In an age when cash is being replaced by plastic and technology, it's not really possible to survive without some kind of plastic in your wallet. A lot of places won;t take checks any more. I don't carry thousands in my wallet, so if I want to purchase a big box itme I'm left with giving either a debit or credit card. Most banks combine them both now. And try making transactions abroad with a debit card. My own company only deals with Amex, and we all have to have a Corporate Card. So, in an ideal world, you could avoid the CCs. But in our world, they will become a part of your life, if not now then soon. Saying you're not being forced to use one is like saying no-one's forcing you to own a car.
Although the credit card companies do deliberately extend credit to people they know are irresponsible, it's hard not to ultimately find fault with the fools who reach the age of majority with absolutely no clue how to handle their money. You are an adult, you asked for credit (they didn't force you to take a credit card from them), so take responsibility for yourself. You are not 13 years old so if you wind up with credit card debt that you cannot pay off I don't really feel sorry for you.
Far worse than the credit card companies in the ethics department are debt consolidation firms, which entice the very people too money-foolish to handle a credit card and get them to pay exhorbitant fees to "consolidate" their debt. Many promise to "erase" debt but this is misleading to put it mildly.
Then there are states like Texas which make debt collection extremely difficult. Does this promote responsibility? No. I've had to deal with this personally when a landlord stiffed me for my deposit. I won a court judgement but three years on am still trying to get the money out of her. The laws in my state simply make it too easy for people to dodge their responsibilities. That's the other side to this issue--and perhaps explains why credit card companies charge those high rates.
Why not just buy a HUGE roll of first class stamps?
Those are the ones they put out in the interim while they hike the prices- the first class stamp will always be the price of... a first class stamp!
My 3¢
Actually it is a fair amount of clearance junk. The compact flash card is about the average price now, but when the original price (maybe two years ago) was probably $60. You think you are getting a bargain because the original is never lowered to reflect the current marketplace.
The PDA phone is probably at least two years. I found it on Ebay (brand new) for $250 without contract (which is probably the same value of it being $99 with the required contract from Amazon).
Tips give regular wage slaves a chance to be boss for a brief span. If their "table employee" is a little snotty, they leave a bigger tip to show that they want to be friends - the nice one is already their friend so they don't have to impress, in my opinion.
Coulter used to provide actual (good) commentary, but yes: now her shtick is merely to anger people by being provocative. I used to really like her, but she's totally crossed the line a couple of times now, and does not appear to actually care anymore about presenting a case.
I work in a bar. I've got two female bartenders, both very attractive girls, one is sweet to just about everybody and the other loves yelling things like "shut the F#$% up and order!"... shes a super nice girl, but she knows that with a lot of guys (especially rich, older, white businessmen), being this aloof bitch really increases her tips. One guy comes back week after week and almost always throws her a hundred dollar bill, and she's nothing but mean to the guy. The girls have a pretty great good cop/bad cop routine worked out whenever they figure out if a guy wants the nice treatment or the bitchy treatment... more often they respond to the bitchy treatment with bigger tips...
Unfortunately this almost never works with women... thats when I step in to get the ladies to tip (-;
I am a deadbeat according to the credit card company's term. I always pay my outstanding amount on time, and guess they don't really earn off me. Hey, they might just one day cancel my credit card because I always pay on time! :-D
The local paper that actually carried her column has dumped it and will no longer carry it after this latest comment, but Ann has created controversy with her comments that is what her column did was strive to shock. So I am not sure why the paper responded the way they did, except maybe because of the famous group here in Topeka that often uses the same term. A group the rest of the city (including me) and the world condemns.
Yes, I buy lottery tickets. My wife and I can be considered well-off, and I am positive I don't have a gambling problem. I just have high aspirations of what to do with millions of dollars. Most of it would go to charities, family and friends, but the rest would allow me to volunteer my time when I wanted and how I wanted, rather than trying to fit in a few volunteer efforts when I had the time.
