Frugal Living: 25 new messages in 15 topics

misc.consumers.frugal-living
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living?hl=en

misc.consumers.frugal-living@googlegroups.com

Today's topics:

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TOPIC: Aldi's grocery store: All high carb foods?!
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/browse_thread/thread/47616010f4850663?hl=en
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== 1 of 3 ==
Date: Thurs, Oct 11 2007 8:27 am
From: me@privacy.net

We have a local Aldi grocery store that everyone raves
abt low prices

So I went there last night and looked around. It
seemed to me that all of this low priced food was VERY
high in carbs and sugar. many factory made things.

Anyone else have this same feeling abt Aldi's? Maybe
its just me or something.

== 2 of 3 ==
Date: Thurs, Oct 11 2007 10:08 am
From: Zuke

On Thu, 11 Oct 2007, me@privacy.net wrote:

> We have a local Aldi grocery store that everyone raves
> abt low prices
>
> So I went there last night and looked around. It
> seemed to me that all of this low priced food was VERY
> high in carbs and sugar. many factory made things.
>
> Anyone else have this same feeling abt Aldi's? Maybe
> its just me or something.
>

Every Aldi's I have been in have a produce section so I'd
say "NO". If people want to eat the high carb and sugar
stuff who is to say they shouldn't.

I'm of the opinion is that it is not what you eat but how
much of it.

== 3 of 3 ==
Date: Thurs, Oct 11 2007 10:17 am
From: difdrummer@webtv.net (Bob Young)

'me' wrote:
We have a local Aldi grocery store that everyone raves abt low prices

So I went there last night and looked around. It seemed to me that all
of this low priced food was VERY high in carbs and sugar. many factory
made things.

Anyone else have this same feeling abt Aldi's? Maybe
its just me or something.
---------

Aldi is no different from any other store. Not sure what products you
were looking at, but I just get staples. They have some fresh produce.
I usually just get peppers, potatoes and onions. I get their eggs,
bacon, cheese and their packaged ground beef.

They sort of have the reverse store arrangment of other stores.
The very first aisle is loaded with snack food, junk food, stuff none of
us 'really' need. I don't look twice at that.

If you are on some special diet, it might be the wrong store for
you, because there are no choices. You want a can of corn, there is
only their brand. Most of us load up with their canned goods. You can't
beat the prices.

You want healthy food...no matter where you go, you have to
read the labels. All I can tell you is that Aldi cut my grocery budget
in half.

==============================================================================
TOPIC: Cats are far too proud to be anyone's pet...
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/browse_thread/thread/7cf918dda3570f14?hl=en
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== 1 of 2 ==
Date: Thurs, Oct 11 2007 8:30 am
From: FullGUI

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== 2 of 2 ==
Date: Thurs, Oct 11 2007 8:40 am
From: clams casino

FullGUI wrote:

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>
>
>
Do cats like SPAM?

==============================================================================
TOPIC: 7 News Report on Getting Free Stuff Online
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/browse_thread/thread/e93ab3ea6558054c?hl=en
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== 1 of 1 ==
Date: Thurs, Oct 11 2007 8:53 am
From: redeemed

Check out this 7 New Report about getting free stuff online. Thought
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==============================================================================
TOPIC: Fried chicken restaurant GREED!
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/browse_thread/thread/32bd80a70aa0741e?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 2 ==
Date: Thurs, Oct 11 2007 9:02 am
From: "Bill"

I usually eat at home, but was too worn out to cook and stopped at the fried
chicken place on the way home. Been a while since I have been there as their
prices are so high.

Anyway I wanted a 3 piece meal, which the last time I went there, included 3
pieces of chicken, a biscuit, mashed potatoes, and cole slaw.

Well it was no longer on their menu! They changed the menu.

The only "meals" they had started at a 6 piece meal at around $12.

Ok, so I ordered the 6 piece meal and asked for mashed potatoes and cole
slaw.

They told me the 6 piece meal only came with one side!

(The meal was well over $3 more than the chicken only option.)

I said you are charging me over $3 more for just mashed potatoes? You have
got to be kidding!

They said yes. And they said it would be $3.60 more to get the cole slaw!

