I am determined to learn as much about the Arab-Israeli Conflict as possible, and from both sides of the spectrum. As of now, my current feelings are that Israel has taken a harsh and abrasive stance against Palestinians and Lebanese -- generally, all Arabs -- since after WWII.
The Jewish people have been persecuted and have persecuted other ethnic groups throughout their history. Not including the present conflict, the most recent trauma suffered by the Jews was WWII itself, where millions of its people were exterminated at the hands of German radicals. Did this onslaught result in the creation of Jewish radicals, a title of which has been averted, instead being called "Zionists"?
Who is entitled to the land once called Palestine? The Zionists say that they are entitled, as God has promised it to them. I have no respect for any people who say they know what God says, or what God wants. Therefore, their argument of divine entitlement holds no water as far as I'm concerned.
The Arabs also say much about God. The difference in their case, as far as I see it, is that their homes were in Palestine. But perhaps they have been seen by much of the West -- namely white Christians -- as less "civilized", less organized, less united, therefore less entitled.
I think history will shed much more light on the issue than can be determined now. However, I believe it is necessary, for the sake of humanity, to ask questions regarding the validity and fairness of this conflict. My goal is to determine first what questions are necessary to ask.
My first resource is a book by Debra A. Miller, appropriately called The Arab-Israeli Conflict. Your comments on the issue are welcome and encouraged.
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Friday, December 08, 2006
A week of struggle
Workplace Mishap
I fucked up at work this week. I won't go into details, but I'm feeling regretful. My supervisor's supervisor says that he "will be expecting a Corrective Action Report on this incident." Fantastic, I'll be looking forward to that.
I need a day off in a bad way. It's recently come to my recollection that, despite having two weeks available, I have taken absolutely no vacation time this year. Am I stupid, you ask? No. It was a combination of not having the money to go anywhere for vacation, being back and forth between Chicago and Houston for the past two months, and a year that has flown by without me noticing.
Hellth Insurance
I'm having to go through hell to get a healthcare insurance policy for my family and myself. It's a big pain in the ass. The group insurance policy offered through my company would put me out just under $1000 a month. No thank you. I have plenty of other expenses to worry about.
If I could I would move us to another country that offers universal health coverage. Sure, they take it right out of your payroll through taxes, but it would be worth avoiding the painstaking hassle of sorting through which insurance companies want to fuck their policy holders over the least.
I fucked up at work this week. I won't go into details, but I'm feeling regretful. My supervisor's supervisor says that he "will be expecting a Corrective Action Report on this incident." Fantastic, I'll be looking forward to that.
I need a day off in a bad way. It's recently come to my recollection that, despite having two weeks available, I have taken absolutely no vacation time this year. Am I stupid, you ask? No. It was a combination of not having the money to go anywhere for vacation, being back and forth between Chicago and Houston for the past two months, and a year that has flown by without me noticing.
Hellth Insurance
I'm having to go through hell to get a healthcare insurance policy for my family and myself. It's a big pain in the ass. The group insurance policy offered through my company would put me out just under $1000 a month. No thank you. I have plenty of other expenses to worry about.
If I could I would move us to another country that offers universal health coverage. Sure, they take it right out of your payroll through taxes, but it would be worth avoiding the painstaking hassle of sorting through which insurance companies want to fuck their policy holders over the least.
Monday, November 06, 2006
I hate that because of the move I am unable to vote tomorrow.
There are so many things I want to take the opportunity to stand up for. But because I'm not in Houston where I'm registered to vote, and it was too late for me to register here, I'm unable to do that one small thing that involves me in our "democracy."
In states like Texas, mostly Republican -- or at least think or pretend they are Republican -- a Democrat's vote literally doesn't count. One's vote only counts if her or she is part of the majority in a certain area.
After this fiasco, they don't need you anymore. Citizens have little audience with their government until the next round of "voting". Citizens do not take part in the choices that their government makes. By definition, this means that the United States is not a democracy; it is a republic.
There are so many things I want to take the opportunity to stand up for. But because I'm not in Houston where I'm registered to vote, and it was too late for me to register here, I'm unable to do that one small thing that involves me in our "democracy."
In states like Texas, mostly Republican -- or at least think or pretend they are Republican -- a Democrat's vote literally doesn't count. One's vote only counts if her or she is part of the majority in a certain area.
After this fiasco, they don't need you anymore. Citizens have little audience with their government until the next round of "voting". Citizens do not take part in the choices that their government makes. By definition, this means that the United States is not a democracy; it is a republic.
Unpacking
We live in Chicagoland now-- my wife, our three boys, Grammy, and myself. We got here (permanently) last Wednesday evening -- the first of November -- on a not so bad SWA flight from Hobby (HOU) Houston to Midway (MDW) Chicago. I'd already been here for work on and off for two months now. It has become our new home. A new chapter in our adventurous lives.
Our new home is in the village of Elmhurst, about fifteen minutes from downtown Chicago. It's a very quaint, historic, and comfortable town of just over 40,000 persons. It used to be the corporate home of the Keebler Elves.
I dispise disassembling and reassembling furniture.
Our new home is in the village of Elmhurst, about fifteen minutes from downtown Chicago. It's a very quaint, historic, and comfortable town of just over 40,000 persons. It used to be the corporate home of the Keebler Elves.
I dispise disassembling and reassembling furniture.
Monday, October 30, 2006
Relocation, relocation, relocation
I can say for sure that this is the last time I'll be posting a blog from Houston. From now on indefinitely I will be posting from Chicagoland, my new home. I'm very excited to be moving there, and to be bringing my family into a new chapter in our lives.
A cold chapter though, as we will be relocating right at the beginning of the snowy winter season in Chicago. But, I'm looking forward to it.
Until next time...
A cold chapter though, as we will be relocating right at the beginning of the snowy winter season in Chicago. But, I'm looking forward to it.
Until next time...
Monday, October 02, 2006
Many things turning
The tables, the tide, the leaves -- they're all turning. I'm back up in Chicago again. I arrived on a United Airlines express jet, a first for me.
I found the small plane much more comfortable than average planes, it seemed like each person had more room to breathe, which is important. What I want to know is, are small planes like that more likely to crash? I just might have to look up that information.
So the leaves that were green just two weeks ago are transitioning to yellow and orange. So lovely! I can't wait to see what it looks like when they've all turned. And I will.
I'm up here now pretty much on a permanent basis. Even though we haven't yet located a house to rent, we're working on that diligently, and hope to move into one by the first of November. It's going to be an interesting and exciting fall and winter.
I found the small plane much more comfortable than average planes, it seemed like each person had more room to breathe, which is important. What I want to know is, are small planes like that more likely to crash? I just might have to look up that information.
So the leaves that were green just two weeks ago are transitioning to yellow and orange. So lovely! I can't wait to see what it looks like when they've all turned. And I will.
I'm up here now pretty much on a permanent basis. Even though we haven't yet located a house to rent, we're working on that diligently, and hope to move into one by the first of November. It's going to be an interesting and exciting fall and winter.
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
The Return of Smith
What a crappy day last Friday was! Ughh, horrible!
I won't go into the details, but I'll say that I arrived at Chicago's O'Hare Airport at 6:45 to catch my 7:15 flight. It was by the luck of Randomness Almighty (R.A.) that there wasn't a line at the check-in counter or the security checkpoint, and I arrived at the gate with a few minutes to spare.
Unfortunately that wasn't the last of my Friday woes. Dayna was planning to pick me up after I arrived. A flat tire on the car changed all that.
It was as if R.A. said, "Well, I'll let you make your flight this time, buuut you're going to have to sit at passenger pickup for at least an hour, aaand I'm afraid it can't be Dayna that picks you up. Sorry, Murphy's law."
Eventually, I arrived home and was glad to be back. It will be short-lived though. I'm flying back to Chicago on October 1, and will be there for an indefinite amount of time. I'm hoping that AJ will allow me to come back periodically.
Until then, just thank R.A. that it's a beautiful, sunny day in Houston. What will it mean for tomorrow, though??
I won't go into the details, but I'll say that I arrived at Chicago's O'Hare Airport at 6:45 to catch my 7:15 flight. It was by the luck of Randomness Almighty (R.A.) that there wasn't a line at the check-in counter or the security checkpoint, and I arrived at the gate with a few minutes to spare.
Unfortunately that wasn't the last of my Friday woes. Dayna was planning to pick me up after I arrived. A flat tire on the car changed all that.
It was as if R.A. said, "Well, I'll let you make your flight this time, buuut you're going to have to sit at passenger pickup for at least an hour, aaand I'm afraid it can't be Dayna that picks you up. Sorry, Murphy's law."
Eventually, I arrived home and was glad to be back. It will be short-lived though. I'm flying back to Chicago on October 1, and will be there for an indefinite amount of time. I'm hoping that AJ will allow me to come back periodically.
Until then, just thank R.A. that it's a beautiful, sunny day in Houston. What will it mean for tomorrow, though??
Monday, September 11, 2006
Short Suburban Honeymoon
I was thrilled to be picking Dayna up at the airport. We weren't sure that she was going to be able to come up because of the babies at home, but she made it happen and I was glad she did.
