OT: A nation of scammers (US Capitalism gone wild?)

"Paul E. Schoen" wrote:

"mpm" <mpmill...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:dc0e34fd-d0a5-48a1-a208-005e82dd4c2a_at_b7g2000yqd.googlegroups.com...
Lately, I've been barraged, nay, attacked by morons seeking to
separate me from my money.

What happend to the US?
It seems like I just woke up, and BAM!  - cheats, liars and theives
everywhere.

Cynacism, or reality??

Everybody's looking for an angle, screw the other guy.  Whatever it
takes.  </rant

People have become used to making money on money and credit and speculation,
without really doing any useful work. When their world crashed, they had no
real skills, so they have had to find other ways to maintain their inflated
lifestyles and egos by whatever means possible. They don't have a concept of
honest work.

I've also been bombarded recently with increasing numbers of calls from
charities. They use keywords like Veterans, Police, Firefighters, Cancer,
Children, Hunger, Disease, Disabled, and such to shame you into
contributing. But most times you can check these charities and find that
their administration and fund-raising costs are 95% of their budget, so a
pittance goes to those who need it. The CEOs of such charities, and their
cronies, earn large salaries. And yet they are able to meet the requirements
for a non-profit organization.

   When they call I tell them I'm a 100% Disabled Veteran (The truth)
and ask what help they can offer me.

--
Greed is the root of all eBay.

"Paul E. Schoen" <paul_at_pstech-inc.com> wrote in
news:TMUln.19521$bx3.14519_at_newsfe13.iad:

dcaster_at_krl.org> wrote in message
news:b006e9e7-86dd-43d4-b69d-759d15d3695c_at_y11g2000yqh.googlegroups.com.
..

While you are writing, put down Comcast. They are promoting giving
a DTA ( Digital Transport Adapter to home owners for their second
TV's. Their advertising is Welcome to The World of More! But in
fact the DTA only provides 480i signals. So it really ought to be
Welcome to the World of Less.

480i is better than no TV at all.

On Wed, 10 Mar 2010 07:57:51 -0500, PeterD <peter2_at_hipson.net> wrote:

On Tue, 09 Mar 2010 18:16:40 -0800, John Larkin
jjlarkin_at_highNOTlandTHIStechnologyPART.com> wrote:

On Tue, 9 Mar 2010 18:00:58 -0800 (PST), mpm <mpmillard_at_aol.com
wrote:
...
Note: not to pick on Vonage. I could have just as easily used Heinz
Ketchup,

Everybody knows that DelMonte tastes better.

John

No way, if you want better, you have to make your own...

Gotta take a pass on that. I use so little that even the smallest
bottles are spoiling before i get more than halfway through them.

Water is getting expensive too. My utility bill says I used 1 cubic
foot of water at $1.06 per cubic foot. But then they add on the charge
of reading the meter of $5.16, so the total comes to $6.16. Now if
they would only read the meter every 6 months, I could save $25.50 in
meter reading charges.

Must be a good job reading meters. It might take 3 minutes to make 5
bucks.

JosephKK wrote:

On Wed, 10 Mar 2010 07:57:51 -0500, PeterD <peter2_at_hipson.net> wrote:

On Tue, 09 Mar 2010 18:16:40 -0800, John Larkin
jjlarkin_at_highNOTlandTHIStechnologyPART.com> wrote:

On Tue, 9 Mar 2010 18:00:58 -0800 (PST), mpm <mpmillard_at_aol.com
wrote:
...
Note: not to pick on Vonage. I could have just as easily used Heinz
Ketchup,

Everybody knows that DelMonte tastes better.

John

No way, if you want better, you have to make your own...

Gotta take a pass on that. I use so little that even the smallest
bottles are spoiling before i get more than halfway through them.


I haven't used any ketchup in over 40 years. I never liked the
taste. I love tomatoes, but ketchup always made my sick to my stomach.

On Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:51:40 -0500, PeterD <peter2_at_hipson.net> wrote:


Bwa-ha-ha-ha... Just like in the grocery store: price based on
different units of measure.

(in oz pricing, Heinz is $0.12, DelMonte is $0.13, which is basically
the same price.) <bg

I often see the "large" size priced significantly higher per unit than
the "small", so I buy 2 of the small

...Jim Thompson

Jim Thompson wrote:

I often see the "large" size priced significantly higher per unit than
the "small", so I buy 2 of the small :-)


I've seen signs stating $1 each, or $15 a dozen and watched people
pick up a dozen.


My best deal recently was 24, 12 oz bottles of sugar free syrup for
$2. That is 8.33 cents a bottle. Half (one case) will go to my
diabetic dad, and the rest will probably last me till it goes bad.

"Paul E. Schoen" <paul_at_pstech-inc.com> wrote in
news:TMUln.19521$bx3.14519_at_newsfe13.iad:


dcaster_at_krl.org> wrote in message
news:b006e9e7-86dd-43d4-b69d-759d15d3695c_at_y11g2000yqh.googlegroups.com.
..

While you are writing, put down Comcast. They are promoting giving
a DTA ( Digital Transport Adapter to home owners for their second
TV's. Their advertising is Welcome to The World of More! But in
fact the DTA only provides 480i signals. So it really ought to be
Welcome to the World of Less.

