If you’ve been keeping up with the story of the ‘Sham-Wow Guy’, a.k.a Vince Offer Shlomi then you should know that its taken an interesting turn. For those who aren’t quite up on the story, I’ll start at the beginning…

If you’ve ever been up at late hours of the evening, you’ve undoubtedly seen the Sham-Wow or Slap-Chop infomercials. They feature an infomercial icon named, Vince Offer Shlomi. No joking, that’s his full name. Most know him because he’s one of the most annoying personalities to ever grace television.

So, why am I writing about him? It was reported earlier this week that Shlomi had been arrested. The official charge was, felony battery, because of a confrontation with a prostitute. According to Shlomi, he had propositioned her earlier that night and she accepted. They went back to his hotel room, where he laid the money down. The drama started, when they started to kiss. The prostitute, Sasha Harris, apparently bit Shlomi’s tongue and wouldn’t let go. That’s when Shlomi began punching Harris in the face so she would release her bite.

You’d think the story ends there, but it’s just the beginning. Apparently, this whole fiasco could be the doing of the ‘Church of Scientology’. Shlomi was a member of the Church of Scientology, when he began production of his movie, The Underground Comedy Movie. Yes, that film. The Church was upset by the film, and was looking to take him to court. Not just any court, but the court of Scientology. In an attempt to kick him out. Eventually, the charges were dropped. However, later on Shlomi would then bring about his own charges. He was wanting to expose the church for its cruel practices, and what not.

God, that’s the weirdest story I’ve had to type out.

So, was Shlomi’s incident just a typical, ‘hooker gone wrong’ tale, or was the Church of Scientology behind it all? Either way, it’s going to be along time before he annoys you at 2 in the morning.

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I’ve never been one for mainstream news. As affiliates get closer, and closer to being infotainment, I find myself growing closer to CSpan and websites along the lines of the tv program. Unfortunately, these places are like eating oatmeal for breakfast. They’re good for you, but there’s no secret fun prize waiting at the bottom of the box. Flipping by CNN, or Fox News, or MSNBC I’m blown away by the headlines of “The government is fixing this”, or “Obama establishes X To solve the economy”.

When are we going to realize that the economy is driven by us, not the government. Don’t get me wrong, the government has a large role to play, but nothing as significant as the power we hold as consumers, employees, and employers. The economy is a natural flowing process, and one that is bigger than any one entity can control. No matter how some try. Businesses fade, and grow, and very little of that has to do with governmental involvement. Which is why it depresses me to flip by these news programs with only ideas being shown from the government on how to fix things.

Sure, it’s easy to say “regulations were lifted on this, or the senate passed this bill”, but where’s the accountability on ourselves? Wal-Marts, and AIGs (no offense Wal-Mart), and other corporations are built by us. Providers can only provide, if the people in need buy into what the provider is selling. Businesses can’t sustain on invisible money, even if our dollars are becoming more transparent. Before the word ‘bailout’ was uttered, this money was obtained through us. We gave it away trusting in other human beings to do the right thing. I really am not a pessimistic person, but should we really give our money to others and not question how it’s being used? Do you buy a computer without making sure it’s going to run right?

The government didn’t question AIG with the bailout, and look what happened. If AIG couldn’t handle their own wealth, and asssets what made the people involved with the bailout think they would do any better with money given to them?

So, I’ve rattled on about consumer responsibility and government; but how do we fix it? It definitely won’t be easy, and if anyone thinks it’s going to be a quick fix you’re treading dangerous water. For a problem that has been in summation since our credit system was established, sending large amounts of money to various companies isn’t the answer. The true solution lies in all of us. The government can prop the businesses up, but what happens after that? Will we have learned our lessons? Are we going to make sure that the money we put away for safe keeping in 401ks, and other various systems are being used right?

If the economy is built by us, will we make sure that it survives after the recession?

Tags: Politics // 1 Comment »

I think we all knew, or have heard that animals dream. If you’re one of the six million to view the dreaming dog that runs into a wall, then you know that animals dream. After watching the video, I decided to do some research on animals, and find out just exactly what’s happening when they dream. The results are very interesting.

Just in case you haven’t seen the video yet, here’s Bizkit the Sleep Walking Dog…

What you see above, is dream patterns that resemble much of how humans dream. In this article, about an ongoing study at MIT, we learn much about how and what animals are dreaming of. The research could one day help with many mental illnesses that are based around memory (Alzheimer’s disease, amnesia).

