Favorite Rip-offs

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Recently, some pretty ridiculous things have been assaulting me from the TV, from friends, and even my own family. I've shared a handful of them with you from time to time, but of late, it seems like there's a lot more than usual going on. It occurred to me that Snopes.com has a good thing going on: they expose fakes and the like, and they're pretty much the authority about that kind of thing. They've branded themselves well. I've always liked debunkers, which I suppose is why I have a lot of respect for Snopes, Mythbusters, and the Amazing Randy and Johnny Carson. Yep, I like Adam and Jaime for more than their ability to blow things sky high.

I came up with a great idea on how to rip off people while making them think I'm doing them a favor. Actually, I thought of a few ways, and I'll share them now and then. Today's idea has to do with on-line auctions.

Imagine for a moment that you wanted to run an auction website. How do you cut in on giants like Ebay? You have to come up with something different, of course. Like so...


In the online auction world, people sit up and take notice if you can promise them they can buy the stuff they want at pennies on the dollar. Designer labels for 90% off? You got it! Vacations for $20? Absolutely! New Corvette tickling your fancy? Why pay $70,000 when you can have one for $900? The hawt chicks won't know the difference! I can already hear you begging me to tell you how to get these deals and more.

If you cruise on over to Ebay, chances are pretty good you can find something you're looking for, and its current price is something ridiculously low. So you right quick make a bid for it; A new laptop for $50, baby! But the bidding increments are big, like $1, or $5, or even larger. I've seen bidding increments on some auction sites as high as 25% of the current price! Who wants to pay that?

So we'll offer bidding increments of 1 cent. Can't get any smaller than that! But there's another problem with online auctions: people routinely overbid.

I see it all the time. I find something really cool, like maybe a new hard drive or camera. I find out what it would cost to buy it at Newegg or Walmart and sure enough, the bidding goes over its value, usually in its last few minutes. It happens so often, it's almost impossible to get a good deal on anything I'm looking for. How do we overcome this?

We make it cost a dollar to bid! Genius! Now things won't get overbid on!

But wait, there's more. Because the prices are low, people will still be inclined to bid a lot. For instance, if a phone you're looking for would normally cost $100, it might sell here for $10. If the bidding increment is only a penny, who wouldn't bid for 90% off? Even people who've already bid a few times would probably bid another time or two.

On the surface, it sounds pretty fantastic: Getting to buy a $100 item for only $10, plus a few bids at a dollar apiece. But let's look a little closer.

At a penny per bid, how many times DID you bid? Is it possible you got into a bidding war with someone, maybe you bid 10 or 20 times? Maybe 30 or 40 times? Maybe 100 or 200 times? Sounds ridiculous, but let's look even closer.

If the bidding started at 1 cent, and got up to $10.00, that's 1000 bids. Could you have bid 10 or 20 or 40 or 100 times? That's $100 worth of bidding if you did!

But you're not that careless with your money, are you? Maybe you'd only bid 10 times if it was something you really wanted. $20 for a $100 phone is still a pretty good deal. But let's look at it from the other side.

With 1000 bids, that's $1000 spent just on bidding for a $100 phone!!! Can you see the possibilities? Isn't this a great scam? All we need is a snappy name!

I'd use something like QuiBids or BeeZid, but those're already taken. Anyone got a better name? Anyone got some money to invest? Guaranteed return on investment!

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Bagel Dogs!!!!!!

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O frabjous day! My life is nearing completion thanks in part to my newest sweetheart, Lisa Bang. Embarrassingly cute and unimaginably smart, Lisa came to my rescue when woe had struck me low. For two decades, my life has been missing something incredibly important, something no one should be without. (Unless they're so unimaginative and unadventurous as to put down or just plain not like my second-favorite Hebrew invention; kiss my grits, Natalie!)

Sam's Club used to carry them by the bagful and we'd get two or three bags a month. They were amazing to behold. Simply pop one in the microwave after coming home from a rough day at school, dip 'em in ketchup, and all was suddenly right with the world.

I am of course talking about the wonder that is the bagel dog. Yes, the modest, unassuming bagel dog.

For reasons inexplicable to me, Sam's Club stopped selling bagel dogs around 20 years ago, though for a little while they still continued to sell the not-nearly-so-enjoyable mini bagle dog. (Insert :shudder: emoticon here.) Like the Amiga, original Frosted Mini Wheats, Top Shelf lasagna, Black Pepperjack Doritos, $5 seafood buffets at the casinos, Lemon-Lime Slice, Lacey Chabert, and reasonable prices at Arby's, as soon as I found them and fell in love with them, they disappeared without a trace and were never heard from again.

It's rough, seeing so much splendacularity simply disappear. Were I a completely insecure and paranoid son of an apple pie (like someone whose initials might be GTA), I might think I was the cause of the disappearances. But like what happens when Chuck Norris and Mr. T enter a building, perhaps that much awesomeness simply can't be contained. At the time, it was them or me, and MY awesomeness won out.

But now, at least one of these great things is fighting its way out of obscurity to make a comeback. Because my awesomeness is now an inclusive type of aura and it can be added to by other awesome things, I demanded of God to bestow upon me the knowledge of how to get a bagel dog, and lo and behold, God smacked me upside the head and said, "You don't make demands of me."

