for the typical wall switch too.

    I don’t recommend working inside your breaker box but if you switch off the mains then check each breaker for loose wire connections. Breaker itself OK or getting old and flaky too? Replace the breaker on your suspect circuit is a cheap update.

  11. I asked my electrician buddy but you did not provide enough information but he also figures you should change the light switch as it’s your cheapest option.

    Additional questions:

    Are the outlets switched?

    How many wires are going to the switch? 2, 3 or 4 wires?

    How was the generator connected? Transfer switch, meter base adapter, a range outlet with double male ends and the main breaker turned off?

    Are any other rooms experiencing electrical problems? If so on the same circuit or a different one?

    Remember the more information you provide the better the odds are the community can figure out a solution.

  12. Just spitballing here. Since you don’t really own your home since they can evict you for not paying them what are described as property taxes, how can they demand that you as an owner pay them. Shouldn’t they just pay themselves? Wait, they already do that,,,

  13. Hi Eric, It sounds like a switch has failed. You could also pick up an outlet tester from ACE or the HD which is a cheap and easy way to test outlet wiring. They are small cheap devices that you just plug in, and read the lights. I understand about old computers taking forever to boot up. I have my desktop on an uninterruptible battery back up. it also helps protect against losing your work, and power surges.

  14. Eric, I don’t know how much you drive, but if that is low on your insured vehicle(s) you might look at a company that bases your ‘premium’ on the miles driven, e.g., Mile Auto. It may not be the right answer for you, but I have full coverage on my ’99 MX5 for about $50/mo because I only drive about 300 miles a month. (It’s still ridiculous as a cost per mile though.)

  15. ‘I will shortly be forced to hand over an additional sum of money’ — eric

    And so will we all, as tariffs on Canada and Mexico drive up the cost of everything from dimensional lumber to avo-frickin-cados.

    Who woulda thunk that we’d get whacked with new taxes (because that’s what tariffs are) just two weeks into a new Republiclown regime?

    Don’t we miss ol’ Poppy Bush: ‘Read my lips … bitchez. NO NEW TAXES.’

    • Trump never was a financial genius…. how many times did he go bankrupt? Of course he used the bankruptcy laws to stay halfway solvent. Easy to lose money,,, difficult to make money especially with all the tax feeding parasites.
      All he had to do was tax relief for the American companies that has stayed say 50-75%. But again,,, the tax feeders that are advising him are ensuring their portions remain.

      This extra cost may be the straw that breaks the camels back. Most Americans are on the edge of a catastrophic financial abyss. Most parasites do not kill the donor. Human parasites will suck you dry and spit you out into the garbage where they think you belong.

      Many people owe their jobs to the parasites. Walk into a Walmart and look for the American flag flying proudly over tax preparer booths. Here they have them on the sidewalks proudly flying the flag of freedom. Liberty Tax service and many others are making kaboodles of cash collecting for uncle.

      • ‘the straw that breaks the camels back’ — ken

        What are the two leading cyclical sectors of the economy? (Trump skipped class at Wharton the day this was taught.) Autos and housing.

        Both are going to be hit hard with tariff-related price hikes. Meanwhile, the US economy has gone fifteen years with only two (2) months of recession in Mar-Apr 2020. It is overdue for a slide.

        Consumer discretionary companies already were sucking wind before Trumpy-bear stuck a knife in their kidneys. Now tuxedo-clad waiters are serving Orange Hoover’s banquet of consequences, as he jokes and smirks. NPD is a debilitating mental disorder.

        • Let them be hit, Jim. Right now most Americans cannot buy a home or a new car, but we are worried about what? The bubble popping? Prices decreasing?

          • One can profit from the imminent recession and bear market by selling short. But it is risky, and few will chance it, as the assets backing their pensions melt down.

            Meanwhile, I’ve penciled this entry into my calendar:

            Jan 20, 2029: new Democrat president, elected to end the devastating Trump Depression, signs 100 executive orders seizing all private property to ‘reboot America.’ 🙁

            • Throwing in the towel a bit early, aren’t you, Jim?

