Bubblews.com Website Shuts Down - Domain Name Purchased by New Owner Awhile Back

Latest update: January 16, 2023. Page URL indicates original publication date; meanwhile, times change and the updates continue.

January 2023 Update

Yep, the site has been re-registered for another year. Interestingly the registrar is listed as: GoDaddy Online Services Cayman Islands Ltd.

Cayman Islands? What's that about? Meanwhile, I still can't find any search engines that will list the Bubblews.com website in their search results.

August 2022 Update

Even though the site is still registered, the search engines continue to not list it directly; best guess is that there is no longer an actual site. I am curious, but I still will not enter the domain name into the browser address bar. The current registration expires 2022/10/11. Will Bubblews.com be re-registered for another year? The drama continues...

April 2021 Update

Bubblews still deader than a door nail. Google still showing thousands of obsolete search results. This page appears to be the only one out there with current and accurate information. Meanwhile, the domain name still keeps being re-registered one year at a time: whois.

July 2020 Update

Am surprised at the amount of inaccurate data still on the search engines. Bubblews has been dead and gone for years, yet there are websites out there that still think Bubblews is an existing and functional site.

March 2020 Update

Nothing really new to report. As for this review page you are now reading, it has pretty much turned into a historical document about the demise of Bubblews. If interested, this page probably has everything one would ever want to know on the subject; plus, several links are included that may provide additional information. The comments have proven interesting as well.

October 2019 Update

According to whois, looks like the domain name has been renewed yet again. New expiration date is 2020-10-11. Privacy option not being used this time. Can't help but wonder:

• What she knows?
• Does she have any ties to the original owner?
• What, if anything, is going on there?

Google still apparently refuses to index the actual site. My current speculation is the site is just a page with ads on it. What with there apparently still being curiosity seekers, the page is probably actually getting some traffic. Kind of smart really; buying well-known, defunct domain names and putting ads on it for the curious and others; again, just my speculation. If Google ever decides to re-index the site; I might be willing to drop by.

July 2019 Update

Google still apparently refuses to index the actual domain name, so I'm still not going anywhere near there because of what kind of junk ad cookies they might put on my computer. If Bubblews is again operational, Google is also apparently refusing to index any of their articles. I checked whois again:

• https://www.whois.com/whois/bubblews.com (opens in new tab). As of this post, the expiration date is 2019-10-11.

Who knows? Maybe my speculations, induced by my previous experiences with them, is simply nothing more than paranoia on my part. For all I know, going there might bring up nothing more than a parked domain name that someone is trying to sell. Good luck with that.

January 2019 Update

According to Google, gone but not forgotten. If you are researching Bubblews for some reason, there are relevant links further down the page along with the information. I did a whois search and see that the new owner is still keeping the domain name registration current. I am still not going to attempt to visit the Bubblews domain. In my opinion, it's too risky; especially since Google won't index it. For that matter, there's a chance there isn't even a website there and the domain name is being registered just for placeholder reasons. Or maybe someone registered it just to put up a domain name "For Sale" sign, thinking the site's former infamy might be worth something.

February 2018 Update

I'm seeing posts in Google Search that seem to indicate that Bubblews has reopened. Frankly, I'm not going to attempt to go there to find out; am too concerned about what kind of junk advertiser cookies they might put on my machine. What is really interesting, if they are indeed open, is that Google appears to be unwilling to index and include that specific website directly in their search results.

October-November 2017 Update(s)

A possibly new owner has purchased the bubblews.com domain name. It can't be a coincidence; the new owner had to have known about the domain name's previous reputation.

Owner identity unknown, https://www.whois.com/whois/bubblews.com (opens in new tab).

Registrar and server farm may have questionable reputations? Do search for: 2635 Walnut Street Denver Colorado

It all seems just a little odd and a little off. For security reasons, am not going near that domain just yet. No doubt others will be landing there; we will hear soon enough as to site safety, owner intentions, etc.

Original Article About Previous Bubblews Owner

The Shutdown of Bubblews.com

November 2015

Here's what they had to say for themselves...

[Start] "Greetings, After being up and running for almost 3 years now we regrettably need to inform you that we will be shutting Bubblews.com down. The climate for display advertising has drastically changed and made it impossible for us to sustain the business model and operations. We want to thank everyone that was a part of this journey. We wish you all the very best. –Bubblews" [End]

Contrary to what the Bubblews farewell post says, the shutdown appears to have been immediate and without warning. It is being reported writers attempting to retrieve their articles are greeted with a 404 message instead. In other words, it looks like the writers' articles are gone forever and cannot be retrieved.

I can't help but wonder how many lawsuits have already been and soon will be filed. I consider it highly probable Bubblews will be filing for bankruptcy. For that matter, they may have done so at the same time the website shutdown; unknown at this point. On a personal note, I am one of the many thousands of writers who also never received payment from Bubblews for what I was owed; and that is from over a year ago.

Update #1:

Most forum and blog posts across the internet about the Bubblews shutdown are celebratory in nature.

Twitter (#bubblews) is also busily engaged. Interestingly, along with the posts about the shutdown, there continues to be postings of links to Bubblews articles. However, clicking the link results in the expected 404-Not-Found message. Looks like those who set their tweets to automatic haven't gotten the word yet...

Update #2:

#bubblews continues to be active at Twitter with the automated tweets still trying to send visitors to defunct Bubblews articles. As opposed to yesterday's 404's, all article links are now being redirected to the main domain and the displayed Bubblews-is-shutting-down message. Are all those auto-Tweeters really that clueless, or is it a deliberate attempt to bury/hide the posts about the actual shutdown?

Bubblews and the Better Business Bureau ( BBB ). Even though there are media reports of thousands of people not being paid, there are only 107 complaints listed by the BBB. The BBB actually seemed pretty clueless about Bubblews at first, but eventually the BBB apparently woke up; though as of this post, the BBB is apparently still unaware Bubblews is now defunct. I guess the BBB can't really be blamed, they only know what people take the time to tell them. I'll drop them a note. [Update: I tried, but too many obstructions. Oh, well.]

As for my earlier lawsuits speculations, forget it. If only 107 out of 1000's of victims bothered to complain to the BBB, then probably zero would work up the energy to sue. Besides, what with Bubblews being an LLC and the bankruptcy backdoor, what would be the point?

Bubblews and Linkedin. As of this post, no acknowledgement yet as to Bubblews' now defunct status. At the moment, the venture capitalists who invested in Bubblews are still listed there.

Arvind Dixit (Bubblews CEO) and Linkedin. No updates yet there either. Arvind might want to delete the part of his profile that says, "CEO & Co-Founder Arvind “Avi” Dixit is responsible for the strategic direction and ex-ecution (sic) of the Bubblews.com company vision."

Arvind might be interesting to check on now and again in the future.

Bubblews and Facebook. Looks like Bubblews pretty much abandoned their Facebook account in July.

Their Twitter account appears to have been abandoned in August.

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Canned Sardines - A Super Food and Mood Food - Quasi Recipes and Nutrition Facts

Latest update: April 12, 2023. Page URL indicates original publication date; meanwhile, times change and the updates continue.

Includes how to eat sardines and benefits.

