Someone just hit the powerball for $340 million. This person had a 1 in 146 million chance and they hit it. And this person lives in Oregon where $340 million might as well be 340 extillion trillion dillion. More money than you could possibly spend.
We all wonder if that will ever happen to us. I am convinced that it won't for me. I found the following article interesting in the words that scammers use to justify their actions. Usually the justification is that they are a robin hood like being taking from the rich (Americans) and giving to the poor (themselves). Just like the drug trade this is a no win situation for anyone. Even the scammer loses when he wastes his money on furr sinks & electric dog polishers.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/latimests/20051020/ts_latimes/iwilleatyourdollars
Since I know someone who fell for a scam like this and still believes in it I know that this is a reality even in 2005. They target the elderly because they are more trusting. Perhaps it's a good thing that grandma doesn't have a computer or know how to e-mail? She can be protected. But then again my grandma is so stingy I can't image her sending money to Nigeria to a stranger. It's sad that I know someone who has been taken for a huge sum of money yet I do not know someone who has won a huge sum.
Stay informed, protect the elderly in your family and FIGHT BACK!
Thursday, October 20, 2005
Thursday, October 13, 2005
Thinking my way thru the morning commute
Sitting in Traffic you get to thinking.
I would like to invent a device like the remote that turns off TVs in airports that would do the same to cellphones on the road. 80% of the people I see on the freeway are talking on the phone while driving. It is very frustrating when you are stuck behind some idiot concetrating on the phone more than the road and holding you up in the fast lane. If I had a device to turn that puppy off I would turn my frown upside down. Criss cross applesauce that buddies!
I travel the 91 west every morning to work and the best days to commute are when there is an accident on the 91 east of where I pick it up (Magnolia Blvd). I wouldn't wish that anyone be in an accident but wouldn't it be cool if there was a service that could create a disruption in the area behind you so that you could avoid traffic? A group of guys dressed in reflective vests jump out of a truck and start coning the freeway east of me down to one lane. Sweet.
I am back to considering a Hybrid vehicle for my next purchase because the price difference between the Escape Hybrid and the regular Escape is $3000 and not $10000 like it is for other hybrids. The thing is I try to avoid traveling slower that 40 mph and it is at the lower speeds that you really get the savings over the gas engine. Also I need to determine if in fact running the air requires the gas engine to kick in all the time and if I need to run the air all the time.
The best thing about my commute is listening to Opie & Anthony. Recently they had a comedian named Patrice on talking about how he needed to teach his girlfriend how to be a friend. She knew how the to be his girl, but she didn't know how to be his buddy like one of the guys. Opie & Anthony were tight lipped about this, guess they didn't want to ruffle anyone's feathers. The bottom line is that women are not your friends. They are sexy, sweet and wonderful companions but they will never be "your buddy". You can't go to a bar with your girl and talk about the rack on this one, or the ass on that one. At the same time you don't want to hang out with your girl checking out guys packages (do they even do that?).
I would like to invent a device like the remote that turns off TVs in airports that would do the same to cellphones on the road. 80% of the people I see on the freeway are talking on the phone while driving. It is very frustrating when you are stuck behind some idiot concetrating on the phone more than the road and holding you up in the fast lane. If I had a device to turn that puppy off I would turn my frown upside down. Criss cross applesauce that buddies!
I travel the 91 west every morning to work and the best days to commute are when there is an accident on the 91 east of where I pick it up (Magnolia Blvd). I wouldn't wish that anyone be in an accident but wouldn't it be cool if there was a service that could create a disruption in the area behind you so that you could avoid traffic? A group of guys dressed in reflective vests jump out of a truck and start coning the freeway east of me down to one lane. Sweet.
I am back to considering a Hybrid vehicle for my next purchase because the price difference between the Escape Hybrid and the regular Escape is $3000 and not $10000 like it is for other hybrids. The thing is I try to avoid traveling slower that 40 mph and it is at the lower speeds that you really get the savings over the gas engine. Also I need to determine if in fact running the air requires the gas engine to kick in all the time and if I need to run the air all the time.
The best thing about my commute is listening to Opie & Anthony. Recently they had a comedian named Patrice on talking about how he needed to teach his girlfriend how to be a friend. She knew how the to be his girl, but she didn't know how to be his buddy like one of the guys. Opie & Anthony were tight lipped about this, guess they didn't want to ruffle anyone's feathers. The bottom line is that women are not your friends. They are sexy, sweet and wonderful companions but they will never be "your buddy". You can't go to a bar with your girl and talk about the rack on this one, or the ass on that one. At the same time you don't want to hang out with your girl checking out guys packages (do they even do that?).
Friday, October 07, 2005
Are We Making Progress in the Middle East?
A letter reportedly from the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq to Osama Bin Laden was intercepted in early July that details al Zarqawi's concerns about their tactics in Iraq might turn muslims against al Qaeda. If this letter is legitimate then perhaps we are making progress on the War on Terror afterall.
http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/10/07/pentagon.al.qaeda/index.html
Bush's Speech Thursday morning was well prepared and was one of his best. Too bad he didn't save it for prime time. It's about time he put it out there that Iraq is a quagmire and it's his quagmire. I think the more he takes responsiblity for things, the better he will be perceived. To portray the war on terror as similar to the war on communism is kind of a stretch. I like the way he linked sacrifice to success and made it clear that people are dying and that they will continue to die until this war is over. That is how great change works. The fact that people do not want to deal with this issue is understandable but if we don't fight this war now we will pay in the long run. Like if you don't change the oil on your car regularly. Got that Fantasia Barrino?
Clearly if the US were to pull out that would make Iraq a terrorist haven.
