What's happening, folks?

What's happening to this newsgroup? Three new posts so far today? Bummer!

I'll have to admit that I've been more than a little irritated lately by
some of the inane posts made not only by our spammer(s) but by regular
members. Sometimes I feel like I'm in a cocktail party, having to listen to
drunks who think they're funny and clever and want everyone else to think so
too!

I've wondered if I'm not getting everything. I've wondered if the spam (and
the pointless responses to spam) have finally gotten to the majority of
people who drop in here, and they're just giving up. A few weeks ago,
before our current crop of spam, we were going great guns. It was a
wonderful and very philatelic place to be. Lately, it's just dross for the
most part.

I've posted several messages which I thought were worthwhile, and there's
been hardly a response in most cases. In a couple of cases, there was no
response at all. Phooey. Have the spammers won? Has the Swen virus caused so
many problems that people have "given up" for the time being? (I'm still
getting up to 100 bogus e-mails a day). Maybe I'm just in a funk. Ideas?

Bob Ingraham

Nah, I think we're all getting ready for winterG. Ok, along the lines
of stamps, any ideas if there has ever been a Hot Air Balloon set
available? No, I've not googled, just striking up a new thread or
conversation, but I do live in Albuquerque, arguably the Hot Air Balloon
Capitol of the World. The weeklong Balloon Fiesta starts tomorrow.
Probably around 1000 give or take a hundred floating over the skies.
Might make some really nice stamps, or is there some legislation against
doing this, pics of someones balloon? One never knows about the laws
anymore.

As for SWEN, I've not had a spam email of that ilk in 3-4 days now.

Bob Ingraham wrote:

What's happening to this newsgroup? Three new posts so far today? Bummer!

I'll have to admit that I've been more than a little irritated lately by
some of the inane posts made not only by our spammer(s) but by regular
members. Sometimes I feel like I'm in a cocktail party, having to listen to
drunks who think they're funny and clever and want everyone else to think so
too!

I've wondered if I'm not getting everything. I've wondered if the spam (and
the pointless responses to spam) have finally gotten to the majority of
people who drop in here, and they're just giving up. A few weeks ago,
before our current crop of spam, we were going great guns. It was a
wonderful and very philatelic place to be. Lately, it's just dross for the
most part.

I've posted several messages which I thought were worthwhile, and there's
been hardly a response in most cases. In a couple of cases, there was no
response at all. Phooey. Have the spammers won? Has the Swen virus caused so
many problems that people have "given up" for the time being? (I'm still
getting up to 100 bogus e-mails a day). Maybe I'm just in a funk. Ideas?

Bob Ingraham

On Fri, 03 Oct 2003 17:09:35 GMT, Bob Ingraham
wrote:

What's happening to this newsgroup? Three new posts so far today? Bummer!

Hmmm... better than a Swen flood.

I'll have to admit that I've been more than a little irritated lately by
some of the inane posts made not only by our spammer(s) but by regular
members. Sometimes I feel like I'm in a cocktail party, having to listen to
drunks who think they're funny and clever and want everyone else to think so
too!

Chill out homey... wazzup, G? Don't like the party, eh? :^P

I've wondered if I'm not getting everything. I've wondered if the spam (and
the pointless responses to spam) have finally gotten to the majority of
people who drop in here, and they're just giving up. A few weeks ago,
before our current crop of spam, we were going great guns. It was a
wonderful and very philatelic place to be. Lately, it's just dross for the
most part.

Try to keep up the momentum, 24/7, 365/year. Can't be done, except
for those that are glued to the PC screen.

I've posted several messages which I thought were worthwhile, and there's
been hardly a response in most cases. In a couple of cases, there was no
response at all. Phooey. Have the spammers won? Has the Swen virus caused so
many problems that people have "given up" for the time being? (I'm still
getting up to 100 bogus e-mails a day). Maybe I'm just in a funk.

YUP!

Ideas?

Word, homes. Relax in da crib and let da udder homeys carry da show.

As per your responses, join the club. I've asked many "very
philatelic" questions. Some have been answered, some totally ignored.
Not ewveryone is in sync with your choices within the hobby, or have
missed them, or are not interested.

I've learned that no response is fine. I look elsewhere, is all. I'm
involved with a few philatelic mailing lists and am about to deliver a
finished auction to a local delaer, who is a wealth of knowledge.

Now - if you were the "meat & potatoes" (ie: they were talking about /
slandering you) of the current wave of troll attacks, how would you
handle it? We have no control over these mental midgets. Not yet,
anyway. :^) I've avoided pretty close to 90% of them, directly.

BTW, stop worrying about the upcoming surgery and play with some
stamps - 'K?

