Question:

   do you ever get the urge to play like a child would? i sometimes get the urge but i dont do it. i dont want my family looking at me strange like. i sometimes get the urge to splash in water and to go out in th rain. i have gone out in the rain when i didnt need to but not the other.     do you ever feel like running away? i get that urge more often than not these days. i want to go somewhere new, i think it  will make me feel better. though it probably wont. i want to go somewhere where no one thinks i may lose it at any time. that is what my dad thinks, he sometimes still asks me if i am taking my meds. i never skip them. it is annoying. i dont like being asked! it makes me feel like a idiot or something. namely a child which i am not. i want to be somewhere where i am looked at as a adult. rather i feel like one or not.     just thinking out loud sorry everyone      hugs anita

Response:

pines wrote:

do you ever get the urge to play like a child would? i sometimes get the

i went thru a phase of buying all these toys and taping cartoons that i would have liked as a child.  but it just didnt work anymore.

urge but i dont do it. i dont want my family looking at me strange like. i sometimes get the urge to splash in water and to go out in th rain. i have gone out in the rain when i didnt need to but not the other.

sometimes i can tap into that kind of childishness… just forgetting conditioned worries and behaviour and having foolish-fun in the moment.

    do you ever feel like running away? i get that urge more often than not

yea , sometimes i wish i was i still lived with my parents so i could run away from them

these days. i want to go somewhere new, i think it  will make me feel better. though it probably wont. i want to go somewhere where no one thinks i may lose it at any time. that is what my dad thinks, he sometimes still

well your grown up now, if you feel moving would help you you have the right move. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -

asks me if i am taking my meds. i never skip them. it is annoying. i dont like being asked! it makes me feel like a idiot or something. namely a child which i am not. i want to be somewhere where i am looked at as a adult. rather i feel like one or not.     just thinking out loud sorry everyone      hugs anita

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -

On Thu, 01 Sep 2005 16:06:49 GMT, "pines" <yawnball@scratching post.com wrote:   do you ever get the urge to play like a child would? i sometimes get the urge but i dont do it. i dont want my family looking at me strange like. i sometimes get the urge to splash in water and to go out in th rain. i have gone out in the rain when i didnt need to but not the other.    do you ever feel like running away? i get that urge more often than not these days. i want to go somewhere new, i think it  will make me feel better. though it probably wont. i want to go somewhere where no one thinks i may lose it at any time. that is what my dad thinks, he sometimes still asks me if i am taking my meds. i never skip them. it is annoying. i dont like being asked! it makes me feel like a idiot or something. namely a child which i am not. i want to be somewhere where i am looked at as a adult. rather i feel like one or not.    just thinking out loud sorry everyone     hugs anita

My father asked me a couple of times too, but I think he just wanted to show me that he cared enough to ask, tho it still did annoy me..lol Nowadays, he sees that I am doing better and trying more to do better, that he had no problem at all with me getting a semi-automatic rifle, so he obviously trusts me which is cool. We now have a small arsenal in the house and its like nothing at all. We go target shooting and stuff, its fun. He still talks to me like I’m a kid sometimes, but I think thats just ingrained in his head or something. I always have run away and always feel like running away. Sometimes it was good to get away, other times it was bad to run. I love to play like a kid, but I can only do it with I’m actually with a kid, otherwise I feel like a weirdo.. Best, Chris

Response:

murana wrote:

urge but i dont do it. i dont want my family looking at me strange like. i sometimes get the urge to splash in water and to go out in th rain. i have gone out in the rain when i didnt need to but not the other. sometimes i can tap into that kind of childishness… just forgetting conditioned worries and behaviour and having foolish-fun in the moment.

I have such thoughts sometimes. Haven’t do anything genuinely childish though. — Young, free and retired

Response:

Lothar Swordfist wrote:

murana wrote: urge but i dont do it. i dont want my family looking at me strange like. i sometimes get the urge to splash in water and to go out in th rain. i have gone out in the rain when i didnt need to but not the other. sometimes i can tap into that kind of childishness… just forgetting conditioned worries and behaviour and having foolish-fun in the moment. I have such thoughts sometimes. Haven’t do anything genuinely childish though.

when ur a child u dont worry about whats real and whats not real and all that crap. its before all these issues, before we even had a "reality" divided off from unreality., just experiencing life. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -

— Young, free and retired

Response:

I go out for a nice outing during the day, and in the evening, while eating my dinner in the fast food restaurant….the PA system radio plays music to remind me of how awfully lonely I am. Donna Lewis – Without Love Think of me like I think about you. Give me a sign, show me you care. Am I so far away, in your thoughts not there? Forget what you told me, it’s what didn’t get said. It’s not much to ask, come down off your cloud And with your feet on the ground, say something out loud Without Love … I mean nothing to you. Without Love … broken in two. Without Love … give me some value, some worth. Without Love … no life left on Earth … Blame it on work, buy me some flowers Empty gestures wile away the hours Promises, promises, sealed with a kiss Please acknowledge it’s me that you miss No message recieved no excuses believed, you hurt me so much I’ll never recover Takes time to discover a love like no other CHORUS Without Love … I mean nothing to you. Without Love … Without Love … I mean nothing to you Without Love … I mean nothing … I mean nothing … I mean nothing nothing to you … And I’m broken … I’m broken broken in two … I mean nothing …

Response:

Television talk show host Dr. Phil McGraw’s son Jay has proposed to former Playboy Playmate Erica Dahm. Jay, 26, got engaged to the beauty – one of the triplet Dahm sisters – in Dallas, Texas, on Friday. Jay, who personally designed his fianc

Question:

Can a volume/stereo pan pedal be used to pan between two guitar amps?   will there be ground loop or hum problems?   Just thought it would be nice to pan rather than footswitch completely on or off different sounding amps.

Response:

Can a volume/stereo pan pedal be used to pan between two guitar amps? will there be ground loop or hum problems?   Just thought it would be nice to pan rather than footswitch completely on or off different sounding amps.

If you currently footswitch, and there are no ground loops, then you can confidently pan… __ Steve .

Response:

I’ve done it at times. I do tend to run into ground loop issues, but they can be addressed. I’ve stopped doing it because it’s extra work -but I did like the tonal flexibility. Chuck

Response:

Can a volume/stereo pan pedal be used to pan between two guitar amps?   will there be ground loop or hum problems?   Just thought it would be nice to pan rather than footswitch completely on or off different sounding amps.

Rockin John uses that VERY rig… He doesn’t seem to have any problems…  one *clean* amp – one crunchy… gtski

Response:

Can a volume/stereo pan pedal be used to pan between two guitar amps?   will there be ground loop or hum problems?   Just thought it would be nice to pan rather than footswitch completely on or off different sounding amps.

I have two "POS" cheap stereo pan fade pedals.  See: http://www.harmony-central.com/Effects/Data/Rolls/RFX_402P_Volume_CV_…   I sometimes pan fade between my JMP 2204 and my Super Reverb.  I’ve even stuck the second pedal in so I can fade between three amps (for example, a mix of high gain Mesa and 2204 for dirty, SR for clean).  I don’t have a hum issue, but I plug all power sources into one power strip (off of a heavy duty ferroresonant power conditioner/isolator). The cool thing is that I can get those in between tones.  For example, rock all the way to toe position and get heavily distorted 2204.  Rock to heel, get SR.  But as you move from toe to heel, the Marshall cleans up and the SR begins to kick in.  It’s a big advantage over A/B/Y.  Now, I’d like to find some quality pedals.  Mine are VERY cheap ones, using open sliders. I would not recommend the Rolls POS pedals unless you get them dirt cheap, like I did.  (Actually, one was dirt cheap, one was free.  It was one of the Guitar Center "blow out" deals.  When I got there, "not in stock."  They ordered ONE, pre-paying for it.  I got a call, picked it up.  A couple of days later, I get a call "your pedal is in."  I explain that I already picked it up.  Guy says:  "I don’t know, man.  This says it’s yours and you paid for it, so come and take it to get it out of here."  So, I did.)

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Can a volume/stereo pan pedal be used to pan between two guitar amps?   will there be ground loop or hum problems?   Just thought it would be nice to pan rather than footswitch completely on or off different sounding amps. I have two "POS" cheap stereo pan fade pedals.  See: http://www.harmony-central.com/Effects/Data/Rolls/RFX_402P_Volume_CV_…  I sometimes pan fade between my JMP 2204 and my Super Reverb.  I’ve even stuck the second pedal in so I can fade between three amps (for example, a mix of high gain Mesa and 2204 for dirty, SR for clean).  I don’t have a hum issue, but I plug all power sources into one power strip (off of a heavy duty ferroresonant power conditioner/isolator). The cool thing is that I can get those in between tones.  For example, rock all the way to toe position and get heavily distorted 2204.  Rock to heel, get SR.  But as you move from toe to heel, the Marshall cleans up and the SR begins to kick in.  It’s a big advantage over A/B/Y.  Now, I’d like to find some quality pedals.  Mine are VERY cheap ones, using open sliders. I would not recommend the Rolls POS pedals unless you get them dirt cheap, like I did.  (Actually, one was dirt cheap, one was free.  It was one of the Guitar Center "blow out" deals.  When I got there, "not in stock."  They ordered ONE, pre-paying for it.  I got a call, picked it up.  A couple of days later, I get a call "your pedal is in."  I explain that I already picked it up.  Guy says:  "I don’t know, man.  This says it’s yours and you paid for it, so come and take it to get it out of here."  So, I did.)

HORRORS…! ! ! ! ! ! Some accountant somewhere is looking into this… ? ? ? ? You know those bean-counters..! ! gtski

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Can a volume/stereo pan pedal be used to pan between two guitar amps?   will there be ground loop or hum problems?   Just thought it would be nice to pan rather than footswitch completely on or off different sounding amps. I have two "POS" cheap stereo pan fade pedals.  See: http://www.harmony-central.com/Effects/Data/Rolls/RFX_402P_Volume_CV_…  I sometimes pan fade between my JMP 2204 and my Super Reverb.  I’ve even stuck the second pedal in so I can fade between three amps (for example, a mix of high gain Mesa and 2204 for dirty, SR for clean).  I don’t have a hum issue, but I plug all power sources into one power strip (off of a heavy duty ferroresonant power conditioner/isolator). The cool thing is that I can get those in between tones.  For example, rock all the way to toe position and get heavily distorted 2204.  Rock to heel, get SR.  But as you move from toe to heel, the Marshall cleans up and the SR begins to kick in.  It’s a big advantage over A/B/Y.  Now, I’d like to find some quality pedals.  Mine are VERY cheap ones, using open sliders. I would not recommend the Rolls POS pedals unless you get them dirt cheap, like I did.  (Actually, one was dirt cheap, one was free.  It was one of the Guitar Center "blow out" deals.  When I got there, "not in stock."  They ordered ONE, pre-paying for it.  I got a call, picked it up.  A couple of days later, I get a call "your pedal is in."  I explain that I already picked it up.  Guy says:  "I don’t know, man.   This says it’s yours and you paid for it, so come and take it to get it out of here."  So, I did.) HORRORS…! ! ! ! ! ! Some accountant somewhere is looking into this… ? ? ? ? You know those bean-counters..! ! gtski

My conscience is clear… Another story confirming that Karma will reward honesty:  YEARS ago, we had a home burglary.  They actually BUSTED the scumbag, returning to his open trunk to continue to off-load my stuff (but I did lose a lot of stuff that he already carried off).  Dude ended up in prison, because by the time he went to trial he got busted two more times! When I went to the police property room to claim my property, they also had a watch and a nice men’s diamond ring with a 1/2 carat diamond.  I’m sure that it wasn’t legitimately the burglar’s, it was probably stolen from another person the same night, since he was wearing some of my wife’s jewelry when they busted him!  (Dumbf… had a woman’s ring on his finger with the cops approached him!). YEARS later, I get this call:  "Hey, you have unclaimed property in the Seattle Police Department property room…"  I explain that "it ain’t mine…"  Cop says:  "look, didn’t you suffer some loss during the break in?"  I confirm that.  So he says "It’s yours if you want it, the real owner will NEVER find it now, and if you don’t claim it we’ll just auction it off."   So, I took it.  The diamond now resides in a setting for my wife, and I put a ruby in the ring for me.  I wore the watch for years.  It gave me a sense of winning over the scumbag, wearing HIS watch (maybe his, but probably stolen from somebody).