On Friday evening, despite not having slept much the night before, Dayna wanted to go bar-hopping downtown. We drove down and I took a random exit, not knowing which was most appropriate. We drove around for a while looking for an area with people and bars, there didn't seem to be one near the loop. I remembered from the weekend before where I had seen an area with bars, so I tried my best to get there.
When we made it there I found a parking lot to put the car. By that time Dayna and I were both hungry and wanted to eat before going into a bar. Dayna wanted to sit and eat, but all those places were closed. We walked around for a couple of blocks with no success. By this time, Dayna was hungry and tired. We decided just to go get the car, find somewhere to eat, and call it a night.
The rest of the weekend was spent between driving around in the suburbs and "relaxing" in the hotel. We had originally planned for Dayna to fly out on Sunday morning around 11:00am, but we both wanted her to stay longer. So we rescheduled for a 5:50am flight this morning. We both overslept because I hadn't set the alarm clock properly.
Ultimately, Dayna caught a flight out at 9:50am this morning. Presently, she is about an hour from landing back in Houston. I was so sad to see her go, and I'm going to miss her this week. We had such a terrific time together and away from the babies. It was like a short but productive honeymoon that we never had. I miss her so much.
I'm going to have to re-adjust myself back to being up here alone until Friday when I fly back to Houston. I hope it goes by fast.
On Friday evening, despite not having slept much the night before, Dayna wanted to go bar-hopping downtown. We drove down and I took a random exit, not knowing which was most appropriate. We drove around for a while looking for an area with people and bars, there didn't seem to be one near the loop. I remembered from the weekend before where I had seen an area with bars, so I tried my best to get there.
When we made it there I found a parking lot to put the car. By that time Dayna and I were both hungry and wanted to eat before going into a bar. Dayna wanted to sit and eat, but all those places were closed. We walked around for a couple of blocks with no success. By this time, Dayna was hungry and tired. We decided just to go get the car, find somewhere to eat, and call it a night.
The rest of the weekend was spent between driving around in the suburbs and "relaxing" in the hotel. We had originally planned for Dayna to fly out on Sunday morning around 11:00am, but we both wanted her to stay longer. So we rescheduled for a 5:50am flight this morning. We both overslept because I hadn't set the alarm clock properly.
Ultimately, Dayna caught a flight out at 9:50am this morning. Presently, she is about an hour from landing back in Houston. I was so sad to see her go, and I'm going to miss her this week. We had such a terrific time together and away from the babies. It was like a short but productive honeymoon that we never had. I miss her so much.
I'm going to have to re-adjust myself back to being up here alone until Friday when I fly back to Houston. I hope it goes by fast.
Monday, September 04, 2006
Chicagoland
I'm here
I arrived at Chicago O'Hare International Airport last Friday evening. I met up with Rob from BMP's corporate office in Miami, who brought me out to the office in Elk Grove Village so I could see it and know how to get to it. He gave me some good news about future prospects, which I was glad to hear.
That same evening, I had planned to just stay in my hotel room since it was late by the time I'd arrived. I got hungry though and decided to make a trip to McDonald's. (The McD's corporate office is in Oak Brook, Illinois, just a few miles from the office.) Instead of going back to the hotel, I detoured onto North Avenue from Mannheim Road (the road on which is the hotel). I needed to drop off a prescription to be filled. I didn't find a pharmacy close enough that was open, but I continued driving all the way until I reached downtown.
Although I didn't stay there long, I did get to get a glimpse into what it was like. I dipped into the northmost part of downtown, and, getting tired fast, I headed back toward the hotel.
I tried to be as productive as possible on Saturday. I drove through Arlington Heights, just minutes from Elk Grove Village, and was impressed with the way it looks. I got a little bored and tired pretty fast. I don't spend so much time in a vehicle that often. Much of the rest of Saturday and Sunday I spent in the hotel room. You can't do much without the funds with which to do it.
The Work Week
It was strange to be here at the office last week. I was alone in this eerily quiet place, and unfamiliar with where everything was or goes. But I made due. I talked to Dayna quite frequently -- if a few hours went by without hearing from her, I called her. There were plenty of tasks to keep me busy though.
It went by pretty fast, and on Friday, I was glad that Dayna was coming to see me. After work, I picked her up at O'Hare.
I arrived at Chicago O'Hare International Airport last Friday evening. I met up with Rob from BMP's corporate office in Miami, who brought me out to the office in Elk Grove Village so I could see it and know how to get to it. He gave me some good news about future prospects, which I was glad to hear.
That same evening, I had planned to just stay in my hotel room since it was late by the time I'd arrived. I got hungry though and decided to make a trip to McDonald's. (The McD's corporate office is in Oak Brook, Illinois, just a few miles from the office.) Instead of going back to the hotel, I detoured onto North Avenue from Mannheim Road (the road on which is the hotel). I needed to drop off a prescription to be filled. I didn't find a pharmacy close enough that was open, but I continued driving all the way until I reached downtown.
Although I didn't stay there long, I did get to get a glimpse into what it was like. I dipped into the northmost part of downtown, and, getting tired fast, I headed back toward the hotel.
I tried to be as productive as possible on Saturday. I drove through Arlington Heights, just minutes from Elk Grove Village, and was impressed with the way it looks. I got a little bored and tired pretty fast. I don't spend so much time in a vehicle that often. Much of the rest of Saturday and Sunday I spent in the hotel room. You can't do much without the funds with which to do it.
The Work Week
It was strange to be here at the office last week. I was alone in this eerily quiet place, and unfamiliar with where everything was or goes. But I made due. I talked to Dayna quite frequently -- if a few hours went by without hearing from her, I called her. There were plenty of tasks to keep me busy though.
It went by pretty fast, and on Friday, I was glad that Dayna was coming to see me. After work, I picked her up at O'Hare.
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Write, and write often.
I've been trying to get myself into a routine of posting nearly every day. I'd like to one day be able to post for more prestigious weblogs like the Houstonist.
Right now I have TheSmithViewpoint, on which I can post my own more serious discussion, and I'm relatively proud of what it's become. If you look back to the "articles" I posted when I first started that one, you can see over time how much it has changed.
The reason for wanting to post almost daily is because of the English Composition class I took during the Spring semester at Houston Community College. My professor, Ms. Daily, had us start of many classes with freewriting, where the students are to write about anything without stopping for a short period of time.
She taught us this so that when we were given assignments, we would use that exercise to sort of spill out our ideas regarding the topic of the assignment.
I once complimented a fellow blogger on his admirable writing skills. I asked this gentleman to give me a piece of advice on how I might become as talented a writer as he. He replied that the best thing for me to do is "write, and write often." So this is what I'm doing.
Right now I have TheSmithViewpoint, on which I can post my own more serious discussion, and I'm relatively proud of what it's become. If you look back to the "articles" I posted when I first started that one, you can see over time how much it has changed.
The reason for wanting to post almost daily is because of the English Composition class I took during the Spring semester at Houston Community College. My professor, Ms. Daily, had us start of many classes with freewriting, where the students are to write about anything without stopping for a short period of time.
She taught us this so that when we were given assignments, we would use that exercise to sort of spill out our ideas regarding the topic of the assignment.
I once complimented a fellow blogger on his admirable writing skills. I asked this gentleman to give me a piece of advice on how I might become as talented a writer as he. He replied that the best thing for me to do is "write, and write often." So this is what I'm doing.
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
The Windy City
I'm going to be flying to Chicago on the first of September to run my company's office up there for two weeks. I'm excited about the trip and I'll be flying Dayna up there for a couple of nights so that we can both be together and away from the babies. I have to confess though, I'm going to miss my family terribly.
However, my purpose for being in Chicago is two-fold -- one, of course, is to run the office. The other purpose is to scout out potential place to live. That's right, there's a very, very good chance that I'll be moving up there.
Our company is currently debating the future of our Chicago office. If it is decided to keep the office there running -- which, as I'm told, is what most of the influential people want -- then I've been informed that the position of running Chicago will be offered to me.
This is an unprecedented break in my life. It would include a substantial salary increase as well as other perks. More importantly, it will turn my family's financial situation around for the better. Dayna and I are very anxious as to what's going to occur in the next few weeks. We're spending a lot of time trying to learn as much about Chicago as we can.
If anyone would like to advise me on anything regarding Chicago, I'm all ears.
However, my purpose for being in Chicago is two-fold -- one, of course, is to run the office. The other purpose is to scout out potential place to live. That's right, there's a very, very good chance that I'll be moving up there.
Our company is currently debating the future of our Chicago office. If it is decided to keep the office there running -- which, as I'm told, is what most of the influential people want -- then I've been informed that the position of running Chicago will be offered to me.
This is an unprecedented break in my life. It would include a substantial salary increase as well as other perks. More importantly, it will turn my family's financial situation around for the better. Dayna and I are very anxious as to what's going to occur in the next few weeks. We're spending a lot of time trying to learn as much about Chicago as we can.
If anyone would like to advise me on anything regarding Chicago, I'm all ears.
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
Super Twins
The Arrival
Alright, I finally have a chance to sit down and make the official announcement: the twins have finally arrived! Aden & Ashton were born last Friday, July 28, at West Houston Medical Center. They are perfectly healthy, no complications. Also, they're not identical. In fact, they look very much different; although they are both "white", Aden has more of my complexion, whild Ashton has more of Dayna's, with jet-black hair.
