$tellafane

I am living on a pension and went to stellafane this weekend. $90.00 may
not seem much to the entrepreneurs at stellafane, but to me, it is the
difference between not going. Could they be more merciful to us without an
income, or must I just stay in the my house doing nothing.

waitodie wrote:
: I am living on a pension and went to stellafane this weekend. $90.00 may
: not seem much to the entrepreneurs at stellafane, but to me, it is the
: difference between not going. Could they be more merciful to us without an
: income, or must I just stay in the my house doing nothing.


How did you end up being charged $90? Let's see .. you didn't
pre-register when it would have cost $20 instead of $30 *and* you camped
out *and* you brought an extra person. So, you could have saved $20 if you
pre-registered in time, or you could have saved $30 by not paying for
your "guest" at the door.

I'm sorry but I don't think you are a person "without an income" ... you
state in your first sentance that you are "living on a pension" .. that's
income. You obviously *could* afford to go .. you went .. but if you want
to make the dent in your wallet hurt less .. put an envelope aside and
drop $5, $10 or whatever you can periodically during the year. $90 will
come before you know it.

Richard in Boston, MA, USA

"waitodie" wrote in message
news:YkTTc.18194$TI1.5298@attbi_s52...
I am living on a pension and went to stellafane this weekend. $90.00 may
not seem much to the entrepreneurs at stellafane, but to me, it is the
difference between not going. Could they be more merciful to us without
an
income, or must I just stay in the my house doing nothing.

Entrepeneurs? I don't think you'll find the folks running Stelli, or most
other conventions, do it to make loads of money. It's a huge undertaking,
and a heck of a lot of work.

If you register ahead, it is $20/person, and at the door it is $30. Camping
is $30 for one campsite. Compared to most other conventions I have been to,
it is pretty inexpensive, and a bargain compared to many activities. I
doubt very much that the Springfield Telescope Makers are making a lot of
money here - they have to pay a considerable amount for insurance, I would
guess, and security. Although much of the site preparation is done by
members of the STMs and volunteers (and if it weren't for all the volunteer
work, it really would be expensive), I am sure there are costs involved.

I assume if you have a pension you do indeed have income. If it really is a
financial hardship, you'd be better off talking to the convention folks.
I'll be on a pension before too long, and there are a lot of things I'd give
up before I'd give up a delightful weekend on Breezy Hill - even with rain
and clouds. Well worth the admission price, IMHO.

Awaiting clear skies, Alan

obviously -- you have an income
"Alan French" wrote in message
. ..
"waitodie" wrote in message
news:YkTTc.18194$TI1.5298@attbi_s52...
I am living on a pension and went to stellafane this weekend. $90.00
may
not seem much to the entrepreneurs at stellafane, but to me, it is the
difference between not going. Could they be more merciful to us without
an
income, or must I just stay in the my house doing nothing.

Entrepeneurs? I don't think you'll find the folks running Stelli, or most
other conventions, do it to make loads of money. It's a huge undertaking,
and a heck of a lot of work.

If you register ahead, it is $20/person, and at the door it is $30.
Camping
is $30 for one campsite. Compared to most other conventions I have been
to,
it is pretty inexpensive, and a bargain compared to many activities. I
doubt very much that the Springfield Telescope Makers are making a lot of
money here - they have to pay a considerable amount for insurance, I would
guess, and security. Although much of the site preparation is done by
members of the STMs and volunteers (and if it weren't for all the
volunteer
work, it really would be expensive), I am sure there are costs involved.

I assume if you have a pension you do indeed have income. If it really is
a
financial hardship, you'd be better off talking to the convention folks.
I'll be on a pension before too long, and there are a lot of things I'd
give
up before I'd give up a delightful weekend on Breezy Hill - even with rain
and clouds. Well worth the admission price, IMHO.

Awaiting clear skies, Alan

Could they be more merciful to us without an
income, or must I just stay in the my house doing nothing.


Hi:

I'm sorry to hear that. BUT...if you've ever been involved in organizing a star
party, you know it is not cheap. Most events are hard put to pay for everything
with "only" the registration fees...thus the raffles, etc. It would be nice if
more events could offer "student" and "senior" registrations, but, the bottom
line is, again, that the event must be paid for.

Peace,
Rod Mollise
Author of _Choosing and Using a Schmidt Cassegrain Telescope_
Like SCTs and MCTs?
Check-out sct-user, the mailing list for CAT fanciers!
Goto http://members.aol.com/RMOLLISE/index.html

Cheery and optomistic "waitodie" titled this thread $tellafane.

When I saw that, I thought, "How approprite to the Springfield
Telescope Makers current need of financial "fuel" for their lastest
and greatest dream, the Flander's Pavillion. This structure will be a
permanent replacement for the big tent that's set up each year, and
will provide much comfort and speed to all Convention attendees. They
plan permanent exhibits and displays, and could use it year-round to
advance ATM. How nice it would be to have a place where
you could take your new mirror for an interferometer test;
am I dreaming too much ?

There's a adobe pdf on it at
http://www.stellafane.com/pavilion/pavilion.pdf


Howie

Ahhh

A pet peeve of mine....retirees bitchn about a "fixed income"....

First, AT LEAST its a dependable (mostly) income.....and you've got 24/7 of
your weekly schedule "free".....

Now compare THAT to some poor man/woman working their ass off on one or 2 jobs,
and perhaps raising kids to boot just to make ends meet....