Btw, I spend about $2-$6 per week on tickets. Some weeks, nothing. And I've only been buying for about a year now.
I think maybe aloof waiters scare people into giving them more money. They seem to think that they are better than you and so you tip them as if they are.
IMO, I think she needs some good luvins. Maybe she has been slighted by too many men, and this is her way of getting back at the world.
Perhaps something happened in her life that has made her the way she is, and once she confronts it and lets it go, she will stop using her uncouth tactics and actually become a respected commentator.
And I promise you, if I had the skills necessary to delve into the topic more, I would. But I don't, so instead, I link to people who have delved into it. I don't truly understand the way inflation works in relation to the stamps, but it appears that the verdict is that stamp prices match inflation, so it's not worth hoarding them, unless you plan to buy a bunch and sell them after the next price hike. And even then, it seems like you are better served by simply investing your money in a high-yield money market account, anyway.
You're totally missing the point of the post. I'm wondering if we reward meanness, and if so, why? The point isn't that Coulter's a conservative and thus a cruel person. It's that she's a great big bully and she's applauded for it. She's not alone in this, she's just a prominent example.
I've been a huge fan of NOT tanning. In fact, I've probably spent more on SPF products than hair products, in the hope of tanning LESS.
I also slather on the SPF 20 moisturizer, and sometimes wear an SPF on top of that (rarely though, as it starts to roll/flake off in a very unattractive way). And make sure my makeup has some SPF in it, no matter that the Sephora girl tells me: SPF is just a myth, it wears off in an hour.
I'm also trying to get my friends to really take care of their skin sun-wise, but have since given up. In 20 years, I'll look super young, while they'll have leathery skin, and that, is priceless. ;)
I'm pretty sure that Stephen Colbert, John Stewart, and especially Bill Maher ALSO get increased sales by things that may not seem offensive to you as a liberal, but conservatives are not exactly ROTFL over.
Why not highlight *them* in this post?
And if I'm not mistaken, John Edwards is "not commenting" by making money off of her comments. So maybe it's a win win for all
The Ann Coulter stuff is boring, but at least there is a pony somewhere under all that manure with the interesting example of the waitresses.
I would be interested in which people tended to tip more for bad attitudes, and what approach they took to spending. Personally, I wield my tips as a cudgel, and poor or unfriendly service never yields a tip of any kind--and I do tip generously for good, friendly service.
Is it because we prize frugality, that is we appreciate costs more? Whereas someone who is more of a spendthrift may just robotically tip because they want to be seen by their companions as the sort of person who can't be bothered to evaluate the attitudes of the staff. (This also touches on the psychology behind tipping, for it seems to be as much to impress those we are with as to reward good service. Would anyone paying for his date's meal be caught stiffing the waitress?)
The paradoxical thing is that people would not tip friendly waitresses at least as much as unfriendly ones. Maybe they just think the unfriendly ones are overworked, so they are increasing their tips out of pity. I can't fathom that logic myself but it could be a factor.
first of all, i love that episode of this american life.. but, another place this occurs, and i hate to mention it, is dating. that whole 'nice guys finish last' business. much to my amazement and deep deep frustration, i've brought that line to life on more than one occasion. girls, why do we do this? (yikes, am i revealing too much?)
jonathan gold was on this american life talking about this big bully at his school who constantly picked on him. the bully pushed him down the stairs. he was the type of bully that would walk across the street just to be mean to someone. jonathan gold grew up to be a popular newspaper writer. the bully grew up to become Jack Abramoff.
