geraldi

I come here quite often. Found friends, suppliers and customers. 1 place I don't go to often is N Glantz.

I don't care so much about credit terms. I pay for most product when it arrives. I started doing that as a new business many years ago and just carried it thru till now. It makes it much easier to know where I really stand financially with a glace at the bank account. I do buy from people who give free shipping or deliver themselves. I offer very fast turn a round on channel letters. I get deliveries from vendors in their trucks 2 - 3 times a week. So, I don't keep a lot of inventory. If I have to order something from say, the west coast, it costs a lot to get it if I need it fast, which I always do.

We took a razor blade and scraped it then used the vinyl glue removal fluid from the Rapid Tac people. I think it's called Rapid Remover. Spray it on and let it soak and then use a scraper. You can use a scouring pad with it if needed.

I saw this, especially the "Workhorse Channel Letter" garbage. I,m like you Eric, I wondered what the damn point was. I'm embarrassed for the peroson that wrote this. The whole magazine is just one big sales pitch anymore. Don't get me wrong, I love channel letters, my business depends on them.

We don't do service anymore but when we did, we charged hourly. It costs you the same whether the truck and labor are driving or working on site.

I don't want to turn this political discussion into a personal thing. That was not my intention. It's just how I would feel, about myself, if I had taken the XXX job. For me, it would be letting myself and my community down for money. We're all different. I live in a town of 5000 people. I know everybody and they know me. I'm 52 years old now and I want to drive down the street and feel as though I have some measure of respect in my community. I can remember a time when I was in my late 20's early thirties that I would kiss a lot of ass to get a deal. I don't do that anymore. And, who knows, that ass kising may have gotten me to the point that I don't have to do it anymore. If you go back and read all my posts on this you'll see that I never said I would condemn anyone who did the job, just that I wouldn't and why. Marco, maybe you and Gene could work with folks at the mosque to do the souvineers. Just Kidding, ok. I think this should be my dropping off point since I probably have said all there is to say without repeating myself or pissing somebody off.

Marko, I'm glad we agree about the "Mosque in name only" That's what many people think, that's why they don't want it there. And, my point about the XXX store was the fact that I live in the community and want to help my community, as well as make a living in it, not just suck the life out of it for a few nickles to sit a rub together at night in my lonely castle. Well said Brian.

I wouldn't take the job. If I felt like any business (not just a mosque) was was there to do anything to bring harm or cause any kind of pain to my community, I would feel like an accomplice. I live in the community and don't want to have the reputaion as someone who cares only about his own personal interests and not about the community. I feel like that's what the NY Mosque is doing. Example, a company from out of state wanted to open a XXX video store, in the middle of an area that had only family type restraunts and businesses, in the small town I live in. There was a church within 200 yards or so and many other family businesses and rest. They called me to build a 90 ft pylon sign. I turned down the job. I understood why they wanted the video store there. It had great Interstate access. I also understood they could care less about the local people and there opinions. They did open the business, but did not get a permit for the highrise. They have offered to pay a premium, in cash, for someone to install the sign anyway. They did get one taker to give it a try on Sunday morning but the police saw them and stopped them. All the signs in that area have variances. So the ammount of square footage they are allowed without a variance won't serve their needs at the location they picked. Atleast we live in a country where we can have this discussion.

I think he actually said LED's could save money on utilities. I read thru it fast but it seems he may have said that.

I think you are missing the point Marco. Nobody has said they should not be allowed to build it. If it comes down to it and they (Muslim comminity) don't decide to take it someplace else, then let it go forward. I don't want to start messing with church and state. I don't want laws made for one event. It will come back to bite you down the road. When I said all or nothing, I meant if you want the freedoms America gives you then help defend those freedoms and stand for what it stands for. If not, why are they here, just to take advantage of the opportunity you have here. Don't hide behind the freedoms you have here and then stick your finger in it's eye. And, if you do that, that's ok, you can do that here. But we don't have to like it.

For the majority of muslims, I'm sure it's not a shrine. But, they have to know that the guy's who flew the planes claimed to have did it on the behalf of muslims. Should they not stand up and practice what they preach. Everybody wants to stand up and claim their rights as an American, when it's convenient. America is (should be) an all or nothing kinda thing, IMO.

Are you kidding me Marco? You think this is just political? This is one of the few items that both Democrats and Republicans agree on right now, for the most part. And, none are saying this is illeagal, they are just saying it's a bad idea if the Muslim community wants to be everything they claim. I'm a Democrat and have been for all my adult life. And, you have your facts slightly wrong, as to the way I have heard and read. You are correct, the building was used as a Mosque for a while now. It was leased. Now they want to use un-named sources of funds to buy it, tear it down and build a huge shrine to the same faith that the terrorists claimed to repesent. This is like having a disagreement with your neighbor. And after he appoligizes to you, telling you it wasn't him, it was his rowdy cousins, he puts up a billboard right on the property line, with the cousins pictures on it, giving you the finger. Then, everytime time you see him in the yard he waves and says "hey neighbor". Kinda leaves you saying, "what the fu*#". Yes, it is zoned, Residentual / Commercial. He did get a permit for the billboard. My hats off to the Canadian Muslims for speaking out against it. Some have been very vocal in saying this is a bad idea.

