ZenLunatic

Yeah, I think I'm pretty much stuck. We'll see what happens, I will probably switch to Direct TV after my contract ends. It was much easier and straight foward dealing with them and software much more user friendly.

OK, seeing if anyone have gotten out of the 18 month contract.

I just ordered Dish Network for my parents and signed a 18 month contract last month. They charge a penalty up to $240 or $13/month unused for early cancellation. Thinking DTV is better cause I used to use them and they were better to work with. With Dish Network, you cant just cancel DVR service, its linked with hardware and all kinds of other things make Dish Network worse.

Does anyone know if there is a loop hole to get out of the penalty?

Ya'll be careful with ladders, rooftops and such. Folks always think it won't happen to them........or at least that's what they say when we see them in our clinic each holiday season.

HA! I know. So many times I have been standing on the very top of my ladder tip toeing and reaching and losing my balance only to just regain it. Thoughts of falling and what it will bring. Its a dangerous job, the things I do for some decorations.

I would like to take a boat to England sometime, like they did in the olden days.

You should try the new train boat. It's cool.

Thats what I meant by the domino effect -- and you shouldn't just look at housing related unemployment. The real impact of the subprime problems haven't been fully borne out yet. You have a few more folks defaulting on their mortgages and banks will have to continue to write down massive losses. Financial sector gets hit hard. People lose jobs. Financial sector responds by making access to credit harder or more expensive. Now its tougher for the guy on Main Street to make ends meet. Maybe he defaults on his credit cards because rates go higher. Even if he doesn't he now has to pay higher interest rates. He responds by cutting back on spending. Now the retailers get hit. Profits at Best Buy and Whole Foods go down. Retail sector responds by cutting jobs. Unemployment goes up. People stop buying cars. GM cuts more people. Fed has cut rates out the yin-yang and now we have rising unemployment, profits down at Banks, retailers, manufacturing, and rising inflation.

 

I am not saying we are on the edge of a cliff, but its not hard to dream up a disaster domino effect scenario that would have a much broader impact than the tech bubble bursting. We are headed for a recession and higher unemployment. And stuff.

This is what I think everyone is thinking. The effects are still on its way.

[quote name='JUDE

Gas is expensive, I'll tell you that.

Its been that way for awhile and dont see that changing. It will continue to go up slowly.

don't worry - everything's okay - here, have a cookie - don't listen to this thread - they hate America

 

Here's the "real" scoop

 

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,309320,00.html

 

I like that article. He's right. I dont hate America, I love it, just wondering what's going on.

Thats the feeling Im getting. Similar to the big Tech market bubble bursting. Now the housing market seems to be causing the whole economy trouble. Hoping this one doesnt get as bad.

Thanks, because I already know I'm gonna get flamed for that.

Yeah that one will be picked apart into an unrecognizable debate but the whole idea is right and true.

I totally agree that we have become a nation of pussies.

I'm 43, and when I was a kid, I rode my bike for many hours without ever having a helmet, knee pads or elbow pads. I rode standing up, no hands, the whole bit, and I had a blast. Today, if your kids go without "protective gear," you'll probably be arrested for child abuse. I climbed trees to the top and stayed up there for hours ... also without a helmet.

My parents smoked in the car, and we never wore seat belts. There was no such thing as a "car seat" for children under a certain height. The back seat was our car seat.

If my brother or I got stung by a bee or fell and hurt ourselves, we got some Bactine a Band-Aid. Nobody called 911.

If one of my parents had a problem with me or my brother, they waited to discuss it until the other parent came home. No one ever had to be "in touch" 24-7, and everybody was just fine with that. If one of our teachers had a problem with us, our parents went and talked to them about it, and then we got in trouble for it. Our parents didn't call the teachers at home and bitch at them. People were accountable for their decisons.

As an adult, I've never owned a cellphone, and never needed one. If my car broke down, I walked to the nearest service station. If my wife needs to reach me and I'm not at work or at home, it has to wait until I get there. No big deal. I'm not an EMT, I don't own an ambulance, and I can't helicopter myself to an emergency site, so the spurious argument about dramatic, ER-like emergencies has no weight with me.

