So, where I live they are BIG on putting out cards and fliers on your car when you are at the grocery store or places like that. And it annoys me so much. I mean you already get junk mail, telemarketers, junk E-mail, recently I've been getting junk text messages, and now they have to hit the last bastion of solitude, the car.
Some of the time they put a card or flier on your door window or on your door handle. Though annoying, at least it is less so. The ones that REALLY get me going are when they put it on your windshield under the wiper. I mean, who checks the windshield before getting in the car? So you unlock the door, put all your crap on the other seat, sit down, shut the door, get yourself situated, get your seat belt on, start up the car, adjust the radio, and THEN you look up and there is that little [expletive] flier on your window, staring you in the face, mocking your very existence. And it isn't like you can just reach out your window and grab the cussed thing off. No, you have to:
Take off your seat belt.
Open the door.
Get out of the car.
Shut the door ('cause you can't get the right angle on it with the door open).
Use one hand to lift the wiper.
Use other hand to get crappy ad.
Open door again.
Sit down.
Shut door.
Adjust your person.
Continue on your way.
Now, imagine it is wintery weather, then of course you have the added burden of winter clothing.
I swear, one day I will go and collect every single one of those ads off the cars, take it to the business and plaster them all over the windows. And then write a very tastefully worded letter basically telling them their paid advertising scheme was for naught. And maybe end it with one of these guys... :P
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Backfire of the healthcare overhaul
No, this is not going to be about how the healthcare reform was ruled to be unconstitutional.
This is going to be about how great certain law- and policymakers (we all know who they are) thought the reform was going to be. I thought the point of this all was to make healthcare affordable to all. Well, let me tell you how affordable it is going to be for me starting next year: my monthly premium is going up more than $200 per month. That is right, I already have the highest deductible plan available ($10000 out of pocket before insurance is going to kick in) and it costs me just shy of $300 per month right now. Starting in January, it will be over $500 per month. And before you can get carried away with all sorts of explanations, I am a healthy young adult male with no pre-existing conditions... kind of the cheapest and lowest risk type of person... the ones insurance companies love to insure because it just ends up being money in their pockets.
Thanks a lot. Way to make things a lot better for the citizens.
This is going to be about how great certain law- and policymakers (we all know who they are) thought the reform was going to be. I thought the point of this all was to make healthcare affordable to all. Well, let me tell you how affordable it is going to be for me starting next year: my monthly premium is going up more than $200 per month. That is right, I already have the highest deductible plan available ($10000 out of pocket before insurance is going to kick in) and it costs me just shy of $300 per month right now. Starting in January, it will be over $500 per month. And before you can get carried away with all sorts of explanations, I am a healthy young adult male with no pre-existing conditions... kind of the cheapest and lowest risk type of person... the ones insurance companies love to insure because it just ends up being money in their pockets.
Thanks a lot. Way to make things a lot better for the citizens.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Completely unscripted, only partly understandable.
I've been meaning to get this little project up and running for a while. We're big board game players, and we love to play with friends, but it seems it always falls to me to explain how to play the game. (During this time, my wife usually falls asleep since I guess I am pretty dull.) Not that I expect anyone will hop on here and start to learn to play the game before coming over, I just thought it would be fun and a nice way to use all my free time which I somehow have now.
A couple thoughts before continuing: I have a slight cold, so you might hear me sniffle once or twice in the video. This is due to my cold, not from any kind of emotional reaction I get that triggers tearing up. Completely from my cold. Second off, I guess I cannot count well because in my "second turn", I don't count my moves correctly. I actually make 4 moves, not 3. But that is why it is important to make sure you count moves to catch your opponent cheating. Final thought: this video was made in HD, so enjoy those amazing screens... except youtube scales it down. And to be honest, the load times required are not worth the 720p res.
Anyway, here's the video. Watch it to learn about a fun new game or to cure insomnia-- your choice.
A couple thoughts before continuing: I have a slight cold, so you might hear me sniffle once or twice in the video. This is due to my cold, not from any kind of emotional reaction I get that triggers tearing up. Completely from my cold. Second off, I guess I cannot count well because in my "second turn", I don't count my moves correctly. I actually make 4 moves, not 3. But that is why it is important to make sure you count moves to catch your opponent cheating. Final thought: this video was made in HD, so enjoy those amazing screens... except youtube scales it down. And to be honest, the load times required are not worth the 720p res.
