OK, I wanna know what did ya get for the BIG DAY!!??

I got my Verizon Blackberry Storm phone, and it's the COOLEST THING!!!  I just gotta figure the dang thing out!!!  LOL!!!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27958458/?GT1=43001

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27957714

these people have REALLY LOST it!!!

I repeat again…

IT'S NOT THAT SERIOUS!!!! It's only toys r us!!!

It isn't rocket science. Coin operated vending machines have been around for ages and now many are equipped to accept paper money too. Some work rather reliably, some don't. Even ones that accept credit/debit cards have been around for a good while. Still, both have their problems.

I love this particular set of machines that are supposed to take bills because where you put the bills in there's a little picture of how the bill is supposed to be oriented. It shows the bill facing up with the presidents' head facing left. Only if you ever try to put the bill in that way it will be rejected every time. The president's head has to be facing the other way.

Then there's the matter of change. Some of these machines now accept five dollar bills and give change in quarters. Spend a dollar or so and you get a fist full of the damned things. OR, as some do now, you may get some Susan B Anthony's or that other newer dollar coin. You know you're only going to end up spending them as if they were quarters by mistake since you never use them and clerks at the registers hardly ever see them either. What a pain in the ass.

Then there's the cost of the stuff in vending machines to begin with - 'nuff said 'bout that.

Selection? Give me a break! Why twenty different types of sugar water and (worse yet) awful tasting sugar substitute sodas and plain old water when what I'd like instead is something decent like a natural fruit juice or a V8 (especially the spicy version) not some 99.9% sugar water that they call a "fruit drink" because it contains such a minute amount of actual fruit juice that they are somehow permitted to use the word "fruit". Others aren't even so disingenuous and merely call themselves "fruit flavored" - either way, they're all garbage, massively overpriced sugar water.

The sandwich machines are some of the worst. There's one that dispenses something they call Tony Roma's items. You will NEVER find such disgusting cardboard tasting morsels at a Tony Roma's restaurant. Same for Boston Market chicken and Checkers chicken - Not even anywhere remotely close to resembling what you'd get if you went to those establishments.

Getting change? Some machines take about half a minute before they dispense your change. What's up with that? They sure can accept the money fast enough (when you put the change in and it isn't rejected for no good reason or the bill in and you put it in the right way which is the wrong way according to the picture). It's not even as if the vending machine people are making anything off of people leaving their change that took so long to come out in the coin return slot. Someone else will find it first. So why does it take so long?

There are so many more reasons vending machines just plain suck and yet they were invented as a convenience. They replace people since apparently people selling things aren't supposed to do the job as well or cost too much. I dunnoh, the machines charge more and they are hardly convenient most of the time. How about also all those times they steal your money and give you nothing or dispense the wrong item?

I say feed 'em slugs, kick 'em in, or just boycott and starve the beasts. It's high time we humans rebel against the tyranny brought upon us by these machines that are trying to take over our lives.

http://www.kmbc.com/video/17768384/index.html

this was sent in an email to me.  shocking…just shocking…

don't even know where to start!  I'm at work and we have a buzzer for people to ring so we know to get up and help them but like this one lady, some people sit there and say "hello, excuse me".  but whatever, so I get up and ask here what she needed.  now BEFORE I go on, I need to give you background info of my job.  I work at bunny bread and there is a thrift store next door to us that sells bread items/desserts and it is also where people who have set up donations of bread to be picked up need to go to pick up their requested donations.  this lady then begins to go off the handle about "WHY CAN'T I GET SOME HOT DOG BUNS?!"  I asked were there any in the store and she said yes BUT she wants to know WHY all these white people are walking out with trays and trays of buns and why can't she?  now of course at this point you know she's black and older, about late 50's, early 60's.  but that has NOTHING to do with it!  those people had set up donations beforehand!  she asked how she could do that.  I said you need to fax a letter on the company or business letterhead requesting this.  and she said well I don't think people in the african american community know this.  I want a letter stating the procedures on this.  **OMG**  I'm ready to choke her now.  I told her that all she needed to do was call and ASK!!  so I gave her the phone and fax # for future ref.  and she proceeds to say how she needs to buy buns for 42 schools?!!  IS SHE CRAZY!?  the day BEFORE Halloween and she wants to find enough buns for these people?  who the EFF does that???  the whole southeast La. won't have enough buns for this lady!  why did she WAIT til last minute??  lots of churches and schools are doing things for Halloween so we had to order extra to compensate for that BUT even we have a limit.  we don't want to have too much and risk it going bad. I mean yeah we're a bread factory BUT we don't have an OVERLOAD of buns on hand!  certainly NOT for 40something schools!!! unless it was planned already for them!!

