The Vent and Rant Thread - Page 121

GeoffC · 02-20-2009, 08:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShortNCuddlyAm

You read my mind

What an imagination you have ....

pshrynk · 02-20-2009, 12:05 PM

I'd go straight to my attorney and have him set up a blind trust to receive the money so that no one could find out who it was that won. Then, after a suitable time frame, have a bloody row with administration and leave in a snit. Ricky could probably set the trust up in an afternoon.

What? I think about this stuff all the time!

GeoffC · 02-20-2009, 12:06 PM

who looks after all your $300 handouts via the laddy at the door ?

pilotbob · 02-20-2009, 08:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by desertgrandma

Just curious. Where would you go?

There are so many beautiful places here you could move, and be alone.

Wow, I don't know, there are so many possibilities... I would certainly research. There is an newsletter for expats the reviews places in terms of living standards, medical care, housing prices, etc.

Some places the mentioned that sounded interesting were Panama, Costa Rica, Belize. Also New Zeland and some other place. Basically a place where I could expat to and be able to not have some onerous tax bill.

There are also plans on floating cities. These places will move with the climate so they are always in a moderate locale. I don't know if any actually are being built or they were just plans. This isn't the one I read about a while ago... but similar:

http://thefutureofthings.com/pod/153...ting-city.html

BOb

pilotbob · 02-20-2009, 08:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pshrynk

I'd go straight to my attorney and have him set up a blind trust to receive the money so that no one could find out who it was that won.

Yes, that is certainly the way to go. An offshore trust in the caymans or something. If I did an individual win I would do that. But, I play with the office pool... I would encourage them to keep it quiet.... don't want some article in the paper about it. But, you never know.

If the office pool does win we would probably form a corporation to deal with taxes and disbursements.

BOb

Fledchen · 02-21-2009, 05:26 AM

I remember hearing something about offshore oil rigs being converted into something like those floating cities (although stationary, of course) when they're no longer profitable to use for their original purpose.

pdurrant · 02-21-2009, 05:58 AM

Prices! Prices Changes! Publishers and retailers just can't get it right.

There are some writers/series I look forward to buying. But (apart from Baen and a very few others) publishers just can't seem to get the pricing right, especially %@&*$ Harper Collins.

And even when Harper Collins eventually gets it right, the retailers might not notice the price change.

Two cases in point.

1. Lois McMaster Bujold, The Sharing Knife Series.
The fourth book, Horizon is just out in hardback. They released it as an ebook a week or two later. As usual with big publishers, they want to charge a lot since it's a new book out in hardback. On their main site the hardback is $26.99, and the ebook $19.95. That seems a bit high to me, but at least it's not the same. But try to order the ebook - wow, they /are/ asking for $26.99 RRP for the ebook (discounted 20% to $21.59).
The third book, Passage is now out in paperback for $7.99. The ebook price should have dropped to match (pah!) the paperback price. But no, they're still asking $19.95 RRP.

%@&*$ Harper Collins.

2. Terry Pratchett, Discworld
The 36th book in the series, "Making Money" has been out in paperback for nearly a year. Fictionwise are still asking $19.95 retail/$15.26 maximum discount. But at the Harper Collins ebook website, it can be bought for $7.99 discounted to $6.39! Somehow the price change hasn't got through to fictionwise.

%@&*$ Harper Collins.
%@&*$ fictionwise.

I've been emailing Harper Collins for a couple of weeks . I think that someone there has noticed now the pricing problem now, but actually getting it fixed....

I've only just emailed fictionwise. I am a lot more hopeful that fictionwise will actually do something. It was only when double-checking facts for this rant that I found that Harper Colliins had actually lowered the price on Making Money!

Perhaps a lot of the price change problems come from the inherent difficulty in changing the price on a product when there's no changes to the product itself.

The initial pricing of the ebook on hardback release is less forgivable. I guess it's all that money they've wasted on DRM systems that's to blame.

Sparrow · 02-21-2009, 06:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pilotbob

There are also plans on floating cities. These places will move with the climate so they are always in a moderate locale. I don't know if any actually are being built or they were just plans. This isn't the one I read about a while ago... but similar:

http://thefutureofthings.com/pod/153...ting-city.html

BOb

In the meantime, there is a residential cruise liner, 'The World'.

That seems quite appealing.

nekokami · 02-21-2009, 09:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sparrow

In the meantime, there is a residential cruise liner, 'The World'.

That seems quite appealing.

100-300 residents at any given time, plus "hundreds" of employees. Not quite my idea of seclusion.

Sparrow · 02-21-2009, 10:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Some places the mentioned that sounded interesting were Panama, Costa Rica, Belize. Also New Zeland and some other place.

Other World Kingdom ?
Although 'kingdom' seems a bit of a misnomer - currently ruled by Her Royal Majesty Queen Patricia I.
The state's goal, "is to get as many male creatures under the unlimited rule of Superior Women on as much territory as possible."

pilotbob · 02-21-2009, 11:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sparrow

In the meantime, there is a residential cruise liner, 'The World'.

