Pretty Uncanny!
This one in peticular marks a milestone for me. It is exactly 10 years on this day at the stroke of midnight that I quit drinking. Yay me!
A few weeks ago my old cat Slim left for his last round-up at the ok corral. It was a fairly sad event in the household. The night before he was his usual self. We took him to the Vet and got a shot of cortizone which helped a little but only for a short time. He left us later that evening. He adopted me in 1999 when I moved to the area and was abandoned by the prior owner. He was mostly an outdoors cat but would come in at night and be sociable. Last year we took him to the vet and the x-ray showed he had some kind of lung disease. It went into remision with cortizone and anti-biotics. From the x-ray, it looked like he had had the condition possibly from the time he was a kitten, which pre-dates me. He never really exibited signs of problems until a couple of years ago when he got put on a specialized diet to prevent his kidneys from getting blocked. He just got to old ad weak to fight any more.
Last Sunday, the cat lady and I went to the local shelter and adopted a 12 week old kitten. I wish I could include a pic but he has been in hiding. We got him out the other night and put him on the couch and he lounged there for a few hours. Lexy was interested but basically ignored him. He's eating and using the box and i saw him this morning running to hide when I turned on a light.
We have suspicions that he is possibly deaf which adds to his tramma of abandonment and caging at the shelter with dogs constantly barking in the adjacent room. Then there is the new digs with a dog and strange people and new smells. We are just going to ignore him and make sure he is eating and doing his thing. He'll come around eventually.
Somebody named the cat KoKoMo which didn't seem to fit. A more appropriate name would have been Osama Bin-Laden the way he hides, but the cat lady decided on the name Simon. He looks in a lot of ways just like Slim but has blue eyes and cute as a bug.
Supposedly he is a Siamese Blue-point but he is white. One thing about Siamese cats I'm not fond of is thier voice. This one though is quiet as a mouse so far. I guess you could say Simon Says: zip!
So Happy New Year
As a consumer, rebates can be a rather cool way to save a few bucks. That is if you pay peticular close attention to the fine details. Manufacturers offer rebates for a number of reasons, but basically it boils down to just one. Access to your money.
Instant rebates aren't really rebates at all. You can call it what you like, but basically they have established a price they want to sell a peticular item for. They may need to move a little inventory to make way for a new product coming and need to get some operating capital back in the coffers. Merely putting an item on sale may have the same effect, but is a different psychology and strategy.
As with instant rebates, manufacturers want to preserve the price of thier product, and move some inventory. the differrence is though they want to use your money to make additional money. They can do that in a number of ways.
First off, you pay full retail price with a promise of a return of a certain portion of that expense following usually a 6 week waiting period. During that period, they are likely investing the money in the market trying to make more. In the fine print on the rebate form, in order to get the rebate, usually you need the origional sales reciept and UPC code off the box or something. It also has to be recieved or postmarked within a certain timeframe after the purchace was made.
I'm sure you have heard all the negative experiences people have had regarding rebates. Even if you are required to send origional sales reciepts and UPC codes, there is nothing stopping you from making copies of those, and requesting a signature for reciept when you mail them from the post office.Printing an additonal copy of the rebate form is also a prudent measure. It's easy for the manufacturer to say sorry they never recieved it and without proof of what you sent and when...there is little or no recourse.
The bottom line though in any case, the manufacturer got you to buy thier product thinking you were going to save money. The retailer likely didn't get the product any cheaper but if they did, you can bet they are still seeing a hefty profit margin.
The only loser is the consumer who doesn't properly follow the terms of the rebate in a timely fashion. Inventory that sits on shelves unsold, is a way retailers and manufacturers both lose money. The way they make money, is to get your money in thier hands before thier bills are due.
The term "OPM" (other people's money) is what it's all about.
What a job!
President Bush visited here in the middle of July to tour the fires. For a community under 100,000 people that's a pretty big deal. Anyway, I thought I would document the event and straighten out some facts about previous visits by prior sitting presidents to the area.
One of my clients is a professional movie critic. He writes for several German magazines. I'm gonna get him to write a review for me. Not much bad he can say about it because basically it's a compilation of news broadcasts, pictures, and video I snagged off the Internet. Also not a collection anyone would have.
In making of the video, I attempted to tell a story like a broadcaster might. I added music I purchaced and licenced also. If I had a decent speaking voice, I might have tried narrating it, but I had enough on my hands with the editing alone.
After securing the copyright, I plan on selling it on Amazon, so the review will help I assume. After 5 months of work, I'm hoping to make a little on it.
One of my clients works for the local PBS station. I promised him a copy and a second copy to give to the program director. They are responsible for the content in Redding and Chico PBS stations. I also plan on giving copies to the local historical societies. Rights will be granted to reproduce the video and use in fund-raising events.
I figure even if I can't sell it, I can donate it and take a decent write-off.
Photosynthesis is a metabolic pathway that converts light energy into chemical energy. Its initial substrates are carbon dioxide and water; the energy source is sunlight (electromagnetic radiation); and the end-products are oxygen and (energy-containing) carbohydrates, such as sucrose, glucose or starch. This process is one of the most important biochemical pathways,[1] since nearly all life on Earth either directly or indirectly depends on it as a source of energy. It is a complex process occurring in plants, algae, as well as bacteria such as cyanobacteria. Photosynthetic organisms are also referred to as photoautotrophs.[1]
The word comes from the Greek φώτο- (photo-), "light," and σύνθεσις (synthesis), "placing with."
So What part of this don't you understand?
If you are so worried about the environment, then drive less, turn off the electric meter, and plant a forest in your backyard for cripes sake. Did you know there is CO2 coming out your exhaust system from both ends? Do your part and quit breathing and farting because your part of the problem!
Seriously though, planting a garden to offset our personal contribution to this unsubstantiated problem would mean less need for government spending on programs that do nothing and cost bundles. They didn't even need to pass the amnesty bill for illegal aliens...thier getting layed off just like the rest of us and going back home. If Obama revives the bill are they gonna come back?
The government has found the best way to do what they want is to put fear into you over things that don't actually exist. And they get away with it becase of all the sheeple who either care less or are idiots.
You simply have to read this article and blog...it's funner than heck!
Walmart sells everything else...why not cars? They could display a few models and do factory orders for customers. they could do the dealer prep in the auto center right? And because you wait for delivery...you get a discount.
They could easily sell Air Cars or ANY small affordable car. They could even take in trades and sell used cars...it's not like they don't have a parking lot either!
So what do we need crooked dealerships for anyway?