"throw in almost an hour to get ready to leave" - why not start getting your stuff ready before you're off work and have your workout stuff ready to go? I prefer to have my workout bag ready to go the night before so I don't have to spend so much time in the morning getting ready. Isn't that why parents help their kids set out their clothes the night before? Makes it easier...and hopefully it would get you into a healthy habit of being prepared and not wasting so much time being lethargic.
I would *definitely* consult a contract lawyer, especially with all of these variables on the table. THEY have contract lawyers, you'd be a fool not to protect yourself and your assets.
I'm no MS crony...but I didn't think it was nearly that bad. I, for one, realized that they're not trying to sell the MS product...but rather associate it with being fun and light-hearted. I know that MS has a history (habit?) of blatantly ripping things off - and most of you seem pretty surprised that it's not a direct rip off of the Apple/Mac commercials (I suppose I can't blame you there) - but I didn't expect some big punch to the face badass ad or something. Even if it was, most of you would hate it regardless...so, how is your opinion really THAT credible? Bias undermines a reasonable review.
I picked up all the jokes - and even thought the "leather" one was pretty funny and delivered well by Gates himself. I think a lot of you wanted it to say "Hey, you hate us - but we're sorry!" or something...which would be retarded anyways. Repairing their reputation is going to take more than one commercial, that's for sure...but this one isn't a bad first step.
Bush graduated from Yale, but you make a great point there. The only people who really care about the prestigiousness of their university are the kids being manufactured through it, trying to get a job thereafter. I think that most employers are more interested in your portfolio and what you actually know - as well as what kind of person you are (as you said, a self-learner). I'm a self-learner myself, I cruised through high school (I wasn't at all interested in 90% of the classes) and landed my job (Database Administrator/Web Application Developer) because I was able to display what I had taught myself and showed them the applications I had made. Sure it would have helped if I went to college - but I think most of the time that helps you land an interview rather than the job. If you went to MIT but can't show that you know more than other applicants, you're *probably* not going to get the job unless the employer has a soft spot for your college (like if they went there too) and aren't too concerned with your ultimate success level in the position.
Doesn't it just speak volumes that it's truly the threat of pulling their advertisements that makes Discovery gun shy? These credit companies pump out so much advertising that Discover - which has awesome shows and can drum up tons of advertising regardless - is afraid of losing their dollars. All that advertising for what is really a bunch of brainwashing is kind of the downfall of this country anyways - everyone is putting everything on credit and live by the whim of credit card giants rather than living by sound economics and financial independence. I'd say good riddance if a channel like Discover no longer carried their advertisements.
I tried to do that for awhile, but frankly I suppose I just have OCD about it and couldn't bear to trust them to do right by my payments - after all, many of these companies stand to profit from not making that payment on time. A few years ago, my brother had automatic payments going on Bank of America, and one day the payment was late because of some kind of holiday that their system didn't properly take into account - so he was charged a late fee and they basically told him that it's his responsibility to make sure payments go though. Then what the heck is the point of automatic payments? When their own system messes up they're still perfectly happy to take those late fees (he made enough of a ruckus to make them remove that fee, after a LOT of time on the phone with them though). I was using it a bit too - but I literally check my accounts 5-8 times a month to make sure I remembered to pay, so it really wasn't even worth waiting for their system to make the payment when I always log on in the beginning of the month to make the payment well in advance anyways. I do have a credit union account that takes my car payment out automatically - but they have a 7 day grace period, so it's a pretty safe bet that they'll get their payment and I won't get dinged or anything.
People list old free stuff all the time. I gave away an old Dell 19" CRT monitor (obviously in working condition) within a few hours of it being up. The only unfortunate thing was the lady who picked it up was a bit dodge and STILL emails me now and again (despite having a husband and 3 kids) despite getting the hint that I block every new email address she creates. BUT that is neither here nor there.
