Weekly Chat Thread Feb. 4 - 10

[denise15601]

Val-that pay as you go insurance sounds pretty good! I will look into it. LOL that if I drive less than 10,000 miles a year, I would benefit.
I have had my car for 5 years and have less than 9,000 miles total on it.

[chapeaunoir]

Feb 6, 2024 16:15:55 GMT val2525 said:

Keep in mind, Chap, that you have a LOT of tax deductions with a contract job that you cannot take with a W2 job.

Sunny and 67 on tap for today.

That had definitely occurred to me! It offsets the hustle.

Our "February break" has turned out to be more rain and drizzle, which is fine with me but the DH grouses about it a bit. He moves from the sliding glass doors on the deck to looking out the front door and complains about the rain. I laugh at him and say he reminds me of Jamie furry butt who used to go back and forth between the glass doors and the front door and meep at us, giving us sad eyes and wondering WHY we won't make it stop and how can it be raining outside BOTH doors, and how is this fair???

[Emerald_Door]

Jes, so sorry about your sister's accident. I hope she'll recover quickly and everything will go well.

[labbypaws]

Chap we are finally drying out a bit but there is some possibility of showers Friday or Saturday. Ground has been freezing at night.

[frakinfashion]

jes--sorry to hear about your sister's accident but glad she wasn't hurt even worse.
val--usaa seems to be doing a lot of advertising so maybe that's where their money and attention are going instead of to the quality of their business.

[jesmelric]

Well it's a beautiful day here, 70 right now and breezy. Really lovely, they are saying rain this weekend so it's nice to have this gorgeous weather for a few days.

I only got to talk to my sister briefly yesterday. They sent her pain medication to the wrong pharmacy (downtown of all things, ugh), the dr they referred her to for her follow up doesn't take her insurance, etc. She was trying to reach her primary for a referral, and get the medicine straightened out. They were trying to get a lawyer, and needed pictures of the vehicle, and on and on. So I told her I wouldn't bother her today and to call if she could. I have a focus group starting soon so I'm not sure if I'll get to talk to her today or not. I want to go see her this weekend, I might have to text her later and see if that works for her. She likes my cooking, I could cook her a meal, do her laundry, whatever she needs. I just want to make sure that works for the schedule she has with her kids.

Our auto insurance is pretty cheap. We bundle it with homeowners with State Farm. I had an agent tell me sometimes State Farm will give you a really good rate on auto if you bundle their services. The thing is I can get cheaper homeowners. But then the auto is more and it's pretty much a wash. I got quotes two years ago. We could save a couple of hundred on homeowners, and the auto was a couple of hundred more. So we just stick with it. It's crazy how much everything has gone up. My homeowner's had gone up considerably in the last 3 years. The auto has only gone up a few bucks a month (knock on wood!)

The mail is still a freaking mess here. I just had my second item not received opened, when I checked the tracking it showed out for delivery today. I don't blame people for not wanting to wait so long. I just keep apologizing all over the place. Sigh. UPS and fedex are just too expensive for what I ship.

This is a bit long but interesting if you want to take a few to read it:

Mail delayed for months in the Houston area as a result of “Delivering for America” restructuring program

The United States Postal Service (USPS) is blaming employee absenteeism and bad weather for ongoing, months-long mail delays in Houston. A February 3 letter from Peter E. Pastre, Vice President of Government Relations and Public Policy for the USPS, to a Houston-area Congressman also cited “equipment failures” as another reason for the delay, an egregious understatement of the nature of the problem that has slowed mail to a crawl in the fourth most populous city in the United States.

In reality, the delays are due to new equipment being brought in as part of the post office’s misnamed Delivering for America program, a vast restructuring aimed at closing thousands of post offices and streamlining operations as a first step towards USPS’ eventual privatization.

USPS has announced $5 billion in cuts over the next two years, which will lead to further job losses as the post office moves to cut or replace tens of thousands of jobs through automation. The WSWS has reported extensively on the jobs bloodbath taking place in UPS, the auto industry and the economy as a whole, in which corporations are weaponizing breakthroughs in automation and artificial intelligence to slash their workforces.

According to a worker inside the United States Postal Service’s (USPS) Houston Regional Processing and Distribution Center (RPDC), a new parcel sorting machine delivered before the beginning of the holiday peak season did not fit inside the building.

