Cheap-ass guy for the Poor Guy: 11/01/2009

station to popstation

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Popstation. All opinions are 100% mine.

You have all heard of the Warhol Fifteen Minutes of Fame and who hasn't played a round of Rock Band or Guitar Hero, watched American (Pop) Idol and thought, "I could do this. I could be a Rock and Roll Star, I am going to quit my day job and live the rock life."

Well now you can give it a real shot thanks to PopStation – where there are No Judges, No Lines and No Excuses.

Just register, it's free, and hit one of the practice rooms where you can rehearse and record an original song. When you think you have it down, enter in a contest and see how you do. There's categories for Hip Hop / R&B, Country, Pop, Rock even Latino and Inspirational. Every three months, one top artist earns what most only people dare to dream of. Score "The BIG Deal" or "The Artist Formerly Known As You" and you and a guest will rock an all expenses paid three night stay in New York.

Follow Popstation on Facebook, Twitter and MySpace and get ready to hit the big time.

SoCal Rivalry Heats Up

With Cal beating Stanford (again) in the 2009 Big Game, attention turns to Southern California where the UCLA-USC rivalry week claims casualty as The Bruin statue is splattered in cardinal and gold paint according to reports in the LA Times:

Authorities are trying to determine this morning who splashed cardinal and gold paint -- USC school colors -- all over a statue of the UCLA Bruin mascot on the Westwood campus. Police say the prank is being treated as a felony vandalism investigation.

Spare the Air: November 26

Passing along some info for the SF Bay Area readers:

A Winter Spare the Air Alert has been called for tomorrow, Thursday, November 26, in the (SF) Bay Area which means the burning of wood and firelogs is banned both indoors and outdoors from midnight to midnight.

The wood-burning ban will be in effect for Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, southern Sonoma and southwestern Solano Counties. AirAlerts are provided by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, so for more info check with them and consider a subscription of your own.

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▓▒░ Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail ░▒▓

ring out the old year with Charter

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Charter Communication. All opinions are 100% mine.

I've told you a couple of times now about the great contests, deals and promotions Charter Communications has run in the past and now I can tell you that they have really pulled out all the stops for their end of the year promotion. 2009 is going out with a bang – from Black Friday to Cyber Monday, Charter is offering gift cards worth up to $200 with some extra-special special online deals. Plus, there are two ways to win: great deals on Charter Cable, Internet and Phone services, including FREE Gift Cards with special online deals and a chance to win cool prizes for the holidays.

There will be gift cards from major retailers in electronics, clothing, home, accessories, and restaurants so you can use them for shopping or as gifts. Extra money, just when you need it most! And after Cyber Monday, we start with 38 days of specials. Great gifts, prizes and deals every day like iPods, camcorders, TVs, Showtime goodies (like Dexter, The Tudors, and Californication) and HBO (Big Love and Entourage) stuff, too. Each day is something new and different, so check it out often as there will be lots of chances to win something each day.

Chartercom_black_friday__234x134

Best bet? Keep up with all the daily deals by becoming a fan of Charter on Facebook since they’ll be updating it every day through the holidays with all the latest info!

Charter's Daily Deal Web Site has all the information you'll need.

Charter’s Daily Deal Web Site has the fine-print and details.

See Charter’s Daily Deal Web Site for details and don't forget to become a fan of Charter on Facebook to stay in the know as deals may change faster than I can update you.

What To Do @Work Before a Holiday: Watch TV

In their newest short, Pixar fills everyone in on George and AJ, Shady Oak’s two finest employees, in the days following Carl Fredricksen’s big break as seen in Up!

I always knew Mrs. Peterson wouldn't go quietly either but I won't ruin the surprise by saying any more. :)

What's In Your Shower?

Method (the soap people) want you to email your congressperson to support the Household Product Labeling acts and so they have created this parodt commercial:

Loofa loofa loofa!

let your iPhone sing out loud

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Yamaha. All opinions are 100% mine.

I always thought the stories of how a single device can change your whole world were not true or overwrought, that is until I got an iPod Touch (the monthly fee-less sibling to the iPhone) and a WiFi router for the home. Now, I can read email, surf the web and (best of all) listen to NPR on demand, the BBC, and all the specialty streaming 'radio' stations I could ever want without having to boot up a laptop and be forced to stay in a single location – not an easy task with a newborn in the house!

The only problem? I had to wear headphones to listen. Don't get me wrong, the iPhone/ iPod Touch is a real world changer but in terms of being a wearable device, not so much, plus I'd have to leave one ear clear to listen to the baby. Which is why this Christmas I promised myself I would find a way to listen at home without wires or battery issues. So I am quite happy to now be able to tell you about the powerful Yamaha PDX-60 Speaker Dock with the exclusive Yamaha yAired™ wireless technology (it lets you have an Instant connection without sound delays and the quality sound you'd expect with deep, rich bass. In addition to the great sound, one feature I really appreciate is that it has dual charging slots for simultaneous charging of two separate iPhone or iPods (one using the dock on the speaker and another on the included charging cradle) so when we become a dual-use family everyone can have a topped off battery.

