Well covered in many other more widely-read forums is this guys account of being arrested after failing to show his store receipt (and driver's license) upon exiting a Circuit City store in Ohio.
This boils my blood (and scares the holy shit outta me). I had a similar, much less severe run in with a store goon years back when I waltzed out of a local electronics store without producing a receipt. I despise being asked to account for my personal property when leaving a store. I'm not a criminal, don't treat me like one. If you saw me steal something, bust me. If not, fuck off. Leave me alone.
So I donated a few bucks to the guy's legal fund. And I'm writing Circuit City a letter (on actual paper) and mailing it (with an actual stamp), telling them that unless they resolve this, publicly, and in the above referenced guy's favor, the money I was planning on spending there this year (after getting my new high-paying job) for the new ~50" HighDef TV and DSLR camera system will be spent at a competing store. (I never said I wasn't a liar).
Don't fuck with my rights. Or anyone else's for that matter.
Showing posts with label Rants. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rants. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Monday, February 05, 2007
Super B*wl Scofflaws
The CNN/SI story the other day taught us all a few crucial NFL laws regarding television size, the Super Bowl and the legality of watching said "Big Game"[tm] (previously ranted about here). The following people have (foolishly) admitted violating NFL law on Super Bowl Sunday by either (a) having a TV screen larger than allowed by said NFL laws ("no bigger than 55 inches"), or (b) by being involved in a "mass out-of-home viewing" of the Super Bowl.
As we saw when the NFL bravely shut down a church's plan for a "Super Bowl" party...
"NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said the league's long-standing policy is to ban "mass out-of-home viewing" of the Super Bowl. An exception is made for sports bars and other businesses that show televised sports as a part of their everyday operations.
"We have contracts with our (TV) networks to provide free over-the-air television for people at home," Aiello said. "The network economics are based on television ratings and at-home viewing. Out-of-home viewing is not measured by Nielsen."
My expert journalistic sleuthing hath uncovered the following list of offenders (Johnny Law, take note):
US forces serving in Iraq.
Circumstances: [1st Lt. Lea Ann] Fracasso, who is with Task Force 134 and was rooting for Chicago, joined about 80 other troops for a Super Bowl party in a mess hall at Camp Victory
Violation: Gathering violates the "mass out-of-home viewing" law.
---
Participants in a Princeton University study. (This violation took place in 2005, so the statute of limitations may have passed. I'll have to have my NFL-Law attorney check the books).
Circumstances: "The 58 fans sitting before the big-screen television were watching the Super Bowl. Psychologist Emily Pronin was watching the fans."
Violation: Gathering violates the "mass out-of-home viewing" law.
---
A number of "DC elite" as profiled in a Washington Post article:
Violators: Jon Felts - admitted to a "THEATER ROOM: 92-inch Projector Screen broadcasting the game in FULL HD with 5.1 surround sound package" and also to the fact that he "expects about 30 people".
Violation: Gathering violates the "mass out-of-home viewing" law. Television exceeds the "no bigger than 55 inches" law.
---
Violators: Washington Wizards point guard Gilbert Arenas - "said he invited the whole basketball team to watch the Super Bowl". Also..."Arenas owns a 120-inch high-def projection screen, a second 100-plus-inch screen and six more TVs scattered about. All eight will be showing the game".
Violation: Gathering violates the "mass out-of-home viewing" law. Television exceeds the "no bigger than 55 inches" law. Multiple counts on the size violation.
---
Violators: Shopping mall magnate Herb Miller - who "owns a slightly smaller main screen than [Gilbert] Arenas, 113 inches".
Violation: Television exceeds the "no bigger than 55 inches" law.
---
Violators: Unnamed "Pentagon Staffers" - "We do have televisions down here," said Lt. Col. George Wright, deep inside the U.S. Army Operations Center. Specifically, five screens of up to roughly 60 inches, at least two of which are high-def capable.
About 30 staffers are expected to work today. Would they flip on the game? "It is not unusual on Sundays for at least one of the televisions to have professional football on," Wright said.
Violation: Gathering violates the "mass out-of-home viewing" law. Television exceeds the "no bigger than 55 inches" law.
---
Violators: Jim Abdo, the developer who made a name for himself in Washington [DC]'s Logan Circle area - admits to having a "a 61-inch high-def plasma". Mr Abdo goes on to implicate the former Mayor and First Lady of the District of Columbia: "The Abdos generally invite a small crowd over for the game. Last year, then-Mayor Anthony A. Williams and his wife, Diane, came. The Williamses plan to return today.
Violation: Television exceeds the "no bigger than 55 inches" law.
---
These scofflaws were discovered using a single source (the Washington Post). I expect with a little bit of good ol' fashion beat-cop work, we'll be able to uncover hundreds, perhaps thousands of violators. I sure hope there's a crimesolvers reward for turning in these dangerous criminals. I want a cut of each for unearthing this crime ring.
For those of you looking to the not-so-distant future, both Sharp and Samsung offer TVs on which NFL viewing is illegal. Samsung offers a 102" plasma set, and Sharp, a 108" LCD. Please keep this in mind when whipping out that Amex card at your local Best Buy.
