What In the Watubi?!?!

I never put stock in the whole "Friday the 13th" crap, besides, being superstitious is bad luck. Any way, I have however found the source for all my recent misfortune. It appears my little hooligans knack for digging has finally made a contribution to the household. Look what they dug up.

Behold:



I found this som' bitch in my backyard. Note to self: Find Bob Denver's burial plot, stand over grave and urinate, leave when finished(don't forget to shake). Next person that curses me or tries this kind of crap and it causes a downfall, I'll kick you in the Watubi!!! Maybe now my luck will change for the better. In case you may be wondering where this thing is right now...well, lets just say its not here anymore, ya just never know where it may pop up next.

Man, I'm Really Frustrated!!!

I've had so much unnecessary activity(my opinion) on my charge card lately that the city of Springfield and Ozark have both offered me jobs...whatever. I just feel so much frustration about all the expenses lately that it's not EVEN funny. I've also been trying to unload some performance parts for my Subaru and so far, I had 2 willing buyers, but they're not able to cough up the cash when it's time to start closing the deal. I'm pissed! I think I'm dealing with a bunch of teenagers that their alligator mouths are writing checks their canary ass can't cash. I set a reasonable price, I get countered, I except, then it's like, "Dude, I was checkin' out the account for the cash and the girlfriend spent it on some stupid shit and now I'm pissed. Sorry man, I'll try to find a way to make this happen, dude."

*squints eyes then puts fist through notebook screen*

Of course, I never hear from them after this little fiasco. This is twice, that this has happened(not the same exact story mind you but somewhat just as chicken shit). This whole experience for me has been more disturbing than a Golden Girls wet T-shirt contest. I could seriously bite a railroad spike into 3 pieces. As an added bonus, my internet connection has been fading in and out like Charlie Sheen's sobriety.

Perhaps These Guys Are Trying To Tell Us Something

The idiot of the village that is in S.W. Mo. would like to share an observation. I was mowing my yard a little while ago and saw this in the upper corner of my house. I then took a look around to scan the neighborhood and couldn't help but notice that EVERY SINGLE HOUSE surrounding mine had one of these little homes on their not-so-little homes. It got me to thinking, this land was once prevalent with trees and now it just has homes on it. This situation also makes me think how we took the land from the native indians and now they're getting it back by the way of casino and tacky jewelry. *ehem* I digress, an idea sprang earlier this year for me to start planting trees in my yard and my mother(in her infinite resourcefulness) found the National Arbor Day Society. The run down is this, you can get 10 trees for 10 bucks shipped to your door. You get a wide variety of trees to choose from and a membership to the foundation which requires NO further obligation. Don't need 10 trees? Neither did my mother, as she ponied up the 10 bucks just to get a few and is giving me the rest. This would be a great way to promote community involvement for those who consider themselves tree huggers. All kinds of scenarios are possible here. Get 10 neighbors to kick in a buck for a single tree each or 2 bucks for 2, etc... More of the land in and around S.W. Mo. is being developed, even with a VERY slow housing market. I believe the builder's loan loop hole is being milked to an irresponsible level. It's sad seeing all the fires of the old trees that were cut down for the sake of housing that is nonexistent or commercial strip malls that lay vacant for a year or more. It's no wonder that road kill around here lately is disturbingly getting more and more prevalent as well...think about it.

So far, I found 2 nests on my gutters and don't have the heart to touch the nests and I seriously doubt I'll be able to collect rent from them. I also have a few scattered on top of fence posts in my backyard. Perhaps with these trees that I will be planting, these birds will have new real estate to park themselves. The only thing is, it's going to take a while for them to grow to a size appropriate enough to be nest worthy. At least I'm trying. As a side note, ever see what those construction contractors drive?


End green rant.

Cars Are More Trouble Than They're Worth

The Stinger Missile


Anybody good at crunching numbers or good at making solid investments will tell you that a car is probably the worst investment you can make. I subscribe to that idea and will add that it's a lousy way to keep your sanity as it gains mileage...as does the person. From a not-so-recent post, I spent time, money and aggravation replacing the O2 sensor. Not too long ago, ANOTHER check engine light goes off. This time it's a tumble generator valve...??? I have never heard of such a device on a car til now. It was actually the sensor and it involves(more man talk hear, ladies and uninterested men, amuse yourselves at this time) regulating the airflow to the intake. This faulty sensor caused me to get a 20% reduction on my mileage. As you know, gas is higher than the expectations of Britney Spears and Linsey Lohan getting their shit together AND I have to buy premium fuel, OUCH! Well, $500 later(job could not be performed by me as I do not have the equipment for this job) and a few miles down the road, the A/C goes out. I have a leak and need a new compressor...BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE!!! I looked myself to check the timing belt to see how it was holding up, it needs replacing...ANOTHER $775! Did I mention that it is time for the oil change as well? With all this in mind, the thought went through my head as whether or not I should just sell my car as dealerships don't like making even trades. Keep in mind, this thing has over 120,000 miles on it and hasn't given me hardly any grief at all up to this point. I was hoping the Stinger Missile would hold out til the new line of TDI's hit the states, but DAMN! The maintenance bills are scarier than Joan Rivers before AND after photos. Lets recap, shall we:

Oil change...$45
Used A/C compressor and install...$240
Tumble Generator Valve sensor replacement...$500
Timing, power steering and crank belts...$775
The look on my face when I get the next credit card statement...AHHHH, PISS OFF!!!

