May 16th, 2008
Kids And Thanks
A Tough Combination
For whatever reason, teaching my children about writing Thank you cards seemed overly difficult. In fact, just the concept of thank you notes or cards seemed beyond them originally.
This is a practice which my wife and I encouraged, of course, even before they could actually write anything. We’d just purchase some thank you cards after their birthday parties, and let them scribble their “notes” onto them before sending the off to the intended recipients.
But, when they grew older it seems that it was more like pulling teeth. Now that they actually could write a proper thank you note after receiving a gift, it would take constant reminders before they would actually do it.
We found two solutions to this, and they work especially well for children and teens. First, always use a “real” thank you note or thank you card. This way they have a good starting point. They can easily add a personalized line or two showing their gratitude. Second, always insist that they do this immediately after receiving the gift.
This will benefit them later in life, such as when sending a thank you note after a job interview for example.
Cards Direct is a great online source for personalized thank you cards – even allowing for pre-printed return addressed on the envelopes. Why not order some before any upcoming events, so you will be prepared?
Posted in Misc |
May 16th, 2008
Cheap Beer
Not Worth It
So, like everyone else I’m feeling the impact of rising fuel and food prices. While there are tons of people far worse off than I am, tougher economic times force most of us to re-evaluate our spending. And, honestly, I kind of enjoy it. Why spend $10 on something when you can get it for $6, even if you have the money?
I read yesterday that the cheap beers - basically the crappy American piss beers - have increased in sales, while the sales of premium domestics and imports are declining. All because consumers are spending the money on crazy things, like gasoline and bread.
But, hey, I’m all for saving a few bucks. I used to drink PBR back in college. Why not today?
In my mind, the… um… “best” cheap beers are Pabst Blue Ribbon and Miller High Life (Hey, it’s the champagne of beers). Either one of these seemed like a logical choice for the weekend.
Now, I don’t normally look at the prices on beer. I’m a bit of a beer snob and just buy whichever one I’m in the mood for. Usually imported, or American microbrew. The best “mass produced” American beer is Sam Adams Boston Lager.
Much to my surprise, when I stopped at the local beer store I found that Miller High Life was $7.99 per 12-pack. Sam Adams was $10.99 per 12-pack.
Well, there goes that savings… If I can’t afford the extra $3 - or 25 cents more per bottle - for a decent beer of a piss beer, then it’s time to stop drinking.
Speaking of which, my Sam Adams bottle is empty. Time to wrap up this post…
Tags: beer, boston, sam adams
Posted in Nothing |
May 16th, 2008
Financial Advice
For My Friends In The UK
Financial decisions are among the most important decisions you’ll make in your life. And often times, some of the most difficult decisions you’ll have to make.
With the importance of the choices involved, professional financial advice provided by Independant Financial Advisers can be worth far more than the small investment of time and money required for consultation.
There is no substitute for impartial, expert, advice for matters such as school fees, investment and pension fund management, wealth management, protection, mortgages and taxes.
If you currently live in the UK - and like most of us, you’re not already financial expert – consulting with financial advisers who can provide you with clear and unbiased financial solutions will help ensure a more financially secure future. This advice can be even more important if you have a family who rely on your financial decisions.
While is it clear that Source IFA provides excellent financial advice to anyone in the UK, since their offices are based in Lymington, their expertise is even more important to anyone who may have recently relocated to the UK.
You can visit the Source Independent Financial Advisors at their beautiful offices in Lymington. Although, their advisors will travel to meet you in your own home if you prefer.
No matter the location, if you’re in the UK, listen to the professionals before making any tough financial decisions.
Posted in Misc |
May 16th, 2008
Team Tori
Keep Supporting Victoria
The prosecutors in the Victoria Lindsay beating case have released some additional photographs and videos as part of the discovery phase of the case. This is the point in the case where the prosecution must share its information with the defense (good luck trying to “defend” this one).
As a reminder… I make no claims to unbiased posts regarding this case. I support Tori 100%, just as I’m sure everyone else does. And the benefit of not claiming “fair and balanced” posts about this, or anything else you will read on this blog, is that I can say I very much look forward to laughing at the little fuckers that did this to Tori when each of them are sentenced to prison on the felony charges they’ve been presented with. They are all going to meet some very unfriendly people behind those bars. If only we could see photos and videos of what they are going to look like after their prison “greetings”.
