Check out the Black Friday deals going on at www.blackfriday.info
Q: Are you/would you go shopping on Black Friday?
Q: After looking at the deals, what sounds like the best deal and for what?
Q: Do you think you would have to go stand in line early before 4 am to get this deal?
Q: Is it worth it?
Monday, November 24, 2008
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
How would you answer this week's Pollingpoint poll?
1) People are legally considered adults when they turn 18, but at what age do you think society should treat children like grown-ups?
A. 21 or above
B. 20
C. 19
D. 18
E. 17
F. 16
G. Earlier than 16
H. It completely depends on the child.
2) Do you think the legal driving age should be lowered, raised, or stay the same?
A. Lowered
B. Raised
C. Stay the same
3) John McCain has been criticized for not being Internet-savvy. How important is it that the President is up-to-date on information technology?
A. Very important
B. Somewhat important
C. Not very important
D. Not at all important
4) Do you think there is a trend in America of people becoming more or less intelligent?
A. More intelligent
B. Less intelligent
C. No trend
D. Don't know
5) How big of a role do you think the Internet plays in this trend?
A. Very big
B. Somewhat big
C. Not very big
D. Not at all
E. Not sure
6) Would you go on a reality TV show?
A. Definitely Yes
B. Probably Yes, but it has to be a specific one.
C. Probably Not, unless there is a new show made that I would do.
D. Definitely Not.
(if you answer A or B, Tell the name of the show)
7) Would you go on a TV Game show?
Same Answers as above
(Again, if you answer A or B, Tell the name of the show)
I'm going to answer in the comments, but if you read the comments you have to answer the questions too!!
A. 21 or above
B. 20
C. 19
D. 18
E. 17
F. 16
G. Earlier than 16
H. It completely depends on the child.
2) Do you think the legal driving age should be lowered, raised, or stay the same?
A. Lowered
B. Raised
C. Stay the same
3) John McCain has been criticized for not being Internet-savvy. How important is it that the President is up-to-date on information technology?
A. Very important
B. Somewhat important
C. Not very important
D. Not at all important
4) Do you think there is a trend in America of people becoming more or less intelligent?
A. More intelligent
B. Less intelligent
C. No trend
D. Don't know
5) How big of a role do you think the Internet plays in this trend?
A. Very big
B. Somewhat big
C. Not very big
D. Not at all
E. Not sure
6) Would you go on a reality TV show?
A. Definitely Yes
B. Probably Yes, but it has to be a specific one.
C. Probably Not, unless there is a new show made that I would do.
D. Definitely Not.
(if you answer A or B, Tell the name of the show)
7) Would you go on a TV Game show?
Same Answers as above
(Again, if you answer A or B, Tell the name of the show)
I'm going to answer in the comments, but if you read the comments you have to answer the questions too!!
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Family Picture and events
Tanner had interession (week off of school) a week ago and we got to do some fun things together. Went to Stone Mountain park where we played mini-golf, rode the train, and saw lots of shows. Went to a Pumpkin Patch area and they had a hay-ride and play area where we also had a picnic. And also went to the Atlanta Zoo where we all had a good time. It was good to do family stuff for that week because this is the busy season for Best Buy and we will not have much time until after Christmas.
Georgia Ballot Measures
Here are the 3 ballot measures for Georgia to vote on tomorrow as well:
This is for your information and also I have given my opinion :) but this is for you to decide.
#1) “Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended so as to provide that the General Assembly by general law shall encourage the preservation, conservation, and protection of the state's forests through the special assessment and taxation of certain forest lands and assistance grants to local government?"
Jeff's understanding is that people or businesses that own undeveloped or forest areas (over 200 acres) would get a tax break on that property if left undeveloped (at least for 15 years). People against the measure say that It would mean less tax money coming from that area and it would have to be made up by all Georgia taxpayers. People for it say that it helps to preserve the forest land and that those owners are not charged the high rate of taxes for preserving forests and undeveloped land.