Installation of the new machine was halted when the postal service ran into structural problems moving it into the building. “They’ve been taking walls out. They’ve taken out a system of catwalks we used to have for the postal inspectors. They’re taking all those out just so they can fit the machine in the building,” the worker told local news station KHOU 11 News .

Two existing parcel sorting machines were removed in order to make room for the new sorter, leaving the facility with no way to handle the increased volume of mail and packages over the holidays and causing unprocessed mail to sit for weeks.

The North Houston Processing & Distribution Center (P&DC) is undergoing a “complex transition” to an RPDC, according to a statement from a USPS spokesperson in January. The North Houston P&DC’s transition began almost a year ago in February during the first wave of the implementation of DFA’s hub and spoke network that will remake the USPS into a package delivery business like UPS, Amazon, and FedEx.

“Every open space, aside from the hallways, has mail or trash sitting there,” the worker told the news outlet. The backup has even impeded efforts to install the new parcel handling machine. According to the worker, “The mail backlog in the building has slowed contractors down. Can’t do their job with the congestion of the mail.”

In its statement released on January 22 in response to requests for information from Texas lawmakers, the USPS attributed the delays to “network modernization” as part of the Delivering for America plan to restructure the postal service. The statement attempted to mitigate the now months-long mail delays with banalities. “As with any transition, some unintended and temporary disruptions may occur.”

Since Postmaster General (PMG) Louis Dejoy announced Delivering for America in 2021, details about the implementation of his 10-year plan to overhaul the USPS have been withheld from scrutiny.

The Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) has filed seven public information requests since DeJoy announced DFA for specific details on how DFA will be implemented. In early January, the USPS asked that the PRC’s recent request for information on the reconfiguration of how mail is transported between facilities be withdrawn because it does not fall “within the Commission’s authority,” essentially telling the post office regulator it’s none of their business.

The USPS’ ability to flaunt even formal public accountability stems from the fact that DFA has broad bipartisan support. DeJoy, a prominent Trump supporter, was appointed during his administration but has the support of the Democrats. Both parties came together in 2022 to pass the Postal Service Reform Act, which ended requirements that the USPS pre-fund retiree health benefits.

Sham public comment meetings, known as Mail Processing Facility Reviews are being held in communities where mail processing will be impacted by DFA. As reported by the WSWS, USPS officials refuse to take questions from either the public or affected postal employees by insisting the meetings are only to take comments on the changes that have already been decided.

The Postal Board of Governors (PBOG), political appointees who oversee the operations of the USPS, limited public comment at its quarterly meetings in Washington D.C. to once a year at its November 2023 meeting. Previously, public comment was taken at every meeting of the PBOG. But as the rollout of DFA progressed, public comment has been curtailed at first to three minutes, then 90 seconds, then 25 seconds, then in-person only and now only at the November meeting.

Complete lack of transparency about the transition has created chaos in the USPS network which was exacerbated by the holiday peak season. According to the USPS, in 2022 the post office processed an average of 421.4 million pieces of mail a day. That rose substantially during the peak season.

Despite the increase in volume, DeJoy announced in the Post Office’s quarterly publication, The Eagle Magazine, that seasonal hires for 2023 would be cut by 75 percent, from 40,000 to 10,000. The WSWS covered the struggles of mail handlers and carriers as they were inundated with packages from Amazon last December.

[val2525]

I wonder when all of these companies rushing to use AI to slash jobs will realize eventually that no jobs=unemployment=no customers, since employees do buy stuff. Duh.

[denise15601]

Ugh to my PO. My carrier just retired, and I seem to have had a different carrier every day so far in Feb. Today the carrier stopped at my neighbor's mailbox, and then drove right past mine, even though my flag was up.

I used to be able to call my PO, but now they don't answer. So I just went down to retrieve my 2 packages out of my mailbox. I will get carrier pick-up from my mailbox tomorrow (if I don't have even more packages). And in the notation section, I will indicate that my carrier didn't pick up my mail. So when they get the manifest, they will see that.

I used to have State Farm for many years, but the rate really went up and I changed to American National. I pay $1400 a year for my house, and $1000 for my car. But if I don't have any claims, I receive a $700 check every year in November.

