Strike Against PIPA/SOPA. The Day the Internet Went on Strike.

Hey there.  Users of the internet are one of the most diverse groups to be ever found.  Angry users, funny users, serious users, working users.  Bloggers, journalists, game addcits, shopoholics... the list goes on and on. It would be amazing if something where to be able to bring this vast group to stand as one.  It's a task that would seem to be impossible.  Well... today... it happened.  Internet users and websites everywhere are taking a stand and striking against the proposed SOPA/PIPA bills that will soon be voted on by Congress.

Food 4 Less and Customer Service 4 None

Hey there.  I have a bone to pick with you, Food 4 Less!  I have been a steady customer of yours for quite some time now.  You're no more than a few blocks away from our home and it seems that we make a trip there every other day for whatever is needed for dinner.  Sometimes... we'll go just to pick up a few munchies.  That's the kind of relationship we had with you.  That's right... WE HAD!!!

PSN Attacked Again! (05.18.11 Post Update)

Hey there. The Playstation network has been attacked again!  This morning, once everyone was beginning to feel all warm and cozy over the mass Emailing that Sony sent out to their customers, the hackers got to work and infiltrated the "new and secure" PSN.  Now, the service is down while Sony works on fixing it.

Bank of America Shatters Dreams and Leaks Personal Data.... AGAIN

Hey there.  If you know me, you know my disdain for Bank of America.  Whether it be through my own personal hell with Bank of America or through friends and family's.  I simply do not like Bank of America and I don't care how big they are.  I just don't like being treated like a small fry because it's the "largest bank" in the US.  In  my eyes, that just means that they're too big for their own good.  They're too careless, they think they're above eveyone else, and they simply don't protect your personal data the way a bank should.

Blogger Still Not at 100% and Posts are Missing... Is Jason Behind this Firday the 13th Mayhem?

Hey there.  As many of you may have noticed... Blogger had been down for approx. 16 hours or so and it's still not 100% back up.  After checking the status of Blogger, I find out they had to "temporarily remove" posts that we posted after 7am Wednesday morning.  I noticed that something was wrong yesterday when I could not log in to leave comments on other blogs.  That's when I decided to log on my own to see if it was just select blogs that were having issues or if all blogs were having an issues.  When I couldn't log on because the "service was not available",  I was upset.

The first thing that came to mind was the whole PSN hack thing.  I wondered if there was an "unauthorized user" roaming the Blogger servers creating havoc.  I quickly dismissed that idea, though.  I don't think there would be anything to gain, other than being malicious and posting your own stuff.  Then I got a little upset.  I usually have scheduled posts lined up for Funny Fridays, but that's not gonna happen since I can't browse the internet today for Friday funnies.  Then it hit me...  IT'S FRIDAY THE 13TH!!!!  Is Jason behind all this Blogger mayhem???  Did he finally trade in that machete for an ultra fast Alienware laptop???  hahahaha!

"I'm done slashin' and started hackin'!" - Quote from Friday the 13th: Jason Infiltrates CampCrystalLake.com

Anyways, it looks like Blogger is back up and running but posts are still missing.  I guess it's better to be able to continue with the service but I really hope those missing posts come back soon.  I also began to wonder what happened to my give a way poll (PS3 game) and how many potential comments I may have lost.  Well...  as long I didn't lose ALL of my posts, I can't be too upset and it's not like it was down for almost a month before getting any material news on the service.  C'mon Blogger, get those posts back up!  Later!

PSN Hacked

Hey there.  I know that the news of the hacking of the Playstation Network has been out for some time, but it's time to throw my 2 cents in.  I think it's horrible that Sony did not act swiftly to protect the information of their users.  I understand that they're looking into it, I understand that they haven't yet figured it out, what I don't understand is why they would wait well over a week before notifying their users that their private information may have been compromised.  That includes their credit card information!

High profile people have displayed their displeasure with Sony for not sending out a notice right away about the breech in their network.  Instead, they announced that it was "maintenance".  Then the maintenance turned into "network issue".  And now, it turns out that an "unauthorized user" gained access to the network.  Unauthorized user meaning, HACKER!  If they knew from the get go that something was amiss with their network and info could have been stolen, they should have manned up and just let everyone know.

