icantdrive55

Watch repair:

The watch repair manual, by Fried

Practical watch repairing, by De Carle

The Swiss Watch repairer's manual, by Jendritzki (This book is great, but don't pay more than $75. After Fried's book it pulls in all the information nicely.)

Bulova Repair Training Manual

Chicago school of watchmaking (There's no copyright on this course. A guy on EBay has been scaring people for years. He does not own the copyright.)

Bestfit encyclopedia of Watch Parts 1 & 2

The clock and watch makers guide to gear making

George Daniels Watchmaking

I'll be writing my own book in the future. It will be a modern take on the repair of mechanical watches. It will have a lot of pictures. It will be direct, and to the point.

If you are interested in watch repair; I would do it as a hobby. I couldn't imagine making a good living repairing watches.

The bigger watch brands do not want to sell spare parts. That just might change in the future? Right now, it looks dim. Rolex, and the Swatch Group basically want to dictate whom, and where you can elect to get your watch repaired. Most times it the factory, at factory prices.

If you get into watch repair throughly, your appreciation of watches might change. When there's no mystery, there's no magic, I guess?

You are a good person. A better peson than myself.

"For that matter, how many people even change their own brakes (one of the easiest DIY tasks, IMO)?"

Most poor people, middle class (what's left).

Although rental agreements, and section 8 leases prohibit working on any vechicle on said properties.

The average person should know how to repace at least the front disc brake pads. (Jack, torx, or 12-13 mm socket, c-champ to push fluid back into reservoir, and pads. 2 hour job.)

Yes, a manual clutch is another story, but if you have access to a garage, or lot, it's a weekend job.

Still it's two jacks, socket set, 3/8 torq wrench (most shops don't bother torque), flashlight, jack stands, clutch pack set, with includes plastic clutch alignment tool. It's a long weekend job. It goes quicker if you have a friend who's done one before, or a strong young person who's been under a vechicle at least a few times.

So yes, there are so many of us who just don't have the funds to hire people to do things.

I am one of those people. Hell, I still cut my hair with a vacuume cleaner?

Poor people are in a bind when trying to fix their jalopy because rental housing is so restrictive. (In other parts of the country, I imagine it's not so bad, but in the Bay Area landlords usually have 42 pages of cant's.)

My point is so many Americans just don't have the luxury of having someone else do the work anymore.

In my world, the repairability of a product is of utmost importance.

Then again, I am stumped over anyone spending $1000 for a dumb phone. Giving money to a company who builds their products overseas, and can't figure out what to do with their profits.

I do give them props for security though. I guess if I was important enough, iron clad security would be worth a lot more than a grand?

I will use my three Apple products until they die.

I will then rely on the surplus of perfecly good products discarded by the wealthy, or people whom think things will will always be ok.

Sorry about the rant. There's so many products that are unfeasible, or impossible to fix. It's like the government forgot The Sherman Anti-trust Act? I feel weird about bringing up the Act? Why? Because we are talking about a phone. A dumb phone? It's not so dumb when you can't get schematics on on the electronics in your boiler, or can't get repair codes off your vechicle.

"Nowadays you can get good robotized gearboxes that have almost none of the disadvantages, except for a slightly higher price."

1. These automatic transmissions are still the weak spot on most vechicles.

2. They still use clutch bands that wear. The trannies are anything but simple. Most mechanics farm out rebuilding a tranny. I would recon that a malfunctioning automatic transmission us the number one cause of junked vechicles, besides wrecked vechicles.

3. It's straight forward weekend job to replace a clutch.

4. We all know modern engines can put close to 300,000 miles on them. Manufacturers know it. There's a reason they only give 70-100k on the tranny.

5. A modern automatic transmission is not a simple fix. Even AMCO guys are learning on your dime (notice they won't just give a price for a complete rebuild over the phone? AMCO in San Rafael, CA. Yea, I remember you slick.)

6. When checking a used vechicle, check that tranny fluid. It should be pink as a baby's butt. (Even then--there's no guarantee. The seller could have just changed the fluid. It shouldn't be black, brown, or smell burnt.

7. Sorry about my tirate on automatic transmissions. I've been to Automotive school, and worked as a mechanic for two years. The Automatic Transmission always intimided me.

