Entrecard Experiment is Over

Hey there. I decided a week or so ago, that I would stop using Entrecard for a week. Not because I think the service sucks, or anything of that sort, but because I was curious as to why so many of it's members were leaving. Is there really a benefit for those that simply walk away? I've had a steady stream of traffic (in the vicinity of 250-400 page views a day) since I've joined Entrecard, that I was happy about. I know I'm not a super popular guy and I don't expect 1000's of hits a day but a couple of hundred page views and some committed friends is a satisfactory result. With that being said, my traffic took a huge nose dive during the time off from Entrecard. Somewhere around a 67% drop. It dropped faster than the US economy.


A very humbling experience. I don't see how someone can walk away from a community that not only brings in traffic to your site but also creates friendships. I thank you, friends, that continued to visit and drop this week, even though I did not reciprocate. I made no mention of my experiment cause I didn't want to influence my readers, or lack there of, and I would call it a success, even though I am not ecstatic of the results. I'm back on Entrecard and I'll start my blog surfing. Thanks again, friends. Later!

Samuel L. Jackson is... Afro Samurai

Hey there. I love me some Samuel L. Jackson. I think he's one of the best mother f*ing actors out there. Think about it for a second. The man has done it all. He's is a comic book villain (unbreakable), racist cop (Lakeview Terrace), cracked up junkie (Jungle Fever), jedi master (Star Wars flicks), Jules (if you don't know who Jules is, you're not a fan) I mean... the man has been in dozens of movies and he plays the characters well. AND HE'S NOT FULL OF HIMSELF. He's more than willing to take a role where he's a role player in the movie. I think that's what draws me to his movies. He knows he's a star but he doesn't act like a diva. He takes his fame in stride and isn't afraid to try out new roles. He's not an action man, or comedic actor, or a drama king, he is purely a jack of all trades and has shown that he can play any part that he wants to try out. The man is a chameleon. It's only fitting that the next step in his career is animation.

The man has skills as an actor, he's known for his voice (I go back to Jules) but his facial and body expression aid his performances. Voice acting is one dimensional. The animators will provide you with the facial expressions and body language but you need to bring that artwork to life. The voice needs to breathe life into the character or you just don't believe the story and the man does a fine job in Afro Samurai.

He's credited for the voice of Afro and Ninja Ninja, thought Ninja Ninja is the one that does most of the talking. Afro, a more stoic and stone cold persona, doesn't have much to say during the series but kicks some serious ass. Afro Samurai has been around since 2007 but this year marks the release of Afro Samurai: Resurrection. The first season was simply bad ass. I'm a sucker for a good story and Afro Samurai provided a great story in a much too short 5 episode season. Afro Samurai: Resurrection is a film that carries on Afro's story.

In a nutshell, the greatest samurai battle each other for numbered headbands. The #1 head band being the top dog. Afro's dad held the #1 head band until he was defeated by Justice. A young Afro witnesses this and lives a life fueled by revenge. After he obtains the #2 band as an adolescent, he earns the right to go after #1, all the while, others attack Afro for the #2 band. Enter Afro Samurai: Resurrection here. I haven't looked into it yet since I don't want to spoil it for myself. lol I missed the first airing of the movie on Spike. They are now showing the movie in a four 30 minute episodes. I caught the first one last Friday, episode 2 is going to show this Friday. You guys gotta catch this show!!! Later!

15 Companies That May Not Make It This Year

Hey there. I haven't had much time to post here since I've been working too hard and tired as hell once I get home. Being a credit analyst, I've been burying my head in balance statements and profit & losses for all kinds of companies to assure that we will not lose money on companies that we do business with. With that being said, I stumbled on an article in Yahoo Finance about 15 companies that may not make it through 2009. Here is my take on those 15 companies.

Rite Aid: I like Rite Aid. I shop there every now and then and it's basically a suped up liquor store. The problem? Their pharmacy. Because they invested much in the pharmacy side of Rite Aid, the comp. is losing out to Wal-Mart now that Wal-Mart offers pharmacy services. Many are ditching the Rite Aid pharmacy to hit up Wal-Marts since customers can also buy other items at discounted prices.