The CNN/SI story the other day taught us all a few crucial NFL laws regarding television size, the Super Bowl and the legality of watching said "Big Game"[tm] (previously ranted about here). The following people have (foolishly) admitted violating NFL law on Super Bowl Sunday by either (a) having a TV screen larger than allowed by said NFL laws ("no bigger than 55 inches"), or (b) by being involved in a "mass out-of-home viewing" of the Super Bowl.
As we saw when the NFL bravely shut down a church's plan for a "Super Bowl" party...
"NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said the league's long-standing policy is to ban "mass out-of-home viewing" of the Super Bowl. An exception is made for sports bars and other businesses that show televised sports as a part of their everyday operations.
"We have contracts with our (TV) networks to provide free over-the-air television for people at home," Aiello said. "The network economics are based on television ratings and at-home viewing. Out-of-home viewing is not measured by Nielsen."
My expert journalistic sleuthing hath uncovered the following list of offenders (Johnny Law, take note):
US forces serving in Iraq.
Circumstances: [1st Lt. Lea Ann] Fracasso, who is with Task Force 134 and was rooting for Chicago, joined about 80 other troops for a Super Bowl party in a mess hall at Camp Victory
Violation: Gathering violates the "mass out-of-home viewing" law.
---
Participants in a Princeton University study. (This violation took place in 2005, so the statute of limitations may have passed. I'll have to have my NFL-Law attorney check the books).
Circumstances: "The 58 fans sitting before the big-screen television were watching the Super Bowl. Psychologist Emily Pronin was watching the fans."
Violation: Gathering violates the "mass out-of-home viewing" law.
---
A number of "DC elite" as profiled in a Washington Post article:
Violators: Jon Felts - admitted to a "THEATER ROOM: 92-inch Projector Screen broadcasting the game in FULL HD with 5.1 surround sound package" and also to the fact that he "expects about 30 people".
Violation: Gathering violates the "mass out-of-home viewing" law. Television exceeds the "no bigger than 55 inches" law.
---
Violators: Washington Wizards point guard Gilbert Arenas - "said he invited the whole basketball team to watch the Super Bowl". Also..."Arenas owns a 120-inch high-def projection screen, a second 100-plus-inch screen and six more TVs scattered about. All eight will be showing the game".
Violation: Gathering violates the "mass out-of-home viewing" law. Television exceeds the "no bigger than 55 inches" law. Multiple counts on the size violation.
---
Violators: Shopping mall magnate Herb Miller - who "owns a slightly smaller main screen than [Gilbert] Arenas, 113 inches".
Violation: Television exceeds the "no bigger than 55 inches" law.
---
Violators: Unnamed "Pentagon Staffers" - "We do have televisions down here," said Lt. Col. George Wright, deep inside the U.S. Army Operations Center. Specifically, five screens of up to roughly 60 inches, at least two of which are high-def capable.
About 30 staffers are expected to work today. Would they flip on the game? "It is not unusual on Sundays for at least one of the televisions to have professional football on," Wright said.
Violation: Gathering violates the "mass out-of-home viewing" law. Television exceeds the "no bigger than 55 inches" law.
---
Violators: Jim Abdo, the developer who made a name for himself in Washington [DC]'s Logan Circle area - admits to having a "a 61-inch high-def plasma". Mr Abdo goes on to implicate the former Mayor and First Lady of the District of Columbia: "The Abdos generally invite a small crowd over for the game. Last year, then-Mayor Anthony A. Williams and his wife, Diane, came. The Williamses plan to return today.
Violation: Television exceeds the "no bigger than 55 inches" law.
---
These scofflaws were discovered using a single source (the Washington Post). I expect with a little bit of good ol' fashion beat-cop work, we'll be able to uncover hundreds, perhaps thousands of violators. I sure hope there's a crimesolvers reward for turning in these dangerous criminals. I want a cut of each for unearthing this crime ring.
For those of you looking to the not-so-distant future, both Sharp and Samsung offer TVs on which NFL viewing is illegal. Samsung offers a 102" plasma set, and Sharp, a 108" LCD. Please keep this in mind when whipping out that Amex card at your local Best Buy.
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Keep your laws off of my TV
Are you ready for some LITIGATION![TM]
What a load of shit.
NFL won't let church show game. (That would be the Super Bowl(c)(tm)(sm)(ascap)(naacp)(aflcio)(aeiou sometimes y) in case you were wondering. (*)
The NLF "...objected to the church's plans to use a projector to show the game, saying the law limits it to one TV no bigger than 55 inches."
So, according to them, if I want to watch the SUPER BOWL(c)(tm)(sm)(ascap)(naacp)(aflcio)(aeiou sometimes y) (**) on a bigass 96" screen via a nice projector in my basement (a possibility I hope will come to pass), I'd be breaking the law.
What about sports bars, say you? Read on:
"NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said the league's long-standing policy is to ban "mass out-of-home viewing" of the Super Bowl(***). An exception is made for sports bars and other businesses that show televised sports as a part of their everyday operations."