I would say I am for this in order to not punish big land owners (people or businesses) for forest and undeveloped land and to preserve some of the green forests in GA. If they want to still develop it, they can as before with normal taxation. So it doesn't hurt development either.
#2) “Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended so as to authorize community redevelopment and authorize counties, municipalities, and local boards of education to use tax funds for redevelopment purposes and programs?"
Jeff's understanding is that local government would get to use school taxes to fund development projects in the community. People against it say that school funds should be used on school needs only and not for the community or development. And that it gives the school board to much power to fund things not part of education. People for it say that that money from city and county are sometimes not enough to support massive projects and it gives a choice to the school board to help in the community or not. They say that when they improve the community and area it therefore improves schools.
I am against this one. If the local government wants to improve an area or for development then use the money from state and county and city taxes and not from school funds. If they can't support it with those alone then save up or find something else that will help. School board members should focus on direct help in education and not on things that indirectly might help.
#3) “Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended so as to authorize the General Assembly to provide by general law for the creation and comprehensive regulation of infrastructure development districts for the provision of infrastructure as authorized by local governments?"
Jeff's understanding is that local government could approve of "infrastructure districts" or "private cities" basically an "area of land" meant for a developer to borrow money from the local government to develop that area and pay it off from people who buy that area after it is developed. People against it say that it makes it so that the local government can give tax payer money to a Developer to promote development in an area that might not occur or not needed. And if that area fails (doesn't sell) then the taxpayers are left to pay for it. People for it say that it is a new tool that will be used to pay for badly needed projects in some areas to increase development and that developers will pay back to taxpayers after it is bought up. Also it makes it so that these developments have a 20 Percent greenspace for parks and better water conservation.
I am against this measure because I want developers to build where they want and how they want and not the local government telling them where and how.
This is for your information and also I have given my opinion :) but this is for you to decide.
#1) “Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended so as to provide that the General Assembly by general law shall encourage the preservation, conservation, and protection of the state's forests through the special assessment and taxation of certain forest lands and assistance grants to local government?"
Jeff's understanding is that people or businesses that own undeveloped or forest areas (over 200 acres) would get a tax break on that property if left undeveloped (at least for 15 years). People against the measure say that It would mean less tax money coming from that area and it would have to be made up by all Georgia taxpayers. People for it say that it helps to preserve the forest land and that those owners are not charged the high rate of taxes for preserving forests and undeveloped land.
I would say I am for this in order to not punish big land owners (people or businesses) for forest and undeveloped land and to preserve some of the green forests in GA. If they want to still develop it, they can as before with normal taxation. So it doesn't hurt development either.
#2) “Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended so as to authorize community redevelopment and authorize counties, municipalities, and local boards of education to use tax funds for redevelopment purposes and programs?"
Jeff's understanding is that local government would get to use school taxes to fund development projects in the community. People against it say that school funds should be used on school needs only and not for the community or development. And that it gives the school board to much power to fund things not part of education. People for it say that that money from city and county are sometimes not enough to support massive projects and it gives a choice to the school board to help in the community or not. They say that when they improve the community and area it therefore improves schools.
I am against this one. If the local government wants to improve an area or for development then use the money from state and county and city taxes and not from school funds. If they can't support it with those alone then save up or find something else that will help. School board members should focus on direct help in education and not on things that indirectly might help.
#3) “Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended so as to authorize the General Assembly to provide by general law for the creation and comprehensive regulation of infrastructure development districts for the provision of infrastructure as authorized by local governments?"
Jeff's understanding is that local government could approve of "infrastructure districts" or "private cities" basically an "area of land" meant for a developer to borrow money from the local government to develop that area and pay it off from people who buy that area after it is developed. People against it say that it makes it so that the local government can give tax payer money to a Developer to promote development in an area that might not occur or not needed. And if that area fails (doesn't sell) then the taxpayers are left to pay for it. People for it say that it is a new tool that will be used to pay for badly needed projects in some areas to increase development and that developers will pay back to taxpayers after it is bought up. Also it makes it so that these developments have a 20 Percent greenspace for parks and better water conservation.