So now we are talking something like $15 or $16 to get 6 pieces with
biscuit, mashed potatoes, and cole slaw! (I can go elsewhere and get prime
rib for this price range!)

They said they had a 7 piece meal which came with two sides.

I said how about a 5 or 4 piece meal?

No sir! Only 2 sides when ordering more than 6 pieces.

What GREED! Obviously they have designed their new menu to force you to
order more pieces then you want to get the "meal".

Or raised their prices but left out one side so the prices look the same.

Or make you pay for an extra side for which they charge an exorbitant price.

I said "BYE!", then went to the grocery store and got a WHOLE cooked
chicken, mashed potatoes, and cole slaw (deli) for around $8.

I'll stick to eating at home....

== 2 of 2 ==
Date: Thurs, Oct 11 2007 10:06 am
From: difdrummer@webtv.net (Bob Young)

Could be they are just making up for the money they are having to pay
for higher grocery prices like the rest of us.

Bill wrote:

..........The only "meals" they had started at a 6 piece meal at around
$12.
Ok, so I ordered the 6 piece meal and asked for mashed potatoes and cole
slaw.
They told me the 6 piece meal only came with one side!
(The meal was well over $3 more than the chicken only option.)
I said you are charging me over $3 more for just mashed potatoes? You
have got to be kidding!
They said yes. And they said it would be $3.60 more to get the cole
slaw!
So now we are talking something like $15 or $16 to get 6 pieces with
biscuit, mashed potatoes, and cole slaw! (I can go elsewhere and get
prime rib for this price range!)
They said they had a 7 piece meal which came with two sides.
I said how about a 5 or 4 piece meal?
No sir! Only 2 sides when ordering more than 6 pieces.
What GREED! Obviously they have designed their new menu to force you to
order more pieces then you want to get the "meal".
Or raised their prices but left out one side so the prices look the
same.
Or make you pay for an extra side for which they charge an exorbitant
price.
I said "BYE!", then went to the grocery store and got a WHOLE cooked
chicken, mashed potatoes, and cole slaw (deli) for around $8.
I'll stick to eating at home....

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http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/browse_thread/thread/063d3c11f42c12ff?hl=en
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== 1 of 1 ==
Date: Thurs, Oct 11 2007 9:04 am
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TOPIC: Play online Casino,Poker,Bingo with no Deposit required
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/browse_thread/thread/e72c24f2bc19cdc3?hl=en
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== 1 of 1 ==
Date: Thurs, Oct 11 2007 9:10 am
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TOPIC: new clock --flying alarm clock
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/browse_thread/thread/6c11dff67f16f858?hl=en
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== 1 of 3 ==
Date: Thurs, Oct 11 2007 9:29 am
From: gogotoy

We have found the perfect christmas gift for sleepy heads the Flying
Alarm clock. It works on the same lines of the Blowfly Flying Alarm
clock whcih makes sure you wake up as at the time of alarm it takes
off and flies round the room, making a really annoying noise like a
mosquito. The only option to shut it up is to wake up catch the damn
thing and place it back on the base. If you do hit the snooze button
it will take off once again. In case you are sleeping after a night of
partying and dont wake up even with the mosquito buzz then it will fly
until it runs out of juice and may end up falling on you.

more informational, please visite the website:http://www.gogotoy.com

== 2 of 3 ==
Date: Thurs, Oct 11 2007 10:16 am
From: A Veteran

In article <1192120183.223600.140980@19g2000hsx.googlegroups.com>,
gogotoy <sciencetoy@gmail.com> wrote:

> We have found the perfect christmas gift for sleepy heads the Flying
> Alarm clock. It works on the same lines of the Blowfly Flying Alarm
> clock whcih makes sure you wake up as at the time of alarm it takes
> off and flies round the room, making a really annoying noise like a
> mosquito. The only option to shut it up is to wake up catch the damn
> thing and place it back on the base. If you do hit the snooze button
> it will take off once again. In case you are sleeping after a night of
> partying and dont wake up even with the mosquito buzz then it will fly
> until it runs out of juice and may end up falling on you.
>
> more informational, please visite the website:http://www.gogotoy.com

Did you see the "Day of the Week" clock? for people who just need to
know the day. esp. after the "lost" weekend.