On this matter, the church has a good point:
""It just frustrates me that most of the places where crowds are going to gather to watch this game are going to be places that are filled with alcohol and other things that are inappropriate for children," Newland said. "We tried to provide an alternative to that and were shut down.""
Way to go NFL. I hope you guys come down with a nice case of jock itch.
* (Uh oh, I didn't pay to say those words in a public forum. Wonder if I'm guilty of copyright violation. Probably ought to call my lawyer just in case).
** (D'oh! Not again).
*** (I swear this one wasn't me!).
Are you ready for some LITIGATION![TM]
What a load of shit.
NFL won't let church show game. (That would be the Super Bowl(c)(tm)(sm)(ascap)(naacp)(aflcio)(aeiou sometimes y) in case you were wondering. (*)
The NLF "...objected to the church's plans to use a projector to show the game, saying the law limits it to one TV no bigger than 55 inches."
So, according to them, if I want to watch the SUPER BOWL(c)(tm)(sm)(ascap)(naacp)(aflcio)(aeiou sometimes y) (**) on a bigass 96" screen via a nice projector in my basement (a possibility I hope will come to pass), I'd be breaking the law.
What about sports bars, say you? Read on:
"NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said the league's long-standing policy is to ban "mass out-of-home viewing" of the Super Bowl(***). An exception is made for sports bars and other businesses that show televised sports as a part of their everyday operations."
On this matter, the church has a good point:
""It just frustrates me that most of the places where crowds are going to gather to watch this game are going to be places that are filled with alcohol and other things that are inappropriate for children," Newland said. "We tried to provide an alternative to that and were shut down.""
Way to go NFL. I hope you guys come down with a nice case of jock itch.
* (Uh oh, I didn't pay to say those words in a public forum. Wonder if I'm guilty of copyright violation. Probably ought to call my lawyer just in case).
** (D'oh! Not again).
*** (I swear this one wasn't me!).
Monday, January 29, 2007
More work than I was expecting
(Image stolen from some random website. Thanks to some random website)
I had hopes of going down to the protest in DC this past Saturday. Photo ops abound at these things. And my hopes of catching that Pulitzer prize winning moment had my head full of delusions of grandeur. But alas, it wasn't to be.
Ya see, the wife and I are house shopping. And I must say, it's way more work than I ever thought. I can't even imagine the horrors of trying to sell a house, if simply buying one is this much of a pain in the ass!
This ordeal started about three weeks ago, if I remember correctly. We picked a random bunch of Realtors (proper noun, dontchaknow) online and emailed each. One replied back with a non-canned response, so we decided to go with her. She's been in the business over 20 years, so we figured she was qualified.
On the first Saturday, I think we managed to see 6 or 8 places. Some were just plane fucking creepy. How people have the audacity to ask the prices they're asking for some of these shitholes is beyond me. We're focusing in Reston, as it's a decent commute for both of us, has lots of woods and old-growth trees, is close-ish to my kid, is close to the W&OD bike path, as well as another mountain bike loop I ride regularly.
The following weekend, we saw probably 4 or 5 more. This past week, we each took half-days on Friday and saw a few more places, in addition to seeing a couple of our favorite places again. Saturday AM, we decided to invite the wife's dad (and step-mom) over to look over the two front-runner houses so we could get another opinion. After seeing each place and hearing the thoughts of the in-laws, the wife and I decided to put in a bid on one place. So Sunday we went to the Realtor's office and spent ~4 hours in a "Q&A/sign here/sign there/initial here" marathon. The Realtor was going to put the bid in Monday AM, as the property we're looking at is "bank owned" (which means it was most likely foreclosed upon) and therefore available only on a M-F 9am-5pm kinda schedule. The Realtor tells us that "bank owned" properties are a huge pain in the ass, and many Realtors don't even deal with them. I see why, now.
So here it is, Monday morning. The Realtor gets in touch with the listing agent (seller) and hits him with a few questions we had before submitting the offer. Well, it turns out the house is being listed "strictly as is", which the listing didn't bother to mention. And, when you're selling something "strictly as is" and you don't mention that...it's a little bit...um, what's the word?..."illegal" I think is the term our Realtor used. What a fuckwad.
"As is" in VA is tricky. Legally, *all* homes are sold "as is", however there is a paragraph ("Paragraph 7" in case you were curious) in the contract which says, basically "the core systems of the house (heating/plumbing/ac/etc) will be in working order when we sell you the place". With a "strictly as is" house, that buyer-protecting paragraph is struck from the contract. Basically, "strictly as is" is a huge fucking red flag. Had the listing agent included that in the original listing, we would never have even looked at the place originally. We've skipped 3 or 4 other "strictly as is" homes for just that reason. In addition to the "strictly as is" red flag, the house has been winterized, so all of the water is shut off. The bank will not turn the water back on, so when we have a home inspection (which the seller won't pay for), the whole plumbing system will be essentially untested and untestable. Oh, yeah, and they won't pay for a termite inspection or a home warranty either.
So, basically, fuck that joint. It's off the radar. We wasted a few days with this place, and I'm a bit pissed. I should send a bill to the listing agent. Or maybe just pay him a visit and kick him in the nuts. Twice. Either one. I'm easy.
