no gaijin allowed...

I got this t-shirt a while back. Why? Why else? It's funny yet somewhat accurate in its sentimental expression. A place that prevent a race -- any race -- from patronizing an establishment has got some screwy racist policies which are outdated, regardless of reason. It's worse than segregation when you won't even allow someone's presence because of their physical cultural heritage. The sad thing is it's all borne out of hate and fear. I really don't want to be hated and/or feared so to any physical characteristic and yet I know it has happened to me before. I love the t-shirt. My only regret is that the printed design is not larger...

flaming mad about twitter...

Ever have one of those days, weeks, months, or longer? Well I am and Twitter is what's burning me up this time. For those of you who don't know, Twitter is a microblog that allows its users to post 140 character blurbs about pretty much anything that's on their minds. It happens to be a great utility for business among many other things. I like Twitter- that is, unless it doesn't function properly. Several months ago, I noticed all communications that mentioned me had disappeared. I have reported the error numerous times to no avail. They have not been recovered and nobody has contacted me about them. However, I have noticed as of this month I am able to receive new ones. Also, off and on in the past and more so this month than ever, I am no longer able to post. I cannot make new posts, I cannot reply to others, I can't do anything but read the swarm of posts coming from other users, which is not very useful to me, especially when someone is expecting a reply from me. As of today, I can no longer even register my complaints about defect in Twitter's service. If I wasn't angry before, I am boiling now.

Hey Twitter, this was for you (minus the specific error being reported):

NOTE: I am not leaving a comment so you can simply sip your coffee and let your eyes glaze over as you continue to ponder life. I want this issue resolved. I want every issue that I have reported to be resolved. I still am missing all my old @ mentions. Nobody contacts me ever about a solution to these problems. Do you like your users to feel ignored? I feel ignored. I feel Twitter is useless if I cannot communicate with others and fear they cannot communicate directly with me. Should I delete this account and create a new one? Would that solve my problems or would Twitter continue to be as useless to me? I have been waiting a long time and it seems all I get are more defects in Twitter's service. Is Twitter that afraid to communicate with its users directly? Where is the support? I feel like I have no support. Am I supposed to feel better that Twitter knows about its issues? Am I supposed to feel Twitter is that much closer to resolving such issues? When can I use my Twitter account without defects. I see all these users with the same problems and nobody is getting any results. This is unacceptable.


It would seem Twitter is trying to avoid contact. Even their "contact us" button doesn't actually let me contact them. They have no email address, no mailing address, no phone number, and if you can't post then you can't mention them in a post and expect (make that "hope for") contact. It would seem the more irate users get or the more frequently they complain, they eventually are silenced by getting blocked from posting future continuances of errors. I guess they assumed I should sit quietly in the shadows and let moss grow on my account until it gets fixed, if it ever gets fixed. In case Twitter doesn't understand yet, I want my account fixed, ASAP!

dealing with dead relatives...

Sometimes you know them, sometimes you don't, sometimes you love them, and then again sometimes you don't. Most of my relatives are buried in the same place. Yesterday was the one year anniversary of my grandmother's death. It seemed all of a sudden to be too fresh for everyone. It's left me with plenty to chew on since.

My grandfather decided he didn't want to go after all. I think several thought motivated his last minute change of heart. I think my uncle was a little reluctant to go and had lowered expectations as a result. My mother went and had a dramatic reaction that I once again wasn't expecting from her. It was all very non sequitur from my point of view.

I wasn't satisfied with the end of the funeral last year. We were rudely ushered away several times. The tomb stone wasn't ready, The coffin was wrong. My grandmother had been prepared poorly in advance. I wanted to leave a parting gift- a mere token offering, which I couldn't do because nothing was ready and we had to leave. At least I got to do that much this year.

This year, I also took photos of all the grave markers. Both sets of my maternal great grandparents are buried in the same place as is a great uncle and my grandmother. My grandfather will be laid to rest here as well, when his time comes. Setting out some incense and taking a moment to have a few thoughts at each marker was enough for me. Things could have been better. Grass had not yet grown in the time that had passed since my grandmother's burial. I think we were all disconcerted by this fact, but my mother was particularly affected by this. All of her past feelings came rushing back to her. My uncle, who was seeking some sort of final closure, didn't find what he was searching for, either. The stone for her place didn't look right to me; I felt there were aesthetic errors. It also looked way too fresh and clean for my preference. Perhaps "fresh" is an apt word to describe how each of us had unhappily come to terms with the day's excursion. I think everything was just a little too fresh for everyone.

Then we went on to another cemetery where another great uncle of mine has been placed to rest. (I do not say "laid" as he was cremated and no longer had a whole body to lay.) His resting place is beautiful, peaceful, and serene. There is a wonderful calming scent that is both earthy and sweet. My uncle remarked that it smelled like his grandparent's house as a child. There is no stone present but rather a plate in the ground and my great uncle's ashes are in an urn placed under the plate. I think visiting his place last may have been a good way to end the day. I think it calmed everyone down and made them think of better things. Again I took some photos and left more incense.

It was a tiring day and we finished by reconvening at my grandfather's apartment and had dinner together. It stormed badly, just like it did last year and at about the same time as well. It seemed too close for comfort- like it was more than mere coincidence. Who knows? I felt tired and ill because I had exceeded the limits of my current sleeping pattern and I had been more active than I am accustomed to, not to mention I was feeling very motion sick as a result of all the driving around and sitting in the back seat. Not being in a car much anymore has made it worse, but particularly not being the driver is what makes me prone to feel ill like that every time. After a certain point all I wanted to do was get home, but it seemed like time still had to drag on another hour or two.

In conclusion, I think my uncle will eventually develop a sense of closure, but it probably won't transpire as he expects. I think my mother may never really get over my grandmother's death; I think it was just way too traumatic for her. She retains every thing with its corresponding emotion intact. Unfortunately, this causes her prolonged suffering when it comes to negativity in her life. I think my grandfather may never see her/their grave again. There is a chance we won't see it again either until he passes away and then after that I have no idea. Maybe no one will go to visit again. It took my grandmother's death to go this year and last year. Last time I was there was possibly more than two decades ago. With my plans to eventually leave the country, I should try for at least one more time. And with that thought in my head, I am left once again with the thought of how I might die, and what I wish to be done with my body and estate upon my death. Such thoughts are rather sobering...

beware of unauthorized transactions...

Today, I was checking my bank account online and came across a transaction I did not recognize.
05/27/2009 ACH Transaction - Web Revenue Svc 4242390433 $14.95-
Some of you may have seen this before. Some of you may see it soon. I ran a few searches online. The White Pages reverse phone number search didn't turn up any results, but Google said the area code 424 is Santa Monica, California. I also turned up a very interesting search result for "Web Revenue Service."
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-424-239-0433
Guess what? Some creep is randomly conducting unauthorized account transactions. Guess what else? People are irate and I figure it won't be long before this criminal is brought to justice. Banks in particular do not take this sort of garbage lying down. My bank has already heard from me twice about this. I expect a satisfactory resolution and that is not negotiable.
So check your statements and your caller id's regularly! I have no idea how this person is getting everyone's account number, but s/he is currently actively stealing money on a frequent and regular basis! Let's put an end to criminals like this...

music article and commentary...

