From Hot Shots:
What should you do with an elephant that has three balls?
Walk him and pitch to the rhino...
4.14.2008
3.31.2008
Tilam v. Thew First - WSJ Later
Today's WSJ has a great editorial making the same point I made last week in greater detail. To wit, Hillary Clinton does not know squat about economics and her policies will cause the problems she is trying to prevent.
The quick recap, Mrs. Clinton is concerned we are headed for Japanese style malaise. My point was that the out-dated, government will "help," Keynesian solutions that Mrs. Clinton proposes is EXACTLY what caused the malaise in Japan.
The WSJ comes through with the data.
Of course, Tilam v. Thew readers had that info last week.
The quick recap, Mrs. Clinton is concerned we are headed for Japanese style malaise. My point was that the out-dated, government will "help," Keynesian solutions that Mrs. Clinton proposes is EXACTLY what caused the malaise in Japan.
The WSJ comes through with the data.
Of course, Tilam v. Thew readers had that info last week.
3.27.2008
Clintonomics
From the WSJ: "Hillary Clinton said she fears the U.S. is slipping into a Japanese-style economic malaise that will overwhelm the Federal Reserve's considerable powers.
"The Democratic presidential candidate said the U.S. government should be ready to buy troubled mortgages from investors and lenders to spur a recovery and avoid a lengthy period of stagnation because of unaddressed weaknesses in the financial sector."
Okay, now I will give you three guesses as to WHY Japan has been in a malaise for the past 10 years:
1) Japanese are lazy and the national savings rate is low.
2) Japanese businesses are non-competitive.
3) The government took on the burden of their banking crisis instead of letting the market sort things out.
The answer is 3. So Clinton, in all her economic wisdom, is proposing just the path the PUT Japan in its slow growth period.
Unbelievable.
"The Democratic presidential candidate said the U.S. government should be ready to buy troubled mortgages from investors and lenders to spur a recovery and avoid a lengthy period of stagnation because of unaddressed weaknesses in the financial sector."
Okay, now I will give you three guesses as to WHY Japan has been in a malaise for the past 10 years:
1) Japanese are lazy and the national savings rate is low.
2) Japanese businesses are non-competitive.
3) The government took on the burden of their banking crisis instead of letting the market sort things out.
The answer is 3. So Clinton, in all her economic wisdom, is proposing just the path the PUT Japan in its slow growth period.
Unbelievable.
3.20.2008
Madness 2008
Crap, everything that's going on - Spitzer, Wright/Obama, Paterson - can distract us from the really important things. March Madness is back, Baby!
As usual, I have been following basketball fairly closely this year, but I find myself in a very different camp then most of the sportwriters. Stewart Mandel says, this is the year of the favorite. The ESPN guys average Final Four Rank is 1.29 and no one has anyone seeded lower than 2. And even Dickie V. says no chance a 5 seed or lower makes the Final Four.
Hmmmm.
Okay, now I admit I always pick conservatively, but my humble opinion is that ANYONE can lose in the second round. Sure, I think UNC and UCLA are tough, but not unstoppable. And the teams ranked 3 through 6 have some solid players who can pull of the "upset." UConn got torched by Providence and WV (curse you, Joe Alexander), but have an outstanding point guard, a shot blocking god and two very strong forwards. Xavier, USC, Pittsburgh, Clemson, Louisville can all make a case that on any given day, they can win against anyone even if things don't go perfectly. Most importantly, all the top seeds have looked very vulnerable at times.
This may be the Year of the Favorite. More likely, it will come down to the point guard and great defense.
That said, Mr. Wimp picks:
UNC, Kansas, Texas, UCLA with UCLA beating UNC 82-75...
As usual, I have been following basketball fairly closely this year, but I find myself in a very different camp then most of the sportwriters. Stewart Mandel says, this is the year of the favorite. The ESPN guys average Final Four Rank is 1.29 and no one has anyone seeded lower than 2. And even Dickie V. says no chance a 5 seed or lower makes the Final Four.
Hmmmm.
Okay, now I admit I always pick conservatively, but my humble opinion is that ANYONE can lose in the second round. Sure, I think UNC and UCLA are tough, but not unstoppable. And the teams ranked 3 through 6 have some solid players who can pull of the "upset." UConn got torched by Providence and WV (curse you, Joe Alexander), but have an outstanding point guard, a shot blocking god and two very strong forwards. Xavier, USC, Pittsburgh, Clemson, Louisville can all make a case that on any given day, they can win against anyone even if things don't go perfectly. Most importantly, all the top seeds have looked very vulnerable at times.
This may be the Year of the Favorite. More likely, it will come down to the point guard and great defense.
That said, Mr. Wimp picks:
UNC, Kansas, Texas, UCLA with UCLA beating UNC 82-75...
2.11.2008
Men & Marriage
Cassandra over at Villainous Company offers some thoughts on men & marriage. (H/t Glenn.)
Overall, she makes some great points, but I still notice how no MEN are actually writing about this. So, to wit:
I am in my mid-40s, married for 16 years with three kids, two dogs and a house in the 'burbs. I waited until I was 28 to get engaged and it happened rather quickly. (When you know, you know.) Our marriage is not perfect, but I would not trade it for anything.
That said, I would never get married again.
This is not to say I regret my decision (I don't), but that absent this particular woman and the kids, I do not find the prospect of marriage to have any upside to me and I do see plenty of downside. I am not at all concerned about lacking for sex and if I want companionship, I'll get a dog. Thankfully, I can afford the maid service to keep the house in order and anything more complicated than a sandwich, I can order in or dine out. Finally, I am willing to admit that I take great pleasure in material things.
Okay, so why. Simply because (and I am generalizing here) men want the most from the least. I am lazy; I don't want to work hard. Women are hard work. ALL women. George Bernard Shaw said, "Love is a gross exaggeration of the difference between one person and everybody else." How true...
Actually, to be clear, I work hard all day. My job is stressful (though I enjoy it) and involves near constant conflict or conflict resolution. I want my home life to be tranquil. It won't be. Why? Because I would also admit that I am hard work...if you are interested in changing me into some domestic lapdog or having me conform to the "Unrealistic Marriage Template" Cassandra talks about.
I certainly agree that there are tons of really wonderful women out there. So again, this is not to say I do not enjoy the company of women, but I would want the option of walking away at the end of the night.
More to follow...
Tdub???
UPDATE: Sorry, link fixed.
UPDATE II: See this post by William Voegeli...
Overall, she makes some great points, but I still notice how no MEN are actually writing about this. So, to wit:
I am in my mid-40s, married for 16 years with three kids, two dogs and a house in the 'burbs. I waited until I was 28 to get engaged and it happened rather quickly. (When you know, you know.) Our marriage is not perfect, but I would not trade it for anything.
