Category Archives: What do you think?

I’ll tell you what I think, now you tell me your thoughts too.

People always react stupidly to life’s problems.

Posted on January 25, 2012 by
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This happens every single day, and it is time someone points it out.  You’ve probably done this, I’ve done this, and everyone you know usually does this…

 

 

 

 

Have you ever found yourself in these silly predicaments?

1. You hate your job, so you start looking at job ads and sending resumes to them
Wrong approach.

2. Your bank account is low, the bills are mounting, so you cut back on your cellular phone plan or lower your TV channel package.
Wrong approach.

3. Sales at work are dwindling, to get new customers, you lower your prices, put on a major SALE and advertise.
Wrong approach.

4. You had a major fight with a friend, your boss, your spouse, so you decide to go out drinking on Friday night to calm your nerves.
Wrong approach.

By now you’re probably wondering how all of these solutions to these types of problems are wrong.  See, told you, people always react stupidly to life’s problems. While all of those reactions seem like they help the situation, all they actually do, is contribute to the problem.

How can that be? You might say…

It always helps to take a particular situation, exaggerate the same “rule of thumb”, to see how the point remains the same. Let’s take a look at #5 now:

5. The titanic ship is sinking, so you grab a bucket and start bailing water.
Wrong approach.

AHA! Now you’re beginning to understand.  Our first instinct when life presents problems is to look for a quick, and easy solution.  That only works for a short time, and all it does is set you up to receive similar amount of problems in the future.

Let’s look at what your reactions just caused:

1. You start looking at job ads and sending resumes to them, you land a job, but now your new job has an entire different set of problems. You hate your co-workers, the job description doesn’t match what you had expected. Your boss is a jerk, and the company is about to be bankrupt next year.
This reaction created more problems.

2. You cut back on your cellular phone plan or lower your TV channel package.  However next month, you went over you cell phone minutes and got charged $35 extra which negated the savings you were expecting.  Since you had less channels on TV, you found yourself at the local video store paying to rent movies. You even bought a few DVD’s to tie you over. Nothing was on TV, so you went out with friends instead, it ended up costing you money.
This reaction created more problems.

3. To get new customers, you lower your prices, put on a major SALE and advertise.

While sales volume increases, your cost of goods sold (remember that term from accounting class?) has increased.  The cost of the advertising in addition to the lower sales price has basically caused you to break even.  Once you stop the sale, you find that your sales dwindle off, and you’re back to square one. All you did was waste time, energy, and effort into a short term solution that didn’t fix a darned thing.
This reaction caused more problems.

4. You decide to go out drinking on Friday night to calm your nerves.

This may have calmed your nerves, but next week you have a different fight, with the same person, about a different issue. What you’ve solved is nothing really. All you’ve done is put yourself in a situation where the same peril can happen to you again.
This reaction can cause more problems.

5. You begin bailing buckets of water on the titanic as it sinks, and you soon realize, all you did was exhaust yourself. The ship still sunk, but now your out of energy to survive in the cold water, and you perish.  You can’t save a sinking ship, so stop trying.
This reaction caused more problems.

If you’ve read this far, then you want real answers.

I will provide you some ideas, and I’d love to hear your own comments.  Whenever we come up with solutions, it is important to STOP. THINK. DISCOVER. PLAN. EXECUTE

Abbreviated that is S.T.D.P.E  (which isn’t a catchy word, so you’ll just have to get past it)

 

Here are better solutions to the previous 5 examples:

1. You hate your job.

CORRECT: Start talking to people in your industry. This is best done with strangers. People who don’t even know your name. This way you maintain confidentiality so it won’t get back to your current job. Your friends and family won’t judge you and scoff “oh look, John hates his job”.

Read newspapers, do research, network, get the information you need before making a decision on what to do, where to do it, and how to do it.

What’s that? You found out in an industry journal that some massive company is branching out into a new area that you have expertise in? Great.  Scope out the job. Read their history. Find someone that worked there BEFORE, who can talk about the place.

I can’t think for you, but some of you might be saying “Well, how could I possibly find someone that use to work there?”

Think about it. Resumes are posted online.  Websites like linkedin.com carry histories of where people use to work.  Old forum posts from 5 years back might have someone signing their name with a title of the company and then they are signing their name with their new signature.    If there is a will, there is a way, create your own ways.

People that no longer have any ties to companies they use to work have volumes of helpful information that could tell you whether or not it would be a great place for you to work. Heck, people even post publicly about it. “I use to work at XYZ” – they brag about it like credentials on the “About Us” page of a website.

Ask them how the company was doing before they left. Why did they leave? Are they sorry they left? Would they ever consider returning?

2. Your bank account is low, the bills are mounting.

Really? Is your financial situation going to greatly improve by lowering your cell phone bill or TV channel package to only save yourself $50 a month?  Is that the real issue here, you’re only short $50 and your life would be so much better saving that tiny bit of money?

“But it will help, at least right now” you say.

CORRECT: Come up with a long term plan of action FIRST.  Begin executing that longer plan to get you out of this long term problem.  When time permits, (and time always does permit) you can make small changes SECOND.

Obviously your income isn’t matching the expenses you want.  Most people will say “you want too much, you’re living outside of your means.”  While that is true, a better idea is to INCREASE your means.  Raise your income.  That’s better than just lessening the desires for things you want.

3. Sales at work are dwindling, to get new customers, you lower your prices, put on a major SALE and advertise.

Ask yourself first: Why are sales dwindling?  What is the real issue here?

Some people may say “well XYZ is taking our business”.  Well if you are selling the exact same products as XYZ and you lower your prices, don’t you think XYZ will take notice and lower theirs as well, until someone gives in?

CORRECT: Perhaps the product or service you are selling is the real issue.  Perhaps you need to find some products that are EXCLUSIVE to your store.  Maybe you can create a value added service that XYZ competitor doesn’t have.  This is the longer term solution that will help your business.