I haven't posted a news article with commentary in a long time. In fact, I used to do it on my MySpace musician page fairly often about things that caught my eye which I felt were noteworthy. Yes, lots of things in the news are noteworthy. I realize that. Many people do not realize that a person cannot buy things such as books, music, videos, etc. just because they live in a certain country- or rather because they do not live in a certain country. Policies like this actually hurt global economy more than they offer protection (against what is something I don't even wish to bother discussing). The one major flaw I see in economy is when consumers are not granted relevant rights- or worse yet, when their rights are not observed. I'm starting to encroach upon a tirade I'd rather steer clear of for now since it is something I have more than sufficiently touched upon in the past. If you're familiar with my past posts, chances are you already know what I'm hinting at. Anyway, anytime I see an article discussing the music industry it naturally catches my eye, esp. if it involves even a remote attempt to put the industry in its place- trust me, they need it. At some point, this world is going to see more global policy being implemented to some extent in various fields. I think it's a smart step in the right direction. Some people's standards are too low while others are too high. I have always felt a happy medium is a good thing to strive for since there are so few in this world, let alone in our lives. So yeah, you take an article about one thing and pretty soon you can see some basic concepts covered that can be applied to other things in life. Pretty neat, huh?

---------------------

EU pushes music industry to open up online rights
by AOIFE WHITE, AP Business Writer
Tue May 26, 2009 7:02AM EDT

BRUSSELS -

EU antitrust regulators told the music industry Tuesday to move quickly and change licenses that currently restrict online music stores such as iTunes from offering the same songs for sale across Europe.

Internet music downloads in Europe lag behind those in the United States, pulling in just a fraction of revenues the record industry is losing from falling CD sales.

Part of the problem in Europe is that music rights are sold separately in each country, which has prevented Apple Inc.'s iTunes from setting up a single store to service all of Europe. Instead, it has to seek licenses from each EU member state where it wishes to sell and to set up separate national stores with different music selections.

EU Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes said regulators' talks with the music industry mean that French collecting society SACEM and record label EMI were now willing to license their music to rights managers across Europe.

Apple has also said that it would offer music tracks to all European customers if it was able to license EU-wide rights.

"There is a clear willingness expressed by major players in the online distribution of music in Europe to tackle the many barriers which prevent consumers from fully benefiting from the opportunities that the Internet provides," she said.

She urged publishers and music copyright groups — also called collecting societies — "to move quickly to adapt their licensing solutions to the online environment," saying she would review progress.

This carries more than a hint of a threat. The European Commission told collecting societies last July to end a system of contracts that allow artists to collect payments only from an agency based in their own country.

It found the 24 European collecting societies guilty of breaking EU antitrust rules, but did not impose any fines. The collecting societies are members of CISAC, the International Confederation of Societies of Authors of Composers.

Musicians make money from their music after they register copyrights with collective rights managers. Those managers then license songs to online services, radio stations, nightclubs and other outlets.

Some artists have complained that altering current licenses could see them shortchanged and miss out on income from increased sales.


Source: http://tech.yahoo.com/news/ap/20090526/ap_on_hi_te/eu_eu_online_music

to be or not to be...

...is often a pretty common question in regards to various things in our lives. recently i deliberated whether or not i would pursue further work on 1974central.com or not. the only real reason i see do do it is that it is somewhat enjoyable; i like learning and sharing. however as i believe i mentioned before the site is fairly dead, the only traffic has been spam, the only contributor has been me, and the admin never replies to anything i write (or at least thats the way things have seemed). i just wrote the admin again after spending the better part of 12 hours working on the site today. i did some good things, but i messed up a bit as well and then couldnt correct my mistakes. i think part of that is that i suspect that i dont have full control over things as she does. im hoping that the good i have done will be taken into consideration. i would like to see the site take off and do well, but it needs a lot of work and it needs serious contributors who are willing to put in some time to make it nice. its all about personal passion driving this site to better places. i think it could happen. however, i also kind of doubt that it will because the odds are so highly against its success as things stand now. im actually a little surprised i did bother to accomplish what i did with that site today considering i have nothing concrete to base my work upon; i have no guarantees. it was more of an act of self-indulgence. go figure...

valentine's day...

or should i say, "meh..."

i've never really been one to favor this day since my early elementary school days. back then it was really fun. every one passed out really cool valentines and candy. in fact, it was about as fun as easter in terms of candy factor. i also enjoyed creating hand-made valentines in class for friends and family. however, all that stopped after the second grade. the next school i went to, didn't do that sort of thing, neither did the school after that, which was also boy's only. i was in yet another school during grades 7-8, but by that point you didn't have valentines, you had dances and most everyone sat in opposite corners or in small groups until at least the first hour of the dance had crawled by. ah yes, teens and their hormones. i didn't see girls again until my last two years of high school, and by that point it certainly wouldn't have been cool to do valentines then, if you dig my lingo. not only that but socialization with the opposite sex was a real issue for a lot of kids, including yours truly.

ever since my late teens/early twenties when i finally got into relationships i've seem to have nothing but bad luck around valentine's day, usually taking the form of girls girls dumping/breaking up with me. i've also found myself alone while other family members have had plans or other spontaneous activities. then there's also finding out the hard way that an ex of mine was married whom i had pledged my love two shortly before valentine's day. frankly i'm tired of the day.

one should express their love all year long and not just one day of the year. to focus such strong feelings of togetherness on one day of the year is very harsh for those who are alone. even worse if you actually feel alone; loneliness can be a real killer-even worse if someone suffers from depression. there are already other holidays that focus on togetherness without having to drag love into the whole thing. when i am alone such holidays are cruddy. when i am with someone, its fine, but i still feel empathy for those who aren't.

the commercialization of the holiday is a real kicker, too. restaurants tend to be booked solid and they are too noisy. sometimes their planned valentine meals are price higher than normal. it's exploitation at its finest. it makes me tired...

back-words... surprise...

November 7, 2007
today i found myself with the surprise of updating my information all over cyberspace. why, you ask? because my record label gave their site a face lift. among many additions of features includes a collective page for the artists they endorse. we no longer have individual pages, so i no longer have a specific page that is just mine. i am, as the pet shop boys put it, one of the crowd. i also have to toss out my business cards since they feature a homepage that is no longer mine- in fact, it now shows videos made by other artists. life happens and you move on...

back-words... my feedback for facebook...

*** sometimes i gripe by invitation. this was one of those times. i still don't like the new layout. i like the old layout of everything on one page. that way no one misses any details. i know how it can be; sometimes i feel lazy and don't feel like browsing extra pages. i know others feel like that, too. unfortunately, this is one of those times you bite the bullet and move on...

Thursday, September 11, 2008
My feedback for facebook...
I despise the new facebook layout. In fact, it isn't even design! Design is more than merely rearranging how things look; it's about clear and effective communication of visual information. This does not succeed in that effort. The worst failure being in hierarchal arrangement of critical features- menus are alway on the top or the left; this is the way most English-speaking cultures function. It would seem the individual or team facebook hired to create this monstrosity didn't not learn design in college, if they even went to college.

Part of facefook has been about allowing the users to make their pages look as they want it, but now that freedom has been effectively destroyed. Initially users had a choice in using the new format. I tried it and witched back on the first day. I hated it then and I still hate it now. I am disappointed facebook has forced this upon me, but then again facebook doesn't see a need for many of my freedoms since I must endure messages and notifications both in my email and here.