I'm really happy that they're here, and that they're beautiful and healthy. I couldn't ask for more. I told Dayna that she definitely makes beautiful babies. But these will be the absolute last that we have -- Dayna's been "tied up".
Bye-bye Freedom
One thing that I've considered is that when Hudson was born I thought that I had said goodbye to whatever "freedom" that I previously took for granted. My life was, at that point, permanently tied to both my wife (still my girlfriend, or "baby momma", at the time) and my son.
Yet, even though I didn't consider it so at the time, I still enjoyed a relatively free lifestyle. Don't get me wrong, I had definitely made adjustments from when I had been completely free of responsibilities.
Now, however, I have my wife, my son, who's nearly two years old now, and two infant sons who require extra care and attention. It's going to be a busy, bumpy road ahead. But it will be absolutely worth while.
Alright, I finally have a chance to sit down and make the official announcement: the twins have finally arrived! Aden & Ashton were born last Friday, July 28, at West Houston Medical Center. They are perfectly healthy, no complications. Also, they're not identical. In fact, they look very much different; although they are both "white", Aden has more of my complexion, whild Ashton has more of Dayna's, with jet-black hair.
I'm really happy that they're here, and that they're beautiful and healthy. I couldn't ask for more. I told Dayna that she definitely makes beautiful babies. But these will be the absolute last that we have -- Dayna's been "tied up".
Bye-bye Freedom
One thing that I've considered is that when Hudson was born I thought that I had said goodbye to whatever "freedom" that I previously took for granted. My life was, at that point, permanently tied to both my wife (still my girlfriend, or "baby momma", at the time) and my son.
Yet, even though I didn't consider it so at the time, I still enjoyed a relatively free lifestyle. Don't get me wrong, I had definitely made adjustments from when I had been completely free of responsibilities.
Now, however, I have my wife, my son, who's nearly two years old now, and two infant sons who require extra care and attention. It's going to be a busy, bumpy road ahead. But it will be absolutely worth while.
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Time is running out.
Down to the wire
Dayna has now been scheduled for her C-Section to deliver the twins. Time certainly has rushed by, and we're down to the wire. Dayna called me at work today; I asked her if she wanted to know what I had done all day. Dayna thinks I spend a lot of time goofing-off at work and not enough time looking up information about babies/twins.
"No. What exactly am I supposed to be looking up?" I asked her. I told her that I had spent the morning on our financial matters and paying bills. It had literally taken all morning from the time I got to work.
What I was doing was researching, through information provided on the Public Utilities Commission of Texas website, consumers rights regarding electric companies and telephone companies.
First I had to figure out a way to avoid having out electricity turned off -- on our last bill from Gexa Energy I mailed a payment $50.00 short, having presumed that the amount would roll over to the next billing cycle. I was wrong, and received a disconnection notice shortly after.
Then I had to contact AT&T and have them discount our telephone bill for five days in July in which we had a service outtage.
After those tasks, which took up the majority of the time, I had to organize the remaining bills I have, write checks or schedule payments for them. It's really a cluster-fuck with which I'm tired of dealing with month-to-month. But it has to be done.
The Corporation
Right now Wade is watching The Corporation documentary, which I've been wanting him to see for quite a while. I saw it about a year ago and recommended it to him. Of course, unless you write it down or give someone literature to remind them of the recommendation, it's not very likely that they will remember to go rent a specific video.
I rented it on Sunday and brought it up to the office on Monday morning. He finally found the time to watch it today. I would recommend absolutely everyone watch this film, it's absolutely eye-opening and motivating!
Dayna has now been scheduled for her C-Section to deliver the twins. Time certainly has rushed by, and we're down to the wire. Dayna called me at work today; I asked her if she wanted to know what I had done all day. Dayna thinks I spend a lot of time goofing-off at work and not enough time looking up information about babies/twins.
"No. What exactly am I supposed to be looking up?" I asked her. I told her that I had spent the morning on our financial matters and paying bills. It had literally taken all morning from the time I got to work.
What I was doing was researching, through information provided on the Public Utilities Commission of Texas website, consumers rights regarding electric companies and telephone companies.
First I had to figure out a way to avoid having out electricity turned off -- on our last bill from Gexa Energy I mailed a payment $50.00 short, having presumed that the amount would roll over to the next billing cycle. I was wrong, and received a disconnection notice shortly after.
Then I had to contact AT&T and have them discount our telephone bill for five days in July in which we had a service outtage.
After those tasks, which took up the majority of the time, I had to organize the remaining bills I have, write checks or schedule payments for them. It's really a cluster-fuck with which I'm tired of dealing with month-to-month. But it has to be done.
The Corporation
Right now Wade is watching The Corporation documentary, which I've been wanting him to see for quite a while. I saw it about a year ago and recommended it to him. Of course, unless you write it down or give someone literature to remind them of the recommendation, it's not very likely that they will remember to go rent a specific video.
I rented it on Sunday and brought it up to the office on Monday morning. He finally found the time to watch it today. I would recommend absolutely everyone watch this film, it's absolutely eye-opening and motivating!
Monday, July 17, 2006
Three Class-Action Lawsuits
This morning I received an email notifying me that I had been identified as a "class member" in a class-action lawsuit that has been brought against Lexington Law Firm. Lexington is a credit repair service whose services I had used for about four months or so last summer.
The notice was in regards to a settlement that had been proposed, but not yet approved by the courts, between the plaintiff(s) and defendants in the lawsuit. The settlement included, in my case, a free month of a particular service of my choice, -- of either (a) upgraded repair service or (b) credit score consulting service -- pending court approval of the settlement.
Although I think the benefit falls well short of what I believe Lexington Law Firm is capable of providing, I do not wish to become involved in the lawsuit any more than what is required of me in order to receive the benefits offered. I have more things to worry about than the results of a lawsuit against a company I did business with for four months last year. I will just sit back and enjoy the benefits.
However, I find it noteworthy to mention that I've found myself in two similar situations before, as a "class member" in a class-action lawsuit, and I do enjoy being atleast somewhat involved in the judicial system of the United States. Coincidentally, both of these lawsuits were with movie rental services:
It was nearly two years ago I responded to a notice regarding a lawsuit being brought against Hollywood Video, regarding the "extended rental fees" that had been charged to many customers, including myself. As a result, several months after responding, I received ten rent-one-get-one-free coupons usable at any Hollywood Video store. How did this benefit me? What I wasn't told ahead of time was that (a) the first rented movie, for which I had to pay, had to be a "new release" movie, and (b) the free rented movie could not be a "new release" movie. I probably spent more money at Hollywood Video than I would have had I not received those coupons at all.
Last November I received a notice regarding another class-action lawsuit being brought against Netflix. This lawsuit was regarding Netflix's advertising claims that customers would receive the DVDs they rent online "in one business day", which, given the unpredictable nature of the United States Postal Service, cannot be true and/or guaranteed. (Netflix has since changed its advertising using more protective "adhesion contract" language.)
In this case, as in the last, the terms of the settlement were not very beneficial for the class members. It included one free month of movie rentals, according the the service plan to which the member subscribed or subscribes, after which an automatic payment would be charged to me, renewing the service, unless the member calls before the free month of service ends.
This time, instead of responding with a form stating that I "accepted" the settlement, I chose another of my options, which was to "refuse" the settlement offer altogether. If enough people refused the settlement, Netflix would be forced back to the drawing board to concoct another settlement offer. Poor them!
For the record, I refuse, ahead of time, to apologize for their inconvenience!
The notice was in regards to a settlement that had been proposed, but not yet approved by the courts, between the plaintiff(s) and defendants in the lawsuit. The settlement included, in my case, a free month of a particular service of my choice, -- of either (a) upgraded repair service or (b) credit score consulting service -- pending court approval of the settlement.
Although I think the benefit falls well short of what I believe Lexington Law Firm is capable of providing, I do not wish to become involved in the lawsuit any more than what is required of me in order to receive the benefits offered. I have more things to worry about than the results of a lawsuit against a company I did business with for four months last year. I will just sit back and enjoy the benefits.
However, I find it noteworthy to mention that I've found myself in two similar situations before, as a "class member" in a class-action lawsuit, and I do enjoy being atleast somewhat involved in the judicial system of the United States. Coincidentally, both of these lawsuits were with movie rental services:
It was nearly two years ago I responded to a notice regarding a lawsuit being brought against Hollywood Video, regarding the "extended rental fees" that had been charged to many customers, including myself. As a result, several months after responding, I received ten rent-one-get-one-free coupons usable at any Hollywood Video store. How did this benefit me? What I wasn't told ahead of time was that (a) the first rented movie, for which I had to pay, had to be a "new release" movie, and (b) the free rented movie could not be a "new release" movie. I probably spent more money at Hollywood Video than I would have had I not received those coupons at all.
Last November I received a notice regarding another class-action lawsuit being brought against Netflix. This lawsuit was regarding Netflix's advertising claims that customers would receive the DVDs they rent online "in one business day", which, given the unpredictable nature of the United States Postal Service, cannot be true and/or guaranteed. (Netflix has since changed its advertising using more protective "adhesion contract" language.)
In this case, as in the last, the terms of the settlement were not very beneficial for the class members. It included one free month of movie rentals, according the the service plan to which the member subscribed or subscribes, after which an automatic payment would be charged to me, renewing the service, unless the member calls before the free month of service ends.
