Cameras are too expensive

[Alfred Molon]

https://petapixel.com/2022/03/28/camera-crew-robbed-of-35000-in-gear-at-gunpoint-in-san-francisco/

$35,000 worth of camera equipment...
--
Alfred Molon

Olympus 4/3 and micro 4/3 cameras forum at
https://groups.io/g/myolympus
https://myolympus.org/ photo sharing site

[Bill W]

On Mar 28, 2022, Alfred Molon wrote
(in article <9Zl0K.22526$sMg....@fx06.ams1>):

> https://petapixel.com/2022/03/28/camera-crew-robbed-of-35000-in-gear-at-gunpoi

> nt-in-san-francisco/
>
> $35,000 worth of camera equipment...

From the article: "Last year, a local news crew was robbed while filming an
interview about robberies”.

That reminds me of the time some years ago when I had my car stereo stolen
while I was inside the State Farm office reporting the theft of the stereo I
had just replaced.

[Alan Browne]

On 2022-03-28 13:09, Alfred Molon wrote:
> https://petapixel.com/2022/03/28/camera-crew-robbed-of-35000-in-gear-at-gunpoint-in-san-francisco/
>
>
> $35,000 worth of camera equipment...

For a film crew that's no more than a basic load of gear. Probably
light at that.

--
Beginning in the 1970's, all birds in North America were replaced by
drones made to look and act like birds. By 2004, no real birds are to
be found. They are all drones. They all belong to the government.
They spy on everyone. All of the time. Birds are not real.

[Incubus]

On 2022-03-28, Alfred Molon <alfred...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> https://petapixel.com/2022/03/28/camera-crew-robbed-of-35000-in-gear-at-gunpoint-in-san-francisco/
>
> $35,000 worth of camera equipment...

The thugs look very vibrant and diverse.

[Incubus]

On 2022-03-28, Alan Browne <bitb...@blackhole.com> wrote:
> On 2022-03-28 13:09, Alfred Molon wrote:
>> https://petapixel.com/2022/03/28/camera-crew-robbed-of-35000-in-gear-at-gunpoint-in-san-francisco/
>>
>>
>> $35,000 worth of camera equipment...
>
> For a film crew that's no more than a basic load of gear. Probably
> light at that.

I imagine they are not professionals. "Footage" implies video and I
doubt $35k would cover a professional television camera and lens.

[Dimitris Tzortzakakis]

Στις 28/3/2022 8:09 μ.μ., ο/η Alfred Molon έγραψε:
> https://petapixel.com/2022/03/28/camera-crew-robbed-of-35000-in-gear-at-gunpoint-in-san-francisco/
>
>
> $35,000 worth of camera equipment...

Bummer! Also the center of Athens is notorious for people being robbed
off expensive gear... I'm a member in a forum and almost every month a
theft is being reported. The last time they said him there's pigeon crap
on your head and they took his camera, even from cars they take them
.Someone was stabbed to death for a 200 euros camcorder....

[Incubus]

Democrat policies in action.

[geoff]

And I'm sure (these or others of any background) would not know or
understand if a camera (or lens) had some sort of security locking system.

geoff

[geoff]

Yeah, Hitler would have put a stop to this, eh.

geoff

[Alan Browne]

Possibly - OTOH a fellow I knew a while back told me the cost of a
minimal pro news rig had plunged over the years. Smaller, lighter (less
batteries!) and HD to boot.

Some (many?) people still refer to digital video as "footage" and "filming".

[Alan Browne]

Silly conclusion - but that puts you in with a lot of people making
silly conclusions in the US.

Talking about Athens - they have (or had) worse issues.

A favorite: You had to report that you had a pool so you could be taxed
on the water. So ... nobody reported it.

One day a civil servant discovered Google Earth and all hell broke loose...

[RichA]

Gov. brylcreem and his coven of progressives have "progressively" destroyed California cities. Or should i say, "tent cities."

[Incubus]

On 2022-03-29, Alan Browne <bitb...@blackhole.com> wrote:
> On 2022-03-29 12:12, Incubus wrote:
>> On 2022-03-29, Dimitris Tzortzakakis <no...@nospam.com> wrote:
>>> Στις 28/3/2022 8:09 μ.μ., ο/η Alfred Molon έγραψε:
>>>> https://petapixel.com/2022/03/28/camera-crew-robbed-of-35000-in-gear-at-gunpoint-in-san-francisco/
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> $35,000 worth of camera equipment...
>>> Bummer! Also the center of Athens is notorious for people being robbed
>>> off expensive gear... I'm a member in a forum and almost every month a
>>> theft is being reported. The last time they said him there's pigeon crap
>>> on your head and they took his camera, even from cars they take them
>>> .Someone was stabbed to death for a 200 euros camcorder....
>>
>> Democrat policies in action.
>
> Silly conclusion - but that puts you in with a lot of people making
> silly conclusions in the US.