does anyone know if those blu-ray dvd players also play regular dvd's or ONLY blu ray dvd's?  QVC's special value today is a blu ray dvd player for about 250.00 which isn't bad considering when they first came out they wanted over $1000.00 for one 2 years ago.  

why, oh why can't you get coupons that DON'T require you to buy more than one thing? I wanted to get a pack of Pillsbury piecrusts. I had a coupon. Got to the store only to discover I HAD TO BUY 3! There are 2 in a pack, so I'd end up with 6. I don't want 6. I want ONE PACKAGE.

Oh, there are coupons out there that let you buy one item but they are getting to be fewer and fewer. Geez!

I don't know about the rest of you, but I love all this new technology. I have my iPod Touch, my cell phone (which takes some crummy pictures, but still it takes them), and now two digital cameras. I went out and bought a cheaper one that way I don't lose or break or ANYTHING my good one (it's discontinued). So because of all these things, which I love, I have a huge mess in my purse. Why can't all companies use the normal USB size? I don't have much in my purse, but I do have all my cords I need for all my electronics that are with me at all times (I plug into work and home). This means a digital camera cord, a phone cord, an iPod cord, AND those crummy little ear buds that iPod gives you (seriously, they suck). I can't even fit them in my ear due to a konch piercing that I have. I will go get better headphones, but then that's going to take up more room!!!

Come on companies!!! Make ALL your products use a typical USB cord on both ends and make life easier!! Then I would only need one cord in my purse, and might not need the xanax in there!

first off, this is a double rant!

first, THE WEATHER!!  my kids didn't have school today because of it.  the wind was kickin ass and takin names!!!  blowing stuff all over, tree branches EVERYWHERE and trying to DRIVE was HORRIBLE!!  not much rain today OR yesterday either, BUT the WIND!  WHEW!!  I went to work but there was no power so we weren't there long, maybe 2 hours.  so after work I decided to TRY and get my disaster relief food stamps.  which leads me to my second rant…

the food stamps!  I got there about 11:30 and got IN the building at 1:30!!!  that's how long the line was, but it kept moving so it wasn't bad and with the wind outside, it cooled us off as we waited.  but that isn't even my problem.  my problem IS all the "foreign" (hispanic) people in the line to get them!!  one dude had a HONDURAS passport!!  I SAW IT!!  HOW the EFF can they be getting LOUISIANA food stamps??!!  once the line moved inside the building, I noticed that there was a separate line for these "foreigners".  I don't know if they got the same amount we got but I do WONDER WHY they even QUALIFY to get them!!??  I was able to get $643 for one month, just a month which is ok for me, for a family of five.

AND no CREDIT CARD REQUIRED!!??

WHAT THE…?? have any of you heard of this site?  just discovered it.

 http://www.spiralfrog.com/

it turned out to be pretty cool for a birthday.  haven't had a real good one in a while.  I had to work, but it was ok cuz my co-workers surprised me with a cake and ice cream!  when I got home, I had a couple of b-day cards, one from David's parents with 50 bucks in it and another from David and the kids with a $50 itunes gift card!  I already had a cake at home as well.  Later we went out to eat with the kids to Miyako, a hibachi restaurant!!  it was so cool and fun to watch the guy put on a show with the food.  the kids LOVED it and I hadn't been to one since I was a kid.  the food wasn't bad either.  it was a little pricey (116.00), but what the hell, it was a special occasion. 

along with all of this, David had an interview with Shell Motiva (a chemical plant) and they HIRED him.  he should start in Oct.!!!  so bye bye Fedex for him.  he was so happy and excited.  that's the job he wanted cuz he did his internship there.  I'd say all in all, it was a good day.  AND today I'm off from work so I get to chill today! maybe get my nails done and wash my truck.  Life can be good when you least expect it!

