| The "I'm MAD AS HELL And I'm Not Taking It Anymore!" Page! |
This is the page where I get to vent on things that bother me. In the grand scheme of things, little things shouldn't bother us. For instance, waiting in line on a busy Saturday morning for a cup of coffee. Or some Ahole cuts
you off in traffic (usually someone in a BMW or Lexus). Hey, this is L.A. baby! If you are not used to waiting in line, or Asshole drivers then you need to move the hell outta here! If you really want to see what waiting in
line is like, try joining the Armed Forces. You WILL stand in line soldier! Hey, pissed off driving to and from work everyday? Try public transportation. We need to loosen up a bit. We tense up and get sore backs, necks
and butt cheeks. That is why you see so many people walking around like they have a cucumber up their butt. Anyway this is my page so I get to blow off steam on anything that strikes my fancy. If you are offended
easily please leave!
you off in traffic (usually someone in a BMW or Lexus). Hey, this is L.A. baby! If you are not used to waiting in line, or Asshole drivers then you need to move the hell outta here! If you really want to see what waiting in
line is like, try joining the Armed Forces. You WILL stand in line soldier! Hey, pissed off driving to and from work everyday? Try public transportation. We need to loosen up a bit. We tense up and get sore backs, necks
and butt cheeks. That is why you see so many people walking around like they have a cucumber up their butt. Anyway this is my page so I get to blow off steam on anything that strikes my fancy. If you are offended
easily please leave!
1972 O-Pee-Chee #34 Billy Martin IA
1970's Wire Photo Billy Martin making a point
Bleep(s) of Baseball - December 2007- Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Bud "Bafoon" Selig (The "Commish")
We've already heard about Jose Canseco, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Rafael Palmiero, Jason Giambi, Barry Bonds, etc. Well the long awaited "Mitchell Report" came out today with a list of players involved with steroids, among them
Roger Clemens. Now it had been rumored that Clemens was possibly "juiced," but essentially the media gave Clemens the benefit of the doubt while pretty much vilifying Bonds in the press. Unfair? Maybe, but there was a little more
evidence against Bonds than Clemens. Bond's trainer was really big into BALCO and if Bonds personal trainer is a fan of BALCO and their "nutritional supplements," then the chances are really good Bonds is getting some BALCO products.
Bonds of course, denied any involvement with steroids though he did admit using "the cream" by accident. Regardless, both players have achieved greatness in baseball, and both have "cheated." Both players probably would have been
Hall Of Famers without taking performance enhancing drugs, but they chose to take them and they should pay the piper. Personally I am very angry with Roger Clemens. He was my favorite when he was with Boston and he won nearly 200
games with the Red Sox. Then he goes to Toronto and wins back to back Cy Young Awards. Once he went to the Yankees I was no longer a fan but I was glad he finally got a World Series ring. I didn't think he'd get one with Boston. However
with this latest revelation (if indeed true) I am very sick to my stomach over these players, and also just as guilty is Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig, who did absolutely NOTHING when this started. If you remember, baseball was hurting
after the big strike in 1994 and what happens soon after? McGwire and Sosa begin blasting the ball out of parks like golf balls and the fans, like the forgiving idiots they are, return to the park to cheer on these bloated sluggers. McGwire of
course was using Andro, bought over the counter, but it is still an anabolic steroid. And worse, at the time baseball had no policy against steroids. So Roger Maris' record gets broken several times over (mostly by Sosa) and then along
comes Bonds to smash all records. Not only the single season record but Henry Aaron's all-time home run mark as well. There were rumors but little else. What did Bud Selig do? Nothing. It wasn't until "Book of Shadows" came out and the
Congressional hearings that baseball started to open their eyes. The list of names released today is extensive, but I bet the list of players actually using some form of performance enhancing drugs to be even larger. Just because they have
not failed a drug test means little. I can think of several big name players I suspect of using steroids. And that sucks. To be a baseball fan and wonder whether or not a player is playing on the level, or using steroids, is a bit unsettling to this
baseball fan. To me, Roger Maris is still the single season HR champ. Hank Aaron is baseball's All-Time HR King. I feel bad for the players that Clemens edged out for his 7 Cy Young Awards (a record). I'd rather see a guy play his best
without taking any substances that enhances performance. Anyone who says that steroids don't help performance doesn't know his head from his ass. Steroids DO enhance performance and make recovery time from injuries substantially
less than without them. They were banned in the NFL long before baseball did anything...why do you think that is? Because there was an unfair advantage. I am mad as hell I ever was a fan of these guys, especially Roger Clemens. I took
my kids to see Clemens pitch so that one day they could say "I saw one of baseball's all-time great pitchers." Now I am even sorry I have his baseball cards in my collection. Same with Bonds. I would have a lot more respect for them if they
would just come clean (like Jason Giambi) and say "I made a mistake and I am sorry." But these guy's ego's won't allow that. Rafael Palmiero lied thru his teeth and said he never took steroids and just a few weeks later comes up positive
for performance enhancing drugs. Well records have been broken, but I think a very important lesson would be for baseball writers to NOT vote for these players when it comes time for Hall Of Fame consideration. They had Hall of Fame
talent but no respect for the game or the fans. Mark McGwire learned this lesson last year when he was not voted in despite having the credentials. You can't tarnish the game, and yet these players did. Shame on you players, the Player's
Union who shielded you, and shame on YOU Bud Selig & MLB for wearing blindfolds while at the same time patting your billfolds full of cash and telling yourselves what a great game this is. Screw the lot of you!
