Who took this picture of me?!

Drats ... someone snapped this picture of me while I was grocery shopping.

I was hoping I didn't live up to my Crazy Cat Lady Action Figure.

Hotel fees ... are you kidding me?

Do hotels really think they're fooling anyone by charging a base rate, and then tacking on a "resort fee"?

At least I've seen that one before, but this is a new one: housekeeping gratuity fee.

Indeed, my hotel for the CEA Forum was only $209 per night ... plus a $10 resort fee ... plus a $2 housekeeping gratuity fee.

Now there's a fine incentive for the housekeeping staff. Here's an idea: why doesn't the hotel just foot their bill instead? Or just charge $211 or $221 for the hotel room.

This just in:

Cancellation Policy: Reservations that are cancelled within 72 hours of arrival or do not arrive on the scheduled arrival date will be charged one night's room rate, tax, and resort fee.

Oh goodie, I get to keep that $2/night gratuity (but I guess I'm still paying for Internet access, the gym and USA Today).

David Richards doesn't EXACTLY steal from TWICE

At least the plagiarist gave TWICE magazine the byline for this story.

David's story
TWICE's story

Crazy editor

Thanks, 39 Cent Stamp, now everyone at RemoteCentral knows.

How David Richards covers Colorado vNet

My favorite Aussie plagiarizer, David Richards of 4Square Media/Smart House, can't even get it right when he pilfers my stuff. This is from his original Colorado vNet story:

In the USA Colarado vNet has indicated that the company would respond to requests for (paid) technical support, but dealers say their phone calls have not been returned.

This is my version:

Since Tuesday, vNet has indicated that the company would respond to requests for (paid) technical support, but dealers say their phone calls have not been returned.

The one thing that was original in David's version was "Colarado."

Here's another gem from David:

One of the problems the Company had was that they still manufactured their products in Loveland, Colarado, which was expensive when compared with manufacturing in Asia, which is where most automation brands have their products made.

Again, note the spelling of "Colarado." Now we know the first goof wasn't just a typo. Perhaps I am vain to assume David got this idea from my Who Would Buy Colorado vNet story. But, assuming he did, this is what I wrote:

The company manufactures quite a bit of its product in Colorado, which can be costly.

David's conclusions are far too dramatic.

Thankfully, he didn't steal this one from me:

Currently Colorado vNet which makes IP based systems similar to Control4...

Yeah, just like.

More headlines from the Midwest

Even so, I'm glad I live in Stillwater and not Burnsville

Mom's VCR finally crapped out

My Mom writes:

My VCR broke and I got DVR yesterday. Oy, could there be any more buttons? (Then we fixed the VCR -- a cassette had gotten stuck inside. But I'll try DVR.)

Separated at birth?

I know the B&W Nautilus speaker comes in red. Anyone have a pic?

Buy American bologna

Well doesn't this just make me proud to be a Minnesotan? We want to pay up to 25% more for steel in order to feed business to American companies.

Meanwhile, we want to perpetuate a dying industry by artificially increasing the demand for its products.

As a consumer, I'd rather our cities do their darndest to get the best pricing -- to make our heightening tax dollars go farther.

From Twin Cities Daily Planet:

Buy American resolutions pass Ramsey County, St. Paul City Council

The St. Paul City Council and the Ramsey County Board have passed labor-backed resolutions calling for use of American-manufactured steel in public-works projects funded by economic stimulus dollars. Similar resolutions are in the works in Minneapolis and Hennepin County.

Buy-American resolutions on the local level, according to Dave Hallas, recording secretary of United Steelworkers Local 7263, reinforce similar provisions written into the stimulus package passed by Congress and signed by President Obama in February. ...

The resolutions, which passed unanimously in both Ramsey County and St. Paul, ensure projects receiving “any stimulus dollars will use American manufacturing and Americans to do the services.”...

To use foreign-sourced steel on a stimulus project, Hallas said, local governments will need a waiver – and proof that buying American would increase their costs more than 25 percent. Language in the St. Paul resolution commits council members to publishing such waiver requests, giving companies and workers an opportunity “to step in and find an American company,” Hallas said. ...

Commissioner Victoria Reinhardt said she authored the resolution at the Ramsey County Board because “in the difficult economic times we’re having right now, I felt it was important to raise awareness of wherever and whenever possible buying American and, specifically, buying Minnesotan or from Ramsey County.” ...

“Everybody supported it right away,” Reinhardt said. “I’ve had a lot of comments from people saying it makes sense. Whether you’re in business here in Ramsey County or you’re employed here, if your property taxes can come right back into our economy, it’s good for everybody.

“Central Corridor is almost a billion-dollar project. Just think what that would mean to the economy here.” ...

Um, perhaps higher taxes? Perhaps tricking an industry into believing it is viable?

Our green stimulus dollars at work

The New Flyer bus company, maker of hybrid electric buses, used to be a stimulus success story.

Five months ago, Joe Biden held a town hall meeting at New Flyer's St. Cloud, Minn., headquarters, praising the company as "an example of the future."

The business would flourish thanks to the $8.4 billion that the stimulus law devotes to mass transit."

Now the NYT is reporting that New Flyer has begun laying off 320 people, or 13 percent of its work force.

“Without the boost provided by Recovery Act orders, bus companies like New Flyer would be even harder hit than they have been,” said Sasha Johnson, a spokeswoman for the Department of Transportation.

But of course.

[via NYT ]

I am not THAT Julie Jacobson

I am not the AP photographer who snapped the picture of the mortally wounded Marine Lance Cpl Joshua M. Bernard, who lost his life fighting in Afghanistan.