That said, I would never get married again.
This is not to say I regret my decision (I don't), but that absent this particular woman and the kids, I do not find the prospect of marriage to have any upside to me and I do see plenty of downside. I am not at all concerned about lacking for sex and if I want companionship, I'll get a dog. Thankfully, I can afford the maid service to keep the house in order and anything more complicated than a sandwich, I can order in or dine out. Finally, I am willing to admit that I take great pleasure in material things.
Okay, so why. Simply because (and I am generalizing here) men want the most from the least. I am lazy; I don't want to work hard. Women are hard work. ALL women. George Bernard Shaw said, "Love is a gross exaggeration of the difference between one person and everybody else." How true...
Actually, to be clear, I work hard all day. My job is stressful (though I enjoy it) and involves near constant conflict or conflict resolution. I want my home life to be tranquil. It won't be. Why? Because I would also admit that I am hard work...if you are interested in changing me into some domestic lapdog or having me conform to the "Unrealistic Marriage Template" Cassandra talks about.
I certainly agree that there are tons of really wonderful women out there. So again, this is not to say I do not enjoy the company of women, but I would want the option of walking away at the end of the night.
More to follow...
Tdub???
UPDATE: Sorry, link fixed.
UPDATE II: See this post by William Voegeli...
2.08.2008
2.07.2008
My Advice to McCain
Okay, with Govenor Romney gone, McCain makes his first speech as the nominee. My advice to him is to point out the different roles that a Senator and the leader of a Party play.
When John Paul II died, I wrote a quick post on how different I would be if elected Pope (go with me on this). The point is that sometimes, your role is bigger than yourself. Sometimes, in some positions, you represent something else. As a CEO of my company, I did not feel I could just clown around as "one of the guys"; as Pope, I could not maintain certain views that I have (say euthanasia) because the Vicar of Christ needs to defend life.
Senator McCain needs to draw a distinction between being one of 100 and being the Leader of the Free World. And he needs to be clear that he means it.
When John Paul II died, I wrote a quick post on how different I would be if elected Pope (go with me on this). The point is that sometimes, your role is bigger than yourself. Sometimes, in some positions, you represent something else. As a CEO of my company, I did not feel I could just clown around as "one of the guys"; as Pope, I could not maintain certain views that I have (say euthanasia) because the Vicar of Christ needs to defend life.
Senator McCain needs to draw a distinction between being one of 100 and being the Leader of the Free World. And he needs to be clear that he means it.
Mitt Quit
Or actually "suspended his campaign." Too bad, I think he would have been a very good President, but the numbers were hard to overcome. Ultimately, Governor Huckabee was the cause of Governor Romney's demise, stealing social conservatives who would otherwise have voted for Gov. Romney.
Admittedly, I view Gov. Huckabee's with distain. It is a classic ego driven no-chance effort that aggravates intra-party divisions. His stupid statements on foreign policy and making the Constitution match the Bible made a mockery of conservative ideals and the principles of the Founding Fathers.
Idiot.
Yet, he soldiers on and Governor Romney bows out for the good of the country.
Admittedly, I view Gov. Huckabee's with distain. It is a classic ego driven no-chance effort that aggravates intra-party divisions. His stupid statements on foreign policy and making the Constitution match the Bible made a mockery of conservative ideals and the principles of the Founding Fathers.
Idiot.
Yet, he soldiers on and Governor Romney bows out for the good of the country.
Around the (Political) Horn
For a guy that loves politics, I have not had much to say on the blog as of late. Part of that was an early recognition that Super Tuesday was the first clarifying event of the political season (it was...kinda) and partly because my early choice, Fred Thompson never took off.
But here we are. First off, for the Republicans, John McCain seems to be the choice - not a total lock, but pretty much so. Ultimately, I think McCain will be a good choice and I simply do not have the trepidation that other conservatives have.
Why? Because post-Reagan conservatism rests on three "types" of conservative positions. The first is fiscal conservatism; the second is nationalism (or foreign policy conservatism); and finally, social conservatism. Very rarely (and certainly not in Reagan's or the Bushes' cases) does a Republican nominee embrace all three. Social conservatism was not a priority for Reagan and fiscal conservatism is not a priority for the current President Bush. All three, one could argue, were foreign policy conservatives first and foremost.
McCain is a foreign policy conservative first and foremost with small government instincts. He is not a social conservative by any stretch of the imagination. (Note that one socially conservative principle is to appoint judges who follow the Constitution, which is often a point where non-social conservatives - such as your humble narrator - find common ground with SC.)
For me, fiscal conservatism is first; foreign policy conservatism is second and, excepting judges, social conservatism does not move the needle at all. The fact that McCain has flipped my first two priorities does not really bother me. The fact that he pisses Jim Dobson off might be a feature rather than a bug. (I want Jim Dobson's morality foisted upon me as much as I want Gloria Steinem's.)
For the Democrats, things are far dicier. Barack Obama is an interesting candidate - for 2016. I concede he is inspirational and a great speaker, but he is one of the most liberal members of the Senate and has promised to raise my taxes. Not endearing. I think his message is one that will attract attention, but he simple does not have any real experience and his resume does not compare to Senator McCain. I also think that most people will vote substance - not style - in the private confines of the voting both.
Then there is HRC. Hillary Clinton is a very polarizing figure with all Bill's baggage and none of the charm. She is one VERY smart lady - give her credit - but does not have the touch of a true politician. But she has shown she will do anything - anything - to win. And that sort of viciousness should never be under estimated. Is the country ready for another dose of Clinton mores?
But here we are. First off, for the Republicans, John McCain seems to be the choice - not a total lock, but pretty much so. Ultimately, I think McCain will be a good choice and I simply do not have the trepidation that other conservatives have.
Why? Because post-Reagan conservatism rests on three "types" of conservative positions. The first is fiscal conservatism; the second is nationalism (or foreign policy conservatism); and finally, social conservatism. Very rarely (and certainly not in Reagan's or the Bushes' cases) does a Republican nominee embrace all three. Social conservatism was not a priority for Reagan and fiscal conservatism is not a priority for the current President Bush. All three, one could argue, were foreign policy conservatives first and foremost.
McCain is a foreign policy conservative first and foremost with small government instincts. He is not a social conservative by any stretch of the imagination. (Note that one socially conservative principle is to appoint judges who follow the Constitution, which is often a point where non-social conservatives - such as your humble narrator - find common ground with SC.)
