Brothers In Blog

If you currently have a specialty credit card issued by Chase Card Services (e.g. Amazon Visa, Buy.com Visa, etc), you might have recently received a $15 Circuit City gift card as an incentive to try Chase ID Protection. If you did get one of these offers in the mail, make sure to read the not so fine print — use the gift card and you are purchasing a membership in the Chase ID Protection program.

Chase ID Protection, what is it?

The Chase ID Protection program offers a list of services aimed at protecting your credit information. The plan sounds interesting and might be worthwhile to some consumers; however, the plan costs $11.99 per month. The price isn’t too bad but several of the reports Chase touts as “features” are nothing more than repackaged reports already available free of charge as Chase points out on the back side of the second page:

Many government records are available free or at a nominal cost from government agencies. Credit reporting agencies are required by law to give you a copy of your credit report upon request, at no charge or for a nominal fee.

Of course the key word in the entire statement is “nominal fee.” I guess that part is left up to the credit reporting agencies to decide.

Use the gift card and get away with it?

The offer, in my opinion is presented in such a way that some individuals might just use the gift card without completely understanding what they’re agreeing to. Understandably you could “game the system” and use the gift card and then cancel the Chase ID Protection and get a full refund of your $11.99 (I haven’t come across anything in the fine print that says you are obligated to keep the plan for any period of time). Remember, however, there is no such thing as a free lunch, and I suspect Chase has figured out a way to keep you enrolled long enough to recoup their $15 gift card expense.

Whatever you decide to do, make sure you “read the fine print” and always keep in mind the old saying: if it sounds to good to be true, it probably is.

• Leave a comment... (3)

I’ve just had about enough of the New England Patriots and spygate. And, I suspect, that even the most hardened Patriots hater would probably agree — enough is enough.

Does Walsh ever want to work again?

I think anyone could have guessed that when Matt Walsh wasn’t “available” to meet with NFL commissioner Goodell until May 13th, that the former Patriot’s video assistant wouldn’t have anything new — No smoking gun, and no video footage of a Ram’s Superbowl XXXVI walk through. In short, Matt Walsh told the NFL nothing they didn’t already know. Walsh did, however, have a few more accusations against the Patriots, but those incidents had nothing to do with the video taping scandal. So what gives with this guy? Is he working on a book deal? Pitching a movie script to Hollywood? Does he want to get on Oprah for his 15 minutes of fame? Or does he simply never want to work anywhere ever again?

Give that man a bigger shovel

At the rate Walsh is going, no one in their right mind would ever hire this guy. With each new accusation he digs himself a deeper ditch, and regardless if he’s right or wrong he’ll ultimately earn himself the dubious title of “whistle blower” or “story teller.” Both labels are terrible if you want to stay gainfully employed. Therefore one can only conclude that if Walsh isn’t working on some side deal worth millions, he certainly isn’t playing with a full deck.

Specter holding on like a pit bull

And what of Senator Arlen Specter? He could have been satisfied with the NFL’s findings (which was “nothing new found”), or he could continued grandstanding and call for further investigation. He’s a politician so I think we all know which option Specter went with. Thankfully Senator Kennedy chimed in with the voice of reason and put it all in perspective:

“With the war in Iraq raging on, gasoline prices closing on $4 a gallon, and Americans losing their homes at record rates to foreclosure, the United States Senate should be focusing on the real problems that Americans are struggling with.”

Let’s face it. Like the Patriots or not, no one wants next season filled with constant references to spygate over and over again. The Patriots organization was fined, Belichick was fined, and anti-Patriot football fans were given exactly what they wanted all along - a Patriots lose in the Superbowl.

• Leave a comment... (3)

If you haven’t heard, the Republican Party plans to run a negative Senator Obama campaign ad in North Carolina. Senator John McCain , the Republican Party presidential hopeful, has condemned the ad and asked the party not to play it. Unfortunately for Senator McCain and Senator Obama, the party just isn’t listening. How is that possible? Why isn’t the Republican Party listening to the man they have selected as their presidential candidate? Does anyone see a problem with a presidential candidate that can’t get his own party to listen? It’s not really a problem, however, because this whole controversy is just for show.

