Subj : Re: Todays Blooper To : Barry Martin From : Daryl Stout Date : Fri Oct 02 2020 02:10:00 Barry, DS> You're just full of good news. :P BM> At least it's just news this time! DS> I'm full of the other stuff...that's why my eyes are brown. BM> I've heard of Yellow Journalism but not Brown! That's what the lamestream media uses. :P BM> Sounds like a variation of what goes one here where the messages have BM> a timestamp based on when they were downloaded from or uploaded. Well, I've already got the needed library from Microsoft installed on the system...and installed default control files for it...still no dice. I have noticed that with the SyncTerm telnet client, the time stamp on the QWK packets is in prevailing local time. But, if I use the MTel telnet client, the time is in UTC -- what's showing up in the message bases instead of CST or CDT (depending on the time of year), but the numeric time is "correct". BM> Sounds like the old comedy routine where the bill payer was buying a BM> little more time by 'accidentally' putting the Electric Company's check BM> in the Gas Company's envelope, etc, They wouldn't be so accommodating (sp?) today. BM> Hopefully if (C) you're not doing (B) -- no wonder funds are low! More often than not, funds are tighter than a frog's butt underwater. Unless something changes, I may not be able to buy gas for the car, or food (and I'm basically out). Basically, my disability payment is already spent for the whole month...too many unexpected bills. I've been down the road of bankruptcy once...I don't want to go through it again. BM> Yes, a nuisance to correct the things others have done wrong. Wonder BM> if a "statement section" on the letter would help? Would be like the BM> section one tears off a business's billing which has the return address BM> and amount due. The 'where to' information would be there along with BM> the amount to pay. And I'm thinking so what if the other person pays BM> the wrong amount? Let the treasurer deal with the problem. The BM> treasurer has to if the square dancer sends the check directly like BM> they're supposed to. What I'm going to do at the Delegates Meeting next Saturday, via Zoom, emphasize that "I am NOT the Treasurer, and have NO BUSINESS handling money meant for the organization". I've created a new reminder card with the renewal form, and the address of where to mail it. If they still send it back to me, I'll send it back to them, with a note, saying "Don't even bother sending any more money...since you can't follow the directions on the form, your transaction will NOT be processed". I don't care if it pisses them off (my anger management class does that already ), but if the check is made out improperly...either amount wise, or is not signed, the bank won't take it. I may also tell them that "if you make it to me instead of the organization, that I will just cash it for my use". BM> Also thinking maybe have a second address for the treasurer just above BM> the 'tear off' section: the square dancer could cut this one out and BM> tape to their envelope. (So make sure the address sections are at the BM> left or right margin so can be cut out easily.) I guess I'll have to supply a self addressed stamped envelope for it. But, what they might do, if they have computer mailing label decals, is just put one of them over the address, and use it for something else. Basically, I can't win for losing...the story of my life lately. BM> Maybe my suggestions will help lessen that problem. I'm not holding my breath. I told the President and the Treasurer of the organization that "For several weeks (if not months), this stuff has been in the publication, on the websites, on the meeting handouts, and I've even discussed it at the meetings. But, apparently no one was reading the info (a waste of time, paper, ink, and money), and not paying attention to me (a waste of my time and my breath)". Well, they can't ignore it now...strong times call for strong measures. Again, my defense is that "I'm NOT the Treasurer, and have NO BUSINESS handling money meant for the organization". We had a case a few years ago where the Treasurer was embezzling funds. I have enough trouble with my own bankbook, and surely don't want to mess with another entities finances. BM> Taking a few days or maybe a week at most might not be a bad idea, but BM> the 100% exclusion of everthing and everyone I think is a bad idea: BM> seems to me like cutting all leaves you with no one to vent to, no one BM> to give ideas and alternate considerations (like I did with the errant BM> square dancers above). If Suzy calls or e-mails and she's a PITA you BM> don't have to answer. If Mark e-mails and he's fun you can respond. I haven't gone back to the Editors email in several days. They will have to admit that "I AM RIGHT" when I say "I am NOT the Treasurer". In fact, I was seriously considering deleting the websites, the publication data, and quitting the organization and my club (plus discarding all my square dance clothes and related items)...saying "you can find some other poor b@$+@rd to do the work, and keep your d@mn money!!". I have donated over $1000 to the organization, and if I had required reimbursement, they'd be broke by now. Yet, I'm the one who is "broke". They are talking about reimbursing me, but I told them that "I'm NOT expecting them to do such, as I promised that I would do it for free". Now, if they vote to do such, I'm not going to refuse it...as they say, "Never look a gift horse in the mouth". BM> Is the slowness problem the Postal Service or the insurance company BM> dragging their feet? The USPS can't deliver what they don't have. I called the insurance company, and they said it was mailed on Sep. 25, the date on the letter. They said if I still don't have it by Oct. 9, to call them back. BM> I'd probably be stocking up on Ramen Noodles (use only a third of the BM> seasoning packet) at 25› -- have seen multipacks on sale. Or maybe BM> pasta -- Hy-Vee recenty had pound boxes on sale for a dollar. I can't even afford gas for the car, let alone food right now. The organization has offered to reimburse me for some of my expenses. That would help, but I told them I was NOT expecting such. Now, if that annuity were to come in, that'd be a big help. Eating out does get expensive, but I tend to use the "cheapskate budget option". Plus, it holds the food here when I can't get out, in case of bad weather or other things. However, while I would love to take a couple of train trips to get away from things for a time (I feel I deserve one...but have had to cancel numerous trips over the years), the concerns that I have are: 1) Going away from home for several days. You can't just drop what you're doing to come back home, if an incident occurs. Now, if I had a trusted friend to stay here and watch things while I was gone, that might be a different story. 