              I believe 2025 will be an eye opener especially when the rocks are overturned showing how truly corrupt the people handling the taxpayers funds truly are.

              There will be hiccups, but I believe, in the long run, things will get better.

              • I wouldn’t hold my breath. Too many Americans and other “first-worlders” are fine with getting screwed half a million times, if it means not having to lift a finger.

                • Jeezy peezy, blue.

                  Does anyone on here share a small smidge of optimism?

                  Are all Libertarian men sourpusses? I would hold the same opinion of Libertarian women, as we all know, there aren’t any.

                  • “Optimism” is more often than not “fantasy thinking” with a ‘positive spin’ label. Marketing, and all. More often than not, thinking REALISTICALLY (the proper word for “pessimism”, the propaganda term) will lead to better results and encourage better preparation than hopium-based “optimism”.

                  • Morning, RG!

                    I actually feel a degree of optimism lately. Cautiously so. I pray every day that Orangicus Maximus does not blow it – for us. So far, so good.

                    • Well, you did want Franco…I think you got him. 😉

                      I am just waiting Trump to claim the US a monarchy.

                    • Morning, RG!

                      I think it’s more a case of what’s necessary at this point. Playing by the rules is for fools when the other side does not respect the rules. The Left represents an existential threat to whatever is left of America. It will do anything and everything to undermine and even destroy what you and I and most normal people consider to be “America” – i.e., a country in which people are at least generally free to pursue happiness and mostly left alone. The Left cannot be reasoned with or argued with. It can only be destroyed – if America is to survive. It is critical to understand what we are dealing with. And to be ready to accept what is necessary. No quarter. Not a millimeter of ground conceded. No more civilities or niceties. Scorched earth.

                      I don’t like the idea of Trump as Franco. But if it prevents America from becoming Soviet Russia, then I am ok with it. Sometimes, a monster is the only way to fight monsters. This clips conveys the point nicely: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBOAP37bldQ

                  • RE: “I would hold the same opinion of Libertarian women, as we all know, there aren’t any.”

                    Prolly tongue in cheek, anyway, allow me introduce you to a few:

                    Karen De Coster
                    Ilana Mercer
                    Wendy McElroy
                    Laura Delhomme
                    Karen Kwiatkowski
                    Susan Hogarth

                    The late:
                    Rose Wilder Lane
                    Ayn Rand
                    Becky Ackers
                    Voltairine de Cleyre
                    Lillian Harman
                    Suzanne LaFollette
                    Isabel Paterson

                    See also:
                    Young Americans for Liberty
                    (yaliberty DOT org) – Anna Richter

                    And, generally:

                    The Ladies of Liberty Alliance

                    https://ladiesofliberty.org/about-us/

                  • Actually, I DO try to maintain a positive attitude, for my own health and sanity. But, I also prefer being realistic. I’m not saying not to have faith. It’s just that we must be prepare ourselves for the inevitable.

          • S&P futures open down 105 points (minus 1.8 percent), as markets react in horror to Donnie Fubar’s shoot-from-the-hip tariffs.

            Okay — so you’re a rocket scientist! 🙂
            That don’t impress me much.

            — Shania Twain, That Don’t Impress Me

            • Well, they are going to go down more than that tomorrow. I am expecting a 770 point drop. It is going to be a chaotic week, but let’s give it some time. We are in new territory. 😬

    • I am not completely against tariffs. Is it going to be brutal for a bit? Yes, but we (the USSA taxpayers) have subsidized the world for decades. Our manufacturing base has taken the jobs overseas looking for cheaper and cheaper labor. Walk into any Walmart and very few, if any items, are still made in America.

      We can’t keep doing business as usual. Americans moan that our jobs suck and we are walking around unable to afford the very products that we need to survive. I give Trump credit for at least trying to do something. We have significant trade deficits with China, Mexico, and Canada. We hold the cards here, but past Administrations refused to play fearing a rebuke and outcry from its own citizens.