If anyone could come up with clutch bands that don't wear, well let's say, you could dine with the 1 percenters? Tyat that be hell though?

I don't think it matters to those that can afford the service?

Amazon captured peoples trust, and those with funds buy their counterfeit, overpriced goods. Along with that Prime scam. (I have kept track of their portable AM radios for ten years. Every year the price slowely ticket up.).

I fell for the Prime scam, until I realized I payed $130 in shipping for two items----along with the movies I never watched. (Amazon prime now sends you a reminder when your membership is due. Two months ago, the customer had the ability to cancel the upcoming month in advance. I don't know if they think we don't notice, or don't care?)

Anyhoo, I don't see any competition. Sad? All that VC money being poured into apps that will fail, and no one takes on the beast? Alibaba is not competition for those of us in the states.

For years, I've been wanting a book sorting app.

I've wanted a app that I can take a digital picture of my 12' x 8' wall of uncatorgized books, and the program will tell he roughly where the book looking for is physically.

For instance, the "Book you are requesting is located top right, second shelf from the top."

I've thought about building one, but I don't see a market. Maybe, Librarians, and what's left of book stores? For instance, "Hay the computer says we have that book, but someone probably put it in the wrong section? Go use that app?"

App: take picture, hard part (would pull titles on spines of books, and put into database. Don't have a clue if that's even possible, without huge financial resources? Yes-it would be OCR, but what open source program could I fool with?)

(I'm also considering getting rid of most of my books. It's kinda tough. I've spend a lifetime collecting reference books, and 1st editions. To get a idea of the used book market, I have had over 100 pretty current computer/programming books on CL for $500, and one person was interested, and that was a scam.)

I really think most Psychiatrists know how addictive Benzodiazepines are, but Americans are very stressed out.

In my case, I busted a gasket in my twenties. I went from the most capable person in the room, to the trembling guy who could barely leave his room. I can honestly say it ruined my life.

I was given a benzo with a long half life. It worked a bit, but I never fully recovered. I think we all know the drug. 40 hour half life.

I tried all kinds of medications over the years, and nothing worked except benzodiazepines , and alcohol. Yes--alcohol hits so many different parts of the brain, but is horrid on the body. I really tried to avoid alcohol, but some days the anxiety susptoms we just unbearable.

I've been on the long half life benzodiazepine for decades. I take the same dose low dose, and try not to drink.

I've never even asked my doctor, but he knows my low dose isn't going to cause physical problems. They are better than alcohol, if you're self-medicating. I belive his thinking is I need the drug. I've been on it forever. Why put him through a misserable detox, at this stage of the game?

There are a few big studies done on patients whom were on opiates, and benzodiazepines for long periods of time. They didn't necessarily need to increase their dosages. I believe the studies were done on rest home geriatric patients.

I feel at my age, what's the point of a long withdrawal. It's easy to say for myself because my doctor has reasonable rates. He is getting close to retirement, and that has me very worried. The last thing I want is a long misserable detox.

I don't like the way this drug problem is playing out. I don't like blaming doctors. All their patients are very different.

My wish is we let, especially Psychiatrists, make these hard calls concerning what's best for their patients. That's what they went to school for.

I don't know why we are even discussing it here.

I don't want to live in a world where doctors send their patients home a mess because they are afaird of being accused of some sinister reason for keeping a patient on a addictive drug.

In all reality, so many doctors just don't prescribe certain drugs. Probally, one of the main reasons why former patients go to the streets, or liquor stores.

(I would further like to see a governmental bill that would allow patients, whom have been on addictive drugs for years, the ability to authorize their own scripts. The Same dose, and any increase would require a doctor's visit. At this point my office visits are pointless. There is a bill that is in congress now I believe, but it's for drugs that aren't addictive. I doubt the AMA will ever let it pass though.)

Again with the Prop 13?

I'm about to give up, and let history repeat itself.

Yes--if an child inherits a house, they can inherit the property tax their parents paid, if they fill out the paperwork within 120 days-- I believe. Multiple children usually inherit the family home, with the eventual angry sale. The home goes back on the market, and full property taxes are paid.

Most kids aren't inheriting mansions. The're usually track houses in need of repairs. Most of the kids had blue collar parents, and never thought their bungalow would be worth a million dollars.

