This is the thing that gets me about the political rhetoric each and every day and the extremes to which it's gone:
A well-known 'right winger' posted this about Benghazi "Who in the H do these tyrants think they are? Manufacturing a story about a scapegoat video then threatening to criminalize speech?"
It just strikes me funny in that a very valid response should be "the same type of tyrants who manufactured a story about WMD to start a war and who created Homeland Security which opened up the door for our own government to listen in on each and every conversation we have each day without just cause"
Both sides are wrong but neither see it and are only driven by their own extreme ideologies. Somewhere in the middle has to be the majority of us, no? I'm finding it hard each and every day to NOT believe that the true majority lies in the heart of the bell curve but just keeps getting ignored in favor of extreme talking points trying to drive agenda.
26 October 2012
23 October 2012
You Can't Fix Stupid
Last night, while I was watching the Chicago Bears beat up the Detroit Lions, the third and final Presidential Debate was going on.
Since I early voted that very afternoon, there really is no reason for me to watch and frankly, the BEARS were on, so there was no choice.
I 'second screen' while watching most sports and had Hootsuite wide open. It was a weird mix of a stream. 33% with political punditry, 33% Monday Night Football and 33% NLCS. Not long after the debate ended I saw THIS tweet go by from Ann Coulter.
I was stunned.
Look, I'm not one to get hung up on word-policing. I'm pretty much of the mind that there should never be controls on words and language. You do not have a 'right' to NOT be offended, like I HAVE the right of free speech.
Further, I really like Ann Coulter and although I see her for what she is, a conservative whip who is there to over-bloviate the right wing agenda, I'm an Independent voter and see merits in both sides of the argument and cast my votes as such when entering the voting booth.
I decided to respond as follows:
But for as much as I've heard how Joe Biden disrespected Paul Ryan in the one and only VP debate and how Barack Obama has been disrespectful to Mitt Romney, from where I sit, there has been a continuous stream, for four years, of disrespect to the office of the President by the right side of the aisle which pales in comparison to anything that has happened in this election season.
Well Ms. Coulter, you've just been pwned by a VERY Special Olympian. You were classless in your comment last night and when "icons" of the Right decide to degrade themselves by using words like you did, you just give permission to all of your followers to do the same. Way to raise the level of discourse. Mr. John Franklin Stephens has taken you to task.
Since I early voted that very afternoon, there really is no reason for me to watch and frankly, the BEARS were on, so there was no choice.
I 'second screen' while watching most sports and had Hootsuite wide open. It was a weird mix of a stream. 33% with political punditry, 33% Monday Night Football and 33% NLCS. Not long after the debate ended I saw THIS tweet go by from Ann Coulter.
Look, I'm not one to get hung up on word-policing. I'm pretty much of the mind that there should never be controls on words and language. You do not have a 'right' to NOT be offended, like I HAVE the right of free speech.
Further, I really like Ann Coulter and although I see her for what she is, a conservative whip who is there to over-bloviate the right wing agenda, I'm an Independent voter and see merits in both sides of the argument and cast my votes as such when entering the voting booth.
I decided to respond as follows:
Well Ms. Coulter, you've just been pwned by a VERY Special Olympian. You were classless in your comment last night and when "icons" of the Right decide to degrade themselves by using words like you did, you just give permission to all of your followers to do the same. Way to raise the level of discourse. Mr. John Franklin Stephens has taken you to task.
22 October 2012
1 week, 1 pound, slow start
7 days into my Weight Watchers diet plan and I'm down 1 pound. I'm not happy but then again, I know I wasn't as vigilant as I should have been and the Saturday night dinner out at The Clubhouse blew scads of points by my inability to refuse a massive White Chocolate Cheesecake dessert. Until dessert, I still would have been a pretty good boy.
So frankly, I'm actually pretty happy that I lost one pound, it could have been a gainer week and that would have been disgusting in general.
This week will be a bunch better. Starting to plan out the dinners so that they are points-friendly and have a breakfast/lunch plan now that at least gets to me 45-50 points remaining for the rest of the day.