Another Example Of Human Indifference

This is the raw footage of Angel Torres crossing the street being grazed by one car then getting hit straight on by another. The 2 cars involved fled the scene and left the man there to die. As despicable as that is, that isn't all of it. People who witnessed the hit-and-run did ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! Oh sure, a few calls eventually were made to 9-1-1, but notice in the video how people just walk to him, then walk away. The poor guy was nothing more to them than a morbid attraction.

I post this, not just because of the story itself, but it immediately made me say to my self, "Self, this is no different than those lookie-loos that rubberneck at a bad accident on the interstate or highways and create MORE wrecks." Here's the deal, if you can't be part of the solution, don't add to the problem or BECOME a problem. Do you know how many wreck come about as a direct result of rubbernecking? It infuriates me to no end to see people like those dip shits in Hartford, CT. A bad accident is a tragedy, not a chance to be entertained while in your car or walking by. I've seen plenty of bad wrecks here in S.W. Mo. where HWY 65 and 60 meet and I just keep driving. Let the person have some dignity. If you can't help or just don't want to help, then MOVE ON!

(I smell another new rule.) NEW RULE: Those who cause an accident while rubbernecking shall be charged DOUBLE what the normal offenses call for AND you MUST show up for court to pay the fine as you will not be able to simply mail it in. You will be showcased yourself for all to see in the courtroom as to who the is the rubbernecker.

Complaints Department Endorses YET Another New Band: Airbourne

They aren't necessarily new, but they are ass kickin' great! I really have chalked up today's music as being full of nothing but fluff and bitch slaps to the music industry, however, from time to time a band comes along and...shakes things up a bit and I am one who takes notice of such things. BEHOLD: AIRBOURNE! Australia's newest export. These guys have a sound that is currently lacking in severe quantities today. I've got a chance to hear more of their material and it totally rocks! But hey, don't take my word for it, see and hear for yourselves:

Runnin' Wild

Anytime you can put Lemmy from Motorhead in the driver's seat(literally in this case) you will definitely get my attention and ever so eager ear. These guys evoke memories of a very young Metallica with the "no polish, just in your face" approach to Heavy Metal. Take a gander at this:

Too Much, Too Young, Too Fast


I have made an endorsement in the past, it's a trend I may just continue to help quelch my chronic complaints of today's music. Fuck you Kurt Cobain, you didn't completely polish off Heavy Metal...and it's making a come back, like it or not.

Times Are Tough And No One Is Really Helping.

Here's what I mean: I am watching a segment on the Today Show(again with the Today Show) and they are showing "partying" tips. This is for people who have more discretionary income and is not for those who have barely enough disposable income. I find this to be a waste of resources and somewhat irresponsible. Not everyone can go out and buy special dinnerware for every...single...holiday out there! And what's up with napkin rings and name tags for your place setting??? So, what the hell am I going to do about it? I guess I'll start posting some real information you can use on a daily basis as a buying guide and/or resource. Before I make most any purchase, I consult a number of different avenues before just going out and buying something and as the saying goes, "NEVER PAY RETAIL!" The mere thought makes me cringe. There's no better feeling than when you let a retail institution know you have them over a barrel. So, I am going to post some useful links to some websites that will hopefully let all of you save some money.

Slickdeals This is the best place to research just about anything you want to buy. Make use out of using the "Search" feature on the forums.
Bensbargains This one also has a decent search feature as well and it may be more visually appealing to some. The comments that get posted are usually juvenile turbo nerds that violate my #1 commandment of the internet.
Coupons.com These coupons you can print out and they are usually a higher value than what you will find in the Sunday paper, no joke.
Smartsource This is yet another coupon printing site like coupons.com
EatbetterAmerica.com This one is self explanatory and it is also a coupon site, I love the Fiberone bars.
The Savings-Center This is kind of like the retailmenot site but easier to navigate, just scroll.
The Coupon Loop This has old and new printable coupon links, VERY useful.
Anandtech Forums This is for those who want to get their geek on and do it for less. These turbo nerds know where ALL the tech bargains are. Again use the search feature to find what you want.

Please note that a lot of these site need you to register and some may require you to download some off the coupon printing software. It is safe, I can assure you of that. Also, I am VERY aware of all the well known sites that some news broadcasts have mentioned, I can easily say that mine are better.

I have also used Ebay for setting the bar for pricing when I look for certain items, but I did have a slightly bad experience with Ebay as some of you may remember.