>>macmex- the SSE rate increase was an easy way to appease listed members. But it >>made seed acquisitions for other preservationists like myself more expensive: a built in >>advantage for SSE (now also a seed company) controlling the exchange. >>As far as padded mailers go I reuse mailers whenever possible or pieces of bubble >>pack inside new kraft envelopes for equivalent protection of the seeds (and ZERO >>waste!) George, I don't follow you on that one. To me, that rate increase was helpful. Sure, one can save and reuse envelopes. I do at every opportunity. But for true preservationist interests the higher price seems better to me. In regards to people asking for seeds, this helps limit frivolous requests. When I request seeds, precisely because I intend to maintain them, that one time expense is the least of my concerns. And, it's not limited to the SSE. I ordered a sample of peanuts from a smaller, independent seed company, just a few weeks ago. That's all I ordered and, with S&H it cost over $7.00. It's easy to collect a lot of seeds. It's not so easy to maintain them. Now, that's where the work and expense comes in. I'm not prepared to say 'yea or nay' about the SSE seed catalog's legitimacy. There seem to be advantages and disadvantages associated with it. But I can definitely see how the SSE would consider it a good way to get some varieties out into circulation without taxing private members. Is it really best to start with the assumption that the SSE is trying to "pull something off," so to speak? I really really doubt that. Philosophy regarding how to do the work of preservation... now there is plenty of room for discussion and diversity! The SSE seems to have struck a course for doing much of the preservation right on its own premises, using its own resources. Part of their reasoning may be that they have (as have I) seen many preservationists fail, either through some problem with planning, organization, finances, health or whatever. My personal approach has been to stick with the SSE and branch out. The GW, for instance, is a good place to cultivate interest in maintaining varieties and in recruiting gardeners to do so. I won't assume that ANYONE is going to be completely dependable. It's alright to discuss these things. But getting back to Kents letter, it still seems to me that the problem was not related to a conspiracy or dirty work by the board. Kent simply diverged from the board and wouldnt work with them. There are a fair number of references in his letter which I found deceptive; for instance, this thing about a board of advisers. Recently I called one up, which Ive known for years. I was informed that the "board" part of the advisors was really only in Kents mind. The opinion I was given was that it appeared that Kent used the term board of advisors more as a way to gain credibility himself. They were not consulted and had no real say in his decisions. Plus, as has already been posted above, they too, unanimously (if I counted correctly) stood with the board. There is room for plenty of discussion on particulars for how to do "the job" better. But when the SSE is hurting, under attack so to speak, I dont think its time to jump on the bandwagon. From sunny Mexico, George macmex

Yes, folks. BO won the initial stage of the battle for health care legislation; now, the war is ON! I have included the first paragraphs of an article in today's Washington Post which simply reports the facts plus a link to the entire article, below. I LOVE IT!! --Stitz-- RICHMOND -- The legal challenge to the nation's new health-care law was launched Thursday in a courtroom in Richmond, where the office of Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II argued that the measure is an unprecedented overreach by Washington that violates the founders' intention of a limited federal government. Arguing the case for Virginia, Solicitor General E. Duncan Getchell Jr. told a judge that it would be "unprecedented," "ahistorical" and "radical" for the federal government to require an individual to buy a private product -- in this case, health insurance. In front of a packed courtroom -- with spectators overflowing into a second room and supporters of the federal law demonstrating outside -- attorneys for the Obama administration responded that the Virginia suit has no merit and should be tossed out of court. They said the law's mandate that Americans buy health insurance was well within Congress's constitutional power. District Court Judge Henry E. Hudson said he will decide within 30 days whether to allow the case to proceed. The hearing was the first skirmish in a legal war over the federal health-care overhaul that is not likely to be settled until it makes its way to the Supreme Court. The Virginia suit is one of two major state-level, Republican-led efforts to kill the federal health-care law in court. It is a fast-attack assault that narrowly contends that Congress overstepped its authority by requiring individuals to buy health insurance or face a fine. Attorneys general in 20 other states have joined a suit filed in Florida that adds the assertion that the federal law encroaches on the sovereignty of the states by requiring them to expand Medicaid programs.