2) Health issues. I never know when I'll have a kidney stone, migraine, or gastroenteritis attack (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea). Plus, driving or riding in a car for long distances, causes my legs to spasm...where I could possibly lose control of the car, wrecking it, and getting severely hurt or killed. At least in the Sleeping Car on Amtrak, I can stretch my feet out. While one has to wear a mask while on board, if I travel in the Sleeping Car, I can take the mask off in there, and have the porter bring the food to me. Unless I get a "deluxe bedroom" or a "handicapped bedroom", I have to leave the compartment to use the toilet. Never mind all the crap with COVID-19, and transportation issues when you travel if you're not driving yourself. 3) Should I get a generator or not?? The commercials you see are very deceptive...that's just the price of the generator, and NOT including the labor and installation costs, which can be rather substantial. I don't lose power here that often, but when power is lost, it can be for several days or weeks, like it was in late June and early July, 2019...after severe storms pulled the electric meter off the north side of the house. Back in 2000, back to back ice storms put portions of north Arkansas "in the dark" for nearly 2 months. 4) All the rioting with the politics, etc. I saw that a football coach put a note on his door, noting "All Lives Matter to The Lord Jesus Christ"...and it turned out to be his resignation letter. I've got a feeling that Biden will win, and this country will turn into another Venezuela, Cuba, North Korea, Russia, etc. These "never Trumpers" and all the others have been acting like temper tantrum spoiled brat kids. When Obama won, then got re-elected, you didn't see the kind of tantrums from the Republicans and conservatives, that you're seeing from the Democrats and liberals when Trump defeated Clinton. Only The Good Lord knows who is going to win the election, but I pray I'm dead and gone before the bottom falls out. Some commentators have said that "the last trump" is not only "the last trumpet before the final series of prophetic events before The Second Coming Of Christ, are set into motion"...but that Trump is the last US President before the bottom falls out on this country. BM> And yes, do Fun Stuff like QWK mail and the bulletins. Sure the BM> updating could have a problem area -- 'fun' doesn't have to be all BM> balloons and lollipops, but more 'entertaining' and 'enjoyable': I like BM> taking on a problem and fixing it! I feel good when it's done and BM> working right! I've got insomia from all the stress, so I likely will have to nap later today. That's why I'm answering BBS mail at this hour. The rest of the day, I'll just update the ham radio and weather related items, and not logon again...unless I see a new user applied for access, then I'd have to logon to upgrade them. If I don't see anything in the Post Office box via the app (although many days, it's wrong), I just stay home. At least I figured out how to logon via the LAN with Team Viewer, so I don't have to go in the other room, unless to unplug the computer due to thunderstorms, then plug it back in afterwards...or after a Windows Update (next scheduled one on October 14). DS> With the EFT, you don't have to worry about it getting stolen DS> in the mail. BM> True. And I do write down the process/approval number down in my BM> ledger. Never needed it, but there just in case, When I had to send money through the mail, I used a check, but I sent it Certified Mail/Return Receipt if sent First Class Mail, or I'd pay more and send it overnight. Either way, a signature was required, and I could track it online. Then, if they said "they did not get it", I'd ask "Do you have an employee named [John Doe]??. If they say "Yes", I'll reply "they signed for it...so you need to do something about it". I'd rather pay via PayPal or the debit card. My bank has a Fraud Prevention program, that if a transaction looks suspicious, I will get a call or a text message, asking me to verify the transaction. I was the victim of identity theft several years ago, and have several deals in place to protect me from it happening again. BM> Yes, I'm not sure what they do there other than waste time, argue, and BM> look out for themselves. Quite sure they do do some representing of BM> the People, but.... It's like the cartoon...before the election, they give voters "the thumbs up". After they are elected, they give us "the obscene bird". BM> Personally I didn't watch the Presidential debate last night either, BM> though will look at extracts from various sources later today. I sort BM> of went into the decision not to watch live biased: IMO Mr. Trump is BM> not a good public speaker, which is sort of a necessity for a BM> politician. Mr. Biden is a lawyer and a decent public speaker, so BM> phrases to get listeners to agree with him. I was sick much of Tuesday with a migraine sinus headache, that I could not hold my eyes open. I didn't even get out of bed until 3pm, and only ate a couple of cheese danish all day. I'm about to use the last 2 of those, and all I have left in the house is flavored water. It looks like it's back to bread and lunch meat sandwiches for another month...if I can even afford that. That's not the healthiest diet, but right now, I have no choice. The hobbies are keeping what sanity I have left, but if I can ever get funds to put the BBS in the cloud, I'll get rid of the high speed internet here, as I can logon via a Verizon Mi-Fi. That'd save at least $100 a month, that I could use for groceries. I'm reminded of the meme, where this elderly couple is talking with their financial advisor about retirement money. He tells them "it boils down to who's holding the gun and stickup note, and who's driving the getaway car". BM> I tend to not like sweet cereals and so stick with shredded wheat BM> (plain), topped with a generic Grape Nuts and raisins - lots of BM> raisins! OTOH I do like breakfast sweets: donuts, and the like. Let BM> myself go and I'd make Cookie Monster look like Emily Post was dining! I haven't had cereal in ages, and am not a breakfast person. I love chocolate iced donuts (with a Diet Doctor Pepper), though. The only time I eat breakfast is if I have an early morning medical appointment, and had to fast beforehand...or if I'm doing a morning ham radio license exam session. DS> Don't startle me...I tend to poop easily. :P BM> "Surprise!" in more ways than intended! Like the meme with the baby having a horrified look on his face, and the caption "OMG!! That wasn't a f@r+!!" Daryl .... You have diabetes, the doctor said sweetly. === MultiMail/Win v0.52 --- SBBSecho 3.11-Win32 * Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - tbolt.synchro.net (454:1/33) .