Victoria

Hey V, I was wondering when you were going to reply, LOL. I always take a keen interest in your posts as, you know, you and I are "special" on this forum, in a good way.

I just had a call from my boyfriend, which delayed this reply.

And yes we're special! What's up with that lam-o Denise Gold? She should post! And Olivia! Boo.

To answer your question, we live in Chicago.

Oh of course. You had mentioned it regarding that abortive GTG!

Here's an interesting twist to this story. My gf is on the condo board, and this jerk is running to get on the board, elections are next week.

O.M.G.

He wants something done about the "landscaping" (cough).

Yeah, he wants assumed kickbacks...

Little does he know that the board has its hands full wrestling with horrible issues such as court orders for evicting owners due to extreme non-payment of association fees, supremely unpleasant. He will find out soon enough.

Few do. They just want the power. My mother was on the condo board before she resigned due to extreme corruption with builders. One ex-friend of hers made almost a million dollars, which is under Federal investigation...

So I tell her about what happened, and she says "oh great, now at board meetings this guy will look at me like I'm some ultra wealthy doc who can buy the gf a very expensive watch" She was mildly miffed, she doesn't like the wealthy doc label at all.

Aww. She sounds very level-headed and down-to-earth.

She is a remarkable person, very humble and unpretentious, and when asked, always says she works in the medical field, not specifying she's a doc, unless she's pressed about it. She doesn't like that people look at you differently after you tell them you're an MD, all they see is dollar signs. At her hospital, there are a lot of docs who all day long remind you how important they are, and how much revenue they bring in. She abhors that attitude, and is one of the truly kindest, approachable, smartest, fun, wittiest people I've ever known.

A well-matched couple, I see.

If she's a Midwesterner, especially from the countryside, that's how they are. They'd saw off their arm rather than put on airs. This is why I like Midwesterners the most of any American. You know where you stand with them, as a rule.

They're analogous to our Northerners in England.

(I realise I'm not like that. But as I said about NASCAR, one can truly admire what one isn't)

And, if that's not enough, she supports my rep hobby 1000%, 'cause she knows how much I enjoy reps and the forums. I've spent thousands on these silly watches, never a peep from her, only encouagement. Always interested in what's going on in the forums, always drily asks "so what watch are you buying next, it's been 3 days since you got the package from your chinese penpal. Aren't you overdue"? She has a few reps I've bought her, but prefers a gen DateJust I bought 6 years ago.

Blimey, that is generous! But I'm sure you are equally as supportive of any enthusiasm she has too, given what I can read of your personality.

"Chinese penpal", heh.

I lead a very charmed life, I think.

The life of Riley, my sweet.

Good for sox fans, but bad for baseball. That was one lame series.

Lame series agreed, largely because the Rockies never showed up, but then the people who are turned off by baseball, wouldn't have tuned in as much anyway.

Let me just say that in 2003, when the Florida Marlins won it all too, we had the SAME kind of momentum, the same brash young club full of unexpected heroes like Miggy Cabrera (Matt Hollyday), and Dontrell Willis (a little like Jacoby Ellsberry, on the BoSox side, though in another position obviously). EDIT: Or D-Train = Troy Tulowitzki.

We also had a seasoned veteran who was our inspirational talisman, in Ivan Rodriguez. Think Todd Helton.

NO ONE gave the Florida Marlins a chance versus the storied NY Yankees, with their row of big bats, and a crazy-good closer in Mo Rivera -- and dang if we didn't beat them in 6.

I feel badly for the Colorado fans, because their team couldn't put up the slightest fight. They were pwned.

C'mon, "funnest" isn't even a proper word .

I'm also thinking of "biggiest" as my future coinage. If it worked for Truthiness, it can so TOO work for biggiest!

It's not about that anyway, it's semi-political (in the FIFA vs UEFA sense) and semi-financially driven. Football and fun don't really come into the decision-making process. Brazil got it because it was about bloody time, and it is South America's/LATAM's turn, after previous tournaments run by UEFA and the Asia-Pacific guys.