Tracy Barber

Grandpa wrote:

Nah, I think we're all getting ready for winterG. Ok, along the lines
of stamps, any ideas if there has ever been a Hot Air Balloon set
available?

There has -- by the U.S. and others.


As for SWEN, I've not had a spam email of that ilk in 3-4 days now.

Lucky you. Perhaps your ISP is blocking them. My ISP (which is the
venerable firm of Me, Myself, and I), blocks a lot, but I still get
30-40 per day.

If we could just get Tracy, David, and others to stop feeding the
trolls, the trolls would get tired and go away.

--

Kaleb S. KEITHLEY



Bob Ingraham wrote:

What's happening to this newsgroup? Three new posts so far today? Bummer!

I'll have to admit that I've been more than a little irritated lately by
some of the inane posts made not only by our spammer(s) but by regular
members. Sometimes I feel like I'm in a cocktail party, having to
listen to
drunks who think they're funny and clever and want everyone else to
think so
too!
I've wondered if I'm not getting everything. I've wondered if the spam
(and
the pointless responses to spam) have finally gotten to the majority of
people who drop in here, and they're just giving up. A few weeks ago,
before our current crop of spam, we were going great guns. It was a
wonderful and very philatelic place to be. Lately, it's just dross for
the
most part.
I've posted several messages which I thought were worthwhile, and there's
been hardly a response in most cases. In a couple of cases, there was no
response at all. Phooey. Have the spammers won? Has the Swen virus
caused so
many problems that people have "given up" for the time being? (I'm still
getting up to 100 bogus e-mails a day). Maybe I'm just in a funk. Ideas?

Bob Ingraham

On Fri, 03 Oct 2003 11:37:40 -0600, Grandpa jsdebooATcomcast.net
wrote:

Nah, I think we're all getting ready for winterG. Ok, along the lines
of stamps, any ideas if there has ever been a Hot Air Balloon set
available? No, I've not googled, just striking up a new thread or
conversation, but I do live in Albuquerque, arguably the Hot Air Balloon
Capitol of the World. The weeklong Balloon Fiesta starts tomorrow.
Probably around 1000 give or take a hundred floating over the skies.
Might make some really nice stamps, or is there some legislation against
doing this, pics of someones balloon? One never knows about the laws
anymore.

Glens Falls / Lake George, NY have a pretty hefty balloon thing as
well.

As for SWEN, I've not had a spam email of that ilk in 3-4 days now.

But - Bob has a Mac. Macs don't get viruses. :^P


Tracy Barber

On Fri, 03 Oct 2003 13:58:08 -0400, Kaleb KEITHLEY
wrote:

Grandpa wrote:

Nah, I think we're all getting ready for winterG. Ok, along the lines
of stamps, any ideas if there has ever been a Hot Air Balloon set
available?

There has -- by the U.S. and others.


As for SWEN, I've not had a spam email of that ilk in 3-4 days now.

Lucky you. Perhaps your ISP is blocking them. My ISP (which is the
venerable firm of Me, Myself, and I), blocks a lot, but I still get
30-40 per day.

If we could just get Tracy, David, and others to stop feeding the
trolls, the trolls would get tired and go away.

Exkuze, me? I've answered only responses to the troll's posts as of
late. Hmmm... If you HAVE noticed, sir - I have kept a very low
profile. ttptphpptphptphppttttt! :^P

Tracy Barber

Nah, I think we're all getting ready for winterG. Ok, along the lines
of stamps, any ideas if there has ever been a Hot Air Balloon set
available? No, I've not googled, just striking up a new thread or
conversation, but I do live in Albuquerque, arguably the Hot Air Balloon
Capitol of the World. The weeklong Balloon Fiesta starts tomorrow.

I haven't been to the festival, but I've got relatives in Albuquerque, and
when we've visited them on a couple of occasions in mid-summer we've seen
several balloons floating over their house. I've flown in something like 40
different types of aircraft, but never a balloon. Maybe someday....

The U.S. issued a hot-air balloon mini-sheet a few years ago. There must be
a great many others. Certainly the Montgolfier balloon has been shown ad
nauseum on stamps.

If you wish to include gas and gas-hot air hybrid balloons, your search
becomes even easier. Belgium and Russia come to mind. Switzerland issued
one virtually hours after the 1999 circumnavigation of the globe by a Swiss
balloonist, Bertrand Piccard. Just this week, a Swiss Canadian member of our
stamp club showed me a Swiss newspaper article about the flight; he was in
Geneva at the time, bought a stamp, stuck it on the picture of the balloon
and got a first-day cancel on it. Then, at a meeting of the Vancouver Club
this week (or maybe last week) he met Piccard, who signed the newspaper
article. Nice item, but hard to display in an album. But what a showpiece
for an exhibit!

