# Polycarp will be offline indefinitely :-( **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 19, 2002, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-will-be-offline-indefinitely/143931 "2002-12-19T23:55:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![I\_am\_Sparticus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c68b51/32.png) [@I\_am\_Sparticus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_am_Sparticus)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2002, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-will-be-offline-indefinitely/143931/121 "2002-12-21T09:26:31Z")
No offense was intended Scottchier! And noodges are Yiddish, not Scotish. ---
**Author:** ![DAVEW0071](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e19b73/32.png) [@DAVEW0071](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DAVEW0071)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2002, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-will-be-offline-indefinitely/143931/122 "2002-12-21T10:28:32Z")
Come back soon, **Polycarp**. Good luck finding a job. You’re a good man. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2002, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-will-be-offline-indefinitely/143931/123 "2002-12-21T11:30:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cjhoworth \* > Thanks, **Coldfire** , but it was **RT Firefly** who told us about this. Hey, I didn’t do much at all! **Poly** called me the other night, and asked me to post threads here and at Fathom explaining why he’d be offline for awhile, which I did. (I’m just glad Poly tried my number the day _before_ my wife and I headed off on vacation, rather than the day afterward. I’m peeking in here from my FIL’s computer, right now.) When this thread took off, I Googled his address, and shared it with two posters here that I knew Poly trusted. That’s it. Thank you **cj** and **aenea** and **scotti** for getting all this together, and **Coldfire** for letting us use the board to organize this, and making it a sticky. Not to mention, thanks to everyone who’s volunteering money, computer parts, or whatever. Bless you all. ---
**Author:** ![stolatt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@stolatt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stolatt)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2002, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-will-be-offline-indefinitely/143931/124 "2002-12-21T12:00:36Z")
I have to do some cipherin’, but I think I can swing a few bucks. I owe a debt any way for the time I had no money for bus fare, so I had to walk miles for job interviews. Some tough-looking, dust covered construction guy gave me a ride and offered me some money to get by after he heard my sad story. Like another poster said, help comes your way in many different, unpredictable forms. Peace to your family, Poly. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2002, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-will-be-offline-indefinitely/143931/125 "2002-12-21T12:10:29Z")
Could someone explain how to use Paypal? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![LH75](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lh75/32/4438_2.png) [@LH75](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LH75)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2002, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-will-be-offline-indefinitely/143931/126 "2002-12-21T15:14:57Z")
good morning friends, scotticher, watch for my paypal email thanks ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2002, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-will-be-offline-indefinitely/143931/127 "2002-12-21T15:23:59Z")
> [@](#): > > Fretful Porpentine…darling, we ARE interested!!! When are you coming home? Evening of January 6th – sorry it can’t be sooner, but I’m visiting family at the moment. Let me know the details and I can definitely have it ready by the 7th. I should warn you that it’s neither particularly big nor particularly new – got it in September '97 – but it works, and that’s the important thing 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Rysdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7cd45c/32.png) [@Rysdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysdad)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2002, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-will-be-offline-indefinitely/143931/128 "2002-12-21T15:33:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Libertarian \* > \*\*Could someone explain how to use Paypal? Thanks. \*\* Yeah, I’d like to know, too. ---
**Author:** ![GOM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/5f9b8f/32.png) [@GOM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GOM)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2002, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-will-be-offline-indefinitely/143931/129 "2002-12-21T15:41:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cjhoworth \* > \*\*Enough prayer. Time for a bit of action. > > It sounds like what **Polycarp** really needs is a car. My brother has a habit of buying beat up old things for about $500 and fixing them up so they run well enough to pass inspection, if not by much (there was one car which had reversing lights but did not actually go in reverse). Would it be possible for someone close to Polycarp to locate such a car and get it fixed up? I’d be willing to chip in for purchase and/or repair. > > CJ \*\* Can you still find a running car for $500.00? I’ve got a car he can have, but I’m in California plus I doubt it would make the trip across country. ---
**Author:** ![bdgr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@bdgr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bdgr)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2002, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-will-be-offline-indefinitely/143931/130 "2002-12-21T15:51:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Libertarian \* > \*\*Could someone explain how to use Paypal? Thanks. \*\* Well, you go to [www.paypal.com](http://www.paypal.com) You sign up for an account, and give them you bank account info(I know, it sound dangerous, but its not…They are actually owned by ebay) Then you can transfer money from your checking account to your paypal account, or to someone elses, which in turn they can transfer it from their paypal account into their bank account. I even have a paypal atm card, so when someone sends me money I can withdraw at an ATM instantly. You can also register Credit cards so that you can transfer from credit cards, or accept payment from credit cards if you sell something online. ITs safe, its much faster than sending it snail mail, and its easy. Thats why Ebay bought the company. ---
**Author:** ![bdgr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@bdgr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bdgr)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2002, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-will-be-offline-indefinitely/143931/131 "2002-12-21T15:54:25Z")
BTW, Scotticher, I sent you something yesterday. ---