Right, precisely. It is about in large part about turning a profit, and US/Canadian dollars/Euros are the way to go.

I realise CONCACAF aren't exactly in like Flynn with Blatter, but there could be a change of management by then, who knows what allegiances may form. Certainly Platini is not a shoe-in for future Prez, like he thinks he is.

Olympics have nothing to do with it. After all, it was a bit of a debacle Germany getting 2006 instead of England - recall it was some West Indian delegate with a colonial chip on his shoulder who cast the final deciding vote.

No, it was a little more nefarious than that...but you know, that's FIFA. They make the Olympics committee look like Scouts and Guides.

England - the facilities are/will be world class, the infrastructure will be world class, the support will be world class, the team will......ooops.

Don't worry. We can always bribe another Russian linesman like last time.

Hasn't stopped UEFA from giving the Champions League final to Moscow, has it? Or Athens last year. Or Istanbul in 2005. As I said, practicality and common sense goes out the window when it comes to the corrupt goons of UEFA/FIFA.

Olympics and World Cup are on par with each other. Euro or CL championships, as another example, are on levels below. That was my line of reasoning.

You still think it was about "giving them a bit of fun". Surely you're not so naiive?

That was my PC way of spelling it out because I don't really want to get into any kind of side argument why and why not...

Nope, even a combined Sweden/Denmark bid is impossible as the infrastructure (even with the Copenhagen-Malmo bridge) just cannot cope with such a global event of this size. The Euro Championships sure, but not the WC.

I believe Blatter said no more dual-nation hosts, which of course would knock down my Canada/USA double bid, but I think they might reconsider -- Scandinavia has more of a link to each other, historically, than even Britain and Ireland...

(That dual-bid would be my REAL non-PC suggestion for the next European WC, BTW)

This guy has only a vague idea what a Daytona looks like (from a few grainy pictures he saw in the Wall Street Journal or after catching a few glimpses of one of Donny Deutsch's).

LOL! Donnie Deutsch reference. Only you, Freddy. Had it been me, I would've mentioned some obscure German princess I once met.

This is exactly the type of guy who gets ripped off by scammers selling fakes and frankens on ebay, because he spends his time making the money required to buy a gen instead of spending his time learning about them. Rarely, do people have the time (or inclination) to do both.

See, this is a good point, and it raises a lot of issues.

What if Rima were not an honourable person, but an out-and-out scammer. Would someone like that have offered to sell it to him with papers, for a "cut-rate" price, maybe after a few more "chance" encounters.

(I'm sure he would've had it appraised; or let's just say if it were a better rep, perhaps of another watch model which HAVE been known to fool even watchsmiths)

What if someone wishes you badly, and says you offered just such a deal even though you absolutely didn't, and goes to the condo president with this he-said-she-said situation?

Who would they believe -- the guy willing to plunk down $$$ for a watch, or the owner of rep watches?

That's the way the world works. Be careful out there...don't give those around you gratuitous ammunition.

Hasse Hashish in de Tasche, hasse immer wat zu nasche...

(...) "Wat?".

"No risk, no fun. Das ist mein Motto."

Something really funny: a German female TV-News host (I think) once wanted to say "Kentucky Fried Chicken". What came out of her mouth was "Kentucky schreit ficken"...

HAHA wow! Dont you learn that in uhm.. grade 1?

Ahh, you had grade 12 for a moment! Whew, I was gonna say -- what school did you go to?

Yep, by grade 3/3rd grade, you should know the moon orbits the earth. HOWEVER, and this is funny, if you see the comments, there are some who point out that the French verbs "graviter" and "obiter" might've thrown this guy and the audience off. REALLY now.

1st and 2nd are very tight... Let's get some more votes

Bump.

When is the deadline?

What, you mean seeing as they were the only candidate? FIFA muppets throwing a big (expensive) announcement party like that Only hope that TV money rules and there's no stupid 2300GMT KOs like there was at Argentina '78 (which I don't remember as it was way past my bedtime )

I was crying in my crib alongside you at 3. Thank God I was born as a "German championess" out of the womb.

