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Reading articles like this, I often feel like such an outlier, as I can't see myself ever paying $700 a night to lay me down to sleep, especially in a country where a teacher's monthly income is less than that amount. I guess it's the difference between being a local and being an expat. When I travel, it's much more interesting for me to try living the way a middle- to upper-middle-class local would do. That usually means giving up some of the 'luxuries' we take for granted here in the U. S. I recall being in India at a time when a McDonald's hamburger and a Coke was a real luxury purchase, even though a delicious Indian meal could be had for a fraction of the price. I'm not sure if it was the cost of getting a sesame seed bun into the country, or if they just figured the folks interested in a dollop of 'special sauce' would be willing to pay any price. I expect it's more a matter of segmenting the market and finding the customers who want to create an 'American experience' in a foreign country, and will pay big bucks to do so. But even if I had $700 burning a hole in my pocket, I'd still prefer the experience of living like a local and saving the cash for something else - something I couldn't so easily find at home.

Yes, thank you seattlebottom! Especially for sharing your feelings about what happened. Without having had such an experience, there's part of me that hopes I never do and part of me that would like to experience what it's like. From a safe distance, of course. Although your reaction to your experience suggests that there's no such thing as feeling safe when a ghost is in the house. Gcursor, you seem to have a wide-ranging curiosity. I'm enjoying this thread and looking forward to seeing what will tickle your fancy next.

Thanks, TY. I was aware of most of these, but 'caramel color' had slipped under the radar. I've got a case of Mexican Coke to finish up, and I'll keep my fingers crossed they used the kind without ammonia. I would love to see a fifty-year chart that shows the percentage of chemicals in our food supply versus the increase in obesity. I'd be amazed if they didn't line up pretty well. This lab food is not only unhealthy, it tastes like crap too. I've always loved cream soda and A&W root beer, but stopped buying both when they started using artificial flavor. Feh! I needed graham cracker crumbs for an Easter cheesecake crust and couldn't believe what Nabisco had done to the product since the last time I bought it a few years ago. Not only did it taste like particle board, but I couldn't crumble the crackers in my hands any more; they had the strength of particle board too. I can recall when graham crackers were considered a healthy snack. I'm not a food fanatic, but I do read ingredient lists and put stuff back on the shelf when I see a list of chemicals I don't recognize. I hope more folks start doing that too and getting a message back to the manufacturers. Thanks again for the info.

Yikes! What was the reaction of you and your family? Did you consider moving? Hanging up some garlic? Or did you just try to laugh it off? Is that why you eventually moved? Were there any particular occasions or times the ghost was more active? Looking back, are you glad you had the experience? Lots of questions, I know, but I've never run into anyone who actually had this experience firsthand. It gets one thinking.

Small wonder I love this place! Where else would the top five threads cover Thai elections, San Francisco bars and clubs, a Fox News hack, Chord Overstreet, and rare earth deposits off Hawaii? A Very Happy Holiday to all you fine eclectic folks!

There was a time , back in the fifties, when corporations would have shared 30% of that tax burden. They're good for only 6% now. No doubt they've been investing the savings in job creation.

So true, TY. Some may consider private health insurance to be a 'free market', but it's as far from a rational competitive market as any I can think of. The first year I had Medicare, I added one of the supplemental 'Advantage' plans offered by a private insurer. They don't add much to standard Medicare coverage, but the government pays a subsidy to the private insurer to keep them in the tent. The first year, the private insurer made their money on the federal subsidy. The second year, they decided I should kick in an additional thousand dollars. And the third year, after the public outcry about price gouging, my premium was back to zero. They gave the plan a slightly different name each year, but it was pretty much the same coverage. The folks I really feel sorry for are those who can't afford any coverage at all, and there are tens of millions of them. A hospital test that an insurer (including Medicare) might pay $150 - $250 for might cost an uninsured patient the 'full retail' price of $2500. The hospital will almost never negotiate either. Even though the patient might be able to come up with $250, or even $500, the hospital will hound them for the full $2500. When the patient is eventually forced into bankruptcy, the hospital will move the $2500 into the 'bad debt' column, where it will be used to offset profits and justify higher rates for everybody else. Feh! The only thing positive that will come out of these horror stories, in my opinion, is the eventual emergence of a single-payer system, or systems, that everyone will have access to. Sadly, I believe the stories will continue to get worse and worse until the light bulb finally goes on and we catch up with all those countries that have already figured it out. For those who think the government does a worse job of managing health care than the private insurers, I invite them to try getting my insurance company on the phone. They can try comparing cost efficiencies while they're waiting.