Just because I am not spammed to death on here doesn't make this better than MySpace. I'm not too happy with them either, but at least they didn't change the layout so disruptively for its users. At least their features are useful. Facebook, you've let me down again.

back-words... yahoo300 button...

Entry for November 07, 2008
Hey who remembers having a Yahoo 360 button on their Yahoo browser toolbar?
Now who remembers why it was removed?

I remember both. Because I use so many yahoo e-community resources, I do use a yahoo toolbar and it has all the buttons I use to access the yahoo sections which I frequent regularly. One of those buttons used to be the Yahoo 360 button. Among many of the changes and plans yahoo has made over the years, they were planning to do away with Yahoo 360. However this never happened. Who knows why, but Yahoo 360 is still around. However, the button is not.

Guess what Yahoo? I want my button back!

back-words... banking frustrations...

*** this is almost more of a multi-part blog as i had additional follow-ups posted.

Friday, November 7, 2008
banking frustrations...
Recently, I came across a situation with my bank charging me a $50 penalty fee based on an error they made. I don't know about the rest of you, but I don't like having my money disappear unless I knowingly and willingly spend it. I thought I would share my note to them. I have yet to receive a reply. By the way, the subject line of my note to them was "NFCU makes an error and I eat a $50 penalty fee..."


Hello,
As you can infer from the subject line, I am very upset with the way NFCU has been keeping track of my account. Not only did I opt out of paper statements since my accounts are now accessible online, but I check my account on a regular basis to keep track of my balance standing so that I may ensure I do not over draft my account. NFCU, on the other hand, does not seem to live up to their promises.

If I were to overdraft on my account NFCU used to allow such a thing as long as it wasn't by too large of an amount and I would always replace the missing funds within a day or two, max. These days, NFCU will automatically prevent an overdraft from happening during the transaction at the sales location, be it online or at a store. At least NFCU will usually do that- not always. NFCU is also supposed to display pending transactions to my acount, but often those pending transactions will disappear a day or two before they are posted, thus making my account appear to have more available funds than what it actually has.

This discrepancy is a gross inconvenience when I make a point to ensure I have available funds before I make a purchase. Under the presumption that NFCU account tracking is accurate and up to date, I make a purchase. Only later, such as today via a letter in the mail, do I find that I have been hit with penalty fees amounting to $50.00 for two transactions totaling less than $22.00 that should have been able to clear based on NFCU's accounting.

Another situation like this happened a little while back where I was waiting for an e-check to clear. It was listed as pending for days beyond when it was supposed to clear. Then the pending listing was gone and I saw I still had available funds for another transaction (which I made) and I find myself hit with another penalty fee for overdraft, of all things.

Today's alert of a penalty fee hits particularly hard. I confidently conducted transactions under the presumption that NFCU was keeping my account balance accurate and thus I had funds available. Instead, I find this was apparently an inaccuracy and now my sharecheck account is showing a negative balance and NFCU withdrew what little I had in my savings account, which of course didn't even compensate for the $50 penalty that I feel I've been unjustifiable awarded. If anyone should have a penalty fee, it should be NFCU for not keeping better track of my account balance.

These days, I conduct all my transactions electronically. This should make it considerably easier for NFCU to keep my account balance as accurate as possible. I also find NFCU's arbitrary decision to charge $25 as a flat penalty fee regardless of penalty amount to be in gross abuse of its account holders. What if I had made 5 small transactions that day? That would have amounted to $125 in penalty fees! Does NFCU think that is fair? Surely, I hope not.

For years NFCU did not conduct business this way. My entire family has been using NFCU for generations and I feel NFCU has been slowly declining in appeal in recent years. It's frustrating to me to see this happen. If NFCU will not relinquish such a short leash on its account holders, the least NFCU can do is keep the account holders' accounts accurate! If NFCU cannot keep an account holder's balance up to date and accurate, then the penalty fees should be reconsidered. The reason I am faced with these penalty fees is do to NFCU's own error in displaying my account balance incorrectly. Therefore, I would like to see these penalty fees removed as they affected both my accounts adversely. Thank you for your time and attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Scott Cherry

------------------------

I have a reply from my bank and it came the very next day- imagine that! Interestingly enough they removed the $50 penalty fees from my account. However, they also contradicted themselves more than once. They said it was a one time courtesy and its is in fact the second time they have removed penalty fees they charged in error. They also said they prevent overdrafting the account balance and yet they clearly dropped the ball because they failed to keep my account balance accurate and up to date when i had double-checked prior to making purchases. In essence, They said, "we're wrong, but we will pretend we are not wrong and we will more than likely make this mistake again at your expense. Without further ado, here is their reply...


Subject: NFCU makes an error and I eat a $50 penalty...
Navy Federal Response 11/07/2008 : Thank you for using Navy Federal Online. A review of your account indicates that on 3 November 2008, PAYPAL INST XFER tried to debit your account for $5.93 and $15.94 but they were returned due to insufficient funds (NSF) and your account was charged $50.00 in NSF fees. Please understand that each time the amount of a Visa Check Card Point of Sale (POS) transaction is processed and exceeds the balance in your checking account, your account will be charged $25.00. Each time a check/ACH debit is presented for payment and returned for insufficient funds, your checking account will be charged a fee of $25.00.

As requested we have waived $50.00 NSF fees as a one-time courtesy. Please note that Navy Federal will not waive any further fees unless a fee is charged due to our error.

Please note, when a member makes a purchase with a Visa Check Card, the merchant usually sends through an authorization request which is approved or disapproved. If approved, a one-day hold is placed on the checking account for the amount of the transaction. The following day, the hold is removed and the funds are returned to the checking account. This is a standard operating procedure with many financial institutions. After the hold "drops" off the account, you have the opportunity to "use" the funds again until the transaction actually posts. Since the merchant is responsible for submitting the transaction for payment, Navy Federal has no control over the amount of time this may take, in some cases, it may take several days for the actual transaction to post to the checking account.

If you have any other questions or concerns, please let us know.

Posted by scott on Saturday, November 08, 2008 - 9:33 AM

----------------------------

imagine my great dismay when i woke up this morning to find my banking institution had fucked with my account again. theyve done a better job of trying to cover their collective ass this time, yet they still contradict themselves plus the overdraft service they offer is supposed to already be covering me. does acquiring it again make life magically delicious? i think not...


Your Message 11/13/2008 : What are you doing to my account??? you just took out $50 dollars again today and I have not been conducting any transactions since I last communicated with you. I have had no notice of and failed transactions, nor any any other problems. Please stop removing $50 dollars from my account! You are supposed to refuse transactions that would overdraft my account when there are insufficient funds, not let people overdraft my account and then charge me for it. This is only few days after my last correspondence with you. Frankly, I feel like I need overdraft protection from NFCU! I've never felt so violated! Leave my account alone!

Subject: NFCU makes an error and I eat a $50 penalty...
Navy Federal Response 11/13/2008 : Thank you for your follow up message. A review of your account indicates that on 10 November, the available balance in your checking account was $1.53. On that day, PAYPAL INST XFERT tried to debit your account for $5.93 and for $15.94, but they were returned as NSF and your account was charged $50.00 in Return Check Fees.