They may not be the same people, but you would think, if they were the religious people they claim to be, they would want to help build their image and show the people of the US and the world that they were not the kind of people that carried out and supported the 9/11 attacks. By insisting on building this Mosque, they are showing something else, in my opinion. What is the real motive for insisting on this location? Is it the only one in NYC? I really believe that if this were a Christian Faith in a Muslim community, they would stop the effort once the local community voiced it's opinion so strongly. I don't think the government should stop this Mosque from being built. That does go against our constitution. But, I do think the Muslim community should stop it. They don't even want to reveal the source of the funding to build it. If they really want to loose the image of terrorist they need to do the kinds of things that make the rest of the world view them in a positive light. A relativly few people are are making the world view an entire population of people in a negative light. Only they can change it. I really wish they would.

Somebody needs to tell Obama that. Everytime he gets on tv he talks about how it's someone elses fault. I think theres equal blame to go around. The only reason anyone gets into politics is to further them and their contributors, write a book and get on tv. The office they are ellected to is just an afterthought. I have little confidence in any of them Democrat or Republican. I'm leaning Tea Party and I've been a Democrat my whole life. I was very embarrassed by the Democrats in Washington this last year.

So much of our Country and way of life depends on the peoples confidence in the economy and government. Right now, we are at a very low point. The same enthusiasm, that got the current president elected, is causing many of our problems. Candidate Obama and President Obama don't seem to be the same people. People were excited by candidate Obama talking about bipartisanship, being a man of the people, changing Washington ect... Instead, he has shown himself to be just another politician. It is business as usual in the Obama administration. I think people really bought into his speeches (more than they typically do)as a candidate and many have really resented him not governing like he claimed he would as a candidate. BTW, I did vote for him once. Lesson learned.

I'm 52 years old. If he gets re-elected, I'm probably screwed because my life will be over before things get turned around. My business has held up well, but I don't know if it could stand another 4 years. Atleast not at the pace I want for it too in order for me to retire at 65 with enough in the bank to live like I had planned. Cat food gets old after a while.

I was in the IT industry. We did custom software for heavy equipment manufacturers. Link Belt, Hyundai ect... While doing that, my partner and I built a web site that allowed us to tranfer big files to our customers. This was in the late 90's when it wasn't common to send someone a 50 meg video or other file. We called it Whale Mail, www.whalemail.com. We decided to let other prople use it and it caught on. We even got on one of the tech tv shows. Long story short, we got an offer from a simialar company (Swap Drive), although we were the first, to buy the site and the code. We sold that as well as the sofware company. I was out of a job. After about 6 months I got bored and took a job with a friend of mine at a tech company that had a sign company next door. They were always asking for help with stuff. Mainly digtizing. In my opinion they were not very good business people, yet they always had lots of business. One thing led to another and 2 years later I was in the sign business. That was 6 years ago. During that time I have gone from strictly retail to retail and wholesale, to now, strictly wholesale to the trade. All we do now is channel letters and custom cabinets, pylons ect... to the trade. Just last year Swap Drive was bought by Symantec, the Norton Anti-Virus people. Luckily I still had some stock. Always figured it would be worthless. So, I was shocked when I got the email that Symantec wanted to buy my shares after all those years.

I can see things happening in this shop where glass get broken, people get burned and the tables get STUFF all over it.

I built and installed a couple sets for a company 4 - 5 years ago. I can't recall who it was. So, apparently they didn't do anything but sub the work out. If it's super important, let me know and I'll go back and find out who it was. We moved those files out to storage.

If SkyLift want's to tell their side they should just step up and do it in a straightforward manner.

I like it a lot better. Looks more positive and upbeat. Like Eric.

I read the post and am glad to have you doing the dirty work. So, here's an "ATABOY" a "WAY TO GO" and a "GO GET EM".

I've used these so long that I don't remember the weight of the aluminum ones. But they are not that heavy. Haven't had any complaints there. They are collapsable down to about 6 feet or so. And go out to about 18ft. At least that's the one I usually get. I think there are other options. NEI is where I get them. 800.582.9024, talk to Ginny. I'm sure others probably have them as well.

Many of them are made of aluminum and the oxidation comes off on their hands. I get fiberglass poles from Neon Engineering in Cin., OH.

Try this: http://www.brandsoftheworld.com/search/logo/ansi