#Truck buyer company

[georgebanton]

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[busstrucks]

Financing Services For All Types Of Heavy Commercial Vehicles

If you run a business that requires the use of large motor vehicles, such as dump trucks, box trucks, semis, tractors, or fire engines, you know how important it is to have reliable transportation. However, financing these vehicles can be difficult, especially if you have less than perfect credit or are a first-time owner-operator. In this article, we will walk you through the steps you need to take to secure financing for your commercial vehicles.

Finding Commercial Vehicle Financing Companies The first thing you need to do is locate commercial truck financing companies that specialize in financing commercial vehicles. These companies often work in conjunction with dealerships to provide financing solutions. While automobile loans for everyday vehicles are a regular service offered by banks, commercial vehicle financing can be difficult to obtain from banks for small businesses and owner-operators.

Cost of Financing Both equipment leases and loans may be considered commercial vehicle financing. With a loan, you will eventually become the legal owner of the vehicle, while leasing means that your monthly payments are applied to the rental of the vehicle for the duration of the lease. Leasing can have advantages such as lower monthly payments, but with a loan, you can be certain that you will own the vehicle at the end of the loan's term.

Factors Affecting Financing Your driving schedule, gas mileage, maintenance needs, and insurance premiums will all play a role in determining the type of vehicle you should choose. Since most people cannot afford to buy a heavy commercial vehicle outright, the most pressing concerns are what your regular payments will be under a certain financing arrangement and how much of a down payment you can expect.

Your credit score, the amount of equity you have, the truck you choose, and your payment history on an existing commercial vehicle loan will all play a role in determining your down payment and monthly payment. This will affect your charges, but if you are a first-time owner-operator, this should not be a problem.

Steps to Take for Financing Your Commercial Vehicle Once you have decided to apply for finance, there are some basic things you will have to do.

Eligibility Based on a few key indicators, you can determine whether or not you will be approved for a loan. The better your credit, the less you will need to put down initially and the less you will pay every month. Many finance services will try to help you even if your credit is not perfect, but you should also consider the truck's age and condition.

Loan Options There are different loan options available depending on your financial situation. Financing for first-time business owners, inexperienced operators, insolvent business owners with support payments or tax arrears or liens, and limited-capacity fleets are all available. You can inquire with your semi truck financing dealer about possibilities from the lenders they work with.

Paperwork To get things moving with your lender, you will need to provide some paperwork via a dealership or directly to the lender. Some of these may include certification of your company's incorporation, checking and savings account records (up to 1 year), forms for filing taxes by businesses (up to 3 years), profit and loss statement for the current year, current company financial statements, any necessary licences and/or accreditations for operating a business, a copy of your commercial driver's licence, and your motor carrier number.

Insurance When deciding which semi-truck or commercial vehicle to buy, remember to factor in insurance costs. Commercial vehicles need a different kind of insurance than personal automobiles due to the increased wear and tear they experience on the road. Business car insurance policies have very comparable requirements and cover responsibility for damage to property and personal injury, collision policy, and uninsured operator coverage. The premiums paid for commercial automobile insurance may be deducted from taxable income.

Submitting Your Loan Application Submitting your loan application is the last step.

After you have submitted your loan application, the lender will review it and determine whether or not to approve your request. If you are approved, you will receive the funds necessary to purchase the commercial vehicle. From there, you can work with the dealership or seller to finalize the purchase and get behind the wheel of your new vehicle.

It is important to keep in mind that purchasing a commercial vehicle is a significant investment and should be approached with careful consideration. Make sure to do your research and choose a vehicle that meets the specific needs of your business. Additionally, be sure to factor in the ongoing costs associated with owning and operating a commercial vehicle, such as fuel, maintenance, and insurance.

If you are unsure about how to proceed with financing a commercial vehicle, consider consulting with a financial advisor or reaching out to a reputable commercial vehicle financing company for guidance. They can provide you with expert advice and help you navigate the often complex process of securing financing for your business.

In conclusion, financing a commercial vehicle is an important decision that requires careful consideration and planning. By taking the time to research your options, understand the costs involved, and work with a reputable financing company, you can secure the funds you need to purchase the commercial vehicle that will help your business succeed and grow.

[dcxdpdabbles]

Danny's Grill Part 2

Special thanks to @mkarchin713 for letting me use their idea.

Tim's night had been hectic.

Not only have things at WE taken a turn for the worst due to some random influencer that decided Wayne Enterprises was the cause of global warming and convinced all his fans of the same- despite the fact they were the nation's leading company in green energy- sales have been down.

The board was breathing down his neck to fix the stocks while being no help at all to get the youth back on their side. He's already pulled twelve hours of overtime this week and it was only Wednesday.

He's been dealing with the PR nightmare while trying to get to the bottom of data theft across multiple big-name technology companies. Reports of scams and total funds lost were reported all through Gotham and only his city.

Tim suspects someone had been planting screen recording devices in one of Gotham's shipping factories before they left the buildings, stealing all the information from new buyers.

Since his theory is so hard to trace, he's been having difficulty pinpointing the base of operations, never mind having enough proof for his thesis. After Bruce's lost-in-time fiasco, Tim learns to have evidence before going to the family with anything.

So that means he's been trying to fight his way on his own, which usually isn't too much to handle, but stress and lack of sleep have really been slowing him down.

Thankfully, a specific food truck appears in his line of sight, and his mood improves drastically. He finds a safe roof to quickly change into his civilians, already fantasizing about what delicious food he would eat.

Dressed in his typical Alvin Draper disguise- black, almost second-skin tights and an oversized sweater- he all but skips to Danny's Grill.

"Night, Danny," He says, smiling at the back of the chef. He leans on the little extended table outside the truck's small window. He takes a sniff of the air, mouth watering at the scent.

Looks like tonight is cheeseburgers, as Danny carefully flips some patties. Danny whirls around with a smile of his own, only to drop the spatula in horror.

"Alvin! What happened!?" Danny shouts, nearly flinging himself through the tiny opening. The vigilante blinks in confusion before catching his reflection in the napkin dispenser.

In his haste to have some of Danny's food, he forgot to cover up a black eye, swollen right cheekbone, and busted lip from his last faulty lead. A goon had gotten him by surprise and had nearly rearranged his face before he was able to get his wits about him.

"Nothing, really; it comes with the job, you know?" Tim tries to play off, laughing nervously when Danny's expression crumbles into pure rage. "Look, it's no big deal-"

"How can it not be a big deal!? Half your face is swollen!"

That happens when someone hits you with a metal pipe in the face. He thinks hysterically. "I've had worse."

"That's not comforting!" Danny screams, throwing off his apron. "Let me close down, and I'll take you to a doctor-"

"No hospitals. They'll ask where I got this, and I can't answer that." Tim cuts in, voice hard. There is a tense moment where he thinks Danny will force him to go anyway, but after a moment the other man growls slamming his hands on the counter.

"Fine. Fine. No hospitals. At least let me ice it." It takes everything in Tim not to shrink back from the hateful tone. He barely has the mind to nod as Danny quickly unlocks the little door that leads into his truck, ushering the Bat inside with barely controlled rage.

He knows it's not aimed at him, but being around someone so upset makes his skin crawl. Tim has problems with offending people; his parents had been masters in drilling into him from a young age.

That's why Tim always sought the approval of everyone around him, even if he couldn't stand the person.

He has been working on it, but old habits died hard.

"Sorry." He mumbles as Danny quickly gets a zippy bag full of ice.

"Don't. Apologize." Danny bites before taking a large breath, clearly trying to calm down. He gently places the ice against Tim's cheek, staring at him with such tender worry Tim can't help but feel butterflies. "You don't have to apologize for getting roughed up. Never. Okay?"

