Public Notice
This is what we in the business call a "negative confirmation." When auditors (of which I am not one, just to clear that up right from the get go; I am a tax person, a different breed altogether) want to verify something, one way to do so is to send out letters asking people to verify something (usually, the goal is to get them to verify the same something that you are seeking to verify, but sometimes, you discover something else that needs verifying...this is known as an "exception"). When sending out letters, the hope is that people will not immediately throw the letter in the garbage (as I am prone to doing with the mail at home...sorry, Jim, I know that's a whole lot of delivering for nothing) and will respond in positive and timely fashion so as not to result in lots of "exceptions" that require further investigation. Now, since auditors are not stupid, they know that not all of these letters will be returned, and so they sometimes (for low risk, high volume "stuff," the technical term for things like your bank account) send out "negative confirmations." These letters basically say that you only need to sign and return the letter if there is a problem with whatever requires verifying.Whew!
Hopefully, by now, the person to whom this public notice is addressed is no longer reading (if ever he was reading) and has slipped off to light up his torch and play loud music while we discuss our plans to go to New Zealand. Rachel has some great posts up about NZ (posted while she was busy visiting the U.S. for the first time), and she has offered to serve as our tour guide!
The original plan was to have a U.S. Bloggers Invade N.Z. tour, funded entirely by Eric, of the Fire Ant Gazette, the great money-raising guru, who has agreed to do the fundraising. The question currently on the floor is whether or not Eric also agreed to fund the spousal portion of our trip, or if we are going to have to come up with this money on our own. My understanding was that Eric would be funding the entire trip, for bloggers and their spouses. Eric, if you disagree with the terms of this agreement, please contact our auditors at the link below, by tomorrow at noon. If we do not hear from you, we will begin making plane reservations.
The Auditor
Disclaimer: The non-receipt of a negative confirmation provides less than reliable evidence as to the existence and collectibility of a debt. However, the return of mail not delivered to a customer similarly indicates to the auditor the debt may not exist, or if it does exist, may not be collectible.
posted by Gwynne @ 8:11 PM
16 Comments:
Are all the kids coming too? It would save money on babysitters if Eric raised funds to bring them too! Of course if he is raising funds for every aspect of the trip, wouldn't babysitters be included in this and give you some sort of tax rebate too?
Hmmm, good question, Rach! I'm sure he meant to hire the babysitters, and dogsitters. Surely he thought of that. It's part of the agreement. ;-)
Oh, Eric! Hi! Um, may I help you find something? We were just talking here. Nothing really. ;-)
Only problem with taking the dogs (and you know I've got no problem with that) is the cost of chartering a private jet because I'm not sticking my pooch, and I don't want anyone else sticking their pooch, down in cargo class. So was that a "yes?"
Hey, don't you have company, or something?
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Hey, I'd already signed you two up anyway Brian!
So, I'm seeing the Eric looked but hasn't contacted the auditor as yet, so...I'm guessing that we're good to go. And definitely babysitters and/or dog sitters have to be included. Cause my pooches aren't going in cargo either! Just not a safe place for them - though in my case, grandma and grandpa are always happy to sit for them, so I don't need a dog sitter. Look at me saving Eric money already. :)
For grins I played with travelocity last night...and can I just say "Ouch!" $1500 RT from the east coast. (And only $150 cheaper if you fly to LA on your own.)
BB, of course you qualify! See there? Rach has you covered. ;-)
Beth, I did the same. 8-} He thinks we're joking?! Noon. Period. Oh, and that's noon, EST. ;-)
Let the record reflect that Brian was here, left a comment, and subsequently asked to have it removed. It will be missed. ;-)
Well, hm. It's after noon and I've heard not a peep...so I'm guessing that we're on! Yay :) Should I just wait by the mailbox for my tickets, Eric? ;)
Heh. How's that tagline contest coming along anyway? ;-)
If I (or anyone else on the US Bloggers Invade NZ Tour) should win the contest, I will happily return my Fire Ant Eggs in exchange for tickets to New Zealand. I'll even throw in my Fire Ant coaster and Fire Ant mouse pad for good measure. ;-)
I was actually on the North Island of NZ last year. It was beautiful! Enjoy! ~ jb///
Thanks, Jerry! We will. ;-)
Now, if we can just keep Eric distracted with his polling schtick, we can continue making plans.
[this is how grand plans get started, right?]
Jerry, I think it's just a matter of time before our paths cross in real life...it appears that we have been or are going to nearly all the same places in the entire world!
So is Brian abandoning his spot on the trip then? I guess that saves Eric more money still!
No, Brian is not abandoning his spot, but did not wish to leave his full legal name up on my blog (for understandable reasons...afterall, people come here all the time asking for him...just kidding, Brian). ;-)
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