I'm not in the US.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ld6qYJe4pRs

> Talking about Athens - they have (or had) worse issues.
>
> A favorite: You had to report that you had a pool so you could be taxed
> on the water. So ... nobody reported it.
>
> One day a civil servant discovered Google Earth and all hell broke loose...

LOL

[Incubus]

That's quite a reach. How tall is your stepladder?

[Whisky-dave]

On Tuesday, 29 March 2022 at 22:01:50 UTC+1, Alan Browne wrote:
> On 2022-03-29 12:12, Incubus wrote:
> > On 2022-03-29, Dimitris Tzortzakakis <no...@nospam.com> wrote:
> >> Στις 28/3/2022 8:09 μ.μ., ο/η Alfred Molon έγραψε:
> >>> https://petapixel.com/2022/03/28/camera-crew-robbed-of-35000-in-gear-at-gunpoint-in-san-francisco/
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> $35,000 worth of camera equipment...
> >> Bummer! Also the center of Athens is notorious for people being robbed
> >> off expensive gear... I'm a member in a forum and almost every month a
> >> theft is being reported. The last time they said him there's pigeon crap
> >> on your head and they took his camera, even from cars they take them
> >> .Someone was stabbed to death for a 200 euros camcorder....
> >
> > Democrat policies in action.
> Silly conclusion - but that puts you in with a lot of people making
> silly conclusions in the US.

I dio find the states a bit confusing (being from the UK) where you have tpo tell them what you have bought
so you can be taxed on it, in the UK you are taxed at source wheh you purchase something seems to be fairer on everyone.

>
> Talking about Athens - they have (or had) worse issues.
>
> A favorite: You had to report that you had a pool so you could be taxed
> on the water. So ... nobody reported it.

If you ran a resturant in greece and it wasn't a finished building the VAT you could charge on food was reduced
so buildings were never completed.

[Incubus]

On 2022-03-31, Whisky-dave <whisk...@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Tuesday, 29 March 2022 at 22:01:50 UTC+1, Alan Browne wrote:
>> On 2022-03-29 12:12, Incubus wrote:
>> > On 2022-03-29, Dimitris Tzortzakakis <no...@nospam.com> wrote:
>> >> Στις 28/3/2022 8:09 μ.μ., ο/η Alfred Molon έγραψε:
>> >>> https://petapixel.com/2022/03/28/camera-crew-robbed-of-35000-in-gear-at-gunpoint-in-san-francisco/
>> >>>
>> >>>
>> >>> $35,000 worth of camera equipment...
>> >> Bummer! Also the center of Athens is notorious for people being robbed
>> >> off expensive gear... I'm a member in a forum and almost every month a
>> >> theft is being reported. The last time they said him there's pigeon crap
>> >> on your head and they took his camera, even from cars they take them
>> >> .Someone was stabbed to death for a 200 euros camcorder....
>> >
>> > Democrat policies in action.
>> Silly conclusion - but that puts you in with a lot of people making
>> silly conclusions in the US.
>
> I dio find the states a bit confusing (being from the UK) where you have tpo tell them what you have bought
> so you can be taxed on it, in the UK you are taxed at source wheh you purchase something seems to be fairer on everyone.

This isn't a sales tax like VAT. They have a similar thing there. This
is more equivalent to the government asking you to tell them how many
windows your house has so that you can be taxed on them.

[Alan Browne]

On 2022-03-31 10:32, Whisky-dave wrote:

> I dio find the states a bit confusing (being from the UK) where you have tpo tell them what you have bought
> so you can be taxed on it, in the UK you are taxed at source wheh you purchase something seems to be fairer on everyone.

Not sure what you mean, but each state has its own sales taxes (or none)
and many counties have additional sales taxes. It's a morass - why VAT
in the US is not likely to ever happen. It would take forever to
decouple county taxes from state from federal.

> If you ran a resturant in greece and it wasn't a finished building the VAT you could charge on food was reduced
> so buildings were never completed.

