Operation Surrender. Decent name? We'll see.

Plan:
On AT&T's website, everyone has the option to select "Not My Device" on their AT&T dashboard. At the same time, we all switch our "Not My Device" to some random phone of our choosing.

Why:
If they don't want New York City to have the iPhone, then the entire state of New York should go along with their thinking. We won't have the iPhone. We'll have something else. If they really want us to, they'll have to switch it back.

When:
December 31st, 11:30pm. It'll be more than a simple few account fixes at that time. Everyone at AT&T will be gone or drunk or both, and who knows what kind of chaos this could create.

I say it's worth a shot. Let's go New York. Show AT&T that they're really the ones making the choice here. Stick it to them with a healthy dose of literal sarcasm. It's their call. Let them live with the consequences.

So I download Coconut Battery...

...and those are my current stats.

Obviously, I used it on the only laptop I have; my iBook G4.

Why does this matter? That's the original battery...

From the final production run of these little powerhouses back in I believe 2003. I have the 1.33ghz model. The very last.

It's now 6 years old. On its way to a great big shun from even receiving Apple repairs or service of any sort. Still it lives. Rock on, little iBook. Rock on.

Dear Martha Stewart...

You're an asshole. You are a wretched asshole.

You and your amazingly upscale foreign accent... from Connecticut.

Oh, and Rachel Ray is 10 times the cook you were, and 100 times over the person you think you are.

...because you so read this blog. Shove your folded napkins too.

Much love,
Skippy

Exclusive NASA Quote:

"Billions of your tax dollars just went poof,
and you didn't even get to see it."

LBG SkippyT on Xbox 360 and Skippy on Sony

So I've been gone for ages... Sue me. Would you believe me if I told you it was because of Microsoft? Yes, that's a gamertag.

So I got it... The Xbox 360 Pro. I urge everyone not to pick this one up. Just pass. Why? It will consume your life.

I found the Pro still for sale on Walmart.com, and used my discount. Complete with all the extra goodies, but without the expensive black paint job. So far, I have Halo 3, The Godfather II, and Nascar 08. It's a great system, and it makes me sorry I stuck with Sony for so long.

See now let me explain something to everyone that irritates me, now that I mentioned Sony... The Playstation was the first system. It was only called the PSONE when they released the smaller white one, replacing the fatass grey one. The Playstation 2 with the fans and tray loading drive was not called the PS2. The PS2 name accompanies the slim one with the car-hood-opening drive, no fans, and the built in internet capabilities. The Playstation 3 was the first there to - the rounded fat gloss black and chrome football-like console. The new slim version is the PS3. Do we understand that now Sony fans under the age of 5? Do we?

1) Playstaion > 1.5) PSONE > 2) Playstation 2 > 2.5) PS2 > 3) Playstation 3 > 3.5) PS3... The PS stands for Piece of Shit when they change a good thing. I refuse to buy the third in the line. There's no reason why they should discontinue the one console they had that could play all of the Playstion 1, 2, and 3 games. I don't want a software emulator, and I don't want one that can't do anything else at all. I want the hardware that was built in, left in.

I therefore abandoned Sony, because I have a Playstation 2 that works fine, and can play all of the Playstation 2 games just fine. All my gamer friends own an Xbox. I have two friends with a Playstation 3. Therefore, they are obviously not gamers. The only good thing about the Playstion 3 is Gran Turismo 5, but I am not about to wait until 2015 to play it. Let's face it, it ain't coming any time soon...

Long story short, LBG SkippyT. Find me, friend me... I may or may not accept, depending on my mood that hour. We'll see. I just love kicking ass in Halo.

Saturn = AT&T: A Different Kind of Company

Never before have I gotten a return personal call from a higher up at a major company. So today, when a call showed up from a 405 area code, I was hesitant in picking it up - not knowing who it was.