But then He showed mercy and sent an angel named Lisa Bang to point out to me that Einstein Brothers Bagel Shop sold bagel dogs. And making it better was that there were TWO of them here in the Daytona Beach area. So today, I packed up my gear and hiked on out to Ormond Beach, taking one of my many lady-friends with me on this wondrous odyssey of discovery.

It was glorious; glorious, I tell you!

And now, I owe Lisa a bagel dog, to be paid the next time we meet. Which won't be tomorrow because she's got to do Polycast episode 110 live tomorrow, and I'm going to be at a writer's meeting, and then entertain another of my lady-friends. Dan invited me to do a taping, and yes, I was excited to be able to thank Lisa in person (over Skype), but alas, it will have to wait.

You know, in the above list of my favorite things which can no longer be found, as each one of them disappeared quietly into the night, I mourned its passing, and then moved on. I've actually forgotten several of the items that should have made it on that list. But then one too many of those things began to disappear, and I couldn't take it any more. I had to do something. I had to find a way to save that one last great thing. I had to find a way to make it big again, to get everyone talking about it.

I tried, folks, I really tried, but nothing I did resulted in anything but further misery for all concerned. I simply didn't know how to reach the people responsible for that item on my list and inspire them to continue the valiant struggle to make me and the rest of the world happy with it.

But you know what? If bagel dogs are back from the brink of extinction, maybe with a little enthusiasm and the application of my inconsiderable power and influence with all of creation, I'll be able to arrange things so that they can once again be bought in the grocery store. And when we're all again eating bagel dogs morning, noon, and night, then maybe I'll figure out how to save another item on that list. And then another, and another, until one day, they've all been revived! They will be in everyone's homes or on everyone's minds, bringing peace and love and joy to the world once more!

What about you? What (or who) do you want to see making a comeback? Tell us in the comments below. And again, thank you, Lisa, for telling me where bagel dogs have been hiding half my life!

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More articles you'll find splendacular or stupendous:

The Problem of Emotional Investment

Breaking personal records is fun!

Joan Jett - 1999

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Expose Yourself #2 - Straight to the T.O.P.

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In this series of articles, I talk to people who have been successful at taking control of their lives, making a name for themselves, and helping others to do the same. I’m very fortunate to have met them, and very thankful they have agreed to spend a few minutes talking with me to share part of their stories. We’re going to delve into what it took to propel these people from ordinary lives into extraordinary lives. We’ll find out where they’ve been, where they are, and where they’re going as each guest is asked to “Expose Yourself”.

My guest today was rather unexpected, but I knew when I saw her that I had to talk to her. Hailing from Portugal, she spent many years of her life building businesses to the break-even point and then selling them off for a profit, so she knows what it takes to build one. She's been to several countries throughout Europe in this pursuit, and even came across the pond several times a year for vacation, until she met a restaurateur in need of her specialized talents, and found in him something missing in her own life. The two married and she took over his restaurant and turned it into something special. For the last six years, she's been in Palm Coast, doing what she does best: making her customers glad they came to her.

Currently she's running the Taste of Portugal restaurant in Palm Coast, Florida, which has great food and a relaxed environment; allow me to introduce Maria Diamanfino!

MD: Hello, everyone!

JC: Thanks for talking with me, Maria! Wow, are all Portuguese women as pretty as you are?

MD: Oh stop! (punch)

JC: Sorry, I can't do the impossible, but maybe I can get down to business. So where are you in your life, or career, or pursuit of your dreams?

MD: Right now, I'm running the Taste of Portugal restaurant, here in Palm Coast.

JC: What's that like?

MD: Very busy. We're open every day but Monday for lunch and dinner, and we also host several local groups, some of whom even come in for breakfast before we open. On Fridays we have live a live band and dancing. So as you can see it's very busy around here. I'm here all day.

JC: Well I'm glad you do it. I've had a great time each time I've been here. It's one of those cozy places with fresh food and great atmosphere that we're all looking for. I especially like the mural of Lisbon. How did you get where you are now?

MD: I came here to set up a financial company and I ended up here because I met my husband here. He asked me to help him out with the numbers, with the computers, and so I figured it all out for him and fell in love and stayed. It was not my original goal to be in the restaurant business. This was an accident. My goal was a different one, but we do what we need to do, we stand up.

JC: So how did that happen?

MD: That's a bit of a story. I worked in restaurants a long time ago in Portugal. I used to set up companies all over Europe and take them to break-even and then they'd give me another one. I've lived in Amsterdam and England and all over.

JC: Sounds exciting!

MD: Yes it is. It's a very different life. And so I had a lot of American friends because we used to buy the systems here, some of the partners were Americans with European companies, so I used to come over here at least five times a year. Since I finished college, since I was 18 I've been working with American companies in Portugal and in Europe. So I used to come here for vacation. And while I was visiting I met a man who'd just bought a restaurant and needed my help getting it running. I came in for lunch and we realized we were made for each other. We got married and now I run the restaurant. So that's how I came to live here from Lisbon.

JC: Wow, I think I saw a movie about that the other day, with Julia Roberts in it, Eat Pray Love? Good casting; you look a lot like her. Where are you going next? What’s the next goal, the next step, the next whatever?

