Vir sapit qui pauca loquitur
Useless Topics
Remember Remember what Seagate did Last November
3381 days
There was a story of a gasoline shortage in a small town, and the owner of one of the gas station found that he was completely full, and would not be affected by the short term lack of supply. He promptly decided to jack up the price to ten times what he usually charged. Some people had no choice but to gas up at his prices, and he made in profit in a few days what he made in a few months… until the shortage was over and priced went back down… The forced buyers didn’t picket, or complain at his questionably unethical, (but certainly opportunistic), behavior. He can charge whatever he wants, this is a free country, at least in theory. The buyers just did what they were suppose to: they voted with their dollars. The people remembered what he did, and they purposely drove across town to other gas stations, until the man was completely out of business.
It’s not really odd that in today’s economy, the storage of 0′s and 1′s are as inelastic as they are, but countless millions just NEEDED certain amount of hard drive storage the past six months. In life is absolutely requisite sometimes. Seagate is in a similar situation as the gas station owner; you may not know this, but – due to the higher physical elevation of Seagate’s factory in Thailand, Seagate was not affected by the floods. And they have other manufacturing facilities around the world. So instead of gobbling up market share, becoming the hero, they lowered the warranty length (from 5 years to 1), and raised prices. I’m not talking 20-30% increase. I’m talking 200%-300%. Two years ago I defended Seagate before, but now…. that’s what I call corporate rape.
Pricing history from Newegg:
Seagate Barracuda Green ST2000DL003 2TB – up 328%
Seagate SV35 Series ST2000VX002 2TB – up 263%
Seagate Barracuda XT ST32000641AS 2TB – up 255%
Seagate Constellation ES 2TB – up 195%
And Seagate and (Western Digital too) are making RECORD profits in this “dramatic downturn.”
So, when a company forcabley rapes you, just because the opportunity arises, is not a company you should do business with in the future, in my opinion. As hard drive prices continue to lower, remember what Seagate did, just because they found you bend over and tied down. Remember to vote with your dollars.
News is now floating around that it was fake , and I bet you a few months or even years down the road their will be price fixing allegations and settlements, of which you will see pennies from after the lawyers get through with their share. Alas, there is nothing that can be done but VOTE!
Ps. Graphs were made with an excellent Chrome Extension called “The Camelizer” which tracks prices on Newegg and Amazon.com and others.
Happy Birthday – My Mercedes-Benz turns thirty.
0474 days
Thirty years ago this month of February, some workers in West Germany built my car. As I’ve traveled around the world central america, middle east, Europe, I have seen this legendary car in every country, especially Africa and the middle east. These old reliable Mercedes diesels are still rumbling around. (They are still in all kinds of movies.) It’s been called “The Last Real Benz”. (I would never buy a new Mercedes)
When I bought this car in 1997 people laughed at what I paid for a car that was “so old and with so many miles” (15 years old, 150,000 miles). Without exception, all of these nay-sayers are on their second, third or forth car. It’s certainly not invincible nor will it last forever with Utah harsh winters of salted roads. It’s certainly showing signs of aging. I’ve had 1 major repair, and 1 minor one to date. I am convinced, as are other MB diesel owners the car has regenerative healing powers. It also will work in an apocalypse, it can run without a battery and can be started without a starter!
I do laugh out loud when some car reviewing entity says “Fords is at the head of the pack of “long term reliability*” *(Long term meaning at least 3 years). THREE years? Laughable. You want a true test? Go on ebay right now and pick any year 1978-1985. You will see two to four times as many Mercedes as Fords, GMC, or Chrysler, combined. Considering these cars outnumbered Mercedes tens of thousands to one, this is phenomenally significant. It’s back when they were trying to prove something. Quality over profit. Sure it cost $66,872 in 2010 dollars ($30,000 in 1982) but price != cost != value. Parts for my car are about 1/4th what an American car runs.
Oh, and it’s also one of the only cars that can run 100% biodiesel no mods. Sure shuts up the environmentalist hypocrites with their “hybrids” using 3% less gas. I have yet to meet a single self-proclaimed environmentalist who drives an alternative fueled car as of 2012.