For me, fiscal conservatism is first; foreign policy conservatism is second and, excepting judges, social conservatism does not move the needle at all. The fact that McCain has flipped my first two priorities does not really bother me. The fact that he pisses Jim Dobson off might be a feature rather than a bug. (I want Jim Dobson's morality foisted upon me as much as I want Gloria Steinem's.)
For the Democrats, things are far dicier. Barack Obama is an interesting candidate - for 2016. I concede he is inspirational and a great speaker, but he is one of the most liberal members of the Senate and has promised to raise my taxes. Not endearing. I think his message is one that will attract attention, but he simple does not have any real experience and his resume does not compare to Senator McCain. I also think that most people will vote substance - not style - in the private confines of the voting both.
Then there is HRC. Hillary Clinton is a very polarizing figure with all Bill's baggage and none of the charm. She is one VERY smart lady - give her credit - but does not have the touch of a true politician. But she has shown she will do anything - anything - to win. And that sort of viciousness should never be under estimated. Is the country ready for another dose of Clinton mores?
1.25.2008
Friday Thoughts
Reading Yglesias (a hard Keynesian) on economics is like reading someone arguing creationism - it takes a lot of denial for Matt to argue taht way.
NYTimes endorses McCain and Romney/Giuliani breathe a sigh of relief. Pinch has destroyed a national treasure.
Republicans everywhere are smiling that Democrats notice that Bill Clinton is a liar. Though admittedly that depends on what the meaning of the word "is" is...
Every day that passes convinces me that the Democratic primaries are making Obama is a more dangerous candidate and Hillary a less dangerous one. If Bill is pissed at the press now, Chris Wallace will make his head explode on national TV.
The economy will be the win-lose issue as usual. Iraq has calmed down and there have been no major terrorist attacks in the Western world. I am less confident that plays well for Republicans.
To astute observers, the military is at a cross roads. The US Armed Forces does not have one major force delivery platform that was introduced later then the 70s, excepting drones. The F-22/F-35 are starting to come online in small numbers; DD(X) destroyers are JUST being built (the "as needed" CG(X) and LCS are not started yet). Ironically, the Army is making better strides with FCS, but that is due to lower marginal cost and higher enemy contact. Someone needs to be worrying about this now.
NYTimes endorses McCain and Romney/Giuliani breathe a sigh of relief. Pinch has destroyed a national treasure.
Republicans everywhere are smiling that Democrats notice that Bill Clinton is a liar. Though admittedly that depends on what the meaning of the word "is" is...
Every day that passes convinces me that the Democratic primaries are making Obama is a more dangerous candidate and Hillary a less dangerous one. If Bill is pissed at the press now, Chris Wallace will make his head explode on national TV.
The economy will be the win-lose issue as usual. Iraq has calmed down and there have been no major terrorist attacks in the Western world. I am less confident that plays well for Republicans.
To astute observers, the military is at a cross roads. The US Armed Forces does not have one major force delivery platform that was introduced later then the 70s, excepting drones. The F-22/F-35 are starting to come online in small numbers; DD(X) destroyers are JUST being built (the "as needed" CG(X) and LCS are not started yet). Ironically, the Army is making better strides with FCS, but that is due to lower marginal cost and higher enemy contact. Someone needs to be worrying about this now.
The Billionaire and the Poor
Bill Gates is trashing capitalism. Larry Kudlow destroys his premise. In particular, it is always fascinating to me how capitalism can be blamed for failure in Africa...a place were capitalism is no where to be found. (If it were, they would not be dirt poor.)
One thing the Kudlow gets wrong most people do...he says that Gate is a "guy without a college degree who invented a new technology process in his garage that literally changed the entire world." Uh, no. Gates and Microsoft did not invent anything...they licensed DOS technology and re-licensed it to IBM. In other words, Gates is a billionaire because he was a smart and savvy middleman. Further, it is pretty clear that they rode IBM's sales prowess and the emergence of the PC to greatness. The right place at the right time.
I am not begrudging Gates that, but let's be straight on how this all happened.
One thing the Kudlow gets wrong most people do...he says that Gate is a "guy without a college degree who invented a new technology process in his garage that literally changed the entire world." Uh, no. Gates and Microsoft did not invent anything...they licensed DOS technology and re-licensed it to IBM. In other words, Gates is a billionaire because he was a smart and savvy middleman. Further, it is pretty clear that they rode IBM's sales prowess and the emergence of the PC to greatness. The right place at the right time.
I am not begrudging Gates that, but let's be straight on how this all happened.
1.23.2008
Where are the Adults?
The markets are in a downward spiral and looking for some adult supervision. They will not get any from Washington.
The current credit crisis resulted from easy money policy and interest rates that were too low. This provided lenders with non-market incentives to over commit (including not doing diligence - a substantial amount of subprime mortgages foreclosures involve fraud) and viola! problems. The "solution" of easing the cost of credit (lower interest rates) and coming to the rescue does not provide the market medicine needed; Clinton's moratorium on foreclosures doesn't either; and each "solution" convinces the markets (US and world) that we are stupid or unserious about the problem.
The plain fact is no one has a stimulus solution because there is none. The best we can do to provide a sound, long term policy and structure and let the markets work it through.
Secretary Paulson, shame on you, you should know better. George Melloan certainly does.
The current credit crisis resulted from easy money policy and interest rates that were too low. This provided lenders with non-market incentives to over commit (including not doing diligence - a substantial amount of subprime mortgages foreclosures involve fraud) and viola! problems. The "solution" of easing the cost of credit (lower interest rates) and coming to the rescue does not provide the market medicine needed; Clinton's moratorium on foreclosures doesn't either; and each "solution" convinces the markets (US and world) that we are stupid or unserious about the problem.
The plain fact is no one has a stimulus solution because there is none. The best we can do to provide a sound, long term policy and structure and let the markets work it through.
Secretary Paulson, shame on you, you should know better. George Melloan certainly does.
1.22.2008
Fred is Gone
Thompson has dropped out. This has left a lot of righties on the political front scratching their heads...me included. (Frank J. has taken it surprisingly well, but I hope he continues to educate us on Fred Thompson.)
While I have been a bit busy to comment on politics, I will have some time in the next week to reflect and post on Thompson, the economy, politics, sports and all the other subject I know shit about.
I'll leave you with this, courtesy of Theo Sparks (btw, site NSFW sometimes):
While I have been a bit busy to comment on politics, I will have some time in the next week to reflect and post on Thompson, the economy, politics, sports and all the other subject I know shit about.
I'll leave you with this, courtesy of Theo Sparks (btw, site NSFW sometimes):
12.18.2007
Quoting George Carlin
"people are f**king stupid!"
