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What Do you do? A Poll

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Tanada

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Jan 14, 2005, 4:15:32 PM1/14/05
to
Ok, I'm curious. What does everyone in here do for tuna money? I know
we have some, ok a lot, of computer geeks, educators (or what passes for
one) and so forth. You don't have to be any more specific than you
want, but I confess to being extremely curious. If you're currently out
of work, you don't have to say so, just list your career field.

I am a Substitute Teacher for Cumberland Co. North Carolina, married to
a Blackhawk mechanic/inspector who is medically retired from the US army.

Pam S.

Karen

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Jan 14, 2005, 4:30:20 PM1/14/05
to
I work for a small independant telecommunications company by day and teach 2
sessions of art online for Saint Leo's Uni the rest of the time. Once a
month I troubleshoot internet problems for another small company. (I don't
know why, but they don't want me to completely quit. ) There you go. Keeps
'em in kitty beds.


"Tanada" <tan...@nospamearthlink.net> wrote in message
news:UDWFd.6855$C52....@newsread2.news.atl.earthlink.net...

Monique Y. Mudama

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Jan 14, 2005, 4:23:37 PM1/14/05
to
On 2005-01-14, Tanada penned:

I'm a computer geek married to a computer geek!

I'm a s/w engineer, currently in the aerospace field, and my husband Eric is a
firmware engineer at a hard drive company.

--
monique, roommate of Oscar the (female) grouch
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Eros was adopted! Eros has a home now! *cheer!*

Christine Burel

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Jan 14, 2005, 4:32:24 PM1/14/05
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"Tanada" <tan...@nospamearthlink.net> wrote in message
news:UDWFd.6855$C52....@newsread2.news.atl.earthlink.net...

B.A. Journalism
Worked as tech editor/tech writer; traffic person for radio and tv stations.
Mom since 15 years+
Currently working part-time as a book merchandiser for various retail
stores.
Christine


Nan

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Jan 14, 2005, 4:44:31 PM1/14/05
to
On Fri, 14 Jan 2005 21:15:32 GMT, Tanada <tan...@nospamearthlink.net>
wrote:

Retired bookkeeper on Social Security, a small IRA, and a VERY small
retirement check (which just about covers my medical insurance and
medications).

Nan

Victor Martinez

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Jan 14, 2005, 4:51:01 PM1/14/05
to
Tanada wrote:
> I am a Substitute Teacher for Cumberland Co. North Carolina, married to
> a Blackhawk mechanic/inspector who is medically retired from the US army.

I am a process control engineer kinda married to a TV producer and host,
writer, teacher, and garden designer.

--
Victor M. Martinez
Owned and operated by the Fantastic Seven (TM)
Send your spam here: u...@ftc.gov
Email me here: pistor...@BOXaustin.rr.com

Mathew Kagis

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Jan 14, 2005, 4:51:33 PM1/14/05
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"Tanada" <tan...@nospamearthlink.net> wrote in message
news:UDWFd.6855$C52....@newsread2.news.atl.earthlink.net...

> Ok, I'm curious. What does everyone in here do for tuna money?

>
> Pam S.


I work in the Food & Beverage industry. I'm a Sommelier, currently I work
at a small fine dinning steak house & martini lounge. I serve/ bartend/
supervise & most importantly, buy the booze & write the wine list.
--
Mathew
Butler to 2 kittens: Chablis & Muscat
En Vino Veritas


Victor Martinez

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Jan 14, 2005, 4:53:09 PM1/14/05
to
Mathew Kagis wrote:
> I work in the Food & Beverage industry. I'm a Sommelier, currently I work
> at a small fine dinning steak house & martini lounge. I serve/ bartend/
> supervise & most importantly, buy the booze & write the wine list.

Awesome! I love wine and would love to be a wine buyer... or an exotic
food buyer... :)

Karen

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Jan 14, 2005, 5:01:06 PM1/14/05
to

"Mathew Kagis" <wine...@telus.net> wrote in message
news:F9XFd.82983$nN6.44253@edtnps84...

OOoo. That explains the kitties names!! I would love to be a sommelier.


Monique Y. Mudama

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Jan 14, 2005, 4:58:34 PM1/14/05
to
On 2005-01-14, Victor Martinez penned:

> Tanada wrote:
>> I am a Substitute Teacher for Cumberland Co. North Carolina, married to a
>> Blackhawk mechanic/inspector who is medically retired from the US army.
>
> I am a process control engineer kinda married to a TV producer and host,
> writer, teacher, and garden designer.

"kinda married"? Is that like being a little bit pregnant? =P

jmcquown

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Jan 14, 2005, 5:03:03 PM1/14/05
to
Tanada wrote:
> Ok, I'm curious. What does everyone in here do for tuna money?
> I am a Substitute Teacher for Cumberland Co. North Carolina, married
> to a Blackhawk mechanic/inspector who is medically retired from the
> US army.
>
> Pam S.

Currently unemployed, former software tech support and QA Testing person;
proprietary software running on a Unix platform.

Jill


Monique Y. Mudama

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Jan 14, 2005, 5:01:34 PM1/14/05
to
On 2005-01-14, Karen penned:

>
> "Mathew Kagis" <wine...@telus.net> wrote in message
> news:F9XFd.82983$nN6.44253@edtnps84...
>>
>> I work in the Food & Beverage industry. I'm a Sommelier, currently I work
>> at a small fine dinning steak house & martini lounge. I serve/ bartend/
>> supervise & most importantly, buy the booze & write the wine list. --
>> Mathew Butler to 2 kittens: Chablis & Muscat En Vino Veritas
>>
>>
>
> OOoo. That explains the kitties names!! I would love to be a sommelier.

I haven't looked up what "sommelier" means yet, and I'm not a wine fan, but I
think working at a steak house would be a little too much of a good thing for
me! Yum!

*wondering if she should ask Eric to bring home some steak tonight ... *

Message has been deleted

Tanada

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Jan 14, 2005, 5:10:43 PM1/14/05
to
Monique Y. Mudama wrote:

> On 2005-01-14, Victor Martinez penned:
>
>>

>>I am a process control engineer kinda married to a TV producer and host,
>>writer, teacher, and garden designer.
>
>
> "kinda married"? Is that like being a little bit pregnant? =P

With the laws being as short sighted as they are about gay marriages,
sorts married is about the right term. The two have been together
longer than a lot of heterosexual couples, but aren't allowed by law to
make it formal. Seems unfair to me, why shouldn't they be as miserable
as the rest of us. :-)

Pam S. teasing Victor, Tom and the rest of the gay couples out there
>

Jo Firey

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Jan 14, 2005, 5:07:56 PM1/14/05
to

"Victor Martinez" <m...@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:9bXFd.6963$_56....@fe2.texas.rr.com...

> Mathew Kagis wrote:
>> I work in the Food & Beverage industry. I'm a Sommelier, currently I
>> work
>> at a small fine dinning steak house & martini lounge. I serve/ bartend/
>> supervise & most importantly, buy the booze & write the wine list.
>
> Awesome! I love wine and would love to be a wine buyer... or an exotic
> food buyer... :)
>
> --

They do get invited to some really cool conventions.

Jo


Jo Firey

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Jan 14, 2005, 5:06:26 PM1/14/05
to
I'm a retired CPA who is trying to decide if I really want to do any tax
returns this year or not.

Jo


"Tanada" <tan...@nospamearthlink.net> wrote in message
news:UDWFd.6855$C52....@newsread2.news.atl.earthlink.net...

jmcquown

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Jan 14, 2005, 5:13:23 PM1/14/05
to
Jo Firey wrote:
> I'm a retired CPA who is trying to decide if I really want to do any
> tax returns this year or not.
>
> Jo

Even your own? (teasing)

Jill

Victor Martinez

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Jan 14, 2005, 5:19:45 PM1/14/05
to
Tanada wrote:
> With the laws being as short sighted as they are about gay marriages,
> sorts married is about the right term. The two have been together
> longer than a lot of heterosexual couples, but aren't allowed by law to

We'll be celebrating our 8th anniversary in April. :)

> make it formal. Seems unfair to me, why shouldn't they be as miserable
> as the rest of us. :-)

It's not just the miserable part though... :) As it stands now, if Tom
were to be hospitalized and unconscious, I would not have the right to
be by his side. If I were to die, all the assets that I own that I have
willed to Tom would be taxed at 50% (or something ridiculous like that),
whereas if he were my husband there would be no tax. The list of
unfairness goes on and on... :(

Monique Y. Mudama

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Jan 14, 2005, 5:23:54 PM1/14/05
to
On 2005-01-14, Tanada penned:

ooooh yeah. I forgot.

*sigh*

Don't get me started on my rant about how stupid anti-gay-marriage laws are =/

Yowie

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Jan 14, 2005, 5:41:11 PM1/14/05
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"Tanada" <tan...@nospamearthlink.net> wrote in message
news:UDWFd.6855$C52....@newsread2.news.atl.earthlink.net...