I am against this measure because I want developers to build where they want and how they want and not the local government telling them where and how.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Tagged
I got Tagged, I Tag everyone who reads this if you haven't done it yet
8 Things I am Passionate about:
Family (immediate and extended)
My Faith
Knowledge (I need to know all)
Efficiency
Electronics
Entertainment (Board games, etc)
Politics
Competition and Some Sports
.
8(I have many more) Words or phrases I say:
(Most are Jeff Originals that need to be said with a specific connotation and tone)
Yeah right
Nae
"Beatings" or "Bungings" (multiple usages)
Buh Bye
It's Half Past Quarter Time
"Basics" or "Basically"
Deal with it
Makes it so good
.
8 Things to accomplish in the upcoming year:
Pay off all Debt (except House)
Teach and play with Children
Switch the office and Play room
Take wife out on dates more
Promotion at Work
Go to Temple more often
Create a Will
Save a Life
.
8 Places I want to go or visit:
Visit Family in Utah and Oregon
England and a Wimbledon Final Match
World Cup Final Match
NHL Playoffs Finals Game
Caribbean Island
All 50 states (40 Done, 10 more to go)
Australia
Holy Land area
.
8 things I need or want:
An automated way to get house clean
Healthy Family
An extra 2 hours a Day (More time or slower time)
More Sleep or just to feel more rested
Products that will last longer without service
More Freedom (Not as much that Kevin wants people to have though)
To know all
My calling and election made sure
Who is Who?
Do you know who is who?
3)
Have your guess? Look at the notes for the answers to see if your right and don't look at any other pics.
1)
2)
3)
Have your guess? Look at the notes for the answers to see if your right and don't look at any other pics.Friday, October 3, 2008
Glad all family got out of Circuit City
Here is a recent article I found. I'm just glad that many in our family don't work for Circuit City anymore.
Whole article can be read here at: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13506_3-10053605-17.html
The fate of Circuit City is very much in doubt. After months of poor performance and even worse management, the company reported its second-quarter earnings on Monday for the month ending August 31, and let's just say that Circuit City is in deep trouble.
According to the company, it incurred a net loss during the quarter of $239 million on $2.3 billion in revenue. During the same quarter in 2007, the company lost almost $63 million on $2.6 billion in revenue. In the past six months, Circuit City has lost over $400 million--almost four times as much as it lost during the same period in 2007.
"Clearly, the performance of the company is unacceptable to all of our stakeholders, and it is imperative that we take the right steps to accelerate our turnaround," stated James A. Marcum, chief executive officer of Circuit City Stores. "The management team and the board of directors are conducting a comprehensive review of all aspects of our business to determine the best methods of delivering substantially improved financial performance and maximizing shareholder value.
"We recognize that this will require that we intensify our efforts to correct problems in our business. In particular, to be successful, all of our actions must start with improving the customer experience in our stores. As we move forward, we intend to improve how we operate, strengthen our market position, and build a stronger future for the company."
Here's a clue, Marcum: sell the company to the highest bidder as soon as possible and get out before it's too late. It's your only option.
At the time of this posting, Circuit City's stock price is a laughable $1.21. Compare that to Best Buy's $37.59 stock price and you quickly learn everything you need to know about the position Circuit City presently finds itself in.
But let's take a quick look at Best Buy. Obviously Circuit City is being affected by the current state of the economy and less people are willing to spend money on tech toys than they were last year, so the same should be true for Best Buy, right?
Guess again.
According to its latest filings, Best Buy's revenue is hovering at around $9 billion--well in-line with prior year numbers--and its profit during the quarter ending August 30 is $200 million. More importantly, its revenue is up by almost $1 billion over the previous quarter.
