The ALL-NEW Jim's Musings: Now With 33.1% More Drivel

It was predicted that nasty winter weather would wreak havoc on central Ohio in the early morning hours of February 1.  A quarter- to one-half inch of ice was predicted.  Columbus Public Schools (and virtually every school in Columbus) cancelled classes.  Weathermen had THOs since Monday in anticipation of this exciting weather event.  WBNS even put up a link and slideshow Friday morning in anticipation of a swarm of photo submissions of this powerful winter storm.

As of 1:50 PM on February 2nd... not a single picture.

I ended up with a little time to kill before meeting some friends for dinner, so I went to ye olde Beste Buye to see if I could find anything at all to spend my $100 gift card on (a Christmas "bonus" from work).  I've been looking for an external hard drive to use as additional storage and backup for my computer, and I came across a 500Gb model for only $114.99.  Yes, $115 "As Advertised" (read: Not On Sale).  I thought that seemed too good to be true, so I verified the model number to the tag... yep, it matched.  Holy Cow!  *yoink*

As I was scanning the rest of the shelving there, I noticed the same tag, under the same model, but with a price of $219.99.  As I've had issues with Best Buy not removing their "Not On Sale" tags in the past (and NOT honoring the "Not On Sale" price), I compared the two tags.  No expiration, no difference at all except for the price.  Somehow, I knew it would ring up $220 at the checkout, I just knew it...

I was right.  Surprisingly, the cashier didn't put up much of a fight.  He actually started walking back to the computer area to find the product.  I figured I'd help him out; I explained the whole thing to him, showed him the tags, and waited for the response.  We wlked back up to the checkout, he changed the price to $114.99, got his manager to override, and voila!  a $105 discount!

Though the guy was relatively helpful, I was a bit taken aback by a severe "I don't want to be here" attitude.  Instead of saying "I can help whoever's next" or just "next" when calling me over to his register (with the light off I might add), he just waved.  He also just tossed my debit card back at me after verification, where it nicely landed over the security device deactivator (you know, the ones that usually say "DO NOT PLACE CREDIT CARDS HERE").  Can't wait to see if it still works :-/

afooooof!

Back someday?

An ad for the movie "The Nativity Story" is being pulled from a Chicago "festival" so as not to offend people.
The festival is called the CHRISTkindl Market, the city's largest CHRISTmas celebration, with of ALL things, a NATIVITY scene... but the ad for the film has to go because it MIGHT offend someone.
I'm offended by this....so what are they going to do for me?

View the story HERE

Just wanted to acknowledge my legions of stalkers out there.  It's nice to know someone out there is reading my drivel :-)
Well, except for that guy from eHarmony.  Seems kinda creepy! :-P

I've been hunting for a new job lately, as it is time to make a change (well, has been for a while).  After months of applications, interviews, etc., I got nothing.  In September, I applied for jobs with 2 different companies (We'll call them A and B in that order).  Now, here's where this entry's title comes in:

Monday: My assistant supervisor puts in his 2-week notice, and I am immediately offered his position, contingent on the salary offer from HQ.
Thursday: I interview with Company B in the early afternoon.  While I was interviewing, my current job's recruiter calls -leaving a message- to discuss the position.  An HOUR after that, Company A calls to offer me a job, which I accept.
Friday: I decline the possible offer from my current job and submit my 2-week notice.  When I get home, there is a message from Company B; I return their call and the offer me a job with them!

See, prayer DOES work, just not always in the way that you expect :-)

Seriously, there's so much mud coming out of my TV I can't keep the carpet clean.  If it's like this now, what is 2008 going to be like?!

I consider myself lucky.  I have three of who I would consider long-time "guy" friends (I've known all of them at least 15 years.)  Lately though, I'm worried that the list is getting smaller.

It's a situation where I feel like maybe I did something wrong, but I'm pretty sure I didn't.  I'm not really expecting to see this person (let's call him "Jack") every other day, just once in a while.  I try to set something up every few weeks or so - he says he'll check his schedule, and then I don't hear back from him at all.  I put the ball in his court since I have a bit mnore free time than he does.  Jack's the type of person that I engage in "deep, meaningful" guy-talk with, but anymore, what few times we've gotten together I feel like I'm taking him away from something else.  There are things I'd like to talk to him about, but it seems he doesn't have the time anymore.

