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I know many of us enjoy the Foolanthropy campaigns and it appears there isn't one again this year. I say bah humbug to that; we can do it ourselves.
Here's how it works. Anyone so inclined posts a matching challenge or pitch for a charity and see if we can build a little enthusiasm, momentum and fun while helping out some worthy causes. It can be a little or a lot or just adding comments.
There's already one gift challenge underway with HarryCarysGhost's Dividend Contest.
To get it rolling, for every comment to any of my blog entries or articles between today and Christmas, I'm donating 30 cents per comment up to $150 to Lutheran World Relief.
Last year, it was three sets of school supplies. This year, I'm planning on giving cash - but will entertain suggestions from the LWR gift catalog.
Short of ideas for comments? Links to favorite holiday music are always good. Or, one of my favorites is posting the value of 30 cents in some other currency or commodity. For example:
30c = 1294.5 Paraguayan Guarani (PYG)
Join in, play along, ask questions, help spend my money, have some fun!
Fool on! Russ
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We're well into the church season of Advent. For anyone who wants to know a little more about it, or just refresh your memory, here's Advent in 2 Minutes from BustedHalo.com. It's supposed to be geared towards young adults, but I think it works for all ages.
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Hey Mo21!
0.9162 Malaysian Ringgit (MYR)
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I don't trade currency but I think SNE might stage a comeback on the back of the YEN.
CSCO is lifting off...as is SAN, my 2 largest holdings of course
in the biopharma space keep your eyes glued to FOLD and SRPT
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I swapped out of CSCO into INTC some time ago, still like CSCO, but like INTC's dividend better.
Also like SAN, but it's a bit further out the risk scale than I like to play. Hope they both work well for you.
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Barron's is reporting three new dividend ETFs are about to hit the market.
"The FlexShares Quality Dividend Index Fund (QDF), FlexShares Quality Dividend Defensive Index Fund (QDEF) and the FlexShares Quality Dividend Dynamic Index Fund (QDYN) are due for launch on NYSE Arca on Wednesday."
Not just dividends, QUALITY dividends. I hate it when my favorite corner of investing starts to get crowded.
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Hate that term "crowded" with "dividends." Math is math you can't get "crowded" when a company offers you better rates than money in the bank.
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P.S., yeah I know it is "arithmetic" ;p
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Speaking of dividends...WU is basically FREE money for all at these levels...
appreciation plus dividends
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Speaking of dividends...WU is basically FREE money for all at these levels...
appreciation plus dividends
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Hey Russ
If you think SAN is too risky, why did you "steal it" out from under me for Harry's contest.:)
I guess you were just faster on the trigger than me.
This was a good idea, and I will commit to making a contribution to Special Olympics of $.50 for each comment you get on this blog, with no limit.
Merry Christmas to all.
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Wow Teach! You are da man!
Great idea Russ. 16.455 Indian Rupees
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12 pence equals one shilling :)
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Could you cut a pence in half to make a half pence?
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Which is worth more two pennies with Abe on the front or a tuppence?
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How many crowns in a pound?
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What was Bob Crachit's weekly wage?
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5 pence equals one shilling :)
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How can both #13 and #18 be true?
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If Bob Crachit were given a raise of half a crown a day would that be stingy or generous?
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lemoneater
You are sure giving the Special Olympics a raise.:)
As a former Special Education teacher and an active participant in the events, this one is near and dear to my heart.
It is very gratifying to see the smiles on their faces and the pride in their accomplishments when they participate in the award ceremonies and collect their ribbons.
As the coaches like to say, each one gives 110%.
Keep posting.
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Thanks, Teacherman, glad that you are contributing to help those who need a boost in life.
Dickens would approve :). He wrote compassionately about many different issues and talked about the unique problems of being handicapped back then.
Tiny Tim is waving his crutch and shouting "Hurrah, Hurrah!"
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Which costs less a turkey or a goose?
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The lowest paid servant in Victorian times was the scullery maid at 5 to 9 pounds per year.
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Even Bob Crachit who was underpaid made 39 pounds a year.
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In today's earning power, Bob Crachit made about $100 per week.
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@awallejr - Thanks for bringing math and 'rithmetic into the thread!
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@Teacherman1 - SAN is more risk than I'm willing to take with real $. But, that risk makes it good for a 'swing for the fences' contest.
Thanks for joining in!