Nice job, OneFinger! You really stuck with it. It seems like the support group would be a big help. How often do you meet?

Sorry! It's BuffBoyzz. Plus, it looks like they weren't open last night/this morning. So Lucky's hypothesis remains the one to beat.

OK, the record was blown away again: 75 at 1:30 this morning! You don't suppose somebody set up an MER kiosk at BuffBoyz?

Lucky! (Oh, and Biff, Brick, and Buster.)

Just noticed that we hit 54 users on line at once which the Home Page says is a new record. If my watch is right, it happened just a few minutes ago. So good job, TY and OZ! And Lucky! And all who make this such a pleasant place to be! You know who you are. And actually, it's pretty much everyone who posts here. And thanks to all who enjoy just hanging around. An occasional post would be nice, just to say "Hi" and let us know you're not Fred Phelps keeping an eye on us. Ah, what the hell, post away Fred, if you are here. Just try to have fun and stay on topic.

Must be a different Whitey Bulger.

I know I shouldn't be reading this thread but I just love it when Lucky yoo-hoo's the lurkers!

You won't catch me defending Obamacare. Once the public option dropped out of the plan, I lost interest. But, as Allessio77 pointed out, there are some increased opportunities for opting in to Medicare. And perhaps that's the best we can hope for at this point. While some may trust the private insurers to manage their health care, I personally trust them to figure out how to send more dollars to their bottom line. All I ask is that folks have a choice. If they want a private plan, fine. If they want a public plan, fine. As an advocate for a public plan, I don't have any problem with someone choosing a private plan. On the other hand, the private insurance lobby sure seems to want to bury the public plan option. What have they got against a little free choice?

What seems to get lost in the debate is that the cost of for-profit health care is going up even faster than the cost of government-funded health care. While Medicare costs are up 400% since 1969, private insurance costs are up 700%. It's clear to me anyway that a public option like Medicare needs to be available to anyone who wants it. Not mandated, mind you, merely available as an option. But the private insurers would scream like stuck pigs. And unfortunately, at present, they're the ones who have figured out how to control the public debate. We pretend that voters are in charge, but it's the for-profit companies that are more effective at shaping legislation. As the days go by, it seems we're getting farther away from a democracy and closer to some of the oligarchies that our Middle Eastern brothers and sisters have finally had enough of.

Hell, even the Shrek virus passed me by. Now that's ugly!

Universal Studios in Orlando has a Spider-Man Ride with 3D characters swooping all around. At the beginning of the ride, Spiderman himself swings in and perches on the rail of the car that everybody rides in. I was sitting in the front seat and he seemed to land about one foot in front of my face, with his crotch right at eye level. Although he was just an animated character, the dude was packin' a 3D whopper! Not sure whether or not any of my coworkers noticed my affectionate swipe at Spidey's goods. Lucky I didn't have any dollar bills with me.

Would you like an order of flies with that?

Care to guess where that thumb was while I was sitting around waiting?

I can see again! Thanks, Guys, for working your Magic!

Lucky, aren't you sweet! I'm happy to let it wend its way through the Comments Forum. I'm sure the programmers can figure out what level we all got a few years ago that lets us see pictures, and hopefully reinstate it. No rush. I'll make some adjustments in the meantime.

I'll tell ya, but it's gonna take some kisses and hugs.

Very well done! There are those who think Obama has moved too slowly on gay rights, and I can understand their views. But, in my opinion, his strategy of moving on several fronts, using different tactics, at different speeds, and building consensus along the way, is a good path to follow. Clinton is an impressive diplomat. I think she and Obama make a good team. And props to most of the rest of the World too!