Tim nods, shyly looking away as his stomach is rapidly overrun by even more butterflies. "Okay."

"Come home with me." Danny suddenly blurts as if the words were forced out of him. He looked just as surprised by them as Tim was.

"What?"

"Just for tonight. Just so I know you're safe." Danny all but pleas, and Tim- well, Tim has never been known to be strong enough to resist his impulses. Sure, the family might worry, but he can send them a message claiming to be undercover, and frankly- it's been so long since Tim's had a break.

He's always wanted to know more about Danny outside his food truck. He hadn't been able to find much on him. Tim is a detective by heart. He wants to know everything there is to know about Danny Fenton.

"I can leave when I want." He says, as Danny carefully places a warm hand on his other cheek. "And I sleep in my own space. No bed sharing. I also want to take a shower but I don't have anything to sleep in."

"You can borrow something of mine/ Whatever you need." The words are practically a warm hug, and Tim feels relaxed. Already the shitty week feels less terrible, and he finds himself growing bold enough to take an obvious sniff of the air.

"Can I have a burger?"

There is a hint of an amused smile, but it does not cover up the worry. "Of course you can."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

The shower is running in Danny's house.

It's a bit out of the way, about a forty-minute drive outside of Gotham limits, but it's spacious and private, just the way Danny liked it.

Ever since he inherited his title, he's found this house on the list of properties, and that was why he chose to take Gotham by storm in his little truck.

Danny isn't really sure what the story of the property was- the suspects the place was built around the same time Gotham got its curse; seeing as it was overseeing the city and had enough natural ectoplasm in the air, he would suspect the curse affecting the town lead to here. He never cared to check.

No, rather Danny had some ghosts remodel the old building to include wiring and functioning plumbing but asked that the general overall of the mansion stay the same.

He sort of like pretending to be a Lord of the Oldden days. If anyone asked if he walked around acting out old romances of the Victorian era, that was not else business but his own.

Alvin was undoubtedly impressed when they pulled up to his house. Maybe it shouldn't have felt so prideful to have the handsome man be impressed with his mansion given the circumstances.

He seemed to accept the excuse of having been willed the house by his late grandfather. He just hoped Alvin didn't think him the same as his wealthy clients.

Speaking of, he better make the call before Alvin finished.

Stepping to his balcony, he pulled out his burner phone and pressed the speed dial five. There are four rings before the call connects.

He gets no greeting, but he's not expecting one. Danny looks over his shoulder to ensure the bathroom door is connected to the master room- his bedroom, where Alvin will be staying, seeing as it has a bigger fireplace. He needs to have them install a heating system. Danny never bothered, what with his ice core and all- before he spoke.

"Hey, Red Hood, it's Danny. I'm calling in that favor."

There is a long pause before the other man grunts. "What is it?"

"My friend is a pro whose pimp or johns have been abusing lately. Can you help me....take care of the issue? I don't want to overstep in his life, but I'm pretty sure they broke his check bone tonight, and he claimed to have had worse before." Danny sighs, his stomach overturning at what that could mean. He hasn't gone out as Ghost King to show those assholes a thing or two because this isn't his haunt.

It's Red Hood's.

Danny had met the other man when a rouge attack had busted up all the main highways he usually worked in and had no choice but to try to sell in Crime Alley. He was right off the territory's edge, freaking out about entering without the main ghost's permission, until Red Hood confronted him.

Danny's frantic fretting had been suspicious enough that the main honcho had gone to find out why he was so nervous.

They worked a deal where Danny would sell his ware in peace, and as long as he let kids eat for free, Red Hood had no quarrels with him. He even got a favor from the crime lord after Danny provided free meals to some of his men's families struggling to get food a few months back.

He also allowed Hood to use his house as a safe house to hide a few people who needed to be out of the city. Is he part of Red Hood's gang? No.

Is he an alley? Yes.

Danny had been saving the favor for such an occasion.

There is silence on Hood's side, so Danny goes in for the kill. "My friend is seventeen; in a few months, he'll be eighteen, but he said he has been doing this since he was younger."

The silence is now laced with malice. If there was one thing they both agreed on it was that kids were never meant to be hurt by the scum of the city. "Give me his name and the area he usually works in."

"Alvin Draper. He changes per night, but I've often seen him on the east side of Crime Alley."

"I'll look into it. Is Alvin safe?"

"Yeah, he's going to be staying with me tonight. Don't come by until I convince him to extend his stay." Danny knows Hood will understand. This is one of many pros to see the Zone- his mansion's name- as a sanctuary.

"That's fine. Can you get me a picture of Alvin?"

"No, he's too skimmish."

Hood grunts again, his voice coming out tired despite the voice monitor. "Kids always are. I'll have my boys find Alvin's primp and johns. Ensure there aren't any other younglings before they make them swim with the fish."

Danny almost falls over in relief. "Thank you. Alvin...Alvin means a lot to me."

" Don't mention it. Stay well, Victorian."

Victorian is the code name Hood has given him to ensure Danny isn't tired of his gang. Yes, it's because his house is a Victorian mansion, but Danny also likes to think it's cause the other man appreciates the aesthetics of his house a little too much.

He once caught Hood admiring his Pride and Prejudice hardcover book displayed in his green sitting room.

"You too Hood. And thank you."

How would he convince Alvin that his house was a better place to call home than the orphanage and street corners without coming off as a wannabe savior or hopelessly in love creep?

Danny pauses at his own train of thought.

Hopelessly in love? He thinks in shock as the bathroom door swings open, and out comes Alvin, dressed in Danny's extra pajama set. He offers Danny a shy smile; even with the injuries, it is the loveliest sight he's ever seen, and- oh no, Danny is in love with him.

"You up for a late-night snack?" He asks, trying to not show the world-shattering realization on his face, and Alvin's smile grows wider.

"You're going to make me fat." The other laughs. Danny's heart skips a beat.

Danny Fenton loves Alvin Draper and will do everything he can to protect him. Even if Alvin will hate him for it.

[likeadevils]

okay i know we’re tired but one last point about the jet stuff i just needed to round out stuff that i always want to add as a footnote whenever i see people discussing it

taylor loans out her jet while she isn’t using it, and i think there is a meaningful difference between “i will take ridiculously frivolous flights” to “i will let other people take flights on it and i won’t regulate how long those have to be” (still bad, but less maniacal imo)

taylor falling out of the top 30 celebrity co2 emissions says to me that she has been taking concrete steps to regulate the use of her jet, and i hope she continues to in the future

she just sold her airplane, and the ridiculously short flights from this month were likely for checking maintenance/showing it to potential buyers. again, still generated a big carbon footprint, but does add nuance

a spokesperson from taylor’s camp told business insider: “Before the tour kicked off in March of 2023, Taylor purchased more than double the carbon credits needed to offset all tour travel.” which says to me that taylor is taking steps to offset the damage she’s caused to the environment (edit: this blew up way more than i thought it was going to so i do just want to add a little asterisk: how expensive, effective, and transparent carbon credits are vary widely depending on where you buy them. i can’t find exactly which ones taylor bought, and even if i could it’s often super difficult to verify what companies are actually doing with the money from the credits for a variety of reasons that i am not smart enough to sum up succinctly and accurately. so, in my opinion and from the current available information, this particular point speaks more to her attempting to do good and willingness to try to offset her footprint than like, a pure w)

there are measures outside of simply reducing her jet use (which is obviously very important) that would have a big impact on her carbon footprint— coldplays tour has created a lot of systems to make their tour run on as much renewable energy as possible, including using biofuels for their trucks, solar power and kinetic power generated by dance floors and bikes for their show, and a more sustainable jet fuel that cuts co2 emissions by 80%.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

FTC vs surveillance pricing

Support me this summer on the Clarion Write-A-Thon and help raise money for the Clarion Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers' Workshop!