MD: That's tough to answer. When I got here, we redecorated, changed the menu, got the best chef, we get the best foods delivered fresh daily. We really made something fantastic here. We love what we've built over the last six years and we love living here. I have a few things in mind, but I don't want to talk about them right now because I don't want to spoil them. But we have the restaurant and we have to do the best we can, you know? And I think we are. We've been here six years, and the customers confirm this. It's a hard life, for sure, but we love it.

JC: So you wouldn't give it up.

MD: We don't do this because we have to, we do it because we want to. I care very much about the customers and I like them very much. They start out as customers and become friends. You know? That's how it is. I like to be there for them. They are why we're here, you know?

JC: And I see that in the way you treat them. It's one of the reasons I wanted to talk to you.

JC: Okay, Maria, thank you very much for taking a few minutes out of your day to tell us about yourself, it was a pleasure talking to you.

MD: You're welcome, Jaycee, it was a lot of fun!

JC: Have you got a website? Have you got anything special going on that my readers should know about?


View Larger Map

MD: Yes! Our site is http://www.tasteofportugal.biz/. We serve a buffet for lunch on Fridays from 11:30 to 2:30. We have a live band and dancing on Friday evenings from 10:00 to 2:00, and we also do it on the first Saturday of the month. We're located at 15 Palm Harbor Village Way, just seconds away from downtown Palm Coast, Florida, we're available to host and cater meetings, and we're fine Portuguese dining in a casual atmosphere. And just for people who read this article and tell their waitress the secret word, which is "Fernando", for every entrée they order, we'll give them a choice of either a free desert OR a free beverage. But they have to know the secret word to prove they read the article.

JC: Wow! I'm glad I know the secret word! I'll jump off my diet for a day for some fresh-baked pie, made by the cutest restaurateur I've met all day!

MD: Thank you, Jaycee, you're so flattering. I feel really blessed to have met so many good people like you!


NOTE: This page is accessible via HTTP://TOP.MOPJOCKEY.COM
















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Other articles you'll find interesting or helpful:
"Expose Yourself" Articles List
Nelson Mandela isn't THAT good
New Gullwing Does Barrel Roll in Tunnel
Winning the Aussie Way and the Scottish Way

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Writing is Easy

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They say everyone has a story in them, but not everyone knows how to tell it, and not everyone knows how to sell it. Wouldn't it be nice if you could tell your story in a way that others found interesting, entertaining, even gripping? And heck, why not make some money at it?

Today, after attending a great book-debut party put on by a local publisher, I had the pleasure of reading through a very interesting new book, written by four fun people, about how to write.

Why am I, master writer that I obviously am, reading a book on how to write?

Because it's not one of those typical books on how to write. It's better than that, and this is why:

There are a lot of books out there which try to tell you HOW to write. Grammar, setting, character development, story arc, man vs nature, all kinds of good stuff. This book, Writing is Easy, doesn't do any of that. In fact, the book doesn't actually TEACH a whole lot about HOW to write. What it does is it shows you that you CAN write, and it shows you how these four authors accomplished their dream of getting published, which you can do as well.

The book opens up telling you a stark truth: If you're a writer and you're not published, it's your own fault. In this day and age when the only remaining barrier to publishing is within ourselves, writing a book and getting it published is easy! Hence the title: Writing is Easy.

The Rogue's Gallery Writers - Michael Ray King, Tracy McDurmon, Rebekah Hunter Scott, and Jeff Swesky - each brings their own unique personality to the table with numerous examples of short stories, their inspirations, and the questions that naturally arise, all of which allows you to get into their heads and find common ground, which, with 40-some examples to choose from, you won't have any trouble doing at all. All of this is meant to show you that you're not alone, and that if you want to write and get published, there's nothing stopping you.

After all, the only real obstacle to getting published is you, and once you've found a muse or 10 in this book, you'll see that.

Billions of people out there still want new and interesting stories to read, and that means publishers want lots of new stories to print. Why not yours? But if you never get up the nerve to write, and if you don't actually put forth some effort to get published, then how are you ever going to do that? That's what this book is about: it's about showing you that YOU and YOU ALONE are the only obstacle to your success, and encourages you to overcome that obstacle by showing you how easy it is. In fact, Michael, in his role as the head of ClearView Press, the publisher of this and several other books, says the best stories he's read have come from people who don't have the nerve to get published, and that's what ultimately inspired him to create this book.

I think that's a pretty telling phenomenon, guys. What about you? Do you have what it takes? Do you just need a little inspiration, a few examples to show you the way? Then you'll want to get this book.

Here's a link to the book's official web page, plus I've got three handy Amazon links for you to buy Writing is Easy and some other books these authors have written. You can also order books through ClearView's site, which has more authors to choose from than just the Rogue's Gallery Writers. And don't forget to check out their blogs: Michael Ray King, Tracy McDurmon, Rebekah Hunter Scott, and Jeff Swesky! They've got some cool tales to tell there.
















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Other articles you'll find interesting or helpful:
What we mean when we say we will never forget
Ron Riekki - 2010
Arizona you evil state you

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Expose Yourself #1 – Smilin’ Bill

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About a year ago, when I moved my site to Blogger.com, I promised I’d bring to your attention some of the interesting people I know or have met. It took a little while to make this one happen, but I keep my promises.