In your dreams. What only 24 years after you last made a mess of it?

In YOUR dreams. That was one of the most successful, most well-attended, funnest World Cups ever. I do think Canada should be judged worthy of being let into the fun, and Mexico has been given it too many times.

Think it's more likely to come back to England to be honest, with the New Wembley, Emirates and even more impressively, the New Anfield

Certainly, the venues would have been upgraded by then. I'm just thinking that they wouldn't let us have a World Cup so "soon" after an Olympics. Other European nations would get jealous...as they invariably are with us.

Err, why? Infrastructure and facilities say 'no' regardless.

True. But since Russia is a bit too far* (I think they should get it), it should be a stable country in East Europe like Poland or the Czech Republic. Yes, Poland doesn't have the infrastructure NOW, but it can have it by then. (Yes, I realise the CR is not properly E. Europe...).

If South Africa can, certainly so can any country in the EU.

*You can argue that South Africa is also too far for most people to go. That was also true of Japorea. But those were politically correct "statement" venues, to give them a bit of the fun. Why not indeed.

EDIT: Denmark is also a possibility in my eyes.

As a german, I had a good laugh - even though I knew most of them from the TV-show.

Thanks!

PORRRRRRRRRRNO. (...) Ne ne ne ne.

:lol:

I think what makes me a bit uncomfortable about this encounter is mis-representing myself, making it appear that I can afford a watch like this. Although it doesn't bother me too much, cause this guy's not very nice. But the guy knows exactly how much this Daytona costs. My GF is a doctor and between us we make a decent living, but not THAT decent.

OH COME ON.

First, if your gf is a doctor, the sky's the limit with people's imaginations about your earning power.

Yeah, I too know ER physicians who earn $48,000 p/a (usually foreigners from India or the Phillipines), but when theoretically you can be a multi-millionaire in the US as a medical doctor, that's the only fact people hone on.

EDIT: Oops. Made a leap of imagination that you're in the US. But even in other countries, physicians are always thought to be financially well set-up.

I know this topic has been covered before, I was just not ready to have to respond to someone who knows the cost of the genuine. I guess I'm asking for it, walking around wearing fake watches that cost over $20K.

Possibly. This was a good testing ground for you, as you mull your future reaction. Remember, life like baseball is situational. Tell your parents? Sure. Tell your co-workers? Maybe. Tell someone who doesn't wish you well? No.

@TeeJay

Ever since the cost of the high quality reps has gone up, I've got my fix by buying some remarkably nice reps from Tony: an AP ROO, a PO chrono, a TT Navi, and now the BW Daytona, average cost: $85 shipped. LOVE IT!

When Tony bothered to reply to me, 2 weeks later, he sent me nonsensical emails, and I just got a funny feeling about him. Certainly my personality is not about waiting, or being in the dark about the transaction. It ALL depends on one's personality.

Glad to see it's turned out well for you both.

I go to Jay-Silix for my cheapos, and though there is some problem, sometimes, he does right by me all the time.

But, I'm thinking of splurging on a Chopard GMT chrono as my Christmas watch present from my GF, or the Slevin if it ever comes out.

I thought she didn't like watches? That's some good stuff there!

For Christmas for my boyfriend, I'm thinking not of the Slevin but the brown Mercedes Tag Heuer which Pix has, and whose pics were the sole reason I'm interested in getting it. He's seen it already, and loves it.

..and Brazil are chosen to host the 2014 World Cup! ..not a big surprise, but still. Good for them!

Yay!! Please God, hope dad is still with us...might even have given him a little grandson by then.

P.S.: Yes, you're right Apey. There was no doubt that it would be them. Since they won World Cups everywhere BUT on Brazilian soil, they never needed the help, unlike Argentina in 1978 (has there ever been a more corrupt World Cup?). But 64 years...it was time.

WC 2010: South Africa

WC 2014: Brazil

WC 2018: Canada/USA?