My wife and I decided to sell an oriental rug a few weeks ago. We put an ad out on the internet in a local "for sale" portal, and received a response from someone within a couple of days. The buyer was very interested, and even offered me an extra $50 to hold the carpet for him.
But of course! I responded with my address information, so he could send the cashier's check, and kept in contact with the buyer. Well, there were some personal issues he ran into and such, and so it actually took 2 weeks for the cashier's check to arrive at my house. However, prior to this receipt, the buyer apologized profusely, but due to his personal problems, he made a mistake and sent me a check for 3 times the amount of the sale. After apologizing, he requested that I wire the difference back to him via Western Union and keep the difference for my carpet.
WHOA! Started smelling like a bit of shit here. Mrs Thew and I went on high alert at this point, it just seemed fishy. But, trying to still make things ok, we took the check (drawn on FNB) to our bank and deposited it after having the staff there check it out to see if it was legitimate (it looked "good enough" to use, but my old bank teller in me wasn't convinced). Well, my bank said it looked good and deposited it, and the money went into our account.
Somewhat satisfied after my bank said the check was good, and with the money in my account, I was prepared to give it a few days to clear via inter-bank transfer (even cashier's checks have to clear), but Mrs Thew, as stubborn as she is, took it a little further and checked into a couple of extra things:
a) the phone number on the Fedex envelope was a number in Ohio and was not in service (the buyer was in Florida)
b) the person to whom I was to wire the money lived in New York, and after digging, Mrs Thew found out that HE WAS DEAD (died in July 2007) - what the FRIKK?!
c) she went to the bank's website, and the front page of the bank's website said "BEWARE OF CHECK SCAMS!"
Armed with THIS information, I contacted FNB and spoke to a manager. Turns out that
1) the cashier's check number is not a sequence number that they currently use
2) the ABA number was NOT their bank ID number
3) the account on which this check was to be drawn was not one of theirs.
BAM! Gotcha! I wrote back to the buyer and said "you're out of luck asshole, we found you out!". Haven't heard from him since. Oddly enough, the money is still in our account earning interest - I am waiting for it to come back unpaid. Nothing yet tho.
Why do I think people are f**king stupid? BECAUSE STUPID PEOPLE FALL FOR THESE SCAMS!
"Hello, Thew, congratulations, you have won the Canadian Lottery. You have won $100,000! All we need to get the money from Canada to the US where you live is a $1000 processing fee. Please send and we'll cut you a check for your winnings." WOW, I didn't even play the Canadian Lottery, COOL!
"Mr Thew, I am Robert Zongo, I live in Nigeria, and I want to transfer money to my family in the US, and I need your help. I need to move $1,000,000 to a bank account, and will pay you $10,000 if you'll help me - to get the money there, I'll need $2,000 for fees and such to get the money there, can you send it to me, and I'll pay you your cut once the money has moved to my US accounts."
"Dear Thew, I would be happy to purchase your chair for $1,000, but I mistakenly sent $4,000 - can you please send me back the difference, and I'll arrange for a company to pick it up."
The manager at FNB told me a story about a man who deposited a check, then got upset when it came back as invalid. When questioned about the origin of the check, he said "well, it came in the mail and I just thought I got lucky". OH MY GOSH! You are f**king stupid!
These types of scams are perpetrated hundreds of times each money, targeting all types of individuals. But they are attempted constantly like that BECAUSE THEY WORK enough times to warrant continuation. DON'T BE F**KING STUPID. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. You never get something for nothing. Remember that! Stupid lazy americans...
**********
Vick got 23 months, close to the max sentence. A little credit for time already served, but still...good luck keeping up your "NFL calibre" skills in the slammer. You're entering prison as a tight end, I hope you don't exit prison as a wide receiver...
Mitchell's report is a severe blow to MLB. There are some significant names on that list, and even others not named have admitted using HGH to get better (ESPN analyst Fernando Vina as one), mostly because HGH is undetectable. Clemens? WOW. But frankly, Mitchell's report is a lotta hot air and powerless, since he says "these people shouldn't be punished, I'm just naming these people to illustrate the fact that we NEED testing and monitoring. Ho Hum... It'll be interested to see if Bud Selig actually grows some actually balls to deal with this, but frankly, I'm not sure. However, I will leave this discussion to a more than informational Buster Olney, who's blog nearly hits the nail on the head!
NHL Thuggery - Chris Simon (again), Ohlund, the entire Flyers team - more attempt to injure opponents, more "I'm sorry I lost control of myself and reacted in a dangerous manner" incidents and apologies - Colin Campbell needs to REALLY punish people with games and salary, not just continuing to slap people on the wrist. Yes, it's only a few bad apples, but being a fringe sport as hockey is, the less bad press they have, the better. Oh, yeah, get rid of the instigator rule and let the players police themselves - nothing will stop some cheap ass stick swinging Euro player from whacking someone like a facial beatdown from, say, Georges Laraque. You swing your stick, I'll majorly kick your ass.
**********
Update on Mrs Thew. Big. Getting bigger. Phat and happy. Little Thew better be a soccer player cuz of all the kicking - I certainly hope he's not a dancer - unless it's Thewlette, and they SHE will be a wonderful prima ballerina. :) Due date still in early March, things are goign along wonderfully.
My wife and I decided to sell an oriental rug a few weeks ago. We put an ad out on the internet in a local "for sale" portal, and received a response from someone within a couple of days. The buyer was very interested, and even offered me an extra $50 to hold the carpet for him.
But of course! I responded with my address information, so he could send the cashier's check, and kept in contact with the buyer. Well, there were some personal issues he ran into and such, and so it actually took 2 weeks for the cashier's check to arrive at my house. However, prior to this receipt, the buyer apologized profusely, but due to his personal problems, he made a mistake and sent me a check for 3 times the amount of the sale. After apologizing, he requested that I wire the difference back to him via Western Union and keep the difference for my carpet.
WHOA! Started smelling like a bit of shit here. Mrs Thew and I went on high alert at this point, it just seemed fishy. But, trying to still make things ok, we took the check (drawn on FNB) to our bank and deposited it after having the staff there check it out to see if it was legitimate (it looked "good enough" to use, but my old bank teller in me wasn't convinced). Well, my bank said it looked good and deposited it, and the money went into our account.
Somewhat satisfied after my bank said the check was good, and with the money in my account, I was prepared to give it a few days to clear via inter-bank transfer (even cashier's checks have to clear), but Mrs Thew, as stubborn as she is, took it a little further and checked into a couple of extra things:
a) the phone number on the Fedex envelope was a number in Ohio and was not in service (the buyer was in Florida)
b) the person to whom I was to wire the money lived in New York, and after digging, Mrs Thew found out that HE WAS DEAD (died in July 2007) - what the FRIKK?!
c) she went to the bank's website, and the front page of the bank's website said "BEWARE OF CHECK SCAMS!"
