Antiques Roadshow Drops Big Elbow on "Storage Locker Wars"

Um, they are right.

Cowan, her fellow appraiser, was blunter. He slipped in the subtle insult of not even knowing the name of the show pretending to take his antique throne:

�I think it�s also important to remember that those shows are totally staged,� he said. ��Antiques Roadshow� is not. It�s completely legit. So is it really reasonable to think that someone on �Storage Locker Wars� is going to find a $100,000 item that somebody left in a storage locker?�

"Storage Locker Wars" and "Pawn Shop Stars" are just staged entertainment. Storage Wars was so staged they are alleged to have put expensive items in a locker to make it seem more of a find. After I read that I stopped watching that show. 

Pawn Stars pretty much amounts to the bald-bearded guy trying to low-ball a bunch of clueless people. There is never the joy you see when an appraiser on Antiques Roadshow tells someone that their supposedly worthless junk is actually worth big money. Pawn Stars is like if they told grandma her rocking chair is actually worth more than her house and then a few minutes later some bald asshole offers $10 for it.

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Apple is Big in Japan; No Really Big

It seems the iPhone has come to Japan and they really, really like it.

According to BCN, a Japanese company that tracks the sale of consumer electronic devices in Japan, Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPhone held the top seven spots for mobile phone sales in December 2013. The number one best-selling phone was the 32GB iPhones 5S sold by the Japanese telecom company SoftBank (OTCMKTS:SFTBF).

In fact, the only two phones in the top 10 not made by Apple were the Sony (NYSE:SNE) Xperia Z1 f SO-02F (No. 8) and the Sony Xperia Z1 SO-01F (No. 10). To see full details, see BCN.

It must suck for all those other phone makers out there trying to sell their devices into that storm.

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Hmm Maybe Gamestop has some Life Left According to Forbes

This article does make a lot of sense on why Gamestop may not go the way of Blockbuster.

But the fact remains that far and away most markets in the world are not ready for a digital-only games market. That was made abundantly clear by the Xbox One backlash, and the fact that both systems have relatively small hard drives for a digital games collection. Also working against the idea is the fact that both ISPs and the servers of publishers are having trouble with the concept of millions of fans trying to simultaneously download a game on launch day. See the meltdown that was the first few days of the GTA 5 launch for evidence of that.

This is certainly true for day one launches because servers get clogged and it is far easier to drive to Gamestop and buy the game instead of trying to download it. It would be a nightmare if you have to download a huge game at the same time as millions of other gamers. Although the wait time might not be an issue if you set the download in the morning and then go to work and you can play the game when you get home.

However, one major part of Gamestops business might be impacted. The idea of the physical used game might not be long for this world. If Sony and Microsoft do get smart and decouple the game from the physical media Gamestop will take it in the teeth. I'm betting they will go with the cripple-ware concept.

For instance you can buy the game and install it but the only way you can get the add-ons is by "registering it" with Sony or Microsoft. So no new maps (or patches) for Call of Duty unless you register the game. The act of registering the game ties it to your particular Xbone or PS4. You can resell the physical media all you want but once you register it the media can only be used for re-installation purposes. You can play campaign mode all you want but anything else is behind the registration wall.

Microsoft or Sony hasn't taken this step but I bet you any money they will wait about a year and slam it down on one of the new Call of Duties so gamers must make a choice of reselling or getting new maps and patches (or maybe even getting pushed out of online play entirely?) I can see a prompt saying "you cannot access online play unless you register this game." If you see that prompt Gamestop will eventually go the way of Barnes & Nobles. Hanging on but just barely.

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ABC Cancels Mini-series "The Assets" After 2 Episodes

I have never heard about a network actually cancelling an 8 episode mini-series after airing only 2 episodes but it happened.

The Assets started off with a dismal 0.7 rating for its premiere last Thursday and managed to fall even lower last night, to a 0.6, which qualifies as the lowest rating for an hourlong original on the Big 4 networks this season and likely ever. In its defense, The Assets does not hail from ABC�s entertainment division but from ABC News as it is based on real events. The Cold War spy drama doesn�t have stars in it and didn�t get any marketing. There is no plan yet for the six unaired episodes.

