From borgholio at storymind.com Mon Dec 1 19:27:27 2008 From: borgholio at storymind.com (Borgholio) Date: Mon Dec 1 19:30:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: pirates In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Sylvesterthekat wrote: > "Indigo" wrote in > news:ggnbcp$l9o$1@news.spamcop.net: > > >> Going to "mark as read" the rest of this thread, have too many unread >> posts to ever catch up! >> > > Where you been dude? > > I see the pirates had a go at a cruise ship today and failed. CNN has lots of articles on how to combat piracy these days. They range from blockading ports to convoy systems. Personally I think convoys are the way to go. These small-time pirates probably don't work out of the major ports, so blockading them won't work. Having a convoy of civilian ships escorted by a couple warships or air cover worked well in the last two World Wars, so it ought to work vs pirates. From nobody at spamcop.net Tue Dec 2 11:31:03 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Indigo) Date: Tue Dec 2 11:35:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: You're not going to believe this one In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: "Charles" wrote in message news:Xns9B67C760970E6TheShrubIsAnAss@216.154.195.61... > No way it was me! It was Sylvesterthekat ! > >> So riddle me this. If you had ASKED if there was another contract in the >> offing, was she legally obligated to tell you? > > Probably not. Besides, there wasn't one when our offer went in. So, each > time our broker calls does she have to ask? If she were really playing you two potential buyers off each other she would have contacted your agent and asked if you wanted to raise your offer above the one she had in hand from the second buyer. She didn't, so she probably didn't break any kind of ethics code. From nobody at spamcop.net Tue Dec 2 11:32:11 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Indigo) Date: Tue Dec 2 11:35:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: What's wrong with this picture? In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: "Sylvesterthekat" wrote in message news:Xns9B67A68FF9C55sylvesterthekat@216.154.195.61... > Borgholio wrote in > news:ggaesq$pbj$1@news.spamcop.net: > > views in shorts (I'm a leg/butt man, remember). >> >> heh, yeah I should put a butt-shot of myself up. :-P >> > > LOL.. um... nooooooooooooooooo... you're trying to appeal to women, not > men! What, women don't like to look at guy's butts? That's news to me! Thelma and Louise sure seemed enamored with Brad Pitt's ass ;-) From nobody at spamcop.net Tue Dec 2 12:27:04 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Indigo) Date: Tue Dec 2 12:30:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: pirates In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: "Sylvesterthekat" wrote in message news:Xns9B67A6E7887CFsylvesterthekat@216.154.195.61... > "Indigo" wrote in > news:ggnbcp$l9o$1@news.spamcop.net: > > >> Going to "mark as read" the rest of this thread, have too many unread >> posts to ever catch up! >> > > Where you been dude? Busy and sick, off and on. The supplements the endocrinologist made me stop taking were keeping a couple of my organs functioning at semi-normal levels, but without them I'm suffering pretty badly on more days than not. I'm in worse overall health now than I was a year ago, my body can't produce the hormones it needs to repair muscle tissue, prevent muscle spasms, and relieve my fatigue problems. Thank god the 6 week waiting period for everything to clear out of my system is over next week so I can get my blood drawn and start gulping down those supplements the second I get home! Then I get to wait probably two weeks and hope they don't call me and tell me to go get an MRI of my brain.....that would be _really_ bad news........ On nice weather days I've been trying to finish up the year end yardwork (cleaning up the leaves just kills my back and neck), but I still haven't gotten around to planting the 60 tulip bulbs I bought over a month ago, too wet and/or cold and windy outside most of the time. I finally managed to rebuild and seal/paint the shed doors that had fallen apart from the shed going into a catty-wonker tilt from the one side sinking into the ground. On the rainy days (and we've had a ton of them in the last month or two) I've been doing household chores like trying to clean everything spic and span to get all traces of mold and crap out of the house. The HVAC cleaning guys are coming today at 1:00, then I'll need to clean the walls, mini-blinds, and carpets (the baseboards in particular are pretty nasty, take a look at yours!). And I was convinced by my health care providers to buy an air purifier to keep things clean after the cleanup work is done. I was shocked at how expensive most of them were, and the replacement filters and cartridges were even worse. I ended up buying a pretty good one that will at least clean the air in my bedroom of everything except volatile chemical vapors (no charcoal filter in this one), and it make absolutely no noise, a big selling point for me: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000X2BTFA . I also started a winter project, stripping down my cast iron deck furniture, repairing the rusty spots, and repainting everything. I wear my professional grade respirator when I'm spray painting, but the paint fumes are still getting upstairs even though I have the two basement casement windows open. Not enough cross ventilation from the windows, so I'm building a forced air exhaust system to install above the painting area in my workshop. I spent nearly 3 hours in Home Despot last weekend buying all the parts I needed -- I had a design on paper, but had to re-design in the store on the fly based on what I could buy. It'll be great to have when it's done, and it had better damn work as good as I think it will -- the parts alone cost me over $100! And I was madly working on finding and downloading MP3s before my free Crapsody and Napster trials ran out, converting them to unprotected files, organizing them into playlists....but I still haven't gotten around to wiping my MP3 player clean and downloading all the new songs and playlists to it. I guess I got a bit burned out with all the late nights I spent searching for songs, then deciding which ones to keep -- I have more music than will fit on my player, even after re-converting everything to 128 kbps. Plus I had a BSOD a few weeks ago that damaged a bunch of software, had to spend almost a week investigating the problems and fixing everything. Plus, I've been continously re-doing my financial spreadsheets for how to invest my rollover IRA money. I think yesterday we may have hit bottom, I'm doing some buying today. Two funds and one stock went below my buy targets, which were all set within a dollar of their 52 week lows. Since almost everything I have bought or plan on buying pays out big dividends in December, I have to buy them before Dec 17-Dec 21 (different ex-div dates for some funds) if I want those juicy dividends, re-invested at fire sale prices to boot. I just put in an order for the last lot of buys for two such funds today. For instance, if one of my funds (CGMRX) pays out near what it paid out last year I'll receive "free" shares that will be about equal to 1/3 of number of shares I bought with my own money because the price has sunk so low recently. That's a 30% return in just two months -- not too bad, eh? Then I just have to sit back and wait for Obama to fix the economy ;-) > > I see the pirates had a go at a cruise ship today and failed. Yikes! What a disaster *that* would have been! How did they fend them off, with the shotguns they use for skeet shooting? From nobody at spamcop.net Tue Dec 2 12:36:28 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Indigo) Date: Tue Dec 2 12:40:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: pirates In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: "Borgholio" wrote in message news:gh1vct$mtc$1@news.spamcop.net... > CNN has lots of articles on how to combat piracy these days. They range > from blockading ports to convoy systems. Personally I think convoys are > the way to go. These small-time pirates probably don't work out of the > major ports, so blockading them won't work. Having a convoy of civilian > ships escorted by a couple warships or air cover worked well in the last > two World Wars, so it ought to work vs pirates. Air cover? Whose brilliant idea was that? Who's going to pay for it? Same thing with warships. Convoys I'll buy -- one of the ships can just run over the little dinky boats the pirates cruise around in! From nobody at spamcop.net Tue Dec 2 12:37:58 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Indigo) Date: Tue Dec 2 12:40:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: You're not going to believe this one In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: "Charles" wrote in message news:Xns9B687B8D7A4D5TheShrubIsAnAss@216.154.195.61... > It wasn't me! It was "Indigo" ! > >> If she were really playing you two potential buyers off each other she >> would have contacted your agent and asked if you wanted to raise your >> offer above the one she had in hand from the second buyer. She didn't, >> so she probably didn't break any kind of ethics code. > > What part of telling someone something that is patently untrue is ethical? > And she did contact us asking for a higher bid - on Monday. A full 3 days > after she LIED to us and said that we were under contract. I didn't read that if you posted it.....I thought _you_ thought there was a contract, but that you hadn't actually signed one? From nobody at spamcop.net Tue Dec 2 14:34:52 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Indigo) Date: Tue Dec 2 14:35:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: You're not going to believe this one In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: "Charles" wrote in message news:Xns9B6881E3723F1TheShrubIsAnAss@216.154.195.61... > > We signed one and sent it on its way. The other broker said that it had > been signed and she'd get it right back to us - we were under contract. > Then she sent us the wrong contract. Oops. Sorry. I'll get the right > one > to you tonight. Didn't happen. Didn't happen the next day, either. Then > the next day she says they have another offer do we want to counter. > Bitch! So it's not a valid contract unless and until both parties sign it, correct? And she said it was signed by the seller? Sounds to me like if you got a lawyer involved you'd have a pretty good case -- the seller and the agent would have to commit perjury and claim that the seller never signed your contract. Have any lawyer friends to throw the fear of god into them with a threatening letter? From joegill at removethis Tue Dec 2 17:59:46 2008 From: joegill at removethis (Joe Gill) Date: Tue Dec 2 18:05:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: You're not going to believe this one References: Message-ID: "Charles" wrote in message news:Xns9B6881E3723F1TheShrubIsAnAss@216.154.195.61... > It wasn't me! It was "Indigo" ! >> "Charles" wrote in message >> news:Xns9B687B8D7A4D5TheShrubIsAnAss@216.154.195.61... > >>> What part of telling someone something that is patently untrue is >>> ethical? And she did contact us asking for a higher bid - on Monday. >>> A full 3 days after she LIED to us and said that we were under >>> contract. >> >> I didn't read that if you posted it.....I thought _you_ thought there >> was a contract, but that you hadn't actually signed one? > > We signed one and sent it on its way. The other broker said that it had > been signed and she'd get it right back to us - we were under contract. > Then she sent us the wrong contract. Oops. Sorry. I'll get the right > one > to you tonight. Didn't happen. Didn't happen the next day, either. Then > the next day she says they have another offer do we want to counter. > Bitch! When you stated "The other broker said that it had been signed and she'd get it right back to us - we were under contract. Then she sent us the wrong contract. Oops. Sorry" Sound like an 'actionable' event.. Talk to an attorney From nobody at spamcop.net Tue Dec 2 19:06:35 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Indigo) Date: Tue Dec 2 19:10:04 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: You're not going to believe this one In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: "Charles" wrote in message news:Xns9B68AC2B16027TheShrubIsAnAss@216.154.195.61... > No way it was me! It was "Indigo" ! > >> So it's not a valid contract unless and until both parties sign it, >> correct? And she said it was signed by the seller? Sounds to me like >> if you got a lawyer involved you'd have a pretty good case -- the >> seller and the agent would have to commit perjury and claim that the >> seller never signed your contract. Have any lawyer friends to throw >> the fear of god into them with a threatening letter? > > This is NY. My lawyer says that the contract isn't final until I have it > in my hands. Only, see, the bitch made sure that I never got it in my > hands. Clever, eh? Unethical, certainly. Strange law.....one would think the moment that the seller signed the contract that there would be no going back.....whether you received a copy or not. So all she needed was a shredder? Can you ask to get the paperwork back to see what her response is? From MikeE at ster.invalid Wed Dec 3 03:32:57 2008 From: MikeE at ster.invalid (Mike Easter) Date: Wed Dec 3 03:35:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: You're not going to believe this one References: Message-ID: Charles wrote: > Sylvesterthekat > >> Oh wouldn't that be delicious if she has to come crawling back to >> Charles. I'd insist on a huge discount on the price for starters. > > I'd be happy to take the house. Honest. But I won't deal with that > agent. And, no, I don't know how I'm going to manage that one - most of > the houses we look at are from one agent... I don't know if NY realty works like CA, but around here the agent is working for a broker even if you've^1 never 'heard of' the brokerage firm. What is the name of this agent and the NY community or county? (Where the 'you' is the potential client an agent is talking to.) -- Mike Easter kibitzer, not SC admin From avoozl at spamcop.net Wed Dec 3 04:04:03 2008 From: avoozl at spamcop.net (Chris F. Willoughby) Date: Wed Dec 3 04:05:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: You're not going to believe this one References: Message-ID: "Charles" wrote in message news:Xns9B636C4F99DB2TheShrubIsAnAss@216.154.195.61... > Maybe? One of the ones that needs repairs. I mean, there was the cheap > one that needed $150k then there was the expensive one that needed $50k > and > the really expensive one that needed $25k. Not in chronological order, of > course. And I'm talking about expensive that needs $50k. How expensive is very expensive? From nobody at spamcop.net Wed Dec 3 12:54:06 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Indigo) Date: Wed Dec 3 12:55:04 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: You're not going to believe this one In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: "Charles" wrote in message news:Xns9B68E69A9F117TheShrubIsAnAss@216.154.195.61... > No way it was me! It was "Indigo" ! > >> Can you ask to get the paperwork >> back to see what her response is? > > I suppose we can. We're not going to - it's best, at this point, to think > about the future and where we'll be as opposed to thinking about what > could > have been. Probably best for your mental health.....but I'd be tempted to make an example out of her....get some retribution.....the satisfaction of having proof she screwed you over. From nobody at spamcop.net Wed Dec 3 13:04:52 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Indigo) Date: Wed Dec 3 13:05:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: You're not going to believe this one In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: "Charles" wrote in message news:Xns9B694E90A9E37TheShrubIsAnAss@216.154.195.61... > It wasn't me! It was "Chris F. Willoughby" ! >> "Charles" wrote in message >> news:Xns9B636C4F99DB2TheShrubIsAnAss@216.154.195.61... > >>> Maybe? One of the ones that needs repairs. I mean, there was the >>> cheap one that needed $150k then there was the expensive one that >>> needed $50k and >>> the really expensive one that needed $25k. Not in chronological >>> order, of course. And I'm talking about expensive that needs $50k. >> >> How expensive is very expensive? > > I didn't write very expensive anywhere in there! But we're talking houses > ranging from $180k to $415k. Wow.....$415k plus $25k repairs *is* a "really expensive one" (your words) for that area, isn't it? That's even well above the median price in my area...... From avoozl at spamcop.net Wed Dec 3 21:01:22 2008 From: avoozl at spamcop.net (Chris F. Willoughby) Date: Wed Dec 3 21:05:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: You're not going to believe this one References: Message-ID: "Charles" wrote in message news:Xns9B6988468624ETheShrubIsAnAss@216.154.195.61... > Oh. Well, I guess I did write really. But I didn't write very! Anyway, > that's pretty expensive. Of course that's above the median - but the > median doesn't mean much! Over 70% of all housing in the City of Ithaca > is > rental housing... That drags the price and quality of houses way down. > Let's see... Median looks like $180k. Well, it seems like the 180k house wouldn't really be a good deal either.. Considering you'd be around 350k after repairs or whatever else it needs. Median around here *used* to be in the 400-500k range. I don't know what it is now.. Chris From JLNKOOECOCGY at spammotel.com Thu Dec 4 07:39:07 2008 From: JLNKOOECOCGY at spammotel.com (Canopus) Date: Thu Dec 4 07:40:04 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: pirates References: Message-ID: Indigo scribed: >>I see the pirates had a go at a cruise ship today and failed. > >Yikes! What a disaster that would have been! How did they fend them off, >with the shotguns they use for skeet shooting? Perhaps the pirates couldn't handle the thought of hundreds of complaining passengers. Or may be some of their pirate colleagues who've become rich through it were having a cruise on that liner :)) -- Rob http://www.flickr.com/photos/canopus_archives/ http://canopianjournal.blogspot.com/ http://canopusarchives.multiply.com/ From me at privacy.net Thu Dec 4 09:40:51 2008 From: me at privacy.net (Frog Prince) Date: Thu Dec 4 10:05:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Cash-strapped teacher sells ads on tests References: Message-ID: http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/12/03/teacher.ads.on.tests/index.html CNN) -- In tests for teacher Tom Farber's high school class, students can demonstrate their mastery of calculus and find out where to get braces or even a haircut. From nobody at spamcop.net Thu Dec 4 13:20:00 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Indigo) Date: Thu Dec 4 13:20:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: pirates In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: "Canopus" wrote in message news:gh8j1b$jp0$1@news.spamcop.net... > Indigo scribed: > >>>I see the pirates had a go at a cruise ship today and failed. >> >>Yikes! What a disaster that would have been! How did they fend them off, >>with the shotguns they use for skeet shooting? > > Perhaps the pirates couldn't handle the thought of hundreds of complaining > passengers. Or may be some of their pirate colleagues who've become rich > through it were having a cruise on that liner :)) Just imagine if it were one of those gay cruises like Rosie organizes.....the shrieks of fear would be enough to drive them off ;-) Actually, I heard that the cruise ship went full throttle and outran the pirate's boat. Apparently those monsters can get up to 28 knots! With diesel engines that's pretty impressive for a boat that size. Of course one of our aircraft carriers (semi-equivalent sized or larger) could blow by them both at around 40 knots. The actual top speed is classified, but those in the know estimate they're about that fast, and they should be, given that their nuke power plants probably put out 2-3 times the power. They'd have too, actually......drag goes up as the square root of speed.....but there's some funny law about hydrodynamics that I never really understood that sez max boat speed is a function of the waterline perimeter or sumpthin' like that. That's why pleasure powerboats like to get up "on plane", they can minimize that parameter by minimizing the amount of hull in contact with the water and go a helluva lot faster. From me at privacy.net Thu Dec 4 13:48:00 2008 From: me at privacy.net (Frog Prince) Date: Thu Dec 4 13:50:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: pirates References: Message-ID: "Indigo" wrote in message news:gh970f$hn8$1@news.spamcop.net... : : "Canopus" wrote in message : news:gh8j1b$jp0$1@news.spamcop.net... : > Indigo scribed: : > : >>>I see the pirates had a go at a cruise ship today and failed. : >> : >>Yikes! What a disaster that would have been! How did they fend them off, : >>with the shotguns they use for skeet shooting? : > : > Perhaps the pirates couldn't handle the thought of hundreds of complaining : > passengers. Or may be some of their pirate colleagues who've become rich : > through it were having a cruise on that liner :)) : : Just imagine if it were one of those gay cruises like Rosie : organizes.....the shrieks of fear would be enough to drive them off ;-) : : Actually, I heard that the cruise ship went full throttle and outran the : pirate's boat. Apparently those monsters can get up to 28 knots! With diesel : engines that's pretty impressive for a boat that size. Of course one of our : aircraft carriers (semi-equivalent sized or larger) could blow by them both : at around 40 knots. The actual top speed is classified, but those in the : know estimate they're about that fast, and they should be, given that their : nuke power plants probably put out 2-3 times the power. : : They'd have too, actually......drag goes up as the square root of : speed.....but there's some funny law about hydrodynamics that I never really : understood that sez max boat speed is a function of the waterline perimeter : or sumpthin' like that. That's why pleasure powerboats like to get up "on : plane", they can minimize that parameter by minimizing the amount of hull in : contact with the water and go a helluva lot faster. Has to do with the bow to stern length at the water line. Been known for centuries as the upper boundary of the speed a displacement vessel can make. Anything faster and the boat becomes a submarine. There are documented instance from the days of square riggers where wind increased faster than sail could be trimmed and the boat sank. From nobody at spamcop.net Thu Dec 4 13:59:56 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Indigo) Date: Thu Dec 4 14:00:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: pirates In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: "Frog Prince" wrote in message news:gh98mj$n4o$1@news.spamcop.net... > > Has to do with the bow to stern length at the water line. Been known for > centuries as the upper boundary of the speed a displacement vessel can > make. > Anything faster and the boat becomes a submarine. I knew it was something like that.....but I still don't really understand it, even though I'm pretty sure I studied it in a college physics class.....why isn't there a similar limit for air resistance and cars/airplanes? Is it somehow a law of physics related to the maximum velocity of an object in free-fall? Like a human being falling from the sky cannot exceed something like 120 mph? Although that speed can change if the human makes itself into a "bullet" shape, else Mr. Bond and Ahnold would've been in deep doo-doo a couple of times ;-) From me at privacy.net Thu Dec 4 14:13:12 2008 From: me at privacy.net (Frog Prince) Date: Thu Dec 4 14:15:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: pirates References: Message-ID: "Indigo" wrote in message news:gh99bc$ojc$1@news.spamcop.net... : : "Frog Prince" wrote in message : news:gh98mj$n4o$1@news.spamcop.net... : > : > Has to do with the bow to stern length at the water line. Been known for : > centuries as the upper boundary of the speed a displacement vessel can : > make. : > Anything faster and the boat becomes a submarine. : : I knew it was something like that.....but I still don't really understand : it, even though I'm pretty sure I studied it in a college physics : class.....why isn't there a similar limit for air resistance and : cars/airplanes? Is it somehow a law of physics related to the maximum : velocity of an object in free-fall? Like a human being falling from the sky : cannot exceed something like 120 mph? Although that speed can change if the : human makes itself into a "bullet" shape, else Mr. Bond and Ahnold would've : been in deep doo-doo a couple of times ;-) Speed though the air is the cube of the driving force. Terminal velocity is a function of the friction. (hypersonic follows some different rules but when I was in schools these were mostly theory) Limiting factor in surface wave (hydraulics) is the peak to peak wave length which is also the bow to stern length of a displacement hull. You can change terminal velocity of an object through the air by changing it's shape (stream lining) but you cannot do the same with a displacement hull. ergo the boat can only go so fast then it becomes a submarine. From borgholio at storymind.com Thu Dec 4 14:43:09 2008 From: borgholio at storymind.com (Borgholio) Date: Thu Dec 4 14:45:02 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: pirates In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Frog Prince wrote: > "Indigo" wrote in message > news:gh99bc$ojc$1@news.spamcop.net... > : > : "Frog Prince" wrote in message > : news:gh98mj$n4o$1@news.spamcop.net... > : > > : > Has to do with the bow to stern length at the water line. Been known > for > : > centuries as the upper boundary of the speed a displacement vessel can > : > make. > : > Anything faster and the boat becomes a submarine. > : > : I knew it was something like that.....but I still don't really understand > : it, even though I'm pretty sure I studied it in a college physics > : class.....why isn't there a similar limit for air resistance and > : cars/airplanes? Is it somehow a law of physics related to the maximum > : velocity of an object in free-fall? Like a human being falling from the > sky > : cannot exceed something like 120 mph? Although that speed can change if > the > : human makes itself into a "bullet" shape, else Mr. Bond and Ahnold > would've > : been in deep doo-doo a couple of times ;-) > > Speed though the air is the cube of the driving force. Terminal velocity > is a function of the friction. (hypersonic follows some different rules but > when I was in schools these were mostly theory) > > Limiting factor in surface wave (hydraulics) is the peak to peak wave length > which is also the bow to stern length of a displacement hull. > > You can change terminal velocity of an object through the air by changing > it's shape (stream lining) but you cannot do the same with a displacement > hull. ergo the boat can only go so fast then it becomes a submarine. > > Which is why modern nuclear submarines are limited to only about 15 - 20 knots on the surface, but they can go more than double that speed underwater. From JLNKOOECOCGY at spammotel.com Thu Dec 4 14:48:59 2008 From: JLNKOOECOCGY at spammotel.com (Canopus) Date: Thu Dec 4 14:50:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: pirates References: Message-ID: Indigo scribed: >Just imagine if it were one of those gay cruises like Rosie >organizes.....the shrieks of fear would be enough to drive them off ;-) Or the shrieks of delight...yoo hoo Mr. pirate, we're up here! ;)) -- Rob http://www.flickr.com/photos/canopus_archives/ http://canopianjournal.blogspot.com/ http://canopusarchives.multiply.com/ From nobody at spamcop.net Thu Dec 4 15:09:01 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Bar0) Date: Thu Dec 4 15:10:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: pirates References: Message-ID: "Indigo" wrote in message news:gh970f$hn8$1@news.spamcop.net... > > "Canopus" wrote in message > news:gh8j1b$jp0$1@news.spamcop.net... >> Indigo scribed: >> >>>>I see the pirates had a go at a cruise ship today and failed. >>> >>>Yikes! What a disaster that would have been! How did they fend them off, >>>with the shotguns they use for skeet shooting? >> >> Perhaps the pirates couldn't handle the thought of hundreds of >> complaining passengers. Or may be some of their pirate colleagues who've >> become rich through it were having a cruise on that liner :)) > > Just imagine if it were one of those gay cruises like Rosie > organizes.....the shrieks of fear would be enough to drive them off ;-) > > Actually, I heard that the cruise ship went full throttle and outran the > pirate's boat. Apparently those monsters can get up to 28 knots! With > diesel engines that's pretty impressive for a boat that size. Of course > one of our aircraft carriers (semi-equivalent sized or larger) could blow > by them both at around 40 knots. The actual top speed is classified, but > those in the know estimate they're about that fast, and they should be, > given that their nuke power plants probably put out 2-3 times the power. Actually it's LWL (Length WaterLine) that makes the biggest difference, and few ships are as long as those nuke carriers. Don't get me wrong the power is also important. Incidentally (due to massive powerplants) the Bismark and Tirpitz could go well over 35 knots, and that was how the former outran the British Navy until its steering was disabled. > > They'd have too, actually......drag goes up as the square root of > speed.....but there's some funny law about hydrodynamics that I never > really understood that sez max boat speed is a function of the waterline > perimeter or sumpthin' like that. That's why pleasure powerboats like to > get up "on plane", they can minimize that parameter by minimizing the > amount of hull in contact with the water and go a helluva lot faster. its Length/(wetted surface area) IIRC, the longer the boat the greater that ratio gets. From joegill at removethis Thu Dec 4 18:15:52 2008 From: joegill at removethis (Joe Gill) Date: Thu Dec 4 18:20:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Cash-strapped teacher sells ads on tests References: Message-ID: "Frog Prince" wrote in message news:gh8rgh$fhp$1@news.spamcop.net... > http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/12/03/teacher.ads.on.tests/index.html > > CNN) -- In tests for teacher Tom Farber's high school class, students > can demonstrate their mastery of calculus and find out where to get > braces or even a haircut. > > > I actually think this is 'creative'... Many teachers across the land, have been 'sucking it up' and paying for paper. supplies, etc. when budgets don't allow full funding. It is a shame that many systems, will pay for all sorts of things (i.e.: new buildings), but won't cover the day-to-day needs. From nobody at spamcop.net Thu Dec 4 22:06:09 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Indigo) Date: Thu Dec 4 22:10:04 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: pirates In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: "Bar0" wrote in message news:gh9dcv$bcl$1@news.spamcop.net... > Actually it's LWL (Length WaterLine) that makes the biggest difference, > and few ships are as long as those nuke carriers. Don't get me wrong the > power is also important. Incidentally (due to massive powerplants) the > Bismark and Tirpitz could go well over 35 knots, and that was how the > former outran the British Navy until its steering was disabled. Heh. I wonder if the Tirpitz ever saw 35 knots......it was built, sent out for sea tests, then hidden in a Norwegian fjiord for the entire duration of the war until it was finally knocked out by the umpteenth air strike. What a waste of what was probably the best battleship of WWII. From mny98rv02 at sneakemail.com Fri Dec 5 07:01:31 2008 From: mny98rv02 at sneakemail.com (Mr. K Mean) Date: Fri Dec 5 07:05:05 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: pirates In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Canopus wrote: > Indigo scribed: > >>> I see the pirates had a go at a cruise ship today and failed. >> >> Yikes! What a disaster that would have been! How did they fend them >> off, with the shotguns they use for skeet shooting? > > Perhaps the pirates couldn't handle the thought of hundreds of > complaining passengers. Or may be some of their pirate colleagues > who've become rich through it were having a cruise on that liner :)) Be nice. I just found out that that was the cruise ship my parents are on. Haven't talked to them yet but my sister says the pirates fired a few shots and the ship hauled ass off and everything was fine. Apparently they also have some sort of audio weapon thing, loud unpleasant sounds to drive them off, like a ghetto blaster. Sort of a completely mad cruise though, a month through the strangest ports, seemingly random destinations. Like why in the world would you route a cruise ship past Somalia anyways? That's crazy. Me, I'm just in Vietnam now, getting onto month 4 of the journey. Not exactly correct, but sort of, http://tinyurl.com/5gqsgs Have a flight booked from Malaysia in mid January so only about 6 weeks left now. Having a great journey, absolutely loved China, will have to learn more Chinese and go back some day. Sad to have left Mongolia, well, so much that's been pretty great. Russia was a bit of hard work though, still I'm glad I saw it. And so much more. But not really reading anything here, just occasionally scanning over subjects to see what is going on. From nobody at spamcop.net Fri Dec 5 09:35:43 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Bar0) Date: Fri Dec 5 09:40:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: pirates References: Message-ID: "Indigo" wrote in message news:gha5r0$lpt$1@news.spamcop.net... > > "Bar0" wrote in message > news:gh9dcv$bcl$1@news.spamcop.net... >> Actually it's LWL (Length WaterLine) that makes the biggest difference, >> and few ships are as long as those nuke carriers. Don't get me wrong the >> power is also important. Incidentally (due to massive powerplants) the >> Bismark and Tirpitz could go well over 35 knots, and that was how the >> former outran the British Navy until its steering was disabled. > > Heh. I wonder if the Tirpitz ever saw 35 knots......it was built, sent out > for sea tests, then hidden in a Norwegian fjiord for the entire duration > of the war until it was finally knocked out by the umpteenth air strike. > What a waste of what was probably the best battleship of WWII. And be glad it was wasted, and that the Bismarck sank before they could pair up. LWL, , waterline length, doesn't impose a strict limit on speed, even for non planing hulls, but at that speed, the power required to move the boat faster undergoes more or less a step function. It is also the speed at which the boats waterline is 1/2 the wavelength of the bow wave, and this leads to the submarining problems that FP referred to. Essentially the bow wave increases in size the, that wave likewise and the boat not only pushes more water, it must effectively sail up hill, the stern drops,. and the propulsive force pushes uphill instead of forward. The newer hull designs with what looks like a submarine mounted under the hull is an effective attempt to mitigate the effect, by decreasing the size of the bow wave (a surface wave like ripples (Raleigh waves) rather than a pressure wave which propagate at the speed of sound in water (5,000'/s)and have much longer wavelengths). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hull_speed and a better explanation: http://www.sailnet.com/forums/buying-boat-articles/19440-hull-speed-demystified.html From nobody at spamcop.net Fri Dec 5 18:11:35 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Indigo) Date: Fri Dec 5 18:15:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: pirates In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: "Bar0" wrote in message news:ghbe80$lrf$1@news.spamcop.net... Essentially the bow wave > increases in size the, that wave likewise and the boat not only pushes > more water, it must effectively sail up hill, the stern drops,. and the > propulsive force pushes uphill instead of forward. The newer hull designs > with what looks like a submarine mounted under the hull is an effective > attempt to mitigate the effect, by decreasing the size of the bow wave I knew those torpedo shaped bulges on the bow have been around for a while, but I always thought they were there for two reasons: 1) to reduce the size of the wake ***to reduce the wake "trail" to help reduce the detection of the ship's passage*** (so I had it right for the wrong reason ;-), and 2) the bow bulge was part of the overall bulge built around the ship's hull just below the waterline to help reduce torpedo damage -- the bulges were a second (3rd?) hull that helped to disperse the force of the blast before it reached the main hull. That technology only works on contact sensor torpedoes, of course, and nowadays the torps are probably smart enough to penetrate such a bulge on kinetic force before exploding against the main hull, so maybe that "bulge" technology isn't even in use in modern warship design. P.S. Except for the risk of being easily damaged, wouldn't a bow plane work better for trimming out the ship? From nobody at spamcop.net Fri Dec 5 18:18:18 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Bar0) Date: Fri Dec 5 18:20:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: pirates References: Message-ID: "Indigo" wrote in message news:ghccf6$9ha$1@news.spamcop.net... > > "Bar0" wrote in message > news:ghbe80$lrf$1@news.spamcop.net... > Essentially the bow wave >> increases in size the, that wave likewise and the boat not only pushes >> more water, it must effectively sail up hill, the stern drops,. and the >> propulsive force pushes uphill instead of forward. The newer hull designs >> with what looks like a submarine mounted under the hull is an effective >> attempt to mitigate the effect, by decreasing the size of the bow wave > > I knew those torpedo shaped bulges on the bow have been around for a > while, but I always thought they were there for two reasons: 1) to reduce > the size of the wake ***to reduce the wake "trail" to help reduce the > detection of the ship's passage*** (so I had it right for the wrong reason > ;-), and 2) the bow bulge was part of the overall bulge built around the > ship's hull just below the waterline to help reduce torpedo damage -- the > bulges were a second (3rd?) hull that helped to disperse the force of the > blast before it reached the main hull. That technology only works on > contact sensor torpedoes, of course, and nowadays the torps are probably > smart enough to penetrate such a bulge on kinetic force before exploding > against the main hull, so maybe that "bulge" technology isn't even in use > in modern warship design. > > P.S. Except for the risk of being easily damaged, wouldn't a bow plane > work better for trimming out the ship? I'm not sure, but given the speed of the 2 battleships mentioned before, and of the nuclear carriers, the basic design problems must have been licked by the early 40's, exactly how bow wave mitigation is done on those vessels I don't know. but I do know they don't plane, for a variety of reasons. I think the bulge bows are already pretty old technology , which has only fairly recently been applied to merchant vessels, perhaps because merchants weren't too concerned about speed. From nobody at spamcop.net Fri Dec 5 20:23:55 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Heidi) Date: Fri Dec 5 20:25:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: pirates References: Message-ID: "Mr. K Mean" wrote in message news:ghb56v$msv$1@news.spamcop.net... > > But not really reading anything here, just occasionally scanning over > subjects to see what is going on. Hi Kerry, we miss you....*sniffle sniffle, waving my tear stained hanky* ;) From borgholio at storymind.com Sat Dec 6 03:52:16 2008 From: borgholio at storymind.com (Borgholio) Date: Sat Dec 6 03:55:04 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Investment advice needed In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Borgholio wrote: > Despite the turmoil in the stock market (or perhaps as a result of), I > am growing more interested in investing my money. Welp, I am now an investor. I had a meeting with a financial adviser today and I purchased $250 worth of the mutual fund "Investment Company of America". This fund has been around since 1934 and averages a 12% return. As the stock market improves I will invest more so I can ride the economy as it pulls out of the recession. Even though it's only $250...for some reason I feel powerful. :) From me at privacy.net Sat Dec 6 08:47:44 2008 From: me at privacy.net (Frog Prince) Date: Sat Dec 6 08:50:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: pirates References: Message-ID: Oil is now under $40 per barrel which means that $100M of oil in the tanker is now worth something less than $50M From nobody at spamcop.net Sat Dec 6 13:29:11 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Indigo) Date: Sat Dec 6 13:30:04 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: pirates In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: "Frog Prince" wrote in message news:ghdvqf$gua$1@news.spamcop.net... > Oil is now under $40 per barrel which means that $100M of oil in the > tanker > is now worth something less than $50M > > Gee, that means I could buy a whopping 5 1-liter bottles of Sprite with that barrel of oil! Unbelievable how the price of soda has exploded in the last couple years -- it's doubled. Too bad I don't drink scotch/water instead of vodka/sprite.....oh wait, bottled water has nearly doubled in price too.... From nobody at spamcop.net Sat Dec 6 14:30:14 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Indigo) Date: Sat Dec 6 14:35:04 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Investment advice needed In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: "Borgholio" wrote in message news:ghdeg3$8gs$1@news.spamcop.net... > Borgholio wrote: >> Despite the turmoil in the stock market (or perhaps as a result of), I am >> growing more interested in investing my money. > > Welp, I am now an investor. I had a meeting with a financial adviser > today and I purchased $250 worth of the mutual fund "Investment Company of > America". This fund has been around since 1934 and averages a 12% return. > As the stock market improves I will invest more so I can ride the economy > as it pulls out of the recession. > > Even though it's only $250...for some reason I feel powerful. :) What's the fund symbol? I'll take a look at it and tell you what I think. Unfortunately, if you paid anything close to what I have to pay to buy mutual funds your cost basis is gigantic since you bought so little (not knocking you for only investing $250, it's great you started investing, now's a great entry point IMO). For example: Say you bought XYZ fund for $25/share -- I'll assume you bought $250 worth of it. Ameritrade charges $49.99 per trade to buy or sell mutual funds but only $9.99 for stocks (that's why I recommended ETFs and CEFs over mutual funds, they trade like stocks). So you got $250/$25 = 10 shares of fund XYZ. But your purchase fee was 49.99, so your "cost basis", what it actually cost you to buy those shares, is ($250 +$50)/10 = $30/share. So you need the fund to go up 20% just to recover your purchase costs, that'll take 2 years if the 12%/yr figure holds. Now, say you had purchased an ETF that tracks the same stocks that your mutual fund does (and the chances are very high that such an ETF exists), you would have paid $260 for those 10 shares, giving you a $26 cost basis (instead of $30). Then you'd only need the ETF to go up 4% to recover your purchase fees. Now some general advice for everyone: if you have any cash available in an IRA or savings that would enable you to open a ROTH IRA, this is the year and the time to do it and buy some high yielding funds -- many of the big brokerage houses like Vanguard, T.Rowe Price, etc., are and have been issuing "warnings" for several months for folks to prepare for huge capital gains payouts at the end of this year. They sold their winners earlier in the year for big profits when they saw the (second) big crash coming and have to distribute those gains to shareholders, which are currently taxed at 15%, but there are signs that Obama may increase the rate to 20% (the 15% tax rule expires in 2010) or even tax them as common earnings, which means your regular tax rate would apply. And Obama is also talking about restoring the top income tax rates to 36% and 39% to boot, which most of us probably don't have to worry about ;-) What I'm trying to say is that if you have the cash, you could reap some gigantic profits, "free money", if you will, if you buy such funds before their ex-dividend date. BUT ONLY BUY THEM IN NON-TAXABLE ACCOUNTS! The price of the fund will drop by the amount of cap gains and dividends to be paid out. Say fund XYZ costs $25 and pays out $10, then the day after the ex-dividend date the price of the fund will be $25 - $10 = $15, so when you get your payout you can turn around and buy more shares at a significantly lower price, assuming that the fund value doesn't rapidly climb between the ex-div date and the date the cash is deposited in your account. You also have the option of automatically re-investing the cap gains and dividends, which can be hit or miss, sometimes you get a bargain price and sometimes you get screwed if the fund value rapidly rises after the ex-div date. And not all funds behave the same way as to when they give you the cash, some distribute it right away and some wait a month, which could potentially throw the gains into tax year 2009, when who knows what the tax rates are going to be. You need to study each particular fund to see how the cap gains will effect your taxes if you hold it in a taxable account. Good luck! From nobody at spamcop.net Sat Dec 6 16:47:43 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Indigo) Date: Sat Dec 6 16:50:02 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Investment advice needed In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: "Borgholio" wrote in message news:ghdeg3$8gs$1@news.spamcop.net... > Borgholio wrote: >> Despite the turmoil in the stock market (or perhaps as a result of), I am >> growing more interested in investing my money. > > Welp, I am now an investor. I had a meeting with a financial adviser > today and I purchased $250 worth of the mutual fund "Investment Company of > America". This fund has been around since 1934 and averages a 12% return. > As the stock market improves I will invest more so I can ride the economy > as it pulls out of the recession. > Yikes.....if he put you in AIVSX (the fund symbol that Yahoo sez belongs to "Investment Company of America", you also paid a 5.75% front-end load! So you lost another $15 to fees. That money went straight into your broker's pocket, and every time you buy more shares you'll be paying him for the "privilege" of buying that fund. That's one reason so many people despise financial advisers/brokers, they can and will direct to you to buy investments that line their own pockets. Your fund *does* have a very reasonable 0.54% expense ratio, but it's just an upper-middle of the pack large cap blend 3-star fund: http://finance.yahoo.com/q/pm?s=AIVSX TOP 10 HOLDINGS ( 23.16% OF TOTAL ASSETS) Company / Symbol / % Assets / YTD Return % Microsoft Corporation / MSFT / 3.21 / -36.54 PHILIP MORRIS INTL / PM / 2.86 / N/A Oracle Corporation / ORCL / 2.74 / -19.00 GEN ELECTRIC CO / GE / 2.44 / -45.62 <==== OUCH! PEPSICO INC / PEP / 2.30 /-23.54 SCHLUMBERGER LTD / SLB / 2.17 / -47.14 <==== OUCH! CHEVRON CORP / CVX / 2.05 / -18.35 CITIGROUP INC / C / 1.97 / -50.56 <==== DOUBLE OUCH! (Citigroup is run by crooks) AT&T INC. / T / 1.74 / -32.38 HEWLETT PACKARD CO / HPQ / 1.68 / -23.78 If you wanted to be in a large cap fund, you could have gotten large value 5-star AMANX (#1 in 5 year return), which I found in about 30 seconds, or the CEFs XLP or IYK. Take a look at: http://stockcharts.com/charts/performance/perf.html?AIVSX,AMANX,XLP,IYK,$dji -- grab the left side of the date slider bar on the lower right hand side of the chart to "stretch" out the chart to 3-4 years to see a clearer picture of longer term performance than the default 200 days. This chart is adjusted, meaning it assumes you re-invested all dividends and capital gains/special distributions. Or, for a non-adjusted simpler view of the same funds look at: http://finance.yahoo.com/q/bc?t=5y&s=AIVSX&l=on&z=l&q=l&c=amanx%2Cxlp%2Ciyk&c=%5EDJI . But that Yahoo chart is decieving since it doesn't include re-invested dividends and cap gains - never use a Yahoo comparison chart for anything more than a short term analysis. These are good starting points for researching mutual funds and ETFs of all types: http://biz.yahoo.com/p/top.html http://finance.yahoo.com/etf/browser/mkt?c=0&k=9&f=0&cs=1&ce=20&o=d Below is a chart for the 4 funds I've been buying in my 401k rollover IRA over the last 2 months compared to AIVSX and AMANX to -- my picks have slumped horribly recently, that's why I pounced on them. Your AIVSX has performed much better over the short term, but spread out the chart and look at their comparative performance over the last 3 years or more ;-) When the recession ends and China wakes up, I'm in for a wild ride up! http://stockcharts.com/charts/performance/perf.html?AIVSX,AMANX,CGMRX,VGPMX,icenx,CGMFX From me at privacy.net Sat Dec 6 16:39:27 2008 From: me at privacy.net (Frog Prince) Date: Sat Dec 6 16:55:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: pirates References: Message-ID: "Indigo" wrote in message news:gheg9n$8ip$1@news.spamcop.net... : : "Frog Prince" wrote in message : news:ghdvqf$gua$1@news.spamcop.net... : > Oil is now under $40 per barrel which means that $100M of oil in the : > tanker : > is now worth something less than $50M : > : > : Gee, that means I could buy a whopping 5 1-liter bottles of Sprite with that : barrel of oil! Unbelievable how the price of soda has exploded in the last : couple years -- it's doubled. Too bad I don't drink scotch/water instead of : vodka/sprite.....oh wait, bottled water has nearly doubled in price too.... we buy Sprite etc for $0.88 to $1.25 a liter. : From me at privacy.net Sat Dec 6 16:49:56 2008 From: me at privacy.net (Frog Prince) Date: Sat Dec 6 16:55:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] 533, 000 Jobs Lost While Feds Import 140, 000 Foreign Workers! References: <5ebf87d3-f1d2-478b-8adc-bd707c1ff8e1@t2g2000yqm.googlegroups.com> <493ACCCC.EE734563@bellsouth.net> Message-ID: 533,000 Jobs Lost While Feds Import 140,000 Foreign Workers! Not sure of the numbers but ... with the federal government reporting another giant loss of jobs for November, isn't it time to stop the massive importation of foreign workers? From nobody at spamcop.net Sat Dec 6 17:03:17 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Indigo) Date: Sat Dec 6 17:05:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Investment advice needed In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: "Indigo" wrote in message news:ghertv$h6b$1@news.spamcop.net... > If you wanted to be in a large cap fund, you could have gotten large value > 5-star AMANX (#1 in 5 year return), which I found in about 30 seconds, OMG.....and LOL......I just took a harder look at AMANX, and check this blurb from their online Yahoo profile! "Investment decisions are made in accordance with Islamic principals" Now I have absolutely no idea what that means, but they're doing *something* right! Aha! They have a darn good conservative portfolio, that's how they do it - they're mainly into pretty much recession-proof consumer goods.. Guess it ain't against Islamic principals to employ children in sweat shops a la Nike...and they don't have anything against using animals for drug product testing either. NIKE INC KIMBERLY CLARK CP PROCTER GAMBLE ABBOTT LABORATORIES 3M COMPANY KELLOGG CO GEN MILLS UNITED PARCEL F P L GROUP PFIZER From nobody at spamcop.net Sat Dec 6 17:06:38 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Indigo) Date: Sat Dec 6 17:10:02 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: pirates In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: "Frog Prince" wrote in message news:ghes2i$hd6$1@news.spamcop.net... > > we buy Sprite etc for $0.88 to $1.25 a liter. 88 cents?!? Where? Sometimes I can find it on sale for something like 2 bottles for $3 or something like that in a grocery store (which I rarely visit), but convenience and liquor stores are charging around $2 and up per bottle these days. From nobody at spamcop.net Sat Dec 6 17:08:23 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Indigo) Date: Sat Dec 6 17:10:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: 533, 000 Jobs Lost While Feds Import 140, 000 Foreign Workers! In-Reply-To: References: <5ebf87d3-f1d2-478b-8adc-bd707c1ff8e1@t2g2000yqm.googlegroups.com> <493ACCCC.EE734563@bellsouth.net> Message-ID: "Frog Prince" wrote in message news:ghes2t$hd6$2@news.spamcop.net... > 533,000 Jobs Lost While Feds Import 140,000 Foreign Workers! > > Not sure of the numbers but ... with the federal government reporting > another giant loss of jobs for > November, isn't it time to stop the massive importation of foreign > workers? > > What types of jobs are these folks doing? It ain't manual labor like picking food crops, those permits were filled up by the spring. From me at privacy.net Sat Dec 6 17:13:24 2008 From: me at privacy.net (Frog Prince) Date: Sat Dec 6 17:20:04 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: pirates References: Message-ID: "Indigo" wrote in message news:ghet1e$l51$1@news.spamcop.net... : : "Frog Prince" wrote in message : news:ghes2i$hd6$1@news.spamcop.net... : > : > we buy Sprite etc for $0.88 to $1.25 a liter. : : 88 cents?!? Where? Sometimes I can find it on sale for something like 2 : bottles for $3 or something like that in a grocery store (which I rarely : visit), but convenience and liquor stores are charging around $2 and up per : bottle these days. : From me at privacy.net Sat Dec 6 17:14:29 2008 From: me at privacy.net (Frog Prince) Date: Sat Dec 6 17:20:04 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: pirates References: Message-ID: "Indigo" wrote in message news:ghet1e$l51$1@news.spamcop.net... : : "Frog Prince" wrote in message : news:ghes2i$hd6$1@news.spamcop.net... : > : > we buy Sprite etc for $0.88 to $1.25 a liter. : : 88 cents?!? Where? Sometimes I can find it on sale for something like 2 : bottles for $3 or something like that in a grocery store (which I rarely : visit), but convenience and liquor stores are charging around $2 and up per : bottle these days. Target, Wal Mart, Alberstons, Kroger etc. you can check on line as well for who's doing what in promos. : From me at privacy.net Sat Dec 6 17:19:20 2008 From: me at privacy.net (Frog Prince) Date: Sat Dec 6 17:20:04 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: 533, 000 Jobs Lost While Feds Import 140, 000 Foreign Workers! References: <5ebf87d3-f1d2-478b-8adc-bd707c1ff8e1@t2g2000yqm.googlegroups.com> <493ACCCC.EE734563@bellsouth.net> Message-ID: "Indigo" wrote in message news:ghet4n$l8m$1@news.spamcop.net... : : "Frog Prince" wrote in message : news:ghes2t$hd6$2@news.spamcop.net... : > 533,000 Jobs Lost While Feds Import 140,000 Foreign Workers! : > : > Not sure of the numbers but ... with the federal government reporting : > another giant loss of jobs for : > November, isn't it time to stop the massive importation of foreign : > workers? : > : > : What types of jobs are these folks doing? It ain't manual labor like picking : food crops, those permits were filled up by the spring. Computer programming, web coding, graphic design, teachers (DFW gated a LOT of teachers but kept many who were from out of the country) doctors, nurses, etc. Chemist, mathimaticians, , engineers. one of the big pharm companies just gated their entire IT group and then had the balls to require (to get the severance package) those self same folk to train their H1-B replacements. : From borgholio at storymind.com Sat Dec 6 18:39:53 2008 From: borgholio at storymind.com (Borgholio) Date: Sat Dec 6 18:40:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Investment advice needed In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Indigo wrote: > > "Borgholio" wrote in message > news:ghdeg3$8gs$1@news.spamcop.net... >> Borgholio wrote: >>> Despite the turmoil in the stock market (or perhaps as a result of), >>> I am growing more interested in investing my money. >> >> Welp, I am now an investor. I had a meeting with a financial adviser >> today and I purchased $250 worth of the mutual fund "Investment >> Company of America". This fund has been around since 1934 and >> averages a 12% return. As the stock market improves I will invest more >> so I can ride the economy as it pulls out of the recession. >> >> Even though it's only $250...for some reason I feel powerful. :) > > What's the fund symbol? I'll take a look at it and tell you what I > think. Unfortunately, if you paid anything close to what I have to pay > to buy mutual funds your cost basis is gigantic since you bought so > little (not knocking you for only investing $250, it's great you started > investing, now's a great entry point IMO). > Symbol is AIVSX. :) They take their "costs" out of the rate of return, which is about .5%. From borgholio at storymind.com Sat Dec 6 18:42:02 2008 From: borgholio at storymind.com (Borgholio) Date: Sat Dec 6 18:45:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Investment advice needed In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Indigo wrote: > > "Borgholio" wrote in message > news:ghdeg3$8gs$1@news.spamcop.net... >> Borgholio wrote: >>> Despite the turmoil in the stock market (or perhaps as a result of), >>> I am growing more interested in investing my money. >> >> Welp, I am now an investor. I had a meeting with a financial adviser >> today and I purchased $250 worth of the mutual fund "Investment >> Company of America". This fund has been around since 1934 and >> averages a 12% return. As the stock market improves I will invest more >> so I can ride the economy as it pulls out of the recession. >> > > Yikes.....if he put you in AIVSX (the fund symbol that Yahoo sez belongs > to "Investment Company of America", you also paid a 5.75% front-end > load! So you lost another $15 to fees. That money went straight into > your broker's pocket, and every time you buy more shares you'll be > paying him for the "privilege" of buying that fund. That's one reason so > many people despise financial advisers/brokers, they can and will direct > to you to buy investments that line their own pockets. Your fund *does* > have a very reasonable 0.54% expense ratio, but it's just an > upper-middle of the pack large cap blend 3-star fund: Actually I bought AIVSX in Class "C" shares. So there's no front-end or back-end load, and it's fully liquid whenever I need it. The rate of return is only 2/10 of a percenet less than class "A" shares, so it's a good deal. From nobody at spamcop.net Sat Dec 6 18:46:02 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Indigo) Date: Sat Dec 6 18:50:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: 533, 000 Jobs Lost While Feds Import 140, 000 Foreign Workers! In-Reply-To: References: <5ebf87d3-f1d2-478b-8adc-bd707c1ff8e1@t2g2000yqm.googlegroups.com> <493ACCCC.EE734563@bellsouth.net> Message-ID: "Frog Prince" wrote in message news:ghetpi$mfe$3@news.spamcop.net... > : What types of jobs are these folks doing? It ain't manual labor like > picking > : food crops, those permits were filled up by the spring. > > Computer programming, web coding, graphic design, teachers (DFW gated a > LOT > of teachers but kept many who were from out of the country) doctors, > nurses, > etc. > > Chemist, mathimaticians, , engineers. one of the big pharm companies just > gated their entire IT group and then had the balls to require (to get the > severance package) those self same folk to train their H1-B replacements. > That's unfscking believable.....and no talk about H1-B during the election either. Something has to be done about that! It's criminal! From nobody at spamcop.net Sat Dec 6 18:50:04 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Indigo) Date: Sat Dec 6 18:55:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: pirates In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: "Frog Prince" wrote in message news:ghetph$mfe$2@news.spamcop.net... > > Target, Wal Mart, Alberstons, Kroger etc. you can check on line as well > for > who's doing what in promos. > : > I go to Target even less often than the grocery store....it's a dangerous place for me, just like Lowe's or Home Despot.....I go there for one item, see all kinds of things on sale, and end up leaving with bags of stuff......I think I've turned into a woman from being out of work so long.....lately I've been buying stuff for the exhilaration of the bargain! And I can't afford to be doing that. And I should delete my Amazon account while I'm at it ;-) From nobody at spamcop.net Sat Dec 6 19:05:47 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Indigo) Date: Sat Dec 6 19:10:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Investment advice needed In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: "Borgholio" wrote in message news:ghf2kb$f89$2@news.spamcop.net... > > Actually I bought AIVSX in Class "C" shares. So there's no front-end or > back-end load, and it's fully liquid whenever I need it. The rate of > return is only 2/10 of a percenet less than class "A" shares, so it's a > good deal. Ok, so you didn't get completely taken to the cleaners, good on ya'. But I still say you bought a very average fund......did you look at any of the chart links I posted? What else did he offer you? Who employs him? Did he have a reason to push the American Fund on you? Please at least look at this chart to see what I'm trying to say about your fund -- it's done worse than the Dow Jones, a regular index fund would have outperformed AIVSX: http://finance.yahoo.com/q/bc?t=5y&s=AIVSX&l=on&z=m&q=l&c=amanx&c=%5EDJI From nobody at spamcop.net Sat Dec 6 19:05:52 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Steven Underwood) Date: Sat Dec 6 19:10:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: 533, 000 Jobs Lost While Feds Import 140, 000 Foreign Workers! References: <5ebf87d3-f1d2-478b-8adc-bd707c1ff8e1@t2g2000yqm.googlegroups.com> <493ACCCC.EE734563@bellsouth.net> Message-ID: "Frog Prince" wrote in message news:ghes2t$hd6$2@news.spamcop.net... > 533,000 Jobs Lost While Feds Import 140,000 Foreign Workers! > Citation about these number please? I see this article, (http://www.numbersusa.com/content/nusablog/beckr/december-5-2008/533000-jobs-lost-nov-but-feds-imported-another-140000-foreign-workers) but there is no citation in there about the numbers being accurate ... From nobody at spamcop.net Sat Dec 6 20:18:56 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (bar0) Date: Sat Dec 6 20:20:04 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: pirates References: Message-ID: "Indigo" wrote in message news:ghet1e$l51$1@news.spamcop.net... > > "Frog Prince" wrote in message > news:ghes2i$hd6$1@news.spamcop.net... >> >> we buy Sprite etc for $0.88 to $1.25 a liter. > > 88 cents?!? Where? Sometimes I can find it on sale for something like 2 > bottles for $3 or something like that in a grocery store (which I rarely > visit), but convenience and liquor stores are charging around $2 and up > per bottle these days. Inconvenience stores ovecharge for everything. Anyway water has been more expensive than gasolone for years now, selling by the litre what you paid for by the gallon in gas at the same convenience store, even at the height of the oil Price bulge. OK OK I exaggerate a little, but not much. From me at privacy.net Sat Dec 6 20:47:34 2008 From: me at privacy.net (Frog Prince) Date: Sat Dec 6 20:50:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: 533, 000 Jobs Lost While Feds Import 140, 000 Foreign Workers! References: <5ebf87d3-f1d2-478b-8adc-bd707c1ff8e1@t2g2000yqm.googlegroups.com> <493ACCCC.EE734563@bellsouth.net> Message-ID: "Steven Underwood" wrote in message news:ghf40v$5i2$1@news.spamcop.net... : : : "Frog Prince" wrote in message : news:ghes2t$hd6$2@news.spamcop.net... : > 533,000 Jobs Lost While Feds Import 140,000 Foreign Workers! : > : Citation about these number please? I see this article, : (http://www.numbersusa.com/content/nusablog/beckr/december-5-2008/533000-jobs-lost-nov-but-feds-imported-another-140000-foreign-workers) : but there is no citation in there about the numbers being accurate ... Please be fair with the snipping. >From my original post: "Not sure of the numbers but ... with the federal government reporting another giant loss of jobs for ..." etc. Been a long while but I have, personally, observed the abuse. In most cases very restrictive qualifications were used to replace other employees with H1-B candidates. These candidates were paid significantly less and often worked off the clock. They were kept quiet by threats to cancel their H1B status if they complained. When complaints were filed the Wage and Hour folk as well as the various US government agencies involved showed up, did little meaningful investigation and went home. People who filed the complaints were on the curb shortly thereafter. : From mny98rv02 at sneakemail.com Sat Dec 6 22:32:34 2008 From: mny98rv02 at sneakemail.com (Mr. K Mean) Date: Sat Dec 6 22:35:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: pirates: K Mean In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Charles wrote: > It wasn't me! It was "Mr. K Mean" ! > >> But not really reading anything here, just occasionally scanning over >> subjects to see what is going on. > > Dude, the world is in a state of panic and you're just galavanting around > it! Ha! So you know that your parents are on that ship... You're not > entirely out of it. Still reading papers? Know that financial markets are > un ruin? > > Anywho, I raise my salt bagel (with scallion cream cheese) to you! > > cheers! > charles I only see the news every couple of days. I know about the ship because I called my sister and she told me. Gotta love Skype and hotel wifi. I'm painfully aware of the state of the markets. Well, my dad is really depressed about them, he works in them. But mostly, like the day before we got to China in October, the pound fell like, well, like something that weighs a whole lot and falls to the ground really fast. I snuck in one ATM withdraw of Yuan at like 13, after that it was mostly down to 11 to 10. Crap, my whole severance package is still in sterling. Oh well. I guess I'll just have to get a job eventually and save up again. Still looking for any software engineers? We decided on the end to the trip, Jan 12th. Hopefully my Australian visa will be ready by then. From mny98rv02 at sneakemail.com Sat Dec 6 22:42:40 2008 From: mny98rv02 at sneakemail.com (Mr. K Mean) Date: Sat Dec 6 22:45:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: pirates In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Heidi wrote: > "Mr. K Mean" wrote in message > news:ghb56v$msv$1@news.spamcop.net... >> But not really reading anything here, just occasionally scanning over >> subjects to see what is going on. > > Hi Kerry, we miss you....