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Can a volume/stereo pan pedal be used to pan between two guitar amps?   will there be ground loop or hum problems?   Just thought it would be nice to pan rather than footswitch completely on or off different sounding amps. I have two "POS" cheap stereo pan fade pedals.  See: http://www.harmony-central.com/Effects/Data/Rolls/RFX_402P_Volume_CV_…  I sometimes pan fade between my JMP 2204 and my Super Reverb.  I’ve even stuck the second pedal in so I can fade between three amps (for example, a mix of high gain Mesa and 2204 for dirty, SR for clean).   I don’t have a hum issue, but I plug all power sources into one power strip (off of a heavy duty ferroresonant power conditioner/isolator). The cool thing is that I can get those in between tones.  For example, rock all the way to toe position and get heavily distorted 2204.  Rock to heel, get SR.  But as you move from toe to heel, the Marshall cleans up and the SR begins to kick in.  It’s a big advantage over A/B/Y.  Now, I’d like to find some quality pedals.   Mine are VERY cheap ones, using open sliders. I would not recommend the Rolls POS pedals unless you get them dirt cheap, like I did.  (Actually, one was dirt cheap, one was free.  It was one of the Guitar Center "blow out" deals.  When I got there, "not in stock."  They ordered ONE, pre-paying for it.  I got a call, picked it up.  A couple of days later, I get a call "your pedal is in."  I explain that I already picked it up.  Guy says:  "I don’t know, man.  This says it’s yours and you paid for it, so come and take it to get it out of here."  So, I did.) HORRORS…! ! ! ! ! ! Some accountant somewhere is looking into this… ? ? ? ? You know those bean-counters..! ! gtski My conscience is clear… Another story confirming that Karma will reward honesty:

I don’t believe in Karma… but I live my life as if it did. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –  YEARS ago, we had a home burglary.  They actually BUSTED the scumbag, returning to his open trunk to continue to off-load my stuff (but I did lose a lot of stuff that he already carried off).  Dude ended up in prison, because by the time he went to trial he got busted two more times! When I went to the police property room to claim my property, they also had a watch and a nice men’s diamond ring with a 1/2 carat diamond.  I’m sure that it wasn’t legitimately the burglar’s, it was probably stolen from another person the same night, since he was wearing some of my wife’s jewelry when they busted him!  (Dumbf… had a woman’s ring on his finger with the cops approached him!). YEARS later, I get this call:  "Hey, you have unclaimed property in the Seattle Police Department property room…"  I explain that "it ain’t mine…"  Cop says:  "look, didn’t you suffer some loss during the break in?"  I confirm that.  So he says "It’s yours if you want it, the real owner will NEVER find it now, and if you don’t claim it we’ll just auction it off."   So, I took it.  The diamond now resides in a setting for my wife, and I put a ruby in the ring for me.  I wore the watch for years.  It gave me a sense of winning over the scumbag, wearing HIS watch (maybe his, but probably stolen from somebody).

Interesting.  I feel that if it were MY watch, that he had stolen from me… I would be glad that if it were unable to be traced back to me, someone like YOU had it, instead of it being auctioned off.  A much better Karmic *balance* as it were.   gtski

Response:

Bruce Gilfillan, tied to the tracks, said: Can a volume/stereo pan pedal be used to pan between two guitar amps?

I always figured that was what they were made for. will there be ground loop or hum problems?

As Steve noted, if you don’t have them with an AB switch, you’ll likely be OK. Just thought it would be nice to pan rather than footswitch completely on or off different sounding amps.

Mais, oui.

Response:

Question:

I am thinking of bidding on a watch and although it doesn’t specifically say that it is authentic in the listing, the seller has responded to another buyer that it is in fact authentic and it is posted in the auction page. Question…if I buy it and it turns out to be fake, does eBay provide any sort of insurance/protection?

Response:

I am thinking of bidding on a watch …

One of many risky categories on eBay. … and although it doesn’t specifically say that it is authentic in the listing, …

If it’s a brand and model that has been counterfeited, odds are that this is a fake too, unless the seller is merely a clueless novice. Share the auc#. Chances are you aren’t completely up to speed on how to read FB profiles. Does this seller hostage FB by any chance? … the seller has responded to another buyer that it is in fact authentic and it is posted in the auction page.

That makes "authentic" part of the description. Question…if I buy it and it turns out to be fake, does eBay provide any sort of insurance/protection?

Being a fake, when authentic was claimed, would make the item "substantially not as described" under the PayPal Buyer Protection. Do you in fact know how to verify the authenticity? Cover your butt anyway. Empty your PP account and fund the buy with a credit card. That way, you also get coverage under FCBA. But I’d suggest no-bidding until you learn more about the seller. And even then, bid once late. — http://www.access-one.com/rjn           email4rjn AT yahoo DOT com NOT speaking for any employer, client or Internet Service Provider.

Response:

I am thinking of bidding on a watch and although it doesn’t specifically say that it is authentic in the listing, the seller has responded to another buyer that it is in fact authentic and it is posted in the auction

page.     It doesn’t "specifically say" it’s authentic but it’s posted in     the auction page?     What’s the auction number? Question…if I buy it and it turns out to be fake, does eBay provide any sort of insurance/protection?

    Only if the seller *and* specific transaction qualifies….and the item is "significantly different".  According to what you’ve said, it sounds like a screaming fake, and says so in the auciton. http://pages.ebay.com/help/tp/questions/protection-program.html Kris

Response:

I am thinking of bidding on a watch and although it doesn’t specifically say that it is authentic in the listing, the seller has responded to another buyer that it is in fact authentic and it is posted in the auction page. Question…if I buy it and it turns out to be fake, does eBay provide any sort of insurance/protection?

The first rule of buying jewelry on eBay is DON’T!!!  If you must, only spend what you are willing to hand to a street beggar or mugger since it’s totally and utterly foolish to buy any jewelry over $19.95 on eBay.  You are guaranteed to get a fake, substandard, or mall quality item.  Buying jewelry should only be done locally from a trusted jeweler. Rita

Response:

here is the link http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=4969002326&ss… seller has a "0" rating so I am running away from this auction.. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I am thinking of bidding on a watch and although it doesn’t specifically say that it is authentic in the listing, the seller has responded to another buyer that it is in fact authentic and it is posted in the auction page. Question…if I buy it and it turns out to be fake, does eBay provide any sort of insurance/protection? The first rule of buying jewelry on eBay is DON’T!!!  If you must, only spend what you are willing to hand to a street beggar or mugger since it’s totally and utterly foolish to buy any jewelry over $19.95 on eBay.  You are guaranteed to get a fake, substandard, or mall quality item.  Buying jewelry should only be done locally from a trusted jeweler. Rita

Response:

here is the link http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=4969002326 seller has a "0" rating so I am running away from this auction..

More red flags than a highway construction project…. Kris

Response:

My brother bought a TAG watch in Thailand for a

Question:

Thank you for the wonderful advice!!  I ordered some supplies.  It was also pointed out to me that I was undercharging for Priority Shipping.  So, I changed it to First Class. I will offer Priority Shipping for most of my items since it is a flat rate (for the smaller items). Thanks ya’ll…. ~Carol Ann www.lowcarblosers.com ~ Home of the FREE Monthly Weightloss Challenge http://tinyurl.com/33uk7  <—Recent Pictures of Morgan born 3.24.04

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Carol Ann, I sell lots of stuff on eBay. there are a few things that I can recommend to you. First, take the time to make nice clean auction pages. This includes high quality pictures of whatever you are selling. The auction should be very descriptive of what you are selling, but don’t write up something that takes 3 hours to read. The pictures are invaluable to any auction. Sign up for Pay Pal if you haven’t already. I find that about 70% of my buyers use it to pay for their auctions. You’ll get more bidders if you use Pay Pal. I usually run 3 day auctions for items that are highly searched for on eBay. Run a 5 or 7 day auction only if you are selling something like a car, an antique, any rare item, or something very expensive. Don’t inflate shipping costs like a lot of sellers do. It’s a real turn off for bidders. Shipping supplies can be had for free if you use US Priority Mail. This is the best way to ship small items anyway. All of your boxes, tape, and mailing labels can be acquired for free, including delivery to your house! You can get them at http://tinyurl.com/mifk. You can also get free delivery confirmation by printing your mailing labels online. This will save you $.70 per package. This is available at https://sss-web.usps.com/ds/jsps/ds_landing.jsp. HTH Chris Any helpful advice to pass on?? I’ve decided to start selling on eBay! I haven’t done this before.  I’ve thought about it for a looooooong time. I hope it is as easy as it looks. I’ll probably wonder why I didn’t do this years ago. I’m going to sell baby stuff first.  Then, I’ll venture into other areas. I just have so much stuff that I won’t be using.  Hope I don’t regret selling her really nice items…..

http://members.ebay.com/ws2/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewUserPage&userid=bestina… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – ~Carol Ann http://tinyurl.com/33uk7  <—Recent Pictures of Morgan born 3.24.04

Response:

Nicky, I just sold my first eBay item.  Wow, it cost more than $40 and I sold it for $15.50. That sucks.  I think the timing of it was off.  I should have it end earlier in the evening so people can bid on it. It ended after midnite.

