Well, I already had two stamps on it and I asked the clerk to check to see if I had enough postage on it. He said no even before he weighed it. He said it was a parcel. I said apparently you didn't get the memo. He said I go by what my book tells me and proceeded to read me the same old stuff they always tried to go by. I said I know all that stuff already and this memo says that it is wrong. He said that he would have to talk to his supervisor and then continued to try and tell me that if it varied in thickness by more than 1/4" it was a parcel. I read him the requirements from the memo and told him that he needed to get the supervisor for me. Finally he got the supervisor and the supervisor read the post that you put on here and said, "Yes, that's right." He told the clerk that it should be a large envelope and the clerk was still babbling on about the 1/4" difference in size. The supervisor said that from now on cushion mailers under 3/4" in thickness would go as a large envelope. I asked him if he would like to keep the post and he said no that he would print out the memo and make sure that everyone understood it. I don't think that they were any to happy. I had to pay an extra penny in addition to the stamps that I already had on it but that's better than $1.13. Hopefully that battle is won but I'm keeping the post with me when I go back.

I just went back to the Crosman's site and wanted to let everyone know that they also have, at higher than seed prices : Grass Seed, Fertilizer, Legumes, Control Products, Grass/Fertilizer Spreader, Lawn Care Program I also looked at the prices again of flower and vegie seeds and didn't find any over 99 cents and they were mostly beans, and corn at 99 cents. These are the best prices I've found. I've had very good luck with their seeds.

Happy Thanks giving holiday to all. Hi Herb Long time past Since I posted last. ^^ I have much different opinion than yours. First of all, If you study history of stone lantern, history of Buddhism stone art, personal life of Furuta, you will never get into this kind of non sense. Oribe as war lord under Tokugawa Ieyasu, and Toyotomomi Hideyoshi, Both Shoguns baned Christianity. specialy under Tokugawa goverment policy. Believed to be 700,000 christian were wiped out within 30 years . It is said harsher than Nero. Oribe is one of 7 deciples of Rikuy , Rikyu wasn't Christian. Oribe was sworn officer/samurai of Tokugawa who wiped out 700,000 Christians. If he didn't convert to Buddhisit, All of his family member be headed, all of his peoples depend on him as master lose everything. He never procecuted because of being christian nor his family. second of all, if you look 12 or 13 century stone buddha statues, Some of curved on thin stone slate like oribe's stem/ kan you can see almost identical to oribe's curved figure. Christianty of Japann start only 1549. 200~300 years before Christianity came to Japan, look alike of the Oribe toro statue was exsisted. I serched this matter long time and I believe that oribe toro has nothing to do with Christianity. If you belive oribe toro has christianty , Please give me source of In formation. I look and study it. One of Web site information is wrong. Oldest stone lantern parts is on ground of original Asuka ji site. Oribe toro is not oldest of stone lantern. Once I contacted ownwer of web site few years back about infor of orebe toro, he din't care to correct it. Since then I never try to contact to him. Some time we have heated debate but as long as we respect each other good post like this will help others. I have your address. If you like to see photos of pre christianty looke alike pilgram Statue, I am happy to send to you . respectfully. yama.

--It is the mortgage scenarios with no future prospect, goal or even intent of ownership that I have trouble getting my head around. Like credit card debt becoming so "normal". Basically, one can have pretty much anything without really ever owning it.-- I definitely see your point. I have a friend who thinks Donald Trump is the bomb. I once pointed out that he's had a bankruptcy or two... her response was something along the lines of that being not such a bad thing in a business situation, actually sort of a kind of business plan. Mind you, this is someone who's very responsible with her own finances and wouldn't dream of cheating someone she owes money to. Somehow she didn't make the connection that when businesses go bankrupt, there are people who are not getting paid. Mr Trump uses other people's money to finance his deals, then doesn't pay them back. ugh. Ok, maybe he didn't plan it, but how can he be a good business man if his investors lose money (and why do people keep investing with him)? On the other hand, I think there's a big difference between that kind of thing and on the personal scale credit card or other unsecured debt, vs. mortgage or other secured debt. I did have a couple thousand in credit card debt at one point in my life (ironically because I was trying to avoid debt; I underestimated what I would need to survive my last year in college and didn't take out enough on my student loan. ha.) but at this point in my life, it would take a very dire emergency to take that on again. I suppose it was a fairly dire emergency at the time (I needed to eat), but if it hadn't been temporary, I would have found other solutions (cheaper living situation, fewer classes to pay for, etc). Meanwhile, I do have a mortgage and I do pay the minimum while investing about $1000/month in mutual funds. I have about half my outstanding principle saved (not counting retirement accounts). Will I pay it off when I have the full amount? I actually don't know. Partly that will depend on mortgage rates at the time (right now I have an ARM that makes its first adjustment in a couple years). Partly, it will depend on what I'm doing in my life. It would be wonderful to have a paid-off house, on the other hand, it would also be wonderful to have enough money in savings that I could quit my job, go to grad school, travel for a year, etc, if I got the urge. However, regardless of whether or not I keep the mortgage, having debt against an asset, you at least still have a positive (or neutral at worst) net worth. Using a credit card to buy consumables, you end up with just the debt. I don't know. Maybe the average person doesn't make the distinction and the idea that debt (including mortgage) is normal feeds the inclination to run up credit cards, etc.