It ended up being from Oklahoma, as my iPhone's Recent Calls told me after I hung up. A reverse lookup of the number confirmed it, though I can't find the caller's name. While, yeah he told me as I said 'Hello', but when he said "...calling from AT&T about that MMS issue..." I admittedly was so blown away that a company called me back, that I didn't catch his name.

From Oklahoma City, OK, all I could gather was a Tim or a Bill, but whoever it was helped out a lot. So much so, I switched my own tone. We talked for only about 10 minutes, but we actually both listened to one another as we each talked - which is a lot more than what happened with any of the customer service reps. He said I had some great points, and a great idea in one thing I suggested.

I told him how through all the agreements, terms of service, notices, statements, and right down to FAQs, there is no definitive clear understandable explanation on how AIM clients are regarded and counted as both Data and Text. He now told me they will certainly consider remedying that. They may do some sort of a bill insert, email notice, or post something on the website, but that something indeed needs to be said to put it out there clear and precise.

They're right. I admit it. Now the problem is trying to see what Apple is going to do to educate their staff. Will I do anything beyond this? Probably not. We'll see though.

Not only did AT&T refund my $3.65 overage, the guy that called offered me a complimentary month of service, waving my typical $72.43 bill for September for "pursing this matter as much as I have" and spending the time to stay on it.

I thank AT&T. I thank Apple. I also trust that something truly gets fixed. Thanks Tim or Bill.

Jay Leno, You Rock

Jay Leno has always been my favorite talk show host of all time. He's great. He's a great person and a great comic.

He however just did what I hoped someone would - deliver the smackdown to Kanye West.

Moments ago, Kanye was speechless, and near tears, after being asked what his mother would have thought about the VMA deal with Taylor Swift and Beyonce.

He couldn't think of anything, and as much as I don't like him, you could tell he was affected by that thought.

Good. Go Jay.

(Updated x4) Does AIM count towards iPhone Text Plans? The verdict is in:

...and the answer from A.A.A. is...

AOL: No
Apple: No
AT&T: Yes

From about 10 to 11 this morning, I talked to 3 different AT&T reps and 2 different Apple reps. Guess what? Apple says I shouldn't be charged, and AT&T says that I should. Surprising? Didn't think so. I told the Apple rep that if she could call me back at noon, that would be great - I had class.

Update #1, 12:45pm Friday -
I get home, and the rep calls at 12:02pm. Nice. Apple is on the ball, like I knew they were. She informs me I was right with how I figured the whole thing out - like this: I send an I.M. to an iPod Touch. They get it and respond. Since they don't use AT&T or any cellular work, that positively confirms that it is strictly DATA. I'm right. I knew it. I should not be charged she tells me. The only way it will count you will be charged is if you set it up to I.M. a phone number or if you have it set up to notify you via SMS. It should be counted as DATA when it is screen name to screen name.

She tells me my next step is to talk to AT&T again. She transfers me over, and with the other girl on the line, tells me to have a nice day. As I hear the click of her hanging up, the AT&T rep starts to tell me why I should be and am being charged...

She is useless. I then ask to be transfered back to Apple. I am. I get the customer service version of Jesus.

I then explain the entire situation. He goes "WHAT?! WOWWwww", and I laugh along with him. I told him about my theory of iPod to iPhone, and how it must be DATA and not SMS Text, and thus not counting towards my AT&T limit. He agreed entirely, and said to my delight "I'm going to have fun with this". I told him I had another class, and he said that he was going to call AT&T.

Update #2, 4:30pm Friday -
I get a call back at about 2:30pm, and he tells me that he has bad news. He says it looks like they're right. He then tells me some AT&T rep is on the line - yes, another one. She tells me the same thing I heard 4 times over already. That they charge for all iPhone messages as Text, be it through the Messages app or any Instant Messager app.

I then ask to talk to a higher up. I get her. She's clueless, naiive, ignorant, and plain rude. I explained the same thing to her yet again. Her response? You'll love this.