In the mystical cosmology of economics, "prices" are of transcendental significance, the means by which the living market knows and adapts itself, giving rise to "efficient" production and consumption.

At its most basic level, the metaphysics of pricing goes like this: if there is less of something for sale than people want to buy, the seller will raise the price until enough buyers drop out and demand equals supply. If the disappointed would-be buyers are sufficiently vocal about their plight, other sellers will enter the market (bankrolled by investors who sense an opportunity), causing supplies to increase and prices to fall until the system is in "equilibrium" – producing things as cheaply as possible in precisely the right quantities to meet demand. In the parlance of neoclassical economists, prices aren't "set": they are discovered.

In antitrust law, there are many sins, but they often boil down to "price setting." That is, if a company has enough "market power" that they can dictate prices to their customers, they are committing a crime and should be punished. This is such a bedrock of neoclassical economics that it's a tautology "market power" exists where companies can "set prices"; and to "set prices," you need "market power."

Prices are the blood cells of the market, shuttling nutrients (in the form of "information") around the sprawling colony organism composed of all the buyers, sellers, producers, consumers, intermediaries and other actors. Together, the components of this colony organism all act on the information contained in the "price signals" to pursue their own self-interest. Each self-interested action puts more information into the system, triggering more action. Together, price signals and the actions they evince eventually "discover" the price, an abstraction that is yanked out of the immaterial plane of pure ideas and into our grubby, physical world, causing mines to re-open, shipping containers and pipelines to spark to life, factories to retool, trucks to fan out across the nation, retailers to place ads and hoist SALE banners over their premises, and consumers to race to those displays and open their wallets.

When prices are "distorted," all of this comes to naught. During the notorious "socialist calculation debate" of 1920s Austria, right-wing archdukes of religious market fundamentalism, like Von Hayek and Von Mises, trounced their leftist opponents, arguing that the market was the only computational system capable of calculating how much of each thing should be made, where it should be sent, and how much it should be sold for.

Attempts to "plan" the economy – say, by subsidizing industries or limiting prices – may be well-intentioned, but they broke the market's computations and produced haywire swings of both over- and underproduction. Later, the USSR's planned economy did encounter these swings. These were sometimes very grave (famines that killed millions) and sometimes silly (periods when the only goods available in regional shops were forks, say, creating local bubbles in folk art made from forks).

Unplanned markets do this too. Most notoriously, capitalism has produced a vast oversupply of carbon-intensive goods and processes, and a huge undersupply of low-carbon alternatives, bringing the human civilization to the brink of collapse. Not only have capitalism's price signals failed to address this existential crisis to humans, it has also sown the seeds of its own ruin – the market computer's not going to be getting any "price signals" from people as they drown in floods or roast to death on sidewalks that deliver second-degree burns to anyone who touches them:

https://www.fastcompany.com/91151209/extreme-heat-southwest-phoenix-surface-burns-scorching-pavement-sidewalks-pets

For market true believers, these failures are just evidence that regulation is distorting markets, and that the answer is more unregulated markets to infuse the computer with more price signals. When it comes to carbon, the problem is that producers are "producing negative externalities" (that is, polluting and sticking us with the bill). If we can just get them to "internalize" those costs, they will become "economically rational" and switch to low-carbon alternatives.

That's the theory behind the creation and sale of carbon credits. Rather than ordering companies to stop risking civilizational collapse and mass extinction, we can incentivize them to do so by creating markets that reward clean tech and punish dirty practices. The buying and selling of carbon credits is supposed to create price signals reflecting the existential risk to the human race and the only habitable planet known to our species, which the market will then "bring into equilibrium."

Unfortunately, reality has a distinct and unfair leftist bias. Carbon credits are a market for lemons. The carbon credits you buy to "offset" your car or flight are apt to come from a forest that has already burned down, or that had already been put in a perpetual trust as a wildlife preserve and could never be logged:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/03/18/greshams-carbon-law/#papal-indulgences

Carbon credits produce the most perverse outcomes imaginable. For example, much of Tesla's profitability has been derived from the sale of carbon credits to the manufacturers of the dirtiest, most polluting SUVs on Earth; without those Tesla credits, those SUVs would have been too expensive to sell, and would not have existed:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/11/24/no-puedo-pagar-no-pagara/#Rat

What's more, carbon credits aren't part of an "all of the above" strategy that incorporates direct action to prevent our species downfall. These market solutions are incompatible with muscular direct action, and if we do credits, we can't do other stuff that would actually work:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/10/31/carbon-upsets/#big-tradeoff

Even though price signals have repeatedly proven themselves to be an insufficient mechanism for producing "efficient" or even "survivable," they remain the uppermost spiritual value in the capitalist pantheon. Even through the last 40 years of unrelenting assaults on antitrust and competition law, the one form of corporate power that has remained both formally and practically prohibited is "pricing power."

That's why the DoJ was able to block tech companies and major movie studios from secretly colluding to suppress their employees' wages, and why those employees were able to get huge sums out of their employers:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-Tech_Employee_Antitrust_Litigation

It's also why the Big Six (now Big Five) publishers and Apple got into so much trouble for colluding to set a floor on the price of ebooks:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_v._Apple_(2012)

When it comes to monopoly, even the most Bork-pilled, Manne-poisoned federal judges and agencies have taken a hard line on price-fixing, because "distortions" of prices make the market computer crash.

But despite this horror of price distortions, America's monopolists have found so many ways to manipulate prices. Last month, The American Prospect devoted an entire issue to the many ways that monopolies and cartels have rigged the prices we pay, pushing them higher and higher, even as our wages stagnated and credit became more expensive:

https://prospect.org/pricing

For example, there's the plague of junk fees (AKA "drip pricing," or, if you're competing to be first up against the wall come the revolution, "ancillary revenue"), everything from baggage fees from airlines to resort fees at hotels to the fee your landlord charges if you pay your rent by check, or by card, or in cash:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/06/07/drip-drip-drip/#drip-off

There's the fake transparency gambit, so beloved of America's hospitals:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/06/13/a-punch-in-the-guts/#hayek-pilled

The "greedflation" that saw grocery prices skyrocketing, which billionaire grocery plutes blamed on covid stimulus checks, even as they boasted to their shareholders about their pricing power:

https://prospect.org/economy/2024-06-12-war-in-the-aisles/

There's the the tens of billions the banks rake in with usurious interest rates, far in excess of the hikes to the central banks' prime rates (which are, in turn, justified in light of the supposed excesses of covid relief checks):

https://prospect.org/economy/2024-06-11-what-we-owe/

There are the scams that companies like Amazon pull with their user interfaces, tricking you into signing up for subscriptions or upsells, which they grandiosely term "dark patterns," but which are really just open fraud:

https://prospect.org/economy/2024-06-10-one-click-economy/

There are "surge fees," which are supposed to tempt more producers (e.g. Uber drivers) into the market when demand is high, but which are really just an excuse to gouge you – like when Wendy's threatens to surge-price its hamburgers:

https://prospect.org/economy/2024-06-07-urge-to-surge/

And then there's surveillance pricing, the most insidious and profitable way to jack up prices. At its core, surveillance pricing uses nonconsensually harvested private information to inform an algorithm that reprices the things you buy – from lattes to rent – in real-time:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/06/05/your-price-named/#privacy-first-again

Companies like Plexure – partially owned by McDonald's – boasts that it can use surveillance data to figure out what your payday is and then hike the price of the breakfast sandwich or after-work soda you buy every day.