Armed with THIS information, I contacted FNB and spoke to a manager. Turns out that
1) the cashier's check number is not a sequence number that they currently use
2) the ABA number was NOT their bank ID number
3) the account on which this check was to be drawn was not one of theirs.
BAM! Gotcha! I wrote back to the buyer and said "you're out of luck asshole, we found you out!". Haven't heard from him since. Oddly enough, the money is still in our account earning interest - I am waiting for it to come back unpaid. Nothing yet tho.
Why do I think people are f**king stupid? BECAUSE STUPID PEOPLE FALL FOR THESE SCAMS!
"Hello, Thew, congratulations, you have won the Canadian Lottery. You have won $100,000! All we need to get the money from Canada to the US where you live is a $1000 processing fee. Please send and we'll cut you a check for your winnings." WOW, I didn't even play the Canadian Lottery, COOL!
"Mr Thew, I am Robert Zongo, I live in Nigeria, and I want to transfer money to my family in the US, and I need your help. I need to move $1,000,000 to a bank account, and will pay you $10,000 if you'll help me - to get the money there, I'll need $2,000 for fees and such to get the money there, can you send it to me, and I'll pay you your cut once the money has moved to my US accounts."
"Dear Thew, I would be happy to purchase your chair for $1,000, but I mistakenly sent $4,000 - can you please send me back the difference, and I'll arrange for a company to pick it up."
The manager at FNB told me a story about a man who deposited a check, then got upset when it came back as invalid. When questioned about the origin of the check, he said "well, it came in the mail and I just thought I got lucky". OH MY GOSH! You are f**king stupid!
These types of scams are perpetrated hundreds of times each money, targeting all types of individuals. But they are attempted constantly like that BECAUSE THEY WORK enough times to warrant continuation. DON'T BE F**KING STUPID. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. You never get something for nothing. Remember that! Stupid lazy americans...
**********
Vick got 23 months, close to the max sentence. A little credit for time already served, but still...good luck keeping up your "NFL calibre" skills in the slammer. You're entering prison as a tight end, I hope you don't exit prison as a wide receiver...
Mitchell's report is a severe blow to MLB. There are some significant names on that list, and even others not named have admitted using HGH to get better (ESPN analyst Fernando Vina as one), mostly because HGH is undetectable. Clemens? WOW. But frankly, Mitchell's report is a lotta hot air and powerless, since he says "these people shouldn't be punished, I'm just naming these people to illustrate the fact that we NEED testing and monitoring. Ho Hum... It'll be interested to see if Bud Selig actually grows some actually balls to deal with this, but frankly, I'm not sure. However, I will leave this discussion to a more than informational Buster Olney, who's blog nearly hits the nail on the head!
NHL Thuggery - Chris Simon (again), Ohlund, the entire Flyers team - more attempt to injure opponents, more "I'm sorry I lost control of myself and reacted in a dangerous manner" incidents and apologies - Colin Campbell needs to REALLY punish people with games and salary, not just continuing to slap people on the wrist. Yes, it's only a few bad apples, but being a fringe sport as hockey is, the less bad press they have, the better. Oh, yeah, get rid of the instigator rule and let the players police themselves - nothing will stop some cheap ass stick swinging Euro player from whacking someone like a facial beatdown from, say, Georges Laraque. You swing your stick, I'll majorly kick your ass.
**********
Update on Mrs Thew. Big. Getting bigger. Phat and happy. Little Thew better be a soccer player cuz of all the kicking - I certainly hope he's not a dancer - unless it's Thewlette, and they SHE will be a wonderful prima ballerina. :) Due date still in early March, things are goign along wonderfully.
12.05.2007
12.03.2007
Thanks for the mammaries...
I am completely unable to put out a better list than TILAM about "things to be thankful for", I will instead add my 2 cents:
My Health: I'm lucky. I'm able to work out 5 or 6 days a week, keeping in shape and good condition despite being on the nother end of 40. Put it this way, 3 years ago when my team won the Alpharetta GA softball championship, I led the team in home runs with 11 in 9 games - and I only hit ONE ball over the fence. I feel almost bad when I see disabled people, as there but for the grace of God go I. That is why I do my best to treat them normally - it's what they want.
My Family: I have wonderful parents who are still alive, vibrant, and healthy. I have a great brother who has been my best friend all my adult life. I have a fantastic wife, lunatic teenage children to make any parent proud, and a great floppy eared great dane pooch. And another little Thew on the way (although we don't know if it's a mr or miss Thew yet).
My Friends: Tilam has been my closest friend for wow, over 20 years. T-Dub has been my best female friend for way less time, but we share a bond of maturity, intelligence (umm, sort of), a love for gaming, sci-fi and fantasy, and the fact that we'd like to WHACK so many people with the CLUE hammer (otherwise known as "common sense"). Gus, not in this blog, has been my best golfing buddy for more years than he'd care to admit. If you can go through life with MAYBE 3 true friends that you can count on, you're ahead of the game. I have that, and I'm a better man for it.
My Work: I work for a great company (I've worked for some real clusterf**ks in the past) whose focus is on SUCCESS. Period. Let's do what need to do to be successful, both with our customers and ourselves. No politics, No infighting, just a great work environment.
Activies: not boredom. But, as Thew likes to say, "sometimes doing nothing is doing something". I have plenty of things to keep my mind occupied as well as my body. But even the ability to sit in front of the TV and watch On-Demand and nothing else is nice.
Freedom: as an adult, I have the singular ability to just pick up and go, where I want and when I want. Little planning to house the dog, get time off, and BAM, I'm outta here. Literally ANYWHERE in the world if I want. Freedom of time, and Freedom of money. It's a nice feeling.
My Faith: Here is where I'm thankful but also concerned. I am human, and I have my human doubts. I envy Tilam his surety of faith, surety of connection, and surety of his God. I do not have that - perhaps I will find it, perhaps I'm looking in the wrong place, perhaps I'm looking in the wrong way. I hope this clears as I get older.
Small Challenges...Small Moments...Yes.
My Fellow Woman...without whom I'd have to either become self-sufficient or gay, neither of which an attractive option.
LIFE: the greatest gift given to me by God. It's a great thing, to be alive. It's a good and exciting time to be alive. All in All, I'd rather be alive than dead (my destiny in heaven outside this equation). Highs, Lows, Angry, Sad, experiencing life and all that goes into it is pretty cool. I'd love to live for 500 years...