I thought that timing would have been good because of people on the west coast. I have similar times! I’ll just wait and see. What is your eBay link??

http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewSellersOtherItems&userid=je… coletta&include=0&since=-1&sort=3&rows=50 Today I am going to put up the rest of the bunch. Good luck with the other items. Love Nicky

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Any helpful advice to pass on?? I’ve decided to start selling on eBay! I haven’t done this before.  I’ve thought about it for a looooooong time. I hope it is as easy as it looks. I’ll probably wonder why I didn’t do this years ago. I’m going to sell baby stuff first.  Then, I’ll venture into other areas. I just have so much stuff that I won’t be using.  Hope I don’t regret selling her really nice items…..

http://members.ebay.com/ws2/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewUserPage&userid=bestina… ~Carol Ann http://tinyurl.com/33uk7  <—Recent Pictures of Morgan born 3.24.04

yep. but you already have lots of good tips. — elizabeth (in australia) DS – born 20-aug-02 "Anything lost can be found again, except for time wasted" — Hilltop Hoods

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Carol, Yes, having it end late at night is a bad time because most people don’t bid after around 10:00pm or 11:00pm at night; after the evening news.   That’s when the majority of Americans go to bed. And if you have it end later at night even those who are interested won’t bid because they figure someone will stay up late and outbid them. It’s also true that bids can vary widely from day to day for no particular reason that you can predict. It all depends who is online and sees your auction.  And how many "copies" of the same item are available at the same time or on an ongoing basis also plays a part.  A CD, book, or sweater may go for $2 one day and $25 the next week.  It all depends on who was bidding at the time and how much they were willing to spend to get it. And bids are higher if more than one person wanted it a lot. You can’t plan these things ahead of time. You take your chances. I’ve been both the beneficiary and loser on eBay over the past year.  For example, I got a wonderful Merle Haggard songbook for just a couple of bucks last year when the seller was expecting at least $25 for it. I was the winner, the seller was the loser.  It was just luck for each of us. Now that I am selling on eBay I need to remember that because I’m on both sides now. Barbara Nicky, Alexandra is gorgeous!  I can’t believe how big our girls have grown. I just sold my first eBay item.  Wow, it cost more than $40 and I sold it for $15.50. That sucks.  I think the timing of it was off.  I should have it end earlier in the evening so people can bid on it.  It ended after midnite. What is your eBay link?? ~Carol Ann http://tinyurl.com/3zl95  <—Recent Pictures of Morgan Any helpful advice to pass on?? I’ve decided to start selling on eBay! OMG Carol Ann, I cannot believe it! I have started tonight to sell on eBay! I found beading very relaxing and I ended up with more than 40 key chains (too many even for presents!). DH so wanted to try eBay and he said we could try selling them there. It is so funny that you are doing it at the same time. Just like our little girls! I just saw the most recent pics of Morgan. OMG she has grown so much. She is so adorable. I cannot believe how bad I felt last year this time (m/s!). Alexandra is growing as well. She is starting her little screams and laughs and she has her daddy wrapped around her little fingers! Here are her latest pics: http://tinyurl.com/4pbez Good luck with your eBay adventure! Love Nicky Proud mamma to Alexandra (03/22/2004) Alexandra’s birth announcement

I live in Washignton state and ebay times are PST, If you live on the west coast remeber to take into consideration 3 hours diff on the east coast. Then all the other time zones are covered. I cant tell you how many things I sell go to the east coast areas!!! I generally dont have anything end after 5pm to 7pm PST. The nice thing about ebay is this…..if your window of opportunity to list is the wee hours of the morning or late at night, you can adjust your commands so the auction starts at any reasonable time you choose. Laureen

Response:

Carol, Yes, having it end late at night is a bad time because most people don’t bid after around 10:00pm or 11:00pm at night; after the evening news.   That’s when the majority of Americans go to bed. And if you have it end later at night even those who are interested won’t bid because they figure someone will stay up late and outbid them. It’s also true that bids can vary widely from day to day for no particular reason that you can predict. It all depends who is online and sees your auction.  And how many "copies" of the same item are available at the same time or on an ongoing basis also plays a part.  A CD, book, or sweater may go for $2 one day and $25 the next week.  It all depends on who was bidding at the time and how much they were willing to spend to get it. And bids are higher if more than one person wanted it a lot. You can’t plan these things ahead of time. You take your chances. I’ve been both the beneficiary and loser on eBay over the past year.  For example, I got a wonderful Merle Haggard songbook for just a couple of bucks last year when the seller was expecting at least $25 for it. I was the winner, the seller was the loser.  It was just luck for each of us. Now that I am selling on eBay I need to remember that because I’m on both sides now. Barbara – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Nicky, Alexandra is gorgeous!  I can’t believe how big our girls have grown. I just sold my first eBay item.  Wow, it cost more than $40 and I sold it for $15.50. That sucks.  I think the timing of it was off.  I should have it end earlier in the evening so people can bid on it.  It ended after midnite. What is your eBay link?? ~Carol Ann http://tinyurl.com/3zl95  <—Recent Pictures of Morgan Any helpful advice to pass on?? I’ve decided to start selling on eBay! OMG Carol Ann, I cannot believe it! I have started tonight to sell on eBay! I found beading very relaxing and I ended up with more than 40 key chains (too many even for presents!). DH so wanted to try eBay and he said we could try selling them there. It is so funny that you are doing it at the same time. Just like our little girls! I just saw the most recent pics of Morgan. OMG she has grown so much. She is so adorable. I cannot believe how bad I felt last year this time (m/s!). Alexandra is growing as well. She is starting her little screams and laughs and she has her daddy wrapped around her little fingers! Here are her latest pics: http://tinyurl.com/4pbez Good luck with your eBay adventure! Love Nicky Proud mamma to Alexandra (03/22/2004) Alexandra’s birth announcement

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Alexandra is growing as well. She is starting her little screams and laughs and she has her daddy wrapped around her little fingers! Here are her latest pics: http://tinyurl.com/4pbez Love Nicky Proud mamma to Alexandra (03/22/2004) Alexandra’s birth announcement

Lovely wee girl you have there — Tara Mum to Madison 28 March 2004 – my 29th birthday www.dazzled.com/lowcarb – my lowcarb story http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~tjharris/ – pics of Madison New Zealand

Response:

Nicky, Alexandra is gorgeous!  I can’t believe how big our girls have grown. I just sold my first eBay item.  Wow, it cost more than $40 and I sold it for $15.50. That sucks.  I think the timing of it was off.  I should have it end earlier in the evening so people can bid on it.  It ended after midnite. What is your eBay link?? ~Carol Ann http://tinyurl.com/3zl95  <—Recent Pictures of Morgan

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Any helpful advice to pass on?? I’ve decided to start selling on eBay! OMG Carol Ann, I cannot believe it! I have started tonight to sell on eBay! I found beading very relaxing and I ended up with more than 40 key chains (too many even for presents!). DH so wanted to try eBay and he said we could try selling them there. It is so funny that you are doing it at the same time. Just like our little girls! I just saw the most recent pics of Morgan. OMG she has grown so much. She is so adorable. I cannot believe how bad I felt last year this time (m/s!). Alexandra is growing as well. She is starting her little screams and laughs and she has her daddy wrapped around her little fingers! Here are her latest pics: http://tinyurl.com/4pbez Good luck with your eBay adventure! Love Nicky Proud mamma to Alexandra (03/22/2004) Alexandra’s birth announcement

Response:

Be extremely aware of the tremendous amout of phoney emails you will get supposedly from ebay and paypal asking for personal information… DO NOT GIVE OUT YOUR NAME AND PASSWORD!!

Great advice!  Thank you!

Response:

Any helpful advice to pass on?? I’ve decided to start selling on eBay!

OMG Carol Ann, I cannot believe it! I have started tonight to sell on eBay! I found beading very relaxing and I ended up with more than 40 key chains (too many even for presents!). DH so wanted to try eBay and he said we could try selling them there. It is so funny that you are doing it at the same time. Just like our little girls! I just saw the most recent pics of Morgan. OMG she has grown so much. She is so adorable. I cannot believe how bad I felt last year this time (m/s!). Alexandra is growing as well. She is starting her little screams and laughs and she has her daddy wrapped around her little fingers! Here are her latest pics: http://tinyurl.com/4pbez Good luck with your eBay adventure! Love Nicky Proud mamma to Alexandra (03/22/2004) Alexandra’s birth announcement

Response:

| Any helpful advice to pass on?? | | I’ve decided to start selling on eBay! | | I haven’t done this before.  I’ve thought about it for a looooooong | time.  I hope it is as easy as it looks. It IS easy! | | I’ll probably wonder why I didn’t do this years ago. You will.  Like anything else new to you, it’s strange and a bit intimidating at first, but rapidly becomes familiar. | | I’m going to sell baby stuff first.  Then, I’ll venture into other | areas.  I just have so much stuff that I won’t be using.  Hope I | don’t regret selling her really nice items….. Make s ure you get a paypal account set up (www.paypal.com). ; that’s crucial to getting the most/best bidders on your items, and the easiest and fastest way to get payment. A couple of years ago I did exacly what you’re doing.  I learned everything I know about ebay just from their help files.  They have great beginners guides.  I then helped my sister set up an ebay business; she buys and sells children’s clothing and knitting supplies.  (her eaby id is davmar4850.  She just moved so isn’t selling anything right now. I have my own ebay account too, although I do much more buying than selling. LOL! | | http://members.ebay.com/ws2/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewUserPage&userid=bestina… It’s a blast, have fun.  And maybe you’ll make a coupla bucks! | | ~Carol Ann | http://tinyurl.com/33uk7  <—Recent Pictures of Morgan born 3.24.04 — Peter 270/215/180 Before/Current Pix: http://users.thelink.net/marengo/weightlosspix/weightlosspix.html

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|| Any helpful advice to pass on?? <snip || http://tinyurl.com/33uk7  <—Recent Pictures of Morgan born 3.24.04 Shoot, I just checked out your auctions .. you’re an old pro, what are you talking about, getting advice?!!  You’ve already got 95 positive feedbacks. You go girl! — Peter 270/215/180 Before/Current Pix: http://users.thelink.net/marengo/weightlosspix/weightlosspix.html

Response:

Shoot, I just checked out your auctions .. you’re an old pro, what are you talking about, getting advice?!!  You’ve already got 95 positive feedbacks. You go girl!

Thanks, Peter, but that was from BUYING!  It’s actually 137 positive, but only 95 unique feedbacks.  LOL! I’ve added a few more items.  I also have new Harley Davidson gear that I want to sell. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – — Peter 270/215/180 Before/Current Pix: http://users.thelink.net/marengo/weightlosspix/weightlosspix.html

Response:

Be extremely aware of the tremendous amout of phoney emails you will get supposedly from ebay and paypal asking for personal information… DO NOT GIVE OUT YOUR NAME AND PASSWORD!! — – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – | Any helpful advice to pass on?? | | I’ve decided to start selling on eBay! | | I haven’t done this before.  I’ve thought about it for a looooooong | time.  I hope it is as easy as it looks. It IS easy! | | I’ll probably wonder why I didn’t do this years ago. You will.  Like anything else new to you, it’s strange and a bit intimidating at first, but rapidly becomes familiar. | | I’m going to sell baby stuff first.  Then, I’ll venture into other | areas.  I just have so much stuff that I won’t be using.  Hope I | don’t regret selling her really nice items….. Make s ure you get a paypal account set up (www.paypal.com). ; that’s crucial to getting the most/best bidders on your items, and the easiest and fastest way to get payment. A couple of years ago I did exacly what you’re doing.  I learned everything I know about ebay just from their help files.  They have great beginners guides.  I then helped my sister set up an ebay business; she buys and sells children’s clothing and knitting supplies.  (her eaby id is davmar4850.  She just moved so isn’t selling anything right now. I have my own ebay account too, although I do much more buying than selling. LOL! | |

http://members.ebay.com/ws2/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewUserPage&userid=bestina… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – It’s a blast, have fun.  And maybe you’ll make a coupla bucks! | | ~Carol Ann | http://tinyurl.com/33uk7  <—Recent Pictures of Morgan born 3.24.04 — Peter 270/215/180 Before/Current Pix: http://users.thelink.net/marengo/weightlosspix/weightlosspix.html