Now we're back to the drawing board, essentially. There is another place in Reston that's at the far end of our "we can afford to pay this for a house, and still (probably) be able to afford food". So we might make some changes to our contract and point it towards that place as opposed to the original place.
The wife also found another "we can afford to pay this for a house, and still (probably) be able to afford food" place we're checking out tomorrow night. Wish us luck.
(Image stolen from some random website. Thanks to some random website)
I had hopes of going down to the protest in DC this past Saturday. Photo ops abound at these things. And my hopes of catching that Pulitzer prize winning moment had my head full of delusions of grandeur. But alas, it wasn't to be.
Ya see, the wife and I are house shopping. And I must say, it's way more work than I ever thought. I can't even imagine the horrors of trying to sell a house, if simply buying one is this much of a pain in the ass!
This ordeal started about three weeks ago, if I remember correctly. We picked a random bunch of Realtors (proper noun, dontchaknow) online and emailed each. One replied back with a non-canned response, so we decided to go with her. She's been in the business over 20 years, so we figured she was qualified.
On the first Saturday, I think we managed to see 6 or 8 places. Some were just plane fucking creepy. How people have the audacity to ask the prices they're asking for some of these shitholes is beyond me. We're focusing in Reston, as it's a decent commute for both of us, has lots of woods and old-growth trees, is close-ish to my kid, is close to the W&OD bike path, as well as another mountain bike loop I ride regularly.
The following weekend, we saw probably 4 or 5 more. This past week, we each took half-days on Friday and saw a few more places, in addition to seeing a couple of our favorite places again. Saturday AM, we decided to invite the wife's dad (and step-mom) over to look over the two front-runner houses so we could get another opinion. After seeing each place and hearing the thoughts of the in-laws, the wife and I decided to put in a bid on one place. So Sunday we went to the Realtor's office and spent ~4 hours in a "Q&A/sign here/sign there/initial here" marathon. The Realtor was going to put the bid in Monday AM, as the property we're looking at is "bank owned" (which means it was most likely foreclosed upon) and therefore available only on a M-F 9am-5pm kinda schedule. The Realtor tells us that "bank owned" properties are a huge pain in the ass, and many Realtors don't even deal with them. I see why, now.
So here it is, Monday morning. The Realtor gets in touch with the listing agent (seller) and hits him with a few questions we had before submitting the offer. Well, it turns out the house is being listed "strictly as is", which the listing didn't bother to mention. And, when you're selling something "strictly as is" and you don't mention that...it's a little bit...um, what's the word?..."illegal" I think is the term our Realtor used. What a fuckwad.
"As is" in VA is tricky. Legally, *all* homes are sold "as is", however there is a paragraph ("Paragraph 7" in case you were curious) in the contract which says, basically "the core systems of the house (heating/plumbing/ac/etc) will be in working order when we sell you the place". With a "strictly as is" house, that buyer-protecting paragraph is struck from the contract. Basically, "strictly as is" is a huge fucking red flag. Had the listing agent included that in the original listing, we would never have even looked at the place originally. We've skipped 3 or 4 other "strictly as is" homes for just that reason. In addition to the "strictly as is" red flag, the house has been winterized, so all of the water is shut off. The bank will not turn the water back on, so when we have a home inspection (which the seller won't pay for), the whole plumbing system will be essentially untested and untestable. Oh, yeah, and they won't pay for a termite inspection or a home warranty either.
So, basically, fuck that joint. It's off the radar. We wasted a few days with this place, and I'm a bit pissed. I should send a bill to the listing agent. Or maybe just pay him a visit and kick him in the nuts. Twice. Either one. I'm easy.
Now we're back to the drawing board, essentially. There is another place in Reston that's at the far end of our "we can afford to pay this for a house, and still (probably) be able to afford food". So we might make some changes to our contract and point it towards that place as opposed to the original place.
The wife also found another "we can afford to pay this for a house, and still (probably) be able to afford food" place we're checking out tomorrow night. Wish us luck.
Monday, January 22, 2007
Questions
Ahh, the first snowfall of the season. For me, it always brings to mind a single fill-in-the-blank question:
What the fuck is the matter with _______________??
Fairfax County VA Department of Public Works, or Highways, or whatever the hell. Every fucking year we go through this. Every year! Why? 4...6 hours after the massive winter storm dropped nearly one whole inch of snow on us, why were major roads still a clusterfuck? I'm not talking about neighborhood roads. I'm talking major 2 or 4 lane thoroughfares. I had heard the forecasts days ago saying "winter weather is coming". Is there nobody in your department with a fucking radio? I mean, seriously. I think weather people are about 90% full of shit, too. But I at least give them a small benefit of the doubt. And I'm not responsible for keeping the county roads clear. YOU ARE! Why is it every year, you're caught with your proverbial pants around your ankles the first time it snows? Haven't you learned *anything*? Have you any idea what I pay in taxes each year? Well, neither do I, but it's a fucking lot. I'd appreciate it if some of those tax dollars could go to county services.