oh michoumonster, I have been in your shoes so this is experience talking... 1) Review your contract with your attorney to make SURE you follow whatever requirements it has for termination. 2) Also have your attorney review every single you or your builder has ever signed that is related to the house or the land it sits on...including loan documents. Among other things, you want to make absolutely sure your builder doesn't hold a "residual lien" against your home. A residual lien can come into being where the amount your banker agreed to loan you to build was less than your contract price so that you were going to make up the difference out of pocket. In such a case, the lien documents may have been written so that you gave your builder a lien for the full amount of the build then your builder assigned a portion of that lien (the amount of your loan) to your bank. The unassigned part is called a residual lien and, when you gave your builder money directly out of your pocket for that amount, he should have given you a lien release. If your builder doesn't give you a lien release for a residual lien he holds, you'll have a major problem. Since you have an attorney, just mention the possibility to him and ask him to make sure the builder doesn't have a residual. Your builder might not think to check for a residual lien but once you mention it, he should be able to determine if one is in existence. 3) DO NOT WARN YOUR BUILDER that you are planning to fire him or even thinking seriously about doing so. Let your attorney guide you as to when and how to break the news to your builder. 4) Ask your attorney if he will go with you to your banker to discuss your options with regard to financing after firing your builder. Be aware that, as a general rule, your banker is under no obligation NOT to tell your builder that you are thinking about firing him. You MAY be able to impose a confidentiality obligation on our banker by raising the issue as a theoretical one on which you are seeking confidential FINANCIAL advice but that may or may not wash. I suspect tho your builder will be less likely spill the beans prematurely if your lawyer is with you when you talk to the banker. 5) Find out what your state's laws are regarding any mandatory warranties. If, for example, your builder completed the foundation and framing and your state has a mandatory warranty on those items, he SHOULD be on the hook for them even if you fire him before the house is completely finished. But, be aware that even state mandated warranties won't do you one bit of good if your builder declares bankruptcy and gets the bankruptcy court to discharge his warranty obligations. A warranty is only as good as the entity granting the warranty so I wouldn't let trying to hang onto my warranties stop me from firing a crooked GC. 6) Get a good digital camera and digital video camera and document EVERYTHING about the status of the house before you fire the builder. Be sure the time and date stamp on the camera is set correctly. Take about a gazillion photos from every possible angle, close-ups and wide-angle shots. Do one room at a time and stick labels to the walls so that you can know exactly what room and which part of each room each photo is a picture of. Don't forget to photograph the outside of the house and the attic and basement areas as well. Do not let there be a square inch of the house and grounds that doesn't clearly appear in at a couple of photos and videos. Upload everything to your computer and then save it all on CDs or DVD (it'll probably take several) in case your hard drive should fail. And give copies of everything to your attorney. 7) Check with your insurance agent about getting insurance on the partially built house to cover any vandelism that should occur after you fire the builder. You also want to make sure there is PLENTY of liability coverage in case someone should get hurt while on your property. 8) Print out copies of every email you have ever sent or received from your builder (along with every attachment) and put them all in a notebook then give the notebook(s) to your attorney for safe-keeping. If you should wind up in litigation, the courts will expect you to have kept all those documents and not having them could be held against you so save EVERYTHING. Finally, be prepared for a long horrible slog through a legal and financial minefield. It is going to put more stress on your marriage than you would believe. So, make a pact with your spouse that regardless of what happens, the two of you will NEVER EVER EVER blame each other for the mess. Nobody who hasn't been thru this can possibly understand just how bad this can get. If you and your spouse cannot be totally supportive of one another, you very might be better off just letting the crook finish the house - as cheaply as you possibly can - then put it on the market and sell it as quickly as possible to cut your losses. We fired our GC 3 years ago this month. We are only now finally reaching a settlement (still unsigned) with our builder that will result in him releasing the residual lien he holds against our house. We spent the remainder of our construction loan plus another 20% to get the house finished to a point where we could move in and we estimate that it will cost us another $30,000 to finish the things that still remain undone that were supposed to be part of the turn-key build. And we accumulated $20,000 worth of attorney bills. We have foundation problems that will cost about $18,000 to fix and SHOULD be covered by a 10 year statutory warranty from our builder but he has transferred all his assets to his family and declared bankruptcy so.... DH and I are still together and our lives are slowly getting back to normal but he is an absolute saint. I cannot imagine having survived the last three years without him at my side. If you click on my "My Page" link you can email me off line if you want to know more.

bob414 Didn't see your last post until today pretty funny !! Subject: 1961 - 2011 This should be sent only to those whose level of maturity qualifies them to relate to it... 1961 : Long hair 2011 : Longing for hair 1961 : KEG 2011 : EKG 1961 : Acid rock 2011 : Acid reflux 1961 : Moving to California because it's cool 2011 : Moving to Arizona because it's warm 1961 : Trying to look like Marlon Brando or Liz Taylor 2011 : Trying NOT to look like Marlon Brando or Liz Taylor 1961 : Seeds and stems 2011 : Roughage 1961 : Hoping for a BMW 2011 : Hoping for a BM 1964 : Going to a new, hip joint 2011 : Receiving a new hip joint 1961 : Rolling Stones 2011 : Kidney Stones 1961 : Screw the system 2011 : Upgrade the system 1961 : Disco 2011 : Costco 1961 : Parents begging you to get your hair cut 2011 : Children begging you to get their heads shaved 1961 : Passing the drivers' test 2011 : Passing the vision test 1961 : Whatever 2011 : Depends Just in case you weren't feeling too old today, this will certainly change things. Each year the staff at Beloit College in Wisconsin puts together a list to try to give the faculty a sense of the mindset of this year's incoming freshmen. Here's this year's list: The people who are starting college this fall across the nation were born in 1993. They are too young to remember the space shuttle blowing up. Their lifetime has always included AIDS. Bottle caps have always been screw off and plastic. The CD was introduced 2 year s before they were born. They have always had an answering machine.. They have always had cable. They cannot fathom not having a remote control.. Jay Leno has always been on the Tonight Show. Popcorn has always been cooked in the microwave. They never took a swim and thought about Jaws. They can't imagine what hard contact lenses are. They don't know who Mork was or where he was from. They never heard: "Where's the Beef?", "I'd walk a mile for a Camel", or "de plane, Boss, de plane.." They do not care who shot J. R. and have no idea who J. R. even is. Mc Donald's never came in Styrofoam containers. They don't have a clue how to use a typewriter. Do you feel old yet? So have a nice day!!!!! It is good to have friends who know about these things and are still alive and kicking!!!!