It's really getting old. If the younger set had any idea how politicians wasted that Prop 13 money; we wouldn't be blaming our current problems on Prop 13.

Blame your boss who who just has to live in the best neighborhood, with the best climate.

I guarantee if Prop 13 was repealed REITS, rich foreigners, and Zuckerburg types would swoop in and buy up most of the stock, and rent it back to employees.

Person who didn't see their dad crying at the dinner table, "But at least we would have more tax money?". Look at how your county spends your property taxes now; Not so good?

Yea--I'm not blaming doctors, nor drug companies.

Americans are misserable on so many levels. I believe most people who really liked opiates, are also very depressed.

Life in America, since the 80'-90's has been not great for many of us.

I'm not suprised people liked a drug that lifted the depression, and completely took away the anxiety.

It will be the ultimate Wealthy Boy ride/experience.

It's too bad the average scientist, especially astronomers, astrophysicists won't be able to afford to ride the ride?

(I'm not suspose to bring up the wealth divide in America, but it's been just so---what's the word--obvious. I'm at the point where I'm thinking about the future. A future where companies will just cater to the small percentage of the population with the biggest wad? Yea--I'm envious. )

It's about going too far, and yes--there is a line.

I don't find it "interesting" in the slightest.

People, even at work, should have some privacy rights.

I don't think a Worker's Privacy Bill will get passed in the near future. The corporations have won for now. It's too bad.

We are so conditioned to being abused by corporations they have us arguing over where the line is.

These corporations know hiring will never be a problem for most positions, so why not get cute?

In any organization, when you don't have any team spirit; your employees/widgets will find ways to screw you over.

I find Amazon's hand monitor patent appalling.

(I'm dropping you again Amazon--thanks for another reason. I was going to drop them because they changed the way to drop the monthly Prime plan, but this news was the last straw.)

"Only in August 2017 had oBike pulled off one of the largest series B rounds on record in Southeast Asia to raise US$45 million from a venture capital firm linked to a co-founder of Russia’s Mail.Ru Group a mysterious “leading global transportation platform” and several unnamed family offices in Southeast Asia. "

1. I bet they got payed off, or they got their money laundered in some other way?

2. So many Chinese companies seem to go out of their way to be fraudulent; I don't have much sympathy for investors anymore.

3. There used to be Investment Guys out there trying to expose shady Chinese companies, companies like NQ mobile, but I just don't hear much from them. I guess they figure if you invest with shady entities, don't expect your money back?

4. I love the back stories on these boy geniuses. Just lie until you thrive?

The unemployment numbers don't mean much. This economy is hanging on by by a few sectors that are barely successful. The 1% won. And when I watch Norma Rae--I realize that movie couldn't be made today. The cotton owners just moved the machines to another county--eliminating unions, and workers.

Oh yea, opiate addiction is not due to befuddled doctors, and corporations. It's due to a country wide depression. People are misserable on so many levels, while spirituality is kinda dead.

If you have the need to talk to someone, you can find low cost Therapists.

They are usually students, but I found they were better than the licensed MFCC, and PhDs. The sessions are recorded, and listened to by a licensed therapist.

I believe most medi-cal doctors will prescribe antidepressants. Yes--the medi-Cal system is not great. The drug formulary is workable though. There are some very good medi-cal doctors though. They don't have the much time with the patients, but if you go in with depressive symptoms they will prescribe. A nurse might give you a depression screening. They never worked for myself, but I was told I'm not really depressed. And as my doctor always said, "All my patients are different."

The average medi-cal doctor writes prescriptions for psychotropic drugs daily.

Hang in there. I don't know your age, but the twenties/thirties are a bitch. Just a cluster puck of hormones, expectations, etc.

Don't let this society drive you nuts. The economy is suspose to be blissful. I don't see it. I just see the wealthy getting ahead. I notice so many very unhappy people. We are at a weird time in history?

If I had a do-over, I don't think I would have tried so many anti-depressants. I fell for the advertising. But--but, I'm no Psychiatrist.

Oh yea, too much alcohol can make depressive symptoms worse. I'm not preaching, but I know first hand.