"The iPhone is a phone, and the iPod is not"... Translation; We can charge you whatever the hell we want because you're an AT&T customer locked in to our death grip contract. When I explained that the iPod and iPhone are basically the same hardware running basically the same software, that over Wifi, they both act the same way, she ignored it. Completely. She cut me off to tell me that it wouldn't be on my AT&T MyWireless account if I hadn't used it.

She repeated that a couple times, until I heard the tone in her voice go dry and strict. She repeated the same thing again. That the iPhone is a phone. Yes lady, I know that, the name gave it away...

So I cut her off finally. I told her that I give up, and that AT&T will just charge me whatever they want anyway. If they really want the $3.65 that badly, then they can have it, because I give in.

I hung up on her.

So in a nutshell, after 1 AOL phone rep, 4 Apple phone reps, and 5 AT&T reps, 2 of which were AT&T supervisors, I am left stuck with one answer.

Even if I'm right, and the text that goes through AIM is DATA, AT&T refuses to recognize it, and will charge it as SMS Text, because they don't care. Apple telling me it's free and AOL telling me it's free are both trumped by AT&T - because after all, they are high and mighty.

Tomorrow, I go to a local AT&T store. Let's see if Round 2: In Person leads to anything different. Bets anyone?

Update #3, 12:45pm Saturday -
The rep at the AT&T Store told me what I expected; that he simply "could not help me", and that I should call tech support.

I did this morning, and I got further than I did in collectively 5 hours of debate yesterday. The person I spoke to took the $3.65 off of my account, but only on the condition that I understand that AT&T is still billing me correctly. That AIM does count towards SMS Text messaging. He told me that while it does count towards DATA, it also counts towards the 200 text messages I have per month.

It's all ridiculous, but it's one small win for Skippy. That's $3.65 that AT&T will not be getting from me. In part, I win. In some says, I always win.

Update #4, 10:45pm Sunday -
I just got a text. I got a text. Are you reading that? Can you guess what I'm getting at? A text from AT&T FREE MSG... It reads as follows:

"AT&T FREE MSG: AutoPay Enrollment Change Confirmation - conf #**************. Your change request has been processed."

The problem here? I've been at work all day. I haven't enrolled in anything at any time ever. They decided to enroll me in AutoPay. Why? Well because if I go on AutoPay, then they can go right ahead and charge me whatever they want, and I may not notice.

The only problem with that is that I am the most stubborn, persistant, and obnoxious person that anyone's ever fucked with. Let's play, bitches.

Prof Skippy

Gettin' that education. I'll be back when Jesus gives me the thumbs up. Peace.

Chef Skippy Thorson

So today, I had another epiphany.

I had a craving. A craving for something extravagant. Something succulent. Something that only can come from the Gods themselves.

So I was in my kitchen, and I hear a voice. Sort of like Jesus, but a little higher pitched - almost as if the voice had just taken in a tiny bit of helium from the back room of a Rite-Aid.

The voice said to go for the gold. Go for Tuna.

Delicious.

So I said "ok voice, Tuna sounds good", and off I went. I then grabbed white bread to put it on - whose brand I will not mention - and plopped the slices on a plate. From off the pile of slices, an earwig bounced onto my plate.

Well that's just wonderfuck.

So I had another epiphany. This time, the voice sounded like a combination between the ShamWow Guy
and Gary Busey. Creepy, yes, but it told me to use a hamburger roll.

I happened to be watching Guy's Big Bite on the Food Network, because honestly, who doesn't watch that for 12 hours a day like I do?

What was the point of that story? Not to tell you that what I had for post-lunch / pre-dinner was delicious, but instead to announce a brand new idea I had.

People all over are poor. Let's face it. People all over are lazy. Let's face it. People all over are also hungry all the time. So I have a remedy.

Your personal Chef, Skippy Thorson, is at your forsaken service.

Once a week, I will post a new recipe for the All-American lazy man, based on my personal taste and experience, in a new blog entitled appropriately Chef Skippy Thorson.