This time, instead of responding with a form stating that I "accepted" the settlement, I chose another of my options, which was to "refuse" the settlement offer altogether. If enough people refused the settlement, Netflix would be forced back to the drawing board to concoct another settlement offer. Poor them!
For the record, I refuse, ahead of time, to apologize for their inconvenience!
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Germ Waste Management
I rarely get sick, and I'm proud of that fact and the reason for it. Although some people find it gross or even repulsive, ask them what they think about it when they're huddled over a toilet bowl with the stomach flu. The reason that I rarely get sick is because I'm very tempered from germs -- meaning, my body has a lot of experience in handling germ situations. In fact, my body is a professional when it comes to Germ Waste Management, straight up Tony Soprano style. Bada bing, bada bang!
As a kid I didn't wash my hands every hour on the hour (like some parents encourage their kids to do), or even every time I used the bathroom. I washed my hands only when they were really filthy. I "cleaned-out" my nose whenever I felt like it needed some attention. When I dropped food on the floor I would pick it up and eat it, most of the time without "wiping it off."
Although, growing up, I didn't know a thing about Charles Darwin, or human evolution for that matter. I know now that human beings have survived and evolved into a species well-capable of handling viruses and other illnesses. It's those who for much of their lives are not exposed to many (or any) germs and viruses whose insides are liquidated when they finally are. Evolution would allow for these people to die off quickly, never to have their own "germ-virgin" children. Modern medicine has changed that, unfortunately.
By practicing my method of non-cleanliness, I've afforded my body ample time to learn, re-learn, practice, and perfect its natural process of germ-elimination.
Now, don't get me wrong, about once a year some super-hybrid-cyborg-virus will ambush my white blood cells while they are resting peacefully, catching them off-guard. When that happens, it generally takes them a day or so to mobilize their forces and kick the shit out of the invaders.
My advice to those who don't like the inconvenience of being sick with a cold, the flu, et cetera: don't be so goddamn clean! Don't wash your hands more than two or three times a day; don't throw away perfectly good (or better) food just because it also falls under the laws of gravity; and don't recoil in disgust when someone sneezes or coughs near you.
Get plenty of exercise and rest (and vitamins if you think you need them), and you'll be just fine...every day!
As a kid I didn't wash my hands every hour on the hour (like some parents encourage their kids to do), or even every time I used the bathroom. I washed my hands only when they were really filthy. I "cleaned-out" my nose whenever I felt like it needed some attention. When I dropped food on the floor I would pick it up and eat it, most of the time without "wiping it off."
Although, growing up, I didn't know a thing about Charles Darwin, or human evolution for that matter. I know now that human beings have survived and evolved into a species well-capable of handling viruses and other illnesses. It's those who for much of their lives are not exposed to many (or any) germs and viruses whose insides are liquidated when they finally are. Evolution would allow for these people to die off quickly, never to have their own "germ-virgin" children. Modern medicine has changed that, unfortunately.
By practicing my method of non-cleanliness, I've afforded my body ample time to learn, re-learn, practice, and perfect its natural process of germ-elimination.
Now, don't get me wrong, about once a year some super-hybrid-cyborg-virus will ambush my white blood cells while they are resting peacefully, catching them off-guard. When that happens, it generally takes them a day or so to mobilize their forces and kick the shit out of the invaders.
My advice to those who don't like the inconvenience of being sick with a cold, the flu, et cetera: don't be so goddamn clean! Don't wash your hands more than two or three times a day; don't throw away perfectly good (or better) food just because it also falls under the laws of gravity; and don't recoil in disgust when someone sneezes or coughs near you.
Get plenty of exercise and rest (and vitamins if you think you need them), and you'll be just fine...every day!
Monday, June 05, 2006
Insufficient Banking
I discovered last week that my bank card was not being accepted anywhere, despite having funds in my checking account. I called the number given to me on an ATM receipt. I was told that there was an "alert" on my card; the person helping me could not tell me what the alert was about, nor could he fix the alert.
I visited my local branch last Friday just before their closing time. Chris, who was helping me, said that he had found the problem, but that it was too late in the evening to contact the appropriate person to fix it. He said that he would have it fixed on Saturday morning. On Sunday I tried to use my card.....nada.
This afternoon, I called the branch. Chris passed me to Marybelle, whom he said was the person who put this "alert" on the card and was the only one who could take the alert off. Marybelle told me that the alert was due to the frequency of my checking account being overdrawn, and that she was not going to remove it until my account had remained positive for at least ninety days. This was no good.
I told her that I understood their preventative approach to this issue, but that it made no logical sense. First of all, as I explained to her, even though my account balance is frequently overdrawn, direct payroll deposits are made into my account twice per month, which results in a positive balance.
Secondly, I pointed out that because of the overdrawn balance, I have paid over $900 in overdraft fees since I opened the account. This is not money that I get back when my account is positive. This is money that the bank keeps, which I find reasonable and have always understood. Let me explain.
Since the free checking boom began several years ago, banks no longer receive the funds that were previously charged for checking accounts. These days, those funds are replaced by outrageous fees, especially the overdraft fees they charge for every transaction that results in a negative balance.
Therefore, they should not block me from using my bank card because I often have a negative balance. No. Instead, they should welcome my overdrawn account as they would a money tree. After a brief pause, Marybelle agreed to remove the alert from my card (despite having already refused) and "let me off with a warning".
Thanks for the HASSLE, Marybelle! What's left in your wallet?
I visited my local branch last Friday just before their closing time. Chris, who was helping me, said that he had found the problem, but that it was too late in the evening to contact the appropriate person to fix it. He said that he would have it fixed on Saturday morning. On Sunday I tried to use my card.....nada.
This afternoon, I called the branch. Chris passed me to Marybelle, whom he said was the person who put this "alert" on the card and was the only one who could take the alert off. Marybelle told me that the alert was due to the frequency of my checking account being overdrawn, and that she was not going to remove it until my account had remained positive for at least ninety days. This was no good.
I told her that I understood their preventative approach to this issue, but that it made no logical sense. First of all, as I explained to her, even though my account balance is frequently overdrawn, direct payroll deposits are made into my account twice per month, which results in a positive balance.
Secondly, I pointed out that because of the overdrawn balance, I have paid over $900 in overdraft fees since I opened the account. This is not money that I get back when my account is positive. This is money that the bank keeps, which I find reasonable and have always understood. Let me explain.
Since the free checking boom began several years ago, banks no longer receive the funds that were previously charged for checking accounts. These days, those funds are replaced by outrageous fees, especially the overdraft fees they charge for every transaction that results in a negative balance.
Therefore, they should not block me from using my bank card because I often have a negative balance. No. Instead, they should welcome my overdrawn account as they would a money tree. After a brief pause, Marybelle agreed to remove the alert from my card (despite having already refused) and "let me off with a warning".
Thanks for the HASSLE, Marybelle! What's left in your wallet?
Sunday, May 21, 2006
Bloody Sunday
I'm up at the office this morning sending out an order, so I'm also taking the time to get in some genealogy as well. Even though I have time to do this during the week, there are tons of other things I like to do during the week as well.
I was glad to see that Jake had responded to my last emails to him. I hadn't heard from him in several days. Apparently his "days have been hectic" as he tells me in the email, "we had some coworkers over for dinner on Thursday and spent Wednesday and Thursday trying to get everything ready," then "we went up to [Livingston, Texas] to check on [our new dog] Diego and do some more bonding with him..."
I'm glad that it wasn't an emergency keeping him from posting on his blog,Careless Memories, and our blog, The Keytar Players.
I was glad to see that Jake had responded to my last emails to him. I hadn't heard from him in several days. Apparently his "days have been hectic" as he tells me in the email, "we had some coworkers over for dinner on Thursday and spent Wednesday and Thursday trying to get everything ready," then "we went up to [Livingston, Texas] to check on [our new dog] Diego and do some more bonding with him..."
I'm glad that it wasn't an emergency keeping him from posting on his blog,Careless Memories, and our blog, The Keytar Players.
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Can I get a Witness?
Two-person teams of proud Jehovah's Witness are frequent visitors to the apartment complex I recently moved into. The last time I spotted them, there was a two-man team and a two-woman team. Fortunately I was pulling out of the parking lot when I spotted them and avoided an unfortunate encounter.
Sooner or later, however, one of the teams was bound to knock on our front door. Once again, I avoided the encounter, but my wife didn't. She told them that she couldn't speak to them at that time, but their conniving demeanor got the best of her. She told them that I didn't get home until about 6:30 in the evening and that they could come back to visit with the both of us (out of curiosity).
An appointment for a visitation was made for tonight at 7:00pm. As I did not want to shun these people away when that come and could not contact them to cancel the visit, I reluctantly welcomed the opportunity for religious debate.
After thinking about it, however, I realized that I was not going to change their beliefs, and the certainly were not going to change mine. Therefore, nothing good would come out of a religious debate with Jehovah's Witnesses. Still, the appointment was set...so what to do?
Well, apparently my wife has already taped a letter, along with the information booklet that they gave her, on to the door. I suppose if they still show up I will take the situation as it comes and one step at a time. They will definitely leave regretting that they came.