"Roids" and cards. Cards from the "Steroid Era" are very similar to the current state of the stock market, erratic. In fact the 1987 Fleer Barry Bonds #604, 1984 Fleer Update #U-27 Roger Clemens, and 1985 Topps #401 Mark McGwire
rookie cards (above) are good examples. The Fleer Bonds card, considered his "best rookie card," went from a few hundred dollars (when Bonds' was laying to waste Mark McGwire's Home Run Record) to maybe $40 today in a PSA 10 GEM
MINT holder. Maybe even less. Clemens' and McGwire rookie cards have taken a huge hit as well. Rookie cards of Jose "I Told You So" Canseco, Sammy Sosa, Rafael Palmiero, etc. have went from gold to mud. You can't hardly give those
cards away anymore. So if you thought that buying sportscards was a sure way to invest money you sure got burned if you paid top dollar for these cards at their peak. What I find incredible is the prices of modern rookie cards. Some players
like Albert Pujols already have rookie cards that are priced well over $1000! Give me a break. While Pujols is certainly a great player and (if not on some performance enhancer) looks like a sure Hall Of Famer, no modern baseball card
should be that expensive. For $1000 you can buy a very nice 1939 Play Ball #92 Ted Williams rookie card, 1953 Bowman Color #59 Mickey Mantle, or 1954 Topps #128 Hank Aaron rookie card, just to give you an example. So before
blowing some serious cash on modern cards (a gamble especially in the times we are living in) think instead about buying a vintage card which have proven to be more solid "investments." Personally I do not collect cards for investment
purposes. It would be nice that when the time comes to sell them to get more than what I paid for them, but even if I was to break even that is ok with me because I get a lot of enjoyment out of them
UPDATE: There is so much to add since I wrote the original piece in 2007. Roger Clemens was indicted today for lying to congress regarding his alleged steroid use. Hey, why would his former personal trainer lie about injecting Clemens? A
vendetta? Yeah right. It really sickens me. Hopefully MLB and it's players have learned something from all this. I doubt it. And now add to the list of players linked to Performance Enhancing Drugs (PED's): David Oritz, Manny Ramirez, Alex
Rodriguez. And I won't even mention Lance Armstrong of Tour De France fame.
Roger Clemens. Now it had been rumored that Clemens was possibly "juiced," but essentially the media gave Clemens the benefit of the doubt while pretty much vilifying Bonds in the press. Unfair? Maybe, but there was a little more
evidence against Bonds than Clemens. Bond's trainer was really big into BALCO and if Bonds personal trainer is a fan of BALCO and their "nutritional supplements," then the chances are really good Bonds is getting some BALCO products.
Bonds of course, denied any involvement with steroids though he did admit using "the cream" by accident. Regardless, both players have achieved greatness in baseball, and both have "cheated." Both players probably would have been
Hall Of Famers without taking performance enhancing drugs, but they chose to take them and they should pay the piper. Personally I am very angry with Roger Clemens. He was my favorite when he was with Boston and he won nearly 200
games with the Red Sox. Then he goes to Toronto and wins back to back Cy Young Awards. Once he went to the Yankees I was no longer a fan but I was glad he finally got a World Series ring. I didn't think he'd get one with Boston. However
with this latest revelation (if indeed true) I am very sick to my stomach over these players, and also just as guilty is Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig, who did absolutely NOTHING when this started. If you remember, baseball was hurting
after the big strike in 1994 and what happens soon after? McGwire and Sosa begin blasting the ball out of parks like golf balls and the fans, like the forgiving idiots they are, return to the park to cheer on these bloated sluggers. McGwire of
course was using Andro, bought over the counter, but it is still an anabolic steroid. And worse, at the time baseball had no policy against steroids. So Roger Maris' record gets broken several times over (mostly by Sosa) and then along
comes Bonds to smash all records. Not only the single season record but Henry Aaron's all-time home run mark as well. There were rumors but little else. What did Bud Selig do? Nothing. It wasn't until "Book of Shadows" came out and the
Congressional hearings that baseball started to open their eyes. The list of names released today is extensive, but I bet the list of players actually using some form of performance enhancing drugs to be even larger. Just because they have
not failed a drug test means little. I can think of several big name players I suspect of using steroids. And that sucks. To be a baseball fan and wonder whether or not a player is playing on the level, or using steroids, is a bit unsettling to this
baseball fan. To me, Roger Maris is still the single season HR champ. Hank Aaron is baseball's All-Time HR King. I feel bad for the players that Clemens edged out for his 7 Cy Young Awards (a record). I'd rather see a guy play his best
without taking any substances that enhances performance. Anyone who says that steroids don't help performance doesn't know his head from his ass. Steroids DO enhance performance and make recovery time from injuries substantially
less than without them. They were banned in the NFL long before baseball did anything...why do you think that is? Because there was an unfair advantage. I am mad as hell I ever was a fan of these guys, especially Roger Clemens. I took
my kids to see Clemens pitch so that one day they could say "I saw one of baseball's all-time great pitchers." Now I am even sorry I have his baseball cards in my collection. Same with Bonds. I would have a lot more respect for them if they
would just come clean (like Jason Giambi) and say "I made a mistake and I am sorry." But these guy's ego's won't allow that. Rafael Palmiero lied thru his teeth and said he never took steroids and just a few weeks later comes up positive
for performance enhancing drugs. Well records have been broken, but I think a very important lesson would be for baseball writers to NOT vote for these players when it comes time for Hall Of Fame consideration. They had Hall of Fame
talent but no respect for the game or the fans. Mark McGwire learned this lesson last year when he was not voted in despite having the credentials. You can't tarnish the game, and yet these players did. Shame on you players, the Player's
Union who shielded you, and shame on YOU Bud Selig & MLB for wearing blindfolds while at the same time patting your billfolds full of cash and telling yourselves what a great game this is. Screw the lot of you!
