Re: [ADMIN] Another dang interruption
Jon Gabriel wrote: Out of curiosity, has anyone an opinion on which is a better option: leasing or buying a car? Gosh - so many variables... How long do you expect to keep it Are you self-employed/contractor/salaried How many miles do you travel a year What sort of car you're after (depreciation variables) How much tax you pay and your existing deductibles Do you have the cash lying around not doing much What state you're in (tax variances) etc etc Leasing saves me about USD8,000 per year over buying, but it's not always going to be that way... Cheers Russell C. I highly recommend the 2004 GTO :-) ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Challenge: 80's Lyrics Quiz
At 10:22 PM 11/21/2003 -0500, you wrote: Kind of long, and my score was embarrassingly low...but fun. http://www.yetanotherdot.com/asp/80s.html I don't remember my score ;-( I think it was 70, cause he took 30 off and called me a yuppie. Kevin T. - VRWC ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
D.J.
D. J. passed away in my arms about 6 pm last night. Apparently cats can indeed develop complications at the injection site from the feline leukemia vaccine even two or three years after the shots were stopped because about 1 cat in 10,000 or so will develop cancer at the injection site. --Ronn! :) and Midnight =^.^= , Spot (199296), Andy (198999), and D.J. (1994±1?2003) ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Urrrp!
At 09:17 PM 11/25/03 -0800, Doug Pensinger wrote: Ronn wrote: Mary Turner, a radio DJ in Lansing, Mich., who is auctioning off a bottle for charity, has sampled the drink and warns that it's not for the faint of stomach: If you roasted a turkey and mashed potatoes, put it in a blender, left it out for three days and then poured it into a Jones bottle, you'd know exactly what this drink tastes like! Urrrp? Bletch!! -- Doug ROU How to loose my appetite two days early Urrrp! is exactly what I think I would do if I drank one . . . losing not just my appetite, but returning the drink mostly unused (dunno if it would be improved by the experience) . . . GSV They Didn't Say For Sure Whether Or Not It Is Carbonated (Imagine Having Somebody Shake It Up And Squirt It At You Class) -- Ronn! :) ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: [ADMIN] Another dang interruption
Russell Chapman wrote: I highly recommend the 2004 GTO :-) Go Monaro! Regards, Ray. (Taking Nick's advice and trying a posting to the list) ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
RE: Urrrp!
SEATTLE - A new Turkey and Gravy Soda tastes, well, pretty much like you would imagine. But that's not stopping people from buying it. Bidding on eBay is up to $75 for a case of this sludge! http://tinyurl.com/wmef If the URL doesn't work, go to eBay and search for turkey soda ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
SCOUTED: News for motorcyclists . . .
Now that the new Indian Motorcycle Company has declared itself out of business, the Johnson Outboard Motor company has stepped up to take Indian's place in competing with Harley-Davidson. At a press conference earlier this week, the CEO of Johnson Marine, makers of Johnson outboard marine engines and other recreational equipment, unveiled a new line of heavyweight cruiser style motorcycles designed to compete head to head with industry leader Harley-Davidson. Peter Long, Johnson brands marketing manager said, We have studied the market and determined that Harley, while highly successful, has narrowly missed the mark when targeting motorcycle buyers. Long added, We, at Johnson, are convinced our product hits the target dead center and promises to draw sales away from Harley-Davidson in a way no other motorcycle has been able to accomplish. The new line of bikes, marketed under the name 'Big Johnson Motorcycles', will, according to Long, deliver what Harley has only promised. Our research show that this, a Big Johnson, is what Harley buyers are really after. At the unveiling of the new line Monday, several current Harley owners agreed. When I bought my Harley, what I really wanted was a Big Johnson, one Harley owner said. But I see now that riding a Harley is no replacement for having a Big Johnson. Manager Long also said that his company would follow the lead of Harley-Davidson and cash in on a huge market for non-motorcycle related products. We realize that not every guy can have a Big Johnson, said Long, But image is very important to people. If they don't have a Big Johnson, they at least want to project the image of having one. Asked if he anticipated Big Johnsons showing up in the hands of Harley owners, Long said it was unlikely. I just don't see the need to have a Harley if you have a Big Johnson, he said. And I can't imagine someone who spends all their resources to acquire a Harley having a Big Johnson. I think it boils down to this - You either have a Harley, or you have a Big Johnson you are not likely to have both. Given the choice, said Long, I think most guys will opt for the Big Johnson. Another force driving sales for the company will come from women. A survey of the wives and girlfriends of nearly 1,000 potential motorcycle buyers indicates less than 5% would approve of their partner spending $15,000 on a Harley-Davidson. But, when asked if they would be willing to pay the same amount of money to get their partner a Big Johnson, nearly 4 out 5 thought that would be money well spent. One female present at the product unveiling was quoted as saying, There is no way I will let Steven drop 15 grand on another one of those Harleys. But $15,000 to get him a Big Johnson? Well, that something we could both enjoy and it's something he really needs. Preciseness In Language Maru -- Ronn! :) ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
RE: Urrrp!