The console wars going on between Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony may have played a part as to why Sony was so hush hush about it.  They don't want the negative publicity coming with a security breech but I think they may have hurt their image more by staying quiet over a serious matter.  Over 50 million users will be affected by this and that's a lot of people to upset.  I think this will be a black on mark on Sony for some time but will most likely recover, the way Microsoft did when they had their Xbox Live snafu.  The console wars are heating up and are fierce among the players.  Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony all have an image to uphold and this incident will not only damage their PR outlook, but may damage the loyalty of their die hard fans, and that's something that will be hard to gain back.  Later!

There's No Room for Crying in the NBA LeBron!

Hey there.  If you're a NBA fan, you've heard by now how the Miami Heat, once again, collapsed under the pressure and loss a meaningful game against the Bulls last Sunday.  Why is this a big deal?  Because the Heat, dubbed "The Super Team", consists of NBA All Stars Dwayne Wade, LeBron James, and Chris Bosh, were celebrating like they have won the championship before they ever stepped foot on the court and they are losing against the best in the NBA.  According to some stats that have been floating around, the Heat are something like 1-9 against the NBA's elite.  Their only win coming against the LA Lakers.  They have yet to beat the Celtics, The Magic, The Spurs, The Bulls, or the Mavericks.  And this is supposed to be the team that was going to the challenge the NBA record of 73 wins in a season.  They have 43 wins now and I don't see them cracking 55.

Now, back to this weekend.  In a game where the Heat claimed they had to win, they loss, yet again.  They were up by more than 10 points during the game.  Wade and LeBron looked good in the first half.  All they had to do was maintain their lead in that 4th qtr and they'd come out with that victory, but again, missed shots by Wade, missed shots by LeBron, stupid fouls by the Heat, kept the Bulls in the game.  The Bulls are an awesome team.  They're second in the East so they're no pushover, but with the Heat down by 1 and with Wade and LeBron on your side, you should be able to make shots in the clutch.  They have yet to have a single game winning shot this season.  The so called super team cannot muster a single win on a last second shot.  After the game, their coach claimed that some of the Heat players were crying.

Now this is where I have a problem.  There is no room for crying in the NBA.  If you are crying, they are tears of joy after winning the NBA championship, NOT after a loss during the regular season.  There is absolutely no reason to cry.  And I'm looking at you, LeBron.  What's wrong?  You're realizing that you're not as good as Kobe or MJ?  You can't carry your team, or should I say Dwayne Wade's team, over a quality win?  You're realizing that "The Decision", the prancing around, and the guarantees of championships were stupid moves made by you and the team?  Grow up, man.  You're a great player, no doubt about it, but you have made some pretty stupid moves this year and many of the fans that have become "witnesses" are now witnessing your flaws.  You couldn't do it in Cleveland being the man, now I believe you are realizing that you can't do it being a wing man.  You force bad shots at the end of games trying to be the hero.

Now, I'm a Lakers fan.  Always will be.  But I'm also a fan of the game.  I'll watch the east powerhouses go at it so that I can see an entertaining game.  I'll watch our western conference foes play against each other to better assess our competition.  But when I hear a team chirping away that they're the best before even playing a game, it insults the intelligence of us fans.  We know that it takes more than just talent to win (eg. Malone, Payton, Bryant, Shaq Laker team...).  You need chemistry and you need an identity.  Right now, the Heat have no identity and they have shown flashes of some chemistry, but nothing that can say this is a championship caliber team.  Time is running out.  If they cannot get it together before the playoffs start, they will be bounced from the playoffs in the first or second round.  Then, LeBron, you'll have a real reason to cry.  Later!

Teen Mom: Some Thoughts

Hey there.  I was watching Teen Mom last night with the wife and I noticed the disclaimer right before the show stating something along the lines of teen pregnancy being 100% preventable.  There is this one couple on the show that smoke pot.  Now, I'm thinking to myself, they're underage, smoking pot is illegal (it wasn't for medicinal purposes, that's for sure) and they're filming and talking about it and broadcasting it on TV.  Am I missing something here?  The girl has a child and she's smoking pot to "get away".  Now, I understand that it's nowhere near the level of teen cocaine addiction, but don't you think that someone at MTV should be telling this girl that she may need help?  Her mother has custody of the girl's child, the girl has nowhere to stay, and it turns out that both her and her boyfriend smoke pot on a regular basis.  It's safe to say that the girl's family life is in shambles.

