Shameless begging

[shardian]

Hey, I only have bunny ears on a 19" tv (seriously). Would anyone like to donate some money so I can join the real world and get an HD TV and satellite? 

[shmokes]

HBO absolutely is a luxury

I had a year of HBO and Showtime for free from switching from satellite to cable.  Once they upped my bill by 1/3 I cancelled them, much as I'd rather just have HBO, than every other channel combined.  My wife and I decided just last night, though that we were going to cut cable altogether and she was going to limit herself to no more than 2 hours of TV per day, which should probably have some affect on our power bill.  While I don't like TV much, my wife watches a ton of it.  In her defense, though, I'm nearly always doing homework when I'm at home and TV is a simple cure for boredom.

As for the TIVO Series 3 -- that's obviously just talk.  It's 800 bloody dollars!  Who the ---fudgesicle--- can drop $800 on a TIVO with or without an upcoming trip to France -- especially when you live in rural Utah where there are exactly zero over the air HD broadcasts and like 4 HD channels you can subscribe to from cable/satellite for $10 a month -- three of which are completely uninteresting (though one is ESPN -- HD tennis is SOOOO nice . . . the ball never gets lost)?  By the time the Series 3 TIVO is reasonably priced I'll probably already be a lawyer at it won't matter anymore 

[ChadTower]

They weren't talking about Tivo 3.

I say that cable/sat itself is a luxury.  So is anything more than, say, a standard 19" TV (I draw the line there since those can be easily had free).

Two hours of TV a day is insane.  For anyone.

[thebrownshow]

Two hours of TV a day is insane.  For anyone.

And how much time do you spend on the Internet every day, Chad?  13k posts is insane.  For anyone.

[ChadTower]

That is time at work.  Still insane but different line of insanity.  If you had the time of day stats you'd find probably 12000 of them are between 8am-5pm.

[NightGod]

I haven't considered HBO a luxury since the mid 80s, maybe it's just me. I'm one of the few people I know who doesn't have cable/sattelite with a full boat of stations, and that's because I canceled my DirectTV a few years ago when I got divorced and have never bothered to re-subscribe since I can just find everything I want to watch on-line, anyway.

I don't get it.  So you don't have cable or satellite but HBO is not a luxury?

I've replaced HBO with a DSL connection. It's more "I never used it because I got the stuff elsewhere" than "damn, I can't afford that ---steaming pile of meadow muffin---". I don't have cable or sattelite because it literally never got used (after my divorce I literally watched TV less than an hour a month, and that was because it get left on after some console gaming and I wandered back and turned it off later). It would be like, say, canceling natural gas service because all of your appliances are electric.

[fredster]

American law (), I lack class, I insulted everyone on the board, I'm crooked, I most likely no longer have friends here (thanks to this thread), my piorities are astounding (not in a good way if I'm reading it correctly), I periodically take the high and mighty road to demonstrate where I lack in intelligence or responsibility [sic], my daughter is apparently going to hold a low opinion of me because of this, I'm not as handsome as Zakk   , I'm going to be another lawyer which is, hello, lame, I am like a bum with a cardboard sign, I deserve any response that comes my way.

"what shmokes is saying about himself"
I like that Shmokes. I really like that. I have never agreed with you more! 

I particularly like the "I periodically take the high and mighty road to demonstrate where I lack in intelligence or responsibility" 

Or better yet, you could use your credit card! I bet you could ask for and get a MasterCard or Visa and just charge it.  You do have the power to do that don't you?

That way, you could pay it off when you get into the law thing.

BTW, no matter how busy I am, I still manage to squeeze in 8 hours of TV a day. I know it's a blistering thing, but I have worked up to it....

[shmokes]

Two hours of TV a day is insane. 

Insane might be a little extreme.  You need to have words left over for people who watch five hours a day, which is probably closer to the amount of TV an avererage American watches (I didn't look that up, by the way).

Still . . . god knows I wouldn't want to spend that much time watching TV.  I also feel that cable is a luxury.  Not only is it a luxury, but it's one that I won't even miss.  My wife, however, uses it a lot and I can't just decree that we're not going to have it anymore.  Luckily, that's neither here nor there, because she agreed last night that we should cut it off.

[shmokes]

I'll go.  What I don't raise will go on a credit card.

Keep trying Fredster.   

[fredster]

Well there you go! Great minds do think alike! 

Let's think "shameless"  Here's some more:

I guess you can't get a bank loan. (bad credit?)  I'd have done that, the rate may be cheaper with a credit union.  Beats the 21% from a credit card.

So you have raised $20! Man that's begging. Did you ask you mom and dad if they would kick in?  My mom would have (god rest her soul).  So would dad (tragic he died so young). But you could ask your sister? Right?

Did you forward the link to like your aunts and uncles?  Tell them to send that Birthday CARD early!

Hey! Did you do the garage sale thing?  You know, you can raise a few bucks on a Garage Sale!  You could sell all those EA games you boycotted. I'm sure you aren't playing them.

There's always a lemonade stand.

Set your mame machine to take quarters for a while. You did build a mame machine didn't you? HEY, maybe somebody could buy it?

Wait! I got it! How about getting one of those boxes of candy that parents have to sell for their kids? You could get a bunch of hershy bars and write up that you need to go and sell them at work? Just put it up at the front desk and put a coffee can next to it! Tell them it's for your girl's baseball team.

I mean, that's "shameless" isn't it?

[horseboy]

But you could ask your sister? Right?

He already said that she is giving up cable. Isn't that enough?

[Dartful Dodger]

But you could ask your sister? Right?

He already said that she is giving up cable. Isn't that enough?

Great job!

I'm still laughing.

[DrewKaree]

Two hours of TV a day is insane.  For anyone.

