Drive a VW Thing!

Happy 100th Year of US Income Tax!

 It was in a "this week in history" item, who knew?

I like this part:

"The Treasury Department will likely collect around $4.9 trillion from income and payroll taxes in 2014. That's a huge jump from the $5.4 billion collected in 1920 and the $43 billion in 1945."

So, I looked it up and the population has tripled while the collected taxes have grown nearly a thousandfold? Wow.

Jul 1, 1920

106.46 million

Jul 1, 1944

138.40 million

Nov 1, 2012

314.69 million

Thing Friday!

I should be working, but there are Things to examine on the internet!

Let's start with this beater. $1750? I don't think so, unless it runs great (which is doubtful given the condition). Mid-state New York. (see other post, the dude crushed it out of spite)

Next contestant is this lovely item. Reduced!! Should be about the above price!! Not $3000!! Kansas. (down to $2500)

This isn't a bad deal, for $5200 actually, if they accept a little less with cash in hand. Illinois.

Feeling handy? The car is free, you pay for the parts that need to be attached.....$3900 in New Hampshire.

This Florida thing is actually very reasonably priced at $6000 even with the blurry pictures. I agree, who needs a top!

C'mon, dude, no picture? (he added photos!) Seriously, with just 5,600 miles and asking $4900, we need visuals! Austin, TX.

Close to home, just over in Indy, is this $4000 flat tire Thing. Kid, you got potential! A little much for a non-runner, if you ask me.

How about another fixer-upper? $3800 obo (now just $3500)

$2300 or less could get you this Thing in Florida: The Samba.com is your best resource for all kinds of Things and info, but as you can see, there are plenty out there on craigslist.

This no-photo-ridiculously-low-priced Thing is on craigslist now, the link on the other post has gone dead. The description does not match the price. Period.

What Did They Know, and When Did They Know It?

So, according to this NYT article, about 15% of the population (roughly 48 million people) is without health insurance (which, of course, is not to say that they do not receive health care), yet according to this Forbes article, the Administration knew that about 93 million people would lose their existing coverage under ACA.

It's just they were different people, I guess, which made it all OK.

NYT: "In 2012, the bureau said, 15.4 percent of people were uninsured, down from 15.7 percent in 2011. The number of uninsured people, 48 million, was not statistically different from the estimate of 48.6 million in 2011. David S. Johnson, the chief of social and economic statistics at the bureau, said that much of the increase in coverage last year was attributable to government programs. Medicare covered 15.7 percent of the population, compared with 15.2 percent the previous year.

Census Bureau data showed significant changes in coverage over the last 13 years.

From 1999 to 2012, the bureau said, the proportion of people with private health insurance declined to 63.9 percent, from 73 percent, while the proportion with government coverage rose to 32.6 percent, from 24.2 percent."

Forbes: "How many people are exposed to these problems? 60 percent of Americans have private-sector health insurance—precisely the number that Jay Carney dismissed. As to the number of people facing cancellations, 51 percent of the employer-based market plus 53.5 percent of the non-group market (the middle of the administration’s range) amounts to 93 million Americans."

Weep, founders, weep.

Bwaaaaa Haaaaaaaaaa! Unintended Consequences and Hubris Alert!

"Just come in to my house and feel the walls shaking," he said. "They say it's the nocebo effect, but people who sit on my front porch have to leave within a half hour -- they felt it. Early on, I had a financial adviser sit in my kitchen and within five minutes he was complaining about ear popping.

Yup, wind turbines. That's stinks, for sure ( I want a home turbine to reduce my dependency on my local utility company, and some solar cells would be nice), but we always have unintended consequences, it seems.

It's Been A While Since Things

I wasted some valuable work time looking at Things via searchtempest on cragislist from around the nation (**update** all but the one I call the "pick of the litter" are no longer available! Other people like these, too, you know). First, some with no photos:

Here's one that says $1100, and there's no way that's right, if you read the description. (new link) Seriously, “…like new. The interior is black and exterior is pastel white all original new top, tires, brakes, bearings, generator, seats, tune up, new carburator, shocks, wiper motor,master cylinder, alignment parts, front tow hitch, headlamps, tail lamps and horn, The original windows are in the its original packages that go in the front compartment” is not $1100, it's $11000.... 

and there's this one:

73 Thing - Very good engine, starts &runs good. Has gas heater that looks like new. Need new conv. top & floorpans (new pans w/car). Orange , 85 k orig . mi. $3000  (my edit, he's now asking $2600 $2400!!!!) This is a fair deal, it seems.

Now, for $5000:

Or is it $5300? same phone number....

Here's a runner in Tampa, for a decent price if you like rusty Things. This and a parts Thing for $4250, not bad at all:

My pick of the litter, actually. No top is fine with me, a deal and a half at $3500. Cape Cod is a long way away.

"I quess my starting price of $4000 was over the top,I will reduce the asking price and listen to reasonable offers. My wife is bugging to sell this. Young girls are not included in the sale. 1973 orange Thing 55,000 miles,starts ,idles and runs smoothly,new motor parts,solid muffler and some brake lines replaced. Good clutch and trans,shifts easily. Some typical rust. Newer tires,have jack and tire removal accessories,side windows and top frame also. Good winter project. Parts are plentiful for restoration." 

******It's on Ebay now, January of 2014. I wish I had money!********

Last is a parts/needs a lot of restoration Thing for $850.   Sorry, the link is dead for this one, too. 

"73 rusty thing with lots of good original parts, I have no paperwork, the engine is locked up from sitting. This can be towed with a tow dolly. I am not parting it out! The engine is original thing case with gravel guard. One seat is missing ,the other is shot, rockers are shot. No title."

Wow, Is Anthony a Wiener or What?

Anthony Weiner says he'd be mayor 'if the Internet didn't exist'



What a wiener. 



...and I would've gotten away with it too, if it weren't for that meddling "internet".
In other words, Weiner meant that he'd be mayor if the truth didn't get out. What does that say about a person, who they are, how they'd lead and what they believe? I want me elected officials to be honest and forthcoming, not like Weiner.

Tor, We Hardly Knew Ye

Here's me in my scary-had-it-since-I-was-eleven-bought-it-at-Walt Disney World-for-$11-everyone-loves-or-is-scared-by-it mask:

Here's the real face it was made to mimic, Tor Johnson. I thought you'd want to know that.