At the end of the season, Dr. Drew has a reunion type show with all the mothers and follows up on how their lives have changed since the show.  Dr. Drew is awesome.  He has his own show on MTV, Celebrity rehab with Dr. Drew.  Some of the testimonials that come out of that show are amazing.  These are spoiled celebrities who can be stubborn and if they make it through the show, express nothing but sincere gratitude to Dr. Drew.  But he doesn't just deal with adult treatments, he also specializes in teen addictions and helps with all sort of treatments such as teen cocaine treatment.  Anyways, I like how he gives them guidance on how to move forward depending on their situation.  What I don't like about the show is that there even is a show about it. 

I understand that teen pregnancies happen.  Hell, I was a father in my teens.  But MTV and other networks shouldn't be glamorizing it.  I think I read somewhere that one of the mom's on this show said she was a role model.  No she's not.  It's difficult as it is to be a parent, let alone do it while still in high school, without a job, and without family support.  It's tough and I think it sucks that shows like this potentially add to the notion that if you do get pregnant at an early age, they can be on TV.  In my opinion, if you're about to have a baby and you don't have the slightest clue on what you're going to do, the last thing that should be crossing your mind is to be on TV.  

I understand that some TV is meant for entertainment purposes.  I get the extreme stuff, the fashion stuff, the crazy stuff, but I don't get the teen pregnancy one.  Tell me again why people would care to watch a child raise another?  If it's a documentary or a movie, I can see the appeal, but this is a TV show that is meant to entertain the young demographic that MTV caters too.  And let's be real, here.  This is NOT a reality show.  The pregnancy is real, but when you're getting paid a 6 figure salary, see previous teen mom train wreck Amber, there is no way that MTV is not staging some of the stuff on the show.  If you want to watch for entertainment purposes, by all means go for it, but don't believe that the "stories" and "drama" behind it are real.  Later!

I need a Vacation

Hey there.  I didn't come in to work yesterday.  And no, friends, it wasn't a kick back, I'm not going to do anything, kind of day.  lol  Both of my daughters were going to perform in their school's annual Christmas Program and I wanted to be there.  And... the school was going to honor both of my daughters for making honor roll.  Yay for my girls!  So the schedule looked something like this... 

7:00   Take girls to school
8:30   Have breakfast
10:30 Christmas Performance
12:30 After school party
2:30   Get son from JR High
4:00   Honor Roll Assembly
5:30   Honor Roll Assembly
6:00   Go home

As you can see, school related activities were nothing but planned that day and you know how well things turn out when you plan out your day.  Here's what really went down.

7:00   Take girls to school
8:30   Have breakfast
10:00 Go to Target to get MiniDV recording tape
10:35 Run to school auditorium
10:40 Realize that stupid camcorder is not working
10:50 Said screw it and took video with my phone
12:30 Made it to after school party
2:15   Take my youngest to get her hair cut
3:05   Speed off to get my son from JR High
3:35   Experience LA traffic jam
4:10   Run to school auditrium
4:30   Get text invitation to my cuz's b day thing for that night
5:00   Have small "lunch"
5:30   Honor Roll Assembly
6:15   Go to my aunt's for b day thing
10:00 Go home

Yeah...  that' didn't go as originally planned.  lmao  Needless to say, I need a vacation...  But like a real one.  Where the day is not used for home projects, shopping expeditions, or school related activities.  But like, a real vacation.  Yeah... that would be nice.  lol 

I came into work and for being out for a single day, it seems as if hell on Earth rained down on me.  More than 250 Emails sitting in my inbox, more than 10 voice mails waiting to be answered, boss saying there were complaints because I wasn't there...  It's like... man, can't have a day to myself without my work world going down in chaos???  *sigh*

Reckless Driving

Hey there.  Last night as I was driving home from work, a reckless driver cut me off, nearly smashing into me, and hit the car to my left.  The speeding car then bounced back into my lane and I had to swerve to my right to avoid the collision.  Luckily, no cars in the lane to my right, which was surprising since it was an off ramp and cars are usually exiting the freeway during rush hour.  So I was forced to get off the freeway... 

I pulled in a parking lot right off the freeway and just sat there for a minute.  This jack ass was going somewhere closer to 60 mph when everyone else was closer to 20 mph.  He was definitely going fast enough where he bounced off another car...  I admit that I was a little shaken up so I made sure I composed myself before venturing back on the freeway.  I wonder if the passengers are ok.  Because I was forced off the freeway, I couldn't see the extent of the damage done and I don't know if everyone walked out of the wreck ok. 