Please be advised that when an item has been returned to the payee's bank, the payee is permitted to submit the item for payment as many times as necessary until it is paid; therefore, you will need to obtain the status of the item from the payee. Each time an item is presented for payment and is returned for insufficient funds, your checking account will be charged a fee of $25.00 the next business day.

Please note that we are unable to waive any more NSF fee as we have already waived $50.00 in Return Check fees for you as one-time courtesy. It is your responsibility to ensure that sufficient funds are available at all times in your account in case an item is presented for payment.

Our NAVchek Line of Credit service provides overdraft protection for a checking account and allows access to the credit line directly without first having to deplete the checking account balance by the negotiation of special NAVcheks. This service is available in increments of $500.00 up to a maximum of $15,000.00, subject to Credit Committee approval. The annual percentage rate (APR) on a NAVchek Line of Credit is 14.9%. The minimum monthly payment required on a NAVchek Line of Credit is 2% of the total outstanding balance shown on the monthly Statement of Account or $20.00, whichever is greater. If the account is over limit and/or past due, these amounts will be included in the amount billed on the statement.

You may apply for a NAVchek Line of Credit online by clicking on "Checking" located in the center of our Home page. When the next screen appears, click on "NAVchek Overdraft Protection" and "Apply Now" to complete the application. If you prefer, you can call 1-800-336-3333 or 703-255-2626, 24 hours a day, seven days a week to apply. If your NAVchek Line of Credit request is approved, we will mail a NAVchek Line of Credit Agreement and Disclosure for you to sign. It cannot be faxed to you or printed at a branch. Once we receive your signed agreement, we will activate your new line of credit and make it available for your use.

If you have any questions or need further assistance, please let us know.

Posted by scott on Thursday, November 13, 2008 - 5:32 PM

back-words... of consumer frustrations with a favored product...

*** Downy never did reply to me. perhaps they considered me to be a flake or worse? i think they could have at least addressed my product inquiry...

Sunday, November 2, 2008
of consumer frustrations with a favored product...
Who has a favorite product? Chances are that we all have at least one. Chances also are that at least one of our favorite products have become hard to find or even discontinued. If it starts to happen to you too many times you might feel a little frustrated as a result. The following is a letter I sent to Downy because I can no longer find a product they declare is not discontinued and should be found at any of my local stores. What transpires of this is yet to be known, but I thought I would share my experience thus far...

Citrus & Light™ Ultra Downy® with Febreze® Fresh Scent-
This is possibly one of the best products Downy has ever released. My family has used Downy for generations beginning with my grandmother. Now I use it, too. However, being a male, I prefer something a little more masculine which is why I prefer the Citrus & Light scent.

Unfortunately in recent months I cannot find it anywhere anymore- not at my usual grocery stores (Giant, Safeway, Harris Teeter) nor at places such as Target, KMart, or WalMart. I cannot even find a way to purchase it online. What is the situation? Your Q&A section does not specify Citrus & Light as being discontinued, only "compacted." The product line area of your site does not indicate anything is discontinued at all. I find the lack of continuity distressing.

About a month ago, I tried to acquire a coupon for Downy on your site, but it was for a specific line I had no interest in. Shouldn't I, the consumer, be allowed to choose which style of Downy I choose to apply a coupon toward? It's a little misleading to offer a coupon toward downy and then realize it is toward only one specific style or type.

The lack of continuity between shapes, sizes, and opaqueness of bottle is also disconcerting- it becomes difficult to search for things if they do not mark a basic commonality. Downy's effort to shake things up to look fresh, new, exciting, and different fails- and this is coming from a multi-generational family user. I'm sure opinions and concerns from a user with a background such as mine bares more heft. As I say, I love the product; I am just dismayed at how Downy has been handling things as of late.

Additionally, I do not see a point in making multi-lingual product labeling. As your company has specified, this product is for North American users- not South American, not Central American, nor others. While the Unites States in particular may be a massive multicultural melting pot, our national language is still English and we should encourage all new-comers to this great country to learn its national language if they haven't already. Downy should realize English is a major international language being learned and used world-wide, especially for business. With foreign countries actively searching and hiring native English-speaking teachers to teach the language, it would seem that Downy, a North American company, would choose to sell a North American product in North America in its native tongue, English. All the extra translations do is clutter up the packaging and aside from that Downy is pretty easy to use- one doesn't even need pictographs; one capful for one load and it can either be tossed in during the rinse or a Downy ball can be used, which is what I do.

The Downy ball really eliminates the hassle of an extra step in my laundry process, which saves me time to get other things done. Clearly I love the product and the convenience it adds to my life, so why why not make things easier for longterm users such as myself by making the bottles easier to buy, find, and read?

I really would like to buy some Citrus & Light™ Ultra Downy® with Febreze® Fresh Scent, but I just can't seem to find it anymore. I can't adequately describe what a frustrating experience that is. Surely many of the individuals who comprise Downy have endured similar situations with being unable to find favorite products.

Additionally of note, I am aware my little tirade may not be received with open arms, but is it not the desire of a company to please existing customers and not to lose them in the hopes of acquiring potentially new customers? If there are multiple departments within Downy as I suspect there are, it would be my wish to have my letter forwarded to as many of those departments as possible so that they may gain the perspective of an existing customer with a longterm multi-generational consumer commitment such as mine. Otherwise, it would seem my thoughts are merely in the rinse. Thank you for your time and consideration. I remain in hopes you can shed some light on where I can purchase more Citrus & Light™ Ultra Downy® with Febreze® Fresh Scent.

Sincerely,
Scott Cherry

back-words... essay/rant...

Friday, September 19, 2008
essay/rant...
PRE-PRETEXT:

the following was something i posted to [adult swim] concerning a rather bizarre schedule change in which they abruptly put their two newest shows on at the last possible time slot available from where they were originally scheduled at a more convenient time slot, then filled their prime hours with poor quality programming. it also sheds light on some of their other errors in a rather mild-mannered way. if you look at their message boards, it looks like a frenzy of ill-tempered, mutated sea bass congregated to flame the place. apparently, there weren't any sharks with laser beams attached to their heads available for the mass hysteria, name-calling, and death threats.

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pretext:

sorry, i meant to post this sunday. i was waiting for a few replies in regards to this post. this post is predominantly in layman's terms so those unaware of the processes involved will gain some appreciation of what has, in essence, destroyed their preferred evening of program watching. i am also appalled, but not surprised; however, there is no need for name calling, death threats, or gimmicks as it wont accomplish anything. i may not post much, but my opinion is as valid as any other. so, without further ado...

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There are many givens in this world. Of the givens, supply, demand, and discontent apply to this most recent situation. Supply and demand go hand in hand; wherever there is a demand, supply is made. Usually it's that easy, but sometimes one party is unable to adequately supply another party's demands for various reasons. That is where discontent usually enters. Many are familiar with the expression that the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Usually that wheel is sounding the squeak of discontent: "I am not happy with the current situation, so give me such and such." Depending on how realistic the demands are, one may get what they ask for or perhaps not. Why not? Well, there can be a number of reasons as to why something can't be supplied. All too often it's all about the bottom line. Unfortunately, many forget that there are several ways to achieve a more agreeable bottom line. Withholding supply is not the only way and, in fact, is often a poor business decision.