--
when you believe the only tool you have is a hammer.
All problems look like nails.

== 3 of 3 ==
Date: Thurs, Oct 11 2007 11:06 am
From: Zuke

On Thu, 11 Oct 2007, gogotoy wrote:

Sounds like a perfect way to get the day off to a good start.

I don't think I'll replace my "Automatic Joint Lighter alarm
clock" just yet though.

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http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/browse_thread/thread/c87aa24bcc7ee9ac?hl=en
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== 1 of 1 ==
Date: Thurs, Oct 11 2007 9:52 am
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==============================================================================
TOPIC: Restaurant coupon issue - how SHOULD I have reacted?
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/browse_thread/thread/a4082e25278c7472?hl=en
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== 1 of 3 ==
Date: Thurs, Oct 11 2007 10:06 am
From: Jeff

OhioGuy wrote:
> Yesterday my wife and I went out to eat and used a coupon, which wasn't
> entirely accepted properly. Here's what happened:
>
> My wife knew we'd be a bit pressed for time after she got home from work,
> so I called up in the early afternoon and made reservations for the food to
> be ready at 5:50.
>
> We have one of those GM Motor Club cards, which also comes with the
> Entertainment Coupons online. I got on there and printed out a coupon for
> Las Piramides Mexican restaurant. It said buy one of the combo meals, get
> one free. Simple enough, right? My wife was demanding enough to just tell
> me she wanted something with meat.
>
> When I called to make the reservation, I explained up front that I needed
> two of the combo meals, and then asked what the combinations were. The guy
> I talked to could speak English, but I wasn't sure from his responses if he
> entirely understood me completely. At the end of the conversation, he did
> repeat my reservation for 2, the time, and the meals, though.
>
> Anyway, when we got to the restaurant, I made sure to show them the coupon
> up front, just like it said to.
>
> The food was good. I had a Chile Relleno, some sort of salad with
> quacamole on a tostada, plus rice and refried beans. My wife had chicken
> quesadillas with a salad, rice and refried beans. The combo meals were all
> supposed to be $8. I left a decent tip for what the full price would
> normally be.

You know that every Mexican restaurant is pretty much the same as
every other. If you order a #4 at El Gringo it will be the same as a #4
at Montezumas Revenge.

Those number meals are always cheap and are what I know as mexican
combo platters. As opposed to their house specials (which are all pretty
much the same also, but not numbered).

I'm sure they do this so that they do not have to retrain employees
after an immigration raid. If you've worked in one Mexican restaurant
you don't have to learn anything new to work in another.

Now, I don't ever remember seeing Chicken Quesadillas as a numbered
meal. I could be wrong but it looks like you caused a scene because you
did not read the menu!

Jeff

>
> When they brought the bill, I noticed that my wife's meal was $12.95,
> while mine was $8.95. Ok, I could see the $8.95 - prices had evidently gone
> up a bit. I went up to pay, expecting to get the lesser of the two for
> free. I explained that I had expected to only pay around $9, because I had
> asked on the phone for two combo meals. She told me sorry - but the second
> meal was not a combo meal - it was essentially a combo meal with the
> addition of the chicken quesadillas.
>
> Because the second meal was not a combo meal, she told me that the coupon
> was not valid. At first she said I'd have to pay the full price of about
> $22. I told them no way was I going to do that when I clearly asked for 2
> combo meals over the phone, and expected to only pay about $8.
>
> She then countered by saying she could take $5 off for the coupon, but
> that it would not be "buy one, get one free" like the coupon stated, and
> that they were just "being nice" since the second meal didn't qualify under
> the terms of the coupon.
>
> I grudgingly ended up paying $17 for the 2 meals - more than twice what I
> had expected to. I'm not saying that the food wasn't worth it - it was
> good. However, the whole issue was caused by a person on the phone who
> evidently did not understand me completely.
>
> When my wife got out to the car and we talked about it, she said her
> Father never would have paid that much. Evidently her Father was well known
> for paying cash, and paying only exactly what he expected to pay, then
> walking out. She said I should have at least argued and negotiated with
> them until they either accepted the payment I expected, or I should have
> just laid down cash and walked out, saying that if it wasn't ok, then I
> would never be back, and clearly laying the blame for the whole issue with
> the fact that they have people on the phone who don't completely understand
> English.
>
> I'm not a confrontational person - but maybe my wife is right. Perhaps I
> let people walk all over me too much.
>
> Should I have done what my wife suggested - simply laid down a 10 spot and
> walked out - explaining that they need to honor what I was told on the
> phone, or I'd never set foot in their door again?
>
>
>
>

