And I thought I was out of control....
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Gold Member Username: DmitchellOttawa, Ontario Canada Post Number: 3032 Registered: Feb-07 | http://www.electronichouse.com/article/print/diyer_spends_1_million_on_audio/ |
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Platinum Member Username: Jan_b_vigneDallas, TX Post Number: 13906 Registered: May-04 | . Chances are his $1m represents a smaller % of his total worth that what you have sunk in your system against your assets. I would suspect that's true for most of us. That's not good news but it's probably true. . |
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Gold Member Username: DmitchellOttawa, Ontario Canada Post Number: 3033 Registered: Feb-07 | Unfortunately, you're probably right. |
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Silver Member Username: SoundgameToronto, Ontario Canada Post Number: 974 Registered: Jun-08 | It's all relative but I'd love to get a demo of his system. Wish there were more pics. |
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Silver Member Username: SoundgameToronto, Ontario Canada Post Number: 975 Registered: Jun-08 | O.k. here's some more pics of Ivan's system. http://www.hometheaterdesignmag.com/traditional/207mc/ |
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Platinum Member Username: NuckPost Number: 13419 Registered: Dec-04 | Too bad Malloy hates the 'global' Mac logo so much. This probably drives him batty. hehe Even I have no use for this much stuff, man. |
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Silver Member Username: SoundgameToronto, Ontario Canada Post Number: 978 Registered: Jun-08 | I know what ya mean Nuck. I'd have no place to put it, I'd honestly end up selling half of it...so what would that leave me ...well about $500,000 U.S. worth of equipment...sounds about right. |
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Gold Member Username: My_rantzAustralia Post Number: 2480 Registered: Nov-05 | After attaining a university degree to run that system, one needs patience while waiting a week or two to fire it up. Makes a lifestyle system seem not so silly :-) I hope he's tapped into a local power station. |
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Gold Member Username: Mike3Wylie, Tx USA Post Number: 2130 Registered: May-06 | The fact that he became a dealer of the products says the most to me. I think JV's right about the expense ratio. Let's see, new MAC speakers, $100K, hmmm, maybe I can sell this place I call home and then pick up a pair of them. |
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Gold Member Username: DmitchellOttawa, Ontario Canada Post Number: 3035 Registered: Feb-07 | You could live in the box they came in Mike. I'm sure they'd be pretty roomy, and Mac boxes are quite well put together. |
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Gold Member Username: ExerciseguyFort Hamilton, NY United States Post Number: 2888 Registered: Oct-04 | That McIntosh "Global" logo gear is tastefully hidden behind the speakers. Personally, I'm not too fond of boxing up all that gear in a wall unit, but it's his million dollars. |
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Gold Member Username: ExerciseguyFort Hamilton, NY United States Post Number: 2889 Registered: Oct-04 | http://southflorida.blockshopper.com/property/484103110920/6454_nw_93rd__drive/ |
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Platinum Member Username: NuckPost Number: 13447 Registered: Dec-04 | Should I bid now? |
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Silver Member Username: SoundgameToronto, Ontario Canada Post Number: 990 Registered: Jun-08 | The price of the house I can understand but over $17,000 in property taxes...and I thought it was bad in Pickering - not even close. |
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Platinum Member Username: NuckPost Number: 13451 Registered: Dec-04 | No state taxes in FLA, George. But the state has run the place into the ground. Hurricane insurance is another 8,000/yr. |
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Silver Member Username: SoundgameToronto, Ontario Canada Post Number: 999 Registered: Jun-08 | Then why are $17,287 shown in property tax for 2007...?? |
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Platinum Member Username: NuckPost Number: 13452 Registered: Dec-04 | Instead of income tax, they get prop taxes. |
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Gold Member Username: SoundgameToronto, Ontario Canada Post Number: 1003 Registered: Jun-08 | Ahhh. That makes a huge difference..I'm enlightened..well maybe a little bit. |
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Silver Member Username: MagfanUSA Post Number: 507 Registered: Oct-07 | Same tax situation in Oregon. No sales tax. People in 'border' states cross over for as much shopping as they can manage. Property tax is pretty hi. In Kalifornia, we got it ALL. I predict there will eventually be a tax surcharge. 'mo betta, no? Gotta go. Some Brownshirts are knocking on my door. |