For those just joining, Teacherman's pledge makes each comment to this blog entry worth:
$0.30 to Lutheran World Relief and
$0.50 to Special Olympics
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@lemoneater - Not sure about schilling and pence, but those thirteen comments at 80 cents a piece come to:
6.3992 British Pound (GBP)
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We're making great progress and HarryCarysGhost hasn't even joined in yet.
6.8392 Namibian Dollar (NAD)
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The most expensive soup one could by in Victorian times was...
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Money conversions aren't my strong suit, as I am a land development engineer. Here are some fun conversions though:
A chain was the unit of measurement for early surveying (started in the 1600's) and was 66 feet long.
1 mile = 80 chains = 5280 feet
1 acre = 10 square chains = 10 x 66 x 66 = 43560 square feet
Finally, and my favorite - 1 furlong = 10 chains = 660 feet
So far, this thread, measured at 100% zoom on the browser, is approximately 0.0058080808 furlongs long
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@lemoneater Was that before or after Scrooge gave Bob Cratchit a raise on Christmas?
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Neat info about early surveying, getrichslow.
That is one long chain! Just imagine the value if it were as thick as electrical wire, but made of silver or gold.
I have often wondered how long a furlong was.
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That was before Scrooge gave Bob Crachit the raise.
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Thanks for the pound conversion, Russ :)
Somehow pound is a reassuring thing to call money. I want money to have some weight.
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Bob Crachit had an office job, but he could have made more if he had been a steward in a great house.
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Even a butler which was below a steward in responsibility made from 25 to 50 pounds a year.
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The irony was that Crachit was worse off than a servant because room and board was not provided.
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I wonder how long the chain has been in use as a measurement. It is interesting that it is divisible by 6. Just like minutes and seconds.
I remember thinking it was strange that an hour did not have 100 minutes. I guess it is just as strange that a dollar does not have 60 cents.
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I should say US dollar. There are many different dollars. Does every dollar have the decimal?
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In 1620, the clergyman Edmund Gunter developed a method of surveying land accurately with low technology equipment, using what became known as Gunter's chain
From wikipedia, of course!
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commenting for a good cause? Sure why not?
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When I get some time i'll tell you a story about what my church is doing for the holidays.
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One sentence at a time...
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So my church is located in a poor section of Philadelphia
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And earlier this year we decided to adopt a block for a year.
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During that year we are going to try to get to know the people and try to address their needs.
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So we picked this block right around the corner from the church.
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Our first event for them was a bookbag drive for all the children on the block.
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Each bookbag was tailored for each child on the block.
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Our second event was personalized candygrams around halloween (even though we don't celebrate it).
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Our third event was we hand delivered baskets full of food to each house on the block right before Thanksgiving.
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And our current event is we are holding a Christmas party for the families on the block where the children will do arts and crafts and recieve Christmas presents.
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So I'm making homemade baked goodies for that tonight.
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And we are only 1/3rd through th year.
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I'm looking forward to the events coming.
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Thats my $3 and worth exactly what I'm commenting for it. lol
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Thats my $3 and worth exactly what I'm commenting for it.
I'd say the work you're doing with your church is worth far, far more than $3. Thank-you for sharing.
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Haiku for a new high in my port today.
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Hmm, didn't take, let's try again.
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Paint, caulk, flooring and roofs.
A new high for RPM.
Ride a building wave.
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I love this idea RD. Kudos to you. This is what the holidays are all about. Most of us here have been tremendously blessed in our lives and giving back is a wonderful thing to do. I know that I am trying to be more giving as well.
Happy Holidays!
Deej
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The geese are getting fat
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If you haven't got a penny
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If you haven't got a ha' penny
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Is that like a funny penny?
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Coldwater Creek, Inc.
Womens apparel they hawk
Bankruptcy query.
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Pennies are kinda funny today, though.
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Not even worth a real ha' penny.
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Deej, blesto and HarryCarysGhost - Welcome to the party!
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Deej, blesto and HarryCarysGhost - Welcome to the party!
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The multi click thing still works, but only got two in.
4206 Zambian Kwacha (ZMK)
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NOK starting to smoke.
Market share is expected.
Rising telecom?
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Genworth is the name
Financials are the game
As the Moon hovers.
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Haiku :)
72.72 Vanuatu Vatu (VUV)
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City Telecom.
Riding the streets of Hong Kong.
Enveloping state.
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A Spainard bank.
Eurozone still asunder
Germany moves on.
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Hi Russ, those were just the top five Haikus for the FoxForceFiveContest. I suppose I could do all 34 but people might be Haiku'd out after that.
Great Idea man.
Teacherman a much generous move.
Cheers to all.