Response:

Carol Ann, I sell lots of stuff on eBay. there are a few things that I can recommend to you. First, take the time to make nice clean auction pages. This includes high quality pictures of whatever you are selling. The auction should be very descriptive of what you are selling, but don’t write up something that takes 3 hours to read. The pictures are invaluable to any auction. Sign up for Pay Pal if you haven’t already. I find that about 70% of my buyers use it to pay for their auctions. You’ll get more bidders if you use Pay Pal. I usually run 3 day auctions for items that are highly searched for on eBay. Run a 5 or 7 day auction only if you are selling something like a car, an antique, any rare item, or something very expensive. Don’t inflate shipping costs like a lot of sellers do. It’s a real turn off for bidders. Shipping supplies can be had for free if you use US Priority Mail. This is the best way to ship small items anyway. All of your boxes, tape, and mailing labels can be acquired for free, including delivery to your house! You can get them at http://tinyurl.com/mifk. You can also get free delivery confirmation by printing your mailing labels online. This will save you $.70 per package. This is available at https://sss-web.usps.com/ds/jsps/ds_landing.jsp. HTH Chris

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Any helpful advice to pass on?? I’ve decided to start selling on eBay! I haven’t done this before.  I’ve thought about it for a looooooong time. I hope it is as easy as it looks. I’ll probably wonder why I didn’t do this years ago. I’m going to sell baby stuff first.  Then, I’ll venture into other areas. I just have so much stuff that I won’t be using.  Hope I don’t regret selling her really nice items…..

http://members.ebay.com/ws2/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewUserPage&userid=bestina… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – ~Carol Ann http://tinyurl.com/33uk7  <—Recent Pictures of Morgan born 3.24.04

Response:

I’m selling my used vinyl LPs and CDs on both Amazon.com and eBay. Anazon.com now allows you to sell used CDs on their sites. Just call up the record title and add your copy to their list of used copies that are for sale. It’s easy to do and the the album cover photo is already on their site. But if you have vinyl LPs then eBay is the place to go to sell them. You will have to provide your own photo, but it’s one of the few places you can sell used vinyl records so it’s worth the trouble.  I’ve got about 200 titles for sale and I expect it will take about six months; I’ll give what is left to my local library branch for their next book sale. Barbara – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Any helpful advice to pass on?? I’ve decided to start selling on eBay! I haven’t done this before.  I’ve thought about it for a looooooong time.  I hope it is as easy as it looks. I’ll probably wonder why I didn’t do this years ago. I’m going to sell baby stuff first.  Then, I’ll venture into other areas.  I just have so much stuff that I won’t be using.  Hope I don’t regret selling her really nice items….. http://members.ebay.com/ws2/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewUserPage&userid=bestina… ~Carol Ann http://tinyurl.com/33uk7  <—Recent Pictures of Morgan born 3.24.04

Response:

<snip Actually, for light items, USPS Priority is cheaper than UPS. I don’t remember the weight were the costs cross over, but it does depend on distance obviously. Most of my items I ship are under 1 pound, which means I can do the postage online, and drop the package in any mail drop box. Only packages over 1 pound need to go across a mail counter. A package under 1 pound costs $3.85 to ship anywhere in the US. UPS costs more than that, and I have to go wait in line at the UPS terminal which is open a whole 2 hours per day here. I also need to provide a box to ship in, where I can get all my Priority supplies delivered to my house for free. Also, if you get in good with your mailman, he may even take your packages for you so you don’t even have to drop them off. If you figure out the added cost and time of UPS for the light items, it does not make sense. I also ship large boxes over seas to New Zealand to sell our products there. A 35 pound box, insured for $1000, costs about $180 via Global Priority Mail. the same package through UPS is over $250. The last package I sent to NZ took only 4 days to get to its destination, including customs. UPS takes well over a week. Some things are better shipped UPS, but not light packages, and almost nothing to another country, including Canada. Try shipping a package from the US to Canada via UPS and be prepared to pay for customs charges that the Post Office does NOT charge. Chris – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I only take Paypal. Im not so hard up for money so if people cant pay with Paypal and save me the trouble of long waits for cash and money oprders they dont have to bid. I charge actual shipping and rarely use the inflated USPS Priority mail rate. Communication is the key! I make sure to acknowledge payments and let people know their item(s) have been shipped. I have 99.9 feedback and my 2 negs were fro one seller who used feedback exhortion on me becase I hadnt left her feedback FIRST!!!! There are a few shits on ebay but on the whole it is a very fun way to get rid of junk and find name brand stuff for a fraction of the price. I buy my Lancome Tresor perfume and many gold rings for a song!!!! I got a 14kt gold bypass ring that looks like a stretched out horizontal number 8 for $21 and it had 24 diamonds in it and appraised for $250 Laureen

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Carol Ann, I sell lots of stuff on eBay. there are a few things that I can recommend to you. First, take the time to make nice clean auction pages. This includes high quality pictures of whatever you are selling. The auction should be very descriptive of what you are selling, but don’t write up something that takes 3 hours to read. The pictures are invaluable to any auction. Sign up for Pay Pal if you haven’t already. I find that about 70% of my buyers use it to pay for their auctions. You’ll get more bidders if you use Pay Pal. I usually run 3 day auctions for items that are highly searched for on eBay. Run a 5 or 7 day auction only if you are selling something like a car, an antique, any rare item, or something very expensive. Don’t inflate shipping costs like a lot of sellers do. It’s a real turn off for bidders. Shipping supplies can be had for free if you use US Priority Mail. This is the best way to ship small items anyway. All of your boxes, tape, and mailing labels can be acquired for free, including delivery to your house! You can get them at http://tinyurl.com/mifk. You can also get free delivery confirmation by printing your mailing labels online. This will save you $.70 per package. This is available at https://sss-web.usps.com/ds/jsps/ds_landing.jsp. HTH Chris Any helpful advice to pass on?? I’ve decided to start selling on eBay! I haven’t done this before.  I’ve thought about it for a looooooong time.  I hope it is as easy as it looks. I’ll probably wonder why I didn’t do this years ago. I’m going to sell baby stuff first.  Then, I’ll venture into other areas.  I just have so much stuff that I won’t be using.  Hope I don’t regret  selling her really nice items…..  http://members.ebay.com/ws2/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewUserPage&userid=bestina… ~Carol Ann http://tinyurl.com/33uk7  <—Recent Pictures of Morgan born 3.24.04

I only take Paypal. Im not so hard up for money so if people cant pay with Paypal and save me the trouble of long waits for cash and money oprders they dont have to bid. I charge actual shipping and rarely use the inflated USPS Priority mail rate. Communication is the key! I make sure to acknowledge payments and let people know their item(s) have been shipped. I have 99.9 feedback and my 2 negs were fro one seller who used feedback exhortion on me becase I hadnt left her feedback FIRST!!!! There are a few shits on ebay but on the whole it is a very fun way to get rid of junk and find name brand stuff for a fraction of the price. I buy my Lancome Tresor perfume and many gold rings for a song!!!! I got a 14kt gold bypass ring that looks like a stretched out horizontal number 8 for $21 and it had 24 diamonds in it and appraised for $250 Laureen

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – First, take the time to make nice clean auction pages. This includes high quality pictures of whatever you are selling. The auction should be very descriptive of what you are selling, but don’t write up something that takes 3 hours to read. The pictures are invaluable to any auction. I agree with this wholeheartedly.  On my left hand, currently resides a vintage diamond wedding set with about a 1/4 carat diamond and 5 little diamond chips, set in yellow and white gold. I stole it for $70 because the picture was so poor, you couldn’t tell what it looked like.  I knew it was the basic style I wanted, and the seller gave the mm measurement across the main stone, so I was pretty sure of what to expect.  Very happy experience for me. I’ve gotten a number of other excellent deals because the seller had a terrible picture of their merchandise.  If it’s something I’m familiar with, I just bid on it, and generally get exactly what I expected, and at a ridiculously low price. Putting more than one item in an auction can backfire on you, too.  It may be that the buyer is only interested in one of the items, and will skip over your auction. I just stole another item for $5.  It was worth $15-$20, but the seller included a damaged item along with the one that is in good shape.  After the third of the month, I’ll get to see my purchase in person!  :) Hope that helps.  Personally, I’ve had such horrible experiences selling on eBay that I won’t do it again.  Anything extra around here is going to the Salvation Army.   A lot of that, I’m sure, is that I get stressed out very easily.  If you’re a calm person by nature, things should be just fine. Good luck to you, Carol Ann! Carol

 I do. I buy like a maniac and sell a few things once in while. I’m much to busy to have 30 plus auctions going. I have 3 selling auctions going right now Check me out as the thefairlyoddmother Laureen

Response:

Any helpful advice to pass on?? I’ve decided to start selling on eBay!

There’s a Usenet group:  alt.marketing.online.ebay that can provide you a lot of information if the natives there don’t get too restless. Dick Stephens

Response:

Any helpful advice to pass on?? I’ve decided to start selling on eBay! I haven’t done this before.  I’ve thought about it for a looooooong time.  I hope it is as easy as it looks.

Over the last couple of months I’ve sold several items of clothing on eBay.   Here’s some pointers: 1.  If you are going to use PayPal, open a bank account at a completely separate bank to use for PayPal transactions.  I use Washington Mutual for that because it has free checking — I didn’t even bother getting checks for it.  That way, if something gets screwed up electronically, only what is in THAT account is affected.  It just makes me feel better to do it that way. 2.  You can print address labels from USPS.com.  Not only that, but you can PURCHASE the labels from them (via credit card), print them out, put them on your packages and then just DROP THEM OFF at the Post Office (as opposed to standing in line).  You still have to bring the packages IN to the office, but then you can just walk up to the counter, tell them you have a drop-off and then LEAVE.   That’s a BIGGIE for me with my sore feet (not to mention the perplexing tendency for at least 1 out of every 3 people who stand in post office lines to wear a LOT of perfume and/or cologne, which makes me sick).  The labels print on a full 8.5×11 sheet (half of which are instructions), so I don’t waste it on good adhesive paper — I just cut it out and tape it to the package (but don’t tape over the barcode part).   3.  Unless you have a business account with PayPal (which means getting tax ID), you will not be able to accept credit or debit card payments.  If, via eBay, you click on the button to say you accept and/or prefer PayPal, it will SHOW the credit card logos whether you like it or not, so it’s better to specify it in the payment instructions area instead.  I had to "officially" decline a couple of payments because of that, which delayed things. 3.  Factor in the cost of the shipping materials on the S&H charge if you want to "break even".   — Saffire 205/149/125  -  5′1.5" Atkins since 6/14/03 Progress photo:  http://photos.yahoo.com/saffire333

Response:

First, take the time to make nice clean auction pages. This includes high quality pictures of whatever you are selling. The auction should be very descriptive of what you are selling, but don’t write up something that takes 3 hours to read. The pictures are invaluable to any auction.