Poor business decision, how can that be? Unfortunately, not everyone who starts and/or runs a business was a business major in college or even went to college. Even then you still find people making poor decisions who have been to college. It is a part of being human and that is life. Some people have a great head for business and can evolve from lemonade stands to skyscrapers. Others seem to have the opposite effect, turning a thriving business into rubble in record time. Most manage to maintain a reasonable balance between the two.

Broadcast corporations look to service the entertainment industry and distribute their works to the masses, based selecting a specific demographic in which to cater toward. Animation is particularly favored by young males aging from late teens to young adult. Therefore a company researches which works they wish to distribute, or in this case broadcast to its select audience. If the business has trouble honing in on their target, they may refer to charts and ratings to ensure they are doing better business. Sometimes the clever ones manage to listen to the desires of their target audience and are able to find a way to cater sufficiently to what they want without hurting the bottom line of their business.

So what is good business for a broadcaster? The answer is multi-faceted. The goal of the company is to bring entertaining media to a targeted audience, but it is also to make money so they can continue to accomplish their goal. The main way to do this is through marketing and advertising, which is also based on the targeted demographic. Let's keep in mind that not all business men were business majors in college, as this point will unfold soon. A lot of comprehensive research is done into what advertising is most effective with specific demographics and populations. It becomes a matter of developing a formula based on numbers successfully tested and proven. If population x enjoys a, b, and c as a part of their daily living, then advertising products and services about a, b, and c during their routine broadcast viewing will drive up revenue as a result. How's that again? People respond to advertising. A positive response from effective advertising will result in a purchase of an advertised product or service. Advertisers pleased with such results will purchase more advertising time from broadcasters in hopes to drive up their sales, thus broadcasters have successfully driven up their own income. This income is then used to generate more supply for their targeted audience, among other things. Being happy with a successful variety, the audience will continue to remain loyal viewers.

Now if only it were always that simple. As history has indicated, sometimes ratings are inaccurate and thus analysis can be devastatingly wrong. Case in hand, Nielsen ratings are the number one way most broadcasting corporations rely on to assess what their targeted audience likes and dislikes. One problem- who gets to be a Nielsen family member? Well, in the past, it was a frightfully more selective process than it is these days, but it is still very selective and doesn't always fetch the accurate ratings one might hope to get. Then again, some content has proven itself over time as being worthy, such as animation. We all know animation will never die.

So what's going on when animation fetches poor ratings? Any number of problems, actually. It could be a poorly decided time slot for broadcast. Perhaps the marketing and advertising department failed somewhere along the lines. Or maybe some other poor business decision was made. Let's face it, those who love animation and anime in particular are loyal viewers who usually watch series from start to finish, not to mention that anime sells itself; there is little need for a test audience. If anime does well enough in Japan, then at least an English dub version is sure to follow. When a series has made the effort to rerelease itself as English dub, you know it is successful.

Regardless of individual personal preference, a mass audience has spoken in favor of a series by way of viewing, product-line purchase, and so forth. Sometimes one must listen carefully to the audience commentary as not all complaints of a series are of discontent. Sometimes aspects of a series may be under fire; however, that also indicates the viewer is avidly following a series and wants to see more favorable aspects. Unfortunately, this reaction can be misinterpreted to some that the viewer does not like the series. When this happens, a different series may replace the other series or time slots may be juggled. However, if time slots are juggled too much, then the viewer can't adequately acclimate to the changes and will lose interest as a result of frustration.

If the anime isn't the problem, then why is it treated like an unwanted step-child? Those that suffer from Cinderella syndrome usually have not been fully realized of their worth. As previously mentioned, it can be a business issue, such as ineffective advertising, poor marketing and/or representation, or a slew of other poor business decisions. I will try to illustrate this point with my own experiences, observations, and conclusions from which I can't possibly help but draw upon.

By personal experience, I can say I have never seen an [adult swim] commercial on another channel. Was it bad timing or did they simply not think to advertise on other channels? Other channels do advertise on Cartoon Network. In fact, I can go further and say I have never seen an [adult swim] commercial outside of the hours of their time slot. Once again, have I simply not been around to see one of their commercials outside of their slot or do they not do this? My TV stays on perpetually (expect for power outages) and while it may stray from cartoon network from time to time, I would think that I would be seeing some commercials somewhere at some point. Most of what I do see from [adult swim] is "bumps," which usually aren't sufficiently long enough, especially when they are text-only. There have also been times when the posted program schedule has been inaccurate and in need of an update. To have to cross-reference multiple places for a single broadcasting schedule can easily become a source of irritation for a loyal viewer. I see little to no consistency from [adult swim]. It tends to leave me disinclined to follow up on what's happening.

As I also mentioned, program shuffling can grow to be wearisome for a viewer. I have watched [adult swim] for years now. Initially, I watched every single night of the week. If I knew I was going to miss something then I would record it and watch later. Somewhere along the line, they thought it would be a novel idea to introduce "comedy" into the rotation and suddenly I found myself displeased with the Sunday night schedule and I ceased watching [adult swim] on Sunday nights. Later on, they decided to broadcast live-action features, which also irritated me so I would find something else to watch when those shows were on. My personal belief is that the broadcasting network is called the "Cartoon Network" and should only be showing cartoons, not live-action. Additionally, many of the series have been run into the ground; they've been rerun back to back ad nauseum. Eventually, I even stopped watching [adult swim] on weeknights. It gets old after a while to watch things run back to back like that. I like to see a little split in between runs of an entire series to introduce more variety.

Granted, sometimes a license expires and a show can't be seen again, but sometimes it would be nice to renew a license of a good old series rather than signing on a bad new series. What [adult swim] deems as comedy, I view as an insult to my intelligence. I feel it hasn't any place on [adult swim] or Cartoon Network and I would be happier without it. However that is my personal opinion and if Sundays are to remain nights for such programs, then so be it. Every one of Cartoon Network's slots has suffered from poor decision making. Toonami interrupts a series in the middle to show a new series, which is often interrupted as well. None of these series are ever resumed to reach completion. I have seen [adult swim] pull similar stunts- intermittent breaks between series with select episodes of another series, haphazardly juggling schedules, not airing series to completion and even cutting off the end of a final episode in a series. Under these circumstances how is a viewer expected to be loyal?

Under such frustrations as these, do viewers perpetually grin and bear it or do they stand their ground and voice their feelings? I've been annoyed by the cavalier behavior of [adult swim] many times, but I have never said a word. However, I feel this most recent shift in schedule juggling is disrespectful to both the audience and to the series they have agreed to broadcast under contract. As a viewer, I do have options aside from accepting or complaining in regards to such matters. I can watch anime on other channels or go buy something new and not bother with TV at all. I can go to web sites which feature anime recommendations and research various series that may capture my interest. I can then take those recommendations and find the episodes and view them online, if I so choose. I can also subscribe to other options presented to me by my cable provider and get more channels and/or other features which would allow me to watch what I want, when I want. So am I really bound helplessly to the whims and poor decisions of [adult swim]? I think not.