Sardines as food; canned sardines are another super food aka wonder food.

All about sardines as food and more.

Sardine Health and Nutrition Benefits

• They’ve got all the B-complex vitamins we all need.
• They’re loaded with vitamin D.
• They’ve got a decent amount of vitamin E and some vitamin K.
• As for minerals, it’s a veritable bonanza. Lots of calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, zinc, copper, manganese, selenium.
• Loaded with omega-3 fatty acids.

As a side note...  Whenever I feel anxious or depressed, the nutrients in a can of sardines almost always makes me feel better. The vitamins, minerals, and omega-3 do indeed have a well-known, positive effect on mood and emotions.

Sardines are also surprisingly inexpensive for their value. A big, red, flat can of them costs less than $3 (your prices may vary). Usually, they will already be in a tomato sauce. Just pour into a proper bowl, microwave for two minutes and eat. As a side note, be sure to cover with a paper plate or whatever before microwaving; otherwise, you may have a very messy microwave oven cleaning project to look forward to.

How to Eat Sardines - Quasi Recipe Ideas

What with all the skin and bones included, straight sardines are really not that much fun to eat. One can improve the experience by doing or adding the following:

• Use as a topping on pizza.
• Make sardine tacos.
• Rinse off tomato sauce; slice and dice; mix-in some mayo; break out two slices of bread and make into a sandwich (this is the option I usually choose).
• Eat with crackers.
• Mix with pasta.
• Experiment with condiments.
• Make your cat's day.

And the usual seafood mercury poisoning fears are not a concern here. The larger and more long-lived the fish, the higher the mercury concentration levels. Sardines are short-lived and small. Mercury contamination is almost nonexistent.

This USDA page will tell you everything you could possibly ever want to know about sardine nutrition: USDA FoodData Central re: Sardines.

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Base 5 Quinary Numbering System to Base 10 Decimal - Lesson

Latest update: August 8, 2022
Page URL indicates original publication date; meanwhile, times change and the updates continue.

How to learn and do quinary conversion; the base 5 numbering system; 0 1 2 3 4; complete lesson and lots of examples. Includes short table of most-searched-for quinary, base 5 to decimal base 10 questions and answers.

There is also access to other base numbering system lessons. If ever might be needed, well worth noting for future reference.

Base 5 - Quinary

If you understand the decimal (base 10) number system we use in our everyday lives, then you already understand the quinary (base 5) number system. You just don’t know that you know yet.

We use the decimal (base 10) number system in our day-to-day living. Base 10 has ten numbers (0-9) and orders of magnitude are times 10. The lowest-order number represents itself times one. The next-order number represents itself times 10. The next order number represents itself times 10x10 or itself times 100. The next order number represents itself times 10x10x10 or itself times 1000. And so on.

A decimal base 10 example would be the number 2417. This number means there are:

• seven 1’s,
• one 10,
• four 100’s,
• and two 1000’s.

Which represents 7 + 10 + 400 + 2000; for a total of 2417.

The Quinary, Base 5 Numbering System Uses the Same Structure...

...the only difference being the order of magnitude. Base 5 has five numbers (0 1 2 3 4) and orders of magnitude are times five. The lowest-order number represents itself times one. The next-order number represents itself times 5. The next order number represents itself times 5x5 or itself times 25. The next order of magnitude would be 5x5x5 or 125. And so on.

A base 5 to decimal base 10 example would be the number 3142. This number means there are...

• two 1’s,
• four 5’s,
• one 25,
• and three 125's.

Which represents 2 + 20 + 25 + 375 for a total of 422 in base 10.

Another base 5 to decimal base 10 example would be the number 2011. This number means there are...

• One 1,
• one 5,
• no 25's,
• and two 125's.

Which represents 1 + 5 + 0 + 250; for a total of 256 in base 10.

Some of the Most Searched for Base 5 Questions and Answers

• What is 5 (base 10) in base 5? Answer is 10 in base 5.
• What is 10 (base 10) in base 5? Answer is 20 in base 5.
• What is 23 (base 10) in base 5? Answer is 43 in base 5.
• What is 25 (base 10) in base 5? Answer is 100 in base 5.
• What is 27 (base 10) in base 5? Answer is 102 in base 5.

Quinary / Base 5 Orders of Magnitude

1 - 5 - 25 - 125 - 625 - 3125 - 15625 - 78125 - 390625 - 1953125

Positional

1953125 - 390625 - 78125 - 15625 - 3125 - 625 - 125 - 25 - 5 - 1

List of Base 5 to Decimal Base 10 Numbering System Conversion Examples

• 1 = 1
• 2 = 2
• 3 = 3
• 4 = 4
• 10 = 5
• 11 = 6
• 12 = 7
• 13 = 8
• 14 = 9
• 20 = 10
• 21 = 11
• 22 = 12
• 23 = 13
• 24 = 14
• 30 = 15
• 31 = 16
• 32 = 17
• 33 = 18
• 34 = 19
• 40 = 20
• 41 = 21
• 42 = 22
• 43 = 23
• 44 = 24
• 100 = 25
• 101 = 26
• 102 = 27
• 103 = 28
• 104 = 29
• 110 = 30
• 111 = 31

Quinary / Base 5 Orders of Magnitude (convenience relist)

1 - 5 - 25 - 125 - 625 - 3125 - 15625 - 78125 - 390625 - 1953125

Positional

1953125 - 390625 - 78125 - 15625 - 3125 - 625 - 125 - 25 - 5 - 1

List of More Base 5 to Decimal Base 10 Examples

• 200 = 50
• 220 = 60
• 222 = 62
• 300 = 75
• 303 = 78
• 333 = 93
• 404 = 104
• 420 = 110
• 1000 = 125
• 1001 = 126
• 1010 = 130
• 1100 = 150
• 1234 = 194
• 2020 = 260
• 2030 = 265
• 3020 = 385
• 3411 = 481
• 4000 = 500
• 4040 = 520
• 4242 = 572
• 4321 = 586
• 4333 = 593
• 4444 = 624

Quinary / Base 5 Orders of Magnitude (convenience relist)

1 - 5 - 25 - 125 - 625 - 3125 - 15625 - 78125 - 390625 - 1953125

Positional

1953125 - 390625 - 78125 - 15625 - 3125 - 625 - 125 - 25 - 5 - 1

If interested, here is access to the tutorials for Base 2, 4, 8, 16 (Binary, Quaternary, Octal, Hexadecimal); all on one page. If not needed now, maybe useful for future use.

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Kelp Supplements Nutrition Benefits - Iodine for Thyroid

Latest update: August 8, 2022. Page URL indicates original publication date; meanwhile, times change and the updates continue.

Safe Health Benefits of Kelp Seaweed Supplements - Iodine and Trace Minerals - And Some Iodine Warnings

Kelp Ocean Forest

This page is premised on that you are healthy, practicing good nutrition, physically active, and are already doing everything else to naturally feel good. If still suffering from lack of energy, then kelp supplements may be the answer.

Why so? Kelp is loaded with the mineral iodine. The iodine will go directly to your thyroid and kick-start it. A fully active thyroid makes one become more energetic.

Kelp and certain other seaweed also have minute traces of every other mineral known to man. So if you happen to be lacking in any of those, kelp tablets will help take care of that, too.

