ES!

Good evening SN!

es!

Good evening Suzanne… Is it beer thirty yet?

Hey Eureka-
Delta Spirit – Good band. Right amount of Honky-Tonk.
Leon Russell is a good parallel.

This is the first I’ve heard of the Spirit. Can’t wait to hear more.

The “Ode to Sunshine” album is in iTunes.

i think it may even be beer popcorn time

Hiya SN,ES, Suzanne, Newt,

Hey Chris!
Stay in (with your weather and all) and listen to the music.

Wow… that’s hard to imagine.

If you click on their name under the YouTube.. and scroll down the myspace page, it has the entire concert, which tonight’s song is a portion of.

I like Delta Spirit very much!
Hi ES, everyone.

OK people. I need advice. I have been freelancing for these dudes and they decided that I don’t get paid if they don’t get paid and I don’t get paid until the end of the project even if my work is done in the beginning. They owe me 2400 bucks.
There is no contract.

And they say they don’t have to pay me the 2400 bucks.

fuckery.

Borrow a tape recorder… and go have a nice talk.

That is exactly what my sister said.

assuming you will never see the 2.4k, since they are as of now holding it over your head, and assuming that they need your industry for ‘other projects,’ i would make that lack of contract condition bite them instead of you

but i’m not in your spot

Time to get a Lawyer Mary…dammit!

And Mary, I’m so terribly sorry to hear about this, especially after what you and Ron have been through this last couple of years or so.

Yep. They are in deep dodo cause I am doing illustrations for a project that they way underbid. They already lost one illustrator and the programmer. And they took half of the project money and I am sure it is gone.

DIGG IT!

I don’t want to be a god damned victim anymore.

Take all you have to small claims. (That’s up to $7K now in CA) No lawyer would take it because there’s not enough in it for their share.

What work did you do?

I design and build website and do illustrations. If you want to see I just put a comment on my facebook with links to sites I did. I am in the middle of making a portfolio site right now.

How come when I digg a lot of the time it doesn’t get dugg?

knowing what i know about this exact situation…
the work you have put into a particular project is, contract or no (and if the equipment used and the software employed is the property of the business), theirs.
however, any typefaces, programs or utilities you have installed and used are yours to decide.

if you are convinced that you are fucked wrt the money, uninstall everything you may have put on the machine, tell them exactly what you have done in writing, and explain that they can either pay you in full in 24 hours or finish it themselves. i know things are fucked right now, but letting them even get a sniff that you will be trodden upon is to their advantage.
they will likely threaten you with legal action. they will be full of it.

Mary, I’m just going to echo what Newton and ES have said.

My understanding is that small claims judges need some proof, but are generally open to hearing from folks who have been jerked around.

Mary, I have top respect for you and Ron. You keep getting back up. Fuck ‘em. Go for it.

Irony, thy name is Norm Coleman.

He tried to introduce a bill giving banks access to individual’s retirement accounts and refinanced/reworked his mortgage 12 times in the last 14 years.

Now he’s now upside down on his mortgage and facing unemployment.
Welcome to the real world Norm.

I always open the digg in a new tab and then click digg. Have to wait a few seconds to see the number change… and sometimes a couple of minutes before it changes on the FDL page.

I told them today I wasn’t going to finish a project they desperately need done. They under bid it and have lost too programmers and another illustrator. This evening I got a phone message from them that seemed to indicate some flexibility
on their part. Maybe I will squeeze a little hard.

Perfect candidate to head the RNC. /s

one other point – i have had more than a hundred ‘contractor’ designers as clients, and the most effective defense is this – do not let them see you sweat, do not accept a check – lack of a contract gives you as much flexability as it does them – and save your work to cd’s or dvd’s, delete them from the work station and turn them over to them in exchange for cash.

I wish I could do that. But they took them off of their server. That is where I was showing them to the clients. But the illustrations are quite another thing. They have a few of them but there are dozens and I am the only person that knows how to do them.