Here’s how “the show” breaks down

• Republican Party creates a negative campaign ad and somehow it gets leaked to the media
• Senator John McCain takes the high road and condemns the ad and asks the party not to air it
• Republican Party sticks by their guns to air the ad and now the media is buzzing about the ad and what this means for Senator McCain. Of course, to report on that story or discuss it on a talk show, they have to show the ad, or at least the most negative portion of it.
• At the last minute the Republican Party will listen to Senator McCain and pull the ad
• Senator McCain will be applauded for his moral character and leadership abilities
• The Republican Party takes a slap on the wrist for creating such an ad, but all will be forgiven because in the end they did the right thing — they pulled the ad
• In the end, however, the Republican Party got exactly what they wanted and then some: the negative ad was seen by millions of people, it now lives forever on YouTube, air time/Internet time didn’t cost them a penny, and Senator McCain looks like a saint

Don’ believe me? Just wait, the ad is supposed to start airing in North Carolina during the Monday (4/28) 6:00 PM news. If I’m right, it won’t run. Then will you believe in my description of “the show?”

• Leave a comment... (9)

The latest story of the polygamist ranch in Texas is yet still unfolding so there isn’t much to say one way or the other; however, the picture says it all.

When a bunch of people live in a commune style environment and look like this, it’s clear — something just ain’t right. No folks, that isn’t a backstage photo from an episode of Little House on the Prairie, it’s a group shot of the ladies from the Texas based polygamist ranch. Yeehaw!

• Leave a comment... (4)

I hope that none of our readers were victims of the latest airline fiascos, and I’m not talking about the lousy inflight service or flight delays. No, this seems to be the year that airlines are hanging the “Closed For Business” sign at the ticket counter.

• Aloha Airlines was the first domino to fall on March 20th when it announced it was ceasing passenger service and made its debut in bankruptcy court 10 days later. Aloha, which provided inter-island service for the Hawaiian islands will continue its freight service. Aloha had been unsuccessful in finding a buyer or financing.
• April 2nd was Indianapolis-based ATA airlines day in bankruptcy court after ceasing operations. Rising fuel costs were to blame as well as the loss of a major government contract.
• Skybus is the latest victim of rising fuel costs and a slowing economy. Both reasons it cited for ceasing all operations on April 4th and announcing it was filing for bankruptcy. May would have marked the first anniversary for this Columbus, OH based airline.

How will this affect the remaining airlines? As others have come and gone, there will always be someone ready to fill the gap. Both ATA and Skybus were low-cost carriers focused on a small niche market. Both flew out of my neighboring Piedmont Triad International Airport (aka Greensboro Airport) and offered few flights, which never worked for me. As for Aloha, I remember it and Hawaiian Air being the only inter-island carriers in Hawaii, and it seemed like Aloha was more of a household name than Hawaiian.

While air travel will continue, the remaining operators now have 3 more excuses for why they have to raise ticket prices, reduce inflight services, and make you wait longer in line. Boy, I can’t wait for this summer’s trip to Hawaii.

• Leave a comment... (7)

Well, it was just a matter of time before Ashley Alexandra Dupre (a.k.a. Kristen, Governor Spitzer’s favorite call-girl) took her place at center stage for the obligatory 15 minutes of fame and then proceeded to exit stage left. The media hype machine was firing on all cylinders during the first few days of the scandal. But as of late it appears that interest in Dupre has all but disappeared. I wonder, did the media hype machine run out of gas, or did everyone finally wake up and realize that a hooker wasn’t worthy of that much attention?

Despite the public humiliation Dupre did manage to capitalize on her instant rise into semi-stardom (as questionable as it might be). Her songs “What We Want” and “Move Your Body” available at Amie Street went from $0.16 to $0.98 per download. She got lots of air play on traditional radio until the angered listeners complained. The obvious offers to “bare all” came in from Hustler and Penthouse (clearly, everyone wants to know what $1000 an hour gets you). And, I suspect, book offers have probably come in and perhaps even an offer to host Saturday Night Live have been made. Hey, if Monica Lewinsky can host SNL, why not Ashley?

Despite all of this attention (wanted or not) Ashley’s moment in the spot light came and went.  Perhaps the media figured out there was a difference between someone caught in the middle of an extra marital affair (e.g. Monica Lewinsky) and a run-of-the-mill hooker?

