Dan Gould

:party:

CE, I've been working out of the house so long, I've really missed having a regular commute - for better or worse, I get more listening time in the car than anywhere else. So this is a great change I am looking forward to.

Well, today is hopefully the first day of something different. The Loan Modifications didn't work out but the boss isn't giving up. He decided that people need the discipline of working in an office, waiting in their cube for the next lead to come in. Plus he brought in a partner who will foot the bill for leads - $3000 a week, and all "hot" internet generated leads (people fill out a form at a website, it goes to your email instantly, but the lead isn't exclusive, it goes to some other guy's box, too). The folks Marty hires are getting $400 a deal, but since I was with him from the start, he's keeping me at $500. Another advantage of sticking it out is that Marty is an incredible salesman, and he will be right there to do "T.O.s" (Take Overs) if I have someone who needs one more nudge to sign on. Another reason I want to continue is that, if the business gets off the ground and generates 10+ contracts a week, Marty will hire my wife and pay her a decent salary to handle the flow of paperwork that has to go to the lawyer. So I head down to Hollywood FL about 9 AM, work there til about 4 pm. But since I have no guarantees, I am also starting another job at 4:30, this one a little further north so my drive home won't be so bad. Goes until 11 PM, which means absolutely killer hours as long as I hang in and do both. Selling extended auto warranties, inbound call center. Tiny hourly wage but they don't want you there watching the clock, as you get deals, your commission increases until after the 15th deal, all contracts pay $125, and that is retroactive to your earlier deals. Based on prior experience, I don't expect to be number one in the office (who made $2000 last week) but I do expect to be in top 25% at the worst, which should be a $1000+ check. What I like about these two businesses is that it seems to me they are favored in the current climate. The demand for loan mods will only increase, and like Mark said, people buy fewer cars, they need to keep their cars on the road longer, and a good warranty helps them do that. So we'll see what happens - ideally, both these jobs are profitable, in which case I'll try to work both as long as I can handle the hours, just to restore the bank balance and build up some savings. Or at least one of them will be worthwhile and after a couple of weeks I'll quit the other one and concentrate on the good one.

Thanks Jim.

Drew's back is still stiff when he wakes up, sometimes. He also says he could play right now. This is a non-story. Talk to me when he goes on the DL or under the knife.

Just caught something on foxsports.com, an interview with the man behind the new "Lie to Me" program on Fox. He picked up on several aspects of A-Rod's body language in the Gammons interview, but the one that I found most intriguing was the half-shrug that A-Rod used several times. According to the good doctor who is so gifted at spotting a liar, in all of his experience, he has never once found a single instance in which someone did a one-shouldered shrug who wasn't lying. Every single time, that is a fool-proof marker that someone is being untruthful. Anyone who thinks that there aren't many more revelations to come about A-Rod must be a shameless Yankee fan, whistling past the graveyard.

Yeah, but Gabe Kapler was a workout fiend starting in high school and has spoken out against steroids for so long it would be an extraordinary shock if he used. He might not be quite as large as Prince Albert, but if you believe him, he's Exhibit One in the "you can get huge without steroids, too" argument.

Well, I would go for Philly-as but that's just my midwestern accent. Since Fogg is supposed to be a British character, I would think that all syllables are pronounced, so not File-as. One thought would be to take a look at the movie version (with David Niven) or even the crappy remake, and see how it pronounced there. Yeah, my wife said to check if its in Netflix for downloads, but I said "no, I'm sure the collective knowledge of Organissimo will come through."

You're not helping, Jim.

Thanks VB. The other possibility would be FILE-uss, which would be similar to the FINE-uss pronunciation of Phineas Newborn.

I've been asked to record and submit a voice-over audition for an online "classic books on audio" start-up. I'd love to get the gig even though the pay is tiny ($1200 to voice and edit 6 books is cheap, to say the least but I need the cash and if they succeed, the money will improve) but the audition consists of the first two paragraphs of Around the World in 80 Days and having only read the book many years ago, I profess to having no idea how to pronounce "Phileas". Thanks in advance!

I think the odds are very very low.