THEIR income AINT fixed/guaranteed (and if they get unlucky they might even
loose what they DO get due to downsizing etc etc)....and besides, if their cash
is tight....what are THEY supposed to do? get a THIRD job or do without sleep
altogether?

If your retired, and in good enough health to do any activity...your in good
enough health to pick up a part time job for a little extra cash if you
want/need it....

rant over

Blll

BllFs6:
A pet peeve of mine....retirees bitchn about a "fixed income"....

First, AT LEAST its a dependable (mostly) income.....and you've got 24/7 of
your weekly schedule "free".....

Now compare THAT to some poor man/woman working their ass off on one or 2
jobs, and perhaps raising kids to boot just to make ends meet...

And just how do you suppose that a retiree gets to the point of living
on a fixed pension?

Perhaps you think that she was born with a fixed pension.

Consider the possibility that the retiree got where she is by working
her ass off on one (or two or three, just to make ends meet) jobs for
40-plus years and raising kids, to boot.

Davoud

(By the way, "raising kids to boot" means "raising kids for the purpose
of kicking them," while "raising kids, to boot" means "also raising
kids." I am _not_ saying that your choice of punctuation was wrong and
that mine is right; perhaps your hypothetical annuitant did raise
children for the purpose of kicking them, while my hypothetical
annuitant raised children in addition to doing other hard work.)

--
usenet *at* davidillig dawt com

And just how do you suppose that a retiree gets to the point of living
on a fixed pension?

Perhaps you think that she was born with a fixed pension.

Consider the possibility that the retiree got where she is by working
her ass off on one (or two or three, just to make ends meet) jobs for
40-plus years and raising kids, to boot.

Davoud

(By the way, "raising kids to boot" means "raising kids for the purpose
of kicking them," while "raising kids, to boot" means "also raising
kids." I am _not_ saying that your choice of punctuation was wrong and
that mine is right; perhaps your hypothetical annuitant did raise
children for the purpose of kicking them, while my hypothetical
annuitant raised children in addition to doing other hard work.)

--
usenet *at* davidillig dawt com


"Davoud"....

IFFF the retirees ARENT getting as much money out of their retirement as they
PUT into it, they got some right to bitch, but i dont wanna hear it because it
aint MY fault they arent.....but most retirees today get ALOT more out of say
social security than they ever put in.....and besides, if you didnt plan for
your own retirement....its your own darn fault.....I will be lucky to even get
ANY social security money when the time comes (there is serious talk about the
only people in the future to get social security being the ones too stupid to
plan for their own retirement and screwing people like me who actually put
OTHER monies aside just in case), though if I had ALL the money social security
has taken from me, I probably be able to retire as millionare when the time
comes...

BLLL

I think you are correct to worry that Social Security benefits may not
be available to people above a certain income in the future, the
so-called "income qualification."
You are also correct that you do not get out of Social Security what
you put into it. You usually get more. It is an insurance scheme, not a
pension fund. Statistics show that on average, you get back what you
paid into it, in just the first four years of payments, on the average
(funded by the payments of people still working) as Social Security is
now constituted. But as you fear, it may be "downsized" in the future.
And it is not enough to live on. It may be pretty easy to end up in the
position of the retiree who posted.
Look at some of the trends that affect you and me:
As you know, the middle class is under attack from many fronts: health
care costs, drug costs, college costs, outsourcing of jobs, layoffs,
plant closings. (By the way, it is probable that firms are greatly
underreporting outsourcing.) Automation is also an important source of
job loss: ATM. are just one example.
There are now 44 million Americans with no medical insurance. Perhaps
the retiree who posted here is one of them. There are lots of elderly
people who can't buy the drugs prescribed for them. Medicare does not
pay drug costs, as you know.
Many families are finding it hard to save for the future when they
can't make ends meet in the present.
As you know, personal bankruptcies are at an all time high now. Just to
give you an idea of how many people are involved: More people filed for
bankruptcy last year than were diagnosed with cancer. More filed for
bankruptcy than had heart attacks.
I doubt very much that every person who is in financial straits has
been improvident.
Yes, I agree that Stellafane needs to be a financially viable
institution and so must pay for itself, by charging admission. And lots
of the costs are covered by volunteers. But it may also be true that
some people cannot afford to go.
Bill Meyers

You wrote:

And just how do you suppose that a retiree gets to the point of living
on a fixed pension?

Perhaps you think that she was born with a fixed pension.

Consider the possibility that the retiree got where she is by working
her ass off on one (or two or three, just to make ends meet) jobs for
40-plus years and raising kids, to boot.

Davoud

(By the way, "raising kids to boot" means "raising kids for the purpose
of kicking them," while "raising kids, to boot" means "also raising
kids." I am _not_ saying that your choice of punctuation was wrong and
that mine is right; perhaps your hypothetical annuitant did raise
children for the purpose of kicking them, while my hypothetical
annuitant raised children in addition to doing other hard work.)

--
usenet *at* davidillig dawt com



"Davoud"....

IFFF the retirees ARENT getting as much money out of their retirement as they
PUT into it, they got some right to bitch, but i dont wanna hear it because it
aint MY fault they arent.....but most retirees today get ALOT more out of say
social security than they ever put in.....and besides, if you didnt plan for
your own retirement....its your own darn fault.....I will be lucky to even get
ANY social security money when the time comes (there is serious talk about the
only people in the future to get social security being the ones too stupid to
plan for their own retirement and screwing people like me who actually put
OTHER monies aside just in case), though if I had ALL the money social security
has taken from me, I probably be able to retire as millionare when the time
comes...

BLLL