I agree with this wholeheartedly.  On my left hand, currently resides a vintage diamond wedding set with about a 1/4 carat diamond and 5 little diamond chips, set in yellow and white gold. I stole it for $70 because the picture was so poor, you couldn’t tell what it looked like.  I knew it was the basic style I wanted, and the seller gave the mm measurement across the main stone, so I was pretty sure of what to expect.  Very happy experience for me. I’ve gotten a number of other excellent deals because the seller had a terrible picture of their merchandise.  If it’s something I’m familiar with, I just bid on it, and generally get exactly what I expected, and at a ridiculously low price. Putting more than one item in an auction can backfire on you, too.  It may be that the buyer is only interested in one of the items, and will skip over your auction. I just stole another item for $5.  It was worth $15-$20, but the seller included a damaged item along with the one that is in good shape.  After the third of the month, I’ll get to see my purchase in person!  :) Hope that helps.  Personally, I’ve had such horrible experiences selling on eBay that I won’t do it again.  Anything extra around here is going to the Salvation Army.   A lot of that, I’m sure, is that I get stressed out very easily.  If you’re a calm person by nature, things should be just fine. Good luck to you, Carol Ann! Carol

Response:

Write me and I can send you the lists of what I have for sale. Mostly country music albums. Barbara – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’m selling my used vinyl LPs and CDs on both Amazon.com and eBay. Anazon.com now allows you to sell used CDs on their sites. Just call up the record title and add your copy to their list of used copies that are for sale. It’s easy to do and the the album cover photo is already on their site. But if you have vinyl LPs then eBay is the place to go to sell them. You will have to provide your own photo, but it’s one of the few places you can sell used vinyl records so it’s worth the trouble.  I’ve got about 200 titles for sale and I expect it will take about six months; I’ll give what is left to my local library branch for their next book sale. Barbara i BUY vinyl, what’s your ID?

Response:

I’m selling my used vinyl LPs and CDs on both Amazon.com and eBay. Anazon.com now allows you to sell used CDs on their sites. Just call up the record title and add your copy to their list of used copies that are for sale. It’s easy to do and the the album cover photo is already on their site. But if you have vinyl LPs then eBay is the place to go to sell them. You will have to provide your own photo, but it’s one of the few places you can sell used vinyl records so it’s worth the trouble.  I’ve got about 200 titles for sale and I expect it will take about six months; I’ll give what is left to my local library branch for their next book sale. Barbara

i BUY vinyl, what’s your ID?

Response:

Any helpful advice to pass on?? I’ve decided to start selling on eBay! I haven’t done this before.  I’ve thought about it for a looooooong time.  I hope it is as easy as it looks. I’ll probably wonder why I didn’t do this years ago. I’m going to sell baby stuff first.  Then, I’ll venture into other areas.  I just have so much stuff that I won’t be using.  Hope I don’t regret selling her really nice items….. http://members.ebay.com/ws2/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewUserPage&userid=bestina… ~Carol Ann http://tinyurl.com/33uk7  <—Recent Pictures of Morgan born 3.24.04

Response:

I sold my 1960 corvette on ebay and a few other items.  It works well usually and I have not had a problem as yet. Enjoy, Curt

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Any helpful advice to pass on?? I’ve decided to start selling on eBay! I haven’t done this before.  I’ve thought about it for a looooooong time. I hope it is as easy as it looks. I’ll probably wonder why I didn’t do this years ago. I’m going to sell baby stuff first.  Then, I’ll venture into other areas. I just have so much stuff that I won’t be using.  Hope I don’t regret selling her really nice items…..

http://members.ebay.com/ws2/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewUserPage&userid=bestina… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – ~Carol Ann http://tinyurl.com/33uk7  <—Recent Pictures of Morgan born 3.24.04

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Question:

Hey Derek, here’s a little gem you can get me for Valentine’s Day! Astronomers spy 10 billion trillion trillion-carat diamond The Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) – If anyone’s ever promised you the sun, the moon and the stars, tell ‘em you’ll settle for BPM 37093. The heart of that burned-out star with the no-nonsense name is a sparkling diamond that weighs a staggering 10 billion trillion trillion carats. That’s one followed by 34 zeros. The hunk of celestial bling is an estimated 2,500 miles across, said Travis Metcalfe, of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. "You would need a jeweler’s loupe the size of the sun to grade this diamond," said Metcalfe, who led the team that discovered the gem. The diamond is a massive chunk of crystallized carbon that lies about 300 trillion miles from Earth, in the constellation Centaurus. The galaxy’s largest diamond is formally known as a white dwarf, or the hot core of a dead sun. Astronomers have suspected for decades that white dwarfs crystallized, but only recently were able to verify the hypothesis. A paper detailing the discovery has been submitted to The Astrophysical Journal Letters for publication. —

Response:

Hey Derek, here’s a little gem you can get me for Valentine’s Day! Astronomers spy 10 billion trillion trillion-carat diamond

     You’d need to gain some weight in order to wear this, Jo…      I shouldn’t encourage you while you’re trying to lose some! Derek

Response:

"Derek Wills" <o…@astro.as.utexas.edu

wrote in message

news:c0ooeu$i9t$1@geraldo.cc.utexas.edu…

Hey Derek, here’s a little gem you can get me for Valentine’s Day! Astronomers spy 10 billion trillion trillion-carat diamond      You’d need to gain some weight in order to wear this, Jo…      I shouldn’t encourage you while you’re trying to lose some! Derek

I guess I could settle for a little tiny piece of it? jo

Response:

Hey Derek, here’s a little gem you can get me for Valentine’s Day! Astronomers spy 10 billion trillion trillion-carat diamond I guess I could settle for a little tiny piece of it?

I am in for let’s say a 10 kilo piece. But on the other hand, if we could bring this one in, the value of a diamond would make that uninteresting. Besides, what should we then give to the ladies? JMM

Response:

"John Morten Malerbakken" <John.Morten.removethisparttore…@malerbakken.removethiscom

wrote in

message news:ENZYb.49522$mU6.196115@newsb.telia.net…

Hey Derek, here’s a little gem you can get me for Valentine’s Day! Astronomers spy 10 billion trillion trillion-carat diamond I guess I could settle for a little tiny piece of it? I am in for let’s say a 10 kilo piece. But on the other hand, if we could bring this one in, the value of a diamond would make that uninteresting. Besides, what should we then give to the ladies? JMM

Hola, John Morten! I’d settle for utter devotion. Flowers once in a while are wonderful, too. Hugs, Benita

Response:

‘Twas Thu, 19 Feb 2004 11:22:44 -0500 when all alt.support.tourette stood in awe as "MamaBenita" <MamaBen…@comcast.net

uttered: I’d settle for utter devotion. Flowers once in a while are wonderful, too.

I have no problem giving a woman utter devotion.  I am not sure about the flowers. — RB |  

Question:

My son just did this at Christmas. I was already at my parents and they came down Christmas day. They flew down and spent the night. I asked him where he had it and he said in a pocket inside of a pocket in his jacket. The next day, "we" did the proposal. When I say "we", he had wanted it videoed, so my sister and I posed as "bag ladies" and sat on the park bench videoing the whole thing while she had NO clue. When the proposal was done, my son pointed over our way and I could see her mouth the words "WHO IS THAT??" I couldn’t hear anything, but he had called his fiance’s mom, she let the answering machine pick up, and they got the whole thing on tape. We dubbed the two together later…what fun!

What a creative and cool thing to do!!  You must have a great family!!

Response:

Yes, and the funny thing was, my SON didn’t even know it was us! We watched him get out the car and he called me on his cell phone, acting like he was just checking in with us, letting us know the place where they were *supposed* to go (SHE thought, to pick up her Christmas present, which as antique furniture store) wasn’t open yet, so they were just going to walk around the park and sit by the fountain. We had gone the night before and scoped it out. His fiance sat in the car with my sister because it was so cold and my son and I went through the park and said "you’ll be here, I’ll be over there somewhere" etc. After the proposal, he came walking over and said "I wouldn’t have EVER known that was you. I looked over and didn’t see you there, just two old homeless ladies". AH, what we won’t do for our kids  :)  Just glad his fiance was a good sport about it – I was afraid she’d be upset that we were "spying" on them. She LOVED that we had it all on tape and that her mom was able to hear it. She had NO clue that her mom was listening to it on his phone in his pocket. Pretty clever!

Response:

I want to give my girlfriend a ring while we are in Europe. The one thing I am worried about is getting it through the security checkpoint without her seeing it. We usually share a carry-on, so I can’t put it in there. Will it set off the metal detector, forcing me to show it to security (and her too)? It will be a 14 or 18k yellow gold ring with a 1/2 carat diamond and 2 1/4 carat emeralds. If I put it in a money belt and send the money belt through the x-ray machine, will they question it for any reason?

well it depends.  Each airport is different. I found that out the hard way last year. Philadelphia Airport: I had my rings on and my metal belt. the alarm went off. Memphis Airport : I had my rings and metal belt on.. No alarm. what was alarming was that even with the so called hightened security I was in line behind a lady who had those evil and sharp hat pins in her hair (yes her hair no hat!) so much for "hightened security" Atlanta Airport, belt set off alarm, rings didnt. those were three different airports and three different alarm reactions.  So it all depends. my advice is to just somehow secure it in your wallet and just put your wallet in the little basket. Niki,

Response:

I went through this last May.  I made plans to get engaged on the Big Island of Hawaii.  My fiance’ had just passed her architectural licensing exams, and I played it off as a celebration trip.  My plan was to do it the day we arrived, at sunset.  I had several thoughts regarding shipping the ring to the condos ahead of time, etc…  But when it came down to it, I ended up just putting it in my wallet. After talking with the people at the jewelry store, they told me that I could put it in my wallet and it wouldn’t be damaged, and it would be very unlikely to set off any alarms.  One idea, that I didn’t end up doing, was to even have a piece of paper with "there’s an engagement ring in my wallet" written on it, just in case they pulled me aside.  Like I said, I didn’t bother and it never became an issue. Luckily the wallet I had received as an Xmas gift had a zippered pocket inside.  I folded the ring in a little zip-lock style baggy, rolled it up, and tucked it in there.  At that time, I was able to leave my wallet in my pocket.  Every time I’ve flown since, I end up taking my wallet out of my pocket and putting it inside my shoes as it goes through the detector.  I would guess that a round "ringlike" object wouldn’t be given much thought as it rolled through. The worst part was sitting on an airplane for about 5 1/2 hours while the ring was in my wallet.  Then knowing that after landing I’d have X amount of hours to get her to the predetermined place for sunset (much earlier in Hawaii than WA), and hope that everything went according to plan.  With all that in mind, I had to try and keep from showing emotions or getting paranoid that I’d somehow blow my plans.  Luckily it all went off without a hitch (except for having to return the rental vehicle for a mechanical problem). I even had her take a picture of me with the sunset in the background.  My left hand dangled, while right hand was in my pocket holding the ring.  I thought about pulling it up and out just before she shot the picture, but I worried that it would sparkle and give it away.  Moments later it all happened. Good luck, Steve

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I want to give my girlfriend a ring while we are in Europe. The one thing I am worried about is getting it through the security checkpoint without her seeing it. We usually share a carry-on, so I can’t put it in there. Will it set off the metal detector, forcing me to show it to security (and her too)? It will be a 14 or 18k yellow gold ring with a 1/2 carat diamond and 2 1/4 carat emeralds. If I put it in a money belt and send the money belt through the x-ray machine, will they question it for any reason?