Typically if I have enough spare parts to build a cheap PC (even if I have to scavenge a bit for other parts to get it working) I'll try to do so, then put Linux on it and give it away to someone who needs a PC. Local kids shelters (YMCA, etc) typically have a need for these kinds of things. Elderly people take to them just fine if everything is set up for them as well.:)
Do good by others (always being honest with what you have - and trying to go that extra mile to make sure they're taken care of) and I think most of them will do good for other people as well:)
I, for one, find the experiment to be pretty interesting. In this day and age, with all of the sexual diseases and access to so much information on people via the internet...you would think that there wouldn't be that many people jumping at the chance to hit up some slut they've never even SEEN much less met via the internet. In that hand, I would totally support this sort of experiment in showing the public that they should watch their promiscuity and take note of who they date. People can bone anyone they want - but do they really want to bone someone whose hitting up anything/everything that squats their junk and says "c'min git it"? So to that extent - it's a good experiment to make people aware that there's a reason STD's are pretty much everywhere.
That's where my sympathy for this guy ends. He could have still posted on the internet with this experiment in a MUCH more classy way. I would never have revealed faces and would have blurred out identifiable tattoos. To purposely not take those measures is just asking for trouble and it ruins any sense of credibility gained by claiming it was an experiment for the good of public knowledge. What he did was let everyone know WHO was being so promiscuous, not just keeping it an anonymous public notice.
The plaintiff probably won't get very far. He volunteered the information - which went to a public server outside of his intranet. There IS implied risk every time you do something like take a promiscuous picture or make an email with that kind of content and send them off to someone you've never met - much less even know if they exist in the first place. The guy even said "if you're real" or whatever, understanding that it's probably a bot - so he was pretty much scattering the same email around to a bunch of ads and hoping one panned out. That doesn't exactly imply that he was keeping a healthy amount of skepticism about him and withholding any incriminating content. If the guy was really that embarrassed within his family/community, he really should have thought about that before scattering his image/sexual fantasies around the internet like buck shot. Everyone has fantasies and things they'd like to keep private - especially sexual - but that's why they don't do that.
"Consider: all of the people who paid $300 for his special edition release, probably listen to many other artists as well. Would they spend $300, or anything close to it, for special edition releases of albums from all the other artists they like? Probably not; most almost certainly couldn't afford to pay $300 x N artists x M albums; Trent was savvy enough to do it first, so he gets to enjoy what is likely an unsustainable pricing model."
I got that special edition package. I purchased for a variety of reasons. Obviously, I'm a NIN fan. First off, I really dig the concept of the whole thing. The music is really cool (I've been wanting this kind of thing to listen to whilst working - sometimes the more thrashy music is too disrupting) and the concept of having such a collection coincide with a collection of imagery to invoke emotion is something I think is really cool. Another reason is because Trent is doing it without the record industry muscling in their premium off the backs of the consumers. This means my money goes to support the band, not some fat cat in a skyscraper with no real clue about what kind of music people like me really enjoy.
I do like other artists but I don't normally buy these kinds of things (I agree with your analysis to an extent). I'm a big KISS fan - but they come out with a new greatest hits boxset every 6 months (it feels like it!) and have nothing really new to offer - there is no cool concept involved. Plus, most of their sets are not limited edition and the ones that are go up to like 50-100K (How "limited edition" can it be when years later you still see them on Amazon.com or in Best Buy or other music shops? You won't see this particular set in any of those.), not 2,500 - and they are not autographed (that autograph is worth more to me in this case simply because I respect Trent so much - whereas one from someone like Kid Rock I wouldn't even bother to ebay it, just trash it). So the idea that this package is truly limited edition, actually has what I feel to be valuable substance (a new concept), and is personally cared for by Trent himself - these all contributed to my purchase. If NIN was always dumping off box sets, I wouldn't buy any of them because the implied worth in my mind is lower. If they do another one with fresh content and a neat concept in similar fashion, I may buy it so long as it's original - not just a dump-off to scrounge up money (see: Gene Simmons). However, even if they were just basic box sets with not a lot to offer...I think Trent would still be able to pull off 2,500 sales at $300/each. There are lots of fans out there who would be willing to spend the money on something that is limited. I've already read a lot of people saying they would have got one if they weren't sold out. I think a good thing is that Trent is not a "stamp it with the NIN logo and ship it out" kinda person. Everything he does is deliberate and quality. Even though he could make more money with a second limited edition run, I don't think he will...which is good, because people purchased the box set on the notion that it was limited to 2,500.
This is my first box set purchase, so I definitely don't make a habit out of it. I would scrutinize a lot of different aspects before buying - just as I did with this one. I net plenty of money to be able to buy something like this - but I don't want to buy a bunch of junk that I will end up throwing away because I never really liked what it was in the first place.