"Research Science (Chemistry)"

Paint technologist: I develop the new products and processes (more on the
processes side) for producing pre-painted steel - the stuff that people use
for 'tin roofs', and pre-fab buildings (mainly factories and warehouses),
although it has no end of uses. All my work clothes have little speckles of
paint on them, and I somethimes rig up the most bizarre experiments to test
the coated surface (ie, the paint) to see if will withstand the conditions
its will see in its lifetime. The funnest thing was to see if water based
paint would catch fire. Not easily, no, but if you work hard it, you can set
almost anything on fire :-)).

Generally, I am researching the interactions of different coatings when put
togehter, and the effects of how you bake them, to determine which would be
the best & cheapest coating combination, and how to process it in the best &
cheapest way so as to still meet product requirements.

Or, to put it another way:

I spend my days watching paint dry, and watching paint peel. :-)

Yowie


Jo Firey

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Jan 14, 2005, 5:28:32 PM1/14/05
to

"jmcquown" <jmcq...@bellsouth.net> wrote in message
news:GsXFd.14298$tF....@bignews6.bellsouth.net...

> Jo Firey wrote:
>> I'm a retired CPA who is trying to decide if I really want to do any
>> tax returns this year or not.
>>
>> Jo
>
> Even your own? (teasing)
>
> Jill

Not nice!

I just finished last years.

One argument for doing a few for others is it will pay for the good software
I like to use but can't justify buying just to do mine.

My rule is I don't do my own return till I've finished everyone else's.
Usually like this year it gets done on October 15th.


Jo

Monique Y. Mudama

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Jan 14, 2005, 5:30:35 PM1/14/05
to
On 2005-01-14, Victor Martinez penned:
>
>> make it formal. Seems unfair to me, why shouldn't they be as miserable as
>> the rest of us. :-)
>
> It's not just the miserable part though... :) As it stands now, if Tom were
> to be hospitalized and unconscious, I would not have the right to be by his
> side. If I were to die, all the assets that I own that I have willed to Tom
> would be taxed at 50% (or something ridiculous like that), whereas if he
> were my husband there would be no tax. The list of unfairness goes on and
> on... :(


Fine, get me started on my rant!

Actually, you've made a lot of the points I was going to make.

The insurance at both my employer and my husband's will cover "life partners,"
so at least that's one small step.

Honestly, I don't understand what is going on in people's heads. I've heard
people argue that marriage is for procreation ... but if that's the case, why
do hetero couples with no intention to have children get to be married, while
gay couples who do have kids don't get those benefits? It makes no sense!

Some days, I just hate people =/

CK

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Jan 14, 2005, 5:42:09 PM1/14/05
to
I'm in sales / customer service at a wholesale company, on the hardware
side - the *real* hardware side (flooring, tiles, nails, drills), not
computers. DH is unemployed.

--
Christine in Vantaa, Finland
christal63 (at) yahoo (dot) com

Kreisleriana

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Jan 14, 2005, 6:07:37 PM1/14/05
to
On Fri, 14 Jan 2005 21:15:32 GMT, Tanada <tan...@nospamearthlink.net>
yodeled:


I'm a choir director. In the process of becoming a librarian.

Theresa
Stinky Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh
My Blog: http://www.humanitas.blogspot.com

Helen Miles

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Jan 14, 2005, 6:12:58 PM1/14/05
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"Tanada" <tan...@nospamearthlink.net> wrote in message
news:UDWFd.6855$C52....@newsread2.news.atl.earthlink.net

> Ok, I'm curious. What does everyone in here do for tuna money?

Ummm...where to start? ;o)

Full time Wild-cat Conservation biologist and PhD grad student at the
Uni of Bristol.
Part time "Wildlife conservation" lecturer at University of Gloucester.
Part time TV Producer for ice-hockey programmes & wildlife programmes.
Part time "wannabe" semi-pro female ice-hockey player. ;o)

FULL TIME Catslave, to HRFL Tiger, Pandora, and now Cleo.
Part time D*g boss.

Helen M


--
Posted via Mailgate.ORG Server - http://www.Mailgate.ORG

O J

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Jan 14, 2005, 6:15:56 PM1/14/05
to
Hi All,

I'm retired from the phone company. I used to splice fiber optic
cables as well as install and maintain the electronics that translate
little flashes of laser light back into telephone lines. When I
became disabled, I switched to repair testing from a computer terminal
of some of the special hi-speed circuits that I had installed when I
was out in the field.

Most of the really high-capacity cables run in underground conduits
and are spliced together in manholes. Would anyone like to hear the
story of the giant alligators that live underground beneath our
cities?

Regards and Purrs,
O J

Helen Miles

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Jan 14, 2005, 6:17:29 PM1/14/05
to
"Victor Martinez" <m...@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:5AXFd.3435$Ta2....@fe2.texas.rr.com>
> It's not just the miserable part though... :) As it stands now, if Tom
> were to be hospitalized and unconscious, I would not have the right to
> be by his side. If I were to die, all the assets that I own that I have
> willed to Tom would be taxed at 50% (or something ridiculous like that),
> whereas if he were my husband there would be no tax. The list of
> unfairness goes on and on... :(///

You and Tom should move to the UK. At least then you'd have the "Civil
partnership" bill. Not ideal, but marriage in everything but name. Plus
the furry crew could come on passports, and it means I'd get to see you!

CatNipped

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Jan 14, 2005, 6:25:57 PM1/14/05
to
"Tanada" <tan...@nospamearthlink.net> wrote in message
news:UDWFd.6855$C52....@newsread2.news.atl.earthlink.net...

> Ok, I'm curious. What does everyone in here do for tuna money? I know
> we have some, ok a lot, of computer geeks, educators (or what passes for
> one) and so forth. You don't have to be any more specific than you
> want, but I confess to being extremely curious. If you're currently out
> of work, you don't have to say so, just list your career field.
>
> I am a Substitute Teacher for Cumberland Co. North Carolina, married to
> a Blackhawk mechanic/inspector who is medically retired from the US army.
>
> Pam S.

I'm a web architect currently working as an Executive Assistant since there
is *NO* web work to be found in the states right now. DH is a computer
phone support tech.

Hugs,

CatNipped

Victor Martinez

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Jan 14, 2005, 6:47:03 PM1/14/05
to
Monique Y. Mudama wrote:
> The insurance at both my employer and my husband's will cover "life partners,"
> so at least that's one small step.

It is. However, the IRS considers the cost of insuring a non-married
partner to be taxable income... :(

mlbriggs

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Jan 14, 2005, 6:52:27 PM1/14/05
to

Would love to hear your (fairy) tales.

Mogget

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Jan 14, 2005, 7:33:29 PM1/14/05
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In message <UDWFd.6855$C52....@newsread2.news.atl.earthlink.net>,
Tanada <tan...@nospamearthlink.net> writes

>Ok, I'm curious. What does everyone in here do for tuna money?

Dunno how to categorise myself. Was a trade mark attorney, now a
full-time mum, not intending to go back to anything remotely trademarky.
Am also company secretary of Mr Mogget's company, for which I am
technically employed full-time.

Wish I could settle this, because I'm always having to categorise my
occupation; and "catslave" is seldom listed as an option.
--
Mogget

Howard Berkowitz

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Jan 14, 2005, 7:45:48 PM1/14/05
to
I'm a networking and medical geek, I suppose. On the network side, I've
both been a researcher and developer, mostly on high-end routing for
core Internet providers and for life-critical networks. While it's hard
to sell advanced books in this economy, I've published four textbooks. I
like to consider myself an engineer who teaches rather than a "trainer",
but my major contracts at the moment are for developing advanced
Internet engineering courses.

Originally, I was a chemistry major, and while I dropped out into
computer science, I try to get to a fair bit of medical continuing
education, especially with so much on-line. I do work on and off with a
firm that does clinical automation, and I combine the odd roles (as
Chief Technology Officer) of both creating and enforcing software
engineering, but also being the point of contact to physicians,
demonstrating that we understand what they are trying to do. One of my
favorite areas is expert systems for prescribing.

Some of this comes together in planning disaster response facilities. I
was the network consultant, for example, for the US government Y2K
center.

Jeanne Hedge

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Jan 14, 2005, 7:50:00 PM1/14/05
to
On Fri, 14 Jan 2005 21:15:32 GMT, Tanada <tan...@nospamearthlink.net>
wrote:

>Ok, I'm curious. What does everyone in here do for tuna money? I know
>we have some, ok a lot, of computer geeks, educators (or what passes for
>one) and so forth. You don't have to be any more specific than you
>want, but I confess to being extremely curious. If you're currently out
>of work, you don't have to say so, just list your career field.
>
>I am a Substitute Teacher for Cumberland Co. North Carolina, married to
>a Blackhawk mechanic/inspector who is medically retired from the US army.


Long story - after college I worked as a Chemistry Tech at a power
plant construction site. That lasted for 6 months until the plant
closed. Spent the next 13 years working in the Environmental Health
and Safety field at power plants for 2 major utilities doing all sorts
of things (including quite a few that didn't necessarily have anything
to do with EH&S but got me experience in other fields <g>), until the
plant I was working at closed (exactly 1 year after I'd left the 1st
utility to work for the 2nd).

Deciding I was tired of doing that sort of thing and getting jerked
around by the Fortune 500, I changed career paths and spent the next
5-1/2 years working as a software developer for a small company
servicing the insurance industry ("we're a family here!" :p <blarg>).
That lasted until my "family" outsourced my job to Manila.