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Platinum Member Username: NuckPost Number: 13457 Registered: Dec-04 | Taking you away to the beer hall for a putch? |
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Platinum Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 10695 Registered: Feb-05 | No sales tax in Oregon but the income tax is ridiculously high. |
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Gold Member Username: SoundgameToronto, Ontario Canada Post Number: 1009 Registered: Jun-08 | Art, all I gotta say is you U.S. folks don't know what taxes are until you get north of the border. Us Canuks have too much elbow room - so we pay for it in tax. |
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Platinum Member Username: NuckPost Number: 13459 Registered: Dec-04 | Great big place and nobody here. |
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Gold Member Username: Mike3Wylie, Tx USA Post Number: 2133 Registered: May-06 | Somehow I do not think that it is the taxes keeping away the masses. LOL |
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Platinum Member Username: NuckPost Number: 13463 Registered: Dec-04 | Is it the snow, maybe? |
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Gold Member Username: Mike3Wylie, Tx USA Post Number: 2134 Registered: May-06 | Just might be. |
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Platinum Member Username: NuckPost Number: 13467 Registered: Dec-04 | Or Americans stay home to see the Stanley Cup? darn |
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Gold Member Username: Mike3Wylie, Tx USA Post Number: 2135 Registered: May-06 | Well, yeah, since with one exception we have won it every year since 1990. |
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Platinum Member Username: NuckPost Number: 13469 Registered: Dec-04 | But my national animal is a beaver!  |
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Gold Member Username: SoundgameToronto, Ontario Canada Post Number: 1010 Registered: Jun-08 | Beaver beats BALD eagles, anyday. Any real man would agree....though a BALD beaver...well that's another story. |
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Gold Member Username: DmitchellOttawa, Ontario Canada Post Number: 3048 Registered: Feb-07 | LOL! You're a true Canuck George. |
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Gold Member Username: Stu_pittIrvington, New York USA Post Number: 3474 Registered: May-05 | You think $17k in property taxes is bad? They'd be higher where I live, plus add income tax and 8.25% sales tax on everything but un-prepared food (chips, soda, et al. get taxed too), and you get my neighborhood. Welcome to Westchester County, NY, home of the highest property tax rate in the US. My landlord pays a little over $20k a year on the house. Then there's his small business about 15 blocks away, which the property taxes alone are almost double the house. There was a computer networking or programing company with about 100 highly skilled and paid employees back home (Albany, NY area). The local media was all over the owner, who is a native of the area, for moving and worsening the local economy. They dropped their harassment after they found out the move to Florida saved the business $10k PER DAY in taxes. Had he not moved, he'd be out of business. I Love NY! |
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Gold Member Username: Stu_pittIrvington, New York USA Post Number: 3475 Registered: May-05 | Ontario's got it pretty bad too, as does the rest of Canada. I feel for you guys. There's no such thing as Free Health Care. |
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Gold Member Username: ExerciseguyFort Hamilton, NY United States Post Number: 2901 Registered: Oct-04 | What he said. |
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Gold Member Username: My_rantzAustralia Post Number: 2489 Registered: Nov-05 | You are not alone |
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Platinum Member Username: NuckPost Number: 13482 Registered: Dec-04 | Free health care. My cousin went to the doc for stomach issues. The doc wanted an mri type scan done, and got an appointment for my cousin...in 3 months! John went to Buffalo, paid 3k$ or so, and got an mri that week. He brought it to the doc, who made an appointment with an oncologist...in 2 months. As John was packing for Buffalo for an extended stay, the doc called and he had been placed right away instead. By luck, influence ro some others misfortune, John is in treatment now. John also successfully applied for the mri money back. |