I'm sure there are (or were) dozens of loopholes there. After their
economic meltdown they were forced to straighten up a lot of the silliness.

Here: if you go the grocery store and buy muffins, there is no VAT
EXCEPT: if it is hot out of the oven, then it's considered served to eat
at the store. VAT=15%.

Farm fuel is not taxed (or is taxed less). It has a different colour as
a result. I've actually seen Revenu Quebec inspectors on a two lane
highway stopping cars coming out of a farming area and dipping into the
tanks to check if these non farm cars had farm fuel in them. Must have
been acting on a tip. Not sure what the fine is - probably steep.

[-hh]

On Thursday, March 31, 2022 at 10:32:37 AM UTC-4, Whisky-dave wrote:
> On Tuesday, 29 March 2022 at 22:01:50 UTC+1, Alan Browne wrote:
> > On 2022-03-29 12:12, Incubus wrote:
> > > On 2022-03-29, Dimitris Tzortzakakis <no...@nospam.com> wrote:
> > >> Στις 28/3/2022 8:09 μ.μ., ο/η Alfred Molon έγραψε:
> > >>> https://petapixel.com/2022/03/28/camera-crew-robbed-of-35000-in-gear-at-gunpoint-in-san-francisco/
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>> $35,000 worth of camera equipment...
> > >> Bummer! Also the center of Athens is notorious for people being robbed
> > >> off expensive gear... I'm a member in a forum and almost every month a
> > >> theft is being reported. The last time they said him there's pigeon crap
> > >> on your head and they took his camera, even from cars they take them
> > >> .Someone was stabbed to death for a 200 euros camcorder....
> > >
> > > Democrat policies in action.
> > Silly conclusion - but that puts you in with a lot of people making
> > silly conclusions in the US.
>

> I dio find the states a bit confusing (being from the UK) where you have to tell

> them what you have bought so you can be taxed on it, in the UK you are taxed

> at source when you purchase something seems to be fairer on everyone.

That's kind of two political issues in one: the one is the lack of a VAT, and
the other is the presence of a individual-based reporting system for what
amount of taxes are due on individual income tax.

For "No VAT", this is kind of half true: a lot of States have a VAT .. aka "Sales Tax".
So from one perspective, there's probably some who don't want to have a VAT
imposed by both Fed & State levels. Likewise, there's probably capitalistic
lobbying groups who argue that a Fed VAT would reduce consumption, so its
a 'bad idea'. FYI, this broad statement of 'no Fed VAT' has exceptions, such
as Federal "excise" taxes which are effectively a VAT which target some
specific line of goods -- taxes on fuel (gasoline, diesel) for example.

For individual income taxes, there's probably three main reason why it is a self-
report system as opposed to the Government knowing everything that there is
to know about your income sources to calculate what's due.

First one is that a lot of the public would consider it to be creepy & a privacy violation.

Second is that there's a whole industry who benefits as tax preparers when the tax code
is very complex. Companies like H&R Block have lobbied Congress to leave it complex.

Third, there's decades of tax loopholes which have been created to benefit other
specific interest groups who lobby Congress to give them a tax break, and they
benefit from not just the loophole, but because the system is a "push", it gives them
the initiative on how the tax code gets interpreted: this puts the Government legally
on the defense, so the client's lawyer's tax code interpretation usually beats the Government.
Functionally, this expands small loopholes into huge ones that you can drive a train through.

-hh

[geoff]

On 1/04/2022 6:08 am, Alan Browne wrote:
> On 2022-03-31 10:32, Whisky-dave wrote:
>
>> I dio find the states a bit confusing (being from the UK) where you
>> have tpo tell them what you have bought
>> so you can be taxed on it, in the UK you are taxed at source wheh you
>> purchase something seems to be fairer on everyone.
>
> Not sure what you mean, but each state has its own sales taxes (or none)
> and many counties have additional sales taxes.  It's a morass - why VAT
> in the US is not likely to ever happen.  It would take forever to
> decouple county taxes from state from federal.

Many (most ?) countries don't have 'states' with separate laws and
taxes. Makes things much more straightforward ....

geoff

[Whisky-dave]

On Thursday, 31 March 2022 at 18:09:06 UTC+1, Alan Browne wrote:
> On 2022-03-31 10:32, Whisky-dave wrote:
>
> > I dio find the states a bit confusing (being from the UK) where you have tpo tell them what you have bought
> > so you can be taxed on it, in the UK you are taxed at source wheh you purchase something seems to be fairer on everyone.
> Not sure what you mean, but each state has its own sales taxes (or none)
> and many counties have additional sales taxes. It's a morass - why VAT
> in the US is not likely to ever happen. It would take forever to
> decouple county taxes from state from federal.