Customers don’t always shop on price. Often they will shop based on novelty, by recommendation, or perceived value (not just price).  Look and think outside of the box.  If you come up with some real creative ways to reach these customers that XYZ is unable (or unwilling) to copy, then you’ll have people clamoring for your product or service.

4. You had a major fight with a friend, your boss, your spouse, so you decide to go out drinking on Friday night to calm your nerves.

What happens the following Monday? Perhaps another major fight. What will be your solution? Next Friday go out drinking with friends again?

The question is why did the fight occur in the first place? The “details” of the fight isn’t the answer to this question either.

But why?  Who was tense? Who was intolerant. Look at the bigger picture. The details themselves are trivial. Problems happen all the time, that’s normal, and everyone knows that.. But for a fight to erupt means:

CORRECT: Someone is stressed.  Maybe someone simply has a bad personality defect.  Can something be done to lower that person’s stress load, so they are less likely to be so tense?  In the case of a personality defect, you can’t change the person, so maybe it is time to get away from them.

5. The titanic is sinking

CORRECT: Grab a life jacket, and get off the boat as safe as your best options permit. Did I really need to say this?

–

People always react stupidly to life’s problems.

You don’t need to react stupidly.

Think before you act. Plan ahead for a longer term solution and get the process rolling FIRST.

When you get time (and you will get time) you can do some short term solutions SECOND.

This is the key to avoiding reoccurring pitfalls and traps in life. It will hinder similar problems plaguing you in the future.

Your comments?  I hope you have some. I’ve given you plenty of food for thought here.

Other people want to hear what YOU have to say too.

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Categories: What do you think?, What would happen if? | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Commodore 64 and what we’ve lost along the way.

Posted on January 10, 2012 by
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I read a tweet linking to http://www.retrocomputers.eu/2012/01/04/your-commodore-64-memories/ which basically is asking people about their Commodore 64 memories.

I tried commenting on that blog post, but it didn’t seem to have a save button. So here goes my first trackback. Let’s see if this works.

In response to “It would be great to hear your response to this brilliant 8 bit computer”

My reply:

The best thing about the Commodore 64 is that all the users had the same hardware. It meant software had to be dynamic and unique. No one told you to go out and buy more RAM or get a better video card.

If your software didn’t work in a standard C64, it didn’t get sold. That simple. As a result, software was written tight. Every last byte was carefully chosen due to space limitations.

This is the problem with computers today. It’s too easy for lazy software developers to just tell you to upgrade to a faster machine to make up for their laziness and poor coding skills.

I remember the first time I heard actual digitized music coming from the Commodore 64. It wasn’t a .MID file, it wasn’t the SAM speech synthesizer, it was actually a rendition of “Everyone was Kung-Fu Fighting”…

Actual Song

C64 Version

 

Apparently it really put the synthesizer chip to a real test. The programmers of that little demo had to block out the video screen with random colors and use all of the buffer space just to play the song.  It was said that they had used every last byte, had programmed the entire thing in hexadecimal machine language, and there was barely any bytes left in the machine to spare.

We were pleasantly shocked by the effort involved.  What was incredible about it, wasn’t the 8 second clip of the music playing, it wasn’t the fact that the C64 was able to play it.  It was the fact that these talented programmers were able to get the Commodore 64 to do something that no one had ever seen before.

That’s what the world needs more of, real special programmers who work for software development firms where the market departments aren’t dictating what the IT departments are doing.

People do not understand most of what goes on in large corporations with software development. I think I’ll have to leave that for another blog post at http://lifeisfunny.freethrills.com

But hats off to Andy @ Retrocomputers for bringing up the topic and thanks to him @andytuk for the tweet !

 

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Hope for the New Year — is it realistic?

Posted on January 6, 2012 by
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To be honest, I want to believe it too — a New Year — New Hopes, the year to come is going to be totally different than the year that just passed. My question to you is — is it realistic?

Honestly no. This year is just going to be just like last year.  The calendar makes little difference in our lives. So what does that mean?

The only way this new year is going to be different is if we MAKE IT DIFFERENT. Since most of us are locked into a circular routine (go to sleep, wake up, work, come home, sleep, then shop on our day off)…

The calendar itself can’t help change our lives. Yet inevitability every New Years Eve we begin with some weird expectation that things will be different. I am sorry to burst your bubble, but that honestly isn’t the way that things work.

So is the celebration of New Years and the concept of making  New Years Resolutions just a bad idea? No… of course not.. If you have made up your mind to stick by a New Years Resolution, then you should keep to your word.

It is no secret that people come up with a New Years Resolution as a pivot point in their lives when they admit to themselves, “this is the last time I will do THIS, or this is the last time I will do THAT”.

The biggest problem with resolutions are not in the resolutions themselves — they have complete merit. The problem is with the people announcing their resolutions to their family and friends without keeping true to them.

Don’t feel despair reading this article.

Most of us have been exactly where you are right now.  You want your life to be better in the upcoming New Year, so you make resolutions not to repeat bad habits.

The concept is noble. You have probably tried this before as well. Many people give it a shot for a New Years Resolution and then give up a few weeks later, only to say, well next year I’ll do it.

The time is now. It has nothing to do with a holiday or a specific date. If you are serious about dropping a particular part of your life that you are not proud of — then today is just as good as any day.

If you have any comments about this, then please bring them on — I’m very interested in what people have to say…

 

 

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People – and the do gooder attitude

Posted on November 24, 2011 by
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With this blog post, I’m going to take a different turn. I want to be open and honest to call out certain people (let’s see if you are one of them).

People Type #1: “Saved by attendance”

Saved by attendance people are those that go to Church, feel they are saved. They have a Bible, they read the Bible, and go to Church every Sunday. Not only do they go to Church, but they ALWAYS contribute to the offering. They know the 10 commandments and live by them (or so they think). They pray, they believe in God. They are members of a local Church, and believe that all you have to do is believe in God, or Jesus, accept him into your heart, and you’re saved.

 

 

 

          WRONG. WRONG. WRONG.