The ridiculous, egocentric, melodramatic need for people to be constantly available -- as if they were all brain surgeons on call -- is one of the saddest things I see in our current nation of pussies. It would be hilarious if it weren't so goddamn pathetic.

Nicely said.

Dow Jones industrial average has fallen almost if not 1000 pts in the last week or so. At least seems like it. Anybody more technically financial know how bad it is? This just seems to be a bigger drop than normal. Alot of loss of confidence from the banks. Maybe we are headed into a recession again.

I'm puzzled. What does that mean?

Maybe if the weather is nice out on friday after thanksgiving, it would be a nice time to put up lights since most people have the day off work anyways. Feels a bit early, but would be convienent.

Around here, the lights on the house go up the day after Thanksgiving and the tree gets chopped down 1-2 weekends before the 25th. Everything gets put away/recycled Jan. 1.

 

Even this is a little long, but I really like having Christmas lights up on the porch/house and the fake candles in the window. Such a nice vibe if done right.

Yeah, day after thanksgiving sounds early but isnt that bad if its nice out. You would think you should celebrate autumn and thanksgiving before winter and Christmas. After the new year would be a good time to take things down. I'm glad this doesnt happen in my neighborhood but have seen houses that keep christmas lights up all year long. Ghetto to see christmas lights stuck up on the house during summer.

Im back, now I can solve any issues still remaining. whats up?

Sounds great! Recycle, Reuse, Conserve.

I'll be buying the vinyl when it comes out. Got the mp3s for free.

Your mom didn't get a second chance to undo her mistake, so why should cell phone users?

 

edit: Sorry, wrong thread.

Mama jokes huh,

Good one actually. Well this mistake is loving hitting up your mama. You can list me as daddy on your cell.

How about this:

 

Certain screenings can only be bought with a credit card. If your cell phone goes off during one of those screening, you can never go to the special screenings again, since you will be red flagged in the system.

How about if there are yellow flags for warnings as to give people a chance for a mistake? We can have referees.

because there are cellphones NOW. again, i don't have my cellphone because i'm worried about emergencies, i carry one because it helps me not have to worry as much about them.

That's really saying the same thing just phrasing it differently.

linky

I hope it's just as cheesy as the original, if not more so.

More cheesy will make better. I've already had enough of the normal American Gladiators cheese. If only they could find contestants with Mullets only.

I do not have kids but I do have a cell phone. If I do have kids and I still have my cell phone I would like to think I could live my life like ZenLunatic (who is actually taking a pretty zen approach to life here by living in the moment). But I could not live my life like ZenLunatic. If my (future) kid gets hurt I dont give a flying f*ck about the slapstick comedy I am watching on the big screen. Vibrate me immediately.

Im not saying Tv, movie, or show is more important than your loved ones. But shit happens in life and you cant avoid it. You may be there, you may not. You cant be there all the time. Just taking some time to enjoy yourself isnt wrong. To say that you have to carry a cell every moment that you are away from your kids is going overboard to me. Things will be fine.

I think alot of what is being said is taken the wrong way cause people are going off in all kinds of directions that tangents way off.

So if your 3 year old were left with a sitter so you and your significant other could enjoy a night out and something happened to them that was life threatening, you wouldn't want to know about it until you got home? Are you serious?

 

For the record, I'm one of the most laid back parents in the world. I don't spend my time worrying about what might happen. My 9 year old and 5 year old are off playing in the neighborhood unsupervised as I type this...

It's like you're waiting for something to happen. Depending on what Im doing, when I do something, I am there and enjoy it without distractions assuming things will be just fine. Of course I wanna know as soon as possible, but that is when the event ends. I dont have to be in contact 24/7. Cause I'm not expecting some life threatening thing to happen at any given moment. Some times horrible things happen, thats life, but you cant live always worried about it.

List countries and foods you like from them. Go!England - Fish n ChipsItaly - fettucine alfredoChina - fireworksGermany - beer'Merica - pop tartsFrance - friescanada - donuts

Isnt French fries American? Is it really from France? Never knew donuts were from Cananda, thats cool.

I like:Japan - Sushi and Maki

Korean - BBQ and kimchee

Mexico - Tacos and Nachos

Italy - Pizza

Korea - Bi Bim Bap and Bul Go Gi

Yes and Kal bi.