Suggested use is one kelp supplement per day; frankly, I think that is excessive. Too much of anything is not a good idea. Personally, I only take one once in awhile when I seem to have no energy.

So next time you have no energy for no discernible reason, chew a kelp supplement tablet with food. Do take it early in the morning. If taken later in the day, you might not be able to fall asleep come bedtime.

Kelp Tablets with Iodine

Kelp and other seaweed supplements may or may not be available at your local or national chain drugstore; some have it, some don't. Worst case scenario, you will have to work up the energy to go to your local health food store; they will definitely have it. Be forewarned. The supplements industry is completely unregulated. Buy only reputable brands from reputable stores.

A warning note. Some people are allergic to shellfish (high iodine), the same way some people are allergic to peanuts for example. So maybe just nibble a very small piece of one tablet the first time around? Only you can decide.

Safe Usage of Kelp Seaweed Supplements

Excessive use of kelp supplements and their high iodine content is not good for you and can even cause health problems. Here is a federal website that will tell you absolutely everything you would ever want to know about the mineral iodine as to health, nutrition, and warnings. The site also notes that excessive iodine can negatively interact with certain medications.

• The Federal National Institute of Health Website Iodine Page

Though iodine is an essential nutrient for the human body, over usage can cause serious problems. The NIH also talks about foods high in iodine, so maybe you can just skip the supplements altogether.

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How Much Platinum / Palladium / Rhodium in Catalytic Converters – And Approximate Worth

Latest update: April 1, 2024. Page URL indicates original publication date; meanwhile times change and the updates continue.

Platinum, rhodium and palladium are some of the elements known as platinum-group metals, otherwise known as PGMs.

The PGMs reside in the honeycomb region of the catalytic converter. The much-older catalytic converters originally used pellets, before the more efficient and less expensive honeycomb design came into use.

The amounts and proportions of PGMs depends on the age and type of vehicle.

• Cars, light-duty trucks, and motorcycles average total is 2-6 grams.
• Larger-engine SUV's and trucks average total can range anywhere from 6-30 grams.

28.35 grams equals an avoirdupois ounce. 31.1 grams equals a troy ounce.

Gasoline-powered-vehicle catalytic converters use all three of the aforementioned metals (update: at current prices, I highly doubt rhodium is still being used). Diesel-powered-vehicle catalytic converters use only platinum and rhodium (update: rhodium usage for new vehicles is questionable). As a side note, PGMs are also in heavy demand in the electronics industries.

How Much Is a Catalytic Converter Worth?

The Shorter Answer...

Depending on the age and type of vehicle, the PGMs in a catalytic converter can be worth anywhere from $100 to a rare $1,000 or more. The newer and/or smaller cars being closer to $100. The larger, older vehicles could have catalytic converters worth $600 and up. As for the $1,000 and the rampant inflation, older vehicles with the original converter are becoming more and more valuable; something to consider when buying or selling an older vehicle. As a side note, oxygen sensors also use PGMs and have a recycle value.

Regarding the catalytic converter, keep in mind that what the PGMs are worth is not what you will be paid. There is the labor, cost of metal extraction, overhead, and the buyer's expected profit margin; not to mention the greed factor. It would also be wise to be able to prove ownership. Otherwise, a phone call might be being made inside while you are talking with the potential buyer outside. Driving in with the actual vehicle or at least the vehicle's paperwork will give you more legitimacy and probably even a higher price. Do extensively ask around and shop around. Whether a buyer or a seller, do be careful as to whom you associate with: Justice Department Announces Takedown of Nationwide Catalytic Converter Theft Ring.

The Longer Answer...

As a general rule: the older the vehicle, the more PGMs present in the catalytic converter. Because of the high cost of PGMs, industry continually strives to reduce the amount necessary by the use of other metals and materials and/or design changes

• I have become tired of presenting estimates. Comments can do that.

---

WebsiteWithNoName.com has over one million page views and is looking for reputable advertisers.

---

Needless to say, catalytic converter prices can fluctuate greatly; not only the value, but also the quantity and usage ratio of the three metals aren't exactly carved in stone either. Depending on the price and efficiency of each metal and/or its alloys, the composition and design the catalytic converter manufacturers use may change frequently. Then again, each change buries the manufacturer in the government bureaucracies of retesting, recertification, and no doubt many other laws and regulations; both federal and for each state. This could very well obstruct the manufactures from being able to quickly respond to PGM price changes. This would be especially applicable to after-market manufacturers.

Current prices for platinum and palladium can be found here, note the historical charts as well. Rhodium prices can be found here. Price information resources come and go. If the links stop working, a search will quickly find a new one.

It turns out the information to write this page was not easy to find. Fortunately, I stumbled across much of it buried in a government-archived article about catalytic converter cerium recovery written by the USGS. The article has more information scattered around about catalytic converters, what recyclers might be willing to pay for them, about platinum and the other PGMs, and other recycling information, etc. The prices stated in the government article are woefully obsolete, but the rest of the information is still valid.

Platinum Nugget. Source: USGS

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A personal note: I have a classic 1982 Camaro Berlinetta for sale. It has the original catalytic converter. A picture of it can be found at this article. If you want to buy the whole car, drop me a note.
 

[There are lots of buy/sell leads and advice in the following comments section. Be advised that the leads and advice have not been vetted, usual business caution applies.]

 

What Happens When Doing an Online Internet Search - Tech and Privacy

Latest update: February 3, 2024. Page URL indicates original publication date; meanwhile, times change and the updates continue.

Do not do an online search for your debit or credit card account numbers. Actually the following description of what happens applies to any and all search terms you may happen to enter in most search engines.

Epic Fail!

MasterCard, Visa, Discover, American Express ( AMEX ), etc.

This website has discovered people are doing that. I'm guessing people do so in an attempt to see if their credit or debit card numbers have been stolen and are being posted online. Unfortunately, by searching online for your card number, you have just made your credit and/or debit card account number available to any website you then happen to land on; the website owner now has your card number.

Here's What Happens When You Do a Search on Google, Bing, Yahoo, or Any Other Search Engine

Sequence

1. You do a search for your credit or debit card account number (or anything else for that matter).
2. A list of search results comes up.
3. You click on one or more of the results.
4. Now here is where the problems start... The vast majority of website owners automatically track what search terms bring people to their websites; they do this for perfectly benign and legitimate search-engine-optimization-related reasons. Your card number was the search term bringing you to the website and so is nicely displayed to the website owner along with all the other more usual search terms being recorded by the site. Now if you landed on an honest website, then your account number is simply ignored. But if you landed on a dishonest website who is looking for these kind of numbers...

Dishonest websites use hacker/SEO techniques to attract you to click on their websites. If you do so, grief follows.

Be wise, do not look for your credit or debit card account numbers online. And as a side note and needless to say, the same applies to your social security number and all other sensitive data. And the website you landed on is not the only entity that now has your search term(s). Search engines now have them as well.

Online credit card account number searches are a bad idea...