Sooner or later, however, one of the teams was bound to knock on our front door. Once again, I avoided the encounter, but my wife didn't. She told them that she couldn't speak to them at that time, but their conniving demeanor got the best of her. She told them that I didn't get home until about 6:30 in the evening and that they could come back to visit with the both of us (out of curiosity).
An appointment for a visitation was made for tonight at 7:00pm. As I did not want to shun these people away when that come and could not contact them to cancel the visit, I reluctantly welcomed the opportunity for religious debate.
After thinking about it, however, I realized that I was not going to change their beliefs, and the certainly were not going to change mine. Therefore, nothing good would come out of a religious debate with Jehovah's Witnesses. Still, the appointment was set...so what to do?
Well, apparently my wife has already taped a letter, along with the information booklet that they gave her, on to the door. I suppose if they still show up I will take the situation as it comes and one step at a time. They will definitely leave regretting that they came.
Friday, May 12, 2006
GPA 4.0
I made it through my first full semester of school with an 'A'! I'm glad that it's over and that I have some time to relax now. I'm only taking one small class online this summer.
Right now I'm over the Smith's house enjoying their faster internet connection. Zoom! Today, Dayna called me at work from home saying that Hudson was acting crazy, destroying everything and making messes. So I got off work early so that I could come home. Dayna's about six months pregnant right now (with twins) and can't chase him around everywhere. It's getting hard for her to even get out of a chair. So she needs as much help as possible.
It's a good thing that Grammy is coming home with us tonight. She's going to help us out a lot. And when she's there, the apartment rarely gets dirty. Grammy is a mover and a shaker when it comes to cleaning.
I haven't planned anything for Mother's Day yet (two days away) and Dayna didn't like it when she figured that out. I have been so stressed out with everything else (money, bills, health insurance, FMAH, etc.) that I haven't really wanted to think about anything else. It doesn't matter. I'm sure I'll come up with something. If not, the day will come and go just like every other day.
Anyway, it's hot in here and my head is sweating, so I'm getting off now. Save Africa and for god's sake peace in the fucking Middle East.
Right now I'm over the Smith's house enjoying their faster internet connection. Zoom! Today, Dayna called me at work from home saying that Hudson was acting crazy, destroying everything and making messes. So I got off work early so that I could come home. Dayna's about six months pregnant right now (with twins) and can't chase him around everywhere. It's getting hard for her to even get out of a chair. So she needs as much help as possible.
It's a good thing that Grammy is coming home with us tonight. She's going to help us out a lot. And when she's there, the apartment rarely gets dirty. Grammy is a mover and a shaker when it comes to cleaning.
I haven't planned anything for Mother's Day yet (two days away) and Dayna didn't like it when she figured that out. I have been so stressed out with everything else (money, bills, health insurance, FMAH, etc.) that I haven't really wanted to think about anything else. It doesn't matter. I'm sure I'll come up with something. If not, the day will come and go just like every other day.
Anyway, it's hot in here and my head is sweating, so I'm getting off now. Save Africa and for god's sake peace in the fucking Middle East.
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
A/C's & A+'s
A/C
This morning is the first "back-to-normal" morning since we moved into our new apartment this past weekend. We're still living from boxes spending extra minutes searching for the box that has this or that in it. Normality is slowly coming back to our lives.
Yesterday the A/C was fixed in our new apartment, which was broken when we moved in. Our first night staying there was dreadfully warm, but we made it. Now we're waiting for the oven to be fixed.
A+
Last night I had English class before I went home. I wasn't expecting to receive my research paper back until Wednesday, but Ms Daily returned them last night. I was a little nervous because I didn't think I did so well executing my paper. To my surprise: 97 A+. I was so proud to see that. Here's what Ms Daily wrote:
"Fine work! Essay reflects good use of concessions and refutations...Again, I appreciate the effort you put into this assignment! EPD"
This morning is the first "back-to-normal" morning since we moved into our new apartment this past weekend. We're still living from boxes spending extra minutes searching for the box that has this or that in it. Normality is slowly coming back to our lives.
Yesterday the A/C was fixed in our new apartment, which was broken when we moved in. Our first night staying there was dreadfully warm, but we made it. Now we're waiting for the oven to be fixed.
A+
Last night I had English class before I went home. I wasn't expecting to receive my research paper back until Wednesday, but Ms Daily returned them last night. I was a little nervous because I didn't think I did so well executing my paper. To my surprise: 97 A+. I was so proud to see that. Here's what Ms Daily wrote:
"Fine work! Essay reflects good use of concessions and refutations...Again, I appreciate the effort you put into this assignment! EPD"
Monday, May 01, 2006
We're finally done! Moving, that is. Although it may be several days before we're no longer living out of boxes. Also, we discovered last night that the A/C in our apartment is not working, nor is the oven. I'm hoping that by the time we get home this evening those will both be repaired. I sent a repair request letter by fax to the apartment office this morning. Since they know Dayna is pregnant and we have a 18-month-old they should get right on it.
We'll see.
We'll see.
Saturday, April 29, 2006
Back to Blogging
Lately I've been slowly returning to my former dedication to blogging. When I started school at the beginning of the semester I wasn't able to dedicate as much time as I had before. Now the semester is nearing its close, and I've rediscovered the value of putting my thoughts (and opinions) into my blogs.
Friday, April 28, 2006
Long Wet Weekend
Get Moving
This is it. It's the last weekend of the month and the last month of our current apartment lease. Our things will be moved on Sunday evening (poor timing, I know) and Dayna and I are going to be spending the weekend boxing up everything that has not been already. Calamity!
Even though we do not have to do the actual moving, the packing is going to be difficult in itself because Dayna is over six months pregnant now. She's not going to be able to do much. We will probably have some help though; Shannon is coming over tonight and possibly tomorrow and Grammy is ready to come and help too.
Hudson went away with Honey again this weekend so that we can get this done. Yesterday we realized that when he comes home it might be to a different place. I'd like to try and get him back before the movers come so that he can see where his things are going and why he's going to a different place.
A Long Evening at Cafe Jake
After dropping Hudson off in Humble yesterday, I took the opportunity to visit [my best friend] Jake, Amanda-Jayne, and Nick, as well as the children. I don't get a chance to visit them that often and it's nice when I do. Because I knew I would be going over there and probably staying late I decided to defer my second dose of XR until 8:00pm. This turned out to be a mistake on my part.
I left their house about 11:30pm, but after arriving home I could not go to sleep. The hours went by and on and on; no sleep. At about 5:30am I decided that my chance had passed. I went ahead and prepared myself for the day (and a long, wired day at that). I came in to the office just before 7:00am and completely rearranged my office, which I had been planning to do.
Now it's 1:00pm and I'm still not tired. I don't think I'm going to try that again.
This is it. It's the last weekend of the month and the last month of our current apartment lease. Our things will be moved on Sunday evening (poor timing, I know) and Dayna and I are going to be spending the weekend boxing up everything that has not been already. Calamity!
Even though we do not have to do the actual moving, the packing is going to be difficult in itself because Dayna is over six months pregnant now. She's not going to be able to do much. We will probably have some help though; Shannon is coming over tonight and possibly tomorrow and Grammy is ready to come and help too.
Hudson went away with Honey again this weekend so that we can get this done. Yesterday we realized that when he comes home it might be to a different place. I'd like to try and get him back before the movers come so that he can see where his things are going and why he's going to a different place.
A Long Evening at Cafe Jake
After dropping Hudson off in Humble yesterday, I took the opportunity to visit [my best friend] Jake, Amanda-Jayne, and Nick, as well as the children. I don't get a chance to visit them that often and it's nice when I do. Because I knew I would be going over there and probably staying late I decided to defer my second dose of XR until 8:00pm. This turned out to be a mistake on my part.
I left their house about 11:30pm, but after arriving home I could not go to sleep. The hours went by and on and on; no sleep. At about 5:30am I decided that my chance had passed. I went ahead and prepared myself for the day (and a long, wired day at that). I came in to the office just before 7:00am and completely rearranged my office, which I had been planning to do.
Now it's 1:00pm and I'm still not tired. I don't think I'm going to try that again.
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Early Rising
This morning Wade and I both showed up at the office 15 minutes early. He and I are hardly ever on time (we're supposed to be here around 9am); one of us usually shows up right after 9am and the other later in the hour. It's not coordinated, just circumstantial. It's a rare occurance for us to both be here at the same time, let alone 15 minutes early.
What are some things I need to do today?:
- Update my sister's FAFSA information on the web
- Work on the Sandstrum family history
- Mail a few bill payments
- First steps of Essay 5 for English Comp
- Next game on the Google Da Vinci Code Quest (I'm going to win!)
Corporate advertisers profit from sexual offenders
Executives, politicians, and other "higher-ups" have been more and more frequently caught and exposed in the news, usually having been chatting online with underaged girls, then taking a risky chance on meeting up with these girls--sometimes undercover officers posing as girls--with the implication of sex. Go cops!
Now, a new Reality TV trend has been born: exposing potential offenders. The program starts by making them believe they're setting up a rendezvous with an underaged teenager, luring them to a residence where they believe the teenager is, and then confronting them on arrival.
Clever! Some would argue that this is a great way to deter men from seeking to meet up with underaged girls (or boys) because of the risk of being widely exposed. They don't want to be humiliated as those men have, which surely may ruin their lives. They could lose their wife and/or family, their friends, their jobs. No one would want to risk that...unless they doubt that it would happen to them.
