More on Aaron Hernandez...

I started to think about Aaron Hernandez and the reactions I've heard from everyone I know.

When the Patriots started their "Hernandez Shirt Buyback" program, I was a little suspicious.  Does this mean that Hernandez' has surpassed Michael Vick's dog-fighting scandal? (answer: YES).  Does it also mean that Aaron Hernandez is now rising to OJ Simpson level athlete crime? (answer: almost)  So my guess is that the Patriots are taking the step necessary for everyone to have a lackluster Halloween.

Yes, yes, yes, my friends.  The Patriots are buying back all the Hernandez jersey's so that they don't have to put up with the embarrassment of someone showing up at a Halloween party with a Hernandez jersey on covered in blood while holding a fake gun.  I know - it would've been probably the most offensive Halloween costume this year.  Damn Patriots with their buyback program.  I'm so happy I bought my Wilfork jersey, he's the best player on the defensive side of the ball and he's not going anywhere.  Plus he's a friendly monster of a man.  Just look at him:

Wilfork looks like when he sacks the QB, he's going to invite them for a post game barbecue or maybe comment on their aftershave.  Whatever gets said in the game by number 75 has to be either mildly competitive or just flat out hilarious.

Going back to Hernandez, I wanted to get to the female reactions to Hernandez.  In work, I overheard some women talk about how he shouldn't go to jail because he's sexy as hell and good looking.  I didn't really add to the conversation, but I am amazed that women will still feel attracted to serial murderers, but not attracted to hard-working, normal-looking, non-murderous guys.  Then I took to Twitter.

Murderer or not Aaron Hernandez is looking sexy as fuck in that white tee😍.... #JustSaying
— MikLovin (@MikaelahKelly) June 26, 2013

Guys get it:

To recap: In the past 11 months, Aaron Hernandez might’ve killed three guys and allegedly shot another guy in the face. SEXY, right ladies?
— Bart Hubbuch (@HubbuchNYP) June 27, 2013

Michael Vick uses dogs in fights and people hate him. Aaron Hernandez intentionally kills multiple people and girls think he's sexy...
— Dave Lynch (@_Lynchy) June 28, 2013

But then there's more of this:

Aaron Hernandez is too damn sexy for jail
— Gabby✌ (@Gabby_Fontes5) July 3, 2013

Let's not even try to get this person on the jury:

Aaron Hernandez is so sexy, that is enough to convince me he didn't do it
— Elizabeth Szczepan (@ElaSzczepan) June 20, 2013

Or this one:

The only thing Aaron Hernandez should be investigated for is how he got so damn sexy. BOOOOOMMMMM
— Gladys (@heaneykayla) June 19, 2013

But  am proud I brought up Vince Wilfork though:

Most popular jerseys exchanged for Aaron Hernandez jerseys in the 1st hour: 1. Wilfork, 2. Brady, 3. Chandler Jones.
— darren rovell (@darrenrovell) July 6, 2013

Hope you enjoyed reading.  Take care everyone!

Dave Ramsey Is Going To Ruin The World!, and other outrageous claims

I was listening to a Dave Ramsey podcast last week in which he went toe to toe with a young financial writer from Fool.com, over a headline that stated Dave Ramsey Offers Dangerous Financial Advice. 
Now after listening to the whole podcast, I realized that I didn't seem to understand what the problem was.  Dave was audibly upset that his credibility was being ruined by a blogger who, although seemed to be only a couple years into his job, was correcting some of the things Dave was saying/tweeting to his followers.

To be clear, there are some things that Ramsey has advised and said/tweeted that are a bit suspect.  However, he is a tough man who is hard to extrapolate an apology from or even change his opinion on certain matters.  I didn't bother with the math on this tweet, because I'd suspect it's correct.  I think it's just one of those statements that get people arguing over investing and futures and market volatility and all that garbage.

The exchange between the men seemed unneeded.  All that needed to be said was 'Ok, sorry, I screwed up, I'll change whatever you want me to change' from either party.  But because pissing contests don't end in that fashion, we just get two people arguing and no one really winning.

What I started to realize was that even our elders are adapting to an age where anything negative about them becomes an instant attack.  It's as if every single blog post or tweet or comment with a negative connotation, all of the sudden has teeth that pierce skin and leave someone for dead.  Are we unable to accept ANY comments that people disagree on?  I'll be the first to say that I've made Yelp posts that go over the top on some things that make restaurant owners and operators react negatively.  There was a whole Kitchen Nightmare's episode about owner's that illustrated the fact that some people cannot take any comments on anything negative about their business.

If I were the guy that wrote for the Motley Fool that titled something "Danger Advice from Finance Guru Dave Ramsey", and having the knowledge of what to expect when I sent it out to the Interwebs, I would've asked someone, "Hey is this title too much?".  That's really all that was needed.  Anyone could say, "Well, it might be a little too harsh.  How about 'Questionable advice' or 'Risky' or 'Harmful'?"  But then again, most blogger's don't have an editor to do that.  Whether or not the writer has an editor is irrelevant, it shows that he didn't even question his own writing before sending it out or thinking about reactions to the piece.