*sniffle sniffle, waving my tear stained hanky* ;) Ahh, that's sweet. I haven't gone away completely. I'll have to re-enter reality eventually. You can't just wander around the world forever. As Charles has pointed out, the pound is getting its ass kicked, especially against Asian currencies. I should get working soon. Got myself a new camera on the trip. It zooms and is so cool. Lots of nice pictures. From nobody at spamcop.net Sat Dec 6 22:53:36 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Heidi) Date: Sat Dec 6 22:55:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: pirates References: Message-ID: "Mr. K Mean" wrote in message news:ghfgnc$f71$1@news.spamcop.net... > Ahh, that's sweet. I haven't gone away completely. I'll have to re-enter > reality eventually. You can't just wander around the world forever. As > Charles has pointed out, the pound is getting its ass kicked, especially > against Asian currencies. I should get working soon. > > Got myself a new camera on the trip. It zooms and is so cool. Lots of > nice pictures. I check in on the blog every once in a while so I'm sort of keeping track. Can't believe you missed the most bizarre election in history! And the price of gas man, it's down below 1.70.... From nobody at spamcop.net Sat Dec 6 23:48:20 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Heidi) Date: Sat Dec 6 23:50:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: pirates References: Message-ID: "Charles" wrote in message news:Xns9B6CEA292860DTheShrubIsAnAss@216.154.195.61... > No way it was me! It was "Heidi" ! > >> And the >> price of gas man, it's down below 1.70.... > > What? Get out of here! Diesel is $3.20 here! Dang. Dang dang. Oh man, yer gonna cry now.... http://www.newhampshiregasprices.com/index.aspx?fuel=D&s=Y&area=Exeter&area=Newington&area=Newmarket&area=North%20Hampton&area=Portsmouth&area=Seabrook&area=stratham&tme_limit=60&site=NewHampshire&srch=0&list=0 From no.spam.4.me at xs4all.nl Sun Dec 7 02:59:21 2008 From: no.spam.4.me at xs4all.nl (Nico Bartels) Date: Sun Dec 7 03:00:04 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: 533, 000 Jobs Lost While Feds Import 140, 000 Foreign Workers! References: <5ebf87d3-f1d2-478b-8adc-bd707c1ff8e1@t2g2000yqm.googlegroups.com> <493ACCCC.EE734563@bellsouth.net> Message-ID: On Sat, 6 Dec 2008 15:49:56 -0600, in spamcop.social "Frog Prince" wrote: >isn't it time to stop the massive importation of foreign workers? Yes. The USA has a big immigration problem! Ask any Indian.. Nico -- Disclaimer: the above is the author's personal opinion and is not the opinion or policy of his employer or of the little green men that have been following him all day. From borgholio at storymind.com Sun Dec 7 16:24:28 2008 From: borgholio at storymind.com (Borgholio) Date: Sun Dec 7 16:25:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Investment advice needed In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Indigo wrote: > > "Borgholio" wrote in message > news:ghf2kb$f89$2@news.spamcop.net... >> >> Actually I bought AIVSX in Class "C" shares. So there's no front-end >> or back-end load, and it's fully liquid whenever I need it. The rate >> of return is only 2/10 of a percenet less than class "A" shares, so >> it's a good deal. > > Ok, so you didn't get completely taken to the cleaners, good on ya'. But > I still say you bought a very average fund......did you look at any of > the chart links I posted? What else did he offer you? Who employs him? > Did he have a reason to push the American Fund on you? > > Please at least look at this chart to see what I'm trying to say about > your fund -- it's done worse than the Dow Jones, a regular index fund > would have outperformed AIVSX: > > http://finance.yahoo.com/q/bc?t=5y&s=AIVSX&l=on&z=m&q=l&c=amanx&c=%5EDJI He's employed by a financial company that handles investments and retirement funds for my mom's business. He didn't really "push" anything on me, we looked at many different funds. He did point out that this fund is an "average" fund, but that's it's good for someone who doesn't want too high of a risk. Higher risk would have been a fund that invested in the Pacific Rim or Smallcaps. From mny98rv02 at sneakemail.com Sun Dec 7 19:29:59 2008 From: mny98rv02 at sneakemail.com (Mr. K Mean) Date: Sun Dec 7 19:30:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: pirates In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Heidi wrote: > > I check in on the blog every once in a while so I'm sort of keeping track. > Can't believe you missed the most bizarre election in history! And the > price of gas man, it's down below 1.70.... Yeah, I know, I write too much. I've heard the complaints. Missed the election? I guess I didn't hear much about it, does that count as missing it? It was kind of nice. I mostly lost track of regular news back in August. When I sent in my absentee ballot, I had to look up online who had been nominated for VP to write that correctly on the ballot. I had slight glimmers that Palin was screwing things up for McCain but didn't actually see anything first hand about that. What else was bizarre? But not hearing about it didn't matter so much. My guy didn't get past the primaries so I knew I had to hold my nose and just vote. I did make sure I checked the returns on election day, out to see the terracotta warriors then rush back to see who won the election. In a way, it is a shame about gas prices. Now everybody will buy big cars again and not worry so much about conservation. America is annoying too, their economy has wrecked a lot of other economies (America gets a sneeze, the UK gets a cold) yet now the dollar is kicking ass. It is just wrong. From nobody at spamcop.net Mon Dec 8 16:31:57 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Indigo) Date: Mon Dec 8 16:35:04 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Investment advice needed In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: "Borgholio" wrote in message news:ghheub$e78$1@news.spamcop.net... He did point out that this fund > is an "average" fund, but that's it's good for someone who doesn't want > too high of a risk. Higher risk would have been a fund that invested in > the Pacific Rim or Smallcaps. After I wrote that post I wondered if you were simply being risk averse....and at your pimply-faced young age you ought to be investing aggressively, not conservatively ;-) You have plenty of time to make lots of money in the more volatile funds before transferring the money to "safer" funds like your AISVX when you get closer to retirement. In fact, like I said, now is the PERFECT time to get into those types of funds, especially Asian Funds or Latin America funds -- they're so beaten down they're at fire sale prices. If you had asked me, I would have told you to put your money into the mutual fund CGMFX, it had the best 5 year return of any fund I've seen until this latest crash (by far), except maybe for a gold fund or two, and they've held up in price, too late to get into them. That's exactly why I recently bought shares of it in my IRA. It'll double within 12-18 months as we recover from the recession, plus I'm going to get $10+ per share cap gains in a few weeks (I hope!) That's what it paid out last year, and most funds are saying they will have huge cap gains this year because they had to sell profitable investments to refund money to panicking shareholders who wanted to bail out of the fund (and tons of people did just that, at big losses on their part, a very, very dumb move). My cost basis is $29, so that's a potential 35% return within just 2 months of owning it. Another fund I bought, an ETF-like CEF called the Latin America Discovery Fund (LDF), paid out $8 last year, today it closed at $10.66 -- that'll likely be a whopping 80% return. Oops, no, you couldn't have bought that fund after all. Minimum investment is $2500 for a trading account, $1000 for an IRA. But hey, all just my opinion....and I'll be the first to admit my investing style leans towards the riskier side, but I still have 20+ years until retirement, and I won't get to my retirement $$ goal sticking to conservative funds. Having only $20k in my retirement fund by age 36 really put me behind the 8-ball, you gotta start as early as possible, even if you only put in $25-$50/paycheck, especially if your company matches the first 3% like most do. It's pre-tax money, so it's really only costing you about 2/3rds of the saved amount ($50 into the 401k only subtracts $33 from your paycheck, net), plus you double your money for free with the company match. Wish I would have known about all of this stuff when I was your age....... From borgholio at storymind.com Mon Dec 8 17:14:50 2008 From: borgholio at storymind.com (Borgholio) Date: Mon Dec 8 17:15:04 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Investment advice needed In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Indigo wrote: > Wish I would have known about all of this stuff when I was your age....... Well at least I'm investing SOMEWHERE. :) I am risk-adverse, and I see that in the long term, a mutual fund that pays over 11% is better than a savings account that pays under 3%...so I really don't see the need in anything riskier atm. From nobody at spamcop.net Mon Dec 8 19:12:45 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Heidi) Date: Mon Dec 8 19:15:04 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Has anyone been to Dunkin Donuts lately? Message-ID: Yes, this is the height of laziness......and busy-ness.....I haven't - are they having their 2lbs of coffee for $X this year? I've looked on line and haven't seen anything about it. They're not exactly in my flight path these days, anyone want to save me a trip? From MikeE at ster.invalid Tue Dec 9 05:40:46 2008 From: MikeE at ster.invalid (Mike Easter) Date: Tue Dec 9 05:45:04 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Has anyone been to Dunkin Donuts lately? References: Message-ID: Heidi wrote: > Yes, this is the height of laziness......and busy-ness.....I haven't - > are they having their 2lbs of coffee for $X this year? I've looked > on line and haven't seen anything about it. They're not exactly in my > flight path these days, anyone want to save me a trip? Did you see the online shopping section and gift ideas? It has some 2# deals with thermal cups. DD store locator refuses my zip code. That seems kinda strange considering that you can set the meter out to 50mi/80km and there are over 5000 DD's in the US. -- Mike Easter kibitzer, not SC admin From nobody at spamcop.net Tue Dec 9 06:15:14 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Heidi) Date: Tue Dec 9 06:20:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Has anyone been to Dunkin Donuts lately? References: Message-ID: "Mike Easter" wrote in message news:ghlhv9$emj$1@news.spamcop.net... > Did you see the online shopping section and gift ideas? It has some 2# > deals with thermal cups. I did....I just want coffee, the 'gift' is about double what the coffee is or used to be for 2lbs. 2 for $10, or 2 for $12, something like that. > > DD store locator refuses my zip code. That seems kinda strange > considering that you can set the meter out to 50mi/80km and there are over > 5000 DD's in the US. Maybe it's a cookie issue? From nobody at spamcop.net Tue Dec 9 06:29:00 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Heidi) Date: Tue Dec 9 06:30:04 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: pirates References: Message-ID: "Mr. K Mean" wrote in message news:ghhpq1$jbi$1@news.spamcop.net... > > Yeah, I know, I write too much. I've heard the complaints. No, you don't, I enjoy reading every bit of it - I'm living vicariously. Did you enjoy China so much when you heard their entire food supply is contaminated with melamine? Eww... > > Missed the election? I guess I didn't hear much about it, does that count > as missing it? It was kind of nice. I mostly lost track of regular news > back in August. When I sent in my absentee ballot, I had to look up > online who had been nominated for VP to write that correctly on the > ballot. I had slight glimmers that Palin was screwing things up for > McCain but didn't actually see anything first hand about that. What else > was bizarre? You spared yourself a lot of frustration and anger about stupid that can't be fixed. Palin is the world's biggest ignoramus and is now thinking she's the only hope of the Republican Party, if she is they're screwed. It's much too rich for one post. SNL videos with Tina Fey pretty much nail it though. Get thee to You Tube. > > But not hearing about it didn't matter so much. My guy didn't get past > the primaries so I knew I had to hold my nose and just vote. I did make > sure I checked the returns on election day, out to see the terracotta > warriors then rush back to see who won the election. Terracotta warriors, I just saw those on tv. When you're all done with this trip, think about making a photo book of your travels at SmugMug, I'd buy one. I have a pro account there, they do a really good job. http://www.smugmug.com/prints/catalog.mg#More > In a way, it is a shame about gas prices. Now everybody will buy big cars > again and not worry so much about conservation. America is annoying too, > their economy has wrecked a lot of other economies (America gets a sneeze, > the UK gets a cold) yet now the dollar is kicking ass. It is just wrong. No one can afford a big car now, or even *A* car, unemployment is skyrocketing and the economy can't support higher gas prices with so many people just struggling not to drown. IMO the reason oil is below $50 a barrel is because the speculators broke the market and now they can't make a profit anymore, once they got out stuff started to plummet, as did the economy. I blame them for keeping it artifically high. It's not a sustainable price. I think we're going to find out what 'normal' is. From MikeE at ster.invalid Tue Dec 9 10:09:48 2008 From: MikeE at ster.invalid (Mike Easter) Date: Tue Dec 9 10:10:04 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Has anyone been to Dunkin Donuts lately? References: Message-ID: Heidi wrote: > "Mike Easter" >> Did you see the online shopping section and gift ideas? It has some 2# >> deals with thermal cups. > > I did....I just want coffee, the 'gift' is about double what the coffee > is or used to be for 2lbs. 2 for $10, or 2 for $12, something like > that. I wish I could find a neaby place (or even better, a bean-roasting 'hobbyist') where I could get a really good deal on some freshly roasted beans in modest quantities. I should probably work on finding a local hobbyist by commiserating in a coffee lovers group. They would just have to get over convincing me that I should buy raw beans and roast them myself. -- Mike Easter kibitzer, not SC admin From nobody at spamcop.net Tue Dec 9 10:39:58 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Indigo) Date: Tue Dec 9 10:40:04 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: pirates In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: "Heidi" wrote in message news:ghlkpu$n7e$1@news.spamcop.net... > No one can afford a big car now, or even *A* car, unemployment is > skyrocketing and the economy can't support higher gas prices with so many > people just struggling not to drown. IMO the reason oil is below $50 a > barrel is because the speculators broke the market and now they can't make > a profit anymore, once they got out stuff started to plummet, as did the > economy. I blame them for keeping it artifically high. It's not a > sustainable price. I think we're going to find out what 'normal' is. > The speculators surely had a huge impact on how high the price of oil got, but the world demand was there at the time. As the price of gasoline and oil for raw stock manufacturing of plastics etc. soared people couldn't afford the costs and started cutting back on consumption. Then China basically shut down for 4 weeks for the Olympics and ParaOlympics (all factories in Bejing were closed to prevent pollution), the mortgage mess really blew up, and we've been on a huge downswing ever since. Now a different kind of speculator, the "short", is helping to push the price of oil lower and lower -- instead of betting that the price of oil will go up, they're betting that the price will go down. The market is rigged that way, especially in favor of the shorters working for brokers or hedge funds....they can destroy any stock they want to by trading amongst each other, lowering the price as far as they want.....yes, it's collusion and illegal but look how long it took the SEC to get around to enforcing the naked short sale rule (decades), where a shorter "borrows" shares of a stock that don't even exist. The price of natural gas pretty much followed the price of oil (traditionally NG trades at a price ratio of 6:1 to the price of oil), and it's dropped an amazing amount recently too, to the bane of my gas heating bills this winter. My utility, BGE, bought futures contracts for winter delivery of NG several months ago to protect themselves against higher prices, and it blew up in their face. They now own NG that's only worth about 1/3 of what they paid for it in the current market, and we customers will suffer from that move. I'm sure a lot of utilities are in the same boat. One NG company stock I used to own soared all the way to $74 in July only to plummet all the way down to $10 last Friday! At the time, I was pissed for selling too early, but at least I got out with a profit.....I pity the fools who held on hoping things would turn around....."hope" is a lousy reason to own a stock. From MikeE at ster.invalid Tue Dec 9 11:18:36 2008 From: MikeE at ster.invalid (Mike Easter) Date: Tue Dec 9 11:20:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Has anyone been to Dunkin Donuts lately? References: Message-ID: Charles wrote: > It's just insane how much food has gone up in the > past year! I hope prices start dropping at some point! Just wait and see the price of food and gold and commodities this time next year. In any currency, but especially dollars. There will be some good prices for a time on some products as various manufacturers drowning in red ink try to save themselves by dumping inventory. -- Mike Easter kibitzer, not SC admin From nobody at spamcop.net Tue Dec 9 11:45:19 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Indigo) Date: Tue Dec 9 11:50:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Has anyone been to Dunkin Donuts lately? In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: "Charles" wrote in message news:Xns9B6F71B86189ETheShrubIsAnAss@216.154.195.61... > > The local roaster (Gimme) is pretty decent. I don't know about getting > good deals anywhere! It's just insane how much food has gone up in the > past year! I hope prices start dropping at some point! They will, and probably sooner rather than later. The farmer's costs have dropped with the cost of diesel fuel, and fertilizer is made from natural gas, which has also dropped big time in price. And hopefully Obama will kill that ridiculous corn-based ethanol plan the shrub forced on us! That's really the only thing that could keep food prices high. From nobody at spamcop.net Tue Dec 9 11:59:59 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Indigo) Date: Tue Dec 9 12:00:04 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Has anyone been to Dunkin Donuts lately? In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: "Mike Easter" wrote in message news:ghm5om$qpd$1@news.spamcop.net... > > There will be some good prices for a time on some products as various > manufacturers drowning in red ink try to save themselves by dumping > inventory. > They're doing that right now for the Xmas shopping season.....especially at department stores. Doing anything and everything they can to get bodies into their stores. Very sad story in the paper yesterday about a local family owned high-end furniture maker having a going out of business sale after 88 years of continuous operation. They made beautiful solid wood tables, dressers, etc, built the old fashioned way -- by hand. Way out of my price league ($4000 for a cherry bedroom dresser!), but I sure do appreciate the craftwork that went into it, being an amateur furniture maker/antique restorer myself. It's a such a shame.....another long-time American business killed off by cheap overseas labor, and people willing to settle for cheap laminated furniture like IKEA sells. Ain't none of that fiberboard crap in my house except for the kitchen cabinets, and I didn't have any choice in that matter. From MikeE at ster.invalid Tue Dec 9 13:11:57 2008 From: MikeE at ster.invalid (Mike Easter) Date: Tue Dec 9 13:15:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Has anyone been to Dunkin Donuts lately? References: Message-ID: Indigo wrote: > "Mike Easter" >> There will be some good prices for a time on some products as various >> manufacturers drowning in red ink try to save themselves by dumping >> inventory. >> > > They're doing that right now for the Xmas shopping > season.....especially at department stores. Doing anything and > everything they can to get bodies into their stores. I was in a local Fry's electronics yesterday for a small item. The clerk was whingeing about how the system wasn't stocking/ restocking inventory -- let's say, in his department. -- Mike Easter kibitzer, not SC admin From dfmanno at mail.com Tue Dec 9 13:20:32 2008 From: dfmanno at mail.com (D.F. Manno) Date: Tue Dec 9 13:25:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Has anyone been to Dunkin Donuts lately? References: Message-ID: In article , Charles wrote: > The local roaster (Gimme) is pretty decent. I don't know about getting > good deals anywhere! It's just insane how much food has gone up in the > past year! I hope prices start dropping at some point! Did! somebody! give! you! a! good! deal! on! exclamation! points!?! -- D.F. Manno | dfmanno@mail.com This time _we_ won. This time _you_ get over it. From MikeE at ster.invalid Tue Dec 9 13:44:57 2008 From: MikeE at ster.invalid (Mike Easter) Date: Tue Dec 9 13:45:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Has anyone been to Dunkin Donuts lately? References: Message-ID: D.F. Manno wrote: > Charles >> The local roaster (Gimme) is pretty decent. I don't know about getting >> good deals anywhere! It's just insane how much food has gone up in the >> past year! I hope prices start dropping at some point! > > Did! somebody! give! you! a! good! deal! on! exclamation! points!?! That reminds me of a Dave Barry humor I saw in another ng just today. Hi Mr Johnson exclaimed Bob Where do you want me to put these punctuation marks Oh just stick them there at the end of the following sentence answered Mr Johnson OK said Bob ".!"."?"?,,".."!". I'm also noticing the DFM customized interrobang, in this case !?! excl qx excl. The disadvantage of the original idea of the interrobang is that as a unified punctuation mark, you have no latitude about which you put first, the excl or the qx, which to me are different punctuations, much less the usage of ?!! or other 3 character variants such as you used. Maybe Chas likes exclamation marks just one tad more than the average bear, which DFM critique reminds me of several skits on Seinfeld regarding Elaine's concern and interest in exclamation points -- too many or too few. -- Mike Easter kibitzer, not SC admin From nobody at spamcop.net Tue Dec 9 18:09:19 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Heidi) Date: Tue Dec 9 18:10:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Further unbelievableness References: Message-ID: "Charles" wrote in message news:Xns9B6FA326628D1TheShrubIsAnAss@216.154.195.61... > It wasn't me! It was David Dean ! >> In article , >> Charles wrote: >> >>> Well, the house is back on the market - it needs too much work. >>> Like, duh. That's what we've been saying all along! >> >> The same one that got pulled out from under you? I'd be torn >> between >> telling them "GFY" and halving my offer. > > Well, the same one. Now we're actually thinking about it a bit more. I > mean... It is pretty far out there - do we want to have to deal with > that? > And the realtor was very unkind. I'd go to the realtor who screwed you over, express interest, jerk her around about the price, really rake her over the coals and get the lowest possible price and then say "nah". Because I'm mean and vindictive and she deserves it. Bwah..... From nobody at spamcop.net Tue Dec 9 18:11:47 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Heidi) Date: Tue Dec 9 18:15:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Further unbelievableness References: Message-ID: "Charles" wrote in message news:Xns9B6F93661F3A0TheShrubIsAnAss@216.154.195.61... > Well, the house is back on the market - it needs too much work. Like, > duh. > That's what we've been saying all along! Have you looked into Orange Mortgages? Just got the email, so I'm passing it on http://home.ingdirect.com/products/products.asp?s=RatesandClosingCost From nobody at spamcop.net Tue Dec 9 20:54:00 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (bar0) Date: Tue Dec 9 20:55:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Has anyone been to Dunkin Donuts lately? References: Message-ID: "D.F. Manno" wrote in message news:dfmanno-71AB51.13203209122008@news.cesmail.net... ... > > Did! somebody! give! you! a! good! deal! on! exclamation! points!?! > > -- > D.F. Manno | dfmanno@mail.com Do! either of! You! Two! !work! for !Yahoo! or the! !register!? From nobody at spamcop.net Tue Dec 9 22:00:00 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Indigo) Date: Tue Dec 9 22:00:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Further unbelievableness In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: "Heidi" wrote in message news:ghmtvl$urr$1@news.spamcop.net... > > "Charles" wrote in message > news:Xns9B6F93661F3A0TheShrubIsAnAss@216.154.195.61... >> Well, the house is back on the market - it needs too much work. Like, >> duh. >> That's what we've been saying all along! > > Have you looked into Orange Mortgages? Just got the email, so I'm passing > it on > http://home.ingdirect.com/products/products.asp?s=RatesandClosingCost Holy shite! They have some great deals there....although I'd be a bit leary of locking myself into a 5 or 7 year loan and basically just paying interest the whole time. But I could wrap my second mortgage (car loan) into refinancing my house and lower my monthly payments to about $700/mo at their 5.25% no closing cost loan deal. That's almost $1000 less per month than I'm paying right now for my mortgage + car loan! Seems too good to be true....and me, without a job, probably couldn't get a loan anyway. But I'll keep that link bookmarked for when I get back to work (some day?!), I've been trying to figure out how to pay off my car loan for the last few months, that payment is pretty damn close to my mortgage payment (my current interest rate is 6.00% after 2 refinancings), but the stock market plunge put the kibosh on me selling some investments to get the cash. Oh, crap, I just figured out why the cost appears to be so low -- they don't include property taxes, or any kind of taxes, in their projected monthly payment. That would add hundreds of dollars to the monthly bill. I KNEW something didn't add up! And you'd have to gamble on what interest rates would be in 5-7 years, if inflation comes back like some predict you could get royally screwed unless you sold your house before the beginning teaser rate was over. Thanks for the link! From me at privacy.net Wed Dec 10 05:59:45 2008 From: me at privacy.net (Frog Prince) Date: Wed Dec 10 06:00:04 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Further unbelievableness References: Message-ID: "Charles" wrote in message news:Xns9B6FD708C3320TheShrubIsAnAss@216.154.195.61... : No way it was me! It was "Heidi" ! : : > Because I'm mean and vindictive and she : > deserves it. Bwah..... : : Ah. You know, we should tell our broker what we want to do. Since you : mention it... If you go for that house you could make it part of the T&C that they pay closing cost the mortgage insurance. Also don't give them much time to accept and part of the acceptance is a hard copy hand delivered. Did I mention a low ball offer especially since the house is in such a known poor condition. added kicker they now have a definitive report on the defects. I'd expect they would have to make a new discloser. From MikeE at ster.invalid Wed Dec 10 14:07:43 2008 From: MikeE at ster.invalid (Mike Easter) Date: Wed Dec 10 14:10:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Telno billing vulnerability Message-ID: I learned something recently about a billing vulnerability/insecurity that I didn't know about before. My local landline telephone service provider is AT&T. They are not my LD provider nor do I have a 1-dash LD provider. The other day a phone bill had a $14.95 charge from Nov 14 on page 3 from United Tel LLC apparently also doing business as HBS billing services. It had an 800 # I could call if I had questions. So, I called and it was determined that someone had ordered a service online and had given my telno to bill it to. The United person gave me lots of info from their data - name, dob, email addy, accessing IP address - and some commentary that there had been some other activity that had been cancelled. I said it wasn't my charge, that wasn't me and United said fine we'll reverse the charges we sent to AT&T. Then we talked some about what is this insecure business about someone being able to just bill something to 'any old telno' they like. It was an interesting conversation and United was most cooperative. Then I called AT&T to let them know I had talked to United and that I wasn't going to be paying that part of my bill and what kind of business were they in about pretending to be some kind of insecure credit card company which had never been authorized by me to be allowing such 3rd party billing to my telno in such an insecure fashion. That conversation was surprising to me. ATT tells me that it is federally regulated and mandated that the default mode should be such and allegedly it wasn't ATT's idea. I allowed as how (not in these following words and terms) ATT and the feds and the various co/s like United/HBS of which there are apparently hundreds if not thousands are all benefitting from this loosey goosey arrangement for which numerous charges are likely to be missed on page 3 of a telephone bill which is full of all kinds of screwy billing junk -- and as a consequence of the improper charges sailing on thru' that everyone like ATT & HBS & United makes money. He didn't agree that the system shouldn't allow that, "After all, what if I had actually wanted to bill something to my telno?" Well then, I said, I should make such arrangements -- people shouldn't be subject to such charges if they didn't. Services like HBS aren't like ATT which can 'correlate' my identity with my telno -- HBS has no access to ATT's records. Apparently if you find the right kind of merchant you can just bill whatever you like to any old telno you can dream up. Anyway, I'm working on taking some action about this besides just removing the charge from my phonebill. I'm still learning what I can do. From my research so far about establishing the meatspace identity of the person making the charge, everything I have so far is bogus information with the exception of the IP address and provider -- which turns out to be a local cable modem account in my same town. That makes this issue 'eligible' for local law enforcement to help, perhaps, in getting the local cableco to out the identity of the account. That particular interesting twist on this issue might go somewhere; we'll see. In the beginning I figgered the charge was simply an error, accident. Once the meatspace information started looking more bogus, then I began to feel that it was an intentional action to bill something to someone else's telno, not necessarily targetting me/mine. Now that I'm thinking it is intentional fraud, I'm also thinking that just getting the charge reversed isn't good enough. There should be more action against the perpetrator. So that a little defrauder will be less likely to grow up into a big defrauder. -- Mike Easter kibitzer, not SC admin From me at privacy.net Wed Dec 10 16:22:02 2008 From: me at privacy.net (Frog Prince) Date: Wed Dec 10 16:25:04 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Ping Mike Easter Message-ID: Contact me back channel re Houseboat brother_rabbit @ hotmail. com FP From borgholio at storymind.com Wed Dec 10 16:37:44 2008 From: borgholio at storymind.com (Borgholio) Date: Wed Dec 10 16:40:02 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] And then there was one... Message-ID: 14 years ago we adopted three kittens from the same litter. The sisters grew up and lived what we like to think were healthy lives. One died of cancer last October. Just a few hours ago we lost another due to kidney failure. Now there's just one of the girls left. Now I'm filled with the fear of her own eventual demise as well. As much as I love the girls, sometimes I hate having companions that only live to be in their teens. From MikeE at ster.invalid Wed Dec 10 17:45:03 2008 From: MikeE at ster.invalid (Mike Easter) Date: Wed Dec 10 17:45:02 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: And then there was one... References: Message-ID: Borgholio wrote: > Now there's just one of the girls left. She probably needs a companion that she could explain the rules to. > Now I'm filled with > the fear of her own eventual demise as well. We're born, we live a while, and then we die. > sometimes I hate having companions that only live to be in their > teens. Well, they do the best they can. I suppose you could get some kind of turtle, but then you might need arrangements for who is going to inherit it after you die. -- Mike Easter kibitzer, not SC admin From avoozl at spamcop.net Wed Dec 10 17:48:14 2008 From: avoozl at spamcop.net (Chris F. Willoughby) Date: Wed Dec 10 17:50:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: And then there was one... References: Message-ID: "Borgholio" wrote in message news:ghpcrl$4i3$1@news.spamcop.net... > 14 years ago we adopted three kittens from the same litter. The sisters > grew up and lived what we like to think were healthy lives. One died of > cancer last October. Just a few hours ago we lost another due to kidney > failure. Now there's just one of the girls left. Now I'm filled with the > fear of her own eventual demise as well. As much as I love the girls, > sometimes I hate having companions that only live to be in their teens. Heh, probably bad timing.. but most *dogs* live quite a bit less than that. Small ones tends to live longer.. but more moderate and large sized might be 7-10 years at most. From MikeE at ster.invalid Wed Dec 10 18:05:05 2008 From: MikeE at ster.invalid (Mike Easter) Date: Wed Dec 10 18:05:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: And then there was one... References: Message-ID: CFW & ME extending their typical heartfelt compassion for B's recent loss. -- Mike Easter kibitzer, not SC admin From borgholio at storymind.com Wed Dec 10 18:05:05 2008 From: borgholio at storymind.com (Borgholio) Date: Wed Dec 10 18:10:05 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: And then there was one... In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Mike Easter wrote: > > Well, they do the best they can. I suppose you could get some kind of > turtle, but then you might need arrangements for who is going to inherit > it after you die. > > I love it! Great idea. :) From borgholio at storymind.com Wed Dec 10 18:05:42 2008 From: borgholio at storymind.com (Borgholio) Date: Wed Dec 10 18:10:05 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: And then there was one... In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Chris F. Willoughby wrote: > "Borgholio" wrote in message > news:ghpcrl$4i3$1@news.spamcop.net... >> 14 years ago we adopted three kittens from the same litter. The sisters >> grew up and lived what we like to think were healthy lives. One died of >> cancer last October. Just a few hours ago we lost another due to kidney >> failure. Now there's just one of the girls left. Now I'm filled with the >> fear of her own eventual demise as well. As much as I love the girls, >> sometimes I hate having companions that only live to be in their teens. > > Heh, probably bad timing.. but most *dogs* live quite a bit less than that. > Small ones tends to live longer.. but more moderate and large sized might be > 7-10 years at most. > > I had a dog that was half German Shepherd and half Huskey. She lived to be 16. :) From nobody at spamcop.net Wed Dec 10 23:40:38 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Indigo) Date: Wed Dec 10 23:45:04 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: And then there was one... In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: "Borgholio" wrote in message news:ghpcrl$4i3$1@news.spamcop.net... > 14 years ago we adopted three kittens from the same litter. The sisters > grew up and lived what we like to think were healthy lives. One died of > cancer last October. Just a few hours ago we lost another due to kidney > failure. Now there's just one of the girls left. Now I'm filled with the > fear of her own eventual demise as well. As much as I love the girls, > sometimes I hate having companions that only live to be in their teens. Sorry to hear about the loss of your kitty......mine died of kidney failure too after a week of suffering (I put her down). I don't think she even made it to her teens, but she was found as a stray and given to us, so who knows what she was drinking and exposed to in her youth. From gezgin at spamcop.net.which.is.not.invalid Thu Dec 11 00:07:44 2008 From: gezgin at spamcop.net.which.is.not.invalid (Opinicus) Date: Thu Dec 11 00:10:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: And then there was one... References: Message-ID: "Borgholio" wrote in >> probably bad timing.. but most *dogs* live quite a bit less than that. >> Small ones tends to live longer.. but more moderate and large sized might >> be 7-10 years at most. > I had a dog that was half German Shepherd and half Huskey. She lived to > be 16. Kanyak, our GS-Dobe mix, almost made it to his 18th birthday. There really is something to the phrase "hybrid vigor". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hybrid_vigor -- Bob http://www.kanyak.com From borgholio at storymind.com Thu Dec 11 15:10:36 2008 From: borgholio at storymind.com (Borgholio) Date: Thu Dec 11 15:15:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: And then there was one... In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Sylvesterthekat wrote: > Borgholio wrote in > news:ghpcrl$4i3$1@news.spamcop.net: > >> 14 years ago we adopted three kittens from the same litter. The >> sisters grew up and lived what we like to think were healthy lives. >> One died of cancer last October. Just a few hours ago we lost another >> due to kidney failure. Now there's just one of the girls left. Now >> I'm filled with the fear of her own eventual demise as well. As much >> as I love the girls, sometimes I hate having companions that only live >> to be in their teens. >> > > Ah kidney failure. That's what our beloved boy died of. It was pitiful, the > last few days. It's sad when they go but it's worth it because of all the > laughter and companionship they bring. Take a look at these guys to cheer > you up. She appeared to have gone blind several days ago due to high blood pressure as a result of one of the kidneys failing. But she never let on...she had the house memorized and was using her whiskers and hearing to act as if everything was normal. I took her in yesterday morning after I witnessed her having a siezure. She had three more before the end. With that being said though, the whole ordeal only lasted a few hours. Despite the usual guilt involved in making the decision to kill her, and the second-guessing myself in not catching the symptoms early enough to help her...I'm happy that she did not suffer very long. Minutes before the injection, I gave her a handful of her favorite cat treats. Her life ending on a happy note is helping the rest of us a great deal. > > http://icanhascheezburger.com/ > > scroll down to Dec 10 'dog wants war' it totally cracks me up LOL Thanks :) From borgholio at storymind.com Thu Dec 11 17:37:18 2008 From: borgholio at storymind.com (Borgholio) Date: Thu Dec 11 17:40:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: And then there was one... In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Sylvesterthekat wrote: > > Don't feel guilty, you ended her suffering and what can be kinder than > that? Is the last remaining one missing her buddy? heh....they were only buddies for the first year of their life. As they grew up, all three sisters began to hate each other. When the first one died, the other two shifted their habits and the "politics" of the pride changed. Now that Lizzie is the only one left, there's no telling what'll happen. She tended to avoid her sister much of the time, so she may not fully comprehend her absence for awhile. She already senses something is amiss though... From pssawyer at comcast.BAD.EXAMPLE.net Thu Dec 11 18:21:45 2008 From: pssawyer at comcast.BAD.EXAMPLE.net (Paul) Date: Thu Dec 11 18:25:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: You're not going to believe this one References: Message-ID: Sylvesterthekat wrote in news:Xns9B7171B448961sylvesterthekat@216.154.195.61: > Charles wrote in > news:Xns9B67C78EC3845TheShrubIsAnAss@216.154.195.61: > >> I'd be happy to take the house. Honest. But I won't deal with that >> agent. And, no, I don't know how I'm going to manage that one - most >> of the houses we look at are from one agent... >> > > Cruise around and look at the properties in your area whether on sale > or not. If you like one, write a note and leave it in their mailbox > saying that you're in the market for a property like that and if > they're considering selling to contact you first. That way you avoid > any agent fees and certainly anyway you avoid THAT agent. Only don't put the note in a mailbox, or the USPS will come after you. :( -- Paul From borgholio at storymind.com Thu Dec 11 18:48:07 2008 From: borgholio at storymind.com (Borgholio) Date: Thu Dec 11 18:50:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: And then there was one... In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Sylvesterthekat wrote: >> > > oh dear! usually if they grow up together they'll get along. that must have > made for some interesting encounters over the years lol. Sly HATED other > cats so he was an only cat. Oh it WAS interesting. They only worked together when they found a cricket in the house...at which time they'd form a triangle and surround the poor thing. From nobody at spamcop.net Thu Dec 11 21:17:34 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Indigo) Date: Thu Dec 11 21:20:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: And then there was one... In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: "Sylvesterthekat" wrote in message news:Xns9B7192EBC4510sylvesterthekat@216.154.195.61... Hubby wouldn't let him go > though, he kept thinking it was somehow going to turn out well but I > knew it wasn't and it was one of the hardest things I ever did, to let > HIM come to the realisation that the best thing to do was to end his > suffering. He's never had to face death before, or make the decision to > euthanise. It was the hardest thing he's ever been through in his life I > think, which makes him a lucky person at age 44 to have got that far and > not to have endured something bad! That was the second hardest and traumatic event I've ever gone thru, exceeded only by the death of my Mom......even the pain/anger of my divorce pales in comparison to the loss of my dear kitty.... From nobody at spamcop.net Thu Dec 11 21:31:11 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Indigo) Date: Thu Dec 11 21:35:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: canine snow plow In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: "Sylvesterthekat" wrote in message news:Xns9B71707334CBCsylvesterthekat@216.154.195.61... > http://www.dogwork.com/dogsnow/ Heh. Not exactly what I expected to see, but the doggie sure seemed to be having fun! This gal I dated several years ago had two mini-schnauzers, one of which absolutely loved the snow. When we'd let him and his mate out to pee he'd run around her backyard with his nose literally stuck to the ground, sniffing for god knows what, but he really "snowplowed" his way around the yard, leaving a clear trail behind him. It was hilarious to watch! Luckily, she had trained him (them) well, so when he wanted back inside with a face/mustache full of snow they'd patiently wait just inside the patio door on the "cleaning rug" while we dried them off with towels, feet and all. Those were fun times.....too bad it didn't work out with her.......ex-husband/self esteem issues were too much to overcome..... From nobody at spamcop.net Thu Dec 11 21:35:03 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Indigo) Date: Thu Dec 11 21:35:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: You're not going to believe this one In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: "Sylvesterthekat" wrote in message news:Xns9B71A0B0A5CCCsylvesterthekat@216.154.195.61... > Paul wrote in > news:Xns9B71BAFBD3EFBSenex@216.154.195.61: > > >> Only don't put the note in a mailbox, or the USPS will come after you. >> >>:( >> > > You're kidding?! I guess you could WRITE then, put a stamp on and they > can't complain then. Jeeze. Will only by legal if you actually mail it to them via the post office, stamp or not. Mailboxes are federal property, tampering with them is a felony. That means no opening a non-locked mailbox and dropping in a note or letter. Better off sticking the note inside a screen door or taping it to the front door. From nobody at spamcop.net Thu Dec 11 21:36:49 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Indigo) Date: Thu Dec 11 21:40:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: What's wrong with this picture? In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: "Sylvesterthekat" wrote in message news:Xns9B7171E02B2F6sylvesterthekat@216.154.195.61... > "Indigo" wrote in > news:gh3nub$qig$1@news.spamcop.net: > > >> What, women don't like to look at guy's butts? That's news to me! >> Thelma and Louise sure seemed enamored with Brad Pitt's ass ;-) >> >> > > Well it kinda depends on what sort of woman you're after. If it's a wife, > I > suggest not putting a butt shot on there! Why wouldn't I want my future wife to like my butt? The quality of a woman's butt is a big deal to me, why shouldn't it work both ways? From nobody at spamcop.net Thu Dec 11 21:42:15 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Indigo) Date: Thu Dec 11 21:45:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: 533, 000 Jobs Lost While Feds Import 140, 000 Foreign Workers! In-Reply-To: References: <5ebf87d3-f1d2-478b-8adc-bd707c1ff8e1@t2g2000yqm.googlegroups.com> <493ACCCC.EE734563@bellsouth.net> Message-ID: "Sylvesterthekat" wrote in message news:Xns9B7174003E7E6sylvesterthekat@216.154.195.61... > "Indigo" wrote in > news:ghf2rq$2e8$1@news.spamcop.net: > > >>> Chemist, mathimaticians, , engineers. one of the big pharm companies >>> just gated their entire IT group and then had the balls to require >>> (to get the severance package) those self same folk to train their >>> H1-B replacements. >>> >> >> That's unfscking believable.....and no talk about H1-B during the >> election either. Something has to be done about that! It's criminal! >> >> > > That's a load of hearsay nonsense. NO WAY those folks would be approved > for > H1B if a qualified citizen was available to do the job. I highly doubt that there is a shortage of IT qualified American workers out there to start with, let alone engineers (the available engineers are older and cost a lot more, salary-wise, despite their experience and therefore value).....the H1B system has become a scam that allows corporations to pay 1/3 the pay to foreign workers vs. what they'd have to pay US citizens, without benefits to boot. From nobody at spamcop.net Thu Dec 11 21:44:45 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Indigo) Date: Thu Dec 11 21:45:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: pirates: K Mean In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: "Charles" wrote in message news:Xns9B71D25357922TheShrubIsAnAss@216.154.195.61... > No way it was me! It was Sylvesterthekat ! >> Charles wrote in >> news:Xns9B71C05F2E3B8TheShrubIsAnAss@216.154.195.61: >> >>> Well, duh. The only thing that really sucks is when it's snowing. >>> Snow hurts when you're going down the hill at 50 klicks! > >> 50 clicks?! > > http://www.answers.com/klicks > > But they probably only apply to distance and not to speed. Whatever! I don't even need to read the link...."klicks" are slang for kilometers, a distance measurement. You needed to add "per hour" to your attempt at estimating your speed. From me at privacy.net Thu Dec 11 22:55:46 2008 From: me at privacy.net (Frog Prince) Date: Thu Dec 11 23:00:04 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: 533, 000 Jobs Lost While Feds Import 140, 000 Foreign Workers! References: <5ebf87d3-f1d2-478b-8adc-bd707c1ff8e1@t2g2000yqm.googlegroups.com> <493ACCCC.EE734563@bellsouth.net> Message-ID: "Sylvesterthekat" wrote in message news:Xns9B7173C209863sylvesterthekat@216.154.195.61... : "Frog Prince" wrote in : news:ghetpi$mfe$3@news.spamcop.net: : : : > Computer programming, web coding, graphic design, teachers (DFW gated : > a LOT of teachers but kept many who were from out of the country) : > doctors, nurses, etc. : > : > Chemist, mathimaticians, , engineers. one of the big pharm companies : > just gated their entire IT group and then had the balls to require (to : > get the severance package) those self same folk to train their H1-B : > replacements. : : : You just answered my question. The reason they're being imported is because : the education system here is not producing qualified people to do the jobs. : Trust me when I tell you it ain't easy to get in here to work if you're : foreign, you have to jump thru a lot of hoops, employer has to prove they : couldn't find anyone locally, and be very well qualified for the job (like : have a degree for starters). My direct knowledge is limited to what I observed. 100% of the H1B employees I've had to deal with replaced an other wise qualified US citizen. The major difference was the H1B worked for less and worked long hours off the clock. From me at privacy.net Thu Dec 11 22:56:53 2008 From: me at privacy.net (Frog Prince) Date: Thu Dec 11 23:00:04 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: 533, 000 Jobs Lost While Feds Import 140, 000 Foreign Workers! References: <5ebf87d3-f1d2-478b-8adc-bd707c1ff8e1@t2g2000yqm.googlegroups.com> <493ACCCC.EE734563@bellsouth.net> Message-ID: "Sylvesterthekat" wrote in message news:Xns9B7174003E7E6sylvesterthekat@216.154.195.61... : "Indigo" wrote in : news:ghf2rq$2e8$1@news.spamcop.net: : : : >> Chemist, mathimaticians, , engineers. one of the big pharm companies : >> just gated their entire IT group and then had the balls to require : >> (to get the severance package) those self same folk to train their : >> H1-B replacements. : >> : > : > That's unfscking believable.....and no talk about H1-B during the : > election either. Something has to be done about that! It's criminal! : > : > : : That's a load of hearsay nonsense. NO WAY those folks would be approved for : H1B if a qualified citizen was available to do the job. Been there and watched it happen. From me at privacy.net Thu Dec 11 22:58:11 2008 From: me at privacy.net (Frog Prince) Date: Thu Dec 11 23:00:05 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: 533, 000 Jobs Lost While Feds Import 140, 000 Foreign Workers! References: <5ebf87d3-f1d2-478b-8adc-bd707c1ff8e1@t2g2000yqm.googlegroups.com> <493ACCCC.EE734563@bellsouth.net> Message-ID: "Indigo" wrote in message news:ghsj26$e5q$1@news.spamcop.net... : : "Sylvesterthekat" wrote in message : news:Xns9B7174003E7E6sylvesterthekat@216.154.195.61... : > "Indigo" wrote in : > news:ghf2rq$2e8$1@news.spamcop.net: : > : > : >>> Chemist, mathimaticians, , engineers. one of the big pharm companies : >>> just gated their entire IT group and then had the balls to require : >>> (to get the severance package) those self same folk to train their : >>> H1-B replacements. : >>> : >> : >> That's unfscking believable.....and no talk about H1-B during the : >> election either. Something has to be done about that! It's criminal! : >> : >> : > : > That's a load of hearsay nonsense. NO WAY those folks would be approved : > for : > H1B if a qualified citizen was available to do the job. : : I highly doubt that there is a shortage of IT qualified American workers out : there to start with, let alone engineers (the available engineers are older : and cost a lot more, salary-wise, despite their experience and therefore : value).....the H1B system has become a scam that allows corporations to pay : 1/3 the pay to foreign workers vs. what they'd have to pay US citizens, : without benefits to boot. : H1B troop get's sick ... it's home bound time jack quick. From me at privacy.net Fri Dec 12 14:25:51 2008 From: me at privacy.net (Frog Prince) Date: Fri Dec 12 14:35:04 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: 533, 000 Jobs Lost While Feds Import 140, 000 Foreign Workers! References: <5ebf87d3-f1d2-478b-8adc-bd707c1ff8e1@t2g2000yqm.googlegroups.com> <493ACCCC.EE734563@bellsouth.net> Message-ID: "Sylvesterthekat" wrote in message news:Xns9B72453914DFsylvesterthekat@216.154.195.61... : "Frog Prince" wrote in : news:ghsngc$q2a$1@news.spamcop.net: : : : > My direct knowledge is limited to what I observed. 100% of the H1B : > employees I've had to deal with replaced an other wise qualified US : > citizen. The major difference was the H1B worked for less and worked : > long hours off the clock. : > : : : Then the system has seriously gone off the rails since we got here. That's : ridiculous and corrupt. Maybe when Obama comes in he'll do something about : it. Been off the rails for far longer and not doing anything has been long supported by those in both parties. From me at privacy.net Fri Dec 12 14:27:24 2008 From: me at privacy.net (Frog Prince) Date: Fri Dec 12 14:35:05 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: pirates: K Mean References: Message-ID: "Sylvesterthekat" wrote in message news:Xns9B724377A46F7sylvesterthekat@216.154.195.61... : Charles wrote in : news:Xns9B71D25357922TheShrubIsAnAss@216.154.195.61: : : : > http://www.answers.com/klicks : > : > But they probably only apply to distance and not to speed. Whatever! : > : : ahh... 50kph is still pretty fast! (especially in snow lol) 50kph is not that bad ... it's the sudden transition from 50kph to zero that scares me. From avoozl at spamcop.net Fri Dec 12 16:13:42 2008 From: avoozl at spamcop.net (Chris F. Willoughby) Date: Fri Dec 12 16:15:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: And then there was one... References: Message-ID: I think that's a little harsh Mike. I can understand what they're going through and sympathize. My post at that time was when I was in a bit of an odd mood. "Mike Easter" wrote in message news:ghphup$k5j$1@news.spamcop.net... > CFW & ME extending their typical heartfelt compassion for B's recent loss. > > > -- > Mike Easter > kibitzer, not SC admin From mny98rv02 at sneakemail.com Fri Dec 12 18:31:17 2008 From: mny98rv02 at sneakemail.com (Mr. K Mean) Date: Fri Dec 12 18:35:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: You're not going to believe this one In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Sylvesterthekat wrote: > > Well I never knew that. Of course I'd never try opening a locked mailbox > but most of these things just open don't they? I always thought it a bit > strange that people would want to risk that, anyone could come by and take > your mail! In England most everybody has a slot in their door and the mail > is dropped thru it. Much more convenient! Yeah, the dreaded sound of a big pile of Indian takeaway menus and a crappy free newspaper flying through your front door and scattering themselves all over your front hall. From MikeE at ster.invalid Fri Dec 12 18:36:55 2008 From: MikeE at ster.invalid (Mike Easter) Date: Fri Dec 12 18:40:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: And then there was one... References: Message-ID: Oops. I accidentally emailed. Chris F. Willoughby wrote: > I think that's a little harsh Mike. I can understand what they're going > through and sympathize. My post at that time was when I was in a bit > of an odd mood. Harsh? Then that must be me in my typical exquisitely sensitive demeanor. Or should we call my demeanor insensitive and yours sensitive? Apply exquisy ad lib. The neologism was necessary because the exquisite noun isn't. -- Mike Easter kibitzer, not SC admin From me at privacy.net Sat Dec 13 00:04:04 2008 From: me at privacy.net (Frog Prince) Date: Sat Dec 13 00:10:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: And then there was one... References: Message-ID: "Borgholio" wrote in message news:ghrs46$pu8$1@news.spamcop.net... : Sylvesterthekat wrote: : > Borgholio wrote in : > news:ghpcrl$4i3$1@news.spamcop.net: : > : >> 14 years ago we adopted three kittens from the same litter. The : >> sisters grew up and lived what we like to think were healthy lives. : >> One died of cancer last October. Just a few hours ago we lost another : >> due to kidney failure. Now there's just one of the girls left. Now : >> I'm filled with the fear of her own eventual demise as well. As much : >> as I love the girls, sometimes I hate having companions that only live : >> to be in their teens. : >> : > : > Ah kidney failure. That's what our beloved boy died of. It was pitiful, the : > last few days. It's sad when they go but it's worth it because of all the : > laughter and companionship they bring. Take a look at these guys to cheer : > you up. : : She appeared to have gone blind several days ago due to high blood : pressure as a result of one of the kidneys failing. But she never let : on...she had the house memorized and was using her whiskers and hearing to : act as if everything was normal. I took her in yesterday morning after I : witnessed her having a seizure. She had three more before the end. With : that being said though, the whole ordeal only lasted a few hours. : : Despite the usual guilt involved in making the decision to kill her, and : the second-guessing myself in not catching the symptoms early enough to : help her...I'm happy that she did not suffer very long. Minutes before : the injection, I gave her a handful of her favorite cat treats. Her life : ending on a happy note is helping the rest of us a great deal. : Pets are your friend when no one else wants anything to do with you. I found comfort (and pain) when we had to put down our great pry. (she was 14+ and way past her allocated time) vet said she was in no pain and spent her last few month under the knee hole of my desk. At the last she lost here ability to ID my wife and I but never my granddaughter. At the end I held her head in my arms as the doc gave her the meds. Sasha seem to lean into my chest as she often did when comforting me and went to sleep. We had the option to drop her off for the vet to do the deed but our responsibility was to ease her way. Vet tech told me that animals who's owners can stand by them at the last, pass much easier. From borgholio at storymind.com Sat Dec 13 01:36:23 2008 From: borgholio at storymind.com (Borgholio) Date: Sat Dec 13 01:40:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: And then there was one... In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Frog Prince wrote: > > We had the option to drop her off for the vet to do the deed but our > responsibility was to ease her way. Vet tech told me that animals who's > owners can stand by them at the last, pass much easier. > > We've never really had pets, so much as we've had non-human family members. Letting them die alone would be just as inexcusable as abandoning a sibling or parent in the hospital. Since my cat was blind, she couldn't see us...but she could hear us telling her we loved her as she went to sleep. If it were me, that'd make all the difference. From dfmanno at mail.com Sun Dec 14 11:39:49 2008 From: dfmanno at mail.com (D.F. Manno) Date: Sun Dec 14 11:40:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: You're not going to believe this one References: Message-ID: In article , David Dean wrote: > Sylvesterthekat wrote: > > > How tiresome! You'd think a shipping department anywhere would know these > > things. > > How often does the shipping department talk to customers? As little as possible. -- D.F. Manno | dfmanno@mail.com This time _we_ won. This time _you_ get over it. From nobody at spamcop.net Mon Dec 15 15:21:02 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Indigo) Date: Mon Dec 15 15:25:04 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Great News! And Nuts! Message-ID: Got some good/bad news from the endocrinologist last Friday -- after 6 weeks of being off my hormone supplements, my pituitary, thyroid, and adrenal glands all checked out to be normal. That's bad, because without the hormone supplements my health deteriorated greatly, but she has no idea why. There must be some other mysterious cellular activity going on due to my lyme disease and long-term toxic poisoning that the DHEA and pregnenolone were supporting. At least we proved that I don't have a malfunctioning pituitary gland or thyroid gland (at least not anymore), which was the main purpose of doing these blood tests. My various hormone, TSH, LSH etc. levels have apparently returned to normal levels without the supplements -- she said taking them was suppressing my body from producing the hormones on it's own, but that still doesn't explain why several tests within the last year showed extremely low levels of them even while I was taking the hormone replacement supplements! Or why my overall health improved after I started taking them. And based on the muscle cramping/spasming/weakness problems, serious fatigue, "brain dead" feeling, deteriorated eyesight, and lack of motivation to do anything useful during most of the last 6 weeks, especially in the last two weeks, it's clear that those supplements were doing _something_ beneficial for my body and organ functions. By the end of the "supplement fast", I was as sick as I'd been in well over a year, and I even had to stop my chelation therapy drug regimen during the last week, the herxing effect caused by the drugs got a lot more noticeable, and too much for me to handle.....so, well, something just doesn't add up here. Within 2 days of restarting the supplements last Tuesday I had mostly returned to "normal" (!), although I'm still having some back/shoulder/neck muscle problems, but they've been improving with therapy and some isometric excersises my PT gave me to do last week. Swapping my bed mattress with the hard as rock one from the spare bedroom a week ago helped a lot too -- luckily, my sis and her hubbie stayed a night at my house a week ago to catch an early flight from BWI the next morning, I was so weak I couldn't even lift a damn mattress by myself! And my right wrist tendonitis had returned with a vengeance too, at times making a simple task like brushing my teeth impossible due to the intense pain. The endo doc said the blood tests showed that my cortisol levels were actually at the high end now, she completely dismissed the cortisol saliva test data I had given her from a previous test done by my lyme doc, claiming it was "not accepted as an accurate test by her training", meaning Western medical teaching. That test showed very low and abnormal cortisol levels throughout the day (5 samples taken in one day from 7:00 am to 11:00 pm), the graph clearly showed my cortisol rising from next to nothing in the morning to a higher, but still low level at the end of the day as the three 5 mg doses of hydrocortisone kicked in throughout the day. She said I could go off the hydrocortisone if I wanted to, based on her test results, but we know what happened the last time I did that......it was a disaster, health-wise.....but maybe after another month or so of the toxin removal process I can try again (I restarted taking them last night). Need to discuss the new test results with my lyme doc after he gets them to see where we go from here. From MikeE at ster.invalid Mon Dec 15 15:52:40 2008 From: MikeE at ster.invalid (Mike Easter) Date: Mon Dec 15 15:55:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Great News! And Nuts! References: Message-ID: Indigo wrote: > The endo doc said the blood tests showed that my cortisol levels were > actually at the high end now, she completely dismissed the cortisol > saliva test data I had given her from a previous test done by my lyme > doc, claiming it was "not accepted as an accurate test by her > training", meaning Western medical teaching. This paper's comparison between serum, urine, and salivary cortisol showed good correlation, but that doesn't mean that the/your salivary cortisol test results in question were those of a reliable laboratory. http://jcem.endojournals.org/cgi/content/full/88/9/4153?maxtoshow=&HITS=10 &hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=1&andorexacttitle=and&titleabstract=midnight+&andore xacttitleabs=and&andorexactfulltext=and&searchid=1140314561143_3787&FIRSTI NDEX=0&sortspec=relevance&fdate=9 or http://snipurl.com/8ar8k The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism -- Midnight Salivary Cortisol Versus Urinary Free and Midnight Serum Cortisol as Screening Tests for Cushing's Syndrome Naturally a screening strategy for Cushing's is going to involve high and normal values, not low and normal values. The causes and results of (some) practitioner's usage of suboptimal/inferior laboratories is very problematic. It is highly likely that a board certified endo is going to be making better choices in that regard, cortisol, than a lyme doc. -- Mike Easter kibitzer, not SC admin From borgholio at storymind.com Mon Dec 15 18:38:11 2008 From: borgholio at storymind.com (Borgholio) Date: Mon Dec 15 18:40:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: And then there was one... In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Sylvesterthekat wrote: > > *blubbing* > > Oh NOW look what you guys have gone and done! awww.... *hands Skat a cookie* From MikeE at ster.invalid Mon Dec 15 19:19:58 2008 From: MikeE at ster.invalid (Mike Easter) Date: Mon Dec 15 19:20:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: A thought for Heidi References: Message-ID: Sylvesterthekat wrote: > her beloved dog was attacked by 3 > pitbulls that had been allowed out unsupervised. They tore her ear and > flayed her hind leg. If the pitbulls are acting like dangerous/vicious attack dogs, inadequate management can lead to such results as the Presa Canario- mastiffs Bane and Hera killing Diane Whipple and then their owner unsupervisor Marjorie Knoller eventually getting 15 years to life for it and the Knoller-Noel couple also losing a $1.5mil tort to Whipple's partner Sharon Smith. But, if some 'collection' of unleashed dogs get into a dogfight on common ground, that's another matter. Unrestrained vicious animals are a dangerous problem. -- Mike Easter kibitzer, not SC admin From me at privacy.net Tue Dec 16 02:05:08 2008 From: me at privacy.net (Frog Prince) Date: Tue Dec 16 02:10:02 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: You're not going to believe this one References: Message-ID: "David Dean" wrote in message news:v8ltfuv02-A7A24B.19345415122008@n003-000-000-000.static.ge.com... : In article , : Sylvesterthekat wrote: : : > I'd expect a major online presence to know these things. : : I'm sure someone in the organization knows these things but the : drones that answer the phones/email don't. More likely someone in upper management has only a passing knowledge that shipments to a PO Box or any Box number is subject to fraud ergo we don't ship to no stinking box. period. From nobody at spamcop.net Tue Dec 16 16:41:31 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Indigo) Date: Tue Dec 16 16:45:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Great News! And Nuts! In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: "Mike Easter" wrote in message news:gi6g2i$l5f$1@news.spamcop.net... > > This paper's comparison between serum, urine, and salivary cortisol showed > good correlation, but that doesn't mean that the/your salivary cortisol > test results in question were those of a reliable laboratory. Whomever Labcorp sent the samples out to for the actual testing...... > > http://jcem.endojournals.org/cgi/content/full/88/9/4153?maxtoshow=&HITS=10 > &hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=1&andorexacttitle=and&titleabstract=midnight+&andore > xacttitleabs=and&andorexactfulltext=and&searchid=1140314561143_3787&FIRSTI > NDEX=0&sortspec=relevance&fdate=9 or http://snipurl.com/8ar8k The > Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism -- Midnight Salivary > Cortisol Versus Urinary Free and Midnight Serum Cortisol as Screening > Tests for Cushing's Syndrome > > Naturally a screening strategy for Cushing's is going to involve high and > normal values, not low and normal values. Thanks for the link, gives me some encouragement that my saliva test results were valid, at least when they were taken (last year). But I'm suffering from Addison disease symptoms, not Cushings, so low values are what we were looking for (and found). > > The causes and results of (some) practitioner's usage of > suboptimal/inferior laboratories is very problematic. It is highly likely > that a board certified endo is going to be making better choices in that > regard, cortisol, than a lyme doc. I disagree with that conclusion, at least for GOOD lyme docs. For instance, there's one special lyme test that only one lab in the country performs, it's in CA, Heidi first mentioned it here and my lyme doc immediately knew which company did the test when I mentioned it to him. In fact, he really didn't want me to see the endo in the first place because they don't have experience dealing with the multiple organ failure problems that lyme causes. He works with patients every single day with issues like mine, and busts his ass to investigate problems and find treatments for every one of us (we all suffer from different types of ailments depending on our individual body chemistry, diet, environmental exposure, etc.). I'm not saying that there aren't some quacks out there, but my doc is the best I've ever seen. For instance, how many doctors would have been aware of that off-label colchicine treatment for herniated disks that saved me from another spinal surgery? Or know that a 30 year old (and now unused) cholesterol drug was also useful for removing stored toxins from the brain and body tissues? From nobody at spamcop.net Tue Dec 16 16:43:43 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Indigo) Date: Tue Dec 16 16:45:04 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: A thought for Heidi In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: "Sylvesterthekat" wrote in message news:Xns9B7598C55EB6Fsylvesterthekat@216.154.195.61... > Not only does she still not have power at home (this has been going on > since thursday evening) but yesterday her beloved dog was attacked by 3 > pitbulls that had been allowed out unsupervised. They tore her ear and > flayed her hind leg. Very large vet bill ensued which she hopes to recoup > from the owners of said dogs. I'm sure some of you would like to join in > sending our hopes and wishes to Heidi that the problems will meet a speedy > and satisfactory conclusion. Oh man, that really sucks! Why did she lose power? I hadn't heard of some horrible snow/ice storm up there where she lives. Send my well wishes along to her for me, however you're communicating with her (cell phone?). From nobody at spamcop.net Tue Dec 16 16:45:58 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Indigo) Date: Tue Dec 16 16:50:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: A thought for Heidi In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: "Charles" wrote in message news:Xns9B764B1EC644DTheShrubIsAnAss@216.154.195.61... > It wasn't me! It was Sylvesterthekat ! > >> They belong to a neighbour so they're not strangers. > > So killing them becomes problematic as they may come back and kill her > dogs. Not a fun situation to be in. Do you think they'd come after her even if the local law enforcement officials order the pit bulls to be put down? I'm sure this isn't their very first attack on an animal or human. From nobody at spamcop.net Tue Dec 16 16:48:45 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Indigo) Date: Tue Dec 16 16:50:04 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: ebay my ebay In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: "Charles" wrote in message news:Xns9B75C50D2C0E2TheShrubIsAnAss@216.154.195.61... She wants us to put in an > offer that says that we take the house as is. Uh. Nope! But I thought you were prepared to take it "as is"? But perhaps you mean you wanted coverage/protection for problems not found by the appraiser/inspector? From MikeE at ster.invalid Tue Dec 16 17:04:42 2008 From: MikeE at ster.invalid (Mike Easter) Date: Tue Dec 16 17:05:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Great News! And Nuts! References: Message-ID: Indigo wrote: > "Mike Easter" >> It is highly >> likely that a board certified endo is going to be making better >> choices in that regard, cortisol, than a lyme doc. > > I disagree with that conclusion, at least for GOOD lyme docs. I'm not impugning the integrity or experience of your lyme doc. I'm saying the practitioner with the greatest training and everyday experience and literature familiarity in evaluating health conditions with disturbed cortisol results is going to be the endo. You probably won't have a chance to hear a group of endos sitting around a round table discussing with each other what their personal experiences and their appreciation of the literature and their concerns about the laboratory functions for determining serum, urine, and salivary cortisols. I'm sure the endo 'throwaway' journals have probably published just such a serum/salivary exchange sometime or other. The problem with the relative in/convenience of some tests - how do you get a midnight (nearly sleeping) serum cholesterol - is that such logistic problems can create such a strong 'wish' to use the salivary results, that it creates a bias in the favor of the logistically simpler testing. The other thing that comes along are little 'kits' which enable office-based testing. Many office-based testing results lack the quality control of certified reference laboratories. -- Mike Easter kibitzer, not SC admin From nobody at spamcop.net Tue Dec 16 17:20:20 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Indigo) Date: Tue Dec 16 17:25:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Great News! And Nuts! In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: "Mike Easter" wrote in message news:gi98lh$l9n$1@news.spamcop.net... > Indigo wrote: >> "Mike Easter" > >>> It is highly >>> likely that a board certified endo is going to be making better >>> choices in that regard, cortisol, than a lyme doc. >> >> I disagree with that conclusion, at least for GOOD lyme docs. > > I'm not impugning the integrity or experience of your lyme doc. I'm > saying the practitioner with the greatest training and everyday experience > and literature familiarity in evaluating health conditions with disturbed > cortisol results is going to be the endo. Well, she was just an internist, to start with, no debate there for her training/experience vs. my doc except she likely has more detailed "book learning" on the PTA axis functions......she'll probably will consult with her superiors in writing her evaluation letter, but if they don't have experience working with lyme patients either they may miss something important too. To start with, I would certainly like an explanation on how/why the supplements make my health so much better when according to the endo I don't need them! They *should* be able to at least come up with a theory for that, but she had nothing for me when I talked to her on the phone. From pssawyer at comcast.BAD.EXAMPLE.net Tue Dec 16 17:51:11 2008 From: pssawyer at comcast.BAD.EXAMPLE.net (Paul) Date: Tue Dec 16 17:55:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: A thought for Heidi References: Message-ID: "Indigo" wrote in news:gi97ef$ia8$1@news.spamcop.net: > Oh man, that really sucks! Why did she lose power? I hadn't heard of > some horrible snow/ice storm up there where she lives. Send my well > wishes along to her for me, however you're communicating with her > (cell phone?). Yes, we did have a "horrible" ice storm last Thursday/Friday, which attacked trees and wires. I was one of the lucky ones, about 50 hours with no power, followed by about 20 more of no HSI/TV/phone. Many others are still out, with utility crews working around the clock. -- Paul From nobody at spamcop.net Tue Dec 16 18:08:39 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Indigo) Date: Tue Dec 16 