Watch that TV (price)

Photo by fedek6 @ SXC

Are the good old times of deep store discounts on electronics gone forever?  Not yet.  With national electronic store chains gone (Circuit City) or soon to be reduced in size and impact (Best Buy), the discounters (Walmart, Target) and the regional stores (Hhgregg, Fry's Electronics) are taking over the business.  Welcome to the Internet shopping age that changed how we shop, and more importantly, how we save our hard earned cash. 


As in any healthy, competitive economy, fluid markets will certainly help set lower prices for any product, especially for hot electronic gadgetry.  And then there is Samsung and Sony.


The Christian Science Monitor comments on the Wall Street Journal article:

Samsung and Sony, two of the biggest television manufacturers in the world, have begun to set price minimums on their television sets, according to the Wall Street Journal. The companies began the practice last month in an effort to curb falling prices and protect their profit margins.
The new policy would prevent retailers from advertising or selling the products for lower than the price requested by the manufacturers. The Sony policy also includes camcorders, audio equipment, and some computers.

Whatever happened to pure competition?  Is the quality of Samsung and Sony products so superior that consumers will reinforce their loyalty by paying higher prices?  The future will show.  For now, the Internet provides a great alternative to buy electronics.  Consumers can still enjoy discounts and savings regardless of price fixing by Samsung and Sony.

Freedom of choice is a key to happiness.  

Awesomeness: Men In Black 3

Yes, Men In Black 3 is that good - total Awesomeness!  We went to see the third part of the popular flick with mixed expectations fueled by many other mediocre sequels and prequels.  To our amazement, the MIB3 was funny, witty, and above all, it had a surprising finale.  The director, Barry Sonnenfeld, created a solid entertainment piece. 

Will Smith was hilarious as Agent J, who travels back to 1960s to stop a nasty alien from killing his partner Agent K, played by Tommy Lee Jones.  Josh Brolin played the young Agent K, and he was right on the money impersonating facial expressions and a voice of Tommy Lee Jones.

Not to give up too much: there is a lunar prison base, cool blasters, new alien forms, one-wheeler motorcycles, time travel, and, oh yes, the jokes!

The right amount of special effects and a very crafty story line, made MIB3 a fantastic choice for a whole family enjoyment.  The movie is rated PG-13 but younger kids should be just fine.  If you haven't seen it yet - I strongly recommend it.

   
 Video: MIB3 official website

Ants be gone!

Spring time invites some uninvited guests - ants.  Plenty of websites provide some solid advise on dealing with the ants.  The sugar ants are pretty easy to eradicate, just use the Terro stations close to their paths.  After 2 days, ants will be gone.  

Recently, I've been noticing larger, black ants entering my house.  After sealing visible cracks or entry points, I found the colony.  It was under the retaining wall steps, right next to the house.  The ants refused to enjoy the plain and tasty Terro.  So, I came up with a protein based meal for my customers.

What do you need?

• Small plastic container with a lid
• Some peanut butter
• Liquid Terro ant killer
• Scissors and a metal spike

Make 3 pinholes on the bottom of the container.  

Also make a hole for the metal spike. 

Next, mix one teaspoon of peanut butter with 2 teaspoons of liquid Terro ant killer.  Ironically, I've used the natural organic peanut butter to prepare the ant meal.

Then, place the container next to the colony or the ant path.  Use the spike to secure the container against the critters.  Wait for the customers to arrive.

For my guests, it took about 2 hours to fill out the container.

For the next couple of days, I will monitor the colony activity to check on the effects of my mixture.

Update: After 3 days of feasting, the ant population reduced in size dramatically.  The tunnels under the concrete steps are empty and the main activity moved to the grassy side.  

I will post a new mixture idea shortly.

Mother's Day with a twist

While shopping for Mother's Day card, I couldn't help to notice some peculiar selection of the cards. Yes, the animal section.  Let me mention only a few:

From the Cat, Mom of a Dog, From the Dog, From the Cat

I wonder how the cat or the dog will pay for the card? Debit or credit? Cash maybe.  Personally, I find some of those cards quite offensive to the animal kingdom. Hidden messages are startling. What do you call "Mom of a Dog"? Yes, you've guessed it - a bitch. However, pregnant mom-to-be cat is called - a queen. Someone obviously is putting down man's best friend - the dog. Incidentally, father male dog is called - a sire. Would a sire care for a bitch? Not sure. One thing for certain, pregnant bitch is called - a dam. 

So, if the sire breeds with a bitch, she becomes a dam and they both enjoy the litter. The pedigree is astonishing.

For next Mother's Day, I'm waiting for some cards from calfs, kits, cubs, chicks, fawns, eaglets, ducklings, foals, joeys, and quite possibly piglets. Happy Mother's Day - Hee-Haw!

Really, London, really?

The 2012 Summer Olympic Games are upon us! YEY! 

From July 27th to August 12th, 2012, London will be the host city. Sports enthusiasts with tickets, step forward. This sounds like a blast. Really, a blast. As reported by many media outlets, authorities are installing roof-top missiles around the Olympic Stadium as a defense against low flying aerial objects. Is Rocket Quidditch becoming a new Olympic sport?