In an age when cash is being replaced by plastic and technology, it's not really possible to survive without some kind of plastic in your wallet. A lot of places won;t take checks any more. I don't carry thousands in my wallet, so if I want to purchase a big box itme I'm left with giving either a debit or credit card. Most banks combine them both now. And try making transactions abroad with a debit card. My own company only deals with Amex, and we all have to have a Corporate Card. So, in an ideal world, you could avoid the CCs. But in our world, they will become a part of your life, if not now then soon. Saying you're not being forced to use one is like saying no-one's forcing you to own a car.
this is fine.. but i actually prefer to use this website...
http://www.brand-name-coupons.com/how-to-search-amazon-for-deals/
Although the credit card companies do deliberately extend credit to people they know are irresponsible, it's hard not to ultimately find fault with the fools who reach the age of majority with absolutely no clue how to handle their money. You are an adult, you asked for credit (they didn't force you to take a credit card from them), so take responsibility for yourself. You are not 13 years old so if you wind up with credit card debt that you cannot pay off I don't really feel sorry for you.
Far worse than the credit card companies in the ethics department are debt consolidation firms, which entice the very people too money-foolish to handle a credit card and get them to pay exhorbitant fees to "consolidate" their debt. Many promise to "erase" debt but this is misleading to put it mildly.
Then there are states like Texas which make debt collection extremely difficult. Does this promote responsibility? No. I've had to deal with this personally when a landlord stiffed me for my deposit. I won a court judgement but three years on am still trying to get the money out of her. The laws in my state simply make it too easy for people to dodge their responsibilities. That's the other side to this issue--and perhaps explains why credit card companies charge those high rates.
Looks cute. Check out my own implementation of the concept:
http://probargainhunter.com/2007/01/16/amazon-discount-shopping
Why not just buy a HUGE roll of first class stamps?
Those are the ones they put out in the interim while they hike the prices- the first class stamp will always be the price of... a first class stamp!
My 3¢
$4.19 for a 1GB Micro SD Card sounds pretty frikkin awesome to me?
Actually it is a fair amount of clearance junk. The compact flash card is about the average price now, but when the original price (maybe two years ago) was probably $60. You think you are getting a bargain because the original is never lowered to reflect the current marketplace.
The PDA phone is probably at least two years. I found it on Ebay (brand new) for $250 without contract (which is probably the same value of it being $99 with the required contract from Amazon).
Tips give regular wage slaves a chance to be boss for a brief span. If their "table employee" is a little snotty, they leave a bigger tip to show that they want to be friends - the nice one is already their friend so they don't have to impress, in my opinion.
Coulter used to provide actual (good) commentary, but yes: now her shtick is merely to anger people by being provocative. I used to really like her, but she's totally crossed the line a couple of times now, and does not appear to actually care anymore about presenting a case.
I work in a bar. I've got two female bartenders, both very attractive girls, one is sweet to just about everybody and the other loves yelling things like "shut the F#$% up and order!"... shes a super nice girl, but she knows that with a lot of guys (especially rich, older, white businessmen), being this aloof bitch really increases her tips. One guy comes back week after week and almost always throws her a hundred dollar bill, and she's nothing but mean to the guy. The girls have a pretty great good cop/bad cop routine worked out whenever they figure out if a guy wants the nice treatment or the bitchy treatment... more often they respond to the bitchy treatment with bigger tips...
Unfortunately this almost never works with women... thats when I step in to get the ladies to tip (-;
I am a deadbeat according to the credit card company's term. I always pay my outstanding amount on time, and guess they don't really earn off me. Hey, they might just one day cancel my credit card because I always pay on time! :-D
If you look closely, the credit card is moved over. No liquid is passing through it. Dunce.
The local paper that actually carried her column has dumped it and will no longer carry it after this latest comment, but Ann has created controversy with her comments that is what her column did was strive to shock. So I am not sure why the paper responded the way they did, except maybe because of the famous group here in Topeka that often uses the same term. A group the rest of the city (including me) and the world condemns.
Yes, I buy lottery tickets. My wife and I can be considered well-off, and I am positive I don't have a gambling problem. I just have high aspirations of what to do with millions of dollars. Most of it would go to charities, family and friends, but the rest would allow me to volunteer my time when I wanted and how I wanted, rather than trying to fit in a few volunteer efforts when I had the time.