18:10:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: A thought for Heidi In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: "Paul" wrote in message news:Xns9B76B5CD4C7B6Senex@216.154.195.61... > "Indigo" wrote in > news:gi97ef$ia8$1@news.spamcop.net: > >> Oh man, that really sucks! Why did she lose power? I hadn't heard of >> some horrible snow/ice storm up there where she lives. Send my well >> wishes along to her for me, however you're communicating with her >> (cell phone?). > > Yes, we did have a "horrible" ice storm last Thursday/Friday, which > attacked trees and wires. I was one of the lucky ones, about 50 hours > with no power, followed by about 20 more of no HSI/TV/phone. Many > others are still out, with utility crews working around the clock. Yikes......by now, anything in her fridge and freezer must be toast.......unless she could cook and eat everything in the freezer! No way I could do that, I have enough canned/frozen food in my house to probably last me for a month, but without power to cook it......hopefully my gas grill, which I haven't used in 2 years, still has some propane in the tank! Guess I could rig up some kind of bunsen burner with my propane torch if need be......hope I never have to face that situation..... From gezgin at spamcop.net.which.is.not.invalid Wed Dec 17 05:28:23 2008 From: gezgin at spamcop.net.which.is.not.invalid (Opinicus) Date: Wed Dec 17 05:30:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] 'Tis the season to be clueless and greedy Message-ID: Have schools gone into Christmas break? There's been a huge surge of spam in the last 24 hours or so. -- Bob http://www.kanyak.com From dfmanno at mail.com Wed Dec 17 14:03:19 2008 From: dfmanno at mail.com (D.F. Manno) Date: Wed Dec 17 14:05:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Overboard References: Message-ID: In article , Charles wrote: > And, hey, isn't it about time to push the automakers into bankruptcy so > that they can reorg? I mean, I hear about dealerships they can't leave. > And I know the unions are choking the crap out of them. People whose job > it is to tighten bolts who make more than I do. Golly, that sounds like a > good way to run a business. I know, I know, bankruptcy has a lot of > negative sides, too. Like it's really hard for creditors to get paid. > Sucks. But it doesn't suck as much as just throwing good money after bad. > CEOs being all contrite and saying they learned their lessons. Like, since > when? Since the last time you were on the hill - 2 weeks earlier? Give me > a break. If the Big 3 go bankrupt, we go from a recession to a full-blown depression. One of the things the people arguing for Big 3 bankruptcy reorganization are forgetting is that reorganization requires what's called "debtor-in-possession" (DIP) financing. In a Chapter 11 case, the DIP lender gets paid first, before any other creditor, which is why lenders are willing to make DIP loans. With the credit markets frozen, there's no source for DIP loans. -- D.F. Manno | dfmanno@mail.com This time _we_ won. This time _you_ get over it. From nobody at spamcop.net Wed Dec 17 19:40:53 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Indigo) Date: Wed Dec 17 19:45:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: ebay my ebay In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: "Charles" wrote in message news:Xns9B76C259B8F3TheShrubIsAnAss@216.154.195.61... > > We are prepared to take much as-is. We're going to replace the heating > plant this year, for example. And we're going to replace some windows > and do some plumbing. But we're not going to take the 1000 gallon buried > oil tank or the high radon level, for example. That's not taking it "as-is" then if you expect those problems to be fixed before you buy it. Actually, can they even legally sell it with those pollution issues? I know you couldn't get an FHA mortgage without them fixing those problems, and probably a lot more of the issues the house has. Besides, when someone is > writing an offer on a house it isn't the seller who dictates the terms of > the offer. The seller can counter however they like. I encourage them > to do so. Yeah, it's weird she didn't counter-offer......you can't negotiate if only 1 party is involved....you've GOT TO HAGGLE! From nobody at spamcop.net Wed Dec 17 20:03:14 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Indigo) Date: Wed Dec 17 20:05:02 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Overboard In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: "Charles" wrote in message news:Xns9B76CE9D014D0TheShrubIsAnAss@216.154.195.61... > > And, hey, isn't it about time to push the automakers into bankruptcy so > that they can reorg? Big difference between a re-org (which they've been trying to do for several years to cut costs) and them going out of business, which I believe GM is threatening what will happen. No cash = no production = no more GM. Despite how badly they have fscked up things on their own, the country CANNOT afford to let any one of the big 3 go out of business. It amazes me how many people don't realize that the automakers have the single largest effect on our economy, and how many jobs are indirectly tied to them. I won't even bother to attempt to list some of other companies that would go down the tubes if GM failed, it doesn't take much of a mental effort to figure it out. So (in my mind) it's a given that we cannot let an automaker fail, just like we couldn't let who, Citigroup, or Fannie May/Freddy Mac, fail? The feds should make the same kind of deal with GM, lend/give them the money but become shareholders in the process, with at least the chance of getting our money back. No "here's $XX billion dollars, go have fun with it" like they did TWICE with AIG, the fscking idiots. Whaddya think about Bernanke lowering the fed short term rate to 0.25%? Banks are already shopping mortgage rates around 4.5%.....damn, too bad I'm out of work and can't do a refi.... P.S. Bad things are already happening with the automakers. Less than an hour ago Chrylser just annouced that it's annual 2-week holiday shutdown will be extended to 4 or more weeks......it's starting already.... From nobody at spamcop.net Wed Dec 17 20:07:35 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Indigo) Date: Wed Dec 17 20:10:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: ebay my ebay In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: "Charles" wrote in message news:Xns9B77C93E090FBTheShrubIsAnAss@216.154.195.61... It uses over 2,000 gallons of > oil a year (I called and got the numbers today). That's insane. > Horrifying. Terrible and bad, too. Jesus H......does the damn place have no insulation or is it a McMansion?!?! Or it just has a horribly old an inefficient HVAC system..... From nobody at spamcop.net Wed Dec 17 20:18:34 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Indigo) Date: Wed Dec 17 20:20:02 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Overboard In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: "Charles" wrote in message news:Xns9B77CC5A9F94FTheShrubIsAnAss@216.154.195.61... > No way it was me! It was "Indigo" ! > >> Despite how badly they have fscked up things on their own, the country >> CANNOT afford to let any one of the big 3 go out of business > > I'm not talking going out of business - I'm talking about a chapter 11 > reorg backed by the gov't. Time to cut those ASSININE union contracts to > shreds. Time to let them drop some dealerships. Time they made some cars > worth buying! Yeah, those union contracts are a noose around their necks that are choking them to death - especially the "legacy costs". But on the other hand, I have an ethical problem with changing/canceling/modifying some of those terms. The unions, at times, sacrificed immediate financial gains in exchange for retirement benefits. To undo that give and take just bugs the hell out of me, like when the buyers of Bethlehem Steel just completely cut off the retirement benefits from workers and dumped them onto the feds to take care of.....at greatly reduced benefit levels, off course. As far as making cars worth buying, yeah, they got greedy when oil was cheap and invested in building monster (but highly profitable) vehicles like the Escalade and H2, neglecting their smaller, more efficient models. But in their defense, they're not mind readers....no one could have predicted the 300% increase in the price of oil, and the development cycle for new cars is 24-36 months, IIRC....so they're between a rock and a hard place right now. From nobody at spamcop.net Wed Dec 17 20:41:42 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Heidi) Date: Wed Dec 17 20:45:04 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Back among the living.....just. Message-ID: So, Kat's kept you all posted on my long, effing nightmare. We lost power at midnight on Thursday and got it back tonight at about 6:30 tonight - I came home to no power and had a meltdown, started loading my stuff in the car to go back to my mother's and a line truck finally showed up and turned us on. I feel alive again to be HOME. I was staying at my sister's house because they had a wood stove and a generator, (don't get me started on my landlord and THEIR generator, taking care of their needs and saying "sorry, we can't help you".......that's a whole other source of irritation) and while I was there I was walking my dog in the field across the street, actually it used to be our family's land but my jackass father sold it after the divorce out of spite, so now it's in conservation and open to the public. The house next door is where I used to live, and I knew they had pit bulls, I'd seen them happily playing in the field with their owner, but walked very far away from the house so as not to be seen. Unfortunately, they were outside, unleashed, and all three of them tore at us like a freight train - frighteningly silent, no barking, just going for blood - they meant to kill her. One went for her head and ripped her ear, another one was grabbing at her hind end trying to take her down, and a third was going for her front legs and her belly. She was screaming like a banshee being attacked from all sides, I was kicking and screaming for all I was worth and even direct blows to the head didn't stop them. The owner ran over and tried to grab the two big males and even he couldn't subdue them by laying on top of them, their 15 yo female was biting at her hind legs and actually ripped three inches of skin off the tendon, which was completely exposed. I kicked the shit out of her enough to make an escape and then got her into the car and to the emergency hospital (not the one I'm currently suing in small claims court...). The owner came running over asking if he could help and saying how that's never happened before, blah blah. For chrissakes, you have three pit bulls, a pack....what do you THINK is going to happen? Five hours and $950 later I brought her back to my mother's, stitches in her ear, stitches in her hind leg and a big puncture bite wound on her arm. She's sore and very very quiet, but I think that a lot of that is shock and also being in a strange place. Tonight we are finally home and she's looking a little perkier. I did file a police report, and the owners know they are liable for the damages. The husband is a bit clueless, his wife kept telling him not to take the dogs out unleashed, and he did it anyway. It's a sad case, she's been ill, lost her job in Jan and has had lots of medical problems this year, they're struggling financially, the day I went over she had just come back from the church to ask for money to buy groceries, and now this big honking vet bill. I"m not unsympathetic, the wife is actually a very sweet woman who called tonight to check on Portia, she's furious that her husband's stupidity has once again put them behind the 8-ball, but the damage is done. I can't afford it either, not with the bills from the first dog. The police took the report, did homework on the dogs, they've all been to obedience school, to doggy day care where they socialize with other dogs, no incidents at all, so they are citing him for leash law violations and make sure the vet bills get paid and they're pretty much on notice now. She told me she is going to find homes for the two males and keep her old female who by herself is quite submissive. It would be easier to be mad at them if they were jerks, but they're not, the husband is a careless fool but the wife is a very caring person who, like me, has had the shit kicked out of her this year. May 2008 get the hell out of here........ From me at privacy.net Thu Dec 18 04:16:04 2008 From: me at privacy.net (magus kent) Date: Thu Dec 18 04:20:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Overboard References: Message-ID: David Dean wrote in news:v8ltfuv02-57F204.20471617122008@killface.local: > In article , > Charles wrote: > >> Time to cut those ASSININE union contracts to >> shreds. > > I thought their single biggest expense was healthcare. That is > something where the government can come in and take the monkey off > their backs and would benefit more folks than just the big three. I read awhile back that GM said that their health costs added $2500.00 to the price of each vehicle. Yeah, right. Unions. I know a lot of people are set in their opinions that unions are the downfall of big business. The auto unions have been dealing with the big three so that salary costs are now in line with foreign makes manufactured in the U.S. The number of 70 plus/dollars per hour is from the big three themselves. Take all personnel costs (salary cost for factory workers, health care for actives and retireds (!!), benefits for actives and retireds) add it up, divide by the number of active workers and thats the number you get. Handy number when you're doing negotiations with the union but not too handy when you're dealing with the government or public opinion. Toyota has been in business for around 20 years in the U.S. GM for what, 80 years? Who has the most retired workers? The 'job bank program' which no one (including me) believed in was a Japanese invention. One Japanese plant in Texas has about 5,300 people idled under that program. The total U.S. company job bank count is less than 2,000. And that program is going away for the U.S. anyway. So save you outrage for the execs who got their bonuses, percs, multi-million dollar salaries and then went away to another cushy job. Its obvious to me where Congress has their money stashed. Minimal amount of complaining and posturing on the $700 Billion financial bailout vice all of the self-righteous indignation about less than $30 Billion for the auto industry. The financial bailout only took the passing out of some pork to get passed, while the big three loan gets passed back to a lame duck President so he can be blamed by their constituents...bah. The auto industry goes down, its not going to be a recession, its going to be a world-wide depression. I'm sure that China is on the phone (seeing as we owe them so much money) to make sure that that doesn't happen... From mny98rv02 at sneakemail.com Thu Dec 18 05:21:26 2008 From: mny98rv02 at sneakemail.com (Mr. K Mean) Date: Thu Dec 18 05:25:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Back among the living.....just. In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Charles wrote: > No way it was me! It was "Heidi" ! > >> May 2008 get the hell out of here........ > > Sorry, dude. Harsh. So, yeah, better luck with the coming year, eh? That is pretty crazy stuff. Hopefully everything turns out ok. From no.spam.4.me at xs4all.nl Thu Dec 18 06:16:24 2008 From: no.spam.4.me at xs4all.nl (Nico Bartels) Date: Thu Dec 18 06:20:02 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Back among the living.....just. References: Message-ID: On Wed, 17 Dec 2008 20:41:42 -0500, in spamcop.social "Heidi" wrote: >So, Kat's kept you all posted on my long, effing nightmare. We lost power >at midnight on Thursday and got it back tonight at about 6:30 tonight - I >came home to no power and had a meltdown, started loading my stuff in the >car to go back to my mother's and a line truck finally showed up and turned >us on. I feel alive again to be HOME. Welcome back. >May 2008 get the hell out of here........ Only the month of May, or the whole year? Nico -- Disclaimer: the above is the author's personal opinion and is not the opinion or policy of his employer or of the little green men that have been following him all day. From me at privacy.net Thu Dec 18 08:56:32 2008 From: me at privacy.net (Frog Prince) Date: Thu Dec 18 09:05:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Overboard References: Message-ID: "David Dean" wrote in message news:v8ltfuv02-57F204.20471617122008@killface.local... : In article , : Charles wrote: : : > Time to cut those ASSININE union contracts to : > shreds. : : I thought their single biggest expense was healthcare. That is : something where the government can come in and take the monkey off their : backs and would benefit more folks than just the big three. : According to various reports the labor rate for UAW is comparable to the Japanese plants in the USA. (an aside the local government spiffs to the Japanese are significant.) I've maintained that universal health care in the USA would go a long way to removing the inefficiency in the provision of care (USA health care has a reported 30% over head were as Medicare has a 3% admin cost).. Regardless universal health care would take competitive disadvantage off all US businesses not to mention taking a load off folk who can't get health insurance. From joegill at removethis Thu Dec 18 20:15:07 2008 From: joegill at removethis (Joe Gill) Date: Thu Dec 18 20:20:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Overboard II References: Message-ID: "Charles" wrote in message news:Xns9B77B7D97F64DTheShrubIsAnAss@216.154.195.61... > No way it was me! It was Charles ! > >> So we printed up our latest offer - again. I hand delivered it. No >> way it's unreadable from the printing. And it's pretty darned clear. >> The broker's assistant said she'd get it signed in the AM. I wonder >> if she'll get it signed at our price or at some higher price... >> Whatever. Let's just get this moving, shall we? > > They countered. We refused (they had added still more conditions). Done. > We're moving on. This isn't the house for us. We're just done. It feels > better to walk away this time than to have it taken from us like last > time! Ahhhh.. take one 'parting shot' at them... Make a really 'low-ball' offer to them... From nobody at spamcop.net Thu Dec 18 22:28:52 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Indigo) Date: Thu Dec 18 22:30:02 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Back among the living.....just. In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: "Heidi" wrote in message news:gic9on$uo2$1@news.spamcop.net... . I did file a police report, and the owners know > they are liable for the damages. The husband is a bit clueless, his wife > kept telling him not to take the dogs out unleashed, and he did it anyway. > It's a sad case, she's been ill, lost her job in Jan and has had lots of > medical problems this year, they're struggling financially, the day I went > over she had just come back from the church to ask for money to buy > groceries, and now this big honking vet bill. Shouldn't their homeowners insurance pay for the vet bills? Maybe the deductible is way higher than the bill.....I still find it hard to believe that this is their first 'pack attack'....... May 2008 get the hell out of > here........ Amen to that, sister..... From nobody at spamcop.net Thu Dec 18 22:35:17 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Indigo) Date: Thu Dec 18 22:40:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: ebay my ebay In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: "Charles" wrote in message news:Xns9B77D6945619ETheShrubIsAnAss@216.154.195.61... > > I dunno. It's only 3400 sf. Not overwhelmingly large...... The deal is, however, that it's a ranch so > you don't get the built-in efficiencies of having 1700 ft over 1700 ft. > And it has a huge room (35x28 or something like that) with 12' ceilings, > windows all around and skylights. Aha! That's the room that's killing you, energy-wise. Huge exposed surface areas, high ceiling, likely low-efficiency leaky skylights.....lots of energy-inefficient windows.....it's no wonder. I mean, I LOVE great rooms like that (and high ceilings and front door atriums from an esthetic viewpoint), but they are energy black holes. From nobody at spamcop.net Thu Dec 18 22:37:28 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Indigo) Date: Thu Dec 18 22:40:04 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Overboard In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: "David Dean" wrote in message news:v8ltfuv02-57F204.20471617122008@killface.local... > In article , > Charles wrote: > >> Time to cut those ASSININE union contracts to >> shreds. > > I thought their single biggest expense was healthcare. That is > something where the government can come in and take the monkey off their > backs and would benefit more folks than just the big three. Those are the "legacy" costs...something like $3k per vehicle.....they can't compete with foreign automakers without the same built in costs. From nobody at spamcop.net Thu Dec 18 22:40:32 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Indigo) Date: Thu Dec 18 22:45:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Overboard In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: "magus kent" wrote in message news:Xns9B782B69BCA41desdemona8earthlingn@216.154.195.61... The auto industry goes down, its not > going to be a recession, its going to be a world-wide depression. I'm > sure that China is on the phone (seeing as we owe them so much money) to > make sure that that doesn't happen... Good to see someone else who realizes the huge impact that the collapse of our automakers would cause to the US and global economy. From dfmanno at mail.com Thu Dec 18 22:48:01 2008 From: dfmanno at mail.com (D.F. Manno) Date: Thu Dec 18 22:50:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Overboard References: Message-ID: In article , Charles wrote: > It wasn't me! It was "D.F. Manno" ! > > > One of the things the people arguing for Big 3 bankruptcy reorganization > > are forgetting is that reorganization requires what's called > > "debtor-in-possession" (DIP) financing. > > I would imagine that they would rewrite bankruptcy law for this and/or the > gov't would be the DIP. It's not a legal requirement but a practical one. Without DIP financing, a company could not continue operating while in bankruptcy court, and would have to liquidate instead of reorganize. -- D.F. Manno | dfmanno@mail.com This time _we_ won. This time _you_ get over it. From nobody at spamcop.net Fri Dec 19 09:12:19 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (BlueSkyzz) Date: Fri Dec 19 09:15:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Back among the living.....just. In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Heidi wrote: > So, Kat's kept you all posted on my long, effing nightmare. We lost power > at midnight on Thursday and got it back tonight at about 6:30 tonight - I > came home to no power and had a meltdown, started loading my stuff in the > car to go back to my mother's and a line truck finally showed up and turned > us on. I feel alive again to be HOME. [snip] Karma sure can be a bitch sometimes, can't it? Maybe you'll think about that next time you're tempted to spread vicious lies about people. From MikeE at ster.invalid Fri Dec 19 12:10:29 2008 From: MikeE at ster.invalid (Mike Easter) Date: Fri Dec 19 12:15:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Here comes the SNOW! References: Message-ID: Charles wrote: Subject: Here comes the SNOW! I can see snow on the tops of the mountains in the view to my north. Currently clear blue skies and sunny, expected hi today 60F. The desert isn't much warmer. Elsewhere in the county, chains were required while going over some passes. Surfing poor 2-3 feet, diving poor visibility 0-5 ft. Water temp 61F for the wetsuiters. -- Mike Easter kibitzer, not SC admin From me at privacy.net Fri Dec 19 16:12:11 2008 From: me at privacy.net (Frog Prince) Date: Fri Dec 19 16:15:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] RIP Mark Felt, Patriot, Protected America References: Message-ID: Mark Felt, Watergate's `Deep Throat,' dies at 95 By LOUISE CHU, Associated Press Writer Louise Chu, Associated Press Writer - 35 mins ago Joan Felt and and her father W. Mark Felt wave to the media gathered in front of AP - Joan Felt and and her father W. Mark Felt wave to the media gathered in front of their home in this Tuesday, . SAN FRANCISCO - W. Mark Felt, the former FBI second-in-command who revealed himself as "Deep Throat" 30 years after he tipped off reporters to the Watergate scandal that toppled a president, has died. He was 95. Felt died Thursday in Santa Rosa after suffering from congestive heart failure for several months, said family friend John D. O'Connor, who wrote the 2005 Vanity Fair article uncovering Felt's secret. The shadowy central figure in the one of the most gripping political dramas of the 20th century, Felt insisted his alter ego be kept secret when he leaked damaging information about President Richard Nixon and his aides to Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward. While some - including Nixon and his aides - speculated that Felt was the source who connected the White House to the June 1972 break-in at the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee, he steadfastly denied the accusations until finally coming forward in May 2005. "I'm the guy they used to call Deep Throat," Felt told O'Connor for the Vanity Fair article, creating a whirlwind of media attention. The man who had kept his secret for decades, now weakened by a stroke, wasn't doing much talking - he merely waved to the media from the front door of his daughter's Santa Rosa home. Critics, including those who went to prison for the Watergate scandal, called him a traitor for betraying the commander in chief. Supporters hailed him as a hero for blowing the whistle on a corrupt administration trying to cover up attempts to sabotage opponents. Felt grappled with his place in history, arguing with his children over whether to reveal his identity or to take his secret to the grave, O'Connor said. He agonized about what revealing his identity would do to his reputation. Would he be seen as a turncoat or a man of honor? "People will debate for a long time whether I did the right thing by helping Woodward," Felt wrote in his 2006 memoir, "A G-Man's Life: The FBI, `Deep Throat' and the Struggle for Honor in Washington." "The bottom line is that we did get the whole truth out, and isn't that what the FBI is supposed to do?" Ultimately, his daughter Joan persuaded him to go public; after all, Woodward was sure to profit by revealing the secret after Felt died. "We could make at least enough money to pay some bills, like the debt I've run up for the kids' education," she told her father, according to the Vanity Fair article. "Let's do it for the family." The revelation capped a Washington whodunnit that spanned more than three decades and seven presidents. It was the final mystery of Watergate, the subject of the best-selling book and hit movie "All the President's Men," which inspired a generation of college students to pursue journalism. It was by chance that Felt came to play a pivotal role in the drama. Back in 1970, Woodward struck up a conversation with Felt while both were waiting in a White House hallway. Felt apparently took a liking to the young Woodward, then a Navy courier, and Woodward kept the relationship going, treating Felt as a mentor as he tried to figure out the ways of Washington. Later, while Woodward and partner Carl Bernstein relied on various unnamed sources in reporting on Watergate, the man their editor dubbed "Deep Throat" helped to keep them on track and confirm vital information. The Post won a Pulitzer Prize for its Watergate coverage. Within days of the burglary at Watergate that launched the Post's investigative series, Woodward phoned Felt. "He reminded me how he disliked phone calls at the office but said that the Watergate burglary case was going to `heat up' for reasons he could not explain," Woodward wrote after Felt was named. "He then hung up abruptly." Felt helped Woodward link former CIA man Howard Hunt to the break-in. He said the reporter could accurately write that Hunt, whose name was found in the address book of one of the burglars, was a suspect. But Felt told him off the record, insisting that their relationship and Felt's identity remain secret. Worried that phones were being tapped, Felt arranged clandestine meetings worthy of a spy novel. Woodward would move a flower pot with a red flag on his balcony if he needed to meet Felt. The G-man would scrawl a time to meet on page 20 of Woodward's copy of The New York Times and they would rendezvous in a suburban Virginia parking garage in the dead of night. In the movie, the enduring image of Deep Throat - a name borrowed from a 1972 porn movie - is of a testy, chain-smoking Hal Holbrook telling Woodward, played by Robert Redford, to "follow the money." In a memoir published in April 2006, Felt said he saw himself as a "Lone Ranger" who could help derail a White House cover-up. Felt wrote that he was upset by the slow pace of the FBI investigation into the Watergate break-in and believed the press could pressure the administration to cooperate. "From the start, it was clear that senior administration officials were up to their necks in this mess, and that they would stop at nothing to sabotage our investigation," Felt wrote in his memoir. Some critics said Felt, a J. Edgar Hoover loyalist, was bitter at being passed over when Nixon appointed an FBI outsider and confidante, L. Patrick Gray, to lead the FBI after Hoover's death. Gray was later implicated in Watergate abuses. "We had no idea of his motivations, and even now some of his motivations are unclear," Bernstein said. Felt wrote that he wasn't motivated by anger. "It is true that I would have welcomed an appointment as FBI director when Hoover died. It is not true that I was jealous of Gray," he wrote. For his part, Holbrook responded to the news of Felt's identity by commenting: "He was doing it because there was a higher purpose involved. ... The important thing was not who it was, but why he did it. It's called morality. That is something that is not very popular today." Felt was born in Twin Falls, Idaho, and worked for an Idaho senator during graduate school. After law school at George Washington University he spent a year at the Federal Trade Commission. Felt joined the FBI in 1942 and worked as a Nazi hunter during World War II. Ironically, while providing crucial information to the Post, Felt also was assigned to ferret out the newspaper's source. The investigation never went anywhere, but plenty of people, including those in the White House at the time, guessed that Felt, who was leading the investigation into Watergate, may have been acting as a double agent. The Watergate tapes captured White House chief of staff H.R. Haldeman telling Nixon that Felt was the source, but they were afraid to stop him. Nixon asks: "Somebody in the FBI?" Haldeman: "Yes, sir. Mark Felt ... If we move on him, he'll go out and unload everything. He knows everything that's to be known in the FBI." Felt left the FBI in 1973 for the lecture circuit. Five years later he was indicted on charges of authorizing FBI break-ins at homes associated with suspected bombers from the 1960s radical group the Weather Underground. President Ronald Reagan pardoned Felt in 1981 while the case was on appeal - a move applauded by Nixon. Woodward and Bernstein said they wouldn't reveal the source's identity until he or she died, and finally confirmed Felt's role only after he came forward. O'Connor said Thursday that his friend appeared to be at peace since the revelation. "What I saw was a person that went from a divided personality that carried around this heavy secret to a completely integrated and glowing personality over these past few years once he let the secret out," he said. Felt is survived by two children, Joan Felt and Mark Felt Jr., and four grandchildren. His wife, Audrey Felt, died in 1984. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081219/ap_on_re_us/obit_felt Some would say the man should have a patriot's funeral. From MikeE at ster.invalid Fri Dec 19 17:16:17 2008 From: MikeE at ster.invalid (Mike Easter) Date: Fri Dec 19 17:20:02 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: RIP Mark Felt, Patriot, Protected America References: Message-ID: Frog Prince wrote: > Mark Felt, Watergate's `Deep Throat,' dies at 95 Naturally the WP has a pretty extensive obit and some parts of the Mark Felt story which may not show up in other media. or http://snipurl.com/8wea1 4 page story -- Mike Easter kibitzer, not SC admin From me at privacy.net Fri Dec 19 17:35:44 2008 From: me at privacy.net (Frog Prince) Date: Fri Dec 19 17:40:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] The Story of the Automotive AC References: Message-ID: The four Goldberg brothers, Lowell, Norman, Hiram and Maxwell , invented and developed the first automobile air-conditioner. On July 17, 1946, the temperature in Detroit was 97 degrees The four brothers walked into old man Henry Ford's office and sweet-talked his secretary into telling him that four gentlemen were there with the most exciting innovation in the auto industry since the electric starter. Henry was curious and invited them into his office. They refused and instead asked that he come out to the parking lot to their car. They persuaded him to get into the car, which was about 130 degrees, turned on the air conditioner and cooled the car off immediately. The old man got very excited and invited them back to the office, where he offered them $3 million for the patent. The brothers refused, saying they would settle for $2 million, but they wanted the recognition by having a label, 'The Goldberg Air-Conditioner,' on the dashboard of each car in which it was installed. Now old man Ford was more than just a little anti-Semitic, and there was no way he was going to put the Goldberg's name on two million Fords. They haggled back and forth for about two hours, and finally agreed on $4 million and that just their first names would be shown. And so to this day, all Ford air conditioners show Lo, Norm, Hi, and Max on the controls. So, now you know... From nobody at spamcop.net Fri Dec 19 18:56:33 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Heidi) Date: Fri Dec 19 19:00:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Here comes the SNOW! References: Message-ID: "Charles" wrote in message news:Xns9B7963482E4C4TheShrubIsAnAss@216.154.195.61... > And just a quick note to Greg... WTF are you doing lurking here? Is > there > a point AT ALL? Charles, stop trying, you just can't fix 'stupid'. Or insane. But you can laugh at it! From nobody at spamcop.net Fri Dec 19 18:57:45 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Heidi) Date: Fri Dec 19 19:00:04 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Here comes the SNOW! References: Message-ID: "Charles" wrote in message news:Xns9B79632A6410DTheShrubIsAnAss@216.154.195.61... > It's just begun! 