Thursday, December 31, 2009

Screw Amazon!

And Borders. And Barnes & Noble. And Waldenbooks…

At one of my employer’s locations, there is a Borders right next to us, and I’ve gone in there and looked around. But I’ve never bought anything. Nothing at all. Why should i? I’m just going to read it once, and then it’ll get shoved into the bathroom cabinet & forgotten, or even worse. So Borders will never see any of my money again. And I tell this to every Borders employee I know.

Never mind the mind that fact that I live only three blocks away from the public library, and I can place my library requests online a 2 am, like I just did…

Frelling cheap Chinese rip-offs!

The Chinese do have a reputation for making cheap knock-offs of mainstream merchandise. Here they are ripping off the leaning tower of Pisa:

I hear Pisa’s not really amused…

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Don’t Drink and Drive

That’s all I have to say (for the most part) to you New Years’ Eve partygoers:

Then again, if you can’t even open the cork, then perhaps you shouldn’t be drinking in the first place…

Saturday, December 26, 2009

Feeling somewhat better

Yes, I know I missed the chance to exhort you to have a productive Airing of Grievances and Feats of Strength with Festivus. And then there was the Godless Pagan Holiday we had yesterday.

Unfortunately, I've had a serious head cold this week. One of the down side of being diabetic is that bugs like this are very much worse. Normally, I avoid taking cold and flu remedies and just try to sweat it out. I would go for cough drops and tylenol (the headache does no one any good). The one thing I do miss is sudafed. I can’t find it anymore because the damn tweakers caused it to pulled of the shelf. But I’m feeling somewaht better of late (the 12 hours of sleep last night may have helped, too….).

Anyway today allegedly was Christmas. But I celebrated my Christmas on Christmas Eve at the Big Family reunion. There was fun. family, the obligatory church  service…. In years past, we practiced a modified Secret Santa (where we drew names from a hat, and that was who we shopped for), which was good. This year, the order was white elephant (where you spent $10.00 at most, and this year the presents were given out by lottery). Of course, I threw a monkey wrench into the process by bringing an extra, ‘spare’ gift. I don’t regret it (I never know which cousin’s bringing a significant other, or if we’re going to have an unexpected guest). Anyway, a blast was had by all, an the fact that they were distributed via lottery makes it all the more funny. You don’t have to really score the loot to have a good time. The most funny moment was when one of my cousins opened her present and realized that it was a photo album. For babies. Unfortunately, children are definitely not in their future (that’s what she said…). Although I think the dreidel I got for my very much Christian uncle was funnier…

So Merry Christmas (late), Happy New Year, Happy Godless Pagan Holiday, and Happy Festivus….

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

I admit it…

I’m a geek…

Yes, I know it’s ad-supported, but I can imbed it. And I like it. I think that’s all the reason I need to post it…

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Tonight’s adventures

When I had my BlackBerry, I had a choice when it came to my PC Bluetooth connection. I could:

  • Not use the Bluetooth software that came with the dongle, and be able to sync my BlackBerry wirelessly, or
  • I could use the software that came with it, and be able to use my Bluetooth stereo headphones with the computer. Owing to pairing issues with my headphones and my BlackBerry, I wouldn’t be able to pair the headphones with both…

I chose to go with the latter (my BlackBerry came with headphones anyway, so I used the Bluetooth headphones with my computer). But tonight, I decided to see if I can pair my Windows Mobile phone up with my computer. A couple of starts and stops later, and I can sync my phone with my computer, and still be able to use the audio services (it’s complicated, but with the crackberry, I had to choose between one or the other, because RIM and The Anti-Christ are id10ts when it comes to product compatibility)…

BTW, I finally got Windows Mobile 6.5 to install and work on my phone.

Monday, December 21, 2009

Happy Godless Pagan Holiday!…

Well, it just turned midnight. IIRC, it is now winter solstice. Most of your so-called 'Christian' traditions at Christmas actually have Pagan origins. So, go out and celebrate a pagan holiday.