"Roids" and cards. Cards from the "Steroid Era" are very similar to the current state of the stock market, erratic. In fact the 1987 Fleer Barry Bonds #604, 1984 Fleer Update #U-27 Roger Clemens, and 1985 Topps #401 Mark McGwire
rookie cards (above) are good examples. The Fleer Bonds card, considered his "best rookie card," went from a few hundred dollars (when Bonds' was laying to waste Mark McGwire's Home Run Record) to maybe $40 today in a PSA 10 GEM
MINT holder. Maybe even less. Clemens' and McGwire rookie cards have taken a huge hit as well. Rookie cards of Jose "I Told You So" Canseco, Sammy Sosa, Rafael Palmiero, etc. have went from gold to mud. You can't hardly give those
cards away anymore. So if you thought that buying sportscards was a sure way to invest money you sure got burned if you paid top dollar for these cards at their peak. What I find incredible is the prices of modern rookie cards. Some players
like Albert Pujols already have rookie cards that are priced well over $1000! Give me a break. While Pujols is certainly a great player and (if not on some performance enhancer) looks like a sure Hall Of Famer, no modern baseball card
should be that expensive. For $1000 you can buy a very nice 1939 Play Ball #92 Ted Williams rookie card, 1953 Bowman Color #59 Mickey Mantle, or 1954 Topps #128 Hank Aaron rookie card, just to give you an example. So before
blowing some serious cash on modern cards (a gamble especially in the times we are living in) think instead about buying a vintage card which have proven to be more solid "investments." Personally I do not collect cards for investment
purposes. It would be nice that when the time comes to sell them to get more than what I paid for them, but even if I was to break even that is ok with me because I get a lot of enjoyment out of them
UPDATE: There is so much to add since I wrote the original piece in 2007. Roger Clemens was indicted today for lying to congress regarding his alleged steroid use. Hey, why would his former personal trainer lie about injecting Clemens? A
vendetta? Yeah right. It really sickens me. Hopefully MLB and it's players have learned something from all this. I doubt it. And now add to the list of players linked to Performance Enhancing Drugs (PED's): David Oritz, Manny Ramirez, Alex
Rodriguez. And I won't even mention Lance Armstrong of Tour De France fame.
"Aw, what the Hell..."
I can just imagine Ranger's manager Ted Williams going out to discuss matters with the ump. Or maybe even his own pitchers, who back in 1972 were not too good. This would be Ted's final
season as manager of the new Texas Rangers (previously they had been the Washington Senators). Even as a player, Ted had his moments. The Boston press loved the antics of Williams
such as throwing his bat, spitting at the crowd (his own fans in Boston were booing him) and as a result Ted refused to tip his cap to the crowd even when he homered in his last at bat in
September 1960. Much later, Ted mellowed somewhat and did tip his cap to the Boston fans at an All-Star Game in 1999. Ted died in 2002. This Kodak picture was taken in August 1972.
season as manager of the new Texas Rangers (previously they had been the Washington Senators). Even as a player, Ted had his moments. The Boston press loved the antics of Williams
such as throwing his bat, spitting at the crowd (his own fans in Boston were booing him) and as a result Ted refused to tip his cap to the crowd even when he homered in his last at bat in
September 1960. Much later, Ted mellowed somewhat and did tip his cap to the Boston fans at an All-Star Game in 1999. Ted died in 2002. This Kodak picture was taken in August 1972.
Starbucks Coffee. The name evokes a picture of a naked mermaid, or a good cup of strong coffee. I happen to work for Starbucks and I love my job. However that being said, Starbucks is not exactly what they appear to be. Starbucks wants
customers to think of it as a "neighborhood coffee shop" and while we have a terrific customer rapport at our store, Starbucks in general has lost it's way. Why do I say that? First things first, Starbucks is a CORPORATION. They want to be
thought of as this eco-friendly, neighbor-friendly, community-friendly, "Partner" friendly (Partners are Starbucks employees) small coffee shop. But it's not. Starbucks is primarily a for-profit company. They are a publicly owned company so
they are responsible for the stock holders and other assorted powers that be that drive BMWs, Lexus, Mercedes, etc. Believe me, they are not driving eco-friendly automobiles. They make too much money for that. Where does all that money
go? To the "Partners" (employees)? Hardly. Here is a copy of my last check (above). Doesn't $119.51 seem a bit low for 40 hours of work? Technically I made $60 a week because as most Starbucks partners do, we work part time.
Regardless, that my friends, is poverty level. So where does my pay check go? Well, actually 2/3 of each check I get goes toward medical "benefits." I pay $430 per month (approx.) for health insurance. In fact, Kaiser Permanente (another
"company" that is not what they appear to be) just upped the premiums so I am paying $160 more every month than I was 3 weeks ago. Gee, I can't wait for the next increase! Bring it on! Do you think Starbucks is going to give me a raise to
compensate for this? Hell no. I will be lucky to get a .25 cent an hour raise. So, if I was a full time partner at Starbucks I would have health benefits (good) but I would also be taking home $220 a month (bad). That is not a typo! $220 a month.
Who can live on that?
I learned a lesson about Starbucks my first year with them. I was full of excitement at working for what Forbes Magazine called "one of the best part-time companies to work for." To be eligible for health benefits, partners must work 240 hours
each quarter. One quarter I worked 239.5 hours. Starbucks dropped my benefits. I was without health benefits for about 3 months or so. Thankfully I had my bountiful $120 checks to live off. I appealed the decision citing my reasons (I worked
off the clock on numerous occasions to help the store, I have two autistic children that need the benefits, that fact that I was LESS than 1 hour short, plus the fact that I could have used my vacation time to make up the difference. It didn't
matter. DENIED. And from that moment on I learned that there are two sides of Starbucks. The level that most people see- going to a store, having good coffee and usually getting good service from good people. That is the level I work on
and it is enjoyable. However the Corporate side of Starbucks is like the "Dark Side" and is not the company I envisioned. It is in the business of making money and that above all else is what prevails.