I actually watched the first episode and was looking forward to seeing the next one but never got a chance. I like those kind of spy game TV shows set during the Cold War and this one was shaping up to be more Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy than Roger Moore era James Bond. In any case I hope they put the other episodes on Netflix and see if people watch it. In fact these kinds of mini-series should go right to Netflix and skip broadcast TV altogether. You just can't pull the key demographics that network shows need with a spy thriller set in the 80s.

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What! 70 Million People got their Credit Card, mailing address, email accounts, and phone numbers Stolen at Target?

The hackers got everything it seems.

According to most recent census data there are 320 million Americans, 240 million of which are over 18.  If Target�s estimate of 70 million different customers is accurate, then 21.8% of the U.S. population has had their names, addresses, phone numbers and email accounts fall into the hands of the criminal masterminds who managed to tap into Target�s customer database. 

Even with the assumption that many customers used different cards at Target, meaning some individuals were victimized more than once, 70 million is a staggering number.

Now that is the hack of the decade by far. I'm lucky that I only set foot in a Target one time and didn't buy anything. I will certainly never go back if all of that information seemed accessible in one place for a hacker to steal. The security must have been a joke.

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Gamestop Might go the Way of Blockbuster as Sony Introduces PlayStation Now Streaming service

Well I have only been to Gamestop once in perhaps 5 months so there might be some truth to this idea.

GameStop's business would be devastated if streaming services catch on. Sony hasn't announced the exact details for PlayStation Now, but earlier this week it explained how the service will work. When it launches, gamers will have the ability to purchase a subscription. Once they become subscribers, they'll get access to a catalog of games from previous Sony PlayStation (1, 2, and 3) consoles. They can then stream the games over the Internet to their Sony PlayStation 4, HDTV, or mobile device.

Even more than digital purchases, streaming games weigh on GameStop's business by completely eliminating both the hardware component and the ownership of individual games. Access to games will be part of a service, and getting that service won't even require buying a console from GameStop if you have a compatible TV.

Hmm, Playstation Now might tip my hand on whether to buy a PS4 or an Xbone. The idea of playing some classic PS1 games on my phone or tablet sounds intriguing. Some of the older Final Fantasy titles would go great to pass the time when riding the bus or something. Also if you can just click something on the PS4 and you can download the new Call of Duty or NCAA Football (maybe at a reduced price?) then I would sign up for sure.

In any case I would see Microsoft quickly follow suit to keep up with Sony. That would certainly be the death knell for Gamestop. I used to love going there and looking at the various games. Now there really isn't a reason to visit there since I haven't gotten a next gen console yet. I guess this is another case of technology changing the physical world again.

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GOP Becoming Independents

It seems being identified as a Republican is starting to go down.

Based on a new Gallup poll, it�s become clear that more and more Americans are backing away from self-identifying as Republican, and leaning more towards the Independent category. The poll showed that 42 percent of those Americans polled identified as independents, the highest number ever seen by Gallup in the over twenty-five years of asking the question.

On top of that, Republicans only reported in at 25 percent, the lowest ever, and Democrats remained at 31 percent, the same as in 2012, 2011, and 2010. According to the poll, the increase in independents is drawing members away from the Republican crowd. In 2004, Republicans reported in at 34 percent, the highest membership ever, but upon George W. Bush leaving office Republicans only came in at 28 percent.

I would have to blame Ted Cruz and the government shutdown nonsense. Defaulting on the US debt and destroying the economy has certainly made me distance myself from the Tea Party and other crazy people like Cruz.

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Some Heat Taken off of the Middle Class: Costs are Starting to Rise More Slowly

I wonder if this is going to translate into more spending by the beleaguered middle class?

Still, for now, many families have a bit less to worry about. On a per-person basis, health spending rose just 3% in 2012. Spending on prescription drugs was a bright spot for consumers, rising by just 0.4% � mainly because several blockbuster drugs, including Lipitor, Plavix and Singulair, came off patent, opening the door for cheaper generics.

Those double digit hikes of the 2000s are slowly starting to abate. I wonder if this is a mix of people getting healthier and just not needing so much Liptor and Plavix to keep them from dying? Maybe people just aren't going to the doctor as much? This is kind of eye opening for those parents trying to send their kids to college.

