[what is everyone doing for digging, and hauling dirt]

• Wow, you must do a lot of footings.... we have a wheelbarrow and pick up truck. We do subcontract out the occasional larger footing work, but that's usually only a couple of times a year.

[Certificates of Insurance]

We don't get billed extra, it's part of our ins. package. Some companies ask for more insurance than we carry, and we politely respond with "our insurance is more than sufficient for the scope of work we do", and that has never been a problem.

[Cat in tree call]

Never had a cat call. Honestly, how many cat skeletons do you see in trees?

[Washington Sign Installer]

Meyer Signs in Mt. Vernon or Sign Associates in Redmond. They both do great work - we trade work back and forth.

[BBB email scam]

I got one sent to my home computer, a different email address than my work ... I use mailwasher to check messages on the cable server so I don't download stuff to my computer.

[Attempted Suicide - ELECTROCUTION]

Cops and doughnuts - who knew?

[Accent Signage Systems - Mass Shooting]

My thoughts and prayers with the families who have to endure the aftermath of this horror.

[I need a supplier for bird spike strips and such]

Is nixalite the metal spikes?

[I need a supplier for bird spike strips and such]

Sparrows haven't been the issue up here (although they are all over my yard/bird feeder!). It's all about pigeons..... and crows/seagulls. We have a fast food franchisee that had us put birdspikes all around the dumpster enclosure. Worked great! Then we put them all around the parapet on his roof, make it look a little like a castle.

[Service Tech needed]

We are looking for a technician to perform sign service in Kitsap County, WA. You'll be working with our current tech, part time at first but potential to move to full time w/ benefits. Some experience required. Journyman card helpful, but you can start at the trainee level and move up from there. Please send resume to nancy.berg@wavecable.com.

[I need a supplier for bird spike strips and such]

Bird X - $1.50 / foot for plastic spikes (some customers like them better than the metal spikes).

[Is this a violation or a sign that has been violated?]

That photo is almost a duplicate of a raceway we worked on this year. My tech did clean it out, and we charged extra for that. He also filled a cardboard box with crap and showed it to the sign owner so the owmer could understand what was involved. Needless to say, that bill was paid in three days.

We have a theater marquee that had pigeon problems, and one of the maintenance guys bright idea was to string netting behind the sign and attached to the building to keep the pigeons out. Problem was, it quickly developed a hole and the pigeons got in, but could not get out. Several dead pigeons later... a hawk got a leg tangled in it. He got out, then they finally took the net down.

Good times...

[IOLINE 52" Plotter]

Hey - anyone in the Seattle area need a vinyl plotter? We have an Ioline 52" plotter - it runs well, but no longer tracks straight on long lengths. We just replaced it with a new plotter so we are hoping someone else can use it. Make me an offer!

[Electric Sign Training - General Consensus Thinking]

We've had some excellent training from NW Sign Council, and there is a local company here that does some good continuing education classes. Hubby was a teamster for 14 years before he came to his senses and became a sign guy - took a pay cut but the benefits and stress relief was ENORMOUS! Teamsters did nothing for him but took his dues. don't get me started!

[and they continue... don't listen to me, read and learn]

There's a book called "One Second After" - dry reading but pretty interesting in that a couple of EMP airbursts over the US turned us into a third world country overnight. We have the technology to shield our stuff from EMP/Solar flare issues, but until someone can make serious money from that, it won't happen.... same as recycling styrofoam. Just mho!

[Anyone have info/results from National Sign Network]

Since we started with sign search, I've had enough calls each year that paid for the service, but I have no reason to switch. Haven't heard about NSN at all. I do get nationals calling us thru sign search, so why switch?

[Disparity of qualified journeymen installers?]

No one who's been looking for a job has an electrical license - a requirement in WA state...

[Dun and Bradstreet, do you use it?]

We have a DUNS number - we are surrounded by Navy bases and for some reason the gvmt always wants the Duns number. We aren't on any of the "paid" services - I actually had a D&B rep tell me if we subscribed to the service our rating (which is good, probably average, and we are happy with it) would get better so we would get more gvmt contracts. When I told him that was like blackmail - pay us or your rating score will suffer - he kind of backpeddled. I think it's a very outdated system.

[New correspondent has something to say about AxiomLED Rudolph Emergency Bulbs]

I liked it!

[BP signs and canopy lighting]

Yeah, Blair has a "certified installer" program. You can pay for the training kit, go thru a phone conference class with them (the kit costs about $800), then wait for them to call you as a "certified installer". And you have to recert (free class) every year. and wait for them to call you .....

[Is this Acceptable?]

I just think if it's the company computer, the business owner can do whatever - he/she is ultimately responsible for everything that goes on at work. I am not sure about the legality (in the US) on monitoring the phone calls - I think we legally have to let the customer know if that is happening. Unless your Homeland Security, that is...

[Bookkeeping/Accounting Software]

Good to know about Cyrious - They sent me a demo several years ago but for some reason it didn't work, so I didn't worry about it...

[Bookkeeping/Accounting Software]

Thanks for the input, Eugene!

[Bookkeeping/Accounting Software]

Since this is the question I wanted to ask - I'm just bumping this topic to the top. We use Peachtree and while I like it, I can't stand Sage (the company that puts out PeachTree). I get sales pitches from them all the time, but I just want the problems I have fixed. If they spent as much time fixing the problems I encounter rather than giving me a sales pitch, I'd be happy. I was thinking of changing to QuickBooks eventually - any other suggestions?

[ground shaking]

We had a lighting storm like that one, Marko. Several years ago, but my hubby called it "wrath of God stuff". There wasn't a 5 minute period where the sky wasn't lit up. That's the first time I ever heard the lighting (the actual bolt itself). Wild weather!