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Everything posted by Horn of Gabriel
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2018-2019 San Antonio Spurs: Fuck Kawhi Leonard
Horn of Gabriel replied to Michael Knight's topic in Basketball
Addition by subtraction. Can't wait to see DJM in uniform again...next year... -
2018-2019 San Antonio Spurs: Fuck Kawhi Leonard
Horn of Gabriel replied to Michael Knight's topic in Basketball
I'm not saying it can't happen, and I hope it does (again). But we're fools if we don't look at the past 20 years and say that it was an outlier. The big markets are playing the game on easy mode when it comes to attaining stars. We're playing on hard mode. -
2018-2019 San Antonio Spurs: Fuck Kawhi Leonard
Horn of Gabriel replied to Michael Knight's topic in Basketball
So that Zion can play out his 1st contract here and then leave? We caught lighting in a bottle and kept it there for damn near 20 years. The future of the NBA is not bright for small market teams. Especially small market teams who tank. Big market teams can do The Process and still be a big, attractive market for stars. We can't. And with the Association power structure tilting more and more toward the stars, combined with them wanting to buddy up and go build super teams, I think we're headed for a 20-30 year stretch where it's NY/LA/CHI/MIA/PHI/BOS/GSW and everyone else. We'll always have our banners and I'll remember Robinson, Duncan, Ginobili, and Parker fondly. The first 3 especially were cut from a different cloth than today's superstars. -
New Car Deal Thread of Frustration
Horn of Gabriel replied to Dbeasy's topic in Can You Help Me With This?
Not sure how you or I could prove it either way, but FWIW I have done both the email method and in-dealer negotiation, many times... -
New Car Deal Thread of Frustration
Horn of Gabriel replied to Dbeasy's topic in Can You Help Me With This?
If you must negotiate at the dealer (inadvisable) just be aware of their game. They're trying to push/pull money around, and look at the whole deal - price of the new car, value of your trade, financing terms, etc. They can make their money in any of these areas. They try to confuse by mixing them all together. You want to peel them apart and do them one at a time, as Guano said. Some dealers still use a variation of the 4-square worksheet: ...to confuse you. The ONLY thing you want to negotiate is the upper-right box: price. That's why if you're going to go in, you present yourself as a "cash buyer with no trade" regardless of if you are buying on credit or have a trade. Nail down the cash price. Then, mention..."now that we've settled on price, I'm thinking of getting rid of my current car. I could sell it myself or trade it with you, what will you give me?" ...then get a fair trade in value, or accept a lower value for the convenience of not having to deal with Craigslist. Last, a week before you walked into the deal, you've already shopped APRs with your local credit union and bank (UFCU and Velocity in Austin have been good to us) and gotten pre-approved for a great rate. Then you pop that on the sales guy: "Great, now that we've settled on price and trade value, I'll call my credit union and have them cut you a check." The sales guy will sputter about "I thought you were a cash buyer!?!" "Nope, we have a great-rate of with our credit union, and they will give you cash. Or a cashier's check. But if that's a problem for you...I guess I could go down the street to the other dealer?" Often at this point they will "magically" find that they can offer a rate that is even better than the CU. Or give you some kind of price break if you finance through them (you can usually pocket that benefit and immediately refi with your credit union). Pretty good article about how the dealers get you: https://www.consumerreports.org/consumerist/dealerships-rip-you-off-with-the-four-square-heres-how-to-beat-it/ -
New Car Deal Thread of Frustration
Horn of Gabriel replied to Dbeasy's topic in Can You Help Me With This?
Same process but more legwork. Expand to neighboring states or nationwide. Evaluate if the costs of the trip offset the savings. Commodities tend to go at market rate though, so for rare or I demand models the dealers motivation to cut a deal goes down. Just like it would be hard to run that process on a new Ferrari or Porsche. I once bought a truck off eBay from a dealer in North Carolina. Flew there, drove it home with the wife. Nice stops in Atlanta and New Orleans on the way back. /csb -
New Car Deal Thread of Frustration
Horn of Gabriel replied to Dbeasy's topic in Can You Help Me With This?
