At the end of going out and visiting our moms for Mother's Day, my mom was finishing up watching the documentary Harlan County War about a coal miners' strike in Kentucky in the 70s. It's one of those movies I'd heard about, but never seen (sidebar: Kathy's sister got 27 Dresses DVD for her mother's day, and recommended it. I believe it's the Wal-Mart pack that came with a CD of songs from the movie.) After I got home I decided to check to see when it was on again to see about maybe recording it. I got a message saying I needed to activate my DVR service. But I've had TiVo for years, it's already activated. The "to do" list didn't come up, same message. I was getting worried, because I still have programs I recorded and could still watch, but couldn't record new ones. And DirecTV no longer is associated with TiVo, so I was worried about getting a new box with a different DVR that I'd have to pay monthly for. I paid the lifetime fee for the TiVo when I got it instead of the monthly fee because I figured it'd pay for itself after a couple of years. I guess too many thought that way as well, because TiVo no longer offers that option, it's a monthly fee only. And I didn't want to have to switch it out. So I called DirecTV as instructed, and the CSR tried to reset it on her end. Still didn't work. Then she suggested unplugging for 15 seconds and plugging back in to see if the reset on the box would work (it's like a computer when it starts up, only longer. You get the "almost there" messages, the setup messages, etc) And when it finally came on, it worked.

I know, not much of a story, but it's Sunday afternoon, not much else is going on, and this sounded like a Harvey Pekar story, and wanted to try my hand at writing one, okay?

In addition to the new movies that came out yesterday that I'm sure you've seen the commercials, posters, etc. for, there was one that might have slipped your notice. It was for this movie called Frontier(s) which is unique in the horror movie genre. Most of the time films will "play the game" and make the edits in the film necessary to get an R rating and be shown in theatres. It is unusual that they would take the step not to compromise with their vision and release it to theatres unrated. Most films won't do that, fearful of the hamstringing that results (newspapers and TV not allowing advertising, etc.) If you haven't heard of it yet, and want to see it, it is only playing in a limited number of theatres. I would think Chicago would be the closest to me, but it's actually Detroit. But they're releasing it on DVD this Tuesday, so if you can't get to the theatre, you can get the DVD and watch it at home...with the lights out.

I tried out the online Grand Theft Auto IV play late last night and today. I went through the tutorial and played a few Deathmatch games. I didn't come in last place, but it was pretty low. And one game I played, with the way they had it set up, was a massacre from the start. It was pop off some shots before you got killed was the best you could do. I dunno, I might try some of the other online games, or concentrate on the actual game itself.

The wife is big on getting cards for different occasions. And I know she loves to have birthday cards to send at the very least. But when you go to buy one, most of the time the halfway decent ones cost at least $3-4, and for a few people on your list, that can add up. But like with anything if you buy in bulk you can save money. And I'm sure there's a lot more people she'd like to send or give cards to. And she loves hot air balloons, so I'm sure she'd love this one. Plus, CardsDirect allows you to personalize the cards and put your return address on the envelope. The personalization doesn't have to be just stamping your name on it, you can add a message or your own personal touch so that people can know that you care about them and thought about them on their special day. And when you add that to the saving of time and money going to the store, picking out a card, signing it and sending it off, that sounds like a good deal all around. So instead of keeping track of when someone's birthday is and having to worry about getting a card, sign it and send it off, why not buy a bunch of cards and be ready to go?

Well, as expected Speed Racer didn't do too well at the movies this weekend. Neither did What Happens In Vegas emerge in the top spot, but did better than Speed Racer to take second place. Looks like Iron Man is in the top spot again this weekend. I didn't go to the movies this weekend. Much as I am an anime fan, the previews for Speed Racer looked more flash than substance, plus I wasn't that big a fan of the original show. But next weekend looks I'm going to see Prince Caspian, not that I mind that much.