So frankly, I'm actually pretty happy that I lost one pound, it could have been a gainer week and that would have been disgusting in general.
This week will be a bunch better. Starting to plan out the dinners so that they are points-friendly and have a breakfast/lunch plan now that at least gets to me 45-50 points remaining for the rest of the day.
19 October 2012
Did Harbaugh take the points?
So it was a somewhat weird ending to the Thursday night football game last night.
Up 7 points and having Seattle pinned back on their own 7 yard line, the 49ers drew a chop block penalty that happened in the end zone. Seattle did complete the pass and ended up about 6 inches short of the first down on a 4th and long.
Because the penalty happened in the end zone though, the ruling is that the 49ers would get a safety and then receive the kick-off being up by 9 points.
But, I guess believing that "things go crazy" Jim Harbaugh asked for a measurement to ensure Seattle didn't make the first down and then when that was verified he declined the penalty, forgo the 2 points and just take the ball and kneel on it to end the game.
I'm not sure what he was worried about since in this day and age of football, there's no way to score 9 points to tie the game, he was going to receive the kick-off (albeit it could have been an onside one) and then just either kneel on it, or play defense.
So this very interesting choice had me immediately look up what the line was in Vegas for this game and lo and behold, it was the 49ers -7.5. Harbaugh's decision thus awarded anyone who took the points with Seattle and screwed over anyone who was giving the points.
With the craziness of the replacement refs this year and the NBA referee betting scandal a few years ago, one would think that the NFL might want to investigate this.
Those who know me, know I never liked Jim when he was playing for the Bears (as well as at Michigan) and when he bought in at Panther Racing (IndyCar), it made me want to hate that team even more and THEN to find out his sister is married to Tom Crean (former Coach at Marquette), this guy just continues to annoy the cr@p out of me. So if he just MIGHT be involved in some scheme, I wouldn't feel for him at all.
Up 7 points and having Seattle pinned back on their own 7 yard line, the 49ers drew a chop block penalty that happened in the end zone. Seattle did complete the pass and ended up about 6 inches short of the first down on a 4th and long.
Because the penalty happened in the end zone though, the ruling is that the 49ers would get a safety and then receive the kick-off being up by 9 points.
But, I guess believing that "things go crazy" Jim Harbaugh asked for a measurement to ensure Seattle didn't make the first down and then when that was verified he declined the penalty, forgo the 2 points and just take the ball and kneel on it to end the game.
I'm not sure what he was worried about since in this day and age of football, there's no way to score 9 points to tie the game, he was going to receive the kick-off (albeit it could have been an onside one) and then just either kneel on it, or play defense.
So this very interesting choice had me immediately look up what the line was in Vegas for this game and lo and behold, it was the 49ers -7.5. Harbaugh's decision thus awarded anyone who took the points with Seattle and screwed over anyone who was giving the points.
With the craziness of the replacement refs this year and the NBA referee betting scandal a few years ago, one would think that the NFL might want to investigate this.
Those who know me, know I never liked Jim when he was playing for the Bears (as well as at Michigan) and when he bought in at Panther Racing (IndyCar), it made me want to hate that team even more and THEN to find out his sister is married to Tom Crean (former Coach at Marquette), this guy just continues to annoy the cr@p out of me. So if he just MIGHT be involved in some scheme, I wouldn't feel for him at all.
17 October 2012
Pencils Down, Work NOT Checked (again)
The other day I ranted a bit about marketing emails (which I opted-in to receive) showing up in my inbox and the sender or their contracted agency NOT ensuring that the images have been loaded to the live environment.
Two days later and they still haven't learned.
HEY DISNEY, maybe you need to change suppliers here, eh? Poor quality is something NOT expected from you and we know how nuts you are about image.
Two days later and they still haven't learned.
HEY DISNEY, maybe you need to change suppliers here, eh? Poor quality is something NOT expected from you and we know how nuts you are about image.