As I sit here thinking about this, a thought occurred to me... if I was really in a jam and needed to rely on my old friends for help, who would be there?  I'm really starting to think that Jack probably wouldn't, and that hurts pretty bad.

Am I being selfish?  Jealous?  Expecting too much?  Off-base?  Totally whacked in the head?  Is it time to move on?
This is the type of thing I would talk to Jack about... 

Last Wednesday, we got the hailstorms.  This Wednesday, tornadoes.

True story: last night, my friend whose house was mentioned in this blog stopped by to pick me up so that we could go play cards at another friend's house.  Just after he got here, the storms hit.  They weren't too bad initially, though I will say there was an eerie calm right before the rain and wind hit.

As he was on the phone with his wife a little while later, he said something to the effect of "things are starting to die down."  Without looking outside, I jokingly said "Yeah, except for that funnel-shaped cloud right there (chuckle)."  Just then, as we looked outside, a funnel cloud went zooming by.  You could see and hear the trees on the next street really getting beat up, and there was a faint sound to it.  We started toward the basement, but ended up being too curious to move!

It never touched down in our area, but it was reported on the news right after we saw it.  Some other people in the area weren't so lucky, but another friend of mine was.  Within a 1/4 mile of his house was where the new development in New Albany got torn apart.

So what's next... Blizzard?  Locusts?...

After being able to inspect our cars in better light, it turns out that both of our cars did get dinged up, especially mine.  Lots of little dings all over, but none bad enough to chip the paint.  Mrs. Jimbo72's car fared better, even though they were parked in the same lot.

It also looks like my neighborhood didn't see any hail - or if it did, it was quite small compared to what fell just a little north of us.

No worries... we made it through tonight's storm just fine.

We weren't home during the time - we were at church for bell choir rehearsal (in Gahanna).  We were in the middle of rehearsal when the tornado sirens started going off.  Our director wasn't phased.  We continued playing as the winds picked up (55 mph at the nearby airport).  Our director wasn't phased.  As large hail started pounding the roof, those of us in the choir simply put our bells down, looked at our cars, and then headed for the basement.  Our director wasn't phased.
After the rehearsal was over and the storms dies down, we headed for home.  As we were getting ready to leave, I called a friend who lives near us and found out that they got hammerred with golf-ball-sized hail.  He said his house was damaged, along with many others in the neighborhood.  That made us nervous, since we live just south of him.  As we headed home, there were lots of leaves all over the roads, and high water in several places.  We got home, inspected the cars in better light, and took a walk around the house.  Surprisingly (amazingly), no damage to either the cars or the house.  We got lucky!

It almost feels like spring outside!

The title works great if you add the dramatic pauses just like the game show!

So this Representative Mark Foley from Florida has gotten into a bit of trouble.  Seems he likes the boys, or at least one in particular.  You know the story by now.

Yesterday, he was an alcoholic and checking into rehab.
Today, he is a victim of molestation (when he was younger) by a clergyman.
Also today, he announced that he is gay (see above link).

So we have a gay, alcoholic, alleged pedophile who was allegedly molested as a child by a member of the clergy.
And tomorrow, will we find out that he was bullied on the school playground and shunned by the girls in high school?

Unfortunately, it seems that the politicians are all worried about pointing fingers and laying blame on each other, and the media keeps focusing on "who knew" and "what about his seat in the House?"

WHAT ABOUT THE KID??!!

Here's something to tide you over until I finish writing it (we did A LOT at the park):

I've noticed lately that some of you younger people are bringing online chatspeak into everyday conversation. Just today, someone said "WTF?" in place of "what the fudge?" Now it's all fine and dandy that you're trying to mask foul language and all, but here's a math lesson for ya: WTF is 5 syllables, What The Fudge is 3.

LOL in my rocking chair.

I don't get it.
A problem with the old-fashioned ketchup bottles is that the water rises to the top, so if you don't shake the bottle first, you get red water.
So how is it that with the newer "upside-down" bottles, you STILL get red water if you don't shake it first?

Alternate title: "jimbo72 feels like bitchin' today."  Maybe this will be a semi-regular feature of The All-New Jim's Musings... so, here we go.