Fairfax County VA police. When you're going to close a fucking road because the highway department can't manage to sand it down (see rant, paragraph 1), how about closing it a mile or two back, maybe even at an intersection? I mean, instead of closing it 20' before the ice patch. Closing it *at* the problem spot leads to dozens, probably hundreds of cars (over the course of the night) having to pull U-turns on snowy, slushy 2-lane roads. This, in turn leads to cars that shouldn't be on the roads in the snow in the first place (see rant, paragraph 3-4) getting stuck and cluster fucking up the whole process for the rest of us.
My fellow drivers. I'm talking to you, people with cars that have no business in the snow. You know who you are...you must. Don't you? You Mustang drivers. Camaros. Corvettes, BMWs. Things with huge fucking engines and rear wheel drive. *I* know your car can't handle snow...why don't you? They're your cars? You guys get the other ~360 days of the year. All the dry, sunny days, where you take off from traffic lights and make us big, slow 4x4 SUV and truck drivers look like we're going backwards. Do me a favor, give us our 5 snowy days to rule the roads. You guys stay the fuck home.
Oh, and you 4x4 SUV and truck drivers who've got no idea how to drive that 4x4. If you think 4x4 means you can go 60 MPH and stop on a dime in the snow and ice, you guys just stay the fuck home too, OK? I saw one of you with your Toyota 4Runner who 4-runned his dumb ass 20' off the road into the woods. I saw at least 3 other 4x4 vehicles in various states of slid-off-the-road-ness. You guys do everybody a favor and stay home, eh? Pretty please?
And finally My fellow human beings. You're the worst of all. You make me so fucking crazy that I want to run around with a giant frozen herring and club you all in the heads. Here's a little lesson: If you're driving ~3 (yes, three) MPH after pulling one of those dumbass Police-induced U-turns (see rant, paragraph 2) and you see a woman and her ~2 year-old child walking along the side of a fairly dark, busy, shoulder-less, snowy, slushy road at night...WHY DON'T YOU FUCKING ROLL DOWN YOUR WINDOW AND ASK IF THEY NEED A LIFT??? What, that 5' tall woman with a small child in her arms is gonna pull out a knife, shank you, dump your body on the side of the road and drive off with your Lexus SUV? Seriously people, a little fucking humanity is all I ask. I don't even like people, and I managed to overcome my issues and offer assistance. I saw three of you in your bigass SUVs drive past this woman without so much as a slowdown and a "Hey, are you OK?". Let me tell you a little something, she wasn't. Sure, she, and her 2-year-old could have walked the ~1 mile back to their house. But they were damned grateful not to have to.
Or how about the (extremely) heavyset woman walking along the other dark, ice/slush/snow covered road? I saw one of you pass by her, apparently without a second thought. You think she was just out for a nighttime stroll? No, not so much. Again, is it too much to ask of my fellow man to slow down, roll down a window, and offer a "Hey, do you need a ride somewhere?". She did. She'd have had a hell of a ~2 mile walk ahead of her.
So, people, how about we try some common decency for a change. I'll make you an deal, you try to be better human beings, and I'll try to stop disliking so many of you. No promises. But I will try.
Ahh, the first snowfall of the season. For me, it always brings to mind a single fill-in-the-blank question:
What the fuck is the matter with _______________??
Fairfax County VA Department of Public Works, or Highways, or whatever the hell. Every fucking year we go through this. Every year! Why? 4...6 hours after the massive winter storm dropped nearly one whole inch of snow on us, why were major roads still a clusterfuck? I'm not talking about neighborhood roads. I'm talking major 2 or 4 lane thoroughfares. I had heard the forecasts days ago saying "winter weather is coming". Is there nobody in your department with a fucking radio? I mean, seriously. I think weather people are about 90% full of shit, too. But I at least give them a small benefit of the doubt. And I'm not responsible for keeping the county roads clear. YOU ARE! Why is it every year, you're caught with your proverbial pants around your ankles the first time it snows? Haven't you learned *anything*? Have you any idea what I pay in taxes each year? Well, neither do I, but it's a fucking lot. I'd appreciate it if some of those tax dollars could go to county services.
Fairfax County VA police. When you're going to close a fucking road because the highway department can't manage to sand it down (see rant, paragraph 1), how about closing it a mile or two back, maybe even at an intersection? I mean, instead of closing it 20' before the ice patch. Closing it *at* the problem spot leads to dozens, probably hundreds of cars (over the course of the night) having to pull U-turns on snowy, slushy 2-lane roads. This, in turn leads to cars that shouldn't be on the roads in the snow in the first place (see rant, paragraph 3-4) getting stuck and cluster fucking up the whole process for the rest of us.
My fellow drivers. I'm talking to you, people with cars that have no business in the snow. You know who you are...you must. Don't you? You Mustang drivers. Camaros. Corvettes, BMWs. Things with huge fucking engines and rear wheel drive. *I* know your car can't handle snow...why don't you? They're your cars? You guys get the other ~360 days of the year. All the dry, sunny days, where you take off from traffic lights and make us big, slow 4x4 SUV and truck drivers look like we're going backwards. Do me a favor, give us our 5 snowy days to rule the roads. You guys stay the fuck home.