16 October 2012
Important Election Season Announcement
October 16, 2012
North Aurora, IL (October 16, 2012) - During this venomous and bitter election season, some specific issues have become evident to Brian LoCicero and therefore he has a prepared statement included below. There will be no questions entertained subsequent to the release of this statement and no interviews will be granted.
Fellow foursquare citizens: Although I've been playing the foursquare 'game' for several years now, I find it increasingly annoying that the number of specials or offers either being given for checking in or, most of all, obtaining the position of Mayor have been woeful at best.
foursquare's forged relationship with American Express has basically eliminated any discount that I can obtain by checking in to some of my favorite places as I'm not an Amex cardmember and frankly, most businesses that I frequent are not seeing it worth their time to utilize the business interface to post specials or reward players.
Further, for many businesses, their Mayor's are employees. For private businesses, this is perfectly fine but for retail businesses, the point isn't to have an employee, who seemingly should be there everyday, hold Mayorship but in fact, the customers should be the ones competing for that prestigious position.
It is with a mildly heavy heart that I announce that I shall not seek, and I will not accept the nomination from my iPhone for another term as your Mayor of such lovely places as Mother's Restaurant, Randall Crossing Restaurant, Honey Jam Cafe and the most esteemed Village Mattress.
This doesn't mean I won't check-in from time to time especially at a new restaurant, store, or event but since there is absolutely no benefit to becoming Mayor, my run has to come to an end.
Thank you, and God Bless America!
contact
leave a message below
About Brian LoCicero
Swallows a lot of aggression with a lot of pizza
About Foursquare
Early mobile app that was a great concept but seems to have fallen flat when Facebook rolled out their own version.
this release may contain forward looking information but seriously, if you're using this to make major decisions in your life or to figure out whether or not to invest in foursquare or Brian LoCicero, you're making a huge mistake ;-p
North Aurora, IL (October 16, 2012) - During this venomous and bitter election season, some specific issues have become evident to Brian LoCicero and therefore he has a prepared statement included below. There will be no questions entertained subsequent to the release of this statement and no interviews will be granted.
Fellow foursquare citizens: Although I've been playing the foursquare 'game' for several years now, I find it increasingly annoying that the number of specials or offers either being given for checking in or, most of all, obtaining the position of Mayor have been woeful at best.
foursquare's forged relationship with American Express has basically eliminated any discount that I can obtain by checking in to some of my favorite places as I'm not an Amex cardmember and frankly, most businesses that I frequent are not seeing it worth their time to utilize the business interface to post specials or reward players.
Further, for many businesses, their Mayor's are employees. For private businesses, this is perfectly fine but for retail businesses, the point isn't to have an employee, who seemingly should be there everyday, hold Mayorship but in fact, the customers should be the ones competing for that prestigious position.
It is with a mildly heavy heart that I announce that I shall not seek, and I will not accept the nomination from my iPhone for another term as your Mayor of such lovely places as Mother's Restaurant, Randall Crossing Restaurant, Honey Jam Cafe and the most esteemed Village Mattress.
This doesn't mean I won't check-in from time to time especially at a new restaurant, store, or event but since there is absolutely no benefit to becoming Mayor, my run has to come to an end.
Thank you, and God Bless America!
contact
leave a message below
About Brian LoCicero
Swallows a lot of aggression with a lot of pizza
About Foursquare
Early mobile app that was a great concept but seems to have fallen flat when Facebook rolled out their own version.
this release may contain forward looking information but seriously, if you're using this to make major decisions in your life or to figure out whether or not to invest in foursquare or Brian LoCicero, you're making a huge mistake ;-p
15 October 2012
Pencils Down & Check Your Work
I'm getting increasingly tired of companies that I'm fond of, outsourcing their campaign emails and then continuously having issues, but not changing up suppliers or even responding to me when I let them know it's all fanarkled up.
The biggest offender is Pet Supplies Plus who RARELY has the images that are embedded in the HTML email loaded on their live servers. When the entire email is image-based, this means your users open the email to nothing but blocks and 'alt-text'. A couple hours go by and I re-open that email and viola, there's my happy email campaign.