You know, it's not the first time that I've avoided catastrophe on the freeways, or the streets of Los Angeles.  It seems like people are here just drive around so recklessly causing all sorts of accidents.  There is never a day where I don't hear something happening on a freeway causing major delays.  I understand that some maybe accidents but I'm sure that many could be avoided if nobody took to their inner road rage and drove around recklessly.  Be careful, people.  Even though you're following the rules of the road, all it takes is one jack ass to screw it up for a lot of people.  Stay safe.  Later.

Earthquake? Which Earthquake?

Hey there.  There have been a lot of talk about the "big one" hitting southern California today.  That's right, TODAY.  And to be quite honest with you, I think it's all a bunch of crap.  First off, you cannot predict earthquakes.  Scientist have had a go at it for decades and they still cannot predict when an earthquake is going to strike.  Now, I'm not saying that they are nowhere in regards to earthquake prediction.  What I am saying is that by the time they know one is going to strike, the rest of us know too.  lol  So why all the earthquake talk?  Because of Twitter messages like this...

Yeah, that says 6.5 to 7.0 earthquake TODAY.  This has caused all kinds of panic in the Los Angeles area.  Listen people, we cannot predict earthquakes yet.  The fact that this person is saying that there's in earthquake happening in southern California is not new.  Believe it or not, we have more than a few earthquakes here a day.  It's just that they are of low magnitude that we don't feel them.  But how do we know they happened?  Cause those above mentioned scientist have trying to find a way to predict earthquakes that they've found a way to measure even the smallest of movement in the Earth's crust!  Now relax people.  No need to panic.  If we do have an earthquake, it should somewhat be expected since that's the way of life here in southern California.  But more likely than not, we're going to get through this day, like any other, with some light shakin' and bakin' under the California sun.  Later!

My Problem with Summer

Hey there.  When I was a kid, summer was awesome.  No school, no homework, nothing to worry about but play video games, wrestle with friends, and general childhood mischief.  Sounds like a pretty bad ass time to me.  As an adult...  summer is not so great.  I know that it can get hotter in other places, but summer in LA sucks.  The commute to and from work here is so bad, that you spend a lot of time stuck on the freeway and with a scorching sun beaming down on you, you're going to get sweaty.  Even though the AC is on blast, the fact that you're in a heated metal box for a long while will slowly negate that AC of yours.  Then there's the prob with people in offices across LA.  People... it's hot outside!  Let's be merciful to those that just came in from that blazing sun and turn on the AC!!!  If you start complaining (ahem ahem... you know who you are) then you should be shot!  lol  I would rather be in a cold office than a hot one.  If you're cold, it's easy to slip into a sweater or jacket.  If we keep the office hot... there's nothing you can do to remedy that.  No amount of water or drinks, no fan, no anything will dispel the heat from your body.  I can be walking around naked in the office and still feel hot.  (It's not a pretty sight, friends.  Don't make me go there) lol

Now, I'm not saying all of summer is bad...  Out of the 3 months or so of uncomfortableness, they'll be a few days where we'll go out to the beach and take in some of that sun and splash around in the Pacific Ocean.  The big difference between beach day and work day???  Beach day = fun where as work day = work.  lol  And working while all sweaty sucks.  I'm just saying... 

I think I'm going to write a strongly worded letter to the Mayor.  See if I can convince him of giving us Los Angeles workers some mandatory, PAID, time off to go to the beach during the week.  It's that... or we will all take a page out of Al Bundy's book and grab some lawn chairs and hang out in the frozen food section of the local market.  Either way... I'm down.  lol  Later!

The Oakland Raiders QB Carousel

Hey there.  I don't usually write about football during the offseason.  It's just not the time or the place (in my opinion at least) but considering that the draft was a week or so ago and my team, the Raiders, made a few moves, I just had to let in on my thoughts.

First off, the Raiders selecting LB Rolando McClain is the best draft move in years!  After several disappointing or at least not yet productive draft picks, Al Davis finally went against picking a strong QB or a super fast WR in the first round and went with what the team needs, a tough LB to stand along side Seymour. 

