fun links
Posted by bert at 11:19 AM on February 1, 2006 in ME.
early favorite for darwin award
i'd comment more but it'd take away the fun of these links
bert's musings
Entries for February, 2006
February 1st, 2006
February 7th, 2006
such a let down
Posted by bert at 11:31 AM on February 7, 2006 in ME.
man.. did this weekend's superbowl + commercials especially suck?
and the halftime show?
so bad we started playing drinking games in teh 2nd half.
oh and i think karma has caught up to me. I'm getting sucked out left and right now.
driving, who's worse?
Posted by bert at 05:21 PM on February 7, 2006 in ME.
it's funny. Almost everywhere i go these days, someone will complain about how bad teh driving at that locality is. It's a given. Go south and people are really slow and don't pay attentions. They're REALLY bad a driving. Come to LA, and the people speed too much, cut you off, and have no idea how to drive in the rain. Go to NY, and the people go to fast, aren't nice at all, and can't drive. Texas? i venture to say the same. Asia.. ok.. i'll keep in US only.
Point is.. is there ANYWHERE in the US where teh drivers are good? no.
and you know why? Because wherever you go there are women drivers. ok.. seriously, just joking. but I've come to determine that people are bad drivers no matter what. =) I've cut off someone before.. and i've also stayed parked at a light because i wasn't paying attention. so. yeah i'm guilty... but.. bad drivers galore! Oh MY!.
hehe.. still the best is getting down to specifics and talking about who teh worst driver you know is.
For years we've had this discussion amongst cousins and some close friends. So far.. i'm proud/embarrassed to say. My mom easily takes the cake.
why? my mother backed up from a freeway exit ramp, BACK ONTO the freeway when she realized she exitted one too early. AND THOUGHT IT WAS A PERFECTLY OK THING TO DO. Driving on teh shoulder is ok occassionally. and the 30 minute parallel parking session (driving an Accord) in Chicago was a riot too.
know anyone worse?
Racism...
Posted by bert at 05:29 PM on February 7, 2006 in ME.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/conditions/02/07/aids.blacks.reut/index.html
yeah you know it.. This article is implying that HIV is racist!!!! over half of new infections are Black!.. OMG.
yeah.. i'm retarded for saying that.. but why is it when other things that over 50% happen to be black.. oh.. its GOTTA be racist. The numbers back this up as well.
Lets face it, there is a virus out there that has a racial predilection.
February 9th, 2006
So your young and you wanna buy a house.
Posted by bert at 09:52 AM on February 9, 2006 in ME.
So.. I'm noticing a lot of my friends out here are in that Serious, "i want to buy a house" phase.
We here its the "smartest investment" one can make. but frankly.. right now i disagree.
So.. i just want to post this and give those who are thinking about it another point of view.
Traditionally, buying a house is a great thing. You get to build EQUITY. what this means is.. your paying the interest off of your house, but at the same time your paying the principle too. each month you own a little bit more of your house. Compared to renting, this is a great deal. Renting you throw away all your cash on a month-to-month basis. It's like it didn't exist. Paying your mortgage you demonstrate to creditors that you can handle a debt effectively, thus also improving your credit rating. (sort of). Buying a house also lets you control what the heck it looks like inside. You don't need to ask anyone if you want to paint the walls, add a wall, take down a wall. You are truly free to do whatever you want INSIDE your house. Now a days there are Homeowners Associations dictating exterior decorating, so that's whatever.... you can lay new carpet, granite countertops, stainless steel dishwashers, whatever. But this can all drastically improve the value of your house. If the market is good, and your home goes from $200k, to $300k, guess what. that's a $100k profit, and the bank you get your loan from can't touch any of it.
This all sounds great, and it is. For those of you lucky enough to get in on the housing boom, this is excellent news... but there are some scary situations out there.
First off.. Be Weary of the interest-only loan.
yeah.. what's this thing? Well.. basically this just says, for X amount of years. (1-7 years usually), your base mortgage payment is just whatever interest is generated off of your loan, and you don't pay priciple. Yup.. it means.. cheap mortgage payments, but it also means. YOU AREN'T CREATING ANY EQUITY!. So after your crazy ass loan is over in 3 years.. your initial 400k loan is still.... 400k. And if you were REALLY retarded and didn't refinance in that time period.. your lender has the right to jack up your interest to something ungodly (like 14%!!!, as opposed to the really nice 5.125% you originally got).