Driving woes:
A person cut in front of me on the freeway going much slower than I (or anybody else) was.  There was absolutely no reason for them to move LEFT and cut me off.
I hate people that insist on turning right on red when there is nowhere to go, blocking one or more lanes.  In an odd twist at the same intersection (Morse and Steltzer), there were 2 northbound cars sitting in the middle of the intersection while Morse Road traffic passed them front and back.

Shopping woes:
I went to Circuit CIty to pick up the new "Weird Al" CD - the first CD I've bought in a long time, only because it's a CD/DVD dual disc and it's also not available for download.  After trying to navigate through their media section (whose aisles were packed worse than Wal-Mart's) and trying even harder just to find some help from some non-interested mumble-mouth clerk, I find out that they're out!  "But we'll give you a raincheck and honor the price."
So I make my way over to Best Buy and find the disc for $1.00 more than CC's advertised price.  I inquire at the checkout about getting the price match, where the trainee - who had nothing that identified him as a BB employee - gave me a blank stare, and the gum-chewing, bored, distracted trainee curtly told me that I had to have the ad.  ???  Don't they look at their competitors' ads?  Wow, strike 2 for customer service.  High prices and crappy service, that's why I rarely go to Best Buy anymore.

Companies I Can't Stand:
Best Buy (see above)
Wal-Mart: cramped aisles full of loss leaders, shopping carts, and screaming kids, the majority of their "low prices" aren't really that low, and the customer service
Subway: The damned TV spots with Jon Lovitz... what little reason I had to eat there vaporised with those ads.  There meat is anything BUT fresh
The company I work for: Cutbacks, cutbacks, cutbacks.  Oh yeah, one co-founder is on sabbatical (they do that in business?), and the other got fired last week!
The company a friend of mine works for: It makes him grouchy :-) , and it's a real-life "Office Space"

So yesterday I signed up for gMail, Google's free email service...just 'cuz I wanted to try it.  They tout it as an alternative to the normally spam-clogged email boxes with other providers.
Now mind you, I have not given this address out to ANYONE yet.
I've already gotten 3 spam messages.

I'm going to Cedar Point Saturday!  Giggity giggity goo!

I don't think I've been this excited to go to an amusement park in a long time.  Since my wife can't ride the coasters anymore, I usually end up riding solo when we go to the parks.  That's just not as fun, and I always feel bad that Mrs. Jimbo72 is left to sit and watch my fun, so I usually don't get on too many rides. 
Not this time - 3 friends and I are making the trek up Ohio's fabled Route 4 to hit the north coast.  I'll get to sit next to someone I know on the rides.  I'll know someone next to me while standing in line.  I'll...I'll...

...wish my wife was at the ride exit holding our belongings and sharing in our fun.

Yesterday I was on an organizing binge of sorts.  I came across some boxes that we hadn't yet unpacked from our move (March 2005 LOL).  They we mostly knick-knacks, pictures, and a candy jar that still had some Skittles in it - let me tell you, Skittles do not age well :-) .  As I was looking for more boxes, I realized that our office is probably the most crowded, cluttered room in the entire house (and we have a basement!)  We have 2 computer desks (one a huge corner-type), a lateral file cabinet, TV, VCR, DVD, Fax, shredder, and 4 tall bookshelves full of various Simpsons crap, the ENTIRE "World of Springfield" collection, plus several dozen board games, all in the smallest non-bathroom room in the house.

I think I need to pare down the collection a little.  While there are some nice things there, there are some things that just take up valuable office space.  Is "Clean Sweep" still on the air? :-)

As I went back and edited the last post, LiveJournal reminded me through its changed instructions that it is Talk Like a Pirate Day.  That explains the "Update Captain's Log" button instead of "Update Journal."
Ohh, Brotharrrrrr! :-)

I wish the media and the rest of the world would realize that the Pope is the leader of the Catholic Church, NOT the Christian Church.

That being said,  this article from the National Review breaks down the Pope's speech that supposedly called for another "Crusade."  Short answer: he did no such thing.  It's another case of taking one sentence out of context and using it to forward your own agenda.
Hmmpf, sounds like all the political ads running right now!