Socially Unacceptable?

I'm going to come right out and say it: policemen, teachers, and other public servants (excluding firemen, they are okay) are treated as elite, and I can't figure out why. Let's start with police. People say that the police are great public servants and we should appreciate their work. Why should I appreciate what they do? Every damn police car I've seen in the past month has been either (1) waiting to pull over the guy trying to get to work so he can support his family, or (2) pulling said guy over. Maybe I would start appreciating what they did if they actually started solving crimes!

Now teachers, shall we? In most schools across the country, there is a "teacher appreciation week", where students are 'encouraged' to give their teachers some kind of gift. WTF. Don't we already gift them a gift with our, y'know, PROPERTY TAXES? Think about it. People doing hard jobs, like fighting wars or putting out infernal blazes are barely recognized, if at all.

But no, most people say, you can't say these things. It's socially unacceptable. You're a hatemonger. You don't want children to learn. You don't care about public safety. You want puppies to be eaten by sharks (huh?). Our culture is taught to bow down to these icons like gods, and I'm sick of it. If policemen got back to doing their job (solving crimes, anyone?) then maybe I'd respect them.

The Video Only Scam

Hey, douchebags at Video Only! I really wanted to get home today and write you a glowing review about how great your prices were and how friendly the service was. But can I write that glowing review? Nope.

You see, this all started about a week ago when I decided, "Hey, I need a new TV!". So I shopped the ads, went to some stores, etc, until I found the perfect deal at Video Only: Sony Bravia KDL40V5100 with a Blu Ray player for $850! Great deal, huh?

So I go back to make the purchase last night. Get there, come into the store, talk to the salesman, and show him the one we decided on. He says "Oh, okay, I'll see if we have it in stock". Five minutes later, "Sorry, we're all out".
"Can you call the warehouse?"
"Sure."
*calls warehouse, finds that there aren't any there*

So we leave the store and come home, and I decide to read some reviews about the whole chain. They get... less than glowing reviews. The reason is that they (1) NEVER have the item wanted in stock, and (2) make you wait 6-10 weeks for it. The explanation is simple: the biggest risk retailers take is buying items with the chance they won't sell. VO's solution? Don't buy any items until they sell! That's right, VO doesn't buy the TV from Sony until they have an order placed for it. The result? 6-10 weeks of the product changing hands.

So, if you have a Video Only near you, please don't shop there. It's a well documented fact that it takes months for them to ship your product to you, and you would be better off just buying it from somewhere like Best Buy (where I ended up buying the same combo for the same price).

Screw you Video Only.

New Poll

Our new, featured poll is up. The question is, which company manufactures your PMP (personal media player)? Possible answers are Apple (iPod), Microsoft (Zune), Creative (Various pmps) and Other (does that need any explanation?)!

Enjoy!

Zune 4.3 Bricked Your ZuneHD?

For all you Zuners out there, the 4.3 update came down from Microsoft this weekend. When I first saw it, I was like "Yay! Finally the playcount issue will be fixed!". So, I updated (or so I thought). This 'update' ended up deactivating my ZuneHD. The prompt is to restore firmware, but it ends up not letting me because the Zune is unable to receive data from the PC anymore (for some of you who know me, you might remember this summer when I had a similar issue with my 30GB Zune).

I've been searching the internet for similar people with this issue, but haven't found any. Has anybody else experienced this issue? The comments are open for feedback and discussion of the ZuneHD.

Designated Hugger Back for Mariners

(pic via WalkOffWalk.com)

That's right, Seattle! Your designated hugge... er, designated HITTER is back for another season with the Mariners. News broke this morning on 710 ESPN Seattle that Ken Griffey Junior has been signed for a 1-year deal, and rumors are that he will be paid $2-$3 million dollars.

Now, while I don't hate Junior, I certainly am skeptical of his value to the team. He hit barely above .200 last year. Jack Z-something-or-other (Mariners GM) even stated in an interview this morning that Griffey's main role will be a clubhouse influence. Really? Couldn't this money have been spent on landing a solid shortshop or bolstering the pitching rotation?

Overall bad move by the GM here.

Astro Boy for Best Animated Feature

pic via Drafthouse.com

If you haven't seen this movie, you should. Astro Boy, in my mind, was one of the most enjoyable films I 've seen recently (a close second to "Radio"). The soundtrack is brilliance. Pure brilliance. And Freddy Highmore being casted as Astro Boy... that was probably the best casting move for an animated film. Ever. The main criticism I've seen so far is that the plot is cheesy and predictable. And I'll concede that it is. But you're enjoying the movie so much that it just doesn't matter.

The movie is definitely geared at kids (aren't most animated movies), but this one appeals to teenagers and adults as well. In fact, over at IMDB, "males under 18" are the category liking Astro Boy the most.

OVERALL, 9/10. Great movie. Should be considered for Best Animated Feature, but alas, since Pixar put out a crappy movie this year (Up, anyone?) they'll be winning the award.

Astro Boy ftw.

Sorry about that

As you've probably noticed, there hasn't been a new IW post in two months. This is due to the fact that my laptop broke, and I've been unable to blog since then. Now, however, I am using a desktop computer and I will be able to do some blogging! (Insert celebration here).

Now, to the jump!