This is a pretty cool video. About 5 minutes long. It may elicit many emotions from different people: Fear, joy, amazement, dropped jaw, anger but it will absolutely make you think.

CLICK BELOW FOR THE VIDEO

Technology

When I first started this blog it was mainly to learn about how WordPress worked and how blogs worked.  My intent was to ramble on about things that I wanted to vent about.  Like idiot drivers, horrible customer service, the stunningly inaccurate weather forecasts in Kansas City, how bad our local sports teams are and why, etc…  I had planned to drop a few of the e-mails we all get and secretly love reading in here just for some content.  Turns out that’s about all I’ve really done so far.  When I’m driving, or lying awake and a rant pops into my head it sounds good and very blog worthy but by the time I get around to actually putting it down in “print” it either doesn’t sound so good or more commonly I’m just not that fired up about it anymore.  But today, something a bit different.  A reflection about old friends and why we lose touch and why it’s so nice when we hear from them.  Deep Thoughts with Jack Handy it’s not but perhaps if anybody ever reads this they won’t at least be left thinking they’ve just wasted 6 minutes of their life that they can never get back.

During the year (it’s 2008 by the way, since things on the Internet never seem to die) I’ve gotten in touch with 3 old friends.  I believe all 3 reached out to me first, which maybe says something about me (though I’m not sure what), of course I could be remembering wrong since it really doesn’t matter.  One was my girlfriend of nearly 4 years starting senior year in high school and into college.  I had been back in touch with her once before about 10 years ago, but only briefly and that had been after about 6 years since we graduated college.  Another was my childhood best friend.  Somewhat ironically aforementioned girlfriend may have been the beginning of the end of that friendship that didn’t quite survive all the way through high school.  He too I had been back in touch with previously, very briefly a rather long time ago and again we had lost touch.  Now we’ve been out for drinks a few times and saw a movie that was replayed at theaters one night only for it’s 25th Anniversary - we both recall seeing it together 25 years earlier.  Stop crying, I know it’s touching….  Lastly, I got an e-mail from an old friend from college, again connected to said old girlfriend - she was her college roommate for at least 2 years , maybe 3….???  Anyway, her and I became good friends for a few years as well.  And keeping with the theme were back in touch very briefly many years ago but again lost touch for a long time.

So it’s interesting.  All 3 I had been back in touch with several years later, but several years ago and obviously we didn’t stay in touch then and yet we get back in touch now, again.  Will it stick this time?  Maybe.  Maybe we’re all more secure and stable in our lives where jealousy, or old feelings (good or bad) are no longer a factor.  Certainly it’s easier now with e-mail (which did exist last time we said hi, we aren’t that old) and new social websites (Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.. which didn’t exist last time around) but it still takes time to stay in touch.  So will it stick this time?  In at least one case I can already say no.  My ex-girlfriend and I said hi, exchanged a few e-mails and caught up with our lives.  As much as you can cover 10 years in a few e-mails.  It was very nice, good to know that someone who meant so much to you, even so long ago is doing well and is mostly happy.  But that’s been it.

It probably makes a really big difference on who they were in your past whether or not you stay in touch or just stop with the quick catch up.  When it comes to my childhood friend I think we’re discovering we do have some things in common besides just very fond memories of our childhood and its possible we’ll stay in touch and even see each other once in a while.  And that’s likely the most important thing - something in common now.  That’s why we’re friends with people now isn’t it?  Common interests.  Someone to talk sports with, share political points of view (even if you don’t agree), etc….  That’s a more sound basis for a friendship then anything that happened 25 years ago, even if it was somebody you spent more time with than anybody else during your childhood.

Last but not least, my most recent lost friend who got back in touch by her own admission 18 months after she came across e-mail addresses for some old friends from college.  We were good friends in college, spent a lot of time together.  Not always by choice I guess and I don’t mean to speak for her but I think we “got” each other.  Similar sense of humor and the benefit of no sexual tension - I don’t think either of us were trying to sleep with each other.  Again, can’t speak for her but think I’m real safe here 
It was great to hear from her and who knows if we’ll do more than forward stupid (but often very funny) e-mails now and again.  Only time will tell but if nothing else it was nice to hear from an old friend who seems to be doing well and is pretty happy.  That’s all you can ask for.  Happiness.