I've been unemployed since April, and without any money coming in
since November, but hope to have my Indiana Substitute Teacher's
License sometime in the next 4 weeks. I did a bit of sub teaching back
in college (no license required then), but my SIL is arranging for me
to observe her 4th grade class so I can see what life as a teacher is
like these days.

I had an interview with a guy at the state jobs office today (one of
those "what do you want to do with your life" things :p). I told him
that with my background I think I could do just about any job someone
threw at me ^_^


Jeanne Hedge, as directed by Natasha

============
http://www.jhedge.com

Karen Chuplis

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Jan 14, 2005, 7:51:15 PM1/14/05
to
in article 25kgu01gteqd645ih...@4ax.com, Kreisleriana at
kreisl...@yahoo.com wrote on 1/14/05 5:07 PM:

Librarian, another profession I always wanted to do.

Karen Chuplis

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Jan 14, 2005, 7:53:01 PM1/14/05
to
in article 3c9477042f0260acb2c...@mygate.mailgate.org, Helen
Miles at helen...@virgin.net wrote on 1/14/05 5:12 PM:

> Part time TV Producer for ice-hockey programmes & wildlife programmes.

Now THERE's an unusual combination.

Jeanne Hedge

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Jan 14, 2005, 7:54:00 PM1/14/05
to
On Fri, 14 Jan 2005 22:19:45 GMT, Victor Martinez <m...@nospam.com>
wrote:

>Tanada wrote:
>> With the laws being as short sighted as they are about gay marriages,
>> sorts married is about the right term. The two have been together
>> longer than a lot of heterosexual couples, but aren't allowed by law to
>
>We'll be celebrating our 8th anniversary in April. :)
>
>> make it formal. Seems unfair to me, why shouldn't they be as miserable
>> as the rest of us. :-)
>
>It's not just the miserable part though... :) As it stands now, if Tom
>were to be hospitalized and unconscious, I would not have the right to
>be by his side. If I were to die, all the assets that I own that I have
>willed to Tom would be taxed at 50% (or something ridiculous like that),
>whereas if he were my husband there would be no tax. The list of
>unfairness goes on and on... :(

Tax unfairness aside (and that's a pretty huge aside), I think I read
somewhere that you could do something with legal documents (something
like power of attorney) that would allow you to have legal say-so
regarding medical things and other personal affairs. I think it's
criminal that something like that should be necessary, but is that a
possiblity?

Tish Silberbauer

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Jan 14, 2005, 8:10:57 PM1/14/05
to
On Fri, 14 Jan 2005 21:15:32 GMT, Tanada <tan...@nospamearthlink.net>
wrote:

>Ok, I'm curious. What does everyone in here do for tuna money? I know
>we have some, ok a lot, of computer geeks, educators (or what passes for
>one) and so forth. You don't have to be any more specific than you
>want, but I confess to being extremely curious. If you're currently out
>of work, you don't have to say so, just list your career field.
>
>I am a Substitute Teacher for Cumberland Co. North Carolina, married to
>a Blackhawk mechanic/inspector who is medically retired from the US army.
>
>Pam S.

Research biologist, specialising in the ecology and conservation of
insects. Much of my work has been on bees, beetles and lacewings
(doodlebugs to those in the USA). Trying to get an academic position
and have succeeded in as much as having back-to-back short-term
research positions for the last 10 or so years, but not having any
luck getting a lectureship. Also much involved with various
scientific societies as editor of newsletter, secretary and
communications officer.

Supervisor to a couple of postgraduate students.

Slave to 3 cats and 2 d*gs.
Wife
Daughter and part-time carer for live-in Mum

Tish

JBHajos

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Jan 14, 2005, 8:20:15 PM1/14/05
to
On Fri, 14 Jan 2005 15:23:54 -0700, "Monique Y. Mudama"
<sp...@bounceswoosh.org> wrote:

>Don't get me started on my rant about how stupid anti-gay-marriage laws are =/
>

Aw, go ahead and rant!!! :) I do it all the time, especially here
in the Bible Belt's idiot state. Not just the marriage laws but the
general attitudes and ignorance. Aaaarrrrrgh!!!

Jeanne

Howard Berkowitz

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Jan 14, 2005, 8:30:01 PM1/14/05
to
In article <BE0DC58C.59D48%kchu...@alltel.net>, Karen Chuplis
<kchu...@alltel.net> wrote:

I agree! Lions and tigers and bears, throwing in the stray mongoose,
probably are less violent than hockey players. :-)

Howard Berkowitz

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Jan 14, 2005, 8:32:07 PM1/14/05
to
In article <h8qgu0dbihlkp6s4n...@4ax.com>, Jeanne Hedge
<jhe...@rcn.com> wrote:

In many cases, yes. Virginia has passed an atrocious law that is bound
to be struck down in the courts, but is nightmarish. Essentially, it
says that if there is a contract between two people that might appear to
give the impression that it is an attempt to circumvent the prohibition
against same-sex marriage, it can be challenged in court.

This could mean that if I. a single heterosexual, happened to give a
male friend by medical power of attorney, some busybody could challenge
it.

JBHajos

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Jan 14, 2005, 8:34:35 PM1/14/05
to
On Fri, 14 Jan 2005 21:15:32 GMT, Tanada <tan...@nospamearthlink.net>
wrote:

>Ok, I'm curious. What does everyone in here do for tuna money?

Nuttin' :) Actually, I retired a bit early on a medical from the
secretary/office manager field, Civil Service with the Army, ending up
with the Air Force. Stretch the pensions for the tuna money but the
vet bills are killers!!!

Jeanne



Seanette Blaylock

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Jan 14, 2005, 8:59:52 PM1/14/05
to
Tanada <tan...@nospamearthlink.net> had some very interesting things
to say about What Do you do? A Poll :

>Ok, I'm curious. What does everyone in here do for tuna money? I know
>we have some, ok a lot, of computer geeks, educators (or what passes for
>one) and so forth. You don't have to be any more specific than you
>want, but I confess to being extremely curious. If you're currently out
>of work, you don't have to say so, just list your career field.
>I am a Substitute Teacher for Cumberland Co. North Carolina, married to
>a Blackhawk mechanic/inspector who is medically retired from the US army.

I'm a clerical/admin temp [beginning an at least 4 month assignment on
Thursday], DH is an out of work computer geek considering a career
change to heavy equipment operation [he's 42, so probably close to due
for mid-life crisis. I figure if a change of profession is the
weirdest thing he does, I can deal :-)].

--
"The universe is quite robust in design and appears to be
doing just fine on its own, incompetent support staff notwithstanding.
:-)" - the Dennis formerly known as (evil), MCFL

Seanette Blaylock

unread,
Jan 14, 2005, 9:02:36 PM1/14/05
to
O J <oj...@pacbell.BOGUS.net> had some very interesting things to say
about Re: What Do you do? A Poll :

>Most of the really high-capacity cables run in underground conduits
>and are spliced together in manholes. Would anyone like to hear the
>story of the giant alligators that live underground beneath our
>cities?

Read it on Snopes. :-)

O J

unread,
Jan 14, 2005, 9:17:42 PM1/14/05
to
M L Briggs wrote:

>O J wrote:
---------------------<snip>----------------------


>> Most of the really high-capacity cables run in underground conduits
>> and are spliced together in manholes. Would anyone like to hear the
>> story of the giant alligators that live underground beneath our
>> cities?
>>
>

>Would love to hear your (fairy) tales.

So you don't believe there are scary things that haunt the underground
passages of our cities, eh? We'll see how you feel after I tell you
my little tale.

My partner and I were working in South-Central LA when the movie
"Alligator" had just been released and was blanketing the TV with ads.
I was down in a manhole, but out of sight in a corner checking to make
sure the ductwork matched the blueprint for the job. I overheard my
partner up above talking to some children and telling them a fairy
story about alligators that lived under the street.

The children pooh-poohed his tale as a lot of nonsense, so he dared
them to call down the manhole with the 'special alligator call' which
he proceeded to demonstrate for them. I heard children's voices
calling out with little oook-oook sounds and took a deep breath in
preparation. I let out my best alligator roar which was magnified by
the echo of the little concrete room!!

The next sound I heard was the screams of children followed by the
laughter of my partner. He told me that those kids didn't stop
running for two blocks!

So you see, there really are scary things to be found under the city
streets. Bwah-hah-hah-hah!!

Bev

unread,
Jan 14, 2005, 9:30:21 PM1/14/05
to

I'm a retired writer of books and short stories for children.
Keep telling myself that I am going to write another novel, do a chapter
then go off on another overseas trip, lol. I taught the piano for a
bit in my callow youth, learned shorthand typing (great for being a
writer) and wandered around working in legal offices, newspaper offices,
architects
etc before becoming a full-time writer. I also bred pedigree cream and
blue persian cats.

Bev
--
Cats aren't clean, they're just covered with cat spit.