Like every bad pricing practice, surveillance pricing has its origins in the aviation industry, which invested early on and heavily in spying on fliers to figure out how much they could each afford for their plane tickets and jacking up prices accordingly. Architects of these systems then went on to found companies like Realpage, a data-brokerage that helps landlords illegally collude to rig rent prices.

Algorithmic middlemen like Realpage and ATPCO – which coordinates price-fixing among the airlines – are what Dan Davies calls "accountability sinks." A cartel sends all its data to a separate third party, which then compares those prices and tells everyone how much to jack them up in order to screw us all:

https://profilebooks.com/work/the-unaccountability-machine/

These price-fixing middlemen are everywhere, and they predate the boom in commercial surveillance. For example, Agri-Stats has been helping meatpackers rig the price of meat for 40 years:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/10/04/dont-let-your-meat-loaf/#meaty-beaty-big-and-bouncy

But when you add commercial surveillance to algorithmic pricing, you get a hybrid more terrifying than any cocaine-sharks (or, indeed, meth-gators):

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/tennessee-police-warn-locals-not-flush-drugs-fear-meth-gators-n1030291

Apologists for these meth-gators insist that surveillance pricing's true purpose is to let companies offer discounts. A streaming service can't afford to offer $0.99 subscriptions to the poor because then all the rich people would stop paying $19.99. But with surveillance pricing, every customer gets a different price, titrated to their capacity to pay, and everyone wins.

But that's not how it cashes out in the real world. In the real world, rich people who get ripped off have the wherewithal to shop around, complain effectively to a state AG, or punish companies by taking their business elsewhere. Meanwhile, poor people aren't just cash-poor, they're also time-poor and political influence-poor.

When the dollar store duopoly forces all the mom-and-pop grocers in your town out of business with predatory pricing, and creating food deserts that only they serve, no one cares, because state AGs and politicians don't care about people who shop at dollar stores. Then, the dollar stores can collude with manufacturers to get shrunken "cheater sized" products that sell for a dollar, but cost double or triple the grocery store price by weight or quantity:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/03/27/walmarts-jackals/#cheater-sizes

Yes, fliers who seem to be flying on business (last-minute purchasers who don't have a Saturday stay) get charged more than people whose purchase makes them seem to be someone flying away for a vacation. But that's only because aviation prices haven't yet fully transitioned to surveillance pricing. If an airline can correctly calculate that you are taking a trip because you're a grad student who must attend a conference in order to secure a job, and if they know precisely how much room you have left on your credit card, they can charge you everything you can afford, to the cent.

Your ability to resist pricing power isn't merely a function of a company's market power – it's also a function of your political power. Poor people may have less to steal, but no one cares when they get robbed:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/07/19/martha-wright-reed/#capitalists-hate-capitalism

So surveillance pricing, supercharged by algorithms, represent a serious threat to "prices," which is the one thing that the econo-religious fundamentalists of the capitalist class value above all else. That makes surveillance pricing low-hanging fruit for regulatory enforcement: a bipartisan crime that has few champions on either side of the aisle.

Cannily, the FTC has just declared war on surveillance pricing, ordering eight key players in the industry (including capitalism's arch-villains, McKinsey and Jpmorgan Chase) to turn over data that can be used to prosecute them for price-fixing within 45 days:

https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2024/07/ftc-issues-orders-eight-companies-seeking-information-surveillance-pricing

As American Prospect editor-in-chief David Dayen notes in his article on the order, the FTC is doing what he and his journalistic partners couldn't: forcing these companies to cough up internal data:

https://prospect.org/economy/2024-07-24-ftc-opens-surveillance-pricing-inquiry/

This is important, and not just because of the wriggly critters the FTC will reveal as they use their powers to turn over this rock. Administrative agencies can't just do whatever they want. Long before the agencies were neutered by the Supreme Court, they had strict rules requiring them to gather evidence, solicit comment and counter-comment, and so on, before enacting any rules:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/10/18/administrative-competence/#i-know-stuff

Doubtless, the Supreme Court's Loper decision (which overturned "Chevron deference" and cut off the agencies' power to take actions that they don't have detailed, specific authorization to take) will embolden the surveillance pricing industry to take the FTC to court on this. It's hard to say whether the courts will find in the FTC's favor. Section 6(b) of the FTC Act clearly lets the FTC compel these disclosures as part of an enforcement action, but they can't start an enforcement action until they have evidence, and through the whole history of the FTC, these kinds of orders have been a common prelude to enforcement.

One thing this has going for it is that it is bipartisan: all five FTC commissioners, including both Republicans (including the Republican who votes against everything) voted in favor of it. Price gouging is the kind of easy-to-grasp corporate crime that everyone hates, irrespective of political tendency.

In the Prospect piece on Ticketmaster's pricing scam, Dayen and Groundwork's Lindsay Owens called this the "Age of Recoupment":

https://pluralistic.net/2024/06/03/aoi-aoi-oh/#concentrated-gains-vast-diffused-losses

For 40 years, neoclassical economics' focus on "consumer welfare" meant that companies could cheat and squeeze their workers and suppliers as hard as they wanted, so long as prices didn't go up. But after 40 years, there's nothing more to squeeze out of workers or suppliers, so it's time for the cartels to recoup by turning on us, their customers.

They believe – perhaps correctly – that they have amassed so much market power through mergers and lobbying that they can cross the single bright line in neoliberal economics' theory of antitrust: price-gouging. No matter how sincere the economics profession's worship of prices might be, it still might not trump companies that are too big to fail and thus too big to jail.

The FTC just took an important step in defense of all of our economic wellbeing, and it's a step that even the most right-wing economist should applaud. They're calling the question: "Do you really think that price-distortion is a cardinal sin? If so, you must back our play." Support me this summer on the Clarion Write-A-Thon and help raise money for the Clarion Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers' Workshop!

https://clarionwriteathon.com/members/profile.php?writerid=293388

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/07/24/gouging-the-all-seeing-eye/#i-spy

[lemmonlimonn]

i present to you... MY PIKMIN AU!!

"S.D spacial"

An interplanetary delivery company, known for its quality, success and speed, also for its great rivalry with "Hocotate Freight".

Within the company there are 4 essential positions so that performance and speed are efficient and accurate. Within these are: Green, Blue, Red and Orange. Each of these positions has an important meaning for the company. :

(I clarify that everything is written with a translator, if there is something written wrong I am sorry :[ )

"Sections"

Green

(Office Workers)

The green ones (office workers) are in charge of receiving calls from deliveries or loads that you want to transport. Depending on the type of material you want to transport, they will give you 3 options: Van, Truck or Spaceship. Therefore, it is important to specify when calling, how much your load is, and if you have your weight in Kg exactly, much better, the faster they will call you a transport suitable for your order.

Van: small or medium packages

Truck: Zinc sheets, earth, wooden boards, everything necessary for construction. Fruit or food shipments in large quantities. Also possible are 4,500KG is its minimum, and 11,800KG is its maximum.

Spaceship: Only small and medium-sized packages can be made: Boxes of fruits or vegetables, Boxes of screws or nails, Boxes of etc., etc., etc., you can carry everything as long as they are in boxes that can be transported by human force.

This section may work independently or on its own, but you still need to establish communication with the blue ones. green ones communicate new orders to you for confirmation and completion.

Blue

(Documentators)

This section is in charge of making the documents, noting the route, recipient, and taking the order information to the reds so that they take the loads to their proper transporters to start the delivery process.

Example:

Product: 3 bags of Giyano dog food

Buyer: Collin

Recipient: Erma Shepherd

Planet: Giya

Transport: Spaceship

Pilot: Darenwill, Orange #2

*Ticked*

This section works with the Orange section, since they must have a complete report at the end of the day of the package's journey, from Hocotate to the planet, or delivery location. And at the beginning with the Green section, to confirm where the package will be picked up for transportation.