So why do we lose touch in the first place?
I think the real reason is that we live boring lives.  What are we going to keep up with…hey I mowed the grass today and you should have seen what the cat threw up yesterday!
It really goes back to who they were in your past and how/why the relationship ended.  For an ex-girlfriend it probably ended bad.  To quote the movie Cocktail “everything ends badly; otherwise it wouldn’t end”.  And if one person thinks it didn’t you can be pretty sure the other person does.  For a childhood friend, people change.  Especially when after their girlfriend breaks up with them a few months later is dating you.  People find themselves and learn a lot about themselves in high school and college and sometimes what they find is that what you want to be or have become may not be the same thing as your buddy from 6th grade.  I suppose we’re always finding ourselves and always changing but in 6th grade it means something different than it does as a senior in high school or freshman in college or as a 30-something guy married with kids.

I think for me, it’s that most people suck so when you find ones that don’t, or at least didn’t you should keep in touch.

Maybe it’s just nice to know that someone remembers you.

I’m pretty sure this is fake but it’s still entertaining.  Enjoy!

Amazing Ball Girl Video

UPDATE - As I suspected, this is in fact fake. It apparently is a Gatorade marketing ploy.

A lot of people do a lot of bad things.  And if you believe in Karma maybe it’s OK because what goes around comes around.

Perhaps you believe in hell, perhaps you don’t but I think we’ll all agree, if there is a hell this is a great way to ensure your spot.

Chase turns sour for lemonade stand robber

Police arrest suspect after girl chased him into a nearby home

updated 11:36 a.m. CT, Tues., June. 17, 2008

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - Call it a lemonade standoff.

A young girl whose lemonade stand was robbed of $17.50 chased the suspect into a nearby home and called police, who spent nearly an hour trying to coax the man into surrendering.

“The guy came up and was, like, ‘Give me your money,’” said Dominique Morefield, who was running the lemonade stand with a group of friends. “I was shocked. It was just my immediate reaction to chase after him.”

 Read complete story

All I can say is WOW!

This was taken in June 2005 in Kansas.

I can’t say it more clearly, nor can the rules of the road.

THE LEFT LANE IS FOR PASSING ONLY!

The left lane does not exist for you to pick what is “fast enough”  as*hole!

If you are not passing another car in the middle lane GET THE HELL OVER and let those of us who want to pass you, do so.  It’s not an ego thing, it’s okay if you get passed by my Prius.  Maybe if you’re lucky you can laugh at me when you see me pulled over a few miles down the road.

GET OUT OF THE LEFT LANE and let others pass!!!  That’s what the left lane is for!

I’ll save my rant about auto insurance for another time - how nice is it to sell a product required by law that everyone who drives must buy?!?!??!

Anyway, being PayPal is good.  And eBay being very smart realized this years ago and bought them.  They seem to have absolutely ZERO liability for anything.  I am an eBay Power Seller and have sold 1000’s of items on eBay over the past 14 years (my original username I sold with my eBay consignment business was registered in 1994) and have used PayPal for a vast majority of sales.  And nothing has ever been their fault.  If my account gets hacked, it’s may fault - they take no liability - my money is gone all they say is sorry we tried to recover your funds and could not.  Then if I’m a seller and someone pays me with an account that got hacked that’s somehow my responsibility as well????  I didn’t approve the transaction, I didn’t decide it was a legitimate transaction - PayPal DID but somehow I’m the only who suffers.  I get the money taken back out of my account, I lose again.  It’s unbelievable.  How is the person who approved a transaction not at fault if it was a fraudulent transaction????  Unbelievable.  So someone got free tickets to a Red Wings playoff game and I had to give back (have it forceably removed from my account) the $377.77 I sold them for!!!  ARGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!

