Qapla

I, too, was merely commenting on what we did. Some time back, my daughter went to the dealership to see about getting a new car. At the time, she had a car that fit into the 'sporty car' category. She cleaned and vacuumed it before we went. The deal they offered, while good, was not what she expected when they allowed for her trade-in. She was about to walk out when the salesman tried one more thing. He took the manager of the dealership to see and ride in her car. When the manager saw the excellent condition her car was in, they raised their trade-in amount to a more realistic amount. She made the deal. It fit what you said, cleaning the car helped in that situation. Since we had gotten such a good deal, my wife wondered what kind of deal she could get. I called the same salesman, and we negotiated a deal via the phone and email. She had a car that had issues. I told the salesman what we had, and he offered a trade-in amount for well above what we could have gotten for the car if we had tried to sell it. We knew and they knew the trade-in was not worth the amount they were offering. My wife worried about the car and insisted on washing it and vacuuming it before we went to the dealer. She was afraid when they saw her car they would want to change the deal. When we got there, they had all the paperwork ready. We went straight to the salesman's desk, and he started with the paperwork she needed to sign. The price was as negotiated - nothing had changed. When we asked if they wanted to look at the trade-in he said they didn't need to - that the trade-in was going straight to the auction 'as-is'. In fact, they had already moved her tag to the new car. My wife still has that new car ... of course, it is no longer a new car, and it paid-off. The difference was, they wanted to sell my daughter's car for a good profit - which they did in less than two days and got way more than they allowed her. They knew they would not get the allowed amount for my wife's car and had made a deal accordingly ... so they didn't care if the car was clean or had gas. They absorbed the 'loss' since they had made two sales to the same family and made a cumulative profit they were happy with.

It is used for hand washing the dishes, not machine washing them

If you are dealing on-line, by email or text (like was mentioned earlier), how much gas a car has or how clean it is, doesn't matter. Do research first and know what your trade-in is worth before you deal with the salespeople. You can negotiate an equitable price for your trade-in if you know what it is worth and what you want for it.

I use many tools. Some of them include the adjustable wrench (Cresent Wrench), water-pump/slip-groove pliers (Channellocks) and vise-locking pliers (Vise-Grips). Each of these tools has a proper use: adjustable wrench: common complaints are that they don't hold very well and often slip off, tending to round off bolts and nuts water-pump pliers: common complaints are that they don't grip pipes very well and they can be hard to hold closed Vise-locking pliers: common complaints are that the damage the surface of what they are used on and can be hard to adjust However, when examined closely, it is often found that: people often use the adjustable wrench 'backwards' allowing the jaws to open when under pressure because they are being forced open instead of forced closed they were originally designed for use on water pump nuts used on early vehicles, not pipes and are not the same as a pipe wrench clamping vise-locking pliers too tight can make them hard to close and cause damage because they are not really a 'universal tool', they are a 'last resort' tool That said, when used properly, they work quite well. The same can be said of AI. They are tools. When used correctly - for the job they are intended, they can result in very good results. When used wrong, they can give as bad of results as using the above-named wrenches wrong. Does that mean that all the faults that occur with AI are 'user error' ... No. It also doesn't mean that all AI's are wrong 'all the time' and can't ever be trusted. Your results may vary - I've had both types of results ... far more good results than bad.

Another tip is not to mention or discuss a trade-in until the OTD price has been established. That way you will be offered what they really think your car is worth instead of them building an inflated used car price into the cost of your new car purchase. Likewise, rolling over you existing loan into the new one only builds negative equity into your new car purchase.

Actually, following the recent direction about "where the Bible is silent, we are silent", the answer to Adam having as belly button is: It is possible Jehovah gave him one ... the Bible does not say either way

Some years back I came across a Russellite in the course of my secular work. I had witnessed to her in the course of conversation while I was working in her office. That's when she told me she was a Russellite. She said they held meetings once a month in a town about 35 miles south of us. Even though I had not known there were any Russellites in our area nor did I know they held meetings - it did NOT make me want to look them up, do research about them or dig any deeper. If someone asked me to prove that there are active Russellites in our area I would simply tell them they could research it - that I have no interest in digging into such a subject. Just because someone asks about another religion does not mean we have to go research that religion to teach them the truth. I would not search YouTube to find out about meetings for Baptists, Catholics, Lutherans, Mormons, Russellites, Bible Students or any other religion ... I would show someone how to find a JW meeting by using jw.org