My Health: I'm lucky. I'm able to work out 5 or 6 days a week, keeping in shape and good condition despite being on the nother end of 40. Put it this way, 3 years ago when my team won the Alpharetta GA softball championship, I led the team in home runs with 11 in 9 games - and I only hit ONE ball over the fence. I feel almost bad when I see disabled people, as there but for the grace of God go I. That is why I do my best to treat them normally - it's what they want.
My Family: I have wonderful parents who are still alive, vibrant, and healthy. I have a great brother who has been my best friend all my adult life. I have a fantastic wife, lunatic teenage children to make any parent proud, and a great floppy eared great dane pooch. And another little Thew on the way (although we don't know if it's a mr or miss Thew yet).
My Friends: Tilam has been my closest friend for wow, over 20 years. T-Dub has been my best female friend for way less time, but we share a bond of maturity, intelligence (umm, sort of), a love for gaming, sci-fi and fantasy, and the fact that we'd like to WHACK so many people with the CLUE hammer (otherwise known as "common sense"). Gus, not in this blog, has been my best golfing buddy for more years than he'd care to admit. If you can go through life with MAYBE 3 true friends that you can count on, you're ahead of the game. I have that, and I'm a better man for it.
My Work: I work for a great company (I've worked for some real clusterf**ks in the past) whose focus is on SUCCESS. Period. Let's do what need to do to be successful, both with our customers and ourselves. No politics, No infighting, just a great work environment.
Activies: not boredom. But, as Thew likes to say, "sometimes doing nothing is doing something". I have plenty of things to keep my mind occupied as well as my body. But even the ability to sit in front of the TV and watch On-Demand and nothing else is nice.
Freedom: as an adult, I have the singular ability to just pick up and go, where I want and when I want. Little planning to house the dog, get time off, and BAM, I'm outta here. Literally ANYWHERE in the world if I want. Freedom of time, and Freedom of money. It's a nice feeling.
My Faith: Here is where I'm thankful but also concerned. I am human, and I have my human doubts. I envy Tilam his surety of faith, surety of connection, and surety of his God. I do not have that - perhaps I will find it, perhaps I'm looking in the wrong place, perhaps I'm looking in the wrong way. I hope this clears as I get older.
Small Challenges...Small Moments...Yes.
My Fellow Woman...without whom I'd have to either become self-sufficient or gay, neither of which an attractive option.
LIFE: the greatest gift given to me by God. It's a great thing, to be alive. It's a good and exciting time to be alive. All in All, I'd rather be alive than dead (my destiny in heaven outside this equation). Highs, Lows, Angry, Sad, experiencing life and all that goes into it is pretty cool. I'd love to live for 500 years...
11.21.2007
Giving Thanks
There is so much to be thankful for in this day and age, we make shit up just to bitch.
So in the spirit of our recent Top 10 jags, the Top 10 Things I am Thankful For:
1) My Health. Let's face it, I can enjoy everything else on this list because I am healthy. Sure, my blood pressure is high; my left knee is partly titanium and have various and sundry pains, but at 5' 11" and 165 lbs, I can still score well on the Army's PT.
2) My Family. Again, the kids can be a pain, the wife can get grouchy, but these are small compared to the joy they bring me. I also still have both parents, a brother and sister-in-law that I love dearly and an extended family remarkably free from tragedy.
3) My Friends. I am not a tremendously social person, but I am blessed with friendship of various depths from the "can tell anything to" to the "how 'bout them Yankees" and each is meaningful to me. My oldest friendship is 26 years old and my newest will start Monday.
4) My Work. I have professional options and get paid very well for what I do...and it does not seem to hard for me. (But it seems hard to others!) Only when the job gets stressful are we thankful for the routine of a good job.
5) Boredom. There is a reputed Chinese curse that goes, "may you live in interesting times." Real or not, a boring life is not all bad. A can go a few months without much changing and that becomes better and better each year.
6) Small Challenges. Okay, there are small challenges which I am thankful for. These are learning experiences that make me a better parent, husband, boss, etc.
7) Small Moments. When you are a teen, you blow through life like a bull in a china shop. Now, I appreciate the small moments in life. The first snow (yesterday), God's creatures, a connection with another human - each is precious, but often overlooked.
8) My Catholicism. I am getting to appreciate God as I age. Further, I am appreciating the Trinity even more. The issue of a superior being has been long settled for me. But Christ shows me how to incorporate God in my relationship with Him and my fellow man. Finally, the Holy Spirit show me how to make God personal to me. One God, three divinities, but it has taken me years to understand the importance of each.
9) My Fellow Man. Sure, some are scum, but all-in-all there are 6 billion others in this world who are looking to make their small part a better place and thereby make the whole a better place. I thank them and wish them continued success.
10) The Future. Sure, we could screw it up, but I don't think we will. The future will be a better place for my kids and their kids, then it was for my folks and me.
To Thew and Tdub and to you my dear reader, have a Happy Thanksgiving.
So in the spirit of our recent Top 10 jags, the Top 10 Things I am Thankful For:
1) My Health. Let's face it, I can enjoy everything else on this list because I am healthy. Sure, my blood pressure is high; my left knee is partly titanium and have various and sundry pains, but at 5' 11" and 165 lbs, I can still score well on the Army's PT.
2) My Family. Again, the kids can be a pain, the wife can get grouchy, but these are small compared to the joy they bring me. I also still have both parents, a brother and sister-in-law that I love dearly and an extended family remarkably free from tragedy.
3) My Friends. I am not a tremendously social person, but I am blessed with friendship of various depths from the "can tell anything to" to the "how 'bout them Yankees" and each is meaningful to me. My oldest friendship is 26 years old and my newest will start Monday.
4) My Work. I have professional options and get paid very well for what I do...and it does not seem to hard for me. (But it seems hard to others!) Only when the job gets stressful are we thankful for the routine of a good job.
5) Boredom. There is a reputed Chinese curse that goes, "may you live in interesting times." Real or not, a boring life is not all bad. A can go a few months without much changing and that becomes better and better each year.
6) Small Challenges. Okay, there are small challenges which I am thankful for. These are learning experiences that make me a better parent, husband, boss, etc.
7) Small Moments. When you are a teen, you blow through life like a bull in a china shop. Now, I appreciate the small moments in life. The first snow (yesterday), God's creatures, a connection with another human - each is precious, but often overlooked.
8) My Catholicism. I am getting to appreciate God as I age. Further, I am appreciating the Trinity even more. The issue of a superior being has been long settled for me. But Christ shows me how to incorporate God in my relationship with Him and my fellow man. Finally, the Holy Spirit show me how to make God personal to me. One God, three divinities, but it has taken me years to understand the importance of each.
