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Wow, check out this guy's comment

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Re: Wow, check out this guy's comment

#92
post #89
post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Then it is even more surprising, at least for me. I had Russia associated with strong families, people sticking together and so on. And it doesn't even seem to be a recent phenomenon. It looks like already in 1970s divorce rate in Russia was very high (40%): "Even in Communist times, the unhappiness of Russian families was hard to hide. The divorce rate in the 1970s was 40 percent; now it is 51 percent. In the past,…

Hmm. It's kind of hard for me to reconcile those stats with my personal experience. Growing up in the 80's and 90's, there were hardly any divorced couples in Russia. A number close to half seems completely off. I have to question where they got their numbers... although the more current numbers are probably more on target. What's also interesting though is who initiates divorce. I believe in the US, roughly 70% of d…

Ah yes, I also found this information when I was looking for historical divorce numbers. It indeed seems that there are structural differences considering marriages/coupling in US vs Russia.

From what I read, it looks like in US divorces are a way for people to try to find a better match. People shuffle themselves among marriages.

While in Russia, it looks like there are some men which leave behind them trail of divorced women (with children) that do not remarry. Thus there must be many men that never marry/reproduce. If this is true, it would be rather disturbing, as it would create unstable society.

Re: Wow, check out this guy's comment

#93
Think about it for a moment, have you ever heard of a business come to your door, shake your hand, and while looking in there eyes tell them you would like to earn the business and by they way here is a fifty dollar gift card that can be used anytime for any plumbing service they need.

Why is it that so many people seem to think direct sales is some kind of new idea?

Re: Wow, check out this guy's comment

#94

Cuban was motivated by a love of business. Before Broadcast.com, he sold garbage bags as a kid, gave disco lessons to sororities in college, threw parties as a quasi event planner, started a computer company (MicroSolutions) and ran a hedge fund. After Broadcast.com, he bought the Mavs, started HD Net, formed a charity (Fallen Patriot Fund), actively invests as an angel and cofounded numerous movie production & distr…

So true. I love business and would do it even if I had to wait tables to do it, for free, in my spare time, with no chance of personal financial gain (but a nonzero chance of success). Just seeing businesses start and grow is reward enough, even if I don't make any money.

Re: Wow, check out this guy's comment

#95
post #30

I don't get it. Is the $50 only against his labour charges? If the customer pays nothing for the parts too, then he can't subsidise the scheme for long enough to start being paid one the coupons run about by his, now loyal, customers.

If he charges x dollars for "up to the first hour", and y dollars for every hour thereafter, where x >= 50, then there's no problem.

Re: Wow, check out this guy's comment

#96
post #95
post #30

I don't get it. Is the $50 only against his labour charges? If the customer pays nothing for the parts too, then he can't subsidise the scheme for long enough to start being paid one the coupons run about by his, now loyal, customers.

If he charges x dollars for "up to the first hour", and y dollars for every hour thereafter, where x >= 50, then there's no problem.

Yes there is, depending on the type of job he's hired for with the vouchers, and whether the voucher covers parts as well.

Re: Wow, check out this guy's comment

#97
people are motivated by the "reward" their efforts may reap them. For some people this "reward" is money or power, for others it may be acceptance from peers or loved ones, for the plumber it was the ability to take care of his family.

Re: Wow, check out this guy's comment

#98
post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

He was successful despite not selling out his principles and succumbing to the motivation of money.

How is he not motivated by money in this post? Is plumbing his love and passion, or is he trying to provide for his family? And what's so wrong about being motivated by money, except for that it offends the secular liberal religion?

Yes he was motivated by money, but in the same way that you're motivated by food. It's important for accomplishing your goals, but there are more important things.

Re: Wow, check out this guy's comment

#99
post #96
post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If he charges x dollars for "up to the first hour", and y dollars for every hour thereafter, where x >= 50, then there's no problem.

Yes there is, depending on the type of job he's hired for with the vouchers, and whether the voucher covers parts as well.

Not so: In my scenario, the labor for any job would eat the entire voucher. (I'm assuming he's got a "limit 1 per customer" clause in the small print).

Re: Wow, check out this guy's comment

#100
post #99
post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes there is, depending on the type of job he's hired for with the vouchers, and whether the voucher covers parts as well.

Not so: In my scenario, the labor for any job would eat the entire voucher. (I'm assuming he's got a "limit 1 per customer" clause in the small print).

Sure, you can pick a job like that. But similarly, the voucher recipients could pick jobs that cripple the plumber financially.
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