Here's a link to a website giving the history or circumnavigation attempts
and Piccard's success:
http://www.didyouknow.cd/aroundtheworld/balloons.htm.

If I were to start another collection (oh God, no!), it might be
lighter-than-air aircraft, so I could include blimps and dirigibles.

Probably around 1000 give or take a hundred floating over the skies.
Might make some really nice stamps, or is there some legislation against
doing this, pics of someones balloon? One never knows about the laws
anymore.

I think the set I mentioned was issued in connection with the Albuquerque
event.

As for SWEN, I've not had a spam email of that ilk in 3-4 days now.

Lucky you. I sure wish I knew what else I could do. I wonder whether a new
address, just for the newsgroup, would help....

Bob (less grumpy now)


Bob Ingraham wrote:

What's happening to this newsgroup? Three new posts so far today? Bummer!

I'll have to admit that I've been more than a little irritated lately by
some of the inane posts made not only by our spammer(s) but by regular
members. Sometimes I feel like I'm in a cocktail party, having to listen to
drunks who think they're funny and clever and want everyone else to think so
too!

I've wondered if I'm not getting everything. I've wondered if the spam (and
the pointless responses to spam) have finally gotten to the majority of
people who drop in here, and they're just giving up. A few weeks ago,
before our current crop of spam, we were going great guns. It was a
wonderful and very philatelic place to be. Lately, it's just dross for the
most part.

I've posted several messages which I thought were worthwhile, and there's
been hardly a response in most cases. In a couple of cases, there was no
response at all. Phooey. Have the spammers won? Has the Swen virus caused so
many problems that people have "given up" for the time being? (I'm still
getting up to 100 bogus e-mails a day). Maybe I'm just in a funk. Ideas?

Bob Ingraham

"Grandpa" jsdebooATcomcast.net wrote in message
...
Nah, I think we're all getting ready for winterG. Ok, along the lines
of stamps, any ideas if there has ever been a Hot Air Balloon set
available? No, I've not googled, just striking up a new thread or
conversation, but I do live in Albuquerque, arguably the Hot Air Balloon
Capitol of the World. The weeklong Balloon Fiesta starts tomorrow.
Probably around 1000 give or take a hundred floating over the skies.
Might make some really nice stamps, or is there some legislation against
doing this, pics of someones balloon? One never knows about the laws
anymore.

We have quite a few balloonists here as well (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada). In
fact there was an article a few weeks back about one landing in a
residential area. Doh!

Canada had a nice balloon set not long ago - too bad they were
self-adhesives. I like those odd shaped stamps, they are fun. I am sure I
have a bunch in my US album as well, but IMO they weren't as pretty.

Frank

I gave up a long time ago. At first I thought the discussion of Spanish
North Africa as serious, and so I posted memories of Ceuta and Mellila.
Then I was criticized for saying such crap did not belong here.

Once upon a time, Ken Lawrence and I posted serious philatelic articles
here. No more. I don't know if Ken even looks here, but I usually look
and go on.

Bob Ingraham wrote:
What's happening to this newsgroup? Three new posts so far today? Bummer!

I'll have to admit that I've been more than a little irritated lately by
some of the inane posts made not only by our spammer(s) but by regular
members. Sometimes I feel like I'm in a cocktail party, having to listen to
drunks who think they're funny and clever and want everyone else to think so
too!

I've wondered if I'm not getting everything. I've wondered if the spam (and
the pointless responses to spam) have finally gotten to the majority of
people who drop in here, and they're just giving up. A few weeks ago,
before our current crop of spam, we were going great guns. It was a
wonderful and very philatelic place to be. Lately, it's just dross for the
most part.

I've posted several messages which I thought were worthwhile, and there's
been hardly a response in most cases. In a couple of cases, there was no
response at all. Phooey. Have the spammers won? Has the Swen virus caused so
many problems that people have "given up" for the time being? (I'm still
getting up to 100 bogus e-mails a day). Maybe I'm just in a funk. Ideas?

Bob Ingraham

From: "Frank Emanuel"
Organization: Bell Sympatico
Reply-To: "Frank Emanuel" femanuel(at)sympatico(dot)ca
Newsgroups: rec.collecting.stamps.discuss
Date: Fri, 3 Oct 2003 14:44:19 -0400
Subject: Balloon Stamps

We have quite a few balloonists here as well (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada). In
fact there was an article a few weeks back about one landing in a
residential area. Doh!

That's the nature of ballooning! Once you're up, you're not in control!
Ballooning is rather like this newsgroup, isn't it? Lots of hot air and no
way to predict where you're going! :^)

Bob Ingraham