Fr. Fred, 
This from the weekly column of the Vernon garden society (or whatever they call themselves).
Soil = the stuff one works with in the garden.
Dirt = what one finds under one’s finger nails after working in the garden.
Gee, Fred, down here, at least where I grew up, dirt was dirt. Dirt is the stuff that plants grow in. Now, there are many kinds of dirt.
Fer instance, there is clay dirt, Sandy dirt, sandy loam dirt, topsoil dirt, fill dirt, potting dirt, clay-loam dirt, loam dirt, or, just plain dirt. That was the stuff I usually dragged in from outside that got me in trouble with my mother, as in, “Land sakes, where did you find all that dirt?”
My six year old (at the time) son even named sterilized manure for amendment, “poopy dirt.”
Steve Featherkile said:
..............My six year old (at the time) son even named sterilized manure for amendment, “poopy dirt.”
He didn’t get that from you, that’s too politically correct! :lol:
Fred,
soil is ‘soil’ when it is where it is supposed to be - on the garden. Soil becomes dirt when it is transferred away from its natural environment, such as on childrens’ (note that I did not say ‘kids’) bodies after playing outdoors or it is deposited on a new white rug or carpet. It is still the same material, just different location. If one were digging in the garden, then any soil on your body is still ‘soil’, but once you move away from the garden, then that ‘soil’ becomes ‘dirt’. We refer to ‘potting soil’ as potting mix, as it is usually not simply soil, but a mixture of soil, compost and added material (such as broken up foam packaging), to promote the soil from sticking together and aiding drainage.
Fred & Tim
Great explanations! I’m giving the nod to Tim since that’s closest to my understanding. But the term in question was "potting earth)!
Jack Barton said:
Fred & TimGreat explanations! I’m giving the nod to Tim since that’s closest to my understanding. But the term in question was "potting earth)!
Your memory is getting shorter by the hour, the term in question was
HJ said:
planting earth
and the reason why I didn’t call it planting medium was also explained. Concessions to your grasp!
The classic anthropological explanation is Tim’s --Dirt is “matter out of place.” My fingernails are not dirt on the ends of my fingers, but fingernail clippings become dirt. Saliva is not dirt in your mouth, but as spit on the ground it’s repulsive dirt. Things become “dirty” when they are out of place. Money is often referred to as “dirty money” because money has no place–it’s always circulating
LES DITTRICH said:Back on topic.
Interestingly enough the announcement only says an agreement. Nothing about money! Normally, when a company buys something, they use the word purchase. So unless the "intangible asset" shows up in Marklin's next set of financial statements, we'll never know. Les
Les,
Recently David Buffington made this comment after stating he has no further offical involvement with these companies and that the deal had been signed.
“Märklin purchased Lehmann, the maker of LGB trains, in the bankruptcy auction last year and purchased the LGBoA’s trademark and marketing rights in the last few days.”
I’m not party to Märklin’s books but I do recall there are two sides to a set of books. I guess “due diligence” means different things to different people.
Jack
Jack,
Due diligence means making sure that what is offered for sale or subject of a asset bid in a bankruptcy is actually in the possession of those who sell it. As we all know LGBoA was not part of the package Goede had under his bankruptcy administration. If he wanted to contest that, he would have had to go to court and fight/dispute the legality of the “sale/transfer” of LGBoA to G45.
Very unlikely move in that interwoven maze of “spezi” deals in Nürnberg - as I remarked often enough, the time to have Goede dismissed as the bankruptcy administrator was when the bankruptcy went to official status.
Märklin/LGB could have
a) simply wait out LGBoA.
b) take G45/LGBoA to court on the legality of the “sale/transfer” - with as many different dates as were mentioned for that “deal” the time limit could well have expired!
c) negotiate a mutually acceptable deal.
So it was “c”; what remains to be seen is what will unfold in future. The devil is always in the detail! (thus my obsession with details 
:P)
And as I wrote before: clearing up the mess that EPL Patentwerk oHG left with the OEM in China wasn’t exactly chump change. And what happened to the supplier of the LGB roadbed is another sorry story. There are more legacies like that, all the result of your friends and acquaintances business manners.
As the saying goes: You can’t pick your relatives, but you sure can pick your friends and acquaintances. Better luck with your choice next time, Jack!
Hans-Joerg Mueller said:
Märklin/LGB could havea) simply wait out LGBoA.
b) take G45/LGBoA to court on the legality of the “sale/transfer” - with as many different dates as were mentioned for that “deal” the time limit could well have expired!
c) negotiate a mutually acceptable deal.
So it was “c”; what remains to be seen is what will unfold in future. The devil is always in the detail! (thus my obsession with details
We are not naive enough to believe that your third choice was likely in your mind. Regardless, all those claims, rumors, implications are moot now that this deal is complete.
Hans-Joerg Mueller said:I haven't been given any indication that the mess with the Chinese molds is cleared up yet! I still hear of problems. Again regardless, no body held a gun to Märklin's head. If they did their diligence, they evidently continued in spite of it.
clearing up the mess that EPL Patentwerk oHG left with the OEM in China wasn't exactly chump change.
