Just thought I'd add that my new (03 and 04) cars aren't flashy at all - just average consumer cars. Long term reliability was the first thing I was looking for since I don't plan on buying another vehicle for at least 15 more years (if we still have gasoline by then).
My brother has a 90 Civic with over 200K, and my father just picked up a 89 Civic Hatchback *from the original owner* with 100K miles for $100. It wasn't running but the body and interior are in excellent condition. After a new head gasket and new pistons/rings it's now running like new.
Failing that, if you must have a nice car and can't afford to buy it outright, then get the loan for your car from your credit union or local community bank. Why the hell should we be doing the auto financing companies any favors?
Because sometimes they offer the lowest rate. Who cares about the loan provider as long as they offer good service and give the best rate. My wife and I have one vehicle financed through Honda Financial and another through a local credit union and I'm pleased with both of them. Honda Finance actually has better customer service and an easier web-based payment system.
I drove a cheap car for a long time. It was an 89 Civic that I bought in '96 for $2000. In 2002 (six years and 130,000 miles after I bought it -a total of 250,000 miles on the car) it broke down on me. It was a relatively easy repair which would have cost me $150 in parts, but prior to that incident there were several little things breaking on the car as well as other major components that needed to be replaced soon so I ended up selling it.
6) Wait for them to either give in and take the terrible deal or, if they do finally cancel on you, charge a 15% restocking fee for the camera you never took off the shelf. Either way, you sit on the money from their credit card for the whole period.
How does this work? If they tell you the camera isn't in stock, then how can they charge you a restocking fee? It sounds like you need a tape recorder if you're going to order from these companies.
I bought a Canon SD300 from Dell. Two days after I placed the order, I finally received a confirmation that sait it will be shipping ONE MONTH from the day I placed the order, then another 7-10 days for it to arrive since it was shipped via ground. After anoter week and 5 attempts to cancel my order with Indian outsourced CSRs, my order was finally cancelled and the hold was removed from my credit card.
Since I really needed a camera, I took my chances with ButterflyPhoto.com which is also a Brooklyn based retailer known for trying to sell you more junk after you place your order. I had no problems whatsoever, even with a different billing and shipping address. I placed my order, got asked one time if I wanted to buy an extra battery or memory card to which I refused, then got a order confirmation number. Three days later I had my camera and I was happy.
There are sites out there like fatwallet.com and slickdeals.net that inform people about low prices. I use it to find legitimate deals on things, however there's a HUGE number of people who will take advantage of anything they can to get things for free.
Dell frequently has *OBVIOUS* price mistakes, and when they do these deal hunters jump all over them. I'm talking about a $2000 laptop mispriced for $299 or a $300 MP3 player for $50. Within a few minutes after a few hundred orders come in, Dell realizes the mistake and pulls the item then cancels all orders. After that, the people on these sites all whine and complain about consumer fraud, bait and switch, and all sorts of things like how they're going to contact their state Attorney General and the BBB. Dell clearly states that they're not responsible for pricing mistakes and reserve the right to cancel orders in those situations.
Fortunately for Dell, they're not a shady company so these incidents usually blow over quickly, but small retailers can get knocked out if something like that ever happened.
The problem is many of these discount online electronics retailers located in New York (they seem to be focused in Brooklyn) are very shady. They employ bait and switch tactics any time they can.
Fortunately there are a few goods ones. I bought a camera from ButterflyPhoto.com (based in Brooklyn) and read several retailer reviews about how they pull bait and switch trying to sell you packaged off-brand memory cards and batteries at inflated prices. When I placed my order, the salesperson asked if I wanted a memory card and battery, I said no, and there was no further discussion.
It's called Face Masque by Seirus and is the only one I ever owned that doesn't make your goggles fog up. I think the perforations in front of the mouth do the trick. Strangely enough, that exact model doesn't show up when you search for "ski facemasks". I use just the face piece (not the one with the attached hood).
I've never had any fogging problems, though I do use a nice set of fog-resistant goggles (double layer lenses with fog vents at the top of the lens).
I can't ski without goggles. With sunglasses, cold air still sneaks around and hits my eyes though not as bad as if I didn't have anything covering them. I've been out skiing in negative temperatures where exposed skin isn't a good thing.
All you need to do are install anti-grind plates on the curbs. I used to skate, but never in a place where I shouldn't have been. If they're not bothering anyone and they're being somewhat safe, let them be. If they're a nuisance blocking the entrance and bothering people, then go on the roof and urinate or toss water balloons or stale loaves of bread at them.