8-14" called for today! Woo fricking hoo!!!! Wouldn't you know, the PTB at work all left early - and left us all there till five. Nice sweatshop I work in, huh? I actually made it home in not too much longer than it usually takes, but I sure would not have wanted to be any later. Blowing and drifting like crazy here, but nice and fluffy. From nobody at spamcop.net Fri Dec 19 19:01:12 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Heidi) Date: Fri Dec 19 19:05:02 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Overboard II References: Message-ID: "Charles" wrote in message news:Xns9B78CF31082D9TheShrubIsAnAss@216.154.195.61... > > When we first put in an offer it was at 250. They were at 375 at the > time. Now they're listing at 325. Our last offer was at 275. They > countered at 300 plus conditions. Well, shucks. We got them to move a > lot. And we'd have been happy enough with 300 but the conditions were > just too much. We're done. It's just gone on too long. We're much > happier walking away from it than we were having it taken from us! It > needs a hell of a lot of work. And it uses nearly 2000 gallons of fuel > oil a year. Think about that next time it's up at $4.80 a gallon like it > was in July. Anyway, it's just not for us. We're not going to leave a > parting shot - we're just done. 6+ weeks of talks and no real progress > doesn't work for us. No way. I think that probably worked out for the best, in the end, and I thought it was weird looking anyway! The nasty real estate lady probably thought she had it made knowing you were frothing at the mouth to get the house only to scoop it out from under you, then have it to offer again. Hah, what goes around comes around.... I went and looked at a cute little house I saw online, amazing how cute it looks when you're not looking at the rest of the dumps in the neighborhood. From nobody at spamcop.net Fri Dec 19 19:22:08 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Heidi) Date: Fri Dec 19 19:25:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: A thought for Heidi References: Message-ID: "Indigo" wrote in message news:gi97il$ikj$1@news.spamcop.net... > > Do you think they'd come after her even if the local law enforcement > officials order the pit bulls to be put down? I'm sure this isn't their > very first attack on an animal or human. Here's the thing. Local law enforcement is only going to cite them for leash law violations, that should be $100 per dog, it's their first offense, and even the second offense is only worth a fine. The wife told me she was going to find someone to take the two big males - and I am not happy that these dogs are being rehomed anywhere, I want them to be muzzled, I want them to have a police record that travels with them, and I want the place she got them from to be notified of what they did, I think it was the SPCA, they may not agree to the rehoming. The ACO seems to be fairly clueless, he says that he did all his homework, the dogs have a clean record, go to daycare with no problems, no problems at all for the six years they've been in town. I kept trying to impress upon him that they have a problem now, that the dogs will do it again, even if they're separated they're not to be trusted. I talked to the trainer who ran the obedience classes I went to, and she said it is nothing short of a miracle that my dog wasn't killed and eviscerated on the spot. When pit bulls bite they don't let go, they rip and shred until the prey is dead, I think the fact that I kept her moving and got between them (or tried to, hard when there's three of them) kept them from getting a better grip on her and killing her. I was petting her last night and found another puncture wound on her neck near her windpipe, I think her collar saved her life. I plan to pursue, in writing, that I want these dogs to have a history and I want information about where they go. I am outraged that they're being so goddamn casual about something that could have been a gruesome tragedy. From nobody at spamcop.net Fri Dec 19 19:41:09 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Heidi) Date: Fri Dec 19 19:45:04 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: A thought for Heidi References: Message-ID: "Indigo" wrote in message news:gi9cdm$uoe$1@news.spamcop.net... > Yikes......by now, anything in her fridge and freezer must be > toast.......unless she could cook and eat everything in the freezer! No > way I could do that, I have enough canned/frozen food in my house to > probably last me for a month, but without power to cook it......hopefully > my gas grill, which I haven't used in 2 years, still has some propane in > the tank! Guess I could rig up some kind of bunsen burner with my propane > torch if need be......hope I never have to face that situation..... You should be prepared, I never in a million years thought I would be without power for six days, right down the road from the power company, it's absurd, but it happened. This is the second severe ice storm in two years, I think it's the future for a lot of us who used to get just snow. I think I'm going to get a propane stove, some propane lanterns, and a good supply of canisters. As it was the first morning I was delighted to find I could heat and even make coffee in my little espresso pot on my sterno stove, I could boil my teakettle on the big one, and heat up the dog's chicken. Stock batteries, stock water, there isn't a D-cell battery or bigger to be found anywhere around here now, nor can you find anything in the way of lanterns, flashlights, gas cans, or generators, there aren't any to be had on the east coast. IMO a generator is worth the money to have installed correctly and available. The landlords ran it to keep their water pump, freezer, kitchen lights, and furnace going, (but it took 'too much gas' to run my space heater) so I put my frozen food in their freezer. My refrigerated stuff I just put outside in the barn, it certainly was cold enough, nothing got ruined, that i know of. From nobody at spamcop.net Fri Dec 19 21:11:00 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Indigo) Date: Fri Dec 19 21:15:05 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Here comes the SNOW! In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: "Charles" wrote in message news:Xns9B7963482E4C4TheShrubIsAnAss@216.154.195.61... > And just a quick note to Greg... WTF are you doing lurking here? Is > there > a point AT ALL? Sure is strange, whenever something bad happens to Heidi one of his sock puppets mysteriously appears.....almost like someone _else_ is regularly reading the NG and alerting him when something happens. No way is he reading it on a regular basis, he's too uncontrolled to not respond to other folk's messages. Do we have a mole amongst us? Actually, just writing that will probably fill him with glee.....he'd love to start infighting.....best to just ignore him. He hates that the most. From nobody at spamcop.net Fri Dec 19 21:27:58 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Indigo) Date: Fri Dec 19 21:30:02 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: A thought for Heidi In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: "Heidi" wrote in message news:gihdrg$r1i$1@news.spamcop.net... I plan to pursue, in writing, that I want > these dogs to have a history and I want information about where they go. > I am outraged that they're being so goddamn casual about something that > could have been a gruesome tragedy. > Yeah, dog on dog attacks are pretty much pushed aside in priority by the cops just like black drug dealers killing each other. Without Ceasar intervening, those dogs are now going be trouble wherever they go, so documenting their history is a good idea to potentially help the next victim. Hopefully it's not a 2 year old child......and I know why you intervened to save your dog's life, but you took HUGE risk there, they could have just as easily turned on you! I keep both a legal locking 4" knife (as opposed to say, a Swiss knife, which I also have in the car, but the blade doesn't lock in place) and a "grey area" steel auto-extending club stick in my car for dangerous situations. Hopefully I'll never have to use them, but if I was at the scene of your dog's mauling there would have been a couple of dead or seriously injured pit bulls......one or two whacks with that short steel club and their skulls would have been shattered...... From mny98rv02 at sneakemail.com Fri Dec 19 21:38:02 2008 From: mny98rv02 at sneakemail.com (Mr. K Mean) Date: Fri Dec 19 21:40:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Here comes the SNOW! In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Mike Easter wrote: > Charles wrote: > Subject: Here comes the SNOW! > > I can see snow on the tops of the mountains in the view to my north. > > Currently clear blue skies and sunny, expected hi today 60F. The desert > isn't much warmer. > > Elsewhere in the county, chains were required while going over some > passes. > > Surfing poor 2-3 feet, diving poor visibility 0-5 ft. Water temp 61F for > the wetsuiters. Saigon was the land of 3 showers a day. We seem to be back to 2 showers now. Lovely here in Siem Reap, should hit 30C today. Been living in shorts and sandals for weeks now. A bunch of mosquitoes though. Off to see thousands of temples now. From nobody at spamcop.net Fri Dec 19 21:49:10 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Indigo) Date: Fri Dec 19 21:50:04 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: A thought for Heidi In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: "Heidi" wrote in message news:gihev6$ujc$1@news.spamcop.net... > > You should be prepared, I never in a million years thought I would be > without power for six days, right down the road from the power company, > it's absurd, but it happened. This is the second severe ice storm in two > years, I think it's the future for a lot of us who used to get just snow. Well, living in the boonies like you do you certainly need to be more prepared than most of us.....one of my best friends from the ex-workplace also lives way out there, has well water and all....after a big ice storm several years ago he bought a big generator, hooked up automatic switchover relays, and installed a big water storage tank, so now he's all set for a long term outage as long as he doesn't run out of diesel fuel. He didn't get power back for TWO WEEKS! Imagine going that long without running water, let alone electricity.....I will _never_ buy a house that doesn't have public utility hook-ups. From nobody at spamcop.net Fri Dec 19 21:55:22 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Heidi) Date: Fri Dec 19 22:00:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Back among the living.....just. References: Message-ID: "Indigo" wrote in message news:gif4dk$2t3$1@news.spamcop.net... > > Shouldn't their homeowners insurance pay for the vet bills? Maybe the > deductible is way higher than the bill.....I still find it hard to believe > that this is their first 'pack attack'....... I would bet that the dogs are not identified on their homeowner's insurance, and they might not be covered, I think there are companies who won't insure you if you have pit bulls. From nobody at spamcop.net Fri Dec 19 21:57:03 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Heidi) Date: Fri Dec 19 22:00:04 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Back among the living.....just. References: Message-ID: "Nico Bartels" wrote in message news:v4ckk457ikulnf5ipu2pgafnv4d23c1tuf@4ax.com... > Only the month of May, or the whole year? > > Nico All of it, and then some. I liked the Queen's phrase, 'annus horribilus'. From me at privacy.net Fri Dec 19 22:27:19 2008 From: me at privacy.net (Frog Prince) Date: Fri Dec 19 23:15:04 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Back among the living.....just. References: Message-ID: "Heidi" wrote in message news:gihmqq$k7u$1@news.spamcop.net... : : "Indigo" wrote in message : news:gif4dk$2t3$1@news.spamcop.net... : > : > Shouldn't their homeowners insurance pay for the vet bills? Maybe the : > deductible is way higher than the bill.....I still find it hard to believe : > that this is their first 'pack attack'....... : : I would bet that the dogs are not identified on their homeowner's insurance, : and they might not be covered, I think there are companies who won't insure : you if you have pit bulls. If the dogs are not specifically excluded there should be coverage. Also check into the agent's 'errors and omissions coverage. Not many know about this but the selling agent, who has a state license, carries some exposure to liability if the agent has not advised (and documented that) the client of gaps in their coverage. : : From nobody at spamcop.net Sat Dec 20 12:21:35 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (BlueSkyzz) Date: Sat Dec 20 12:25:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Here comes the SNOW! In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Indigo wrote: > Sure is strange, whenever something bad happens to Heidi one of his sock > puppets mysteriously appears.....almost like someone _else_ is regularly > reading the NG and alerting him when something happens. No way is he > reading it on a regular basis, he's too uncontrolled to not respond to > other folk's messages. Do we have a mole amongst us? Actually, just > writing that will probably fill him with glee.....he'd love to start > infighting.....best to just ignore him. He hates that the most. Considering the poor state of your health lately, you might want to take a look at your own karma. Funny how that works, what goes around always seems to come back around to bite you in the ass. Hope you enjoy the ride. From nobody at spamcop.net Sat Dec 20 14:08:49 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Heidi) Date: Sat Dec 20 14:10:04 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: A thought for Heidi References: Message-ID: "Indigo" wrote in message news:gihl7h$gc2$1@news.spamcop.net... > > Yeah, dog on dog attacks are pretty much pushed aside in priority by the > cops just like black drug dealers killing each other. Without Ceasar > intervening, those dogs are now going be trouble wherever they go, so > documenting their history is a good idea to potentially help the next > victim. Hopefully it's not a 2 year old child......and I know why you > intervened to save your dog's life, but you took HUGE risk there, they > could have just as easily turned on you! Dog on dog attacks are included in the vicious dog law, but I don't know what they have do to be impounded or to get a muzzle order for them. He certainly was not interested in taking the dogs away from the owners. I didn't have any choice but to intervene, my dog was on a leash, attached to me, and they were swirling around us trying to get a grip on her. They were not the least bit interested in me, they were going after my dog, any injuries to me would have been collateral damage in just reaching in to grab them. > > I keep both a legal locking 4" knife (as opposed to say, a Swiss knife, > which I also have in the car, but the blade doesn't lock in place) and a > "grey area" steel auto-extending club stick in my car for dangerous > situations. Hopefully I'll never have to use them, but if I was at the > scene of your dog's mauling there would have been a couple of dead or > seriously injured pit bulls......one or two whacks with that short steel > club and their skulls would have been shattered...... I would have never dreamed I'd need anything like that, I've never been attacked like that nor did I anticipate it. The dog trainer told me to get some pepper spray, but I don't intend on going back there. If I'd had a baseball bat they'd be dead right now, for sure, but it's not something I carry around. From MikeE at ster.invalid Sat Dec 20 15:06:05 2008 From: MikeE at ster.invalid (Mike Easter) Date: Sat Dec 20 15:10:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: A thought for Heidi References: Message-ID: Heidi wrote: > "Indigo" >> I keep both a legal locking 4" knife (as opposed to say, a Swiss knife, >> which I also have in the car, but the blade doesn't lock in place) and >> a "grey area" steel auto-extending club stick in my car for dangerous >> situations. Hopefully I'll never have to use them, but if I was at the >> scene of your dog's mauling there would have been a couple of dead or >> seriously injured pit bulls......one or two whacks with that short >> steel club and their skulls would have been shattered...... > I would have never dreamed I'd need anything like that, I've never been > attacked like that nor did I anticipate it. The dog trainer told me to > get some pepper spray, but I don't intend on going back there. If I'd > had a baseball bat they'd be dead right now, for sure, but it's not > something I carry around. Yeah, I think my weapons of choice for such potential occurrences would be in order of priority and distance: - dog mace/ pepper spray/ which is supposed to shoot 10-12 feet - baseball bat/ extending club stick for anybodydog still coming past the spray defense - knife as a last resort upclose and personal Even if you aren't going to the same area, I think that having the pepperspray is a good idea for a lot of different possibilities. It doesn't cost very much and since it is regarded by such as the USPS and society as humane, you couldn't/shouldn't get sued for hitting someone's favorite pet withit for attacking or attempting to attack your dog; whereas I'm afraid one might have to defend themselves legally for taking a baseball bat or other club or knife to someone's 'mischievous' (vicious attacking) pet. -- Mike Easter kibitzer, not SC admin From nobody at spamcop.net Sat Dec 20 15:55:19 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (BlueWave) Date: Sat Dec 20 16:00:05 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Here comes the SNOW! In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Charles wrote: > And just a quick note to Greg... WTF are you doing lurking here? Is there > a point AT ALL? Maybe it gives you low-functioning individuals who have no life outside of this newsgroup something to prattle on about... From nobody at spamcop.net Sat Dec 20 15:57:05 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (BlueWave) Date: Sat Dec 20 16:00:06 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Help the economy or not? In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Charles wrote: > Sigh. I've shoveled my driveway twice this week. Took around an hour each > time. I keep thinking that I should just buy a snowblower and help the > economy out, you know? Still, that's a lot of money to spend. > > Oh, and on it being a lot of money... Interestingly enough, in-store > prices are WAY cheaper than online prices. Really weird. Heck, you know, > I would have bought one today if the sales dude hadn't been so fricking > pushy. WTF are you doing posting nonsense that absolutely nobody cares about? Is there a point AT ALL? From nobody at spamcop.net Sat Dec 20 16:43:47 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Steven Underwood) Date: Sat Dec 20 16:45:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Help the economy or not? References: Message-ID: "BlueWave" wrote in message news:gijm71$qf3$2@news.spamcop.net... > Charles wrote: > >> Sigh. I've shoveled my driveway twice this week. Took around an hour >> each time. I keep thinking that I should just buy a snowblower and help >> the economy out, you know? Still, that's a lot of money to spend. >> >> Oh, and on it being a lot of money... Interestingly enough, in-store >> prices are WAY cheaper than online prices. Really weird. Heck, you >> know, I would have bought one today if the sales dude hadn't been so >> fricking pushy. > > WTF are you doing posting nonsense that absolutely nobody cares about? Is > there a point AT ALL? I care... and his point was to get opinions on the pros/cons of buying a snow blower at this point in time... Personally, it looks like I am going to need to replace my 40 year old (bought used 4 seasons ago) Ariens in the very near future. :( Engine running great but the mechanicals are starting to fail (transmission/clutch/shifter). From MikeE at ster.invalid Sat Dec 20 17:14:12 2008 From: MikeE at ster.invalid (Mike Easter) Date: Sat Dec 20 17:15:04 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Help the economy or not? References: Message-ID: Charles wrote: > Maybe another part of not buying one, here, is that there are only, on > average, 4 days a year with more than 3" of snow. Still... This > season is going to be worse than that. I hear that there's no el nino > or la nina this year so we're going to get dumped on. I mean, in the > middle of December we've already had 3 of our 4 snows! > > Besides, annual snowfal here is only like 6'. Pretty lame. > > Where are you that you need one? Well, right. Where are you that you > want one? It seems like the best way to approach the need for a function that requires special equipment which is rarely needed, such as snow removal or removed treelimb mulchers is to contract with people who own or rent the special equipment on an as used basis. Unlike treelimb mulchers, snow removal is going to be episodic demand, during which time the 'specialist' isn't going to be available because everyone wants the service except when no one wants the service -- so one would have to have the snow removal specialist 'on retainer' so that you are contracted with them to remove the snow in a timely fashion. Also unlike treelimb mulching, trees that need trimming don't keep you from getting in and out of your driveway, generally. Hmm. I can see this snow removal business is problematic if you don't have a 'contact' with the right gear who can provide prompt service. -- Mike Easter kibitzer, not SC admin From MikeE at ster.invalid Sat Dec 20 17:20:25 2008 From: MikeE at ster.invalid (Mike Easter) Date: Sat Dec 20 17:25:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Help the economy or not? References: Message-ID: Oops. Mike Easter wrote: > Also unlike treelimb mulching, trees that need trimming don't keep you > from getting in and out of your driveway, generally. ... what I mean is, alottasnow-that-needs-removal stops you and you need immediate service, but... ...when your trees need trimming with the resultant need for treelimb chipping and hauling away of mulch, you have plenty of time to make the arrangements for the job. -- Mike Easter kibitzer, not SC admin From MikeE at ster.invalid Sat Dec 20 17:44:18 2008 From: MikeE at ster.invalid (Mike Easter) Date: Sat Dec 20 17:45:04 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: RIP Mark Felt, Patriot, Protected America References: Message-ID: Mike Easter wrote: > Naturally the WP has a pretty extensive obit and some parts of the Mark > Felt story which may not show up in other media. > > 1327.html> or http://snipurl.com/8wea1 Now /. slashdot is discussing^1 some of the stuff exposed in the WP story and some of the stuff which wasn't. More than one poster there doesn't find Felt to be a hero, and the issue is more than that of Dem/Rep conservative/liberal politics. ^1 http://politics.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/12/20/1843252 "To portray Felt as some heroic whistle-blower is nonsense." (Score:5, Insightful) -- Mike Easter kibitzer, not SC admin From nobody at spamcop.net Sat Dec 20 18:21:34 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Heidi) Date: Sat Dec 20 18:25:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Back among the living.....just. References: Message-ID: "Frog Prince" wrote in message news:gihr8h$ck$1@news.spamcop.net... > > If the dogs are not specifically excluded there should be coverage. Also > check into the agent's 'errors and omissions coverage. Not many know > about > this but the selling agent, who has a state license, carries some exposure > to liability if the agent has not advised (and documented that) the client > of gaps in their coverage. Given that I had to go to the emerg hospital again today because the stitches on the leg didn't hold and her ear was infected where the gauze stuck, I now have another $240 out of pocket to add to the bill - we're up over $1200 now. I may have to get an ambulance chaser whether I want to or not if I ever want to see the money. From MikeE at ster.invalid Sat Dec 20 19:30:54 2008 From: MikeE at ster.invalid (Mike Easter) Date: Sat Dec 20 19:35:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Help the economy or not? References: Message-ID: Charles wrote: > "Mike Easter" >> Hmm. I can see this snow removal business is problematic if you don't >> have a 'contact' with the right gear who can provide prompt service. > > We sort of had a contract but the plow guy came WAY too often. We got > charged $71 for plowing that didn't need to be done. I said, "Enough!" > I shoveled the last 2 big storms - each of which could easily have > required pro help. Well, the pro help was abusing the fact that the > construction market has gone soft (my opinion) and trying to make his > money back in plowing. I would rather buy a $20k tractor and do the > work myself than pay any recurring charges. Especially recurring > charges for services that were not necessary. That wasn't the kind of contract/retainer that I had in mind. My idea was to work it like a retainer/lawyer deal. You give the dude $X as the retainer; for nothing (removal-wise), just for being at your 'beck and call' (for a price). Then, you expect 'prompt' (reasonably prompt) service when you call hir up and say, "Help. There's snow all over the place. Come and do your thing." However, under normal conditions, which also includes some snow, the dude (or muscular or equipped dudette as the case may be) doesn't show up at all. Snowremover only comes and removes snow when you say do it. During such times as dude/tte appears for the snow activity, I would expect that they are to be paid a reasonable premium for their services, since you are getting priority in times of duress and demand. I'm also trying to take down the notion that landscape maintenance people get to come every week and run noisy machines on a contract. My idea is that I'll let you know when to come and I'll tell you what to do and what not to do and here's the way the contract is structured in terms of who is in charge and who is actually here and who has greencards and a lot of other things, breaks, water, bathroom, tools, transportation, client/homeowner help/support. -- Mike Easter kibitzer, not SC admin From MikeE at ster.invalid Sat Dec 20 19:37:20 2008 From: MikeE at ster.invalid (Mike Easter) Date: Sat Dec 20 19:40:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Back among the living.....just. References: Message-ID: Heidi wrote: > Given that I had to go to the emerg hospital again today because the > stitches on the leg didn't hold and her ear was infected where the gauze > stuck, I now have another $240 out of pocket to add to the bill - we're > up over $1200 now. I may have to get an ambulance chaser whether I > want to or not if I ever want to see the money. I hope that you are trying to keep these costs down just as if it were out of your own pocket. $240 for some followup management that is generally covered by the surgical fee for the original procedures seems inappropriate. That is; leaving the emergency facility out of it and staying with the vet who does procedures for bucks and then the procedure's followup is included in the (original surgical)fee; then the stitch problem and the infection sequelae are part of the original procedure's management -- but the original surgical management person/medico can't cover your visit to an (someother) emergency facility. They should/would be 'covering' the/such followup care (stitch or infection problem) in their normal everyday facility. But, maybe I'm not clear on who (medico) is responsible for the original procedure and its followup. -- Mike Easter kibitzer, not SC admin From nobody at spamcop.net Sat Dec 20 20:55:46 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Heidi) Date: Sat Dec 20 21:00:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Back among the living.....just. References: Message-ID: "Mike Easter" wrote in message news:gik33v$vqc$1@news.spamcop.net... > > I hope that you are trying to keep these costs down just as if it were out > of your own pocket. $240 for some followup management that is generally > covered by the surgical fee for the original procedures seems > inappropriate. > > That is; leaving the emergency facility out of it and staying with the vet > who does procedures for bucks and then the procedure's followup is > included in the (original surgical)fee; then the stitch problem and the > infection sequelae are part of the original procedure's management -- but > the original surgical management person/medico can't cover your visit to > an (someother) emergency facility. They should/would be 'covering' > the/such followup care (stitch or infection problem) in their normal > everyday facility. > > But, maybe I'm not clear on who (medico) is responsible for the original > procedure and its followup. > The emergency hospital is who did the original sutures. $240 is very pricey, and they charge you a fortune for every little thing - the biggest part of the bill was $72 for antibiotics, and $10 per PILL for pain/antiinflammatory meds. If it had just been a bandage change, I would have waited and gone to my regular vet, but I knew something was wrong with the leg stitches because it was bleeding where it shouldn't have been, and I wanted the EH to address it because they did it in the first place, my vet would not have had time to do this at the last minute on a Saturday, after being closed for four days due to not having power, they are always swamped on Saturdays, this week was especially bad. From now on, barring any after hours problems or a real mess, followup care is going to be done by me, with a check at my regular vet in a week. I now have to get up at 4:30 in the morning before work to make sure I have enough time to do the hydrotherapy (hosing the wound), and then rebandaging with very expensive gel bandages (on my own with a dog that screams and kicks when it hurts). Twice a day, for at least a week, maybe longer, depends on how much granulation there is after a week. Think I'll ever get compensated for my time? Someone else's carelessness and it's my life that's turned upside down and backwards. Today was a bad day, to say the least. From MikeE at ster.invalid Sat Dec 20 21:50:38 2008 From: MikeE at ster.invalid (Mike Easter) Date: Sat Dec 20 21:55:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Back among the living.....just. References: Message-ID: Heidi wrote: > "Mike Easter" >> But, maybe I'm not clear on who (medico) is responsible for the >> original procedure and its followup. >> > The emergency hospital is who did the original sutures. Yeah, then the EvetH should be acting like a regular vet/surgeon who performs a procedures and then is responsible for the postoperative care -- so if there is a problem during recovery then the EvetH should be taking care of the 'complications' of their procedure, not treating you like some kind of stranger who is walking in off the street with a complication from someone else's procedure. > $240 is very > pricey, and they charge you a fortune for every little thing They can do that to you a 'person' -- if you were vet insurance, you the insurance policy could say, "I'm very sorry, we only allow this many $ for that visit, antibiotic, anti-inflammtory". I don't understand how come if a 3rd party payor gets to say, 'we only allow...' that a 1st party payor can't also say, 'I only allow...' in which the $ figure could be even higher than what some other 3rd party 'can only allow'. > this week was > especially bad. I think you are entitled to EvetH 'normal' postoperative care inclusions if the EvetH is 'responsible' for the original procedure. I think I would be having a conversation with the EvetH billing department about how postop 'complication'/routinecare expenses are supposed to be handled. -- Mike Easter kibitzer, not SC admin From MikeE at ster.invalid Sun Dec 21 14:26:30 2008 From: MikeE at ster.invalid (Mike Easter) Date: Sun Dec 21 14:30:02 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Help the economy or not? References: Message-ID: Charles wrote: > Then it took 45 minutes to do the back > yard... As in, to make a big pile in the middle. Later on you can get a pig to play in the mudhole with. -- Mike Easter kibitzer, not SC admin From pssawyer at comcast.BAD.EXAMPLE.net Sun Dec 21 15:51:07 2008 From: pssawyer at comcast.BAD.EXAMPLE.net (Paul) Date: Sun Dec 21 15:55:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Help the economy or not? References: Message-ID: Charles wrote in news:Xns9B7B856FF112ATheShrubIsAnAss@216.154.195.61: > And I'd rather not: > - have to find the right person > - have unpredictable bills > > Of course, I'd rather not have a pain in my neck right now, too. NSL! > > So I bought the snowblower (it snowed again). It must have taken 15 > minutes to do what I had to do. Then it took 45 minutes to do the > back yard... As in, to make a big pile in the middle. There is a > distinct advantage to using machines when making snow forts, you know? You did good, IMHO. I had the additional luck that my son came over and did the snow blowing yesterday, while I was away. I expect tomorrow I will be the one cleaning up, and today's storm is much wetter, and probably will be deeper. I imagine that Mike does not need a snow blower nor a plow guy -- YET! -- Paul From MikeE at ster.invalid Sun Dec 21 16:13:59 2008 From: MikeE at ster.invalid (Mike Easter) Date: Sun Dec 21 16:15:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Help the economy or not? References: Message-ID: Charles wrote: > "Mike Easter" >> Charles wrote: >> >>> Then it took 45 minutes to do the back >>> yard... As in, to make a big pile in the middle. >> >> Later on you can get a pig to play in the mudhole with. > > For now it's just a snow fort/slide. Want pix? Sure. Do you wanna mail 'em? Try mike.easter@gmail.com I have a feeling this is going to be just a big pile of snow, not a fort at all. And for those of you who are/ may be/ taunting me. Yes I do most certainly remember what snow is. I did spend some time/years in NoCal and while there I fell in it a lot on the slopes. I also broke my leg a couple of times in consecutive years -- once rocketing thru' a bunny slope on the way to the lodge for some apres ski hot wine or glog and once struggling down a black diamond chute that I probably shouldn't have even been on. I don't know why I couldn't have cracked it on some kind of appropriate advanced intermediate run. That was back in the good ol' bad days of cable (ski) bindings, if anyone has ever been in those. -- Mike Easter kibitzer, not SC admin From MikeE at ster.invalid Sun Dec 21 17:33:23 2008 From: MikeE at ster.invalid (Mike Easter) Date: Sun Dec 21 17:35:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Help the economy or not? References: Message-ID: Charles wrote: > "Mike Easter" >> I have a feeling this is going to be just a big pile of snow, not a >> fort at all. > > Oh ye of little faith. Got th' pix. Tnx. Actually, if the kids 'feel' it is a fort, then it is definitely a fort -- maybe a crystal palace with a moat full of ice serpents if that's their mode. To send gfx attach: In linux TBird, (in compose mode) File menu/ Attach item/ File(s)/ filemanager - select graphic/s I'm sure it must be similar in wintbird. Also, IMO, spamcop.spam can be used for such as 'chucking' in some li'l binaries suchas those pix attached to a news message. -- Mike Easter kibitzer, not SC admin From MikeE at ster.invalid Sun Dec 21 17:45:23 2008 From: MikeE at ster.invalid (Mike Easter) Date: Sun Dec 21 17:50:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Help the economy or not? References: Message-ID: Mike Easter wrote: > Charles wrote: >> Oh ye of little faith. > > if the kids 'feel' it is a fort, then it > is definitely a fort I forgot to mention. I'm worried about (the risk of) a bigtall snowfort collapsing (its cavity) on a little kid inside. -- Mike Easter kibitzer, not SC admin From nobody at spamcop.net Mon Dec 22 14:22:37 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Indigo) Date: Mon Dec 22 14:25:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] FSCK! FSCK!! TRIPLE FSCK!!! Message-ID: Woke up Saturday around 10:00 morning, did my usual thing, went downstairs around 11:00 am to work on my current project. As soon as I opened the door to the basement I smelled that dreaded skanky wet carpet smell......and heard rushing water. I go down the stairs and there's 2" of water filling my basement. FSCK!!!!!!! I frantically ran over to the sump and discovered that the float was stuck (again, more on that later). So I freed it up and let the pump go to work, while trying to find where the water leak was coming from. Turned out BOTH copper-to-CPVC conversion fittings above the water heater were leaking like sieves, but the loud rushing sound of water coming from the water heater sounded like the heater itself had split somewhere cuz it sure sounded like the cold water line was running full blast trying to fill up the