WC 1M Post Challenge - You Ready?!

[MSFTisMIA]

Thanks. It looks really nice, and I like the rotating bezel. I'll have to look into the watches and try them on. I know this sounds like a stupid question, but where are smart watches sold other than online? I'd really want to try them on to see how they look and feel on my wrist before buying one online.

Those pictures I took were in a Best Buy. Sometimes the carriers will have them in stick but that can be hit or miss. For some of the Fossil branded ones, you can see them in a Macy's but not sure if they'll let you try them on.

So yeah, Best Buy is a good place for that.

 

[MSFTisMIA]

Yeah, that's really tough, especially with all the gentrification happening and shady landlords finding ways to force tenants in rent-controlled apartments to move.

Yup. Sometimes I just don't know. There are days I know I don't love in the same NYC as others. I know Michael Fisher is moving to BK and I can almost guarantee that his experience of BK will never even be close to mine.

That's the breaks I suppose.

 

[Laura Knotek]

Those pictures I took were in a Best Buy. Sometimes the carriers will have them in stick but that can be hit or miss. For some of the Fossil branded ones, you can see them in a Macy's but not sure if they'll let you try them on.

So yeah, Best Buy is a good place for that.

Cool! I have Best Buy in my neighbourhood, so I'll check them out.

 

[MSFTisMIA]

Cool! I have Best Buy in my neighbourhood, so I'll check them out.

Good luck. Hopefully they have them on display. Some Best Buys still have both the Galaxy Watch and the Watch Actives, some have mostly the Active and the 46mm Galaxy watch like what I now use.

 

[Laura Knotek]

Good luck. Hopefully they have them on display. Some Best Buys still have both the Galaxy Watch and the Watch Actives, some have mostly the Active and the 46mm Galaxy watch like what I now use.

Thanks! I'll let you know what they have and how I like them. I'll probably go on Friday or Saturday.

 

[N_LaRUE]

I'm sorry to hear that showing got cancelled. I really hope it works out. That sure sounds like a lousy excuse to say they can't find the keys. Is this rental from an independent landlord or a management company?

In Europe (in general) rentals are handled mostly by real estate agents but there are also management companies and owners.

So it's overall a bit messy. But usually it's real estate groups. This is true in Australia as well.

We're not entirely sure if it's true of course but it's one of two things. One is they lost or haven't been provided the keys (this is possible but irresponsible for the real estate to offer a viewing without them) for the property and it's what happened. Two, the agent double booked something and that appointment/event was more important than ours.

I'm more inclined to the later but I could be wrong. Just seemed a bit odd that one hour before an appointment booked almost a week in advance that they suddenly realized they didn't have the keys. So they're either completely incompetent or so busy they can't keep track of things.

Doesn't give a good feeling about them.

In any case I don't think there's any malice in our meeting being postponed, at least I hope not. Just was hoping to get things sorted before Christmas. Still possible but it comes down to when we'll see the place, our chances of getting it, etc.

 

[N_LaRUE]

It's tough. Hope you find something soon.

On a side note, if you're having such a fun time doing that, can you imagine what I'm doing when one of my clients (senior, limited financial resources, chronic medical conditions) ask "can you fine me a place to stay?"

I can appreciate that. We had to sort things out for my wife's mother as she was unable to do so herself. It's not an easy thing to do especially with someone who has that kind of situation.

Our main issue is we have all the means but trying to find something that suits us is part of the problem. The next is jumping the paperwork hurdles. Everything here is basically a check box ticking exercise. You miss one tick it becomes an issue until you sort it, if you can sort it.

 

[N_LaRUE]

Yeah, that's really tough, especially with all the gentrification happening and shady landlords finding ways to force tenants in rent-controlled apartments to move.

I'm not sure about the USA but in Europe and Australia it's been overseas investors which have caused the biggest issues with housing. Along with so called 'demand' from others wanting to buy. Add in the lack of public housing, typically being sold off.

So now they wonder why there's an increase in people roughing it and exponential rise in evictions. Yeah governments are crap these days.

 

[MSFTisMIA]

I'm not sure about the USA but in Europe and Australia it's been overseas investors which have caused the biggest issues with housing. Along with so called 'demand' from others wanting to buy. Add in the lack of public housing, typically being sold off.

So now they wonder why there's an increase in people roughing it and exponential rise in evictions. Yeah governments are crap these days.

The wealthy investors buying property is also a thing here. I think it's something you're more likely to see in higher ends of the market. In fact some high end developers will state that those clients aren't buying the high end units at the same pace as before. That's causing its own set of issues.

As for the rank and file folks...

1) Not enough existing units to meet demand
2) Not enough existing units at rates that people can afford
3) Wages not allowing for people to be able to keep up with rental demands
4) Public housing is royally ****ed up with a myriad of issues I don't feel like typing here
5) Even though new units are being built, it's hard to get access to some of the affordable ones in the developments.

If I'm not super drained from today's work day I may post a screenshots of my NYC Connect affordable website account. Even the listing I've seen for my old apartment complex the prices aren't worth the value of the place.

It's crazy in these streets. You'd be surprise a ton of adult people here go the roommate route in order to be housed.

 

[N_LaRUE]

The wealthy investors buying property is also a thing here. I think it's something you're more likely to see in higher ends of the market. In fact some high end developers will state that those clients aren't buying the high end units at the same pace as before. That's causing its own set of issues.

As for the rank and file folks...

1) Not enough existing units to meet demand
2) Not enough existing units at rates that people can afford
3) Wages not allowing for people to be able to keep up with rental demands
4) Public housing is royally ****ed up with a myriad of issues I don't feel like typing here
5) Even though new units are being built, it's hard to get access to some of the affordable ones in the developments.

