The i-Deals Incident

[Scarpia]

Reminds me of an incident that occurred on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.  A trader tried to enter a sell order.  In stead of entering 1 share at 660,000 yen, he mistakenly entered 660,000 shares at 1 yen.  Seeing the mistake, the trader tried to hit cancel, which didn't work, possible because the enormous trading volume overwhelmed the system.  By the time trading was halted, Morgan Stanley held a 30% stake in the company.

[PaulSC]

But Friday was the 12^th ; )

Minor detail!

I knew there must be a reason no one had made that observation before me. Oops!

[DavidRoss]

Not in California. They're always different there 

Especially in Santa Cruz. Remember, they're still in the '60s and so the calendar could be different there!

[DavidRoss]

Reminds me of an incident that occurred on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.  A trader tried to enter a sell order.  In stead of entering 1 share at 660,000 yen, he mistakenly entered 660,000 shares at 1 yen.  Seeing the mistake, the trader tried to hit cancel, which didn't work, possible because the enormous trading volume overwhelmed the system.  By the time trading was halted, Morgan Stanley held a 30% stake in the company.

Oh. My. Time for a career change. Degreaser for the MacDonald's fry vat, no doubt.

[Mirror Image]

Oh, and I forgot that this CD was shipped along with all the others I posted a few pages back:

[Madiel]

Face it folks, if all your orders were cancelled, your basic mistake was to attempt to order anything in the classical section after Mirror Image had been through there.

[Mirror Image]

Face it folks, if all your orders were cancelled, your basic mistake was to attempt to order anything in the classical section after Mirror Image had been through there.

By the way, you can call me John.

[Mirror Image]

Mirror Image may feel like his apologies are enough, but in the end his tantrums earlier have left a bad taste in my mouth.

I'm sorry you feel this way. I did apologize and we don't know each other in real life, so an apology is all I can give you. Whether you accept it or not, and hold a grudge in the process, is completely your prerogative and your right. I wasn't happy with my attitude here last night, I made this perfectly clear.

[petrarch]

I wasn't happy with my attitude here last night, I made this perfectly clear.

Out of curiosity, what was the key element that made you realize you were having an extreme case of bad attitude? I ask just to try to understand the psychology of it, and perhaps through self-diagnosis help you preventively identify a future downward spiral before it gets out of control. Feel free to reply privately if this is something you don't wish to discuss openly.

[Mirror Image]

Out of curiosity, what was the key element that made you realize you were having an extreme case of bad attitude? I ask just to try to understand the psychology of it, and perhaps through self-diagnosis help you preventively identify a future downward spiral before it gets out of control. Feel free to reply privately if this is something you don't wish to discuss openly.

The key element that made realize that I was behaving like a jerk was the disappointment of the people here who I consider friends. I don't consider what I had last night a downward spiral. I consider it extreme frustration coupled with anger over just not getting my orders fulfilled and the scapegoat during all of this were the people here on GMG particularly this thread. I don't think, however, it's a psychological issue as mentally I'm fine but like anyone I have my little quirks that probably make me stand out from the pack. Anyway, I appreciate the concern but I'm fine and this is more of a self-discipline and self-control problem more than anything.

[petrarch]

The key element that made realize that I was behaving like a jerk was the disappointment of the people here who I consider friends. I don't consider what I had last night a downward spiral. I consider it extreme frustration coupled with anger over just not getting my orders fulfilled and the scapegoat during all of this were the people here on GMG particularly this thread. I don't think, however, it's a psychological issue as mentally I'm fine but like anyone I have my little quirks that probably make me stand out from the pack. Anyway, I appreciate the concern but I'm fine and this is more of a self-discipline and self-control problem more than anything.

Thanks for providing the inside scoop . To clarify, I wasn't implying it was a psychological or mental issue; really, just confirming the overall psychology of it, e.g. excitement -> disappointment -> frustration -> anger -> shame -> resignation, and whether you thought you were able to identify the turning points. I think some (or most) would definitely call it a downward spiral, though .

[Mirror Image]

Thanks for providing the inside scoop . To clarify, I wasn't implying it was a psychological or mental issue; really, just confirming the overall psychology of it, e.g. excitement -> disappointment -> frustration -> anger -> shame -> resignation, and whether you thought you were able to identify the turning points. I think some (or most) would definitely call it a downward spiral, though .