Freelance does not mean it is free.

ok, so they can do the layout but are depending on you for illustrations in illustrator or photoshop?
watermark each illustration, use your own password, and ‘offer’ to decrypt when you have cash in hand. that’s all i’ve got. so damned sorry mary.

Good info. Good reinforcement.

“It strikes me as an awful lot of times to refinance a home loan, but on the other hand, interest rates have been dropping for the past 14 years and there are certainly circumstances where that type of behavior would make sense,” said Alex Stenback, a mortgage broker with Residential Mortgage Group in Minnetonka.

It strikes me as sheer stupidity. The costs involved in refinancing are huge.

Why is Coleman such a whiny tittie baby???
or
Hey Coleman, why the long face?

if i remember correctly, this was a russian outfit?
or am i whack about that?

Not if you are getting a deal from the mortgage industry.

True. If he isn’t paying any points or appraisal fees, he gains, but look at the totality of it. He’s gone from a loan under 200K to one over 675K. What’s the good in that?

Nope. Just three 24 years olds holed up in a mcmansion in Lincoln, CA. They have telemarketers working for them. At first it seemed like a good deal but they spread themselves too thin and got panicky in the last few months. The bad economy brings out the worst in some.

A republican that cannot manage his money? Unheard of.

Mary, if you have not already done so, find out what the small claims court jurisdictional limits (dollarwise) are where they are located (I’m thinking you are in the same place). The clerk of court should be willing to talk with you about procedure and costs, which should be nominal.

You may have checks, e-mails etc indicating that your course of business was payment on delivery. which could set you up to prove an oral contract.

This info may affect your approach.

Anyone have a clue whether or not a tape recording such as I suggested above would be admissible in small claims court?

If any of you are not convinced yet, that we are in a deep and probably lengthy (20-30 years) depression, all you need to see is this blog, and extrapolate.

Better buy a used RV now so you have four walls and a roof. We’re all going to be gardening and hunting in a year or two. It’s gonna be bad.

My sister said I should tell them I am going to report them to the attorney general. She is a paralegal. She said that at the very least it sounds scary.

US congress votes to back Israel

The US House of Representatives has voted to endorse a resolution backing Israel in its offensive in Gaza, in which at least 780 Palestinians have been killed.

The body passed Friday’s resolution “recognising Israel’s right to defend itself against attacks from Gaza” by 390 votes to five.

5 freaking nays

Kucinich
Moore (WI)
Paul
Rahall
Waters

not the ag – the cal dept of industrial relations

Well if she suggested a tape recording… then I would hop to it, sister…)

better read this first

are they likely to fold?
the more days you give them, the less likely you are to ever see it. imo, you need to demand payment immediately. time is on their side, dollar-wise. they need your industry now, and in a few weeks, it could be moot.
get paid, and get paid now.

Thanks!!! Can I file a discrimination suit, too. They told one of the clients that I was going to be there designer and said, “She is older but she is good.” Can you imagine saying that with the word black switched for older.

I think it would if the person on tape were in small claims court. (nal)

Thanks Suz. I wondered about that.

District Attorney. They are swamped, I’m sure, but will handle it eventually. Small claims would be faster for you, but a letter to the DA would be good in terms of criminal if there are others screwed over.

Sorry Loo Hoo, didn’t see your 7k answer earlier. That’s a pretty high limit.

look in your yellow pages for the sac county bar association legal referral service. each county sets it up differently but usually the first 30 min is free (or 25/hour) for a consult about what should i do.

you will be given the # of a labor relations specialist lawyer to set up an apt with so you get solid legal advice.

do so.

Yep! Exactly.
I have other secret plans to make money from contacts I made while working for them.
And I didn’t sign a contract cause I wanted to be able to use the work on my portfolio site.
Some contracts forbid this. I don’t think they are that savvy. I mean they are selling graphics
online and didn’t know the difference between vector and bitmap as of last week.
I have already contacted five or six clients and asked permission to use their sites on my
portfolio.

