Everywhere That I’m Not
Translator
I thought I saw you.
Out on the avenue.
But I guess, it was just someone
Who looked a lot like I remember you do.
‘Cause, I thought I heard your voice.
In a bar, making a choice.
But, no. It was just someone
Who sounded a lot like I remember you do.
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The Charlotte Observer reported this week how a man was robbed of money after he posted an ad seeking a car on Craigslist:
Similar “robbery-by-appointments” have become a growing problem since classified ad websites like Craigslist have become popular online sources to buy or sell anything from pets to electronics and cars.
Of course, nowhere does the Observer mention that this is not a problem inherent to Craigslist. The same crime could’ve been set up from a flyer stapled to a neighborhood bulletin board, a notice posted in a library, or even (gasp) a classified ad placed in the Charlotte Observer! A commenter on the story also calls the paper out:
Did this type of activity just never occur with newspaper classified ads?
Sure it did, but you don’t think the paper would bash itself, do you?
Look, I get that the newspaper industry has an axe to grind against Craigslist, blaming it for the massive loss of classified advertising. The truth, though, is that the rise of the Internet killed classified advertising. If Craigslist hadn’t done it, some other company would have.
Ads are ads, no matter what the medium. They connect strangers seeking a transaction. Just because someone using Craigslist experienced a crime doesn’t imply that newspaper advertising (or any other kind of advertising) is any safer. Spinning this as a Craigslist-only problem is disingenuous.
Dear job recruiters,
I will never, ever, ever work for AT&T. Not if it’s the last job on Earth, not if I get exclusive use of the corporate jet, not if they paid me a million bucks, not ever.
You may pass your “exciting job opportunity” to someone with lower standards than mine. Thank you, have a nice day.
Best Buy catches up with reality.
You know how much I dislike shopping at Best Buy? I was given a Best Buy gift card well over a year ago and still haven’t used it. How bad is a store when I can’t even be bothered to spend free money there?
I’d also say that in spite of the reporter’s speculation, people probably don’t use Best Buy as a showroom, mainly because they hate going into Best Buy as much as I do.
There’s ever-growing speculation that Best Buy now is serving too much as a showroom for its possibly toughest competitor yet, online retailer Amazon.com. The thought is that customers are perusing the aisles at Best Buy, trying out or considering games, cameras and phones, then buying them cheaper online, and sometimes with less sales tax, through Amazon or some other online merchant.
via Best Buy CEO Resigns Amid Competitive Pressures, Search for Direction – Yahoo! Finance.
I found out yesterday that the jury duty I almost had to perform was for the Kathy Taft murder case. While I was willing to serve, I am feeling very fortunate today not to have been tapped for this case. I work as a contractor and get paid by the hour and the contracting firm that employs me would’ve only paid for the first 40 hours of jury service. The Taft case will likely drag out for months, putting us in a significant financial bind. The $50 a day with which the court would’ve compensated me would not have come remotely close to bridging the gap. This all aside from the emotionally traumatic impact the case will have on all its jurors.
If these factors often weed out good juror candidates, what does that leave for our justice system? What can be done to allow people like me to serve without the risk of putting us in the poor house? Should trials be shortened solely to minimize the disruption on jurors, or would that be denying the defendant his or her due process rights?
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Two of the U.S. Navy’s aircraft carriers are now in the Persian Gulf. These carriers certainly raise visibility, though in a bathtub-sized body of water like the Persian Gulf they’ll be spending most of their time just getting out of each other’s way.
One comment to this story was from a former sailor who talked about how boring it is to be on a ship. That is especially true in the Gulf, where one can enjoy “hours upon hours of boredom punctuated with sheer moments of terror.”
The U.S. Navy said Monday it has deployed a second aircraft carrier to the Persian Gulf region amid rising tensions with Iran over its disputed nuclear program.
The deployment of the nuclear-powered USS Enterprise along with the Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group marks one of the few times the Navy has had two aircraft carriers operating in waters near the Persian Gulf, said Cmdr. Amy Derrick-Frost of the Bahrain-based 5th Fleet.
The two carriers will support the American military operations in Afghanistan and anti-piracy efforts off Somalia’s coast and in the Gulf of Aden, she said.
via US Navy deploys 2nd aircraft carrier to Gulf :: WRAL.com.
At Kings Dominion
True to form, Hallie led the way, never backing down from any ride we suggested to her. She prefers the wooden coasters and enjoyed a few rides on the Rebel Yell, KD’s version of Carowinds’s Thunder Road. She didn’t even blink when I challenged her to ride the biggest, baddest coaster in the park, the Intimidator 305 (though I had to gulp when she actually accepted the challenge)! We were both laughing when we walked off that ride, and Hallie got the chance to introduce her mommy to it. I am amazed by her bravery.
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When one receives a spam email, one expects some sort of offer such as “MAKE MONEY FAST,” or “MALE ENHANCEMENT” or the like. This morning I got a particular spam email which included only the boilerplate lorem ipsum text:
From: “Deal Amazon” info@gocdidong.info
Subject: Deal of the Day – Offers – Deals & Promotions
To: “markt” markt at rules the universe dot qrz
Date: Sun, 8 Apr 2012 00:06:43 -0700Please enter your message here
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.
Are spammers really so lazy now that they can’t even be bothered to add their own text to their spam?
Yesterday the rumors that craft brewer New Belgium was considering building a brewery in Asheville came true when the company and politicians announced the decision. I don’t live in Asheville but I do consider myself a beer connoisseur. I’m thrilled that New Belgium joins Sierra Nevada in making North Carolina a beer destination.
I remember finding out in the mid-90s about the Pop The Cap effort to change the state law, allowing higher-alcohol-content beers in North Carolina. Many of the Bible-thumping representatives didn’t want the change to happen. Then-Governor Hunt, a teetotaler, was also reluctant to make the change. The bill went nowhere.
Then out of nowhere (and after another questionable start), the Pop The Cap bill passed in 2005, bringing better beer to the state. Before long I was enjoying high quality, high-alcohol beer here at home.
Since 2005 the sky hasn’t fallen. Instead we have a whole new industry moving into western North Carolina, providing not only much-needed jobs but also a promising future. It’s wonderful to see how far we’ve come!
I’ve been tapped for jury duty and will thus report Monday morning to the Wake County courthouse. It’s not my first jury duty at Wake County: the last time I was summoned was perhaps 1995. Of course, I showed up for jury duty in federal court recently but wasn’t selected to serve. Prior to that I was asked to serve on the day my son Travis was born. I was excused for that one, needless to say!
Serving on a jury is disruptive, inconvenient, and sometimes costly. I could make a good case for dismissal, being that I’ll be lone parent around for the kids for most of this week. Still, I feel that would be weaseling out. If I expect our police officers to keep us safe, then I owe it to them, the defendants, and society as a whole to accept the call to weigh guilt or innocence. I take my duties as a citizen very seriously.
I don’t expect I’ll be blogging from the building but I will take mental notes of the experience and share them here afterward.
Update: I found out later that my jury number’s high enough that I won’t be needed after all.