Hans-Joerg Mueller said:The tank tread company was having financial difficulties long before they sought a new secondary source of sales through Lehmann. Next you'll be telling us that Lehmann was the trigger for the World Wide financial collapse.
And what happened to the supplier of the LGB roadbed is another sorry story.
Hans-Joerg Mueller said:Maybe that's why the wife didn't take your last name. Wait. That's really low, I apologize.
You can't pick your relatives, but you sure can pick your friends and acquaintances.
Jack Barton said:Precisely, all history and no more reason for your "wait 'til next week" or "2012" or other spin.
We are not naive enough to believe that your third choice was likely in your mind. Regardless, all those claims, rumors, implications are moot now that this deal is complete.Hans-Joerg Mueller said:I haven't been given any indication that the mess with the Chinese molds is cleared up yet! I still hear of problems. Again regardless, no body held a gun to Märklin's head. If they did their diligence, they evidently continued in spite of it.
clearing up the mess that EPL Patentwerk oHG left with the OEM in China wasn't exactly chump change.Hans-Joerg Mueller said:The tank tread company was having financial difficulties long before they sought a new secondary source of sales through Lehmann. Next you'll be telling us that Lehmann was the trigger for the World Wide financial collapse.
And what happened to the supplier of the LGB roadbed is another sorry story.Hans-Joerg Mueller said:Maybe that's why the wife didn't take your last name. Wait. That's really low, I apologize.
You can't pick your relatives, but you sure can pick your friends and acquaintances.
It’s quite possible that those guys had problems, but adding the non-paying EPL Patentwerk oHG as a customer sure didn’t improve things, did it? So they went tits up as well. One can’t live on a “We’ll pay you later when the market develops” promise, can one?
On the last one, unlike you, not everyone needs to repeat the same mistake several times. Of course I’m strictly referring to your spin doctor and PR avtivities. :lol:
Hans-Joerg Mueller said:
Precisely, all history and no more reason for your "wait 'til next week" or "2012" or other spin.On the last one, unlike you, not everyone needs to repeat the same mistake several times.
You are 100% correct. The fat lady has sung. The final curtain has come down. That’s what I have been trying to say. It only remains to be seen if and when the curtain fully reopens wether the customer is treated to an opera or a vaudeville show. There is only yesterday for some of us.
You have me pegged on that last one, but after visiting some of the threads in “off topic”, it appears us “two-timers” may be in the majority. I just “dig” because you “dig”. My son’s wife retained her last name and I have no problem with it what-so-ever. Have a good one!
Jack
I’m sure not going to loose any sleep waiting on there arrival. Later RJD
Money actually changed hands on the last deal?
Really?
Wonder if folks who say or report that may wish they hadn’t?
Just wondering is all?
Jack Barton said:LES DITTRICH said:Back on topic.
Interestingly enough the announcement only says an agreement. Nothing about money! Normally, when a company buys something, they use the word purchase. So unless the "intangible asset" shows up in Marklin's next set of financial statements, we'll never know. LesLes,
Recently David Buffington made this comment after stating he has no further offical involvement with these companies and that the deal had been signed.
“Märklin purchased Lehmann, the maker of LGB trains, in the bankruptcy auction last year and purchased the LGBoA’s trademark and marketing rights in the last few days.”
I’m not party to Märklin’s books
Jack
I wonder what makes Mr B a more reliable source than a german publication?
LES DITTRICH said:If I have to explain that, then there is a bigger gap in the background knowledge of the situation then I care to go through.
I wonder what makes Mr B a more reliable source than a german publication?
Jack
Jack Barton said:LES DITTRICH said:If I have to explain that, then there is a bigger gap in the background knowledge of the situation then I care to go through.
I wonder what makes Mr B a more reliable source than a german publication?Jack
Yes, Jack!
Are we speaking of the same Dave Buffington who in the early 2000s took a “time out” on G Scale Group because someone challenged him on the veracity of his statements?
Generally speaking I have found that the statements in the European press were/are a lot closer to the facts than anything we have heard via the EPL/G45/LGBoA PR machine and that includes the Head Ventilator (not to be confused with “The Original Ventilator”!).
It started with the differences in the insolvency announcements on either side of the pond and continued from there.
Micro Mind you’re all bung and no barrel
Yes Jack, I know it’s a problem when people remember a bit farther back than just day before yesterday.
Maybe JB will change his mind and explain…next week perhaps?
I know Mr B was “close” to some of the action - we all know that - but it is a pretty poor show when “announcements” have to be made by third parties propagating hearsay rather than the relevant company directors or officers communicating fact. Personally, I would have expected some statement from the owners or directors of LGBoA to their loyal supporters.
On the question of reliability perhaps that is the wrong word. Impartiality would be better.
I did see Mr B mention the purchase word but since this was all a reaction to comments already posted and the fact that it is at odds with two statements made elsewhere on the internet, Mr B’s pronouncements can at best be said to differ from the other accounts.
Rgds
Les