Buying Gold

Okay, so today I bought gold. Not gold in real life, but "virtual gold" for the game World of Warcraft. Yep, I paid actually money (around $66) for 3000 gold. I can now take that gold in-game and purchase a mount (a horse, dragon, whatever). It's funny to actually pay real money for gold made out of nothing more than pixels. But I'm not the only guy doing it--it's big business! And it's a little scary too, since it's against the rules of the game, Blizzard the game company, can delete your account. So here you are, sneaking through the back alleys of this virtual city, meeting this clandestine level 1 character named "asdfghh" and he's giving you 3000 gold, against game rules.

If they cancel my account, I guess that's not all bad. Maybe I can finally get some stuff done around the house that I've been putting off, like finishing my new kitchen and restaining my deck.

Taking my daughter out trick-or-treating tonight. I've done it for years, but I have had a stressful week. Would be nice to have a break. I may let her mom take it, if she doesn't object too much. She's really daddy's little girl!

President... Obama?

Well, I guess like most of Democratic community, I'll be putting my vote towards Obama. I can't really see that there's another choice at this point. I have to admit I like the fact that he talks about "change" a lot, because to me, that means he at least acknowledges that things aren't all peachy here in the land of the stars and stripes.

The lyrics to one of Eminem's songs have been in my mind this morning:

No more blood for oil, we got our own battles to fight on our own soil
No more psychological warfare, to trick us to thinking that we ain’t loyal
If we don’t serve our own country, we’re patronizing a hero
Look in his eyes its all lies
The stars and stripes, they’ve been swiped, washed out and wiped…

If you get that, then you understand where I'm coming from. I just hope Obama gets it. He's not nearly liberal enough for me, but I guess he'll have to do. Hell, he can't possibly be worse than McSame.

I really wish I had a couple of hundred thousand dollars saved up. I'd take it and move to the Dominican Republic and start over. All these stars with tons of money making threats to leave the country, then not doing it, makes me sick. They can actually afford to go if they want to, but instead mouth off about it. If I had that kind of money, I'd be gone like a shot. Of course, I admit my move wouldn't be 100% politically motivated. I'd love a fresh start.

Karl Rove, Protector of the Constitution

Karl Rove, President Bush's former political director, emphasized Obama's "bitter" comments in his remarks. He urged NRA members to fight on McCain's behalf because Republicans "face a difficult environment."

"Victory in November is not going to be easy," he said. "In this election, the stakes are very, very high when it comes to the Constitution and the Second Amendment."

This is some amazing shit to hear. It's just funny to hear Karl Rove talking about how the constitution must be protected, when he and his party has stomped, shredded, and pissed all over it for the last 8 years. Oh, I figure the Republicans will win yet again, because the American people are JUST. THAT. STUPID.

Here's how I imagine the conversation going:

Republican Party: "Hey, America, we're going to take away your right to privacy and wiretap your phones and email. It'll make you safer. How's that sound?"

America: "Sure, sounds great, pal. Thanks again."

Republican Party: "Oh, and we're going to set up secret prisons around the world, but don't worry, it won't be on American soil. And we're going to practice waterboarding, because it's not reeeaally torture. Is that cool?"

America: "definitely. We gotta break a few eggs to make an omelette, right? But won't that harm our image to the rest of the world?"

Republican Party: "Nah, who cares about image? We've got to do what we do to make you safer. Speaking of which, we're going to stop-loss your soldiers because, well, really, people just don't want to join our military right now. It's downright Unamerican what's happening."

America: "Stop those damn liberals from leaving when their tour is up. But wait, how can they be liberals if they're at war for us? Aren't those guys honorable soldiers, worthy to return home to their families?"

Republican Party: "Sure, we support the troops, but in times of war, we need them all fighting!"

America: "Speaking of war, you know, I'm not really sure I support it anymore. I mean, at least about 78% of me doesn't."

Republican Party: "Well, that's okay. You really don't have to support the war. We do, and that's all that counts."

Democratic Party chimes in: "We support the troops! That's why we constantly vote for this war!"

America: "Well, I guess if you guys all support it, it sounds like a good idea to me!"

Republican Party shushes Democratic Party, "Be quiet and speak when you're spoken to!"


This could go on and on, but I'm tired and have to get back to work. What's really funny is, 82% of the US thinks that we've seriously got off track, yet I bet they continue to vote Republican. Smaaaart people, I tell ya.

