I knew it I knew it I knew it
 

Jason Giambi admits to taking steroids from Balco.
I think I said this 2 years ago.
Check your local sports listing, I won't have to link.
You heard it here first.

I knew it I knew it I knew it
 

Go to front page of www.espn.com

And so what? I'm more curious who isn't on HGH these days. Especially the pitchers.

Freezeout, Day 99
 

I have had the pleasure of watching squirts this season, hoping that pony Jr. won't lead the league in penalty minutes.

At Bridgeport you can sit right on the glass for $25 bucks. I went to a game. It was awesome, Bridgeport came from behind scoring 3 goals in the 3d the last with 33.9 seconds left. Outshot Norfolk 38 to 35.

Buying Clothes "by appointment"
 

Some TJ rep pestered me for a while. She was unbeleivably hot. So hot, whe would never be able to tell if I "dressed right" or "dressed left". But alas she hurt her back and quit so I lost interest.

I thought that the TJ clothes were fair and expensive.

Public Service Announcement
 

Try the pony technique:

"Bugger off" Click.

ad for something
 

The chick in the football jersey? She's not bad.

Just in time for your generic winter gift giving
 

The first thing that popped into my mind was this guy:

http://www.filmmonthly.com/Video/Art...ace/Milton.jpg

ETA: Scroll then post. Scroll then post. . .

Public Service Announcement
 

I find that if I take that approach it virtually guarantees that I will get more calls. On the other hand, telling the telemarketers that they are violating laws (our state has a do not call list that is more stringent than the federal program) has done the trick. We get MAYBE 1 call per week, and then it is from someone with whom we do business (ballet, local NPR station, etc.). Unsolicited calls have gone down to zero.

Public Service Announcement
 

Why wait that long. I don't have a single acquaintance who doesn't respond "Hi Burger" within 1 second of my saying "Hello?"

Generally the time it takes the autodialer to connect to an operater is approximately 1 second faster than it takes me to say "Hello?" and hang up, meaning they can deal with dead air for a few seconds, and waste their time.

Of course, the DNC list has reduced my need to use this technique 95%.

Buying Clothes "by appointment"
 

This is so unfair. The two TJ reps that have bothered me over the years are both 40-something blobs of man flesh. Squicky.

However, this has allowed me to view their clothing more objectively: it's not great for the price, and tends toward the ugly (there are some nice pieces, but they are overwelmed by stuff that's just not quite right).

Buying Clothes "by appointment"
 

A colleague bought a suit from them. His principal criticism was that they were not well-fitted suits. They measure in the office, then cut to size, and deliver. There's no second fitting, so he said, and really no first fitting, meaning that it's all in whether they cupped your balls out of hte way enough. At least buying off the rack allows you to get close the right fit.

Buying Clothes "by appointment"
 

I really can't speak to fit, as I never got to that stage. Everything the guy showed me made me think blech, except a cashmere topcoat that I didn't really need and couldn't afford.

So if it doesn't fit either, double blech.

Public Service Announcement
 

I have sympathy for local not-for-profits, because I get recruited from time to time to do phone banking for them. I know that their lists are generated through a hoge-podge method of begging, culling and combining of other contact lists.

The call that irritates the hell out of me is some insurance company starting off the recorded spiel about how it's an important "public health announcement."

Public Service Announcement
 

The ones that nearly enrage me are the bullshit calls from purported credit counseling or debt consolidation "agencies" that are just trolling the phone lines for someone in desperate financial trouble whose life they hope to make worse.

Cute company name, good company concept
 

A Room with a Hue.

Seen on a painting truck on the way to work this morning. I liked their logo as well, and I looked them up when I got into the office. I could have used this service when I was looking to paint part of my house. I still have my bedroom to go, so maybe I'll see what they think works in there.

Their painting tidbits are useful. http://www.roomwithahue.net/toolstips.html

Public Service Announcement
 

I like getting calls. It's nice to unexpectedly hear the phone ring. To connect, even in some small way, with some other human being--and in a way that generally involves very little time or emotional commitment. I even like the recorded calls. It's nice to hear the invariably cheerful voice on the other end of the line. Find out what they have to say. But that's just me. I like people.

Cute company name, good company concept
 

Translation: I tend to employ cutesy, arty laborers. Artisans, if you will. I am fancy.

Public Service Announcement
 

I hated people like you when I was a solicitor. I'm fucking working. I understand there are lots of shut-ins out there- but jesus call information or a god call-in show if you need to hear a voice.

If you ain't planning on buying from me you are costing me money. I'd rather get the hang ups. We provide a service that many people want- we can't provide if we're wasting time talking to assholes that just need to hear a voice.

Cute company name, good company concept
 

Great site, but man, do they need a copy editor.

Cute company name, good company concept
 

Taut abs help.