Since Bush is looked on positively for taking responsiblity do you think he should admit his mistakes? Would that endear him to the American people and to the world?
If he admitted that he made a mistake and shouldn't have gone into Iraq in the first place would you feel better about the guy? Can he be saved in the opinions of guys like Sean Penn (do we care?) or Phil Donahue? Does it make him look weak or responsible?
I think if he did admit to his wrongs and used it as a basis to convince the world that the past is the past but that today we need to finish the job in Iraq things might be different.
http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/10/07/pentagon.al.qaeda/index.html
Bush's Speech Thursday morning was well prepared and was one of his best. Too bad he didn't save it for prime time. It's about time he put it out there that Iraq is a quagmire and it's his quagmire. I think the more he takes responsiblity for things, the better he will be perceived. To portray the war on terror as similar to the war on communism is kind of a stretch. I like the way he linked sacrifice to success and made it clear that people are dying and that they will continue to die until this war is over. That is how great change works. The fact that people do not want to deal with this issue is understandable but if we don't fight this war now we will pay in the long run. Like if you don't change the oil on your car regularly. Got that Fantasia Barrino?
Clearly if the US were to pull out that would make Iraq a terrorist haven.
Since Bush is looked on positively for taking responsiblity do you think he should admit his mistakes? Would that endear him to the American people and to the world?
If he admitted that he made a mistake and shouldn't have gone into Iraq in the first place would you feel better about the guy? Can he be saved in the opinions of guys like Sean Penn (do we care?) or Phil Donahue? Does it make him look weak or responsible?
I think if he did admit to his wrongs and used it as a basis to convince the world that the past is the past but that today we need to finish the job in Iraq things might be different.
Monday, October 03, 2005
Weekend Observations for 10/03/05
Now that I have a DVR from my crappy cable company taping things for future broadcast is much easier. Is "taping" the correct term when no tape is involved? Being a fan of the vast world of television I sampled all the returning shows from last year and a good number of the new ones.
The best show this year is the best show from last year. LOST. JJ Abrams has a second success to accompany ALIAS, that is so dynamic in the stories it tells as it pulls the experiences of the stranded plane crash survivors past's into the events on the island and ties the whole thing together. We still don't know the big picture which in my mind is what will make this a long term success. If you don't know what's around the corner you will always be surprised to find it. Terry O'Quinn and his mysterious Loc character is the highlight for me. He is much better than the skipper, gilligan, or even the professor.
At the same time the folks at ALIAS really dissappointed me with how they treated Vaughn in the season opener. I should have known that when I saw Jennifer Garner had a producer credit that this was going to happen. Ben Affleck sucks.
The worst show this year has to be SURFACE. The acting, the writing, the concept. Well it's all bad and I give this show a month before it's done. A close second is E-RING. Not because it's not a good concept, I love the "homeland security" play and I am still pissed that CBS cancelled The Agency. Dennis Hopper is great but the other acting is very poor, not to mention the dialogue, and Benjamin Bratt is lousy.
Survivor is getting tried (as we all knew it would).
Can you tell that the only significant thing I did over the weekend was watch TV? That's what happens when you work on Saturday.
The best show this year is the best show from last year. LOST. JJ Abrams has a second success to accompany ALIAS, that is so dynamic in the stories it tells as it pulls the experiences of the stranded plane crash survivors past's into the events on the island and ties the whole thing together. We still don't know the big picture which in my mind is what will make this a long term success. If you don't know what's around the corner you will always be surprised to find it. Terry O'Quinn and his mysterious Loc character is the highlight for me. He is much better than the skipper, gilligan, or even the professor.
At the same time the folks at ALIAS really dissappointed me with how they treated Vaughn in the season opener. I should have known that when I saw Jennifer Garner had a producer credit that this was going to happen. Ben Affleck sucks.
The worst show this year has to be SURFACE. The acting, the writing, the concept. Well it's all bad and I give this show a month before it's done. A close second is E-RING. Not because it's not a good concept, I love the "homeland security" play and I am still pissed that CBS cancelled The Agency. Dennis Hopper is great but the other acting is very poor, not to mention the dialogue, and Benjamin Bratt is lousy.
Survivor is getting tried (as we all knew it would).
Can you tell that the only significant thing I did over the weekend was watch TV? That's what happens when you work on Saturday.
Saturday, October 01, 2005
Joe Rogan = Evolution Man
Listening to Joe Rogan the other day on Opie & Anthony was a blast. This guy really has some interesting things to say. He is actually a student of Man. He has the best job in the world (eventhough he hates it) because it's easy, he works 3 days a week and the money is amazing. But I never thought listening to the host of Fear Factor would direct me toward national geographic.
The most interesting thing he talked about was evolution. Scientist have mapped the human genome (the set that consists of all the genes that determine who we are) and found that we are 96% ape. This being said how could one argue against the concept of evolution?
Don't believe me? Read it for yourself.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/08/0831_050831_chimp_genes.html
Calling humans human is like calling a sandwich that is 96% shit and 4% cheese a cheese sandwich. I am sorry friend, that is a shit sandwich.
Hoo hoo ha ha hee hee
(scratch the head)
(pound the chest)
(rub the tummy)
The most interesting thing he talked about was evolution. Scientist have mapped the human genome (the set that consists of all the genes that determine who we are) and found that we are 96% ape. This being said how could one argue against the concept of evolution?
Don't believe me? Read it for yourself.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/08/0831_050831_chimp_genes.html
Calling humans human is like calling a sandwich that is 96% shit and 4% cheese a cheese sandwich. I am sorry friend, that is a shit sandwich.
Hoo hoo ha ha hee hee
(scratch the head)
(pound the chest)
(rub the tummy)
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