Claire's Stores: My wife loves this store. Each time we're at the mall, we need to stop by Claire's or Icing (same company) for little nick knacks and girly accessories. The problem with this is that it's in a mall. Many consumers are just not hitting the malls since many don't have that extra cash to spend. Since the company specializes in accessories, this economy is hurting the company since many of us can live with out the glittery clip or starry hair bands.

Chrysler: This one is a tough one to swallow. The gov. has already provided the company with bailout money and they're burning right through it. It also doesn't help that the higher ups insist that the company is not going out of business. Are they trying to convince us? Or trying to convince themselves? The fact that their main inventory consists of gas guzzling SUVs and trucks are not helping either.

Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group: This small chain of rental cars will suffer due to Chrysler, since Chrysler provides approx. 80% of the cars that the automotive group rents out. No cars, no company. Simple as that.

Realogy Group: This is the biggest real estate firm in the country and that's why it's in trouble. The housing market has been in a nose dive since late 2007 and all the losses are tearing this company apart. They've attempted to refinance most of their debt to no avail. When the largest real estate firm is having trouble refinancing, you know they're in trouble.

Station Casinos: This one is a no brainer. No money to toss around at the gambling table. Coupled with the fact that this is a home grown business that is native to Las Vegas, this is one business that does not have the big dollars backing it up like some of the well known casinos on the Vegas Strip.

Loehmann's: Like every other retailer out there, it's feeling the pinch of consumers not spending money but Loehmann's just doesn't have the cash to keep the company afloat. It may very well follow the likes of Mervyn's and Gottschalks and simply run out of money to keep the business open.

Sbarro: This one's in trouble for the same reason Claire's is. They are in a mall and people just don't spend the money on pizza while at the mall. To make matters worse, they can't offer additional items since the store is only open during mall hours so a breakfast or late night menu is not an option. Consumers love options and this company just doesn't have any.

Six Flags: This one hurts. I love Six Flags. We go about once a year during one of our mental health days that my wife and I take. The problem here is that the company is just not making money. It's been losing money for years and many of the parks are for sale to private investors and unless someone comes up with the cash to make this place profitable, it's just not going to make it. In California, Six Flags has a bad rap. There have been incidents involving gang violence and disturbances that just give the theme park a negative connotation. Being a family man, I'd rather take the kids to Disneyland or Knotts Berry Farm where I know that the kids are less likely to encounter a problem. I'm sure I'm not the only one thinking that way.

Blockbuster: This goes for all video rental places that have a brick and mortar place of employment, online video rental is the way of the future. Netflix and other online video rentals just make it too easy for customers to rent what they want and receive movies without leaving their home. Not to mention that a monthly subscription, at a low price, makes it more affordable than other places. And now that Netflix can stream via a XBOX 360 or on their latest product, The Netflix Player by Roku, other video rental companies simply cannot compete.

Krispy Creme Donuts: I love me some donuts. The company figured that many Americans do as well. The problem? They opened too many stores too quickly. They expanded right before the housing market came down, forcing many of the locations to default on leases since they could not negotiate new leases. This caused for many of those locations to close down. That trend will more than likely continue this year.

Landry's Restaurants: This one is 50/50. They own well known cafe's such as the Rainforest Cafe and Chart House. The problem here is that they are in the middle of a buyout where the company needs $400 million in funds to finalize the deal. Some banks have already shut them down so it doesn't look good. If a bank gives them the money they need, they can ride this storm out.

Sirius Radio: This was a problem the moment this company started. Many will not pay for something that is already free. XM was in the same boat but merged with Sirius to keep the company alive and reduce losses. Now, they are both sinking and because they have huge contracts that need to be paid (*cough *cough Howard Stern *cough *cough), the company is just not profitable.

Trump Entertainment Resorts: The Donald has been in hot water for years now. Each time he's managed to get out of it by using his persona to get extensions on late payments. Now that the real estate market is still in the dumps, The Donald may be able to talk himself into any more extensions. Especially since a good portion of his properties are in the casino business.