Public Service Announcement
 

Back the fuck up, dude. You were the one who called me, remember? You reached out to me. I listened politely to your speech and spoke to you couteously, which is more than you can say about 99% of the people you call. How about a little gratitude? And, it was nice cyber-communicating with you!

Cute company name, good company concept
 

Ah, yes, the mythical Sensitive Hunk. If Mrs. Not Bob ever finds one, I am toast on a stick.

Public Service Announcement
 

What's your number? I've got a few dozen calls a day I can send you via call forwarding. While you're at it, how about sending along your office number, so you can make the human connection during business hours, too.

My favorite new strategy is the recorded messages who just say 'sorry we missed you' or 'we're trying to reach you' and leave a phone number (usually an 800 number). Sometimes, to add to the intrigue, they say it's really not necessary to call them back.

Yankee Schadenfreude Haiku
 

Tough times for the Boss
Big Unit drifting away
Jason G on juice

Cute company name, good company concept
 

You rang?

Public Service Announcement
 

<click.>

TM

Cute company name, good company concept
 

Dunno. Are you photogenic?

Public Service Announcement
 

Apparently most of those "please call this number" messages are actually scams - callers get forwarded to some international (often Canadian) pay-number which then puts you on hold while charging you $X per minute.

But the charities have gotten really aggressive recently. Maybe my mistake was donating to Planned Parenthood - I suspect that, not only am I on their internal sucker's list (they now call me about once a week to try to shake me down), but they've sold my number and I'm now on some universal sucker's list. I didn't see any uptick in calls when my main charity was Medicins sans frontieres. Anyhow, PP is really starting to piss me off. Anyone have a PP-like charity (donations supporting services, not political lobbying, ideally) that isn't PP?

Public Service Announcement
 

I get very few solicitation calls (not using a home phone helps!), but the ones that burn me up are fucking Citibank calling to offer me a business gold card. At work. Ya know, the job where I'm working for the Man? I don't have a fucking business, dudes. So I've requested to be taken off their list and then 6 months later the calls start again. And it isn't an option to cancel my regular Citibank card because it is the only one that gives me miles on my gold status airline. Fuckers.

wine openers
 

one I had to use last night sucked sucked sucked.

Soon I hope to have slimmed down enough to fit back into my old place so that I can use my stuff again. Stuff that is not my stuff is much more likely to suck.

Public Service Announcement
 

You know what pisses me off more? Jessica and Ashlee Simpson torturing The Little Drummer Boy. Some. things. are. just. wrong.

Public Service Announcement
 

I've never had any problems with PP, and I'm definitely on their list. Is it just their fundraising that's pissing you off or something else? Here in Houston, they have a group for 20-30 somethings that host a Cocktails for A Cause event every couple of weeks and has a special gala that's separate from the larger organization.

Working Assets, on the other hand, is awful about sharing their list with others. I made the mistake of signing up with them a few years back, and it was a nightmare getting off of all of the lists. ACLU is also bad about sharing intel.

wine openers
 

Huh?

Public Service Announcement
 

There is some "Hey Santa" song out there that makes me leave whatever store I'm in as soon as it comes on. Bed Bath & Beyond, Walgreens and CVS all lost business last Christmas because I just couldn't handle being in the store when it was playing.

Last night, though, I was really feeling sorry for the Walgreen's checkout girl, who confessed that after one day, the Salvation Army bell outside was already getting to her. I'm not sure if she's going to make it for another three weeks.

Helpful advice
 

Clear plastic straps for a convertible bra should not go into the dryer.

I make these mistakes so you don't have to.

Public Service Announcement
 

If I ever ran a retail store, I wouldn't play holiday music during the season; I would give shoppers a fucking break from it.

The world is so fucking noisy! And I'm ready to kill the noisy secretary outside my door. K-I-L-L my landlord.

Helpful advice
 

You put your bras in the dryer? FOR SHAME.

Public Service Announcement
 

That's "C-I-L-L" my landlord. Jesus.

Dark and lonely on a summer's night.
Kill my landlord. Kill my landlord.
Watchdog barking. Do he bite?
Kill my landlord. Kill my landlord.
Slip in his window. Break his neck.
Then his house I start to wreck.
Got no reason. What the heck?
Kill my landlord. Kill my landlord.
C-I-L-L my landlord!


TM

wine openers
 

Let's break it down:

Potential for assfucking jokes. Check.
Potential for "you're banging Hank?" jokes. Check.
Potential for "translations". Check.

All the criteria for POTH have been met.

Public Service Announcement
 

Nordstroms had a sign outside the door before Thanksgiving that said something like - You will not see any holiday decorations or hear any holiday music in our stores until AFTER Thanksgiving.
We said "thank god" and went inside. The mall has been decorated for weeks and the Generic Winter Tree lot has been open since right after Halloween.
Thanksgiving used to be the cut-off. It's been creeping closer to Halloween for years. It has to be stopped.