If I'm not super drained from today's work day I may post a screenshots of my NYC Connect affordable website account. Even the listing I've seen for my old apartment complex the prices aren't worth the value of the place.

It's crazy in these streets. You'd be surprise a ton of adult people here go the roommate route in order to be housed.

Sounds like every major city these days... Property prices and rents are not set up for average wage earners in any major city. So it creates a whole new set of problems of people living further and further away from their work. Creating traffic issues. Stress. Health problems.

Yeah not really thought out but then I don't think anything based on speculation is. When basic necessities become commodities that's when you know it's more about 'winning' then about humanity. We have, in general, really stopped caring. It's sad really.

 

[MSFTisMIA]

Sounds like every major city these days... Property prices and rents are not set up for average wage earners in any major city. So it creates a whole new set of problems of people living further and further away from their work. Creating traffic issues. Stress. Health problems.

Yeah not really thought out but then I don't think anything based on speculation is. When basic necessities become commodities that's when you know it's more about 'winning' then about humanity. We have, in general, really stopped caring. It's sad really.

I don't typically like to get into work details here for obvious reasons.

What I will say is I've walked into my share of public housing apartments in horrid living conditions. Stuff I'll leave unsaid here. Many of my clients who have complex medical challenges live in squalid conditions. And yes, housing is quick to take tenants to court for nonpayment of rent. When you see articles like this, you know it's that bad.

https://www.nydailynews.com/new-yor...0191105-oeyu5jijlrh57fy24ruvubgdn4-story.html

And there are many in their version of NYC that will never see this. It's one of the myriad of reasons why I have mixed feelings about this city.

 

[libra89]

I can appreciate that. We had to sort things out for my wife's mother as she was unable to do so herself. It's not an easy thing to do especially with someone who has that kind of situation.

Our main issue is we have all the means but trying to find something that suits us is part of the problem. The next is jumping the paperwork hurdles. Everything here is basically a check box ticking exercise. You miss one tick it becomes an issue until you sort it, if you can sort it.

Ugh, I second Laura and MIA about hoping that you find a place that meets your standards and that you can see.

 

[N_LaRUE]

I don't typically like to get into work details here for obvious reasons.

What I will say is I've walked into my share of public housing apartments in horrid living conditions. Stuff I'll leave unsaid here. Many of my clients who have complex medical challenges live in squalid conditions. And yes, housing is quick to take tenants to court for nonpayment of rent. When you see articles like this, you know it's that bad.

https://www.nydailynews.com/new-yor...0191105-oeyu5jijlrh57fy24ruvubgdn4-story.html

And there are many in their version of NYC that will never see this. It's one of the myriad of reasons why I have mixed feelings about this city.

I'll take a look at that article on my phone later. I can't access that site without a VPN.

I grew up in public housing. Thankfully Toronto never got into the project idea so public housing generally was incorporated into neighbourhoods. There were of course spots of public housing and apartments with all the issues that go with them. Projects are a really bad idea.

Australia did projects however. Outer western suburbs of Sydney were notorious. My wife lived part of her early life in one of them. Those projects have now been bulldozed and new modern housing has been created. Gentrification reaches ever further out. Public housing these days in Australia is now different but like everywhere else, demand outstrips supply.

One of the interesting quirks here in France and it's good for renters but bad for the people who invest. You can take it as one of the more socialist ideas in France. France is more socialist than most countries.

In France renters cannot be evicted in the winter time, it's against the law. Also to evict anyone is a very long and drawn out process.

So that's one of the reasons why renting here in France is so painful. That and they haven't changed their renting criteria to deal with the idea of contract workers, even in Paris. Modern times old ideas about work. Yeah.

 

[N_LaRUE]

Last bit of news for me.

My wife's Xperia 5 is finally being shipped so she'll have it in the next 5-6 days. I picked her up a 256GB SD card for photos. She's not the best at maintaining her storage space. This should work.

 

[libra89]

Last bit of news for me.

My wife's Xperia 5 is finally being shipped so she'll have it in the next 5-6 days. I picked her up a 256GB SD card for photos. She's not the best at maintaining her storage space. This should work.

Yay! I was going to ask about this so this update is right on time.

 

[MSFTisMIA]

Last bit of news for me.

My wife's Xperia 5 is finally being shipped so she'll have it in the next 5-6 days. I picked her up a 256GB SD card for photos. She's not the best at maintaining her storage space. This should work.

Were you able to return the 9 Pureview?

 

[worldspy99]

So there were 4 threads and 5 posts needing to be approved today.
2 were legit. Rest were spammers. The forums ain't what they used to be when I started out here on MoNa.

 

[worldspy99]

So I will be scarce starting Sunday night.
Lots of travel.
Next week is Puerto Rico.
The following week is in China.

 

[worldspy99]

China itinerary involves the following cities - Guangzhou, Guilin and Beijing.
Work in Guangzhou but a bit of sightseeing prior to showing up for work so expect some interesting pictures.
One day in Guilin and I plan to ride the bullet train so expect those pictures as well.
Then take a one way flight to Beijing. My coworker's wife is from Beijing and they will give me the name of a contact who will take me sightseeing at the less crowded location of the Great Wall. Also Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square are on the agenda. And then back to the USA.

 

[MSFTisMIA]

China itinerary involves the following cities - Guangzhou, Guilin and Beijing.
Work in Guangzhou but a bit of sightseeing prior to showing up for work so expect some interesting pictures.
One day in Guilin and I plan to ride the bullet train so expect those pictures as well.
Then take a one way flight to Beijing. My coworker's wife is from Beijing and they will give me the name of a contact who will take me sightseeing at the less crowded location of the Great Wall. Also Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square are on the agenda. And then back to the USA.

Can you pick up a few secrets from OPPO and Xiaomi while you're over there?

Safe travels.