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From: James J. Gavan on 4 May 2008 14:05 Howard Brazee wrote: > On Fri, 02 May 2008 19:04:30 GMT, "James J. Gavan" > <jgavandeletethis(a)shaw.ca> wrote: > > >>>What does the Egyptian five look like? >> >>I have no idea :-). It was '54 when I left Egypt so I think I can plead >>the onset of Alzheimer's. Our only view of 'Egypt' was in our RAF bus >>taking us swimming in the afternoon, and en route we passed through the >>outskirts of Ismalia to get to our Lagoon, an offshoot of the Suez >>Canal. Saw the odd civilian vehicle with Arabic number plates, but the >>numbers were unintelligible. The best I can remember was that zero was >>written at a slant as a sort of four-sided character. > > > I like the story that our number system is based upon how many angles > each digit has. That requires a closed 4 and a 7 with a bar that > drops, plus only zero has rounded shape. > > One would think that the Arabic speaking countries would use Arabic > numerals. There you go Howard, Google shows up all sorts of trivia such as "Egyptian License Plates". These two have samples :- http://www.worldlicenseplates.com/world/AF_EGYP.html http://www.pl8s.com/e/egyp.htm The pictures don't ring any bells for me, but my reference to the 'zero' - looks like it was/is written at a slant, as a rectangle, (the equivalent of an Egyptian period/full stop, perhaps ?), but with no dough nut hole in the middle. Jimmy, Calgary AB
From: Howard Brazee on 5 May 2008 09:49 On Fri, 2 May 2008 12:55:59 -0700 (PDT), Richard <riplin(a)azonic.co.nz> wrote: >I use cash and cheques. I have never once used EFTPOS and have used my >credit card locally perhaps 4 times in the last 10 years. I do use it >for overseas stuff. The wife does use credit cards but it is always >paid off every month. When clients ask for my bank details to do >direct credit I 'lose' the paperwork and then eventually send a >cheque. For those with discipline, credit cards are the cheapest way to go. Cash in one's pocket earns nothing, and if you lose it or have it stolen from you, isn't automatically insured. >One complains that the have to keep a cheque printer around just for >me, having now given up on trying to do it another way. > >I do use ATMs, however, but distrust them. Why do you distrust ATMs? Have you come across anybody who has had his trust in them betrayed?
From: tlmfru on 5 May 2008 13:04 Howard Brazee <howard(a)brazee.net> wrote in message news:404u14pht2csng06qoraqhbqd9n2d2qv36(a)4ax.com... > On Fri, 2 May 2008 12:55:59 -0700 (PDT), Richard <riplin(a)azonic.co.nz> > wrote: > > >I use cash and cheques. I have never once used EFTPOS and have used my > >credit card locally perhaps 4 times in the last 10 years. I do use it > >for overseas stuff. The wife does use credit cards but it is always > >paid off every month. When clients ask for my bank details to do > >direct credit I 'lose' the paperwork and then eventually send a > >cheque. > > For those with discipline, credit cards are the cheapest way to go. > Cash in one's pocket earns nothing, and if you lose it or have it > stolen from you, isn't automatically insured. > I'll tell you why I stick to paper wherever I can - which mostly means cheques - the banks take enormous profits from "service charges" for any conceivable transaction, and pay truly derisory interest; since I must deal with banks I'm going to make them work for the service charge they get from me. My credit cards can be hacked without my knowledge; whereas money can't be stolen from me without my knowing. As (again) I must use credit cards willy-nilly, it has a limit of $1500: at least that makes it more difficult for someone to bankrupt me! It's true that if you pay off your credit card each month it may be the cheapest way to go (annual charge notwithstanding?) but to state that that it's a matter of discpline is to grossly oversimplify the matter. PL
From: Howard Brazee on 5 May 2008 14:28 On Mon, 5 May 2008 12:04:50 -0500, "tlmfru" <lacey(a)mts.net> wrote: >I'll tell you why I stick to paper wherever I can - which mostly means >cheques - the banks take enormous profits from "service charges" for any >conceivable transaction, and pay truly derisory interest; since I must deal >with banks I'm going to make them work for the service charge they get from >me. Tiny amounts of interest beat no interest at all - if I benefit, why should I cut off my nose to spite the banker's face? >My credit cards can be hacked without my knowledge; whereas money can't be >stolen from me without my knowing. I've had my cash stolen without my immediate knowledge. My wife checks our account just about daily, so these are similar. I don't carry much cash - I'm not nearly as optimistic as you are about the world I live in, so I prefer transactions that have audit trails. >As (again) I must use credit cards >>willy-nilly, it has a limit of $1500: at least that makes it more difficult >>for someone to bankrupt me! I suppose the safest thing here is to buy pre-paid cards, but they cost. >It's true that if you pay off your credit card each month it may be the >cheapest way to go (annual charge notwithstanding?) but to state that that >it's a matter of discpline is to grossly oversimplify the matter. I don't pay annual charges. Since the comparison is between using cash & a charge card (which I treat as checks, putting the amount in my checkbook), how does this statement "grossly oversimplify the matter"? What information would I need to add to oversimplify it ungrossly?
From: Anonymous on 5 May 2008 14:36
In article <Z8HTj.112091$Ft5.54731(a)newsfe15.lga>, tlmfru <lacey(a)mts.net> wrote: [snip] >My credit cards can be hacked without my knowledge; whereas money can't be >stolen from me without my knowing. If a credit card is used without your consent you are (in the USA) liable for a maximum of US$50; I believe that Mr Trembley can give the Insider's View on this. Cash is cash... so if you carry more than US$50 you stand to lose more were you to lose the cash (by overt theft ('This is a gun, give me your money') or covert theft (pick-pocket) or accident ('I must have left my wallet on the table.'). DD |