Red

(Hard work)

The Reds (heavy load workers), this section is in charge of carrying the loads to the spaceship, truck or van, depending on what type of load it is, more personnel from the red section will be needed. This section works with oranges and blues.

Orange

(Pilot)

The Orange are in charge of piloting spaceship, driving trucks or vans. They work with the Blues and Reds, those are their priorities. Each of them must have a certificate and a driver's or pilot's license, otherwise they will not let you enter the Orange section.

If you want you can join! making your character like any of these 4 sections ^_^

[gamertales]

Gotham, July 30th, 2024.

Hey, over here. Youre that blogger lady, right? Looking for info on the supposed ring of collectors of objects belonging to the Bat clan? We talked...well texted a bunch recently about the market.

Hah. Well i cant speak to this supposed ring, but i can show you my own personal collection. Sure its secured, i get a lot of people sniffing around so i try to keep it locked up, but im not stupid. No point tryin to hide from the Bats or what have you, this is just for the schmucks and their bosses. Hah.

Alright, if you follow me into my van.

Oh, yeah, i get that a lot. But look, im 52, i havent got the energy to flirt with 40 year old tired house moms. Kidnapping sounds like a lot of work.

Bit of a shocker compared to the outside, huh? Yeah, I had the interior and body upgraded a few years ago, added comfort and protection,still kept the rough looking exterior tho, keeps attention down.

Yep. Glass repair, window replacement, skylights. Heh. Youd be surprised to know how many small contractors making a living cleaning up qfter the Bat clan. Lotta companies downtown cant get insurance for windows, doors, ventilation systems. Gives us smaller guys a little more space to play.

After that throw down between Nightwing and Riddlers goons across from the Bank of Gotham last week, i managed to get in quick, and lock down the window contract.

This parts important, first crew on the scene gets to move in after the cops move out. Now Gothams finest do their best, but the number of small things they miss...

Take this for example, its a section of Nightwings glove with those fancy little spike things on them. Found it in the rubble under the skylight. Along with some mooks hand. Turned the hand in of course.

What? Oh its an informal alliance, but we keep each other in the loop, and let each other know when shits going down near em. If I cant make it across town, i'll send a text to the crews closest.

The goggles? Harley quinn dropped them a couple years ago, found them in the bushes outside the Exchange. Thats not the prize piece.

This. Two Batarangs from the Bat himself. To be fair i didnt really have to go far to find them. Summer of '19 the big guy landed on my roof. Hard. Dropped, rolled, and started running down the alleyway. Now i was dozing at the time, and that startled the literal shit out me. Cue the clown goons jumping on my truck to give chase. Big threw four of these beauties, making them scatter, and doing more damage to the van.

Four batarangs tho? I sold 2 of them to my buyer in the city. A collector of this stuff. He calls it "pretentious peacocking for poorly adjusted prats." Yeah, Mr Wayne is different enough. Only met him the one time, but he was very affable, even hired me to do the new windows for his guest house.

Made enough to upgrade ole Greaser here to their current condition. And a little.

Other than Mr Wayne? Im afraid i only deal with Mr Wayne; he pays fair, promptly, and usually sends a gift basket. No, i go thru his Butler now.

Right? A Butler. In 2024. Still, he seems harmless enough, spends all his time at charities i hear.

The Ring again? Look, im serious i have nothing to do with that side of the market.

...if you are really determined tho, contact Marc Belvedere, if anyone i know knows about this, itll be Marc.

Listen, i have toinstall some skylights at the City Hall in an hour, so i gotta get moving. Yeah, tell your friends Karl Aleksev is The Window guy when in a pinch.

By the way, what was your name again? Barbara Gordon? Like the Gordon Gordon? Your his daughter? Well, good luck, and be careful, theres a lot of money in this business, and money gets people killed.

Yeah. I guess you didnt really need that advice, huh.

Maybe we will cross paths again.

[garbinge]

Prank Wars

Angel Reyes x F!Reader

Day 24 from these April Prompts: “Wholesome Pranks”

Summary: Prank Wars at the scrapyard!

Word Count: 2k

Warnings: Angsty, Pranks, Cursing. Mentions of dead parents and family struggling with sickness and addiction. 

A/N: okay, so huge shoutout to Tay because she planted this fun little seed in my head for this fic!! 

Mayans Taglist: @drabbles-mc​ @justreblogginfics​ @narcolini​ @danzer8705

It had been a few years since you started working at the scrapyard, it wasn’t a luxurious job but it was one that not only paid the bills but gave you some extra in your pockets. Angel had hooked you up with the job when he saw you were struggling. Home wasn’t exactly a home, your parents weren’t alive anymore, hadn’t been since you were younger. It left you to live with your grandmother who hadn’t just taken you in but also your aunt and cousins. It was an overcrowded and overwhelming house and it sat 5 doors down from the Reyes house. It wasn’t instant but somewhere down the line as the years passed you became close with the eldest Reyes brother just doors down from you and now, as adults, he was your best friend. 

Angel originally had gotten you a job as barback at the clubhouse, and you were grateful for it. It saved you up enough money to get out of your grandma’s house and into your own space. Something small, or cozy as you called it, but your own. You had eventually worked your way into the scrapyard because you couldn’t keep your mouth shut. Overhearing Bishop and Taza talk about numbers and manufacturer meetings and how business wasn’t doing too great as you served them beer was the first step into it. You offered your two cents on how to boost business, that turned into giving some occasional business advice. You had gotten an associates degree in business, opportunity was just lacking in Santo Padre. Eventually, you started pulling in buyers, which led you to where you were now. You had taken the scrapyard truck out to a potential buy, but were driving back with a loss. It had already started out as a rough morning and it was just getting rougher. 

It was days like this that you forgot about the multi-year long prank war that you had going with the guys in the club. It was something you and Angel had started prior to you getting close with the club and once it became known across the club, there was no way Gilly and Coco weren’t going to be apart of it. Now, the prank war wasn’t something front of the brain 24/7, that was the secret behind making it successful all these years. It was random. It was calculated but spontaneous all at the same time. 

You whipped open the door to the scrapyard office, it made Angel jump, a scene that would have brought you to laughter any other day but you ignored currently. 

“What the fucks got you twisted?” Angel was now standing, his sleeveless Romero Bros. work shirt covered in dirt and rust. 

“California fuckin’ Steel company. That’s who.” You threw your bag on the desk and placed your hands on your head in an act of stress. 

“Okaaaay,” Angel frowned and stepped out from behind the desk so he was standing to your right. “They’re always on some fuck shit, what’s really your issue?” He saw right through you, a perk and downfall of him knowing you so well. 

You took a deep breath and turned to look up at him as he towered over you. You saw the cuphead patch on his shirt and smirked. “You put the patch I gave you on.” 

Cuphead was a memory you two shared, sitting after school in front of the TV in the Reyes’ living room and playing until Marisol called out for dinnertime or Felipe unplugged the xBox to watch baseball. 

Angel looked down at his shirt and back at you, “Yea, I couldn’t put that shit on my kutte, I’d never hear the end of it.” 

You laughed and shook your head, when you gave him the patch you expected it to sit leaning on the outside of a picture frame in his house, not on any of his clothing items. 

“My grandma’s sick and my cousin, he’s fuckin’ on hooked on that shit again. It’s got him stealing and not just shit around the house but taking my grandma’s pills now.” 

“Fuck.” Angel whispered under his breath and looked away for a second before he was looking back down at you again. 

“It’s fine, I talked to my aunt, they’re looking to put my grandma into a home or something.” You rolled your eyes and let out a sigh.

“That’s bullshit, your grandma’s lived in that house practically her whole life they should send your junkie ass cousin away.” He was getting loud. 