This post brought to you by SocialSpark.
After months of following the news, and waiting for it's debut and alpha testing, I was finally able to sign up for SocialSpark. I created a profile and you can see it here. I picked this profile because it was the first one I thought of, and can tell you how easy it was to set up. Just answer a few questions and it gets in there (or if there's some things you'd rather not display, they're cool about that, as well). And it's easy to change or update, it isn't like some sites where you have to poke around the website trying to figure it out. It's the next step that Izea is undertaking for those who write posts for money, but SocialSpark is a lot more than that. It's also a social network where you can check out fellow bloggers, and even ask to be their friends, much like those other social networking sites, but without the spam and getting slammed big-time for friends requests, a lot of those not being actual real people.

The speculation on who is the last Cylon on Battlestar Galactica is building up. I even touched on the topic, and linked to Peter David's speculations. Now even TV Squad is getting into the act. One litmus test I apply to anyone's guess: when one of the Cylon models D'anna (Lucy Lawless) saw the last Cylon, she said "Oh my God, I had no idea... forgive me..." I would see if that guess would fit with that scene.
After reading the TV Squad article and comments, I have my guesses that I'd rather not say right now, but one I will say isn't is Starbuck. Usually on these types of shows where you guess whodunnit or whoisit, the one that the show points to and has obvious clues, isn't. Of course the show could do a double-fake and make it her. But I think the backlash would cause the ratings to drop faster than you can say "worst episode ever".

Many people think that term life insurance is one of those things that they should have, and will get sometime. But the problem is that sometimes something happens before you get the insurance. Not to use scare tactics on you, but sometimes it is true. Heath Ledger had nothing in his will for wife Michelle Williams or their daughter, and many people would agree his passing was unexpected. Just think of it as a task to perform that while there's no immediate penalty for not taking care of like some things in life, at least you'll feel better for having done.

I've been talking about hitting the XBox 360 since I got it a couple of months ago, but that doesn't mean I won't automatically turn my nose up at other systems. I don't have a Playstation 3 yet, and the PS2 still works and is hooked up, so I can check out these PS2 games and accessories for sale, and maybe get a good deal on a backup PS2 system in case this one gives out, or want one for the bedroom.

There's a lot of store and websites that claim they offer the best buy on all sorts of goods, but if you go to buy.com, you can find all sorts of deals on all sorts of products. And each product has honest reviews of the product that can help steer you in the right direction. It's better to get something you're happy with than something that has a problem, causing you to not buy from that website again.

The Comics Reporter has their call out for this week's Five For Friday, which is "Name Five Characters From Comics Whose Blogs You'd Read". The first thought that I had was that the ones I would be interesting in reading their blogging would have infrequent posts that start with "sorry I haven't blogged for awhile, but..." I was struggling to make a point that didn't say that blogging and interesting lives were mutually exclusive, and that was the best I could do. Evan Dorkin, who suggested the Five For Friday, leads an interestingly enough life that the minutae doesn't show up in his blog.
I'm just digging a deeper hole for myself, aren't I?

Many businesses are looking into different incentives and rewards they can offer their employees. Even at my last job, they'd offer some from time to time, but I think for the most part their employee incentive plan was "work or you're fired". But as far as prizes, most places offer gift cards to restaurants or their own stores. But Bellweather Rewards offers a different kind of reward for companies that want to offer things like sales incentive programs, or other benchmarks that can be reached depending on the type of work the employee does: if they meet the criteria, they can get the travel rewards. A free trip sounds better than free lunch at the nearby fast food place, or work or be fired.

Apparently there's been a problem with Rockstar Games not having any instructions for online multiplayer in Grand Theft Auto IV. And there isn't anything in the guide about it, either. Now Rockstar Games have issued instructions and clarifications for online play on GTA IV. As for me, I can barely get through UNO online, and wanted to get a little more experience on solo play first.

Even though we've taken another dip in the temperatures up here, it is getting warmer and summer's coming. And that means vacations are coming up for people. I don't know what would be the best vacation I ever took was, going to Orlando was my favorite, but I can't single out one single trip. Maybe if I can combine parts of all the trips, I can make it one heck of a memory.