Oh, and you 4x4 SUV and truck drivers who've got no idea how to drive that 4x4. If you think 4x4 means you can go 60 MPH and stop on a dime in the snow and ice, you guys just stay the fuck home too, OK? I saw one of you with your Toyota 4Runner who 4-runned his dumb ass 20' off the road into the woods. I saw at least 3 other 4x4 vehicles in various states of slid-off-the-road-ness. You guys do everybody a favor and stay home, eh? Pretty please?
And finally My fellow human beings. You're the worst of all. You make me so fucking crazy that I want to run around with a giant frozen herring and club you all in the heads. Here's a little lesson: If you're driving ~3 (yes, three) MPH after pulling one of those dumbass Police-induced U-turns (see rant, paragraph 2) and you see a woman and her ~2 year-old child walking along the side of a fairly dark, busy, shoulder-less, snowy, slushy road at night...WHY DON'T YOU FUCKING ROLL DOWN YOUR WINDOW AND ASK IF THEY NEED A LIFT??? What, that 5' tall woman with a small child in her arms is gonna pull out a knife, shank you, dump your body on the side of the road and drive off with your Lexus SUV? Seriously people, a little fucking humanity is all I ask. I don't even like people, and I managed to overcome my issues and offer assistance. I saw three of you in your bigass SUVs drive past this woman without so much as a slowdown and a "Hey, are you OK?". Let me tell you a little something, she wasn't. Sure, she, and her 2-year-old could have walked the ~1 mile back to their house. But they were damned grateful not to have to.
Or how about the (extremely) heavyset woman walking along the other dark, ice/slush/snow covered road? I saw one of you pass by her, apparently without a second thought. You think she was just out for a nighttime stroll? No, not so much. Again, is it too much to ask of my fellow man to slow down, roll down a window, and offer a "Hey, do you need a ride somewhere?". She did. She'd have had a hell of a ~2 mile walk ahead of her.
So, people, how about we try some common decency for a change. I'll make you an deal, you try to be better human beings, and I'll try to stop disliking so many of you. No promises. But I will try.
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Search *this*, asshat
Thanks to DT for pointing out this article on retailers searching *your* property after you've made a purchase and before you've left *their* store. Well worth the read, especially around this time of year. As the great Nancy Reagan once said..."Just Say No". Oh, and don't shop at Wal-Mart. They're truly evil.
http://www.bwcitypaper.com/bw.digg.page.final.html
The author is man after my own heart. I've said the same things they say in the article time and time again.
Thanks to DT for pointing out this article on retailers searching *your* property after you've made a purchase and before you've left *their* store. Well worth the read, especially around this time of year. As the great Nancy Reagan once said..."Just Say No". Oh, and don't shop at Wal-Mart. They're truly evil.
http://www.bwcitypaper.com/bw.digg.page.final.html
The author is man after my own heart. I've said the same things they say in the article time and time again.
Sunday, June 11, 2006
Are you f*cking kidding me?
In what is at once the most funny and fucked up explanation (spin) I have ever EVER heard, a military official had this to say about Saturday's three suicides at US the military prison at Guantánamo Bay:
"They are smart, they are creative, they are committed," Admiral Harris said. "They have no regard for life, neither ours nor their own. I believe this was not an act of desperation, but an act of asymmetrical warfare waged against us."
Wait, wait, wait. So the enemy is now waging war against us by killing themselves?? That's fantastic news! All we have to do now is sit back and watch it happen!! Maybe Bush knew more about war than we thought after all.
In what is at once the most funny and fucked up explanation (spin) I have ever EVER heard, a military official had this to say about Saturday's three suicides at US the military prison at Guantánamo Bay:
"They are smart, they are creative, they are committed," Admiral Harris said. "They have no regard for life, neither ours nor their own. I believe this was not an act of desperation, but an act of asymmetrical warfare waged against us."
Wait, wait, wait. So the enemy is now waging war against us by killing themselves?? That's fantastic news! All we have to do now is sit back and watch it happen!! Maybe Bush knew more about war than we thought after all.
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
Henrico County School System
Proving that it is still quite probably the dumbest fucking school system on the planet...the Henrico County VA school system suspended a kid (and kicked him off of the baseball team) for eating a cookie from a spilled cookie jar in the school kitchen.
For those who don't remember Henrico County's rise to the throne of "Dumbass-est School System on the Planet", allow me to refresh your memory:
1,000 laptops. 12,000 people. What could possibly go wrong?
The only reason I made this post is that I saw the county name and thought "Hrm, they're still being dumbasses. I should point that out to somebody". Mission accomplished.
Proving that it is still quite probably the dumbest fucking school system on the planet...the Henrico County VA school system suspended a kid (and kicked him off of the baseball team) for eating a cookie from a spilled cookie jar in the school kitchen.
For those who don't remember Henrico County's rise to the throne of "Dumbass-est School System on the Planet", allow me to refresh your memory:
1,000 laptops. 12,000 people. What could possibly go wrong?
The only reason I made this post is that I saw the county name and thought "Hrm, they're still being dumbasses. I should point that out to somebody". Mission accomplished.
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
What...