In this series of articles, I’ll talk to people who have been successful at taking control of their lives, making a name for themselves, and helping others to do the same. I’m very fortunate to have met them, and very thankful they have agreed to spend a few minutes talking with me to share part of their stories. We’re going to delve into what it took to propel these people from ordinary lives into extraordinary lives. We’ll find out where they’ve been, where they are, and where they’re going as each guest is asked to “Expose Yourself”.

Today I’m talking to a real, living legend. Inspired by the likes of Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, and Tom Mix, he became a cowboy musician and horseman who performed across the Midwest, all before he turned 18. At 21, God came into his life and set him on a new path. Starting at age 29, he began a career as a highly successful environmental engineer, designing hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of public works projects. During the next 33 years he married, started a family, and became a church leader.

He recently began to write and is now a highly acclaimed author with an award-winning book, creating his own publishing company in the process. Today, you might mistake this pillar of the community for a spry 60 year old because he’s so active in his community, but what got my attention was his super-positive attitude, an encouraging word for everyone, and a laugh that comes easily.

In the 1940’s, you knew him on stage as, “Smilin’ Bill and his Wonder Horse King.” Please welcome William Cummins!

WC: Hello everyone! Please call me Bill.

JC: Howdy, Bill, thanks for coming; I’m totally psyched! This is almost like getting Marilyn Monroe in the inaugural issue of Playboy, except you get to keep your clothes on.

WC: That’s quite a comparison… Marilyn has always been one of my favorites.

JC: Okay, Bill, I know you don’t have a lot of time, so let’s get right to it. Where are you in your life, or career, or pursuit of your goals?

WC: Recently I authored the highly acclaimed relationship book, Life Is Sexually Transmitted, and the award winning, The Forgotten - Volume One, honoring Korean War Veterans, which I published with my own publishing company. Currently I’m writing a book about my cowboy days entitled, KING and the COWBOY. I’m also expanding CAI Publishing by offering FREE Publishing Services to aspiring authors.

JC: That’s a lot you’ve got going on. How did you get started?

WC: I was born on a farm in Ohio during the Great Depression. I fell in love with horses the first time my Dad lifted me high onto the back of his favorite draft horse, named Babe. When I saw my first western movie, I set my sights on becoming a singing cowboy and horse trainer. My biggest inspiration then was Gene Autry. Despite a serious hand injury at age nine, I achieved my dream and headlined across the Midwest on stage and radio as, “Smilin’ Bill and His Wonder Horse King.”

JC: You loved being a cowboy; what made you give it up?

WC: When I was 19, I took a factory job to make enough money to keep my cowboy career going. Then Rockwell offered me an apprenticeship in engineering design and the rest was history.

JC: How did you get where you are now? What does it take to be a success?

WC: My secret is to dream BIG. I believe that whatever you think about and dwell upon, you will produce in your experience. Therefore, you should be careful of what you wish for and then prepare for it to come into your life.

JC: That’s huge. I’m stumped trying to think of a question to get you to expand on that, to show us how we can do that ourselves and start making our own big dreams into reality.

WC: Success is the attitude of believing you are following God’s plan for you. I was often asked how I solved difficult engineering problems. My reply was, “I pray a lot, and today I still do.”

JC: Where are you going next? What’s the next goal, the next step, the next whatever?

WC: I’m always expecting bigger and better things, because God never discards those who love Him. I hope to soon break open the secret of successfully marketing quality books for myself and other authors. But wherever God leads me, I will follow and pursue it with all the passion I can muster.

JC: What are you doing to get where you’re going?

WC: I want to assist as many writers as possible in achieving their goals. To do that I’ve developed a system called ‘CAI FREE Publishing.’ It finances the publication costs by selling a percentage of the future revenue from book sales.

JC: Why and how did you start your own publishing company?

WC: While writing my first book, I found there was a need for a simpler way to produce books that would treat the authors fairly. Based upon lots of personal research, I decided to only use professional editing, formatting, cover design, and printing. By following these decisions it was only a small step to creating my own publishing company because all the critical blocks were in place.

JC: Guys, I could go on and on, begging for more and more detail, but I’ve taken quite a bit of time from Bill’s writing schedule as it is. There’s just such a huge variety of things to ask him about, so many different careers and accomplishments. I’m simply going to have to have him back again someday so I can pick his brain a little more, get some juicy details about his cowboy show and the book he’s writing about it.

JC: Take a gander at the books William Cummins has to offer. The Forgotten looks powerful, like it could change the way we see Korean War history and that part of our world; Life Is Sexually Transmitted packs a wallop about dating, mating, and marriage; and after all I've heard about it, I can’t wait to see King and the Cowboy in my book store!

JC: Thank you very much, Bill, for taking time out of your busy schedule to help us out. I really appreciate your helping me inspire people to reach for their dreams! Good luck with the new book and the free publishing offer; I'm sure I’ll be signing up for it as soon as I get my own book finished.

WC: Thank you Jaycee. Expose Yourself is a wonderful idea you have started with your own dream. I’m reminded of the young buck who was asked, “Why did you volunteer to paddle our chief across the river?” He smiled and replied, “Because he who rows his chief across the river gets there too!”

Other articles you'll find interesting or helpful:
"Expose Yourself" Articles List
Hey baby, what's your sign?
To Your Health - Part 1
Stony King - 2009

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Today is Polycast Day

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Greetings, y'all! And welcome all you dang foreigners from other countries. Dear Lord, be with our guests and prepare them for the butt-whoopin' they are about to receive! - Jeff Foxworthy, Intro to the Redneck Games.