About 10 years ago I was at Blue Note Records jazz room and was surprised to hear someone ask for Gerry Niewood, as I recognized the name but only from the Concert in Central Park LP - had no idea that he played jazz as well. This crash serves as a reminder of how rare the "Miracle on the Hudson" really is. RIP.

So let's sum up: The only person who doesn't follow the forum rules regarding political posts, makes the same mistake over and over and over and over and over again, and each time its just an innocent accident. Well since you don't think an explanation is in order, let me tell you that I will continue to point out each time you make this "mistake". And I renew my call to the moderators that Chris needs a reminder of the rules. He refuses to obey them and hides behind the claim of a "mistake". If there were more people making this "mistake" I wouldn't point it out. But he's the only one, he doesn't learn from his mistakes, and obviously doesn't care about the rules in the first place.

Can you offer an explanation why you consistently make this mistake? Please tell me why, after doing it over and over again, you keep doing it? Are you senile? Are you blind? Or, do you have a problem with the rules, and this is your way of fighting them, by ignoring them. You are the only person, the ONLY ONE, who violates this simple rule. Why is that Chris? Give me an explanation, and I'll stop coming down on you when you do it.

Thanks for the news flash Chris but seriously, do you have a blind spot when it comes to clicking on the Miscellaneous - NON POLITICAL forum? Its not even as if there is a Miscellaneous Political Forum and a Miscellaneous Non-Political forum and yet without fail at least once every couple of weeks, you post a political item here. Moderators, have you attempted to discuss this with Chris? He flouts the rules regularly.

Well, I think these two announcements mean that in the end, Boras will get Manny some money. Everyone said that when Manny signs, the others will sign. Well now the back up plans that the Dodgers had just went off the board. That leaves them no choice but Manny, forcing them to up their offer. I don't think San Fran is serious but the Dodgers now have no choice. They have to keep Manny, for fan relations as well as for the offense. It will be interesting to see how badly Manny hurts them in the field in the second (or possibly third) year of the deal he ultimately gets. Let alone what he does when he isn't happy. He may send Torre into premature retirement.

Judge delivers KO punch to Clemens' lawsuit He declared that McNamee's statements to Mitchell were protected because they were compelled by the Federal investigators. Also said that McNamee's lawyers are right that Texas doesn't have jurisdiction and it should be tried in NY. Only left McNamee's statements to Pettitte as potentially actionable, which is something that McNamee's lawyers would love, because then they'd get to depose Andy. BWAAAAAAHAAAAHAAAA Next stop, Federal court. After that, the Federal Prison Softball League, where his roommate Bubba will introduce him to a new style of pre-start testicular massage.

Agreed, and its just as ridiculous for Selig to say he's thinking of penalizing A-Rod. The union would win that grievance in record time.

Muzak ain't going away, they had a debt-load they couldn't service and filed Chapter 11 re-organization, but in fact have posted increasing profits for several years.

If this won't bring out Clem or one of his alter-egos, nothing will.

OK, how about the AP? http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/6258538.html I don't care about the particulars of the woman's claim (it sounds like she willfully had unprotected sex with him long after she became concerned about his HIV status), but what's sad is that Alomar apparently has full-blown AIDS, not just being HIV-positive.

James, I believe the Player's Union would argue (and did) that Vincent had no authority to make any such declaration, that it can only be the result of collective bargaining. It's BS, but that's their claim. I think I draw the line at steroids because the results of the use is so unmistakable, whereas using greenies in the past for energy - they weren't difference-makers. Certainly no home run records were set when greenies were popped like M&Ms. But the steroid era messed with the history of the game, because two of the most famous records in history fell to guys who juiced.

James, The part that confuses people, including Stark, is that the Hall of Fame is both a museum and a literal Hall of Fame. Pete Rose has not been whitewashed out of baseball history. If they do a display about the Big Red Machine, Pete Rose is front and center. Same if they put up one about the 1975 World Series. Or hit streaks. Pete Rose does not have a plaque in the Hall of Fame. He's still in the museum. And Cooperstown can take the same approach to the those proven to have used steroids.

"everything is just a few hundred clicks away".