Suz, you be smart.

naw, just old and before i joined the dept, i was a legal secretary.

I hate to complain and run but I have to go to bed. Thanks everyone. I knew I would get good answers.

“…didn’t know the difference between vector and bitmap…”

jeez. they are trying to muscle you, and they don’t know how weak their hand is. are you the last hope, designer-wise, of getting the work done? you will have to muscle them right back.
watermarks mary

g’nite mary – i’m outta here too.

LOL Hello, LLN complaints department.

That is my new name.
Watermarks Mary.

nite mary, nite suz

{{{ marymc }}} i’m glad you’re willing to fight for the money owed you. Although it’s a shame you have to fight at all. What i’ve seen of your work is incredibly wonderful.

What’s on my mind tonight? Mostly pondering the Perfidity of Ectoplasm.

And being sick n tired of Norm Coleman’s sleazy smirk. Concede, you ***hole! I think i’m gonna start wearing my Obama/Franken button again.

hey nd!
you got weather tonight?

this one? it’s a beauty!

TV’s The Apprentice boss Sir Alan Sugar and Amy Winehouse record producer Mark Ronson are among prominent names discussed on a fanatics’ website.

Good golly.. a button for everything. Though that particular one is a beauty.

Some fanatics with a whole lot of spare time… giving fanatics a bad name /s.

As if Amy isn’t self destructive enough.

that’s the one! *beams*

no weather here to speak of, 13° and not much wind. For winter, it’s bearable. But not bare-able.

(((((Mary)))))

Hob nailed boots to the groin can be a very effective bargaining tool.

ES!!
LMAO! That first video reminds me of me when I get manic.

Great find.

Thank dawg.. I am not the only nut who loved that vid! Good thing we live a thousand miles apart.. I can’t imagine the trouble we could find together amigo. *s*

my work schedule really interferes with me hanging out at the Lake, but dang. Being a production artist and all, i’m just grateful i have a job these days. Sigh.

Can anyone tell me the best way to go about downloading and installing FF3? I had such probs with it last time i went back to the old FF2. But I’m getting no Gchat and my internet is fine.

i’m afraid my macintosh limitations prevent me from helping. but ffox 2.anything is more stable than any version of 3 here.

Are you on mac or PC?

They just stopped supporting FF2 yesterday I think, and today it has gotten spotty.

I switched to ichat when I “upgraded” to FF 3.

same thing here. yesterday i got an force-update attempt to drive me to 3, and i had to blow it out to prevent it from moving me over.
“You can pry my firefox 2.0.0.20 from my cold dead hard disk…”

That really says something…
something worrisome.

ES, what is Ichat?
Sorry didn’t see your question: on PC

I’m emulating one of my role models here.

22 (ish) cast a present vote. But it is all so very disturbing.

I feel like i’ve been shock doctored.

I know the polls say a bit more than half the Americans want this to stop now… And yet these critters and senators could absolutely care less. And were willing to vote on nothing more than a symbolic bill to demonstrate just that very fact.

Whoever sells that poster should be advertising on this blog!

Must have my very own someday.

And don’t fret.. it was all late tired poor snark on my part.

ES–you can vote for that comic strip in the Weblog Awards.

Mine just did it automatically.
As “F”d up as my little piece of hardware is, I did not see any problems.

Just go to the Mozilla site and click download.

Thinking there is much we don’t know that we should know.

Which one should I vote for?

I also remember in ‘06.. Dems took control and passed some lobby reform. They excluded only two organizations from any and all lobby reforms or limitations.

AIPAC and Aspen, iirc.

http://www.xkcd.com/ vote for this one.

Sorry I missed this. ichat is great, but i suspect one has to have a mac. I can use it instead of gchat… and with a few adjustments it will automatically read all my gchat friends.

Both ways have pros and cons, but ichat really won me over after my FF 3 troubles with gchat.

Hopefully without stoking the fires of the wacko’s who may be lurking, let me just say that our critters are still not listening, and i do not know if it is us who are too quiet or the lobbyists who are too loud.