Today, however, the usually buttoned up Disney Corp has blown it. A Jake and the Neverland Pirates email is broken down.
In both cases, they do provide the link so that if you can't read the email, it'll take you to the web page, however, the images are looking for the same source and therefore, even the web page is blank with loads of 'alt-text' all over the place.
I realize that in most organizations, email campaigns are relegated down to the cheapest labor or outsourced to the big companies (Fishbowl, Constant Contact) who offer below ground costs, but it is one of the most common touch points with your brand loyalists and in a lot of cases, some early impressions with your new customers.
Get your shizzle together and proof your work, have a quality control step that someone in the organization has to punch through on the LIVE site to ensure everything has loaded before you give the push order to send the email. It's really simple and doesn't cost you very much.
The biggest offender is Pet Supplies Plus who RARELY has the images that are embedded in the HTML email loaded on their live servers. When the entire email is image-based, this means your users open the email to nothing but blocks and 'alt-text'. A couple hours go by and I re-open that email and viola, there's my happy email campaign.
Today, however, the usually buttoned up Disney Corp has blown it. A Jake and the Neverland Pirates email is broken down.
In both cases, they do provide the link so that if you can't read the email, it'll take you to the web page, however, the images are looking for the same source and therefore, even the web page is blank with loads of 'alt-text' all over the place.
I realize that in most organizations, email campaigns are relegated down to the cheapest labor or outsourced to the big companies (Fishbowl, Constant Contact) who offer below ground costs, but it is one of the most common touch points with your brand loyalists and in a lot of cases, some early impressions with your new customers.
Get your shizzle together and proof your work, have a quality control step that someone in the organization has to punch through on the LIVE site to ensure everything has loaded before you give the push order to send the email. It's really simple and doesn't cost you very much.
Uncle Tubby
To borrow a tag from my friend Heidi, I'm Uncle Tubby. It just means I *try* to eat well, but have a general lack of self control and indulge in whatever I damn well want.
To that end, under a challenge from my wife, I've joined Weight Watchers to see if I can make any headway.
Surprisingly, it's highly customizeable and thank Jesus they have an iPad app, otherwise I'd have an issue here at the start where I need to track everything passing these sweet, kissable lips of mine.
Original goal here is 30 pounds. Sure, in the words of Al McGuire, it's like a deck chair falling off the Queen Mary, but at this point, my fat arse needs to start something.
To that end, under a challenge from my wife, I've joined Weight Watchers to see if I can make any headway.
Surprisingly, it's highly customizeable and thank Jesus they have an iPad app, otherwise I'd have an issue here at the start where I need to track everything passing these sweet, kissable lips of mine.
Original goal here is 30 pounds. Sure, in the words of Al McGuire, it's like a deck chair falling off the Queen Mary, but at this point, my fat arse needs to start something.
13 October 2012
Yes, I'm still alive
Sadly, life happens, work happens, family happens and when they all happen together, like they honestly do for most people, then some of the free-time pleasures are sacrificed like blog posts.
As I stare the end of the year in the face, I try to resolve to be better at this. Some say I have a talent, most don't but nonetheless, there's passion, anger and millions of words that usually need to burst out of this brain of mine.
I'm not going to make this a New Year's Resolution, but I am going to make a concerted effort to be organized, not be afraid to have a 50-word post and not put pressure on myself to create masterpieces for each post.
We'll see.
Busy holiday season coming up but will force time to write about what's gone on this year.
As I stare the end of the year in the face, I try to resolve to be better at this. Some say I have a talent, most don't but nonetheless, there's passion, anger and millions of words that usually need to burst out of this brain of mine.
I'm not going to make this a New Year's Resolution, but I am going to make a concerted effort to be organized, not be afraid to have a 50-word post and not put pressure on myself to create masterpieces for each post.
We'll see.
Busy holiday season coming up but will force time to write about what's gone on this year.
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