At $30 a dozen, shouldn't they all be...edible? This is the second time I've received a shipment from them that has been partially rotten. Granted, they haven't charged me for these, but I'm not interested in dealing with moldy oranges.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Oh, the Pain!
I have a broken tooth! Tooth number 31, which would be my lower right molar, is cracked vertically.
I had a root canal in it last year, so the tooth was already shot. It really aggravates me, though, that I spent $1200 on a root canal with a crown just to have the tooth pulled anyway. UGH!
Michael said...
Same story for #4 and #13. There is no question that this was some sort of genetic weakness... Both teeth needed root canals and crowns (#4 in 1998, #13 in 2002), and then both developed failures at the root which made it necessary to extract them (#4 in 2001, #13 in 2008). The bridge I have over #4 cost $5,000, and I have a space where #13 was because I do not have the money to pay for it.
Serena said...
As we were discussing tonight, the only teeth mom had and dad has left are the bottom front eight. Those are the only healthy teeth in my mouth, and you mentioned they are the only healthy teeth in yours. It must be heredity. That's the only explanation that makes any sense!
I had a root canal in it last year, so the tooth was already shot. It really aggravates me, though, that I spent $1200 on a root canal with a crown just to have the tooth pulled anyway. UGH!
Michael said...
Same story for #4 and #13. There is no question that this was some sort of genetic weakness... Both teeth needed root canals and crowns (#4 in 1998, #13 in 2002), and then both developed failures at the root which made it necessary to extract them (#4 in 2001, #13 in 2008). The bridge I have over #4 cost $5,000, and I have a space where #13 was because I do not have the money to pay for it.
Serena said...
As we were discussing tonight, the only teeth mom had and dad has left are the bottom front eight. Those are the only healthy teeth in my mouth, and you mentioned they are the only healthy teeth in yours. It must be heredity. That's the only explanation that makes any sense!
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Salary Caps
The headline in the weekend edition of the Wall Street Journal today is,
Senator Christopher Dodd of Connecticut inserted "the new and retroactive limit", much to the chagrin of Wall Street and members of the Obama Administration.
The article carries on to say, "The administration is concerned the new provisions will prompt a wave of banks to return the government's money and forego future assistance, undermining the program's effectiveness. . .
"The rules would apply to any company that has received aid under the $700 billion bailout program since it began in October...
"Congressional aides said the bonus provisions means an executive could receive a bonus equal to as much as 50% of salary. A $500,000 bonus for someone with a $1 million salary would meet the test because it would make up no more than a third of the person's $1.5 million total compensation.
"Under the bill, bonuses could be paid only in restricted stock, which recipients couldn't cash in until the Treasure is repaid. . . .
"New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo . . . alleged this week that Merrill "secretly" moved up the date for awarding bonuses and that the total was $3.6 billion, including $121 million to four top executives." (Emphasis added.)
Hello?!?!?! They make more money in a bonus than I will see in my lifetime!!! Thank you, Senator Dodd, for trying to inject some common sense into this whole bailout scheme.
If the companies can afford to give their executives bonuses, what the hell do they need MY tax dollars for? Perhaps these executives can look for sympathy to the 3 million plus Americans that lost their jobs in recent months. They are certainly not going to find any here.
"Bankers Face Strict New Pay Cap".
Senator Christopher Dodd of Connecticut inserted "the new and retroactive limit", much to the chagrin of Wall Street and members of the Obama Administration.
The article carries on to say, "The administration is concerned the new provisions will prompt a wave of banks to return the government's money and forego future assistance, undermining the program's effectiveness. . .
"The rules would apply to any company that has received aid under the $700 billion bailout program since it began in October...
"Congressional aides said the bonus provisions means an executive could receive a bonus equal to as much as 50% of salary. A $500,000 bonus for someone with a $1 million salary would meet the test because it would make up no more than a third of the person's $1.5 million total compensation.
"Under the bill, bonuses could be paid only in restricted stock, which recipients couldn't cash in until the Treasure is repaid. . . .
"New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo . . . alleged this week that Merrill "secretly" moved up the date for awarding bonuses and that the total was $3.6 billion, including $121 million to four top executives." (Emphasis added.)