So stop putting your iPhone or iPod in a drawer when you come home and let your iPhone sing, inform and entertain you at home as well and leave the computer for work-related tasks.

Remind Me to Read This

Silly, Beautiful Things

Posted by Ian Crouch

“Einstein’s Watch: Being an Unofficial Record of a Year’s Most Ownable Things,” contains photographs and descriptions of oddities (celebrity-related or otherwise) bought or sold between July, 2008, and June, 2009

I love how Dr. Einstein had his title listed, or was this a gift? I guess I have to read the book to find out....

Remember Botan Rice Candy?

Khoi Vinh has a sweet essay reminiscing about Botan Rice Candy and being a child over at CandyGram / jasonsantamaria.com.

...I adored its wonderfully simple, colorless sweetness and, most of all, delighted in how its rice paper wrapping was designed to literally dissolve in my mouth...

Off to CostPlus this weekend, maybe I'll try and pick some up and recapture my own youth.

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This was better than all the cats in Wales standing on the wall in a row.

Wish I had seen this one this week-end in Los Altos for our 'shop local' excursion as I so would have bought it. As it was I like the shark and donkey we did buy.

6722 1.2.3 Grandma and Grandpa with Cat
Grandma and grandpa are watching their cat play in the sun.
Price:$3.99 Discontinued: 25% Off!

property properly managed

There are many great reasons to be a land lord but managing the property and the dealing with tenants is definitely not one of them. That's why more and more people are finding it to their advantage to use a Property Management service. It may take a slice out of your rental income profits but can you really put a price on your sanity and your sleep? (As the father of a newborn, let me assure that YES you can and YES you should when you can)

If this sounds like something you would be interested in, you really owe it to yourself to see just how Real Property Management Midwest can help you manage your property and let you regain your free time and sanity.

RPM Midwest recently received "Franchise of the Year, Honorable Mention" award and is the fastest growing property management company in the United States. They have been helping owners rent their property quickly, collecting the rent for years and know what they are doing. They even inspect your property three times a year to ensure that the tenants are taking care of your investment. Plus, if it ever comes to it, they even cover the cost of any eviction (if necessary).

See what makes them the best Real Property Management company in Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio at their website, then give them a call. This has been a sponsored post.

Slave One Twitter icon

Adam 'Apelad' Koford's latest Twitter icon, as if it needed any introduction: Boba Fett and Slave One.

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For all you know, sent via Unicorn

looking for fun

Looking for the hottest and newest game torrents? Have you seen Queen Torrent? It's new and compared to some of the other sites on the internet, improved!

With a Simple interface combined with a powerful search engine, you will quickly find something to download. Look at the numerous games, music, films, all for free. Fast downloads mean you can download without the fear of downloading empty or incomplete files.

Every day their bots scan thousands of sites with torrent files to add them to the database. Their huge and updated torrent files database keep you satisfied, just remember to stay legal and stay safe.

This has been a sponsored post.

24 Days of LEGO® City Building Fun!

Only $29.99, the 2009 Lego Advent Calendar includes 24 city-themed surprises for the season, including nine LEGO minifigures, accessories and more!

You will have to hum the YMCA song yourself.

Tell President Obama: It's Time to Sign!

I just signed this petition on Greenpeace's website telling President Obama that it's time to sign a fair, ambitious, and binding climate treaty. You should sign it too by going here: http://www.greenpeace.org/sign

Your Free Phone Cost $240

So, think you're getting a cell phone for free? "No way," says Sascha Segan . Your free phone cost you $240.

Read on to see that T-Mobile wants you to know this. But is anybody listening? (I am!)

the mouse in the house

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Victor® Rodent Control. All opinions are 100% mine.

Growing up in the foothills there were a lot of open fields around the house, lots of dogs (and dog food), doors left open and a pantry full of food. In retrospect, this is more or less an open invitation to have mice come into the house, which of course is what happened with fair regularity. We went through the usual round of denial and then setting traps and the debate of which bait was better, cheese or peanut butter.

What we never tried was an ultrasonic repellent, mainly because I don't think they were too common in the 70s and perhaps too because we weren't sure just how ultrasonic repellents work.

If you are looking for a way to rodent proof your home, stay away from the inhumane glue traps and look at something far more effective like the Victor® Sonic PestChaser® PRO.

After all, if mice don't enter your home, you don't have to deal with traps and poisons, and that's something we can all agree is a good thing.

Cats 4 Gold

Cats4gold

Here's Something We Won't Be Investigating

The Consumerist asked for permission but their boss said, "No."

No Photos For You

I'm sorry, I can't sell you some of these" the lady says. She then proceeds to go through the stack, pulling out every school picture and talking about copyright.

"Even the ones from 1956?!?" I asked.