 

 

 

I suppose the pastor of the Church hasn’t had the opportunity to explain this to you yet, but God doesn’t take attendance. If God exists, he’ll be a lot more interested in the way you live and conduct your life – not who was sitting in the piu, or what type of offering or donation you gave to the basket.

There are people (by the thousands), who think that God somehow takes attendance at Church every Sunday, just like elementary or middle school. He doesn’t. Yes, it could be considered by some, that it is God’s house — but if he exists, he can see past the superficial being that you are.

To explain in detail:

IF you are someone that attends every service, AND gives a generous amount to every offering – that is not enough, because both of those are superficial acts. Even a murderer could attend Sunday Church and give generous offerings — does that mean they will be saved?

No – the truth is quite simple. How you live your life on a daily basis. Not how you live your life on Sunday – or how you put on your best Church clothes or what type of offering you give. Those that don’t even go to Church, or give an offering, but do a kindness to their neighbor, stranger, or fellow citizen have a much better chance at the gates of heaven than you do..

BE VERY CAREFUL that you’re not following a stereotype. “Have a bible, go to Church, give an offering, I’m saved”. I am surprised about the amount of people that live in this plastic concept that there is a simple road to heaven this way.

HERE’S WHERE I CAN EXPLAIN THE DIFFERENCE

The same Church person will generally have a routine, and after they’ve dressed up, attended the sermon on Sunday, gave at the offering, they will leave the Church and go out for a family breakfast at a local restaurant. I know this is true, because Church generally gets out at 10:30am, and by 11:15am, ALL RESTAURANTS ARE PACKED EVERY SUNDAY BY PEOPLE IN THEIR CHURCH CLOTHES.

…so talking like this, means I know something — don’t believe me? Go to your local iHOP Pancake house at 10am on a Sunday and watch the sudden crowd in Church clothes that appear at 11:30am – it’s very obvious.

Now that being said, and agreed upon..

This same Church crowd that visits the International Pancake House at 11:30am after Church has let out, will do certain UGLY and UNGODLY things:

1) They will honk and give curse expressions with their hands and arms while in bumper to bumper traffic

2) They will be selfish and try and race to get into a parking spot without concern to the other vehicle in the same lot, irregardless if they have their 80 year old mother with them.

3) They’ll sneer and think they’re above people of different color, race, financial position, or social status. You could almost hear them talking to their kids, saying “We were at Church, look at that drug addict bum. We were at Church, look at that FAT disgusting person. We were at Church, what would the Lord think of that gay couple?”

———-

So if you are one of those people, who go to Church every Sunday, and thinks God takes attendance — he doesn’t. He’s not watching the offerings you gave, as much as he’s watching how you conduct yourself outside of his house. Your thoughts, your demeanor, and not what clothes you wore to iHop are what matters.

I am really tired of seeing hypocritical people that believe that to love thy brother is to love one’s self is a concept to live by.. Immediately thereafter walk out in public and think their obligation ends as soon as they leave the Church steps.

God doesn’t take attendance – but he knows.

People Type #2: “I’m good because I did this simplistic action”

This is the most dangerous type of person. Those that aren’t necessarily “Bible thumpers” – excuse the rude comment, so I can prove my point. It sounds derogatory, and I don’t mean to be so obvious about it. However, it helps to make a clear line between people that believe in God, and that’s why they try to do the right things, verses people who DON’T go to Church regularily, but think they’re equally entitled to similar entitlements.

These are the people that walk around thinking “I’m good because I did this simplistic action”

Here’s a few things these people do, figuring they are worthy in life, of getting their just desserts later by simplistic actions:

1) They see someone standing on a concrete island at an intersection holding a cardboard sign saying “God Bless, Please Give. Hungry” — They immediately roll down the car window, hand $5, and figure not only did they do a good deed for the day, that proves something to themselves and everyone else they’re a decent person. After that split second donation, they can continue on their life path for the next 6 months and not feel guilty.

TRUTH: Most of the time (90% or greater), you’ve just handed your $5 bill to a professional con-artist / scammer. While you sat in traffic for that 2 minute RED light, what you didn’t see, is that he’s been there for the last 58 minutes, and found that everytime the light turns red, he gets $2 to $5. Over the course of an hour, he makes $40 to $50 for standing there with a cardboard sign. The problem is, he had a job, but quit it, and left for this business. He saw that making $19 an hour was peanuts. He’d rather pretend to dress in old clothes, stand at an intersection with a cardboard sign, and make double his annual wage.

Look closely. You might see the latest iPhone bulging in his pocket, or a chrome bicycle a few yards away.

2) People that travel in urban city areas and see an unkempt person, dirty, struggling and hungry and hand them spare change. What you don’t often realize is that same spare change will buy a case of beer of a 1/5th of Vodka that same night. When you give spare change to an individual, it doesn’t mean they are going to use it to make photocopies of their resume for a badly needed job.

Yet these same #2 people “I’m good because I did a simplistic action” will walk away smiling. I gave this person $2 for no reason, just to help them [buy wine] and that means I’m good.

WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG

You would have been much better off giving your $2 donation to the local soup kitchen, who turns that $2 into food (instead of wine or beer).

You walk away thinking you’ve done great, by giving a homeless person spare change.

Instead, you’ve enabled them to purchase alcohol or drugs, and without you, they may have been unable to afford those substances.

So if you’ve reached this point in this blog post, my question to you is:

Which of these are you?
PEOPLE OF TYPE #1: NICKNAMED “Saved by attendance”
PEOPLE OF TYPE #2: NICKNAMED “I’m good because I did this simplistic action“
PEOPLE OF TYPE #3: I don’t fit into either of these. I’ll explain below in my comment

A huge percentage of the population, can usually fit into one of these 2 categories.

For me, I’m type #3 – which I haven’t discussed, but soon will.

Your comments are appreciated.

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Categories: Ideas: Good and Bad?, Rants and Complaints, Weird People, What do you think?, What would happen if? | Tags:

Celebrities Die: Why is that a big deal?

Posted on June 28, 2009 by
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CELEBRITIES DIE – SOCIETY IS IN SHOCK – WE WANT TO KNOW MORE – AND WE PAY ATTENTION – BUT WHY?

