Steff

On thing I was surprised at while we were in the finance office.. the guy came right out and told us what he could and couldn't do. We wanted the 0% financing, but if we took the 1.9% they would give us another $1K loyalty money. Changed the payment about $5 so we didn't bother. But the guy was (what appeared to be) on the up & up. I never knew this (loan mark ups) was a common practice.

Starting a living will Legal documents that will make decisions for you if you’re in a condition where you can’t express these things for yourself By Jean Sherman Chatzky Today show Updated: 3:12 p.m. ET Dec. 12, 2003Oct. 16 - Yesterday the feeding tube was removed from Terri Schiavo, the 39 year-old woman in Florida who has been in a coma for nine years. While Terri’s husband believes he is carrying out his wife’s wishes by not keeping her alive artificially, her parents have waged a six-year battle to keep her alive. The tragic situation could have been avoided with a simple document called a living will, and by naming healthcare proxy. “Today” financial planner Jean Chatzky has advice on how to start one. What’s a living will? It’s a legal document that speaks to doctors and hospitals as well as family members to tell them what you want in the way of medical treatment — including life support — if you’re in a condition where you can’t express these things for yourself. It goes hand and hand with a durable power of attorney for healthcare (also sometimes called a healthcare proxy). That document gives one person the ability to be the medical decision maker — just as a durable power of attorney for finances does for money-related issues — if you’re unable to make these decisions on your own. According to data a 2002 National Council on the Aging survey, 74 percent of people believe that writing a living will is “very important” preparation for later life (in fact, it tied with building up your savings as the most important preparation for later life). Yet only 20 to 30 percent of people have actually written one. How and when should you get one? As the Schiavo case shows — Terri Schiavo was only 29 when she fell ill — it’s not a document that’s specifically for older people, although it’s often thought of that way. You can and should get both living wills and healthcare proxies as soon as you turn 18. Is it expensive? It doesn’t have to be. One document that covers both the living will and the healthcare power of attorney is called the Five Wishes Living Will. It’s put out by a not-for-profit called Aging With Dignity (agingwithdignity.org, 1-888-5WISHES) that has backing from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. And it’s accepted in 35 out of 50 states. That makes it as close as the country has to a national living will document. The Five Wishes form isn’t free. Copies are $5 ($1 if you order more than 25). You can download free forms for your state at partnershipforcaring.org. But I prefer the Five Wishes because it’s written both in plain English and in such a way that it will get you and your loved ones talking about what you would want — and how and where you would want it —- when facing a truly dire healthcare situation. So how do you do it? Fill out the forms — whichever ones you choose — for yourself. Then use that experience as an entrée to sit down with your spouse or parents or other loved one to say, “I want you to know about the choices I’ve made.” It will open the door for them to talk about what they’d want as well. Chosing your healthcare proxy What happens if the person you’ve chosen to be your healthcare proxy can’t do it when the time comes because they’re out of the country — or just because they can’t step up to the plate emotionally. It’s always a good idea to have one if not two different back-ups. The Five Wishes document has a place to name in rank order, three people you’d like to make decisions for you. Where do you put it when you're done? Your family gets a copy, so do your doctor, your lawyer, and the people you name as your healthcare proxies.