"Yes, copyright is permanent" she replies. She also pulls out a several other pictures, because apparently if they even look professionally done, that's all the criteria they need to cite copyright. If it just looks copyrighted, this lady wasn't going to let us have them.

Read more of why WalMart wouldn't let a man print photos for a memorial service and remember that I had the same problem back in 2001 at a local Walgreens. Apparently, the look and the paper it is printed on is all the training most of these clerk have to go on?

tweeting with the stars

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Sponsored Tweets. All opinions are 100% mine.

What do Kim Kardashian, Bob Vila, Sister Hazel and Leann Rimes all have in common? They are on Twitter and are making money, just like you can thanks to IZEA. You see, IZEA just launched SponsoredTweets.com, a marketplace where tweeters can learn how to monetize their Tweets. People big and small can make money tweeting, maybe not enough to quit your day job but in this economy, who can't use the extra bit of cash here and there? Best of all, you get to set the levels and limits and as always retain all control over what gets tweeted in your name. After all, this is your online reputation that is on the line. In fact, that's the whole point – anyone can set up a fake account, in fact hundreds get started every day. What IZEA wants is your opinions and your friends. You know what is best for you and what your followers would read.

Picture-26-468x306

Interested? Then get started and sign up for sponsored tweets, then see for yourself if getting paid to tweet is for you.

WiFi Flip?

Remember when network supremo Cisco bought Pure Digital - the maker of the Flip camera - earlier this year? Me, neither.

Read why and what they have planned: "Cisco: New Wi-Fi Flip Camera Early Next Year" Gadget Lab @ Wired.com

Is Any Marriage in Texas Legal?

“This state or a political subdivision of this state may not create or recognize any legal status identical or similar to marriage.”

In 2005, the state of Texas adopted an amendment to its Constitution that said marriage in the state could only be between one man and one woman as well as the text above. Barbara Ann Radnofsky, a Houston lawyer and Democratic candidate for attorney general, is saying that the second section effectively “eliminates marriage in Texas”.

leave a light on

Winter is coming and for many people that means the possible loss of power due to powerful winter storms. Where I grew up you could more or less count on osing power for hours at a time and with the state of many utility companies these days those hours have quite often turned into days and sometimes even weeks!

So if keeping the lights on and keeping warm this winter are high on your priority list you might want to keep in mind the idea of a backup generator. Lots of companies have them to keep business going in case out temporary power outages, maybe you should think of one for your home (or business), too.

Which is why I am suggesting today you take a look at Hawkins Electric Supply. They proudly provide quality electrical generators, Generac generators, guardian generators and other standby generators at wholesale prices. They are sure to have the electrical solutions to meet any and all of your commercial, industrial and residential needs.

Goodbye Carnelian Room

After nearly 40 years of business, the Carnelian Room at the Bank of America Building (555 California St.), with its views of the city's skyline from 52 stories up is planning to serve its last dinner New Year's Eve, 12/31/2009.

Apparently another victim of the economic climate. Sad, I ate there once and seem to recall it was a great view and pretty good food, but hey I was in college so maybe things have changed, I know I have.

you gotta see this

Having taken several days off last week due to this cold, flu, bug, whatever that seems to making the rounds I have been watching a TON of internet videos and let me tell you there are a few good ones amid a lot of dross. Which is why I have high hopes for a new contest I just heard about called, “You Gotta See This”.

One of the Global leaders in Laser Vision Correction, Abbott Medical Optics wants people to show the world seeing better would or already has improved your live. Make a video showing the impact of improved vision and you can have a shot at some great cash and prizes:
There's a $5,000 Grand Prize, a First Prize in each video category of an HDTV (a $2,500 value!), and a Second Prize for each category of a super sweet Flip UltraHD™ camcorder (which retail for about $199.99 – I've been eying one of those myself).

Sounds good, right? So to enter: Submit A Video in one of the following categories:

• “My contacts are getting in the way of my good time”
• “My favorite sport or activity would be so much cooler with better vision”
• “You should see life after the iLASIK® Procedure”

Then just tell your friends to vote!

So what are you waiting for, get filming and enter the iLASIK Video Contest soon!

So Tempting [spam project]

"Replica Rolex models of the latest Baselworld 2010 designs have just been launched on our replica sites."

Replica sites? Then you won't mind if I use replica cash, right?

Obituary for a Wolf

She was known as 527, but she was much more than a number. She was one of Yellowstone's beloved wolves.

Wolf 527 was beloved by wolf-watchers and wildlife biologists who chronicled her courageous life. Sadly, she was also one of the first wolves killed in October - during Montana's first wolf hunt in modern times.

There are times I am not proud to be a member of the 'human' race.

Catching Up on TV Whilst Sick

I love how all my childhood favourites are now a mouse-click away from rewatching.

Paddle to the Sea
Bill Mason, 1966, 27 min 59 s

Based on Holling C. Holling's book of the same name, Paddle to the Sea is Bill Mason's film adaptation of the classic tale of an Indian boy who sets out to carve a man and a canoe.