I'm sure many will find something to disagree with in part or whole in regards to what I have said, especially [adult swim], but I feel it is time I state my feelings for the record. I could make a list of what series are good to watch, but it already exists on the Wiki. Everyone should refresh their memories of all the anime that has graced us via [adult swim]. Some of it has been truly magnificent and epic. Like I said, it would be nice to see a revival of some of those series if their licenses could be renewed for another stint. One can barely predict the actions to be taken by [adult swim] as they tend to be as random as rolling dice. While head honchos at [adult swim] may shake up the schedule, I am glad I can still record the shows to view later while I still choose to view [adult swim]. I just hope they choose to take what I have said to heart and examine what truly affects their ratings. Maybe it isn't the shows. Maybe the trouble lies somewhere within the mechanics of corporate proceedings. Maybe they should handle things a little more respectfully and professionally. At this point, it couldn't hurt…

back-words... leap year...

Friday, February 29, 2008
leap year...
So it's leap year and this is the day that makes all the difference. Without launching into song I wonder what a difference a day makes. For that matter, I also speculate how necessary DST is -- aside from being useful to farmers who still depend on daylight. I don't recall ever having felt any different for having my days extended or shortened nor having an extra day added to my year. I barely notice a difference when elections and the Olympics come around, but then again my concept of time is really poor; minutes can feel like hours and hours can feel like minutes. This has been listed as a trait for those with varying degrees of learning disabilities, but I digress.

I can't help but wonder if all these little time shifts are truly necessary. I don't recall any primitive culture resorting to any of this tom foolery in any of my studies. They didn't need to do all these adjustments to make it possible to effectively count time, plan their growing seasons, astronomical figuring, etc. so why do we? Can our culture not leave well enough alone? Does it truly make a difference to our lives to straddle the fence of time as if it were a high wire act? Does it really make sense when we have to make incremental adjustments by 30 seconds or ten minutes to our clocks to effectively count time? Most people don't even keep time that accurately in the first place so give me a break!

People have been programmed to have a need for time. Time is conceptual, not to be harnessed by faulty gadgets which incorrectly measure its units. Schedules are an invention of man which is supposed to adhere to time, but rather they adhere to these devices which measure time incorrectly. Do I need a flawed measure of time? Do I need an extra day scheduled for me? Do I need a schedule? Do I need any of this? I don't think I need a single adjustment for time in order for my life to benefit. I think I can grasp living in this world well enough without adhering to any of these flawed designs made by man. I dare say I have a better concept of time and its perpetual existence than any contemporary calendrical system.

Perhaps instead of us changing in accordance to the system, we ought to change the system. I know, how 1960s of me. Yet these are the changes that make people think. These are the changes that can truly affect our lives which may benefit us for the better. Imagine businesses operating beyond the hours of 9-5. Imagine round the clock shifts. Imagine working any time of day you wanted instead of morning or graveyard shifts. Imagine having meals at any time based on your own personal needs. Imagine you can go out to eat any meal at any time. imagine shopping, driving, conducting business, settling personal matters, receiving parcels, and more at any hour of the day because businesses were open long enough to accommodate your personal needs rather than how financially effective it was to do so.

Some cities operate all day and night. They have to have all shifts covered. I imagine eventually most of the world will operate in this way, but why wait? Why not adapt now rather than later? Why not do something that's beneficial rather than adhere to the mundane? Isn't it time we make our lives better for ourselves?

back-words... coming of age...

Tuesday, January 15, 2008
coming of age...
have you ever thought about the concept of coming of age? most people have and many have gone through some sort of ceremony that recognizes them as an adult, or at least having reached a certain level of maturity. many cultures and religions practice this rite. debutantes, bar/bat mitzvahs, seijin no hi... these are just a few ways young adults are recognized to have come of age.

what about the rest of us who don't undergo some ceremony? does it really matter? would everyone be better off psychologically speaking if they could be recognized ceremonially to have come of age? well, it certainly wouldn't hurt and the chances are that it might improve the results of how many might lead their lives (versus their lives leading them).

i never had any such ceremony other than birthdays, which i never felt were particularly critical to assessing where i was in life- that is, until i reached my mid-twenties and then i started to pay a little more attention to how things were going and what i was accomplishing. when i was 18, i had to sign up for selective service, which meant i became old enough to die for my country if that was what my government decided. however, i was still not yet old enough to legally drink alcohol (in a non-religious setting). in my state, virginia, i was also old enough to legally have consensual sex and vote. so i was a man and yet i still had limitations as to what i could and couldn't do. at 16 i became legally allowed to have a license to operate a motor vehicle, personally i didn't get mine until i was in my mid to late twenties. at 21 i finally could drink alcohol legally and yet it was anticlimactic as i felt like it was long since overdue. all these things together seem to sum up adulthood, as with them comes greater responsibilities, and yet they are broken down into three critical stages that are separated by a great deal of time.

this made me realize that the world had very little regard for my coming of age. as a classmate in high school said, "if i am going to be old enough to die for my country, i would like to have a drink first." it may seem silly to some, but considering that alcohol is undeniably an adult beverage which most children don't even like the flavor, most feel special when they are finally allowed to have their first beer (or other alcoholic beverage).

while growing up, i had jewish friends who went through their rite of passage. in high school, i knew a girl who became a debutante. some families decide to give their kids a small celebration in honor of graduating high school, others give it when they have completed college. some families don't do anything, ever. i never really went through a process that officially declared me as a man religiously or socially. my family celebrated my birthday, but it just felt like any other day, even though i was allowed to have an alcoholic beverage. personally, alcohol never made me feel like an adult and i had tried it on several occasions before. i recognize alcohol to be more ceremonial and social, not a major milestone in my life.

no thing or person ever declared a defining point where i was suddenly a man, or even an adult. i picked up responsibilities, jobs, dealt with difficult issues on my own, but never felt a defining point where i had suddenly come of age. yet somewhere along the line it happened, or did it? sure, legally i meet all of the qualifications, but does that really mean i have come of age? nothing spectacular happened to signify it.

because of various personal issues, a lot of things did not transpire in my life as even i would have anticipated. i never completed college yet i have spent 6-7 years in 4 colleges. i never lived away from home yet i have traveled on my own on several occasions. i do not own or rent my own home as i have spent all my time living with my mother or my grandparents. i am not married as a 5+ year long relationship failed and completely shook my world. i have no children. i am no longer employed due to several problems including depression, scratched cornea with complications, and 2 back surgeries also with complications. not to mention 2 years ago, i moved again and i am still with my mother even though i live on a separate floor in what is still considered my grandparents' house even though they no longer live here. it feels a little like an apartment, but i have no bathroom nor kitchen on my floor, nor can i access the outside from my floor although i have a pretty sweet fireplace next to my bed which i've never had before.

i have no way of affording things on my own financially and have to rely on the sometimes financially available kindness of my mother. i owe her a great deal. in some ways i feel like i am less of an adult now than i was in my twenties since i was more self-sufficient then and fairly dependent now.

i work hard on a dream of becoming a dj and producer. most of my work has never seen any monetary compensation. i have done these things for years and even more earnestly in recent years. i dj on the radio, though usually it is online only. i have a modest discography that has seen substantial popularity via online downloads, yet not a soul has purchased any of them. i had a created a record label which folded after about a year when the hosting company folded and i lacked finances to rebuild something that had no fiscal motion. i would like to resurrect that label again.

so have i come of age? yes, somewhere in time i suppose i did and yet i never realized it. like love, it is hard to define as it is more conceptual than material. imaginably if i had gone through some traditional ceremony to announce my coming of age, i might have felt different psychologically, but that didn't happen and anything past that act is simply speculation, even if signs indicate that does make a difference in a person's life.

in the mean time, i live at home, with family, single, broke, and without regular income from an employer. regardless, i continue to try to make things work on my own in the best way i know how. this year, i turn 34 on march 28th.

back-words... car talk...

