That other blog

The other day, my son and I were watching TV and we saw an advertisement for a loan from Western Sky like the one below.

This advertisement offers $5,000 at only 116% interest. The advertisement we had seen offered $10,000 at $84% interest.

I understand that the ads do disclose the rates, and I’m sure there are a team of lawyers ensuring they will be able to collec their 84 payments of $743.49 from whoever borrows $10,000. (Yes, that’s $62,453.16 that must be repaid within 7 years!) But it still seems shady.

The “fine print” is hardly easily visible, and think about the person who is looking for an immediate loan of $10K. How likely is it that they can make payments of more than $700 a month.

It sparked a healthy discussion between my son and I about scrutinizing deals, reading fine print, and tangentally the Liberterian political party. He’s only 11, so I know he doesn’t fully understand it all, but if it makes him hesitate just a bit when he’s offered a deal to consider if it is waht it appears at face value, then I’ll be happy.

But I still feel badly for anyone who doesn’t read the fine print or who turns to loans like these in hours of desperation. It seems like this is the kind of thing that the bank reform laws should have eliminated. Someone who borrows from companies like this is likely to be looking for assistance down the road. It’s business, I know, but it also seems exploitive.

Contributed by: Scott Copperman

Animator Junaid Chundrigar created this witty short featuring a bunch of Marvel characters.

Here’s hoping you can name ‘em all and enjoy it as much as I did.

Contributed by: Scott Copperman

The San Diego Chargers currently hold the 18th pick in this year’s NFL draft.

After three disappointing years, the team is at a crossroads. They MUST be successful this year, or there will be big changes.

I’ve often talked about how the Philip Rivers Chargers teams remind me of the Dan Fouts teams. So close to making it to the Super Bowl. Offense first. Strengths in all the same areas. And apparently headed for the same dark period after coming so close.

Up until the price was jacked way up, I was hoping they’d get the SS Barron, but now I think they are better off staying where they are. There should be a solid pash rusher who slips to 18 and then they can draft a safety in the 2nd round.

We will find out over the next 72 hours, I guess. Fingers crossed, it’s a plyaer who can step in and contribute from Day 1. Fingers crossed… .

Contributed by: Scott Copperman

“Ctrl Z” also known as “undo.”

You can only undo somethings (far less than we’d like to in life), but you can undo an awful lot when typing on your PC. Thank God for that, am I right? Haha… yeah, well… um… yeah.

In all seriousness, it is a pretty valuable feature. I’ll go out on a limb and assert it’s more helpful than Ctrl A, Ctrl C, or the Ctrl-Z-related, Ctrl Y. I don’t know if I can really say it’s more helpful than Ctrl X, and probably not more helpful than Ctrl V. But maybe.  Just maybe.

Hmm, I just noticed, I said “on your PC” earlier. Am I the only one who calls all computers a “PC”?  I don’t really hear other people call it that anymore, but technically PC is short for personal computer so… your Mac and your Ipad and all those other non-IBM machines are PCs, aren’t they? Just wonderin’.

Contributed by: Scott Copperman

Wow.

I just realized my street hockey team is 2-8-1 this season (although we are two-time defending champions).

Somehow, I have two game-winning overtime goals and the game-tying goal from week 3. I have no idea how that happened. I’m hardly an offensive threat. Opportunity, luck, and of course great play from my teammates to create these situations. There are far better players than me on our team who have scored lots more and played much better than I have – it’s just been a matter of right place/right time.

That said, it’s still pretty awesome, and I’ll enjoy it while it lasts.

A lot of teams would fall apart with a losing season such as ours, but my team is a great group of guys. What happened after we won today’s game? I walked over to the bench to join the (ongoing) discussion about the “God Particle.”

Good stuff.

Contributed by: Scott Copperman

Let me start by saying, I liked it. It wasn’t an instant classic, and I doubt it will ever be a classic of any sort, but it was by no means the bomb that a lot of reboots are.

That said, I will say there was one element of the film which I had a problem with: Kermit. To me, Kermit was always the voice of reason in the muppet mayhem. He was the best parts of every one of us, and in watching him you felt he was the one “normal” guy in the room. He didn’t always have the answers right away, but he had hope and balance.  Not so much in this new movie.

It’s not that he’s become too zany or acts differently from Jim Henson’s Kermit ALL of the time. It’s that he’s a little too whiny and defeated for me. Kermit is no longer the guy who pulls the muppets together and helps them find their way. He’s now just another muppet needing help.

So… I’m glad I saw it. I’m glad they made it. It wasn’t bad. It wasn’t great (to me at least). It will likely reinvigorate the franchise (which is good) and it did offer the opportunity for my children and I to share something (which is also good). But, for all the hype there was about it’s arrival, it turned out to be a one-viewing family film.

In hindsight, that’s my only real disappointment – because I wanted it to be great, and it wasn’t.

Contributed by: Scott Copperman

If you know me, you know I love puppets… particularly muppets.

There’s a new muppet movie coming out, and while I’m one of those “muppet snobs” who prefers the less politically correct Sesame Street to the Elmo-era and always thinks Kermit, Ernie, and the other Henson-voiced characters sound “wrong” since Jim Henson’s death, I’m looking forward to it.

The movie is being promoted in a very clever way with parody movie trailers such as these…

I’ve ranted against reboots more than once, but I’ve got my fingers crossed that this will be one of few Muppet hits of the last 20 years.

Contributed by: Scott Copperman

My two favorite Disney musicals are Pete’s Dragon and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

Below, please find a great song from each. Good stuff.

Contributed by: Scott Copperman

So another season of American Idol is underway.

I’m still not sure how I feel about the new panel of judges. Steven Tyler is very knowledgeable but is too soft. He doesn’t offer much constructive criticism other than to echo what Randy says (sometimes). It’s shocking to see Randy as the tough one, but he definitely is. The mitigating component is that his criticisms are (as they have benn in the past) redundant, limited in scope, and often not necessarily what the general public feels. Jennifer Lopez… well, I don’t really know where to begin. I’d read an article saying she was upset that the show was not focusing enough on her, and now I view nearly everything she does through that filter – so it’s tough form me to be objective. That said, she is too gushy and her standards are too low, in my opinion.

American Idol definitely misses Simon’s voice of the people (as a whole) honesty, and any sort of constructive criticism.

It’s a shame too, because the talent this year DOES seem to be at the top (as a top 10 or so) compared to past seasons.

I was very surprised last week, by the way the wild card selections went. I thought it was odd that the judges offered criticisms to those eliminated which often said “I would have loved to hear you sing a different song” or “I know you’re better than that one performance” and then not give some of those people (Jordan, Tim, and there was at least one other) a chance to perform again.

At this point, I’m not sure I agree with their choices of who to let back in, but we’ll see what happens.

I’m watching this year, but at my own pace. I often DVR the show and watch it at high speed the next day or check online to see what performances, if any, warranted watching more.

If I post about American Idol again, I’ll talk a bit about my issues with the uneven screen time contestants are given – but for now, sit back… relax… and enjoy the show.

Contributed by: Scott Copperman

It’s a minor thing, and something I understand, but it still throws me.

KYW Philadelphia Channel 3 used to be an NBC station! I can remember that being the case when I was at the University of Pennsylvania from 1988 through 1992.

Now, 19 years later, I again live in the KYW market and when I go looking for an NBC show, I turn to Channel 3… and get CBS!

It’s not THAT big of a deal, but yeah… it’s just not getting into my head. Oh well… I’ll deal.

Contributed by: Scott Copperman