So the latest is that Farah Fawcett and Michael Jackson both died on the same day. But neither one was making huge amounts of money before their death. Now that they’re dead, everyone wants to know about them.

Why is it that society cares more about the dead than the living?

I know the way I am writing this, it seems like I’m uncaring or that I have no compassion.

But at some point we have to realize, when you start being interested in someone "after it’s too late" and after they are already dead, then there is really something wrong with that.

The funny thing about Michael Jackson in particular, is that the majority wrote him off as a freak for all his plastic surgeries and for being charged with child molestation.  How many jokes was he the punch line of?

But he really did bring a lot of music to the masses — he was great at what he did.

The famous moon walk came from him — he deserved a lot better than the credit that society gave him.

Now he’s dead, and everyone seems to care more than they ever did.  Michael Jackson went bankrupt, and many people thought it was funny. A celebrity in despair knocks them back down to our level, and yet we’re all a bunch of nobody’s that enjoys it when that happens.

Society isn’t healthy when this kind of mindset seems appropriate and acceptable.

I watched a four hour movie tonight on TV about Michael Jackson and thoroughly enjoyed it. But that’s because he’s dead, and I’m interested before "it’s too late" and I don’t get another chance.  But — the fact that he’s already dead — makes it too late already. Showing interest in his life, after he’s dead, makes me a hypocrite and same with the rest of you who are now interested in knowing his life story after it’s too late.

There are only two times that society idolizes a celebrity — when they are reaching the top — and when they die.

This is plain wrong — but that’s how society works. None of us in our wildest dreams could even imagine being the one to bring music to the masses when Michael Jackson was the top of the charts. Do you realize how hard it was for him?  But every mistake in his life had to become public knowledge.  Everyone had the opportunity to judge him.

Celebrities do not have it easy. Every move they make — every public sentence they say — is out there to be evaluated, re-evaluated, judged, taken apart in pieces and analyzed. Any normal citizen of society could not handle that — but our attitude is that — they’re celebrities, they’re rich, they have to accept what is coming to them.

Listen to me closely.

It’s not celebrities that should be judged.

It’s society..

For we have it ALL wrong.

We’re the ones that need a learning lesson.

Respect celebrities – give them leeway to make mistakes, and stop being so critical judging them. Above all, let’s hate the intrusion they get in their lives — they should be able to live their lives off-screen without us watching their every move. If any of us filled their shoes by gaining success and popularity, we’d want the same thing.

I hope one day, people have a higher respect for celebrities than we do — if that ever happens, it means civilization has evolved.

P.S.

Michael Jackson, rest in peace. You did wonders in your time, and it’s time you rested without any of us judging you anymore.

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Categories: Rants and Complaints, Weird People, What do you think? | Tags: , , , ,

Economy, jobs, and unemployment for 2009

Posted on May 11, 2009 by
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Well, irregardless of what you are watching on TV, there is no secret that everyone is feeling the effects of the economy, job losses, and unemployment this year, 2009.

It was just a few months ago, we were all celebrating New Years Eve — everyone was hoping this year would be better — well frankly it’s very clear — 2009 is about economic survival.

That’s right.

Holding onto your job (if you’re lucky enough to have one) — putting food on the table, having shelter, and keeping that used car running as long as you can, is about all you can hope for to have a successful year.

Everyone is cutting back.

They are ordering food less, and eating in restaurants less..

They are avoiding tourist attractions, and staying local, near home.

They are lowering their cell phone plans. They’re cutting back on Cable and Satellite TV packages.

We’re removing the “extras” in life that we’ve all taken granted.

A dollar saved here — a dollar saved there — and we feel better about our situations.

So what’s the answer? When will this economy improve?

As soon as we all stop saving our money, and we start spending it! Isn’t that ironic?  In order for the economy to improve, we must go back out there and live lavish carefree lives. Buy stocks, go on Vacation, order food in or visit a restaurant 3 or 4 times a week.  Once that happens, and everyone starts spending — guess what? JOBS GET CREATED — not lost!

So…. who wants to be first? Who wants to bankrupt their wallet and then wait and see if it works?

Well not me — and probably not you..

So guess what? The economy will get worse. Hundreds of thousands of jobs will be lost or cut-back.  Unemployment will rise, maybe even double what it is now in the next year or two.

Then that spells the right conditions for an Economic Depression.

About 2 years ago, I remember going through a fastfood restaurant, ordering a Deluxe burger, fries, and a drink. It came out to $8.96 and I couldn’t believe that cost.  Probably 80% of that was profit.

Now the same restaurant, is touting their dollar menu. Their normal meal combo is only $3.99 - Probably 35% of that is still profit for them.

So what does that mean?  Large Corporations who have been making huge profits all along — now are making smaller profits — but they will ride out this Recession which may very well soon be a Depression.

But the little guys – the regular middle class of society, are going to go through life changing experiences. We have to sell that second car or truck. No more boats or ATV’s.  Our channel line up will dwindle. We’ll only use our cell phone minutes in emergencies.  No more travel to remote destinations. Save, save save. Pay bills, and get hounded by credit card companies.

The best thing you can do, is stop watching the news, and talk to your neighbors, friends, and family members. That is where the real story is…

TV media will go on and on all day long about how well things are, how things are short term, and how things will improve.  But that’s selling optimisim to the masses. Luckily we have the internet, YouTube, and blogs to really reinforce what we all see.

I don’t need a TV with scripted news anchors telling me something different than what is actually happening out there.

Be careful, and good luck.


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Scratch Lottery Tickets: Winning Prize Strategy

Posted on April 24, 2009 by
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Scratch ‘n Win, also known as Scratch Off lottery tickets are available everywhere and they are a lot of fun.BUT!The majorityof prizes just give your money back, a $2.00 profit, or maybe only a free ticket.Cheap prizes exist so that players can get excited and say “Hey! I won $2.00!”  (As if that is something significant.)