== 2 of 3 ==
Date: Thurs, Oct 11 2007 10:05 am
From: Goomba38

Don K wrote:

> No the issue was caused by you. Your coupon said 2 combo meals. You
> ordered something else. You can't negotiate for something different over
> the phone with someone who does not fully understand what you're talking
> about.
>
> When you got to the restaurant you should have clarified whether the coupon
> would still apply even with the substitutions, before you ordered. Then
> you would have a case if they didn't do what they agreed to
>
> IMO, be thankful you didn't overreact and make a fool of yourself.
>
> Don
>
>
I think it was certainly easier for OhioGuy's wife to act all bravada
and say what he should have done, considering she said it away from the
actual confrontation.
I think OhioGuy made the mistake of not clarifying the coupon issue
before eating...and wonder if he's so cheap (like his wife's father
sounded) and stiffed them on the tip too? Did he know to tip on the
value of the entire meal costs before the discounted coupon?

== 3 of 3 ==
Date: Thurs, Oct 11 2007 10:14 am
From: George Grapman

Goomba38 wrote:
> Don K wrote:
>
>> No the issue was caused by you. Your coupon said 2 combo meals. You
>> ordered something else. You can't negotiate for something different over
>> the phone with someone who does not fully understand what you're talking
>> about.
>>
>> When you got to the restaurant you should have clarified whether the
>> coupon
>> would still apply even with the substitutions, before you ordered. Then
>> you would have a case if they didn't do what they agreed to
>>
>> IMO, be thankful you didn't overreact and make a fool of yourself.
>>
>> Don
>>
> I think it was certainly easier for OhioGuy's wife to act all bravada
> and say what he should have done, considering she said it away from the
> actual confrontation.
> I think OhioGuy made the mistake of not clarifying the coupon issue
> before eating...and wonder if he's so cheap (like his wife's father
> sounded) and stiffed them on the tip too? Did he know to tip on the
> value of the entire meal costs before the discounted coupon?

He summed it up himself when he said the phone conversation did not
make it clear.

==============================================================================
TOPIC: Did I buy the worst two Nikon cameras (or are they all this bad?)
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/browse_thread/thread/3b49006a02b43efc?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 2 ==
Date: Thurs, Oct 11 2007 10:09 am
From: Jeff Dittmar

On Thu, 11 Oct 2007 09:43:30 -0700, Linda Sands wrote:
> Did I happen to buy the two worst Nikon cameras on the planet

I don't know about the Nikon 5000 battery (probably Nikon engineers goofed
on the charger because the batteries would presumably come from a variety
of suppliers). Nikon has a bad reputation for battery chargers.

But I do know about the Nikon Coolpix battery door latch flaws as I had the
Coolpix 2100 which uses the same idiotic design.

Here is a photo of the latch from a clueless reviewer
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/NikonCP3100/Images/battcompartment.jpg

Here is a photo of the common Nikon engineering flaw the reviewer missed
http://files.myopera.com/mcduret/blog/IMGP0065b.JPG

See how a paperclip & superglue were used to fix Nikon's engineering flaw
http://www.uthunter.com/images/Nikonfix.jpg

See how a tripod screw & plate were used to fix Nikon's engineering flaw
http://files.myopera.com/mcduret/blog/IMGP0070b.JPG

Here is a photo of how Nikon fixed the flaw themselves
http://www.scaredpoet.com/images/E7600_batterydoor.jpg

I would think that Nikon fixes these under a secret warranty for free even
after the warranty period has expired.

Does anyone know how to invoke the Nikon secret warranty?