On Wed, 26 Nov 2003, Ronn!Blankenship wrote: At 06:55 AM 11/26/03 -0500, Gary Nunn wrote: If the URL doesn't work, go to eBay and search for turkey soda Remember: you are what you eat. (Or drink.) Then I'm fruity this morning. (Blueberry muffins and juice.) Julia ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: [ADMIN] Another dang interruption
From: Nick Arnett [EMAIL PROTECTED] Jon Gabriel wrote: I don't remember the volumn on the list ever being quite this low. Is it related to the server problems or is everyone gone or busy? Well, the last interruption was only 30 minutes long, I later realized. I sure hope that the problem isn't that people *can't* post because of the blackhole servers we added. They have drastically cut the amount spam we're getting here... which also means less work for Julia and me (mostly Julia) rejecting the spam that is submitted to the list. Perhaps we should invite everyone to post at least once in the next few days... And if your message is rejected by our server, write to me at [EMAIL PROTECTED] to say so. Ok. Perhaps it's just the upcoming U.S. holiday. I think that is the case. IIRC, list participation usually drops on and around holidays. Michael Harney [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Crazy
http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns4425 Cash dispensing ATMs belonging to two US financial institutions were shut down when the computer worm Welchia invaded their embedded Windows XP operating systems in August. Diebold, the Ohio-based company that makes the machines, revealed the security breach on Tuesday. ... David Loomstein, of Symantec's computer security response team in Santa Monica, California, agrees: Are they running a popular operating system? Are they sitting on the internet or a network? If yes, then there is always the possibility of access. Devices meeting Loomstein's criteria also include cell phones that connect to the internet and SCADA systems that control utilities. All are increasingly relying on popular software, such as embedded Windows XP, that virus writers target. Using Windo$e to run anything more important than games is crazy. -- William T Goodall Mail : [EMAIL PROTECTED] Web : http://www.wtgab.demon.co.uk Blog : http://radio.weblogs.com/0111221/ Mac OS X is a rock-solid system that's beautifully designed. I much prefer it to Linux. - Bill Joy. ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Buying cars, was Another dang interruption
At 09:55 AM 11/26/03 -0600, Julia Thompson wrote: If you let people know what your situation is as far as what, exactly, you need the car *for*, better advice could be offered. And if the answer is I need it *for* a price I can afford, which seems to be significantly less than what anyone is willing to sell any car in running order . . . ? -- Ronn! :) ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: [ADMIN] Another dang interruption
From: Julia Thompson [EMAIL PROTECTED] On Tue, 25 Nov 2003, Jon Gabriel wrote: Out of curiosity, has anyone an opinion on which is a better option: leasing or buying a car? Buying, taking very good care of it, and replacing it no sooner than 8 years after the original purchase, unless your job requires you use your personal vehicle for entertaining clients or something. I second this advice. If your choice is between buying or leasing a *new* car, your best deal is to buy a good one you'll be happy with (so you're not as tempted to trade it in), and drive it into the ground over the next 10 years. If you're not willing/able to keep the car that long, then in some cases, you can make out better with a lease. Typically, I think the shorter you plan to hold on to the car, the more sense a lease makes. Also, though, things like the car's predicted future resale value factor in to the lease costs, so cars with better resale might have better value leases, though I've heard sometime manufacturers also will essentially subsidize leases by inflating the predicted resale to make the lease more affordable, for less popular cars (or those with bad resale value). There's a potentially lot of complexity with leases, compared to buying, and some leases can contain provisions that can cost you on the back end if you aren't careful. (ex: I've heard of leases with a provision that if your car isn't actually worth its predicted resale value at the end of the lease, they can charge you the difference.) If you go the lease route, definitely take the time to read up on the ins and outs of them first so you don't get screwed. _ online games and music with a high-speed Internet connection! Prices start at less than $1 a day average. https://broadband.msn.com (Prices may vary by service area.) ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Buying cars, was Another dang interruption
On Wed, 26 Nov 2003, Ronn!Blankenship wrote: At 09:55 AM 11/26/03 -0600, Julia Thompson wrote: If you let people know what your situation is as far as what, exactly, you need the car *for*, better advice could be offered. And if the answer is I need it *for* a price I can afford, which seems to be significantly less than what anyone is willing to sell any car in running order . . . ? Then you're not *seriously* contemplating leasing, which was implied in the original question. :) Julia ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Buying cars, was Another dang interruption