*** they never replied beyond the automated reply which stated that someone would reply...
also, it seems i have a comment from someone who wants to correct the spelling of McCormick's name. if you read carefully i have written his name correctly twice before the quotation. the only place it is spelled incorrectly is within a quotation, which was taken directly from wiki. that is not my typo. it is in quotes, meaning i do not alter the quotation, not even to correct an error, otherwise it is not a direct quotation. by my description and the link i provided, one can easily see i know how to spell his name. i might suggest making a correction to wiki as they are a major reference to people online.

Saturday, August 11, 2007
car talk...
I have just written to cars.com regarding one of their articles. The article was fine, however I felt it lacked discriminating taste for a top ten list. Clearly such a list is merely presented for amusement, but I would prefer to see a list that showed a little more careful consideration. After reviewing all their top ten lists, I felt compelled to write them and advise them of other vehicles they should have taken time to consider. i hope you will agree with my choices, and if you can think of anything neither cars.com nor I mentioned, by all means, I'd like to hear your suggestions, too! Here is the letter I wrote to cars.com:


To Whom It May Concern:
You have some fantastic entries in your top 10s, however your tv list (http://www.cars.com/go/advice/Story.jsp?section=top&subject=more&story=TVcars&referer=&aff=national) failed to mention one crucial vehicle (among many), one whose performance and styling certainly qualifies for ranking: the Coyote featured on the tv series Hardcastle & McCormick. Here is some useful information courtesy of Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardcastle_and_McCormick
"Coyote

The car that McCormack drove, the Coyote was built from Manta Montage kit car based on a McLaren M6BGT and built by the now defunct British kit car manufacturer Warp 5.[1] Like many kit cars of the time, the car uses a chassis from a VW Beetle and its engine from a Porsche 914. [2] For the second and third series series, producers used a different Coyote which was based on a DeLorean, as Brian Keith had difficulty getting in and out of the original Coyote. [3] One significant difference is that the car appears not have any resemblance to the Manta, as the front is larger than the original, making the car resemble a front engined car. [4]"

As I mentioned earlier, I know you were only looking to list a top 10, but you may need to revamp your list. I also noticed you failed to mention the Munstermobile featured on the Munsters: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_munsters
"The Munstermobile

George Barris built two automobiles for the show: "The Munster Koach", a hot rod built on a lengthened 1923 Ford Model T chassis with a custom hearse body. It was 18 feet long and cost almost $20,000 to build. Barris also built the DRAG-U-LA (which inspired a Rob Zombie song by the same name), a dragster built from a coffin, which Grandpa used to win back "The Munster Koach" after Herman lost it in a race. (According to Barris, a real coffin was, in fact, purchased for the car.) In real life, Yvonne de Carlo drove a Jaguar sedan fitted with custom-made "spooky" ornaments, for example spider webs on the rims. She had to give up on it, as the car was repeatedly vandalized by fans hunting for souvenirs."

TV shows during the 50s-80s, in particular, were loaded with fantastic vehicles. Another series was Stingray which featured a 1965 Corvette Sting Ray. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stingray_%28NBC_TV_series%29

Additionally one might consider an honorable mention for a vehicle from another series: Streethawk. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streethawk
"The bike

The Bike in the pilot episode was based upon a 1983 Honda XL500 trailbike, the bikes used in the series were based on 1984 Honda xr500's, the bikes used for the stunt shots were based on Honda CR250's, overall 15 bikes were used in the show. The whereabouts of 14 of the bikes are unknown, but one now resides in the Cars of the Stars Motor Museum in Keswick, England after being restored by the show's stuntman Chris Bromham. The pilot bike was designed by Andrew Probert and the series bikes were redesigned by Ron Cobb.

There is also evidence that a second Streethawk bike survived, the whereabouts of this bike now are sadly unknown but it is known that a bike was displayed at "Star Cars" in America in the 80's/90's. It is believed that that is the missing bike."

There are indeed many vehicles that have been over-looked. what about the car featured in Kojak? How about the vehicles featured in the Shaft movies? What about the car featured in XXX starring Vin Diesel? It would seem to me your writer(s) needed to do some more research before narrowing down the competition... Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,
Scott Cherry

back-words... more thoughts...

Wednesday, August 8, 2007
more thoughts...
i have a close friend who lives in another country overseas. we talk regularly about different things so that we can learn more about each other and our cultures. i like gaining a better understanding; i think it improves our relationship. i think gaining a better understanding in general can promote better relationships with all ppl, which leads me to the point of this entry: today she was asking me what i thought about iraq and afghanistan, but i feel she also wanted to know my views on war and conflict, in general...

this was my reply:

***
i wish everyone could get along...

in the 70s, there was an old coke-a-cola commercial that featured some hippies singing: "i would like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony..." the point they were trying to make was that there would be harmony if everyone could learn to simply work together. i do not think that is an impossible notion as long as ppl are willing to try.

now, what does the world do when not only someone is not willing to try to get along with everyone else, but also is doing things to hurt ppl and they wont stop? do you turn away and let them continue to do something bad or do you stand up and try to help? while i may not support war, i also do not support letting ppl get away with doing bad things that hurt other ppl.

you can say "stop it!" but most ppl will not obey. sometimes you have to make a person stop. that is why there are parents, teachers, police, and even military... this world has seen many mean ppl who would not stop what they were doing, many very bad ppl, and virtually every time this country has had to help. this country has come to be know as the police of the world, which isnt such a bad thing- at least ppl know theres someone out there who will do something about what is wrong. has this country always handled every situation perfectly? no, not really, but least theyre trying to get something done about it and they dont give up trying to help. i think that is important to keep in mind.
***

now, im not having a persuasive argument. im not pushing my point of view on anyone. this is not something i am willing to debate as i rarely even voice my opinion about such things since ppl tend to get way too personal in such discussions, so please, take your flame war somewhere else. if you disagree with me, write about it on your own blog- not mine. thank you...

as one can probably guess i could have gone on further in my reply. i could have even tried to ensure that my point was not only valid, but correct via persuasive debating. as it was, i did make some concessions. nothing in this world is perfect, but i think it is worth the effort to try to make things better than what they are if we see something bad happening. in the past i have heard of ppl practicing "in the eyes of a child," which means, asking a child for their opinion of something. usually the reply can be quite eye-opening. i think if we can maintain a portion of that frame of mind we can be more at peace with ourselves when we wish to solve difficult situations. would you let a bunch of thugs beat on a little old lady? no, you would try to help. why would it be any different if that bunch of thugs were nazis or an entire of country? the answer is it really wouldnt be any different. you would still try to help in any way possible. sometimes it isnt the best way possible, but you still have to try and you can always sit around and discuss an issue til youre blue in the face, but a perfect resolution may never be reached and in the the time that has transpired without action, a lot of harm could have been done. that wouldnt weigh very well on the conscience would it? no, it wouldnt feel good at all. we all need to try to understand that we are all trying for the benefit of a cause. we all need to try to understand each other so that we all can get along better, and by "we all" i mean every single one of us in this world. just try- its not hard to do. dont be afraid, just try...

back-words... just a thought or two...