So just because you feel you can afford an $1800 a month interest only mortgage.. It's really not worth it unless your really paying at least $2500 a month to pay of your principle. That or you are playing a speculative investment property game. But if you are doing the later, you should have plenty of money.
Ok.. so here's my thought. Investing in a house is great. Really is. Just watch the loans, and don't think you should do it because its the "best investment you can make." Do it when you can afford it. this is generally when teh mortgage payment (interest + principle) is at or below 40% of your total combined TAKEHOME pay.
cool? K thanks.
February 13th, 2006
Ski Blades
Posted by bert at 09:03 AM on February 13, 2006 in ME.
So a bunch of us hit the slopes this weekend, and seeing that my doctor is STILL telling me not to go on my board.. i decided to drop down to Skis for teh weekend. I figured.. i keep seeing these people on those ski blades, so i wanted to give it a try. My god.. they are fun.
So much manueverability, so much less balance =). Thank god for poles!!! I was taking jumps by lunchtime ( and falling) but all in all a good 7 hours of skiing in. and now.. at work.. i'm sore as hell.
man that was a fast weekend.
old quotes
Posted by bert at 03:13 PM on February 13, 2006 in ME.
you ever read old quotes that you just can't help but laugh at?
this is one of my favorites:
"Some people are like Slinkys... not really good for anything, but you still can't help but smile when you shove them down the stairs. "
February 20th, 2006
ice dancing.
Posted by bert at 12:19 AM on February 20, 2006 in ME.
tv tonight was great.
grey's anatomy..
followed by olympic ice dancing
omg.. i swear i only watched it or tanith belbin, but man o man.. some o these girls are very very attractive (well except one of them). I'm now a big fan.
does 24 piss you off?
Posted by bert at 10:52 PM on February 20, 2006 in ME.
i swear.. President Logan, is the weakest SOB ever. Please shoot me if we ever nominate such a weakling to office.
oh.. and who would have thought that Rudy would try to be such a hardass? I'm just waiting for edgar and rudy (yeah i know it's lynn...) get it on.. they're the same only edgar is bald and about 100 lbs heavier.
and killing David Palmer... was that REALLY necessary? I don't undesrtand teh necessity.. they BETTER have a reason than the poor guy was making more doing insurance commercials, than 24 episodes.
and where is palmer's little annoying brother. (also a better president than Logan.)
February 22nd, 2006
two things that make you say "LOL"
Posted by bert at 10:04 AM on February 22, 2006 in ME.
great comic.. and makes you really laugh if you know what they're talking about.
Secondly is something i heard talked about on Kevin and Bean this morning.
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/0217062contract1.html
just read
February 23rd, 2006
street wars
Posted by bert at 11:23 AM on February 23, 2006 in ME.
argh..
so i meant to post about this some long time ago.. but haven't remembered..
check it out. Pretty sweet. basically an all out watergun fight throughout greater LA. would be so sweet to get in on.. except im not within the map.. but.. man.. to be a UCLA kid.. would be great just going around and pwning people with water balloons =)
the Igoudala dunk
Posted by bert at 11:50 AM on February 23, 2006 in ME.
i found it.
http://13gb.com/media.php?id=1251
i still can't believe they let him lose.
February 27th, 2006
Livin on a Prayer
Posted by bert at 10:40 AM on February 27, 2006 in ME.
quick note about the vegas trip.
hardrock hotel is always a blast
Pure kicks ass.
is there anything cooler then playing craps on the casino floor when they start blasting Bon Jovi's Livin on a Prayer? and then when teh Chorus hits... the ENTIRE ROOM sings.. "OOOOOOHHHHH WE"RE HALFWAY THERE.. OOOOOH OOOHHH LIVING ON A PRAYER. TAKE MY HAND, WE'LL MAKE IT I SWEAR...OOOOOH OOOHHH LIVING ON A PRAYER." nope.. didn't think so.
oh.. except watching a dude with $1500 on hard eight and hitting 4x in 6 rolls. (while you were there pressing your hard eight right along with him). Grats to Joe on his quick $60k and taking Bellagio for $150k total.
How the hell did i blow $900 on alcohol sat night?
i had fun =)