At 11:06 AM 11/26/03 -0600, Julia Thompson wrote: On Wed, 26 Nov 2003, Ronn!Blankenship wrote: At 09:55 AM 11/26/03 -0600, Julia Thompson wrote: If you let people know what your situation is as far as what, exactly, you need the car *for*, better advice could be offered. And if the answer is I need it *for* a price I can afford, which seems to be significantly less than what anyone is willing to sell any car in running order . . . ? Then you're not *seriously* contemplating leasing, which was implied in the original question. :) No, just pointing out that some people are *seriously* in need of basic transportation to get around, including to and from their job which doesn't pay enough to afford most cars and is at least miles from any bus route . . . IOW, Just A Tangential Observation And Comment Maru -- Ronn! :) ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
RE: Urrrp!
Ronn! wrote: Remember: you are what you eat. (Or drink.) Anyone on the list eat haggis? Reggie Bautista Happy Thanksgiving Maru _ Is there a gadget-lover on your gift list? MSN Shopping has lined up some good bets! http://shopping.msn.com ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
RE: [ADMIN] Another dang interruption
From: Nick Arnett [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Perhaps it's just the upcoming U.S. holiday. Let's see if this gets through... Happy Thanksgiving to all! Even you foreign types... grin - jmh ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: D.J.
Ronn! wrote: D. J. passed away in my arms about 6 pm last night. I'm so sorry to hear about your loss. We just lost our hamster, Gingerbread Cinnamon Muad'dib (aka Ginger, aka Hamsterface, aka Hamsterperson). She had been losing some hair on her flanks and gaining weight, and we (and our vet) were worried about possible thyroid or adrenal problems, but after a change of both cage and diet, she had grown her hair back and lost her excess weight. We think she may have actually lost the weight too fast, which can lead to fatty liver disease in hamsters. She seemed perfectly happy that evening, running and playing, and then died in her sleep the next morning. But we do have a new pet, a pretty black 1 1/2 year-old cat named Inira (which means to sing in one of the Kenyan dialects). She's the perfect match for our all-white cat Peasblossom (named after one of the fairies in Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream). Now if we could just get the two to get along... Reggie Bautista _ Groove on the latest from the hot new rock groups! Get downloads, videos, and more here. http://special.msn.com/entertainment/wiredformusic.armx ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: snarkyness on the edge of town
Kevin Tarr wrote: When I was studying lasers, our lab had a pumped laser which could excite a variety of materials. We had a dye of some sort which was putting out a blue/green beam. It would put a hole in a thin sheet of metal. But it was more interesting that it produced a humming as it cut the metal, around 2 Khz, and it could be varied by changing the pumps strength or the material it was pumping. Even the proof didn't know what was making it. I know how lasers work only in the most general terms. I've seen the amplitude of lasers modulated the same way as AM radio to transmit an audio signal. Was the laser you were studying being modulated in any way? Any modulation of either frequency or amplitude could cause the metal to vibrate, which would account for the sound you heard. Of course, it's possible a power/amplitude modulation could have been unintended... Reggie Bautista _ From the hottest toys to tips on keeping fit this winter, youll find a range of helpful holiday info here. http://special.msn.com/network/happyholidays.armx ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: [ADMIN] Another dang interruption
Erik Reuter wrote: Leasing saves me about USD8,000 per year over buying, but it's not always going to be that way... Wow! I'd like to hear the details about why that is the case. Are you driving 60K miles a year? Some unusual tax situation? Not that many, but a fair bit (that many kilometres). I'm leasing over USD100,000 worth of automobile, which skews the numbers a bit. Plus Australian child support is based on taxable income (as a classic example, I'm looking after 2 of my children, and my ex-wife has the third, but I pay her about $15,000 per year and she contributes nothing) so any effect leasing has on reducing my tax is amplified in terms of the savings to me. I've also structured the leasing through a trust which allows me to offset some of my other income against the lease cost, leading to further savings. I also tend to change vehicles every 2-3 years, which suits leasing better than buying. Cheers Russell C. ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: D.J.