That seems quite appealing.

Yea... that's for the ultra rich billionaires. I think I saw a TV show about that boat once. I'll just be a lowly millionaire.

But, the one I am thinking was much to big to every port. It has an airport on the top of it.

Ah dreams.

BOb

pilotbob · 02-21-2009, 11:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sparrow

Other World Kingdom ?
Although 'kingdom' seems a bit of a misnomer - currently ruled by Her Royal Majesty Queen Patricia I.
The state's goal, "is to get as many male creatures under the unlimited rule of Superior Women on as much territory as possible."

Ok... giving up US citizenship is one thing... becoming a woman's "slave" is quite another. Sex slave, sure but real actual slave... nah!

BOb

pshrynk · 02-21-2009, 11:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Yea... that's for the ultra rich billionaires. I think I saw a TV show about that boat once. I'll just be a lowly millionaire.

But, the one I am thinking was much to big to every port. It has an airport on the top of it.

Ah dreams.

BOb

See, that's why I don't play the pools. A measly $10M ain't gonna get me the apartment on that ship that I'm dreaming of.

pilotbob · 02-21-2009, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pshrynk

See, that's why I don't play the pools. A measly $10M ain't gonna get me the apartment on that ship that I'm dreaming of.

Exactly. If I recall the cabins on that ship went for $3-$5million. It did look like an awesome place to live though. If I could only get Oprah or Gates or Jobs or anyone to adopt me and pay my living expenses.

BOb

desertgrandma · 02-21-2009, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Exactly. If I recall the cabins on that ship went for $3-$5million. It did look like an awesome place to live though. If I could only get Oprah or Gates or Jobs or anyone to adopt me and pay my living expenses.

BOb

I'd rather be poor......

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02-20-2009, 12:05 PM	#1802
pshrynk Beepbeep n beebeep, yeah! Posts: 11,726 Karma: 8255450 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: La Crosse, Wisconsin, aka America's IceBox Device: iThingie, KmkII, I miss Zelda!	I'd go straight to my attorney and have him set up a blind trust to receive the money so that no one could find out who it was that won. Then, after a suitable time frame, have a bloody row with administration and leave in a snit. Ricky could probably set the trust up in an afternoon. What? I think about this stuff all the time!

02-20-2009, 12:06 PM	#1803
GeoffC Chocolate Grasshopper ... Posts: 27,599 Karma: 20821184 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Scotland Device: Muse HD , Cybook Gen3 , Pocketbook 302 (Black) , Nexus 10: wife has PW	who looks after all your $300 handouts via the laddy at the door ?

02-21-2009, 05:26 AM	#1806
Fledchen Guru Posts: 663 Karma: 84658 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Minnesota, USA Device: PB360+, Sony950, VR Stream, iPod Touch, iPad	I remember hearing something about offshore oil rigs being converted into something like those floating cities (although stationary, of course) when they're no longer profitable to use for their original purpose.

02-21-2009, 05:58 AM	#1807
pdurrant The Grand Mouse 高貴的老鼠 Posts: 74,082 Karma: 315558332 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Norfolk, England Device: Kindle Oasis	Prices! Prices Changes! Publishers and retailers just can't get it right. There are some writers/series I look forward to buying. But (apart from Baen and a very few others) publishers just can't seem to get the pricing right, especially %@&$ Harper Collins. And even when Harper Collins eventually gets it right, the retailers might not notice the price change. Two cases in point. 1. Lois McMaster Bujold, The Sharing Knife Series. The fourth book, Horizon* is just out in hardback. They released it as an ebook a week or two later. As usual with big publishers, they want to charge a lot since it's a new book out in hardback. On their main site the hardback is $26.99, and the ebook $19.95. That seems a bit high to me, but at least it's not the same. But try to order the ebook - wow, they /are/ asking for $26.99 RRP for the ebook (discounted 20% to $21.59). The third book, Passage is now out in paperback for $7.99. The ebook price should have dropped to match (pah!) the paperback price. But no, they're still asking $19.95 RRP. %@&$ Harper Collins. 2. Terry Pratchett, Discworld The 36th book in the series, "Making Money" has been out in paperback for nearly a year. Fictionwise are still asking $19.95 retail/$15.26 maximum discount. But at the Harper Collins ebook website, it can be bought for $7.99 discounted to $6.39! Somehow the price change hasn't got through to fictionwise. %@&$ Harper Collins. %@&$ fictionwise. I've been emailing Harper Collins for a couple of weeks . I think that someone there has noticed now the pricing problem now, but actually getting it fixed.... I've only just emailed fictionwise. I am a lot more hopeful that fictionwise will actually do something. It was only when double-checking facts for this rant that I found that Harper Colliins had* actually lowered the price on Making Money! Perhaps a lot of the price change problems come from the inherent difficulty in changing the price on a product when there's no changes to the product itself. The initial pricing of the ebook on hardback release is less forgivable. I guess it's all that money they've wasted on DRM systems that's to blame.

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