So what gives? Why is Best Buy such a successful company when Circuit City is slowly turning into the laughingstock of the tech retail world? It's simple: there's only room for one big-box tech retailer.
Let's face it--CompUSA (although it has made a comeback to some extent), died at the hands of online tech retailers and Best Buy. It faced many of the same issues currently plaguing Circuit City--little customer traffic, for one--and it couldn't stand up to the experience and prices offered at Best Buy and online.
Circuit City keeps talking about its need to improve the customer experience in stores, but I have no idea how it will accomplish such a feat.
First off, it needs customers in its stores. Obviously people buy products at Circuit City stores, but if there's a Best Buy within a close proximity, I'm willing to bet that the Best Buy will have hundreds of people looking to buy products, while the Circuit City has a handful. I have gone to both stores (they're within about 5 minutes of each other) in my area on the same day. The Best Buy is flooded with customers looking to pick up HDTVs, digital cameras, and other tech toys, while the Circuit City is practically empty.
Assuming Circuit City can increase the number of customers that patronize its stores (which it probably won't be able to do), it'll need to improve the customer experience by reducing its prices, employing more sales representatives to help its customers, and provide an experience in the stores that's more conducive to buying products from the company. Of course, the only problem with that scenario is that the company isn't in the financial condition to do anything of the sort.
Regardless, Circuit City is a public company and it's forced to maximize shareholder value. In order to do that, it needs to find any way to turn a profit and try to fend off the Best Buy and online onslaught. With that in mind, maybe it can turn most of its business online and keep only those stores that are performing extremely well. Or maybe it can go back to the table with Blockbuster and work out a deal to increase the value to both firms.
Or maybe Circuit City can raise the white flag and start finding a potential suitor.
It's that last option that makes the most sense at this point. Let's face it--Circuit City will never be able to stand up to Best Buy and its chances of creating a strong online presence are just as slim. Worse, its financial health keeps getting worse and the company seems like it's at wit's end. And as a shareholder, seeing your executives at wit's end means it's not a company worth owning any longer.
And so, at this time when immediate action is not only advisable, it's entirely necessary, Circuit City finds itself in an unenviable position. The company needs to find a way to turn things around, but it won't be able to do that unless it can invest in those changes. And at this point, that's practically impossible.
Realizing that, Circuit City really only has two options: sell to the highest bidder or face total annihilation. It's a sad state of affairs and I'm sure the company won't like to hear it, but at this point, selling it to the highest bidder is its only option.
And considering it tried desperately to get Blockbuster to bite, I think it knows that all too well.
Check out Don's Digital Home podcast, Twitter feed, and FriendFeed.
Whole article can be read here at: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13506_3-10053605-17.html
The fate of Circuit City is very much in doubt. After months of poor performance and even worse management, the company reported its second-quarter earnings on Monday for the month ending August 31, and let's just say that Circuit City is in deep trouble.
According to the company, it incurred a net loss during the quarter of $239 million on $2.3 billion in revenue. During the same quarter in 2007, the company lost almost $63 million on $2.6 billion in revenue. In the past six months, Circuit City has lost over $400 million--almost four times as much as it lost during the same period in 2007.
"Clearly, the performance of the company is unacceptable to all of our stakeholders, and it is imperative that we take the right steps to accelerate our turnaround," stated James A. Marcum, chief executive officer of Circuit City Stores. "The management team and the board of directors are conducting a comprehensive review of all aspects of our business to determine the best methods of delivering substantially improved financial performance and maximizing shareholder value.
"We recognize that this will require that we intensify our efforts to correct problems in our business. In particular, to be successful, all of our actions must start with improving the customer experience in our stores. As we move forward, we intend to improve how we operate, strengthen our market position, and build a stronger future for the company."
Here's a clue, Marcum: sell the company to the highest bidder as soon as possible and get out before it's too late. It's your only option.