Ronn wrote: D. J. passed away in my arms about 6 pm last night. Apparently cats can indeed develop complications at the injection site from the feline leukemia vaccine even two or three years after the shots were stopped because about 1 cat in 10,000 or so will develop cancer at the injection site. One case where it really sucks to be 1 in 10k. My condolences Ronn. -- Doug ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: [ADMIN] Another dang interruption
On Thu, Nov 27, 2003 at 09:09:20AM +1000, Russell Chapman wrote: Not that many, but a fair bit (that many kilometres). I'm leasing over USD100,000 worth of automobile, Wow again! What kind of vehicle is it? -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Timeline other movies - no spoilers
I saw Michael Crichton's 'Timeline tonight. I was pleasantly surprised. It has been a few years since I read the book, but the movie seems to be reasonably faithful to the original storyline. There were some annoyances - like them posing some questions that were never answered, but otherwise it wasn't bad. Interestingly enough, out of the 40+ people that were at that showing, more than 2/3 were girls in the 17 to 20ish range. I suppose that is because Paul Walker was in the movie. I do love the previews... There were a couple of promising movies previewed. The first one was Paycheck. It looks promising despite the fact that it stars Ben Affleck. The other movie is The Punisher. I am not a big fan of that comic book, but the preview looks like it has potential. Relevant links. http://www.timelinemovie.com/home.html?c=pg=0 http://www.paycheckmovie.com/ http://www.punisherthemovie.com/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Timeline other movies - no spoilers
I saw Michael Crichton's 'Timeline tonight. I was pleasantly surprised. It has been a few years since I read the book, but the movie seems to be reasonably faithful to the original storyline. There were some annoyances - like them posing some questions that were never answered, but otherwise it wasn't bad. Heh just wait until I see it and pick apart the historical innacuracies/anachronisms... Damon. = Damon Agretto [EMAIL PROTECTED] Qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum. http://www.geocities.com/garrand.geo/index.html Now Building: __ Do you Yahoo!? Free Pop-Up Blocker - Get it now http://companion.yahoo.com/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: D.J.
--- Ronn!Blankenship [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: D. J. passed away in my arms about 6 pm last night. Apparently cats can indeed develop complications at the injection site from the feline leukemia vaccine even two or three years after the shots were stopped because about 1 cat in 10,000 or so will develop cancer at the injection site. --Ronn! :) and Midnight =^.^= , Spot (199296), Andy (198999), and D.J. (1994±1?2003) I'm so sorry for your loss - we think we're doing the best thing for our pets...well, and we are. Debbi :-( __ Do you Yahoo!? Free Pop-Up Blocker - Get it now http://companion.yahoo.com/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: [ADMIN] Another dang interruption
Erik Reuter wrote: On Thu, Nov 27, 2003 at 09:09:20AM +1000, Russell Chapman wrote: I'm leasing over USD100,000 worth of automobile, Wow again! What kind of vehicle is it? Cheating Mr Tax man again... It's actually 2, but run through the trust as one. The older one is here: www.rchapman.net/newmem.htm (this is a very old page - but I'm too lazy to update it) (the photo taken in the garage shows what the 2004 GTO looked like in Australia in 2001) The new one is here: www.ozemail.com.au/~rchapman Apparently large capacity V8 motors and independently sprung rear wheel drive is out of favour in the USA, but we love em here... Cheers Russell C. ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: [ADMIN] Another dang interruption
On Thu, Nov 27, 2003 at 12:33:29PM +1000, Russell Chapman wrote: (the photo taken in the garage shows what the 2004 GTO looked like in Australia in 2001) Oh, 2 cars. But still, I didn't know those cost $50K. -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
RE: Urrrp!
