AdamCon.org > chat > Sat 2002-10-19

Chat for Sat 2002-10-19 15:01:18

rich-c: test
moved to room Meeting Place
rich-c: refresh
changed username to George
rich-c: hello George
George: Hi Rich
George: i just got home
rich-c: how is the weather in Philly today?
George: overcast
rich-c: been out, have you?
George: slight drizzle
George: i had to go to my doctor
rich-c: we have bben alternating
rich-c: bright and sunny then ten minutes later its rAINING
George: he syringed my left ear
rich-c: buildup of ear wax?
George: he got everything but the back yard
rich-c: you should be feeling much better tyhen
George: yes
George: now i need the other ear done
rich-c: that sort of buildup can upset your balance and stomach
George: now i can hear
rich-c: I am surprised he didnt do both at once
George: the water was cold
rich-c: no doubt warm water is $10 extra - per ear
George: oh
rich-c: that's the American Way
George: medic won't pay extra
rich-c: exactly
rich-c: a Canadian doctor would do both ears
George: next year i'll get the other ear done
rich-c: and would soften the wax with warm oil before a warm water flush
George: i got my flu shot too
rich-c: I need to get mine but last I checked the vaccine wasnt in yet
George: and cipro
rich-c: have to see the doctor soon anyway
rich-c: had a bit of an episode last Sunday
George: i still have a bit of a cold but no fever
rich-c: colds will go away and there is no cure but time
rich-c: nice - Saskatchewan just made a field goal from 54 yards
George: my father is away on a weekend church retreat
rich-c: yes, many of my American friewnds are itno that sort of thing
George: my sister just called
rich-c: that mean you have to go away?
George: no
rich-c: OK
George: i have two lines
rich-c: well yes but can you talk nad type both?
George: i'm doing it now
rich-c: guess if I can watch football you can chat successfully
moved to room Meeting Place
rich-c: well, someone new
George: is someone stuck?
left chat session
rich-c: looks to be
rich-c: now I csee they've retreatesd
rich-c: sometimes Java applets can get uncooperative
George: well they almost made it
rich-c: also, Guy often has trouble with his ISP
George: what ISP does he have?
rich-c: he uses netzero
rich-c: they are cheap - too cheap
George: they also have juno don't they?
George: i think they are combined
rich-c: I dont know, there has been so much change in the industry
George: all of the trully free ISP's are gone
George: i had freei
rich-c: not true, there are lots of them, but you have to work to find them
George: i liked baby bob
rich-c: well all the free ISPs are dialups
rich-c: many are community nets or freenets
George: looks like the cold front is clearing
rich-c: we are back to cloud
rich-c: we were supposed to get sunny ths afternoon and high 14C
George: my windows just got bright like the sun is shining
rich-c: it is only about 9
George: our high should be 60 F
rich-c: that would be about 15C
George: it feels cooler
rich-c: the rule of thumb is take 30 and split
George: split what?
rich-c: e.g., 60 - 30 = 30 /2 = 15
George: i can't do splits
rich-c: you cant figure halfof 30?
George: i meant another kind of split
rich-c: anyway you might as well get used to it
rich-c: except for Burma and Liberia, the whole world is metric
George: and Britain
rich-c: no, Britain is metric
George: really
rich-c: thereare still old fogies like me who talk about miles nad pounds and stuff
George: surprise surprise surprise
rich-c: but we talk about shillings and furlongs too
George: Britain's don't use euros
George: they opted out
rich-c: no, but they have changed to 100 penc in a pound
George: pound of what?
rich-c: their unit of currency, the pound sterling
George: just kidding
George: i won't do conversions though
rich-c: I suspect that historically the pound was defined as a pound of silver
rich-c: with 20 shillings in the pound and 20 pence in the shilling
George: i just stick with the US dollar
rich-c: sorry, 12 pence in the shilling
rich-c: don't you ever read history or histporical novels?
George: no
George: my reading is bad
rich-c: anyway pounds were American currency for over 200 years
George: yeswe stole from Britain
rich-c: right, all British colonies used British currency
George: even after we kicked them out
rich-c: though in fact coins were so scarce all sorts of other nations coins were used
George: we still needed the trade
rich-c: spanish dollars were very common
George: i never saw one
rich-c: they were scored to br broken into 8 pieces
George: wow
rich-c: that's why they wre called pieces of eight
George: ok
rich-c: the pieces individually were caled bit
rich-c: called bits
George: then 2 bits are 2 pieces
rich-c: so even today a quarter of a dollar is two bits
George: i never seen any confederate money
rich-c: I have but only in museums
George: no wooden nickels
rich-c: seen those too an know the background
George: i seen Canadian pennies
rich-c: but then I read a lot and visit amny useums
George: i get them every now and then as change
rich-c: yes, Canadian coins will often work in American vending machines
rich-c: and who ever looks at a penny?