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"throw in almost an hour to get ready to leave" - why not start getting your stuff ready before you're off work and have your workout stuff ready to go? I prefer to have my workout bag ready to go the night before so I don't have to spend so much time in the morning getting ready. Isn't that why parents help their kids set out their clothes the night before? Makes it easier...and hopefully it would get you into a healthy habit of being prepared and not wasting so much time being lethargic.
WARNING: Being an elected politician has been linked to douche-like qualities and behaviors.
I would *definitely* consult a contract lawyer, especially with all of these variables on the table. THEY have contract lawyers, you'd be a fool not to protect yourself and your assets.
I'm no MS crony...but I didn't think it was nearly that bad. I, for one, realized that they're not trying to sell the MS product...but rather associate it with being fun and light-hearted. I know that MS has a history (habit?) of blatantly ripping things off - and most of you seem pretty surprised that it's not a direct rip off of the Apple/Mac commercials (I suppose I can't blame you there) - but I didn't expect some big punch to the face badass ad or something. Even if it was, most of you would hate it regardless...so, how is your opinion really THAT credible? Bias undermines a reasonable review.
I picked up all the jokes - and even thought the "leather" one was pretty funny and delivered well by Gates himself. I think a lot of you wanted it to say "Hey, you hate us - but we're sorry!" or something...which would be retarded anyways. Repairing their reputation is going to take more than one commercial, that's for sure...but this one isn't a bad first step.
Bush graduated from Yale, but you make a great point there. The only people who really care about the prestigiousness of their university are the kids being manufactured through it, trying to get a job thereafter. I think that most employers are more interested in your portfolio and what you actually know - as well as what kind of person you are (as you said, a self-learner). I'm a self-learner myself, I cruised through high school (I wasn't at all interested in 90% of the classes) and landed my job (Database Administrator/Web Application Developer) because I was able to display what I had taught myself and showed them the applications I had made. Sure it would have helped if I went to college - but I think most of the time that helps you land an interview rather than the job. If you went to MIT but can't show that you know more than other applicants, you're *probably* not going to get the job unless the employer has a soft spot for your college (like if they went there too) and aren't too concerned with your ultimate success level in the position.
Doesn't it just speak volumes that it's truly the threat of pulling their advertisements that makes Discovery gun shy? These credit companies pump out so much advertising that Discover - which has awesome shows and can drum up tons of advertising regardless - is afraid of losing their dollars. All that advertising for what is really a bunch of brainwashing is kind of the downfall of this country anyways - everyone is putting everything on credit and live by the whim of credit card giants rather than living by sound economics and financial independence. I'd say good riddance if a channel like Discover no longer carried their advertisements.
I tried to do that for awhile, but frankly I suppose I just have OCD about it and couldn't bear to trust them to do right by my payments - after all, many of these companies stand to profit from not making that payment on time. A few years ago, my brother had automatic payments going on Bank of America, and one day the payment was late because of some kind of holiday that their system didn't properly take into account - so he was charged a late fee and they basically told him that it's his responsibility to make sure payments go though. Then what the heck is the point of automatic payments? When their own system messes up they're still perfectly happy to take those late fees (he made enough of a ruckus to make them remove that fee, after a LOT of time on the phone with them though). I was using it a bit too - but I literally check my accounts 5-8 times a month to make sure I remembered to pay, so it really wasn't even worth waiting for their system to make the payment when I always log on in the beginning of the month to make the payment well in advance anyways. I do have a credit union account that takes my car payment out automatically - but they have a 7 day grace period, so it's a pretty safe bet that they'll get their payment and I won't get dinged or anything.
http://yourlocation.craigslist.org/zip/
:)
:)
People list old free stuff all the time. I gave away an old Dell 19" CRT monitor (obviously in working condition) within a few hours of it being up. The only unfortunate thing was the lady who picked it up was a bit dodge and STILL emails me now and again (despite having a husband and 3 kids) despite getting the hint that I block every new email address she creates. BUT that is neither here nor there.
Typically if I have enough spare parts to build a cheap PC (even if I have to scavenge a bit for other parts to get it working) I'll try to do so, then put Linux on it and give it away to someone who needs a PC. Local kids shelters (YMCA, etc) typically have a need for these kinds of things. Elderly people take to them just fine if everything is set up for them as well.