Trust me, this is going to be good. Perhaps the food won't always be great, but the blog, and my Interweb Status will be.

I will update here again when I get that blog up and going. Skippy Thorson Home may take a lot longer than I expected, but this is as simple as adding a new blog, right? Right.

I think I'm going to update on Mondays, so poor people all over can keep the recipe in mind all through the week, and use it at a time where they are hungriest and laziest.

This is an exciting time... Or whatever all the big CEOs say.

SEE YOU ON THE GRILLIN' SIDE YO!

Michael Jackson, The King of Pop, Is Gone

I'll be entirely honest up front - did I like his music? No, not at all. I'm a country and hard rock kind of guy.

Still, even someone such as myself can't deny the mark that this crotch grabbing spinning squeaking dancer left on the world, and I mean that in the way that you all know that's how the guy danced.

Back in the day, when the world was full of Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley recordings, and it was supposedly the music of the devil, no one would have thought that a small group of african american entertainers from nowhere would surprise the world with a talent like no other. I still think, in a way, no one believes that really happened. It's what adds to the mystery and majesty that makes Michael one of the worlds most notable music acts of all time.

In two weeks the guy was supposed to be embarking on his world tour that would be both the comeback of the King, and the grand finale to his fans. Who knew that not even starting the tour would propel him to 7 of the top 10 spots on the iTunes store today? Given it was for the wrong reasons, his popularity has soared again, and if it's a little to late for him to see how big he really is 20 years after his peak of greatness, the status he maintains without even trying is remarkable.

Yesterday afternoon, he was found collapsed in his rented home - perhaps the most unlikely cap to his mountain of debt is that he didn't even get to keep his famed Neverland ranch. He was rushed by paramedics to the hospital in a deep coma, for almost up to two hours. Attempts to revive him were obviously unsuccessful, and that's the story. Nothing dramatic or huge, and probably the most ironic is just how subtle it all was. No frantic rush from hundreds of thousands of guards or police - just a report that he was hospitalized when he met the ambulance.

After reports from many that he was so strained and frail from the demands of the upcoming tour, I suppose that the lifestyle he led as of late leaves no surprise that things would come to a close, but no one expected it to end like this. The media circus that blew things out of proportion, and strange antics such as baby dangling, monkey befriending, and child masking were all just pages in a series of many books that told the story of a performer that we will probably never get the end of, in more ways than one.

As a side note, yes, It was admittedly difficult to get through that without saying the word "touch" or referring to "Beat It", but this is one post that deserved a lack of sarcasm. Peace, M.J.

In The Face - In. The. FACE.

So a 72 year old grandmother got tased in the face. Funny right? Well it wasn't literally in the face, and it wasn't all that funny. At least to the family, and some thinking the officer stepped over the line.

Later, the same news channel released a follow-up story, settling the conflict between the he said / she said.


However, now that the dashboard camera recording of the entire thing hit the Today Show, after she said it was all lies, Granny shut her mouth, and refuses to say anything at all.

He can be clearly seen shoving the woman, and it's debatable that he was just being a typical cop with the "Can't Touch This" MC Hammer-tude, but it's also debatable that he was getting the stubborn great grandmother off the highway.

Personally, and obviously, I think she had it coming. How many old people do you know that just... won't... listen... At 72, would you? What's the worst that could happen?

A taser shot is probably far off your mind. It wasn't on this woman's - she is even recorded saying "I dare you", and I would have done the same thing as the cop after that. It went on for what seemed like forever. She was given too many chances, and he was too generous. I would have tased her from the start, partly in fun after she swore at me the first time.

Over the line, or right on target? You be the judge. I personally think the target was spot on, but that's probably just because she wasn't one to run marathons.

I also personally think that people working on YouTube videos should avoid dubbing Vista error sounds into the video, but that's just me.

WWDC 2009 Predictions

So as my ritual goes, what's going down at WWDC you ask? Well let's see.