I'm going to go ahead and assume you are stating that number as an AVERAGE per day, not just a once in a while thing or a once a week thing.  Oh, and that you're not including gaming (which can be done on a TV, I've heard )

There's prolly other things too that would be qualifiers, I'm sure, but they're not coming to me right this instant.  Like movies.

[ChadTower]

I'm going to go ahead and assume you are stating that number as an AVERAGE per day, not just a once in a while thing or a once a week thing.  Oh, and that you're not including gaming (which can be done on a TV, I've heard )

Yes, two hours each day on average.  And I would lump gaming in there as TV usage.  I don't come anywhere near that outside of football season. During football season I may go over it due to the fact that I watch probably 6-7 hours of TV on Sunday.  Still, I would throw myself into the stupidly wasting time category there.

I don't even count the people who watch 5 hours a day on average.  They're barely people.  Clearly they don't contribute jack to society.  They just "don't have time".

Can't remember the last time I watched a whole movie in one sitting.  I tend to watch them in 20-30 minute chunks.

[thebrownshow]

ChadTower: the yardstick by which people are measured.

[ChadTower]

I am the yardstick by which *I* measure people.  I could give a crap how anyone else does it.

How else is a person to make comparisons other than by their own experience?

[shmokes]

Wait! I got it! How about getting one of those boxes of candy that parents have to sell for their kids? You could get a bunch of hershy bars and write up that you need to go and sell them at work? Just put it up at the front desk and put a coffee can next to it! Tell them it's for your girl's baseball team.

LMAO . . . I just noticed that.  I think the people at my work might be a little suspicious about me raising money for my 6-week old girl's baseball team.

[ChadTower]

6 week old girls don't run the bases very well.

[shardian]

Wait! I got it! How about getting one of those boxes of candy that parents have to sell for their kids? You could get a bunch of hershy bars and write up that you need to go and sell them at work? Just put it up at the front desk and put a coffee can next to it! Tell them it's for your girl's baseball team.

LMAO . . . I just noticed that.  I think the people at my work might be a little suspicious about me raising money for my 6-week old girl's baseball team.

Well then put out a can that says "France trip fund". You've got just as good of chance there as here.

[ChadTower]

He would if he put "One way ticket to France" on the jar.

[fredster]

How about a car wash?

Tell you what Shmokes, if you do that, I'll personally drive my truck so you can wash it

[ChadTower]

He could get Carlos all wet and soapy.

[thebrownshow]

I just had a great idea.  You could do something like a walk-a-thon, but instead of people pledging a dollar per mile, you could have them pledge a dollar for every time Chad tries to post the last word.  You'd be in France by noon tomorrow.

[ChadTower]

I don't care about the last word.  I care about the last joke.

shmokes is King of Last Word, though.  I can't win that one.

[thebrownshow]

See?! There's $1 already!

[ChadTower]

$2.  Just trying to help a brotha out.

[JackTucky]

thebrownshow is onto something.

-J

[shmokes]

You've got just as good of chance there as here.

Oh, I don't know about that.  I've got a couple of very generous donations from BYOAC members so far.

[kkingsto]

I'll go.  What I don't raise will go on a credit card.

Keep trying Fredster.   

How about a home equity loan for the trip??  Get a break on your taxes!

[daywane]

I will make a deal with you.
AtomFe need some translations done from French to english
If you do this I will toss in $20.00 email me your address and I will send you cash.
I am having problems with paypal
I would think other who like AtomicFe will toss the hat also
i can not speak for them but I would think they could kick in a few bucks

why $20.00 ... I work 7 days a week ,every day, except holidays
just my income . wife and 3 kids $20.00 is what I give myself every Thursday for my mad monie. Mame, guns what ever I wish...
so you could look at it as do one week on Atomic and I will give you one week of my work

[Dartful Dodger]

do one week on Atomic and I will give you one week of my work

You're missing the point of this thread.  If he was willing to earn this holiday in France, he wouldn't be asking for a hand out.

[daywane]

I cought it.
but I still need some one to translate. I know no one who speaks french
he can
he wants $$$
I can help there also
woth asking. I did ask in software to pass the hat for this if he will help translate.
cant hurt to ask. 

[ChadTower]

I won't, but I bet my wife would do it for fun.

[thebrownshow]

$3!

[daywane]

I won't, but I bet my wife would do it for fun.

would you ask her please?
I know more than I would be gratefull. there realy is not a large amount of docks and it is a nice FE for people like me.

[shmokes]

Send me the docs.  I'm not fluent in French yet, so some of the translations might be a little bit clumsy, but I think I'd probably do a pretty good job -- especially if it's French to English rather than the other way around.  I suppose if Chad's wife is willing to do it for free, you might want to go that route, but if that doesn't work out absolutely send them my direction.

[ChadTower]

would you ask her please?
I know more than I would be gratefull. there realy is not a large amount of docks and it is a nice FE for people like me.

I'll ask her.  She's hugely occupied with something until about the middle of October but I'd be surprised if she doesn't want to at least look at it.  Email me the material you want translated and I'll give it to her.  If I were to do it it would probably come out a lot more Quebecois than you want.

[Lewis Black]

How else is a person to make comparisons other than by their own experience?

What? 

I'm thinking that by reading, socializing, and interacting with other people you gain insight others' perspective on the world.  You could make comparisons to that information. 

Also, I would argue that the display device is irrelevant to the value of an activity.  The content is what matters.  Watching 2 hours of "Three's Company" is not equivalent to 2 hours of "Nova" or "Mavis Beacon Teaches typing."

[ChadTower]

I'm thinking that by reading, socializing, and interacting with other people you gain insight others' perspective on the world.  You could make comparisons to that information.

That is a type of experience.

[fredster]

Have you canvased every parking lot for dropped change?