Here is another example. We had a Shift Supervisor who was well liked by customers and partners alike and she worked for Starbucks almost 5 years. She is very artistic and has tattoos, one of which is a flower on her hand. Starbucks has
a "no tattoos visible" policy. It's ok to have tattoos as long as customers can't see them. Well 5 years after working for Starbucks they decide to fire her for having tattoos. Well, why did they hire her in the first place? Why did they allow her to
work for FIVE YEARS and then decide the tattoos must go? We had one Manager, who was terrific with Customers and Partners. She was trying to transfer to a store in Las Vegas. She brought along a laptop computer to her interview in
Vegas and the manager there made a big stink about that. Turns out the computer was supposed to stay in the store. But if she was trying to steal it or whatever, why in the hell would she bring it to an interview? And really, what the bleep
does it matter when you have a kick ass manager? She was still working for Starbucks, for our store and I think she has every right to use a Starbucks laptop for Starbucks business. Anyway our two-faced District Manager gave our Manager
this option: Be fired, or resign with 2 weeks notice providing she does not "tell anyone" what happened. We lost a great manager because of some anal screwups who work for Starbucks. Does this make any sense to you?
Another: Starbucks would like you to think that they are a "green" company, at my level I am not seeing it. We produce so much recyclable refuse (paper & plastic cups and lids, cardboard boxes, etc.) you would think Starbucks would provide
separate containers for recycles. Nope it all goes in the trash. Now we have a guy that comes to our trash bins and takes out the stuff that can be recycled but he is not affiliated with Starbucks in any way. I have brought this to the attention of
our former manager and current manager but I guess it is not a priority. Hell, speaking of managers, since I have been employed with Starbucks (3 years now) I have seen no less than 7 managers come and go. That is an average of
2.333333 managers every year. How would you like to work for a new manager every 6 months? I'd rather not have one. That way at least we would be consistent. Back to recycling. I've been employed 2 years now and everything gets
tossed in the trash.
I can go on and on, just like many of you can go on and on about your jobs, whatever they may be. My point is that not everything is as it seems. Am I happy to be employed? Yes. Am I happy with the fact that I get a $120 paycheck for 40 hours
of work (minus health care deductions, etc.)? No. Am I happy that Starbucks contributes to massive amounts of trash to our environment? No. I will probably end up getting fired for this but Starbucks is just a small example of what is wrong
with country. We care more about our "profits," "portfolios," and the "bottom line" then our citizens. Corporate America is running the show and the rich are getting richer while the poor are getting poorer. People are out of work right now!
People are without health care or like me are paying absurd amounts for health care. And we are supposed to sit here with one thumb in our mouth and the other up our ass. And this company is on "Forbes 100 Best Companies to work
for"??? Are you kidding me? What other U.S. companies are out there that is making a profit off cheap labor, 3rd world countries, etc. Nike? We can't even make our own shoes over here! We have to have them made in China or Taiwan. We
are perhaps the richest country in the world, yet as far as taking care of Americans, we just don't care. We are fat and lazy and we think this is what the "American Dream" is all about. As long as we can retire at a young age and spend the
rest of our lives spending money to be "happy" we are content that it is the way it should be and the "world is yours." (Remember "Scarface"?). Well you can take your home, vacation homes, rental homes, retirement savings, your golf clubs,
your BMWs, Lexus, Mercedes, fancy clothes, High definition TV's, stupid TV shows like "American Idol," and everything else and SHOVE IT ALL UP YOUR $%^&!!! BECAUSE I AM MAD AS HELL AND I AM NOT GOING TO TAKE IT
ANYMORE!!!
NEWS FLASH UPDATE! Just got a .25 cent raise this month (April 2010). That is twenty five pennies more per hour that I make. Assuming I work 20 hours a week that means I am now making $5 more a week, $20 a month. But being they
upped my health insurance premiums $140+ a month I am still getting screwed $120. I am going to start belting out "GOD BLESS AMERICA" (and it's shareholders) right now and wake up the neighbors (it's only 12:55 a.m.)
More Starbucks. Recently, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz ("our Savior") expressed to fellow "partners" (Employees) that Starbucks realizes that there have been some changes with the company which have not been easy on the partners.
To his credit, Starbucks gave partners the opportunity to give Starbucks feedback. Which I did. My big gripes (beyond the pay) are the fact that since the economy hit the skids, Starbucks has been pressuring Baristas to SELL SELL SELL! I
guess Starbucks feels that other companies like McDonald's, Dunkin' Donuts, etc. are taking a piece of Starbucks pie. And maybe they are. But that isn't the Barista's fault, it's STARBUCKS fault for numerous reasons: 1.) If the product is
good, people will buy it. Starbucks started in the COFFEE business. Now we are in the Pastry, Sandwich, Yogurt, Frappacino, etc. business. So people don't buy the product; is it because the Baristas aren't pushing them? Maybe they aren't
selling because they SUCK! The name of our company is STARBUCKS COFFEE COMPANY. Yet we are constantly pressured to "push" specific products (most of it non-coffee related) on our customers. If I wanted a sales job I would go into
a job that paid well and gave me a commission. Starbucks does neither. 2.) Starbucks overextended itself to the extent that there are (were) Starbucks on every block. Thus they had to eventually shut down stores that were not producing the
numbers Starbucks wanted. 3.) We have lost our way. While I think our coffee is better than most; certainly better than McDonalds and Dunkin Donuts, I also do not think it's the best. Why? I would like to see coffees from a single origin. Not
multi-region blends which are beans from Africa, Asia, Latin America that are blended together. And just about every coffee we sell is multi-region. How about going back the basics and get back to the COFFEE BUSINESS? Not instant coffee
(VIA Ready Brew), Frappacino's, and lousy, overpriced pastries. And while I'm at it, how about a better daily "house" coffee then "Pike's Place Roast," which is average at best.