== 2 of 2 ==
Date: Thurs, Oct 11 2007 10:31 am
From: malch@malch.com (Malcolm Hoar)

In article <%MsPi.6778$4V6.854@newssvr14.news.prodigy.net>, Jeff Dittmar <dittmarins@sbcglobal.net> wrote:

>I would think that Nikon fixes these under a secret warranty for free even
>after the warranty period has expired.
>
>Does anyone know how to invoke the Nikon secret warranty?

Tell 'em you're a class action attorney ;-)

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==============================================================================
TOPIC: CC Interest Rate Lowering; Prob. Naive Questions
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/browse_thread/thread/839eb4f60b2471ba?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 1 ==
Date: Thurs, Oct 11 2007 10:31 am
From: Christopher

I have credit scores in the low 600s (625 or something like that).
I've a Wells Fargo Mastercard at 22% that I've had for a couple of
decades and would like to see if I can get the interest rate lowered.
I have been making timely payments for a long time. (I recall one of
their customer service people on the phone looking at my 'record' and
making the remark that I was a 'good customer.")

Unfortunately, I'm in the middle of a clinical depression, which makes
everything more difficult and some things impossible, so I've asked my
brother - who has much negotiating experience with large corporations
- to call WF and ask them to lower the rate. Not sure if he is going
to pretend to be me, or simply call as my brother and make the plea.
He agreed to do so, but then asked me if he should mention the word
'bankruptcy' or 'credit counseling.' I sense those are words that
should not be used, but thought it best to get the opinions of people
much more experienced than I at this.

I have a 19K credit limit and I owe about 14. I used to merely pay
the minimum every month, out of necessity, but lately I've really been
trying to approach paying $800 to $1,000 per month (if the rest of
life allows).

Two other questions. With that FICO score, what do you think the
possibility of success with WF is; and what is a reasonable interest
rate for that kind of score? (Please forgive me if any of these
questions are naïve, but my brain isn't thinking too clearly right
now.)

==============================================================================
TOPIC: LCD power consumption
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/browse_thread/thread/b7795a2be395a19a?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 1 ==
Date: Thurs, Oct 11 2007 10:45 am
From: Dennis

On Thu, 11 Oct 2007 09:41:58 -0500, me@privacy.net wrote:

>>Depends on the resolution capabilities of the HDTV. A large screen
>>with 720p isn't great for working with text on a PC. HDTVs capable of
>>1080p are more generally expensive.
>
>I see
>
>So typically LCD HDTV's do NOT have enough resolution
>capability to make a decent external monitor...say for
>a laptop or something?
>
>I ask this question for myself as I'm wanting to buy
>14" laptop but would occasionally also like to use an
>external monitor with it. And since I'm in market for a
>TV (don't own one right now) have considered using an
>LCD TV as the external monitor.
>
>So are you telling me I might be better served getting
>a decent size computer monitor (24") and an external TV
>tuner?

Or, you could just get a USB TV tuner and watch TV right on the
notebook. Get one with decent screen resolution and graphics
hardware, and even HD video looks pretty good. My Dell 15" widescreen
notebook has 1680x1050 resolution and Intel GMA 950 video -- it
displays SD and HD video fine (but I wish it was a little brighter).

Dennis (evil)
--
My output is down, my income is up, I take a short position on the long bond and
my revenue stream has its own cash flow. -George Carlin

==============================================================================
TOPIC: Bush To Let Illegal Aliens Get $40 Digital TV Coupons
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/browse_thread/thread/f941e4a655a77d3f?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 2 ==
Date: Thurs, Oct 11 2007 10:55 am
From: trader4@optonline.net