water heater, i.e. the filling sounded more rapid than what I saw spraying from the two water line leaks. Ironically, I've been having problems with the water temp regulator recently, and in chit-chatting with my therapists last week I'd mentioned that I sure hoped that the water heater itself wasn't broken, since I couldn't afford to replace it, being out of work and all. So I close the main water valve and go to work lifting all the various boxes I have stored down there off the floor onto whatever surface I can find -- I keep the boxes for most largish things I buy in case I have to take them back, and it helps when moving to have the original foam packing in the boxes for all electronics. Then I use my big shop vac to suck up the water along that wall where the boxes are stored to it will dry out. I had built a couple of wooden platforms to keep a some of the stacks of boxes off the floor in case of a(nother) flood (this is about the 5th or 6th time my basement has flooded), but more than half the stacks didn't have platforms. Luckily, I had saved all the pieces from the chairs and tables from my old cedar deck furniture to use for various things, and I had enough chair backs/chair seats left that were perfect for the job. So the dry boxes go onto the new platforms, while the bottom, soaking wet boxes, get hung up to dry out. Lost one of them, my CD player box, it was crushed at totally soaked. Then I alternate between trying to patch the leak in the water lines, vacuuming up standing water puddles left over after the sump pump suck most of the water out, vacuuming the water from various throw rugs and carpet pieces I have that cover about 2/3 of the luckily unfinished basement, then draping them over various things to let them finish drying out. By 3:00 am Sunday morning I'm totally wiped out, and give up for the night -- worked for 16 straight hours, no food except for doubling up on my powdered meal supplements and Synergy natural energy capsules. I'd also taken triple my normal doses of tramadol and valium to try to control my back pain, and triple my adderall dosage to keep me going......and after all that work I still hadn't even gotten to start cleaning up the "entertainment" area, where I have my stereo, LP player, second PC, and a huge sectional couch. I did that yesterday. I made my final patch attempt last night -- what started out as a 1/4" bead of that "Magic putty" epoxy ended up being a 3" long patch. That commercial where that shouting salesguy shows and says this stuff will even stop active leaks? Bull. At least not water leaks at 125 psi. I dunno why it didn't work, maybe I kept turning the water back on before the epoxy putty was completely cured, but I kept ending up with seeping pinhole leaks. My final patch attempt last night was to slather aquarium silicone adhesive/sealant over everything, figuring it could seal the tiny little seeping pinhole leaks. Went down to turn on the water this morning, the leaks were actually WORSE than yesteday's penultimate patch attempt! So I give up. I'm going to cut that whole section of tubing out and replace it. Not having running water for 2 days is too much. I did manage to squeeze in a shower yesterday, just wiped up the water that had leaked out when I was done. I've done one CPVC to copper joint job before when I installed a laundry sink in my basement, and recall having some problems back then, it's kinda tricky. My dad says they sell new kinds of adapters now that hopefully will make the job simpler and leak-tight. I'm totally exhausted, every part of my body hurts (especially my hands from grabbing so many heavy objects, wet carpet weighs a ton), but I gotta get this fixed. Oh, turns out the water heater wasn't split after all. I don't know why the fittings all the sudden started leaking, could have been a couple things. I frequently have water pressure spikes (don't know why) that make various plumbing valves and fittings leak out of the blue, like that kitchen dishwasher flood I had two weeks ago, caused by the water valve suddenly springing a leak. So it was either that, or the water temp regulator failed, the tank overpressurized, and the overpressure valve failed to open. Both parts are going to get replaced just in case. To top it off, my emergency 12 volt marine battery bilge pump burned out from running constantly for who knows how long (it wasn't designed to keep up with a flood of that magnitude in any case). At least I took the time to completely clean the sump pump and the sump walls, mud and silt had built up over the summer to a height of about 6". At an Xmas party last night, I was talking about the disaster with one of my friends and he said he had the exact same problem this summer. A sink hole developed next to his foundation in the front of the house, and when he checked his sump it was _completely_ filled with mud! I've been fighting my "leaning shed" problem for years due to the decomposition of the tree stumps and crap the builders dumped around the foundation before backfilling with dirt, as that stuff turns to dust the ground sinks. So somehow that allowed dirt to bypass or penetrate the gravel surrounding the slotted corrigated 6" plastic hose that circles the foundation and feeds the water into the sump in both of our cases. Off to Lowes to get the parts I need, then a much needed massage at 5:00. Wish me luck.... From anonymouse at dev.null Mon Dec 22 14:23:02 2008 From: anonymouse at dev.null (Anonymouse) Date: Mon Dec 22 14:25:04 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Lance Atkinson Message-ID: On Monday, 22nd December 2008 Lance Atkinson was fined $100,000 NZD after the Department of Internal Affairs laid charges under the Unsolicited Electronic Messages Act. It is understood Atkinson settled out of court. In summing up the judge conceded that the offending started before the act came into force and Atkinson had co-operated with the authorities. Lance now has the dubious honour of being the first person to be fined under the new act. Shane Atkinson and Roland Smits have elected to defend the changes currently before the courts.[7] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shane_Atkinson http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10549355 Anony Mouse From nobody at spamcop.net Mon Dec 22 14:26:19 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Indigo) Date: Mon Dec 22 14:30:04 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: FSCK! FSCK!! TRIPLE FSCK!!! In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: "Indigo" wrote in message news:giopdu$aol$1@news.spamcop.net... Forgot to mention -- I'd just finished "decontaminating" the basement of a black mold problem -- now I have to worry about it coming back! From nobody at spamcop.net Mon Dec 22 15:32:06 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Bar0) Date: Mon Dec 22 15:35:02 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Lance Atkinson References: Message-ID: "Anonymouse" wrote in message news:giopg5$af6$1@news.spamcop.net... > ... spoke of .. dare I say... a spammer... which is off topic here. From anonymouse at dev.null Mon Dec 22 16:35:01 2008 From: anonymouse at dev.null (Anonymouse) Date: Mon Dec 22 16:40:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Lance Atkinson In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Bar0 wrote: > > "Anonymouse" wrote in message > news:giopg5$af6$1@news.spamcop.net... > >> ... spoke of .. dare I say... a spammer... > > > which is off topic here. Sorry... Where is it on topic or are people just ignoring spam now days... Certainly I see no one doing what I used to do in this country (NZ). http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=3519278 I spent many years tracking these people down and it has taken another 5 years before authorities acted. These facts need to be publicized. This is the first time in a very long time that I have posted and instead of offering friendly advice where I should have posted an idiot thinks it makes a difference by telling me I am off topic. Anony Mouse From nobody at spamcop.net Mon Dec 22 16:57:55 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (BlueWave) Date: Mon Dec 22 17:00:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: FSCK! FSCK!! TRIPLE FSCK!!! In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Indigo wrote: > Woke up Saturday around 10:00 morning, did my usual thing, went > downstairs around 11:00 am to work on my current project. As soon as I > opened the door to the basement I smelled that dreaded skanky wet carpet > smell......and heard rushing water. I go down the stairs and there's 2" > of water filling my basement. FSCK!!!!!!! [snip] Wow, you're certainly having a string of bad luck lately. It would be really tempting to find some amusement in your current state of affairs, but I won't do that. Good luck getting everything straighted out, and hope you're able to get your life back to some semblance of normalcy sooner rather than later. From me at privacy.net Mon Dec 22 17:33:54 2008 From: me at privacy.net (Frog Prince) Date: Mon Dec 22 17:35:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] I'm hurtin. Message-ID: Started to pass a kidney stone on Saturday. No big deal as I've done them before. This on was different. Ended up in ER where the ran a cat scan this one is 11mm X 16mm and is only coming out via surgery. Regular pain meds DID NOT WORK. They kept me in the hospital from 2 AM Sunday until about 1PM Monday when they informed me the special machine has to be shipped from New Mexico and won't be here until Monday or Tuesday of next week. Wife got on the phone and found one ACROSS the street from the hospital so I get the procedure done at 7:30 AM tomorrow. (cost me an extra $100 for quick service vs. a week in the hospital.) I'm on some sked III drugs so I'm about to go out for for a bit. From MikeE at ster.invalid Mon Dec 22 18:03:26 2008 From: MikeE at ster.invalid (Mike Easter) Date: Mon Dec 22 18:05:04 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: I'm hurtin. References: Message-ID: Frog Prince wrote: > Started to pass a kidney stone on Saturday. No big deal as I've done > them before. > > This on was different. Ended up in ER where the ran a cat scan this > one is 11mm X 16mm and is only coming out via surgery. Regular pain > meds DID NOT WORK. They should use however much it takes -- IV narcotics, preferably patient controlled. As long as the patient is conscious and breathing with a BP they can keep increasing the drip. > They kept me in the hospital from 2 AM Sunday until about 1PM Monday > when they informed me the special machine has to be shipped from New > Mexico and won't be here until Monday or Tuesday of next week. I would have presumed ESWL (lithotripter), but I can't imagine shipping one of those from state to state as if it were portable. > Wife got on the phone and found one ACROSS the street from the hospital > so I get the procedure done at 7:30 AM tomorrow. (cost me an extra > $100 for quick service vs. a week in the hospital.) Goodjob goodwoman. > I'm on some sked III drugs so I'm about to go out for for a bit. Goodjob gooddrugs. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithotripsy Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy -- Mike Easter kibitzer, not SC admin From nobody at spamcop.net Mon Dec 22 20:00:15 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Heidi) Date: Mon Dec 22 20:05:04 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Back among the living.....just. References: Message-ID: "Mike Easter" wrote in message news:gikatu$qdi$1@news.spamcop.net... > > They can do that to you a 'person' -- if you were vet insurance, you the > insurance policy could say, "I'm very sorry, we only allow this many $ for > that visit, antibiotic, anti-inflammtory". I don't understand how come if > a 3rd party payor gets to say, 'we only allow...' that a 1st party payor > can't also say, 'I only allow...' in which the $ figure could be even > higher than what some other 3rd party 'can only allow'. Regardless of what they insurance company allows, the patient gets stuck with the balance - and you know they inflate their prices by about 400 percent. Costs a lot of money to run a 24/7 hospital, you know. > > I think you are entitled to EvetH 'normal' postoperative care inclusions > if the EvetH is 'responsible' for the original procedure. > > I think I would be having a conversation with the EvetH billing department > about how postop 'complication'/routinecare expenses are supposed to be > handled. > I can ask them, but since most of what they charged me for, half of it, at least, was for drugs, I don't expect any movement. The dog owner's paid the first bill today, in cash, and will pay the second one and the remaining checks with my own vet when they can. Sucks for everyone, for sure. From avoozl at spamcop.net Mon Dec 22 21:47:46 2008 From: avoozl at spamcop.net (Chris F. Willoughby) Date: Mon Dec 22 21:50:04 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: FSCK! FSCK!! TRIPLE FSCK!!! References: Message-ID: "Indigo" wrote in message news:giopkv$b2q$1@news.spamcop.net... > > "Indigo" wrote in message > news:giopdu$aol$1@news.spamcop.net... > > Forgot to mention -- I'd just finished "decontaminating" the basement of a > black mold problem -- now I have to worry about it coming back! When are you going to get some outside help with your water issues? No use stressing out over it like you have been.. :) From avoozl at spamcop.net Mon Dec 22 21:50:18 2008 From: avoozl at spamcop.net (Chris F. Willoughby) Date: Mon Dec 22 21:55:02 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: I'm hurtin. References: Message-ID: Ouch.. that really sucks. I hope it doesn't happen again. :( Chris "Frog Prince" wrote in message news:gip4kk$b7p$1@news.spamcop.net... > Started to pass a kidney stone on Saturday. No big deal as I've done them > before. > > This on was different. Ended up in ER where the ran a cat scan this one > is > 11mm X 16mm and is only coming out via surgery. Regular pain meds DID NOT > WORK. > > They kept me in the hospital from 2 AM Sunday until about 1PM Monday when > they informed me the special machine has to be shipped from New Mexico > and > won't be here until Monday or Tuesday of next week. > > Wife got on the phone and found one ACROSS the street from the hospital so > I > get the procedure done at 7:30 AM tomorrow. (cost me an extra $100 for > quick service vs. a week in the hospital.) > > > I'm on some sked III drugs so I'm about to go out for for a bit. > > > From nobody at spamcop.net Mon Dec 22 22:22:09 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Indigo) Date: Mon Dec 22 22:25:04 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: A thought for Heidi In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: "Heidi" wrote in message news:gijfs1$a0u$1@news.spamcop.net... > I would have never dreamed I'd need anything like that, I've never been > attacked like that nor did I anticipate it. The dog trainer told me to > get some pepper spray, but I don't intend on going back there. It's been shown many times that pepper spray will not deter dogs in the "red zone". If I'd had a > baseball bat they'd be dead right now, for sure, but it's not something I > carry around. > I've carried some kind of defensive "tool" in my car since high school, when a very large man attacked me in the parking lot of the Friendly's I worked at for some "alleged" traffic offense -- simple road rage. Since then, I had a hunk of 1" diameter electrical cable in my car for years (great because it hurt like hell but wouldn't break bones since it was semi-flexible), but I lost it when I traded in one of my cars. From nobody at spamcop.net Mon Dec 22 22:23:27 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (bar0) Date: Mon Dec 22 22:25:05 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Lance Atkinson References: Message-ID: "Anonymouse" wrote in message news:gip17l$46o$1@news.spamcop.net... > Bar0 wrote: >> >> "Anonymouse" wrote in message >> news:giopg5$af6$1@news.spamcop.net... >> >>> ... spoke of .. dare I say... a spammer... >> >> >> which is off topic here. > > Sorry... Where is it on topic or are people just ignoring spam now days... > > Certainly I see no one doing what I used to do in this country (NZ). > > http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=3519278 > > I spent many years tracking these people down and it has taken another 5 > years before authorities acted. These facts need to be publicized. > > This is the first time in a very long time that I have posted and instead > of offering friendly advice where I should have posted an idiot > thinks it makes a difference by telling me I am off topic. > > Anony Mouse This would be on topic in the Spamcop NG, or NANAE where I saw your post also. From nobody at spamcop.net Mon Dec 22 22:24:32 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Indigo) Date: Mon Dec 22 22:25:05 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Help the economy or not? In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: "Charles" wrote in message news:Xns9B7AAE46CE155TheShrubIsAnAss@216.154.195.61... > Besides, annual snowfal here is only like 6'. Pretty lame. > > Where are you that you need one? Well, right. Where are you that you > want > one? 6 Feet is average? Hell yeah, I'd be buying a snowblower! From nobody at spamcop.net Mon Dec 22 23:37:30 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Indigo) Date: Mon Dec 22 23:40:02 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: FSCK! FSCK!! TRIPLE FSCK!!! In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: "Chris F. Willoughby" wrote in message news:gipjg7$t1r$1@news.spamcop.net... > > "Indigo" wrote in message > news:giopkv$b2q$1@news.spamcop.net... >> >> "Indigo" wrote in message >> news:giopdu$aol$1@news.spamcop.net... >> >> Forgot to mention -- I'd just finished "decontaminating" the basement of >> a black mold problem -- now I have to worry about it coming back! > When are you going to get some outside help with your water issues? No > use stressing out over it like you have been.. :) I honestly have no idea who to call.....most of my sudden "leaks" occur out of the blue, like I've had a big surge in water pressure, similar to a voltage spike in your electrical system. That surge bursts weak joints. Who do I call to find out about that? How can I prove it? In any case, I found some cool fittings today at Home Depot to join the 3/4" CPVC water line to the 3/4" copper lines from the water heater. No soldering, just had to add some CPVC extensions to make up for the 6" of mucked up tubing the I had created with my multiple leak patch attempts. These "Tiger Grip" (?) fittings have spring loaded "teeth" that grab the tubing, and a use a rubber O-ring to seal against the tube wall. I found a guy at Home Depot who knew what he was doing (he has a plumbing business on the side), and he hooked me up with these special fittings. Easiest plumbing joints I've ever made in my life. I'm just waiting until the morning to allow the CPVC joint glue to solidify before opening the water valves.....and pray that those new-fangled fittings work....having no running water for 3 days REALLY sucks, you know? P.S. Not as bad as losing electricity for a week and having my doggie mauled by pit bulls.....but I still haven't managed to get all the carpeting dried out yet...it stinks to high heaven downstairs. Wondering whether there's some kind of sterilizing chemical I should spray on the carpets and concrete floor to prevent mold from forming again, but since I'm currently on a chemical de-tox drug regimen that may not be a good idea...... From gsb.pwbe at frbyoube.com Tue Dec 23 11:34:16 2008 From: gsb.pwbe at frbyoube.com (Make Money) Date: Tue Dec 23 11:35:06 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Spiderweb System Online Money Making For You Message-ID: You Can Make Money Online Spiderweb Marketing: www.thespidersystem.ws GDI: www.haveahappyday.info Free Videos. Free To Join..... This System Will Get You Paid Online From nzvhzdxv at mxuhxdvu.com Tue Dec 23 11:34:36 2008 From: nzvhzdxv at mxuhxdvu.com (Make Money) Date: Tue Dec 23 11:35:07 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Spiderweb System Online Money Making For You Message-ID: You Can Make Money Online Spiderweb Marketing: www.thespidersystem.ws GDI: www.haveahappyday.info Free Videos. Free To Join..... This System Will Get You Paid Online From nobody at spamcop.net Tue Dec 23 12:30:46 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Bar0) Date: Tue Dec 23 12:35:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: FSCK! FSCK!! TRIPLE FSCK!!! References: Message-ID: "Indigo" wrote in message news:gippub$cot$1@news.spamcop.net... > > "Chris F. Willoughby" wrote in message > news:gipjg7$t1r$1@news.spamcop.net... >> >> "Indigo" wrote in message >> news:giopkv$b2q$1@news.spamcop.net... >>> >>> "Indigo" wrote in message >>> news:giopdu$aol$1@news.spamcop.net... >>> >>> Forgot to mention -- I'd just finished "decontaminating" the basement of >>> a black mold problem -- now I have to worry about it coming back! > >> When are you going to get some outside help with your water issues? >> No use stressing out over it like you have been.. :) I've never, ever trusted plastic pipes, but leaving that aside, are you sure your plumbing problems aren't partly related to (differential) settlement of the foundation , or basement slab? your water heater rests on the slab, your pipes are generally directly or indirectly (via walls or trusses) affixed to the foundation. all such joints from one structural regime to the next should have flexible couplings, particularly where you transition from plastic to metal. The greater strength of the metal portions will transfer all the stress to the plastic right near the joint. Normally we see flexible couplings to all heavy fixtures, namely toilets, water heaters and water appliances such as washers, dishwashers etc. for that reason, even in all-metal (Cu or Fe) plumbing systems.It's not only because it makes installation easier. From nobody at spamcop.net Tue Dec 23 20:24:16 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Indigo) Date: Tue Dec 23 20:25:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: FSCK! FSCK!! TRIPLE FSCK!!! In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: "Bar0" wrote in message news:gir77v$ui4$1@news.spamcop.net... > > I've never, ever trusted plastic pipes, but leaving that aside, are you > sure your plumbing problems aren't partly related to (differential) > settlement of the foundation , or basement slab? > > your water heater rests on the slab, your pipes are generally directly or > indirectly (via walls or trusses) affixed to the foundation. Yes, I've had significant ground settling issues around the foundation on the perimeter of the house outside, but except for a very small crack near the basement bathroom rough-in (unused, except for the drain pipe -- I run a hose from my dehumidifier into the drain so I don't have to keep dumping the tank), there a no cracks anywhere else. One of my neighbors *did* have a significant problem with the basement floor and had to get it repaired, but that was because the main sewage line runs between his house and my neighbor's house and it sprang a leak, undercutting his foundation. > > all such joints from one structural regime to the next should have > flexible couplings, particularly where you transition from plastic to > metal. The greater strength of the metal portions will transfer all the > stress to the plastic right near the joint. It was actually the metal screw-type conversion fitting that leaked, not the CPVC portion. It's like whatever kind of plumber's putty they put in the joint aged to the point where it crumbled and gave way during the water pressure surge. I don't think that it's a coincidence that some fitting popped after I fixed the valve leak to the dishwasher -- on the next pressure surge, the next "weakest link" was at risk. And there's plenty of "give" in the plastic pipe, while I was working on the repair I could yank it down several inches without much effort. There *is* a water pressure valve controller on the water main, I've had it set at max pressure since I've owned the house. I cranked it down a couple turns, hopefully that will help (I hate weak shower streams ;-) Anyway, the good news is that the fix is holding so far, but the basement got so humid that the covers to my LPs actually got damp. It's going to take probably another week or so of running the dehumidifier at full blast to dry out all the paper stuff down there......the basement floor is still damp in many places. At least it's dry enough today that my casement windows weren't covered with condensation. I'm going to replace the water temp thermostat and pressure relief valve just to be safe, in case they were the "real" problem. I'm looking into replacing the sump pump too, but now that the sump is spic'n'span, and a new pump would run me $150-$200, and with my luck it wouldn't match the current fittings/pipe locations I have now, plus I need to replace the backup pump....too much for me to handle right now. From nobody at spamcop.net Tue Dec 23 23:27:32 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (bar0) Date: Tue Dec 23 23:30:04 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: FSCK! FSCK!! TRIPLE FSCK!!! References: Message-ID: "Indigo" wrote in message news:gis2vv$qkg$1@news.spamcop.net... > > There *is* a water pressure valve controller on the water main, I've had > it set at max pressure since I've owned the house. I cranked it down a > couple turns, hopefully that will help (I hate weak shower streams ;-) > Oooh, Never do that, at max setting, there is NO regulation, and you're at the mercy of whatever the water system delivers. Pressure regulators need freedom to regulate. They work best near the middle of their adjustment range. I don't understand the bit about putty in the fittings, the putty, while it can make a bad join seem ok, properly fitted connections should be watertight without putty, it's really more of a lubricant allowing the connection to be tightened properly, like the teflon tape on threaded fittings. From me at privacy.net Wed Dec 24 02:29:58 2008 From: me at privacy.net (Frog Prince) Date: Wed Dec 24 02:35:04 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: I'm hurtin. References: Message-ID: "Mike Easter" wrote in message news:gip6br$gm7$1@news.spamcop.net... : Frog Prince wrote: : > Started to pass a kidney stone on Saturday. No big deal as I've done : > them before. : > : > This on was different. Ended up in ER where the ran a cat scan this : > one is 11mm X 16mm and is only coming out via surgery. Regular pain : > meds DID NOT WORK. : : They should use however much it takes -- IV narcotics, preferably patient : controlled. As long as the patient is conscious and breathing with a BP : they can keep increasing the drip. : : > They kept me in the hospital from 2 AM Sunday until about 1PM Monday : > when they informed me the special machine has to be shipped from New : > Mexico and won't be here until Monday or Tuesday of next week. : : I would have presumed ESWL (lithotripter), but I can't imagine shipping : one of those from state to state as if it were portable. : : : : > Wife got on the phone and found one ACROSS the street from the hospital : > so I get the procedure done at 7:30 AM tomorrow. (cost me an extra : > $100 for quick service vs. a week in the hospital.) : : Goodjob goodwoman. : : > I'm on some sked III drugs so I'm about to go out for a bit. : : Goodjob gooddrugs. : : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithotripsy Extracorporeal shock wave : lithotripsy : Thanks good info. Portable unit is apparently the norm. Most local hospitals contact with local providers that rent the units. somewhat like a time share. Hospital pays a yearly fee then some much for each on site use. (I'm guessing a lot of their profit come from rental of the OR and side things. Surgery pack is a big bucks deal at most hospitals but chump change at the supply store. I did some digging and the bean counter at the first hospital saved big bucks on the yearly fee and the per day rent on the machine by getting it from NM. According to their CFO ( a friend on one of my kids) it's working out because they don't do much lithotripsy work anyway (I wonder way). The deal my wife cut was for $100 more then our fee would have been at the first hospital. Not counting spending a lot of extra time in that hospital and assuming they had one for the next day our out of pocket would have been $5 more than we ended up paying for the second. (add on's can be a bear). In any case I'm done with the procedure and resting well. (Think I'll publish a novel "Mississippi River by Huey P. Long" Except this river ran red for a bit.) Only potential difficulty is the stone was so large 11mm X 16 mm that they may not have been able get it all. Under FDA rules I'm limited in how many 'pops' per session, how often I can have sessions so may have to go back in 3-4 weeks for a second 'crack' at the stone. Only complaint I had was with the hospital food but since I was for the most part NPO even that was not much of an issue. Second benefit was both hospitals were less than 5 min from our new apartment so Ren was able to pop in and out as she was needed but was able to sleep and eat at the house without concern for travel time. From borgholio at storymind.com Wed Dec 24 03:20:26 2008 From: borgholio at storymind.com (Borgholio) Date: Wed Dec 24 03:25:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Norad prepares to track Santa yet again Message-ID: http://www.noradsanta.org/en/home.html From nobody at spamcop.net Wed Dec 24 11:06:14 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Indigo) Date: Wed Dec 24 11:15:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: FSCK! FSCK!! TRIPLE FSCK!!! In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: "bar0" wrote in message news:gisdnp$rjs$1@news.spamcop.net... > > Oooh, Never do that, at max setting, there is NO regulation, and you're at > the mercy of whatever the water system delivers. Pressure regulators need > freedom to regulate. They work best near the middle of their adjustment > range. > I guess I figured that it would regulate at whatever the "max" pressure setting was, not thinking that it could potentially disable it's function entirely. > I don't understand the bit about putty in the fittings, the putty, while > it can make a bad join seem ok, properly fitted connections should be > watertight without putty, it's really more of a lubricant allowing the > connection to be tightened properly, like the teflon tape on threaded > fittings. > You always use plumber's putty or teflon tape in pipe joint fittings. Theoretically, since it's a tapered joint, it should self seal, but in practice without one of those two fillers tiny little imperfections in the machined parts allow water to leak out. From MikeE at ster.invalid Wed Dec 24 12:00:25 2008 From: MikeE at ster.invalid (Mike Easter) Date: Wed Dec 24 12:05:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: I'm hurtin. References: Message-ID: Frog Prince wrote: > "Mike Easter" >> Frog Prince wrote: >>> Started to pass a kidney stone on Saturday. No big deal as I've done >>> them before. >>> >>> This on was different. Ended up in ER where the ran a cat scan this >>> one is 11mm X 16mm and is only coming out via surgery. That size stone's pain originates from obstructing way up in the kidney system -- it can't hope to pass; call it a cm x cm-and-a-half. This big . The ureter that passes little stones is a very small passage (a few mm) in a relatively thick but elastic tube. >> Extracorporeal shock wave >> lithotripsy > I did some digging and the bean counter at the first hospital saved big > bucks on the yearly fee and the per day rent on the machine by getting > it from NM. According to their CFO ( a friend on one of my kids) it's > working out because they don't do much lithotripsy work anyway (I > wonder way). Part of the problem with the cost of medical care is the capitalization expenses of more and more modern equipment and facilities and the tendency for the hospitals to have to keep spending more and more money for the newest and biggest so they can try to maintain their 'rep'. But if you have 3 bigtime hospitals in an area, it doesn't 'do' to have 3 bigtime versions of multimillion dollar equipment, because the 'area' only needs about 2/3x of a machine, not 3x of them. And, most of the time the stuff is so big that it is impossible to move it around easily -- and (such) things work so much better if you have one of the 'things' right there in the hospital so that you can 'claim it' to prove that you are the best. Since the companies which build the big machines make so much money, they keep developing their technology faster and faster to make some more money -- it also makes last year's tech/machine obsolete. The other part of the problem is that if the 'big deal' is procedural instead of diagnostic, like heart replacement or other uncommon surgeries, such that the 3 different places are just doing enough procedures to justify 1.5 place's 'activity' -- in which case the _quality_ of the procedure suffers at the least busy place -- because you have to do enough hairy procedures to have the best skills and protocols, ie the best place is often the place that is doing the most, but none of them want to stop doing the procedure or send their patients needing such procedure to another place. > Only potential difficulty is the stone was so large 11mm X 16 mm that > they may not have been able get it all. Under FDA rules I'm limited in > how many 'pops' per session, how often I can have sessions so may have > to go back in 3-4 weeks for a second 'crack' at the stone. I don't know about those pop rules, but getting rid of a stone which has caused obstructive problems seems like a good idea. -- Mike Easter kibitzer, not SC admin From nobody at spamcop.net Wed Dec 24 12:53:24 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (bar0) Date: Wed Dec 24 12:55:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: FSCK! FSCK!! TRIPLE FSCK!!! References: Message-ID: "Indigo" wrote in message news:gitmv3$oa2$1@news.spamcop.net... > > > You always use plumber's putty or teflon tape in pipe joint fittings. > Theoretically, since it's a tapered joint, it should self seal, but in > practice without one of those two fillers tiny little imperfections in the > machined parts allow water to leak out. True, but again should the putty or teflon tape magically disappear, there should still be no leak (in principle) and at best the leak should be more like a very slow drip or seep, much less than a cup a day, much less something able to flood a basement. You also can;t get a good water tight fit without either the putty or teflon because the metal threads will bind before you can tighten properly. PS I've done tons of High Vacuum plumbing in addition to water plumbing. From MikeE at ster.invalid Wed Dec 24 13:28:42 2008 From: MikeE at ster.invalid (Mike Easter) Date: Wed Dec 24 13:30:04 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Norad prepares to track Santa yet again References: Message-ID: Borgholio wrote: > http://www.noradsanta.org/en/home.html I'm surprised that the norad site doesn't have a little bit more to say at the site in the faq section about how the tradition started. Here's a par from IW informationweek "NORAD has been tracking Santa ever since 1955, when a Colorado newspaper ad misprinted a phone number that was supposed to connect kids with the jolly Christmas elf. Instead, the number was the NORAD (the agency at the time was known as the Continental Air Defense Command) commander-in-chief's hotline. -- Not wanting to disappoint children who called in, then operations director Col. Harry Shoup instructed his staff to "track" Santa's progress on radar and provide children with updates over the phone." -- Mike Easter kibitzer, not SC admin From borgholio at storymind.com Wed Dec 24 14:39:34 2008 From: borgholio at storymind.com (Borgholio) Date: Wed Dec 24 14:40:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Norad prepares to track Santa yet again In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Mike Easter wrote: > Borgholio wrote: >> http://www.noradsanta.org/en/home.html > > I'm surprised that the norad site