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Gold Member Username: DmitchellOttawa, Ontario Canada Post Number: 3049 Registered: Feb-07 | Don't even get me started on this Nuck. I took my daughter to CHEO (Children's Hospital here in Ottawa) because of a fever and convulsions. 45 minute wait to even get in the door. Then a 4 hour wait to see a nurse, then another 4 hour wait to see a doctor. Free health care? What a joke. If I could have paid to get the front of the line at that point I would have. |
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Platinum Member Username: Jan_b_vigneDallas, TX Post Number: 13922 Registered: May-04 | . Yes, this is not a ball we really want to get rolling, is it? I have insurance that is paid for out of the household budget every month. Rather good insurance actually at a reasonable cost for what is covered, it is through a "not for profit" company. I wanted to get in to see an orthopedic for a problem I was having - I could get an appointment in 3 1/2 months insurance or not or I could go to a doc in the box and be told to make an appointment with an orthopedic which would still be a 3 1/2 month wait. Expending more cost to get the same outcome doesn't make sense to me. It's comes down to the fact it's not about the cost, it's about the quality of care and the resulting quality of health. You can take single experience after single experience and it does not make for a debate, it is pulling single experiences out of the discussion to bolster your side's claims. If someone comes to this forum and tells their story of cables not performing as advertised, do you accept that will be the case for all cables in all systems? I doubt it, so don't make the same mistake with the health care issues. If you can't look beyond the superficial issue and see the larger problems with action and inaction, then you'll get lost in this very quickly as it rapidly becomes a highly partisan issue. As has been proven in the bills that have gone through committee to this point and the numerous arguments made over the last 100 years since health care came to be a national topic, there are as many ideas as there are participants. None are perfect but doing nothing will change nothing. Changing nothing only manages to leave a system with too many flaws in place. As an example, I can tell you the story of how through no fault of her own my partner - a 60 year old Type 1 diabetic with two amputations and numerous eye surgeries - almost lost her insurance due to the decision of some bean counter who had never met her or seen her work. This was something of a sword of Damocles above our head for several months as we faced the possibility of loosing the house and all that went with it. She came within a day of loosing it all and was only saved by her 30 years of excellent work and the reputation that came with it. Seven others in her office lost their jobs and their benefits. One month after she got the job reprieve she ended up in the hospital for two weeks and a $70k bill. The thing about that story is it has been repeated in millions of homes over the last 18 months only without the good outcome. And it's only going to get worse as benefits run out before jobs come back. My partner's situation has a good ending, not so for the 10-15% of the US population out of work and facing mounting bills coming from every direction. Health care is often one of the first things to go when it comes down to what to pay. And no one here ever said there would be "free" health care. There is no such thing as free health care now, we all pay for those who do not have insurance. Call it a tax, a fee, a premium or what have you, we all pay even if we opt out of having insurance ourself. If you don't understand that, you don't understand the issue at all and you are throwing gasoline on the fire - as so many are wont to do in this gambit. The entire issue has been distorted and too many people are too willing to react rather than think. Take a few minutes and think about this at least as much as you did your last hifi purchase. . |
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Platinum Member Username: NuckPost Number: 13483 Registered: Dec-04 | We actually have 'Universal' health care, as it is annointed, so therein lies the truth of everyone waiting equal amounts of time within our universe. Except if you payoff somebody. |
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Platinum Member Username: Jan_b_vigneDallas, TX Post Number: 13923 Registered: May-04 | . An no one said what has been proposed here in the US could not be supplemented with paid for policies that will cover better, more or longer care than the next guy - or more complete coverage at the very least. If you have a parent on Medicare, do they have another policy that picks up what the single payer, "socialized", government run system does not? If they can afford it, they better have it 'cause costs aren't going down any time soon no matter who wins in Congress. No state with "universal coverage" has had insurance companies go out of business. No state with tort reform has had it's cost for health care go down or its