I'm so excited! Today is Polycast Day, and I'll tell you more about it in a minute.

I should be congratulated because I'm finally caught up on the ebay shipping debacle! Last weekend I sent three boxes of goodies to paying customers, and somehow the post office managed to undercharge me, so instead of just sending the boxes on, they spent more than the difference to send them back, which, of course, cuts into MY costs and credibility too. And since I was out all weekend, I didn't have any way to take care of it until Wednesday. But I did manage to get them in the post, with the proper postage this time, and thsoe of you who bought box-games from me will be getting them soon. (They have NOT come back here, so they must be getting shipped.)

Also, I may have found a replacement to get the rest of my stuff listed. I was hoping she'd be coming over this morning, but I haven't heard back from her yet. She came over yesterday to check out the size of the job, then provided a BRILLIANT solution to the problem.


The problem with having someone else do the listings is that either they have to come here and spend all day doing the job at my place, which is a distraction for me, or they have to take the books to their place, which opens me up to the possibility of having them stolen. One possible solution I came across was to get a deposit, but it feels a little silly to ask for $200 from someone I'm hiring.

What she came up with was to just take pictures of everything while she was here, and then take them to her place and do the listings there.

PICTURES!!!! YAY!!!

So even if she ends up flaking out on me today, I'll have a much more attractive solution to the problem for the next person who responds to the ad.

So yes, folks, the rest of my stuff WILL be going up soon, probably with pictures. There's only a couple things up right now, but that WILL change SOON. Stay tuned to my auction listing page!

Next up, I finally have a business card! Email me and maybe I'll send you one. Then you too will be able to find out what I'm doing for a living that's convinced me I no longer need to hold on to a bunch of games I haven't been able to play in over 6 years and is helping me to change my life even more.

And finally, what you've been dying to hear, today, one of my Canadian buddies, Daniel "DanQ" Quick, is doing a LIVE Polycast show. Why live? Because it's the 100th episode! Join the celebration of this major landmark, and bear witness to some exciting special events, most of which he's not telling anyone about until the show starts.

Dan does a bi-weekly podcast in support of his favorite computer game, Civilization 4, and he calls the show Polycast. I've appeared on 3 shows already - the third one is due for release any day now - and it's a blast to be a part of it, plus it's really interesting to see how good he is at editing. If you listen in to the show today, you'll get a sense of what it's like to record one of these shows, and then if you listen to an episode - I think he intends to do an editing job on this one and release it, just like any other - you'll notice that he does an AMAZING job. Dan really should do this professionally, he's that good at it. Please join me in doing everything possible to encourage and support him in this.

Dan also produces TWO other podcasts, also related to Civ4. I'm not 100% sure he does the editing for them, as he's not a regular on them, but he probably does.

Click here to attend today's LIVE 100th episode extravaganza, which will run from 1:00 pm EDT to 3:00, and may run a little long since he's never done a live show before.

Click here to see his list of episodes. Even if you have no interest in Civ4, the first 5-10 minutes and the last 5 minutes or so are usually pretty funny. Intros are everyone's chance to (try to) be funny, and he tacks bloopers and stuff on the end.

Click here to see the official announcement he made on CivFanatics and a few of the responses. (He's got another announcement page somewhere with a lot more traffic on it, but I don't know where it is off hand.)

Thanks for stopping by! I'll see you later.

More RPG books went up

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Here's the list of items available.

A lot more will be going up. I'm working hard to find someone to get this taken care of in the way I expected it to be taken care of in the first place.

With the way I just slammed Asus, I wouldn't be surprised if they declare war on me and start slamming me back, so to head off any of that, you can check my feedback, ask any of my customers or regular readers anything you want about me, and of course google for me and find out what kind of person I really am. (Hint: I used Sidewiki on their site after posting the flame directly below this post.)

I don't usually take stands like that, or even flame others, but really, charging my shop guy for something that's still in warranty, and not even sending me the computer I asked for, is pretty freakin' low, even for a faceless corporation. After all the garbage I've dealt with from them for the past 4+ years, I doubt I'll ever buy another Asus product again.
But anyway, there's a lot more that's going to go up in the coming days, both here and in my list of auctions, so keep an eye out. I've got a guest writer promising to start posting, among other things.

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It's not over yet

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The fire sale on my gaming collection is still going. We've gotten about 1/3 of all the books put on Ebay over the past couple weeks. Some sweet stuff went for some really low prices, and the rest of it is lined up to go. I'm heart-broken that no one wanted a Star Wars movie poster puzzle, but eventually I'll relist it and be sure it's got a picture with it. My helper has promised to put more items up tonight and tomorrow while I'm at my business meeting, so we'll see if she really does.

I just sent off several packages to the winners from last week. Sorry it took a little longer to get them sent than I thought they would, but they're in the mail as of a few hours ago. Then I had to go and mark all those items as shipped, leave feedback, and of course, thank each person for their help in getting my teetering bookshelves cleared. One day soon, it may be possible to dust!