I have to say it will be not the launch, but the announcement of the new iPhone 3G. Off to a bang, eh?

Well, aside from the ultimately important Voice Recorder App, I believe we'll finally be seeing when we'll be getting the Push service we've waited a year for, and we will get an in depth look at iPhone OS 3.0 on the new device.

Another definite will be an update on Snow Leopard, and if not only a demo, we may even get a release date.

What else besides that? Schiller will have to touch on when Steve will be coming back. Yes. Steve is an announcement.

There is going to be a new product, but it is likely to be saved for a separate keynote hosted by Steve Jobs when he returns, and more than likely, it will be the kickoff keynote to his return.

There you have it. The future, as told by Skippy.

Enjoy the keynote tomorrow at 1!

Rather... today. It's the AM now. Crazy.

Ah... Underlining...

General Motors: All Up In The Air

Ladies and gentlemen, as I type this, Obama is talking to me. Yes, me. Through means of broadcast. General Motors is now officially in bankruptcy.

THANK. GOD.

The company as of now is a mere $172 in debt. Not dollars. Not thousands of dollars. Not even millions of dollars.

Yes.

GM is $172 billion dollars in debt. Billion. Billion... With a B.

Chrysler has also successfully been approved to merge with Italian automaker FIAT.

THANK. GOD.

Italy already knows how to make small good cars that last a long time. My saucy compadres can finally teach my American brethren how the hell to squeeze an eco-mobile in between the Dodge Ram and Chrysler 300. It IS possible, and it WILL happen.

So long as nothing touches the status of the Dodge Challenger, lest people may die.

Soon, world, we may see some better means of transportation. Better than a muscle car, no, but more fuel efficient and more importantly, Italian, hell yes.

We just need to all have a little faith. Like that guy building that Corvette in the picture, wearing a Rusty Wallace #2 Ford shirt. Yeah. Like him.

Until Obama gives us more words of hope, keep on truckin' America.

Er...

Keep on... Priusin'.

Ew. Bad taste.

Going Green, The Green Day Way

Green Day is on the cover of the latest issue of Rolling Stone and as much as I love them and hate reading, I bought the magazine to see what they're up to, and because they're the greatest band on the face of the earth.

Now I don't know how these fancy things work, but the date on the corner of the magazine says May 28, 2009. Now either I'm insane and my iBook has joined me in Jingletown, I got it early, or I'm just normal and happened to stumble across it at a typical launch time. The real question is, did anyone just catch one? A real Green Day fan should have. If you didn't, keep reading, because you need it.

Do I review music for a living? No.

Will I act like I do for today? Hell. Yes.

The latest album is truly a work of art. How does it stack up against American Idiot, the album that set the bar in 2004 for all of Rock & Roll? Does it stack up at all? They're both rock operas to make the music world stop and take a look, and they both hint at a Hawthorne Heights album cover, but where does the road split?

First off, you year radio static, and a soft voice comes through the speakers in a John Lennon-like whisper. A tune mellow and twisted enough to put your kids to sleep goes on for a minute, and then a rock opera much like something from The Who blares, full and forward, an assault on the senses. While pleasantly still musical, it seemingly speaks through a distorted Gibson Les Paul and a wall of Marshall stacks twice as high as the singer commanding them. Backed by a bass as precision cut and clearly refined as glass, and a 3 dozen piece drum kit not played, but artistically commanded by a master.

The trifecta is a winner. It beats American Idiot on all fronts but a hit pop single, and that's something that every fan new and old has wanted for a while now - at least as far as I know. While I still love songs like Holiday, a pop group Green Day is not. There are obvious singles-to-be, but they are rooted deep behind The Clash, Bruce Springsteen, and maybe a hint of Boston-esque obsessive compulsive perfection.