• Leave a comment... (3)

Quick to point the blame finger at someone other than themselves for a lack of initiative to explore for oil in its own backyard while looking for alternative fuels, Congress summoned the heads of the 5 major oil companies to explain why their profits are soaring. Exxon Mobil Corporate Senior Vice President Stephen Simon stated that the record profits are needed for the cost of future development and that along with those profits comes the payment of record taxes. While I question the “future development” response since we’re constantly reminded that no new refineries are being built, you’ve got to know that government has both hands out every time Big Oil takes in a buck.

I’m not going to tell you that Exxon and its oil buddies are blameless, but aren’t they achieving what every entrepeneur desires…SUCCESS! The whole idea about starting a business in this country is that your business plan will take off and your venture will profit. After paying more than your fair share of taxes so others can sit on the porch waiting for their check in the mail, you’d like to have enough left over to meet your family’s needs and maybe enjoy some of the extra pleasures in life like dinner at a restaurant that doesn’t have a children’s menu or a vacation outside the city limits. Other than our government, who would ever consider starting up a company that was destined to fail?

Face it folks, gas prices aren’t coming down anytime soon. Europe has been paying these prices for years and it’s now catching up to us. If our elected officials really wanted to help out the rest of us, they could issue a temporary repeal of fuel taxes. According to API, the average amount of state tax imposed on a gallon of gas in January of 2008 was 47 cents. Our Federal government gets 18.4 cents, but just try and turn off that revenue spigot. Even if the miracle of lower fuel taxes came to be, gas prices would continue to climb. It all goes back to supply and demand.

Contrary to the beliefs of many in Congress, there is no overnight fix for a problem that we’ve brought upon ourselves. We need to put the pressure on our government to offer real incentives to companies and individuals to find alternative fuels and be more productive with the fuels we currently have. Telling businesses that they’re making too much money sends the wrong signal unless we’re heading for socialism, but that’s another subject altogether.

• Leave a comment... (5)

By now most of you have heard about the devastating March 15th crane collapse in New York City. The incident left 7 people dead and injured 10 others. On March 4th a complaint was filed about the crane and inspector Edward Marquette filled a report saying he found nothing wrong. Problem is that Marquette found nothing wrong because he never actually inspected the crane. He filed a false report and went about his merry way.

Forget that the report was fraudulent, a real one wouldn’t have helped

If the false report weren’t bad enough, buildings Commissioner Patricia Lancaster was idiotic enough to say that it is very unlikely that a March 4 inspection would have prevented the accident because parts of the crane that failed 11 days later were not on site then. So, are we to conclude that these mystery parts were the reason for the collapse? Does that mean that the safety complaints received on January 10, January 22 (responded to by Marquette — again) and February 11 were just a coincidence and don’t indicate a pattern of safety problems?

Get out your check book New York, the lawsuits are coming

I’m no construction expert but I don’t think it takes an expert to conclude that the city has a bit of a problem dealing with construction site safety and the inspection process. My heart goes out to the families that lost loved ones in this accident that OBVIOUSLY could have been prevented. I smell several lawsuits coming.

• Leave a comment... (2)

It might seem like old news but Obama won the State of Hawaii — not just a win, but a landslide win. And while Obama has been on a winning streak lately, the streak doesn’t explain this enormous victory. What is it about Obama that the residents of Hawaii like so much?

Obama once called Hawaii home

Obama grew up in Hawaii, and while he might not live there anymore, Hawaii residents still consider him an “islander” (a.k.a. good old local boy). And when a “local” is involved in anything outside of Hawaii, islanders throw caution to the wind and mindlessly line up to vote, support, or worship the individual just because he or she came from Hawaii.

What makes Hawaii so strange — um, I mean “special”

Residents love the label ‘Hawaii’s own” in the Aloha State. Nothing gives islanders greater joy than to claim any amount of ownership of someone or something (unless of course your name happens to be Star Simpson). But to really understand where this lemming like behavior comes from, you need to understand what makes Hawaii unique when compared to other States. Therefore, here it is, the top 5 things (in no particular order) that make Hawaii so “special.”