**Author:** ![bdgr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@bdgr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bdgr)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2002, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-will-be-offline-indefinitely/143931/132 "2002-12-21T15:55:54Z")
Oh, and you get 5 bucks just for signing up ---
**Author:** ![LH75](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lh75/32/4438_2.png) [@LH75](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LH75)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2002, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-will-be-offline-indefinitely/143931/133 "2002-12-21T15:55:57Z")
good morning friends, i signed up and used a paypal account for the first time this morning. it is free, and secure. sign up at [paypal.com](http://paypal.com). you need to designate where you want the money transferd from (bank account, credit card) once you have confirmed your account via answering an email, you will log into a screen where you can send or receive money. you can send money to anyone with an email address by filling in the blanks. i am sure someone more familiar with paypal will have a better explanation. happy holidays, longhair ---
**Author:** ![Homebrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Homebrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homebrew)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2002, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-will-be-offline-indefinitely/143931/134 "2002-12-21T15:56:22Z")
For PayPal, go to [www.paypal.com](http://www.paypal.com), register for an account. After process is complete, go to the “Send Payment” tab enter the email account for the person you’re sending to, in this case [Scotticher@aol.com](mailto:Scotticher@aol.com) and enter the amount you want to send - choosing option Quasi-cash for this case, and click on send. That simple. ---
**Author:** ![bdgr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@bdgr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bdgr)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2002, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-will-be-offline-indefinitely/143931/135 "2002-12-21T16:04:23Z")
BTW, just the thought, if we can get enough donations, we might be able to get his car back, rather than getting another one. I dont know how far behind or how much it would take, but at least around here once they do a repo they have to hold it a certain amount of time to give the owner a chance to come up with the overdue amount(plus a repo fee). ---
**Author:** ![TruePisces](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/truepisces/32/13628_2.png) [@TruePisces](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruePisces)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2002, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-will-be-offline-indefinitely/143931/136 "2002-12-21T16:16:59Z")
**Scottilove** , we’re sending you some via paypal. We’re actually combining two amounts for both of the people you are collecting for. Split it in half and give to each. You all make me proud to be part of such a wonderful community. ---
**Author:** ![Tygr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/df788c/32.png) [@Tygr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tygr)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2002, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-will-be-offline-indefinitely/143931/137 "2002-12-21T16:48:08Z")
I’m gonna root around in the attic and see if the spare monitor we’ve got has suffered from being up there through two NC summers. After that we’ll be going out for a ride to check on our Saint and his wife (if we can find 'em). I just might go ahead and print out this thread and take it with us to show them how much they’re missed. IMHO, seeing the warmth, generosity, and caring of the Doper community would make a good Christmas card. ---
**Author:** ![bdgr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@bdgr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bdgr)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2002, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-will-be-offline-indefinitely/143931/138 "2002-12-21T16:50:41Z")
Sound like a great idea, tygr. ---
**Author:** ![Drastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Drastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drastic)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2002, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-will-be-offline-indefinitely/143931/139 "2002-12-21T17:10:34Z")
Egads! This situation will not stand! Polycarp has been _the_ voice that’s been the greatest help for me in dismantling an old shoulder-chip about Christianity, which in turn was a huge stumbling block in the way of my own faith. I’m in. Off to Paypal. ---
**Author:** ![Siege](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Siege](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siege)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2002, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-will-be-offline-indefinitely/143931/140 "2002-12-21T17:18:06Z")
Congratulations, people. I’ve just gotten off the phone with **Polycarp** , and you have rendered him speechless. And shedding tears of joy. He has asked me to tell you that he can’t possibly thank you enough. I think he’s also a bit awestruck by you. I know I am. So, practical stuff. **Polycarp** and his wife have friends who’ve taken them grocery shopping, and there’s an overpriced place they can walk to for the basics. Their church is also giving them a turkey dinner for Christmas. **Scotticher** has suggested that any and all cash we get be put toward getting them a car for them, and that sounds like a good idea to me. One important question. Does anyone know a good mechanic in Franklin County, N.C.? I’m not sure how much money we’ll raise, but when we find a car, it may need to be worked on. **GOM** , my brother’s found cars for $200, but they’ve needed a bit of work to get them running. **Tygr** , thank you for your offer to print out this thread. If I had a working printer, I’d be doing so myself to go out with the card I’ll be sending them, but that’ll have to wait a few days (come on, Santa!). You’ve left **Polycarp** speechless and in tears, and nearly done the same to me. On his behalf, but also mine, thank you, every one of you, who asked how you could help. You have brought light to an otherwise bleak Christmas season. I’ll continue to keep you posted. Hang it, how can I not be religious, when I see something like this happen?! 😃 CJ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-will-be-offline-indefinitely/143931.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polycarp-will-be-offline-indefinitely/143931.md?page=8)