quality of health care go up. I live in red state Texas and I can vouch for that. We had tort reform in 2004 and remain at the bottom of the barrel for the number uninsured, at the bottom for quality of health care overall and at the top for the cost of private insurance. If you can pay for great care, you'll get great care here in TX. If you can't afford it, good luck. Counties outside of Dallas are driving and dumping their indigent at Parkland rather than absorb the cost themself. We get them fixed as best as possible for as little as possible and drive 'em back and they're right back at Parkland's door in a few weeks since the problem was never solved just shuffled around. And we all pay for that level of care. In dozens of ways, we all pay for that level of care. . |
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Platinum Member Username: NuckPost Number: 13484 Registered: Dec-04 | Compensating health care proffesionals is expensive. these people devote so many years and dollars to get certified and working that it takes forever to recoup, so they should be well paid. Well, to control costs, the gov't limits max income for doc's at around 400k/yr. Sounds like a lot, right? Doc's here still have to carry their own professional insurance!!! Coming out of school with a 300k$ tab is difficult at best. So guess what? All the docs here go south, where money is large. There are NO family docs taking patients, and have not been for 10 years. I have no family doctor, nor can I obtain the services of one. Same story for HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of Ontarions. So we go to the hospital and plug that up. I have been to the clinics for specific issues, which can be treated as a one-off case, like the flu. But nobody has my entire history, my hospitilization for near fatal ilness, as well as previous internal injuries. The doc doesnt even know that I have an ulcer. Disconcerting? You bet! |
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Gold Member Username: Nickelbut10Post Number: 2746 Registered: Jun-07 | My 73 year old Grandmother needed quad open heart surgery. She was diagnosed, and was in the operating room in 2 weeks. Out in a week after that. Home, resting, feeling great. Roughly a one month turn around. The surgery would have cost her roughly 230,000 dollars if she lived in the United States. Or if she had one of those joke policies that cost people 600 dollars a month with a 5000 dollar deductible, it would have only cost her well....600 X 12 X 50? = 360,000 dollars lifetime ( wow, almost retirement money) plus 5000 deductible on top of that. She would had died. More people have no coverage at all in the US, than people in Canada having no doctors. No doctor? You sill have free clinics and services at your door step. No coverage in the US? your PH$#@#KED!! Most people with no coverage cant even afford a flu shot in the US. No health plan is perfect like Jan said. Hey some can even say that ours Sucks. So be it. But the coverage in the US is an absolute joke!!!. When the day comes I have to face death, whatever age it may be, I will be glad to have Canadian health care. |
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Platinum Member Username: NuckPost Number: 13493 Registered: Dec-04 | What health care when you are minutes from dying? A purn magazine? My gramps (rest his soul) was 80 and earned a new knee in 88, then another/other in 90. The old boy bicycled, walked all over town and used them good for 4 years. When he passed, I begged for those knees, because the health plan would not replace my blown one at 20.Or 30.Or 40 In the prime of my life, and throughout my best earning and taxpaying years, I have no support, and lose income for patch-up surgeries and weeks off. Pain is not an issue, I ignore that like everybody else. Spin that caculator. |
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Gold Member Username: My_rantzAustralia Post Number: 2491 Registered: Nov-05 | And we complain about our health system. No wonder they call us ' The Lucky Country' Every tax payer here pays a medicare levy. We have so called free hospitals and we have family doctors - some bulk bill (the doctor gets the medicare allowance only) for the more unfortunate and the rest pay the difference. My wife had a cardiac arrest just over three years ago and after being somewhat resuscitated to having just a faint pulse, was rushed to a public hospital where many incredible people (including those paramedics and a co-worker) gave her her life back. She wasn't really expected to make it, but I heard from some of the professionals that she would have had virtually no chance had she been taken to a private hospital here. Yep, we have our health horror stories here but generally people get care regardless of their situation. |