Others may argue just that: this is something that could (and most likely would) ruin the lives of these men who are exposed for making a big mistake and that it may not, in fact, deter other potential offenders.
Of course, most people think that men who seek to have sex with underaged girls, especially those that are pre-teen and younger, must be caught and punished. But are we going to allow ourselves to be entertained by this? None of these TV programs that expose these few men are actually trying to be vigilanties making a difference in society; they're exploiting the desire of many Americans to see perverted men being caught and humiliated between commercial breaks.
Most of us feel the same about sexual offenders. But try not to allow your viewing time to be sold to advertisers trying to get you to buy something else. Get up off your ass, turn off the TV, get out into the world, and try to make a difference yourself.
Monday, April 24, 2006
Books and Movies Weekend
Dayna's and my weekend started off well enough. On Friday night I went all-out and rented three movies from Redbox at the McDonald's around the corner from our apartment. We only had the chance to watch two of them--Walk The Line and Brokeback Mountain--before having to return them before 7pm the next day to avoid paying another $1.08 per movie.
I took Hudson up for my mother to take for the weekend, so it was just Dayna and myself until yesterday afternoon. A trip to the bookstore on Saturday morning was nice and cozy and inspiring. I always get inspired to read and learn more after going to Barnes & Noble or Borders or another bookstore. Hardly ever do I know exactly what I want to look for.
I don't usually buy books from those stores because they're expensive. I'd rather buy them from a discount bookseller like QPB (of which I am a member), or from Alibris, which sells used books. I don't like to buy from Half-Price Books because I think they rip the seller off: they'll offer you 25 cents for a book you paid $25.00 retail for, then sell it for $12.50. No one makes 5000% profit off of me--NO ONE!
I took Hudson up for my mother to take for the weekend, so it was just Dayna and myself until yesterday afternoon. A trip to the bookstore on Saturday morning was nice and cozy and inspiring. I always get inspired to read and learn more after going to Barnes & Noble or Borders or another bookstore. Hardly ever do I know exactly what I want to look for.
I don't usually buy books from those stores because they're expensive. I'd rather buy them from a discount bookseller like QPB (of which I am a member), or from Alibris, which sells used books. I don't like to buy from Half-Price Books because I think they rip the seller off: they'll offer you 25 cents for a book you paid $25.00 retail for, then sell it for $12.50. No one makes 5000% profit off of me--NO ONE!
Books and Movies Weekend
Dayna's and my weekend started off well enough. On Friday night I went all-out and rented three movies from Redbox at the McDonald's around the corner from our apartment. We only had the chance to watch two of them--Walk The Line and Brokeback Mountain--before having to return them before 7pm the next day to avoid paying another $1.08 per movie.
I took Hudson up for my mother to take for the weekend, so it was just Dayna and myself until yesterday afternoon. A trip to the bookstore on Saturday morning was nice and cozy and inspiring. I always get inspired to read and learn more after going to Barnes & Noble or Borders or another bookstore. Hardly ever do I know exactly what I want to look for.
I don't usually buy books from those stores because they're expensive. I'd rather buy them from a discount bookseller like QPB (of which I am a member), or from Alibris, which sells used books. I don't like to buy from Half-Price Books because I think they rip the seller off: they'll offer you 25 cents for a book you paid $25.00 retail for, then sell it for $12.50. No one makes 5000% profit off of me--NO ONE!
I took Hudson up for my mother to take for the weekend, so it was just Dayna and myself until yesterday afternoon. A trip to the bookstore on Saturday morning was nice and cozy and inspiring. I always get inspired to read and learn more after going to Barnes & Noble or Borders or another bookstore. Hardly ever do I know exactly what I want to look for.
I don't usually buy books from those stores because they're expensive. I'd rather buy them from a discount bookseller like QPB (of which I am a member), or from Alibris, which sells used books. I don't like to buy from Half-Price Books because I think they rip the seller off: they'll offer you 25 cents for a book you paid $25.00 retail for, then sell it for $12.50. No one makes 5000% profit off of me--NO ONE!
Books and Movies Weekend
Dayna's and my weekend started off well enough. On Friday night I went all-out and rented three movies from Redbox at the McDonald's around the corner from our apartment. We only had the chance to watch two of them--Walk The Line and Brokeback Mountain--before having to return them before 7pm the next day to avoid paying another $1.08 per movie.
I took Hudson up for my mother to take for the weekend, so it was just Dayna and myself until yesterday afternoon. A trip to the bookstore on Saturday morning was nice and cozy and inspiring. I always get inspired to read and learn more after going to Barnes & Noble or Borders or another bookstore. Hardly ever do I know exactly what I want to look for.
I don't usually buy books from those stores because they're expensive. I'd rather buy them from a discount bookseller like QPB (of which I am a member), or from Alibris, which sells used books. I don't like to buy from Half-Price Books because I think they rip the seller off: they'll offer you 25 cents for a book you paid $25.00 retail for, then sell it for $12.50. No one makes 5000% profit off of me--NO ONE!
I took Hudson up for my mother to take for the weekend, so it was just Dayna and myself until yesterday afternoon. A trip to the bookstore on Saturday morning was nice and cozy and inspiring. I always get inspired to read and learn more after going to Barnes & Noble or Borders or another bookstore. Hardly ever do I know exactly what I want to look for.
I don't usually buy books from those stores because they're expensive. I'd rather buy them from a discount bookseller like QPB (of which I am a member), or from Alibris, which sells used books. I don't like to buy from Half-Price Books because I think they rip the seller off: they'll offer you 25 cents for a book you paid $25.00 retail for, then sell it for $12.50. No one makes 5000% profit off of me--NO ONE!
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Insane!
Wow! Today has been a nightmare! I'm supposed to be joining a board meeting right now with the Fibromyalgia Association of Houston (FMAH) right now, but there's no way I'll be able to do it. They asked me a couple of weeks ago to come, and I was looking forward to it.
However, our day at the office has been chaos. First, two medical health inspectors surprise us with a visit to the office this morning. They stayed for around four hours. Having to summon obscure paperwork and everything else they were asking for took too much time. Our network printers have been down since Friday, so all of our orders are having to come to us in different ways. Right now our company's California office is printing out our delivery tickets for us, and then faxing those to us.
On top of all that, Dayna has the car and is running errands with Grammy, so I wouldn't be able to get over there anyway.
I need to be working on my essay today, but I haven't had a chance yet. The final draft is due tomorrow. Yikes!
However, our day at the office has been chaos. First, two medical health inspectors surprise us with a visit to the office this morning. They stayed for around four hours. Having to summon obscure paperwork and everything else they were asking for took too much time. Our network printers have been down since Friday, so all of our orders are having to come to us in different ways. Right now our company's California office is printing out our delivery tickets for us, and then faxing those to us.
On top of all that, Dayna has the car and is running errands with Grammy, so I wouldn't be able to get over there anyway.
I need to be working on my essay today, but I haven't had a chance yet. The final draft is due tomorrow. Yikes!
Monday, April 17, 2006
Last minute on tax day
Here I am back at the office. I was so focused on getting my essay completed that I forgot that today was the last day. After I returned home from school and put Hudson to bed, Dayna and I were watching The Colbert Report on Comedy Central. Stephen Colbert was who reminded me to file my taxes.
I wasn't in a hurry to do it though. Dayna and I owe the government this year. This is the first time that has happend to me. I've always received at least a little tax return. Nope, not this time! Uncle Sam and I will be working out an arrangement for me to hand over $178.00 on behalf of my wife and myself. You can't fuck with the IRS. You just have to bend over and take it up the ass!
I wasn't in a hurry to do it though. Dayna and I owe the government this year. This is the first time that has happend to me. I've always received at least a little tax return. Nope, not this time! Uncle Sam and I will be working out an arrangement for me to hand over $178.00 on behalf of my wife and myself. You can't fuck with the IRS. You just have to bend over and take it up the ass!
Sunday, April 16, 2006
Easter Sunday
Schooling in the office
Instead of attending any Easter festivities (i.e. church or Bunny & eggs), I'm taking the time today to work diligently on my research paper for my English Composition class. I spent the entire day yesterday with Dayna and Hudson, so I don't feel bad about missing it. Dayna and Hudson drove down to Missouri City to attend service at Mr & Mrs Smith's church. Afterwards, I believe, they're going to have a big lunch at their house. (I'm told they'll be reserving a plate for me and sending it with Dayna.)
Grammy purchased a very handsome baby-blue outfit last week for Hudson to wear this morning. I got up early with them and put it on him while Dayna was getting ready. I brushed his teeth and tried to make some order out of the bedhead he was sporting. Dayna came later with a wet brush and parted his hair. "I see, so dorky is okay for Easter Sunday," I said. Dayna usually complains when I part his hair after bathtime.
Motherland
After they had left I sat down to check out the news while I drank some coffee. Searching through the DirectTV guide I flipped over to a documentary on the LinkTV channel. A documentary was starting called Motherland about a group of black people from Britain selected to trace their origins (presumably Afrikan) through DNA sequence testing. This has been an interest to me for a while and is something in which I wanted to participate (see The Genographic Project). Ancestral origins are a hobby of mine; I currently spend a lot of time researching my family history on Ancestry.com.