As for the other fast-rising middle-class expense � higher ed � costs have only recently shown signs of flattening out. The cost of college tuition and fees, as measured by the government, rose about 17% per year from 2000 through 2012. In 2013, however, those costs rose by only about 4%. It�s not entirely clear why the slowdown happened and whether it�s likely to be temporary or permanent. But universities have come under considerable pressure lately as students have graduated with huge debt loads, only to find it difficult to find jobs that pay enough to finance their student-loan payments.

I think the slowdown happened because colleges have finally understood that they cannot raise tuition forever and hope parents and students keep going into deep debt to pay them. The millennials were sold a bill of goods by the colleges saying that if you borrow $30K a year for tuition you will find a good job. Turns out that it was marketing hype. I mean a good state school will give you the same chance of landing a job as a fancy private school that no one has ever heard of. Paying a pile of money for tuition does not make the college any better when it comes to finding work.


 

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Gates Memoir States Obvious: Obama Wanted Out of Afghanistan, Biden Giant Doofus, and Obama Gutsy on Bin Laden Hit

I'm not sure if there are any "revelations" in Robert Gates's memoir.

Among other accusations, the Republican accused Biden of being wrong about every big foreign policy issue for decades and alleged Obama lost faith in his own troop surge strategy for the Afghan war.

Okay Biden is wrong on a lot more than foreign policy. So that isn't a bombshell.

Obama "can't stand (Afghan president Hamid) Karzai, doesn't believe in his own strategy, and doesn't consider the war to be his.

"For him it's all about getting out," Gates wrote, according to the Washington Post.

Gates also slams White House aides for obsessive attempts to control US national security and foreign policy to the detriment of the State Department and the Pentagon, and excerpts from his book reek of a deep distaste for Washington and its political games.

Okay Obama didn't own the Afgan war, wants to get out ASAP, and hates Karzai. You don't need an insider with decades of White House experience to tell me that. Also the White House aides obsessively control everything and they were trying to freeze out Hillary at State. That isn't something new by any means.

Gates actually heaps some decent praise on Obama and Hillary.

While Gates said plenty of positive things about Obama -- calling him a man of "integrity" and praising him for gutsy decision to order a raid to kill Osama bin Laden -- and Clinton -- who he sees as smart, and a great ambassador for America abroad -- it is the criticisms that will likely be remembered.  

It was a gutsy decision to put the hit on Bin Laden no matter what you think about Obama. He staked his entire presidency on that decision and it came through perfectly. It was ballsy and Gates puts it to praise.

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Saturday Night Live Actually Finds a Black Female Cast Member

I guess they just ran of of generic white guys to add to the show.

A graduate of the University of Virginia, Zamata has performed with Upright Citizen�s Brigade, done stand up at numerous comedy festivals (including the Letterman Showcase at the North Carolina Comedy Arts Festival and Comedy Central�s �Comics to Watch� Showcase), and has opened for onetime SNL scribe John Mulaney.

Zamata�s credits also include videos for College Humor and The Cooking Channel�s web series Fodder and appearances on Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell and Inside Amy Schumer.

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Tigers Mom Stirs the Pot By Saying 8 Clutural Groups Superior to the Rest

Well it seems more controversy will soon follow.

But the reality, notes the book, co-written by Chua's husband and fellow Yale professor Jed Rubenfeld, is that "uncomfortable as it may be to talk about," some "religious, ethnic, and national-origin groups are starkly more successful than others." Those groups, according to the authors, are Mormons, Cuban exiles, Nigerian Americans, Indian Americans, Chinese Americans, American Jews, Iranian Americans and Lebanese Americans. And the reasons they excel, the book declares, is because of a basic "triple package" formula: a superiority complex, insecurity, and impulse control.

Hmm, left off Scotch Irish and Vietnamese from this list but it is true that those groups have seriously done well in America. These groups also have a very supportive climate from members of the same group as well. They work together to succeed. In any case I love how much of this criticism is based on everything else except what is written in the book. If it is full of eugenics and such then condemn the book. But read the thing first.

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America by 2050? Americans share Foreboding Vision

I guess all the scare tactics about technology and demographic change are starting to freak out Americans.

Whether they foresee runaway technology or runaway government, rampant poverty or vanishing morality, a majority of Americans predict a future worse than today.