So, back to the Starbucks Survey. Howie say's he wants our input. So I let Starbucks have my opinion. I'll probably get fired for it. Since the survey stating that we (the Partners) are going to be a main concern for Starbucks what does
Starbucks do? HAPPY HOUR! Come in between 3 pm and 5 pm and get any Frappacino for half price! Which is fine and dandy but at our particular store, we have 1 blender (the other was removed for unknown reasons) and during this
HAPPY HOUR, we have been scheduling just 2 Baristas on the floor. This means one is on Register and the other is making Frappacino's up the ying yang. I came in to work the other day and there was a line going to the door. Some
customers were ordering as many as 8 Frappacino's at one time, which is fine except we only have one person making them. Which puts pressure on that Barista and ticks off customers who are having to wait for each Frappacino to be
hand made according to Starbucks specifications. So what do I do? I can't clock in early but I don't want to see my fellow partners getting the shaft from Starbucks either. So I go on the floor and help out (a big NO-NO with Starbucks). If I were
to slip or fall Starbucks would deny my claim because I wasn't "technically" working. But I wouldn't have to put myself in that situation if Starbucks was more concerned about us. We should have at least 3 people on the floor during this
HAPPY HOUR, 2 blenders and we can knock it out. So right now I am not HAPPY. I want to punch Howie right in the face. Maybe that's what he needs. Or put him behind bar during Happy Hour by himself and see how he likes whipping up 40
Frappacino's an hour. I'd really like to see that and keep a constant, stupid, smile on his face while customers are badgering him for their drinks. What I DON'T see is concern for the employees as promised by Howie Schultz (Mr. Starbucks).
None at all.
Latest update (August 2010). Still no sign of Starbucks concern for it's Partners' after that ridiculous & meaningless survey. In the meantime I heard rumors that we are going to be making drinks differently again. Why can't Starbucks just
keep it simple? "In-N-Out" Hamburgers is doing just fine producing quality fresh food at still affordable prices. Their menu? Hamburgers, Fries, and Drinks. No frills, no changing the way they make things. You don't see them panicking and
coming up with ways to generate customer interest. Just the best damn hamburgers in Southern California. How do they do it??? Number 1. Fresh, quality food, never frozen. 2. Affordable prices. 3. Terrific employees who bust their butt. 4.
The fair treating of their employees which include fair wages and benefits. This makes for happy and content employees. I am sure the turnaround rate for In-N-Out is much less than Starbucks. My suggestion to Starbucks? Put me in
charge! I will turn the company around by going back to basics which is COFFEE! People come to Starbucks for the coffee and related drinks. We don't need to be changing recipes, ingredients, etc., if we have had success with these items.
We don't need a Starbucks at every corner, nor should we "fear" competition from McDonalds and Dunkin Donuts. We are in the COFFEE BUSINESS. Not frozen yogurt, sandwiches, bananas, or day old coffee cakes (Expiration dates on the
coffee cakes and loafs is 2 days my friends). So Howie, if you are reading, get yer act together! Cut the fat off the top of the company, go back to basics and treat your employees and customers with genuine respect. Not the crap you spout off
in on meaningless emails to the stores (most of which we never get to see anyway). And thanks for the Benefits that I pay $440 a month for and the bountiful below poverty level paychecks I get every 2 weeks. I swear I am going to punch your
lights out if you come in our store!
customers to think of it as a "neighborhood coffee shop" and while we have a terrific customer rapport at our store, Starbucks in general has lost it's way. Why do I say that? First things first, Starbucks is a CORPORATION. They want to be
thought of as this eco-friendly, neighbor-friendly, community-friendly, "Partner" friendly (Partners are Starbucks employees) small coffee shop. But it's not. Starbucks is primarily a for-profit company. They are a publicly owned company so
they are responsible for the stock holders and other assorted powers that be that drive BMWs, Lexus, Mercedes, etc. Believe me, they are not driving eco-friendly automobiles. They make too much money for that. Where does all that money
go? To the "Partners" (employees)? Hardly. Here is a copy of my last check (above). Doesn't $119.51 seem a bit low for 40 hours of work? Technically I made $60 a week because as most Starbucks partners do, we work part time.
Regardless, that my friends, is poverty level. So where does my pay check go? Well, actually 2/3 of each check I get goes toward medical "benefits." I pay $430 per month (approx.) for health insurance. In fact, Kaiser Permanente (another
"company" that is not what they appear to be) just upped the premiums so I am paying $160 more every month than I was 3 weeks ago. Gee, I can't wait for the next increase! Bring it on! Do you think Starbucks is going to give me a raise to
compensate for this? Hell no. I will be lucky to get a .25 cent an hour raise. So, if I was a full time partner at Starbucks I would have health benefits (good) but I would also be taking home $220 a month (bad). That is not a typo! $220 a month.
Who can live on that?