Response:

I want to give my girlfriend a ring while we are in Europe. The one thing I am worried about is getting it through the security checkpoint without her seeing it. We usually share a carry-on, so I can’t put it in there. Will it set off the metal detector, forcing me to show it to security (and her too)? It will be a 14 or 18k yellow gold ring with a 1/2 carat diamond and 2 1/4 carat emeralds. If I put it in a money belt and send the money belt through the x-ray machine, will they question it for any reason?

It shouldn’t set off the machine, after all most people walking through the checkpoint wear rings.  Just in case I put mine in a zipped coat pocket and put that through the scanner.  There should not be any problems.   — David

Response:

I want to give my girlfriend a ring while we are in Europe. The one thing I am worried about is getting it through the security checkpoint without her seeing it. We usually share a carry-on, so I can’t put it in there. Will it set off the metal detector, forcing me to show it to security (and her too)? It will be a 14 or 18k yellow gold ring with a 1/2 carat diamond and 2 1/4 carat emeralds. If I put it in a money belt and send the money belt through the x-ray machine, will they question it for any reason?

Response:

I want to give my girlfriend a ring while we are in Europe. The one thing I am worried about is getting it through the security checkpoint without her seeing it. We usually share a carry-on, so I can’t put it in there. Will it set off the metal detector, forcing me to show it to security (and her too)? It will be a 14 or 18k yellow gold ring with a 1/2 carat diamond and 2 1/4 carat emeralds. If I put it in a money belt and send the money belt through the x-ray machine, will they question it for any reason?

I doubt they’ll question a ring, regardless of where you put it — although who can tell in these days of "heightened security" (or paranoia, depending on your point of view)?  However, if *you’re* the one who puts the carry-on through the machine, you’ll be the one who’s asked to explain anything in it and, if my experience in San Diego and Chicago this past December is anything to go by, your girlfriend won’t be near enough to see or hear anything (in fact, if she wears an underwire bra or wears shoes with even a moderate heel [there's usually a steel shank inside], she’ll likely be having a "friendly" patdown/wave of the magic wand of her own while you deal with the carry-on). Enjoy your trip.  As an American living in Europe (and one who travels frequently), I’m happy to see other Americans still traveling to Europe and other places abroad. -j

Response:

ohhhhh, how sweet!

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I want to give my girlfriend a ring while we are in Europe.

Response:

One sure way to find out – contact the airport security office and ask them.  I think it is worth the inevitable hoops you will have to jump through to find out ahead of time! Misty

Unfortunately the security office will give you the governing policy but how closely it is carried out depends entirely on the individual screeners you happen to come across in your screening and how sensitively the metal detector you walk through is set. I volunteer at our Denver airport one day a week and often have to go through security three or four times in an afternoon.  In four trips through, I can be stopped to be wanded and shoe checked once, twice, three or four times, or not at all in the same day wearing the same clothes. You never know. That said, I always carry my jewelry in a backpack when traveling and have never had a problem.  I would suggest putting the ring securely in an inside jacket pocket, taking the jacket off and letting it go through the xray with coins and anything else metallic.  You’re a lot more apt to be stopped if you carry it on your person and it plus watch, zipper, buttons, etc. may trigger the alarm.   gloria p

Response:

My son just did this at Christmas. I was already at my parents and they came down Christmas day. They flew down and spent the night. I asked him where he had it and he said in a pocket inside of a pocket in his jacket. The next day, "we" did the proposal. When I say "we", he had wanted it videoed, so my sister and I posed as "bag ladies" and sat on the park bench videoing the whole thing while she had NO clue. When the proposal was done, my son pointed over our way and I could see her mouth the words "WHO IS THAT??" I couldn’t hear anything, but he had called his fiance’s mom, she let the answering machine pick up, and they got the whole thing on tape. We dubbed the two together later…what fun! ANYWAY, the answer to your question – you shouldn’t have any problem with the ring. I carry my jewelry on a carry-on all the time and have never been stopped. Her ring was a 1 1/2 carat in white gold with diamonds on either side – pretty good size.

Response:

One sure way to find out – contact the airport security office and ask them.  I think it is worth the inevitable hoops you will have to jump through to find out ahead of time! Misty – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I want to give my girlfriend a ring while we are in Europe. The one thing I am worried about is getting it through the security checkpoint without her seeing it. We usually share a carry-on, so I can’t put it in there. Will it set off the metal detector, forcing me to show it to security (and her too)? It will be a 14 or 18k yellow gold ring with a 1/2 carat diamond and 2 1/4 carat emeralds. If I put it in a money belt and send the money belt through the x-ray machine, will they question it for any reason?

Response:

Question:

When Ozzy was biting the head off of the bat and the dove..looks like he got carried away and bit off half of his pecker. (<:

Question:

Does anybody want to take me to somewhere exotic and propose ? I’d like to visit the Great Wall of China. I’ll probably say NO, But I fancy a free trip

Response:

Does anybody want to take me to somewhere exotic and propose ? I’d like to visit the Great Wall of China. I’ll probably say NO, But I fancy a free trip

With that height, I think quite a few people will want to take you. Do you like freefall?

Response:

Rob wrote, This is whacky….I’m doing the same thing on my 40th birthday (August 14) except I’ll be in Lisbon Portugal, so if anybody has any ideas for a good spot there I’d like to hear it.

In that case may I suggest the Castello del Moros, a 1,000-year-old ruin perched high on a hillltop in neaby Sintra. Lovely Sintra is an easy train ride from Lisbon and a bus will take you the steep road up to the site, or you can walk on wooded paths (a walk back down is better). It is a remarkable place, completely open to the sky. Photos: http://www.rigra.pt/sintra/sintra_mouros_p.htm Happy 40th, good luck, and have a great trip!

Response:

If you really want secluded, there is a path in the Foret des Cedres in the Luberon that includes a view of Mt. St. Victoire.

Make sure it’s a spot that you’ll still be able to reach when you are 80 years old.

Response:

If you told the museum management what you wanted to do, they might let you stay a few minutes after closing to do it in private.

In France??  Usually everything is closed and everyone out well before the official closing time.  In fact, French employees become pretty unresponsive during the last half hour before closing.  In France, customer service means "the customer serves."

Response:

If you knew the Paris region a bit better, I’d suggest one of the candlelight Saturday nights at Vaux-le-Vicomte.  But Vaux can be a little tough to get to unless you have a car [and even then it helps to have one person in the car able to interpret French road signs quickly].

[snip] I read French well, but found the signage in that area pretty poor. Michael To reply by email, please take out the TRASH (so to speak). Personal messages only, please!

Response:

This is whacky….I’m doing the same thing on my 40th birthday (August 14) except I’ll be in Lisbon Portugal, so if anybody has any ideas for a good spot there I’d like to hear it. I’ve already bought the ring (solitaire, 1/2 carat diamond…beautiful) ….smuggled one of her other rings to the jewellers to have it sized & got him to commit resizing it if it’s wrong! Good points about metal detectors….I was simply gouing to stash it in my rucksack. The box is way to small to be worrying the bomb squad! Good luck!!! Rob. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – If you knew the Paris region a bit better, I’d suggest one of the candlelight Saturday nights at Vaux-le-Vicomte.  But Vaux can be a little tough to get to unless you have a car [and even then it helps to have one person in the car able to interpret French road signs quickly]. Vaux lit by candles looks like a fairy tale palace.  Anyone approaching the main entrance feels like Cinderella arriving at the ball.  And the candlelit pathways in the garden at the back are otherwise dark enough to be very romantic and private-feeling.

Response:

The tip of Les Beaux, with the view of the Alpiles and the plain below.

Particularly as the sun is setting.  [Iknow the spot OughtFour is talking about.]

Response:

If you knew the Paris region a bit better, I’d suggest one of the candlelight Saturday nights at Vaux-le-Vicomte.  But Vaux can be a little tough to get to unless you have a car [and even then it helps to have one person in the car able to interpret French road signs quickly]. Vaux lit by candles looks like a fairy tale palace.  Anyone approaching the main entrance feels like Cinderella arriving at the ball.  And the candlelit pathways in the garden at the back are otherwise dark enough to be very romantic and private-feeling.

Response:

I’m hoping it won’t set off too many detectors, and I’ll probably have to declare it first with out customs.

Definitely have the sales receipt in your wallet so you can prove you bought the ring =before= the trip. Ya, we’ve discussed it quite a lot, looking for a new home as well, talking about dogs and kids etc.  Even though it’s close to 100% that she’ll say yes, I’d still like to surprise her and make it a very memorable proposal.  

I feel much better about this [okay, I'm a total stranger, but still...] knowing more of the circumstances.  This isn’t so much a surprise proposal as a very romantic one that the two of you will be able to look back on, re-enact, tell family about, etc., for years to come.

Response:

Here’s my two cents: In Provence, drive to the small hilltop town of Bonnieux – it’s one of the prettiest, yet less touristed than the others you mention. At the very top is a small park-like space, perfect for a picnic and a proposal. In Paris, I’d suggest getting far from the madding crowd. Try one of the beautiful parks on a nice day, like Parc Monceau or Parc des Buttes-Chaumont. And, if you don’t mind a slight taste of the macabre, the Cemetiere Pere LaChaise is a beautiful setting, too (afterall, ‘Til death do we part…) – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi, I’m sure this question has been asked before, but I’d like to hear what people think would be a romantic location for me to propose to my girlfriend next month when we visit Paris & Provence.  I’m planning this to be a secret from her, so I can’t do too much in terms of an elaborate setup (due to limited time and funds). We will be in Paris for a week, followed by a self-guided driving tour of Provence for another week.  In Provence, we will be in the following locations: Avignon/Arles/Aix en Provence Cassis/Gordes/Roussillon/Lourmarin Les Baux/St. Remy I’m particularly interested in hearing from the ladies what they would consider to be an ideal place to receive the big question (and the big diamond).  If you have a story of your own proposal, I’d love to hear it too.  Our idea of romantic place is more of the secluded, scenic type of location that can be slightly out off the beaten path.  I’m not very familiar with France at all, so any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks! (to reply by email, please remove the ‘nospam’ portion)

Response:

… We’re actually from Canada.  I’m hoping to bring along a 18k white gold ring with a cubic zirc. rock for now (we can’t afford a real diamond quite yet, ugh).  I’m hoping it won’t set off too many detectors, and I’ll probably have to declare it first with out customs.

You will certainly need to carry proof of purchase and it would be very advisable to inform Canadian customs before you export the ring. My personal view is that choosing the ring together is an important part of the whole thing and much better than springing one on her that she might not choose. It also makes it much easier to ensure that the ring you buy will fit her finger – a ring from her other hand will probably not be a good guide as fingers on your dominant hand tend to be larger than those on the other. Fingers also vary with the ambient temperature, tending to be larger in the summer and smaller in the winter. Do you think if I put it in my carry bag that it’ll red flag them for inspection?