It should be mentioned that many search engines track, store, and analyze virtually every search phrase that is entered into their sites. Many times, the search engines will turn around and make that information available to others; this includes algorithmically displaying it online to the general public. This information can also be sold/given to any and all government agencies and private companies. Google has become famous for this kind of privacy invasion; frankly, I now mostly use the other search engines these days. And, as generally known, people know that your search history is also stored in your browser; not a bad idea to clear that out every once in a while.

Please share this page so as to help others. The more people who are knowledgeable, the better off we all are. We really do live in a fishbowl society these days.

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When to Do Vitamin D3 Supplements and Food Sources

Latest update: July 27, 2022. Page URL indicates original publication date; meanwhile, times change and the updates continue.

Especially important for seniors. Medical science generally agrees that the elderly should take vitamin D3 supplements.

I have also seen articles saying that vitamin D can mitigate COVID somewhat.

Vitamin D Deficiency Is a Growing Health Concern

Fortified milk is a good source of vitamin D.

If you are out in the sun all day everyday, then you need not be concerned. Your body will manufacture all the vitamin D it needs from the ultraviolet light you absorb. However, as you get older, one loses this ability.

Also, if yours is an indoor life; you may not be getting enough of this vitamin.

 List of Foods Rich in Vitamin D

Unfortunately, there are not that many foods that are considered a nutrition source for vitamin D.

• Fortified milk seems to be America's primary source for vitamin D.
• Other dairy products also have a smattering of it.
• Fish foods have vitamin D. Swordfish and especially sockeye salmon are the big two. Tuna comes in third. Sardines are also a contender. And if you want to give yourself a mega-dose, a tablespoon of cod liver oil will give you over 300% of the body’s daily requirement.
• Liver has it.
• Fortified orange juice has a decent amount.
• Multivitamins generally have 100% to 200% of the recommended daily dosage. Needless to say, check the label.

Sockeye salmon is a good vitamin D source.

For more information about vitamin D, here is the relevant federal National Institutes of Health page about vitamin D. The site also mentions that excessive vitamin D consumption can be detrimental.

When to Do Vitamin D Supplements

As a side note,  I am an older person. My doc says I should take vitamin D3 supplements (5,000 IUs (international units), daily). Apparently, us older folks don't manufacture vitamin D from sunshine as well as we used to. Vitamin D3 supplements are available at any drugstore. Do buy only from reputable stores and reputable brands. Unfortunately the supplements industry is said to be completely unregulated; there are media reports the FDA just doesn't have the manpower.

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How to Save Money on Food and Other Grocery Shopping Bills - A List and More

Latest update: January 5, 2022. Page URL indicates original publication date; meanwhile, times change and the updates continue.

Saving Money on Food Is Easier Than One Thinks - Reduce Those Shopping Bills

And a note about government food benefits during hard times. And also a math note for parents and our education system and kids.

Inflation! Inflation! Inflation!

• Inflation is here to stay. To the extent one is able, it is definitely a good idea to start buying ahead and stockpiling non-perishable items we know we will always eventually use anyway. Paper products, cleaning products, and hygiene products are excellent examples. Pretty much all canned goods have a worthwhile shelf life of a few years; check those expiration dates. Even frozen foods can be bought up to 6 months ahead or longer; again, check the expiration dates.

Coupons and Websites

• Yes, do use those coupons; the Sunday paper and your junk mail will give you all you need. Also drop by your main grocery store’s website and see what they have to say for themselves; more often than not, they will have additional digital coupons you can use where you simply enter your phone number at the checkout register to collect.

Generic Brands

• Yes, do buy the generic store brands. It is common knowledge they cost less. What isn’t so well known is that more often than not they are made by the same manufacturer as the nationally labeled brands that cost up to twice as much.

Product Shelf Positioning

• Make it a point to look at the top and bottom shelves. The middle shelves are where the high markup items are.

Unit Pricing

• Do make it a habit to routinely check the unit pricing. No rocket surgeon degree required; the unit price is right below or beside the sale price. There will be at least one occasion every trip where it will affect your decision as to what to buy. Does your store not conveniently display the unit pricing? If so, then find another store. Also, you may be surprised to learn the larger sizes do not always represent the best unit pricing. Stores are sneaky that way, knowing that consumers automatically assume the larger size is the better deal.

Product Store Positioning and Impulse Buying

• Never buy anything displayed at the register and checkout line. Those are what is known as spontaneous purchases and impulse items and always have the highest markup. Always bring a shopping list. It will cut down on your spontaneous impulse buying immensely. And while we are at it, never shop hungry.
• The freshest items and those with the longest expiration dates are at the back of the shelf. This applies to produce, dairy, bottled and canned goods, and actually pretty much everything.

Don't Pay for Unneeded Labor

• Never buy pre-made sandwiches or other items requiring extra preparation in the deli section. The prices are highway robbery and are for people who are taking their lunch break from work, etc. If the sandwich looks delicious, then just buy the same filling from that same deli instead. This assumes you are willing enough to take the contents from the container and put between two slices of bread yourself. Chicken salad and egg salad are good examples. Doing this will usually save you between $2 to $3 per sandwich. And save the containers, they can repeatedly be used for freezing and storing leftovers.

Stock Up on Non-Perishable Sale Items

• Prices can vary by as much as 50% from week to week. Tissues are an excellent example of this. Canned goods are another excellent example. Some juices also have long expiration dates.

Check Your Receipt for Double Billing

• It happens a lot more often than you think. It usually happens because either the cashier doesn’t like you or the scanner sensor is dirty. And checking the receipt really is easier than you think; even a long receipt takes less than a minute to quickly glance through. At minimum, at least check the higher priced items. When you find something (and you inevitably will), simply return to the same register and tell them. They will refund your money on the spot.

Never Set Your Wallet on the Counter at the Checkout

• Sooner or later, you will inevitably forget and leave it there when you walk out of the store. It won't always still be there when you go back for it.

Fewer Trips

• Every trip you make to the store probably costs you between $2 to $4 in gas. Try to organize to make fewer trips.

Government Food Benefits

BTW, Food Stamps aka Cal Fresh aka SNAP benefits are used by millions of Americans. If your financial situation is truly grim, it is worth investigating.

Government Websites to Get Started

https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/apply
https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program-snap
https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/eligibility


And last, but not least...

Parents: Teach Your Kids About Unit Pricing and Basic Math - A True Story

I actually saw this happen several years ago.

A parent and teenager are in a store. The store is having a candy sale. There are two different-sized boxes of chocolate cream candies on display. There is the 12-oz. box for $4.95. There is the 1-lb, 2-oz. box for $12.95. There is some dialogue. Then the teenager selects the one-pound-plus box saying something to the effect that, "The larger box is the better buy."

The parent says something to the effect, “I am really worried about your math skills.”

I kid you not, I really saw this happen. And one can tell by the prices that it was indeed many years ago.

Here are what I believe their respective thought processes were:

The parent: “Hmm, $5 for 12 ounces is equal to $10 for 24 ounces. The $10 for 24 ounces is better than the $13 for 18 ounces.” Parent chooses two of the smaller boxes.

The teenager: “The larger box will have the better per-unit price.” Teenager doesn’t consider doing any calculations. Teenager chooses the larger box. The equivalent of this is probably still happening thousands of times a day nationwide. The retail stores are fully aware that our education system isn't what it used to be.