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Did not realize
Santander was still top five
Euro up, will it fall?
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Aged off the "Most Recommended Posts" for Today, but snuck in at the bottom of the weekly list.
103 Sri Lanka Rupee (LKR)
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This post needs more recs
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blesto, a ha' penny is a half penny--a coin in use during Dicken's time when it could actually buy something.
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There would be 24 half pennies in a shilling.
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outoffocus, thanks for sharing about your "Adopt a Block" program. I just wish I were there to help with crafts--what fun!
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Fingerweaving is a fun craft.
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Fingerweaving is simply braiding with more than four strands. I think using 6 to 8 strands is enough to have a fun pattern.
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Even beginners can have success with this simple craft.
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At a festival with a helper, I once showed about 100 kids how to fingerweave.
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I assured the boys that came that it was not just for girls.
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I had about 100% success rate. I had a few rows finished on each bookmark to get them off to a good start.
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A few of the children came back again to make another one. Some of the parents really got into it also.
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The US one-cent coin that was minted 1793 and 1857 was a large copper coin that had a diameter ranging from 27 to 29mm. It was not minted in 1815 due to a copper shortage.
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Wow, what a huge penny! I wonder what collectors would pay for such a coin today.
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During WW II, the US minted a one-cent coin out of galvanized steel (zinc plated steel) in 1943 because of the shortage of copper. The govt. also issued a five-cent coin (a nickel) during WW II that contained no nickle (1942-1945). Nickel was in short supply mostly due to it's use in armor alloys. Silver and manganese replaced the nickel and some of the copper content (silver 35%).
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Yes, I've seen some of those distinctive blue pennies. Neat!
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Hey lemoneater,
I really need somebody to check my work, lol. I meant to say minted between 1793 and 1857 excluding 1815.
The prices for most of those one-cent coins today is well over $100 even in very poor condition to many thousands of dollars.
Fingerweaving? seriously? I think sometimes invent hobbies so that men will just leave them alone, lol.
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Woo hoo - broke right through 100 comments!
I collected coins in my teen years and have a couple of those WWII steel pennies somewhere.
1.4286 Fiji Dollar (FJD)
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NOTvuffett,
I will need to look for a picture of one of those supersized pennies.
I could say a lot more about the significance of fingerweaving. Fingerwoven sashes were an important, highly popular trade commodity in the early Quebec economy. The wider the sash you wore, the higher your status.
I will tell my husband your view of hobbies--he shares it. He says that weaving is the other "man" in my life.
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We do support each other's hobbies. I know I'm gettin an inkle loom for Christmas. I'm so excited. For my first project I want to make him a camera strap which is only fair :).
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This is one camera he is not getting for Christmas. Leica is one of the most expensive brands out there. Even vintage used Leicas are not cheap!
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/643776-USA/Leica_10802_S2_P_SLR_Digital_Camera.html
Purchasing it would dissolve my brokerage account and more.
I think it would be easier to buy the red dot and stick it on another camera.
However, the brand in this instance has the quality to back it up.
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My husband said that a 10K would be enough for him to get a nice Leica.
Probably not this year!
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Weaving also has expensive equipment. Good floor looms easily run in the thousands.
While he could utilize a Leica, I cannot even begin to handle a countermarch loom much less a simpler 4 harness loom. My lack of skill makes my desires much more modest :)
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Hey, let's see some real comments.
Use this blog to post rec's, general comments that you want to make, but don't want to write a blog about.
Your thoughts on the "fiscal cliff fiasco".
What will happen after the first of the year.
When you think Greece will finally go "belly up".
The developing spat between Italy and Germany.
When France and Germany will go into a recession.
Whether Spain will manage to wiggle through.
Whether or not my hat will ever turn green again.
Whether HEK is a good buy at this price.
Anyone know a way to keep an old dog from "messing" on the floor.
Keep it going, I am in for only about $60.00 so far.
I may regret that comment.:)
I may need to take up weaving in my spare time, after all these comments from lemoneater.:)
Either that, or go back and re-read all of the Dickens novels.
All for now.
Watch out for the Grinch, it looks like he is trying to sneak into the market today.
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@lemoneater,
Curiously enough, I watched a movie last night where the protagonist saved some woman from a life of indentured servitude in a silk weaving factory. My guess is that she wasn't as excited about her loom as you are about you are about yours, lol.
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Teacherman, read Dickens. He has everything from pawn shops to ponzi schemes in his work.
We read the Christmas Carol every year. We started our marriage book rich. We have a complete set of Dickens on our bookshelf in our living room.