Maybe...it's been a few years since I bought a new car this way. But we bought a new Mustang GT and got a fair deal. You probably won't save thousands, maybe a few hundred. Reputable dealers know that new cars are a commodity item; they make their money on upselling you unnecessary shit like window etching. Most know that nowadays buyers are too educated to get taken to the cleaners and we shop around, so they're more motivated to keep you coming back as a customer than to nail you, IMO. I did get the "we don't quote over email" responses from quite a few last time; I wrote them back and told them that if they didn't want my business, feel free not to quote me. I guess some have realized that people shopping this way are price shoppers and they don't want that type of buyer. Ultimately I think we searched every Ford dealer in Texas, ended up getting responses from 15-20 of them, and ended up buying from a little country dealer in Rockdale, which happened to be the lowest price and also only a 45 minute drive from Austin... -
New Car Deal Thread of Frustration
Horn of Gabriel replied to Dbeasy's topic in Can You Help Me With This?
New cars are easiest. 1) Locate every dealer of the make you're going after in a radius you're willing to go to, e.g. 100 miles, or "All of Texas." Call all of them and ask for their "Internet Sales" department. Get that guy's email address. 2) Go to toyota.com and spec out the exact car you want, every detail - it's new so make it how you want it 3) Email that spec to every address you collected (be sure to CC: them so they can see that they are competing) with this note: "Hi, I'm a cash buyer looking for a 2019 4Runner with the following spec (see attached). I will make a decision on who I buy through in the next several days, please send me your best offer on this specific model and options (no changes). 3a - optional) After you get a bunch of responses, narrow it down to the top 3 and email back #2 and 3 with #1's offer with this message: "Hi, you're currently in my top 3, but I received an offer for the same model/options from another dealer for $xx,xxx. I'd prefer to use you for this purchase - can you beat this deal?" 4) Make a decision taking into account price, location, dealer reputation, etc 5) Drive there and hand them a cheque, leave with your new vehicle You can also use online services like TrueCar to get in the ballpark. Another option is have UFCU or Costco do all this for you - they offer that as a service. -
These are dark days. There is so much that divides us: healthcare, taxes, immigration, #MeToo and #MAGA. Thankfully there is one topic that crosses party lines to bring us together: the objectification of hot women. This thread to provide that neutral ground where we can all contribute to the healing that our message board, and frankly our country, so desperately needs. I ask you to join me in posting pictures of hot women in politics and political reporting below. Together, we can make a better future - for our children. #HornofGabriel2020 Elizabeth Halseth - Nevada representative SE Cupp - Republican pundit Dana Perino - Fox personality Dana Loesch Erika Harold - (R) Candidate (twice) in Illinois Kyrsten Sinema - (D) congresswoman from Arizona, openly bisexual Crystal Ball - (D) candidate for Congress, political pundit Kate Bouldan - CNN personality Eva Kaili - Greece Orly Levy - Isreal Belinda Stronch - Canada Nikita Klæstrup
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Bomb throwers gonna throw bombs. Trump could line up and shoot every Democrat and use their stacked bodies to build the wall, and Coulter would complain that we didn't also use their children - TRUMP SURRENDERED!