On the documentary, results of one man's testing showed that his paternal lineage had in fact originated in Europe, not in Africa as he had expected. However, later testing of the same data found that his mitocondrial (maternal) DNA did trace back to the Karuni tribe in southern Niger.
The results of one of the women's testing linked her more accurately and directly to a tribe living on the island of Bioko, just off the coast of Camaroon. In fact, testing of many of the families there led her to a woman whose DNA sequence were nearly the same, identifying her as a direct relative. The woman visited the island and met up with the village people among whom her family lived. The village people pronounced her "lost daughter" of the tribe, and even gave her a piece of land there as part of her rite.
It was amazing to see this kind of reunion of blood lines that is capable through this kind of science. I believe that the near future holds amazing possibilites as this kind of research continues and improves. I would imagine that tracing ancestral lineage through DNA will become common practice for everyone in the coming years.
Instead of attending any Easter festivities (i.e. church or Bunny & eggs), I'm taking the time today to work diligently on my research paper for my English Composition class. I spent the entire day yesterday with Dayna and Hudson, so I don't feel bad about missing it. Dayna and Hudson drove down to Missouri City to attend service at Mr & Mrs Smith's church. Afterwards, I believe, they're going to have a big lunch at their house. (I'm told they'll be reserving a plate for me and sending it with Dayna.)
Grammy purchased a very handsome baby-blue outfit last week for Hudson to wear this morning. I got up early with them and put it on him while Dayna was getting ready. I brushed his teeth and tried to make some order out of the bedhead he was sporting. Dayna came later with a wet brush and parted his hair. "I see, so dorky is okay for Easter Sunday," I said. Dayna usually complains when I part his hair after bathtime.
Motherland
After they had left I sat down to check out the news while I drank some coffee. Searching through the DirectTV guide I flipped over to a documentary on the LinkTV channel. A documentary was starting called Motherland about a group of black people from Britain selected to trace their origins (presumably Afrikan) through DNA sequence testing. This has been an interest to me for a while and is something in which I wanted to participate (see The Genographic Project). Ancestral origins are a hobby of mine; I currently spend a lot of time researching my family history on Ancestry.com.
On the documentary, results of one man's testing showed that his paternal lineage had in fact originated in Europe, not in Africa as he had expected. However, later testing of the same data found that his mitocondrial (maternal) DNA did trace back to the Karuni tribe in southern Niger.
The results of one of the women's testing linked her more accurately and directly to a tribe living on the island of Bioko, just off the coast of Camaroon. In fact, testing of many of the families there led her to a woman whose DNA sequence were nearly the same, identifying her as a direct relative. The woman visited the island and met up with the village people among whom her family lived. The village people pronounced her "lost daughter" of the tribe, and even gave her a piece of land there as part of her rite.
It was amazing to see this kind of reunion of blood lines that is capable through this kind of science. I believe that the near future holds amazing possibilites as this kind of research continues and improves. I would imagine that tracing ancestral lineage through DNA will become common practice for everyone in the coming years.
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Greener
Things seem to be looking brighter...knock on wood. I'm starting to write some (good) checks for my bills, and by Friday I should be caught up with most of them. At the end of the month, we'll be packing our things into boxes and getting ready to move. We're having all of our stuff moved for free because we used MoveForFree.com to locate our apartment. Once we're in our new place life will be much simpler financially. I'll be saving hundreds a month just on rent.
I'm working hard on research for essay #4 for my English Composition class. My topic is on the Government Vouchers for Private Schools debate. I will probably post the edited version of it on my According to Jao blog at the beginning of May, so be looking forward to that. I would love to hear some comments and critiques.
My mother is down with the stomach flu today and was all last night. Two weeks ago it started with Hudson who passed it along to the following people: Dayna, Grammy, me, Shannon, Samantha, Mr. Smith, and now my mother. I don't know if this bug has completed its destruction, but I apoligize for Hudson to those who suffered and those who have yet to experience its wrath!
I'm working hard on research for essay #4 for my English Composition class. My topic is on the Government Vouchers for Private Schools debate. I will probably post the edited version of it on my According to Jao blog at the beginning of May, so be looking forward to that. I would love to hear some comments and critiques.
My mother is down with the stomach flu today and was all last night. Two weeks ago it started with Hudson who passed it along to the following people: Dayna, Grammy, me, Shannon, Samantha, Mr. Smith, and now my mother. I don't know if this bug has completed its destruction, but I apoligize for Hudson to those who suffered and those who have yet to experience its wrath!
Thursday, April 06, 2006
A Muddy Money Hole
I am in a financial twilight zone and there is no exit. It seems to be getting worse and worse every month. Most every one of my bills are late, and I just found out that my rent check bounced (I expected it to if it posted before I was able to secure yet another payday loan). My check register isn't exactly accurate. I'm really not motivated to keep up with it daily; why should I be when it's always bad news.
I expect that I will receive my third eviction notice sometime next week. Luckily I get paid again next Friday, so I will be able to take care of it. But that doesn't take care of the late bills piling up. To add more stress, our lease is up at the end of this month. I haven't been able to submit the application for the apartments that Dayna and I chose because I can't really afford the $40 application fee, not to mention the $200 deposit I'm going to have to come up with.
Here's the light at the end of the tunnel (provided all goes well): Grammy will be moving in with us at our new apartment; she will be paying part of the rent, which is already $130 cheaper than what we pay at our current apartment. That being said, I'll probably be saving roughly $360 a month in rent. Whew.
But to backtrack on that improvement, I'm going to be spending much more on gas commuting back and forth to work because the apartments we chose, The Belmont Apartments, are in another part of town (Houston). Compared to where we are now, which is directly behind my office, is an extreme difference! With the price of gas at its unbelievable height right now,--about $2.70 per gallon--that's going to be a hefty bill. There will probably be some tears.
For those of you who don't know me, as you'll read below, I have a wife, Dayna, our son Hudson, and...get this...twins on the way!! How can I survive in a financial situation as this? My wife and son are on Medicaid, and I'm hanging on to my mother's health coverage policy by a thread (the insurance company doesn't know that I'm married yet--nonetheless, my coverage will cease when I turn 25 in December).
Right now, I'm trying to inch my way through higher education. I can only do one or two classes a semester right now, but I want to try my best to make it through to something substantial like a degree! That's the only way I see myself digging my way out of a lifetime of paycheck-to-paycheck living, which I don't want for my family.
I'm determined to get out of the muck I'm in, believe me! But, am I able? Honestly, I've proven to myself over and over again that I'm not. Anytime I get anywhere near financial par, I start spending like I'm in first place. I simply am not a good manager of my finances, and that's a fact. I've continually sought help on the issue, but it's either a gimmick to get me to buy something, a service that I can't afford, or simply nothing. My mind is screaming out a plea to some unknown nothing, "HELP!" No one answers, because no one can hear it.
I guess I'm going to keep trying my best, for what it's worth. I'll keep looking here and there for some real substantial advice and maybe, one day, I'll find someone who really cares about my situation. Sure, if you have some advice, or know where some can be found, you're welcome to fill me in. I'll listen to what you have to say. Unless you're trying to sell Jesus; I don't have time for that bullshit and I already know all about it. I need real...substantial...advice.
I expect that I will receive my third eviction notice sometime next week. Luckily I get paid again next Friday, so I will be able to take care of it. But that doesn't take care of the late bills piling up. To add more stress, our lease is up at the end of this month. I haven't been able to submit the application for the apartments that Dayna and I chose because I can't really afford the $40 application fee, not to mention the $200 deposit I'm going to have to come up with.
Here's the light at the end of the tunnel (provided all goes well): Grammy will be moving in with us at our new apartment; she will be paying part of the rent, which is already $130 cheaper than what we pay at our current apartment. That being said, I'll probably be saving roughly $360 a month in rent. Whew.
But to backtrack on that improvement, I'm going to be spending much more on gas commuting back and forth to work because the apartments we chose, The Belmont Apartments, are in another part of town (Houston). Compared to where we are now, which is directly behind my office, is an extreme difference! With the price of gas at its unbelievable height right now,--about $2.70 per gallon--that's going to be a hefty bill. There will probably be some tears.
For those of you who don't know me, as you'll read below, I have a wife, Dayna, our son Hudson, and...get this...twins on the way!! How can I survive in a financial situation as this? My wife and son are on Medicaid, and I'm hanging on to my mother's health coverage policy by a thread (the insurance company doesn't know that I'm married yet--nonetheless, my coverage will cease when I turn 25 in December).
Right now, I'm trying to inch my way through higher education. I can only do one or two classes a semester right now, but I want to try my best to make it through to something substantial like a degree! That's the only way I see myself digging my way out of a lifetime of paycheck-to-paycheck living, which I don't want for my family.
I'm determined to get out of the muck I'm in, believe me! But, am I able? Honestly, I've proven to myself over and over again that I'm not. Anytime I get anywhere near financial par, I start spending like I'm in first place. I simply am not a good manager of my finances, and that's a fact. I've continually sought help on the issue, but it's either a gimmick to get me to buy something, a service that I can't afford, or simply nothing. My mind is screaming out a plea to some unknown nothing, "HELP!" No one answers, because no one can hear it.