All the boxed games I intend to sell are gone. I'm holding on to Munchkin 1-5 sets and my recent-edition Axis and Allies game for now. I have dreams of playing it! We play Munchkin now and then. But I've still got a ton of Traveller stuff, GURPS stuff, some Challenge magazines, and a few Battletech items. And after that, I've got a few other treats in store for you, so keep on checking out my list of stuff, right here!

Thanks!

I'll be posting some other stuff soon too; I'm way overdue for something not related to getting rid of my gaming stuff. Frex, I redid the TrueFacts because apparently WYSIWYG doesn't strictly apply to internet applications. When I added a few new truths, I also needed to add another picture to balance them out. Somehow, it broke the page! Shame on you, Lacey! The only way to fix what broke was to change the way it looks, but at least now I won't have that problem again, AND different screen resolutions no longer see something totally different.

I also created a whole page for my Civilization 4 contributions, now that Blogger supports that. Check it out! There's a list of pages toward the upper-left corner. Right now there's only the two: my Civ contributions and the main site.

Be your best!

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The Beat Goes On

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And so does the fire sale!

I hired on someone to help me list my items while Ebay was having their free-listing sale. I was expecting to get everything listed over the course of last week, but apparently she's not swimming in as much free time as I was lead to believe, so things are taking longer than I thought they would.

Rest assured, the items that were listed are only a fraction of all that's going to be available once it's all listed.

Here's the list of items still available.

A lot of good stuff has gone for cheap already, and more is to come.

We're combining shipping however you'd like and shipping via USPS. If you want it different, just say so.

Thank you all for your effort, and I'll let you know how it goes.

Putting my gaming stuff up for auction on E-bay

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Hey everyone! A few days ago, I decided it was time to cut the cord. Over the past 15 years or so, I've been collecting all kinds of cool gaming goodness and books and other stuff. When I moved down here to Florida almost six years ago, I had to part with a lot of my stuff, primarily my Amiga and Commodore stuff, plus my model railroading stuff. We had a big house auction, at which I got rid of some of that stuff, including a TON of very valuable computer magazines and software, not to mention the computers themselves.

I took it like a man, but man did I hate to throw that stuff out. At the time, I didn't have the resources to find good homes for it all.

This time, things are different. This time, I've got the power of the internet behind me, plus a friend is helping me out. This time, my pride and joy will go to good homes like yours.

Up for sale we have things like:

Megatraveller - nearly complete collection from GDW
Traveller The New Era - damn-near complete collection, I think maybe it IS complete
Marc Miller's Traveller (T4) - most of the books
GURPS Traveller 3e - so very close to complete it's not even funny, some of them quite rare
GURPS 3e - assorted books, I don't even remember which ones, but lots of them
Traveller Novels - I think I have all 3 of them
Battletech - All kinds of stuff for Battletech!
Robotech - All kinds of Robotech stuff too!
And a few other tidbits. But that's not all!

I was a big-time playtester at Eagle Games back when it was run by Glenn Drover, and I've got most of their early games, like the Civilization Boardgame my group used extensively and with which I created my legendary ACR3 (Alternate Combat Rules), which are still available over at Boardgamegeek.com. My Age of Mythology set is a customized set in that it's got all the components needed to play a NINE PLAYER GAME. Better, my Attack! and Attack! Expansion game is also customized and you can play with up to TEN PLAYERS! Use it for those big gatherings at the game store.

All of these boxed games were personally handed to me by Glenn Drover himself, so there may still be some DNA samples of him if you want to try to clone him and play the games with him. Also, I'm pretty sure Sid Meier breathed on my copy of Civ at least once.

EVERYTHING up for sale is in EXCELLENT condition, LIKE NEW, unless it says otherwise. There are a few books I got from other people, primarily in the Megatraveller range, which weren't in good condition when I got them because they were used heavily. One book was de-spined and put into a binder, but I've thrown in some free campaign notes and blank world sheets and stuff. The boxed games might have one or two pieces missing or damaged; as I recall, a Spearman took a bullet for me.

This is virtually my entire collection of gaming material, in outstanding condition, now available to you because I need the room to hide bodies, I mean, my bookshelf was about to break.

I'd like to thank you all very much for so many years of gaming goodness. If anyone wants mbe to autograph something while I'm only a few days away from becoming famous and my autograph becomes worth millions of dollars, I might be willing to do that if you ask nicely and get my PA to pass along the request. She will of course do her best to combine shipping to save you as much as possible.

Thank you, bid early, bid often. Here's the list of what I'm selling, check back often, as my PA is adding to it as she gets the chance.

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A minor update on what's going on around here

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I just updated my TrueFacts about Lacey Chabert page with several new items I just discovered. Click on the link to check it out, and show a little support for my friend, Lacey! One day, she's going to be an actress! She promised me she would be, and she never ever breaks her promises! Nope, never! You can help her (and me) by linking up this page. I've even included a handy picture at the bottom of that page for you to use! Then one day, she'll be world famous, and she'll thank you for it! (She won't thank me for it, though, because that's just the way she rolls.)

I've been keeping very busy working on my books and helping others out with theirs. You gotta do that when you don't have the money to buy an editor to perfect your work for you, but at least I'm learning A LOT about different writing styles, and that means my final product will be much better.