Waiting for my Medicaid review to see if my $1,151 SS is too high and if I will get kicked off. Since my current chemo is causing so many problems, my next chemo is (honestly) $45,000 a month! No way can I pay even a fraction of that copay. So it might be better if I keep paying too much for insurance if that keeps me under the limit. And my car is almost paid for, and that will cause more problems.

[val2525]

National Potato Day, eh? I like pototoes most anyway you can fix them, although I suppose my faves would be herb roasted baby red potatoes and oven baked potatoes (they just aren't the same in the microwave).

Cloudy, humid and low 70s here today.

[frakinfashion]

Potatoes. That's a yay.

[sunsetpainter]

I love potatoes in any way, shape, or form! Unfortunately I can't have them.

[denise15601]

It was 63 degrees here today in PA!!!

I washed my car which is a big deal for me since it tires me out. And I did manage to not fall when I tripped on the hose.

Tomorrow, our cable company, Comcast Xfinity, will shut down our internet while they work to enhance our 10G network. Our cable has been so weird anyway, with a lot of problems. So I hope it helps. As our bills keep rising..... I don't know what I will do without internet or any way of communicating outside of my house.

[val2525]

Google put fiber in last year, and now they're advertising like crazy to get new business. Unfortuntely they aren't doing the one thing that would probably get them more business - lowering their price, or at least offering a new customer sign up discount. Meanwhile, Spectrum internet raised my rate so it's now as high as Google. I think I'll call tomorrow and threaten to move to Google, to see if I can get a lower price. It's not like I'll have anything to lose - they don't lower me, I'll move to Google for the same rate and get a bit more for the $$.

[denise15601]

We don't have a choice in my area. Verizon has lines in the city but their service is low. They were installing new lines about 2 miles from me about 10 years ago, and hit a gas line. I heard the explosion when a house completely blew apart. So they are no longer allowed in the area.

I am paying $200 a month for Internet and TV.

[val2525]

That's insane. I have a high speed and even with my streaming subscriptions, I don't pay $200.

[chapeaunoir]

jesmelric - thanks for that article! It's nice to hear the plain truth printed - the press can be such lapdogs to corporate shysters. It makes me glad I'm moving away from mail order sales. I've been loading stuff into my various stores like crazy to get through it (I've got a ton of house stuff I'm listing). 

I'm sorry to hear your sister is having such a struggle getting basic care and help for that accident - the last thing she needs is to have to deal with that while she's trying to recover! She'll probably love a good cooked meal with you, and your company and help - that would certainly perk me up!

Speaking of mail - I had my first eIS order today - I signed up even though I'm pretty sceptical, but OTOH, I don't have much that people really are going to want overseas, but apparently this kaftan sparked. So we'll see how it goes.  

[labbypaws]

Feb 9, 2024 2:44:18 GMT val2525 said:

That's insane. I have a high speed and even with my streaming subscriptions, I don't pay $200.

High speed 10 gig internet with a step down triple play $232.  Xfinity rip off.  Seriously I would just get internet but hubby watches some channels on Xfinity.  We have Philo and discovery plus which is all I watch.

[denise15601]

Yay that I still have internet so far today.

For $200, I don't have any extras...just the local channels and MSNBC. Three months ago I spent an hour on the phone trying to get my bill reduced, and I thought that I did. I enrolled to have the bill automatically taken out of my bank account, so that was supposed to save me $10 a month.

So the price went down one month, and back up the next. So I am where I was when I called, but I can record fewer shows that I was able to.

Now it is impossible to talk to anyone since it is all robot-stuff.

When they are done changing lines, I will try to call again.

[val2525]

You can get local channels and a slew of freebie channels with a Roku account. There's also some kind of antenna you can get to pickup local & freebies, but I don't know much about that. Shirley U Geste could probably give you some suggestions for an antenna. Spectrum raised my rate and told me the new rate IS a discounted rate, so I just finished signing up with Google Fiber. Same cost as my "discounted" rate with Spectrum, but double the speed and a newer, state of the art router. Works for me

This latest claim at USAA has been a PITA to take care of. Clueless staff at the Enterprise location where I picked up the car. Fortunately the staff at the return location is much better. Minimal response from the claims rep at USAA. I usually have to message twice to get any info. Yep. I'm definitely changing insurance companies in May.

Partly cloudy, humid and 73 here. Two out of three ain't bad (I could ditch the humidity). Off to a PT appointment. Nice rental car - Toyota Camry.

