Wmcmanus

Oh, cool. Still on my wish list of travel destinations. Cayman Airways used to do charter trips to Panama, usually right before Christmas. It was quite popular, but both the cargo hold and the overhead storage bins would get overstuffed with all sorts of packages that people came back with. It was a massive shopping fest. So I think they stopped going there for a while. Not sure if that ever resumed or not.

I changed out most of the parts on a toilet today, and actually got everything to work! The flush value, filler valve, flapper, shut off valve, and even the water line that runs from the shut off valve to the toilet. I honestly didn't know that I had it in me to do this kind of work. Of course it took about 3 hours, whereas anyone with even a basic inkling of what to do could have done it in a half hour. I think I'll do the same for the other two toilets in the house just to upgrade them and as a measure of preventative maintenance. They still have the old fashioned floater things and the shut off valve that you have to twist around several times instead of the more modern 1/4 turn shut off. These things I'm learning...

I agree that the AD2000 are worth a try, and given that he's provided a budget of $450 (used), the LCD-2 aren't in the picture.

HDen, where is here? ^

The gift wrap thing doesn't work here because your duty free allowance only applies to items you bring in for your own consumption/enjoyment. The minute you tell them that you bought it for someone else, it's taxable. Likewise, it's never good to try to "hide" something by wrapping it in a towel, or the like. The minute they see that, they'll go through everything with a fine tooth comb, and write you up. You don't want to have an entry in "the book" with your name beside it! I normally send CD/DVD/BluRay cases in bulk (several big boxes of them) via cargo once every year or two. In other words, I bring the discs in on return flights in my carrying case, but then just let the cases pile up for a while at my mom's house in Illinois, or in my motorhome. Then when I'm sending something else (like the big plasma TV that is on it's way now), I'll box up all of the empty cases and send them along as well. That way there is nothing of value to declare - just empty cases.

I may have slipped a digit on my R10's way back when, as well. I think they cost $260.00, if memory serves. Actually, headphones are pretty easy to bring back on return flights because you can always pass them off as something you were traveling with (same for your laptop, camera, camcorder, a new cell phone, watch, Kindle, iPod, etc.). I think, to a great degree, there is an unwritten 'rule of reason' that comes into play, and you have to show respect for that. Don't try it with a BluRay player, for instance. Clothes are generally Ok as well, but the other day I brought in 10 new bath towels and 10 new large hand towels. By declaring all of that (for $140), I was able to divert attention from my massive Slappa 600 CD/DVD/BluRay carrying (suit)case which was nearly full with all sorts of new stuff that they could have tried to assess import duty on.

Got my "It's Ok to pay for them now" email today from Alex, and I've since done so. The timing is quite fortunate, as I'll be heading to Illinois next weekend for a high school reunion, and the LCD-2 should get there before I do. Otherwise, it would probably be Christmas before I'd be able to pick them up. Even better yet, I'll be able to bring them back to Cayman with me on the return flight and they'll be within my duty free allowance. Well, not really, but with a little creative accounting...

Thanks for the belated wishes as well. You guys are just ever so swell.

Don't know if anyone has posted this yet... got it as an email from Dave Derik. Somehow it made me think of Mike Baker. I need more shows

Thanks, everyone! It's nice in this day and age to receive real birthday wishes from real people who actually know me! I must have deleted at least a dozen system generated birthday emails form the various forums I'm registered at. In fact, in some cases, that's the only reminder I ever get that I'm a still a member. FerrariChatClub. Huh? I must have really been dreaming the day I signed up for that one! We're in the midst of a tropical storm today in Cayman. It has been raining non-stop for about 16 hours. The roads are all flooded and my classes at the college are cancelled for tonight. Good thing my g/f is on-Island at the moment. It will be her job to keep me safe and warm tonight. She just got back on Sunday, and so far neither of us has driven the other completely nuts. All a matter of time, of course, but I'm enjoying it while it lasts. Just started working my way through my Three Stooges box set this weekend. Always a sucker for the Amazon "Gold Box" deal of the day, I must have spent the requisite $27.99 at some point in the recent past to acquire this lovely, VERY comprehensive DVD set, which contains ALL of the Stooges shorts from 1934-1959. I'm still on Disk 3 of 17 and am afraid my mind will go numb even before I'm able to eject Disk 3 from my laptop. Mindless birthday #48 here I come!!!