Our dream home would have a library with floor to ceiling book shelves. At the moment we have a nook and a kindle in self-defense to keep from drowning in books.
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NOTvuffett, another good movie about factory conditions and weaving is North and South based on the novel by Elizabeth Gaskell. From the title I thought it might be about the war between the States, but it is set in Manchester, England. The main theme is labor conflict--the romance is more peripheral.
What was the name of the movie you watched? My husband might especially enjoy it.
Having to bend over a loom for 14 hours or more a day weaving the same or similar pattern each and every day with no respiratory protection or safety guards would be the opposite of fun.
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Well, I really got off the topic of investments and currency.
I am thinking about possibly investing in MKC when I get a good entry point. I always think about spices this time of year.
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If I remember correctly, rd80, you have written analysis on MKC.
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For completely random, yet Christmas themed comment.
We want silver tinsel on our tree this year. We will throw it on generously.
It will be my version of living dangerously. I will NOT carefully place each strand.
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Please excuse my sentence fragment. Thinking more than one says doesn't always work out well grammatically :(.
Anyhow back to tinsel. Relatives have never liked it, but I want to roughly imitate the silvery shine of snow in moonlight.
If I cannot have a white Christmas, a silver one will do!
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There are certain stocks I consider holiday stocks in that I suspect the company has the highest volume of business at Christmas.
UPS is one such stock.
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According to my definition, probably most clothing stores are Christmas stocks although I do not have any in my portifolio at the moment.
What Christmas stocks do you have?
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@lemoneater,
The movie was "Zatoichi and the fugitives", a Japanese movie from 1968 (available with English subtitles at the Hulu website). I wouldn't look toward this movie for any astounding insights on the human condition, nor would I expect it appeal to any women that didn't have some kind of profound hormone imbalance, lol. It was just a fun movie.
As you describe your ideal home, I envision rows of wooden bookcases filled with books. Also, a piece of antique furniture- an ornate card catalog sitting in a corner, framed by posters explaining the Dewey decimal system and ISBN#'s. Next to this, there is a staircase leading down, illuminated only by a low wattage incandescent lamp that flickers occasionally. Adjacent to this doorway, there is a sign, faded from years of exposure to exposure to sunlight for part of the day, part of the year, for many years. There is a graphic, an arrow that points towards the bottom of the stairs, and the word "MICROFICHE". Above the doorway, you can see that at one time some smart-ass wrote the words "Arbeit macht frei". Despite half-assed efforts by the library staff, the graffiti is still legible.
In the other corner, of course, is lemoneater sitting behind a grand desk with a dour look that tells you that any young hooligan that dares to violate this sanctum of knowledge with frivolity will be met with a scowl that is statutory child abuse in 27 states.
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Your thoughts on the "fiscal cliff fiasco".
Hi again Teacherman, JMO- some last mitute compromise will be hammered out. I mean they're stupid, but not that stupid...(I hope?)
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Whether or not my hat will ever turn green again.
I think it will, just don't dig yourself too deep of a hole with all those pennies... :-)
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@rd80,
To be honest, I am not really sure how the Lutherans fit into the spectrum of Christian religions, but I don't care. If you say they do good work I will donate some of my own money to the cause.
When a company with several buildings next to mine moved or folded (the sheriff showed up later looking for the proprietor) and I was told that some religious group was going to open a food pantry for people in need, I wasn't very happy. First of all, I was thinking "do I want THOSE kind of people hanging around?" To this day, I don't know what particular sect they belong to, but I have contributed money for their cause and lend them the use of a forklift now and then.
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@126 & 127 - I have written about McCormick a few times. Here's a link to my most recent piece on it.
It's a little expensive at 20-ish times earnings. It's one of those stocks with a long track record of annual dividend hikes. At 2.1%, the dividend isn't bad, payout ratio's reasonable and MKC has the kind of business model that generates slow, steady growth.
I own some shares. Not selling, but not planning to add at this price. If it fell a couple of bucks, I'd be tempted to add more.
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@NOTvuffet
Lutherans fit amoung the protestant Christian faiths. Martin Luther was a monk who's study led him to belief the Roman Catholic faith had a few errors. He set out to change the church, but ended up being one of the leaders of the protestant movements.
There are several different branches of the Lutheran church in the US. The two largest are the Evangelical Lutheran Chuch in America and the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod Both denominations support Lutheran World Relief.
Thanks for the comment, donation and sharing the story about the food pantry.