They advertise “Chance of winning 1 in 3!”  It is helpful to understand that petty prizes are paid frequently in the game just to make the odds of winning look better.

 

If I scratch a $5 ticket and see “congratulations $5 winner” — How is that really winning anything?

In my opinion they should discontinue these types of petty prizes. How many people will buy a scratch ticket for the purpose of winning their money back?  It doesn’t make sense. We’re all out there to at least double our money.  I wouldn’t mind getting scratching more losing tickets if that meant that I’d have better chances of getting bigger prize over the long term.

For instance, say I buy 25 tickets over the course of a three month period.

Instead of getting 8 winning tickets giving me my money back, I’d prefer to get one winning ticket with 8X the money!

Scratch lottery tickets that would do that wouldn’t sell as well though, and the lottery organizations know that. .  If you won one big prize out of every 25 tickets, you’d probably be less likely to buy 25 more tickets over the following three month period.  They know that if you experienced a loss 20 consecutive times, you’d stop buying tickets;  it is that simple.

Obviously, the current system is by design. They want you to get the illusion that by winning more often, that the big one is just around the corner.

Moral of the story? When you’re feeling lucky, play the ball drawn lotteries, like the Pick 6, or Lotto 6/49, etc. These lotteries will net you a few million dollars if you win big. Unlike the scratch off tickets where the largest prize is only $25,000, sometimes less.   You get better value for your money by buying one of those ball drawn lotteries instead.

What do you think?

Option 1) Would you rather win less often, but get bigger prizes?

OR

Option 2) Would you rather win more often, but get much smaller prizes?

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MagicJack: It’s on TV – so it must work right?

Posted on April 18, 2009 by
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If you’ve seen the numerous commercials for MagicJack — the little USB phone thingy that plugs into your highspeed connection via your computer and gives you unlimited local and long distance calls, you’re probably wondering if it works.

Well if you do a massive amount of Google searches and spend time reading as much as you can, you will find that the majority of the people DO say that the MagicJack works and is well worth the money.

So how do they do it?

Well – I can tell you.  Basically the MagicJack is cheap to manufacture when you buy them in the hundreds of thousands.  The cost of the hardware, wholesale wise, is fairly cheap.

The problem begins with:

a) Marketing

b) Support

c) The network the needs to convert this internet traffic into analog phone line calls, where these calls are placed via the internet and converted over to the regular phone lines..

Now, to be honest, I really do not have any insider information whatsoever. I am approaching this issue from a completely logical standpoint.

If “I” was the MagicJack people (which I am not)… and I wanted to get my device into the hands of many, I’d offer it at a break-even cost… Sell as many of them as I could in Year 1 and Year 2…

Then in Year 3, I’d raise the cost and go into profitability.

What does this mean for the consumer? They’re getting a great deal in the ramp up stage.

What could this mean for MagicJack if I am right?  Well they are building a very nice little consumer empire, which could result in lots of future profits…

So who is behind the MagicJack, where is it going, and why is it so cheap?

Well Dan Borislow is named the inventor of MagicJack.  He’s not new to the Telephony business. However, he is a Thoroughbred RACE horse owner and breeder, which means he’s got a gambling streak to him.   So he must be betting the odds that MagicJack will make it to the finish line, and be a winner.

Now I found a good article about MagicJack’s Network that explains the behind-the-scenes technology that has to exist to make MagicJack work. It also mentions that $17 MILLION DOLLARS has been invested in MagicJack.

So Today’s cheap offering, and service quality is great for consumers.

BUT! Expect the near future (next year, or the following year) to yield some surprises.

So while its cheap, go get a MagicJack and enjoy.

Just get ready for new announcements coming your way, once the user base hits the numbers they are anticipating.

Not every great deal lasts forever.

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Drivers License with RFID chip?

Posted on April 13, 2009 by
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From what I’ve heard many Department of Motor Vehicles (MOT) or (DMV) are issuing new drivers licenses that contain an embedded RFID chip for enhanced security.

Actually they are referred to as being called the “new enhanced drivers licenses“.

What I do like about them, is that they will all be standardized now, so having a fake ID for young kids trying to obtain alcohol will be that much more difficult.

However, I don’t know much about RFID in identification. For instance, can retailers read this RFID chip so that I will no longer need to carry a loyalty card? I can just swipe my drivers license at the cashier to get my bonus points when I make a purchase?

RFID technology is quite exciting in many ways. I love the new benefits of it.

However, I am also worried about the unknowns out there – what happens if RFID technology is used the wrong way? For instance, say that I owe a large Corporation money on my department store credit card, which is linked to my drivers license RFID chip?

… and then I walk into any chain of that department store to make a cash purchase, and upon entering the the store, their internal security gets alerted and I’m told that I am not welcome to shop unless I pay my outstanding bill.

Or what about unfair discounts – where some lucky RFID people get discounts, and others do not, based on a single swipe of their new drivers license at the checkout? Could this lead to new types of fraud by internal staff and white collar crime?

Could we do away with Debit and Credit Cards if we have an RFID chip on our drivers license? Does this mean that the 32 plastic cards I keep in my wallet can be reduced down to one?

If yes, I see the benefit in that..

But what if these large retailers start creating treaty alliances with one another, and start sharing customer information? Or is that happening already?  I suppose it is on one level with credit bureau agencies - but what if new RFID agencies pop up, and sell consumer information in a similar way?

I guess we’ll all find out soon enough. RFID is no longer a choice when the Government demands you have an RFID chip to drive an automobile, cross a country border, etc.

By law, you must be “RFID” enabled — so hopefully we all have common sense and keep this a nice thing for the people, and nothing worse comes out of it.

The way our lives are now, we’re basically RFID in paper form, which is coverted to computers. Everytime you’ve filled out an application, given your name, your birthdate, or your mailing address — it’s on a computer somewhere, for some purpose.

The only difference now, is that when you walk into a store, or a government building, based on the RFID chip you are carrying, they will be instantly notified you are there.

From what I hear, these RFID chips can be detected from as far as 50 feet. Which means as soon as you park your car, the front entrance of the building could know you’re on your way in..