Or maybe I can go to Dial A Flight and look for vacation deals and pick the vacation I want. They handle flights, hotels, car rentals, and more. And they handle all sorts of trips, so if I just want to do a weekend getaway, they can take care of that. Or if I feel more adventurous, or want to go on a longer trip, I can look into these flights to Thailand and other exotic ports of call.

Comic Book Urban Legends #154. Did Legion fans pull Jim Shooter back into comics? Who brought whom to DC, Giordano and Ditko? And more.
Ask The AV Club for May 9th. What did Joni Mitchell do, and with whom? And why can't you find that flow chart online? This is a good column if you like reading about people trying to find the name of that movie or show from what they remember. Also, they have a new feature Better Late Than Never about people watching well-known films for the first time many years later. This installment: Fast Times At Ridgemont High.
And a link thanks to Fark: 6 Creepiest Comic Book Characters of All Time. Also from Cracked, The 5 Most Unintentionally Hilarious Comic Strips.

Many people don't really go into shopping for credit cards, they just take what offers they get in the mail or see online. They aren't aware that there is a place where they can check credit card rating, find out which ones offer low interest rates, the best deals on balance transfers, any points and prizes they offer for usuage, etc. At the Credit Cards Club, they allow people to do such comparison shopping to select the credit card that is best for them. Plus they have articles that can help advise you on how to choose the right credit card. So instead of just taking what they offer you, why not select a credit card on your terms?

ComicMix is reporting an update on the David Pirkola case. There have been 2 arrests made, and a search for a third. ComicMix is stating that the two have been in custody over a week before the report, but not sure the reason for the delay. They suspected they were juveniles, but The Beat has their ages as 18 and 19.
Also, The Beat is reporting that Dateline NBC is running a segment on the Michael George murder case tonight at 10pm Eastern. Check yer listings.

Aerocare air ambulance company offers medical transportation around the world. It is designed for transportation over 200 miles where sitting upright isn't practical. It is mainly for people on vacation needing transport home, or someone needing transport to a medical care facility that offers care their local facility cannot provide. It is covered by most policies and they will be glad to work with your insurance provider by calling ahead of time for pre-authorization and submit the proper paperwork to them. Not only that, but they offer bedside to bedside service where the patient is watched by a medical crew during transport to ensure care.

Wil Wheaton writes about writing. He links to a couple of articles on Mental Floss: 4 Must-Read Books For Aspiring Writers (Telling Lies For Fun And Profit sounds interesting) and Five Lessons In Grammar. Also, I came across this article on the site about punctuation. Again, if you aren't reading Mental Floss the magazine, try out Mental Floss the blog. It's more various than just writing tips, there's something for everyone.

Design Diva Fabrics just launched the "Vote Up Count Down" sale. How it works is that you can go to their website, register for an account, and vote for your favorite fabric, such as drapery fabric. Then the fabric with the most votes goes into count down mode where it gets cheaper every second until someone buys it. Then the fabric with the next highest votes takes over. So if you're into polls, the thrill of knowing when to get the deal, or want a good deal on fabric head on over there and check it out today.

Chrysler's got a program that I think will help their sales a lot. For about the next month if you buy a new Dodge, Chrysler or Jeep they'll give you a card good for $2.99 a gallon of gas. It's linked to your credit card and you're billed the $2.99 a gallon rate, with additional caveats mentioned in the article. One problem is there's nothing keeping people from letting other family members use the card and for other vehicles (other than for the 12000 mile a year limit) Hopefully, the other US automakers will follow suit. Also hopefully, they'll start designing cars to fit both drivers' wants and needs, and the changing world market and conditions.

You read about all these tax breaks that rich people can get, and not have to pay as avingmuch money as us poor schlubs. Many people think that it's a matter of having to hire a bunch of accountants and tax people who can give you advice, money that a lot of us don't have. But actually it's studying the tax laws, or reading what someone else found out. Did you know that 401(K)s were found out by an accountant who was reading the tax codes on a lazy Sunday afternoon, and came across that section of code? But instead of having to pore over tax laws and regulations, I'm sparing you the hours and days of studying (and possibly clawing your eyes out). Under the irs 1031 exchange, you don't have to pay the taxes on the gains on the sale of real estate if you reinvest the proceeds in ownership of like-kind property and defer the capital gains taxes. To qualify as a like-kind exchange, property exchanges must be done in accordance with the rules set forth in the tax code and in the treasury regulations. This is one of the little-known provisions of the tax code, and one I'm sure a lot of people aren't aware of. You can read more at the link about it, and see about having someone advising you that's an expert in 1031 code.

