Lucky for me, I don't trust people

So I get home from work today and see two missed calls. One of them says "Royal Presti" so I'm a bit curious as to who that is, considering my name is on the do not call list.

So they called back this evening, and it turns out to be Royal Prestige, which is a company that sells things through local sellers. Since a friend of mine does this for Pure Romance, I think this is a fine way to sell things. So they put forth the offer of a Trip, a free engagement photo session (at a local photographer whose name I recognized), and gift certificates for their own products.

So I'm naturally skeptical, but since Shannon put me on the phone, and when it comes down to it I say sure, we'll go.

As soon as I hang up, I pull up my good ole pal Google, and in short order the magic of the internet tells me, beyond my normal skeptical nature, that not only do they prey on engaged (mostly younger) couples, but they aren't really responsive to complaints either. So being that I felt that it seems a bit scammish, we're not going...and we're not calling them back to tell 'em so either.

Also, Shannon got a call from a Mary Kay rep, and even though Mary Kay is a reputable company, the "you win something" is kinda scammish to try to make a new customer.

Oh well...

Photographers...

What is it about the work that hired photographers do that makes them think they can charge for their work over and over and over?

I sent out a bunch of emails yesterday to photography places to ask for prices and give them our (mostly my) requirements for wedding pictures. Here is the list:

1. Wedding Date: Saturday, September 23, 2006
2. General Time: Around Noon to 4 or 5 (4 or 5 hours of service).
3. Most photographs will be live shots (about an hour will be posed).
4. The negatives/digital images, we must have copies of.
5. Use of our photographs for your promotional purposes must be with our permission.

First two are just informational.

The third one is more about wanting to present reality, as opposed to a posed reality. Not that a posed reality can't look nice, but usually it looks...well...posed. The pictures that have the biggest effect on me are usually the ones that are live, action shots. I know that when we talked to the owners of Candle Lit Way they pretty much wanted to get the photographer out of the way so we can go on, but I don't really agree. I want the live shots, the unexpected faces, the honest tears of joy, the excitment. Not just, "smile for the picture".

The fifth, this is about a couple of things. Protecting our image (even if they are technically good photos, we may not like them, or want them published) and the fact that I believe that we, since we are paying for, own the work, so it would need to be used with our permission

The fourth...Ahh the big scam from photographers.

When I develop a website or an application for a website, they pay me for my time, efforts and intelligence. Every time someone hits thier website, I don't expect a small surchage for past design. When I do my work at work, IHS owns what I write. All of what I write, and I, if I left or got fired from that job the next day, wouldn't own any of it. Is it my creation, absolutly, but it's no longer mine.

So what about taking photographs for pay, makes it worth duplicating the cost to produce the picture over and over? Are the pictures artistic or art? I would certainly hope so. But when I buy photographs as art, I pay for the picture (which includes the time and effort and artistic quality. I don't have to pay for the photographer's time before hand.

I think that if a photographer wants me to pay for each image and not give me the negatives, then they shouldn't charge me up front. We should be able to go through the images they have, pick what we want and pay for those, and if they don't have many images they want, well, then they get the short end of the stick.

Or, if they want to be paid upfront for their efforts in photography and image correction skills, then they shouldn't charge a per picture end price, if we want to develop with them, then we can, but we also have the option to go somewhere else.

So far, the photographers I have liked are not working yet (they have a thing on their wabsite that tells you not to contact them until October), or charge way to damn much, or don't allow us to own the negatives/digital images. So far there is one relatively promising one, but their image selection on their website is kinda...well...not the best. The images they have there are good, there's just not a whole lot of 'em.

So as long as my last post is complaining

complaint 1

I will continue to complain.

On the corner of 44th and Franklin, near my house, quite a few times over the last couple of weeks, people treat the stop light there more as a stop sign, then a light.

When I'm walking in the morning, more then once while I've been crossing the street (with the light) and people barely stop for me.

When I'm driving, lots of cars just wait for the others to pass before crossing the intersection. Not turning right, crossing the intersection.