#1: Kill Haole Day

Haole is the Hawaiian word for “foreigner.” Despite the literal translation, you’re only a haole if you’re Caucasian and if that is the case, then the last day of school is when you’re the target for name calling, bullying, and a good old fashion beating. Don’t believe me? Let’s put it this way, it only took Hawaii till 1999 to finally wake up and realize that kill haole day is basically a hate crime (also, check Wikipedia for other relevant Kill Haole Day links and stories).

#2: High School More Important Than College

Normally, once you’ve left High School and gone on to College where you went to college takes precedence over your High School education — that logic doesn’t apply in Hawaii. Where you went to High School is EVERYTHING in Hawaii. And the friction between public and private schools is beyond comprehension. I have to admit, to this very day when I meet someone else from Hawaii the question of High School alma mater always comes up. Here’s a real conversation between myself and friend introducing me to someone else he knew from Hawaii:

Friend: Bret (me), let me introduce you to my friend Jane who is also from Hawaii.

Me: Hi, nice to meet you.

Jane: Hi. What High School did you go to?

Me: Kaiser (a public High School). Where did you go?

Jane: Punahou (private school that Obama also attended).

Me: Oh.

That was it! Conversation over. Jane looked at me and I looked at her and my friend didn’t have the slightest idea what just happened.

#3: Pidgin English Preferred Language

Hawaiian is a beautiful sounding language, but it’s a “dead” language. Even though some residents go to great lengths to keep the language alive, it’s an uphill battle. But while true Hawaiian is rarely spoken, Pidgin English abounds throughout the island chain. A bastardized version of the English language Pidgin is perfectly acceptable in Hawaii. “Tree” instead of “three”, “da” replaces “the”, and “la’ dat” translates to “like that.” You can even see two examples of Pidgin “in action” on Obama’s High School yearbook photo shown above. “Laters” translates to “see you later” and “We go play hoops” — well, that phrase explains itself.

#4: Hawaiian History Taught Instead of American History

Schools in Hawaii do teach the obligatory Pilgrim/Mayflower story but that’s about it when it comes to American history. The rest of the time students are force fed endless amounts of Hawaiian history (a.k.a Hawaiiana). I may not know much about the founding of the 13 colonies and other important bits of American history but I can quote chapter and verse on the uniting of the Hawaiian islands under Kamehameha the first, Captain Cooke’s discovery of the “sandwich islands”, and the overthrow of the Hawaiian Monarchy, which by the way is lamented by nearly all residents except, of course, the Haoles.

#5: Food Superstitions

Food allergies are one thing, and general superstitions are another but when the two come together you have a truly “Hawaiian” oddity. Pork is good, a national campaign branded it the “other white meat.” Hawaii residents like their pork but they don’t like it uncooked in their car when driving over the Pali Highway. Motorist traveling over the Pali with uncooked pork have reported car trouble until the raw pork was removed. This superstition has something to do with Pele (the fire Goddess) and Kamapua’a (half human half hog God), but the details of the “beef” between the two Hawaiian Deities escapes me at the moment. To summarize, no self-respecting “local” brings home the bacon via the Pali highway unless it’s cooked.

So, the next time you hear some strange news coming from Hawaii, or where Hawaii is a significant part of the story, you can hopefully understand how something so strange can involve a place so beautiful. Laters, and shaka brah.

• Leave a comment... (11)

If you haven’t seen it by now, you simply don’t know what you’re missing. Tom Cruise, actor (chick magnet for the twenty something crowd), and devote Scientologist (and “devote” barely describes his fanatical dedication) appears on video where he explains his beliefs in Scientology — you know the brain child of L. Ron Hubbard, American author of various pulp fiction novels turned creator of new religious movement. Anyway, the Cruise video spread like wild fire across the net when it first came out; however, it is becoming increasing difficult to fine. Fortunately, Gawker.com still has a copy of the clip up on their site.

If you haven’t seen Cruise on Scientology, you must go watch the clip at Gawker.com. Without a doubt, it will make you giggle, and as the Gawker noted, “if Tom Cruise jumping on Oprah’s couch was an 8 on the scale of scary, this is a 10″ — Gawker 01/15/2208

• Leave a comment... (1)