Matthew 25:40
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
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@131
Christmas stock (actually a fund):
Central Fund of Canada (CEF) - Silver and gold
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@HarryCarysGhost,
I may live to regret making the comments about pennies, lol. Lemoneater started it!, lol. The alloy of the US penny has been changed multiple times in the last few decades. If you find a very old coin in circulation, the numismatic value of it will surely exceed the value of the metals in it. (and technically it is illegal to melt down coins anyway, lol).
It may have been this site, or maybe another, where some commenter said he was waiting in line in a convenience store and an old woman dropped some pennies. He described the sound as "sad, you may have well dropped some buttons". If you drop a nickel on a hard surface, you will note a distinctive "bell-like sound, or ring". I would imagine that this is due to what are resonate vibrations of a basically 2D structure.
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GM Buys Government Stake, Treasury To Lose Billions
IBD's headline sums it up pretty well. GM will pay $27.50 per share. I think Treas needs somewhere around $53/share to break even.
I'm way overdue for a TARPed update. Plan on doing one while I'm off work next week.
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Wow, the player rating is all the way up to 0.03, ranked 74971 out of 74990.
1.4318 Aruba Florin (AWG)
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Wow, the player rating is all the way up to 0.03, ranked 74971 out of 74990.
1.4318 Aruba Florin (AWG)
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My Christmas stock-
MCZ,
Yup MadCatz, horrible investment, but it's made me money in the past by trading (my stakes always free at this point)
They're late on deliveries once again this year. so this is not a reccomendation. Just an answer to what my Christmas stock has been for at least the last four years.
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Marys not here (hope her arm is better)
So I'll post the reminder that you can hit ctrl end and zip right down to the add a new comment section.
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McCormick (MKC) might fit as a Christmas stock. Lots of baking and cooking going on this time of year.
Disclosure: Long MKC.
1.6538 Papua New Guinea Kina (PGK)
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Refresh is getting slow. Might need to open a new thread soon.
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@ NOTvuffett.
Ha,Ha.
No worries man, I save my change all year anyhow (pays for Christmas)
Just kinda fun to sort through them.
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Sorry Russ, did I just bogart #150?
Now I need to find out what 150 comments is worth in Zymbabyion dollars?
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30cents = 1.6 cups (12.8oz, ~1.1 beer cans, or ~0.8 vegetable juice cans) of gas at $2.999/gallon.
My truck rolled 200,000 miles yesterday.
How many miles, km are on your vehicle?
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@ #132
Thanks for the movie title. If we get desperate we can watch it.
What an imaginative picture, but a little too modern gothic for me. The ornate card catalog works, however. My husband's first after school job, was working in a public library. He knows the Dewey system and likes books to be in order. He got to read all the sci-fi he wanted.
In real life, my library would have less angst--with more warmth and color. Fine art photography would grace the walls. Some would be structural black and whites and some would be landscapes in color.
I would have some intriguing, yet subtle weaves here and there to add interest and coziness and to enhance the colors in the natural wood book shelves.
However, books themselves would dominate the room as they should in any library.
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In spite of being an avid reader, I'm not an ideal librarian, I'm too talkative.
I will share a true story that illustrates that I'm a chronic, incurable bookworm.
One Friday night I missed curfew which was midnight. (My college actually had such a thing.) My roommates gave this wild story about my being out on a date and somehow losing track of the time. However, I was in the library reading, but not doing my homework. (Studying in the library rarely worked because I could always find other things to read unrelated to any project I was doing.)
The librarian failed to switch the lights in warning, because he had extra work to do. When he finally came into the room where I was, he was extremely startled to see me. It was almost 1 am as I recall. I had spent a very pleasant evening re-reading a Laura Ingalls Wilder book.
I did not get into trouble because everyone was laughing so hard that my "exciting" date was a book in the library.
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Sarah Jessica Parker has man hands.
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@ #138 Yes, I think MKC bears watching. It is the sort of stock that would work for a gap in my portifolio, but I need a better entry price.
In the meantime I will enjoy my peppermint extract, rum flavoring, cinnamon, ginger, whole cloves and ground cloves, and hot pepper flakes--but not all in the same recipe!
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@ # 137. A penny collection may pay dividends--as we have learned some pennies are worth more than a penny now. 1911 neat! Over 100 hundred years ago someone got a freshly minted penny.
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@ #155 Hi, Cato. Have a Merry Christmas! I doubt that either of us will have a white Christmas. I want just a few flurries, but no ice!