Karen Chuplis

unread,
Jan 14, 2005, 9:32:49 PM1/14/05
to
in article a7tgu0hl44pdcump7...@4ax.com, O J at
oj...@pacbell.BOGUS.net wrote on 1/14/05 8:17 PM:


ROFL!!!!!!

badwilson

unread,
Jan 14, 2005, 10:08:01 PM1/14/05
to
Hmmm, what *do* I do? Well, I retired at age 28 to follow Dennis
around in his work. So for the last 4 years I've been a woman of
leisure. This suits me perfectly ;-) Before that, I was a technician
for Minolta in Vancouver, BC. I fixed photocopiers, fax machines and
colour laser printers. I am also a commercial pilot, although I never
did find gainful employment in that field due to the terrible economy
at the time. I've had various jobs in the aviation field, from
driving the Esso and Shell fuel trucks at the Victoria airport to
being a shipper/ receiver at a helicopter company in Yellowknife and I
was also a flight attendant (and ticket agent, and luggage and cargo
loader, and aircraft cleaner) on a DC3 in the arctic. Frankly, I
prefer the leisure thing in Thailand :-)
My husband Dennis is a helicopter pilot, he used to work at the base
here in Thailand but for the past 1.5 years he's been doing tours out
of Myanmar. We still live in Thailand because there's no way I'm
moving to Myanmar. We plan to move to Australia eventually, Dennis
will do his tours from there and I want to work part time in a winery.
--
Britta
Sandpaper kisses, a cuddle and a purr. I have an alarm clock that's
covered in fur!
Check out pictures of Vino at:
http://photos.yahoo.com/badwilson click on the Vino album

"Tanada" <tan...@nospamearthlink.net> wrote in message
news:UDWFd.6855$C52....@newsread2.news.atl.earthlink.net...

> Ok, I'm curious. What does everyone in here do for tuna money? I
know
> we have some, ok a lot, of computer geeks, educators (or what passes
for
> one) and so forth. You don't have to be any more specific than you
> want, but I confess to being extremely curious. If you're currently
out
> of work, you don't have to say so, just list your career field.
>
> I am a Substitute Teacher for Cumberland Co. North Carolina, married
to
> a Blackhawk mechanic/inspector who is medically retired from the US
army.
>

> Pam S.


badwilson

unread,
Jan 14, 2005, 10:12:43 PM1/14/05
to

"Monique Y. Mudama" <sp...@bounceswoosh.org> wrote in message
news:slrncugi0...@home.bounceswoosh.org...
> Honestly, I don't understand what is going on in people's heads.
I've heard
> people argue that marriage is for procreation ... but if that's the
case, why
> do hetero couples with no intention to have children get to be
married, while
> gay couples who do have kids don't get those benefits? It makes no
sense!

Yeah, if it was for procreation, Dennis and I shouldn't even be
married. We will be celebrating our 9th anniversary in 5 weeks. No
kids, no plans for 'em either.

Monique Y. Mudama

unread,
Jan 14, 2005, 10:14:25 PM1/14/05
to
On 2005-01-15, Jeanne Hedge penned:

> I changed career paths and spent the next 5-1/2 years working as a
> software developer for a small company servicing the insurance
> industry ("we're a family here!" :p <blarg>). That lasted until my
> "family" outsourced my job to Manila.

That last sentence should have a BW attached! So sad, so true, hence so
funny, in a dark way.

--
monique, roommate of Oscar the (female) grouch
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Eros was adopted! Eros has a home now! *cheer!*

badwilson

unread,
Jan 14, 2005, 10:16:55 PM1/14/05
to

"Monique Y. Mudama" <sp...@bounceswoosh.org> wrote in message
news:slrncugg9...@home.bounceswoosh.org...
> On 2005-01-14, Karen penned:
> >
> > "Mathew Kagis" <wine...@telus.net> wrote in message
> > news:F9XFd.82983$nN6.44253@edtnps84...
> >>
> >> I work in the Food & Beverage industry. I'm a Sommelier,
currently I work
> >> at a small fine dinning steak house & martini lounge. I serve/
bartend/
> >> supervise & most importantly, buy the booze & write the wine
list. --
> >> Mathew Butler to 2 kittens: Chablis & Muscat En Vino Veritas
> >>
> >>
> >
> > OOoo. That explains the kitties names!! I would love to be a
sommelier.
>
> I haven't looked up what "sommelier" means yet, and I'm not a wine
fan, but I
> think working at a steak house would be a little too much of a good
thing for
> me! Yum!
>
> *wondering if she should ask Eric to bring home some steak tonight
... *

You too??? I LOVE steak!!! It's one of my favourite foods ever. I
could *live* on steak. The worst part is that in Thailand they hardly
have any beef, so I only get it when I go to Bangkok. By that time I
have *cravings*, LOL!
BTW, I also love wine. Hehe, my cat's name is Vino.

Elise

unread,
Jan 14, 2005, 10:26:17 PM1/14/05
to
Tanada wrote:
> Ok, I'm curious. What does everyone in here do for tuna money? I know
> we have some, ok a lot, of computer geeks, educators (or what passes for
> one) and so forth. You don't have to be any more specific than you
> want, but I confess to being extremely curious. If you're currently out
> of work, you don't have to say so, just list your career field.
>
> I am a Substitute Teacher for Cumberland Co. North Carolina, married to
> a Blackhawk mechanic/inspector who is medically retired from the US army.
>
> Pam S.

Bookkeeper for a family owned hardware store/lumber yard/home center. I
intended to have a banking career but the 80's/90's weren't kind to
banks and after the third takeover (and layoff) I gave up :)
DH has worn many (and extremely varied) hats but is currently a FedEx
courier.

--
Elise (supervised by Gossamer & Jeeves)
pics: http://photos.yahoo.com/dragonan...@snet.net

Victor Martinez

unread,
Jan 14, 2005, 10:47:42 PM1/14/05
to
Jeanne Hedge wrote:
> Tax unfairness aside (and that's a pretty huge aside), I think I read
> somewhere that you could do something with legal documents (something
> like power of attorney) that would allow you to have legal say-so
> regarding medical things and other personal affairs. I think it's
> criminal that something like that should be necessary, but is that a
> possiblity?

Yes, I have downloaded the necessary forms, but have yet to print them
and have them notarized. Like I told Tom, all I want is the power to
pull the plug on you... ;-)

CATherine

unread,
Jan 14, 2005, 10:56:19 PM1/14/05
to
On Fri, 14 Jan 2005 21:15:32 GMT, Tanada <tan...@nospamearthlink.net>
wrote:

>Ok, I'm curious. What does everyone in here do for tuna money? I know
>we have some, ok a lot, of computer geeks, educators (or what passes for
>one) and so forth. You don't have to be any more specific than you
>want, but I confess to being extremely curious. If you're currently out
>of work, you don't have to say so, just list your career field.
>
>I am a Substitute Teacher for Cumberland Co. North Carolina, married to
>a Blackhawk mechanic/inspector who is medically retired from the US army.
>
>Pam S.

I am a Certified Nursing Assistant in home health care. I assist
people to live as normal a life as they can with old age debilities,
other medical problems and a lot of multiple Sclerosis clients. It can
be challenging and highly stressful, especially for an empath. And yet
an empath is what is needed for this work. Home care is very different
from institutional care. I encourage and teach people to do as much as
they can for themselves. A quadriplegic can't take part in her own
personal care physically, so I give her choices. She decides what to
wear, etc, what sheets to put on the bed, which gives her some control
over her life. One MS client I taught to brush her own teeth.
Difficult but she can do it now that she has a sonic toothbrush. That
encouraged her to try other things. This is a very rewarding job.

--
CATherine

Howard Berkowitz

unread,
Jan 14, 2005, 11:53:32 PM1/14/05
to
In article <ftjgu05ke4p6oju4f...@4ax.com>,
oj...@pacbell.BOGUS.net wrote:

> Hi All,
>
> I'm retired from the phone company. I used to splice fiber optic
> cables as well as install and maintain the electronics that translate
> little flashes of laser light back into telephone lines. When I
> became disabled, I switched to repair testing from a computer terminal
> of some of the special hi-speed circuits that I had installed when I
> was out in the field.
>

> Most of the really high-capacity cables run in underground conduits
> and are spliced together in manholes. Would anyone like to hear the
> story of the giant alligators that live underground beneath our
> cities?
>

Thank you, I have had sufficient bites from DC repeater power on T1
spans.

JB

unread,
Jan 15, 2005, 12:32:49 AM1/15/05
to
In <UDWFd.6855$C52....@newsread2.news.atl.earthlink.net>,
Tanada <tan...@nospamearthlink.net> shouted to everyone in earshot,

>Ok, I'm curious. What does everyone in here do for tuna money? I know
>we have some, ok a lot, of computer geeks,

Present! I do networking stuff for Michigan Tech University. I
supposedly manage the day-to-day of the router and (several hundred)
switches that make up the network, but they mostly take care of
themselves, so I tend to do a lot of programming--automated
configuration of switches, web applications for our techs to use, and
other stuff that reduces human (i. e., error-prone) interaction with
the network and network services. Of course, I introduce my own set
of problems into everything, as any imperfect programmer would, but I
*think* it's still less than what would come out of the manual
equivalents of what I've written. And, like many who have strong
convictions about what's best for everyone else who uses computers <g> ,
I do unix system administration. But I don't really have any
end-users, so I'm able to greet the day with a scowl instead of a wish
for a different job.