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Gold Member Username: DmitchellOttawa, Ontario Canada Post Number: 3051 Registered: Feb-07 | Wow. Glad to hear things turned out for you and your wife M.R. Despite all the horror stories, it seems universal that doctors and nurses do an amazing job despite of the political/economic handicaps they have to endure. |
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Gold Member Username: My_rantzAustralia Post Number: 2493 Registered: Nov-05 | You got that right Dave, those people are very dedicated, wonderful people. Thanks mate, it changed many things I can tell you. |
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Platinum Member Username: NuckPost Number: 13494 Registered: Dec-04 | I tell ya what, thank goodness that I never thought to try to be a doc, nurse or even a paramedic. No thanks. Cop? Uh, pass A firefighter? A very longshot. Nope. I will leave these heart heavy tasks to the people who have trained and dedicated themselves to the ugliest, hardest and potentially most rewarding of career choices. Cheers to our human support providers! |
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Gold Member Username: DmitchellOttawa, Ontario Canada Post Number: 3052 Registered: Feb-07 | A life changing event to be sure M.R. I've learned the hard way you never fully appreciate something (or someone) until they're almost taken from you. You got that right Nuck. My mom was a nurse, and I spent many nights, Christmases and other holidays without her cause of shiftwork. |
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Gold Member Username: Nickelbut10Post Number: 2747 Registered: Jun-07 | M.R.- Canada and Australia have the same health care system. Correct me if I am wrong guys? Small amount of taxes for it. Family doctors and hospitals all the same. Everyone has their horror stories of every type of health care but I guarantee there is a hell of a lot more happy stories here and in Australia than the south my friend. Just a fact. Its a better system, hands down. Not perfect, nowhere close. But better indeed. I hope Obama gets it in check for the US. |
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Gold Member Username: Nickelbut10Post Number: 2748 Registered: Jun-07 | Sorry to hear M.R. Glad everything turned out for you by the way. Life is too short. Live it up. You only live once! |
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Gold Member Username: My_rantzAustralia Post Number: 2495 Registered: Nov-05 | Ditto Nick To think our society hasn't developed to the point where every human being is entitled to reasonable health treatment no matter what the cost and who pays or does't. When we see what taxes are used for sometimes makes me sick to the stomach. |
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Gold Member Username: My_rantzAustralia Post Number: 2496 Registered: Nov-05 | Thanks Nick. I told that story to defend a part of the public health system that defies the condemnation delivered to so many other sections. But I agree and I thank the Lord we live here for that and so many other reasons. |
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Gold Member Username: Nickelbut10Post Number: 2749 Registered: Jun-07 | Cheers to that M.R. Australia is a great country. I love it as much as I love Canada. I would live there any day. I got a bunch of stories as well, that involve my mother and even myself as a child living in a poor single parent family where half of us today would be dead or wouldnt have our perfect health now if it wasn't for our health care system. There is no way my mother could have afforded any type of 3rd party crap policy or full operations that her and my brother had to get many times in order to be in the kind of health they are in today. If we lived in America, they would be dead. Period!!! |
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Platinum Member Username: NuckPost Number: 13497 Registered: Dec-04 | The GWN and Oz have so much in common that I have often commented with M.R., and others that the 2 would interchange more easily than any other 2 geologically removed countries. Obviously the Commonwealth had us loyalty bound for some time, and the Botony Bay is still a skow... Yeah, it was all soft cuddlies till then... |
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Gold Member Username: ExerciseguyFort Hamilton, NY United States Post Number: 2904 Registered: Oct-04 | "Most people with no coverage cant even afford a flu shot in the US" "If we lived in America, they would be dead. Period!!" With all due respect, what world are you living in? I could only imagine the images one may conjure up given the current state of the media, both foreign & domestic, but that statement is simply absurd. And that's it, I'm chiming out of this discourse. |
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Platinum Member Username: NuckPost Number: 13510 Registered: Dec-04 | It is all in the purpose of mutual sharing and understanding, CM. Nick is running for office this by-election. |