People need to remember what happened here, and keep this in the spotlight. Friends of Tori - which number in the thousands now - need to continue to support her. And we need to push the prosecutors to fight for stiff sentences in this case. The felony charges levied against the morons in this case… Oh, and let’s name them again… April Cooper, 14; Britney Mayes, 17; Kayla Hassell, 15; Brittini Hardcastle, 17; Cara Murphy, 16; Mercades Nichols, 17; Zachary Ashley, 17, and Stephen Schumaker, 18… all carry up to life in prison. While I think most reasonable people would agree that life in prison would be a bit harsh in this case, a good solid year in jail followed by about 10 years of probation would seem fitting for the crime. You know that each of these little punks will violate that probation anyhow and will end up back in the slammer before long.
And, Brittni Hardcastle… There’s a special little place in hell reserved just for you.
To all of the cool people in the world - Keep showing your support for Tori. Just because some time has passed does not mean that she no longer needs us. Send her letters, cards, and anything that will bring a smile to her face:
Tori
P.O. Box 131
Mulberry, FL 33860
Why does she need us? Each picture is worth a thousand words…
Victoria Lindsay after being sucker punched by skank bitch.
Victoria during the beating.
Victoria after leaving the hospital, several days later.
A not very happy Tori, after leaving hospital.
They’ll get what’s coming to them Tori.
Review all of Blog About Nothing’s Victoria Lindsay posts here…
Tags: beating, tori, victoria lindsay
Posted in Cheerleaders |
May 16th, 2008
Death Note
Don’t Miss It!
Listen up manga fans – You’ve been waiting for Death Note to arrive in American movie theaters since you first heard about it. That time is near, so pay attention, or you’re going to miss it.
All manga fans are familiar with Death Note and the story of Light Yagami. In fact, many of us manga fans first became interested in this genre after being introduced to the Death Note series. This exclusive event provides a rare opportunity to see Death Note larger-than-life on the big screen!
I can’t stress enough that this is a very limited showing, so purchase advance tickets now!
Death Note will be playing in select theaters nationwide, for two nights only, on May 20th and May 21st. This is just a very brief opportunity to catch this movie, don’t miss out!
Posted in Misc |
May 16th, 2008
Fedora 9 Redux
Almost Easy
Following up on the Fedora 9 adventure I mentioned yesterday… In a leap of faith I went ahead and installed Fedora 9 Linux on my laptop last night, replacing Windows Vista (No need for a dual boot on this machine).
The installation went very smoothly. Surprisingly, Fedora correctly identified most of my hardware and installed the associated drivers.
The only thing it missed was the wireless network card. If I can find the correct Linux driver for this without spending too much time or effort on it, I’ll be happy. Otherwise, I will quickly lose interest in this project and use a different OS. (Very short attention span here).
Tags: fedora, linux, wireless
Posted in Geek Stuff |
May 15th, 2008
Girls, Guitars, and Geeks
Don’t Be a Piano Hero
Have you entered the new ENGOBI contest yet? No?!?! Loser…
Wait, let me take that back - because I want this prize. Whatever you do, do not enter this contest! You know, unless you’re like me and would love to get your hands on an awesome new Xbox 360-enabled, customized Fender Stratocaster, Guitar Hero guitar.
If you decide to go ahead and challenge me for this sweet prize, entering the “Don’t Be a Piano Hero” showdown is quite easy. Just create and upload to ENGOBI.com an energy-packed video of yourself and their friends rocking out. Oh, sure, there’s a few more details - all of which are available here…
You’ll also find that there are additional prizes being awarded. But, really, don’t we all want the strat?
Posted in Misc |
May 15th, 2008
The Show About Nothing
The Seinfeld Legacy
It’s almost unfathomable to believe that 10 years have passed since the final Seinfeld episode.
On May 14, 1998 many of us mourned the loss of our “TV friends”. Our favorite show about nothing. The TV show that most accurately represented our own lives, and our own friendships.
Blog About Nothing was very much inspired by the show about nothing.
Sadly, I doubt that there will be another hit show with the impact of Seinfeld. I will admit, taking it off the air while ratings were still high was a great idea. It just wouldn’t have been the same if they allowed it to die a slow, lingering, death in an effort to squeeze out a few more dollars.
While I own all of the Seinfeld DVDs, and they are all neatly arranged on my shelves, I still miss Jerry, George, Kramer, Mr. Peterman, Puddy, Frank and Estelle Costanza, and even Newman.
But more than anyone else, I miss Elaine…
Having never been afforded the opportunity to meet Julia Louis-Dreyfus, the sexiest comedian to ever make you laugh, I’ll never know for sure whether I’m sponge-worthy or not.