...the f*ck has gotten into this country? Don't we live here because of freedom or something? Somebody needs to mention that to these folks:
The first:
BLACK JACK, Mo. (AP) - The city council has rejected a measure allowing unmarried couples with multiple children to live together, and the mayor said those who fall into that category could soon face eviction.
That sounds vaguely familiar. "Well, we used to throw you out cuz yer brown. Now we're gonna throw you out cuz yer not livin' the way the Good Lord intended".
The next example of stupidness run amok is:
"...judge jails 14-year-old"
...snip...
"The teen, jailed since Wednesday, insists she is not a sex abuse victim and is demanding a lawyer be assigned to represent her, court records show.
However, jail officials said Monday she cannot speak with anyone without permission from county prosecutors."
Will she be "safer" in jail? Perhaps. The kid doesn't sound like she's ready to make decisions by herself yet (regardless if she's of legal age or not). But I would think that by putting her in jail against her will, she should have the right to talk to an attorney.
And finally, a couple from the "well, of course photography = terrorism, dumbass" department...
A NJ lawmaker wants to criminalize taking photos of power-plants and other sensitive infrastructure (via BoingBoing):
The [NJ] state Senate Law and Public Safety Committee is expected to discuss a bill today which would make it a crime -- punishable by up to 18 months in jail -- to photograph, videotape or otherwise record for an extended period of time a power generation, waste treatment, public sewage, water treatment, public water, nuclear or flammable liquid storage facility, as well as any airport in the state.
And lastly, the organizers of the 5 Boros Bike Tour in NYC have a photo contest. Rule #1?
1. Photos must be taken on Tour Day, Sunday, May 7, 2006, and must relate to some aspect of the Tour. Taking photos on bridges or their access points is strongly discouraged in the interest of public safety. Any such photos will not be considered for prizes.
...the f*ck has gotten into this country? Don't we live here because of freedom or something? Somebody needs to mention that to these folks:
The first:
BLACK JACK, Mo. (AP) - The city council has rejected a measure allowing unmarried couples with multiple children to live together, and the mayor said those who fall into that category could soon face eviction.
That sounds vaguely familiar. "Well, we used to throw you out cuz yer brown. Now we're gonna throw you out cuz yer not livin' the way the Good Lord intended".
The next example of stupidness run amok is:
"...judge jails 14-year-old"
...snip...
"The teen, jailed since Wednesday, insists she is not a sex abuse victim and is demanding a lawyer be assigned to represent her, court records show.
However, jail officials said Monday she cannot speak with anyone without permission from county prosecutors."
Will she be "safer" in jail? Perhaps. The kid doesn't sound like she's ready to make decisions by herself yet (regardless if she's of legal age or not). But I would think that by putting her in jail against her will, she should have the right to talk to an attorney.
And finally, a couple from the "well, of course photography = terrorism, dumbass" department...
A NJ lawmaker wants to criminalize taking photos of power-plants and other sensitive infrastructure (via BoingBoing):
The [NJ] state Senate Law and Public Safety Committee is expected to discuss a bill today which would make it a crime -- punishable by up to 18 months in jail -- to photograph, videotape or otherwise record for an extended period of time a power generation, waste treatment, public sewage, water treatment, public water, nuclear or flammable liquid storage facility, as well as any airport in the state.
And lastly, the organizers of the 5 Boros Bike Tour in NYC have a photo contest. Rule #1?
1. Photos must be taken on Tour Day, Sunday, May 7, 2006, and must relate to some aspect of the Tour. Taking photos on bridges or their access points is strongly discouraged in the interest of public safety. Any such photos will not be considered for prizes.
Thursday, July 14, 2005
Review: MediaGear 40GB portable storage device (hard drive/card reader)
Abridged version: Run for your f*cking lives. Don't touch this piece of shit (or it's 60GB big brother) with a 10' pole. Read on for more...
==============================
This is a review I wrote for Amazon.com in November, about 12:30am when I *really* needed to be in bed...but I couldn't delay getting it down on paper, as it were. All the sentiments and emotions still hold true. I gave the company another try (cautiously) with it's 60GB version, and it behaved almost exactly the same way, requiring me to rescue files via data recovery programs (this time I was smart enough to leave copies of the pix on my laptop, unlike the SF episode detailed below). Also, this time, I was smarter in that I fdisked and formatted and scanned and surface scanned the drive before leaving home. Wish that would have helped. So without further ado...
I am so fuious, I am shaking as I type this. I have just returned from a trip across the country to San Francisco CA and this piece of junk unit nearly cost me 20% of the photos I took!!!
I shooot with a Canon 20D and both a 512MB and 1GB Kingston CF card. I have been using this setup since the 20D's release a couple of months ago with NO problems or corrupt files or anything similar.
On the trip to CA, I shot over 1,200 shots in a week. At one point, I encountered a problem dumping the 1GB card to the unit. The unit reported "data transfer error" at about 13% of the transfer. Since I could not empty the card, I could either format it and lose everything on it, or leave the pics on it, and use only the 512MB card. I took the second option.