“It’s out of my hands Angel,” You lifted your hands up in innocence “I offered for her to come stay at my place instead, but you know my aunt, she’s” you shook your hand in a way that was meant to describe your aunt as you turned around to look for your car keys. “You get a chance to look at my car yet?” 

After your third time having trouble starting your car, you had asked Angel if he could look at it, it wasn’t the same as giving it to a mechanic but Angel knew a thing or two about mechanics since having his bike. 

“Oh,” Angel went deep into thought, “uh, no.” He reached down and snatched the keys as you went to grab them yourself. 

You looked at him confused. 

“I’ve been up to my fuckin’ eyeballs in paperwork that I barely understand.” He pointed to the stack of manila folders on the table. “Haven’t had a chance to look at it.” 

“Oh alright, well, I’ll take the paperwork. Least I can do so you can fix my shit and save me the 200 bucks. I’ll be in the clubhouse if you need me.” 

“Aight.” Angel let his shoulders slump once you were out of the office. Gilly and Coco making their way into the office now. 

“Yo, you fuck with the wiper fluid and put that fake broken glass shit on her car?” Gilly chuckled as he walked in. 

“I’m bout to go take that shit out.” Angel sounded on edge. 

“The fuck for?” Coco asked, confused since he had thought it was a genius prank. 

“She’s got a lot going on man, it just ain’t the right time.” Angel was making his way out to reverse the pranks he had done to your car. 

“We gotta get them both.” Gilly said with a smirk once Angel was out of earshot. 

“Fuck yea we do.” Coco said, bringing a cigarette up to his mouth. 

_____

Angel calling out your name caused you to turn around. As you did, you realized the clubhouse had filled up since you had posted up to work in here. A few of the club guys and some hang arounds filling the tables surrounding you. 

“I fixed your car, needed a new battery. Nothing serious. Got one from Walmart.” Angel was making his way over to you and as he reached the seat next to you, he pulled the chair out and made himself comfortable before sliding the keys over to you. 

“Thanks, how much was it? I’ll send you the money.” You pulled your phone out. 

“Nah, don’t worry about it. Just have me over for dinner or some shit soon.” He smirked hoping it’d earn a smile from you as well. 

It did. You smiled and grabbed your keys from the table. 

“You know,” Angel started his sentence without a single thought about where it was really headed, not sure how to say the next few words. “Uh,” he leaned forward, clearly uncomfortable. 

“Spit it out, Angel.” You were now leaning forward too, placing your hand on Angel’s knee in hopes to get him to say whatever he was trying to. 

It did the opposite, it choked him up more until he finally just said it. “I was thinkin’, you could come stay with me if you wanted.” 

Your face twisted in muddled confusion which caused Angel to panic. “Nah I just mean, you know, your grandma might be comin’ to your place and I know you worked mad hard to get your whole bach pad situation and appreciate your alone time so I figured I’d offer my place up,” he said before practically cutting himself off to keep going. “And I know it wouldn’t be living alone but I’m usually always here anyways so you’d have the place to yourself way more than if you stayed with your grandma. I just figured it’d be worth the offer with everything going on–”

You cut Angel off as you lifted off your seat and wrapped your arms around him tightly. His seat pushed back a little from the force of your embrace, he sat there frozen for a second before he let his hands rest on your back. 

“Thank you.” You whispered as you hugged him tightly. A few whistles from the guys filled the air, a couple howls too as you embraced your best friend. It wasn’t shocking, it was a normal occurrence, everyone was in on you and Angel’s connection except the two of you. 

Before you had a chance to make a comment back to them, the clubhouse doors were busting open and Coco and Gilly were entering inside with water guns pointed directly at you and Angel. 

“Get wrecked motherfuckers!!!!!” Gilly screamed as the water gun pressured out gallons of water each time he pumped the gun. 

Out of instinct, Angel grabbed you around your waist as you two toppled behind the table in an attempt to block yourselves from their range. You let out a belly laugh as your backs leaned against the underneath of the table that was turned to its side. Angel looked over at you his frown turning into a smile. 

“We are so going to get them back for this.” 

Angel laughed at that. “In the 6 years we’ve been doing prank wars you never paired up with me once.” 

As you opened your mouth to answer you were hit immediately with a splash of water on your face. Quickly grabbing Angel’s hand you were up and running out of the club house. It was then that you realized Bishop and a few of the other guys were yelling at Coco and Gilly to knock it off but you kept a one track mind and just pulled Angel out to the yard with you. 

You kept moving until you were well into the scrapyard and you knew Coco and Gilly were probably being ripped a new one by Bishop so there wasn’t a chance they’d be able to get you out here. 

“Holy shit.” You laughed and looked up at Angel who was soaked from head to toe. “You’re drenched.” 

“Looks like we match.” Angel pointed to you with the hand that wasn’t still intertwined with yours. 

Your eyes looked down to see the water dripping off the hem of your work shirt and pooling to your feet in the sand/dirt medley on the scrapyard ground. 

“C’mon. We got some extra work shirts laying around, let’s get you one so you don’t have to ride home soaked.” 

“Your home.” You corrected him. His head snapped to you. “Think I might take you up on that offer.” 

Angel didn’t want to change your mind so he just nodded while saying nothing except that he’d get a key made for you. 

____

You ran a towel over your hair and were now changed into something dry for the most part as you got into your car. Your driver side window rolled down as Angel stood a few yards from you a lot less drenched than before but still sporting wet hair, his normal styled hair was sobbing wet and falling around his forehead. Gilly and Coco were on the porch of the clubhouse and you offered them both a smile and middle finger before starting to back up. 

“Thanks for fixing my car!” You went to beep the horn as a thanks when you heard the flag raise sound from the Cuphead game leave your horn. The high pitch glissando of someone sliding across the keys and the announcement of cuphead filling the air. 

Your jaw dropped and turned to Angel very slowly. His eyes were wide and he was immediately yelling out to you. 

“I thought I changed everything back!” 

You continued to back out and as you put the car in drive you said one last thing to Angel before leaving. 

“Oh it’s on, Reyes.”

[herohimbowhore]

On This Day in F1: February 14th

Present: Mercedes and McLaren Car Launches

History: 2013 Teo Martin and HRT

On Valentine’s Day, two teams had car launches — Mercedes and McLaren. The line of underwhelming car launches continue.

The blend of silver and carbon for the Merc is nice, I personally like the design. This also marks the last Mercedes car launch for Lewis Hamilton, who will be going to Ferrari for 2025.

For the McLaren, we’ve known of the livery for about a month now. The papaya theme continues.

Both launches were followed by a shakedown after Silverstone. So Lewis and George got to drive the W15 on one configuration of the track, while Lando and Oscar got to drive the MCL38 on another configuration. Which made it so that they wouldn’t be able to see one another.

On this day in 2013, Teo Martín — the owner of one of the main parts recycling companies for the automotive industry — bought the remaining Hispania Racing Team (HRT) parts.

Like so many other teams during the early 2010s, HRT faced numerous financial struggles. In November 2012, the owners of HRT announced that the team would be put up for sale and they needed a buyer by the end of the month if the team wanted to compete in the 2013 season. However, no buyer was found and the team went into liquidation.

On February 14th, it was announced that what remained of the team would be purchased by Teo Martín.

Teo Martín bought from HRT:

2 single seaters from 2012

A truck

An exhibition model car

Furniture

Tools and machinery

Box panels

The headquarters

The engines and gearboxes were not sold as they were not made by HRT.