Pretty neat technology. So many uses.

Surely they must have government law and legistlation that regulates the use of RFID right? If so, I haven’t heard anything about it.  I know that disclosing my Social Security Number is optional to me in many circumstances. But what about unauthorized reading of my RFID chip without my consent?

I’m interested in hearing your comments. Anything related to the new enhanced drivers licenses, or new passports, or the RFID technology in general.

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Really funny Doritos commercial!!

Posted on March 15, 2009 by
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I found this really funny Doritos commercial on the web. It’s got a dog that does really weird supernatural tricks. Take a look at it here: http://www.doritosguru.com/democracyfilms/Through%20The%20Woof

I gave this contest entry a thumbs up… Must have been hard to get the dog to do the stunts.

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Aspartame vs Stevia – Why is there a choice?

Posted on February 19, 2009 by
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For those of us on a low-calorie diet, we’ve been introduced to aspartame — a chemical produced by man that tastes sweet, has zero calories, and is a substitute for sugar.

Then there is the stevia plant. A natural herb, quite similar to sugar cane, again, with very little calories, totally natural, but it’s not readily available.

So which do you prefer?

An engineered, scientifically produced chemical named aspartame as a sweetener that is widely accepted?

OR

A natural herb, that hasn’t received the merit from the government yet, but beats everything hands down, as a low calorie sugar substitute?

The choice seems pretty obvious to me.

The question is… “why is there a choice?”

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Texas Holdem Poker: Idiot Donkey Players RUIN the game.

Posted on January 8, 2009 by
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Let’s get this out of the way, first and foremost:

Ok, YES, YES, and YES….

1) In Poker you can legally bluff
2) In Poker you can get lucky

Here’s the thing… No one likes to play against people who have very little knowledge of the game. People who use little strategy, or skill. People who work on the premise “my wallet is larger than my poker skill” and then flood these online poker rooms..

It completely takes the fun out of the game.

It is akin to a Dart Tourney for money, where some idiot walks in, pays the entry fee, and covers his eyes and throws darts and accidentally constantly hits triple 20, or the bullseye. It’s an insult to the skilled players of the game, if someone who has more money than brains, wins by sheer luck.

Let’s say we train an ape to say “call, check, raise and fold” and follow the appropriate chip guestures. Meanwhile the ape has no knowledge of what the CARDS mean.

The ape ends up winning the WPT (World Poker Tournament) by sheer luck.  Do we salute the ape, and have a new respect for poker because an ape happened to get the right cards at the right time?

Let me give you an example of a poker hand I experienced tonight “online” for REAL MONEY:

The fish or donkey has 2, 3 suited of spades. 

Blind is $1/$2

He’s first to act, and calls $1

It goes all the way around, someone raises to $2, he calls…

It goes all the way around, 5 players in the pot.

Flop comes out, 10 hearts, 9 diamonds, 5 spades

Ok, this donkey no longer has a flush draw…

He also has no straight draw…

He also has not made a pair of any sort…

The pot is at $10, first person bets $6.00, second person folds, third person folds…

It eventually gets to him with 3 players in the pot, he CALLS with nothing at $6

This isn’t even a good bluff, because, he has absolutely no “outs”.

Fine, the moron calls, a 2 comes up on the turn.  Pot is huge now, like $28

The aggressive player bets $25.00, second person folds, the moron calls $25.00

Pot is massive now, its $53.00

River is a 3… the moron makes 2 pair… the aggressive player checks, the moron checks…

The aggressive player had 10′s…

The moron made 2 pair on the turn & river, but sat through the heavy betting with calls & checks.

That’s not bluffing… since there was no raising by the idiot.

He rode out the cards to the river with complete “junk” with a 3% chance of winning the entire way.

So  what fun or skill does this person bring to money games? NONE…

People would say “hey, we love donkeys and poker fish like this… eventually they break and we get their money”

True..

But the odd night you don’t — and it’s those nights that are hard to handle. Its very frustrating to play Texas Holdem Poker with people who do not understand the game, and win by sheer luck on a constant basis.

It’s this concept that turns away many good players from seeing the game through and making the game what it really should be…

I lost money tonight, on three different tables “online” with idiots and morons like this…

I makes me not to want to go back, which means that unless your playing for high stakes online.. there isn’t any point to playing for less than $100 buy-ins. Which ruins the fun that online gambling could be..

So I’m just going to have to hit in-person tournaments I suppose.

I am just having a hard time dealing with my frustration.

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New Years Resolutions: Quitting Smoking – How hard is it?

Posted on December 30, 2008 by
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Many of you will make a New Years resolution to QUIT SMOKING.

The benefits are obvious… health and cost…

So how hard is it to quit smoking? It all depends on what angle you are looking at..

Is it possible to do it without “quitting aids”.. like nicotine gum, patches, etc, etc..?

Sure.

The best way to quit smoking is to have ONE SIMPLE CARDINAL RULE:

“Stop smoking 100%”

Sounds simplistic, but I really mean it..

1. No “can I have just a puff?”

2. No “I had a real bad argument, I just need one cigarette today.. only one”

3. No “Well if I cut back to only 1/2 a pack, its better than I was before”…

4. No “Ok, I’ll let myself have up to 4 cigarettes a day, after meals, that sort of thing, it’s better than where I was before”

5. No “I’ll only smoke when I drink. Or.. I’ll only smoke among friends”

6. No “I won’t buy my own, but if someone gives me one for free… well.. that’s a control in itself isn’t it?”

SEE.. the brain addicted to nicotine will play with your thoughts. I will rationalize a 100 ways from Friday why it is perfectly ok to have just that one puff, that one drag, that one cigarette.

Infact, your emotions will become so sensitive, and you’ll argue with people around you to the point your body cries out “just have a smoke. Look how bad things are right now. You have every right to have a cigarette at this particular point eventhough you quit”

Life is full of drama. But when you are detoxing from cigarettes and nicotene Your mind WILL play tricks on you. Your emotions WILL run wild…

Everytime I’ve managed to quit smoking, it has always been “cold turkey”, which simply means, no aids of any sort. I simply stopped putting a cigarette to my lips and inhaling.