Bearing Point: To be honest, I don't know much about this company other than that it is a consulting firm. Per Yahoo, "The firm is consistently lost money, revenue has been falling, and management stopped issuing earnings guidance in 2008... With a key interest payment due in April, management needs to hustle - or devise its own exit strategy."

There you have it, 15 companies that may not make it. I expect to see many clearance sales on these in the coming months. Later.

And That's How the Fight Started...

Hey there. We've all had em, an instance where we got into it with our significant other because of something we said or did. Sometimes, it was an innocent mistake with nothing malicious intended. Other times, it's our smart ass attitudes. Well, below are a few of those smart ass attitude times. Enjoy.


One year, a husband decided to buy his mother in law a cemetery plot as a Christmas gift. The next year, he didn't buy her a gift. When she asked him why, he replied, "Well, you still haven't used the gift I bought you last year!" And that's how the fight started...

My wife walked into the den and asked, "What's on the TV?" I replied, "Dust." And that's how the fight started...

A woman is standing nude, looking into the bedroom mirror. She is not happy with what she sees and says to her husband, "I feel horrible. I look old, fat, and ugly. I really need you to pay me a compliment right now." The husband replies, "Your eyesight is damn near perfect." And that's how the fight started...

My wife was hinting about what she wanted for our upcoming anniversary. She said, "I want something shiny. Something that goes from 0 to 200 in about 3 seconds. I bought her a scale. And that's how the fight started...

I asked my wife, "Where do you want to go for our anniversary?" It warmed my heart to see her face melt in sweet appreciation. "Somewhere I haven't been in a long time", she said. So I suggested, "How about the kitchen?" And that's how the fight started...

My wife and I were watching Who Wants to be a Millionaire while we were in bed. I turned to her and said, "Do you want to have sex?" "No.", she answered. I then said, "Is that your final answer?" She didn't even look at me this time, saying, "Yes." So I said, "Then I'd like to phone a friend." And that's how the fight started...

I tried to talk my wife into buying a case of Miller Lite for $14.95. Instead, she bought a jar of cold cream for $7.95. I told her the beer would make her look better at night than the cold cream. And that's when the fight started...

I took my wife to a restaurant. The waiter, for whatever reason, took my order first. "I'll have the strip steak, medium rare, please." He said, "Aren't you worried about the mad cow?" "Nah.", I said, "She can order for herself." And that's when the fight started...

Rock Band: Green Grass and High Tides Conquered!

Hey there. I've been on a mission to get through the song Green Grass and High Tides (GGHT) on Expert difficulty in Rock Band. I've failed many times. The song is long and the solos on this song are pretty insane. Especially, solo #2. This weekend, I was able to get through 93% of the song (the game tells you how much of the song you've completed before failing) and it was heart breaking to fail that far into the song. My boy, being a Rock Band enthusiast, yelled out the unmistakable, "AAAAAHHH", when I failed. Well, last night, I finally got through it. I've gotten into the habit to play GGHT at least once, before I turn my 360 off. I've been trying to collect the games achievements for passing the game on all difficulties. It's been a bit of a chore to have to play the songs on the lower difficulties for the achievements, but eh, I want them all. lol I'm currently in the last leg of the game in HARD so I'm almost ready for the EXPERT difficulty.

Anyways, while playing the song, I failed in the same spot, at around the 93% mark, but decided to give it one more go before calling it quits. Glad I did, cause this time I nailed it! And got me 5 stars on the song too. I'm sure it's not the best score out there, but it's MY best score. Damn proud of it too. Took a pic with my camera phone to document the moment. lol

Now... I'm hoping it wasn't a fluke and I'll be able to do it again during the solo campaign mode. The below score came while playing the song during QUICKPLAY. Until then, Later!

Free Grand Slam at Denny's

Hey there. Denny's restaurants have our backs! Because of the downturn of the economy, Denny's is offering a free Grand Slam breakfast to anyone that walks through their doors. That's right, FREE GRAND SLAM BREAKFAST! Today only. I think the cut off for a free breakfast is 2 PM so I suggest you avoid the lines and get there now! Good looking out, Denny's. You scored some points with me for watching my back. Later!