From start to finish, radio static links most of the songs, in a way that any FM station links so many different bands' songs to one another, through fadeins and fadeouts without interruption, even if often the songs have nothing in common. That's what this album feels like. 18 works of art all totally different, yet flowing. I could name off songs like Know Your Enemy, Restless Heart Syndrome, East Jesus Nowhere, Christian's Inferno, and two different tunes called Gloria, but what does that do for you? It tells you the titles. Wow. You're edumacated now.

Go and find out for yourself, even if for no other reason than to broaden your musical horizons and prove me wrong, but don't miss out on it, because you'd be about as stoopid as this kid.

Yes, it has some American Idiot influence, and they are still relevant and modern, but they are going back to true-to-their-roots Green Day, with some obvious riffs coming from an album they themselves dropped 15 years ago, which has sold that many copies in millions I may add.

Let me know what you people think, good or bad, in email or a response right here. The best band on earth is back in full swing, thank God.

That's right America, I said it. God. Out loud. GOD. Are you offended? MERRY CHRISTMAS. Does the pain burn you? Are you going to sue me? CHRYSLER. BAILOUTS. Now what?! Stimulus Package! Take that. I laugh at blind censorship - it's so exhilarating.

Thanks From Skippy

I don't know where all the love is coming from, but you people freaking rock. I'm talking AC/DC style.

I've gotten numerous emails from numerous people for numerous reasons. regarding numerous parts of my numerous blog. Numerously.

Actually that was a lie, they were all about me, but that's typical. So I got overzealous. There are a lot of people asking me to put links to their sites in my link list. There are a lot just telling me they appreciate my blog.

There are also a lot of spam messages. A lot. Like a hundred a day.

Thank you GMail spam filter. For all of your warming protection.

So anyway... In the meanwhile, I'm happy to say I'm going to be sitting on a lot of free time to get back to what I love doing. Being awesome and telling you all what's good with the world.

I'll be back soon. Thanks for reading, and while I work up some magic, enjoy the archives. I dusted them off myself.

Need For Speed Car List

I know many people have been looking for a car list, so I figured I would create one here. Short, sweet, and to the point.

Naturally, these were the first cars I bought. Once purchased, they are removed from the list, so I can't list them in order, but these are basically the low end vehicles..

Pontiac Firebird - '77 maybe
Pontiac Solstice
Chrysler 300
Ford Mustang GT

..and the rest, in remaining order..

Nissan 240 SX
Mazda Mazdaspeed3
Volkswagon Golf GTI
Mazda RX8
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution
Nissan 370Z
BMW M3
Nissan GT-R
Dodge Viper SRT10
Ford Mustang Fastback - '67
Mercedes Benz SL65
Ford GT
Lamborghini Gallardo
Porsche 911 GT2
Porsche Carrera GT
Pagini Zonda

It's a decent lineup, but I wish they had a larger variety of manufacturers instead of several cars from a few brands. A Charger would have been welcome, as would a Jaguar or any Chevrolet, but personally, I can't complain. Even a severe lack of Corvette doesn't kill the game.

I love the game already. Well worth $10 thus far. I would give it an 9 out of 10 simply for my car thought, and there's a sort of turning aid that sort of turns your car for you. Sort of. It's faint, but it's there. Sort of.

I'm happy it finally came out - it took long enough. How many times have I mentioned it? Jayzus. It's the only non-pre-loaded App on my home screen. It's that good, it replaced Apple's Remote App in that spot.

NEED FOR SPEED UNDERCOVER RELEASED

That's right, I said it!

NEED FOR SPEED UNDERCOVER is now AVAILABLE, and you can download it HERE, right NOW!

I am downloading it as we speak, and I will keep updating this post as time goes on.

I've finally broken my personal vow of silence holding out for this games release, and now I'm happy to be one of the first to post the link to the game.

It is $9.99, and I will say that I support this game now 100%. Even if I impatiently waited since September.

IT'S OUT! WOOHOO!!!

The New iPod Shuffle: Kick Up The Suck

What the hell is this, you ask?

A new Tie Clip? No. A manual can opener? No. A snowboard version of a Tech Deck? No.