Sand, cat litter, and rock salt are also excellent passive skater deterrents.
Exactly. Here in Europe, if you come to a big city you often automatically get an SMS on your mobile phone with info about the sights, where to find a hotel, and how to listen to your voicemail.
That's annoying. When I was in the Philippines, I got a text message that said something like "You've been given a FREE copy of this super-cool ringtone by Destiny's Child. If you odn't opt-out now, you'll continue to receive them each week at the low price of P100 (~$1)". Why should I have to waste one of my texts to unsubscribe to something I didn't want in the first place?
I have Sprint PCS, and I have NEVER (knock on wood) received SMS spam. My brother has Cingular and gets it on occasion. I received a few Phishing inquiries when I had NEXTEL.
I think I read somewhere that cable/satellite (NON-local broadcast) channels are not bound by the FCC's decency rules, but most abide by them anyway. I don't know about other networks, but Comedy Central frequently takes advantage of that.
I just got a new TV set and I'm intrigued by the V-chip. When I'm switching channels, the show's rating is displayed just under the channel number. When I was young there was no such thing as a V-Chip, yet I remember several shows and movies on TV that I wasn't allowed to watch because Mommy and Daddy knew they weren't appropriate. Mommy and Daddy were my V-chip, and they made sure I didn't see any material that was inappropriate for me. Every kid is different and some kids can handle different material and situations than others. Parents shouldn't rely on pre-determined ratings, rather they should be involved with their kids and assess each kid differently.
Even if there was a V-chip when I was young, my parents wouldn't know how to use it. I would have been the six year old kid who locked out all my parents' TV stations at night so I could watch what I want, and they probably wouldn't know why they were blocked.
I didn't get around to buying fresh roasted beans yet, but I did lay down some cash for a decent coffee press. It's relatively small (12oz) but good enough for me. I like a good cup of coffee in the afternoon at work, and this thing does the job even with crappy pre-ground vacuum sealed coffee.
The first cup I made was excellent - I used about 3 spoons for the 12oz cup and the coffee tasted very nice (and packed a nice buzz). I made another cup using less coffee to see how much of a difference it made, and I didn't like it as much as the first. It was too watery - I guess I like strong coffee. I just can't wait to get fresh beans now!
I don't know why you got the flamebait - I was going to mod you up a bit but I need to ask one thing. If there is so much pr0N on bittorrent, where is it? I installed bittorrent specifically for this purpose, yet I failed to find anything. Occasionally I would find items of interest, but the links were either broken or it just sat idle for hours.
I gave up on BitTorrent because of this. It never worked for me.
How else do you explain $15 bottles of wine that sell for $60 just because you ordered it with dinner?
I was amused when I saw Charles Shaw wine at a restaurant in NYC for $25 a bottle. In case you don't know, Charles Shaw is also known as "Two Buck Chuck" because it's only $1.99 a bottle (except in NJ where it's $2.99).
I read about this somewhere linking alcohol to a person's success. I can't remember specifics, but it has something to do with lowered inhibitions and a greater willingness to take risks.
I wonder how many people there are on the other side of the fence - *unsuccessful* directors and CEOs who took a big risk only to fail miserably.
Thinkgeek has a green laser pointer which I just found yesterday. It sounds interesting, but it makes no mention of melting styrofoam cups from across the room. Is the one that's currently avaiable from thinkgeek a different model?
Are you fucking kidding me? Have you ever been to New Jersey?
New Jersey isn't just the 30 miles that are outside Manhattan and 10 miles inland from the coast (the Jersey Shore!). Let me guess, you think all of New Jersey is a dirty disgusting toxic dump also.
Like I said, just drive West on I-78 or I-80 and you'll see rural New Jersey. There are a lot of farms. Even where there are no farms, there are still large unpopulated areas.
It's not the greatest place on earth (I'd rather live in PA) but it's also not the worst. I can make a list of about 40 states that I would NOT want to live in, and New Jersey isn't one of them.
Sort of off topic, but I only buy good beer. The best 'non-real' beer in my opinion is Yuengling, which comes from what used to be a relatively small Pennsylvania brewery. Now it's available all along the East coast (with a satellite brewery in Florida). It's not a super premium beer, but it's cheaper than the garbage that Budweiser and Miller call beer and is quite drinkable. For a decent party beer that's not expensive and can be consumed in mass quantities, Yuengling Lager can't be beat. My favorite is Yuengling porter, but your typical Budweiser and Miller boys don't like dark beer that actually has some flavor.