Another thing that the Raiders did this offseason that raised a lot of eyebrows is their hoarding QBs.  As of right now, the Raiders have 5 QBs on their roster.  Former #1 draft pick, JaMarcus Russell has just not been what the Raiders hoped.  Al Davis selected this young man based on his arm strength alone.  Figuring that you only need someone to launch the ball down the field, the WRs would only need to run and go get it.  The "Al Davis" method, as I call it, just doesn't work.  We have all sorts of speedy receivers, but their hands are suspect.  We have a QB with a cannon arm, but doesn't have the agility or the smarts to play in the NFL.  He simply does not put in the work.  And considering that this man is getting paid millions and is failing... it's really hurting our chances in obtaining good free agents.

Now, I don't know if this is meant to scare Russell straight, but big news came in last week that the Raiders acquired QB Jason Campbell from the Redskins.  Campbell is not steller, but he gets the job done.  I strongly believe that he just wasn't a good fit for the Redskins.  Maybe he'll shine brighter now that's in the Silver and Black.  But why make a move for a QB knowing that you have Russell?  Not to mention his back up QBs Gradkowski and Frye.  And let's not forget the other QB that the Raiders acquired this offseason, QB Kyle Boller.

Why are we stocking up on QBs?  Conventional wisdom says that the Raiders are not happy with Russell and he's being replaced by Campbell.  The remaining 3 QBs will be playing for the 2 backup spots.  But now, I'm reading that owner Al Davis is not just ready to give up on Russell.  What the hell?!?!?!?

I love my team.  I'll stick with them through the Super Bowl years and through their top 10 draft selection years, but man... what the hell are you guys thinking?  We need to either cut our losses with Russell and focus on getting our team in place or get help in the Offensive Line to continue to develop Russell.  If we cut Russell, I really don't see him playing in the NFL after only 3 short years.  He's displayed some talent, but his inability to focus, to prepare, and quite frankly care about his job is detrimental to the Raiders and will more than likely be a cancer for other NFL teams as well.  What we need to do is start Campbell and have him get acquainted with the receivers.  He's glad to be a Raider.  He's glad that we went out and asked for his services.  You don't think that he'll want to succeed considering that he was in a QB controversy in Washington with QB Tavaris Jackson and new Redskin Donovan McNabb and we, the Raiders, went out there and asked him to join our team?  Play the man that wants to play.  He'll be ready, he'll be focused, and I'm sure he'll be a hell of a lot more productive than Russell has been. 

I'm sorry Russell, but my faith in you is gone.  You've had more than enough opportunities to be the one to lift the Raiders from this slump and you just have not put the effort or the heart in your position.  You've showed up to camp out of shape and unprepared and it all started to go downhill since the day you held out of your first camp to get more money, which wasn't even day 1 for you.  At this point, don't be surprised if you start being compared to Ryan Leaf.  Yeah, Russell, that bad.  best of luck to you.  Later!

I Have an Issue with Spam Comments

Hey there.  One goal of writers everywhere is get feedback on their work.  Whether it be constructive criticism or a pat on the back.  As a blogger, I love to see comments.  It tells me that someone out there actually took the time to read the stuff I put up and was more than willing to throw their two cents in.  My problem?  Spam comments...  I HATE receiving Emails letting me know that I have received a comment but when I read it, it's completely unrelated to the post.  Case and point...  I started Funny Fridays here this past Friday.  I posted a video that I thought was pretty hilarious of people being punched (SNL skit).  Here's the gem of a comment that I received on that post:

"I was in college this was asked of my class, I said I would be "Legolas" from Lord of the Rings, another girl answered that she would be "Aweryn" from Lord of the Rings."

WTF?!?!?!  Someone please explain to me what people getting punched has to do with Lord of the Rings?  And that's not the only comment I received... If you browse through the comments of posts, you'll see some pretty long comments on unrelated crap.

The bad part is that Firefox will not allow me to delete the comments (for unknown reasons), but Internet Explorer will.  I refuse to use Internet Explorer...  I just can't go back to that atrocity of a web browser...  So my question to you, friends, is how can I eliminate, or at least minimize my spam comments?  Is there a widget?  Some kind of script that I should add?  Do I need to alter my blog template? I would rather get feedback from fellow bloggers to get a better understanding of how you guys get rid of or eliminate spam comments.  Suggestions?  Thanks.  Later!

Has Christmas Lost it's Meaning?