Good:
A Desoto, MO policeman had a perfect spot to watch for Speeders, but wasn’t getting many.  Then he discovered the problem.
A twelve-year-old boy was standing up the road with a hand-painted sign, which read “RADAR TRAP AHEAD”.
The officer then found a young accomplice down the road with a sign reading “TIPS” . . . And a bucket full of money.
(And we kids used to just sell lemonade!)

 Better:
A motorist was mailed a picture of his car speeding through an automated radar post in St Peters , MO.  A $40 speeding ticket was included.
Being cute, he sent the police department a picture of $40.   The police responded with another mailed photo of handcuffs.

 Best:
A young woman was pulled over for speeding.  As the Missouri State Trooper walked to her car window, flipping open his ticket book, she said,  

“I bet you’re going to sell me a ticket to the State Troopers Ball.   He replied “Missouri State Troopers don’t have balls.”
There was a moment of silence while she smiled, and he realized what he’d just said.
He then closed his book, got back in his patrol car and left.
She was laughing too hard to start her car…..

So yesterday afternoon I wrote about people on eBay who have no respect for the community of eBay, the rules and guidelines that are very simple and very straightforward - you bid, you pay.  Simple and quite frankly nothing more than human decency, doing the right thing.  Now I agree completely that if you order a red 8gb iPod from me and I send you a 2gb purple iPod then you have a beef and I’m completely wrong.  But that’s not at all what I’m talking about.  I’m talking about people who simply don’t pay.  If you have a question that will effect your decision about the product then ask BEFORE you bid and win an item or make an offer or use buy it now.  I’m trying very hard to restrain myself from a raving rant about people who lack common courtesy to meet their obligation to pay for items they agree to buy on eBay and make an important point about meeting obligations on eBay and in life.  But twice, yes twice, yesterday people simply refused to pay - quite ironically AFTER my post which incidentally was even created because of another person who I thought wasn’t going to pay but finally come through with payment.

The first was a gentleman who made an offer of $75 for a pair of tickets listed for $99.99 buy it now or best offer.  Although the gate price for these tickets with parking (which was including in the auction) is $83 my cost as a season ticket holder was less and I’d make a very small profit by accepting $75 so I did so.  Then I get an e-mail that he supposedly mis-typed his offer and meant to type $57 and wasn’t going to pay $75.  First of all, eBay shows you your offer (bid) in big bold type asking you to confirm to this person apparently can’t type or read.  But my first point is that he sent me an e-mail telling me he wasn’t going to pay because he screwed up.  He didn’t apologize and ask if we could mutually agree to not complete the transaction, he just told he wouldn’t pay.  It doesn’t work that way.  No, eBay isn’t the police and you’re not going to jail for not paying.  But have some respect for the rules and guidelines that make eBay successful and honor your obligation.  And make reasonable offers when the option is available.  But also - double check what you’re doing when you bid on eBay so this doesn’t happen.  Despite his lack of politeness initially (he did get nicer in the next email) I agree to not complete the transaction and let him off the hook giving him the benefit of the doubt.  Then later that night a lady made an offer of $40 for tickets valued at $240 face.  It was for a 6 session event of which 2 sessions were over so the significant discount was justified and I accepted the offer.  Then AFTER the offer and acceptance she e-mails to ask if she could pick the tickets up.  She even acknowledged that my listing states I do not offer this option.  Still, I agreed because of the timing of the event.  In my e-mail I made a comment about that being a better question to ask before bidding.  If it had been said face to face with a smile and chuckle as I meant it she would have not likely thought twice about it.  But apparently in e-mail it didn’t come across correctly and she decides she’s not doing business with me and not going to pay.  Are you kidding me?  It just confirms for me that people suck.  Never mind that I don’t believe I was or even close but even I were the biggest jackass in the world it doesn’t change the fact that agreed to pay for my item.  Hey, the DMV people are rarely polite and often rude but I still pay them because I made a decision to own a car and thus I am obligated to pay taxes.  My credit card company has the worst service in the world but I still pay.   It should be basic human behavior - if you agree to pay for something, you pay for it.  Simple.  But like I said people suck.