One thing for certain is that you'll NEVER find a can/bottle of Budweiser, Miller, Coors, even Labatt or Molson (Canadian Budweiser) for that matter, in my house.
Some of my favorites include:
Throughout Southern California, there's a nice brewpub called BJ's Brewhouse, with several locations that make their own beer on site. One of my favorites is their Nutty Brewnette, and their Tatonka Stout is also extremely heavy and powerful if you're in the mood (sort of like a thick black syrupy beer with 8+% alcohol).
Being able to and being allowed to are two different things. I'm able to install FireFox, however having any software on my machine that's not 'approved' can get me into a little trouble (probably just a slap on the wrist for a first offence). I like my company a lot (they treat me well)- and I understand their restrictions from a SysAdmin's point of view. Even in a big company full of experienced Electrical and Software engineers, there are still a lot of idiots who don't know how to detect something bad for your computer.
Then again, maybe hotel pr0n is way better than the stuff out on the Internets, and I'm missing out on something really spectacular by not buying it when I travel. Somehow I doubt it.
It's not better quality, but it's certainly a big revenue stream. I can tell you for sure that at most hotels during the evening there are always a handful of guests who are paying for adult movies. (I have several friends who work at hotels and I know a little way to easily hack hotel entertainment systems to see what other people are buying).
Slashdot Mirror
It's better than a $300 nano-sized doorstop...
Microsoft: "All your Google Base Are Belong to Us"
What does (sic) mean there? Your usage doesn't seem to fit with any of the defitions that I've looked up.
My brother has a 90 Civic with over 200K, and my father just picked up a 89 Civic Hatchback *from the original owner* with 100K miles for $100. It wasn't running but the body and interior are in excellent condition. After a new head gasket and new pistons/rings it's now running like new.
Because sometimes they offer the lowest rate. Who cares about the loan provider as long as they offer good service and give the best rate. My wife and I have one vehicle financed through Honda Financial and another through a local credit union and I'm pleased with both of them. Honda Finance actually has better customer service and an easier web-based payment system.
I drove a cheap car for a long time. It was an 89 Civic that I bought in '96 for $2000. In 2002 (six years and 130,000 miles after I bought it -a total of 250,000 miles on the car) it broke down on me. It was a relatively easy repair which would have cost me $150 in parts, but prior to that incident there were several little things breaking on the car as well as other major components that needed to be replaced soon so I ended up selling it.
How does this work? If they tell you the camera isn't in stock, then how can they charge you a restocking fee? It sounds like you need a tape recorder if you're going to order from these companies.
I bought a Canon SD300 from Dell. Two days after I placed the order, I finally received a confirmation that sait it will be shipping ONE MONTH from the day I placed the order, then another 7-10 days for it to arrive since it was shipped via ground. After anoter week and 5 attempts to cancel my order with Indian outsourced CSRs, my order was finally cancelled and the hold was removed from my credit card.
Since I really needed a camera, I took my chances with ButterflyPhoto.com which is also a Brooklyn based retailer known for trying to sell you more junk after you place your order. I had no problems whatsoever, even with a different billing and shipping address. I placed my order, got asked one time if I wanted to buy an extra battery or memory card to which I refused, then got a order confirmation number. Three days later I had my camera and I was happy.
Dell frequently has *OBVIOUS* price mistakes, and when they do these deal hunters jump all over them. I'm talking about a $2000 laptop mispriced for $299 or a $300 MP3 player for $50. Within a few minutes after a few hundred orders come in, Dell realizes the mistake and pulls the item then cancels all orders. After that, the people on these sites all whine and complain about consumer fraud, bait and switch, and all sorts of things like how they're going to contact their state Attorney General and the BBB. Dell clearly states that they're not responsible for pricing mistakes and reserve the right to cancel orders in those situations.
Fortunately for Dell, they're not a shady company so these incidents usually blow over quickly, but small retailers can get knocked out if something like that ever happened.
Fortunately there are a few goods ones. I bought a camera from ButterflyPhoto.com (based in Brooklyn) and read several retailer reviews about how they pull bait and switch trying to sell you packaged off-brand memory cards and batteries at inflated prices. When I placed my order, the salesperson asked if I wanted a memory card and battery, I said no, and there was no further discussion.
I'm not German, but I do know how to pronounce 'ie' and 'ei' properly.
I've never had any fogging problems, though I do use a nice set of fog-resistant goggles (double layer lenses with fog vents at the top of the lens).