My job started in 1995 when I was an MTU student--mostly system
administration and management of the (now-gone) campus dial-in pool.
Since I have no ambition, I managed to turn my student position into a
staff position after a couple years and started doing the heavy
networking stuff then.

Getting vaguely off-topic here, but for some reason, I also do some of
my job duties as an overgrown hobby. Computer control freak that I
am, I can't stand using an ISP's mail service, web server, whatever,
so a like-minded friend and I bought a server and stuck it in a well-
connected ISP's co-location facility. So we operate our own little
web-and-mail deal for our families and did a lot of web/database
programming to set up what's really a pretty nice service for
everyone. But what on earth is wrong with me (us)?

Jeff
--
j if e-mail to the posting address | This could lead to excellence
f bounces, look left and below. | Or serious injury!
b...@mr-happy.com | --They Might Be Giants

pmendhall

unread,
Jan 15, 2005, 12:31:17 AM1/15/05
to
I coordinate funding approvals for a telecommunications company. Note: I
am in no way, a financial person. I have a Masters Degree in Stage
Management and Lighting Design, which has come in handy when working with
large groups of people of varying temperaments and egos.

Diane

"Tanada" <tan...@nospamearthlink.net> wrote in message
news:UDWFd.6855$C52....@newsread2.news.atl.earthlink.net...

> Ok, I'm curious. What does everyone in here do for tuna money? I know

CDC

unread,
Jan 15, 2005, 12:41:09 AM1/15/05
to
I do phone support for accounting software, after doing 12 years of
accounting that nearly drove me insane. Much happier now! (As are the cats
as I am home at regular times now!)

- Cindy

Tish Silberbauer

unread,
Jan 15, 2005, 12:44:49 AM1/15/05
to
On Sat, 15 Jan 2005 15:30:21 +1300, Bev <bev...@xtra.co.nz> wrote:
>
>I'm a retired writer of books and short stories for children.
>Keep telling myself that I am going to write another novel, do a chapter
>then go off on another overseas trip, lol. I taught the piano for a
>bit in my callow youth, learned shorthand typing (great for being a
>writer) and wandered around working in legal offices, newspaper offices,
>architects
>etc before becoming a full-time writer. I also bred pedigree cream and
>blue persian cats.
>
>Bev

Huge kudos to you. I've tried a couple of times to get a manuscript
for a children's book published, but keep getting polite regret
letters (as in "we regret to inform you..."). I'll keep trying, I
guess, and in the mean time continue with my real job :^)

How do you "break into" it? Or is it a matter of persistence and
luck? If so, then it is just like trying to get into academia.

Next I have some spare time I'm going to write the next children's
book manuscript that is living in my head - tentatively titled "The
Poo Zoo".

Tish

Seanette Blaylock

unread,
Jan 15, 2005, 12:51:38 AM1/15/05
to
"CDC" <usenetATcafechatnoirDOTnet> had some very interesting things to

say about Re: What Do you do? A Poll :

>I do phone support for accounting software, after doing 12 years of

>accounting that nearly drove me insane. Much happier now! (As are the cats
>as I am home at regular times now!)

Hopefully accounting software users are smarter than the average Web
site shipper [I've done phone tech support].

CDC

unread,
Jan 15, 2005, 12:56:57 AM1/15/05
to
You would think, but it's kind of disturbing how many don't know how to find
a file on their own machine and how much accounting 101 we end up doing with
them.

- Cindy

"Seanette Blaylock" <seanette.spam...@impulse.net> wrote in
message news:hqbhu0hmt21ma1mpo...@4ax.com...

mlbriggs

unread,
Jan 15, 2005, 1:33:03 AM1/15/05
to

As a child I simply loved ghost stories -- the scarier, the better.
I didn't get scared of spiders until I was older. I'll bet that manhole
had a few of those. MLB

Karen Chuplis

unread,
Jan 15, 2005, 1:34:07 AM1/15/05
to
in article FU1Gd.198104$ye4....@twister.rdc-kc.rr.com, pmendhall at
pmen...@kc.rr.com wrote on 1/14/05 11:31 PM:

> I coordinate funding approvals for a telecommunications company. Note: I
> am in no way, a financial person. I have a Masters Degree in Stage
> Management and Lighting Design, which has come in handy when working with
> large groups of people of varying temperaments and egos.
>
> Diane

I have a bachelor in music and an MFA in Theater (acting). Indeed, my day
job uses every bit of what I learned in theater in handling people,
improvising solutions, troubleshooting and much much more. Never a wasted
effort.

Marina

unread,
Jan 15, 2005, 1:52:31 AM1/15/05
to
Tanada wrote:

> Ok, I'm curious. What does everyone in here do for tuna money?

I'm a translator at the University of Helsinki Department of Computer
Science (so the geek side comes in, too, though I was an Arts major).
Currently waiting to hear if I got the job as translator at the Ministry
for the Environment (they said I'd know next week - have butterflies in
belly). My present job mostly entails translating from Finnish to
English and proof-reading PhD theses and scientific articles in English.
The new job would mostly be translating from Finnish to Swedish.

The jobs I really enjoy are my freelance translation jobs. One is, I
translate the webpages of a project carried out by the Finnish Museum of
Natural History. They fit Ospreys with satellite transmitters and track
their migration. I translate the pages and updates into English
(http://www.fmnh.helsinki.fi/english/zoology/satelliteospreys/index.htm).
Another freelance job I enjoy is translating screenplays from Finnish
and Swedish into English for an international European group that
arranges workshops to develop screenplays, which they are funding. I've
also translated a couple of short stories that have been published in a
small fantasy magazine. It's this freelance work that keeps me going
(mentally, as the pay for my dayjob is quite enough for one person).

--
Marina, Frank and Nikki
marina (dot) kurten (at) pp (dot) inet (dot) fi
Pics at http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/frankiennikki/
and http://community.webshots.com/user/frankiennikki

Dan M

unread,
Jan 15, 2005, 1:42:38 AM1/15/05
to
Tanada wrote:

> Ok, I'm curious. What does everyone in here do for tuna money? I know
> we have some, ok a lot, of computer geeks, educators (or what passes for
> one) and so forth. You don't have to be any more specific than you
> want, but I confess to being extremely curious. If you're currently out
> of work, you don't have to say so, just list your career field.
>
> I am a Substitute Teacher for Cumberland Co. North Carolina, married to
> a Blackhawk mechanic/inspector who is medically retired from the US army.
>
> Pam S.

When working in my field of expertise, I'm a computer programmer, system
administrator, and webmaster. When the economy sucks bigtime (as it does
now) I drive a long-haul truck. With a feline co-driver, of course!

Dan

Seanette Blaylock

unread,
Jan 15, 2005, 1:54:29 AM1/15/05
to
"CDC" <usenetATcafechatnoirDOTnet> had some very interesting things to
say about Re: What Do you do? A Poll :

>You would think, but it's kind of disturbing how many don't know how to find

>a file on their own machine and how much accounting 101 we end up doing with
>them.

Try walking someone whose command of English is shaky through using a
Web site, when said caller also does not know what a link is.

Melissa Houle

unread,
Jan 15, 2005, 2:11:19 AM1/15/05
to

Monique Y. Mudama <sp...@bounceswoosh.org> wrote in message
news:slrncugi0...@home.bounceswoosh.org...
> On 2005-01-14, Victor Martinez penned:
> >
> >> make it formal. Seems unfair to me, why shouldn't they be as miserable
as
> >> the rest of us. :-)
> >
> > It's not just the miserable part though... :) As it stands now, if Tom
were
> > to be hospitalized and unconscious, I would not have the right to be by
his
> > side. If I were to die, all the assets that I own that I have willed to
Tom
> > would be taxed at 50% (or something ridiculous like that), whereas if he
> > were my husband there would be no tax. The list of unfairness goes on
and
> > on... :(
>
>
> Fine, get me started on my rant!
>
> Actually, you've made a lot of the points I was going to make.
>
> The insurance at both my employer and my husband's will cover "life
partners,"
> so at least that's one small step.

>
> Honestly, I don't understand what is going on in people's heads. I've
heard
> people argue that marriage is for procreation ... but if that's the case,
why
> do hetero couples with no intention to have children get to be married,
while
> gay couples who do have kids don't get those benefits? It makes no sense!
>
> Some days, I just hate people =/

>
> --
> monique, roommate of Oscar the (female) grouch
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Eros was adopted! Eros has a home now! *cheer!*

I quite agree about the unfairness of not letting gay couples of either sex
tie the knot legally. I'd rather see happy same-sex couples come out of
City Hall together hand in hand than see pictures of the devastation in
Iraq any day. It is SUCH a load of horse hockey to say gay marriage
undermines heterosexual couples! Marriage is NOT only about procreation,
especially not when there are over six billion people on our poor crowded
Earth, already. I've always thought that marriage at it's best was supposed
to be for the mutual aid, society and comfort of the participants, whether
or not they decided to have kids. (And that there was no legal requirement
saying a heterosexual couple HAD to have kids. To conceive or not is a
decision best left up to each couple.) I'm quite sure we do NOT need to
amend the Constitution to take away a specific right from a specific group
of people.