9) My Fellow Man. Sure, some are scum, but all-in-all there are 6 billion others in this world who are looking to make their small part a better place and thereby make the whole a better place. I thank them and wish them continued success.
10) The Future. Sure, we could screw it up, but I don't think we will. The future will be a better place for my kids and their kids, then it was for my folks and me.
To Thew and Tdub and to you my dear reader, have a Happy Thanksgiving.
10.31.2007
The perennial doghouse...
What an intriguing question...should men marry...wow, I could talk for days on this subject, but as brevity is the soul of wit, I shall be brief...
Well, from experience, the divorce courts are HORRENDOUS on men...the prejudice against fathers in general is despicable, and many good, quality, fathers are lumped into the mix with shitheads and deadbeat dads simply because history has portrayed the man as the "criminal" in the event of divorce.
Regardless of WHY my first marriage failed (and I filed for divorce), the court basically bent me over a table and screwed me. Typical judgements against the father include:
- no chance of joint custody (my lawyer told me not to waste my time filing for joint custody, it wouldn't be granted at all)
- basically 10% of your "adjusted take home pay" for every child from the marriage (when all was said and done, I was forking over 23% of my NET pay to my ex)
- visitation every other saturday/sunday
I was like "what, that's it?".
I have some thoughts on this bullshit...
The courts need to recognize that unless you divorce for "extenuating circumstances", like infidelity, drug use, alcohol addiction, or breaking the law, simply divorcing for "irreconcile differences" does NOT constitute grounds for keeping the father mostly away from his kids. Simply being incompatible is not a reason to restrict the visitation rights of the father.
Same with custody - the fact that my X and I couldn't go 3 days without arguing about something does NOT make me an unfit father, and I should share custody unless I'm a danger to the kids. Giving the mother sole control over the children, in "regular" divorce cases, is simply assinine.
Child support absolutely needs to be overhauled, in a couple of ways. A) you need to take into account the earnings of the mother - in my case, even before I forked over 23% of my net pay, my X earned 10K more than I did a year - how the hell is THAT equitable? B) you need to institute a better tracking system for keeping an eye on the money and the ways in which it is spent - who's to say that the kids aren't getting clothes from goodwill while mommy is getting weekly facials and massages nice designer clothes. Also, it would be good to institute a system where receipts are provided as proof of expenses, and if abuses are noted, things need to change.
My last thoughts are these:
Spend more time with the person before you propose or decide to get married. Too many people are marrying too quickly and consequently finding out that "whoa, this woman farts in public, I can't deal with that" and the lawyers are on the phone.
Also, 2 words...marriage counseling. Too many couples, when they hit the skids say "that's it, I want a divorce" - invest the time to SAVE the marriage before you jump off that bandwagon - after all, "for better or for worse", right?
Also, I've seen and heard of too many people who just won't change or compromise their attitudes, behaviors, and the like just for their spouse - HUH? People need to realize that marriage is not each person giving 50% to make 100%, it's each person giving 100% to make 100%.
As I tell the Mrs - we may not have it all together, but together we have it all. A good marriage, like the one I have now (although Mrs Thew is currently pissed at me), is easy, comfortable, and just plain fun. So I'm all for marriage, but all for making sure it's the RIGHT marriage, something we are not very good at these days.
Well, from experience, the divorce courts are HORRENDOUS on men...the prejudice against fathers in general is despicable, and many good, quality, fathers are lumped into the mix with shitheads and deadbeat dads simply because history has portrayed the man as the "criminal" in the event of divorce.
Regardless of WHY my first marriage failed (and I filed for divorce), the court basically bent me over a table and screwed me. Typical judgements against the father include:
- no chance of joint custody (my lawyer told me not to waste my time filing for joint custody, it wouldn't be granted at all)
- basically 10% of your "adjusted take home pay" for every child from the marriage (when all was said and done, I was forking over 23% of my NET pay to my ex)
- visitation every other saturday/sunday
I was like "what, that's it?".
I have some thoughts on this bullshit...
The courts need to recognize that unless you divorce for "extenuating circumstances", like infidelity, drug use, alcohol addiction, or breaking the law, simply divorcing for "irreconcile differences" does NOT constitute grounds for keeping the father mostly away from his kids. Simply being incompatible is not a reason to restrict the visitation rights of the father.
Same with custody - the fact that my X and I couldn't go 3 days without arguing about something does NOT make me an unfit father, and I should share custody unless I'm a danger to the kids. Giving the mother sole control over the children, in "regular" divorce cases, is simply assinine.
Child support absolutely needs to be overhauled, in a couple of ways. A) you need to take into account the earnings of the mother - in my case, even before I forked over 23% of my net pay, my X earned 10K more than I did a year - how the hell is THAT equitable? B) you need to institute a better tracking system for keeping an eye on the money and the ways in which it is spent - who's to say that the kids aren't getting clothes from goodwill while mommy is getting weekly facials and massages nice designer clothes. Also, it would be good to institute a system where receipts are provided as proof of expenses, and if abuses are noted, things need to change.
My last thoughts are these:
Spend more time with the person before you propose or decide to get married. Too many people are marrying too quickly and consequently finding out that "whoa, this woman farts in public, I can't deal with that" and the lawyers are on the phone.
Also, 2 words...marriage counseling. Too many couples, when they hit the skids say "that's it, I want a divorce" - invest the time to SAVE the marriage before you jump off that bandwagon - after all, "for better or for worse", right?
Also, I've seen and heard of too many people who just won't change or compromise their attitudes, behaviors, and the like just for their spouse - HUH? People need to realize that marriage is not each person giving 50% to make 100%, it's each person giving 100% to make 100%.
As I tell the Mrs - we may not have it all together, but together we have it all. A good marriage, like the one I have now (although Mrs Thew is currently pissed at me), is easy, comfortable, and just plain fun. So I'm all for marriage, but all for making sure it's the RIGHT marriage, something we are not very good at these days.
Marrying Sam
Here is a thought provoking question: should men marry? I have my own thoughts, but will hold them for a bit to let Thew (one divorce, second success) and Tdub (?) to offer comments. To offer a taste:
"[N]o matter how decent, hardworking, and caring you may be as a father, that in the event of separation, you will more than likely not get custody of your child, you will lose up to 80% of all of your assets, you will have to pay up to five times the cost of raising a child, and most importantly you could never see your child again.”
"[N]o matter how decent, hardworking, and caring you may be as a father, that in the event of separation, you will more than likely not get custody of your child, you will lose up to 80% of all of your assets, you will have to pay up to five times the cost of raising a child, and most importantly you could never see your child again.”
10.29.2007
Back!!!!
Well, it's been a while but I'm back. Thew called me last week and told me I was slacking on the Blog! LOL!!!