At 02:09 PM 11/26/03 -0600, Reggie Bautista wrote: Ronn! wrote: Remember: you are what you eat. (Or drink.) Anyone on the list eat haggis? Would that make that person a hag? Reggie Bautista Happy Thanksgiving Maru Me Too Maru -- Ronn! :) ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Timeline other movies - no spoilers
Damon wrote: I saw Michael Crichton's 'Timeline tonight. I was pleasantly surprised. It has been a few years since I read the book, but the movie seems to be reasonably faithful to the original storyline. There were some annoyances - like them posing some questions that were never answered, but otherwise it wasn't bad. Heh just wait until I see it and pick apart the historical innacuracies/anachronisms... Damon. I read the book a ways back and thought it was pretty hoaky, but I don't remember exactly why. I've liked most of his other stuff as good lite reading, but not that one. -- Doug ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Timeline other movies - no spoilers
Damon Agretto wrote: I saw Michael Crichton's 'Timeline tonight. I was pleasantly surprised. It has been a few years since I read the book, but the movie seems to be reasonably faithful to the original storyline. There were some annoyances - like them posing some questions that were never answered, but otherwise it wasn't bad. Heh just wait until I see it and pick apart the historical innacuracies/anachronisms... Damon. I'm sure you'll find some, but nothing was too glaring. (They sure did some shoddy construction back then, though!) As book to film adaptations go, I thought it was very good. Some of the rambling subplots of the book got a solid pruning, and the action was speeded up. Chrichton screws up the logic of time travel in the book, so the movie's sparse treatment of the issue was a definite gain. ---David ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Timeline other movies - no spoilers
I read the book a ways back and thought it was pretty hoaky, but I don't remember exactly why. I read the book too and found it pretty unconvincing. Having studied history, and indeed making the Hundred years War a particular specialty, at no point in reading the book was I convinced that I was in the 14th C. A far better book, I thought, was Ken Follet's _Pillars of the Earth_, if you ignore the use of warhorses as practical transportation, the (I thought) anti-climatic ending, and the anti-military bias Follet has (at least that's how I felt). But it was great for creating a picture of 12th C England. Damon. = Damon Agretto [EMAIL PROTECTED] Qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum. http://www.geocities.com/garrand.geo/index.html Now Building: __ Do you Yahoo!? Free Pop-Up Blocker - Get it now http://companion.yahoo.com/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: [ADMIN] Another dang interruption
Erik Reuter wrote: Oh, 2 cars. But still, I didn't know those cost $50K. The Clubsport R8 (the black one) with fitted options was just over AUD80K/USD56K and the 4WD was almost 70K/49K. You can buy a similar car with a detuned version of the Corvette motor for about AUD43K/USD30K, but the R8 is my sin - I'm perfectly prepared to go without a lot of other things for the weekend thrills I get from it. The cost is the big disadvantage in such a small market - no economies of scale. A perfect illustration of our market is the GTO: The UAW was about to put a stop to GM importing vehicles when GM had idle plant capacity in the US, until it found out that the most our little factories could produce was 18,000 cars - at that they laughed and said they didn't care about such a small import. (18,000 being the excess over existing production for Australia, New Zealand and the Middle East). Cheers Russell C. ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Urrrp!
Ronn!Blankenship wrote: Urrrp! is exactly what I think I would do if I drank one . . . losing not just my appetite, but returning the drink mostly unused (dunno if it would be improved by the experience) . . . I wasn't sure that Urrp! wasn't a satisfied burp . 8^) GSV They Didn't Say For Sure Whether Or Not It Is Carbonated (Imagine Having Somebody Shake It Up And Squirt It At You Class) Ferment it. M Turkey beer. -- Doug ROU Goble Goble ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Urrrp!
I wrote: Ferment it. M Turkey beer. -- Doug ROU Goble Goble Turkey with a British accent? -- Doug GCU Damn I can spell (fifth grade level class) ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