Probably not. However, it would help the x-ray machine operator to see what it is if you arrange it so that it lies flat, rather than stands on edge, when the bag is placed on the conveyor belt. They usually only hand inspect when they cannot identify something on the picture. Colin Bignell

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – "RoyalJelly" wrote, Thanks for the suggestions thus far, I’d love to hear more about Provence spots too… The Roman Theater in Arles. The tip of Les Beaux, with the view of the Alpiles and the plain below. The Camargue (the Mediterranean in the Rhone delta, south of Arles) at sunset. If you really want secluded, there is a path in the Foret des Cedres in the Luberon that includes a view of Mt. St. Victoire. One walk that includes this path is described in a book of walks and hikes in France that is published by Fodor’s, though this is not necessary. There are many spots like this throughout the Luberon valley. To my mind, though, culture and architecture are more memorable than just geography unless the venue is really spectacular. Also personal associations should count, i.e. if she loves impressionism, Monet’s Gardens in Giverny (though crowded in season); if she loves bread, the Poilane Bakery in the 6eme etc. Paris scores high on this scale, which is why (I suspect) so many have suggested Parisian venues for your big question. I was going to add the garden in back of the Hotel Byron, aka the Rodin Museum. The Roman Arena off of Rue Mouffetard is less elegant and pretty, but also a very special place. Good luck winning fair maid!

If you’re looking for natural beauty and relative peace, quiet and solitude, take a walk out to the sea end of calanques Port Miou and Port Pin near Cassis.  If you’re really wanting to hike, you can continue beyond Port Pin to calanque En Vau.  The tourist office in Cassis has information about accessing the trails. For Paris, I second the suggestion for the garden of the Rodin Museum (H

Question:

In a previous article, Baltigirl said… My fiance got my engagement ring on Jeweler’s Row in Philadelphia–

Back in the early 80s, I was looking into engagement rings (’til I got smart – but that’s a whole different story) and walked up and down Sansom Street, up to Eighth & Walnut, went all along Jeweler’s Row and talked to a lot of people, but didn’t find too much in the way of creativity there.  It might have been that it was a busy time, or that we just didn’t talk to the right people, but I went away unimpressed. I found a jeweler in, of all places, the Manoa Shopping Center in Havertown who showed us everything he had, then helped us brain- storm some ideas.  What we finally decided on was a half of a ring guard, a very pretty filigree dual-band ring where one of the bands would be shorn and a diamond would be mounted in the center. The jeweler then sat down and drew a sketch of what the finished product would look like.  It was a very cool process. What I like to suggest to people is to go to one of the mom-and-pop storefront jewelry store, and brainstorm with the jeweler.  The P&L- sheet-oriented mall stores won’t be able to do that with you.  Try to decide what you want, and find someone who can make it for you, not just sell you out of a catalog.  It’s a lot of fun, too, to be part of such a creative process. Where did I get the ring my wife wears?  From a fireman.   She wanted a simple solitaire, so I was referred to a local diamond merchant (whose full-time gig is fighting fires in PG County) who set it up.  What a deal! — Joe Pucillo Baltimore, Maryland  USA To reply by email, please remove the .xx from the address.

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi all,   I’m getting married October 13th, and we just started looking for wedding rings.  At first I thought I’d like something plain, but then I saw this really cool ring at a local jewelry store.  Basically, it’s an 18k gold band, and on the top is a narrower band of platinum that tapers off and disappears on the side.  In the center is a 0.20 carat diamond that’s embedded into the platinum.  It’s kinda similar to the engagement ring I got for my fiancee (link below), except that the gold portion is platinum, and the platinum portion is gold on the men’s wedding band.

(my engagement ring is quite close to the one in the weblink, except that the gold on my ring is sent on top of the platinum instead of "infused" into it) One thing to keep in mind– my wedding ring is platinum with a band of gold in it, and the jewler mentioned to me that this type of ring, where the metals are fused together, can never be resized. They had to go to the manufacturer to make my wedding ring in my size because they could not adjust the ring in the store. I don’t know if this is that big of an issue to you, I don’t know if the size of men’s fingers change over time, but it was an issue for me as many women notice that their fingers swell during pregnancy, and I didn’t want to have to put my wedding ring on a shelf for nine months if I happen to get pregnant!   I know this is a pretty vague description, but I was wondering if, in anyone’s searches, they’ve seen a ring like this online, and if so, do you have a link?  The local jewelry store is trying to charge $1900 for it, and I think that’s a bit extreme.  <snip

You didn’t mention whether or not this was with the diamond. I am guessing that it is since you mentioned the daimond is embedded. Even at only .2 ct, a good quality diamond can add a lot to the price whereas a lower quality diamond would be less expensive. Make sure you know what you’re getting. Another good idea is to check the price of platinum. It has been fluctuating a lot recently. When we bought my wedding ring, our jewler was kind enough to wait a few days, watch the market price of platinum, and he placed the order on a low day and was able to save us $200 US. Of course we also ran the risk that the price would go up in those few days, and we were on a tight schedule because our wedding was only six weeks away. Since you have until October, you could use the varying price of platinum to your advantage.   Another jeweler (RF Moeller) had the exact same ring for $1600, except that the platinum part was white gold instead (and no, they don’t have it listed on their webpage unfortunately)  Seems to be a moot point to me, as the top of the ring probably won’t be scratched and rubbed against all that often (I don’t think/)  For $300 (+ what I can negotiate that down to), I’m thinking I’d go with that.  <snip Chris

There is a difference between the color of white gold and platinum. When they are placed next to each other it is easy to tell the difference. Platinum has absolutely no color, but white gold will have a warmer tint. If neither you nor your fianc

Question:

Ellen, I can understand why you would want to counter some of the stuff Doc spews here.  I feel compelled to jump in and express my feelings about things I read here from time to time.  However, speaking from 3 years experience of participation on this newsgroup, taking Doc on is much like spitting in the wind.  And anyway, he doesn’t listen. Most of us regulars just ignore him and save our infinite wisdom for those more capable of listening ) Barb

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – The motivation behind my message wasn’t so much about ‘flaming’ this fellow but rather contesting the ideas being presented.

Response:

Hi Barb, I can understand why you would want to counter some of the stuff Doc spews here.  I feel compelled to jump in and express my feelings about things I read here from time to time.  However, speaking from 3 years experience of participation on this newsgroup, taking Doc on is much like spitting in the wind.  And anyway, he doesn’t listen.

Oh I’m nearly certain that he’s not listening to me — one of the reasons I deliberately changed the subject line is that my experience with trolls — especially those who dump the same load of crap onto a variety of lists — is that they ordinarily tend to look to see if they got a reply in their own subject line but don’t bother with the others.  Because of that, I figure I can counter the drivel he spews without him bothering with me at all. Most of us regulars just ignore him and save our infinite wisdom for those more capable of listening ) Barb

I understand and I appreciate the advise I’ve received about how it’s not worth the effort to reply to him.  Right now, though, I’d like to see if he so much as notices my counterpoints — I wager not.   In the meantime, I get a temporary sense of comfort in speaking up/speaking out about the subject.  Maybe it’s because I was once too weak or maybe just too naive to do so when it may’ve made a difference in my personal life. Ellen

Response:

Waaaahooooooooooo.  Nothing like stirring the gals up er. nick – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – If a university offered a course entitled, "How To Marry A Rich Man", bitches would be scratching each other’s eyes out to be the first in line to ante up the tuition; but if there were a class aimed at men, called "How To Get Laid For Free", these same coeds would be screaming sexism and marching with protest signs outside the dean’s office. For women – even so-called "liberated" women – marriage is a socially convenient means to make a living: they can get their hands on wealth and prestige simply by vowing "I do" and occasionally spreading their legs. Manipulating a man – especially a rich man – to make a commitment is the Holy Grail of a woman’s life, the consummation of all her efforts during her sick charade of "romance". The only truly important act in any woman’s life is the selection of the right spouse. It rescues her from any personal responsibility for the future. She may work, but it’s often a "no-brainer" job while she’s marking time waiting for her future provider to happen along. It will be her husband who’s saddled with the mortgage payment while she chips in for the cable bill and considers this "equality". Her motto reads, "My money is mine, his money is ours", the philosophy of an overindulged child. No mother ever taught her daughter that she should grow up to support her husband. The greater a man’s salary, the more likely a woman is to eschew any sort of labor, and the more likely she is to sit at home and whine about boredom. The more her husband gives her, the lazier and more demanding she becomes. When she isn’t manipulating men, she simply has nothing else to do. A bitch uses marriage to gain power, and once she attains it, her husband is fated to a life of abuse. This is very expensive pussy. When a naturally polygamous male commits to his bride-to-be, not only does he forfeit control of his finances, but he is constrained to forsake all opportunities to mate with other females. Of course, this is in her best interest – she calls it "security" – but it is really a blasphemy against nature. As long as she can coerce him into spending more, more, more on her whims, and as long as he realizes that if he divorces her he will lose half of his assets, she has effectively padlocked him into a chastity belt. No one knows better than she that a woman has no use for an impoverished man. A husband enters into matrimony assuming that the wedding vows have granted his new wife societal approbation to revel in uninhibited sex, but in his naivete he has not noticed the gleaming pair of castration shears hidden in her bridal bouquet. She has no real interest in him sexually, a workhorse should be out in the fields laboring, not wasting his energies on intercourse. He has dreamed of years of wild passion and pleasurable company; what he gets is a lifetime of mood swings and an infrequent and indifferent lay. A wedding is an orgy of female narcissism. This is her day, her starring role in her personal soap opera, the glorious denouement of all her childhood and cultural fantasies. It is "me" with a capital M. Dating has been a specious and unbridled quest for a man of means and courtship meant keeping her boyfriend hypnotized by the lure of her sexuality, numbing his senses to the trapdoor swinging wide open in front of him. Long before her wedding day she is avidly planning, bringing on brides’ magazines and being fawned over in dress shops, spending hours picking out the right invitations, wallowing in the presumption that the whole world is focusing on how special she is. She certainly won’t forget to arrange for the novel-length lists of gift suggestions at various bridal registries (expensive stores only, of course), and she’ll yelp like a pampered child when she rips open presents at her shower. It goes without saying that she is oblivious to the reality that someone must actually pay for her egoism – she is too busy daydreaming about herself, the virtuous, trembling bride, two-stepping down the aisle in a nave like a movie set, all eyes upon her. The wedding guests gasp, awestruck by her beauty and elegance, as if the cold marble of a perfect statue had suddenly come to life. Her husband-to-be, his mind unclouded by such reveries (there are no grooms’ magazines for him), has pacted an uneasy truce with her self-worship. His participation in the nuptial preparations has been to log in more hours at work to pay for the first-class tropical honeymoon she has ordered, which is making him wince even at his salary. It’s not for nothing that she forced him down on his knees in front of her to propose. He’s not fantasizing about storybook castles or how handsome he’ll look in his tuxedo (appropriately enough, a funereal black); instead, he’s sweating out the credit card bill on the two carat diamond his "Financee" has pressured him into buying by skillfully rationing sex. While her mind is awash with abstractions of dizzying "love", he’s still cringing from her recent assaults on his manhood – pouting that his house just isn’t going to be big enough for her. A bride doesn’t really love her husband – what she is actually in love with is the persona she has created for herself: the blushing newlywed who’s fallen head over heels for a good man who will take care of her until death do us part, as if life were really a Doris Day movie. She has succeeded in mythologizing herself. But what she ignores is the reality that she has spurned and demoralized decent suitors who lacked sufficient capital to indulge her tastes; that all along she has used her body as a tool and a weapon; that she is bringing nothing to the marital bargaining table except greed and a vagina; and she has addicted her husband to a sexual fix, so that when she restricts her availability, he will pay any price to get it, thus turning marriage into legalized crime. She is a venal whore and human enough to be at least on some level aware of her inner fraudulence, but the very act of mythologizing her role in this masquerade will guarantee the perpetuation of her self-delusions. Marriage is a cultural gloss on a lifetime of prostitution. This is the REALITY! Now Q the pussy whipped bitch enablers in their droves, it’s all so fucking predictable. LAUGHS Doc

– My love shall hear the music of my hounds.