_______

Previous: Feb. 13th — 1995 CRB Rules in Favor of Tyrrell

Next: Feb. 15th — Red Bull Car Launch

On This Day in F1 Masterlist

[him-12345678]

What Makes a Junk Car Valuable? Key Factors That Impact Price

If you have a junk car, it might surprise you to learn that it still has value. Whether it's seen better days or doesn’t run anymore, your junk car could be worth more than you think. Various factors determine how much a junk car is worth, from its make and model to the demand for its parts. Here, we'll explore the key factors that impact the value of junk cars and how selling its components—like the engine—can offer a profitable alternative.

1. Condition of the Engine and Other Parts

The engine is often the most valuable part of any vehicle, even one that’s no longer roadworthy. Engines that are still functional or can be refurbished can be especially valuable. Companies like Engine Xperts specialize in high-quality used engines, showing the demand for reliable replacement parts. If your car’s engine is in good shape, you might consider selling it separately to maximize your return.

2. Make, Model, and Year

The make, model, and year of your car can significantly impact its value. Certain brands are in higher demand for parts, especially if the model is rare or has a reputation for reliability. For instance, engines from popular brands like Toyota, Ford, and Honda are often sought after due to their reputation for durability. On the other hand, newer vehicles often have parts that are worth more because they align with current technology and safety standards.

3. Market Demand for Parts

The market for used auto parts is dynamic, with certain parts more in demand depending on the season or industry trends. For example, if there’s a shortage of certain car parts, this can drive up prices. Junk cars with parts that fit many vehicle models or are difficult to find are generally more valuable. High-demand parts include transmissions, alternators, and, of course, engines.

4. Weight and Metal Value

Even if a junk car has no functioning parts, its scrap metal value can add up. Steel, aluminum, and other metals are always in demand, and the value of these metals fluctuates with the market. Junkyards pay by weight, so a larger vehicle like an SUV or truck will typically fetch a higher price.

5. Location and Transport

Location can affect a junk car’s value. For instance, some buyers might offer more if the car is close to them to reduce transport costs. If you’re willing to deliver the car to a junkyard or a buyer, this can sometimes increase your offer.

6. Current Scrap Market Prices

The scrap metal market constantly fluctuates, meaning the value of your junk car can vary depending on when you decide to sell. Keeping an eye on scrap metal prices can help you determine the best time to sell if you’re looking to maximize your profit from a car that’s mostly valuable as scrap.

Selling Parts Separately vs. Selling the Whole Car

If you’re looking to make the most out of a junk car, consider selling its individual parts. Engines, transmissions, and other essential components are often more valuable sold separately than as part of a whole car. This approach may take more time, but it can offer a better return.

For those interested in quality engines or looking for used car engines, Engine Xperts offers an extensive range of inspected, certified engines that meet high standards of performance and reliability.

Conclusion

While it might be tempting to sell a junk car as a whole for convenience, understanding the factors that impact its value can help you make a more informed decision. Whether through selling parts like the engine or scrapping it entirely, even the most rundown vehicle can still offer value.

[mightyflamethrower]

You have probably not heard of the new Toyota HiLux Champ pickup. Probably because they don’t want you to know about it. “They” being the people who control the federal regulatory apparat, who don’t want you to know that people in other countries can buy a brand-new pick-up for $13,000 or so to start – something no American has been allowed to do (in America, at any rate) for more than 20 years.

And it’s more than just that. The ’24 HiLux Champ is a mid-sized pickup – not a compact. The latter was the last kind of truck you could buy here for around $13k or so brand-new, about 20 years ago.

You can guess why not – and it has nothing to do with “emissions.”

But hang on for just a second while we take a look at the truck you won’t be allowed to buy, if you’re stuck living in America.

The HiLux Champ is everything a truck used to be, beginning with affordable. It costs about half what you’d spend to buy the least-expensive new truck you’re allowed to buy in America – the Ford Maverick – which stickers for $23,920 to start. And unlike the Maverick – which looks like a truck – the Champ is a truck. Put another way, it isn’t based on a FWD/AWD layout (as the Maverick is) and it features body-on-frame construction rather than unibody construction, which is how almost all new cars are put together.

That means it’s tougher and simpler. Easier to fix – and less likely to break.

And it is affordable because it’s basic as it comes – which is how trucks used to come before a tag-team combo of government-mandated “safety” features that don’t make a vehicle less likely to crash (and in some cases, arguably, make them more likely to end up crashing) and a culture of living-beyond-our-means turned even “base” trim trucks into what would have been considered loaded trucks back when trucks were still trucks.

The HilLux Champ is like those trucks – the ones we used to be able to buy in America, some of them made by American companies. But that was a long time ago.

It is available in standard and long-wheelbase versions and with a diesel or either of two gas-burning four cylinder engines and a standard manual transmission – the latter once-upon-a-time being the standard transmission in pretty much every truck sold in America.

Ditto the regular cab – which has all but disappeared from the American truck market.

It even comes standard with AC – something that used to be optional in pretty much every truck sold in America back when trucks were still trucks and cost less rather than much more than cars, as they do now.

Just not climate-controlled, three-zone AC.

And just one air bag.

It also comes standard with configurability. Toyota designed it with pre-drilled attachment points to easily mount various types of beds, state kits, boxes – pretty much whatever the buyer would like to add to the truck. And Toyota will help the customer do that, by putting them in touch with aftermarket companies and suppliers that can help with that.

Instead of one-size-fits-all (and take-it-or-leave-it) and the price tag that comes along with it, here’s a truck that anyone who can afford a new motorcycle can afford to buy.

“Our ultimate goal,” says a Toyota spokesman, ” was to make this (vehicle) affordable and accessible. If people can afford their first car, which they can use to run a business and generate income, it will enhance their quality of life and provide new economic opportunities.“

It is unimaginable in America – what has become of America – because the American government is not interested in enhancing the quality of life of Americans – much less providing them with new economic opportunities made possible by their being able to afford a truck like the HiLux Champ. The government that rules Americans wants Americans to be endlessly struggling just to make ends meet, a goal that is achieved by making everything cost more than they can afford. Picture a gerbil wheel and you will have a sense of the plan.

The object being to prevent the accumulation of capital by average people, so that they never become capitalists. That being a threat to state capitalism – i.e., the ownership of essentially everything that matters by the government and the corporate lampreys that feed off of it.

This is achieved by arranging things in such a way that most people spend whatever they earn just to keep up with their debts. This serves the corollary interests of the government and the financial system that bought the government more than 100 years ago (if you’re interested in learning more about that, Edward Griffin’s Creature from Jekyll Island is an excellent primer).

And that is why Americans aren’t allowed to buy a $13k pick-up like the HiLux Champ.

Not because of “emissions” – which are just another bogey. The Champ’s engines do not pollute. But they aren’t compliant – with the very latest American emissions standards, which is not the same thing (or even in the same ballpark) as “polluting.” The Champ meets “Euro5” emissions standards, which allow for almost no emissions. But that is not good enough for the American regulatory apparat, which uses the pretext of “emissions” and the lie that trucks such as the HiLux Champ “pollute” to keep them out of the hands of American buyers.

So as to assure that American buyers aren’t able to buy – as opposed to endlessly make payments on – a truck like the Champ that they might be able to pay for in cash. Or pay off in a year or two.

And so be able to accumulate capital (wealth) rather than live hand-to-mouth.

And there you have it.

Or – rather – there you can’t have it. And now you know what – and why.

