Bill Cosby Has It Wrong
Published 2012.04.11 | 
Bill Cosby, a man who I have been a fan of since I was a single digit year old kid, and who is a hero of mine, has it wrong. Because of the Trayvon Martin case, the ‘Cos comes out saying that Neighborhood Watchmen should not carry guns. That’s just a plain stupid thing to say Bill, sorry but I have to call you on it. Saying that is like saying that fisherman shouldn’t have knives because someone got stabbed once. As long as the person carrying the weapon is doing so legally, I don’t see a problem. Look at the root of the issue, and that is the man carrying the gun. Call it like it is, Zimmerman should not have been a neighborhood watchman in the first place. And if I have my info straight, he put himself in that position all by himself, while everyone else stood by and did nothing, including the real neighborhood watch people. How is it that someone can come out and say they represent an organization, even calling themselves a leader in it, and no one cries foul? Even so, it’s not the gun that’s the problem, it’s the person carrying the gun that’s the problem. That is of course assuming that his version of the incident is not the correct one. I don’t know if he acted right or wrong, I have my suspicion, but I don’t know and that’s the key. We don’t know! We, the people, and the media especially, have tried and convicted someone before the facts have been heard. Frankly, I don’t think that the facts can be heard now, nowhere will this man even get a fair shake, despite innocent until proven guilty. I am getting off topic here, the point is that the horrible situation that went down between Zimmerman and Martin had nothing to do with whether Zimmerman carried a gun, and all to do with Zimmerman acting carelessly. I think we all can agree that whichever story is correct, Zimmerman over reacted, and that’s the point … ZIMMERMAN over reacted, the person.
I don’t understand people
Published 2012.02.15 | Here I am, sitting at my desk working on some server stuff, and I have the TV show Hardcore Pawn playing on another monitor. I like the show, I find it interesting, especially watching the people who come and go to and from the store. Today, as I do many days and with many shows, I just have it running as background noise. It’s something to help fill the silence as I work in an empty office, and occasionally I can look up and see something entertaining for a super quick break from the command prompt.
Now, for my whole purpose in posting this. Hardcore Pawn is about, as I am sure you can gather from the name, a pawn shop. In this case it’s a rather large pawn shop in Detroit called American Jewelry and Loan. I just saw something that amazed me, and it’s not the first time I have seen it either, but it’s the first time I decided to post something about it. The way the pawn shop works is, you take whatever it is that you want to pawn (get a loan on) or just outright sell, to the shop. Once you take it inside the shop, one of the people who work there will take a look at it, basically appraise it (figuring out what it might be worth and if they thing they can make any money on it) and then will tell you what your options are. By options I mean what they will give you for it.
Usually, they will give you two numbers, the amount of money they will loan you if you are looking to get it back, and the amount of money they will pay you outright if you are wanting to sell it. From what I have seen, and this only applies to American Jewelry and Loan since they are the ones in the TV show, those numbers are pretty much solid and there is little room for negotiation. Sometimes people come in and tell them what they want out of something, and if it’s too high the staff will then negotiate, but they don’t hesitate to say no if someone wants too much.
Such was the case that got me typing this article. A young woman wanted to pawn a pair of earrings and the clerk informed her that the “diamonds” on the earrings were false and that they were not interested in paying anything for them. This is where it gets a bit crazy. The customer tells the clerk that she “don’t wanna hear that” and that the clerk is in fact gonna pay for her earrings. The clerk says again that they are not interested while the customer repeats her mantra “just pawn my earrings”. What I find funny and crazy about this is that the store has said no, and the customer tells the clerk that they are going to do it anyway. Like the clerk should then say something like “Oh, you are right, what was I thinking”.
Do these customers (remember, this isn’t the first time I have seen this happen) really think that their tantrums are going to change someones mind? I mean, come on, you don’t go to a restaurant and eat your meal and then when the check comes tell them that they are going to charge you $2.00 for that stake instead of $8.00 like it says on the menu. It boggles my mind, I cannot comprehend what these people are thinking. “No, we don’t want to buy your item.” – “Yes you do, you are going to buy it and right now.” Maybe they don’t realize that Jedi mind tricks aren’t real? These aren’t the droids you are looking for!
Anyway, I had to express something about this because I have seen it over and over and it blows my mind. Just like you can’t push a rope, you can’t use mind control to get better deals at a pawn shop! Hey, anyone out there, drop a comment or pop into the forums (I am setting them up now, should be operational soon!) and tell me what you think.
A Goldmine Of Funny Sound Bytes
Published 2012.01.24 | I was doing some surfing around the ‘net, and decided to do a little searching for some new computer sounds. Every once in a while you have to liven’ things up a little and add some personality to your PC by adding some custom sounds. Well, I do anyway. In my travels, I came across this site presumably run by Clay Loomis since the domain is clayloomis.com (notice how my sharp eye and keen intellect worked that out!). What I found there was a Goldmine of audio files, not really for making computer sounds, but great stuff to listen to nonetheless. There are Mel Gibson goin’ crazy phone calls right down to Bill Cosby singing The Beatles Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band (I haven’t built up the courage to listen to that one yet, but I will get there!). Those are just the “Oddities” section, he has several others that should be more “normal”. Anyway, after coming across this I knew I had to share it with my readers so take a look and enjoy!
http://www.clayloomis.com/odd.html
Michael Jackson’s Doctors Trial
Published 2011.09.26 | 
Don’t ask me why, ’cause I don’t know, but I had major surgery recently and as I am resting and recovering I have spent some time watching TruTV and their coverage of the trial of the doctor that has been put up on murder charges. Let me tell you, I can see right through all of this bullshit, there is no real murder trial here first of all. This trial is a scapegoat trial because rather than admit that this guy (Michael Jackson) is human, and had some problems (OK, let’s face it, the man had lots of problems), and some of those may have been pain related that lead to the drug use, or it might have been some time of psycho analytic thing, but regardless he had an addiction to drugs, there is no doubt about that if you open your eyes and look at what all has gone on from the beginning.