Freaking geniuses...

Okay, so I just went through the Dairy Queen drive-thru on my way back to work (late, as usual). I ordered a cheeseburger with "lettuce and tomatoes only, no sauces". So I get back to work, bite into the burger, and there's no cheese.

I've had people actually ask me before if I'd like cheese on my cheeseburger, but nobody's ever left it out.

If anyone is reading this that works in fast food. If somebody orders a cheeseburger, ALWAYS INCLUDE CHEESE.

Quick edit:

Okay, I called DQ and asked, laughingly, if I should ask for cheese when I order a plain cheeseburger. The manager, Tina, was pretty nice. We had a laugh and she took my name and said I could have a couple of free cheeseburgers next time I'm in.

I'm pretty impressed with this girl, who I'm guessing is just somewhere between 20 and 25 years old. Why can't most people be like this? Hell, I can accept a mistake. I make 'em all the time. But people should be willing to fix their problems.

Lowes sucks

Okay, so about 6 years ago, I bought my first riding lawnmower. I have about an acre to mow and using a push mower was a nightmare, so I made the plunge for a $1000 riding mower from Lowes. It lasted 5 years. So last summer I bought another from Lowes, and first time I tried to use it, it dug into the ground. I called Lowes, and after sending the mower to my "nearest service center" 35 miles away in another town, they said the would not honor my warranty because the blade was bent. The fact that the blade was cutting into the ground first time I used it (and on the highest setting) didn't seem to be a factor to them. So I was out about $200 for a new blade. I used it a couple of times, it seemed to be okay, although still cutting way too close to the ground and has almost no power when going uphill. I call Lowes service, but an unhelpful manager named "Chris" simply tells me they're not going to fix it. I put it away in disgust for the winter.

So this spring, I dug it back out, and boom, the blade goes right into the ground again, and it's just not able to climb even small inclines. Throughly pissed off, I call Lowes and ask for their legal department, as I'd like to know who to put on the paperwork for small claims court. To make a long story short, I finally get some results after a few painful conversations with management and one coming out to my house to inspect the mower. The mower seemed to be fixed, although there was no mention of refunding what I paid a month into having the mower. "Fine", I thought. At least it's fixed.

So today I get the damn thing out to mow my grass after the recent rain, and the blade scalps my grass again. I call the manager at Lowes again, who acts like he's done me some massive favor in the past, and he keeps repeating, "I don't know what else I can do." He said this at least 4 but not more than 5 times in our brief conversation. But he finally offers to come "look at it" tomorrow. I can see where this is going already.

After reflecting upon the conversation, and staring at my scalped front lawn that I pay TruGreen $650 a year (and that's cheap) to treat, I feel my temperature rising and I call him back. I told him I'm going to go ahead and file in small claims court tomorrow, and if he fixes my mower I'll drop the case. Apparently, I hurt his little bitty pride, because he then says if I'm going to threaten him, then he's not even going to come look at it. What do people have to be full of shit? I can see this is a game he's playing. His problem is that he doesn't realize that I'm serious. I don't need this headache. Rather than have him waste an hour of my time squawking about how he can't fix it, and how, although it's not even a year old yet, it's not covered under Lowes warranty, and how they'll have to eat the cost because it's just under manufacturer warranty, blah, blah, blah... I'd just as soon sue his ass in small claims court and recoup the full cost of the mower, the repairs I've put into it while it's been under warranty, and maybe even reseeding costs to repair my lawn. I've been to small claims court twice, and won both times. It's incredibly easy to win when you're in the right. It really is. I guess he thought I was just bluffing. Maybe he was hoping I'd start begging him to come look at it. Wrong answer, pal. By the end of the conversation, he agreed to just refund my money. Oh, hell. Now I really am worried because I have no idea where my receipt is! lol

People amaze me. They really do. If you sell a product, stand by that product. I can't count the thousands of dollars I've put into Lowes in the last 7 years that I've owned this house. Just offhand, I spent $2500 on windows, $1500 on custom blinds, $13000 on kitchen cabinets, another $4400 on a quartz countertop, $500 on my front door and lock set, another $600 on a side door, $1000 on my first (crap) riding mower (oh wait, am I supposed to call it a "lawn tractor" so that it seems more worthy of that $1000?), and now under $1000 on this second (even crapier) riding mower.

