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I have a sink in my basement that I rarely use and I just noticed a very steady stream of water coming out of the faucet. I figured I'd just turn the water valves off and address it another time since I don't really use the sink - but turning the valves off did nothing to stop the water from coming out of the faucet.

I plan to call a plumber in the morning, but I hate to leave that water coming out of the faucet all night...and then however long into the day it takes a plumber to get here.

Anyone have any tips on how to stop the leak?

Ok, so I transferred a balance about a year ago to a Bank of America card. They offered 0% interest as long as I remained within the terms of the agreement. I have been faithfully paying my bill on time all these months. I pay over my minimum payment, and have often paid twice a month when I receive extra cash from side jobs.

Last month I did the unthinkable...I overlooked the bill and ended up paying 3 days late. I waited for the bill to come to see what the damage would be. They charged me $39 for a late fee, revoked the 0% interest (causing $50 in interest charges) and doubled my minimum payment due.

I called immediately to see what they could do for me. The lady was nice enough to reinstate the promotional interest rate, but was unwilling to work on the minimum payment due, which is the real problem.

I have called them several times today, and they refuse to assist me. One gentleman even lectured me on responsible personal finances, and told me that to teach me how to be responsible, he was lowering my credit limit so I couldn't use the card anymore. I checked, and he did in fact lower it.

All I want is for someone there who will talk to me calmly and rationally (I have been completely polite to each and ever person I have spoken with) and just help me out this one time.

This last time I called, they told me that they can't help me because Experian reported a negative on my report to them. I promptly pulled my report, and I have zero negatives. They're just playing games with me.

So that's the real problem, how do I get someone on the phone who isn't just some $8 an hour customer service rep with a God complex?

Are there any tips or tricks?

I'm being asked to come up with 5 "goals" for myself at work. I hate this kind of crap. I'm the office manager. I answer the phone...I fax crap...I answer the phones some more...then everyone in the office gives me some crap to do - and they want it done yesterday...then I answer the phones some more...and then I usually get roped into doing something like vacuuming the carpet or cleaning the toilet...and then the phone rings again and I answer it...and then I go and file some papers...and answer the phone again...

How in the HECK am I supposed to make a goal for myself? I have little or no control over my daily schedule - it almost completely revolves around what OTHER people need me to do.

But I HAVE to come up with 5 goals.

I will literally write anything down on this piece of paper. I don't care what it is. Just give me some ideas so I don't have to sit here ready to yank my hair out because my boss wants us all to better ourselves.

Maybe if I'd actually get a lunch once in a while I'd be better...but I don't think that's going to happen anytime soon. Maybe I can make THAT one of my goals!

Seriously...help me...PLEASE

Every time I throw away an old candle I wonder if I could use the leftover wax to make a new candle. There always seems to be so much leftover - and I hate to just waste it if I could make another one with it.

I'm assuming the process is pretty straight forward, but I figured I'd ask and see if anyone else out there does this with their old wax and find out what their process is.

I mostly need something that lists out the various proposed state constitutional amendments that we'll have to vote on. I have found lists that give me the information for candidates I will have to vote on, but nothing about the amendments.

I'd really like to have a chance to look them over before I go to the polls tomorrow.

I tried the indiana.gov website, and unless they're hiding it from me, I couldn't find anything!

I just moved into a "new" house (it's 80 years old!) and it has boiler heat. I have never encountered this type of heating system before, and I'm a little clueless as to how it all works and how to care for it. I had someone out to service it before I bought the house to make sure it was working ok, but he only checks the boiler itself, not the radiators located throughout the house.

Now that it's cooling off I decided to test out the heat, and I'm not getting any heat out of the radiators. I've had people tell me to bleed the radiators, which I TRIED to do, but nothing came out except for a hiss of air, and that was it. Should I let the boiler run for a while and THEN try to bleed them?

Any advice or info on boiler heat systems will be most appreciated. I want to figure out how to get the house warm before winter hits!

I'm a very novice photographer, but I'm doing my best to learn new tips and tricks so I can start taking amazing photos. I have a Canon PowerShot S5 IS camera. Here's the specs on it: http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=M...

I would really love to take a picture that has this effect: http://farm1.static.flickr.com/179/485750280_a143e...

Where the image in the photo fades the further you get away. I've been going through my camera book and tinkering and I just can't get there!

Does anyone have any advice on what I need to do? Any help is greatly appreciated! :)

I just called Comcast to have cable and internet set up in my new home. Everything was going fine until the lady (who I could barely understand) started rattling off a list of installation fees:

$32 to activate cable in the first room

$11 to activate cable in a second room

$18 to activate the DVR box

$50 to activate the internet

I have had cable set up with other companies in the past and have NEVER been charged like this. I have cables running to the living room, my bedroom and my office where I will be needing the cable and internet.

Are these charges legitimate or is there a way to talk my way out of them? In the past it has been fairly straight forward...you plug in the cable box to the wall...and presto...you've got cable. I know they probably need to activate SOMETHING...but not $111 dollars worth of something! I'm technologically savvy enough to be able to hook my TV up to the cable box and to get the modem hooked up to the router...

Show me some of your favorite youtube videos and help me squash the boredom that is setting in!