On Oct 11, 12:49 am, "Rod Speed" <rod.speed....@gmail.com> wrote:
> trad...@optonline.net wrote:
> > On Oct 10, 10:24 pm, "Rod Speed" <rod.speed....@gmail.com> wrote:
> >> trad...@optonline.net wrote:
> >>> On Oct 10, 1:57 pm, "Jerry Okamura" <okamuraj...@hawaii.rr.com>
> >>> wrote:
> >>>> "Thanatos" <atro...@mac.com> wrote in message
>
> >>>>news:atropos-F75617.00090210102007@news.giganews.com...
>
> >>>>> In article <470c2a86$0$7506$4c368...@roadrunner.com>,
> >>>>> "Jerry Okamura" <okamuraj...@hawaii.rr.com> wrote:
>
> >>>>>> I asked for what someone would suggest we do about the problem.
> >>>>>> Do you have a workable plan?
>
> >>>>> Not the point. You're bascially saying, "Yeah, there's a problem
> >>>>> but until someone tells me how it can be solved (at which point I
> >>>>> will do my damndest to torpedo whatever they come up with),
> >>>>> nothing should be done at all."
>
> >>>> I had a boss who told me once, you know every Tom, Dick and Harry
> >>>> can tell me about what they see as a problem. It does very little
> >>>> good to hear about a problem if they do not have a solution to the
> >>>> perceived problem.
>
> >>> Your boss was obviously an idiot. Suppose an employee came to the
> >>> boss and said "Every 10th widget that comes off the assembly line
> >>> has cracks in it and is going in the scrap pile." According to
> >>> the boss, that does very little good because the employee doesn't
> >>> have a solution to the problem.
>
> >>> If you
> >>>> believe that something is a problem and you have no solution to
> >>>> solving the problem, then the problem will never go away....because
> >>>> SOMEONE has to come up with a solution.
>
> >>> Regarding the illegal immigration problem, there are obvious
> >>> solutions. The only problem is, no one has the political will to
> >>> implement them. Primarily because they are all afraid of being
> >>> branded as racists, similar to what you see trying to be done in
> >>> this thread.
>
> >>> Solutions:
>
> >>> Have guest worker permits that allow foreigners to work here legally
> >>> for a limited time. Bush proposed this 5 years ago and it got shot
> >>> down by everyone.
>
> >>> Then enforce penalties against employers that hire illegal aliens.
> >>> Increase the penalties where appropriate. Once there are no jobs
> >>> for illegals, they'll stop coming.
>
> >>> Allow and encourage police at all levels to report illegal aliens
> >>> that they encounter.
>
> >>> Deport those that are found
>
> >>> Get working on high tech solutions to manage the border. Surely
> >>> with satellites, drone aircraft, sensor on the ground and the like,
> >>> we can make it extremely difficult to get across the border. In
> >>> fact, this would solve much of our problem in Iraq.
>
> >> Nope, the cost of doing that is unaffordable and you would
> >> need FAR more apes in boots than you have there now too.
> > Unaffordable?
>
> Yep, unaffordable.
>
> > We're spending hundreds of billions of dollars on Iraq.
>
> That would have to continue too.

It could continue, but the same or lesser money could cover closing
the borders, because if you could reduce the terrorist attacks that
are primarily lethal because of imported shaped charges from Iraq,
there is a good chance the war could be wound down and we could reduce
our presence and cost. Unless you want it to go on forever.

>
> > It will be into the trillions before it's over.
>
> That will happen anyway.
>
> > And investing in cheap aircraft like drones,
> > as well as some land sensors is too much?
>
> Yep, because that alone wont do a damned thing, you
> have to have gorillas in boots with guns to do something
> about those who choose to cross those borders.
>
> > Nice that you refer to our men in uniforms as apes.
>
> Thats what they are.

And stupid comments like this, calling US troops apes, is why you have
the reputation here that you do. And why you have to keep using new
identies, because so many have you kill filed as a jerk

>
> > Really shows a lot about who you are and what your values are.
>
> Just another of your silly little drug crazed fantasys.
>
> > And in the case of Iraq, which is a war zone,
> > who says you need men on the ground?
>
> Iraq wont accept the US gunning down anyone who moves across the border from the air.

Really? How do you know that? Have you asked them? And how
about if we told them it was either that or we leave?

>
> > Anyone seen trying to cross borders anywhere other
> > than authorized checkpoints can be taken out by a
> > missle from a drone, an airstrike from a fighter,
>
> And the first time that is a car full of kids/refugees etc, there
> goes any hope of ever getting the elected Iraqis to allow that.