So, let me make a little sense here from what I just said above. Rather than admitting that Michael Jackson was a man, and a human being with god and bad and trials and tribulations just like the rest of it, the are trying to point to the doctor and say that he did it, so that Michael’s “image” can seem untarnished by this, it was the doctor that caused his death not his addiction to drugs.
I say come one people, look at the facts, the real facts, not what the news pundits are trying to spoon feed you. My bet is that Michael was in a lot of pain, between all the surgeries he had, and the extremely physical performances he put on, all that stuff takes a toll on your body and I bet he used the pain killers to help with that. The problem thought, is that like with a lot of people, famous or not, they get to depending on them too much and whammo, they are addicted.
Michael Jackson was a man of huge and extreme talent, the likes of which we probably never see again, at least not any time soon, but he was still a man nonetheless, and a great loss when he died.
This Just In – Criss Angel Sucks
Published 2011.06.15 | Well, I was going to write up a post about Criss Angel and how bad he sucks at magic and even just plain entertaining people. Then I found a nice write up at another blog out there and I really couldn’t see that I would improve upon it so I figured I would link to it instead.
“First of all, Criss, can I call you Chris? If you’re going to take a pseudonym, why don’t you not spell it like a jackass? I mean, I understand if you’re one of those people whose parents thought they were being original and decided to spell your name with all kinds of crazy extra vowels, misplaced consonants and the letter Y. But you, you CHOSE this name and that’s the route you went? Interesting.
Anyway, I don’t know if any of you have ever seen the show “Mindfreak” on A&E – but it’s terrible. It’s got “acting” and a production quality on par with porn and is generally pretty uninspiring. In addition to dressing like a model from the Hot Topic catalog CA’s deep self love and constant chest pounding/finger kissing/pointing at the sky routine wears thin pretty quickly.”
Today’s Words of Wisdom – 2011.06.12
Published 2011.06.12 |
Forgive your enemies – It really messes with their heads!
C, E-flat and G go into a bar …
Published 2011.06.11 | My buddy Steve posted this on his Facebook page and I just had to share it, it’s brilliant really …
“C, E-flat and G go into a bar. The bartender says, “sorry, but we don’t serve minors.” So E-flat leaves, and C and G have an open fifth between them. After a few drinks, the fifth is diminished and G is out flat. F comes in and tries to augment the situation, but is not sharp enough.
D comes in and heads for the bathroom saying, “Excuse me. I’ll just be a second.” Then A comes in, but the bartender is not convinced that this relative of C is not a minor. Then the bartender notices B-flat hiding at the end of the bar and says, “Get out! You’re the seventh minor I’ve found in this bar tonight.”
E-Flat comes back the next night in a three-piece suit with nicely shined shoes. The bartender says, “you’re looking sharp tonight. Come on in, this could be a major development.” Sure enough, E-flat soon takes off his suit and everything else, and is au natural.
Eventually C sobers up and realizes in horror that he’s under a rest. C is brought to trial, found guilty of contributing to the diminution of a minor, and is sentenced to 10 years of D.S. without Coda at an upscale correctional facility.”
The Government Interferes with Business and We The People get Screwed!
Published 2011.05.04 | 
Frankly, after reading an article recently, I don’t know which part is worse. The fact that the Government feels like they need to be meddling in the business affairs of banks across the country and the retailers that sell goods and services to the country’s people, or the unfettered power that the banks can wield to make us all feel their wrath.
I know, I know, you are reading this and thinking that I had a double helping of my fanatic-o’s this morning, but that isn’t true. This is a real situation and problem that we are all facing (or soon will be facing) right here and right now. I am talking about the war that is waging between the banks and the Federal Reserve, a war over something as simple sounding as “swipe fees”.
You see, swipe fees are what retailers pay the banks when you and I swipe our debit card as we buy something. To the tune of about $0.44 cents per swipe or purchase on average. This is where it gets interesting, the Federal Reserve has gotten all puffed up and self righteous saying that they need to cut those swipe fees by more than 70%, to about $0.12 cents per swipe. Take that few cents difference and multiply it over a few bazillion times a day that people make purchases and you can see why the banks are pretty peeved over it.
Naturally, the banks reaction is to cut out those rewards programs they have been enticing people with. Not to mention jacking ATM fees up high and faster than gas prices at the pump. In some places, people are seeing $4 and $5 ATM fees for non-customers! Yowza! Another tactic that the banks are proposing, is capping the limit of what you can purchase with your debit card, like making it so that you can’t purchase more than say $50 worth of stuff at a time. This means you’ll have to get more swipes in to ultimately make that purchase, even if you run it as a credit card. On top of all that, if you make a late payment, even a customer in good standing that previously never missed one, they have it worked out so they can hike your APR to as much as 30%! Nice customer loyalty program there, isn’t it?
Sneaky, huh?
Right now, most of this stuff is not in effect yet, but it’s being tested in certain locations and plans are being made while bank lobbyists and Federal Reserve Weenies argue over it. Either way this falls, stay informed and keep an eye out for tricks so you don’t get hammered by one side or the other. Take a look at this article and get some more details too, it’s an eye opener.
Misc