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I'm probably 9 months behind you. I never in my wildest imagined the pain of putting on a jacket or lifting a suitcase into the overhead. It's even painful for me to get my arm in the right spot for squats. I'm desperately searching for a shortcut to the yearlong process of unfreezing this thing. So far my research has turned up only a few options: 1) Benign neglect - effectively do nothing other than light stretching to get back ROM. Deal with the pain for 12-36 months and hopefully it will clear on its own. 2) Aggressive PT - get stretched by a PT and do their routine. My Othopedist says it will be painful, might give me minor ROM improvements but won't really accelerate the process much. 3) Steroid shot - might help with pain but won't affect ROM; downsides to having multiple shots plus it fucks with my already fucked blood sugars. Another Ortho offered to put the shot all the way into the ball/socket, not above as they did before, but again, same up/downside. 4) Manual manipulation under sedation - they knock you out and push/pull your arm in ways that would have you screaming if you were awake. Try to break the joint capsule. They put in a nerve block and pain med catheter into the shoulder. A week+ of seeing the PT for more aggressive stretching. They claim it helps accelerate the process. Advised as painful, hence the block. I'm not wild about any of this, especially going under general anesthesia. Small risk of them factoring a bone as they jerk you around. 5) Shoulder hydrodilatation/hydrodistention - they inject your shoulder with a high volume of saline + a small amount of steroid to "distend" it and break the joint capsule. Treatment started in the UK and there aren't many providers in the US that offer it - in fact I can't find ANY in Austin that offer this treatment. Less pain than manual manipulation, studies say it recovers ROM quickly and accelerates the whole process. Local ortho's are clueless when I ask about it. Surgeons want to surgeon.
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2018-2019 San Antonio Spurs: Fuck Kawhi Leonard
Horn of Gabriel replied to Michael Knight's topic in Basketball
I don't understand how Bertans isn't in the 3-point shooting contest. Did he turn it down? Here are the participants: Name 3PM 3PA 3P% Devin Booker* 91 277 .329 Seth Curry 66 138 .478 Stephen Curry 226 503 .449 Danny Green 123 292 .421 Joe Harris 121 267 .453 Buddy Hield 193 427 .452 Damian Lillard** 153 418 .366 Khris Middleton** 119 314 .379 Dirk Nowitski** 22 69 .319 Kemba Walker** 183 498 .367 Davis Bertans 105 225 .467 * Defending champion ** Not in NBA top-40 for 3P% I can kind of get Dirk on his retirement hurrah. But Khris Middleton? -
Orthopedic doc originally thought it was bursitis but on rediagnosis now says Frozen Shoulder. Anyone have any experience with this? My ROM is pretty reduced, especially reaching up high or washing my back. Pain is also pretty intense in those situations. Apparently my T1 diabetes and Thyroid issues both increase my chances. Doc says there isn’t really a treatment, just rest and time and it can take up to two years to clear out. They don’t know what causes it or why it clears on its own. Has anyone done hydrostatic distention? Apparently that is a new treatment (last 10 years) that started in Europe and is now coming over here...
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How much do you pay for siriusxm?
Horn of Gabriel replied to thunderlounge's topic in Can You Help Me With This?
Just called and canceled the radio on my car. Started their Premier streaming service, which is almost all of their channels streamed via their app for $6/mo. Now I can listen both in car via bluetooth and in home since I always have my phone on me and unlimited data plan. -
I see the ability to appoint and confirm judges as a feature, not a bug of our system of government. I also don't mind having conservative SC justices as a counterbalance to a liberalizing legislative branch. But I could see how a liberal would feel otherwise if you're interested in pushing a more liberal agenda and the boundaries of the constitution, or are not a strict constructivist. My response to not getting the flavor of justice you want is political - win the Presidency or Senate majority and you'll see or can force a different type of nomination. The US has survived pretty well over 200+ years with both conservative and liberal judges, so I think we'll be alright. The "hollowing out of the bureaucracy" I also consider more of a mixed bag than "all bad." As a libertarian I appreciate the shutdown because it limits the bad stuff that government does such as regulatory and spending. There are also lots of good things the gov't does that we all appreciate. Overall I want a smaller federal gov't. And to show I'm not a hyper partisan, let's start with military spending...