Response:

Dear Ellen, The problem with a "discourse" with a doc is that if you start to do that, where does it end? There are millions of dumb, alienated, hateful people in the world. It generally seems to be a waste of time to fight them – IMO of course. I completely understand the issue of standing up for what is right, but at some level, he is a classic troll in that he lives for the conflict, not the ideas. Of course, doc never answers *ideas* with anything other than petty insults, because he hasn’t the intellectual ammo to do so. But it is your time. It just seems as useful as arguing with someone in the airport with a sign reading "Feed Jane Fonda to the Whales" – not likely to do much good. Tim

Response:

Let’s face it there’s good women who have been done wrong and bad women who have done wrong, then there’s good men who have been done wrong, and bad men who have done wrong. The point is if you let your hatred of your ex carry over into any other relationship, then that relationship is doomed from the start. Pretty soon you start comapiring the two and , poof, before your know it you hqave another "bitch" or "bastard" on your hands and you are looking for another lawyer. Sam

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Well, I always knew he had *something* on his hands…. Happy New Year, Tim << I think you meant "in" his hands, though in his case, I am sure one hand would suffice. Maybe even a couple of fingers.. Happy new year to you too. Tim

Response:

But it is your time. It just seems as useful as arguing with someone in the airport with a sign reading "Feed Jane Fonda to the Whales" – not likely to do much good.

Well, at least argueing with doc won’t poison the whales. <G —                         ILLEGITIMI                             NON                         CARBORUNDUM

Response:

Do trolls HAVE mothers? i think they just crawl out from under a rock one day…

Just wondering. Were’nt Drol and Thepants selfprofessed trolls? Does the above apply to them? Frank

Response:

Doc if you dont stop telling the world about all the things my ex did you *will* be hearing from my attorney. Frank – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – If a university offered a course entitled, "How To Marry A Rich Man", bitches would be scratching each other’s eyes out to be the first in line to ante up the tuition; but if there were a class aimed at men, called "How To Get Laid For Free", these same coeds would be screaming sexism and marching with protest signs outside the dean’s office. For women – even so-called "liberated" women – marriage is a socially convenient means to make a living: they can get their hands on wealth and prestige simply by vowing "I do" and occasionally spreading their legs. Manipulating a man – especially a rich man – to make a commitment is the Holy Grail of a woman’s life, the consummation of all her efforts during her sick charade of "romance". The only truly important act in any woman’s life is the selection of the right spouse. It rescues her from any personal responsibility for the future. She may work, but it’s often a "no-brainer" job while she’s marking time waiting for her future provider to happen along. It will be her husband who’s saddled with the mortgage payment while she chips in for the cable bill and considers this "equality". Her motto reads, "My money is mine, his money is ours", the philosophy of an overindulged child. No mother ever taught her daughter that she should grow up to support her husband. The greater a man’s salary, the more likely a woman is to eschew any sort of labor, and the more likely she is to sit at home and whine about boredom. The more her husband gives her, the lazier and more demanding she becomes. When she isn’t manipulating men, she simply has nothing else to do. A bitch uses marriage to gain power, and once she attains it, her husband is fated to a life of abuse. This is very expensive pussy. When a naturally polygamous male commits to his bride-to-be, not only does he forfeit control of his finances, but he is constrained to forsake all opportunities to mate with other females. Of course, this is in her best interest – she calls it "security" – but it is really a blasphemy against nature. As long as she can coerce him into spending more, more, more on her whims, and as long as he realizes that if he divorces her he will lose half of his assets, she has effectively padlocked him into a chastity belt. No one knows better than she that a woman has no use for an impoverished man. A husband enters into matrimony assuming that the wedding vows have granted his new wife societal approbation to revel in uninhibited sex, but in his naivete he has not noticed the gleaming pair of castration shears hidden in her bridal bouquet. She has no real interest in him sexually, a workhorse should be out in the fields laboring, not wasting his energies on intercourse. He has dreamed of years of wild passion and pleasurable company; what he gets is a lifetime of mood swings and an infrequent and indifferent lay. A wedding is an orgy of female narcissism. This is her day, her starring role in her personal soap opera, the glorious denouement of all her childhood and cultural fantasies. It is "me" with a capital M. Dating has been a specious and unbridled quest for a man of means and courtship meant keeping her boyfriend hypnotized by the lure of her sexuality, numbing his senses to the trapdoor swinging wide open in front of him. Long before her wedding day she is avidly planning, bringing on brides’ magazines and being fawned over in dress shops, spending hours picking out the right invitations, wallowing in the presumption that the whole world is focusing on how special she is. She certainly won’t forget to arrange for the novel-length lists of gift suggestions at various bridal registries (expensive stores only, of course), and she’ll yelp like a pampered child when she rips open presents at her shower. It goes without saying that she is oblivious to the reality that someone must actually pay for her egoism – she is too busy daydreaming about herself, the virtuous, trembling bride, two-stepping down the aisle in a nave like a movie set, all eyes upon her. The wedding guests gasp, awestruck by her beauty and elegance, as if the cold marble of a perfect statue had suddenly come to life. Her husband-to-be, his mind unclouded by such reveries (there are no grooms’ magazines for him), has pacted an uneasy truce with her self-worship. His participation in the nuptial preparations has been to log in more hours at work to pay for the first-class tropical honeymoon she has ordered, which is making him wince even at his salary. It’s not for nothing that she forced him down on his knees in front of her to propose. He’s not fantasizing about storybook castles or how handsome he’ll look in his tuxedo (appropriately enough, a funereal black); instead, he’s sweating out the credit card bill on the two carat diamond his "Financee" has pressured him into buying by skillfully rationing sex. While her mind is awash with abstractions of dizzying "love", he’s still cringing from her recent assaults on his manhood – pouting that his house just isn’t going to be big enough for her. A bride doesn’t really love her husband – what she is actually in love with is the persona she has created for herself: the blushing newlywed who’s fallen head over heels for a good man who will take care of her until death do us part, as if life were really a Doris Day movie. She has succeeded in mythologizing herself. But what she ignores is the reality that she has spurned and demoralized decent suitors who lacked sufficient capital to indulge her tastes; that all along she has used her body as a tool and a weapon; that she is bringing nothing to the marital bargaining table except greed and a vagina; and she has addicted her husband to a sexual fix, so that when she restricts her availability, he will pay any price to get it, thus turning marriage into legalized crime. She is a venal whore and human enough to be at least on some level aware of her inner fraudulence, but the very act of mythologizing her role in this masquerade will guarantee the perpetuation of her self-delusions. Marriage is a cultural gloss on a lifetime of prostitution. This is the REALITY! Now Q the pussy whipped bitch enablers in their droves, it’s all so fucking predictable. LAUGHS Doc

Response:

Hi Tim, <<How incredibly illogical based upon some of "dr_webb’s" other arguments. Of course. The problem is this: Is it worthwhile to expend any real energy on this person – at all?

Hmmm.  I don’t see it as expending energy on this person but rather, it’s more about not sitting still for/remaining silent about the ideas that are being put forth. I habitually insult him, but my heart is never really in it.

The motivation behind my message wasn’t so much about ‘flaming’ this fellow but rather contesting the ideas being presented. See, years ago, my stbx was reading an assortment of authors who said pretty much the same thing as was posted here albeit in an erudite way.  Now I, being the ever-so-reasonable human being that I am, tried reading some of these books — especially those by Warren Farrell.  I fully acknowledge that the bias in some of the feminist’s works can be just as harsh as what Farrell et al effects.  What I find most unfortunate is that some people [be they male or female] "grab hold" of some of the ideas postulated in the books and it’s like … oh, there erupts a revisionist perception of one’s own life history which now includes a variety of new elements of perceived discrimination because of one’s gender.  It’s as if all of a sudden, the reader evolves into the hero (or heroine) s/he sees being portrayed in *a* Story of Gender issues. I’m all for obtaining self-esteem and not being ashamed of oneself because s/he is a male or female.  There’s good to be said about both genders and unfortunately, I’ve seen too little of that.  For instance, we hear a great deal about deadbeat dad laws, but there’s little mention of the statistical fact that Fathers who were active in their children’s lives prior to a divorce *generally* want to remain active in the lives of their kids after a divorce. That these men *generally* do their damnedest to live up to the financial obligation of helping support their children.  Similarly, contrary to what this man is writing here, *in general*, women aren’t out to TAKE everything away from their ex-husbands and there are statistical facts that indicate that it is the female’s standard of living that is more likely to deteriorate after a divorce.  I have also heard that there is statistical evidence that divorced women are now becoming the fastest growing group of people seeking bankruptcy. After being in a relationship in which I heard "You’ll do it [whatever "it" might be] because that’s what women do.  You can’t help yourself.", there’s no way I’m going to sit here and let "dr_webb" spew his bullshit when it is precisely this kind of belief system that destroyed what was once a "good marriage".   It would probably be prudent to clarify something though:  I recognize that this may be one of those "Which came first?  The chicken or the egg?" types of questions in which my stbx’s dissatisfaction with his half of married life was such that he was looking for a rationalization to end the relationship and this one worked as well or better than any other.  Certainly approaching it from a sociological and/or gender discrimination angle is a novel approach to take especially if one doesn’t want to take the initiative to change one’s life so that it can be a positive experience instead of a negative one.   Ellen

Response:

How incredibly illogical based upon some of "dr_webb’s" other

arguments.<< Of course. The problem is this: Is it worthwhile to expend any real energy on this person – at all? I habitually insult him, but my heart is never really in it. He just cannot sustain my attention long enough for a real flame. Nice effort though. Tim

Response:

If a university offered a course entitled, "How To Marry A Rich Man", bitches would be scratching each other’s eyes out to be the first in line to ante up the tuition; but if there were a class aimed at men, called "How To Get Laid For Free

Do they have a course called "how to be held when you need it" or "how to stand when you feel like your broken" or "how to keep loving when your heart has been ripped out" guess i just never took the right course…maybe i should have looked for "how to marry a rich man" instead of trying to find love…and hey i just might like a class called "how to get laid for free" i might be 40, but i am still *hot* ….hmmm dont whore’s get paid? that just might be a job i could do…(btw, do you really believe men dont marry for money? or that they only marry for sex? hmmm i know a lot of guys who dont even want sex, their wives gripe…so maybe *YOU* are going to the wrong school hon….) hugs, Brenda

Response:

In reading this pathetic material, I was wondering ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Is this what you think of your own Mother too ? ?

Do trolls HAVE mothers?

Response:

Keith, ha ha ha Your post is excellent ! — Loretta