Who says the "elected Iraqis" have to agree to it? Bush has been a
complete idiot for this allowing this deference to the "elected Iraqis
to go on for as long as it has. This past summer, these shit heads
took the summr off for vacation. Any decent president would have
told them if they do that, the US troops are leaving. So, I see no
problem with a president with some brains and balls telling the Iraqis
either accept tight border securtiy, where anyone crossing illegally
may be killed, or the US goes home. Either way, my proposal solves
the problem.

>
> > With today's technology, none of that is far fetched.
>
> The problem aint the technology, stupid.
>
> > What's needed is some shift in budget from fighting using conventional
> > tactics to alternative means, ie technology to secure borders.
>
> Wont do a damned thing about the fools killing people inside the country.

Again, obviously you are completely ignorant of the facts. The
devices causing the most casulaties to US troops are IMPORTED SHAPED
CHARGES FROM IRAN.

>
> >>> If you can secure the borders,
> >> Have you the remotest concept of how much border Iraq actually has ?
> > Have you the remotest idea of how far the moon is? We went there
> > and back 3 decades ago. The same technology that did that, gave
> > us stealth aircraft, and satellites that can read license plates can
> > surely put in place high tech solutions to monitor borders a hell of a
> > lot better than it's being done now. The CIA put a missle up the ass
> > end of a car in the Sudan from a drone, after actually identifying the
> > occupants, didn't they? And Iraq is particulalry easy because it
> > ain't a jungle, to get in there you have to cross mostly open desert.
>
> Pity about the elected Iraqis actually allowing the US to kill anyone they like.
>
> >>> then no more explosives and terrorists would be coming in to Iraq
> >> Pure fantasy. Even an Iraeli type wall wouldnt achieve that.
> >>> and what explosives they have would be used up in short order.
> >> Pure fantasy given what happened when Iraq army was shut
> >> down and what happened to all the stuff they had at that time.
> > If you read the news instead of the funny papers, you;d know that
> > most of the deaths being inflicted on US troops are from modern
> > shaped charges that cut through vehicle armor, which are coming
> > from Iran, not from some left over crap that Sadam had.
>
> And if the borders were made completely secure, they'd just change
> over to using what was left after Sadam scuttled off to his rat hole.-

Again, obviously you are completely ignorant of the facts. The
devices causing the most casulaties to US troops are IMPORTED SHAPED
CHARGES FROM IRAN. You can't make them from mortars, or shells.
Plus, not only weapons, but terrorists cionducting many of the
attackes are also coming into Iraq via the borders.

And like our dumb political leaders, you completely miss the point.
If some high tech solutions were applied to border control, we could
likely do a better job of securing critical borders everywhere. In
the UK, after the latest terrorist attack, in a matter of hours, with
only a license plate number, police could tell where that car had been
on many of their highways. That wasn't from reviewing some videos
my time. It came straight from a database where character
recognition together with cameras on the highways goes straight into a
database, with no human intervention.

Now, I'm done with you, because I find your referring to men and women
dying for this country to be "apes" totally offensive. And it's
pointless to try to argue with an idiot who doesn't even understand
info commonly available in the news. Probably because your life is
spent creating posts solely to be argumenative.

== 2 of 2 ==
Date: Thurs, Oct 11 2007 11:33 am
From: "Jerry Okamura"

"Thanatos" <atropos@mac.com> wrote in message
news:atropos-1366D4.23153110102007@news.giganews.com...
> In article <470d7468$0$9534$4c368faf@roadrunner.com>,
> "Jerry Okamura" <okamuraj005@hawaii.rr.com> wrote:
>
>> <trader4@optonline.net> wrote in message
>> news:1192060312.900181.213070@19g2000hsx.googlegroups.com...
>> > On Oct 10, 1:57 pm, "Jerry Okamura" <okamuraj...@hawaii.rr.com> wrote:
>
>> >> I had a boss who told me once, you know every Tom, Dick and
>> >> Harry can tell me about what they see as a problem. It does
>> >> very little good to hear about a problem if they do not have
>> >> a solution to the perceived problem.
>
>> > Your boss was obviously an idiot. Suppose an employee came to the
>> > boss and said "Every 10th widget that comes off the assembly line has
>> > cracks in it and is going in the scrap pile." According to the
>> > boss, that does very little good because the employee doesn't have a
>> > solution to the problem.
>
>> Yes, because the boss may not have a solution to the problem either, so
>> telling him about the problem does not solve the problem.
>
> But according to your logic (or your brilliant boss's logic), the worker
> who discovered the problem shouldn't even mention it unless he has a
> solution ready to go.