So I unhappily limped through my vacation like that. Upon returning home, I attached the unit to my computer. Over 20% of the directories showed up as empty, or corrupt (these were directories which appeared to transfer fine in the filed!!!). I nearly fainted. Luckily (being an IT professional), I was able to mostly rescue 186 files (608MB of data), although some of those are destroyed images. All of the recovered files were recovered as Windows "CHK" files (after a few disk checks). Non-geeks would have been hard pressed to recover much without professional help.
Bottom line, when I ran Windows disk checks on the unit, it came back with *numerous* errors. Inexcusable! My unit was purchased new and was babied every step of the way. I even tested out the transfer of both JPG and RAW (CR2) files before leaving home. I guess I should have run full scandisks against the thing too. Lesson learned.
So, final word: run away from this unit. I don't care how good of a deal you think you're getting. I would not trust it to hold up my coffee table any more. Once I'm sure I've saved all I can from it, I'm fdisking and formatting it and it's going back to the store it came from. It's a shame. The unit cost the same as another model with half of the storage capacity. Guess the old adage "you get what you pay for" holds true here.
Buy something else. Trust me on this one.
Abridged version: Run for your f*cking lives. Don't touch this piece of shit (or it's 60GB big brother) with a 10' pole. Read on for more...
==============================
This is a review I wrote for Amazon.com in November, about 12:30am when I *really* needed to be in bed...but I couldn't delay getting it down on paper, as it were. All the sentiments and emotions still hold true. I gave the company another try (cautiously) with it's 60GB version, and it behaved almost exactly the same way, requiring me to rescue files via data recovery programs (this time I was smart enough to leave copies of the pix on my laptop, unlike the SF episode detailed below). Also, this time, I was smarter in that I fdisked and formatted and scanned and surface scanned the drive before leaving home. Wish that would have helped. So without further ado...
I am so fuious, I am shaking as I type this. I have just returned from a trip across the country to San Francisco CA and this piece of junk unit nearly cost me 20% of the photos I took!!!
I shooot with a Canon 20D and both a 512MB and 1GB Kingston CF card. I have been using this setup since the 20D's release a couple of months ago with NO problems or corrupt files or anything similar.
On the trip to CA, I shot over 1,200 shots in a week. At one point, I encountered a problem dumping the 1GB card to the unit. The unit reported "data transfer error" at about 13% of the transfer. Since I could not empty the card, I could either format it and lose everything on it, or leave the pics on it, and use only the 512MB card. I took the second option.
So I unhappily limped through my vacation like that. Upon returning home, I attached the unit to my computer. Over 20% of the directories showed up as empty, or corrupt (these were directories which appeared to transfer fine in the filed!!!). I nearly fainted. Luckily (being an IT professional), I was able to mostly rescue 186 files (608MB of data), although some of those are destroyed images. All of the recovered files were recovered as Windows "CHK" files (after a few disk checks). Non-geeks would have been hard pressed to recover much without professional help.
Bottom line, when I ran Windows disk checks on the unit, it came back with *numerous* errors. Inexcusable! My unit was purchased new and was babied every step of the way. I even tested out the transfer of both JPG and RAW (CR2) files before leaving home. I guess I should have run full scandisks against the thing too. Lesson learned.
So, final word: run away from this unit. I don't care how good of a deal you think you're getting. I would not trust it to hold up my coffee table any more. Once I'm sure I've saved all I can from it, I'm fdisking and formatting it and it's going back to the store it came from. It's a shame. The unit cost the same as another model with half of the storage capacity. Guess the old adage "you get what you pay for" holds true here.
Buy something else. Trust me on this one.
Thursday, December 16, 2004
Well, duh
What's the point of making a toll road if we don't force
everybody to use it???
Plans for Bike Path Parallel to Proposed ICC Dropped
Updated: Thursday, Dec. 16, 2004 - 4:44 AM
"ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - Don't expect a hike and bike trail to be included in plans for the Intercounty Connector.
The Washington Post reports that Maryland transportation officials have dropped plans to include a network of trails that would have roughly paralleled the route of the 18-mile toll road.
They cite rising costs estimates which have now topped $2 billion for the road connecting Interstate 270 in Montgomery County to Interstate 95 in Prince George's. The latest projected cost is about $400 million more than previously announced.
Officials say scrapping plans for the bike path would trim $100 million from its cost.
State officials say they'll keep some of the right of way acquired for the trails so that some sections of it could eventually be built."
(Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
What's the point of making a toll road if we don't force
everybody to use it???
Plans for Bike Path Parallel to Proposed ICC Dropped
Updated: Thursday, Dec. 16, 2004 - 4:44 AM
"ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - Don't expect a hike and bike trail to be included in plans for the Intercounty Connector.
The Washington Post reports that Maryland transportation officials have dropped plans to include a network of trails that would have roughly paralleled the route of the 18-mile toll road.
They cite rising costs estimates which have now topped $2 billion for the road connecting Interstate 270 in Montgomery County to Interstate 95 in Prince George's. The latest projected cost is about $400 million more than previously announced.
Officials say scrapping plans for the bike path would trim $100 million from its cost.
State officials say they'll keep some of the right of way acquired for the trails so that some sections of it could eventually be built."
(Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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