      Maybe it’s time the people in this country put their big girl and big boy panties on. Our only focus should be the betterment of our country and her citizens. If I need to feel a little short term pain to right this ship I am okay with that. In the meantime, I will do my part to support my local businesses and US manufacturing.

      Companies will not return to the states until they feel it in their bottom line. If we need to tighten the screw a bit to sway them I’m all for it.

      https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/us-trade-deficit-by-country

      • What catches in my craw is Article 1, Section 8: ‘The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises’ — not the president.

        Trump’s tariffs are laid under the color of the IEEPA (International Emergency Economic Powers Act) statute of 1977. No president has used it before to impose tariffs. Moreover, the underlying emergencies — fentanyl and illegal migration — have nothing to do with tariffs.

        Then Orange Man announced this:

        “The strikes [in Somalia] destroyed the caves they live in, and killed many terrorists without, in any way, harming civilians. Our Military has targeted this ISIS Attack Planner for years, but Biden and his cronies wouldn’t act quickly enough to get the job done. I did!”

        “The message to ISIS and all others who would attack Americans is that “WE WILL FIND YOU, AND WE WILL KILL YOU!”

        For the record, I do not give a good damn about alleged terrorists in Somalia. They don’t confront me. They are not my problem. And they shouldn’t be the US fedgov’s problem, either.

        Two weeks in, Trump has hiked our taxes. He is turning out to be the living, breathing archetype of a POLTROON. From here on out, my nickname for him is Donnie FUBAR.

        • I don’t dispute that Trump is disregarding the Constitution, but we can carry this back to every US President starting with Lincoln. Do I think this is right? No, but this proves how spineless the American public and Congress have become. The government has made a mockery of individual rights and the established rules on how it is supposed to operate and no one has done anything.

          The voters are getting what was pledged to them. Things needed to change. I am willing for them to play out before I start Monday morning quarterbacking.

  16. The death of the one-income family has plenty to do with it. Once the currency was off the gold standard it was only a matter of time before that shortfall in wages had to be made up somewhere. Enter the working woman. At first it was OK that she was paid less, what with women’s work not counting as experience. And that 0.70 multiplier pretty much covered the inflation loss from her husband’s paycheck… until it didn’t. Then came the howls of protest about ERA and all that. Because the taxes had to be paid somehow and why not demand it comes from the wife’s paycheck under the guise of “equity?”

  17. You know the Peter principle, right? Rise to you level of incompetence.

    I hit it yesterday. The blower motor in the x3 squeaks at low RPM so my intent was to take it apart and squirt some silicone grease or graphite into what I assume are cheap plastic bearings.

    Anyhow, after I took the kick plate off to get to the blower motor I find a box that says “AIRBAG”. Dammit. Decided to deal with the squeak rather than fool with an explosive gas generator. Maybe will try to take the glove box out. I dunno.

    • Hi Mike,

      There is a procedure for de-powering the airbags for purpose of service. Something (IIRC) about discharging the capacitors prior to touching anything and making sure all power is cut, etc.

    • All you have to do is disconnect the battery. They really aren’t THAT dangerous. I’ve worked on more cars than I care to mention with both in-tact and deployed air bags. It’s actually harder to trigger an airbag than you might think.

  18. Without seeing your wiring, the simplest thing is replacing the light switch.

    Assuming the switch was wired correctly, sounds like the OFF position is sending that power somewhere else.

    On the tax issue, I find it perplexing that you pay taxes to keep what you “own”, yet there are many who receive that money, live comfortable lives with free health insurance, a place to live or subsidies, have utilities, food subsidies, transportation assistance, child care, etc without working for it; not having to offer tribute to keep what is theirs because they own nothing.

    I guess it’s true you can own nothing and be happy, Klaus.

    • “I guess it’s true you can own nothing and be happy, Klaus.”

      No way! There’s a reason why people who have “everything”, regardless of whether they actually earned it or not, are miserable. Having “everything” gets old, fast. Nothing else to do, nothing else to look forward to. It’s enough to drive even the most humble person mad.

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