People who don’t smoke, don’t understand. There are 3 types of people in this world:

1. Non-smokers. They have never smoked, have no desire to smoke, and secretly are disgusted and despise people who smoke. They don’t understand them, think it is a filthy habit, and “how could you”

2. Ex-smokers. These are a very specialized group of people that totally demand the upmost respect. They were non-smokers at one point. They also became totally addicted smokers. They understand both sides of the social coin that dictates that smoking is no longer socially or ethically acceptable.  Do they crave cigarettes to this day? YES THEY DO.. ALL OF THEM. There are records of people who have smoked for 10 years straight, then abstained and quit for 20 years, and then one day, out of the blue, something major in their lives has put them back to smoking again.

Ex-smokers, deserve respect.  They are fighting a day-to-day battle. Albeit, some of them are hurting more than others.. But any ex-smoker could be a smoker again tomorrow, given the right chance, opportunity, situation, and want.

Ex-smokers have it the worst of all 3 types.

Now the next type….

3. SMOKERS. These are people who are still smoking everyday. There are varying degrees of smokers. Some are up to a pack a day… some are only smoking on the weekends, or while drinking. Nonetheless, these are people who need to smoke cigarettes as part of their normal lives. The nicotine levels in their bodies dictate how often they smoke, and how much they crave to smoke.

Some of these people have quit before.. the majority have not – they have smoked all their lives, and it is the one daily routine that they have that they depend on..

Smokers who have tried to quit, and failed numerous times, have it the worst. They have not proven to themselves that they have the willpower to stop the addiction. They may admit to you, “yes, I want to, need to, and will do whatever it takes to… QUIT SMOKING”.

But some of these smokers just can’t. They’ve tried cold turkey, they’ve tried nicotine gum, they’ve tried the nicotine patch, and they’ve tried all kinds of aids.. nothing works.

———————

Unless you’ve been a smoker, successfully quit, and remain a non-smoker to this day, please don’t volunteer or suggest anything to these groups of people.

Tobacco, nicotine, tar, and 3,000 other chemicals (including formaldehyde) are prevalent in cigarettes today. It is a very ugly and terrible addiction, but the surprising part is that it is taxed and made legal by our government to this very day.

To understand who is writing this blog post. I will let you know that I had successfully quit smoking for 8 years. That’s a very long time. At some point I went on vacation where everyone smoked around me. After 8 years of abstaining I figured I had the strength and drive to be able to smoke with them, and stop when I returned home.

Guess what?
Nicotine back into my blood stream… the addiction came back just like I was a smoker yesterday.

After returning home from my “vacation” where I thought I could smoke and flirt with cigarette death and stop at my own will power.. I proceeded to keep my “high” going for another few months, to another couple years, buying cartons of cigarettes upon cartons of cigarettes.. until one day I realized “I thought I could stop it anytime, but everyday I wake up, I find myself saying “not yet”.. maybe tomorrow”.

Cigarettes, tobacco, and nictotine, are sister families to cocaine, heroine, and alcohol.

Don’t be fooled…

Cigarettes are legal

Cigarettes are $10 a pack or less, affordable in most families

Cigarettes will eventually kill or maim you

Cigarettes are a drug

Cigarettes are extremely difficult to quit

Cigarettes haunt ex-smokers everyday, and should eventually be contra-band.

The addictive nature of cigarettes is enough for people to realise that they do not smoke “because they want to”.. but instead, their bodies indirectly crave and tell them “you need another smoke”.

So what is left to be said?

It’s New Years Eve, and you want to make a New Years Resolution infront of family & friends. “I’m going to quit smoking” you say.

Well compare it to some other socially acceptable things, and see how hard, and stupid your statement sounds…

“As my New Years Resolution, I will only watch TV programs for 12 minutes and then change the channel”

DUMB? YES! HARD TO FOLLOW PERMANENTLY? YES

“As my New Years Resolution, I will only take 2 bites into any hamburger I encounter, and throw the rest in the garbage”

DUMB? YES! HARD TO FOLLOW PERMANENTLY? YES

“As my New Years Resolution, I will only sleep 3 hours every night, and eventhough I am still tired and sleepy, I will wake up and stay awake for the remaining 21 hours everyday”

DUMB? YES! HARD TO FOLLOW PERMANENTLY? YES

“As my New Years Resoluttion, I will no longer smoke cigarettes. The pleasure, relaxation and history I have smoking cigarettes as party of my daily life will now stop, like a train hitting the side of a mountain. My whole daily life will change, on a dime without any friction or problem.”

DUMB? YES! HARD TO FOLLOW PERMANENTLY? YES

Please understand what smokers who try to quit, go through. Their salvation and pain is only a toke or puff a smoke away. When your body cries out for a dose of nicotine, and it plays with your mind why “it should be ok, just this once” realize those that quit smoking cigarettes as a result of a  New Years Resolution are heroes to themselves.

Is quittting smoking important? SURE

Can everyone do it? DEFINATELY NOT

What is the problem? Unless you’ve been a regular smoker and quit for many years, there is no point in talking to you?

Are you saying that nicotine addiction is like cocaine addiction?

YES, YES, AND MORE YES!

Any addiction is exactly that — an addiction.

Stopping a cocaine, crack, or heroine addict is the EXACT SAME THING as stopping a nicotine addict. But it is never presented to people that way…  Illegal drugs seem so wrong, and the addictions that go with them make people seem like outcasts of society. But since tobacco and nicotine are legal, it is perfectly ok, for a daily smoker to have trouble quitting — thats’ our norm.

The crap they put in cigarettes — the prices they charge — the socially unacceptable situations — smokers that need to quit, want to quit, and want to do it cold turkey…

Find someone that is quitting cold turkey, pat them on the back, smile at them, and say…

“I really DO understand what you are going through”

That’s plenty it itself.