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@ #158 Hi, Lemon. Since it snowed last year on Christmas my son, a five year old, thinks it is supposed to snow every December 25th. He does not understand that last year was a once in a century event, that Georgia is not Michigan so a winter snow is never a sure thing, or that Jesus does not wear a *Santa Cap* in his birthday.
I hope you have a Merry Christmas and that your husband's wish of owning a Leica can come true very soon.
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Cato, I agree with your son Christmas should always have snow. At least you had some last year in Georgia, no less. That happens once in a coon's age or a blue moon whatever you prefer.
Thanks for the good wishes. I will tell my husband what you said:).
Evidently there is a Leica lens for about $500 that he would like. That is more realistic in price. It is a prime lens that is standard and he would prefer it to a pancake lens. Evidently, a standard lens is no longer as common anymore.
He is going to sell some of his lesser quality digital cameras to buy it since he has told me he would feel guilty spending more on his gift than on mine. It wouldn't bother me. I can always ask for more money to invest :)
He got several shots of a great sunset this morning on his way to work. I will be eager to see the finished product. Perhaps it will have a place of honor on our future libraries wall.
You can tell your son that Santa (Saint Nicholas) was a real person who lived long ago in Italy and was rich, kind, and generous. I think he probably was a follower of Christ so there is a slight connection.
Jesus was born before Santa by several centuries. Someone else can do the math.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
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@152
Welcome Eudemonic!
We have a '97 Ranger that's almost broken in, somewhere around 260,000 miles.
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Always wondered why my buddies old bug was so fast on the track.
He raced a 1 furlong track, I assumed the standard 2 furlong one.
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sound strange yet? Then say it a few more times.
Why is it that only horse racing still uses furlongs?
They are for the most part short haired animals, no?
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@ #162, Thanks, I will remember 8 furlongs to a mile.
@ #166 I was curious as to the derivation of furlong. From what one source said it is from furh+lang. Old English for "long furrow."
Horses and furrows go way back :)
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I refuse to participate! There's no way I'm leaving a comment here!
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Oh, wait....never mind....
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Remember every comment is an opportunity to spend somebody else's money for a good cause.
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Usually you have to get elected to Congress if you want to spend somebody else's money
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Usually, I'm not for spending other's people's money--that sounds too much like big government.
However, in this instance, those who are giving chose the amount!
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I'm having roast beef for Christmas dinner. What are you having?
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Hey Fools!
The Motley Fool is trying to help 1,000 people receive clean water through its charity: water campaign. If you'd like to learn more or donate, go here: http://mot.ly/TMFcharitywater. Any amount will help a lot!
Keep up the great work. It's awesome to see everyone join together for a good cause. Fool on!
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Hey Fools!
We actually are doing Foolanthropy!
Did you know that 1 in 9 people don't have access to safe, clean drinking water? And that every $1 invested in water projects can provide $12 in economic gains? That's an amazing opportunity for us to make a huge impact.
The Motley Fool is partnering with an incredible organization, Charity:Water. We were so inspired by its founder and CEO Scott Harrison when he spoke at Fool HQ in August this year, that we jumped on board when we heard about their 100 wells for the holidays campaign. We're committed to raising $20,000!
Stay tuned for some special announcements about Foolanthropy.
Fools, in the meantime, you can donate here:
http://mycharitywater.org/p/campaign?campaign_id=32734
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In the spirit of rd80's post and the 2 posts from TMF above, I'm looking through the Lutheren World relief catalog and come across a gravity fed water filter. I went ahead and got 2. Seems like everyone was trying to send subliminal messages.
http://lwrgifts.org/gravity-fed-water-filter.aspx
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Welcome GNUBEE, rt7998, TMFToast, ChrisGraley and TMFDiogenes,
Thanks for joining in!
TMF*** Many thanks for the info on Charity: Water. Looking forward to seeing more.
Chris - What TMFDiogenes said.
0.9746 Singapore Dollar (SGD)
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You guys do realize that my shop shuts down for the holidays...right?
Plenty O' time to post many,many meaningless posts ;)
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Anyone buying tomorrow? Dow futures down 174.
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Has anyone sold the farm yesturday, in advance of the imminent Mayan apocolypse?
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Plenty O' time to post many,many meaningless posts ;)
Excellent!
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(stolen)
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In a small church one Sunday morning, the preacher said "Anyone with 'special needs" who wants to be prayed over, please come forward to the front by the altar."
With that, John got in line, and when it was his turn, the preacher asked, "John, what do you want me to pray about for you?"
John replied, "Preacher, I need you to pray for help with my hearing."