Hey there.  You know, earlier today, I got to thinking about what my young one wants for Christmas.  She said she wanted this Strawberry Shortcake Cafe set type thing.  I've never heard of it, but I figured, with the power of Google, I'd be able to figure it out and BAM!  There it is, in all it's glory.  The problem?  It's sold out at Target, Walmart, and Toys R Us... So I decided that I'll look for it later and see if I get lucky and find it somewhere.  That lead me to think of that movie, Jingle All the Way with Sinbad and California's very own, "Ahnold".  Has Christmas really gone so far down hill that most parents will go out and about, go through hell in a mall, trying to find a great gift for their young ones?  I know that the movie exaggerated the hell out of this idea since the two characters practically killed each other for the much wanted Turbo Man, but that general idea seems to be well and good.

Every year, I hear someone or another say that they don't have money to go and get gifts, which is absolutely fine, but the problem I have is that much emphasis is placed on gift giving.  Really?  Isn't Christmas supposed to be about spending time with your loved ones?  A time to reflect on the past year (or is that New Year's?).  Where gifts don't make the holiday but simply serve as a side dish to the main course of love, togetherness, and happiness?  Yesterday, I went and got gifts for the little one's in my family.  My wife and I told ourselves that we'd cut our list short to only include young ones under 7.  With the exception of being a parental unit, sibling, or grand parent, don't expect a gift from us.  lol  But the point being, we took the time to go out and get gifts knowing that we're not going to get some back.  And we didn't worry about it.  There was no, oh man, we spent too much, no worrying about forgetting this person or that person, or any of that.  It felt good to go out and get gifts with out all added pressure and that's how it should be.  Us going through a "recession" and all, we're at a point where we are able to give.  Whether we receive or not, doesn't matter.  At least not to us, the parents (the kids may be a different story).

I'm beginning to feel as if Christmas is becoming more of a "need to get a gift for someone" instead of it being a holiday filled with cheer.  Christmas shouldn't feel like a chore, yet for some reason or another, it does this year.  We haven't had a chance to put the tree up, we're not done getting gifts, let alone wrap them, and quite frankly, I'm tired of all the "gloom and doom" that seem to emanate from every TV or radio.  I say, screw all that.  Sit down with your family, bake some cookies, share some stories, and enjoy yourselves.  That, right there, sounds like a pretty bad ass Christmas to me.  Gifts are a bonus.  I don't remember seeing a Terms and Conditions sheet on celebrating Christmas.  I don't remember baby Jesus breaking into song and dance saying that the Wise Men must give gifts or they'll be hell to pay.  Just like every other holiday out there, I say we celebrate the way we see fit and be happy.  Get rid of the pressures that come with holiday shopping.  Go ahead and grab gifts.  I'm not saying you shouldn't, but what I am saying is take it easy when you do.  It's not worth the stress and killing your holiday because you were stressed out 23 days out of 25 because you were getting gifts, sending cakes, decorating the house, etc.etc.  You're only adding to the bah humbug that seems to plague this year's Christmas season if you're all moody and cranky.

Now...  I'mma go see Elf.  That elf sure knows how to do Christmas right.  I mean C' mon people.  He's parading around in an elf suit singing his little heart out without a care in the world.  I think I need to do that.  Yeah, I need to walk in a store and be like, "I'm in a store.  I'm in a store and I'm singing!"  Yeah, that'll spread some holiday cheer alright.  lmao  Later!

Gross Profit, Current Assets, and Financial Statements

Hey there. Today was just a tough day at work. A tough week actually. I have been asked to follow a certain Major Department store that our sales team wants to pursue. I have looked over the financial statements and this company is just not profitable. Why would you want to invest in a company that is losing millions of dollars a quarter? I just don't understand that logic. I've spent the last 3 days spreading financial statements, reading their SEC reports, and typing up an extensive report on my findings. All for the best interest of the company that I work for. Yet, I feel as if my word means nothing, even though I have been labeled as "an integral and vital part of this organization". Instead of a good old pat in the back or a "good job", I get an Email from the president of sales stating that we're pursuing them anyways. lol Yeah... Just like that... 3 days of hard work, all for it to be flushed down by a simple Email. *sigh* The life of a credit analyst is never easy... Later.

Are Cartoons Getting too Sexy for Kids?

Hey there. I need to throw in my two cents on this topic. I believe that a child should be a child and spend their youth being a kid. Chores, play, games, school, cartoons, you know, the normal kid stuff. But recently, I've seen a trend come to pass that I am not pleased with and it seems that it is aimed at the young ladies of this world. I am talking about "sexy" and inappropriate images in cartoons and cartoon products. Here are some of those items that have cause for concern.

