I'm really ticked off....

[Oldman]

Living in Florida just got more expensive. Our homeowners insurance just went from $854.00 a year to $1,965.00 per year and we are not even in the state's insurer of last resort--God help us if we were. Mother's house is and this year that cost me $1,850.00; next year it will be somewhere in the 4K. I know the cost as I pay it.

The private insurer Poe just when belly up and that means the state has to pick up their customers and shortage. On a modest home of $100,000.00 they will add another $2,000.00 per year on top of this year increase that all home owners have to pay.

So this year it cost us $854.00, next year $1,965.00 and the following year it will cost us $4,965.00 for homeowners insurance.

There are so many people in this state that are going without insurance it is not even funny.... There are so many homes that still have blue tarps for roofs it would sit you back on your short.  Don't you all find it interesting that we can spend billions on Iraq but we cannot help out folks with tarps for roofing who cannot afford to have their homes fixed?

BTW we have never had a claim. Mother's house is now on the market.

[iceman]

Good grief Old's!!! I'll hang on to one of my lots up here for you. I just heard a rumor awhile back that the USA is cutting back a bit on reconstruction projects in the war zones. Last week lumber prices dropped up here by almost 30% when that rumor came out. Go figure, we send all our supplies over to those idiots and you and I pay through the nose for it here!!!
Your right. We can't even take care of our own and we send billions over to people that don't want us there to begin with. All I can see is MAD RED when I hear of all the folks over here that are suffering and can't get help.

[MWS]

Good grief Old's!!! I'll hang on to one of my lots up here for you. I just heard a rumor awhile back that the USA is cutting back a bit on reconstruction projects in the war zones. Last week lumber prices dropped up here by almost 30% when that rumor came out. Go figure, we send all our supplies over to those idiots and you and I pay through the nose for it here!!!
Your right. We can't even take care of our own and we send billions over to people that don't want us there to begin with. All I can see is MAD RED when I hear of all the folks over here that are suffering and can't get help.

I bet those 'IDIOTS' you speak of wish they didn't need American money for reconstruction as well... Thanks George.

P.S. What happened to your GWB post Olds?

[Oldman]

I'll hang on to one of my lots up here for you.

If I was a young man I might take you up on that offer.

Unlike most homes that are built around here ours was built to withstand a strong cat 3 to a weak cat 4. I told Susan that when we build our "last" home it will be on higher ground and built to withstand a very strong Cat 5. Then I will give the insurance company the middle finger and tell them to take off the wind coverage.

I just talked with a neighbor and they had to drop their home owners insurance. Chit they have a wood frame house. A good cat 1 or a weak cat 2 hit us and the damage to that older frame house will be huge.

Anyway just how cold does it get up there. When it is 60 F I'm looking for a jacket~~LOL!

What happened to your GWB post Olds?

Who knows... Perhaps it got  :o  Martinized  :o If you notice I really don't post here as much as before. I've noticed other posts also going the way of the Dodo bird. Several of owrstrich's threads are gone. I don't care for "Politically Correct" *cough* open forums. IMO an open forum is an open forum. I agree with burning a Flame posting but not a thread that is stating facts or expressing in a civil manner a person's point of view. When that starts to happen people move on. I could not help to notice that last week logs of the chatroom were pretty thin.  Normally owrstrich promotes that night. I did not see one last week from him. I don't see one tonight either. Perhaps he has moved on.

The folks that are running this site better come to a fast understanding that Americans don't like that of censorship. That the common bond here is more than just smokin' foods.

Oh ya this will get ya... we have a $1,000.00  or 10% of total damage as our deductible--which ever is larger! (It might be 20% I have not seen the new renewal yet.) Anyone want to buy a house? Very close to the water--two boat ramps less than 2 miles way! 3 parks less than 3 miles away! A large fresh water lake 3 miles away! Every year a White Christmas with live ornaments wiggling as they stroll down at the shore line  ;D Cheap... just bring your own insurance!

