Jump to content

MacGyver

Admin Team
  • Posts

    8,617
  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    160
  • Feedback

    100%

Posts posted by MacGyver

  1. I will say that siblings on both sides of my family have traded giving gifts for leaving kids at home one evening over the holiday and going out for a meal together.  Sometimes it’s a nice restaurant - sometimes it’s Calhoun’s.  But, it’s a time to just catch up and be thankful. 

  2. I guess I’ll call myself thankful to get to spend a few  days and share a meal with people that I truly love.

    My mom has a habit of buying people presents that are things they’d never buy for themselves.  I asked her about it one time and she said, “you and your sister are productive members of society.  You never call and say the kids are going hungry or we’re going to lose the house or anything like that. I’m glad to get the chance to do something nice.”

    I recognize that’s a privilege a lot families may not have - for a whole lot of reasons. Life is complicated sometimes. But, that’s something that I’ve tried to incorporate into my own life.  Sometimes it’s nice to do something really nice for someone with no expectation of them doing anything in return. 

    • Like 6
  3. 15 minutes ago, Alleycat72 said:

    My 20 year old Daughter has taken up knitting and makes stuff for people. She's actually good so you don't need to pretend you like it.  LOL

    I do admit I find it weird for a forensic science major to be into knitting. 

    FWIW that's probably a sign that she's in the right place.

    When I talk to students about going into forensics, the question I most often ask is whether or not doing the same thing, exactly the same way over and over brings them joy.  If they look at me weird, I can encourage them in a direction that's more suited to them.  If they're like, "oh my goodness yes - then they've found their people."

    • Like 3
    • Haha 2
  4. 3 minutes ago, TennesseeCamper said:

    I am not so sure about that. They weren’t bought by a manufacturer they were bought by an outdoor wholesaler. There is so far no evidence that they will reopen in Virginia. The employees packed up there tools on the last day and either found new jobs or went looking for employment. If they were actually moving the company wouldn’t they try to retain some of the employees?

    Yeah, this actually took place this summer.  They didn't bring anyone over.

    The group that bought them basically bought them for the name.  The new owners will leverage the fact that most people won't know or care that they're not the classic company.  They'll shift all of the manufacturing for whatever lines they keep overseas and "cut costs" to increase their return.

    • Like 1
  5. 13 hours ago, TennesseeCamper said:

    Every Ontario I bought was US made.  They produced a lot of survival knives and bayonets for the military. The 56 employees they let go in New York probably felt they were working for an American Company. 
      Yes I do know all overseas production is cheaper and they pay their employees way less. 
    I agree it’s hard to fight low margins and bigger profits from offshore manufacturing. 
     

    I should have been more clear in my statement above.

    They manufactured the military contract knives here in the states.  I expect winding down the GWOT had an impact on those contracts - I could look them up I guess - but it's not worth it.  Like Colt and so many others - when you depend on the .gov for paying higher than normal processes for a product - you're likely going to have a hard time getting by when those contracts end.

    Most of their folders went overseas years ago.  I remember specifically the outcry in the knife community when they got the rights to produce the RAT folders and did them in China.

    It's a shame, I guess.  I hate it that those folks lost their jobs.  But - I can't find any tears for the company or the private equity folks who cashed out.

    • Like 1
  6. I guess Ontario was an “American company” in principle - but you’d have to stretch to really call It that.  To my knowledge pretty much every knife they made was outsourced to China years ago.

    Now, there are some Chinese producers that are making decent production knives for cheap - and Ontario lost all their margin.

    That's a game you’ll never win  

     

    • Like 1
  7. 1 hour ago, peejman said:

    True, but I also wonder how much additional credit card debit was accrued as a result.  Short term economic gain, long term economic loss.  Big live shows have gotten really expensive in the last few years.

    That’s very true - and there are some legit questions about how long consumer spending will last.

    70% of GDP is consumer spending.  So, to be clear - the American consumer is propping up the whole economy.  It’s not awesome - but it is how it has been for a long time.

    Mind you, all of us *should* be pulling for Taylor.  It matters.  Some of y’all might have noticed that the Fed - with their dual mandate - did 15 consecutive interest rate hikes to try to get inflation down.  They’ve gotten it from better that 9.5 to a little over 3%.  All the while, they’ve kept unemployment low - including some historic lows for some historically underemployed groups.  If you want a proverbial “soft landing” - that is monetary tightening without causing a significant recession - most economists would quietly admit right now that this is about as good as it gets.  They don’t want to jinx it.

    For better or worse - consumers spending on stuff like the Eras tour plays a significant factor in this   


     

     

    • Like 3
  8. She gave out $55 million in bonuses to the crew that worked her tour - including $100k checks to each of her truck drivers.  She didn’t go out and talk about it.  Of course she knew that the recipients would.  They talked about it like it was life changing in some instances.

    Good on her for supporting the people it takes to put that whole thing on.

    https://www.ajc.com/life/taylor-swift-gives-over-55-million-in-bonuses-to-crew-of-her-eras-tour/ZRDGDMJQVRDCFCHB4XX37AVXPM/

    • Like 3
  9. Her tour this summer was significant enough to be measured on a national economic scale.  It was literally quoted in the Beige book as being a differentiator for regions that hosted shows.

    There seems to be a group of people looking to get folks stirred up against her.  I think they’ve likely picked a poor target.

    I’d bet on her. 

    • Like 7
  10. If I were buying an air rifle right now - it would be a Umarex Gauntlet 2.  It‘s a PCP. From my perspective for the price - there’s not a close second.

    But that’s too much rifle for an 11 year old who’s likely still getting handling basics squared away. I’m partial to the classic Crosman 760 Pumpmaster. 

  11. 1 hour ago, E4 No More said:

    Really? I'd think that a liberal like you would love Kissinger.

    How do you figure?

    Kissinger was hard to classify into any one particular bucket - but he was a conservative's conservative.

    I know some Vietnam vets who would argue that his fingerprint was on every death in SE Asia between 1968 and 1975.  I think that's a stretch on some levels - but I see how they get there - and I'm not about to second guess them on their lived experience.

    Augusto Pinochet on the other hand - I think you can reasonably put every one of the 40,000 Chileans who were disappeared under the Pinochet regime at Kissinger's feet.

    • Like 2

TRADING POST NOTICE

Before engaging in any transaction of goods or services on TGO, all parties involved must know and follow the local, state and Federal laws regarding those transactions.

TGO makes no claims, guarantees or assurances regarding any such transactions.

THE FINE PRINT

Tennessee Gun Owners (TNGunOwners.com) is the premier Community and Discussion Forum for gun owners, firearm enthusiasts, sportsmen and Second Amendment proponents in the state of Tennessee and surrounding region.

TNGunOwners.com (TGO) is a presentation of Enthusiast Productions. The TGO state flag logo and the TGO tri-hole "icon" logo are trademarks of Tennessee Gun Owners. The TGO logos and all content presented on this site may not be reproduced in any form without express written permission. The opinions expressed on TGO are those of their authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the site's owners or staff.

TNGunOwners.com (TGO) is not a lobbying organization and has no affiliation with any lobbying organizations.  Beware of scammers using the Tennessee Gun Owners name, purporting to be Pro-2A lobbying organizations!

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to the following.
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Guidelines
 
We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.