(A bit off topic, but sometimes not having great insurance is not a bad thing in the long run. I have met a few people with good insurance that are vastly overmedicated.)

I didn't expect Internet based companies, like Amazon, to fix homelessness.

That said, I'm saddened that the town council caved in so quick.

Our biggest problem is homlessness.

All I know, is it's basically illegial to live without a perment shelter in this once great country. Yes--once great. I'm not sure what's great about it anymore. If I had a do over, I would have hightailed it to France, or Canada in my twenties.

Can't sleep anywhere, including your car, without breaking some law.

There's know-where to go to the bathroom once they know you are homeless.

The industrious will find food. That's about all they might find. That food will eventually need to leave the body though? I just don't understand not providing bathrooms. I'm not homeless, and I have a hard time finding a restroom in San Francisco.

This country was founded by in debt homeless individuals? All the settlers were basically camping out?

Homelessness is our biggest problem.

It's beyond debating.

We need to open up available federal, state, and county land to camping.

We need to repeal all laws that have essentially criminalized being without a perment shelter.

I don't want to debate.

I've had too many friends die on the streets. Their last days were filled with overly aggressive cops ticketing them. That whole "fix the broken window theory" is policy for most counties now.

Even to those that have a home, and a good job; do you like living in a country with so many laws? Laws that are designed to trip you up if you are poor, or even middle class.

I'm sick of it.

Yes--every government employee stereotypes, and profiles. Government employees=federal, state, and local.

It's embarrassing, and I'm questioned all those days in grade school I repeated the Pleadge of Allegiance.

If I had a do over; I would have high tailed it to Europe, or Canada in my twenties.

It scares me.

I think about that what Musk said about Robots. He said, 'In the future, we will need a strobe scope to see robots'.

Automation scares me more than my state requiring me to buy insurance for my jalopy? (Insurance that seems like the price was colluded, but I will never be able to prove it. And that's second to the clever way the Insurance industry brainwashed us, and our legislatures.)

I'm a chit job guy.

I'm usually the guy with two lousy jobs, and the lousy jobs are slowly being eliminated by machines. Or, being filled by immigrants who wouldn't think about rocking the boat at their new career. People just happy to be alive? I get it.

I get it, but this used to be America. We knew we were a bit spoiled, but very greatful we were born here too.

People are clamoring over this great current economy.

Yes--I see a lot of tech guys driving new cars, and very satisfied in life. Well except the rent? I just see so many people with jobs that are a few years of being irrelevant. And yes--many will be tech. On a personal note, I know three homeless people. Two were former Programmers.

The chit jobs, including construction, will always be there, but they are paying less, and less, while expecting more. Yes--Mike Rowe I'll move to the middle of the country for a six month welding gig, usually tied to some natural resource that's hot.

The chit jobs I'm looking at are really getting bad.

Uber always poops up. Yea--I'm going to buy a Uber approved vechicle, and drive at their whim. It's like they pride thenselfs over screwing over a potential employee?

What I'm trying to say, is it seems like the wealthy are doing their best to eliminate guys like me, and with robots they look clever? Not greedy, but clever--

They didn't like unions, so move the whole racket overseas.

They still want to rid humans from the equation; build better robots. Something our Forefathers wouldn't have even hallucinated about when writing that document (The Constitution) that kinda served us well, or some of us?

Now--in order to make things more efficient--let the robots do the job. And get rid of that employee, along with his retirement account, and his pesky health care demands!

The movie Norma Rae, starring Sally Field, couldn't be filmed today. I was watching it the other night, and while I loved it, I just thought about currently empty (I'm assuming) Cotton Factory sitting empty in the Midwest. In the movie, the machines were the robots. The machines weren't the enemy though, it was the greedy owners.

The owners finally found a way to rid themselfs of those pesky unions by moving.

If machines/robots get so good, the greedy owners will be able to eliminate all human help. The world will be there marketplace. Every country will have the 1 percent, and there spawn who will buy, and the few who have very protected jobs, like doctors. (Doctors are a bad example. They are only protected here.)

Guys like me will dead, or like zombies stumbling around the buildings while the robots do their job. (I'm sorry about this essay. I know it's convoluted.)

I watch tv, and see the wealthy yelling things at a machine, and the items showing up on doorstep. Where will people be the money to pay for the connivence?