I learned a lesson about Starbucks my first year with them. I was full of excitement at working for what Forbes Magazine called "one of the best part-time companies to work for." To be eligible for health benefits, partners must work 240 hours
each quarter. One quarter I worked 239.5 hours. Starbucks dropped my benefits. I was without health benefits for about 3 months or so. Thankfully I had my bountiful $120 checks to live off. I appealed the decision citing my reasons (I worked
off the clock on numerous occasions to help the store, I have two autistic children that need the benefits, that fact that I was LESS than 1 hour short, plus the fact that I could have used my vacation time to make up the difference. It didn't
matter. DENIED. And from that moment on I learned that there are two sides of Starbucks. The level that most people see- going to a store, having good coffee and usually getting good service from good people. That is the level I work on
and it is enjoyable. However the Corporate side of Starbucks is like the "Dark Side" and is not the company I envisioned. It is in the business of making money and that above all else is what prevails.
Here is another example. We had a Shift Supervisor who was well liked by customers and partners alike and she worked for Starbucks almost 5 years. She is very artistic and has tattoos, one of which is a flower on her hand. Starbucks has
a "no tattoos visible" policy. It's ok to have tattoos as long as customers can't see them. Well 5 years after working for Starbucks they decide to fire her for having tattoos. Well, why did they hire her in the first place? Why did they allow her to
work for FIVE YEARS and then decide the tattoos must go? We had one Manager, who was terrific with Customers and Partners. She was trying to transfer to a store in Las Vegas. She brought along a laptop computer to her interview in
Vegas and the manager there made a big stink about that. Turns out the computer was supposed to stay in the store. But if she was trying to steal it or whatever, why in the hell would she bring it to an interview? And really, what the bleep
does it matter when you have a kick ass manager? She was still working for Starbucks, for our store and I think she has every right to use a Starbucks laptop for Starbucks business. Anyway our two-faced District Manager gave our Manager
this option: Be fired, or resign with 2 weeks notice providing she does not "tell anyone" what happened. We lost a great manager because of some anal screwups who work for Starbucks. Does this make any sense to you?
Another: Starbucks would like you to think that they are a "green" company, at my level I am not seeing it. We produce so much recyclable refuse (paper & plastic cups and lids, cardboard boxes, etc.) you would think Starbucks would provide
separate containers for recycles. Nope it all goes in the trash. Now we have a guy that comes to our trash bins and takes out the stuff that can be recycled but he is not affiliated with Starbucks in any way. I have brought this to the attention of
our former manager and current manager but I guess it is not a priority. Hell, speaking of managers, since I have been employed with Starbucks (3 years now) I have seen no less than 7 managers come and go. That is an average of
2.333333 managers every year. How would you like to work for a new manager every 6 months? I'd rather not have one. That way at least we would be consistent. Back to recycling. I've been employed 2 years now and everything gets
tossed in the trash.
I can go on and on, just like many of you can go on and on about your jobs, whatever they may be. My point is that not everything is as it seems. Am I happy to be employed? Yes. Am I happy with the fact that I get a $120 paycheck for 40 hours
of work (minus health care deductions, etc.)? No. Am I happy that Starbucks contributes to massive amounts of trash to our environment? No. I will probably end up getting fired for this but Starbucks is just a small example of what is wrong
with country. We care more about our "profits," "portfolios," and the "bottom line" then our citizens. Corporate America is running the show and the rich are getting richer while the poor are getting poorer. People are out of work right now!
People are without health care or like me are paying absurd amounts for health care. And we are supposed to sit here with one thumb in our mouth and the other up our ass. And this company is on "Forbes 100 Best Companies to work
for"??? Are you kidding me? What other U.S. companies are out there that is making a profit off cheap labor, 3rd world countries, etc. Nike? We can't even make our own shoes over here! We have to have them made in China or Taiwan. We
are perhaps the richest country in the world, yet as far as taking care of Americans, we just don't care. We are fat and lazy and we think this is what the "American Dream" is all about. As long as we can retire at a young age and spend the
rest of our lives spending money to be "happy" we are content that it is the way it should be and the "world is yours." (Remember "Scarface"?). Well you can take your home, vacation homes, rental homes, retirement savings, your golf clubs,
your BMWs, Lexus, Mercedes, fancy clothes, High definition TV's, stupid TV shows like "American Idol," and everything else and SHOVE IT ALL UP YOUR $%^&!!! BECAUSE I AM MAD AS HELL AND I AM NOT GOING TO TAKE IT
ANYMORE!!!
NEWS FLASH UPDATE! Just got a .25 cent raise this month (April 2010). That is twenty five pennies more per hour that I make. Assuming I work 20 hours a week that means I am now making $5 more a week, $20 a month. But being they
upped my health insurance premiums $140+ a month I am still getting screwed $120. I am going to start belting out "GOD BLESS AMERICA" (and it's shareholders) right now and wake up the neighbors (it's only 12:55 a.m.)
More Starbucks. Recently, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz ("our Savior") expressed to fellow "partners" (Employees) that Starbucks realizes that there have been some changes with the company which have not been easy on the partners.
To his credit, Starbucks gave partners the opportunity to give Starbucks feedback. Which I did. My big gripes (beyond the pay) are the fact that since the economy hit the skids, Starbucks has been pressuring Baristas to SELL SELL SELL! I
guess Starbucks feels that other companies like McDonald's, Dunkin' Donuts, etc. are taking a piece of Starbucks pie. And maybe they are. But that isn't the Barista's fault, it's STARBUCKS fault for numerous reasons: 1.) If the product is
good, people will buy it. Starbucks started in the COFFEE business. Now we are in the Pastry, Sandwich, Yogurt, Frappacino, etc. business. So people don't buy the product; is it because the Baristas aren't pushing them? Maybe they aren't
selling because they SUCK! The name of our company is STARBUCKS COFFEE COMPANY. Yet we are constantly pressured to "push" specific products (most of it non-coffee related) on our customers. If I wanted a sales job I would go into
a job that paid well and gave me a commission. Starbucks does neither. 2.) Starbucks overextended itself to the extent that there are (were) Starbucks on every block. Thus they had to eventually shut down stores that were not producing the
numbers Starbucks wanted. 3.) We have lost our way. While I think our coffee is better than most; certainly better than McDonalds and Dunkin Donuts, I also do not think it's the best. Why? I would like to see coffees from a single origin. Not
multi-region blends which are beans from Africa, Asia, Latin America that are blended together. And just about every coffee we sell is multi-region. How about going back the basics and get back to the COFFEE BUSINESS? Not instant coffee
(VIA Ready Brew), Frappacino's, and lousy, overpriced pastries. And while I'm at it, how about a better daily "house" coffee then "Pike's Place Roast," which is average at best.