Whites are particularly gloomy: Only 1 in 6 expects better times over the next four decades. Also notably pessimistic are middle-age and older people, those who earn midlevel incomes and Protestants, a new national poll finds.

I think the future is very bright for America. There will probably be no major war in the 36 years as the world becomes somewhat safer. I mean terrorist attacks are bad but you cannot compare it to extinction of the human race by global thermonuclear war. People are living longer and some diseases (maybe even cancer) should be cured by 2050.

There might be an economic collapse but it shouldn't be anything near what happened in the 30s. It seems economic policymakers learned from history. It will be interesting to see how the Stock Market becomes even more important as American go from pensions and social security (which will be bankrupt for decades before 2050) to 401Ks when they retire.

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Hewlett-Packard Looks Crappy Again: Lays off 34,000 people 5,000 more than they planned

This company is going directly down the toilet.

Probably Whitman has discovered her largest single problem has worsened. Personal System sales dropped 10.2% last year as measured by net revenue. So, the company described trouble that has plagued HP for two years. PC buyers have shifted preferences from traditional desktops and laptops to tablets. HP does not have a tablet that sells well. But the trouble goes beyond the trends of the past. Recent research shows the shift to tablets has accelerated and has been joined by the use of smartphones as �PC replacements.� Whitman has run out of time in her plan to �reinvent� HP�s PC business, and trends have swept HP�s prospects away.

They just make two things that no one wants anymore. People don't want a new personal computer (especially with Windows 8 on it) and no one has needed a printer for like 5 years now. The only thing I have printed in the last few years has been my tax returns. Last year I didn't even do that and instead just saved the PDF of the return after I E-Filed it.

However, I might buy a new PC eventually because mine is like 10 years old and I wouldn't mind getting a new one. I would be buying it to play computer games though but I might just go ahead and skip it and buy an Xbox One or a PS4 instead. There doesn't seem to be the kind of computer games out there that are worth having a new computer in order to play.

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Fake Navy Seal Conned Two Guys out of $850,000 to Set Up Fake Security Firm

What a low-life this guy is.

For years, Dicken, 57, claimed he was an ex-Navy SEAL who had served in dozens of covert combat missions, from the jungles of Vietnam to the caves of Afghanistan. He proudly wore the SEAL trident insignia and loved to show off his numerous awards. He would regale listeners about his mission to assassinate Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar and his death defying swoop into Pakistan to make the kill shot on Osama Bin Laden. He also carried discharge papers that included two Medals of Honor, and even a laudatory email from Col. Oliver North.

But it was all an elaborate lie, one that he would allegedly use to take hundreds of thousands of dollars from his victims -- and something else harder to put a price on: their honor.

That two time Medal of Honor winner thing would have tipped me off since I think the last guy to win two of them was in 1919 during WWI. It would take a Wikipedia search of Medal of Honor winners and you can see that this conman A.J. Dicken was not on it. I guess this goes to show that some people who have no ties to the military need to do more due diligence before they write checks for $850k. In any case I hope they catch this A.J. Dicken character and leave him in a room alone with some real Navy Seals. It would save the government millions to try and house this sociopath.

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Conservative Group Flushes a Million dollars Down the Toilet to get rid of Mitch McConnell

I am so tired of these conservative groups wasting money trying to unseat long time GOP Senators because they aren't "conservative enough."

The conservative group Senate Conservatives Fund has already invested nearly $1 million toward unseating its primary target in the 2014 election � Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).

The group said Friday that it had invested more than $2 million in its endorsed candidates to date. Nearly half of that went toward supporting conservative upstart Matt Bevin, who is challenging McConnell in Kentucky. 

The SCF invested $985,994 in Bevin. The next-biggest investment was to Chris McDaniel, who is challenging GOP Sen. Thad Cochran in Mississippi.

I'm sure Matt Bevin would be a terrible Senator and would just be another reckless Tea Partier that would rather destroy the world economy just so they can get their way. I do not want the US government to slow spending down because there was a world-wide depression. I want growth and the Tea Party has no plan to unleash such a thing.

People have listened to the conservative message and it is just too extreme for them. This is the exact same thing that happens with the liberal message. People in America are generally center-right with center-left enclaves. No matter how good the "message" is they will not follow it for the most part.

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