The $400 front door is peeling, and Lowes also didn't want to cover that. I walk into the place and see a sign that says "lifetime warranty on fiberglass doors", and I immediately think, "I wonder how they'll try to get out of this one?" Sure enough, the door guy says it isn't covered under warranty because I'm supposed to wipe it down with mineral oil. I ask for the documentation that's supposed to be handed out, because I don't recall getting any, and he says, "Oh, there's none. I just try to tell everyone." I said I don't remember you from 6 years ago when I bought my door. He responds that he's only been there two years. So what the hell? Am I supposed to just "know" that my door must be wiped down or else I have no warranty? And I won't even go into detail on my 4 picture windows that were installed side-by-side, and the redneck installer that Lowes sent made them all 4 different sizes so that they look zig-zagged across the outside of my house, or how the first door installer put the door in, caulking the weatherstrip to the door in an attempt to hide the fact that the door seal was terrible (light shined through all around the brand new $600 install).

This whole mess reminds me of the power company that tells you it's impossible for them to stop a disconnect unless you come in and pay the bill "right now." When you finally impress upon them that you're at work and can't come right now, and tell them to just cut it off, they say they can wait for payment. (Yes, in the youth of my early 20s, I had just that situation occur.) They LIE, trying to manipulate you into whatever it is they want, and only give in when they realize you can't or won't bend to their will.

It's like the tree cutting guy who knocks down your tv cable and when you inquire about it, he says, "Hell, maybe chipmunks chewed it in half." (Yes, another true quote.) This story has a happy ending, though. I told him I wanted it fixed, and the next thing I knew, the tv cable place came by and fixed it, but wondered how the "anonymous caller" knew the line was down when you couldn't see it from the road.

Lowes sucks, sucks, sucks, sucks. I am just sorry that Home Depot is closing down in my small town. Even though they probably suck just as bad, at least it was competition. Still, I'm done with Lowes. The stuff I've bought, even though hawked as though it's high quality, has been crap, and the only way I can get them to stand behind their products is to fight with them about it. That's not how I want to spend my evenings. I don't enjoy that. Hell, if I wanted that kind of torture, I'd go talk to a car salesman about buying a new car.

Lowes, I hope you read this. I want real customer service. You guys suck.

Iron Man

Okay, I just saw Iron Man on Saturday, and I must say I am impressed. Even some of the better movies, like Spider-Man and X2, lack a certain maturity or realism. Don't get me wrong, those are great, fun movies that somewhat bring real life into a comic book story, but Iron Man had something these movies lacked. There was a certain maturity, and at the same time, a feeling reminiscent of the original Superman story that reminded me of that old slogan, "you will believe a man can fly." Iron Man had that feeling. It was downright exhilarating.

It helped tremendously that the actors seemed to take the roles seriously. Nobody was hamming it up (the worst example I can think of is Martin Sheen with his fake voice in Spawn, or whatshisface playing Bullseye in Daredevil). Downey plays the part of a party-going billionaire quite well. The humorous bits were pretty hysterical and well-timed.

This is also a good one for the kids... I only heard two profane words in there, and they weren't all that bad. I highly recommend this movie.

If I understand correctly, this is the first time Marvel Comics made a movie where they had real creative control. They were able to do this because they financed it themselves, around $140 million, I believe. Bravo, Marvel. I think you figured out how to make good comic movies. You control your assets! Not to mention, that's probably going to make you a fortune. If this proves successful long-term, I wonder if DC Comics will try the same trick?

Ralph Nader runs for President in 2008 Election

Okay, it's official. My suspicion is that Nader sees a woman and a black man running on the Democratic ticket, and a restless and dissatisfied nation that wants real change, and he's thinking this is his best chance ever. While I agree, it's still an uphill battle. Too many people vote straight ticket, and our nation is far too conservative and pro-corporation to elect a person who has no ties to big business (and this no real campaign budget) or special interest. He's not polished like slick politicians, and while I detest that "slickness", too many people expect and want it in their representative.

