one year and counting
It’s been a year since I started this blog (or for those who haven’t heard the term blog, it means weblog or online journal). Wow. Here’s to another year in hopes that my life starts changing for the best!
Month: October 2003
darn it
thousands of dollars
…is what I owe to a few companies for school loans. I still don’t have a full-time job with benefits.
I hate debt. It restricts my will and ambitions physically and emotionally. I feel trapped when I should feel free and ready to take on the world. If only I could free myself from this annoying burden.
case dismissed
How much did it cost to get dismissed from a $205 parking ticket?
$7.62 – developed film of parking space
$77 – missed hours of work times wage that I could have earned in the meantime
$78.00 – trips to and from downtown (cost according to AAA)
$3.00 – trips to Wal-mart to develop film (cost according to AAA)
(and 3 hours of my time talking to judge/peace officer)
*equals*
$165.62
or according to IRS:
$7.62 – developed film of parking space
$77 – missed hours of work times wage that I could have earned in the meantime
$2.16 – trips to Wal-mart to develop film (cost according to IRS)
$56.16 – trips to and from downtown (cost according to IRS)
(and 3 hours of my time talking to judge/peace officer)
*equals*
$145.94
What do according to IRS or AAA mean? Well, the IRS normally reimburses about $.36/mile for car travel expenses to businesses. This includes gas, insurance, future maintenance, etc. AAA ups this to about $.50/mile.
What did I gain from this? Well, I now know approximately how much it costs to get a ticket dismissed. This one was worth it being that I would have had to fork over $205 that I don’t have. The judge or whatever they call her said that because I brought photos of the side of the actual road where I was illegally parked she would dismiss the ticket. There are obviously some people who have tried to pull a fast one on her and because I was honest she recognized that I wasn’t trying to play games. I’m not admitting that I’m innocent; I’m admitting that I did not see the handicapped sign. And there were many legitimate reasons why I didn’t see the sign.
Does this mean that you shouldn’t bother if your ticket only costs $15 or so? Not necessarily. I had to make two separate trips to see this judge because she wanted evidence. I also had to go to the parking spot to photograph that evidence. I took a total of 29 pictures and gave about 20 of them to the judge for her to look for herself. After amounting extremely good evidence, she was more tolerable and persuasive. If you are absolutely going to lose the case, go plead for a reduction in the amount of the ticket. Many times they will help you out in some form. And it’s always fun to take on the law when you know you have a solid case.
no more aliens!
Well, hopefully I’ll be able to clear this ticket I got. I will either have to fork out $200 or be let off. I reeeeeally hope this person I see is understandable.
I finished watching the Alien series with Alien³ and Alien: Resurrection. I don’t think Alien³ really has anything worth bragging about. However, it has a few memorable scenes that I have seen before and stick out from the movie. Alien: Resurrection was kind of a waste of my time. It really had no place but you know the producers wanted to milk all the money they could out of this series. It wasn’t horrible but I’d compare it the likes of Back to the Future III or Police Academy anything after 2. They serve their purpose but aren’t too memorable (for the most part). Just trying to milk the monetary ambitions.
Now, to complete my preparation for the new film next year, I watched Predator starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. This movie was a very nice action packed movie!! In order to watch this movie, you must remember it’s from 1987. If you put your mind back in that year, this movie’s concept and visuals were amazing.
I find one thing peculiar, not about the movie, but about Arnold. Does anyone ever pay attention to the fact that in EVERY movie he has been in, his accent doesn’t change? Do we just sit here an accept the fact that he’s Austrian playing American characters in all his movies? I wonder why he hasn’t ever tried to learn how to speak in an American accent? or Spanish accent? or French accent? Truthfully, I just sit there an accept that he’s going to sound that way. But as an actor, isn’t it smart to learn other trades and accents in order to increase your profitability and acceptance?
time to put my mind to rest. I need to stop thinking tonight.
by musicians for musicians
-This is a few days old but still is valid-
When you come across a good idea, you want to share it with people. Yesterday, I came across a good idea. So I want to share it with people.
There’s a site out there founded by musicians for musicians selling albums and trying to get their name out there. You can download the music to listen to on your mp3 player or you can access one of a few radio stations that continually play the music streamed. After you finished listening to whomever you want, you are then free to buy the album. But, as with the free music, you are freely given a choice as to how much this musician has “touched” you, or rather how much money he or she deserves from you to buy his or her album. The prices are as low as $5 and as high as $18. Go check this site out yourself; they claim they are not evil and I wholeheartedly agree and support them!
—
The things that make news these days… I was reading the San Francisco Gate earlier today when I came across some “daily dish” or whatever they call it. It seems that our teen queen Britney was bored and made some paper airplanes. I come to find out that… well… really, who cares? Read for yourself, if you care.
—
I received a letter in the mail today from the U.S. Department of Justice. This is the US Attorney’s office up in Alaska. Seems a complaint I filed about consumer fraud is holding up and a court date has been set for the end of October. This idiot has a total of 6 charges against him; 2 charges of mail fraud and four charges of wire, radio, or television fraud (something like that). What a dumb ass for thinking he would get away with it. Now I hope that I can receive my other $40 that I lost in this case. Can’t wait to find out what happens after the trial. If he successfully get charged and sentenced, I’ll be darned.
I’ve never seen the justice department actually work but this would personally prove that it can happen. However, this criminal offense took place over a half a year ago. Seems pretty typical that time passes before anything happens, but I base this on what I hear from other sources such as newspapers and television news programs. I probably have no idea. If I can get a hold of a decent scanner, I’ll scan the document and show you what I received.
live suicide
Yuck, I wouldn’t want to see this but man, what a way to publicize your music.
a ticket i don’t want to pay
My computer broke, i fixed it. My Internet then broke, it’s still broken. I have a great update but can’t post it until my Internet comes back on.
I got a parking ticket in downtown two weekends ago. Thus, I had to either pay or contest my ticket. Which did I do? Since I was fined $205 for parking in a handicapped, I decided to contest. Now I am required to take pictures of the sign which I didn’t see to prove that I didn’t see it. Ugh. I guess they can’t just take my word, they don’t know me. Why did I park in a handicapped in the first place? I had no idea it was there. I was only parking to walk around downtown to take photos of life around the area. It ends up costing me $205 plus a few roundtrips to the scene of the crime.