Have a great day everyone :)

I've got an ab workout DVD and I've looked up exercises on the internet, but I'm struggling to put it all together in a way that gives me an effective workout.

Do you guys have any routines that work for you?

Be creative :)

I'm planning on taking a trip to the Dominican Republican sometime around September of this year. I'm 26, so I'd like to go somewhere that has at least a decent number of things to do besides lay on the beach (although I do plan to do a significant amount of that too!). I don't really know a lot about the country...except that it's on my list of places to visit! So I just kind of want to get an idea of where you guys recommend. I'm open to any suggestions. I haven't set my mind on any particular city yet I want to wait and find the place that fits me the best.

Any help would be great! THANKS!

I'm trying to find a 5K race to participate in sometime in June or later. I have found som that take place in the fall, but I really don't want to wait that long to run it.

I've looked all over and have found nothing. I'm sure spring and fall are more popular times to hold these runs...but surely there is something else out there!

I need some help!

If you know of any races in the South Bend Indiana area, let me know!

My grandparents are in their mid to late 70's and have just inherited quite large sum of money from a relative. One part of the inheritance is a $22,000 IRA. They have the option of cashing it out, or rolling it over into their own IRA.

As a family we don't see the need for them to keep this money in an IRA. That sort of investment is meant for the long term...and clearly with their advanced age (and health problems), long term investing is probably not the best option.

What we would like them to do is just take the money and live comfortably for the rest of their lives. We have no desire to receive an inheritence from them...we'd rather see them spend it on themselves.

But if they insist on investing this money, what other options do they have aside from an IRA?

We'd prefer it if it was something they could draw off the interest if they desired. I suggested a CD, but I don't know if that's the best option.

Anyone out there have any suggestions?

I've been trying to find a republican group to join, but I'm having such a hard time finding info on any in my area. I live in Indiana, specifically St. Joseph County. I keep running into deadends. Websites that don't work, etc. I guess that's probably not a good sign! But I really am interested in getting involved and meeting people, so if you know of any in my general area, hook me up with the info!

Thanks :)

My boss just came to me and asked me to come up with some marketing ideas for our company. I agreed, but I don't really have any marketing experience! We're a small company, I'm sort of the go-to girl for all the misc. stuff. I want to make a good impression and come up with some ideas...but I need help!

We're a company that installs and services phone systems. I've already got sort of a "Year-End Maintenance" thing cooked up, where we can come out and clean phones, re-label equipment, replace phone cords, etc.

Do you guys have any other good ideas? Anything would be helpful. Ideas, advice, websites.

Thanks!

I'm battling a collection agency right now...and amazingly enough one of the scum bags found me on myspace! I get a lot of random friend requests, so I didn't think anything about it. But then she started sending me suspicious comments and messages, and they started to become harrassing. She even got onto my friends' pages and was asking me about comments that I had left for them.

Has anyone else had this happen? I know debt collectors would do anything...but honestly never though they'd think to find someone on Myspace!

Anyway, this is her page http://www.myspace.com/bigbrownones Beware of her and her agency "Aurora, Gold, & Associates." They're all scumbags.

I've made a myspace page dedicated to getting back at debt collectors. www.myspace.com/collectorsbeware. I'm trying to keep it updated with helpful blogs about what to do when a debt collector is after you. Anyway, add me as a friend if you want!

And let me know if anything like this has happened to you

I have a friend getting hitched there at the end of May, and so far she has had no no luck in finding a place to have her ceremony.

She's on a modest budget, so the price can't be too outrageous. She's also looking ONLY for a ceremony site, she doesn't want a place that packages ceremony, receptions, etc.

She just wants a nice, beautiful site that doesn't look like a conference hall.

Oh, and she has already ruled out the Church of Chimes.

What would you guys suggest?

Well so have I. There aren't very many times I get fired up enough to try and do something about injustice in the world. I guess maybe it just needed to hit home before I felt the motivation.

Sure, being harassed be a debt collector isn't the worst thing that could happen to you, but it's still pretty bad. Being treated like less than a human is never fun, no matter who you are. Even if you really do owe the money they are asking, you still deserve to be treated like more than dirt.

So I made a myspace page called "Collectors Beware." I'm going to keep it updated with tips, stories, links, etc. Even if all it does is bring people together that have had similar experiences, that's good enough for me.

Please add me to your friends if you like to

myspace.com/collectorsbeware

If we all know our rights and decide to take a stand against these practices, maybe we can make things better.

Thanks :)

I just received several harrassing phone calls from them regarding a debt that I have been trying to clear from my name for many years.

This company is called, Aurora, Gold, & Associates. They were, simply put, evil to me on the phone. I was accused of having a drug problem, told that my neighbors would be contacted about my inability to pay back debt, and that if need be, they would have the police pay me a visit.

They said they were NOT a collections agency, but rather a firm employed by collections agencies to secure a debt before they take legal action.

They all said they were lawyers, but when I got on their website, it said they only have one lawyer on site. So that leads me to believe they're full of crap.

Has anyone else ever been harrassed by them?

Or if you have experience dealing with debt collectors or are knowledgeable in this area at all, I could use some advice.

I don't owe this money. I just feel like I'm fighting a losing battle.