The preacher put one finger of one hand in John's ear, placed his other hand on top of John's head, and then prayed and prayed and prayed. He prayed a "blue streak" for John, and the whole congregation joined in with great enthusiasm. After a few moments, the preacher removed his hands, stood back and asked, "John, how is your hearing now?"
John answered, " I don't know. It ain't 'til Thursday.
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In the days of primitive man, they didn't understand that the Sun went around the Earth.
Caveman Zog always saw the sun go down before retiring for the night. But when he woke up the next morning and stepped out of his cave, ready to greet the day, he noticed that the sun was always up in the sky and on the opposite side from where it went down.
Zog was a smart and curious caveman so he decided to figure out how it worked. One night, he camped outside the cave and forced himself to stay awake all night. Hours went by in the dark while he pondered how the sun worked... and then all of a sudden it dawned on him!
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Recommendations: 3 A farmer named Paddy had a car accident. He was hit by a truck owned by the Eversweet Company.
In court, the Eversweet Company's hot-shot solicitor was questioning Paddy.
'Didn't you say to the police at the scene of the
accident, 'I'm fine?' asked the solicitor.
Paddy responded: 'Well, I'll tell you what happened. I'd just loaded my fav'rit cow, Bessie, into da... '
'I didn't ask for any details', the solicitor interrupted. 'Just answer the question. Did you not say, at the scene of the accident, 'I'm fine!'?'
Paddy said, 'Well, I'd just got Bessie into da trailer and I was drivin' down da road.... '
The solicitor interrupted again and said,'Your Honour, I am trying to establish the fact that, at the scene of the accident, this man told the police on the scene that he was fine. Now several weeks after the accident, he is trying to sue my client. I believe he is a fraud. Please tell him to simply answer the question. '
By this time, the Judge was fairly interested in Paddy's answer and said to the solicitor: 'I'd like to hear what he has to say about his favourite cow, Bessie'.
Paddy thanked the Judge and proceeded.
'Well as I was saying, I had just loaded Bessie, my fav'rit cow, into de trailer and was drivin' her down de road when this huge Eversweet
truck and trailer came tundering tru a stop sign and hit me trailer right in da side. I was trown into one ditch and Bessie was trown into da udder.
By Jaysus I was hurt, very bad like, and didn't want to move. However, I could hear old Bessie moanin' and groanin'. I knew she was in terrible
pain just by her groans. Shortly after da accident, a policeman on a
motorbike turned up. He could hear Bessie moanin' and groanin' too, so he went over to her.
After he looked at her, and saw her condition, he took out his gun and shot her between the eyes.
Den da policeman came across de road, gun still in hand, looked at me, and said, 'How are you feelin'?'
'Now wot da fock would you say?'
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Last night we put up our live frasier fir.
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Mr. Kitty thinks that we put up a Christmas tree completely for his benefit.
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Throwing tinsel was fun. I enjoyed watching it float down and settle on the top branches.
I think that we are talking some snow deprivation here.
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Mr. Kitty loved the tinsel too.
He batted at it and rearranged it--moving it from the bottom tree boughs to the floor.
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I was concerned when he mouthed some, but he did not eat it.
A tinsel hairball would be a horrible thing :(.
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I do not buy fancy toys for Mr. Kitty.
With the exception of the laser pointer that he really enjoys, he is easily bored with other cat toys. Mechanical mice just make him yawn. I think he knows that they are not real.
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He plays hockey with bread twisties.
He regularly gallops up and down the stairs like the pony I never had.
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He regularly ambushes my husband.
He almost ended up with the name "Mr. Pinchers" because of his two white front paws connecting with an ankle or an arm in a flash.
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He is also fond of Q-tips for hockey. They skitter in a somewhat different way than twisties.
He is a connoisseur of motion.
God made him a top predator and he enjoys it :).
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Kattens are convinced that Christmas trees are nothing more than a wornderful collection of cat toys.
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Our cat 'mudge enjoys playing with wadded up balls of paper.
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4000 years ago, cats were worshipped in Egypt.
Cats have never forgotten this.
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They are such marvels of biological engineering and clever instinct.
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I'm back!
This time of year requires a special kind of will power.
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A friend brought by some homemade fudge.
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The rest I gave to my husband to guard.
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And with this post, I now have committed $105.00.
Good thing I sold a lot of stock a week or so ago to lock in profits.:)
Today I am looking for opportunities to start buying them back.
So far, I have added back SD. Made a nice protit on it at the height of the "bidding war", but want to own it longer term, so took advantage of the approximately 15% drop to start back with it.
