marchdecember

Now you can get your fill of Marchdecember and also look at cats at the same time! LOL!

Do it! I know your neighborhood.

Consumerist reports on the scum debt collectors who will cheat, swear, steal and lie to get your money. This time they directed their idiotic lies towards a bi-polar woman who decided the only way out of debt was to take herself out of this world.

Debt collectors working in-house for Discovery (thereby saving Discover from FDCPA claims), allegedly threated Ms. MacDermid with (among other things) jail time, going so far as to make up a relationship with the local prosecutor's office. Here is what they said, according to the decision:

* had spoken with a lady named "Harriott" who had told her that, under the facts described above, Mr. MacDermid is legally liable for his wife's charge card; and
* that she had filed a report with the Giles County Sheriff's office; and
* that Harriott Barkly of the Giles County District Attorney's office, advised her that because the MacDermids were married, and because Mr. MacDermid was aware of his wife's problem, he "should keep a better eye on her" and should "keep her away from the internet"; and
* [that Adonica Gilmore stated about Mrs. MacDermid,] "I don't think you want her going . . . well you know"; and
* that there was no need for him to talk to a lawyer, because, even though there was no signature, and it was procured on the Internet, Mrs. MacDermid's application is binding on Mr. MacDermid, and he is definitely liable; and
* that [Adonica Gilmore stated], if the matter could not be resolved, "I'll just call Harriott" . . . and have the authorities "take a little trip out to your house."

These lies convinced Ms. MacDermid she had no choice but to take her life to save her husband from the debt she racked up.

Way to go Discover! Your fantastic treatment of mentally ill people has ensured that I and many others will never use your products.

So my search for a new job hasn't been going very well. My goal right now is to find something either I can stay at (a nice permanent job) or something that might not pay great but at least I can enjoy until something better comes along. For example, I've made it to the next stage for a nice government job that sounds very exciting. The problem is... of course, it's a government job. They're taking FOREVER, as I keep making it through each stage designed to filter out the winners from the losers.

So my goal is to just go crazy this week and apply to so many things I'm bound to get something. My goal is to apply to 700 100 jobs in one week. These include jobs of all types... anything from a serious economics job to something that will make a little extra cash on the side. Like those people who stand on the corner and wave signs... I want their money.

So, I've put this goal here to make sure I don't fail and only apply to 70 or something. It's gotta be 700 100. So here's my timeline of jobs applied for:

UPDATE: My beautiful wife points out that to apply for 700 jobs in one week would require me to apply to a new job every six minutes. Oops. "Are you manic?" she asked. Well, duh. So, let's be more realistic. Let's say 100. That's a much more realistic goal, and then if I get more that's gravy. Sorry if I get too excited!

Current Progress: 8/100

Can you guess which thing is not like the other?

Hmmmmmmm.....

One kitten considers two rent-a-cops heroes today, after they saved a kitten from certain death at the hands of a demented, twisted, hell-bound couple.

Two security guards in Texas rescued a flea-bitten kitten from an unpleasant death on the railroad tracks at the hands of a young couple.

John Hernandez and Jacob Salinas told The San Antonio Express-News they spotted the couple with the kitten early Thursday. After the couple left, Hernandez and Salinas said they found the kitten with its hind legs tied to the tracks....

The guards attempted to chase down the couple, but were threatened when the couple retrieved a gun out of their trunk. Mr. Hernandez has taken the kitty in, and local police are looking for the couple.

Quick quiz: What fate should fall upon this young, depraved couple.

A) Jail time, community service, and a hefty fine
B) Finding themselves with their legs tied to railroad tracks
C) Being eaten to death by hungry lions

Ha ha ha. Trick question! The answer is B THEN C!

In today's Soft Drink Hall of Shame segment, we feature Hall of Shamer Pibb Xtra. (See what I did there. I pretended like we've done this before!)

Pibb Xtra is Coca-Cola's answer to Dr. Pepper... yet another showcase of originality from the people who brought you Mello Yello, Tab Clear, and Coke Blāk. (Sorry!) Originally called Mr. PiBB, the drink was reformulated and renamed Pibb Xtra for the new millennium. Although it's a semi-passable Dr. Pepper clone, Pibb Xtra is a Hall of Shamer because after six years, nearly everyone still calls it Mr. PiBB.

Where is the Coca-Cola marketing department on this one? Does Coca-Cola have some bizarre ritual where they retire old names and don't allow for their reuse? Does that explain Vault (pretty much tastes like Surge) and Coca-Cola Classic (why still Classic after twenty years?) Whatever.

All right! Well, last week's job push was a dazzling success! Of all the (eight) jobs I applied for, I heard back from one! And it conflicts with my interview with the USDA on Wednesday. That's right friends... the USDA. I'm awesome! If I get the job, I'm totally getting this on a shirt --->

Anyway, I'll keep you up to date on this week's job push too, but I'm not making any promises, because I'm nearly exhausted from last week. Phew!

Applied for so far this week: 1

Jennifer and I left home yesterday only to find ourselves stopped on our way to 522. Our first indication something might be wrong was the helicopters hovering overhead. Tragically, a horrific accident had just occurred a few blocks to the east... a truck went out of control, hitting pedestrians and killing one. One eyewitness was clearly shaken and disturbed by what he'd seen.

Today the woman, who was walking to the local Park and Ride, was identified. Pedestrians and bus riders are very common on 522, my beautiful wife being one of them. She says drivers on 522 aren't respectful and cautious when it comes to those getting about on foot. She has almost been hit multiple times.

Flowers are not being left at the spot where one woman died. We haven't driven by yet (part of me has avoided going in that direction) but it's interesting to see an outpouring of grief by a community who up until tonight didn't even know the victim's name.

He butters it both ways these days.

UPDATE: His boyfriend is a lot prettier than his last one. And by last one I mean Cheryl.

Shocking.

Our neighbor has won the Nobel Prize for excellent parking. Not only can she not park straight in her spot, but she also parks over the line and slightly into my spot every single day. I park as far away from other cars as possible, but she seems to think that just means she gets to encroach on my space even more.

I am frankly not sure what to do to remedy this. I do not want to deal with her and her husband directly; I don't need the drama, they don't speak English, and also they are obviously stupid. I have complained three times to the apartment management who aren't doing anything. I asked the people on Yahoo! Answers who told me I should bring them a present. (I'm not kidding!)

What do I do? Any suggestions gang? By gang I mean my family, hopefully Timmy, and the mysterious Itobun.

Interesting look at the KIRO studio behind the scenes. Click for massive original.

But the people who fired him are racist, and that's one of the reasons he was fired.

"Well, it didn't help me on the set that I was a black man who wasn't a mush-mouth Negro walking around with his head in his hands all the time. I didn't speak like I'd just left the plantation and that can be a problem for people sometime," he said.

"I had a person in human resources tell me after this thing played out that `some people' were afraid of me around the studio. I asked her why, because I'm a 6-foot-1, black man with dark skin and who doesn't go around saying `Yessah, massa sir' and `No sir, massa' to everyone?