[kuqix]

KUQIX: Your One-Stop Shop for DDP Shipping Services

KUQIX's logistics capabilities are backed by our representation of various first-tier freight forwarding companies. As of now, we have forged strategic partnerships with 103 leading international logistics companies across various regions in China. Leveraging the well-developed cargo transportation system within mainland China, we are able to quickly source any quantity of product resources for our buyers and ship them out in the blink of an eye. This series of cost optimizations and fee reductions is unparalleled in the industry, but KUQIX has achieved it. Moreover, we have established over 40 DDP channels covering countries and regions such as Europe, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and more. These channels offer faster transit times and lower shipping costs. For startups and small-to-medium enterprises, they no longer need to bear exorbitant taxes or navigate complex customs paperwork. To further facilitate shipments and transportation, we have warehouses established in major Chinese cities including Guangzhou, Yiwu, Shenzhen, Shanghai, and more. Regarding the DDP channels, we offer Rail transport, air transport, trucking, and sea transportation as options, covering countries and regions such as - 【Europe】Germany, the United Kingdom, Hungary, France, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Czech Republic, Poland, Austria, Slovenia, Slovakia, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Estonia, Ireland, Croatia, Sweden, Latvia, Greece, Bulgaria, Finland. - 【USA】 - 【Middle East】Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore. - 【Southeast Asia】Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Jakarta in Indonesia, Cambodia, Taiwan, South Korea, Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos, Iran, Australia. - 【Asia】Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and more. Our DDP shipping services are designed to provide our buyers with comprehensive transportation and cargo insurance. If you have any related needs, please feel free to contact us. Email: info@kuqix.com Whatsapp/Tel/: 15777597702 Read the full article

[dharmasharks]

Oohh wow, so many great sounding WIPs there!! I'm intrigued by Antiquing, is there anything more you might want to tell us about that one? 👀 Hope you're having a wonderful day! <3

Hi hi! It is a dark and thunderstormy day over here, which I think means I get to ignore all my work notifications and just play on tumblr, right?

I would be delighted to share more about Antiquing, in which Cap Steve and Winter Solder Bucky haven't met before, but still manage to make everyone around them (Clint) very uncomfortable by being aggressively into each other at first sight. It started out as a some short and sweet Stucky Week fun, but I ran out of energy to get it over the finish line. Maybe someday, though?

Here's a way-too-long snippet for you because better here than languishing away on my drive!

“Hey, is it still considered an antique if the buyer is also…well, you know,” Clint says, gesturing broadly at Steve. He’s all of 5’4” now—er, again—but he still manages to level Clint with a disappointed look that makes him want to volunteer at a soup kitchen, or help the nearest little old lady cross the street, or recite the Pledge of Allegiance. “Never mind,” Clint says instead.  Steve is still frowning at him, but as they’re crossing Nostrand and Dekalb he huffs and grumbles, “Vintage.” “What?” “The cabinet is vintage because it’s not 100 years old. And neither am I, by the way. Now hurry up, we’re late,” he says, hoofing it through Bed-Stuy like he forgot Clint does not, in fact, have a super-serumed power walk and that it’s, like, a million and one degrees out. “Look it’s not my fault they let you use the internet—" Clint grumbles. “Let me?” “—without explaining that responding to random Craiglist ads is a great way to meet crazed super fans or get kidnapped by Hydra.” “First of all, the Internet should be a public utility,” Steve says for the millionth time since he woke up in the 21st century, “and second, I’m sure I can handle myself against some nice old guy named Bucky without a security detail.” Clint heaves a sigh, wipes sweat from his brow, and jogs to catch up. He’s got the worst luck. It’s not like his ideal Saturday morning includes pissing off a national icon. (You misplace one unagi roll in the vents above Coulson’s office…) But at least he’s in good company—Steve scowls at all the Avengers. Ten blocks later Steve stops in front of a brownstone, taps away at his phone, and says, “This is it. I let him know we’re here.” “Great. Let’s get this chest and get outta here.” “It’s a cabinet not a—" The door to the basement-level apartment opens and out comes a guy built like Mac Truck, if a Mac Truck was absurdly handsome in a terrifying sort of way. Despite the heat, he’s wearing black leather gloves and a long-sleeve red henley unbuttoned all the way down to his— “Chest,” Steve finishes, sounding winded.

Thanks for asking, lovely, hope this week is treating you well, too! 💙

[aiautos]

The Isuzu Elf truck has been a popular commercial vehicle since its introduction in 1959. Known for its durability, versatility, and affordability, the Elf has become a workhorse for businesses and individuals around the world.

The first generation of the Elf was produced from 1959 to 1965, and it was primarily designed as a pickup truck. The second generation, which debuted in 1965, was available in a wider range of configurations, including a cab-over-engine (COE) design that maximized cargo space.

Over the years, the Elf has undergone numerous updates and redesigns to keep up with changing market demands. In the 1980s, Isuzu introduced a turbocharged version of the Elf, which offered improved power and efficiency. In the 1990s, the company added a number of safety features, such as airbags and ABS brakes.

Today, the Isuzu Elf is available in a variety of models, including flatbed trucks, box trucks, and dump trucks. It is a popular choice for businesses that need a reliable and efficient vehicle for transporting goods and materials.

Despite its long history, the Isuzu Elf shows no signs of slowing down. With ongoing updates and improvements, it continues to be a top choice for commercial vehicle buyers around the world.

[cash-for-scrap-cars-atlanta]

Cash for scrap cars Atlanta

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In addition to our Junk Car Removal services, we also provide professional junk car buying services in Atlanta GA. We base our offer on the vehicle’s condition and model ensuring that our clients receive a reasonable price for their car. Our focus on fairness and transparency has earned us a reputation as a reliable and trustworthy junk car removal business. Moreover, we are also committed to environmental sustainability. Our team understands the impact that waste has on the environment and we work to reduce the amount of waste that goes into the landfills. When we acquire a vehicle, we recycle and repurpose the materials from the car, reducing waste and promoting the reuse of valuable resources.

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DESCRIPTION:

Cash For Scrap Cars Atlanta, owned by Tariq Cooper, is your one-stop destination for all junk car removal services in Atlanta GA. We are a reliable and affordable car removal company so you can always rely on us for quick and efficient services. We offer a variety of services to our clients, from jump-starting a dead battery to towing away an old junk car. Our team is experienced in all types of vehicles, from cars to trucks, and can provide fast and affordable solutions. We also offer virtual consultations to help our clients decide the best course of action for their vehicles. Cash For Scrap Cars Atlanta is a great choice for people who need to get rid of an old junk car. Contact us now to get your property free from junk vehicles.

When it comes to selling your junk car, its important to choose a buyer who understand your needs and ensures your confidence throughout the process . Hi ! This is Tariq with Cash For Scrap Cars Atlanta. With Tariq by your side, you can rest assured that you'll recieve the maximum and best price of your old junk car . At Cash For Scrap Cars Atlanta we believe in building trust and providing a seamless selling experience .As soon as you contact us, Tariq will guide you through the entire process ,addressing any questions or concerns you may have . One of the standout features of our service is the provision of free towing . Once you agree to sell your car to Cash For Scrap Cars Atlanta, we take care of transportation logistics , saving you time and efforts. We understand that convenience is the key, and we strive to make selling process as easy as possible for you . With Tariq expertise in the industry, you can trust that you'll recieve a fair and competitive offer for your junk car . We value transperency and integrity, and our goal is to provide you a price that meets our expectations.Don't let your junk car to take a valueable space any longer. Contact Mohammed at Cash For Scrap Cars Atlanta today and he'll work closely with you to ensure that you sell your junk car at your dream price and experience a stress free process with trusted junk car buyer at your side

Services areas:

Riverdale GA

Fairburn GA

East Point GA

College Park GA

South Fulton

Jonesboro GA

Union City GA

Morrow GA

Stockbridge GA

Forest Park GA

Conley GA

Palmetto GA

           GET IN TOUCH:

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ADDRESS : 8415 Beechwood Trce

                      Riverdale, GA 30274

EMAIL:       terryecooper@gmail.com

CALL US :   (404) 324-2678