In the study at MIT, they tested rats to find out what causes their brains to dream the way they do. They sent the the rats on a circular track, and monitored their brain patterns. Later when the rats slept, the monitored their brain patterns yet again. When the rats entered REM sleep, and began dreaming their brain patterns were exactly the same. So much in fact the researcher believes they’ve discovered a link between thoughts, and motions during the day with what happens in dreams.

Ok, are you bored by science? Here’s another Bizkit video…

Tags: Links, Videos // 1 Comment »

Don’t look now, the boss is behind you…Whoo, that was a close one. Luckily, Twitter doesn’t take long to check or update right?

Tsk Tsk.

The phenomenon known as Twitter continues sweep across the nation as users update their lives at 140 characters per entry. Just like all great things on the internet, people take advantage of using it at work. Twitter, is probably the greatest social platform to use while at work. It takes short attention spans to use, and information flies like crazy.

Does that make it right though? I’m not judging mind you, I don’t think there’s one person who’s been on Twitter who hasn’t snuck a peak at work. Instead of doing it in secrecy, why not turn it into a positive for your business?

Twitter unlike other social networking sites is perfect for advertising. If you bring up the ‘a’ word to your boss, and also mention that it’s free you’ll instantly have her/his attention. Also, if your boss puts you in charge of it that gives you even more credibility for tweeting the day away.

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I’m not sure what it is, but whenever I see characitures of Kim Jong Il, I almost instantly laugh. Of course, the best rendition was in the movie Team America: World Police. Kim Jong Il’s musical number is cinema legend.

This is a pretty funny spoof of both eHarmony and Kim Jong Il. For some reason the eHarmony commercials really annoy me, and Kim Jong Il is just himself.

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There’s nothing quite as unique as relationships that are developed while at work. If you think about it, the people you work with are not much different than family. You spend just about, if not more time with them. You don’t get to choose your co-workers either. The only significant different is that you generally hold more personal feelings towards your family than you do your co-workers.

To add on to the idea of continually having to be around one another, there’s the financial factor as well. In order to move up, and become successful you have to compete, while working together at the same time. Given all of the different factors, it can be a stressful relationship.

So, what kind of different relationships evolve at work, and which ones are healthy to engage in?

The Good

Friendly Competition - There’s nothing wrong with competition, having a good rivalry at work can help bolster the quality of your own work. If you and someone else engage in the same kind of work, then keep up with what each other is doing. Provide constructive criticism, and keep knocking your brain around.

Of course, the keyword is ‘friendly’. Competition can be a tricky line to walk. Things can turn ugly quick, so always be sure and stay pleasant. Know how, and when to provide criticism to co-workers, and when to back off.

Beer After Work Relationship - Even in the work place setting, friendships are easily forge. When you’re around others enough, becoming friendly or doing things together just comes natural. Of course liking one another is the big step, but having a friend outside the office can greatly add to the co-worker experience.

If it’s someone you work with quite a bit, it can make working on projects that much more comfortable. Just like anything else, there needs to be balance. While being friends is great, you have to remember you’re co-workers first.

The Bad

Backstabber, and Mutaneer This is easily the worst kind of co-worker that you can come across in the workplace. There’s not much you can do to if a backstabber, or rumor starter decides to lay into. The only real way to keep from falling victim, is stay out of any situation or confrontation with them.

If for whatever reason you do have to work with them, then just keep it simple. Don’t reveal anything to them at all, other than what you need to get done for your work.

Work Stealer This co-worker can cause more damage than the Backstabber, but is generally easier to root out. If you are constantly working as group with others, is about the only situation you’ll see this arise. When it does happen, it can be a tricky situation to handle.

If someone does steal your work, i.e taking credit when talking to your boss, just be honest. First, approach the co-worker who’s taking credit for what the group, or you are doing. Sometimes, the person isn’t even doing it on purpose. If you find they are doing it on purpose, then talk with your boss.

The Ugly

The Office Fling/Relationship There really is only one ‘ugly’ co-worker relationship in the office. The reason being, is because getting involved with someone isn’t necessarily a bad thing. In fact it can lead to many good things, but it has just as much chance of turning ugly as well. So, what’s the best course of action when getting involved with someone from work?

First, keep it to yourself. No one needs to know anything about what’s going on with your relationship. Unless the company has a policy, then you have to disclose it to HR. As time goes by, everyone in the office will undoubtedly figured out what’s going on. It’s best to just let it happen naturally, and not make a huge spectacle out of it.

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