So, back to the Starbucks Survey. Howie say's he wants our input. So I let Starbucks have my opinion. I'll probably get fired for it. Since the survey stating that we (the Partners) are going to be a main concern for Starbucks what does
Starbucks do? HAPPY HOUR! Come in between 3 pm and 5 pm and get any Frappacino for half price! Which is fine and dandy but at our particular store, we have 1 blender (the other was removed for unknown reasons) and during this
HAPPY HOUR, we have been scheduling just 2 Baristas on the floor. This means one is on Register and the other is making Frappacino's up the ying yang. I came in to work the other day and there was a line going to the door. Some
customers were ordering as many as 8 Frappacino's at one time, which is fine except we only have one person making them. Which puts pressure on that Barista and ticks off customers who are having to wait for each Frappacino to be
hand made according to Starbucks specifications. So what do I do? I can't clock in early but I don't want to see my fellow partners getting the shaft from Starbucks either. So I go on the floor and help out (a big NO-NO with Starbucks). If I were
to slip or fall Starbucks would deny my claim because I wasn't "technically" working. But I wouldn't have to put myself in that situation if Starbucks was more concerned about us. We should have at least 3 people on the floor during this
HAPPY HOUR, 2 blenders and we can knock it out. So right now I am not HAPPY. I want to punch Howie right in the face. Maybe that's what he needs. Or put him behind bar during Happy Hour by himself and see how he likes whipping up 40
Frappacino's an hour. I'd really like to see that and keep a constant, stupid, smile on his face while customers are badgering him for their drinks. What I DON'T see is concern for the employees as promised by Howie Schultz (Mr. Starbucks).
None at all.
Latest update (August 2010). Still no sign of Starbucks concern for it's Partners' after that ridiculous & meaningless survey. In the meantime I heard rumors that we are going to be making drinks differently again. Why can't Starbucks just
keep it simple? "In-N-Out" Hamburgers is doing just fine producing quality fresh food at still affordable prices. Their menu? Hamburgers, Fries, and Drinks. No frills, no changing the way they make things. You don't see them panicking and
coming up with ways to generate customer interest. Just the best damn hamburgers in Southern California. How do they do it??? Number 1. Fresh, quality food, never frozen. 2. Affordable prices. 3. Terrific employees who bust their butt. 4.
The fair treating of their employees which include fair wages and benefits. This makes for happy and content employees. I am sure the turnaround rate for In-N-Out is much less than Starbucks. My suggestion to Starbucks? Put me in
charge! I will turn the company around by going back to basics which is COFFEE! People come to Starbucks for the coffee and related drinks. We don't need to be changing recipes, ingredients, etc., if we have had success with these items.
We don't need a Starbucks at every corner, nor should we "fear" competition from McDonalds and Dunkin Donuts. We are in the COFFEE BUSINESS. Not frozen yogurt, sandwiches, bananas, or day old coffee cakes (Expiration dates on the
coffee cakes and loafs is 2 days my friends). So Howie, if you are reading, get yer act together! Cut the fat off the top of the company, go back to basics and treat your employees and customers with genuine respect. Not the crap you spout off
in on meaningless emails to the stores (most of which we never get to see anyway). And thanks for the Benefits that I pay $440 a month for and the bountiful below poverty level paychecks I get every 2 weeks. I swear I am going to punch your
lights out if you come in our store!
Can you live on $240 a month? Well if you work for Starbucks Coffee Company, you too can earn a 2 week pay check that looks like this....
Would you pay over one THOUSAND dollars for this 2007 Bowman Chrome Prospects Orange Refractors Tim Lincecum autographed card (above right). If so, you are an idiot! (Napoleon Dynamite). Yes Tim Lincecum is a great young pitcher. But
he is the newest pitching "sensation" and as such there is much demand for his cards. Ever hear of Johnny Vander Meer? Herb Score? Vida Blue? Dwight Gooden? Even Roger Clemens? At one time they were the hottest prospects around. And
believe me there is not one card of those players that is "worth" a thousand dollars or more. This may be his "rarest" card, I don't know and I don't care. Cards today are not "rare." The card companies may print cards like this in limited quantities;
the above card is such an example. So they print 25 "special" cards. Big deal. They may be "Chrome" or "Refractor," "shiny," "glitzy." Who cares. It's not like the old days where cards were played with, studied, treasured, and then thrown out by
mom. This newer cards are just that, newer cards. And while Lincecum may be a future Hall of Famer there still is no reason this card or any new modern card should warrant such a ridiculous "retail" price. You can buy a vintage 1955 Topps
Sandy Koufax rookie card for less and still have money left over to buy the rest of Koufax's Topps cards. The above 1955 Topps #123 Sandy Koufax rookie card graded SGC 70 EX+ sold for $435 plus $5 shipping recently on eBay. So if you had a
thousand bucks to blow you could buy this card for $440 and still have $560 left over for to buy the rest of Sandy Koufax's baseball cards. For a grand you could buy a low grade 1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle, the most desirable post war
baseball card in the hobby. Or you could buy a complete set of 1971 Topps baseball cards (752 cards) which feature all of the Hall of Famers of the time like Henry Aaron, Johnny Bench, Pete Rose, Nolan Ryan, Willie Mays, Roberto Clemente,
Yaz, Kaline, etc. Included in that set was Vida Blue, who at the time was a young pitching sensation (he won both the AL Cy Young Award AND AL MVP Award in 1971). Essentially you are paying over $1000 for a Tim Lincecum autograph, which
essentially you should get for free unless the guy is an ass. There is no way any player today should "charge" for autographs. Hell, you (the fans) are helping pay for his contract, which is no small potatoes. You can write to Hall of Famers even
and most will respond with a free autograph if you are polite about it and send a card, return postage, etc. The card itself is just a couple years old, not "vintage" nor will it ever be handled or abused because it is graded and slabbed. And
Lincecum may or may not be a Hall of Famer. Is he going to win over 300 games or strike out more batters than Nolan Ryan? You can buy a high graded 1968 Topps #177 Mets Rookie Stars (Jerry Koosman, Nolan Ryan) card for less than
$1000. So give me a break. I'm not really mad as hell about this, if you want to blow a grand on this card be my guest. But you are still an IDIOT!