WC 2022: Poland?

WC 2026: China?

WC 2030: Uruguay for the centenary

But I got the impression he would have sneered at me if I'd told him it was a rep.

Without question. If he doesn't like you for reasons one suspects, he already thinks you're on thin ice as a person. This knoweldge of the rep world would give him ammo, possibly to do some mischief with the condo president, in spreading rumours etc.

If you think I'm being too cynical, perhaps. But my condo is a nest of vipers. You can't be too careful, Rima.

RIMA, first, LOVE THE STORY!

I've rarely seen you speak of your life, save for snippets about your cats and what-not, so this is as much insight about you as it is about him.

-- The way you think, your writing skills in telling a story, the framing of the story, and how we handle moral dilemmas are all neatly revealed in these types of stories. --

You already know my answer because it's nearly unanimous above:

Why should you tell that jerk anything?

He's obviously interested in watches if he has a Roadster and is bidding on Daytonas, but he can't pronounce chronograph right, and doesn't know better about the seconds hand in a watch he's willing to plunk down $$$ on eBay? Please.

That's not a watch hobbyist. He's just INTO watches.

And after he gives you the courtesy of exchanging pleasantries ONLY after seeing you have a pricey watch, you should bare your soul to him? Never. Some other person, some other time.

You did well.

I realise you said your gf is a "poor little heathen" once regarding Daytonas, but what did she have to say about his sudden interest? Did she agree about not revealing the secret?

Love the watch. Adore the dog. Perfect shot, Corgi! Just like you promised last night.

Magnificent!

I think I've seen it on another forum though. RWI?

MONDAY

This is Maria Felix, the legendary Mexican actress whose life-long patronage of them, inspired Cartier to come out with a whole line called "La Do

Vic you shock me !

I used to think you were such a nice girl!

I used to believe in the tooth fairy too, FxrAndy, and then I GREW UP! ...into a very disturbing young woman.

P.S.: Do not under any circumstances go to the Looney Bin, and click on my thread about Harry Potter, subtitled "Two can Play at this Game"...

a couple of tonights titles

Unusual Rubber Double Buckle Band

Strange strap rash

or is it only me who finds these "ehem" funny

Are you suggesting something like this is the cause of it?

!!NOT SAFE FOR WORKPLACE!! EDIT: OR INDEED ANYWHERE!!

http://nymag.com/images/2/daily/entertainm...04_nsfw_lgl.jpg

(That's Eli Roth, the weirdo, pervish director of such modern classics as "Hostel" and Hostel II")

But we need to have adds like that but with watches in it, like the pam in the bath shot other wise the mods that be will move us to OT area and i dont think i have ever been there.

Since you posted this, I've spent 15 minutes searching for another lest Mods get a trigger finger.

Interestingly, found just this -- a Seiko QUARTZ advert in Rio de Janeiro, in the late 1970s (Moonraker time).

Obviously, it being in English adds cach

I agree totally completely 100% with everything here, except for the fact that the nearest Stan the Man got to Tottenham was probably the nearest NCP car park

Come on, everyone should do a bit of dogging once in their life.

Oh and you didn't mention the follow-up fixture the very next season - also finished Liverpool 4 Newcastle 3 - unbelievable!!!

Missed that fixture alas, IIRC, due to a mandatory visiting prof lecture. Stupid Vic.

hey this could be an interesting photo topic, who remembers the wonder bra adds

Or the Central London Sloggi-thongs. No confirmation if this was the cause of Princess Anne's last accident.

You can tell I never got my Blue Peter badge, overcompensating a bit in adulthood I'm afraid .

Yeah, but it's better than our Puggy who probably never got over Captain Pugwash and Master Bates...

Could be worse, this was my daughter and I last year.

Not much in the way of a quick get away wearing that I can tell you .

:lol:

(Daughter)

(Hyster)

P.S.: Awesome, just awesome. What a FUN dad you are! Since Bender is hotness, you must've been the hit of the party!!