Here in the UK virtually everything you buy includes any tax.
You you order from say the Apple store and buy an iphone, tax is already included in the price.

I thought that if I was in the USA and ordered an iPhone I wouldn;t be charged TAX at source of purchase.
But would need to inform the IRA or someone that I bought a phone.

> > If you ran a resturant in greece and it wasn't a finished building the VAT you could charge on food was reduced
> > so buildings were never completed.
> I'm sure there are (or were) dozens of loopholes there. After their
> economic meltdown they were forced to straighten up a lot of the silliness.
>
> Here: if you go the grocery store and buy muffins, there is no VAT
> EXCEPT: if it is hot out of the oven, then it's considered served to eat
> at the store. VAT=15%.

We sort of have that too.

>
> Farm fuel is not taxed (or is taxed less). It has a different colour as
> a result. I've actually seen Revenu Quebec inspectors on a two lane
> highway stopping cars coming out of a farming area and dipping into the
> tanks to check if these non farm cars had farm fuel in them. Must have
> been acting on a tip. Not sure what the fine is - probably steep.

Same here it''s called red diesel I think doubt you'll find it in large cities at the pumps.

[Whisky-dave]

I thought the USA had 50 states where the drinking age and the age of sexual consent
and even marriage was differnt between them, what I thought was more confusing is that you can marry
below the age of consent.


>
> geoff

[Tony Cooper]

The Tenth Amendment to the US Constitution states: "The powers not
delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by
it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the
people."

That means that if there is no federal law in place, that any state
can pass a state law to cover that subject. Because there was no
federal law in place regarding the above subjects, each state was able
to craft laws regarding those subjects. And, the subject of sales tax
which also seems to bother your countrymen. There is no requirement
for the different states to draft laws that are comparable to the laws
in the other states.

We live in a world where large land masses are divided into different
areas where the laws, and even the languages, are different. English
laws are different from Scottish laws, the laws in France are
different from the laws in Italy, and so on. Yet, you are confused
that this land mass has similar divides because this particular land
mass is one country.

Whether it's Europe or the United States, there is some historical
reason the divides have occured. In our case, it's our Constitution.

We understand that this can confuse you. We find some of your
practices to be confusing, too. Please feel free to wonder about,
complain, or discuss how we are different. Just don't think we
actually give a damn that you are confused or in disagreement.









--

Tony Cooper - Orlando Florida

I read and post to this group as a form of entertainment.

[Alan Browne]

Each Canadian province has its own tax regime, usually integrated with
the federal 5% VAT in some way or another. Thus when a business pays
its VAT differential (tax collected minus taxes paid on G&S (for ea.
tax)), it does so to the province and the province forwards the federal
share to the feds (and this chain runs longer, but I won't get into it...).

In Europe I've never seen anything but the 1 VAT (per country). Well,
you don't "see" it much as it's integrated into the sticker price.

Here the sticker price is pre-tax. (Except gasoline/diesel).

And today our carbon tax on gasoline and diesel goes up about 2.2
¢/Litre. ($50/tonne of CO2).

[Alan Browne]

On 2022-04-01 07:25, Whisky-dave wrote:
> On Thursday, 31 March 2022 at 18:09:06 UTC+1, Alan Browne wrote:
>> On 2022-03-31 10:32, Whisky-dave wrote:
>>
>>> I dio find the states a bit confusing (being from the UK) where you have tpo tell them what you have bought
>>> so you can be taxed on it, in the UK you are taxed at source wheh you purchase something seems to be fairer on everyone.
>> Not sure what you mean, but each state has its own sales taxes (or none)
>> and many counties have additional sales taxes. It's a morass - why VAT
>> in the US is not likely to ever happen. It would take forever to
>> decouple county taxes from state from federal.
>
> Here in the UK virtually everything you buy includes any tax.
> You you order from say the Apple store and buy an iphone, tax is already included in the price.
>
> I thought that if I was in the USA and ordered an iPhone I wouldn;t be charged TAX at source of purchase.
> But would need to inform the IRA or someone that I bought a phone.

