Reamed By UPS…

[Sigmund]

Yet another important reason to shun collectivism/socialism. Europeans chose big government and high taxes decades ago. . The US is trying desperately to stave off such a move to the left and leave citizens with a bit of their earnings to spend as they see fit.

The words “Medical Bankruptcy” have no meaning here. Im plenty happy to stay.

Additionally, part if the less buying power is that most Europeans do not own a credit card. They have bank cards but they dont exist in revolving debt spending the same dollar several times over. They also value their time more than stuff.

Lastly, I paid more taxes in the US and got next to nothing for those payments. I run a business and the US is extremely unfriendly to small businesses. In France they encourage small businesses. I had to pay social fees but they waived income tax for the first three years.

Americans think they understand Europe because what the see on tv. They know little to nothing about it.

 

[wyfbane]

The words “Medical Bankruptcy” have no meaning here. Im plenty happy to stay.

Additionally, part if the less buying power is that most Europeans do not own a credit card. They have bank cards but they dont exist in revolving debt spending the same dollar several times over. They also value their time more than stuff.

Lastly, I paid more taxes in the US and got next to nothing for those payments. I run a business and the US is extremely unfriendly to small businesses. In France they encourage small businesses. I had to pay social fees but they waived income tax for the first three years.

Americans think they understand Europe because what the see on tv. They know little to nothing about it.

There has been a silent war on small business here for 20 years. No one hears the cries of the small businessman as they shutter their doors. It is criminal.

 

[Sigmund]

In the US I would pay more for health insurance for my wife and I (even if I didnt use it) than I pay in total taxes here.

Federal Income tax
Medicare/Social security
State tax is most states
Then a fortune for decent health insurance

There is almost no way for a small business to make it. Now the housing cost explosion in many areas has created property tax increases that can be crazy.

Sorry guys but you have been fed propaganda to convince you that your taxes are low. If you are wealthy in the EU your taxes will be high. If you are a mere mortal taxes are around the same. Government is not bigger, in fact I think its smaller. Again, as a small business I pay less than I did in the US and that includes my healthcare aside from a 100 dollar a month suplimentary policy.

Im in good health but my Doc used to see me every 3 months until he got a bit overworked. Now I have a checkup and labs every 6 months. It costs 7 bucks.

So think what you like but we both retired here in our 50s and run a part time business. In the states Id have spent the last 10 years grinding away at a 40 hour week.

 

[Sobrbiker]

There has been a silent war on small business here for 20 years. No one hears the cries of the small businessman as they shutter their doors. It is criminal.

The handling of the pandemic was a very successful campaign in that war, unless you count “influencers” s small businesses-that blight boomed.

 

[Briar Lee]

The unflappable Miss Charlotte pounded into our impressionable and pliable young minds in 1971 that nine out of ten adults worked for wages, and of the ten percent self employed, only about ten per cent of those were truly successful.

About the only real change in the last fifty years is now somebody that’s diabetic or in chronic bad health can afford health insurance if they are self employed.

The folks that are against the dad blasted gubbermint helping to pay for health insurance are not the self employed who write checks each month for their own health care, no they are not.

The best thing about geezerdom, is Medicare at age 65.

Then you get Social Security at 67, if you live that long.

In America today, the average new car is about $50,000 and average new home $400,000 and somehow, some way, we manage to earn an extra four trillion dollars we piss away on imports like coffee, Chinese trinkets, and Imported Briar pipes.

I’m going to have another cup of Kirkland Dark Roast 100% Columbian coffee with Juan Valdez on the three pound steel can.

The can costs $20, and three pounds of coffee make about a hundred cups of strong brew.

Let’s Have Another Cup of Coffee
(1932)

Lookie here. We just tariffed them there Chicoms! How much of my $65, I do not know.

 

[jpberg]

In the US I would pay more for health insurance for my wife and I (even if I didnt use it) than I pay in total taxes here.

Federal Income tax
Medicare/Social security
State tax is most states
Then a fortune for decent health insurance

There is almost no way for a small business to make it. Now the housing cost explosion in many areas has created property tax increases that can be crazy.

Sorry guys but you have been fed propaganda to convince you that your taxes are low. If you are wealthy in the EU your taxes will be high. If you are a mere mortal taxes are around the same. Government is not bigger, in fact I think its smaller. Again, as a small business I pay less than I did in the US and that includes my healthcare aside from a 100 dollar a month suplimentary policy.

Im in good health but my Doc used to see me every 3 months until he got a bit overworked. Now I have a checkup and labs every 6 months. It costs 7 bucks.

So think what you like but we both retired here in our 50s and run a part time business. In the states Id have spent the last 10 years grinding away at a 40 hour week.

Fer shur. Things are a lot better in France.

 

[jpberg]

The unflappable Miss Charlotte pounded into our impressionable and pliable young minds in 1971 that nine out of ten adults worked for wages, and of the ten percent self employed, only about ten per cent of those were truly successful.

About the only real change in the last fifty years is now somebody that’s diabetic or in chronic bad health can afford health insurance if they are self employed.

The folks that are against the dad blasted gubbermint helping to pay for health insurance are not the self employed who write checks each month for their own health care, no they are not.

The best thing about geezerdom, is Medicare at age 65.

Then you get Social Security at 67, if you live that long.

In America today, the average new car is about $50,000 and average new home $400,000 and somehow, some way, we manage to earn an extra four trillion dollars we piss away on imports like coffee, Chinese trinkets, and Imported Briar pipes.