I can't ski without goggles. With sunglasses, cold air still sneaks around and hits my eyes though not as bad as if I didn't have anything covering them. I've been out skiing in negative temperatures where exposed skin isn't a good thing.
Sand, cat litter, and rock salt are also excellent passive skater deterrents.
Why should you want to know? Don't you mind about the future?
Don't you try to think ahead?
Save tomorrow for tomorrow; think about today instead.
That's annoying. When I was in the Philippines, I got a text message that said something like "You've been given a FREE copy of this super-cool ringtone by Destiny's Child. If you odn't opt-out now, you'll continue to receive them each week at the low price of P100 (~$1)". Why should I have to waste one of my texts to unsubscribe to something I didn't want in the first place?
I have Sprint PCS, and I have NEVER (knock on wood) received SMS spam. My brother has Cingular and gets it on occasion. I received a few Phishing inquiries when I had NEXTEL.
I just got a new TV set and I'm intrigued by the V-chip. When I'm switching channels, the show's rating is displayed just under the channel number. When I was young there was no such thing as a V-Chip, yet I remember several shows and movies on TV that I wasn't allowed to watch because Mommy and Daddy knew they weren't appropriate. Mommy and Daddy were my V-chip, and they made sure I didn't see any material that was inappropriate for me. Every kid is different and some kids can handle different material and situations than others. Parents shouldn't rely on pre-determined ratings, rather they should be involved with their kids and assess each kid differently.
Even if there was a V-chip when I was young, my parents wouldn't know how to use it. I would have been the six year old kid who locked out all my parents' TV stations at night so I could watch what I want, and they probably wouldn't know why they were blocked.
The first cup I made was excellent - I used about 3 spoons for the 12oz cup and the coffee tasted very nice (and packed a nice buzz). I made another cup using less coffee to see how much of a difference it made, and I didn't like it as much as the first. It was too watery - I guess I like strong coffee. I just can't wait to get fresh beans now!
Will Duke Nukem Forever be released on this new medium?
I gave up on BitTorrent because of this. It never worked for me.
I was amused when I saw Charles Shaw wine at a restaurant in NYC for $25 a bottle. In case you don't know, Charles Shaw is also known as "Two Buck Chuck" because it's only $1.99 a bottle (except in NJ where it's $2.99).
I wonder how many people there are on the other side of the fence - *unsuccessful* directors and CEOs who took a big risk only to fail miserably.
Thinkgeek has a green laser pointer which I just found yesterday. It sounds interesting, but it makes no mention of melting styrofoam cups from across the room. Is the one that's currently avaiable from thinkgeek a different model?
New Jersey isn't just the 30 miles that are outside Manhattan and 10 miles inland from the coast (the Jersey Shore!). Let me guess, you think all of New Jersey is a dirty disgusting toxic dump also.
Like I said, just drive West on I-78 or I-80 and you'll see rural New Jersey. There are a lot of farms. Even where there are no farms, there are still large unpopulated areas.
It's not the greatest place on earth (I'd rather live in PA) but it's also not the worst. I can make a list of about 40 states that I would NOT want to live in, and New Jersey isn't one of them.
One thing for certain is that you'll NEVER find a can/bottle of Budweiser, Miller, Coors, even Labatt or Molson (Canadian Budweiser) for that matter, in my house. Some of my favorites include:
Newcastle
Samuel Smith (Oatmeal Stout and Pale Ale)
Anything from the Stone Brewery
Anything from Andersen Valley Brewing Company (especially their Boont Amber Ale and Hop Ottin' IPA)
Brooklyn Brewery which I recently discovered.
Throughout Southern California, there's a nice brewpub called BJ's Brewhouse, with several locations that make their own beer on site. One of my favorites is their Nutty Brewnette, and their Tatonka Stout is also extremely heavy and powerful if you're in the mood (sort of like a thick black syrupy beer with 8+% alcohol).
Being able to and being allowed to are two different things. I'm able to install FireFox, however having any software on my machine that's not 'approved' can get me into a little trouble (probably just a slap on the wrist for a first offence). I like my company a lot (they treat me well)- and I understand their restrictions from a SysAdmin's point of view. Even in a big company full of experienced Electrical and Software engineers, there are still a lot of idiots who don't know how to detect something bad for your computer.
It's not better quality, but it's certainly a big revenue stream. I can tell you for sure that at most hotels during the evening there are always a handful of guests who are paying for adult movies. (I have several friends who work at hotels and I know a little way to easily hack hotel entertainment systems to see what other people are buying).