[MWS]

Who knows... Perhaps it got  :o  Martinized  :o If you notice I really don't post here as much as before. I've noticed other posts also going the way of the Dodo bird. Several of owrstrich's threads are gone. I don't care for "Politically Correct" *cough* open forums. IMO an open forum is an open forum. I agree with burning a Flame posting but not a thread that is stating facts or expressing in a civil manner a person's point of view. When that starts to happen people move on.

Geez...If your post was zapped....I agree, it's ashame that this site is now sanitized to only view smoking related topics.  And also to this...."The folks that are running this site better come to a fast understanding that Americans don't like that of censorship. That the common bond here is more than just smokin' foods".  Canadians, British etc.. don't like censorship either.

[Oldman]

Canadians, British etc.. don't like censorship either.

Glad to hear it considering who is running this site. I always thought of the Canadians, British as a free minded people. A people who express their views.  It would be a shame to see more members here move on. Thanks for your opinion concerning this important matter.
Olds

[Habanero Smoker]

Who knows... Perhaps it got  :o  Martinized  :o If you notice I really don't post here as much as before. I've noticed other posts also going the way of the Dodo bird. Several of owrstrich's threads are gone. I don't care for "Politically Correct" *cough* open forums. IMO an open forum is an open forum. I agree with burning a Flame posting but not a thread that is stating facts or expressing in a civil manner a person's point of view. When that starts to happen people move on.

Geez...If your post was zapped....I agree, it's ashame that this site is now sanitized to only view smoking related topics.  And also to this...."The folks that are running this site better come to a fast understanding that Americans don't like that of censorship. That the common bond here is more than just smokin' foods".  Canadians, British etc.. don't like censorship either.

I have to take a different point of view. If this was a general forum, I would agree with you. I don't see this as a general forum where all topics should be discussed. Though I don't want to see all nonsmoking posts deleted; I for one have gotten into a few political discussions; there is a point which some one's personal views become hurtful towards others. Smoking and discussing cooking techniques cut across of races, ethnicity's, religion, social class, cultures; and the list goes on. This forum is made up of these different groups of people; the main reason that draws us together is to and learn about smoking.

If everyone began expressing their personal views about a group they did not like, not one group would go unscathed. It may occur that someone will leave the board because he is unable to express his personal views, but how can one measure how many have been driven away by such posts. If someone has their own agenda (I'm not talking about throwing out a topic for discussion), then there are plenty of forums out there which one can join and post their beliefs; and their posts would be welcomed by all members of that forum.

We can't be sure if Martin and his staff are self-censoring, or responding to someone reporting posts as being offensive. But either way, at least the poster should be given a notification of why their posts were deleted.

I'll now step down from my soap box.

PS
Had to edit to change gramatical errors, because I pasted the wrong copy.

[Oldman]

Hab,
I respect your point of view. As I said I don't post here as often as I once did. Example yesterday I only posted to one help post as it was an odd question. I'm expect this thread to also get the  booted as me being ticked off about insurance has nothing to do with smoking foods.

[Habanero Smoker]

Olds,

I wasn't responding to the topic of your post, or any particular topic you have posted in the past. I am not talking about general topics that are posted to generate discussion. I was responding to whether or not certain topics should be deleted or censored from this particular forum, because they target certain group(s). Those same people may be members or visitors to this forum. Personally I don't believe your posts are offensive (except the one's about the French :)).

I don't believe that Martin is deleting all non-smoke topics, and I don't understand why your post was deleted, my guess would be someone reported it to him. That post I enjoyed. The main stream media has been participating in the "dumbing" down of America, and it was refreshing to see that others (like you are doing) are taking time to go beyond the main stream media to get their information.

[TomG]

In case anyone missed it, here's Olds' link,

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3171333253967404913&q=freedom+to+facism

Hopefully more fuel for the inevitable pyre of the sick joke Administration currently
doing everything it can to destroy this country.