It’s a car that launched one of the most popular Mercedes DIY sites, honored by Daimler-Benz themselves, and most other counties Mercedes Franchise’s. (The site is Visited by over 130 countries each month.) Personally, my benz, I’ve taken it all over the Western United States, off roads kayaking, Grand Tetons, Zions, Highway 1, everywhere.
Well, It’s been a great fun car. It’s probably getting close to 1/2 million kilometers (thus I get to win another award from MB). I’m sure I’ll bid it goodbye one day the future. But a 30 year birthday for an inanimate object gets you a blog post. Shout outs go to my Uncle Russ for when I drove in his Mercedes Diesel (with the manual glow plugs) when I was 14, I fell in love, and knew I was going to get one, one day. Also to Dave from across the street whose W123 Mercedes diesel knowledge helped me out countless times.
Cheers!
Please Remember the *Real* Reason for the Season
0544 days
I am pleasantly amused by people who get so adamant and frustrated about people not remembering “the *REAL* reason for the season.” The REAL one. Did I get enough emphasis on ‘real’? Some people will even get to the point of tears because of the lack of real-ness, apparently. Has it gotten to commercialized? Have we forgotten what it’s REALLY all about?
Really?
Nimrod comes to mind. According to ancient Babylonian tradition (About 2167 BC), Semiramis (who eventually became known as the pagan goddess Astarte/Asherah/Ashtoreth/Isis/Ishtar/Easter in other pagan religions) claimed that after the untimely death of her son/husband Nimrod (yes she was married to her own son), a full grown evergreen tree sprang up overnight from a dead tree stump. Semiramis claimed that Nimrod would visit that evergreen tree and leave gifts each year on the anniversary of his birth, which just happened to be on December 25th. This was the day each year when the day started to become noticeably longer.Thus it was fitting for the early pagans to designate December 25th as the date of the birth or the “rebirth” of the sun, and about a dozen other pagan gods. It was certainly the style of the time:
The following are just some of the pagan gods that had “birthdays” on December 25th….
Mithras
Horus
Attis
Dionysus the son of Zeus
Tammuz
Hercules
Perseus
Helios
Bacchus
Apollo
Jupiter
Sol Invictus – (The “Unconquered Sun”)
Mithras
Horus
Attis
Dionysus the son of Zeus
Tammuz
Hercules
Perseus
Helios
Bacchus
Apollo
Jupiter
Sol Invictus – (The “Unconquered Sun”)
When the Roman Catholics decided to make December 25th a “Christian holiday” in the fourth century, (There appears to be no doubt that Pope Julius was trying to make it as painless as possible for pagan Romans to convert to Catholicism) they simply adopted a long standing pagan holiday of the rebirth (or resurrection of the Sun, and kept most of the same pagan traditions. For example, the ancient Babylonian “Christmas tree” became known as a symbol of fertility throughout the ancient world. The pole, balls, and tinsel represented various aspects of male fertility, while wreaths were always fashioned in a circle to represent female fertility.
The Puritans who came to America seeking religious freedom, banned Christmas trees because it was common knowledge that it was a blatant pagan practice and the evergreen tree, adorned with ordainment and gold and such were blatant pagan symbols. The Puritans followed the bible’s teachings too:
Thus, is the true reason for the season. The origin of the Christmas Holiday!
Of course… I may be wrong, and this may be the REAL reason for the season:
So, in the immortal words of Homer Simpson, “God bless those Pagans”. Happy Holidays everyone!
The Greatest Movie Ever Sold
0792 days
We checked out Morgan Spurlock’s new movie at Sundance this year. It’s called “The Greatest Movie Ever Sold”. If you want to see audience members laughing out loud and and applauding during a movie documentary I highly recommend it. Outrageously funny, see it in the theater. They finally have released trailers, here is the 1080P one.
Check it out. 1080P
Join in the Fight Against Nothing; To Not Fight Against The Unwanted – Facebook Group
21089 days
For those self-acclaimed enlightened among you, please join in the non-battle against unwanted things. 
We all have some unenlightened friends who often send us an invitation to join a Facebook group to fight against something. So I wanted to make a group I could send them to, to attempt to try to teach how things are truly defeated.
To understand that pushing against unwanted things only creates more of them (war on drugs, terrorism, crime, teen pregnancy, poverty, cancer, anything unwanted, etc.) To teach that emotionalized attention to a subject gives it energy and continues to perpetuate them in our experience. Whatever you resist, persists.