I saw your 47. You and Mary and I can discuss small claims (not knowing any law for reals!)

oh, thanks…well, i’ll see what happens with FF3. I’ve been reading help message boards for tips on how to install it so that it works right.

Thanks…. done.

TIme to turn into a pumpkin

Good night all… and here’s to a progressive tomorrow!

nite eureka
me too

The MADD “Jump Now” This is just great stuff… loved “One Flew Over The Cookoo’s Nest” the Nurse was so so morose and fatalist while the inmates were so screwed but managed to protest. It so spoofs the mental health industry the way they treat the mentally ill. Remember the bid Indian who helped take out the window in the escape.
The MADD “Jump Now” is a keeper for reruns.

“Money talks Bullshit walks”…that is as solid as the “Golden Ruele”…them that got the gold rule.

I’m a huge fan of small claims court. Problem in many places is the jurisdictional dollar limit – lawyer protection racket of sorts. It’s a super place for disputes about security deposits, etc.

Um, since the lobbyist voice is the only one they listen to, we must be VERY loud!

Anybody home?

yo

Hey, Raven -

How’re the furry children these days?

Buggin me to go to Big City Bread! How ya doin?

Yeah, thought it was about time for you guys to head out.

Doin’ OK; got moved back to the western end of the state last weekend and been bogged with catching up on appointments and other assorted stuff that needed attention. Little excitement the other night….put a hotdog on the stove to cook; sat down on the sofa; zzzzzzzzzz; and next thing I know the forkin’ security/fire alarm is goin’ bonkers and I’m sucking in smoke like it’s vintage wine. Luckily no damage to anything but the pot and my frayed nerves. Really dumb ass move and I’ve been *warned* before about not walking away from something on the stove. If I don’t “learn” soon, there may not be any “living” involved. *g*

Whoa! I remember years ago in Urbana. We had a neighborhood where we all knew each other. The guy next door came running owner yelling that the house across the street was on fire and the dog was inside. I ran across, smashed the door in and got the critter out. It turned out they had left soup on the stove and it burned down!

NO the house, the stuff in the pot, it was like your situation. I worry about the drunks next door, they smoke and drink like mad. . .one of these nights!

Not the house

So where are ya? We drove up to Murphy, Highlands and vicinity on Vets day

oops, gotta go

Morning, folks; I can’t tell if the projected snow has started yet but it is certainly cold here in Upstate NY this morning.

Good morning, pups. It’s Collins, Blow and Herbert today. Ms. Collins, in “The Leaves Have It,” says the Bush White House so totally regarded senators as potted plants that it was a wonder that senior aides didn’t attempt to water them. But no more. Mr. Blow, in “Cocaine and White Teens,” says the use of illicit drugs among teenagers has fallen sharply, with the exception of painkillers, but one important metric that should not be overlooked is cocaine use among whites. Mr. Herbert addresses “Obama’s Biggest Challenge,” and says that with credit tight, savings depleted, the stock market in the tank and home prices in a state of collapse, the only way to get real money back into the economy is through employment.

Here they are.

The coffee, tea and hot chocolate are ready, and I’ve got French toast waffles today. We’ve got a chilly morning here, but it’s supposed to warm up during the day, giving us one of those days when you can’t really figure out what to wear — if you’re comfy in the morning you’ll be roasting in the afternoon, or you can freeze your whiffletrees off in the morning and be comfortable later on. Have a great day.

ooo, French Toast Waffles…sounds absolutely yummy. I had oatmeal with zapped blueberries this morning. It’s freeeezzzzing.

Good Morning all! According to the AJC, The head of the CDC resignation has been accepted. Gerberding’s six years leading one of the nation’s most trusted institutions were marked by numerous controversies, from allegations that she allowed politics to interfere with science to concerns that her strategic decisions incapacitated the agency’s ability to respond in a public health crisis.
It’s likely that Obama will put someone who puts our health first.