A very good analysis of the series of emotions I went through. Yes, that's pretty much how I felt, but maybe not in that particular order. I think anger reared its' head much more than shame or excitement. Anyway, yeah, I suppose I did suffer a downward spiral then, but it seemed like these emotions/moods fluctuated quite a bit. Again, thanks for your concern.

[kishnevi]

I will, however, be leaving a negative comment to the MP who sold me a "very-good" used disc that had traces of sticky substances and scratches on both sides of the disc. I almost don't want to put the disc in my player. That to me, is worse than what I-Deals has done.


Happy Wednesday! 

That's why I don't buy used CDs unless they're really cheap and/or an unused CD is not available.

[Mirror Image]

That's why I don't buy used CDs unless they're really cheap and/or an unused CD is not available.

I've bought MANY used CDs but I make sure they are in "like new" condition and that the MP seller has outstanding feedback. I've gotten burned a few times, but I've narrowed down maybe four or five MP sellers that when they state "like new" it genuinely means "like new" or "mint." In many cases, if the recording is out-of-print, this is the only viable alternative one has who wants the CD. One thing I usually do if I'm not familiar with the seller is send them an email questioning the condition of the item. If they respond cordially and give some kind of accurate description, then I'll buy the CD, but if their comments are vague or they don't even get back in touch with me, then I'll pass on them. When I buy from an MP seller on Amazon I expect the same kind of gracious attitude I give my own customers. I appreciate people's business and they should know that.

[bigshot]

I can clean sticky stuff, and as long as it plays fine, I don't care about scratches.

[Mirror Image]

I can clean sticky stuff, and as long as it plays fine, I don't care about scratches.

You've never had a CD with a scratch that affected the playback (i. e. glitches, skips)? I have and it's so annoying!

[kishnevi]

You've never had a CD with a scratch that affected the playback (i. e. glitches, skips)? I have and it's so annoying!

I've found that some CD players will get thrown off by the smallest things--a fingerprint or a small scratch--which other CD players take in their stride.

If the problem is serious enough,   I've simply ripped and burned a clean copy.

Far more annoying is the fact that some CDs won't play on all my CD players.  A matter of codecs, I assume, but totally unpredictable and when it occurs doesn't even effect all the CDs in a set (so CDs 1-3 and 5 will play just fine, but CD4 forces me to switch CD players.    Again, if the problem were to annoy me enough, ripping and burning seems to solve it.

[bigshot]

When CD players get old, they get out of align and become temperamental. That's why it's best to get a cheap one and replace it when it gets funky. All CD players perform to spec, so there isn't any advantage to having an expensive one, unless it has features you need.

I have had CDs that skip, but those were ones I had abused. It was my fault.

[DavidRoss]

Sellers agree to abide by Amazon's product description guidelines--hard to find on the site but the link is here:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/ref=hp_rel_topic?ie=UTF8&nodeId=1161242

For CDs, the guidelines are:

In addition to the General Condition Guidelines, apply the following guidelines to new and used music:

Used - Like New: The jewel case, cassette case, or album cover has no scratches or scuffing. Cover art, liner notes, and inclusions are in perfect condition. Packaging may have a remainder cut-out, which should be noted in the listing comments.
Used - Very Good: The packaging, cover art, liner notes, or inclusions may show limited signs of wear.
Used - Good: The item or packaging may have identifying markings from its owner.
Used - Acceptable: The item plays perfectly but is otherwise the worse for wear. Packaging and inclusions may be damaged, marked, or missing. Note any missing items in the listing comments.

Note--if the CD surface is damaged or worn, with scratches or scuffs, it may be listed ONLY as "Acceptable."

Like New = Perfect
Very Good = Limited wear on packaging and inclusions -- not on the CD itself
Good = Like very good but with identifying markings on packaging or the CD itself -- but not dings, scuffs, or scratches on the CD

Per these guidelines, many sellers describe the condition of their CDs inaccurately.

[jut1972]

When CD players get old, they get out of align and become temperamental. That's why it's best to get a cheap one and replace it when it gets funky. All CD players perform to spec, so there isn't any advantage to having an expensive one, unless it has features you need.

I have had CDs that skip, but those were ones I had abused. It was my fault.

Broadly speaking a more expensive cd player will sound better than a cheap one due to better DACS, isolation, power supplies etc.  My arcam is 12 years old now and still going strong.  (Tempts fate!). Even though its old it would sound better than a cheap modern player. 

If you are solely ripping then yes I would agree with you...