Harumph. Congratulations on your upcoming 8th anniversary, Victor and Tom.
=o)

Melissa


Mathew Kagis

unread,
Jan 15, 2005, 2:15:54 AM1/15/05
to


<SNIP>


> > >
> > > OOoo. That explains the kitties names!! I would love to be a
> sommelier.
> >
> > I haven't looked up what "sommelier" means yet, and I'm not a wine
> fan, but I
> > think working at a steak house would be a little too much of a good
> thing for
> > me! Yum!
> >
> > *wondering if she should ask Eric to bring home some steak tonight
> ... *
>
> You too??? I LOVE steak!!! It's one of my favourite foods ever. I
> could *live* on steak. The worst part is that in Thailand they hardly
> have any beef, so I only get it when I go to Bangkok. By that time I
> have *cravings*, LOL!
> BTW, I also love wine. Hehe, my cat's name is Vino.
> --
> Britta
> Sandpaper kisses, a cuddle and a purr. I have an alarm clock that's
> covered in fur!
> Check out pictures of Vino at:
> http://photos.yahoo.com/badwilson click on the Vino album
>

Monique: Sommelier is a french term for 'Wine Expert', you must take the
course & pass a series of tests to get the diploma (I did do a little
college & university but never finished) brackets being said, it's the most
difficult peice of education I've ever done. Mostly because it combines so
many disciplines into one... Geography, history, viniculture, viticulture,
microclimatology, horticulture, geology, cultural anthropology &
linguistics... I'm sure I'm missing one or 2... Suffice to say, I drank
some VERY expensive wine the day I got my test results.

Britta: You live in Thailand?? Where? I spent a winter there about 10
years ago... 2 month of it in areas that are now recovering from the Tsunami
(I love to rock climb)... I know what you mean about ANY western food over
there... Thai food is AWSOME & I still love it, but... I remember finding a
place in Krabi that served pastrami & swiss cheese on REAL rye bread AND!!!
They had an espresso machine!!!! after 3 months of Pad Thai,Green Curry &
instant coffee... I was in HEAVEN. All my kittys have had wine names
(Excepting childhood pets) I lost the first cat I was servant to as an
adult in July, his name was La-Feet... For those without wine savvy that's a
play on Chateau Lafite.
To ALL: If you ever find yourself in Nelson BC, Canada... Come to Louie's
Steakhouse & Lounge... Your first martini is on me. And, for any
Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy fans out there... we've just today, added
our version of the 'Pangalactic Gargleblaster' to our martini list. Zaphod
would be proud.

Melissa Houle

unread,
Jan 15, 2005, 2:18:31 AM1/15/05
to

Tanada <tan...@nospamearthlink.net> wrote in message
news:UDWFd.6855$C52....@newsread2.news.atl.earthlink.net...
> Ok, I'm curious. What does everyone in here do for tuna money? I know
> we have some, ok a lot, of computer geeks, educators (or what passes for
> one) and so forth. You don't have to be any more specific than you
> want, but I confess to being extremely curious. If you're currently out
> of work, you don't have to say so, just list your career field.
>
> I am a Substitute Teacher for Cumberland Co. North Carolina, married to
> a Blackhawk mechanic/inspector who is medically retired from the US army.
>
> Pam S.

At present, I work as a Reference Librarian. But I'm still trying to figure
out what I want to be when I grow up. =o) Or at least, I want to be able to
afford somewhat better Tuna, and it would be nice to get out of direct
public service. I just don't know what else I want to do, and I have made
very little progress or effort to change my job for something better. Part
of the problem is that I like the people I work with, and I will be sorry to
leave them behind. I would be much less sorry to leave the public behind,
as some of them are first class complainers or else REALLY need to be on
medication if they aren't on it already.

Melissa


Seanette Blaylock

unread,
Jan 15, 2005, 2:28:05 AM1/15/05
to
"Mathew Kagis" <wine...@telus.net> had some very interesting things

to say about Re: What Do you do? A Poll:

> To ALL: If you ever find yourself in Nelson BC, Canada... Come to Louie's


>Steakhouse & Lounge... Your first martini is on me. And, for any
>Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy fans out there... we've just today, added
>our version of the 'Pangalactic Gargleblaster' to our martini list. Zaphod
>would be proud.

Is there a no-alcohol option? :-)

Cathi

unread,
Jan 14, 2005, 6:01:41 PM1/14/05
to
The short answer: personal assistant and course administrator

The long answer: personal assistant to a senior member of Anglican
clergy in Canterbury Cathedral. Course administration is the "admin"
side of our two major theological courses every year.
--
Cathi

badwilson

unread,
Jan 15, 2005, 4:36:45 AM1/15/05
to

"Mathew Kagis" <wine...@telus.net> wrote in message
news:Kq3Gd.98009$dv1.84483@edtnps89...

> Britta: You live in Thailand?? Where?

Yes, I've lived in Thailand for almost 4 years. For the first 6
months we were in Songkhla, which is in the very south on the east
coast. Near Hat Yai. But for the last 3.5 years, we've been in a
small town called Ban Chang in the province of Rayong. It's about 45
min east of the cesspool that is known as Pattaya.

>I spent a winter there about 10
> years ago... 2 month of it in areas that are now recovering from the
Tsunami
> (I love to rock climb)... I know what you mean about ANY western
food over
> there... Thai food is AWSOME & I still love it, but... I remember
finding a
> place in Krabi that served pastrami & swiss cheese on REAL rye bread
AND!!!
> They had an espresso machine!!!! after 3 months of Pad Thai,Green
Curry &
> instant coffee... I was in HEAVEN.

Yeah, I know what you mean. But you would be surprised at how much
Thailand has changed since you were here. I'm guessing that you were
rock climbing at Raylay Beach in Krabi near Au Nang? I've been there
5 times. During that time it's grown incredibly. There is now a
McDonald's, dozens of ATM's, 7/11's, Italian pizza restaurants, etc...
I know Starbucks will be next. It is quite easy to get western foods
here now. But since my town is quite small, there isn't that much
here yet. And I'm a health nut so I usually cook my own food and only
go out to restaurants for social occasions.

>All my kittys have had wine names
> (Excepting childhood pets) I lost the first cat I was servant to as
an
> adult in July, his name was La-Feet... For those without wine savvy
that's a
> play on Chateau Lafite.

I like the idea of naming cats after wines. If I hadn't already
decided a long time ago to name my next kitty Renfield, I would
definitely call him Gewurtztraminer ;-)

> To ALL: If you ever find yourself in Nelson BC, Canada... Come to
Louie's
> Steakhouse & Lounge... Your first martini is on me.

Oh cool, you're in Nelson? I love that town. I went to college in
Castlegar for 2 years. 1990-1992. I was in the aviation program at
Selkirk. We used to go to Nelson to party all the time. I don't
remember Louie's Steakhouse & Lounge, but if it was around back then I
couldn't have afforded it anyway.

Debbie Wilson

unread,
Jan 15, 2005, 6:26:22 AM1/15/05
to
Tanada <tan...@nospamearthlink.net> wrote:

> Ok, I'm curious. What does everyone in here do for tuna money?

I'm a scientific and natural history illustrator, married to a medical
illustrator. I do a job where people always say, 'Ohhhh - I didn't
realise anyone actually did that!' I've been freelancing for just over
10 years and we both work from home. I illustrate books, magazines and
posters on any subject in the area of life and earth sciences - anything
from dinosaurs, wildlife and fossils through botany, skeletons, cell
biology and zoology to anatomy and all areas of medicine. DH is a
specialist in medical art with 25 years' experience, and the surgical
procedures and anatomy he has seen and drawn, you probably wouldn't want
to know about!
I started out as a biologist but having gained a BSc in Bot/Zoo in the
depths of the UK recession in the early 90s, found there was not much
call for zoologists out there so turned to my other passion in life,
drawing. Fortunately that worked out fine :-)

If anyone's interested, we both have online portfolios at
www.scientific-art.com (me)
and www.medart.co.uk (DH - his is badly in need of an update though)

Deb.
--
http://www.scientific-art.com

"He looked a fierce and quarrelsome cat, but claw he never would;
He only bit the ones he loved, because they tasted good." S. Greenfield

Debbie Wilson

unread,
Jan 15, 2005, 6:26:22 AM1/15/05
to
Mathew Kagis <wine...@telus.net> wrote:

> And, for any
> Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy fans out there... we've just today, added
> our version of the 'Pangalactic Gargleblaster' to our martini list. Zaphod
> would be proud.

LOL!! Dare I ask what's in it? Or is it a trade secret!?!

Deb.
(Big HHGTG fan)

Helen Wheels

unread,
Jan 15, 2005, 7:30:34 AM1/15/05
to
Tanada wrote:

> Ok, I'm curious. What does everyone in here do for tuna money?

Well my job title is still "programmer", but I'm really more of a
database person, working in public health/epidemiology research at a
university. I work on several projects, but the one that takes up most
of my time is maintaining followup data on people who've taken part in a
rather long-running series of community health studies which started
back in 1966.
In a ghoulish mood I've been known to describe chronic disease research
as "well we get all these people to fill in questionnaires and have
their height, weight and blood pressure measured... then we wait
patiently for them to die of something interesting."