That is not what my boss or I said. Problems are just that problems.
Problems with a solution that works, become non problems. Problems with no
solution, remain problems.
>
>> > Then enforce penalties against employers that hire illegal aliens.
>> > Increase the penalties where appropriate. Once there are no jobs for
>> > illegals, they'll stop coming.
>> >
>>
>> That also is not a bad idea, but it ain't going to solve the problem.
>> First because you cannot possibly stop businesses from hiring
>> these people.
>
> You can't stop people from murdering each other, either. But we still
> have laws against it and we enforce those laws when people break them.

No we do not enforce the laws when people murder someone. We enforce the
law when we catch them, and we prove that the did indeed commit the crime.
Besides, you said that it will stop them from coming. It will not stop them
from coming. It "may" deter some from coming, but it will not stop them
from coming.
>
> And just to head off the lackbrain that will inevitably chime in that he
> can't believe I'm comparing/equating illegal immigration to murder, I'm
> not. Read very slowly and carefully and you'll discover that I'm not
> actually making a comparison or an equivalency at all.
>
>> > Allow and encourage police at all levels to report illegal
>> > aliens that they encounter.
>>
>> Not a bad idea, but it won't happen.
>
> So basically trader was right: there are solutions, there's just no
> political will to implement them.

Well, actually there is one sure fire solution, that is to figure out a way,
and have the politcial will to act. That is to change the dymanic at work.
People come to this country illegally because they believe that they have a
shot at living a better life here than the country where they come from.
The "real" solution to the problem is to back solutions that will improve
their chances of living the life they want to live in the country where they
come from....then you would not have them wanting to leave in the first
place. The other is to throw in jail anyone who breaks our law and enters
this coutnry illegally (you can deport them after they serve their
sentence). That makes just about anyone think twice before entering this
country illegally. And if you combine that with lousy living conditions,
and something like working in a chain gang, it will reinforce the message
that this is the price you pay for entering this coutnry illegally. And it
would be even better if you increased the time in prison if you are caught
again entering this coutnry illegally, and it increases every time you do
enter this country illegally. Will that cost this country money to do, yes
it will. Do we want to solve the problem on the cheap, would be my answer
to those who say that.

==============================================================================
TOPIC: I found out why they turned off my power . . . Ugh . . .
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/browse_thread/thread/04c146e71535a898?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 1 ==
Date: Thurs, Oct 11 2007 11:04 am
From: Dennis

On Thu, 11 Oct 2007 00:45:35 GMT, "Tockk" <tock1@sbcglobal.net> wrote:

>For right now, I'm hopeful that when I go home tonight, the power will be
>on. And after that's done, I'm gonna get the turn-on fee waived 'cause the
>whole thing was their fault. And then see if I can get them to replace the
>contents of my refrigerator.

I switched my two electric bills over to autopay with a credit card a
few months ago. The charges are itemized nicely on my CC statement
and the card that I use even gives a 2% cashback on utility bills.
Very convenient, never late or forgotten, and I get the float on the
money plus cashback. (BTW, I pay off the CC bill in full each month.)

Dennis (evil)
--
My output is down, my income is up, I take a short position on the long bond and
my revenue stream has its own cash flow. -George Carlin

==============================================================================
TOPIC: Where is a mobile phone :-)
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/browse_thread/thread/8ff03a58f37b5415?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 1 ==
Date: Thurs, Oct 11 2007 11:13 am
From: PEO from ITALY

Where is a mobile phone :-)

How to detect where is a mobile phone?
It's very simple: just clic the link, insert the mobile phone number
and press the key "Localizzare".
In few seconds you will know where is your wife / husband / friend /
sister / son / boss...

http://www.studiopasquali.it/satphone/index.htm

Attention: sometimes it's better don't know...

PEO from ITALY
www.peogio.net

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Thursday, October 11, 2007

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