It's gonna all be rosy for the the wealthy, but guys like me will be delivering the packages, until a robot takes that job.

(Sorry about the discombobulated essay. I'm just seeing happy people, and way, way too many misserable/Homlessness people.)

I had a teacher in high school tell a student to go home, after a disagreement.

The kid didn't show up for two days.

On the third day, my teacher went to the kid's house, and asked him to come back. The kid said he dropped out of school. He told my teacher it wasen't his fault, he was planning too.

Well, my teacher was never the same. He went from a enthusiast guy to someone who didn't say too much. He talked about the kid the entire semester. He claimed he went to the kids house, and begged him to give school another chance.

To this day, I think about how one, usually ego driven comment/directive, can affect a person's life. I'm talking about the teacher's life.

I don't know what happened to the student, but I think about the guilt of that teacher, and how he carried it around.

"Sure, maybe it is just an age thing, and nothing has really changed. But I don't know... I feel like the Internet used to be something special, and now it feels like flipping through TV channels in your office break room."

At one time, I could get any book, journal, or work of art off the Internet for free.

Yes--it was wrong, but it was also magical. Those days are gone, unless you live in a country that allows it?

Today, I seem to go to the same monopolized websites. Websites that seem to control me? I never felt that in 2007.

Hackernews is my one of my three sites I go to.

And yes--it was so nice when celebrities didn't know how to use the internet. So--so nice.

I wonder if artists/authors/creators are better off with today's internet?

(Yes, downloading was against the law. I don't need a lecture. That period of history was exciting though.)

This has to stop.

It's been going on way too long. I think about it every time I see a cop.

It's 10x worse than when I was growing up because municipalities realized no one was keeping track of the amounts of the fees/fines, and they just raised them.

Along with making everything against some law?

I really think the only way to stop it is to tie Fees/fines to income.

I just want a fair shake.

I don't want Fees, while giving me 0 interest.

I don't need a physical location, but would like a place I can sent a check to. Just an ATM? Forget the fancy office no-one goes in anymore? Oh yea, technological security would be appreciated. Never understood why they don't sent an email everytime I use a debt card?

I don't care about the loan because they will never give me one. I get it. This is America. The place where the poor get one chance, usually a high interest credit card.

(This is what most America's want. Most of us are barely getting by, and I believe banks have colluded on fees. And they are still redlining. Loans--well it's so much more than good credit, and pay stubs. It's basically dad signing away the family house in order for most of us to get a decent loan, and some of us would never take that risk.)

Local police departments are using that Broken Window theory to harass the Homeless so they leave, or end up in jail.

In my county, we don't have much crime, but Homlessness was inching up there.

Hell, I live in Marin County. The enclave to the successful Founders. They make their wad, and many end up here. They like to "act" liberal.

Well, the cops basically harass the homeless. I have an aqqaintance who lives basically in a Scotch Broom thicket.

He told me the how the Coos are ticketing for everything. If you claim you didn't do one of these alleged crimes, they just come down on you harder. He said, I live in fear. I used to worry about dying on the streets with pneumonia; now I worry I will end up in San Quentin. 'Hell--maybe, I'd be better off?'

Marin County dosen's have a big crime problem, but Homlessness was inching up.

I recently saw a middle aged women commit the crime of sitting on a sidewalk. She just sat down. I thought she must be tired.

Well five cops came raining down on her.

A big female cop, picked her up, threw her against a wall, and frisked her aggressively. The cop appeared to enjoy treating this women terribly? Yes--the cop seemingly enjoyed her job too much?

Cops, "I don't recognize her? She must be homeless?"

They then emptied her purse on the sidewalk. A tampon, and a stick of Chapstick rolled into the wet gutter. Her well worn journal/phone book was face down getting wet. It was a depressing scene.

It seemed like they were all asking her questions at the same time. They warned her to, "just get on that bus!"

They took digital pictures of her.

The whole ugly incident was out of a Spielberg picture.

I couldn't believe the way she was being treated. Most of us would be taliking to a lawyer after an incident like that?

This is America's new way of dealing with Homlessness.

My county has basically one homeless shelter. It's usually filled up, and has a arms list of rules.