ANYTHING BRATZ

I am not a fan of Bratz. I think they take this movement waaaaaay overboard. Our first encounter with these dolls happened back when our oldest daughter received a "Baby Bratz" as a gift. Nothing wrong with a little having a baby, right? WRONG! The baby was wearing a thong. A THONG! I don't see how this can be interpreted as cute or anything of the like. A baby should be in diapers, or some kind of baby outfit. Not in a mini skirt, a tank top, and a thong. Since then, we have pretty much removed most Bratz items from the house. I don't like what they stand for either. Our daughter was young when she received that doll and recently she asked that we rent a Bratz movie to watch. It was animated and considering that she was older, we felt that we would check it out before letting her see it. My goodness, they were all airheads, they cared nothing but their appearance and boys, and spent their free time singing and shopping. Kids are pretty impressionable at this age and I don't like these figures. Needless to say, that was that for Bratz.

Dora the Explorer



















The direction that Dora is heading is more of a disappointment more than anything else. The idea for Dora was a great one. A child goes off in adventures with her monkey Boots all the while, teaching kids a few Spanish words. My youngest daughter loves it. I liked that she picked up some Spanish. Even though we are of Spanish heritage, we just don't speak it at home so it was nice that she would learn a thing or two from Dora and her grandparents. Recently, Dora has gotten a makeover. A more older Dora, whose hair magically changed color, wearing leggings, and lipstick. Is Dora trying to become the latest Bratz? If this is supposed to be a tween Dora, I don't like the fact that she has on lipstick. I doubt Dora will be going on adventures in heels and lipstick... unless she's going on mall expeditions from now on.

Rainbow Brite

This is the latest to get the makeover. Though I was not a huge fan of Rainbow Brite as a kid, I know the cartoon from my youth. Rainbow Brite and the Star Kids (I think) were kids who went on missions to restore color to the world, or something to that effect. Check out the before pic of Rainbow Brite and her crew.

Now here is the "updated" Rainbow Brite.
You see why I have a problem with this? What's wrong with kids that look like kids? Why the longer legs? Why the drastic change in appearance? The only thing that looks somewhat the same are the little things with fur. But other than that, I don't like this modernization of old school cartoons. I don't want my girls to get the image that they need to look like that to be considered good. I even like the fact that the original green one has a band aid on. It shows that they're kids and are prone to bump, trip, and fall over things. I doubt that any of the new Rainbow Brite cast will sport a band aid, let alone look like they want to get dirty.

I just don't like the makeovers. I don't like that they shows are trying to convey that young girls need to look a certain way. I feel as if they get enough pressure as it is being a kid, going to school and worrying about homework. The last thing that should be on a child's mind is their appearance and TV is certainly not helping. Later.

"Deliver Me" a Parking Ticket

Hey there. We went to see our doctor this morning so that she can check up on the baby. We left at a good time and got there at a good time as well. Because we to the doctor early, we tend to rush so that we can get to work and only miss about 30 mins of work. I walked in and took a picture of the names of the doctors. Figured it would be a good Twitpic of where I was at the moment. There were no TV cameras (they are the doctors of Deliver Me) around, figured because it was early morning. Doctor Bohn (pronounced "bone") checked out my wife and baby to make sure all is good. According to Dr. Bohn, we'll be entering our 30th week tomorrow. Only 10 more weeks to go! All checks out well and then we go to set up our appointment for our next visit. The reception told us to take a seat so we did... And waited... and waited... and waited. I was getting restless. It doesn't take more than 2 mins to check the appt. book to find an empty slot, yet, there we were sitting for over 10 mins. I told my wife that the receptionist must be slacking off since I heard laughter and I saw coffee being brought in. We ask her what's the hold up and in no more than 30 secs, she has our appointment ready. We walk briskly to our car so that we can be off to work and what do we see? A damn traffic officer pacing around our car. Oh no... I rush up there and ask him if there's a problem. He says that there is no money in the meter. I look at it and sure enough it's red. Literally, one min late. I tell the cop that it's only a minute late and we're already leaving. He was being a pain and shrugged me off and handed me the ticket... That bastard. That killed our mourning. And the funny thing was that I told my wife to put in extra money in the machine cause you never know if we'll be held up. AND WE DID put in extra money. Guess it was enough. Now, we're stuck with a $50 parking ticket that could've been avoided with an extra quarter...