It's obnoxious is what it is.

complaint 2

On the other side of the coin, my mask is a big annoyance. It seems that when I just get over one irratation on my nose, another one comes and replaces it just as it heals.

I used to sleep all the time on my side, but with the mask it's kinda impossible. Last night I curled up a bit, next to Shannon, and the next thing I know she's waking me up because the mask is squeeking cause air is escaping and basically humming against my face.

And while we're on the mask, because of it it makes it hard to cuddle up next to Shannon. She can fall asleep, but as soon as I do, I wake her up again, with my obnoxious snoring.

complaint 3

One of the two drugs I'm on for high blood pressure, apprently turns my bladder into that of a little girl. I have to go all the damn time. One of these days I will keep track of how often I go, just for curiositys sake.

And...I can't understand why I have the toughest time that when the time hits 10:AM I take my pills, 10:AM every damn day. Today I didn't remember until 12:30....usually I'm good on weekdays cause I have my calendar remind me to take 'em, but I was away from my desk today. Maybe I need a watch to beep at 10:AM every day.

complaint 4

Is there a way for the cats to say, "I don't like the way you are petting me", without them biting me? This morning, I had extra time, so I was watching a little TV before work, and gracie was next to me and I was petting her. So I go to reach to her rear paws to check her claws, to see if it's time to trim them, and apprently she doesn't like that, so she nips at me. I tell her no, she runs away.

I think that's enough for now.

being a bitch.

What about being a bitch, makes a person think that they'll get better service? If I'm trying to help you and you can't be bothered to help me help you, then why should I help you?

I would vent, but the way I interpret my privacy clause prevents me from doing so.

what are people thinking...

So after a quick sweeping and moping and vacuuming of parts of the house, I headed over to Joshy's and we played some Diablo II. But instead of continuing on as we have been, we hung around ACT II on Hell mode and play through various parts, to level us up a bit for prep for act III (so we don't die a bunch like we did the last time we tried Act III). So at midnight, I called it a night and headed home.

Driving down Franklin, I see a bit of trash on the road, and I think no big deal, blew out of someone's garbage can. Then a bit further down the street, it looks like someone had some sort of fast food, and just decided to dump all of their trash (of which it was quite a bit), on the street. Just a big pile of it. There are times when I come home during the summer (or at least when I can see things in my yard other then snow) where I get a bit of trash here and there, and either the mower gets it (small stuff) or I'll pick it up and toss it in the trash. But a big pile in the middle of the road? Come on. Like any of your friends would be offended if you took your trash out of your car and put it in their bin? It was just really disturbing that people try to keep this neighborhood looking nice, and some jackhole can just drive by and dump trash out their window.

A note on honesty

So this year one of my goals is to be more honest with myself and others. And part of this will include me being more honest in my journal. Sometimes I censor myself on myself on my website, cause I know that my family reads this site.

Now I just want to say that I am not challenging anyone's beliefs or choices, and do agree with many of them. But as life turns out, it's not what has been right for me and my life at this time, who knows what will come later, though.

I do do things that would not be appropriate for for my younger brothers to do, unless at the age that it is legal for them and they make the choice to do so.

Some of the choices I've made in the past haven't been the wisest, some haven't even been legal, but I don't regret most of them.

So as a point of interest, no more editing to keep it PG or PG-13.

Something that was pointed out to me is that this is my journal and it's a record of the things I do and the feelings and thoughts that I have, and it should be an honest one.

Not that it will change most journal entries that much, but others, like new years, for example, would've included a bit more, even if it's hinted at (and the pictures kinda show).

So that's out there now, I guess.

ahhh...christmas

So I was reading my comics this morning, and Stone Soup really stood out at me.

Shop shop shop, "Show them how much you live them" by buying this really expensive thing.

You know what my favorite presents have been (not necessarily christmas)? The jeans quilt my mom made for me, this blanket knitted for me by a sunday school teacher. Gifts from friends where it's like I was going along, saw this, and thought of you (at some random time).