Tags: elaine, Nothing, seinfeld
Posted in Nothing |
May 15th, 2008
Wild Vacations
In The City, Not The Outback
I’ve mentioned on this blog before that of all of the great cities I’ve been to, Boston remains my favorite. Having grown up just a few hours from Boston, my wife and I spent many days enjoying the city, and it was a frequent travel destination before we were married. There are so many things to do in Boston, it’s the perfect romantic getaway, whether for a single night, or a week.
Without a doubt, Boston was the home to our wildest vacation (so far). Granted, that was back when we were younger and crazier. But those were unforgettable times.
If you’re planning on a trip to any major city, you should check the Trusted Tours & Attractions website for the inside scoop on the best deals on discount tickets for sightseeing tours, attractions, and museums.
Looking for things to do in New York? Las Vegas? Maybe Orlando or even Niagara Falls?
Trusted Tours and Attractions offers discounted tickets to the best sightseeing tours in 23 cities across America. This website should be your first stop when planning your next vacation.
When visiting the Trusted Tours website, be sure to sign up for the Trusted Travels eNewsletter. Everyone signing up before May 31st, 2008 will eligible to win a $150 iTunes gift card. It doesn’t get much easier than that!
Posted in Misc |
May 15th, 2008
Fedora 9
Let’s See What Happens
I’ve run Linux on a server at home for many years. I’m not a Linux expert, but have managed to get and old version of Red Hat running and it has proven very stable over time. I also have to dabble with Red Hat at my “real job”.
I have never tried the more “user friendly” Linux distros, such as Ubuntu. Although, I’ve been tempted. I just haven’t had the time to try it, nor could I afford the downtime on any of my computers while working through the installation.
The very recent release of Fedora 9, however, has me excited about Linux again. I do have some time now that I can allocate to this project, and will install it to a relatively new Dell laptop this week.
It’s been a while since I’ve looked at Fedora, but version 9 looks awesome. I’m sure Ubuntu is equally awesome, but I’m going to stick with the geekier Fedora for the time being.
If things don’t go as wonderfully as I expect, I’ll give Ubuntu a shot.
More to come…
Tags: fedora, linux, ubuntu
Posted in Geek Stuff |
May 14th, 2008
Bank On It
A Better Way To Deposit Checks
A few years ago I read about a really cool new technology that would allow you to deposit checks into a bank account without leaving your home or business, or driving to the bank, or even using the mail. The new technology touted in the article described a service which used a scanner attached to an ordinary computer to scan checks and money orders, and then transmit the data to the bank automatically.
I’m just learning now that this technology is available to everyone thanks to DepositNow!
You have probably seen similar technologies used by large companies. You have probably either written a check at certain WalMart stores, or have seen someone else do so, and hand the check to the cashier. The check is scanned and then returned to the customer.
But now you can enjoy this technology even if you’re not a multi-billion dollar international retailer. In fact, DepositNow offers this technology at such an attractive price that any small business which regularly accepts checks can afford it, and benefit from it.
Are you an eBay PowerSeller? Imagine being able to accept checks and instantly process them, allowing you to focus on selling and marketing, not running to the bank.
This technology can be used with any bank account in the U.S., so you can continue to use your existing bank account with no problem.
Another great feature presented by DepositNow is that they’ve developed their own check scanner, which is far more affordable than most (half the price!), and can also be used as a regular scanner. Why clutter up your office with duplicate computer peripherals? These folks have thought of everything.
If you run a small or home business and you think this technology sounds as exciting as I do, visit their website for more details. You can even save an additional $25 off the price of the scanner by entering “Blog About Nothing” into the promo code field on the sign-up form.
Posted in Misc |
May 14th, 2008
Liberty Or Death
Or More Of The Same?
Blog About Nothing is NOT a political blog, and will not become one.
However, as a long time Libertarian, I will do whatever I can to promote knowledge about the Libertarian Party and it’s platform. I don’t know how anyone can go the the polls and make a conscientious vote without knowledge of each party, and each candidate.
Personally, in the presidential election, I will be voting Libertarian. What are the alternatives?
Clown #1: A racist black lawyer and his dog wife who said she was never proud to be an American until hubby started getting famous.
Clown #2: A dog-ugly female lawyer married to a famous philandering lawyer who set this country on the wrong track after the great Reagan put us on the right track.
Clown #3: A senile former POW who is probably dying of melanoma. Censured by the Senate for his role in the Savings and Loan debacle.
It’s sad that this is the choice we’ve been presented with. These are the “best” the major parties can come up with.