Nader has always been called the "consumer's advocate", and right we need that so tremendously much. I would ask that people read his open letter to George Bush here:

http://www.nader.org/index.php?/archives/1257-Open-Letter-to-George-W.-Bush.html#extended

And here's where he pokes Obama and Clinton a little bit as well:

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/


It's good stuff, folks. If you think we're in charge of our country, you haven't been paying attention. Now is your chance to get a little of that power back. Do it. There might not be another chance for a very long time.

State of the Union address

I just caught the last few minutes of the State of the Union address. What a joke. Here we have George Bush and Dick Cheney, an ex-oil man and ex-CEO of Enron, quoting the constitution and in particular, using the phrase "we the people" to describe who has the power in the United States. With a hunched-over gargoyle behind his right shoulder, George Bush proceeds to say that (paraphased from memory) as long as we trust in the people, we'll be just dandy. Does anyone know what the hell that means in context? Because it sure sounds like a lot of CRAP to me. What did he trust us with? When did he show this supposed trust? Because all I can think of rightoff is the damn USA Patriot Act, and that sure didn't show a whole hell of a lot of trust. So here we are, listening to Bush mouth off about trust and liberty, and over his left shoulder is Nancy Pelosi, Ms. "empeachment is off the table." All Bush has to do is use the word "soldier" or "veteran", and it's like somebody pulled the damned Democrat's strings. They all start clapping wildly and giving standing ovations. I'll have to remember that for the next argument I'm in. So there I am, having a disagreement with a co-worker in the office about how to write a proposal, and if things go badly for me, I'll just throw out the word "veteran" and watch everyone gather round and start clapping for me.

What the hell is the problem with our leaders? Are Pelosi and the rest of the Democrats so cowardly and spineless that they are going to jump whenever he says magic words? Or is it something more insulting to us? Do they think we are so stupid and mindless that we will turn against them if they don't snap to it when soldiers are mentioned? But actually, as I gain years behind me and I see what this country is really all about, maybe that is simply the way it is, and we really would turn against them if they uttered something that we disagreed with. Maybe they are in tune with this nation, and we're a big pile of pro-nationalist, warmongering, conservative, self-centered schmucks, and I just never knew it.

If I had my way, the Democrats would be stomping their feet throughout the entire State of the Union address in protest of this presidency. Watching Bush talk about "the people" like we're in charge, and then seeing Pelosi and the Democrats all kissing ass in unison makes me sick. I am bankrupt of hope, because clearly, there is none. Why don't people like Kucinich, Nader, or Ron Paul have a shot? Surely people can see that the status quo is only hurting this country. Dammit, try something new! Shake things up! Something needs to change in this country.

Smoking... fetish?

I just spent 15 minutes Googling "Katherine Heigl smoking."

Okay, so I have a smoking fetish. For those of you who don't know what this is, it's the situation where a woman (in my case) who smokes is a turn-on. If a pretty woman is smoking, she becomes even more sexy to me. I know, it's a bit deviant. Not much I can do about it. I remember in high school watching this pretty red-head named Greta, standing in the corner of the school lot where all the smokers gathered. She would purse her pretty pink lips and inhale from her cigarette. I'd watch it glow for a minute, then she would pull it of her mouth and exhale this thick, long stream of smoke. And that turned me on. I know it's not mainstream really, but then again, it's not completely crazy. It's not like chicks eating poop, or even quite as strange as a foot fetish, right? I mean, at least it's oral-related. My girlfriend is an ex-smoker, and I know she's tempted to smoke occasionally. I refrain from tempting her because, despite the fact that I would love to see her smoke again, I know it's unhealthy and I want the best for her. But damn, it's so sexy! Weirdly enough, I don't smoke. I actually don't even like the smell of cigarettes, and on the few times I've tried smoking, it makes me feel kind of sick. It's more of a visual turn-on for me, although kissing and fooling around with a girl while she's smoking is positively erotic.

I can't help but wonder how one becomes a smoker. I mean, it doesn't taste good when you first do it. And it takes SO much practice to get your lungs used to it, and quite a long time before you get addicted. How do we have so many smokers in the world? I mean, sure, you can say "I smoke when I drink", but I'm sure many people become smokers without ever drinking. It just blows my mind that something so difficult to do and takes so long to get addicted, is actually so popular and has so many people addicted to it.