it AIN'T playing right!!  It worked just fine yesterday and today when I get in the car and start playing it, it skips songs, doesn't play songs, the album artwork won't show!!every time I start a playlist, which is on shuffle as always, it MIGHT play the first song, then skip and play the 2nd song, maybe a third and then just go from song to song after that not playing it at all!!!  GRRR!!  I haven't dropped it OR downloaded ANY illegal stuff.  I only use music from my CD's and from itunes.

http://www.qvc.com/qic/qvcapp.aspx/view.2/app.detail/params.CM_S CID.coll

I ordered it already from QVC cuz it was the today's special value for Saturday, so I didn't want to miss it, but I can return it if it's not a good idea.

http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/story/485622.html

I'm glad they finally did an article about it, I've known about these prices for some time now,  but it's hard to get others to realize how much people are paying when there's no article about it! Here's something for some perspective:

"a loaf of bread goes for $6; a gallon of milk, $10; a dozen eggs, $4.60; a pound of strawberries, $10; a half-pound of lunch meat, $7."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25677373

but hey N.O. is too…LOL!!! 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25480617

http://tech.msn.com/microsoft/articlepcw.aspx?cp-documentid=8354 050&GT1=40000

do I HAVE to use my Vista now?  I'm afraid of changes when it comes to my computer.  I'm so familiar and comfortable with this and I'm not ready to switch over.  I guess I should but I'm just afraid that if I do something to my computer and it won't work the same.  and I do remember rkinne saying that I can install it and still be able to use xp OR vista. 

(sigh)  I don't know… 

http://video.msn.com/?mkt=en-us&vid=77d16040-2d8b-432e-b0d0- 7b91035f8b2a&playlist=videoByTag:tag:source_today%20show:ns:MSNVideo_Top_Cat :mk:us:vs:0&from=MSNHP&tab=m17&GT1=42003

and notice when they ask how much they are suing for they NEVER answer, they say…again it's not about a dollar amount, it's about a defective product…OH BULLSH*T!!!  you KNOW it's ONLY about the money!!! 

nevermind, just click this link to read it…

 http://www.funny.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/Funny.woa/wa/funny ?fn=CHAWF&Funny_Pictures=Banned_From_K_Mart

I was just dropping the kids off to summer camp this morn and as I was leavin, I got stuck behind a dump truck. my question is WHY do they drive SO FRICKIN SLOW ALL THE TIME???? I know they can't or shouldn't drive too fast but THIS idiot was going like 10-15 mph!!! that's slower than a school zone!!! I couldn't pass him cuz it was on a one lane residential street! GAH!!!!

next one: I was in Winn Dixie yesterday, which I HATE going to (grocery stores in general) and I know we've talked about this before but it is STILL SO AGGRAVATING, but people who are shopping around you just tend to leave their baskets ANYWHERE!!! I mean, HELLOOOO, others are shopping too. the other thing they do is leave the basket in the middle of the aisle while they're looking at something somewhere else on the aisle! When I shop I pull my basket all the way to the side WITH ME where I am and NOT BLOCK others. so I'm walking around saying "excuse me, pardon me…!!!!" cuz I CAN'T MOVE!! DOUBLE GAH!!!!!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24582399

I guess the price of gas NEEDS to go back down, huh???   YEAH, RIGHT!!!

I don't know if you guys know but there's supposed to be some "national" strike against the price of gas tomorrow where we are NOT supposed to buy gas ANYWHERE! so fill up today! and also someone also told me that we shouldn't buy Exxon or Citgo EVER so we DON'T support Arab oil. I'm not sure about all that but I'm, not buying ANY gas tomorrow.

I KNOW it's supposed to be direct deposited today, but WHEN???

I hope it doesn't take too long.  I need to go get things for the house!

has anybody else checked to see if their tax rebate was put in their account yet?

http://www.nojazzfest.com/

all the crazies come out again, like a second Mardi Gras.  we have jazz fest this weekend and next weekend and I don't live near it, thank goodness, BUT it's gonna be crazy around here the next 2 weekends. And that's all that they talk about on the news.  I'd like to go BUT it's SO friggin expensive for tickets, not to mention the food, drinks and souvenirs once you get in!!!  Oh well I guess I'll stay in for the next 2 weeks!

Just venting here.

It's spring and I'm going crazy!  While some other women would be dying to hit the mall, I'm dying to hit the nursery and buy every flowering plant I can fit into my husband's truck.  I have a huge back yard that is an empty canvas just calling my name.  But alas, I'm broke.