At this point, I’d almost be satisfied if Obama put someone in who just was not hostile to Science.

allegations that she allowed politics to interfere with science

Just like all the rest of them. Science? We don’t need no stinkin’ science — we’re true believers.

Not sure if the article I saw was the same as in the AJC, but it made it sound like she didn’t resign *voluntarily*. *g* I’d go further than Toby……satisfaction would come if Obama kicked every single forkin’ head of ANYTHING who’s been put in position by bush out the back door ASAP….*and* replaced them with science-based intellectuals.

Well, the least they can do is take down the signs that say, “No Secular Humanists Here”

True. If we had a MSM, they would keep reporting on the harm that Bush caused. Of course they will just let him fade away and blame Obama.

It’s not unusual to ask for the resignation of Bush appointees. In this case it was well deserved. Although, I can’t think of a Bush appointee that should stay and that includes Gates.

I don’t know..if Bush is anything like Palin, we will, unfortunately, have to see his face and listen to his incoherent gibberings for a while yet.

Or its alternative: “Christianists Only Need Apply”.

Or, the 1950s Cape Cod version to keep out the rifraff from the beach areas: “Christian Churches Nearby”

Ayup! Only the media will twist every single one of these requested resignations as outside the norm of any previous president. :-(

They’ve gotten a LOT less subtle in recent years. :-(

Morning all.
Looks like FDA scientists have sent a letter to Obama complaining of political interference over past eight years
http://wonkroom.thinkprogress……cientists/
244 hrs and 12 min

I think we will be hearing about a lot more of this now…as I recall, I read someplace where people at DOJ had let it be known that they are ready to talk after 1/20

I’m sure that the news media will cover this also. The democratic party is making a bit mistake by not publicizing this. Of course, why would I think that they would.

It is 19 deg here w/ a 7 deg wind chill. Snow monday. Glad it isn’t cold.
243 hrs & 57 min

On Countdown last night, Olbermann said that on Obama’s web site questions about the possible prosecution of Bush and company were running way ahead of whatever topic is in second place. Rank and file Americans care about this stuff even though Joe Biden wants to look forward and not back.

FYI -

C-Span’s Q&A session on Sunday at 8 p.m. ET will feature Larry Kissell, new rep from eastern NC (and, to be fair and balanced, a new thug). Larry is a teacher (former now) who almost made it last year and *did* make it this year. Totally blew my mind by sending a personally written thank-you note for campaign donation.

last year election

Joe Biden wants to look forward and not back.

Me too I want to look forward to prosecutions.
243 hrs & 53 min

Anyone here surprised that Bush is asking for the remaining money? Will this finally cause an uprising in the Senate? Will Bush win?

ok – everyone..bring your chairs and coffee cups…Christy is upstairs.

IMHO, “deterence” looks to the future as in preventing a repeat of the past.

Congress has fifteen days to respond so it’s unlikely.

The senate has fifteen days to stop it before it happens. Bush has ten days left in office.
243 hrs & 49 min

Damn! William Zantzinger? Really?

I’m no longer what most people would call a “young” man (I’m 42), but I can remember discovering the back catalogue of Bob Dylan in 1984, during my first year at Berkeley (in high school, I’d only known the Like A Rolling Stone-stuff; i.e: hits which got played on the radio).

Anyway, among those songs, I can so clearly remember Masters of War and The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll as standouts, among others. I guess I just never looked any further into the story behind the latter tale, because it stood so well on its own as a morality fable. I assumed, like Masters of War, that although Lonesome Death was probably inspired by something, it was likely a fictional tale, or a metaphor for a type of person. I mean, who would expect such a proper, near-Dickensian villian to be actually real (although, now that I think about it, Dick Cheney fits Masters of War pretty well…go figure, LOL)?

Color me surprised. I had no idea, until this very moment, that the story behind the song was actually a murder ballad about real events. Thank you so much for broadening my horizons on a story I thought I already knew well. And for the link to the original story and especially the Dylan clip on Steve Allen.