And while we are at it and on a separate note, there are also some small store owners who are equally aware of this lack-of-education fact when is comes to charging sales tax.

Grocery Store Food Discrimination - A Commentary

Grocery store and supermarket chains discriminate against single people, divorced people, senior citizens, and anyone else who happens to live alone. Unless we are buying groceries for a family, the national chain grocery stores apparently don't want to bother with us. Or if they do, it looks like they want to charge us extra for the privilege.

Having to buy four or five units of the same food item in order to get the discount sale price really does discriminate against singles, senior citizens, and other people who live alone. Only families can benefit from the use of this particular sales and marketing practice.

I’ve noticed this sales tactic is becoming more and more prevalent lately. I figured it was time to say something about it.

There really are very few people living alone who can make use of four boxes of crackers, five bottles of soda, four cans of tuna, and so forth.

And this buy-4-items and buy-5-items requirement to get various discounts is spreading to staple items. It is no longer limited to the more “frivolous” purchases.

In all fairness, it should be noted the grocery stores and supermarket chains doing this are not doing it to deliberately discriminate against singles, senior citizens, etc. They are doing this for the same reason they do all their other sales tactics; the purpose being to increase sales and maximize profits. Nothing wrong with that; that is capitalism.

The resulting discrimination against certain classes of people is simply the unintended consequence. Basically, it's called collateral damage. [Update. This discrimination commentary was written long before the pandemic situation. Due to the hoarding, plant closures, and distribution infrastructure problems; though the sales tactic is still present, it is not as prevalent these days.]

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An article from NPR: Inflation Is Surging and People Are Hopping Mad

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A Review of Indulgy – A Former Pinterest Clone Quits

Latest update: August 31, 2022. Page URL indicates original publication date; meanwhile, times change and the updates continue.

Do see the latest updates at the end of this ongoing review. Indulgy's former glory days remain gone, but the site still has some rather strange signs of life.

What is Indulgy?
An attempted Pinterest clone.

Regarding the Original Review and Updates: Excepting for the year 2021 and 2022 updates, the review and earlier updates are now obsolete and only remain for historical purposes.

According to Alexa, indulgy.com traffic seems to be doing well. It is currently ranking as one of the top 20,000 websites globally and one of the top 10,000 sites in the US. The bad news is that traffic seems to be drifting downward, a year ago the stats had them in the top 10,000 sites globally. Not sure what's going on or why the drift downward. Still not bad, considering there are probably over 200,000,000 websites out there in internet land these days. [Side note. Be sure to read the updates. Things currently seem to not be going well.] 

The Original Review

Using Indulgy for Collecting Images and Backlinks

Indulgy is a nice, simple, uncomplicated version of Pinterest. If you like Pinterest, Indulgy can be fun as well.

As with Pinterest, you can include backlinks to the images you post on Indulgy

Visitor traffic is still relatively low at this point, but Indulgy could have some future value as to and for backlinking purposes.

As a low priority project, I've opened an account (the link above) and started posting some images there. We'll see how that goes; I'll report on any results every now and then.

Ongoing User Review Updates

March 2015

For some strange reason, I am intuitively fond of this site. Probably because of the nice, clean interface and ease of use. I'll continue to add images and updates from time to time. I hope the site does well.

Unfortunately, Indulgy does not enable enough text space when displaying the photo to include the title of the article where the image came from (see later update). This pretty much shuts down the prospect of generating a click-thru to your article from Indulgy. Hopefully, Indulgy will change this and emulate Pinterest.

Went back again later in the month. I'm beginning to think Indulgy has become a mess. When right-clicking to post pictures, the box doesn't auto-fill and after filling out the box the picture doesn't show up in my collection. Also, earlier this week, the site locked up my computer.

September 2015

Yep, Indulgy is still pretty useless as to generating traffic to your linked article. As previously indicated, there's no text accompanying the image in the collection to indicate what the image or linked article is about (see later update). Clicking the image will bring up some accompanying text for the visitor, but how many visitors will bother to make that click to find out the details?

February 2016

Dropped by my account. Deleted some obsolete pics. Updated some links in others. Both tasks were intuitive and easy to do.

Added a couple new images. Doing the add link to source page still does not work (direct link to image, not article, is required). Better to install the browser plugin. Then right-click on target image to use it.

Indulgy has much improved since previous visit and is a worthy site.

And I made a worthy discovery. Giving yourself a really short user name will then enable more descriptive text to be included with your image.

After almost a year, I still have zero followers. This is no doubt because I never collected (re-pinned) anyone else's images or followed anyone. So I collected (re-pinned) a few images and followed three people. We will see how it goes...

January 2017

Visited my account for the first time in almost a year. Had to reinstall the plugin, understandable. To find the installed plugin, look in your browser bookmarks lists. Deleted some obsolete images and added some new ones. As far as I can tell, the account has had no visitors. As before, it is probably because of my lack of activity.

Indulgy does have what I consider to be one very serious flaw. It keeps opening new windows as opposed to new tabs. That can very quickly become a real pain in the neck. Oh, well; to each their own.

April 2017

Dropped by the site and my account. They've changed things around. Frankly, that site is now a pain in the neck to navigate. They've also added a shopping section.

Indulgy traffic has been steadily declining over the last year. A year ago it was globally ranked as one of the top 11,000 websites in the world; it's ranking has since dropped to around 21,000. In other words, it is back to where it was two years ago. Basically a two-year bell curve. Prior to the two years ago, it was once before globally ranked at around 10,00. A sine wave or two bell curves in a row? Due to the time lengths involved, the pattern doesn't appear to be seasonal.

Whatever is going on, it doesn't appear to be driving any visitor traffic my way for the articles I've posted there.

The way things are going, the site appears headed for extinction. It certainly wouldn't be the first. Then again, who knows? The site is certainly still salvageable. Maybe the site has a regular 2-year-trend pattern as opposed to the usual one year. Time will tell. Deleted one old image/article and added one new image/article.

October 2017

Well, the pictures do indeed display well and look nice. Deleting a couple of obsolete ones was easy to do; you'll need to refresh the page to see them actually disappear. Modified some outdated descriptions, again was easy to do.

Still no visitor activity that I could see.

What we have here is a plain and very simple site. If all you want to do is organize your pictures into various collections and don't care about having visitors or generating traffic, Indulgy is a useful website.

There is one other use for the site that occurs to me. One could use it as a bookmarks-website, if you don't mind about the scrolling all the time. Just a thought. Come to think of it, you also can't organize, i.e., move the pictures around within each collection. If one does not have that many bookmarks, then Indulgy could be useful in this regard, otherwise going the bookmarks-website route would be the better way to go.

January 2018

Indulgy really is a mess. You can't even trust it.

I clicked the setting icon on one of my images and was pleasantly surprised to find I could supposedly change the URL, which I did indeed need to do. So I changed it.

When I tested it, the change had failed to take. So I edited and tried again. This time I carefully watched. When I clicked save, I saw the URL revert back to the old before the edit box then saved and closed. Tried it a couple more times before giving up.

A glitchy mess and you can't even trust it when it claims to have saved your edit(s).

Personally, I have given up on this site.