Again, my county has very little crime. We just have people who were inched out of the game. Some had mental breakdowns. Some were screwed over by family members--"loved ones". Sone just lost their job.

Many were former Programmers, or at least the one's I'm familiar with. Yes--it seems like a lot of Programmers end up homless?

It makes sence in a way. You turn forty/fifty, and you're expendable. No unions. Usually--far from family. No options? And no real skills. You spent your best days thinking everything will be o.k., until that day. You show up to interviews, but no call backs. Your skills get rusty. The bank account dwindles.

I'm really appalled at how cites are taking care of the Homeless problem. All I can do is write about what I see.

And yes--I'm very close to being harassed by some cop too. Great feeling?

Let me repeat, my county has very little crime. So little, newspapers use police logs as humor. For instance,"Woman reported ugly man picking lemons off the ground. We couldn't find perpetrator after a lengthy search of the neighborhood."

I guess Rudy's way of cleaning up New York is the new norm? Harass, and use the system to get them to move?

The problem is my county has virtually no crime? We just can't afford another rate increase, and many if us have no social network to fall back upon.

Just looked up the nonprofits 990's and it looks like a decent nonprofit.

I only looked at the three highest paid employees though. I didn't calculate adverting, and company expenses to money sent out to the cause. I never used to be this leary of nonprofits. I guess I'm just getting old, and seen way too many people abusing nonprofit status?

(Waystar takes public information and makes it easy for the user to evaluate a 501c3. Waystar recently made it harder to access the financials, but they are still Free with registration. You can see the last three years usually. Use a throwaway email because they do like to market.)

The trick is getting in a good union, like local 6 in San Francisco.

You won't run out of job opportunities if your book 1 union.

Yes--construction is not a great job. Out if of all the Trades; Electrical is a bit better than the rest. It's less physically taxing.

Union Elevator Mechanic might be the best trade?

So much depends on your attitude. If you like going to work, sweating, getting dirty, and going home without much worry--in a good union you are making over $100/hr. Listening to some of the guys takes patience, but you will never hear, "It sounds like you have a case of the mondays, or have to listen to some jack arse pontificating in a meeting.

Non-union is just aweful. You are better off in retail. If very motivated, use the non-union shop to gain experience, and then get a C-10 contractor's licence.

That said, there's only a few cities I would consider working in.

Mike Rowe (the t.v. guy who's made himself the ambassador of "working hard". I personally think he is exploiting a bad situation.). goes around as the prince of the Trades. He always yacking about these jobs that go unfilled. Most of these jobs are non-union, in the middle of the rust belt, and are temporary. There's a reason these jobs go unfilled.

So if you don't mind getting dirty, ex king up early, being around sweaty guys all day long; keep an eye out for the union admittance test. Some unions have over 1000 people taking the test for a few spots.

It's an easy test, but get every question right. The oral interview counts for half.

(I was in the union a year. I got a better opportunity, so I left. Looking back--I probally should have finished the apprenticeship, but did not want to turn into my father. I literally saw myself turning into him. Oh yea, watch the drinking. It's ok to come in with a hangover, but heavens forbid marijuana.

In all honestly, a lot of guys smoked pot. It's only the bigger job sites that required a drug test. Even then, when I worked at Pacbell park, guys would stop smoking a few weeks before showing up for to the job site, and within a few days they were back to smoking.

There was one statistic about working construction that always bothered me. Too many guys were waiting for retirement to really live their lives. They would collect a few retirement checks, and die. A lot of that was probally the wrong diet, and too much drinking?

Good luck!

If someone held a gun to my head, and told he to open a restaurant with my meager saving; I always felt it would be a take-out burrito place.

I don't think I've ever met anyone who didn't like a burrito, or pizza.

My point is I think a clean burrito joint would go over practically anywhere.

It needs to be clean, and the portions need to be generous, and the owner needs to keep an eye on the business.

I'm a former General Contractor. (Actually still a contractor, but inactive status.)

This is very possible.

Do it when you are young though. Don't wait.

Start learning now.

If serious, and have the time, land, and funds for materials, go out and buy pretty much every book related to building Taunton Publising offers.

Start with Working Along. A Taunton book with tips on Working Alone.