Keep the posts coming, and don't forget the "clean drinking water project".
Merry Christmas to all.
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He has more self-control when chocolate is involved than I do.
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Merry Christmas, Teacherman.
We have so many gifts to celebrate.
Emmanuel--God with us.
Fresh water.
Opportunities to see others succeed in ways they never imagined.
Humor. You know who you are :)
Furry friends.
Friends without fur.
Professions: engineer, teacher, surveyor, business owner, accountant, photographer, writer, customer service and so on.
Hobbies: weaving, photography, investing and so on.
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Well, having gotten energized by a cranberry orange scone and some coffee--I will attempt to make a few comments that have more to do with investing.
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Macro-economics are not my strong suit.
Greece's history is so ancient it is legend. From what I can tell Greece captivated its captors in the past. Rome conquered Greece, but Greek philosophy/culture dominated Roman thought.
If Greece is bankrupt, is this a new state of affairs or has it happened before?
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I remember that Lord Byron fought in a war for Greek independence.
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Taking a detour from macro-economics. Ask yourself if Lord Byron had never existed, would we be raising money by "chogging" charity blogging.
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Lord Byron infamous libertine and inspired poet was also an absentee father.
His child was Lady Ada Lovelace.
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Ada Lovelace assisted Charles Babbage.
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Babbage, in spite of his name rhyming with "cabbage," was one of the game changers in human existence.
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At least Ada got some recognition for her contribution to the field of computer science.
There is an "ancient" computer language called ADA.
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A while ago I mentioned Greece, but somehow ended up talking about Ada, a pioneer in computer science.
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What kind of industry does Greece have besides tourism?
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I know that shipping was important to Greece in the past, is that still true?
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@lemoneater,
Your mention of Ada makes me think of Grace Hopper, one of the most influential forces in the development of the COBOL language, one of the earliest "high level" computer languages.
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Sometimes I wonder if having great accomplishments in a country's past can lead to complacency. Does resting on one's laurels lead to bed sores?
(Not the most elegant turn of phrase.)
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Wonderful, NOTvuffett, my husband told me about Grace Hopper and the bug.
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@ #231 Unfortunately, I think the link has a bug. I got an error message.
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Like molasses in January adding comments is a slow process.
I read a great summary on Affordable Care Act better known as Obamacare. It answered a lot of my questions. http://caps.fool.com/Blogs/affordable-care-act-whats/783168
Thanks for demystifying a rather murky issue. Mr. Lester does not appear to have a future in politics--he communicates too clearly.
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Well, I'm going to take a break and allow someone else a chance to talk.
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@213 Sometimes my wife is nice and lets me guard fudge. :)
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@231 - When I click the link, I get a server error.
Hopefull this link to the Clean Water Foolanthropy works.
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Just checked, the link in 237 works.
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lemoneater's looking up the origins of the word "furlong" made me wonder about the etymology of the word "fudge". This is what I found, it is rather amusing:
fudge (v.) "put together clumsily or dishonestly," 1610s, perhaps an alteration of fadge "make suit, fit" (1570s), of unknown origin. As an interjection meaning "lies, nonsense" from 1766; the noun meaning "nonsense" is 1791. It could be a natural extension from the verb. But Farmer suggests provincial Fr. fuche, feuche, "an exclamation of contempt from Low Ger. futsch = begone." The traditional English story traces fudge in this sense to a sailor's retort to anything considered lies or nonsense, from Captain Fudge, "who always brought home his owners a good cargo of lies" [Isaac Disraeli, 1791, citing a pamphlet from 1700]. It seems there really was a late 17c. Captain Fudge, called "Lying Fudge," and perhaps his name reinforced this form of fadge in the sense of "contrive without the necessary materials." The surname is from Fuche, a pet form of the masc. proper name Fulcher, from Germanic and meaning literally "people-army." fudge (n.) type of confection, 1895, American English, apparently a word first used among students at women's colleges; perhaps a special use of fudge (v.). 'He lies,' answered Lord Etherington, 'so far as he pretends I know of such papers. I consider the whole story as froth -- foam, fudge, or whatever is most unsubstantial. ...' [Scott, "St. Ronan's Well," 1823].
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Like molasses in January adding comments is a slow process
Probably need to start a new thread soon.
12.24 Maldives Rufiyaa (MVR)
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Whoohoo, oficially on vacation.
Does anyone know the best brand for blenders?
It's on my last mintute Chistmas buying list.
Maybe GE makes a blender...