June 2018

Dropped by. Checked a few links and they seem to work. Nobody is visiting the page, so didn't bother adding any new links.

January 2019

Checked up on Indulgy so as to post an update here. Still doesn't get traffic; still doesn't generate traffic to linked articles; still a real pain in the neck to navigate.

Tried posting an article link, but Indulgy wouldn't accept it; informed me it had to be directly to a picture. So I right-clicked one of the article pictures, copied its link and pasted that. It allowed me to post the pic; but needless to say, a user clicking the pic just expanded the pic and didn't go to the article. So I tried editing the link; at first it appeared not to work, but then it eventually did.

Indulgy did inform me they have a browser add on; but frankly I didn't want their glitchy code on my machine.

So that about covers it. Indulgy is still limping along, but I still have no enthusiasm for it. Oh, well.

In the interests of fairness, I checked Alexa. The traffic chart shows a gradual decline in ranking over the last year, but there's been a major improvement in the last month or so. So, whatever is going on, Indulgy does seem to suddenly have some sort of new following; I have no idea why or what is going on with that. It will be interesting to see how year 2019 goes.

August 2019

Nothing exciting to report. Deleted an obsolete pic without incident. Tried adding an article link, but still no go; can still only add direct pic links; apparently still need the browser add-on to do otherwise. Alexa has reported a major drop in traffic to Indulgy over the last 90 days; the internet is indeed a tough town. When it comes to picture collections, Pinterest is the 800-pound gorilla and that's just the way it is. I wouldn't be surprised if Indulgy is eventually abandoned. Presumably, the Indulgy browser add-on glitches have bee fixed, but I didn't bother to risk trying it.

As a side note, pretty much all social media has become useless for directing traffic to articles; even Pinterest and Facebook. Those internet days appear to be dead and gone. I perceive both Indulgy and Pinterest as just social and entertainment sites these days; nothing wrong with that.

January 2020

Well, indulgy.com is no longer being indexed by Google; this usually means a site has gone defunct. The site does still show up on some of the other search engines. And one can always type the URL into the browser address box; I did so and a page actually showed up. Unfortunately, it appears to just be a billboard page and the site is indeed dead and gone; no account login or other pages appeared available. Oddly, not even Wikipedia has anything to say about it; usually, Wikipedia has entries about all well-known websites, including sites that have come and gone.

Been an interesting five years. It looks like this ongoing review has now become a historical document.

February 2020

Indulgy.com is indexed by Google again, but it is still just a billboard and still closed for business. Who knows what they are up to; a hiatus, reorg, or permanent closure? Doesn't look good. According to WHOIS, The domain name is set to expire September 6, 2020. Even if the site is permanently dead, they'll probably renew the domain name; after all, it's still worth at least $10.

May 2020

Nothing much new to report. I did notice the social media icons at the bottom of their billboard page appear to be placebos. And Indulgy's telephone number is now stated as "tel:0000000000".

May 2021

The domain name is still being renewed one year at a time. The owner has posted several nice pictures there. There's also some text in a foreign language along with English text. The site kind of gave me the impression that the owner may be planning future enhancements. I don't really know, just my perception.

January 2022

Yep, the site is still basically deader than a door nail as far as using it as a Pinterest clone. The site does still exist as described in the previous update.

August 2022

The site owner is still posting nice pictures all over the place. Many of the pictures then link to the owner's Amazon affiliate account. I was not able to find any information as to the amount of visitor traffic that Indulgy receives these days.

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Corporate Employers Refusing, Not Hiring Unemployed

Latest update: September 25, 2022. Page URL indicates original publication date; meanwhile, times change and the updates continue.

Do see the latest updates at end of article. The news is mixed. There's also additional resume-gap solutions. Due to the pandemic, some parts of this page may have become temporarily obsolete.

[Although the original version of this article was written awhile ago, there is not a doubt in my mind that it is still going on. The big corporations continue to lobby for increases in H-1 visas. If you are unemployed, do include smaller companies in your search. In fact, I'd make it a point to ferret them out. For that matter, there is a link at the bottom of this article to a job search engines list.]

Many national companies refuse to hire the unemployed. Their company hiring process is to only hire people who are already working at another company. A corporate greed fact and the way it is. What can an unemployed person do about it? Try applying at the smaller and/or local companies.

[Side Note. If you happen to be looking for a job, here are a boatload of job resources. And never, ever pay for a job lead or job interview. The industry standard is the potential employer pays the recruiter; the applicant is not required to pay anything. Ever. And if you happen to come across any websites with work-at-home offers and up-front money is requested; depart that website immediately.]

Companies Are Excluding the Jobless from Hiring.
Corporate Greed in America.

Corporate Greed in America, Jobs, Employment Ads, Hiring Practices.

Corporate America continues its refusal to hire the unemployed. Their job ads now contain phrases such as “no unemployed candidates will be considered” or “must be currently employed”. This is truly corporate greed at its worst.

This problem has become increasingly severe as evidenced by EEOC Testimony.

This page is an ongoing compilation of companies engaging in this particular corporate-greed practice. If the reader is aware of such a company, please post their name and/or ad excerpt in the Comments Section below; any additional information would also be appreciated..

EEOC Testimony Excerpts

Eliminating arbitrary employment barriers that operate to weed out qualified and interested job applicants…

It is profoundly disturbing the trend of deliberately excluding the jobless from work opportunities is on the rise…

"Unemployed Need Not Apply", stories suggesting systematic exclusion, often blatant, of unemployed workers from consideration for jobs began to emerge early last summer…

Sony Ericsson,…had posted a job announcement…explicitly stating, “No Unemployed Candidates Will Be Considered At All". Ad posted on The People Place specified the company would “not consider/review anyone NOT currently employed regardless of the reason".

A Craigslist posting for assistant restaurant managers … flatly requiring applicants, “Must be currently employed"…

Unemployed workers, mostly older workers, told they will not be referred or considered for employment, once recruiters or potential employers learn they are not currently working.

Most executive recruiters won’t look at a candidate unless they have a job, even if they don’t like to admit it. …

The tendency to exclude the unemployed is growing. …

Other staffing firm industry specialists similarly confirm the unemployed need not apply….: there is a disturbing and growing trend among employers—honored by staffing firms—to refuse to consider the unemployed for available job openings, regardless of their qualifications. This refusal is often explicitly manifested in job ads which include restrictive language specifying only currently employed candidates will be considered; or no unemployed candidates will be considered, regardless of the reason for unemployment.

You Are (Not) Hired.

List of Corporations and Other Companies Who Decline to Hire the Unemployed

 

Robert Half Legal is the premier provider of legal professionals... Job is located in Southwest portion of LA County. Must be currently employed...

Employee Paralegal Jobs; Careers at Beacon Hill Staffing Group ...To be considered, candidates must be currently employed and have at least three years of experience as a residential real estate paralegal and have ...

“NATIONAL ACCOUNT MANAGER - HOME DEPOT Job in Atlanta, Georgia US. Candidates must be currently employed ***. Good fits: Power Tools and Accessories, Pneumatics, Lawn and Garden, Plumbing, Paint, Building products, ...”