Please note: As much as I know some of you would like to go really Old Skool, given the current legal climate, I would not recommend human sacrifices…

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Old, Old Skool Communication…

When it came to wireless communications, I went straight to a cell phone. I never had a pager. My first cell phone was a simple analog phone. My second phone was sufficiently digital that I could recieve numeric pages, but I usually just answered the phone (after all, it was a cell phone). And from then on, all of my cell phones were text capable. So I never had a pager, and therefore never learned the art of the beeper code.

Anyway, if you wanted to know what they were, here is a list of codes people used for numeric pagers.

I should mention my current phone not only does texting, but it also does email (in fact most of my email is actually done from my phone now)…

It's foggy out tonight…

A foggy night in Washington State. I hope you're hoping for clear weather on Christmas Eve. Santa doesn't have any Navaids. And Rudolph lost his red nose when he have up drinking…

To cleanse the palate…

With the upcoming Godless, Pagan Holiday, we’re being bombarded with all manner of Christmas carols. Some are catchy, and some…. Well, let’s just say I will not be responsible for my actions the next I hear the little drummer boy…

So, here’s a little something to clear your head from all the Christmas carols.

And now I’ll leave you to wonder why Rob Halford put out a Christmas album this year….

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Feeling Hungry?

Why don’t you go to Taco Bell? And order something off the 99 cent menu (like a taco, perhaps). I myself would be partial to the 7-layer burrito, but that’s another story…

Anyway, guy goes into Taco Bell, buys 99 cent taco, pays $72.00 for it, and says pretty much ‘keep the change.’ The biggest tip I ever left at a restaurant was a $20.00, and the waiter came back out to make sure that I wanted to leave it. Then again, it was Nordstrom, and it was the same level of service that on would expect at Nordstrom…

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

I can turn the heat off now…

The cold snap is over. We now are back to our standard-issue Pacific Northwest rain. Drawback is that I’m now very much aware of the holes in my shoes…

Saturday, December 12, 2009

A letter to Sbarro…

Hi. I work in the <redacted so the Internet doesn’t know where I work>, Washington. I'm not going to disclose where I work at, lest you retaliate, but I won't be doing business with you. Ever. Here's why:

First off: Right when your store opened (I believe that very night), I was approached by one of the employees (possibly the manager), and he asked me if I wanted to trade product after closing. It took repeated 'no's' for him to get the point. Every company that I've ever worked for has one word to describe this: STEALING. I've seen this individual at other locations, so I can only assume that he's in some form of management (ie store or district manager). And he propositioned me to steal from my employer. Who knows how many other merchants he's tried this with.

That wouldn't be bad enough. A few weeks later, I was asked by my boss to go get a slice of pizza for him. Right there, in front of everyone at the register, again I was propositioned again to steal from my employer in exchange for pizza. The only reason why I didn't walk out right then and there was because it was my boss's money, and he wanted his pizza. I've since let him know that if he wants your pizza, he can get it himself. My integrity will be above reproach.

I wouldn't have complained about those two episodes if it wasn't for tonight. The straw that broke the camel's back happened tonight. I was taking a customer's order when one of your employees approached. You must be running some kind of special tomorrow for mall employees, because he immediately went into his pitch. In the middle of my customer placing her order. Of course, I took his coupons and threw them right in the trash right in front of him, and reminded him that he interrupted a customer. I couldn't understand what he replied to me, but I don't think it was something repeatable. So what if I did that to you? You'd hit the roof. I don't go disrupting your sales, but obviously you just don't care.

You've disrespected me. You've disrespected my employer. And you've disrespected my customers. Not acceptable at all. Don't bother with any apologies. You are thieves, and I do not hear the words of thieves. My integrity will remain above reproach, and I will accept nothing from you. Just know I will never do business with you, and I will let everyone know what scum you really are...

