The Chit Chat Chit Chat Thread

donaldtoo

donaldtoo

Well-Known Member
MinnieM123 said:
It was about 6 years ago for me. One of the card companies called me to check on a bunch of charges made in . . . SPAIN??!!!! :jawdrop: Needless to say, they shut that puppy down right away. I was not charged; they issued a new card, with new numbers to me. (I guess the card companies have some way of flagging accounts with unusual spending patterns. For example, I've had bosses over the years who charge up tons of expensive stuff every month, but that's normal for them. I charge very little, or even nothing on some months, so when a spending spree takes place, especially overseas, it sends up a red flag to the card company.)
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Yep, that's how we found out both times...the bank notified us. We check the account pretty often ourselves (especially more so now), but, it's good to know our bank was so on top of it. :)
 
Goofyernmost

Goofyernmost

Well-Known Member
MinnieM123 said:
It was about 6 years ago for me. One of the card companies called me to check on a bunch of charges made in . . . SPAIN??!!!! :jawdrop: Needless to say, they shut that puppy down right away. I was not charged; they issued a new card, with new numbers to me. (I guess the card companies have some way of flagging accounts with unusual spending patterns. For example, I've had bosses over the years who charge up tons of expensive stuff every month, but that's normal for them. I charge very little, or even nothing on some months, so when a spending spree takes place, especially overseas, it sends up a red flag to the card company.)
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When I went to Europe, I notified my credit card people that I was going there and the time frame I would be there, so I had no problem with that, but, I remember back a few years ago I had a $3500.00 repair bill for my car when I was in Florida. (lived in Vermont at the time) Not a call, not a concern from them.... nothing. Then a few months ago I tried to charge a shipping fee for $4.95 and they refused to allow it, notified me and told me if it was legit, just to try it again. Even if someone else had charged that $4.95 I doubt I would have really cared.
 
donaldtoo

donaldtoo

Well-Known Member
MinnieM123 said:
I agree about cash. That's why I try to take out cash each week to cover everything (groceries, other, etc.), because once I spend it all and there's no more left in my wallet, that's a good sign for me to stop right there!! I know that if I used my credit cards more, I'd definitely spend more. Hate getting the credit card bills, too, so I limit their use.

About the future of cash though--some places are "trying" to limit or even eliminate cash transactions and only use credit or debit. This is infuriating to me (there's actually a law in MA that a merchant cannot deny a purchase in cash, but a few smaller merchants are trying to slip it in). Another thing that ticks me off is our toll bridges and roads out here. They've all switched to (or are in the process) of moving to transponder systems.

Now, they've had the transponder systems in place for some years, but the move is to eventually (this year) eliminate all cash booths. So in the case of the MA Pike, starting in October, if you don't have a transponder, the cameras will take a photo of your license plate and they send you a bill in the mail--and it will cost you a higher fare than if you had a transponder. :mad: (Luckily, we only use the Pike about once every 2 years, but the same technology is also being used on the major bridges and highways. :( )
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I had a friend that worked at a bank back in the mid 80's. At the time, she told me that all cash transactions would be a thing of the past in about 5 years (1990-ish).
I have yet to run into a place anywhere that doesn't accept cash, but, I have been to places where their credit card machine is down and the only thing they can do are cash transactions. Fortunately, they all had ATMs...! ;)
 
donaldtoo

donaldtoo

Well-Known Member
MinnieM123 said:
I agree about cash. That's why I try to take out cash each week to cover everything (groceries, other, etc.), because once I spend it all and there's no more left in my wallet, that's a good sign for me to stop right there!! I know that if I used my credit cards more, I'd definitely spend more. Hate getting the credit card bills, too, so I limit their use.

About the future of cash though--some places are "trying" to limit or even eliminate cash transactions and only use credit or debit. This is infuriating to me (there's actually a law in MA that a merchant cannot deny a purchase in cash, but a few smaller merchants are trying to slip it in). Another thing that ticks me off is our toll bridges and roads out here. They've all switched to (or are in the process) of moving to transponder systems.

Now, they've had the transponder systems in place for some years, but the move is to eventually (this year) eliminate all cash booths. So in the case of the MA Pike, starting in October, if you don't have a transponder, the cameras will take a photo of your license plate and they send you a bill in the mail--and it will cost you a higher fare than if you had a transponder. :mad: (Luckily, we only use the Pike about once every 2 years, but the same technology is also being used on the major bridges and highways. :( )
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Responding again regarding toll roads.
They are only a recent thing (about 15 years or so...I think?) in Central Texas. I have yet to drive on one. I refuse. Fortunately, there are none even near my commute to work.
With the way the hills are, it's unlikely they will build more major highways in these parts of town. But, they have also been known to add toll lanes to existing highways. :confused:
There is a highway just to the west of Austin proper that they are doing this to that is beyond a quagmire. It is so beyond over budget and delayed that it's a local joke...beyond stupid, on top of stupid, with extra stupid sauce. Yet, some people's pockets are being lined. Yes, I'm ed.
 
StarWarsGirl

StarWarsGirl

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
Songbird76 said:
Did you learn foreign language in elementary school? Was it a dual immersion school? Our school here starts English in 5th grade, which is why DD would be getting it this year. But that's the only language they do in Elementary school. Once they get to high school there are more options, depending on what kind of school she goes to. We can start looking at high schools this year and then next year she gets her advice/recommendations and takes the CITO and based on those two things, she will choose a level of school. If she does Gymnasium (the highest level of high school...it's the one you take if you want to do something that will later require a University degree, like doctor, lawyer, engineer, etc) she'll have things like Latin, English, French, German, Greek, and Spanish to choose from, and usually there's a requirement of how many you need. My husband went to a Gymnasium and had French, German, English, and Latin, though he dropped French as soon as he was allowed to, and I think he only did Latin for a year or two. If she goes to a VWO, it's like the Gymnasium, but without Latin..that's my understanding of the difference. Then you have HAVO, which is more for people who want a high level career, but not necessarily a university degree...like being a teacher. Then you have MAVO which is basically like the standard high school in the US. That's where the majority go. It's fine for most careers. Then you have more like trade schools for the kids who really struggle. I don't remember what that one is called. So far, my kids are both placed to do Gymnasium, IF they want to do something specialized. I think every level requires English and I think all but the lowest level also require one more, usually either French or German. But the higher levels will require more and will also have more options. But she might be able to test out of English in high school and carry on with Spanish. So they DO have a system like you mentioned, but not until the secondary level.
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Depends on the school. I started in middle school and it was either Spanish or French. Then in high school they had Spanish, French, Latin, or Chinese. Spanish speakers had to take French in middle school, and then in high school they could double up on languages, place into a Spanish class, or take another language. The university where I took Spanish also had a Spanish class for native speakers. After that class, they could advance to 300 level Spanish courses.

Not a billingual school, just a huge minority population. Only 40% of the school is caucasian. As a side note, it is also one of the top public high schools in the country.
 
StarWarsGirl

StarWarsGirl

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
ajrwdwgirl said:
The school I teach in is not air conditioned, at the start and end of the school year there are days in which our rooms are almost unbearable. I'm sure we have had high indexes. But we have to suffer through....:(
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I've thought about writing a letter to our county about the difference in my health between high school and college. I missed enough days senior year that if I did not have a federal form 504, I would have failed. Now I'm in college, in a fully air conditioned school that has some buildings that are even older than the ones in high school, and I rarely miss class time. I rarely see my allergist anymore. I'm almost never sick. That's not a coincidence.

I'd like to ask our superintendant why he thinks providing students with iPads is more important than giving them clean, air conditioned schools.
 

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