If you did a quick Google search and typed in 'Dave Ramsey Arguments', you would see almost every single post involving the tweet from above.  There is one here that includes 5 things the writer disagrees with but it stems from the 12% argument.  This post about credit cards made the argument that rewards cards are useful for travel.  No offense to that writer at MSN Money, but I have 2 rewards cards and they haven't paid any real dividends.  Also, why would I question about going to Detroit or Guatemala?

There a couple more things that go back a couple of years that include the 12% solution.  I don't really care about what money turns into what money over the course of 60 years.  Does anyone get pissed when they turn into an old miser about not having an extra million sitting in their retirement account?  Wouldn't you just be happy to have over a million dollars if you stayed alive that long?

Here's what has worked for me being a poor 20-something working Dave's plan:

• $1000 in savings is fine.  I also put into it per paycheck, but in small amounts.
• I froze/cut-up/hid my credit cards that had the high interest rates to curb my spending habits, leaving only one to my disposal.
• I said "NO" to my friends sometimes when they wanted to spend the money that I didn't have.
• I work overtime if it's available.
• I make cheaper substitutes and go for the cheaper lifestyle: Cable is more expensive per month than Hulu+ and Netflix - Make the smart choice; I own a Keurig but I buy regular coffee by the pound and have it ground to the fine blend instead of paying $7 for 12 cups of coffee when I could buy 50+ cups for $9; I started cooking more often; I go to a $10/month gym and bought a rope to skip since that's even cheaper
• I sell things I no longer need/use: movies, books, jackets, anything goes up on craigslist.

Guess what?  These changes are all working, and if I didn't have a certain brother to introduce me to Dave Ramsey, I'd probably be dead broke and probably in even worse debt.  

Before I go, I hope for the rest of our sanity that people learn to take negative comments instead of thinking they are attacks on their credibility or worse.  We all have backbones, right?

Day 12: Bullet Your Whole Day

So this is what my day looks like in Bullet form:

• Wake up a little before 7:00 AM
• Make Keurig coffee (Marylou's Mocha Mint)
• Drink coffee while checking e-mail and internet crap
• Get dressed
• Put in contacts
• Leave for work around 7:30 AM
• Sit in traffic listening to a podcast
• Get to work around 8 AM
• Work for 2 hours
• Go to McDonald's and get a $1 coffee
• Go back to work for 2.5 hours listening to podcasts
• At 12:30, go to lunch
• Ate lunch while checking phone and Twitter
• Went back to work for 3.5 hours
• Drove home
• Video-recorded a huge ass Acura fire on Rte. 128
• Went to Panera, ordered the Steak and Cheddar panini with Tomato soup with a coffee
• Drove to my parents house and watched the most recent episode of Mad Men on the DVR.
• Came back home, got comfortable, which means take off everything but mu underwear and socks
• Blogging and listening to some podcasts
• Go to gym
• Take shower
• Have a snack
• Watch some Netflix or Hulu
• Go to bed

JaVale McGee is the NBA Clown of the Year

In case you haven’t seen a lick of NBA action this season, or haven’t found a reason to, here’s one: JaVale McGee.  He is having the funniest season for an NBA player and might be the biggest clown in sports.  He is a great player to play along with John Wall on the Washington Wizards, but I would only pick him on my team in I needed someone to make the other players laugh hysterically.  Here are some videos of why JaVale McGee is absolutely hilarious to watch:

He gets back on defense faster than anyone else!  That takes dedication!  This seems like something that would only happen in a Youth Basketball League while parents would chuckle and say to one another “That’s my boy!”.  Now if you were making millions of dollars doing that, that’s a different story.

He goes above and beyond for making a dunk for the fans!  He knows he is a star and wants to make fans love him.  What better way than to attempt a Jordan-esque dunk in a game, not once, but TWICE!  Pure dedication to giving the fans a good time!

Back to defense!  No matter if the ball is about to go in, JaVale McGee will swat that thing to the 10th row back like an Olympic Volleyball player.  The look on the girls face when the ball is going back to the court says it all.  No one is safe from JaVale’s blocks.  Even the people sitting far away on purpose.

Who wouldn’t want to be around a guy who planks on a moving sidewalk at the Hong Kong airport?  This man might be on the list for best comedian of the year.  Forget Zach Galifianakis, Louis CK, and whoever else you might think is funny, JaVale McGee is in the running!

Even the Washington Wizards administrators on are board with JaVale McGee being the center of comedic attention.  I can’t think of anything that would escalate McGee’s presence in the NBA.  He would have to go campaigning for Obama.  Or even better: Mitt Romney!  I can’t even describe what future this man has in store for himself.