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Gold Member Username: Nickelbut10Post Number: 2756 Registered: Jun-07 | I am running for election twice Nuck.LOL! Hey! CM, if Bush can get elected twice...why can't I? Why couldn't my cat? Lord knows my cat has more brains. lol Im just teasing. People are so sensitive EH! Nuck! *tit tat tit tat* |
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Gold Member Username: Nickelbut10Post Number: 2757 Registered: Jun-07 | Ok, then here is a serious question. Say my mother has cervical cancer and needs a 45000 dollar operation to remove some female parts. She went in, and paid for the diagnosis, now needs the operation. What is her next step? She definitely cant afford to front the 45 grand. She also can't afford a 300-600 dollar a month payout for 3rd party insurance. Hell she can hardly put food on the table for her two kids. What is her next step in the U S of A? I am just trying to learn here. |
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Gold Member Username: ExerciseguyFort Hamilton, NY United States Post Number: 2905 Registered: Oct-04 | I really don't want to engage in this discussion, any of my facebooks friends here know I don't tend to shy away from these sort of discussions, however, eCoustics has served as a refuge for me from the inevitable nastiness of politics. Suffice it to say, if anyone is truly (of even fraudulently) indigent, the US of A affords it's poor, handicapped & elderly healthcare that rivals the best the western world has to offer. In addition to gov't services, there are a litany of private charitable organizations that extend help to the needy. Now what's better tubes or solid state? |
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Platinum Member Username: NuckPost Number: 13517 Registered: Dec-04 | The tubes in my new guitar amp are better! |
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Gold Member Username: Nickelbut10Post Number: 2758 Registered: Jun-07 | Class D! lol. Thats cool CM. I was just curious. If the US though pays, for free, no payback on the poor's operations and such then the rest of the world has been misguided on their policies. Enough said. Back to your question I personally like the Solid State/Tube combo myself. Solid State amp and Tube pre amp.  |
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Gold Member Username: ExerciseguyFort Hamilton, NY United States Post Number: 2906 Registered: Oct-04 | Now we're talking |
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Platinum Member Username: NuckPost Number: 13527 Registered: Dec-04 | I like a quote that I read today (probably old). The job of the amp is to not ****up the preamp too much. |
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Gold Member Username: Nickelbut10Post Number: 2759 Registered: Jun-07 | LOL!! I like that. CM- U ever get those Warfies situated/going? |
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Gold Member Username: ExerciseguyFort Hamilton, NY United States Post Number: 2907 Registered: Oct-04 | That's a good quote. Yes, the EVO2-10 have been unboxed & paired with my Marantz gear in my small den (see my profile for the particulars). I like them quite a bit, midrange accuracy is noticeably improved, albeit only slightly IMHO, over the Beta 20. |
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Gold Member Username: Mike3Wylie, Tx USA Post Number: 2136 Registered: May-06 | Strange thread. Surprised nobody mentioned Cobra. That would be a temporary crutch in the situation JV described above if one loses their coverage due to loss of employment. It allows for time to transition to another plan, not that it would have served JV's partner to the extent continuous coverage did. CM, what you said is true, yet folks do lose life savings and then some to medical costs even in the states. Everyone dreads nursing homes, moving the elders finances and home ownership to avoid losing it to the costs of long term care. Does that sound right? Nick, it would have been better to be curious before you posted what you did. Amazing the push back on Obama's plan, who would have imagined so many Americans sticking up for insurance company executives, myself being one of them. Why? Because I believe that we have some of the best hospitals, medical professionals, and teaching institutions in the world. Anyone ever hear of the Mayo Clinic? Why else would so many folks from around the world come here for their education and internships. Good for them that many of them take that back to their countries to better those situations. Am I being a Pollyanna or overly patriotic? Probably, nothing is perfect, not even Mayo. And no, I am not confusing state of the art facilities with medical coverage. IMO it all has to work together in one way, shape, form, or the other. Politics in the states is all about compromise. While Obama's vision might be idealistic at worst, it still becomes a political lightning rod. |
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