I guess I'm going to keep trying my best, for what it's worth. I'll keep looking here and there for some real substantial advice and maybe, one day, I'll find someone who really cares about my situation. Sure, if you have some advice, or know where some can be found, you're welcome to fill me in. I'll listen to what you have to say. Unless you're trying to sell Jesus; I don't have time for that bullshit and I already know all about it. I need real...substantial...advice.
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
Growing twins
Today I put a few hours into research on private school voucher proposals. It's for the fourth and most important (30% of my grade) essay for my English Composition class. For a week or so I was torn between that and the USA Patriot Act. The latter seemed very broad and would take, it seemed, much more research time and effort. Plus, with the school vouchers issue, I was able to do a page of freewriting on ideas and opinions I already had on the issue.
I limited my time because there are so many other things I want to do. I've been trying to keep up, at least briefly, on what's happening in the news. I was glad to hear yesterday that Tom DeLay is quitting the House and his campaign in Texas for re-election. "Let's move on...without DeLay," as the bumper sticker says. That's good news.
Today, Dayna took Hudson to his doctor in Missouri City. It's time for another vaccination (I'm not sure which one). Dayna is getting uncomfortably pregnant now. She's at 19 weeks. She's been able to feel the babies moving around for several weeks now. The other day, while she had her hand on her tummy, she felt them bumping around. It looks like we're going to have a couple of storm troopers on our hands.
At her doctor appointment on Monday, Dr Korhonen said that there was a 90% chance that the twins would not be identical. I'm not disappointed about that. In fact, a little glad. Even if they were identical, we've decided that we did not want to raise them as mirror-images of each other (dressing them the same, letting them sleep in the same bed, etc.).
Dayna's read many stories about the things that identical twins try to get away with. We theorized that they feel empowered with the feeling of connection and duality. It's interesting, but we're going to avoid raising a demon duo!
I think I'm going to get back to my book now. I'm reading The Human Story: Our History, from the Stone Age to Today.
I limited my time because there are so many other things I want to do. I've been trying to keep up, at least briefly, on what's happening in the news. I was glad to hear yesterday that Tom DeLay is quitting the House and his campaign in Texas for re-election. "Let's move on...without DeLay," as the bumper sticker says. That's good news.
Today, Dayna took Hudson to his doctor in Missouri City. It's time for another vaccination (I'm not sure which one). Dayna is getting uncomfortably pregnant now. She's at 19 weeks. She's been able to feel the babies moving around for several weeks now. The other day, while she had her hand on her tummy, she felt them bumping around. It looks like we're going to have a couple of storm troopers on our hands.
At her doctor appointment on Monday, Dr Korhonen said that there was a 90% chance that the twins would not be identical. I'm not disappointed about that. In fact, a little glad. Even if they were identical, we've decided that we did not want to raise them as mirror-images of each other (dressing them the same, letting them sleep in the same bed, etc.).
Dayna's read many stories about the things that identical twins try to get away with. We theorized that they feel empowered with the feeling of connection and duality. It's interesting, but we're going to avoid raising a demon duo!
I think I'm going to get back to my book now. I'm reading The Human Story: Our History, from the Stone Age to Today.
Thursday, March 16, 2006
Genealogy
I've been spending countless hours since December researching my family history, and the family histories of a few friends. It's an exciting and rewarding hobby in which I easily lose track of time and space, as well as a bit mind-numbing. But I'm enjoying it immensely.
Today, as well as last Tuesday, I spent several hours on the 'Sandstrum' family in the Humble, Texas area. An interesting fact that I discovered about the sons and daughter of Rubin Wesley Sandstrum (there are seven): So far, some of them have only married once, some of them have married twice. Of the six siblings who have been married, there have been nine marriages respectively; in seven of those nine marriages, the bride was older than the groom. Isn't that fascinating!?
It's amazing what information about people you can find on Ancestry. Not only is it a fantastic instrument with which to research your family history, it is filled with a plethora of useful information: Forget when someones birthday is? Want to know how old someone is? What addresses and phone numbers is a certain person listed under?
I love it.
Today, as well as last Tuesday, I spent several hours on the 'Sandstrum' family in the Humble, Texas area. An interesting fact that I discovered about the sons and daughter of Rubin Wesley Sandstrum (there are seven): So far, some of them have only married once, some of them have married twice. Of the six siblings who have been married, there have been nine marriages respectively; in seven of those nine marriages, the bride was older than the groom. Isn't that fascinating!?
It's amazing what information about people you can find on Ancestry. Not only is it a fantastic instrument with which to research your family history, it is filled with a plethora of useful information: Forget when someones birthday is? Want to know how old someone is? What addresses and phone numbers is a certain person listed under?
I love it.
Thursday, March 09, 2006
Is it a boy or a girl?
My wife and I found out that we were pregnant again in January. We conceived on Thanksgiving Day. [Jokes including 'Turkey' and 'stuffing' and 'Pilgrims & Indians' go here.]
Just yesterday, Dayna went to see her OB/GYN who did an ultrasound to check on the baby. As it turns out, everything is fine.....we're having boys! Yes, you read that right--plural, as in twins!
Holy shit, right!? I couldn't believe it, but I'm very excited. I hadn't considered twins a possibility, but it happened. Anyway, I thought I'd let everyone know. Bye.
Just yesterday, Dayna went to see her OB/GYN who did an ultrasound to check on the baby. As it turns out, everything is fine.....we're having boys! Yes, you read that right--plural, as in twins!
Holy shit, right!? I couldn't believe it, but I'm very excited. I hadn't considered twins a possibility, but it happened. Anyway, I thought I'd let everyone know. Bye.
Friday, February 24, 2006
Last Day of Office Command
My manager, Wade, has been at our Chicago office this week, filling in for a recent "walker." So for this entire week, I've been running our Houston office solo and I've had a really good time doing it. Luckily, some of the executives of my company have been awaiting a trial that began this week, so it's been relatively slow here, not a lot of orders to process. So I've been able to keep up, no sweat.
I haven't heard much about the details of the trial though. I'm curious to see who's winning: the executives, or "The Man." I'll probably Google the situation at the end of the day to see if there are any updates online that I might find.
I haven't heard much about the details of the trial though. I'm curious to see who's winning: the executives, or "The Man." I'll probably Google the situation at the end of the day to see if there are any updates online that I might find.
Thursday, February 23, 2006
Nostalgia
I've been feeling very nostalgic lately. Especially this morning. Since visiting the gravesite of Howard Hughes, Jr. and watching The Aviator a couple of times, I've learned more about his life in Houston. I've been thinking: Maybe Houston is not such a bad place to live after all.
See, I've dispised Houston, particularly its weather, for a long time. I've always believed that there was a much better city in which I could be living. One day, as my wife and I have decided, we want to venture into the rest of the world to see what it has to offer.
Now I'm wondering if I should consider Houston as a place for a home for the long term. When we visited Glenwood Cemetery last Sunday (where Howard Hughes is buried), we drove through the historic sixth ward, where many of the original homes that were built there are still standing. Quite a few of them were for sale. That's when Dayna and I began discussing how much we would love to have the money to buy those homes, renovate them, and sell them. Not only could we make a decent profit, we would be helping to revitalize a historic part of the city. That is something I want to contribute to the world in one way or another.
This morning, I started looking at old and new photos of Salt Lake City, where I once lived for four months. I loved that city; I still do. This made me feel like there are still other places out there that I could, and would, love so much more than where I live now. I want to see those places.
Any suggestions for my dilemma?
See, I've dispised Houston, particularly its weather, for a long time. I've always believed that there was a much better city in which I could be living. One day, as my wife and I have decided, we want to venture into the rest of the world to see what it has to offer.
Now I'm wondering if I should consider Houston as a place for a home for the long term. When we visited Glenwood Cemetery last Sunday (where Howard Hughes is buried), we drove through the historic sixth ward, where many of the original homes that were built there are still standing. Quite a few of them were for sale. That's when Dayna and I began discussing how much we would love to have the money to buy those homes, renovate them, and sell them. Not only could we make a decent profit, we would be helping to revitalize a historic part of the city. That is something I want to contribute to the world in one way or another.
This morning, I started looking at old and new photos of Salt Lake City, where I once lived for four months. I loved that city; I still do. This made me feel like there are still other places out there that I could, and would, love so much more than where I live now. I want to see those places.
Any suggestions for my dilemma?
Thursday, January 19, 2006
I'm sorry. It's been too long, and I've fallen behind. No more of that...for now.
Just as Jake has, I've started my freshman year at Houston Community College. My plate is loaded, and I'm not really that hungry. Is there a K-9 somewhere nearby that I can drop a few broccoli spears to?
I've overwhelmed myself with side projects as well: tracing my family history; mowing as fast as possible through the pages of The Island at the Center of the World (I'm nearly finished); filing my income tax return. It's just too much to organize!
Anyway, I miss this. I miss Daisy. I miss Jake. I don't miss Jesus.
Just as Jake has, I've started my freshman year at Houston Community College. My plate is loaded, and I'm not really that hungry. Is there a K-9 somewhere nearby that I can drop a few broccoli spears to?
I've overwhelmed myself with side projects as well: tracing my family history; mowing as fast as possible through the pages of The Island at the Center of the World (I'm nearly finished); filing my income tax return. It's just too much to organize!
Anyway, I miss this. I miss Daisy. I miss Jake. I don't miss Jesus.
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