I thought this was interesting... Jim and I just bought a new car (at 0% financing) and I was surprised at the "mark up" based on credit score info. It's pretty commonly known that the lower your score, the highter rate you have to pay, but this much detail is interesting - and helpful - to those who are looking in the near future to buy a new car. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4364512/ By Jean Sherman Chatzky Contributor Today show Updated: 10:45 a.m. ET Feb. 25, 2004What's the financial transaction Americans complain about more than any other? Buying a car. And it's not just the negotiating process for the vehicle that drives consumers to distraction -- it's the financing process. “Today” contributor and Money magazine editor-at-large Jean Sherman Chatzky gives tips on how to get the best deal for your next set of wheels. Dealers aren't making money on cars anymore -- consumers who come into the showroom knowing the precise spread between the invoice price and the sticker have become savvy negotiators. But car salesmen have to earn their keep somewhere. So they're working hard to make up the difference on servicing, on trade-ins, and on financing, especially on financing. A report out from the Consumer Federation of America say that Americans are being charged "at least hundreds of millions of dollars and possibly as much as a billion annually" in undisclosed finance "mark-up" charges when they finance their new car purchases at dealerships. What are mark-up charges? Essentially, they're the difference between what you might have to pay for a car loan if you got the best rate possible based on your credit rating, and the rating the dealer says they can "get you." Dealers have the ability to take bank rates and rates from financing companies (rates based upon your credit score) and mark them up. They don't impose a mark-up all the time, but they do often. According to the report, approximately 1 in 4 customers of GMAC and FMCC -- the financing arms of GM and Ford -- are marked up and as many as 50 percent of Nissan financing customers. Who gets marked up? There's not necessarily a formula for how much they mark them up. Often, it's a measure of how high a rate they believe they can get you to take. According to the report, African American and Hispanic car buyers with similar credit histories to non-minorities are marked up - depending on the lender - as much as twice as often as white buyers. How much is this costing buyers? The average mark-up is 3 percentage points a consumer - over $1,000. Is this legal? It is, though lawmakers are starting to make noises that consumers should be told how much they're being marked up. Right now, the industry maintains that dealers should be compensating for their efforts in arranging loans. So what should you do? First, understand the process. You need to understand that just as buying a house is a completely separate process from finding a mortgage, getting the best rate on a car loan has absolutely nothing to do with getting the best price on a car. That knowledge - and the ability to stick to your guns in a negotiation - puts you right back in the drivers seat. What else do you need to do? Tips on financing a car Know your credit score To know what you'd pay for auto financing you need to know your credit score. You can buy it - or get an approximation for free - at myfico.com. Only people will scores of 720 or more qualify for the best rates. But at that website, you can also get a sense of what that score will get you on a new car. On a 48-month new car Credit Score = Auto Financing 720-850 = 4.9% 690-719 = 5.6% 660-689 = 7.7% 625-659 = 10.8% 590-620 = 15.1% 500-589 = 18.5% Find a loan You should secure a loan before you go into a dealership. Understand, it's very tough to beat an interest rate with a manufacturer's incentive driving it - like a 2.9 percent rate - but you can have a loan in your pocket and you don't have to use it if the dealer offers you a better one. You'll likely find the best rate from an online lender that specializes in auto financing. Capital One Auto Financing (capitalone.com) is currently offering a 48-month new car loan at 4.29 percent. Credit Unions are also hugely competitive in this market. You can get a list of the best rates in the country from bankrate.com. Then apply before you start shopping to know -- for certain -- what your credit score will buy you. Talk price Only now is it time to head to the dealer. Keep the fact that you've secured financing -- as well as all other information about your situation -- to yourself as you negotiate. Don't answer questions about whether you've got a trade-in, how much money you're putting down, how much you want to pay a month or how you plan to finance the car. Just say: Let's talk about price. Only once you settle on a number, do you say: I'd like to talk about financing. The salesman will tell you what rates are available. Then use the rate in your back pocket to see if you can finagle a better deal. If there are manufacturer's incentives at play, you may be offered a choice of a sweet rate or a rebate. Figure out the best deal If you're offered a rebate vs. a good rate, you may need to leave the showroom and use the web to help you figure out which is the better deal. But on average, if you've already got a low-rate locked up, the rebate may be the smarter move. Let's say you're looking to finance a $20,000 car and you've got a $4,000 trade-in which brings the price down to $16,000. You've been offered zero percent financing, or a $2,000 rebate. But you've also got 3.99 percent financing from another source. If you finance the $16,000 at zero percent, your three years of monthly $444 payments add up to just that: $16,000. But if you use the $2,000 to reduce the size of your loan to $14,000, your monthly payment (even at 3.99) falls to $413. Your total out-of-pocket is $14,878 and you've saved $1,122.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/South/02/29/brf...d.ap/index.html Man hit, dragged 8 miles by SUV Monday, March 1, 2004 Posted: 3:41 AM EST (0841 GMT) SPRINGFIELD, Virginia (AP) -- A sport utility vehicle hit a man on an interstate highway Sunday and dragged his body -- apparently lodged in the suspension -- 8 1/2 miles to the driver's home, police said. Josuel Galdino, 25, of Lorton, was charged with manslaughter, driving while intoxicated and felony hit-and-run after calling police to report a man's body was caught in the front-end suspension of his SUV. Fairfax County Police spokeswoman Sophia Grinnan said Galdino hit Fitsum Gebreegziabher, 27, of Woodbridge, who had gotten out of his car after getting a flat tire on Interstate 95 southwest of Washington, D.C. Grinnan said Galdino was traveling in a southbound lane near the Fairfax County Parkway when he hit Gebreegziabher. Galdino was held without bond Sunday. Arraignment was scheduled for Monday morning, said police spokesman Terry Williams. It was not immediately clear whether Galdino had an attorney.