I have a few potted trees that I have grown from seeds but I wanted to make our yard more inviting for the kids.  We only have one short lemon tree and our back yard in the summer is like standing under a magnifying glass.  NO SHADE!!

I'm feenin' for a magnolia tree people!  LMAO!!

I started buying Miricle Whip in the plastic container that has the lid on the bottom, and you squeeze to get it out. I noticed that I was starting to run low the other day (I got the beloved fart sound from it). I figured that being gravity exists on our great planet that it also effects Miricle Whip. One would think that being Miricle Whip is heavier then air it would slide to the bottom of the container, hence the purpose of the lid on the bottom.

Nope, not true. Apparently Miricle Whip is lighter then air, and does not slide to the bottom. I went home for lunch today, and thought I was out half way through making my sandwich. I took the lid off and there was TONS of Miricle Whip left in there. So, just like I had to do on the old BIG containers that opened from the top, I had to stick my knife in there to get it out. Well, unlike the old containers that open from the top, the opening is MUCH smaller on the ones that open from the bottom, making it near impossible to get more out, and TOTALLY impossible to get to the top of the container. Can someone explain to me why we put the lid on the bottom if Miricle Whip is not effected by gravity?

I'm about to leave to run an errand BUT before I go, I MUST ask this question:

WHY is it so HARD for a man (my husb) to give a woman (ME) money??

Y'all know I was laid off about 2 weeks ago and we did get our tax refund but we have to try to conserve it since I lost my job so I don't ask for ANYTHING.  He KNOWS I have no job, I.E. no money!  WHY should I have to even ASK him for money when he KNOWS I need it and I have none at all and IF I DO ASK, WHY IS IT SUCH A F**KIN PROBLEM TO GIVE IT TO ME!!??  I need to go grocery shopping and get gas…that's all I do since I have NO job!  I don't go anywhere (to conserve gas) and I don't eat out!!

had this thing for several years now, never had any trouble with it until now! Apparently my motherboard has a short in it somewhere and unfortunately it cannot be repaired. I can still recharge the battery as long as the pc is in hibernation or standby mode, but the second I have it plugged in and powered up, the screen freezes and then the whole things shuts down! WTF?!?!?!

Anyway, as I am VERY limited now on how long I can stay out here, at least until I get a new laptop, I will be VERY scarce for awhile.  )c;}

Also, I would appreciate any thoughts on what my NEXT laptop will be. I do NOT need something to play games on. . . . wait, yes I do as the Stargate pc game is due out soon, I think I will want to play that!!! 

Oh and further more, do NOT mention DELL! Anyone that does will suffer a massive hard drive crash within twenty days of doing so!

(c;} 

UK store finds secret government disk By RAPHAEL G. SATTER, Associated Press Writer 2 hours, 23 minutes ago

LONDON - A repairman discovered a confidential government computer disc hidden inside a laptop bought on eBay, a computer store in northern England said Thursday.

A customer brought the laptop to Leapfrog Computers in Bolton on Monday to have it repaired, sales manager Jonathan Parry said.

A technician had a look at it, opened it up to have a look at the components inside, and when you actually open up the laptop and take off the keyboard, underneath the keyboard was a CD Parry said.

He said the disk was marked "Home Office" and "Private and Confidential.

The Home Office; the government body responsible for maintaining law and order and fighting terrorism; confirmed the disk was genuine and said it was investigating the incident.

Parry said that when staff realized it was encrypted, they called police.

He said six counterterrorism officers arrived the next day, taking the laptop, along with DNA samples and fingerprints from anyone who had handled it.

Greater Manchester Police confirmed they collected a laptop Tuesday, but gave no further information.

Parry said the CD was wedged inside the body of the laptop, apparently deliberately. He added that it might have been stolen before being put on eBay.

The British government has suffered a series of embarrassing losses of public data. In December, the government's top transport official said a disk containing personal information on 3 million driving test candidates had been lost in the United States. The same month, the Department of Health said information on some 168,000 patients had also gone missing.

In January, the Ministry of Defense acknowledged that a stolen laptop might contain sensitive details on some 600,000 prospective military recruits.

But those incidents were dwarfed by the admission, in November, that tax officials lost computer disks containing information including banking records on nearly half the people of the country.