I, too, happen to be a journalist, but I'm not Julie Jacobson the photojournalist.

So kindly refrain from sending me any more hate e-mails.

But ... the Julie who did snap the images is not the culprit. Journalists take the pictures and write the stories, and then forward them immediately to their bosses. It is out of their hands after that. I believe Julie Jacobson/AP is a hero for risking her own life to chronicle the lives of those who serve our country.

Julie Jacobson hate mail

re: Julie Jacobson/AP -- clearly a very emotional issue. This is one of several emails I have received. My sympathies to the families.

Ms. Jacobson:

After reading the news article regarding Lance Corporal Joshua Bernard’s tragic death in Afghanistan and your refusal to respect his Father’s wishes of not publishing photos of his dying son’s final moments, I am appalled. I am appalled by you, people like you and the group you represent. You are a self-serving, self-centered, ignorant and disgusting human being and have absolutely no business calling yourself an American. Lance Corporal Bernard is a great American hero who, like millions before him have made the ultimate sacrifice to protect our freedoms so people like you and your colleagues can manipulate those freedoms and take them for granted. You, in an effort to self-promote yourself, disrespected Joshua and his family wishes. You should be ashamed of yourself. I sincerely hope that the Bernard’s either sue you in to bankruptcy or the collective public refuses to watch any news agency or other medium that publishes any photo of yours.

I will also be sharing this email and your email address with all of my Republican friends who I have no doubt will have a few words for you as well.

Sincerely,

Dale _________

PS You may want to look in to getting a new email address!! May you rot in hell!!

Julie Jacobson: 'Perhaps you are a Moron…or a Dumb ass'

Call me voyeuristic for reading the "real" Julie Jacobson's emails but I find the discussion fascinating:

Ms. Jacobson

Perhaps you are a Moron…or a Dumb ass…..maybe you are stupid……I will give you the benefit of the doubt and go with just plain ignorant….allow me to educate you on publishing the horrible photo of that brave Marine.

If the parents had no wishes……and it was strictly pros against cons….then you do in fact have a journalistic choice to make.

But…and this is a huge but!!!!!!!!!

The first stop was the parents and family….if they say no ….then it is no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You cant hide behind journalistic integrity it doesn’t apply here….human decency does….try to think about that for a moment here

Lets try the shoes on your feet…..what if there were a picture of your mother…she was lying in the street blood gushing from an artery sticking from her neck……and a leg several feet away….and her arm all twisted and shredded……. because a drunk driver just crushed her as she was crossing the street

The journalist said “I have to publish this in the name of the world knowing how bad the problem is with drunk drivers”.

You used that young mans heroic life to further your own personal agenda and popularity…..so now you are popular…how do you like it???

Always remember and don’t ever forget “JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO ….DOES NOT MEAN IT IS RIGHT TO”

Have a wonderful career you low life bottom feeder

Norm

Julie Jacobson/AP: 'PISSED A LOT OF PEOPLE OFF'

Emotions running high...

if you are the person that posted the picture of the man killed in iraq than you have just PISSED A LOT OF PEOPLE OFF.

i am a marine wife and i do not appreciate what you have done. if you reported half of what was true in the war than you would have guts, the civilians have no idea what happens over there. you think that that young boy wanted his picture up there, that i might add fought for YOUR freedom, if you do half of what that man did in his life, then maybe you can feel good about your self, but right now i see someone who does not understand why we are having to fight this war. maybe while your over there you should try doing something wroth while, because now you have people looking at something they should never have seen. you might have the right to put that picture up there, but who in the crap do you think gave you that right, maybe you should start putting that in your story's. you just made it a whole lot harder for the families that have to send there loves ones over their even worst than what it was already and let me just say thanks butt-hole, because now when my husbands goes back for the THRIED time this will reminded me, not that i already do not have enough to worry about it, but just remember just like you i have freedom of speech just like you, but the only thing that is different from me and you I HAVE EARNED MINE BY STANDING BEHIDE MY HUSBAND, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE.

A Dingo Ate my Roomba!

When I first cranked up my new Roomba robotic vacuum cleaner, I felt alive again -- watching the giant critter scoot around the floor, bumping into walls and correcting itself like, well, a drunken Roomba.

Enough of the folly, I retired to my office. But after 30 minutes … dead silence.

That can't be good. Sure enough, this powerful little bugger broke through my shoe barricade and was nowhere to be found. My husband and I searched everywhere. The screen door was open. Could it be?

There was no evidence that the guy flung himself into the ravine behind our house. (Wouldn't we have seen signs of its despair?).

We checked in every room of the house. We finally found the trouble-maker under our couch, snuggled in nice and tight.

I'm sure you're wondering: What do you think of the Roomba?

It's pretty darn good. Granted, it takes me about 12 minutes to vacuum our dining area. And I can get into the nooks that the Roomba cannot, even after 45 minutes of trying.

And here's a philosophical question: Are you really saving time vacuuming if you squander all that time just standing and marveling at this robotic wonder?

Roomba is just the coolest

First Woot! First Roomba.

Love 'em both. I don't care if Roomba even gets my rooms clean. It's just a marvel to watch.

Greed and free markets

"And is it true that greed uniquely drives free markets? ... What is it if not greed that prompts retirees to vote to tax working people so that these retirees' public pensions remain funded? What is it if not greed that motivates domestic corporations and their workers to lobby government for protection from foreign competition?"

-- Donald Boudreaux, George Mason University