There are Cacti (cactus) that can work for your area Outdoor Varieties (Can stay out year-round with strict drainage) These specific varieties can tolerate freezing winter temperatures, provided their roots are kept bone-dry: Prickly Pear (Opuntia humifusa): The absolute best outdoor choice for the UK. It is seriously tough, handles the damp better than any other cactus, and multiplies rapidly by dropping flat pads that easily root into new plants. It even produces beautiful yellow summer flowers. Tree Cholla (Cylindropuntia imbricata): A highly architectural, frost-hardy upright cactus. It branches out rapidly into a miniature shrub-like structure when given maximum sun. Indoor Varieties (Best for quick multiplication) If kept on a bright, south-facing windowsill, these varieties will multiply quickly by throwing off "pups" (baby offshoots) around their base, which you can easily detach and repot: Rebutia (Crown Cactus): Extremely beginner-friendly, free-flowering, and clusters incredibly fast into low mounded clumps. Echinopsis (Hedgehog Cactus): Fills out containers rapidly by clustering heavily at the base and produces massive, fragrant flowers in the summer. The Strict Rules for Sussex Cactus Success The Soil Mixture: Standard UK multi-purpose compost retains too much water and will cause root rot. You must mix your soil to be at least 50% sharp sand, grit, or perlite to guarantee instant drainage. Pot Material: Always use terracotta pots. Terracotta is breathable and allows wet soil to dry out much faster than plastic pots. Winter Rain Shelter: If keeping hardy cacti outdoors, place them under the eaves of the house, against a south-facing brick wall, or under a transparent porch roof from October to March to block the winter rain. Watering: Water heavily but infrequently from April to September (allowing the soil to dry out completely between waterings). Stop watering completely during the dark winter months 1. Hardy Geranium (Cranesbill, e.g., Rozanne) Care Level: Virtually Zero Why It Works: Unlike tender bedding geraniums, these are tough perennials that survive the wet West Sussex winters. They spread rapidly, tumble over container edges, and bloom continuously from June until the first winter frosts. Maintenance: None. Chop them back to the ground in late autumn, and they will return larger the next spring. 2. Hosta (Plantain Lily) Care Level: Very Low Why It Works: Hostas thrive in the damp, shaded, or semi-shaded environments common in South East England. They grow into massive, lush mounds of foliage very quickly, completely filling a container in a single season. Maintenance: Keep the soil damp. Protect them from slugs using copper tape around the rim of your pot. 3. Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia) Care Level: Low Why It Works: A fantastic "spiller" plant with bright golden-green leaves that roots itself wherever it touches soil. It cascades dramatically down the sides of pots and hanging baskets, multiplying at a rapid pace. Maintenance: Needs regular watering during dry spells to maintain its vibrant color. 4. Perennial Wallflower (Erysimum 'Bowles's Mauve') Care Level: Low Why It Works: A coastal Sussex superstar. It loves sunshine, handles salty sea air, is highly drought-tolerant once established, and flowers for up to nine months of the year without stopping. Maintenance: Plant in a pot with excellent drainage and a grit-heavy compost mix Winter Drainage: Because West Sussex gets a high volume of winter rain, always raise your containers off the ground using "pot feet" or bricks. This prevents the compost from waterlogging and freezing the roots.

@Ishaya Here is the US, on the rare occasion that someone didn't bring something to eat, some nearby will offer something. But, for the most part, that does not happen often. Since the direction from the US Branch is to bring a simple meal for yourself, that is what most do. It is not common for lunch at a US Convention to be a jamboree altogether. It is also not common for ones to come without a lunch ... unless they are on a diet and don't eat lunch - I have seen some do this.

While looking into this, it was the first time I head of Perplexity. I might have to give it a look ...

A little background: I have been enjoying creating songs with Suno AI. I use the free version so there are limitations. It seems to do a nice job at creating legitimate sounding songs. If you want, you can simply type a prompt like, "I want a blues song about changing the oil in my car." and it will write the lyrics and the music, complete with a singer. It will sound fairly good. You can also write your own lyrics and have Suno provide the music. In playing with this, I have found the Suno AI, while it is great at the music, the lyrics are a bit generic and predictable. So, I tried other AI engines to help in writing lyrics. So far, I have tried ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini. Of these, I have found the GPT works best for lyrics. With that in mind, I did a little checking to see what the Internet said ... Here is some of what the Internet told me: AI tools include ChatGPT, Claude, Google Gemini, Perplexity AI, and Microsoft Copilot. Choosing the right alternative depends on the specific task you want to accomplish: Best for Writing & Coding: Claude is highly regarded for its natural tone, reduced hallucinations, and strong coding capabilities. Best for Google Ecosystem: Google Gemini natively integrates with Google Workspace, making it ideal for summarizing emails, docs, and calendar events. Best for Web Research: Perplexity AI acts as an AI search engine, providing direct answers with cited sources With that in mind: Do you use AI? What has been your experience? Which AI engine do you prefer? Do you use more than one AI? Feel free to chime in on what your personal experience has been and why you use the particular AI you use. Please, do not try to turn this thread into an, "I hate AI" topic or other disparaging comments on the evils of AI - those types of comments will be removed from the thread.

I would like to see this multiple-instance on Windows

Windows Update for JWL