Do good by others (always being honest with what you have - and trying to go that extra mile to make sure they're taken care of) and I think most of them will do good for other people as well
I, for one, find the experiment to be pretty interesting. In this day and age, with all of the sexual diseases and access to so much information on people via the internet...you would think that there wouldn't be that many people jumping at the chance to hit up some slut they've never even SEEN much less met via the internet. In that hand, I would totally support this sort of experiment in showing the public that they should watch their promiscuity and take note of who they date. People can bone anyone they want - but do they really want to bone someone whose hitting up anything/everything that squats their junk and says "c'min git it"? So to that extent - it's a good experiment to make people aware that there's a reason STD's are pretty much everywhere.
That's where my sympathy for this guy ends. He could have still posted on the internet with this experiment in a MUCH more classy way. I would never have revealed faces and would have blurred out identifiable tattoos. To purposely not take those measures is just asking for trouble and it ruins any sense of credibility gained by claiming it was an experiment for the good of public knowledge. What he did was let everyone know WHO was being so promiscuous, not just keeping it an anonymous public notice.
The plaintiff probably won't get very far. He volunteered the information - which went to a public server outside of his intranet. There IS implied risk every time you do something like take a promiscuous picture or make an email with that kind of content and send them off to someone you've never met - much less even know if they exist in the first place. The guy even said "if you're real" or whatever, understanding that it's probably a bot - so he was pretty much scattering the same email around to a bunch of ads and hoping one panned out. That doesn't exactly imply that he was keeping a healthy amount of skepticism about him and withholding any incriminating content. If the guy was really that embarrassed within his family/community, he really should have thought about that before scattering his image/sexual fantasies around the internet like buck shot. Everyone has fantasies and things they'd like to keep private - especially sexual - but that's why they don't do that.
http://redcoredesigns.com/pictures/funny/george_carlin_irony.jpg I think George would find this quite ironic. :) RIP George - nobody will ever fill those shoes - ever.
I got that special edition package. I purchased for a variety of reasons. Obviously, I'm a NIN fan. First off, I really dig the concept of the whole thing. The music is really cool (I've been wanting this kind of thing to listen to whilst working - sometimes the more thrashy music is too disrupting) and the concept of having such a collection coincide with a collection of imagery to invoke emotion is something I think is really cool. Another reason is because Trent is doing it without the record industry muscling in their premium off the backs of the consumers. This means my money goes to support the band, not some fat cat in a skyscraper with no real clue about what kind of music people like me really enjoy.
I do like other artists but I don't normally buy these kinds of things (I agree with your analysis to an extent). I'm a big KISS fan - but they come out with a new greatest hits boxset every 6 months (it feels like it!) and have nothing really new to offer - there is no cool concept involved. Plus, most of their sets are not limited edition and the ones that are go up to like 50-100K (How "limited edition" can it be when years later you still see them on Amazon.com or in Best Buy or other music shops? You won't see this particular set in any of those.), not 2,500 - and they are not autographed (that autograph is worth more to me in this case simply because I respect Trent so much - whereas one from someone like Kid Rock I wouldn't even bother to ebay it, just trash it). So the idea that this package is truly limited edition, actually has what I feel to be valuable substance (a new concept), and is personally cared for by Trent himself - these all contributed to my purchase. If NIN was always dumping off box sets, I wouldn't buy any of them because the implied worth in my mind is lower. If they do another one with fresh content and a neat concept in similar fashion, I may buy it so long as it's original - not just a dump-off to scrounge up money (see: Gene Simmons). However, even if they were just basic box sets with not a lot to offer...I think Trent would still be able to pull off 2,500 sales at $300/each. There are lots of fans out there who would be willing to spend the money on something that is limited. I've already read a lot of people saying they would have got one if they weren't sold out. I think a good thing is that Trent is not a "stamp it with the NIN logo and ship it out" kinda person. Everything he does is deliberate and quality. Even though he could make more money with a second limited edition run, I don't think he will...which is good, because people purchased the box set on the notion that it was limited to 2,500.
This is my first box set purchase, so I definitely don't make a habit out of it. I would scrutinize a lot of different aspects before buying - just as I did with this one. I net plenty of money to be able to buy something like this - but I don't want to buy a bunch of junk that I will end up throwing away because I never really liked what it was in the first place.