I'm back...

After what seems like several months of creating a new master bath and bedroom space as well as remodeling the old bedroom to be the nursery/office for the new baby due to arrive any day now, I am finally back at the computer.

More to come but for now, here is a quite powerful video message regarding social media...

Sympathetic P.I.S.S. suffering...

So along with sympathetic weight gain, apparently I too get to suffer from P.I.S.S. (see video below). Went to giant home store with a list of three items in my head to get. I came home with only two from the list and 3 completely unrelated items. I am telling myself that this is only a temporary condition and that it has NOTHING to do with the fact that I have officially crossed into the dreaded "middle age".

The Doomed Ship Steve Irwin

I am fascinated by this show. On the one hand, I applaud the singular efforts of Paul Watson and his 30+ year crusade to stop what he believes to be criminal activity. Whether or not you agree with this premise, you have to admire the tenacity and dedication that he has exhibited to his cause. On the other hand I can't help but be amazed at the complete idiocy of the people that he surrounds himself with.

I know, I know... they are a volunteer crew and you get what you pay for but come on people! I fearfully anticipate hearing that the Sea Shepherd's flag ship, the Steve Irwin, will soon be lost at sea with all hands but in the meantime, I find myself watching the show like the proverbial car crash that you just can't look away from.

Storytime @ the library

Big Brother at the supermarket...

For a few years in the early part of this century, I found myself banished to the DFW metroplex and whilst living there, I was subjected to the supermarket game of having all these "Bonus Savings" cards that each store offered. At the time I found the practice very uncomfortable and had pretty much boycotted the practice by finding a neighborhood Ole Foods that I shopped at for really well priced produce and used Walmart for everything else. After moving back to the Austin Metro, I once again had access to HEB as well as Walmart so I really stopped thinking about it... until last week.

I was at the video store when I decided that it would be just so much more convenient to run into the adjacent Randalls to pick up a 12-pack of Coke that my pregnant wife was having a craving for. Imagine my dismay when I discovered at the register that since I didn't carry a Randall's card, and I couldn't remember the phone number associated with our account from when I lived in Plano, I was to be charged an additional 33.33% or $5.99 vs $3.99 (and even more if you count the 5 "free" vitamin waters included if you bought 2 offer) for a 12-pack of 12oz cans of Coke for the "convenience" of shopping at that store. Now let me remind you that I had been out running errands for a few hours and my very pregnant wife's last words before I left were...


"Be sure you don't forget some Cokes" which actually means... "Do not come home without Cokes!"



Well heck, I might as well complain at customer service to see if they could remedy the situation but as soon as I walked up, the clerk walked off and after waiting for a couple of minutes I decided it wasn't worth my time.

Long story short... these guys have it right...



let's all rise up and say NO to this shameless invasion of our privacy. Demand that they end price gouging and call it offering a discount!



Now add to this controversy the idea of RFID and you really should start to be concerned... Check out this from CASPIAN