I had really hoped I'd get some time to do a lot more work on this site this week. I've done a considerable amount, true, but I'd like to do more. Still no idea when I'll do an "official" re-launch, but I've made a lot of progress. I'm a little disappointed that all my readers disappeared just because my host was dead for several months. Really, guys, a little loyalty here? :wink:

Hey, help me out by linking up http://www.mopjockey.com/ more often, and maybe you could buy one of these products from Amazon I've linked up or you below? It supports the site and brings me one step closer to my goal of taking over the world, at which point I'll make sure things become a lot more fair for my adoring followers. (Except for Lacey, because that's just the way I roll. :-P )

And lastly, I performed my third workout under the new strength-training regimen over the two-week period. My gains increased! The percentage increases weren't quite as dramatic, but they were still pretty good. Weights I couldn't budge last week now moved without much difficulty, which is very impressive considering I did no other lifting in the intervening 8 days. (I do some running to keep burning the fat - I lost an AMAZING 50 pounds over the past year - but since muscle burns fat too, I really want to get more of that.)

I'll keep you posted, plus I'll talk more about how I lost that 50 pounds of fat and how I'll keep it off. See ya later!

Amazon Deal Event

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Amazon.com sells just about everything nowadays, and now, those masters of online selling are running a wide-ranging sale on movies and TV shows for the next couple weeks, and I thought I'd get you in on it while it's still going on.

Here's what they say:



Amazon Movies & TV is pleased to announce our first 2010 Deals Event which will run through January 24, 2010, while supplies last. This event will feature DVDs and Blu-ray discs with savings of up to 50% off, including:

• Over 200 Fitness DVDs including yoga, pregnancy, and dance workouts, and featuring celebrity trainers such as Jillian Michaels and Denise Austin
• Hundreds of hit movies including some the biggest new releases from Q4, 2009
• Over 400 indie and art house films including Oscar® winners Juno, Milk, and Lost in Translation
• Over 450 TV shows including HBO favorites, NBC comedy, and more

 Click here to take advantage of this great deal, and don't forget, everything you buy through the links I've provided helps keep this site improving. Thanks!

(BTW, they've also got some kind of Kindle deal going on. Click here to check it out.)

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The Undeclared Miss America (and Her Cousin)

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Many famous and interesting people have had brushes with me that served to skyrocket their careers to new heights. If they hadn't met me, chances are you never would've heard of them. Sure, many of them were famous before they met me, but that's just how awesome I am: I can improve your career before you've even met me!

Today's guest is someone I normally wouldn't have talked to, but in June of 2009, some of my friends pestered me into going to see her because they were too scared to do it themselves. I'm glad they did, but I can't see why they're so scared of her; she's gorgeous, polite, shy, sweet, energetic, and doesn't scream or beat the crap out of you if you want to ask her a couple questions about little sis. What more could you ask for in a woman except for her to love only you?



The infamous Crissy Taylor, older sister to the slightly more infamous Lacey Chabert, is owner of the Stonehouse restaurant in the not-too-inconveniently-out-of-the-way town of Purvis, Mississippi, and a delight to spend a few minutes with even if you're one of the unfortunate souls who doesn't know who Lacey is. I found her to be quite a charming and enjoyable young lady. If you're in Mississippi, near Hattiesburg, stopping by to see her won't take long at all. Just go one more exit down I-59 to exit 51, head to town, and at the first light, hang a left; you'll see it from the intersection, next to the McDonald's and BP. You can't miss it!


View Larger Map

(On this map, the marker may be placed incorrectly. If you look at the street view, you'll see it.)

The Stonehouse needs no sign to tell you what it is, which is a good thing, because it doesn't have one.

Stepping inside, you feel like you're walking into someone's home. When I first walked in, I was actually afraid I'd done just that. After a moment, I realized that this was an awfully big dining room to take up so much of the interior of the house, with an awful lot of tables and chairs, so I was probably not about to be arrested for breaking and entering. This small building used to be an actual residence that sat idle in the middle of town for many years until Crissy bought it, renovated it into a restaurant, and decorated the interior to look like her own home.

There's a cozy-looking fireplace, which is decorated with some family regalia. At Christmas time, she decorates it with a tree and tinsel and stockings. There are several pictures on the walls commemorating some of the town's history and portraying some of the family (though I didn't recognize anyone). The dining room consumes most of the interior of the structure, and can seat about 30 people. The kitchen is set off into one corner, and in a house this small, it's appropriately small and cozy too. This all felt somewhat familiar to me; I grew up in a small town like Purvis, in a house that had a kitchen big enough that my whole family ate all our meals in it, with my grandmother just down the street in a similar house, and the Stonehouse felt a lot like that.

I arrived just before lunch was starting in earnest, just after opening time. Inside was a single customer already served, about to dig in to his Panini. I chatted him up for a few seconds, and then decided I'd better not let him starve to death right in front of me just to talk to me. I took a seat, and when the waitress showed up to take my order, I asked if Crissy could come out and play.

I had to wait a little while to see her, but she was worth the wait. Coming forth from the kitchen, hiding behind an apron and the biggest, shyest smile I'd ever seen, was the prettiest thing I'd seen all day!

You know how it is when you're about to meet someone important to you, and you don't want to screw it up, and you really want them to like you, and you hope they don't think you're a total dork? Like maybe you're about to meet the guy who owns the company you work for, or maybe some celebrity you've adored half your life, or maybe R. Lee Ermey is about to chew you out? Crissy had that look. It made me wonder if she'd heard of me.