It's the new iPod Shuffle. Now in a more compact version of Suck.

It now charges exclusively through an awkward little USB cord with a 3.5mm jack on the other end. Just pop it in and let it lay on your desk like a dead Tuna. Dropping the dock - pretty, no?

The clip is now twice as long as the last Shuffle - so you can clip it further onto your outer layer of clothing. This cuts your chances of losing it by 20%! Yes, 20%!

The silver model comes with a silver clip. The black version comes with a... silver clip! Isn't that beautiful?! Oh, and guess what? Those are your only choices!

Don't forget... 20%!

It comes with VoiceOver. Some obnoxious little techno voice (please, tell me it's OttoMatic) comes over your earbuds like the voice of iJesus to tell you that you're playing a certain song by a certain artist off a certain album. I could think of a certain feature that could have certainly been left out.

Still... 20%!

This thing makes me want to pimp slap Jony Ive. Given, he could kick my ass. Still. It looks like a slab. A prototype mistake that somehow made it off the line and onto eBay with a reserve price of 79 cents. Alas, no. It is on Apple's page, and it's converted to dollars.

Want to shell out cash for better earbuds? Better be sure they're Apple branded, with that little toggle thing on the wire - because that's the only way it will work. It needs those controls to function due to the lack of any buttons at all.

Overall: The New iPod Shuffle is garbage. It's uncreative ugly slop that I could have milled on a CNC Lathe myself. Bonus: It comes with more iSuck.

20%!

Odds I'll buy it? Drop that first digit.

DESIGNER BABIES?! WHAT!?

What the flying fuck is this? Mail order babies? Aren't these like test tube babies but just in a person?

It's like I just went to a breakfast diner and ordered my fetus- I mean eggs.. scrambled with a side of bacon.

What? I corrected myself.

You can specify what you want your child to look like. This is a sin against all of creation. Genetically engineering something, or in this case, someone to look exactly how you want them to look. That's disgusting. It's frigtarded. It's going to lead to one armed trailer trash everywhere.

I hope you go against creation and you wind up with wheels for legs. I.E., the Hoveround.

You know what this sounds like?

Hitler.

Isn't this like the whole Master Race idea? I hate humans...

Circuit Chitty

So I walked in today at about 10 in the morning. About the time they open.

I went to look at a JVC dock, that dual one. MSRP is $100, right? It is at my Walmart. I don't think we make up MSRP. So... Yeah.

First, I talked to some head guy, who tried to tell me everything went up to MSRP on January 15th. No, sir. The dock had been $100 ever since that date, and long before then. He told me, it was supposed to be $150, marked down to $90. The 40% off was supposed to be $60, from $100, not $90 from $150.

I gave up and told him whatever, and asked him if he had the remote for it - I explained that the settings on that dock can only be accessed from the remote.

He called over to some know-nothing kid. He went back and checked all the accessories for the rest of the docks that they apparently kept in manilla envelopes. Nope. It was missing. Thanks!

I asked him about the pricing too. His response, and I quote "I have no idea". He said it in this slow slurred voice, honestly showing he had no clue. I asked him then about the MSRP, and that it in reality is $100. Again he said "I have no idea", in that same exact voice.

I half laughed and half sighed. I then asked him about where I could get another remote. Se stared at me like I just switched to speaking Chinese. He said it again. "I have no idea"...

I told him that he could think about it and I'll be in again.

No I won't.

Lesson learned? Shop at Walmat.

I knew Circuit City would do this - they're marking up their prices to not only offset the discounts, but attempt to further profit from them as well.

Circuit City, New Hartford New York, 13413, in case you're wondering - fuck you.

iPhone Carrier Update?

Seems as though Apple or AT&T shoved out a mini-update to iPhone users today.

What does it do? I have absolutely no idea whatsoever.

Yet, I'm still pumped to get an update of any sort for iPhone. No, this isn't on MacRumors yet either. We'll see if that changes.