Btw, I spend about $2-$6 per week on tickets. Some weeks, nothing. And I've only been buying for about a year now.
I didn't realize how expensive dogs can be. My cats are lucky if they get a new flea collar every 6 months! LOL!
Here from the Carnival of Family Life
As a habit I steer clear of the Lotto. But throwing my hat in the ring for $370,000...If I make it by a gas station before tonight I will.
-J
I think maybe aloof waiters scare people into giving them more money. They seem to think that they are better than you and so you tip them as if they are.
IMO, I think she needs some good luvins. Maybe she has been slighted by too many men, and this is her way of getting back at the world.
Perhaps something happened in her life that has made her the way she is, and once she confronts it and lets it go, she will stop using her uncouth tactics and actually become a respected commentator.
And I promise you, if I had the skills necessary to delve into the topic more, I would. But I don't, so instead, I link to people who have delved into it. I don't truly understand the way inflation works in relation to the stamps, but it appears that the verdict is that stamp prices match inflation, so it's not worth hoarding them, unless you plan to buy a bunch and sell them after the next price hike. And even then, it seems like you are better served by simply investing your money in a high-yield money market account, anyway.
You're totally missing the point of the post. I'm wondering if we reward meanness, and if so, why? The point isn't that Coulter's a conservative and thus a cruel person. It's that she's a great big bully and she's applauded for it. She's not alone in this, she's just a prominent example.
I've been a huge fan of NOT tanning. In fact, I've probably spent more on SPF products than hair products, in the hope of tanning LESS.
I also slather on the SPF 20 moisturizer, and sometimes wear an SPF on top of that (rarely though, as it starts to roll/flake off in a very unattractive way). And make sure my makeup has some SPF in it, no matter that the Sephora girl tells me: SPF is just a myth, it wears off in an hour.
I'm also trying to get my friends to really take care of their skin sun-wise, but have since given up. In 20 years, I'll look super young, while they'll have leathery skin, and that, is priceless. ;)
I'm pretty sure that Stephen Colbert, John Stewart, and especially Bill Maher ALSO get increased sales by things that may not seem offensive to you as a liberal, but conservatives are not exactly ROTFL over.
Why not highlight *them* in this post?
And if I'm not mistaken, John Edwards is "not commenting" by making money off of her comments. So maybe it's a win win for all
The Ann Coulter stuff is boring, but at least there is a pony somewhere under all that manure with the interesting example of the waitresses.
I would be interested in which people tended to tip more for bad attitudes, and what approach they took to spending. Personally, I wield my tips as a cudgel, and poor or unfriendly service never yields a tip of any kind--and I do tip generously for good, friendly service.
Is it because we prize frugality, that is we appreciate costs more? Whereas someone who is more of a spendthrift may just robotically tip because they want to be seen by their companions as the sort of person who can't be bothered to evaluate the attitudes of the staff. (This also touches on the psychology behind tipping, for it seems to be as much to impress those we are with as to reward good service. Would anyone paying for his date's meal be caught stiffing the waitress?)
The paradoxical thing is that people would not tip friendly waitresses at least as much as unfriendly ones. Maybe they just think the unfriendly ones are overworked, so they are increasing their tips out of pity. I can't fathom that logic myself but it could be a factor.
first of all, i love that episode of this american life.. but, another place this occurs, and i hate to mention it, is dating. that whole 'nice guys finish last' business. much to my amazement and deep deep frustration, i've brought that line to life on more than one occasion. girls, why do we do this? (yikes, am i revealing too much?)
jonathan gold was on this american life talking about this big bully at his school who constantly picked on him. the bully pushed him down the stairs. he was the type of bully that would walk across the street just to be mean to someone. jonathan gold grew up to be a popular newspaper writer. the bully grew up to become Jack Abramoff.