480i is better than no TV at all.

Wow! I had totally missed that one!!
'Round here, we have these folks who dress up in camouflage with the
word "Veterans something or other" stenciled on the backs of their tee-
shirts.
Then, they hang out in traffic canvassing for cash donations.
(Greatly slowing down traffic in the process.)

Since a lot of these folks seem to be in their early 20's, I sorta
question the whole "veterans" angle.
None of them "look" like they were ever in the military. I never
give.

If it weren't illegal, and if I could somehow avoid the messy cleanup,
I would run them over for sure!

Bill Bowden wrote:

 Water is getting expensive too. My utility bill says I used 1 cubic
foot of water at $1.06 per cubic foot. But then they add on the charge
of reading the meter of $5.16, so the total comes to $6.16. Now if
they would only read the meter every 6 months, I could save $25.50 in
meter reading charges.

   I have my own well & pump so I only pay for the electricity to lift
it from the Florida Auquifer.

Must be a good job reading meters. It might take 3 minutes to make 5
bucks.

   They just drive down the street and read it through their RF links..
My electric bill for last month was $64.93.

--
Greed is the root of all eBay.

"mpm" <mpmill...@aol.com> wrote in message

news:33deb819-f47a-4f1a-9869-e108e5f1423f_at_z11g2000yqz.googlegroups.com...

For food, it often makes sense to buy (2) of the smaller to avoid
spoilage once opened.
Surprisingly, some items are cheaper this way too.

MOSFETs and capacitors act this way, too.

On Mar 10, 6:19 pm, "Michael A. Terrell" <mike.terr...@earthlink.net
wrote:



"Paul E. Schoen" wrote:

"mpm" <mpmill...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:dc0e34fd-d0a5-48a1-a208-005e82dd4c2a_at_b7g2000yqd.googlegroups.com....
Lately, I've been barraged, nay, attacked by morons seeking to
separate me from my money.

What happend to the US?
It seems like I just woke up, and BAM!  - cheats, liars and theives
everywhere.

Cynacism, or reality??

Everybody's looking for an angle, screw the other guy.  Whatever it
takes.  </rant

People have become used to making money on money and credit and speculation,
without really doing any useful work. When their world crashed, they had no
real skills, so they have had to find other ways to maintain their inflated
lifestyles and egos by whatever means possible. They don't have a concept of
honest work.

I've also been bombarded recently with increasing numbers of calls from
charities. They use keywords like Veterans, Police, Firefighters, Cancer,
Children, Hunger, Disease, Disabled, and such to shame you into
contributing. But most times you can check these charities and find that
their administration and fund-raising costs are 95% of their budget, so a
pittance goes to those who need it. The CEOs of such charities, and their
cronies, earn large salaries. And yet they are able to meet the requirements
for a non-profit organization.

   When they call I tell them I'm a 100% Disabled Veteran (The truth)
and ask what help they can offer me.

--
Greed is the root of all eBay.

 Water is getting expensive too. My utility bill says I used 1 cubic
foot of water at $1.06 per cubic foot. But then they add on the charge
of reading the meter of $5.16, so the total comes to $6.16. Now if
they would only read the meter every 6 months, I could save $25.50 in
meter reading charges.

Must be a good job reading meters. It might take 3 minutes to make 5
bucks.

On Wed, 10 Mar 2010 11:46:14 -0800 (PST), mpm <mpmill...@aol.com
wrote:







Wow!  I had totally missed that one!!
'Round here, we have these folks who dress up in camouflage with the
word "Veterans something or other" stenciled on the backs of their tee-
shirts.
Then, they hang out in traffic canvassing for cash donations.
(Greatly slowing down traffic in the process.)

Since a lot of these folks seem to be in their early 20's, I sorta
question the whole "veterans" angle.
None of them "look" like they were ever in the military.  I never
give.

If it weren't illegal, and if I could somehow avoid the messy cleanup,
I would run them over for sure!

If they are not veterans then it is illegal for them--the stolen valor
act made it so. Ask for proof of veteran status, if they can't/won't
provide it, call the authorties.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Lately, I've been barraged, nay, attacked by morons seeking to
separate me from my money.

What happend to the US?
It seems like I just woke up, and BAM! - cheats, liars and theives
everywhere.

From the banks, to the government, to Vonage!
(Sorry Vonage, not a customer here, but hey, would it kill you to
mention aloud that your $14.95 price is only good for 6 months, and
even then, only with a one-year committment?)

Just recently I got a check in the mail ($6.25) from "Processing Center"
I figured it was a rebate check, my wife takes advantage of these.
I was about to put it in the checkbook for deposit but decided to
see who it was from. I was about 5/8 of the way through the verbage
when it said, "by cashing this check you agree to a $12.99 charge on
your credit card, which we already have on file." I was about to sign
up for some cash back on credit card purchases deal. This was Budget
Car rental, I rented a car a few months ago. This to me was a blatent
effort to steal money. I sent emails to 5 different divisions of Budget
and didn't get any response.
Mike