Sunday, July 29, 2007
just a thought or two...
it just occurred to me that a relative's birthday passed recently.
i was so busy releasing my 5th album, promoting it, other work, and corresponding with various ppl, it genuinely slipped my mind. i would have liked to have remembered him and wished him well, but it hardly seems right when he doesnt do the same for me and the idea of that kinda smarts a bit. im not bitter; i just feel it is sad that is the way things are. as time passes i grow accustomed to the fact that ppl will fade out of my life, but im still not really used to it. oh well...

again, this happens to me with other ppl...
i will correspond with friends, new and old, who after a while wish to no longer correspond with me. they either just stop replying, tell me how busy they are, or they say they that they never received my last correspondence. i am tired of lies. ppl set up their priorities as they wish. if you are disinterested in maintaining a friendship with me, then say so. if you have time for myspace and other non-essential frivolities, then you have time for a friend and reply to a message from me. if you havent heard from me in a while and still wish to be my friend then contact me. if i have offended you, then say so! i dont break, but i dont like being lied to. deception sucks and it is misleading. i do not like being misled. i dont care what the truth is. if you think i am socially awkward its because of ppl like you that i do not socialize more! try honesty for a change; its the respectable thing to do, plus i will leave you alone if thats what you really want...

all i ask for is a little honesty.

back-words... an article caught my eye...

Monday, April 16, 2007
an article that caught my eye...
interestingly enough, i am one of the few remaining who joined myspace before it was purchased by fox and before it became nauseatingly popular.
i have been considering closing out both my personal and musician accounts because i get tired of all the ads, spam, and whatnot... saturday of easter weekend i found myself with 7 pages of add requests and i kid you not, they were all spam. normally i get a group or two. this time i didnt see any. now i start seeing spam in my emails. the last thing i wanted to do was have another inbox to clear out spam! frankly myspace may be a business, but it isnt a good business and i am tired of the bombardment. after seeing this article i believe possibly others feel about the same as i do.

http://www.wired.com/entertainment/music/commentary/listeningpost/2007/04/listeningpost_0416


Note to Everyone: MySpace Is Not the Web. Get Ready to Move On
04.16.07 | 2:00 AM

MySpace, once the fresh frontier of the internet, found itself a new sheriff by the name of Rupert Murdoch back in 2005. Until recently, he'd been content to let the place be, but those days are over. Murdoch's Fox Interactive, the parent company of MySpace, is tired of other businesses (think YouTube and well-paid artists) piggybacking on the site's success.

During a recent conversation with a MySpace director, I was reminded that MySpace isn't the web -- it's a business. Fair enough. Why shouldn't Fox get a return on its $580 million investment? Why should the company serve up its audience to YouTube, Sony and everyone else who wants a piece of the action for free?

What doesn't make sense is Fox's assumption that the MySpace stronghold (81 percent of the social networking market) can withstand a backlash from developers and users who prefer a more open environment -- even one that hosts ads and the Flash-based widgets that MySpace says are a security threat. In the end, MySpace is just one mass migration away from becoming Tripod.

The company's efforts to circle the wagons and push offending third-party widgets from its site comes at an interesting time. Its closest competitor, Facebook, has unannounced (but confirmed) plans to open its site to third-party widgets for the first time. Ultimately, the two sites could come to resemble each other, but which will users prefer?

Surely, the one that's more open and transparent. That approach has prevailed over and over on the web. Of course, Facebook has a long way to go in catching up to MySpace: Currently, it has only 10 percent of the social-networking market, according to Hitwise. But MySpace's efforts to run widget-makers off the site can only help Facebook, which historically has an older, more educated (and ad-appealing) audience.

Last week, PhotoBucket became the latest of Rupert's outlaws. The company, a photo- and video-sharing service, had its videos, remixes and slideshows blocked from MySpace. Why? PhotoBucket users were displaying slideshow widgets containing a Spiderman 3 ad.

A MySpace spokesperson explained that the company makes a big distinction between promotion (as in pushing your indie band) and advertising (as in posting slideshows skinned with a promo for a major motion picture from Sony, a Fox competitor). Such advertising is verboten by MySpace -- as is any instance in which users get paid to post something. Consider, for instance, Indie911's Hoooka widgets, which give posters 10 percent of each sale.

Alex Walsh, co-founder of PhotoBucket, says MySpace is turning its back on the approach that made it a hit. "By limiting your ability to personalize pages with content from any source, MySpace is contradicting the very belief of personal and social media."

MySpace's policy of blocking commercial content makes some degree of sense. But the companies that make the widgets for users to embed on MySpace are businesses, too. In the absence of hard-and-fast rules, any widget could potentially be classified as "commercial," and thus in violation of MySpace's terms of service. After all, what company makes a widget specifically to lose money? MySpace's recently updated terms of service essentially give the company the right to ban any widget or user at any time, at its sole discretion.

Of course, Facebook isn't likely to allow all types of widgets onto its site, either. But if the site starts out with clear rules about which types of widgets are allowed, developers and users could find it a more trustworthy, stable platform than MySpace.

If its policy toward outside content is changing, MySpace needs to post clearer guidelines rather than dealing with widgets and users on a case-by-case basis. If the sand keeps shifting under the feet of MySpace users and the developers who love them, both parties could eventually head to firmer ground. Rupert could find himself sheriff of a ghost town.

back-words... interesting...

Thursday, November 23, 2006
interesting...
http://www.break.com/index/door_to_door_atheists_bother_mormons.html

i feel this was interesting for a number of reasons. first of all, its pretty funny. a man bothered by the way part of society bothers him effectively turns the coin on the other side. moreover, he has several very valid points.
a lot of people are falsely under the impression that it is ok to go around and discuss religion, politics, or business at any hour when all of these subjects are very sensitive in nature to a lot of people.
some people are very firm in which beliefs they choose to integrate into their lives and it is not always acceptable to be coerced into something different.
just because a person believes in something different from another person does not make them wrong, evil, or inappropriate. it is ok, when mutually agreed, to discuss different ideas of importance.
it is inappropriate, however, to physically abuse another person for any reason. if you cant handle something different, that does not give you license to haul off and deck some poor bastard. just walk away.
science is not a religion and the fact that a man suggests the theory of evolution as an alternative to divine intervention is just that- an alternative. perhaps it is true, perhaps not. it is good to examine all possibilities before remaining steadfast to one single belief til the day you die. this includes examining various religions, philosophies, and science. leave no stone unturned before making a final judgment. once you have made a final choice, then be a good person and cast no stones upon your fellow man.
what is right for you may not be right for some, cuz it takes diff'rent strokes to move the world. i know what i believe in and what is right for me, but im not going to make other people be that way. it would not be right to impose myself. that does not mean i cannot share my views of what is right for me, but i shouldnt go around converting people to my line of thinking.
so my last thought is dont abuse those who are different from you- they may not know any better, or perhaps they do. if it is not the right time for you to discuss something, say that you would rather not discuss it or that you will discuss it later. til next time, take care of yourselves and each other...