I had to get up and take Kathy to work this morning. Her ride was late, but we're getting a buzzing sound in our phone, and it isn't working. Internet works, though. It's just as well, because for awhile now the calls that have been coming in have been ones I just as soon not deal with.
And gas was getting low when I picked her up after work. Gas had jumped 15 cents to 3.849 a gallon (a Bill Maher said, it should be a new rule with gas so high can we skip the nine-tenths of a cent bee ess?) But the pumps still had 3.689 a gallon. I filled up, but forgot to tell them of the error. Even the wife with her Christian do-right mentality didn't find fault with that.

With the real estate market as it is, it doesn't take a genius to realize that people are moving more into renting than owning. And there are some who are looking into real estate investments who will buy properties to rent, seeing it as a way to make money in these times. But they don't want to have to deal with all the hassles in rental property management, such as maintenance, dealing with tenants, etc. But for Chicago apartment rentals there's Rental management in Chicago, taking care of those day-to-day chores for a guaranteed low fee, so that you can reap the benefits. Or for people who are looking at Chicago condo rentals, condo associations Chicago, or association management Chicago, they can help you with the management of those types of properties as well.

It's the day after, and I'm still picking at the scab that is the primary election. If you're wondering why I feel the way I do about Democratic Primaries, then read Wil Wheaton's essay about why Hillary should just give it up, and why I support Obama. If there was one thought I would give everyone before they go into the voting booth, it would be inspired by Ronald Reagan's from one of the 1980 debates: Are you better off now than you were 8 years ago? 4 years ago? Do you think the country is better within that time frame? Are your fellow countrymen and women better off?
I'm trying to restrain it to one thought, so I'm going to shut up now.

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(Aargh, this is the second time I've had to write this post. I'm not gonna pull up the links at Yahoo, you can either go there for them or trust me.) Well, that's all the damage I can do around these internet tubes tonight. They're saying the race is too close to call, but it looks like Hillary's. But with 95% of the vote, it looks like the delegate split is 32 Hillary, 29 Obama. And by my calculations, unless 400 thousand voters crossed over to vote in the Democratic race, it looks like Indiana can't be automatically colored blue on the map election night in November. And I don't think 2/3 of Hillary's votes are Repugnicans in disguise.
Well, good night. I'm gonna go play more GTA IV or go to bed, I don't know which.

I was checking out this website to this new horror movie called Frontier(s), which is about...well, to be honest, after watching the trailer for this Horror Movie I'm not sure what it's about. One of the critic blurbs on it said it was a French version of Hostel and Saw, but I wouldn't lump it in the "torture porn" genre. While I usually skirt the edges of the horror genre, I would have to say that it's unrated is good, as horror shouldn't operate in boundaries, or appear to. And the fact that the trailer had some uncomfortable scenes is good as well.

I know Glenn over at Podculture would be interested because while it doesn't appear to have boobs, it makes up for it in the blood and guts categories. This would be an upper-scale Guilty Pleasure for him to review. It comes out in the theatre on May 9th, but the closest one to me is Detroit, and current finances and transportation issues would keep me from making it a road trip. But it is coming out on DVD on May 13th, so there's a chance to see it if you can't get to the theatre.

I was interested in what was going on in the Indiana primary. Until I started reading about the returns. Oy vey (but Geoffrey D Wessel put it better). I'd like to give a special thanks for those Repugnicans who crossed over to mess with our presidential race on the advice of their pill-popping overlord, thus giving us a couple of more years of great representation in my district. They say that people get the type of government they deserve. The only drawback is I have to get it, too.
I pulled myself away from the computer, read the new Entertainment Weekly, and played GTA IV.

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