Photo by tomatokill at SXC

What I find even more interesting is an article from Chicago Tribune:

Some 12,500 police will be on Olympics duty each day across the country. Most will not carry a gun, in line with the long tradition of the British police.

I'm sure nightsticks, batons, and whistles will be sufficient to earn respect of the crazies.  

Enjoy the top 10 list of the Olympic Games slogans for 2012: 

     

          10. The English Channel on me telly is misty.

            9. Spend it like a Beckham.
            8. TheBeetlesjuice, TheBeetlesjuice, TheBeetlesjuice

            7. Cheerio cholesterol!

            6. Queen size in Cockney?

            5. It's a bird. It's a brolly. It's a missile.

            4. Cry me a River Thames.

            3. Quid hairpin on me bobby pin.

            2. Your bobbies are unprotected!

            1. More Cowell bell! More Cowell bell! 

Simple taxes?

The discussion in the media about flat tax, progressive tax, business tax, divided tax, and all other taxes, comes and goes every year.  Laffer curve is a big one too.  But how much taxes do we pay?  Looks like more than half of our money is going to various taxes.  Considering that college cost and health care is not included in the deal, the financial strain is huge.

Ratified in 1913, The Sixteenth Amendment, states:
The Congress shall have the power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several States, and without regard to any census or enumeration. 

Why not revoke the The Sixteenth Amendment and let Federal Government deal directly with the states?  States would pay whatever necessary to support the Federal Government affairs and citizens would gain a clearer tax picture.

States would set one flat income tax rate removing any property, use, excise, toll, and fee taxes.  Feeling underprivileged?  Let's set the tax exemption at $15,000 for single and $25,000 for family of three.

You don't like the tax rate?  You move to some other state.  

What about Social Security?  Well, people should be responsible for their own money.  I don't mind taking my contributions and investing it myself.  And Medicare?  The states already run their health care services, taxes should cover that also.

And local governments?  The only tax that would be fair is a sales tax.  You consume more expensive items, you pay more.  One more thing.  There is no need to have a city or county employee for every little task.  Cleaning lady getting a guaranteed pension plan after 25 years of work?  That's sounds good, but only to the cleaning lady. 

You don't like the idea?  Why not run a household like a business then?  You deduct food, clothes, gas, housing, transportation cost, education cost, and whatever else you can before paying any taxes on what's left.  What would you call your business?  Business of living and raising kids.

Federal student loans doubling interest dilemma

If the US Congress won't take any action, the federal student loans rate will double for 2012-2013 school year from 3.4% to 6.8%.  According to CNN article:

What's at stake: More than 7 million undergraduates have subsidized student loans, which means the federal government absorbs some of the interest rate for lower- and middle-income families based on financial need.
If Congress does nothing, the cost to students borrowing the maximum $23,000 in subsidized loans is an extra $5,000 over a 10-year repayment period. The cost to the federal government to extend the lower interest rate is $5.8 billion, according to an analysis by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.

Putting all that election year politics debris aside.  With the cost of college tuition rising, what can an average student do to avoid higher student loan interest rates or eliminate at least some of the loans?

1. Enroll in a local junior college aka community college - tuition is cheap, schedules offer morning and evening classes so you can work part-time, credits are transferable, some offer BA programs from affiliated universities, you can live at home and still enjoy mom's cooking, you can change majors and finally decide who you want to be when you grow up without pissing away thousands of dollars, you can party your bottom off after you transfer to your dream college 
2. Enroll in state programs that offer tuition reimbursement - most of the states have programs that would pay for all or some of your tuition if you agree to work in the state for couple of years.  Nursing is one of the biggest around.  Become a wet nurse at no cost to you!
3. Select in-state state school - you will cut your cost significantly, consolidate your loans early to secure lower rate, screw the esteemed pile of steaming sorority stories from your older buddies on the other end of the planet - you will impress the ladies with your saved cash later!
4. Choose college close to home - you can still live in a basement, you keep all your gadgets, you can show your face at the parties,  you can borrow your parents car, you can munch off your siblings, did I mention mom's cooking?  And the big one: laundry anyone?
5. Get a good trade - try getting some plumbing or electric work done nowadays - it will cost you 2-3 college credits!  If only that much.  Think before your spend all that money on college to work at Red Lobster after you graduate.  Good trade will make you a lot of cash and with your own business, you can do even better in no time.  Think - you build swimming pools - you meet the ladies.
6. Just get a job - the dirty little secret of good-paying job for high school graduates is garbage collection truck driver.  It might not be the most pleasant one, but your trade your sense of smell for thousands of dollars saved on tuition.  Wake up - smell the aroma!  Of cash, that is.
7. Ask your parents to pay for college - sure, it's not for everyone, but if your parents or grandparents are willing to pay for your transformation to a higher life satisfaction with a college degree - go for it! There is no shame to take money from family.  After all, you will be the one selecting that attractive Polish nurse for your loved ones.  Nothing but the best for the family.
8. Finally, just get the lady - if you marry a well-off girl early, you are combining your feelings with the ability to accomplish your dreams at no cost.  Sounds good Levi Johnston, doesn't it?  Oh wait, not the greatest example.  So, what's your choice to save?