O J

unread,
Jan 15, 2005, 7:32:07 AM1/15/05
to
Howard Berkowitz wrote:

>In article O J wrote:
---------------------<snip>----------------------

>> Most of the really high-capacity cables run in underground conduits
>> and are spliced together in manholes. Would anyone like to hear the
>> story of the giant alligators that live underground beneath our
>> cities?
>>
>Thank you, I have had sufficient bites from DC repeater power on T1
>spans.

Hey, you're not supposed to be touching the spans on our side of the
terminal repeater (it takes the zeros and ones and cleans them up so
the signal to the customer is like new) unless we ask you to (saves a
trip by the field repairwoman). Besides, what's 230 volts to a
macho-man like yourself?

It's all the alligator's fault!

Lorraine

unread,
Jan 15, 2005, 7:56:21 AM1/15/05
to
On Fri, 14 Jan 2005 23:15:56 GMT, O J <oj...@pacbell.BOGUS.net> wrote:

>I'm retired from the phone company. <snipped>

I've been lurking here for a couple of weeks and this looks like a good
place to jump in. I currently work for a phone company, and have 5
months and 5 days until I get my 30. Not that I plan on going anywhere
when I get the 30 (I hope), but it will be nice to have. I'm a central
office type, primarily switching. However, with all the downsizing
within the last few years, I've been thrown into transport side also.
I've actually enjoyed the change. I can only tell of critters found in
the power rooms and cable vaults. I've managed to stay out of manholes.

I am currently owned by three lively kitties, Lucy, Indie and Ty. They
just took over the household last month after they all spent time at a
shelter. I have one that wants to kill the other two, but other than
that we're all doing well now. They can be seen at
http://www.raineforest.com/gallery/thecats

L.


Lorraine

unread,
Jan 15, 2005, 8:01:09 AM1/15/05
to
On Fri, 14 Jan 2005 23:53:32 -0500, Howard Berkowitz <h...@gettcomm.com>
wrote:

>Thank you, I have had sufficient bites from DC repeater power on T1
>spans.

We just had a tech retire who tested T1 span voltage with his fingers
because he didn't want to bother getting out his meter. I'm like you--I
have had more than enough. It doesn't stop me from getting more though.
They're irritating, and they make me say bad words.

L.

Victor Martinez

unread,
Jan 15, 2005, 8:16:32 AM1/15/05
to
Lorraine wrote:
> http://www.raineforest.com/gallery/thecats

They are gorgeous! Welcome to the group! Like my sig says, I'm owned by
7 cats (in order of seniority): Xoxo, Maya, Luna, Basho, Issa, Rufous,
and Fez.

--
Victor M. Martinez
Owned and operated by the Fantastic Seven (TM)
Send your spam here: u...@ftc.gov
Email me here: pistor...@BOXaustin.rr.com

jmcquown

unread,
Jan 15, 2005, 8:34:40 AM1/15/05
to
Victor Martinez wrote:
> Lorraine wrote:
>> http://www.raineforest.com/gallery/thecats
>
> They are gorgeous!

I second that emotion! Don't worry, we don't bite (unlike *some*
newsgroups).

I'm owned by Persia, gorgeous grey cat of unknown lineage, approximately 6
years old and Peaches, a Nyasa lovebird (about 1-1/2 years old now).

Jill


Karen Chuplis

unread,
Jan 15, 2005, 10:18:37 AM1/15/05
to
in article 1gqfg7j.159ldkpdzc6reN%zoobo...@gmail.com, Debbie Wilson at
zoobo...@gmail.com wrote on 1/15/05 5:26AM:

> www.scientific-art.com

WOW! Mega impressive! You are extremely talented. What a fun profession!

Karen Chuplis

unread,
Jan 15, 2005, 10:22:52 AM1/15/05
to
in article 1gqfg7j.159ldkpdzc6reN%zoobo...@gmail.com, Debbie Wilson at
zoobo...@gmail.com wrote on 1/15/05 5:26AM:

> Tanada <tan...@nospamearthlink.net> wrote:


>
>> Ok, I'm curious. What does everyone in here do for tuna money?
>
> I'm a scientific and natural history illustrator, married to a medical
> illustrator. I do a job where people always say, 'Ohhhh - I didn't
> realise anyone actually did that!' I've been freelancing for just over
> 10 years and we both work from home. I illustrate books, magazines and
> posters on any subject in the area of life and earth sciences - anything
> from dinosaurs, wildlife and fossils through botany, skeletons, cell
> biology and zoology to anatomy and all areas of medicine. DH is a
> specialist in medical art with 25 years' experience, and the surgical
> procedures and anatomy he has seen and drawn, you probably wouldn't want
> to know about!
> I started out as a biologist but having gained a BSc in Bot/Zoo in the
> depths of the UK recession in the early 90s, found there was not much
> call for zoologists out there so turned to my other passion in life,
> drawing. Fortunately that worked out fine :-)
>
> If anyone's interested, we both have online portfolios at
> www.scientific-art.com (me)
> and www.medart.co.uk (DH - his is badly in need of an update though)
>
> Deb.

So I'm curious, did you then go back to art school and met hubby there or
through some other "illustrator" convention? Did you take a lot of art or
are you one of those naturally talented folk that got the elements and
principles through instinct? Both you and hubby are very impressive!

Marina

unread,
Jan 15, 2005, 10:36:44 AM1/15/05
to
Karen Chuplis wrote:

It does sound fun. One of my father's colleagues tried to talk me into
becoming a scientific illustrator way back when I was twenty-something
and didn't know what to become when I grew up (still don't know, but
that's another story).

Karen Chuplis

unread,
Jan 15, 2005, 10:31:20 AM1/15/05
to
in article Kq3Gd.98009$dv1.84483@edtnps89, Mathew Kagis at
wine...@telus.net wrote on 1/15/05 1:15AM:

So what is a good Cabernet Sauvingon this year without tipping $30.00? About
4 years ago I bought a bottle from a little wine dealer here who bought 1
case of some CS from a winery called Souverin. The only case in Nebraska. It
was the only wine he said he'd ever seen under $20.00 that got a 96 rating
from Wine Spectator. It was so good. It made me realize that the pricey
wines are probably very much worth the price. It also went like lightening
so when I went back to get another it was GONE. If I was rich, I would
definitley collect wine. I am wondering if you have ever read the book
"Proof" by Dick Francis. I think you would love it.


Katrina

unread,
Jan 15, 2005, 10:55:47 AM1/15/05
to
On 2005-01-14 13:15:32 -0800, Tanada <tan...@nospamearthlink.net> said:

> Ok, I'm curious. What does everyone in here do for tuna money?

I'm a "freeway flyer" (a part-time college professor at several
different colleges who cobbles together a full time load by driving all
over the region). I usually end up teaching 6 classes per semester on
3-4 different campuses. I teach Anthropology- my normal course load is
heavy on Physical anthro, the anthro lab that goes with it, and
Cultural anthro. I also teach Indians of California and Archaeology as
well as Magic, Witchcraft & Religion. My husband is a flight nurse
with an air ambulance company.

Katrina

two kitties (Ming the Merciless and Princess Buttercup), a dog (Boris)
and a horse (Jake)

Howard Berkowitz

unread,
Jan 15, 2005, 11:13:48 AM1/15/05
to
In article <41e90c94$1...@quokka.wn.com.au>, Helen Wheels
<helenw...@yahoo.com.au> wrote:

Is your project similar to the US Framingham or Nurses' studies, or does
it have interesting differences?

Sherry

unread,
Jan 15, 2005, 11:30:49 AM1/15/05
to
>>Ok, I'm curious. What does everyone in here do for tuna money? I know
>>we have some, ok a lot, of computer geeks, educators (or what passes for
>>one) and so forth.

Before desktop publishing was ever heard of, I was a "typesetter." There's a
word you don't hear anymore.
More recently I managed the art department at a metro newspaper and did ad
design / layout, page layout, etc. Then my health just didn't allow me to work
anymore.
Now I think I'm what you call a recluse.

Sherry

O J

unread,
Jan 15, 2005, 12:03:32 PM1/15/05
to
Lorraine wrote:

> Howard Berkowitz wrote:
>
>>Thank you, I have had sufficient bites from DC repeater power on T1
>>spans.
>
>We just had a tech retire who tested T1 span voltage with his fingers
>because he didn't want to bother getting out his meter. I'm like you--I
>have had more than enough. It doesn't stop me from getting more though.
>They're irritating, and they make me say bad words.
>
>L.

Then I take it he probably, as I still do, tested 9-volt transistor
batteries with his tongue. It's a simple test really -- just take the
battery and touch the terminals with the tip of your tongue. If it
feels like you wouldn't mind doing it again, toss the battery.

Mishi

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Jan 15, 2005, 12:04:59 PM1/15/05
to
I work for a small furniture store chain, and do various things. My main
duty is database manager, but I also answer phones, run errands, fix the
office equipment, and maintain the computer systems in all 4 stores. My
hubby, Dave, is a machinist for a small company that makes small parts for
various companies. (www.manth-brownell.com)


O J

unread,
Jan 15, 2005, 12:08:47 PM1/15/05
to
Lorraine wrote:

>I've been lurking here for a couple of weeks and this looks like a good
>place to jump in.