Benchmark Electronics, "It's our preference that they currently be employed…”

Caregivers Currently Working in Assisted Living Co..., Right at Home, Inc. - Sacramento, CA Are You Currently Working At An Assisted Living... are seeking qualified caregivers who are currently employed at assisted living facilities who may be...

Sony Ericsson, as reported in EEOC testimony.

Response Companies - New York, NY 75 PLUS BONUS... THIS A CHANCE TO GET IN THE GROUND FLOOR, BUT PLEASE ONLY CANDIDATES CURRENTLY EMPLOYED AND THAT HAVE GRADUATED IN THE 2-4 YEAR TIME FRAME $65 - $75 an hour

Mortgage Loan Underwriter, Sente Mortgage - Houston, TX - +2 locations Lender system Encompass knowledge preferred Interested applicants must be currently employed in the mortgage industry. Please send cover letter and resume.

Pharmaceutical Sales Representative, Sales Force - Madison, WI - +11 locations Must have had no more that 2 jobs in 5 years. Must be in current job at least 1.5 years. Must have no... Must be currently employed. No exceptions! Must have...

The People Place, as reported in EEOC testimony.

Senior Tax Associate or Partner, Bradsby Group - Columbus, OH benefits package. To be considered, you must be currently employed possessing the above qualifications. Please forward resume in Word. Viable candidates will be...

News Snapshot During Week of EEOC Testimony

* Unemployed are being refused the chance to apply for work at some companies, By Ann Belser, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The stories have been horrible.... So the want ads that included a line that unemployed applicants would not be considered have hit a nerve.... Wednesday the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission convened...

* Inquiry considers whether employers discriminate against jobless Boston Globe. Are some companies weeding out job applicants just because they are unemployed? After news accounts about the practice and requests from concerned lawmakers, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has jumped in, trying to figure out whether it's a widespread tactic that could violate federal job discrimination laws...

* Bias Against the Unemployed Is Subject of Probe. WSJ, By MELANIE TROTTMAN,

EEOC Chairman Jacqueline Berrien said at a hearing Wednesday that the agency began hearing anecdotal reports of the practice last summer, including from news reports and from worker-advocacy groups gathering examples of help-wanted advertisements that said only individuals who currently had jobs should apply...

* EEOC Explores Bias Against The Unemployed, Braintrack, Compiled by Yaffa Klugerman. According to The Examiner, the perverse practice of excluding the unemployed as job candidates--and particularly the long-term unemployed--has been growing in many fields. Helen Norton, associate professor at the University of Colorado's School of Law, noted that advertised job listings for electronic engineers, restaurant managers and mortgage underwriters have explicitly stated that only currently employed candidates will be considered...

* Are companies excluding jobless from applying? KING5 Seattle. Commissioners at an EEOC hearing Wednesday said they are investigating whether excluding the unemployed may have a greater effect on blacks, Latinos and other ethnic minorities that tend to have higher jobless rates...

* Are companies excluding jobless from applying? KING5 Seattle. TACOMA, Wash. - Are some companies weeding out job applicants just because they are unemployed? After news accounts about the practice and requests from concerned lawmakers, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has jumped in, trying to figure out whether it's a widespread tactic that could violate federal job discrimination laws. At a job fair in Tacoma Thursday, desperate job hunters ...

* Are companies excluding jobless from applying? San Francisco Chronicle WASHINGTON, (AP) -- Are some companies weeding out job applicants just because they are unemployed? After news accounts about the practice and requests from concerned lawmakers, the Equal Employment...

* EEOC to examine treatment of unemployed job seekers, MLive.com - Jackie Headapohl‎. Currently, unemployed people are not protected by anti-discrimination law. However, if the practice disproportionately affects minorities, who are protected against discrimination, it could be deemed illegal. The Commission will hear from invited ...

* Are Unemployed Applicants Facing Discrimination? The Epoch Times - Antonio Perez‎. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) NEW YORK—Federal regulators are examining allegations that employers are biased against candidates that are currently unemployed, potentially a violation of federal anti-discrimination laws. A typical scenario might ...

* Are companies excluding unemployed from applying for open jobs? The Post-Standard. Because unemployment is hiring among blacks and Hispanics, the chances of an employer considering a minority are decreased by one-third if jobless applicants are excluded...

* EEOC investigates whether companies may be discriminating against jobless Contra Costa Times. WASHINGTON -- Are some companies weeding out job applicants just because they are unemployed? After news accounts about the practice and requests from concerned lawmakers, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has jumped in, trying to figure out whether it's a widespread tactic that could...

Here are some search queries this article has received (capitalization and punctuation added).

• Why don't law firms hire older educated unemployed workers?
• Why is Sprint not hiring blacks?
• African Americans corporate America EEOC.
• Blacks wont even hire blacks.
• Dollar General won't hire black managers.
• Jobs wont hire minorities.
• Not hired.
• Why America will not hire older workers?
• Corporate greed companies names.
• Employment ads say they will not consider anyone who is currently unemployed.
• Employers refuse to hire me because I'm unemployed.
• Is the Sony company hiring older workers?
• Refused to tell why not hired.
• Why are the corporations so heartless to the unemployed?
• Corporate greed and unemployment.

Final Thoughts...

Please share this information so as to help others. The more people who are knowledgeable, the better off we all are; especially as to applying at smaller and local companies. And if you are being subjected to age discrimination, this page has some employment resources for us 50 and older folks.

June 2019 Update. The demand for workers has substantially increased since this article was originally written. I can't speak to the high-end, career jobs; but many employers are now willing to give more of the unemployed a chance at the low-end jobs, e.g. retail and such. It really is worth a shot; if you apply at 10 potential employers, at least one of them will give you a chance.

January 2020 Update. The job market is indeed booming. Got a gap in your resume? For those career, professional, tech, trade, other specialized skills, and even clerical and data entry you can:

1. Fill in the resume gap as a self-employed consultant/contractor.
2. Sign up at every temp agency in town.

This fixes your employment gap that prospective employers don't like. This give you a whole new source of permanent employment for you. Temps end up getting hired as regular employees all the time.

March 2020 Update. Due to the contradictory forces caused by the pandemic, the job market is a mess.

July 2020 Update. If you are being interviewed by a potential employer and you can blame your current unemployment status on the pandemic, these days you have a real chance of not being subjected to discrimination.

May 2021 Update. If the news media posts are any indication, there is now a labor shortage that is apparently due to the disincentive to work caused by  the federal unemployment pandemic assistance programs. Several states are now in the process of discontinuing these programs. It would be wise to get that job before these discontinuances take effect. Once the discontinuances take effect, competition for jobs may substantially increase. And in all probability company discrimination against age, race, gender, medical status, and current employment status will also return to pre-pandemic levels.

 

September 2021 Update. News media posts are indicating there is currently no discrimination against the short term unemployed. However, discrimination against the long term unemployed still remains rampant. If long term unemployed, the resume-gap idea mentioned in the January 2020 update is definitely worth doing.

 

September 2022 Update. It appears that things are about to become more grim. Here is an article from CBS: Buckle up, America: The Fed plans to sharply boost unemployment

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Friday the 13th Guide for May and October, 2023

Latest update: January 2, 2023. Page URL indicates original publication date; meanwhile, times change and the updates continue.