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Wednesday, December 09, 2009

Getting into the proper spirit…

Well ,a certain godless, pagan holiday is 2 weeks and change away. I thought’s I’d get into the proper spirit. So I put Handel’s Messiah on my phone’s mp3 player. I don’t know why I did it. There’s no ‘Bah, Humbug’ in it, nor is there The Airing Of Grievances…

What am I thinking?…

Sunday, December 06, 2009

Just another reminder

Always zip your back-pack before you leave for work. I didn’t, and I noticed my spare cell phone battery, my belt clip and my bluetooth headset are no more. Fortunately, found and eBay auction for the battery dirt cheap, and I was wearing the really expensive bluetooth set. And I have two other holsters/belt clips. Lesson learned. Not as expensive that it could’ve been, but still it sucks….

The experiment is over

I went back to Windows Mobile 6.1. I can get 6.5 to work, but there’s too much effort to get everything to display properly, and I can do everthing in the 6.1 ROM already that I can do in the 6.5 ROM…

Possibly coming back?

Mike Holmgren could be coming back? One can only hope. Pretty muck the Seahawks (or as I call them, the B-Hawks) suck. Even the Detroit Lions are playing better than they are (I hear they actually mauled Christians the other day)….

Saturday, December 05, 2009

Brrr…!

Those of you who are dieting should come to Parkland the next few days. You'll freeze your arse off, for sure. And I forgot my gloves. Oh well, who needs feeling in one's fingertips?

Trying new things…

As I’ve siad before many a time, I have a Shadow. The 2007 one. It came with Windows Mobile 6.0 on it. After about 7 months or so, I discovered a Windows Mobile 6.1 ROM that would work on it (in a nut-shell, it’s a port of the HTC S740 aka the HTC Rose). Anyway, I like it enough that it’s what I usually run nowadays on my phone.

A few months ago, though, somebody ported Windows Mobile 6.5 to the Shadow. Yes, this may be a stretch (the phone’s been officially disco’ed for over a year, and the processor is bit too slow), but there’s still development work going on for it…. The only drawback is that everytime I try it, I encounter some issue, and I end up going back to my previous ROM.

Anyway, I’m giving 6.5 another try. It’s a good thing I’ve got everything backed up…

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Wednesday, December 02, 2009

One of Carson Daly’s drawbacks….

Is that he’s on late. Too late. So late that when I do watch his show, the computer’s already turned off, and so I don’t look up the musical guest and i end up forgetting he and/or she, no matter how good they are. Anya Marina was one of them. Fortunately i was channel surfing today, and I saw her on Bonnie Hunt.

Don’t know who Anya Marina is? Let me jog your memory:

Oh, btw she’s also on the soundtrack of a certain vampire movie….

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All about the vampires….

So the big movie craze this season is a certain vampire movie. Apparently nowadays you can have teenage vampires. And you can have good vampires. I seriously disagree with both of them.

Vampires are evil. They are usually the villains for a good reason. You may love a vampire, but they’ll drink your blood in a heartbeat.

Vampires can not be teenagers. Before a certain vampire movie which will not be named, all the vampires were late middle-aged men (even senior citizen-ish). Take Béla Lugosi, Christoher Lee, or even Boris Karloff. They weren’t teenagers… Besides you really can’t be a vampire until you’ve passed the bar exam, or the IRS hires you…

No I don't like teenage vampires at all. I don’t like good vampires either. I’m not for team Jacob, or team Edward. I’m more team Grandpa Munster.

Tuesday, December 01, 2009

Holiday is here.

Today marks the start of Holiday. It lasts the entire month of December & January, as outlined by Bobby Henderson is his sacred writ. As a devout Pastafarian, I would celebrate this holy of day(s) if it wasn't for one of the teachings of The Flying Spaghetti Monster: Flimsy Moral Standards. Ramen.

So happy holiday, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, or have an enjoyable Godless, Pagan Holiday and/or Festivus