Thanks, everybody. I really don't know exactly whether it was to be a demonstration or a partaking, and, as it's happening this Friday, I've more or less washed my hands of the thing.

They had a detour, but no Roadblock.

Thanks. I always get those mixed up.

Nutty, I wondered the same thing about the Portugese-speaking hillbillies and Fall River. It seems a really odd language for someone with that accent to know.

It was somewhat heartening that all of the teams except Ray/Deana and Team POW seemed to have a little Spanish. Granted, much of it was at the gracias and me llamo... level, but it's nice they at least tried. Made the show a little less of a parade of ugly Americans.

Every year on TAR, there's at least one team that says "We may not be able to keep up physically, but dang it, we're smart!" And every year, they're wrong.

I know! Maybe it was just the altitude, but Meredith and Gretchen seemed weak and slow even compared to Don and Mary Jane. Then again, they did finish middle of the pack, so maybe they are less slow than they look.

Why you don't really want to be James Bond, from CNN.com's CareerBuilder.

Anne, I think my aunt and uncle just used Father and Son (I will double check tonight, because I'll be seeing them) movers who do interstate and whose paperwork indicates they're a member of United Van Lines.

THEY ARE EVIL.

Evil. Evil. Evil. I will spare you the full blown story but suffice it to say, they held my aunt and uncle's stuff hostage for a few days, completely messed up their move, damaged their stuff, and then ended up charging them extra money. It was like a story right off of a consumer alert segment on the local news.

Tomorrow, I will confirm whether or not I'm right on the name and affiliation. You want to do some research with your local better business bureau, and attorney general's office, both where you live now, and where you are moving to, to check for complaints, before you contract with anyone.

Slogan: The potentate of totin' freight.

My brother and I have always loved that slogan.

Evil. Evil. Evil. I will spare you the full blown story but suffice it to say, they held my aunt and uncle's stuff hostage for a few days, completely messed up their move, damaged their stuff, and then ended up charging them extra money.

Actually, I've heard that this sort of thing is pretty common. Definitely do lots of research.

Definitely do lots of research.

Hell, yes. That's what I'm working on today. I already know to get a written and binding estimate, and to go through a mover that's listed with the (memfault) association.

I've already downloaded a couple of consumer guides about the whole process.

The killer was, they did lots of research on every company but the one they chose. And they had just moved (within the state) the year prior, and had been happy with the mover, but thought their quote for the new job was high.

With the extra the Evil Movers tacked on, they cost exactly what the tried-and-tested movers quoted. I felt so sorry for them. They're in the 70s. My aunt is meticulous about her stuff (I mean to the point where you're afraid to eat in her house, because you might drop a crumb), but the mover marked the stuff they damaged as if it had been damaged when they picked it up. Just a horror show. When my aunt called the BBB and the Attorney Gen'ls office, they knew what firm she was talking about, right away.

The firm they did like before (but I don't know if it is nationwide) is Gentle Giant.

[link]

three anonymous contributors from the commercial spaceflight industry have stepped forward with a $3 million pledge toward the campaign to ensure a fifth season for the recently cancelled Star Trek: Enterprise.

I think Joss and Tim need more millionaire fans.

a $3 million pledge toward the campaign to ensure a fifth season for the recently cancelled Star Trek: Enterprise.

It'd be different, I'm sure, if I liked Enterprise more, but I worry that this just won't end well. It might end well enough for Enterprise (or not end), but it's a wacky precedent.

Privately funded broadcast television. That seems not right.