Learn Electrical Residential wiring early on. (I have found most DIY'er have a terrible understanding of Electrical Theory, Layout of branch, home-run circuits, and all the NEC codes. It's not that difficult.

Learn about Plumbing/HVAC. You will be suprised it's not that difficult. (Radiant heating is not that complicated.)

My biggest regret is not building a house completely in my thirties. I was basically a Contractor Handyman, and never build a house from scratch.

And to be honest, even though I have accumulated the knowledge to do the job now; I'm just not physically what I was in my twenties, plus I'm filled with neurotic anxiety.

It's ironic, when I was in my twenties/thirties, I didn't have all the knowledge to build a large house. Now I have the knowledge, I question my physical abilities. And I'm scared of risk more than ever. In so many ways, I have given up. If I had a kid, our first project would be building him/her a house.

That's why I say do it young. What makes it really feasible these days are the quality of the info out there.

To the poor kids out there--really try to build that house early on. You won't regret it. It's better than any stock portfolio.

100 years ago they were made on a hand crank hobbing tool, or wheel engine.

I don't know about these days.

I hear a lot of you talking about ETA movement.

Great movements, but buy them up while you can.

Swatch Group will cease selling their movements to just anyone.

There's enough movements in the secondary market to keep most home hobbiests happy though.

The Swatch Group, and The Wilsdorf Foundation (Rolex) will not sell parts/movements to pretty much everyone.

These practices are killing the watch repair industry, and making fools out of anyone who buys a quality watch.

Certain supply houses (Cousins UK) are fighting the monopolistic behavior, but the lawsuits are going nowhere.

So that custom watch, with the ETA movement is really not yours if you can't buy parts for the movement.

Our government (USA) knows about the problem, but has bigger fish to fry?

"When this case happens, I explain in good term that they should buy a slightly better quality next time;"

1. I guarantee 99% of the comsumers out there don't know quality, from junk.

That whole, "You get what you pay for just doesn't equate to this last two decades." I'm taking comsumer goods mainly. I could give example, after example, but just too tired.

I'll give a couple examples.

Vechicles--the buyer has no clue, or real way to find out which vechicles are engineered well. And that's the reason we have movie stars still pitching products.

Laptops--I just happened to have a 2000 Dell Laptop brochure on my desk. I was going to recycle it, but grew melancholy when looking at the quality of the laptops. They were built to last. As opposed to what we are offered today.

"these cafés attract in general "alternative" people. I've got no problem with that, but I'm a bit fed up with conspirationists, anti-nuclear, really left-wing people."

Give me an "alternative" mind over a conformist, corporate stooge any day. Those quirkey people bring change. They question the status quo. Again too tired to list examples. Almost every new invention was though of by a "alternative person". The rich boys usually had the resources enough to capitalize on it though.

There's a lot of people who weren't invited to the party.

The "able bodied, but aren't working number is close to an all time high. I believe it's higher than when women stayed at home while hubby worked?

I have never seen this amount of homelessness. I see daily. Im becoming too hardened to the suffering.

People used to have the privilege of having two shitty jobs. Now--those jobs are coveted, as careers, by hard working immigrants--that see nothing wrong with fitting six people in a 10 x 12 foot room.

Look at the jobs on Craigslist. Work with us for three hours a day, or on call? So many are just rediculious. Buy a four door, late model car, we approve of, and go into a slow debt death. Or, the amount of thieving bastards who know they can get away with terrible work conditions, and pay that makes showing up debatable.

Crime is down. Cameras are everywhere. People/business don't use cash like they used too. Surveillance is everywhere. And like always, the rich seem to get treated better by the justice system? Fees/fines have never been so high. Only the wealthy can afford to commit crimes? Oh, and they do run afoul of so many laws.

Look at all the young scholars who are living at home. Many living at a family home that will probally not be passed down because mom and dad will be forced into a reverse mortgage.

In tech--yes, the party is fierce. I do notice the new cars. I notice the carefree attitude. There's a liberal air of "Hay--it's just hard work? I'm just more clever than that guy?".

I hope it all lasts.

I guarantee so many of you will be right here wondering what the hell happened, on a old device? I think a new version of the punk movement will pop up. The hippie movement won't be the joke it currently is. Hell--the denial might protect a lot of you when the money dries up?