I’m going to have another cup of Kirkland Dark Roast 100% Columbian coffee with Juan Valdez on the three pound steel can.

The can costs $20, and three pounds of coffee make about a hundred cups of strong brew.

Let’s Have Another Cup of Coffee
(1932)

Lookie here. We just tariffed them there Chicoms! How much of my $65, I do not know.

View attachment 406496

I’ll take criticism from the Chicomms, they put up a good fight.
Takes of superiority from the cheese eating surrender monkeys just chaps my ass.

 

[georged]

Takes of superiority from the cheese eating surrender monkeys just chaps my ass.

That's some world class no-shit-taking, rat thar...

 

[howdy]

I placed an order at SPC.eu over the weekend, though I’m regretting it now.

$250 order..

View attachment 406227


I buy/sell internationally with some frequency. In the last two weeks I’ve spent over $300 in Italy and almost $1k in France. Neither of those shipments incurred extra fees. Seems to me getting bent over on these charges is random.

In the documentation, what HTS code did they apply for the pipe? $37.46 on a $250 order is 15%, so, I'm curious:

• What even is the HTS code and import tax rate of a tobacco pipe
• Are they applying the flat rate all-countries 10% tariff and the pipe's rate is 5% on top of that, or did the pipe account for the full 15%

For anyone wondering, the HTS code for pipe tobacco is 2403.19.20.20, and the import tax rate is 32.8 cents per kg. Extremely low, but the brokerage charges can be expensive.

 

[The Benedictine]

I’ll take criticism from the Chicomms, they put up a good fight.
Takes of superiority from the cheese eating surrender monkeys just chaps my ass.

If it wasn't for France you'd still be speaking with a British accent.

 

[Briar Lee]

If it wasn't for France you'd still be speaking with a British accent.

Miss Charlotte taught the rescue of our founding fathers by the French fleet after they’d spent that horrible winter at Valley Forge barefoot in the snow, to 35 years of little Hillbilles.

And we also learned from her, about Longfellow’s Evangeline and the Arcadian Diaspora that gave us New Orleans and Cajuns and Tabasco and Emmylou Harris and The Band.

Evangeline - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

I do not know why the French have such a bad reputation in some quarters today in America.

Maybe they never should have become so famous for making wine and them there sultry mademoiselles, you know?


Who Will Buy the Wine

 

[InWithBothFeet]

The first thing I thought when seeing that thumbnail for the video above is "That girl needs to get that huge mole on her neck checked for the big "C", it can't be healthy.

 

[bluegrassbrian]

In the documentation, what HTS code did they apply for the pipe? $37.46 on a $250 order is 15%, so, I'm curious:

• What even is the HTS code and import tax rate of a tobacco pipe
• Are they applying the flat rate all-countries 10% tariff and the pipe's rate is 5% on top of that, or did the pipe account for the full 15%

For anyone wondering, the HTS code for pipe tobacco is 2403.19.20.20, and the import tax rate is 32.8 cents per kg. Extremely low, but the brokerage charges can be expensive.

I didn’t delve in to the documents deeply.
I’m trying to just forget it.

 

[bootlegpipes]

I didn’t delve in to the documents deeply.
I’m trying to just forget it.

Can we see what you got, at least?

 

[bluegrassbrian]

Can we see what you got, at least?

The pipes?

A Musico and a Blakemar..

 

[TheIronMonkey]

Miss Charlotte taught the rescue of our founding fathers by the French fleet after they’d spent that horrible winter at Valley Forge barefoot in the snow, to 35 years of little Hillbilles.

And we also learned from her, about Longfellow’s Evangeline and the Arcadian Diaspora that gave us New Orleans and Cajuns and Tabasco and Emmylou Harris and The Band.

Evangeline - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

I do not know why the French have such a bad reputation in some quarters today in America.

Maybe they never should have become so famous for making wine and them there sultry mademoiselles, you know?


Who Will Buy the Wine

Figured I’d share this because you might appreciate it:



When my 60th Birthday Savinelli Autograph Eccezionale got shipped to me, it came via UPS—their fees plus the duties were very high; there was also the added stress that Customs seemed to think it was some sort of metal pipe (maybe the hinges of the blue box triggered sensors?) and might be seized and destroyed because of some hazardous materials statute. That was a stressful day requiring several phone calls and explanations that it was a briar pipe for smoking tobacco (the high declared value by Savinelli probably threw them off—who knows?) Just glad it worked out.

 

[bootlegpipes]

The pipes?

A Musico and a Blakemar..
View attachment 406640
View attachment 406641

Glad to see that Blakemar end up here! I saw it a few weeks ago and thought it was too pretty to not be smoked.

 

[howdy]

I didn’t delve in to the documents deeply.
I’m trying to just forget it.

It's right on the front. Example of the wrong code being applied to a UPS Estervals shipment:

 

[bluegrassbrian]

Glad to see that Blakemar end up here! I saw it a few weeks ago and thought it was too pretty to not be smoked.

With SP.eu’s minimal photos and descriptions, I had only the one profile picture to go on. Turned out a winning bet.
It’s going to get a Dibos stem too.

 

[elvishrunes]

The peril you run into is that the Chinese would have no qualms whatsoever curing that briar with something that is overtly toxic, so long as it looked good and some schlep would buy it. They don't care if their own people croak early so they certainly dont give a crap if some long winded barrister from MO gets got.

plus, lots of discussions of stains fading, rubbing off, and yes inferior materials. I’d just buy one Sav over 2 or three Chinese. They do make some good stuff now but it’s a risk.
Or buy estates.