Different states - different laws. I don't recall any that would give
you a tax break on a retail purchase for out of state though.

When you leave Canada, non-Canadian residents can bring all of their
receipts to a "tax window" at the airport and have refunds on some of
the sales taxes they paid while in-country. I don't recall if that is
only GST (federal) or if it includes provincial VAT.

[Alan Browne]

US States have Interstate Highways. To get that subsidy from the
federal government, states have to set the drinking age at 21.
All states have Interstates. Including Hawaii...

Military bases, however, have 18 (I think) as the drinking age. Old
enough to get shot, old enough to drink.

This idiotic law means that Americans sneak around and become party
binging idiots before they enter university and eventually become judges
on the Supreme Court.

[nospam]

In article <DsE1K.509071$mF2.3...@fx11.iad>, Alan Browne

<bitb...@blackhole.com> wrote:

>
> Different states - different laws. I don't recall any that would give
> you a tax break on a retail purchase for out of state though.

some do.

<https://dor.wa.gov/file-pay-taxes/apply-tax-refund/state-sales-tax-refu
nd-qualified-nonresidents>
If you are a resident of one of the following states, U.S.
possession, or Canadian provinces or territory, you may be able
to apply for a Washington state sales tax refund. The state portion
of the sales tax is 6.5%.

[nospam]

In article <6wE1K.47460$rWve....@fx01.iad>, Alan Browne

<bitb...@blackhole.com> wrote:

>
> US States have Interstate Highways. To get that subsidy from the
> federal government, states have to set the drinking age at 21.
> All states have Interstates. Including Hawaii...
>
> Military bases, however, have 18 (I think) as the drinking age. Old
> enough to get shot, old enough to drink.
>
> This idiotic law means that Americans sneak around and become party
> binging idiots before they enter university and eventually become judges
> on the Supreme Court.

he lied under oath about illegally possessing alcohol while underage
and carrying it across state lines. he lied about a lot more too.

[geoff]

And some states it's compulsory to marry your cousin !

geoff

[Dimitris Tzortzakakis]

Στις 30/3/2022 12:01 π.μ., ο/η Alan Browne έγραψε:
> On 2022-03-29 12:12, Incubus wrote:
>> On 2022-03-29, Dimitris Tzortzakakis <no...@nospam.com> wrote:
>>> Στις 28/3/2022 8:09 μ.μ., ο/η Alfred Molon έγραψε:
>>>> https://petapixel.com/2022/03/28/camera-crew-robbed-of-35000-in-gear-at-gunpoint-in-san-francisco/
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> $35,000 worth of camera equipment...
>>> Bummer! Also the center of Athens is notorious for people being robbed
>>> off expensive gear... I'm a member in a forum and almost every month a
>>> theft is being reported. The last time they said him there's pigeon crap
>>> on your head and they took his camera, even from cars they take them
>>> .Someone was stabbed to death for a 200 euros camcorder....
>>
>> Democrat policies in action.
>
> Silly conclusion - but that puts you in with a lot of people making
> silly conclusions in the US.
>
> Talking about Athens - they have (or had) worse issues.
>
> A favorite:  You had to report that you had a pool so you could be taxed
> on the water.  So ... nobody reported it.
>
> One day a civil servant discovered Google Earth and all hell broke loose...
>

Our least concern are pools. The main problem in Greece is that we
although have perfect laws, these laws aren't enforced. So many people
with the depression have gone below the poor limit, that there are
deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning, which hasn't happened since the
'60s, with people who can't afford any kind of heating, and are so
desperate to get warm, they use mangals, little pots with burning coal.
They don't know you have to keep a door open and the get carbon monoxide
poisoning. There are even fires reported from the same reason. There are
many beggars, homeless and so on even in my city, Iraklion which didn't
have any of this in the '80s for instance. The problem is the state
thinks the citizens are crooks and hiding income and possesions, and the
citizens think the state is ripping them off, with poll taxes and
generally taxing the hell out of them. Back on topic, when I go to
Athens (on boat) I think I will only get my compact camera, I don't want
to be a thief target, even on the boat... (The boat trip is long that
you sleep on the boat, either on coach seats for the cheapest ticket or
in a cabin for more expensive).

[Dimitris Tzortzakakis]

BTW check out this photo I think it's one of my good ones. In the same
flickr account you can find exactly the same photo taken with a film
camera so you can make direct comparisons.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/167258532@N02/52021885679/in/dateposted-public/