More if I find out anything. If not, no more.

Coming Soon

As you may know, I do a lot of work with Google. So much so, that it's my home page on all 4 of my computers.

Why do I have 4? It's necessary, that's why.

It seems that a mere single Blog wasn't enough. I will not disappoint however, the good news is that I'm not packing up. Think of it as I just bought a beach house down south.

Yes, Skippy is ready to take the next step in expanding his reaches far across The Interweb. I have taken my work with Google a step farther with Google Sites. Free websites for all, including people like me. Isn't that great?!

One day soon, whenever that may be, I'll have an announcement here on the new site, as well as updating the header - where you'll find a link to the site under construction.

Skippy Thorson Home.

Kinda has a nice ring to it. Very homey. Homie? Whatever the kids say nowadays.

Word to your mother. Catch you on the flip side, dogs.

Happy Birthday, Macintosh

Amen brother. May the bells ring and freedom fly and the flag fly at half staff and Obama kneel at the helm of Steve's awesome being and all that delicious stuff.

So it turns 25 years old. It's 20% older than I am, with reduced fat and half the cholesterol I would assume. Perhaps it should be the source of well being as opposed to the Oprah show?

$50 says Steve is sitting at home with a little party hat and a noise maker at a 40 foot glass table across from a 1984 Macintosh and a platter of sushi. I can picture it, can't you? Perhaps it looks a little like this?

Good times.

Circuit City: Gone. Firedog: Problem Solved.

So now it seems that yet another chain has fallen victim to the economy... or in this case, itself.

Circuit City is closing its doors in all 567 remaining stores in the U.S., while Canadian operations will carry on as though nothing happened.

Well that's just wonderfuck.

So when Best Buy hikes prices because their primary competition is gone, we know who to thank - THIS MAN.

Fathers and sons for I dont know / care how many years have looked to this place for a source of inspiration and guidance. How many times can you look back and remember your loving father asking you "So, do you want to go to Circuit City today kids?", and you responded with "Gee Pop, that would be swell!", and he hit his knee and got into that old Buick station wagon and you drove off into the sunset to go to the land of red circled happiness.

No longer are those days folks. Big business has handed the playground over to a giant yellow price tag, and it wants your soul. No seriously, just look at this thing. It probably eats babies.

So, so long glowing red globe of happiness and wonder. We will miss your Firedog expertise. Woe is the Geek Squadian who tells me that it will be $50 to tell me what was wrong and what I should expect to pay for it. Darkness looms in the future for all who are looking for a Firewire MyBook external hard drive, or a 47 inch Samsung flat screen.

Oh well. At least they have Apple Stores.

Sales start as early as today, for all the soulless wanting to benefit on the dead. I personally could use that external, but I want to honor the place as it goes down in a blaze of glory.

Which was an excellent Bon Jovi song.

I'll miss you C.C.

Leave Of Absence: Steve Jobs

It would be a shame to not blog about the man that provided us with a changed world and optimistic mind, giving us all hope that technology isn't the mundane work center tool we all take for granted. It's more than that. It's a lifestyle, and a state of being.

The man that gives his all every day wants time to be with his family. He deserves it. He deserves every second of time off he can find. He doesn't deserve the scrutiny and prodding that every blogger, columnist and news story has tossed out into the open, like a domestic cat into a pack of ravenous wolves. He is but a man. Inventor and father of iPod and iPhone. We've taken enough of what he's given. Let's offer something in return. Peace perhaps. Tranquility from the madness.

Damn you who sleeps peacefully at night, after doing nothing but taking. Return what you received. Give back. Give time. Time is what will prove everyone wrong. That no, not everyone is immortal, but no, not everyone is as vulnerable as we presume. Some are tough. Some are fighters. Some are the crazy ones.

Cheers, Steve. We'll see you in a while.

Salute. Namaste.

Whoever hacked the MacRumors live feed...

...may you, your family, and all plant life around you rot and burn in hell for many painstaking years to come.