---------------------<snip>----------------------

It's always nice to have someone new to share stories with. Here,
they're mostly about kitties, but, as you can tell by this thread,
most anything goes.

Welcome!!!

CK

unread,
Jan 15, 2005, 12:10:26 PM1/15/05
to
Sherry wrote:
>
> Before desktop publishing was ever heard of, I was a "typesetter." There's a
> word you don't hear anymore.
<snip>

My mom was a typesetter when she was young too, building up the text
from the individual characters made out of metal. Then she went on to
doing it on computer-like machines, not so computer-like in the
beginning tho, they were loud machines as they operated on pressurized
air, punching holes into a ribbon of paper - that was the text. In her
later years and up until she retired, she worked in sales - selling
printed products such as business cards, forms, letterhead papers,
whatever anyone would want to have printed.

You two might have a thing or two to talk about if you ever met... :)

--
Christine in Vantaa, Finland
christal63 (at) yahoo (dot) com
photos: http://photos.yahoo.com/christal63

Melissa Houle

unread,
Jan 15, 2005, 12:24:58 PM1/15/05
to

Karen Chuplis <kchu...@alltel.net> wrote in message
news:BE0DC58C.59D48%kchu...@alltel.net...
> in article 3c9477042f0260acb2c...@mygate.mailgate.org,
Helen
> Miles at helen...@virgin.net wrote on 1/14/05 5:12 PM:
>
> > Part time TV Producer for ice-hockey programmes & wildlife programmes.
>
> Now THERE's an unusual combination.
>

Can Wildlife Hockey be far behind? =o)

Melissa


Helen Miles

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Jan 15, 2005, 12:39:35 PM1/15/05
to
"Melissa Houle" <meliss...@worldnet.att.net> wrote in message
news:KlcGd.23918$w62....@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net

>
> Can Wildlife Hockey be far behind? =o)
>
> Melissa

Have a look at
http://ajhs.schools.sd76.ab.ca/GRAPHICS/SPORTS/Hockey%20Academy/Polar%20Bears%20Hockey.jpg

LMAO! ;o)

Helen M (who has an answer for everything ;o) )


--
Posted via Mailgate.ORG Server - http://www.Mailgate.ORG

Irulan

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Jan 15, 2005, 12:42:55 PM1/15/05
to
I'm a retired psychiatric nurse.
Jazz's mama

--

Irulan
from the stars we come
to the stars we return
from now until the end of time


"Tanada" <tan...@nospamearthlink.net> wrote in message
news:UDWFd.6855$C52....@newsread2.news.atl.earthlink.net...

> Ok, I'm curious. What does everyone in here do for tuna money? I know we
> have some, ok a lot, of computer geeks, educators (or what passes for one)

jmcquown

unread,
Jan 15, 2005, 12:48:32 PM1/15/05
to
Sherry wrote:
>>> Ok, I'm curious. What does everyone in here do for tuna money? I
>>> know
>>> we have some, ok a lot, of computer geeks, educators (or what
>>> passes for one) and so forth.
>
> Before desktop publishing was ever heard of, I was a "typesetter."
> There's a word you don't hear anymore.

LOL I learned programming on punch cards.

> More recently I managed the art department at a metro newspaper and
> did ad design / layout, page layout, etc. Then my health just didn't
> allow me to work anymore.
> Now I think I'm what you call a recluse.
>
> Sherry

Jill <---also a recluse


Mathew Kagis

unread,
Jan 15, 2005, 1:15:55 PM1/15/05
to


"Seanette Blaylock" <seanette.spam...@impulse.net> wrote in
message
>
> Is there a no-alcohol option? :-)

Zaphod Beeblebrox would hang both his heads & weep....

>
> --
> "The universe is quite robust in design and appears to be
> doing just fine on its own, incompetent support staff notwithstanding.
> :-)" - the Dennis formerly known as (evil), MCFL
--
Mathew
Butler to 2 kittens: Chablis & Muscat
En Vino Veritas


Mathew Kagis

unread,
Jan 15, 2005, 1:23:24 PM1/15/05
to


"Howard Berkowitz" <h...@gettcomm.com> wrote in message
news:hcb-20D403.2...@news-central.giganews.com...
> In article <BE0DC58C.59D48%kchu...@alltel.net>, Karen Chuplis


> <kchu...@alltel.net> wrote:
>
> > in article 3c9477042f0260acb2c...@mygate.mailgate.org,
> > Helen
> > Miles at helen...@virgin.net wrote on 1/14/05 5:12 PM:
> >
> > > Part time TV Producer for ice-hockey programmes & wildlife programmes.
> >
> > Now THERE's an unusual combination.
> >
>

> I agree! Lions and tigers and bears, throwing in the stray mongoose,
> probably are less violent than hockey players. :-)

I think you may have hit on something there, Howard... With no NHL this year
( Causing many depressed beer drinking Canadians on Saturday nights), it
opens the door for some new reality TV programming. Sort of a Hockey Night
in Canada meets Fear Factor... ' Watch as the Toronto Maple Leafs battle it
out against this family of Wolverines '..... That would make for some
interesting commentary by Don Cherry....;-)

Kreisleriana

unread,
Jan 15, 2005, 1:26:57 PM1/15/05
to
On Sat, 15 Jan 2005 07:11:19 GMT, "Melissa Houle"
<meliss...@worldnet.att.net> yodeled:

>
>Monique Y. Mudama <sp...@bounceswoosh.org> wrote in message
>news:slrncugi0...@home.bounceswoosh.org...
>> On 2005-01-14, Victor Martinez penned:
>> >
>> >> make it formal. Seems unfair to me, why shouldn't they be as miserable
>as
>> >> the rest of us. :-)
>> >
>> > It's not just the miserable part though... :) As it stands now, if Tom
>were
>> > to be hospitalized and unconscious, I would not have the right to be by
>his
>> > side. If I were to die, all the assets that I own that I have willed to
>Tom
>> > would be taxed at 50% (or something ridiculous like that), whereas if he
>> > were my husband there would be no tax. The list of unfairness goes on
>and
>> > on... :(
>>
>>
>> Fine, get me started on my rant!
>>
>> Actually, you've made a lot of the points I was going to make.
>>
>> The insurance at both my employer and my husband's will cover "life
>partners,"
>> so at least that's one small step.
>>
>> Honestly, I don't understand what is going on in people's heads. I've
>heard
>> people argue that marriage is for procreation ... but if that's the case,
>why
>> do hetero couples with no intention to have children get to be married,
>while
>> gay couples who do have kids don't get those benefits? It makes no sense!
>>
>> Some days, I just hate people =/
>>
>> --
>> monique, roommate of Oscar the (female) grouch
>> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>> Eros was adopted! Eros has a home now! *cheer!*
>
> I quite agree about the unfairness of not letting gay couples of either sex
>tie the knot legally. I'd rather see happy same-sex couples come out of
>City Hall together hand in hand than see pictures of the devastation in
>Iraq any day. It is SUCH a load of horse hockey to say gay marriage
>undermines heterosexual couples!

This is probably the single thing that drives me craziest about the
whole gay marriage debate. The anti-camp repeats this bromide until
everyone believes it somehow, but they never explain HOW that
"undermining" is supposed to happen. People making public arguments
that effect other people's lives should be held to rigorous standards
of logic, evidence, and clear, rational thought.


Theresa
Stinky Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh
My Blog: http://www.humanitas.blogspot.com

Kreisleriana

unread,
Jan 15, 2005, 1:41:29 PM1/15/05
to
On Sat, 15 Jan 2005 18:15:55 GMT, "Mathew Kagis" <wine...@telus.net>
yodeled:

>
>
>
>"Seanette Blaylock" <seanette.spam...@impulse.net> wrote in
>message
>>
>> Is there a no-alcohol option? :-)
>
>Zaphod Beeblebrox would hang both his heads & weep....

OK, I'll bite-- what is *in* a RL version PanGalactic Gargleblaster?

Jo Firey

unread,
Jan 15, 2005, 1:40:21 PM1/15/05
to

"Victor Martinez" <m...@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:yn0Gd.4299$Ta2....@fe2.texas.rr.com...
> Jeanne Hedge wrote:
>> Tax unfairness aside (and that's a pretty huge aside), I think I read
>> somewhere that you could do something with legal documents (something
>> like power of attorney) that would allow you to have legal say-so
>> regarding medical things and other personal affairs. I think it's
>> criminal that something like that should be necessary, but is that a
>> possiblity?
>
> Yes, I have downloaded the necessary forms, but have yet to print them and
> have them notarized. Like I told Tom, all I want is the power to pull the
> plug on you... ;-)
>
> --

Make sure they are the right forms for your state. Most hospital admission
clerks have sets of forms they will give you although you really don't want
to wait till you are already talking to one of them.

While many of the domestic partner laws are at least a step in the right
direction, a big drawback is they differ from state to state. So you can
never be sure where you stand.

Jo


jmcquown

unread,
Jan 15, 2005, 1:49:17 PM1/15/05
to
Irulan wrote:
> I'm a retired psychiatric nurse.
> Jazz's mama
>
This explains why you are owned by cats... as far as I can tell they all
require psychiatric care :)
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