At the time of this posting, Circuit City's stock price is a laughable $1.21. Compare that to Best Buy's $37.59 stock price and you quickly learn everything you need to know about the position Circuit City presently finds itself in.
But let's take a quick look at Best Buy. Obviously Circuit City is being affected by the current state of the economy and less people are willing to spend money on tech toys than they were last year, so the same should be true for Best Buy, right?
Guess again.
According to its latest filings, Best Buy's revenue is hovering at around $9 billion--well in-line with prior year numbers--and its profit during the quarter ending August 30 is $200 million. More importantly, its revenue is up by almost $1 billion over the previous quarter.
So what gives? Why is Best Buy such a successful company when Circuit City is slowly turning into the laughingstock of the tech retail world? It's simple: there's only room for one big-box tech retailer.
Let's face it--CompUSA (although it has made a comeback to some extent), died at the hands of online tech retailers and Best Buy. It faced many of the same issues currently plaguing Circuit City--little customer traffic, for one--and it couldn't stand up to the experience and prices offered at Best Buy and online.
Circuit City keeps talking about its need to improve the customer experience in stores, but I have no idea how it will accomplish such a feat.
First off, it needs customers in its stores. Obviously people buy products at Circuit City stores, but if there's a Best Buy within a close proximity, I'm willing to bet that the Best Buy will have hundreds of people looking to buy products, while the Circuit City has a handful. I have gone to both stores (they're within about 5 minutes of each other) in my area on the same day. The Best Buy is flooded with customers looking to pick up HDTVs, digital cameras, and other tech toys, while the Circuit City is practically empty.
Assuming Circuit City can increase the number of customers that patronize its stores (which it probably won't be able to do), it'll need to improve the customer experience by reducing its prices, employing more sales representatives to help its customers, and provide an experience in the stores that's more conducive to buying products from the company. Of course, the only problem with that scenario is that the company isn't in the financial condition to do anything of the sort.
Regardless, Circuit City is a public company and it's forced to maximize shareholder value. In order to do that, it needs to find any way to turn a profit and try to fend off the Best Buy and online onslaught. With that in mind, maybe it can turn most of its business online and keep only those stores that are performing extremely well. Or maybe it can go back to the table with Blockbuster and work out a deal to increase the value to both firms.
Or maybe Circuit City can raise the white flag and start finding a potential suitor.
It's that last option that makes the most sense at this point. Let's face it--Circuit City will never be able to stand up to Best Buy and its chances of creating a strong online presence are just as slim. Worse, its financial health keeps getting worse and the company seems like it's at wit's end. And as a shareholder, seeing your executives at wit's end means it's not a company worth owning any longer.
And so, at this time when immediate action is not only advisable, it's entirely necessary, Circuit City finds itself in an unenviable position. The company needs to find a way to turn things around, but it won't be able to do that unless it can invest in those changes. And at this point, that's practically impossible.
Realizing that, Circuit City really only has two options: sell to the highest bidder or face total annihilation. It's a sad state of affairs and I'm sure the company won't like to hear it, but at this point, selling it to the highest bidder is its only option.
And considering it tried desperately to get Blockbuster to bite, I think it knows that all too well.
Check out Don's Digital Home podcast, Twitter feed, and FriendFeed.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Communication
Here in our world of immediate communication to anyone, it is amazing when we still can't communicate when we need or want to. We use phones, txt messages, Instant messages, email, etc to instantly communicate to people when needed and sometimes messages are still not communicated correctly or in enough time. I am someone who anyone can usually get a hold of me very quickly and easily almost at anytime for anything, but why is this not the case with a majority of others? Maybe some people don't like communicating or don't want to quickly, but is this for a majority of people? Anyway, thanks for those who are efficient.
This is not directed at anyone, I just was thinking about it recently.
This is not directed at anyone, I just was thinking about it recently.
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