Before she could faint or drop my order, I did my best to set her at ease. I took her hand, introduced myself, told her I was a fan, and invited her to have a seat and join me so we could talk and I could ask some questions for the other fans who couldn't make it.

It's not hard to compliment Crissy on pretty much anything you notice about her. Anyone who's heard of Lacey will have no trouble believing Crissy is twice as darling. She's one of those rare women who doesn't know she's beautiful, which keeps her head from getting too big to fit through the door. I got to talk to her for just a minute because she was busy making call-in orders, but she agreed to come back out and let me ask her a few questions once she had a moment to spare.

Before she came back out, a local celebrity and his wife came in and sat at the table next to mine and we kept each other company waiting for our orders and eating them. Vernon Heartfield is one of the town's councilmen, having served over 20 years and just got elected to his 7th term. (It's probably coincidence that he was first elected during the year I lived in Mississippi, but if he wants to credit me with his fortune like Sara Shahi ought to be doing, I'm not going to turn him down.) His lovely wife, Tess, takes care of their adoptive 3 year old daughter.

Very relaxed and open and friendly, Vernon and Tess dispelled any apprehension I might've been feeling and made me feel even more at home. I used to live up in Brandon for a year and got to know and like how nice people are in the state. It's something I enjoy every time I come back to visit those members of my family that still live in that area, and reminiscing with this wonderful older couple really made me feel like I was at home with long-time friends and family.

Mr. Vernon told me a story about the killer tornado that stuck town back in 1908. He said that was the year his grandfather was born, but it was probably after the tornado because his grandfather didn't remember it happening. He and his family have lived within a few miles of Purvis their whole life, so if you want any historical information about the area, Mr. Vernon is your man. Miss Tess told me about some of the adventures she and her 4 sisters had had growing up. They were here today because they've been coming in every day while they're getting their kitchen renovated. We shared a few personal stories, and though people often share personal stories with me (even within a few minutes of meeting me), this time it made me feel a lot more like I belonged here and not like someone was trying to impress me. Vern and Tess are very good examples of the kind of environment that Lacey grew up in, which is a big part of why I and so many others like her so much in ways that few other celebrities are liked.

Before departing, Vern gave me his Ernest P. Worrell impression. You know what I mean?

I was running out of time and about to have to leave when Crissy popped back out, so we talked fast and squeezed 20 minutes of dazzling conversation into 10 minutes. That means I didn't get to ask more than a few of the questions I'd come to ask.

If you’re one of Lacey's fans and you want to ask Crissy about little sis, she's amenable to the idea, so long as you understand that the place is a business and she's a chicken-with-her-head-cut-off, so she might not be able to talk to you. And that li'l sis rarely visits the place. But to make up for that, you can also expect a good meal; there are several different styles of large burgers, deli-type sandwiches, and salads on the menu, and each one is made with love, because Crissy is living her life-long dream! (You didn't want to meet some bratty little girl anyway.)

She became Mrs. Taylor almost right out of high-school, when she was 18, and had her first son not long after that, 12 years ago. Her second came 4 years later, and they keep her very busy, but they're old enough now that she has enough time to keep the restaurant open every day of the week for lunch and dinner. The best time to catch her seems to be at the start of lunch, just before I got there.

The first few months of business kept her very busy; she had a few relatives to help her out, but not enough regular employees. She used to serve breakfast and lunch only, and she was there to cook most of the day, but she's since gotten settled into a better routine, and now has enough employees that she is left with some time to enjoy her success. Lacey helped wait tables in those early days, and I gather she wasn't just being nice, she was probably necessary to feed the customers. Since some of the help is family, you can probably chat up an oddly-familiar waitress and be somewhat sure you've got a cousin who will probably be just as good to talk to as Crissy. And you can count on the locals to be friendly.

I couldn't get over how much like Lacey she looks... or rather, how much Lacey looks like her older sister! They're not quite twins, but if one of them robbed a convenience store, the cops would probably pick up the wrong one for questioning. They look alike enough to be... erm... sisters, and I for one can't wait to see them in a sexy-sisters-edition of Maxim!

Even though it was just a short visit, I had a good time. I made some new friends, got to reminisce with people I’d just met, and got a sense of the people who gave Lacey many of the reasons why I think she’s the bee’s knees. Crissy did a great job of making me feel welcome, and if she's not actually sweet on me, then she did a fine job of faking it! I didn't have time to ask all the questions I wanted to, but I was glad to have gotten to ask a few without making it feel like some kind of impersonal interview; Crissy is good people and I'm glad I got to know her a little, and got to put many a big smile on her face.

I didn't get to spend as much time with her as I wanted, but I didn't have to in order to know what kind of a person she is; the Heartfields were a tremendous testimonial without ever knowing they were. I'll go back there some day, perhaps when she's A LITTLE LESS MARRIED!

If you want to see her and meet someone who just might make you like her more than you already like her sister, stop by, and when you notice that she belongs on the cover of a magazine, be sure to tell her that, because I wouldn't want her to think I was just making it up.

Do it soon. Like, right now.

Note to Crissy Taylor fans: This page is accessible via
   http://stonehouse.mopjockey.com.

Related links:
The TrueFacts about Lacey Chabert
Expose Yourself #1 – Smilin’ Bill
You know you feel good when...

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