George: i don't like getting bum coins
rich-c: I have even had Greek money turn up in small change
George: and i would never pass them on
rich-c: I find them interesting enough I like to keep them
rich-c: game is at the half so nothing going on
George: American money has a higher value than your money
rich-c: no, it enjoys a higher exchange rate - there is a big difference
rich-c: just like AOL gerts a high premium price for an inferior quality product
George: i'd rather pay for Canadian products with Canadian money than American money
rich-c: sooner or later it all gets exchanged anyway
rich-c: doesn't matter whether you do the exchNGE OR THE vendor does it
rich-c: of course if you are shopping in Canada you get the best exchANGE BY BUYING cANADIAN MONEY AT THE BANK AND USING THAT
George: anyway i don't think i can leave the country
rich-c: me, I just use plastic on either side of the border ;-)
rich-c: since your medical entitlements end at the border, guess you are stuck where you are
George: i'd lose all my benefits
rich-c: but then I have to buy medical insurance to visit outside Canada
rich-c: my Canadian coverage is only for Canadian cost levels
George: bummer
rich-c: not really, unless I want to be away months at a time i's very cheap
rich-c: it is often a throw-in if you buy a premium credit card
George: i'm afraid i would lose my citizenship and be without a country to go to
rich-c: you can't lose your citizenship
rich-c: you can deliberately formally renounce it
rich-c: but that is very rare and difficult to do
George: i'm a New Jersey native but i don't feel like it though
rich-c: your citizenship is very strongly protected in the Constitution
rich-c: yes, I am a New Jeersey native too
George: that we have in common
rich-c: yes, though I was born in Jersey City
George: south jersey for me
rich-c: and yes, that means I still rate as an American citizen
George: do you have dual citizenship?
rich-c: yes, and so does Frances - she was born in Brooklyn
George: oh
George: does Canadian citizenship extend to Britain
rich-c: in fact as the child of American-born parents Pamela could likely get US citizenship for the asking
rich-c: no, I can claim British citzen privileges though becuause my grandfather was born in Wales
rich-c: all countries have different rules
George: does Britain still collect taxes from Canadians?
rich-c: of course not
rich-c: Canada is a fully independent nation and has been since 1867
George: so I have been told some distortions
rich-c: obviously
rich-c: we have sentimental ties to Britain, of course
George: i thought the land still belongs to the British crown
rich-c: well, that is because the Queen is also Queen of Canada
rich-c: therefore anything public belongs to Her Majesty in right of Canada
George: so ties are not fully cut?
rich-c: only to the extent that like many Commonwealth nations we ask the Queen to serve as our head of state too
rich-c: you have to understand how constitutional monarchies work
rich-c: in theory, the monarch has all the power, in practice the monarch has none
rich-c: but because in theory the monarch can reclaim the power delegated in trust, the monarch can revoke that delegation
George: i don't even understand how our system works
rich-c: in effect it provides an automatic and legal centre of resistance should a dictator try to sieze power
rich-c: few Canadians understand what it means to have a Queen who reigns but oes not rule
rich-c: and I likely understand the American system better than most Americans
George: its getting cold here
rich-c: yes, we just dropped a degree too I see
George: sometimes our system doesn't work
George: hanging chads
rich-c: part of the reason for that is citizens who do not understand it and force politicians to make it work
George: voting fraud
rich-c: well yes you have a lot of hat too
George: too many dead people voting
rich-c: but the deeper problem is dishonesy media and dirty money
rich-c: if the papers and tv dont tell you what is reLLY GOING ON AND WHAT IT MEANS, HOW CAN YOU VOTE INTELLIGENTLY?
rich-c: having problems with the caps lock today
George: i give up
rich-c: giving up just gets you screwed - you need a better answer
George: i try to elect people i know personally
rich-c: that tends to be a little hard to arrange
rich-c: who is your senator?
George: Arlen Spector
rich-c: did you vote for him?
George: no
rich-c: do you know him?
George: no
rich-c: did you vote?
George: i do know my state senator Mike Stack
George: i go to his office
rich-c: did you vote in the last federal election?
George: I vote everytime i get a chance
rich-c: you are dodging the question
George: they wouldn't let me vote because i was in the hospital i'm still fuming over it
rich-c: OK that is an acceptable answer - up to a point
rich-c: but you can get to vote if you really want to
George: they took my vote away
George: i do
rich-c: no one can take your vote away
rich-c: if you want to vote, call the campin office
George: i was involuntary in the hospital i couldn't leave
rich-c: sorry, campaign office of any candidate
rich-c: preferably one you want to vote for but that isnt essential
rich-c: they will arrange a proxy ballot or absentee ballot or whatever it takes
George: things are very different when you are involunary commited
rich-c: makes it harder but it can still be done
rich-c: just remember the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November - and dont mess up
George: i called campaigns but it didn't work, i even called the election commitee
rich-c: OK, credit for trying, then
George: its a hard pill to swallow
rich-c: that should have worked - pity they screwed up
rich-c: anyway time for me to sign off
rich-c: see you Wed?
George: ok. bye for now
George: yes
rich-c: take it easy - bye
George: bye
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AdamCon.org > chat > Sat 2002-10-19
Send comments to dmwick@rogers.com. I am Dale Wick