doesn't have a little bit more to say at > the site in the faq section about how the tradition started. > Actually they have lots of info including an interview with Colonel Shoup himself. :) http://www.noradsanta.org/en/whytrack.html From MikeE at ster.invalid Wed Dec 24 15:34:32 2008 From: MikeE at ster.invalid (Mike Easter) Date: Wed Dec 24 15:35:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Norad prepares to track Santa yet again References: Message-ID: Borgholio wrote: > Mike Easter wrote: >> I'm surprised that the norad site doesn't have a little bit more to >> say at the site in the faq section about how the tradition started. >> > > > Actually they have lots of info including an interview with Colonel > Shoup himself. :) > > http://www.noradsanta.org/en/whytrack.html Ah so. Goodjob. I didn't search the site diligently enough. I like that they have a graphic of the original Sears ad and the Colonel Shoup mp3 is an excellent touch. -- Mike Easter kibitzer, not SC admin From MikeE at ster.invalid Wed Dec 24 15:45:40 2008 From: MikeE at ster.invalid (Mike Easter) Date: Wed Dec 24 15:50:03 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Norad prepares to track Santa yet again References: Message-ID: Mike Easter wrote: > a graphic of the original Sears ad I found a better/ bigger/ more pixels/ graphic of the ad http://snipurl.com/9337o Quaint Colorado Springs telno from the old 1955 days ME2-6681 I can remember when the telnos in small towns where I grew up changed from nos like 14 and 612 and 103 to seven 'digits' based on a two letter prefix, which was usually 'sounded' like TU5 was Turner5 for me. You had to call the operator to get some other town. Oh, yeah. And party lines. -- Mike Easter kibitzer, not SC admin From nobody at spamcop.net Thu Dec 25 00:48:46 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Indigo) Date: Thu Dec 25 00:50:08 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: FSCK! FSCK!! TRIPLE FSCK!!! In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: "bar0" wrote in message news:gitsup$c3l$1@news.spamcop.net... > > PS I've done tons of High Vacuum plumbing in addition to water plumbing. > I've done plenty of Hi Vac system design and building myself, down to the point of making all the welds myself. Built several hi-vac chambers ranging from 6-8 ft long, both were 3 ft diameter, plus a couple of high temp vacuum bakeout chambers. I'd say I have a bit more knowledge than your avg. person on the street about these kinds of fittings and connections..... From nobody at spamcop.net Thu Dec 25 01:01:57 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Indigo) Date: Thu Dec 25 01:05:08 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: I love shopping In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: "Charles" wrote in message news:Xns9B7E98BBE6B8ATheShrubIsAnAss@216.154.195.61... > It's a problem. Oh, is it a problem. Anyway, hey, I ordered a new > processor for my desktop. And some more RAM. I guess... I guess I'll > need to install VMWare ESX in order to actually be able to use the RAM (I > got 8 GB). And that will bring me up to 8 cores on this machine. But, > hey, man, the proc was WAY cheap ($221!). And ESX is free for the right > version. So I could run Xp and Vista at the same time and not notice any > difference from now. Cool. 8 core CPUs? What OS's support such a setup? I have a dual core Vista machine, tinkered with directing certain processes to one CPU or another, but never really had much luck in improving overall system performance. On a different note, my new cell phone records video in MP4 format, which is totally unsupported by MickeySh*t as far as updated codecs. You have to install 3rd party freeware like VLC or the K-Lite Codec Pack, which uses WMP Classic V6.4 (!?!) to play the videos. Why in god's name would Nokia (or anyone else) save video files in a format that most of the modern Winbloze population can't play out of the box? Now, to distibute videos to friends, I have to convert them to MPEG-2 (or Quicktime, which a lot of folks don't have installed). Stupid, stupid, stupid. And please explain to me how an ancient version of WMP can play a "modern" video format, while the latest version (WMP11) can't? From me at privacy.net Thu Dec 25 10:49:57 2008 From: me at privacy.net (Frog Prince) Date: Thu Dec 25 10:55:08 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: FSCK! FSCK!! TRIPLE FSCK!!! References: Message-ID: "Indigo" wrote in message news:gippub$cot$1@news.spamcop.net... : : "Chris F. Willoughby" wrote in message : news:gipjg7$t1r$1@news.spamcop.net... : > : > "Indigo" wrote in message : > news:giopkv$b2q$1@news.spamcop.net... : >> : >> "Indigo" wrote in message : >> news:giopdu$aol$1@news.spamcop.net... : >> : >> Forgot to mention -- I'd just finished "decontaminating" the basement of : >> a black mold problem -- now I have to worry about it coming back! : : > When are you going to get some outside help with your water issues? No : > use stressing out over it like you have been.. :) : : I honestly have no idea who to call.....most of my sudden "leaks" occur out : of the blue, like I've had a big surge in water pressure, similar to a : voltage spike in your electrical system. That surge bursts weak joints. Who : do I call to find out about that? How can I prove it? Actually there are surge/over pressures preventors available. I'll have to check on a source but we had them in the water system in NC (something to do with back flow problems with the water systems in the western NC foot hills). I found out about that when we lost 95% of our pressure and I was thinking we'd have to dig up the line to the main (buried in rock) Mounts between the water meter and the house distribution typically after the hand cut off (not the one at the meter). From me at privacy.net Thu Dec 25 11:00:14 2008 From: me at privacy.net (Frog Prince) Date: Thu Dec 25 11:10:08 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Help the economy or not? References: Message-ID: "BlueWave" wrote in message news:gijm71$qf3$2@news.spamcop.net... : Charles wrote: : : > Sigh. I've shoveled my driveway twice this week. Took around an hour each : > time. I keep thinking that I should just buy a snowblower and help the : > economy out, you know? Still, that's a lot of money to spend. : > : > Oh, and on it being a lot of money... Interestingly enough, in-store : > prices are WAY cheaper than online prices. Really weird. Heck, you know, : > I would have bought one today if the sales dude hadn't been so fricking : > pushy. : : WTF are you doing posting nonsense that absolutely nobody cares about? : Is there a point AT ALL? *I* care. Long time back when I was dealing with some very serious pain issues this group was all that was available to me by way of distraction (meds did NOT work). .social says it all. From nobody at spamcop.net Thu Dec 25 15:52:00 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Indigo) Date: Thu Dec 25 15:55:08 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: FSCK! FSCK!! TRIPLE FSCK!!! In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: "Frog Prince" wrote in message news:gj0a7r$kjn$1@news.spamcop.net... > > Actually there are surge/over pressures preventors available. Actually, if you read the last few posts in this thread between me and BarO you'll find that I *do* have a water pressure regulator installed, always have, but I may have unintentially disabled it's function by cranking the setting as high as it would go (I had weak water pressure when I first bought the house). The question is does cranking the setpoint all the way up completely disable any regulation or does it regulate at a peak pressure value? I guess it depends on what kind of regulator it is and how it functions internally, which may vary by manufacturer. From nobody at spamcop.net Thu Dec 25 16:14:23 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Heidi) Date: Thu Dec 25 16:15:07 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Merry Christmas all... Message-ID: You know you're old when the only thing you've been looking forward to about Christmas is the long awaited nap after it's all over and that great feeling of "I have nothing to do". Well, I do, I still haven't mailed my Christmas packages, but at least there's no pressure....... Hope y'all had a great day! From nobody at spamcop.net Thu Dec 25 16:33:53 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Indigo) Date: Thu Dec 25 16:35:07 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: FSCK! FSCK!! TRIPLE FSCK!!! In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: "Indigo" wrote in message news:gj0rpg$e3h$1@news.spamcop.net... > > "Frog Prince" wrote in message > news:gj0a7r$kjn$1@news.spamcop.net... >> >> Actually there are surge/over pressures preventors available. > > Actually, if you read the last few posts in this thread between me and > BarO you'll find that I *do* have a water pressure regulator installed, > always have, but I may have unintentially disabled it's function by > cranking the setting as high as it would go (I had weak water pressure > when I first bought the house). P.S. I am _such_ an idiot.....after what, 5 days of off and on cleanup and work in the basement I've lost count of how many cuts and scrapes I have on my hands and wrists. My fingertips are worn down to the nub, so painful it hurts to type. And to think, I had purchased a pair of cotton workgloves with rubberized palms/fingers for better gripping to preserve my hands while I was doing the cleanup, and I forgot I had them so I didn't use them! Stupid.... P.P.S. I found a "proper" mold killer/disinfectant online last night after I got home from celebrating Xmas with my family (we had an early dinner so my aging father could nap before going to Midnight Mass to sing in the choir). Turns out that something I had seen previously about bleach not being effective is true, the explanation and the product are here for anyone else that has or had a mold/flooding issue (Heidi?): http://www.cleanertoday.com/Mold-Cleaner-p/moldstat32.htm Since all the carpets are currently off the floor and dry, I plan on spraying the entire basement floor with this stuff, then spraying both sides of the carpets before I put them back down. P.P.P.S. I believe I discovered why my sump pump failed to come on during the flood -- the float had stuck several times lately, which I had luckily caught in time to prevent any floods during all the heavy rains we've had this fall (man, it's not even January yet and I'm already sick and tired of cold grey damp days!). My sump had filled with about 6" of mud/silt over the summer, and while dumping the many soapy loads of water from my wet/dry vac into the sump for disposal I took the time to scrub the pump, float mechanism, and sump walls with a scrub brush (a very dirty and nasty job). Yesterday morning I was taking photos of the state of destruction/disaster in my basement to show my family using my new cell phone (my Xmas present to myself ;-) , and I zoomed in close on the float mechanism for a few pics. I noticed that the float rod slides inside a plastic tube within the float. I believe that this tube got filled with some debris, which caused the float rod to stick. It's clean now, but I sprayed some WD40 on the entire float mechanism (there's actually two pivoting rods and joints involved) and then sprayed some silicone lubricant down inside the plastic tube, hopefully coating both the inside of the tube and the float rod. With luck and constant maintainance to keep the sump clean of silt I may not have to replace the pump after all, which would be a big blessing to my bank account....and I'd STRONGLY advise anyone with a sump pump system to take the time to inspect it as soon as possible, so maybe my disaster can help prevent one from occurring to someone else.... From nobody at spamcop.net Thu Dec 25 18:09:55 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Indigo) Date: Thu Dec 25 18:10:08 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Merry Christmas all... In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: "Heidi" wrote in message news:gj0t3g$gvo$1@news.spamcop.net... > You know you're old when the only thing you've been looking forward to > about Christmas is the long awaited nap after it's all over and that great > feeling of "I have nothing to do". Well, I do, I still haven't mailed my > Christmas packages, but at least there's no pressure....... Hope y'all > had a great day! > Heh. The last week has been so hectic I slept until 3:00 today.....guess my body said "ok, time to relax and recharge". Didn't help that my sleep problems returned in the 3 days prior to yesterday, I didn't sleep a wink Tuesday night. I *should* be downstairs building that ventilation system to prepare for the next step in cleaning up my basement -- I'm going to be spraying a lot of anti-mold stuff down there before I put everything back where it belongs -- but I've just been sitting at the computer for the most part since I got up. Don't have the energy or motivation to do anything physical, but so what? It's Christmas! Funniest thing happened last night while we were opening presents at my Dad's house. I usually buy $25 gift cards for all the nieces and nephews, but that was out of my price range this year. There's a dollar store nearby that sells these cool little clip-on LED reading lights and similar LED keychain lights. I must have a dozen of the LED lights stuck in various closets and cabinets so I can see what's inside them better. So I bought the reading lights for the "kids", and the keychain lights for my brothers and sisters. I got one of each for my Dad and his wife (plus a very nice bottle of Melbac). My Dad and his wife ended up fighting (figuratively speaking) over who was going to get which light, they both wanted the reading light! Damn, that was funny to see to 70+ year olds arguing over a $1 present ;-) Sometimes the simplest things and all that..... The dollar store also sold pre-made wrapping boxes, 2 boxes for a buck, and the wrapping paper had adhesive strips inside and step by step directions printed on the inside of the paper for how and where to make the folds in the pre-cut paper wrapping (great idea, BTW). When my sister unwrapped her present, I noticed that she kept flipping the wrapping paper over and leaning close to look at it. Everyone got a good laugh when they figured out that some people are so dumb they needed directions on how to wrap a present ;-) Hope everyone else has a good day with family and friends too. From nobody at spamcop.net Fri Dec 26 07:49:26 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Heidi) Date: Fri Dec 26 07:50:08 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Help the economy or not? References: Message-ID: "Frog Prince" wrote in message news:gj0b3l$o2i$1@news.spamcop.net... > > *I* care. Long time back when I was dealing with some very serious pain > issues this group was all that was available to me by way of distraction > (meds did NOT work). > > .social says it all. So I'm confused - is the machine used to break up the stones considered "surgery", or is that the alternative they gave you because they couldn't find a machine (that was across the street...)? Did you have the treatment yet? From me at privacy.net Fri Dec 26 20:46:51 2008 From: me at privacy.net (Frog Prince) Date: Fri Dec 26 20:50:09 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Help the economy or not? References: Message-ID: "Heidi" wrote in message news:gj2jso$e44$1@news.spamcop.net... : : "Frog Prince" wrote in message : news:gj0b3l$o2i$1@news.spamcop.net... : > : > *I* care. Long time back when I was dealing with some very serious pain : > issues this group was all that was available to me by way of distraction : > (meds did NOT work). : > : > .social says it all. : : So I'm confused - is the machine used to break up the stones considered : "surgery", or is that the alternative they gave you because they couldn't : find a machine (that was across the street...)? Did you have the treatment : yet? : Ultra sound as a hammer. Aimed wrong and you puree the kidney. No alternative just a different machine (made by the same company no less) just the one across the street was IN TOWN and available the other one ($100 cheaper) was sometime next week, if that give the airline problems. Had the procedure and have to wait a week (strain everything) until I collect enough bit to make a pile that doc thinks is the entire stone. If that does not work I'll have to have the procedure done again this time with a stint. (Talk about p*ssing up a metal rope!) : From nobody at spamcop.net Fri Dec 26 21:01:41 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (bar0) Date: Fri Dec 26 21:05:08 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Help the economy or not? References: Message-ID: "Frog Prince" wrote in message news:gj41e7$om4$1@news.spamcop.net... > > > "Heidi" wrote in message > news:gj2jso$e44$1@news.spamcop.net... > : > : "Frog Prince" wrote in message > : news:gj0b3l$o2i$1@news.spamcop.net... > : > > : > *I* care. Long time back when I was dealing with some very serious > pain > : > issues this group was all that was available to me by way of > distraction > : > (meds did NOT work). > : > > : > .social says it all. > : > : So I'm confused - is the machine used to break up the stones considered > : "surgery", or is that the alternative they gave you because they > couldn't > : find a machine (that was across the street...)? Did you have the > treatment > : yet? > : > Ultra sound as a hammer. Aimed wrong and you puree the kidney. > > No alternative just a different machine (made by the same company no less) > just the one across the street was IN TOWN and available the other one > ($100 > cheaper) was sometime next week, if that give the airline problems. > > Had the procedure and have to wait a week (strain everything) until I > collect enough bit to make a pile that doc thinks is the entire stone. > > If that does not work I'll have to have the procedure done again this time > with a stint. (Talk about p*ssing up a metal rope!) > > : > > Well it worked for my dad, stone was roughly elliptical 2cmX1.5cm From ganhedinheironainternet at dinheiro.com Tue Dec 30 14:44:18 2008 From: ganhedinheironainternet at dinheiro.com (Ganhe dinheiro na internet) Date: Tue Dec 30 14:45:10 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] ganhe dinheiro na net , dinheiro rapido, dinheiro navegando, ganha dinheiro na internet, megainvestimento.com Message-ID: Essa semana, eu conheci um site muito interessante. Nele ha varios e-books de diversos temas interessantes, alem disso, eh um site de investimento, onde o valor pago retorna para nos com lucro de 300%. Voce efetua um pagamento unico de R$ 30,00, tem o direito a baixar mais de 30 apostilas onlines de diversos temas: - Memorizacao; - Leitura dinamica; - Fotografia digital; - Tecnicas em vendas; - Curso basico de VOIP; - Curso de Autocad 3D; - Muitos outros Alem das apostilas, voce participara de um Fantastico Negocio de Geracao de Renda. Sem grupos... Sem mensalidades... Uma unica coluna... Por se tratar de uma fila œnica, todo usu‡rio que ingressa no site tem um lugar na fila, a cada 10 cotas adquiridas em nosso sistema, todos os indicados descem para o numero anterior ao seu. EX: Se voce ingressar no projeto e seu numero for 51, assim que entrarem os proximos 10 voce subira para a posicao 50. Assim que voce chegar na posicao 1 da fila voce recebera R$ 130,00. Alem desse lucrode mais de 300%, voce podera ganhar R$ 10,00 por amigo que voce indicar e entrar no sistema. Pense nos lucros que podera obter alem dos grandes conhecimentos adquiridos com nossas apostilas virtuais. Voce pode adquirir agora mesmo a sua posicao. Lembre-se: eh por ordem de chegada ! Se voce deixar para amanha, podera ter dezenas de pessoas antes decvoce. Se aderir hoje, podera ter dezenas de pessoas apos voce amanha. Cadastre-se agora mesmo!!! http://my.opera.com/megainvestimento/blog/como-ganahr-dinheiro-na-internet-gastando-apenas-30-00-ganhei-130-em-1-semana http://my.opera.com/megainvestimento/ Comentario: Nao sou parte da equipe dos idealizadores do projeto, sou apenas um usuario que aprovou o sistema e viu nele um excelente oportunidade de conseguir uma renda de forma garantida, e passou pelo filtro que faco antes de me afiliar em qualquer negocio na rede. aJlO7(a]Wr-/^`*e'pi+ From borgholio at storymind.com Tue Dec 30 18:03:07 2008 From: borgholio at storymind.com (Borgholio) Date: Tue Dec 30 18:05:09 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] I love investing Message-ID: My stocks just earned 10 bucks today. *does the Snoopy dance* From nobody at spamcop.net Tue Dec 30 21:08:24 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Indigo) Date: Tue Dec 30 21:10:08 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: I love investing In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: "Borgholio" wrote in message news:gje9b8$8jd$1@news.spamcop.net... > My stocks just earned 10 bucks today. *does the Snoopy dance* Thought you bought a mutual fund? Anyways, yes, a good day all around for once! At least for my 401k rollover IRA.....my "new house" and ROTH IRA accounts are in such bad shape I rarely even look at them anymore. I made some really boneheaded decisions in my ROTH while I was still on a steep learning curve about trading and the markets.....I went with WAY too risky spec plays, while I should have been more conservative (although the one good conservative divvy payer I owned has lost more than half it's value since I sold it, so I was right to sell, I just bought the wrong stock with the money). Only way I recover any significant $$ in that account is if one of the 2 biotechs I own in there comes thru with an approved new drug or two -- both are real close but not there yet, and the FDA has been behaving very erratically, even irrationally in some cases, since the Vioxx problem. Two other "investments" are going to be total write-offs, it would appear....but you can't write off losses in a ROTH like you can in a taxable account, so I'm doubly screwed. Lesson well learned, at least, at a steep price though. I'm quite happy with my rollover IRA performance so far. Amazingly, the one fund I forced myself to buy because I needed a bond-type fund to diversify my portfolio was a short term US treasury bond fund (symbol TLT), and it has just blown me away with it's performance. It's up almost 30% since I bought it a just two months ago, and it pays a nice quarterly dividend to boot! From borgholio at storymind.com Tue Dec 30 21:12:53 2008 From: borgholio at storymind.com (Borgholio) Date: Tue Dec 30 21:15:08 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: I love investing In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Indigo wrote: > > "Borgholio" wrote in message > news:gje9b8$8jd$1@news.spamcop.net... >> My stocks just earned 10 bucks today. *does the Snoopy dance* > > Thought you bought a mutual fund? I did, and most of the fund's portfolio it is in stocks so when the market goes up my fund goes up. On top of that I get quarterly dividends so this is a very good day. :) From nobody at spamcop.net Tue Dec 30 21:31:50 2008 From: nobody at spamcop.net (Indigo) Date: Tue Dec 30 21:35:09 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Ouch.... Message-ID: Just got a letter from my mortgage company, my monthly payments are going up almost $100/month as the updated tax assessment gets phased in over 3 years. Lots of anger and anguish locally about this issue, house values have dropped quite a bit since the last assessment, but since we receive a "homeowners credit" that caps our maximum tax increase at something lile 3-5%/year (instead of getting hit with the increase all at once), there's years of built-up taxes that have to be worked off. So while our tax assessment catches up with what we should have been paying were it not for the caps, home values are still dropping. Kinda sucks, don't it? I did find a snippet of good news today, at least. I discovered that my health coverage (COBRA) doesn't run out until June, I thought it ran out in March like my current disability coverage. So that gives me probably an extra month or two to get healed and find a job before my savings run out. That 6 week hormone supplement freeze-out ordered by the endocrinologist and the recent basement flood have had some severe health consequences.....but I couldn't move forward, mentally speaking, without knowing if I had a pituitary gland tumor or not. I figure those two events cost me about 2 months in what was proving to be a very effective neurotoxin detoxifying program. At least I've finally gotten the basement dried out so the mold related problems have subsided for the most part. Thank god for that "Thieve's Oil" aromatic anti-fungal/anti-bacterial stuff my PT turned me onto, I ran out of it last week, got a refill on Sunday, and by yesterday my sinuses were back to normal -- that's after only two days of air treatment, folks! Amazing stuff. From borgholio at storymind.com Tue Dec 30 21:57:27 2008 From: borgholio at storymind.com (Borgholio) Date: Tue Dec 30 22:00:09 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Amazon.com Message-ID: So left over from last Christmas I have $75 in gift certificates. This Christmas I got $25 more. I need to spend it eventually but haven't a clue what to actually buy. Do I buy sensible, such as silver or gold coins? Or do I buy for fun such as a green laser pointer (the kind that is visible in the air)? I'm stuck. :( From me at privacy.net Tue Dec 30 23:17:22 2008 From: me at privacy.net (Frog Prince) Date: Tue Dec 30 23:20:08 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Feeling no pain Message-ID: Spoke with the urologist today regarding my rock collection. Seems I'm a bit miss informed. When they did the Lithotripsy procedure and while I was still under they installed a stint. This accounts for the discomfort, the need for pain meds and my presumption of still having the stone. In any case I have another 3 weeks before I'm to see the doc again for another series of x-rays and have the stint removed. Everything seems to be going right and I've an ongoing free high. From joegill at removethis Wed Dec 31 01:36:16 2008 From: joegill at removethis (Joe Gill) Date: Wed Dec 31 01:40:08 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Amazon.com References: Message-ID: "Borgholio" wrote in message news:gjen2k$8jd$4@news.spamcop.net... > So left over from last Christmas I have $75 in gift certificates. This > Christmas I got $25 more. I need to spend it eventually but haven't a > clue what to actually buy. Do I buy sensible, such as silver or gold > coins? Or do I buy for fun such as a green laser pointer (the kind that > is visible in the air)? I'm stuck. :( Wait until you NEED something and then order it there, using the certs. From borgholio at storymind.com Wed Dec 31 01:41:30 2008 From: borgholio at storymind.com (Borgholio) Date: Wed Dec 31 01:45:08 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Amazon.com In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Joe Gill wrote: > > "Borgholio" wrote in message > news:gjen2k$8jd$4@news.spamcop.net... >> So left over from last Christmas I have $75 in gift certificates. >> This Christmas I got $25 more. I need to spend it eventually but >> haven't a clue what to actually buy. Do I buy sensible, such as >> silver or gold coins? Or do I buy for fun such as a green laser >> pointer (the kind that is visible in the air)? I'm stuck. :( > > Wait until you NEED something and then order it there, using the certs. Haven't NEEDED something since before last Christmas. That's why I still have the 75 bucks from '07. :-/ From me at privacy.net Wed Dec 31 05:39:29 2008 From: me at privacy.net (Frog Prince) Date: Wed Dec 31 05:45:09 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Amazon.com References: Message-ID: "Borgholio" wrote in message news:gjf46n$st0$1@news.spamcop.net... : Joe Gill wrote: : > : > "Borgholio" wrote in message : > news:gjen2k$8jd$4@news.spamcop.net... : >> So left over from last Christmas I have $75 in gift certificates. : >> This Christmas I got $25 more. I need to spend it eventually but : >> haven't a clue what to actually buy. Do I buy sensible, such as : >> silver or gold coins? Or do I buy for fun such as a green laser : >> pointer (the kind that is visible in the air)? I'm stuck. :( : > : > Wait until you NEED something and then order it there, using the certs. : : Haven't NEEDED something since before last Christmas. That's why I still : have the 75 bucks from '07. :-/ Be careful some will 'expire' others will become worthless if the company goes belly up. I was taught that giving gift certificates was 'not done' as it was impersonal. My DIL showed me different. She uses gift certificates to teach her kids how to shop, comparison shop and deal. We now give our grand kids a small token gift for the 'rip and roar' of the family gift exchange but gift cards for the serious stuff. I've found great pleasure in watching the grand-brats plan/shop the gift cards many many many times before they finally do cash them in. From joegill at removethis Wed Dec 31 14:10:12 2008 From: joegill at removethis (Joe Gill) Date: Wed Dec 31 14:10:08 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Amazon.com References: Message-ID: "Borgholio" wrote in message news:gjf46n$st0$1@news.spamcop.net... > Joe Gill wrote: >> >> "Borgholio" wrote in message >> news:gjen2k$8jd$4@news.spamcop.net... >>> So left over from last Christmas I have $75 in gift certificates. This >>> Christmas I got $25 more. I need to spend it eventually but haven't a >>> clue what to actually buy. Do I buy sensible, such as silver or gold >>> coins? Or do I buy for fun such as a green laser pointer (the kind that >>> is visible in the air)? I'm stuck. :( >> >> Wait until you NEED something and then order it there, using the certs. > > Haven't NEEDED something since before last Christmas. That's why I still > have the 75 bucks from '07. :-/ Gotta eat?...Right? Use Amazon Grocery.... From borgholio at storymind.com Wed Dec 31 14:40:44 2008 From: borgholio at storymind.com (Borgholio) Date: Wed Dec 31 14:45:08 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Amazon.com In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Joe Gill wrote: > > "Borgholio" wrote in message > news:gjf46n$st0$1@news.spamcop.net... >> Joe Gill wrote: >>> >>> "Borgholio" wrote in message >>> news:gjen2k$8jd$4@news.spamcop.net... >>>> So left over from last Christmas I have $75 in gift certificates. >>>> This Christmas I got $25 more. I need to spend it eventually but >>>> haven't a clue what to actually buy. Do I buy sensible, such as >>>> silver or gold coins? Or do I buy for fun such as a green laser >>>> pointer (the kind that is visible in the air)? I'm stuck. :( >>> >>> Wait until you NEED something and then order it there, using the certs. >> >> Haven't NEEDED something since before last Christmas. That's why I >> still have the 75 bucks from '07. :-/ > > Gotta eat?...Right? > Use Amazon Grocery.... Umm...you've got to be kidding. No wait, you're not...you CAN buy food on Amazon. Hmm, I think I'd rather buy silver coins. :) From joegill at removethis Wed Dec 31 15:17:53 2008 From: joegill at removethis (Joe Gill) Date: Wed Dec 31 15:20:09 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Amazon.com References: Message-ID: "Borgholio" wrote in message news:gjghrs$cug$1@news.spamcop.net... > Joe Gill wrote: >> >> "Borgholio" wrote in message >> news:gjf46n$st0$1@news.spamcop.net... >>> Joe Gill wrote: >>>> >>>> "Borgholio" wrote in message >>>> news:gjen2k$8jd$4@news.spamcop.net... >>>>> So left over from last Christmas I have $75 in gift certificates. >>>>> This Christmas I got $25 more. I need to spend it eventually but >>>>> haven't a clue what to actually buy. Do I buy sensible, such as >>>>> silver or gold coins? Or do I buy for fun such as a green laser >>>>> pointer (the kind that is visible in the air)? I'm stuck. :( >>>> >>>> Wait until you NEED something and then order it there, using the certs. >>> >>> Haven't NEEDED something since before last Christmas. That's why I >>> still have the 75 bucks from '07. :-/ >> >> Gotta eat?...Right? >> Use Amazon Grocery.... > > Umm...you've got to be kidding. No wait, you're not...you CAN buy food on > Amazon. Hmm, I think I'd rather buy silver coins. :) Silver / Gold / Platinum / etc. purchased ONLINE is generally a rip-off.. Purchase those locally. From borgholio at storymind.com Wed Dec 31 15:26:51 2008 From: borgholio at storymind.com (Borgholio) Date: Wed Dec 31 15:30:07 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Amazon.com In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Joe Gill wrote: > > "Borgholio" wrote in message > news:gjghrs$cug$1@news.spamcop.net... >> Joe Gill wrote: >>> >>> "Borgholio" wrote in message >>> news:gjf46n$st0$1@news.spamcop.net... >>>> Joe Gill wrote: >>>>> >>>>> "Borgholio" wrote in message >>>>> news:gjen2k$8jd$4@news.spamcop.net... >>>>>> So left over from last Christmas I have $75 in gift certificates. >>>>>> This Christmas I got $25 more. I need to spend it eventually but >>>>>> haven't a clue what to actually buy. Do I buy sensible, such as >>>>>> silver or gold coins? Or do I buy for fun such as a green laser >>>>>> pointer (the kind that is visible in the air)? I'm stuck. :( >>>>> >>>>> Wait until you NEED something and then order it there, using the >>>>> certs. >>>> >>>> Haven't NEEDED something since before last Christmas. That's why I >>>> still have the 75 bucks from '07. :-/ >>> >>> Gotta eat?...Right? >>> Use Amazon Grocery.... >> >> Umm...you've got to be kidding. No wait, you're not...you CAN buy >> food on Amazon. Hmm, I think I'd rather buy silver coins. :) > > Silver / Gold / Platinum / etc. purchased ONLINE is generally a > rip-off.. Purchase those locally. I wonder if I could convince Amazon to pay interest on my gift cards... From borgholio at storymind.com Wed Dec 31 18:26:45 2008 From: borgholio at storymind.com (Borgholio) Date: Wed Dec 31 18:30:07 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Amazon.com In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Joe Gill wrote: > > "Borgholio" wrote in message > news:gjen2k$8jd$4@news.spamcop.net... >> So left over from last Christmas I have $75 in gift certificates. >> This Christmas I got $25 more. I need to spend it eventually but >> haven't a clue what to actually buy. Do I buy sensible, such as >> silver or gold coins? Or do I buy for fun such as a green laser >> pointer (the kind that is visible in the air)? I'm stuck. :( > > Wait until you NEED something and then order it there, using the certs. Well it seems I can purchase an upgraded video card that is 3x faster than my old one. That'll definitely make a difference, given how gaming is one of my hobbies. From joegill at removethis Wed Dec 31 19:44:13 2008 From: joegill at removethis (Joe Gill) Date: Wed Dec 31 19:45:08 2008 Subject: [Scsocial] Re: Amazon.com References: Message-ID: "Borgholio" wrote in message news:gjgkib$cug$2@news.spamcop.net... > Joe Gill wrote: >> >> "Borgholio" wrote in message >> news:gjghrs$cug$1@news.spamcop.net... >>> Joe Gill wrote: >>>> >>>> "Borgholio" wrote in message >>>> news:gjf46n$st0$1@news.spamcop.net... >>>>> Joe Gill wrote: >>>>>> >>>>>> "Borgholio" wrote in message >>>>>> news:gjen2k$8jd$4@news.spamcop.net... >>>>>>> So left over from last Christmas I have $75 in gift certificates. >>>>>>> This Christmas I got $25 more. I need to spend it eventually but >>>>>>> haven't a clue what to actually buy. Do I buy sensible, such as >>>>>>> silver or gold coins? Or do I buy for fun such as a green laser >>>>>>> pointer (the kind that is visible in the air)? I'm stuck. :( >>>>>> >>>>>> Wait until you NEED something and then order it there, using the >>>>>> certs. >>>>> >>>>> Haven't NEEDED something since before last Christmas. That's why I >>>>> still have the 75 bucks from '07. :-/ >>>> >>>> Gotta eat?...Right? >>>> Use Amazon Grocery.... >>> >>> Umm...you've got to be kidding. No wait, you're not...you CAN buy food >>> on Amazon. Hmm, I think I'd rather buy silver coins. :) >> >> Silver / Gold / Platinum / etc. purchased ONLINE is generally a rip-off.. >> Purchase those locally. > > I wonder if I could convince Amazon to pay interest on my gift cards... Nope... that is why companies have gift cards...they reap the interest