What are the chances of that happening? I mean, we were literally 1 min late. We placed 3 quarters (45 mins) in the machine at 8.10 AM. The traffic ticket says that the infraction occurred at 8.56 AM. That's one minute!!! Unless the bastard was hanging out and waiting for meters to turn red, it's HIGHLY unlikely that you will get a ticket for being 1 minute late. It was extremely upsetting after realizing it was a minute but after talking and joking about it, we realized that that's just how the ball bounced this time around. We had absolutely no room for error and it just so happened that the dude was walking by the moment it turned red. *sigh*

Well, at least the baby is OK. I'll give you guys more updates as they happen. Until then, later.

Fighting with Bank of America

Hey there. I am on the phone, on hold, with Bank of America. We recently got a loan modification done on our mortgage to reduce the amount. We were happy when it was slashed considerably. We signed the docs and sent them back. Soon after, we received a second set of documents and that slashed the first offer even more. We were confused, at that point. Can this super low offer really be our loan payment? I started calling BofA. I spoke to 2 different representatives that clearly said that the second offer would override the first. I had them repeat that to assure that I was hearing correctly and again, I received the "second set of documents will override the first." My wife and I were thrilled at point. We started to plan out the rest of the year, with dreams of her not having to work with with this great windfall that we were blessed to receive. We even received a check by BofA saying that we overpaid in escrow fees so even more joy came over us. Until last week, that is.

We receive our statement and it says that our payment is what the original loan documents stated and not what we were told over the phone. Not cool, Bank of America, not cool and at. Now, I'm on the phone trying to get to the bottom of it. Personally, I am none too happy that Countrywide busted and BofA bought it out. I've had some awful experiences with BofA. Many years ago we had a checking and savings account with BofA. It was not something that we wanted to do but considering that there were everywhere, we went ahead and open the accounts. On top of all the fees that were assessed, even after doing the "automatic savings" thing that supposedly made your accounts, free, we had issues with them. The straw that broke the camel's back was the moment that some one by the name of "Ruth" created a check, that's right, created a check with her name and her address on it and cashed it against our account. I don't remember the exact amount of the check but I want to say that it was close to $1K. I was furious. I called and complained to BofA how my name is clearly not Ruth and the address on the check is clearly not mine and yet, they cashed this check. On top of that, they gave me a hard time. Them bastards gave me a hard time! They didn't give me my money back "the next day", as their fraud commercials stated at the time, and I had to call them everyday for a full week just to get them to admit fault and give me my money back. Of course, because I was out so much money and it was unexpectedly gone, we started accumulating overdraft fees that again, BofA said were my fault and not theirs. I fought for those to be reversed too since I told them that they cashed a check that was not issued by me and therefore I should not be held accountable for the fees. After all the yelling and all the screaming I did to supervisors and directors, I finally got the money back into my account. I immediately withdrew our money from both saving and checking accounts and vowed never to bank with them again. I bash them every chance I get, and with more than good reason, and to my surprise, others usually share their horror stories as well.

Now, it turns out that they need to research as to why my documents are not matching... Typical BofA bullshit, if you ask me. I am not happy and if I need to pay more than what my documents say, I'm going to be raising some hell. Later.

FYI... I did this whole post while I was on hold... Bastards!

My Beef With Summer

Hey there. I'm not a big fan of summer time. I hate the heat. It may sound weird from someone coming from "sunny California" but it can be unbearable sometimes. I've noticed that I radiate a lot of body heat. It can cold to the point where the kids and my wife are wearing 3 shirts and a sweater and I'm walking around in my boxer shorts unfazed by the cold. I love Winter, that's only because it doesn't get so hot. Winter temps are anywhere from high 60s to high 70s where as during summer, it's 75+ degrees at night time. The heat makes it damn near impossible to sleep. If it's cold, I pile on clothes til I feel comfortable. If it's hot, there's not much you can do to cool off. A/C and fans can only do so much before you venture into a part of your house that's not cool and the heat slaps you across the face. Ugh...

We have ceiling fans at home that on when we get there. They run throughout the night and the heat still keeps me and wife up. I'm looking into getting one of those high powered standing fans. My wife has one at work that damn near blows her away on the low setting. lol I got the model number of the fan but it turns out that they run close to $120. $120!!! For a freaking fan?!?!? No thanks. I've seen fans for like $5. I'll see if I can find a more price savvy fan online that can come close to that fan. Otherwise, it's more of the same for the next couple of months.... Walking around at 9PM in boxer shorts... sweating... Later.