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Maybe it's *my* perception vs. reality but I would still consider 300K+ apprehensions to be a lot. Plus I'm not sure this graph makes the point you think it makes...are you alleging that crossings have decreased in line with apprehensions? I'm not 100% sure that those things track in perfect harmony, although they're probably somewhat close. Without turning this into an illegal immigration thread, we do have an issue here. It's much easier to come into the US than most other modern 1st world democracies and make a life for yourself that is better than whatever you left. If you tried to do that in the UK, or France, or Norway you're going to have a much rougher go, you'll be shut out of their generous benefits system, and you will have a lot of trouble finding work that those coming to the US don't have trouble finding. Personally I'd rather take the $5B in wall money and build a robust eVerify system with enforcement and turn off the magnet for illegal work. Until that gets fixed, no wall will matter.
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This is a great perception versus reality post. I don't come into CR often, but I'm guessing that I could rewind 8 years and find the same post from conservatives about Obama's 2nd term. I'd ask what has actually changed that makes things so bad? I see the the liberals on my facebook feed moaning like the world will end tomorrow, but I can still get good health insurance the same way I always did (through work), my job hasn't changed and my industry is healthy and growing, we're not in any more wars than under the last administration and arguably moving toward less. My taxes might have changed a little bit hard to notice, you can still get all the abortions you want, illegal aliens can easily come to the U.S. and stay as long as they want, and racial disharmony still exists like is has for decades and centuries. There is still no wall. Yeah, America elected an idiot to the Oval. He says a lot of stupid shit. But thanks to the miracle of our system of government, he can't get anything done, so his impact is muted - so aside from the people who are predisposed to thinking the other side is horrible and listening to the harpies on TV and twitter yelling all day, I don't see much real life impact that would cause someone to leave. Imagined impact, sure. Potential future like maybe if Trump magically got everything he wanted and the US turned into dystopia...uhh, I guess, but that's pretty unlikely. Unless you're trying to just exit the whole us vs. them shouting match by going to Norway where there is leftist hegemony? I found it easier to just stop reading facebook as much.
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2018-2019 San Antonio Spurs: Fuck Kawhi Leonard
Horn of Gabriel replied to Michael Knight's topic in Basketball
mmmmmmmmm Denver? -
Aggy should be aggy right?
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Running Cables Through Ceiling
Horn of Gabriel replied to kmac30's topic in Can You Help Me With This?
TL;DR - Yes it can be done. Long answer - depends on how far. They generally don't need conduit, although it's good to use conduit for other reasons, like future proofing. Make sure in-ceiling cables are plenum rated if you want to be in code. You can also use plenum rated Ethernet and various companies make HDMI dongles for each side that you can use to convert it to HDMI. If you're going to run conduit, maybe put in a combo cable with a few Ethernet cables, 16/4, etc - the cost is low to do it now and high to do it later. https://www.amazon.com/Plenum-Rated-Cable-Speed-Ethernet/dp/B008GW0CAW -
2018-2019 San Antonio Spurs: Fuck Kawhi Leonard
Horn of Gabriel replied to Michael Knight's topic in Basketball
But what do we have to offer? -
I'm 41 and wore my felt Akubra fedora on a recent trip. Got a ton of compliments from the women - they love that shit. Looks best with a suit though.
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2018-2019 San Antonio Spurs: Fuck Kawhi Leonard
Horn of Gabriel replied to Michael Knight's topic in Basketball
You could tell he wanted the W - whereas in other games if he doesn't get a call he shrugs it off, in this one he was more vocal toward the refs and showed some emotion on no-calls. I loved that the Spurs denied him - FUCK Leonard. Quit on his team. -
2018-2019 San Antonio Spurs: Fuck Kawhi Leonard
Horn of Gabriel replied to Michael Knight's topic in Basketball
Makes sense he’s taking the player’s side, but zero mention of how KL tanked his trade value and tried to burn the place down on his way out, or didn’t bother to travel or sit with his teammates who made the playoffs in spite of him. -
SPOILERS GALORE! Game of Thrones Season 7 BOOKFAGS thread
Horn of Gabriel replied to cdain3's topic in Movies and TV
400+ pages of meal descriptions and back stories of 3rd cousins' grandfathers with no impact on the current storyline! #cantwait
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