This is not a group who pushes against those pushing against unwanted things; this is more a statement that there are a group of enlighten beings who quietly are making the world better by our attention to wanted things. Peace, Freedom, Abundance, Health, Happiness and Love.
We understand what Jesus taught when he said “Resist not Evil & Turn the other Cheek” meaning don’t give attention to unwanted things, turn away from them.
Next time your friend invites you to join a group “against” something, free free to send them an invite this way.
I love CitySearch’s suggestion for Entertainment in Draper, Utah
01171 days
Friday night, nothing do to, City Search Suggest I go check out the…State Prison, why didn’t I think of that?
The surprising and delighting universe…
01285 days
Since I was a little kid, my favorite number is seven. I think I liked it because it’s unique in that is is the number under ten that has two syllables. Anyways, the very reason for our existence is joy. And most people justify their existence by bragging up the struggle they bring upon themselves. And that’s fine by me; to each his or her own… However, it is my experience that the whole universe will bend over backwards and it will organize all circumstances and events just to surprise and delight you. I had yet another instance yesterday. I was enjoying being on top of Teton Pass, hopped in my car and continued to drive down. Felt like looking at my dash and was quite delighted:
77777 77.7
The trip meter was hit as standard when I gassed up, and all of this was just for the sole purpose of a “whoopee” for me. Gotta love it. Thank you Universe. Here are my other pictures form the trip.
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| 2009.11.10 – Grand Tetons |
Canyonlands & Dead Horse Pointe
01335 days
We hit Canyonlands, which has one of my favorite vista’s; Mesa Arch.
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| Canyonlands & Dead Horse Pointe |
And Dead Horse Point which is Utah State’s shameless attempt to sneak a part right adjoining Canyonlands. I call it the ten dollar picture… but it’s worth it:
I’m bringing back the Double-Breasted Suit
01369 days
Yep, I’ve decided to bring back the double breasted suit. Let me build my case:
Exhibit A; Forbes: “Whatever their other differences, men’s style insiders seem unanimous on this: No suit makes a man look better, no matter what his physique, than a double-breasted one”
Exhibit B; Men with Style: Guess who still wears double-breasted suits? Ralph Lauren‘s CEO, Vanity Fair‘s Editor, 5th Avenue CEO, Thomas Mastronardi, (who specializes in public relations and marketing for luxury menswear) (and of course me) all are currently wearing the suit of choice.
Exhibit C: When a man was looking for a double breasted suit, he found that they no longer sell then in American Stores, which prompted the article entitled “When Did the Memo Go Out that Americans Are Boring Homogenized Clones?” Nuff said.
Humm, they are so different, so many options. Which one should I pick?
For these reasons and more, I have heretofore decided to officially bring back the double breasted suit.
UPDATE: Megasuit.com, the largest online suit retailer in the world, has declared indeed that 2009, the db suit is comin’ back.
My work here is done. Lemming clones be gone. Style has returned.
Oh, and you’re welcome.
Beware Credit Cards?
01434 days
I think credit cards are fantastic. I think they are incredibly convenient, 100% safe, and I have made thousands upon thousands of dollars using (rewards programs) them and never had to pay a dime for the use of them. They helped me get excellent credit enabling me to buy a house. And yet, the media or finance classes can’t shut up about how dangerous they are. Growing up we’ve all heard that incessantly “Whenever you get a credit card, just cut it up!”
And true-to-form, the news had countless stories of people “ruining” their lives with “credit cards.” But there is just one huge flaw in the premise, just because a minority of some people don’t have self-discipline, doesn’t mean I won’t. I like one of my college professors who encouraged us to use credit cards, because he figured the more undisciplined people used credit cards, the higher rate of return he got on his investments and such. What he was trying to teach was you can pay interest, or make it. True to form, if others did have self disciple, I couldn’t get rewards like 5% cash back on my purchases. I read long ago that money amplifies who you are. If you are an impulsive and undisciplined person, credit cards will amplify that. If you are responsible and don’t buy stuff you can’t afford, you will make bank. So thank you all to who can’t stop spendin’. Keep up the good work!.
Cheers,
D