Beware the Epic Fail

We have two Friday the 13th days in year 2023.

• January 2023
• October 2023
  

A Short Friday the 13th Guide

• Beware the power of suggestion; if not yours, then others.
• Beware the powers of coincidence.
• Inspect those car tires before driving to work today.
• Ambiguously timed yellow light? Today you choose to stop.
• Beware idiot drivers. 
• Beware idiot pedestrians.
• An out-of-sorts coworker or boss? Unobtrusive avoidance is the key.
• Someone wants to talk politics or religion with you today? Best to avoid that.
• An email attachment from a stranger? Best not to open that.
• Making a spontaneous, online post or email? Maybe reread before firing off that critter.
• Computer doing anything weird? Virus/malware scanning time.
• Feeling overly optimistic? Feeling overly pessimistic? Either way, extra thought prior to action is not a bad idea.
• Engaging a new service provider? Always check the BBB and Yelp reviews first.
• A strange telephone caller? Scammers and solicitors are the norm these days. Don't answer or quickly hang up if you do. Well, actually you should always do that anyway. Come to think of it, that pretty much applies to everything on this list.

Have a safe Friday the 13th. Our country continues to be a mess, re: politics, the economy, civil unrest, and possibly even some more pandemic adventures. Expectations are that things will eventually be better. but these are wild times and no one really knows.

And then there is that thing called entropy; here are the top 10 ways entropy messes with us. It is not pretty, but that's the way it is; at least it is presented in a somewhat humorous light. Well worth the read and helps put things in perspective.

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Z - What Is Zark / Zerk / Zirk / Zork / Zurk - The Short Definitions and Uses Compendium

Latest update: August 23, 2022. Page URL indicates original publication date; meanwhile, times change and the updates continue.

Z ≡ RK

I decided to research the land of zurk, zork, zirk, zerk, and zark. Someone had to do it. Interestingly, different spellcheckers each have their own different subsets of pet peeves concerning these words. Though this page is somewhat humorous, it is also 100% factual.

Zark Definition and Usage

Looks like zark came into being, courtesy of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. It can also be used as a swear word. Merely use it in place of the F-bomb, e.g., "That guy can zark off".

Zerk Definition and Usage

A zerk is a grease fitting. Somehow I don’t think this particular definition will come up too often in conversations.

Zerk is also another word for crazy; as in, “He went zerk when Zurk said no.”

Zerk can also be used to refer to acceleration and deceleration; examples being, we zerk when the light turns green and we zerk when we come to a stop sign.

Zerk can also be used as a verb, as in zerking from the scene.

Zirk Definition and Usage

The act of conning or taking advantage of someone. One can zirk someone; and one can be zirked by someone. Example, “I know he zirked me on that deal.”

Zork Definition and Usage

A well-known computer game.

Zurk Definition and usage

Zurk is still awaiting admittance to the English language. The word as yet remains undefined. Zurk, as with some of the others, is also a surname. When someone with the Zurk surname does something notable, we will then have our zurk definition. A year 2022 update: various meanings and definitions are now showing up in searches for the word "zurk". It is unknown yet as to whether these transitory meanings and definitions will become permanent.

A Couple Random Notes

Zarkness, Zerkness, Zirkness, Zorkness, Zurkness are all popular user names.

As for zarkdom, zerkdom, zirkdom, zorkdom, and zurkdom; excepting for usage in some fictional stories, these words are likewise still awaiting usage and definitions in the English language. I figure it is only a matter of time.

And this concludes the what is, uses for, and definitions of zork, zerk, zark, zirk, and zurk.

Z - End of Article - Z

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A 100% Meritocracy Is Flawed. How It Relates to Society, Capitalism, Darwinism

Latest update: February 1, 2022. Page URL indicates original publication date; meanwhile, times change and the updates continue.

Meritocracy - Society - Politics

The Sociological Definition and Results of a 100% Meritocracy, i.e., Societal Darwinism

Why a 100% meritocratic society can never work as a standalone system; the pros and cons. For democrats, republicans, liberals, conservatives, and anyone else who is interested. A blended meritocracy is what seems to work best.

Darwinism - Another Word for Meritocracy

A Meritocratic Society

Meritocracy is a good thing. In addition to rewarding those who can compete, it generates lots of extra money that can be used to help those who cannot. Unfortunately, meritocracy can never work as a standalone system. This is due to the fundamental nature of meritocracy and, of all things, the basic laws of mathematics.

What is a meritocracy? For the purposes of this article, meritocracy is defined as one's survival and success being solely contingent upon one's ability to compete and contribute to society in such a way as to prosper.

Meritocracy and capitalism have a lot in common. In a "perfect" system, the concept of money could be defined as the method used to quantify one's success.

The Scenario – What would happen if a society were to convert to a 100% meritocracy? The sociological implications...

In a meritocracy there will always be winners and losers. In many cases the loser worked just as hard as the winner, but the winner was just a little bit better at it. The winner thus gets more and the loser gets less. So far, no problem. And the loser can always try again.

However, resources are finite. For the bottom 10%, there will always not be enough. There will not be enough shelter. There will not be enough food. There will not be enough health care. There will not be enough of a lot of things. It is inevitable, due to the lack of even the basic necessities of life, the "losers" will sooner or later lose the ability to compete. Now what with this being a 100% meritocratic scenario, what happens to them?

It is already abundantly demonstrated in our present society one of two alternatives will occur...

Alternative One – The Person Dies

In our present society, homeless people unnecessarily die all the time. Everyone knows living on the streets will eventually destroy most people through attrition: a continual decline of health, the eventual and inevitable being a victim of successive crimes, and finally the loss of ability to defend or survive, and then death.

However, we are not talking about our current society. We are discussing a 100% meritocratic society. Therefore: there are no free job-training programs; there are no homeless shelters; there are no food banks or food programs; there is no affordable health care; there is no type of charity or handout whatsoever.

Needless to say, this greatly accelerates the attrition, leading to death or the second alternative.

Alternative Two – A New Criminal Is Born

Steal, rob, kill; or die. That pretty much sums it up.

Of course the number of criminals will continually be reduced for the usual reasons: competition among same; attrition through street-living; "eradication" by society via imprisonment, etc.

As the number of criminals are reduced, others will take their place.

The Brutal Mathematics

What happens when the bottom 10% gradually dies; whether it be through Alternative One or Alternative Two? The answer is simple; they will gradually be replaced by a new 10%. It is a brutal mathematical fact; there will always be a bottom 10%.

Recursion comes into play. As the bottom 10% shrink through death, new lowest 10%'ers will take their place. Along with an expanding criminal element and a shrinking population; riots and other civil unrest could very well become commonplace. 100% meritocracy is equivalent to 100% Darwinism. Both are good, but not at the 100% implementation level.

Conclusion

A 100% meritocracy is not only brutal and full of misery, it is destined to fail.

An 80% to 90% meritocracy, however, could be a good thing. We pretty much have that now. We just need to get better at it.

It should also be noted that a meritocracy below 80% will more than likely lead to a country's bankruptcy. This apparently is already happening in some European countries.

- End of Article -

Here is an interesting, related article from Vox: The problem with America’s semi-rich. It also relates to meritocracy and society.

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