I like looking at the lights, and there's a big display at this church up the street. But sometimes people just really confuse the issues. There's this display in front of a house just a few blocks up. It has a baby Jesus in the manger, with Santa and reindeer looking over they baby. The Abominable snow man is holding up the star. It's just so...confused.

thoughts

Respect can be defined as: To feel or show deferential regard for; esteem. Accept can be defined as: To endure resignedly or patiently.

On every person, there are parts of them that you respect, parts that you accept and sometimes there are parts that you may not particularly like. These all add up to the person. Sometimes you like that person and sometimes you don't, and you usually respect the people that you like, but there are things about all people that you just grow to accept.

There are things about all the people that I know, that I just accept about them. I love the people as they are, but that doesn't meant that I have to respect all of the choices that they make in their lives. I sure will accept them...at least most of them. Sometimes I also try to give them alternate choices, in hopes that maybe, just maybe, they'll try something else and see if different results come about.

Sometimes I like to talk about things, and sometimes I don't realize that some people can't really take a dispassionate view about some topics. Some topics can be far to close to the heart to talk about reasonably. I know that not everyone has the same view of the world that I do, and I don't expect them to.

making a commitment

So we played Diablo two all night...and I didn't stick to my guns and call it a night by 3:AM like I had planned. But I did by six.

It's always nice to have things to do on the weekend, but I gotta remember that if I make multiple commitments (something on friday/saturday night/sunday day) then I should make sure that I'm my chipper self for all the activities....

I'm going to Fire in the Sky tonight and I've heard that it is cool...and I do love fireworks. So this should be fun...even if it is cold out...although today's high is supposed to be in the lower 50s.

Speaking on Generalizations.

When someone makes a statement that is a generalization, it can often lead to a misunderstanding of the topic at hand. Certainly one should qualify a statement by a modifier, like:

In my experience, most (generalization subject/object) (generalization premise).

Instead of something like:

(generalization subject/object) (generalization premise).

But why should one do this?

Lets take for example, cars. Some people I know are big fans of Lincoln cars. And they really love the Lincoln that they own, and the do believe that it is certainly one of the best car companies. However, this does not mean that everything that Lincoln has made is the best car in the category, even by his opinion. He will admit that there are series of cars that he likes from the same manufacturer that do not run in line with his statement about Lincoln cars. When he makes a statement like:

Lincoln cars are the best.

Then it could come to comparing one of the lesser Lincoln’s with a car of better standing, and on that point, it would not appear that Lincoln’s would be able to hold their title as being the best. If one would modify the statement with a experience phrase, like:

In my experience, Lincoln Cars are the best.

Then one has to take into account the experience of the person making the statement in relation to the object at hand. If someone were to add a further modifier of “most” to the statement, like:

In my experience, most Lincoln Cars are the best.

Then that further protects the statement from easily being challenged, because now you are able to exclude the negative examples that challenge the car.

Often generalizations are used to mark an opinion, but if a person were to take the same kind of generalization and include someone of a different race, creed, or nationality or sex, then it simply sounds like the person has a bias against that particular group. I would cite examples, but I’m afraid that it would detract from the point. If you have bias against a group, then people will doubt what you say even more, or even that your experience is fully valid, because it is already poisoned by your bias that shows through in your statements.

If one would want to prevent someone from questioning their experiences, then they should go from the general to the specific. Take for example the following statement:

Honda Accords kick ass.

Vs

The Honda Accord that I owned was good for the time that I had it and gave me little problems for the age that it was.

Certainly the first statement could be true, but obviously the second statement has the distinct difference of show that the person put some thought into what they were trying state, while leaving items that are outside their (in this case my) realm of experience.

I don’t think this means that you can never make a generalization, but I think what it shows that generalizations often lead to misunderstanding and confusion about what you are saying, and if you want to avoid such a thing, then you probably want to avoid using wide sweeping generalizations.