I suspect that if you can explain one type of fetish, you can probably explain them all. Surely it's all related to something that happened in your youth or some crap like that. I mean, why would a guy like to see... bare feet? I mean, it's harmless enough, but difficult for me to understand. (As I'm sure my smoking fetish is difficult for some people to understand.) If you search on YouTube for smoking fetish, you'll find zillions of videos of chicks smoking. I don't claim to understand it. It just "is", I guess. Any psychologists reading this have any idea why I find this so attractive?

Blu-Ray vs HD-DVD and HDTV's Dream Home

So Time-Warner says that they are going to release their movies on Blu-Ray exclusively, and the word on the (blog) street is that HD-DVD is now dead. Adding to the fire, HD-DVD pulled out last minute of the CES show in Las Vegas, AND cut their player price in half. It's looking bad for HD-DVD, folks.

I was actually an early Blu-Ray supporter because of the larger storage space available on the disks. It seems logical to me that would leave extra space for extras and improved audio and video. However, recently I switched my support to the apparently-doomed HD-DVD. The reason? I found out that HD-DVD does not employ region-codes, which Blu-Ray does. I'm a strong supporter of freedom and the Fair Use Act, and it seems to me that if I am in another country, and I buy a movie, I should be able to bring that movie home and know it will play. Region-coding is designed to prevent that.

And this all makes sense, when you know Sony's history as far as DRM goes. They guard their information fiercely, even when it means limiting the buyer's ability.

So I guess I am now supporting a dead horse. Oh, well. I'm glad I didn't actually BUY any player yet. So I'm really more of an "emotional supporter."

Btw, have you ever entered HGTV's yearly "Dream Home" sweepstakes? I enter every year, and I really LOVE the idea of living on the beach or in some wonderful locale. Of course, that brings all sorts of problems to mind. For example, I couldn't live in the house because most of the time, the house isn't anywhere near a place where I could find work. For example, this year's house is in Key West. I've been there, and I seriously doubt the software development field is hot in Key West. But what's worse is that you know you can't keep the house. Almost all the previous winners sell it, and that's because the yearly taxes are unaffordable unless you're already wealthy. So while I'd really love to win the house, it would also be a bit of a sad moment when I'm walking through the house knowing I could never afford to live there. I guess winners just have to be content to sell the place for a small fortune and have a nice little nestegg all set up.

If I win it, I'm selling it, selling my regular home, and taking my family out of the US. There are countries where I can make a good living on the interest from half a million bucks or more. Just call me "gringo."

Do you ever get tired of life?

No, I'm not suicidal. I mean, in the past, I've thought about it, but not anymore. I have reasons to live now. And even when I thought about it, I was rational. I just feel that life has a way of wearing you down and dragging you out. I have car trouble, I have trouble with my house, I have a computer problem. I have limited money, and half the stuff I'm having trouble with are under warranty, but the auto/computer dealers don't want to honor my warranty. So what do you do? You can either cough up the money, or else fight endlessly to try to make them do what they should already be doing.

There is someone in my life that seriously makes me want to get a passport and leave the country. But I can't.

I look at the politics of the nation... the corruption, the stupidity, the lack of rational thought, the blind nationalism. I watch people Christmas shop with the same glum face that I have. Running around, looking for deals to make their kids and family members happy, all the while not enjoying it at all. Not thinking about the real reason for Christmas. I go to the movies and I see endless commercials before I finally get to see the movie I just paid $10 to see. I see the military trying to recruit my daughter with their crappy little "If you're ever asked in a job interview if you have leadership experience, then just smile" one-liner that makes me want to puke. Well, yeah, I have a friend who joined the army. They promised him technical training with computers, and he ended up cleaning tank turrets, and finally left so that he could bag groceries at Kroger's. (My friend was very smart and eventually did get his computer experience, but no thanks to the military. He now works at NASA).

I watch these candidates and their slick hair win elections, while the ones who truly seem honest poll lousy numbers and never win, but keep running.

Is anyone else out there just so tired of it? Sometimes, I wish I could just sleep forever and have nice dreams. You're probably going to say I'm depressed. Am I depressed? Hell, I probably am, but with good reason, I'd say. Is anyone doing anything to fix our multitude of problems? Does anyone really think John Edwards, Hillary Clinton, Mike Huckabee, or Mitt Romney are even going to try to fix our crappy healthcare system? Please! They're too busy taking donations from the pharmacetical companies.

I think I'm just going to go play World of Warcraft all evening. At least there, I can escape for a while.