A New Years Resolution to quit smoking sounds noble and special.

But people who actually follow through, quit cold turkey, never smoke a cigarette ever again, and fight the daily thought of “maybe if I could just have one, I wouldn’t want another”

……….all of us would have a better understanding of one another……..

Smoking is more than an addiction. Smoking is more than a legal privilege. Smoking is more than an anti-social activity, and smoking is more than a health risk.

Smoking is an epidemic, and the victims of it should NEVER be shamed. The tobacco companies who profited from it, and had early research on it, should be shamed.

If you walk down a local street tomorrow — see someone puffing on a cigarette. PLEASE DO NOT hold contempt for that person, but the exact opposite. Have a feeling that you want to help. You are sorry that they are addicted, and you know how hard it is to break the habit of quitting smoking.

To be honest, New Years Resolutions sound prim and proper, but deep down inside.. all they are, are common day issues that people find a time and date to deal with them.

If anyone who has read this blog, from top to bottom, who is addicted to nicotine, who feels that they have someone out there understanding them.. who can quit cold-turkey without aids..

Can register, respond, and leave a comment..

I am totally interested in hearing from you. Typing all of this, feeling all of this, and saying it all, will not seem like a waste of time if I can reach that one person out there.

Are you that person?

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Categories: Ideas: Good and Bad?, Rants and Complaints, What do you think?, What would happen if? | Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Stealing Christmas decorations… what is the point in that?

Posted on November 30, 2008 by
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Every year, people report that their Christmas lights, blow up characters, and other decorations “get stolen”.

What is a decoration thief thinking?

To put up holiday decorations, you are trying to give back to your community. So when someone with an evil spirit stomps on your lawn, rips out your decorations, and brings them home…

..and then puts them up on display on their home.. what are they thinking?

Here’s a pseudo interview with a decoration thief:

Interviewer: “So you walk around late at night and steal Christmas decorations?”

Thief: “Yup”

Interviewer: “why?”

Thief: “Cuz decorations are expensive, and they are cheaper to steal”

Interviewer: “why do you want these decorations?”

Thief: “So I can display them and feel good about myself”

Interviewer: “Can’t you feel good about  yourself knowing they are already being displayed on the owner’s house.. where everyone can see them?”

Thief: “I never spent much time thinking about that.. but I want to be the one that people think favorably about..”

Interviewer: “So what you are saying is, it is OK to rip off the community, steal and take, display what you’ve stolen, and when that happens, you feel good about yourself?”

Thief: “All I know is, they can afford the decorations, I can’t. I have the Christmas spirit too… So those that can afford it, can replace whatever I take..”

Interviewer: “How do you know they can afford to replace what you’ve taken?”

Thief: “Well I assume. Well I don’t know.. Actually well I am just guessing they can..”

Interviewer: “Isn’t the spirit of Christmas about giving? About sharing? About joy? In what way are you a part of that when you steal from someone on the street and fabricate your own display knowing you’ve caused disheartment to someone else?”

Thief: “I never paid attention to any of that. I want decorations, I see people that have decorations. I can’t afford decorations, and they are easy to steal. Will you please stop appealing to my sense of right and wrong, and STOP asking these questions?”

Interviewer: “Does it bother you when I ask you to account for  your actions?”

Thief: “Yes. I saw an opportunity, it seemed right at the time. I don’t want to think about my behavior like that…”

Interviewer: “Do you realize you’re hurting people, cheating your self, and acting like a moron who doesn’t know the difference?”

Thief: “I have nothing more to say, other than.. ok, FINE. 5 minutes of thinking about this, I won’t do it anymore..”

..and there you have it…

When a thief steals your holiday decorations, there is no thought in it. They see decorations, those that they can’t afford.. they think the victim must be able to afford it, and stealing is perfectly fine. But when you drill down the concept to the thief, they buckle quickly and realize their mistake.

This is the world we live in.. stupid criminals stealing and taking without realizing what they are doing..

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Food prepared with love… What is that anyway?

Posted on November 29, 2008 by
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Have you ever had a spouse, girlfriend or boyfriend make you something to eat?

Do you find it tastes better? It could be anything, a peanut butter sandwich, a grilled cheese, or a steak. Food prepared with “love” in mind, seems to taste better. Why is that?

Simply put, when someone that cares about you cooks, and prepares a meal for you.. there is more care taken to the dish. You won’t get burnt toast. You won’t get burnt food. You’ll get carefully seasoned and prepared food, because the person cares…

When you cook with love, you are actually going that extra mile to prepare it right.

Now, we’ve all eaten in grease pits before. Where they slop the sandwich or burger together, with “time” (instead of love) being their momentum.

Rushed food never tastes the same as food make with love.

(Similarily, frozen food NEVER tastes the same as fresh neither).

So at this point, you might be asking, or wondering.. What is my point? Why are we talking about food prepared with love… ?

Quite simply: someone has to talk about it. It happens everyday, and no one seems to recognize it as being something special.

A grilled cheese is two pieces of bread, butter/margarine and cheddar cheese fried in a pan…

BUT NOT when it is made with love…

Then it is, two pieces of carefully selected bread. butter/margarine spread thinly, and to the corners… Cheddar cheese that is freshly sliced, or even if it is processed, it is placed on the bread in such a fashion that it completely covers the bread slice. The sandwich while it cooks is watched like a hawk. If the pan gets too hot, it is flipped over. When you make grilled cheese with love, there is NEVER any burning. When it is ready, you cut it carefully and perfectly, and you serve it right away.

…and then there is the psychological effect by the “eater”…

When someone you love walks toward you, with something they cooked or created for you… Smiles and says here you go “hunnie”….

It’s that magical angel dust in the air, that turns a sandwich into something spectacular. Someone spent the time and effort into cooking for you… with love… How could you not appreciate it?

Now some of you may think I’ve beaten this topic to death.. and to those of you that say that, I have one thing to say…

“Food prepared with love” isn’t something I came up with.. we’ve all heard it before. Perhaps I’m the first one to analyze and talk about it openly and publically?

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