At this time, it’s very likely that Bob Barr will be the Libertarian nominee. I voted for Mr. Barr as a Republican and I will also vote for him as a Libertarian.
A little background from his website:
Bob Barr represented the 7th District of Georgia in the U. S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 2003, serving as a senior member of the Judiciary Committee, as Vice-Chairman of the Government Reform Committee, and as a member of the Committee on Financial Services. He now runs a consulting firm, Liberty Strategies LLC, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia and with offices in the Washington, D.C. area.
Bob Barr chose to join the Libertarian Party because at this time in our nation’s history, it is essential to join and work with a party that is 100 percent committed to protecting liberty.
Bob Barr has served as Regional Representative of the Libertarian National Committee.
Bob Barr works tirelessly to help preserve our fundamental right to privacy and our other civil liberties guaranteed in the Bill of Rights. Along with this, Bob is committed to helping elect leaders who will strive for smaller government, lower taxes and abundant individual freedom.
Bob Barr
Bob Barr also occupies the 21st Century Liberties Chair for Freedom and Privacy at the American Conservative Union, and is a Board Member of the National Rifle Association. Bob Barr is also a member of The Constitution Project’s Initiative on Liberty and Security, and he served from 2003 to 2005 as a member of a project at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University addressing matters of privacy and security. In fact, recognizing Bob Barr’s leadership in privacy matters, New York Times columnist William Safire has called him “Mr. Privacy.”
Bob Barr was appointed by President Reagan to serve as the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia (1986-90), and served as President of Southeastern Legal Foundation (1990-91). He was an official with the CIA (1971-78), and has practiced law for many years.
Tags: barr, Libertarian, president
Posted in Libertarian |
May 13th, 2008
The Other New Year
The Logical One
This late-spring, early-summer, has always been my favorite time of the year. For me, this is the real beginning of the year.
Sure, technically the calendar instructs us to observe the arrival of the new year on January 1st. And, yeah, the whole champagne and confetti thing is fun and all, but then what? You just sit around the next day and look at your dreary yard and the same old boring stuff inside.
But, then spring arrives. The flower blossom, the leaves burst open, and little baby animals frolic in the meadows, chasing butterflies and grasshoppers.
You get the picture.
Along with the arrival of spring, and the coming of summer, should lead the revival of your yard and your home, with the help of Upside Living, of course. To me, this is the “new year”.
The landscaping gets a face lift. I’ve added two new fire pits for outdoor socializing and evening drinks, with friends or just some quiet time with my wife. We’ll be adding some wind chimes to help detract from the sound of the neighborhood air conditioners as well.
We always spend as much time outdoors as possible. That’s one of the many beauties of the South.
Not that the inside of the home gets neglected of course. This is also the time of year that we freshen up the paint, add some new Italian pottery – something that has become quite popular in our home.
Y’all can continue to celebrate your New Year in January… But we’ll keep celebrating it the more logical way.
Posted in Misc |
May 13th, 2008
Aliens Are OK
Finally…
If you are a Catholic who believes in aliens, good news: You are no longer going to hell.
Yup, it’s true! Believing that the universe may contain alien life does not contradict a faith in God, the Vatican’s chief astronomer said in an interview published Tuesday.
Well, this is good news indeed.
The Rev. Jose Gabriel Funes, the Jesuit director of the Vatican Observatory, was quoted as saying the vastness of the universe means it is possible there could be other forms of life outside Earth, even intelligent ones.
“How can we rule out that life may have developed elsewhere?” Funes said. “Just as we consider earthly creatures as ‘a brother,’ and ’sister,’ why should we not talk about an ‘extraterrestrial brother’? It would still be part of creation.”
I, for one, am very happy to see the Catholic church modernizing a bit, and displaying a more open and accepting mind.
Maybe while they’re in this “accepting” mood, I’ll share my idea for a new dress code for the nuns…
Tags: catholic, religion, sexy nuns
Posted in religion |
May 13th, 2008
Foreclosure
How Did That Happen?
I have to admit, I don’t really understand the foreclosure “crisis” we’re seeing here in the United States.
If a homeowner loses their job and is unable to find another for an extended period of time, I can see a potential problem. But, how the hell are so many people so clueless about their mortgages?
How can someone sign a 3 year adjustable rate mortgage without understanding that at the end of 3 years, the rate is going to adjust?
How can this be a surprise to anyone?
How can you make what is usually the biggest purchase in your life, without reading and understanding all of the agreement?
Honestly, I just don’t get it…
Posted in Misc |