Anyway, here's the video. Watch it to learn about a fun new game or to cure insomnia-- your choice.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Happy Inception Day
Yes, it is out today. Get the Blu-Ray, even if you don't have a player. It is worth it. Amazon has it on sale for $17.99 today only I suppose. DVD version (do people still have those things?!?) is only $16.99. Check it.
A release of this magnitude reminds me of way back in the day I used to hang out at Wal-Mart on Tuesday nights at midnight to get the newest movies. Some weeks, like when extended Lord of the Rings were released, there would be mobs. Other times, I was the only one waiting around for a film like Big Fish (excellent, BTW). It wasn't so much the caliber of the movie that got me out at night, it was more often than not just the chance to be out late goofing off with friends at a place that would put up with us college losers. Sometimes I miss stuff like this. I don't do much crazy anymore, I just stay at home and stuff. Which is cool too. I think if I actually tried to do a midnight release again, it would just end up being lame, like the time I went for Starcraft 2, granted that *was* for a video game, and we know what kind of people hang out for midnight releases of video games. At times like those, I like to scan the crowd for the other dudes like me, husbands, maybe a dad with daytime a job who once in a great while will do something stupid like this (as if I would have actually played the game at midnight, seriously). We all have the same sheepish look on our faces, the one that says "I can't believe I am doing this, how lame. I should be home at bed or reading a bedtime story or reading the WSJ like a real adult would do. Instead I am here with a bunch of people who probably are a little *too* excited to be here, and they are all coveting the Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood poster I just won for knowing old movie quotes from classics that are probably too old for them." I know, that says a lot for one look on a face, but believe me, when you see it, you know it.
Well, I guess it is time to move on, to grow up and stuff. It's like high school reunions. Conveniently, I had a good excuse to not go to mine, but even if I hadn't, I probably wouldn't have gone anyway. I keep in touch with my friends still through other grown-up mediums like Facebook or Twitter.
I realize that that last paragraph has nothing to do with my previous paragraph.
Also, not to steal the thunder from Inception Day, but I was the only one at my office to remember to bring up the happenings at Pearl Harbor today, the 69th anniversary. Well, maybe not the only one, but no one mentioned it to me before I mentioned it to them today. Take a moment to reflect on what that means and ponder America's greatness and fallen heroes. I was surprised at how little fanfare was made over the historical significance of the day.
A release of this magnitude reminds me of way back in the day I used to hang out at Wal-Mart on Tuesday nights at midnight to get the newest movies. Some weeks, like when extended Lord of the Rings were released, there would be mobs. Other times, I was the only one waiting around for a film like Big Fish (excellent, BTW). It wasn't so much the caliber of the movie that got me out at night, it was more often than not just the chance to be out late goofing off with friends at a place that would put up with us college losers. Sometimes I miss stuff like this. I don't do much crazy anymore, I just stay at home and stuff. Which is cool too. I think if I actually tried to do a midnight release again, it would just end up being lame, like the time I went for Starcraft 2, granted that *was* for a video game, and we know what kind of people hang out for midnight releases of video games. At times like those, I like to scan the crowd for the other dudes like me, husbands, maybe a dad with daytime a job who once in a great while will do something stupid like this (as if I would have actually played the game at midnight, seriously). We all have the same sheepish look on our faces, the one that says "I can't believe I am doing this, how lame. I should be home at bed or reading a bedtime story or reading the WSJ like a real adult would do. Instead I am here with a bunch of people who probably are a little *too* excited to be here, and they are all coveting the Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood poster I just won for knowing old movie quotes from classics that are probably too old for them." I know, that says a lot for one look on a face, but believe me, when you see it, you know it.
Well, I guess it is time to move on, to grow up and stuff. It's like high school reunions. Conveniently, I had a good excuse to not go to mine, but even if I hadn't, I probably wouldn't have gone anyway. I keep in touch with my friends still through other grown-up mediums like Facebook or Twitter.
I realize that that last paragraph has nothing to do with my previous paragraph.
Also, not to steal the thunder from Inception Day, but I was the only one at my office to remember to bring up the happenings at Pearl Harbor today, the 69th anniversary. Well, maybe not the only one, but no one mentioned it to me before I mentioned it to them today. Take a moment to reflect on what that means and ponder America's greatness and fallen heroes. I was surprised at how little fanfare was made over the historical significance of the day.
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