[treetop]

A little over a year ago, we dropped Spectrum cable and internet because the price was so high and we had so many outages. We now use Gateway Fiber for internet and Roku and an indoor antenna for TV. We get all the local affiliates (CBS, NBC, ABC, and PBS) clear as a bell, and a couple dozen other channels that mostly show kids’ shows, old westerns, and older sitcoms like Mary Tyler Moore, Rhoda, News Radio, Dear John, Wings, etc. We have to move the antenna once in a while, but for $100 a month savings, we’ve been happy. We subscribe right now to Hulu, recently dropped Amazon Prime, will pick up Netflix in the near future.

This is the antenna we bought (but I see it is NLA, was $20 and minimal effort to set up): www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C5X9T84Y/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Here is a link to the tv guide I found online. We don’t get all of these stations, but maybe half. Your mileage will vary depending on your location. www.channelmaster.com/pages/free-tv-guide-listings-lake-saint-louis-mo-63367

[denise15601]

I have been getting scam calls about my supposed Spectrum account. I had no idea what it was, until you all mentioned it.

I could get a cheaper rate if I wanted local channels only. But MSNBC needs a higher level. Can anyone get that channel with a special antenna?

There are often posts about cheaper TV on our local county Facebook sites, but to mention MSNBC brings out the crazies and death-threats.

[Shirley U Geste]

I ditched cable years ago & use a Mohu leaf antenna.

Super easy to use, I hung it in the window, hooked it up to the TV & scanned for the channels.

I get more channels now for free than I did when paying for basic cable.

[denise15601]

Can you get MSNBC?

[Shirley U Geste]

It gets broadcast channels, not cable channels.

[val2525]

You can access a good bit of MSNBC on their website.

I'm watching an old TV show from the 80s, Scarecrow and Mrs King. It's cute but hokey and absolutely no attention to details. Amazing how easily we were entertained back then .

[treetop]

Denise, I think you can get MSNBC if you subscribe to Sling. It is cheaper than most cable subscriptions.

[Desire]

denise15601  here is some info from Google. I'm thinking of ditching Spectrum, they sent notice that my internet is increasing 20.00, TV 10.00 and landline 10.00. So 40.00 plus taxes more on my monthly bill.


from Google:

What is the cheapest way to get CNN and MSNBC?
Sling is the budget-friendly choice for live TV streaming, and it offers CNN within its Sling Blue package. Starting at just $45 a month, Sling Blue includes a total of 42 channels, encompassing local channels in most regions and other news outlets such as NBC and MSNBC. Dec 15, 2023

What is the cheapest way to stream MSNBC?
Sling TV's Blue plan is designed for news and entertainment with 40+ channels for only $40.00/mo. These include MSNBC, CNN, and FOX. You also get the local affiliates of FOX and NBC in most areas. Save 50% on Sling TV now!

What network carries MSNBC?
You can watch MSNBC online with DirecTV Stream, fuboTV, Sling TV Blue, and Hulu + Live TV.

[thekloset]

Feb 9, 2024 13:38:45 GMT labbypaws said:

Feb 9, 2024 2:44:18 GMT val2525 said:

That's insane. I have a high speed and even with my streaming subscriptions, I don't pay $200.

High speed 10 gig internet with a step down triple play $232.  Xfinity rip off.  Seriously I would just get internet but hubby watches some channels on Xfinity.  We have Philo and discovery plus which is all I watch.

sigh. Xfinity is ridiculously expensive. i have a similar package to labby with movie channels and i'm "grandfathered" in to my triple play, apparently it will be more expensive if i unbundle. sigh.

i pay $271/month which will go up in may after i lose my last discount.

i have it for the same reason--my DH wants the full buffet of tv watching. i would also just do internet if given a choice. but the tribe has spoken lol.

[denise15601]

Thanks Desire and Treetop. I will have to look into all of that.

In my area, Direct TV and Dish have dropped 2 of our local channels. So there is no competition. I had been getting a $30 discount since I am low-income, but I just rceived an email this morning that the funding is no longer available. However, since I never trust emails, I will wait and see if it is true.

[Shirley U Geste]

The email is correct, the funding for the program is running out.

Congress is fighting about the renewal of the funding, with the usual party blocking it for political reasons all the while they are touting to their constituents how much they are helping them.