Number One Idiot of 2003 I am a medical student currently doing a rotation in toxicology at the poison control centre. Today, this woman called in very upset because she caught her little daughter eating ants. I quickly reassured her that the ants are not harmful and there would be no need to bring her daughter into the hospital. She calmed down and at the end of the conversation happened to mention that she gave her daughter some ant poison to eat in order to kill the ants. I told her that she better bring her daughter into the emergency room right away. Here's your award, lady. Wear it with pride. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Number Two Idiot of 2003 Early this year, some Boeing employees on the airfield decided to Steal a life raft from one of the 747s. They were successful in getting it out of the plane and home. Shortly after they took it for a float on the river, they noticed a Coast Guard helicopter coming towards them. It turned out that the chopper was homing in on the emergency locator beacon that activated when the raft was inflated. They are no longer employed at Boeing. Here's your award, guys. Don't get it wet; the paint might run. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Number Three Idiot of 2003 A true story out of San Francisco: A man, wanting to rob a downtown Bank of America, walked into the branch and wrote "this iz a stikkup. Put all your muny in this bag" While standing in line, waiting to give his note to the teller, he began to worry that someone had seen him write the note and might call the police before he reached the teller's window. So he left the Bank of America and crossed the street to Wells Fargo. After waiting a Few minutes in line, he handed his note to the Wells Fargo teller. She read it and, surmising from his spelling errors that he wasn't the brightest light in the street told him that she could not accept his stickup note because it was written on a Bank of America deposit slip and that he would either have to fill out a Wells Fargo deposit slip or go back to Bank of America. Looking somewhat defeated, the man said, "OK" and left. He was Arrested a few minutes later, as he was waiting in line back at Bank of America. Don't bother with this guy's award. He probably couldn't read it anyway. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Number four Idiot of 2003 A motorist was unknowingly caught in an automated speed trap that measured his speed using radar and photographed his car. He later received in the mail a ticket for $40 and a photo of his car. Instead of payment, he sent the police department a photograph of $40. Several days later, he received a letter from the police that contained another picture, this time of handcuffs. He immediately mailed in his $40. Another award (though this guy might be onto something worth Thinking about)! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Number Five Idiot of 2003 A guy walked into a little corner store with a shotgun and demanded all of the cash from the cash drawer. After the cashier put the cash in a bag,the robber saw a bottle of Scotch that he wanted behind the counter on the shelf. He told the cashier to put it in the bag as well, but the cashier refused and said, "Because I don't believe you are over 21. The robber said he was, but the clerk still refused to give it to him because he didn't believe him. At this point, the robber took his driver's license out of his wallet and gave it to the clerk. The clerk looked it over and agreed that the man was in fact over 21 and he put the Scotch in the bag. The robber then ran from the store with his loot. The cashier promptly called the police and gave the name and address of the robber that he got off the license. They arrested the robber two hours later. This guy definitely needs an award! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Idiot Number Six of 2003 A pair of Michigan robbers entered a record shop nervously waving revolvers. The first one shouted, "Nobody move!" When his partner moved, the startled first bandit shot him This guy doesn't need an award, he probably figured it out himself. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Idiot Number Seven of 2003 Arkansas: Seems this guy wanted some beer pretty badly. He decided that he'd just throw a brick through a liquor store window, grab some booze, and run. So he lifted the brick and heaved it over his head at the window. The brick bounced back and hit the would-be thief on the head, knocking him unconscious. It seems the liquor store window was made of Flexi-Glass. The whole event was caught on videotape. Oh, that's smart. Give him his award.

Zing....

I'm confused...

But of course... :headshake

Who pissed in your Cheerios this morning...??

I rarely watch the E! show unless there's something I want to see. Jim and I listen to the show every morning. It's not so redundant every morning like it used to be.

It's on from 6am to 11am... what the hell are kids not doing on their way to or in school at that time..?? *note, I have not yet come up with a summertime solution

Baggs.. that's what I think also. Right across the RR tracks that run along 294 at that point there are a ton of condo's, apartments, and houses. I think it may have just wandered away and got stuck out there. Also Fan mentioned it had a coller.. even with no tags (which really means nothing since unless you get a pure breed or one from the AW many don't bother to get shots and tags for their animals, or if they do some just don't bother to put them on), if someone was going to toss a dog out the window they would take the coller off. A coller, to me, shows that someone cared for the dog. JMO, though.

That's the bottom line. Frank (from everything that I have ever seen with my eyes and heard with my ears) has issues with only ONE person employed with the White Sox... and he simply goes to the top and does not deal with this person.

She used that grammar and punctuation...? As well took a swipe at her former employer..? Yikes.. Hope that doesn't get out.. She wont have an easy time finding another job.

You weren't trying.. but you sure did a good job of it. Since you've never commented on such (where you've been, who you know), how would I have known that...?? So yes Haaarold... post your "credentials" - or at the very least say you've been somewhere to make such a statement - so people know that youre not just posting bulls***. Have you been in the offices lately..? How's Finny and Jim..??

Since Jay's been at the park less that a handfull of times.. and NEVER in the clubhouse... he's wrong.

I'd just like to point out that you have no idea what Frank is treated like by the Sox, or how he interacts with others on the team. Carry on..

If that grammar is hers...

Classy title... Hope Jay visits here today to see it...

Did you copy/paste that email here or re-type it..?

I understand.. but c'mon. We're Sox fans. We've always had the highest hopes and always been let down. This year some are just skipping the "hopes" part of the routine. It will make things even sweeter when they kick ass!!

SoxFan... ease up on the caffeine.

Oh.. thought I might mention that they drug test..

Good luck then. Auditing is not a job with a "set in stone" proceedure manual. As long as you're ok with asking questions, then you should be OK. And UPS is a great company to work for.. just don't tell my boss I said that