Apr 25, 2012
Do you visit whatifitdid.com or do you subscribe to posts via email or a subscription through an RSS reader? It doesn’t really matter, and I’m happy that you’re here — but the reason I’m asking is simple. If you subscribe, you will notice you get everything (photos and all) of every single post delivered to your inbox or your reader should you be a subscriber. No teasers. No short first 20 words of the post to entice you to click a link to read the rest. Why? Because there’s no place when you navigate to whatifitdid.com for you to click that will result in me putting one copper penny in my pocket.
Not so with about a bajillion other sites. Take WISH TV for example. (I’m not just picking on WISH, it’s just the one that inspired my rant.) Yesterday, I received the following in my RSS reader:
Screen Shot 2012-04-24 at 5.44.55 PM
Now you tell me… does WISH TV care more about finding a sex offender with a gun, or do they care more about getting you to http://wishtv.com?
Screen Shot 2012-04-24 at 5.47.14 PM
Pretty obvious isn’t it?
While dude is out on the street, you can work on your MBA in Sustainability from the University of Saint Francis™ where you receive credit for professional experience, or you can check out the 2012 Cruze LS from Chevy, because Chevy Runs Deep, OR… and this is totally incredible(!!)… you can learn a foreign language in just 10 days. Just like the FBI! I assume every FBI agent can speak at LEAST 5 languages. Seriously, what’s 10 short weeks of additional training for such a valuable resource? Nada!
While you’re there trying to find the photo of the dude that may sexually abuse or shoot your neighbor or family member, you can probably order some of that fruit online. You know, the fruit you eat along with 10 pizzas a day and still lose about 9 pounds of unwanted fat a month!
Here’s the other thing… WISH TV isn’t a newspaper where the written word is the source of revenue. It’s a freaking TV station! Last I checked, commercials are still sold for audience viewing — many are national advertising package deals — with Pepsi or Bud Light or Ford or whoever or whatever for example. Wanna bet they include “x number of electronic views” in some fashion?
Why? Because it’s all about the money.
Sad, isn’t it? (Sorry, but if you want to see if you know the offender you’ll have to click the link & endure the ads. I can’t post the photo here because of copyright restrictions.)
How about making exceptions WISH TV and others? Non-registered sex offender with a gun? Just add the photo for crying out loud! Before you know it, just to see an Amber Alert you’ll also be required to click your heels together 3 times and exclaim, “THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME!”
Apr 24, 2012
On any given day, the pesky neighbors can tell you the price of a gallon of gas within a 3 county radius. To the 10th of a gallon. It’s likely they can tell you how much a gallon of gas is in other states as well on most days. If you travel with them, they constantly scan the price signs at every station visible from the road traveled, and make mention of comparisons along the entire route. It doesn’t matter if they are buying the gas or are along for the ride. They focus on the exact amount.
They focus on specifics.
Me? It’s all about the bottom line. How much money it takes to fill up the tank — that’s the only way I know when gas prices have raised. It’s not that I’m disinterested or don’t care. I do! I just don’t care how much gas is when I don’t need gas. My focus is on the immediate.
My focus is on the big picture.
I’m certainly not trying to indicate my way is the right way and those peskies are wrong. It’s just a simple fact that our focus is different. So… do you tend to focus on details or on the big picture?
Where is YOUR focus?
Ben's focus? It's obvious.
Coco's focus? That's obvious too!
Apr 23, 2012
The short outing behind us, Perry and I are slaving away in the office this morning. I admit, I’m pretty happy to be home. I missed the hounds and I missed my stuff. I could call anywhere “home” so long as my puppies were there, and my STUFF.
The coolest thing ever? Those pesky neighbors mowed the yard, and Carl even moved my finch feeder so I can look out the office window to see all the finches I don’t have. YET. They are coming, and I’ll have photos to prove it. Probably.
Like Ben, I’m wearing my game-face today — ready to tackle the work-week. Bring it!
Apr 22, 2012
It’s difficult to find time to relax and recharge when you’re on a short trip, but I did manage to read 2 books (She Can Run and Guilty Wives — neither of which will make my favorites list) and take a bajillion photos. Obviously. The beautiful sun-filled skies helped make our family outing amazing. What a change of scenery from the Ville!
It’s not like I have close neighbors at home, but renting a cabin in Pigeon Forge rather than a hotel room, you don’t have to worry about disturbing anyone. I doubt our closest neighbors could catch much even if they had binoculars…
I can’t think of anything more relaxing than a short walk around to explore!
Apr 21, 2012
Cabin 4020 was an excellent choice! My good friend, Alisa, made me aware that at Hidden Mountain Resort in Pigeon Forge, TN, you want to make sure you get a cabin BEFORE the bridge. Why? Because if you don’t, you have to drive up hills like we never experience in Indiana. Of course, she waited to share that fact AFTER we rented one unit a few years back that about claimed our lives and that of our poor Mini Cooper that squalled tired all the way up and had me ‘white-knuckled’ all the way down.
It’s difficult to choose a vacation destination when one person refuses to fly, and one member of your party isn’t even 2 years-old yet. The 5-hour drive to Pigeon Forge was about the best we could do considering those factors in particular. Our cabin was close to about everything. While I did notice some businesses have closed (most likely due to the challenging economy) since I was there last year, there were some new things are coming in (a Joe’s Crab Shack and new wax museum to name only a couple). And, like everywhere else I guess, some things never change. If your last trip to Pigeon Forge was 20 years ago, you probably remember this sight:
Just as in go cart racing, Ben took the whole ping pong thing pretty darned seriously. 4020 also sported a Foosball table that we uncovered and covered back up, not playing even one round.
Here’s a pointer for your next trip to Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg…
If you have someone under 2, they LOVE to watch the go-carts, but HATE miniature golf. Hate.
Pointer #2 — don’t forget to wave!