Found out who borrowed my wheelbarrow, and fell much better now knowing that it wasn't stolen by someone who might want to come back for more.

Walked around the back of my house to discover that my wheelbarrow is missing. I'm hoping that someone I know borrowed it this summer. It would spook me a bit if it was actually stolen. Not that I give a shit about a wheelbarrow since it can be replaced for $50 or less. But dang! It was on the back porch, just one broken sliding glass door and 10 feet away from my all-MBL system.

One of those email things. I found this one quite interesting and fun and thus have bookmarked it for occasional reference. Only thing that has me scratching my head is why it shows 2004 following 2010. Obviously a little problem there, but otherwise pretty slick. http://home.tiscali.nl/annejan/swf/timeline.swf Seconds Minutes Hours Day of week Day Month Year

No, I hear ya. I just don't think I'll have the patience to wait for the 93-SE. The Netflix thing would be nice to have right away.

That or buy the 93 now, then move it to the MH in the Spring when I hit the road again. Then get a 93-SE for home next Fall and sell the 83. Lots of ways to skin a cat.

Ya, no kidding. Sounds like a blast!

So it would seem. I like that boom boom pow though. Gotta get get. Gotta get get. Sounds good in a nice car stereo system, but I wouldn't play it anywhere else.

Ya, that what I got from the article as well, although that wasn't the case with the 83 and 83-SE. If the 93-SE is a completely different unit, I may hold off until it comes out. I could bring my 83 to Cayman and use it in the meantime.

Man, that's such sad news. I had seen Todd's post about his dad passing on Facebook, but didn't realize what the circumstances were. You have my sincere condolences, Todd. Hang in there, pal.

This is great news. I've just bought a Panasonic 65" plasma (the VT25 model) and was debating whether to bring my BDP-83 to Cayman (it's in my motorhome in the US now) or to possibly buy a different BluRay player. So I'll just leave the 83 in the road rig and buy a 93 for home. One question though: does anyone know whether we'll be able to upgrade a 93 to the SE version when that becomes available? Or will the 93-SE be a completely different unit?

Happy birthday, Jim!!!

Go for it, man! I got a chance to drive one for a couple of "soft" laps at VIR this summer and must say I was quite impressed. It handles like a dream. Funny how people are at track days. Some guys are completely full of themselves and won't let anyone near their car, and others are totally cool. I was having lunch with a group of people and just casually asked one older guy a couple of questions about his Z06, then as we walked down the steps after lunch he tossed me his keys and said, "Here, give it a ride and find out for yourself." I'd love to have one some day myself. Only problem is that they're at least $80k landed in Cayman after shipping and import duty.

No, it's going back to Cayman. I haven't had a TV in the house for about 8 years now. Will be wall mounted between the MBL 101E speakers. I've got a 32" Sharp Aquos in the motorhome bedroom. Bought it 3 years ago. I'm going to move the Sharp into the living room area and replace it with a 46" plasma of some sort, but will wait until Spring to do that to get more bang for the buck. No sense in buying it now and letting it sit in storage for 6 months. I recently had a brainstorm and ordered a couple of wall mounts for the motorhome TVs that will allow me to rotate them 180 degrees when they're not in use. That way, I can use much bigger TVs in the same space, and still be able to get them shoved back into closets and secured before moving down the road again. Open closet doors, pull TV out toward me, then rotate it to horizontal to watch. Then rotate to vertical, push back into closet, and close doors. I can't believe it took me 3 years to figure this out. So I'll have a 46" and 32" instead of a 32" and 26" (the latter of which I've given to my nephews and they're thrilled with it).

I'm pretty excited about this purchase: Panasonic TC-P65VT25 65" Class Viera VT25 Series Full HD 3D Ready Plasma HDTV in Plasma Televisions at JR.com Got it at BestBuy but J&R does a better blurb on it.

Meetings in Monte Carlo today. Heading to the casino tonight. Will enter with a light wallet and leave with an even lighter one, I'm sure.