Hello?!?!?! They make more money in a bonus than I will see in my lifetime!!! Thank you, Senator Dodd, for trying to inject some common sense into this whole bailout scheme.
If the companies can afford to give their executives bonuses, what the hell do they need MY tax dollars for? Perhaps these executives can look for sympathy to the 3 million plus Americans that lost their jobs in recent months. They are certainly not going to find any here.
I started a Facebook account. What a hoot! I found a few people I attended high school with, most of whom now live "NOT" in Buffalo. :D I also started a Farm with a couple of my friends. I tell you what, if you've got too much time on your hands, Facebook is the place to be!
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra
For the past four years or so, Ma (my high school English teacher) has given Ian and me tickets to the BPO's Family Series at Kleinhan's. It's wonderful.
An hour before the show, there is "Instrument Zoo" in the Mary Seton Room. There, the children are given the opportunity to try out various instruments.
An hour before the show, there is "Instrument Zoo" in the Mary Seton Room. There, the children are given the opportunity to try out various instruments.
The show itself, performed by the BPO and usually a small group of actors/actresses, is completely kid-oriented. This month's show, on Sunday, February 8th, was put on by the BPO and a group called Tales and Scales. The actors and actresses (2 of each) used their instruments to tell a story called The Little Dragon. Ian is always glued to these shows.
After the show, they set up two microphones, one in each aisle, for a question and answer period. The actors, a musician or two, and the conductor take the children's questions for as long as they will ask them. It usually adds on 30 minutes to the show, and the children want to know everything.
It's an amazing learning experience. For both of us!
Happy Spring Training Day!
(Picture from obrienbaseball.com)Happy Spring Training Day!
Pitchers and catchers report today.
The rest of the teams report on February 17th.
Summer is practically here!
Friday, February 13, 2009
Rather interesting quote, don't you think?
"I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered."
Thomas Jefferson, 1802
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
No Kidnap Here.
Ian came home from the after school program today and reported that a little girl had been stolen from a house on our street. He didn't know who, though, hadn't been questioned and didn't seem concerned at all, so I passed it off as a kids' tall tale. A friend of mine just called me and wanted to know if Ian was okay, because she, too, had heard a child had been kidnapped who lived on my street.
I called the Town police department. I am told they have no knowledge of a kidnapping in my neighborhood, nor do they have any idea how this rumor got started. I will stay up 'late' and watch the 10:00 news just in case. And I think that, until my heart stops pounding, today will be the last day for a while that I let Ian go get the mail unattended. "Scared Mom" trumps "big boy" any day of the week.
I called the Town police department. I am told they have no knowledge of a kidnapping in my neighborhood, nor do they have any idea how this rumor got started. I will stay up 'late' and watch the 10:00 news just in case. And I think that, until my heart stops pounding, today will be the last day for a while that I let Ian go get the mail unattended. "Scared Mom" trumps "big boy" any day of the week.
Monday, February 09, 2009
Economic Stimulus?
I kid you not, the more I read about the bail-out plan and economic stimulus, the more confused I become. Fortunately, my big brother is Obi-Wan. :) My questions to him are in pink.
Okay. I'm completely confused.
So are most Americans.
Wasn't there a 325 billion dollar bail out last fall?
There was a $700MM+ bailout approved by Congress, of which only the first half (~ $325MM) was given away. Because it was administered by the Bush Crime Family, there was no oversight or accountability, so we discover that the money was spent on executive bonuses, luxury retreats, banks buying other failing banks as tax shelters, and stashing the money in order to ride out the crisis. In other words, almost none of it (apparently) was spent on what it was SUPPOSED to be spent on, which was buying the bad debt.
And now there is more money being shelled out?
Yes. If you remember my primer about the meltdown (http://hyperionappraisal.blogspot.com/2008/10/financial-disaster-in-three-acts.html), you can scoot to the bottom and realize that there is approximately $56 TRILLION dollars of exposure to bad debt, most of which is off-balance-sheet. In other words, banks have not been forthcoming about their actual exposure to bad debt, and therefore banks do not trust each other to lend. THAT set of facts is the basis for the "credit freeze" which is forcing businesses under.
