Actually, because it's a Visa card and can be used at multiple stores, it is exempt from those rules.

Bummer! Sorry JW!

If you're giving the gift of gift cards, just give the gift of cash instead with a note saying where you hope they'll spend it. Cash doesn't expire (or, if it should, that trinket down at Home Depot will be the least of your worries) and people hardly every lose, misplace, or forget cash.

And having been involved on the issuer side of a few of these (only tangentially), while I understand the financial greed that goes into the rules, I was also glad for the procedural benefit that they created. It meant that the program had a built in end date.

If a gift card can never expire, then a store that issues one is obligated to maintain the systems and databases necessary to redeem them in perpetuity. At least with expiring cards you know that XX months/years/etc. after cessation you can just forget about them. Because it really sucks when developing something new to be told "oh, we can't use that technology because those gift cards we issued for a year back in 1997 won't work with it."

IMHO, cash is a sucky gift. It goes in your wallet, pays for your groceries or lunch, and it's gone. No one actually remembers to spend that on something fun.

In their core technology, standard microphones and headphones are the same basic thing: a diaphragm and coil.

And headphones are just small speakers designed to use much less wattage.

Thank the heavens, our porch/patio concrete is finally being poured!!

Not sure how Ken's going to be able to come home after work, but hopefully, it will be cured enough by then (it's supposed to harden enough for walking within 4-5 hours).

They were asking if we wanted to wait and schedule it over the next couple days, and I was like, "Pour that crap now!"

We've had a mud pool for a porch for the last 3 weeks, and we've been miserable.

I'm just so darned happy it's getting done finally.

Sooo.... What are you going to write in the fresh concrete?

If we owned the place, there would not be concrete, but pavers that would form the image of a large Mickey head. ;)

wow - I went to the Ducks/ Sharks Game Sunday - my first pro Hockey game. What an exciting game! Several fights broke out but there was no blood on the ice- (which I was chanting). Also, I got to be part of the group/ stadium "Oooh!" which was awesome. I need to go again!