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26th June 2020, 04:36 AM
#11
Re: Electronic communications.
WE have a number of small shops around Melbourne , all run by Asians of various nationalities.
They run the hot bread shops, the $2 dollar ones as well as a few others.
All have a sign saying 'cash only'
Of course they pay a lot less tax than many others so maybe that is why it is cash only?
Happy daze John in Oz.
Life is too short to blend in.
John Strange R737787
World Traveller
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26th June 2020, 09:47 AM
#12
Re: Electronic communications.
#14
John, could be several reasons,
card companies charge the shop owner a percentage of the sale, typically 2 or 3%, so if you are working on tight margins then they are reduced further.
Card companies do not always pay up to the shop owner immediately, a very large American one was notorious a few years back for making them wait long times and subsequently very few shops round here would accept them.
Finally, a friend of mine who was a tax inspector told me that if he was in business it would have to be cash based which is easier to fiddle, as if you were honest you would get screwed by them.
PS - Worst offenders at that time for fiddling tax returns were------ The Clergy!
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27th June 2020, 12:42 AM
#13
Re: Electronic communications.
I know a Chinese shop where they call him Charlie Two Books, all cash and no tax.
Des
R510868
Lest We Forget
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27th June 2020, 05:37 AM
#14
Re: Electronic communications.
Had an American express card for a while, great as long as you paid in full each month or the interest would kill you.
Problem was that they kept creditors up to three months waiting for the money.
AS a result many dropped them as a card, so the card was withdrawn by the bank I use which supplied them.
But even with the ordinary ones it can take up to seven days before the payment is made.
Happy daze John in Oz.
Life is too short to blend in.
John Strange R737787
World Traveller
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28th June 2020, 09:28 AM
#15
Re: Electronic communications.
Today we have what is called electronic intelligence , we used to have what was known as common sense.JS
R575129
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28th June 2020, 11:44 AM
#16
Re: Electronic communications.
Reminds me of that comedy sketch where the answer was "computer says no"
I actually had direct experience similar to that.
Back in 08 I bought a second hand (60,000miles) BMW as I was doing a lot of miles for work and needed a vehicle capable of humping a fair bit of kit.
It came with a BMW unlimited mileage warranty for 12 months.
After about a week of local running about, set off on my first long run and everything fine until I went over 3000 revs, when it just felt like it was being choked, ran fine under 3k.
I suspected fuel starvation, but the dealer (BMW) said - his actual words were - "computer says injector number 6", so, they changed it without any quibble.
A few days later, same again, this time "computer says injector number 3"
" " " "computer says injector number 4"
At this point I told them that I was losing too much time backwards and forward so they changed all the remaining injectors.
So to cut a tedious story short, after several more visits to resolve the same problem, each time tackling one issue reported by the computer, they changed
Two fuel lift pumps,
Two fuel pump relays
And finally sorted the problem when they changed the fuel filter!
If I had had had to pay, the bill would have been in the region of £4-5k (injector cost to change was about £600 each).
So I had a virtually new fuel system when it should have been about £20 for a new fuel filter - thank you Mr. BMW "Computer says"
I sold that car three years ago with 250,000 miles on it, to a still satisfied local owner who runs his greyhounds round in it.
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29th June 2020, 02:16 AM
#17
Re: Electronic communications.
Or that radio program “ Ignorance is Bliss“ , the full title should have been “ when ignorance is Bliss it is folly to be wise “. For all the shouting about the importance of further education it is astonishing at the numbers of more than ever ignorant people. Knowledge comes from living life and listening to others who have lived and learned, not by listening to some crackerjack who is just repeating what some other crackerjack told him and passing on further disknowledge , but one only learns this again the hard way I suppose, JS.
A good example of this is our ever dependable media. As is that time of year again for memory’s of the distinct abhorance that I bear to certain aspects of their extreme poor Jounalism, I once again point out outright and misleading misinformation and as it bears ref to me makes that abhorance only worse, a printed headline which said Skipper did not Check ship before he sailed. This headline was construed from that I didn’t stand and count out a few hundred hot water bottles , blankets and towels. If they can make up a headline from that, then what chance the truth ever coming from the lips of such people, especially in these days of fire and pestilence. Maybe the folly to be wise is the best thing for everyone to follow. JS
Last edited by j.sabourn; 29th June 2020 at 02:36 AM.
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29th June 2020, 03:57 AM
#18
Re: Electronic communications.
I posted this a few years ago.
Remarkable Obituary.
Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old fried, Mr Common Sense.
Mr Sense had been with us for many years. No one knew for sure how old he was since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape.
He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons such as knowing when to come out of the rain, why early birds get the worm, and that life isn't always fair.
Common sense lived by simple, sound financial policies {don't spend more than you earn} and reliable parenting startegies {Adults, not kids in charge|
His health began to deteriorate when well intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. _ Reports of a six-year-old charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate, teens suspended from school for using mouth wash after eating their lunch, and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, which only worsened his condition.
Mr Sense declined even further when schools were required to get consent from the parent to administer aspirin to a student, but could not inform the parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.
Finally, Common Sense lost the will to live when the Ten Commandments became contraband, churches became businesses: and criminals received better treatment than their victims. Common Sense finally gave up the ghost after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot, she spilled a bit on her lap, and was awarded a huge financial settlement.
Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents, Truth and Trust,his wife, Discretion, his daughter, Responsibility and his son Reason. He is survived by two stepbrothers, My Rights, and Ima a whiner.
Not many attended his funereal as so few realized that he had gone.
Des
Last edited by Des Taff Jenkins; 29th June 2020 at 04:00 AM.
R510868
Lest We Forget
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29th June 2020, 06:25 AM
#19
Re: Electronic communications.
The current situation with this Virus thing is a good example of how things go wrong.
I have never ever seen so many 'experts' on any subject as we have on this one.
Daily we are subjected to the ravages of a new 'expert' and their theories.
Would not be so bad if they were all singing off the same hymn sheet, but no, all have a different story to tell
It gives a new meaning to artificial intelligence, most of the intelligence they have is artificial.
Happy daze John in Oz.
Life is too short to blend in.
John Strange R737787
World Traveller
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29th June 2020, 07:20 AM
#20
Re: Electronic communications.
#23, not only so many experts but they are also 'hindsight experts' not so easy to take the right perceived path when facing the unknown, I wonder how all these 'experts' would have faired if they had been faced with the unknown and knowing that every move they made would be under public and other expert (?) scrutiny, somehow I think the sales of toilet rolls would have gone up.
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