Also, we still have between one and one-and-a-half trillion dollars worth of alt-a and option-ARM loans which have not reset, and experts are predicting another 10 million people will be losing their homes.
Is the 817 billion they are talking about now in addition to what was shelled out last fall?
Yes. Only it isn't $817MM, it's north of $900MM last time I checked.
Or hasn't anything actually been shelled out yet?
The most recent $900MM package has not been passed by Congress yet. The Rethuglicans are trying to scuttle it because it does not have enough tax cuts for their wealthy patrons.
Who is footing the bill for all of this, this time around?
We all are. Get ready for hyper-inflation. The money that is being handed out is not coming out of thin air. The government will have to print more money, thereby devaluing the currency, thereby causing inflation. All of us will be paying more for everything - food, energy, gas, medicine - everything - for as far as you can see into the future.
This is a failure of Republican economic policies, and with all their posturing and preening about "tax cuts" for everyone, they hide the biggest truth in all of this - that inflation is the cruelest tax of all.
Okay. I'm completely confused.
So are most Americans.
Wasn't there a 325 billion dollar bail out last fall?
There was a $700MM+ bailout approved by Congress, of which only the first half (~ $325MM) was given away. Because it was administered by the Bush Crime Family, there was no oversight or accountability, so we discover that the money was spent on executive bonuses, luxury retreats, banks buying other failing banks as tax shelters, and stashing the money in order to ride out the crisis. In other words, almost none of it (apparently) was spent on what it was SUPPOSED to be spent on, which was buying the bad debt.
And now there is more money being shelled out?
Yes. If you remember my primer about the meltdown (http://hyperionappraisal.blogspot.com/2008/10/financial-disaster-in-three-acts.html), you can scoot to the bottom and realize that there is approximately $56 TRILLION dollars of exposure to bad debt, most of which is off-balance-sheet. In other words, banks have not been forthcoming about their actual exposure to bad debt, and therefore banks do not trust each other to lend. THAT set of facts is the basis for the "credit freeze" which is forcing businesses under.
Also, we still have between one and one-and-a-half trillion dollars worth of alt-a and option-ARM loans which have not reset, and experts are predicting another 10 million people will be losing their homes.
Is the 817 billion they are talking about now in addition to what was shelled out last fall?
Yes. Only it isn't $817MM, it's north of $900MM last time I checked.
Or hasn't anything actually been shelled out yet?
The most recent $900MM package has not been passed by Congress yet. The Rethuglicans are trying to scuttle it because it does not have enough tax cuts for their wealthy patrons.
Who is footing the bill for all of this, this time around?
We all are. Get ready for hyper-inflation. The money that is being handed out is not coming out of thin air. The government will have to print more money, thereby devaluing the currency, thereby causing inflation. All of us will be paying more for everything - food, energy, gas, medicine - everything - for as far as you can see into the future.
This is a failure of Republican economic policies, and with all their posturing and preening about "tax cuts" for everyone, they hide the biggest truth in all of this - that inflation is the cruelest tax of all.
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
Monday, February 02, 2009
Goodbye, Graves'!
As most of you know, I was diagnosed with Graves' Disease about five years ago.
I came within hours of having my thyroid destroyed with radioactive iodine, when my blood work came back normal. Spontaneous remission!
I was in remission for about a year, but then I went through a period where I was under a tremendous amount of stress, and the Graves' came back with a vengeance. I made some changes in my life, and about two years ago, went back into remission.
My doctor believes the Graves' has resolved itself. I'll have my thyroid levels checked once a year for the rest of my life, just as a precaution.
Life is good!
I came within hours of having my thyroid destroyed with radioactive iodine, when my blood work came back normal. Spontaneous remission!
I was in remission for about a year, but then I went through a period where I was under a tremendous amount of stress, and the Graves' came back with a vengeance. I made some changes in my life, and about two years ago, went back into remission.
My doctor believes the Graves' has resolved itself. I'll have my thyroid levels checked once a year for the rest of my life, just as a precaution.
Life is good!
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