Having a new puppy is a LOT of work. My life revolves around when is she GOING to poop and when did she LAST poop! Oh and making sure she doesn't poop IN the house!
Let's see I'll try to catch up.
Top 10 Places I Would Love to Visit.
In no particual order other than Ireland. That will be the first place I go.
1. Ireland
2. Japan
3. Scotland
4. Hawaii
5. Paris
6. New Zeeland
7. Greece
8. Italy
9. Egypt
10. Africa
Top 10 Driving Moves (that drive me crazy?)
1. Failure to merge. The concept seems to be lost on most drivers. Here is a helpful tip, if you are ALREADY on the freeway and are driving in the right hand lane, your job is to make room for those drivers who are entering the freeway. Your job is NOT to speed up and cut them off. Learn to merge!
2. Tailgating. Dude if I could go faster I would, but sitting on my butt is not going to make the person in front of me go any faster. Oh and if we're on the freeway, traffic is heavy, and I cannot move to another lane to let you get one more car length ahead and you sit on my butt....fair warning...I'm gonna slow down. WAAAAAYYYY down. I just want to see if I can get your frustration level so high that your head will explode!
3. People who do not realize that on a 2 lane highway, the left lane is for passing and the right lane is for driving. If you're in the left lane and just putzing along, you're an idiot and your gene pool should be wiped from the face of the planet.
4. Pulling out of a side street in front of me then not accelerating to at LEAST my current rate of speed. If you're going to pull out in front of me, then have the decency to speed up because someday you're going to pull out in front of some idiot who is not paying attention and they'll smash you to bits. Hmmmm.....
5. Honking at me right when the light turns green. Dude, seriously. The light JUST changed. If you're in that much of a hurry go home and invent a teleportation device and make all our lives better.
6. Take a year and a 1/2 to make a right hand turn. Meanwhile I get to actually come to a complete stop waiting for you to navigate through that tricky right hand turn, while some yahoo behind me honks his or her horn. Turn the freakin corner!
7. Not moving over out of a lane that is about to end due to construction. Let me just say this, if you sit in that lane and wait till you actually get all the way up to the flashing arrow to make your move over to the lane I've been in all along, I am NOT going to let you over. As far as I'm concerned, you can sit there all day cuz you're a dirt bag who should have done what the rest of the intelligent drivers did, got over when we saw the HUGE flashing arrow and the 53 signs telling us the lane was ending up ahead!!!
8. Stopping on an entrance ramp to the freeway. If there is no stop light, stop sign or any other indication that you should stop, then don't. If you're too timid to accelerate and merge into freeway traffic, then stick to the surface streets and leave the freeways to the rest of us who actually want to get to our destination before our next birthday.
9. Gawkers aka Rubberneckers. Oh my god! Could you be any nosier! I've talked about this before but this drives me up the freakin wall. It's an accident or it's some poor soul whose car has broken down. What is it NOT is an excuse for you to get your daily dose of reality TV. Move!!!!!
10. Smokers. Ok these have got to be the SLOWEST drivers on the planet. Have you ever gotten behind a car that was moving really slow and wondered what in the world is going on? When you pass them turn your head a little and take a little peak at the driver. I bet you he or she is a smoker. And if he or she is smoking and talking on the phone at the same time, get the hell out of their way. That is just an accident waiting to happen.
I think I'm caught up now!!!
Having a new puppy is a LOT of work. My life revolves around when is she GOING to poop and when did she LAST poop! Oh and making sure she doesn't poop IN the house!
Let's see I'll try to catch up.
Top 10 Places I Would Love to Visit.
In no particual order other than Ireland. That will be the first place I go.
1. Ireland
2. Japan
3. Scotland
4. Hawaii
5. Paris
6. New Zeeland
7. Greece
8. Italy
9. Egypt
10. Africa
Top 10 Driving Moves (that drive me crazy?)
1. Failure to merge. The concept seems to be lost on most drivers. Here is a helpful tip, if you are ALREADY on the freeway and are driving in the right hand lane, your job is to make room for those drivers who are entering the freeway. Your job is NOT to speed up and cut them off. Learn to merge!
2. Tailgating. Dude if I could go faster I would, but sitting on my butt is not going to make the person in front of me go any faster. Oh and if we're on the freeway, traffic is heavy, and I cannot move to another lane to let you get one more car length ahead and you sit on my butt....fair warning...I'm gonna slow down. WAAAAAYYYY down. I just want to see if I can get your frustration level so high that your head will explode!
3. People who do not realize that on a 2 lane highway, the left lane is for passing and the right lane is for driving. If you're in the left lane and just putzing along, you're an idiot and your gene pool should be wiped from the face of the planet.
4. Pulling out of a side street in front of me then not accelerating to at LEAST my current rate of speed. If you're going to pull out in front of me, then have the decency to speed up because someday you're going to pull out in front of some idiot who is not paying attention and they'll smash you to bits. Hmmmm.....
5. Honking at me right when the light turns green. Dude, seriously. The light JUST changed. If you're in that much of a hurry go home and invent a teleportation device and make all our lives better.
6. Take a year and a 1/2 to make a right hand turn. Meanwhile I get to actually come to a complete stop waiting for you to navigate through that tricky right hand turn, while some yahoo behind me honks his or her horn. Turn the freakin corner!
7. Not moving over out of a lane that is about to end due to construction. Let me just say this, if you sit in that lane and wait till you actually get all the way up to the flashing arrow to make your move over to the lane I've been in all along, I am NOT going to let you over. As far as I'm concerned, you can sit there all day cuz you're a dirt bag who should have done what the rest of the intelligent drivers did, got over when we saw the HUGE flashing arrow and the 53 signs telling us the lane was ending up ahead!!!
8. Stopping on an entrance ramp to the freeway. If there is no stop light, stop sign or any other indication that you should stop, then don't. If you're too timid to accelerate and merge into freeway traffic, then stick to the surface streets and leave the freeways to the rest of us who actually want to get to our destination before our next birthday.
9. Gawkers aka Rubberneckers. Oh my god! Could you be any nosier! I've talked about this before but this drives me up the freakin wall. It's an accident or it's some poor soul whose car has broken down. What is it NOT is an excuse for you to get your daily dose of reality TV. Move!!!!!
10. Smokers. Ok these have got to be the SLOWEST drivers on the planet. Have you ever gotten behind a car that was moving really slow and wondered what in the world is going on? When you pass them turn your head a little and take a little peak at the driver. I bet you he or she is a smoker. And if he or she is smoking and talking on the phone at the same time, get the hell out of their way. That is just an accident waiting to happen.
I think I'm caught up now!!!
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