By the way, I am not just harping on Tim Lincecum cards. It can be any current overpriced card. Even Albert Pujols, who is a sure fire Hall of Famer, has cards that are priced out of this world. Is he the greatest player of all-time? No. They compare
him to Ted Williams but did you know that the most expensive Albert Pujols rookie card which is just several years old is more than a vintage 1939 Play Ball Ted Williams rookie card? Until Pujols bats .400, wins 6 batting titles, serves the better
part of 5 years in service to his country, breaks his arm running into a (unpadded) wall to make a catch in an ALL STAR GAME, hits .388 at the age of 38 and hits a HR in his final at bat, you cannot compare him to Ted Williams. Williams is an
American ICON. I am not going to say "Hero" and this word is way overused today. Everybody is a "hero" nowadays. You are a "hero" just today just trying to make ends meet and taking care of your family. Pujols is a great hitter and maybe the
nicest guy in the world. But there is no way any of his cards should be more expensive than any vintage Ted Williams card. This whole thing pisses me off. I am in the poverty level (see my above Starbucks check) and here we have these clowns
with enough money to spend over a thousand dollars for a two year old baseball card. Unbelievable.
P.S. The newest rookie PHENOM is Steven Strassburg!!! Spend like there is no tomorrow! (Postscript: Strassburg is out for the season for "Tommy John" surgery; while we wish any injured player to recover, doesn't this show how ridiculous it is to
spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars for a baseball card of the newest rookie phenom? Did I mention HERB SCORE???
he is the newest pitching "sensation" and as such there is much demand for his cards. Ever hear of Johnny Vander Meer? Herb Score? Vida Blue? Dwight Gooden? Even Roger Clemens? At one time they were the hottest prospects around. And
believe me there is not one card of those players that is "worth" a thousand dollars or more. This may be his "rarest" card, I don't know and I don't care. Cards today are not "rare." The card companies may print cards like this in limited quantities;
the above card is such an example. So they print 25 "special" cards. Big deal. They may be "Chrome" or "Refractor," "shiny," "glitzy." Who cares. It's not like the old days where cards were played with, studied, treasured, and then thrown out by
mom. This newer cards are just that, newer cards. And while Lincecum may be a future Hall of Famer there still is no reason this card or any new modern card should warrant such a ridiculous "retail" price. You can buy a vintage 1955 Topps
Sandy Koufax rookie card for less and still have money left over to buy the rest of Koufax's Topps cards. The above 1955 Topps #123 Sandy Koufax rookie card graded SGC 70 EX+ sold for $435 plus $5 shipping recently on eBay. So if you had a
thousand bucks to blow you could buy this card for $440 and still have $560 left over for to buy the rest of Sandy Koufax's baseball cards. For a grand you could buy a low grade 1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle, the most desirable post war
baseball card in the hobby. Or you could buy a complete set of 1971 Topps baseball cards (752 cards) which feature all of the Hall of Famers of the time like Henry Aaron, Johnny Bench, Pete Rose, Nolan Ryan, Willie Mays, Roberto Clemente,
Yaz, Kaline, etc. Included in that set was Vida Blue, who at the time was a young pitching sensation (he won both the AL Cy Young Award AND AL MVP Award in 1971). Essentially you are paying over $1000 for a Tim Lincecum autograph, which
essentially you should get for free unless the guy is an ass. There is no way any player today should "charge" for autographs. Hell, you (the fans) are helping pay for his contract, which is no small potatoes. You can write to Hall of Famers even
and most will respond with a free autograph if you are polite about it and send a card, return postage, etc. The card itself is just a couple years old, not "vintage" nor will it ever be handled or abused because it is graded and slabbed. And
Lincecum may or may not be a Hall of Famer. Is he going to win over 300 games or strike out more batters than Nolan Ryan? You can buy a high graded 1968 Topps #177 Mets Rookie Stars (Jerry Koosman, Nolan Ryan) card for less than
$1000. So give me a break. I'm not really mad as hell about this, if you want to blow a grand on this card be my guest. But you are still an IDIOT!
By the way, I am not just harping on Tim Lincecum cards. It can be any current overpriced card. Even Albert Pujols, who is a sure fire Hall of Famer, has cards that are priced out of this world. Is he the greatest player of all-time? No. They compare
him to Ted Williams but did you know that the most expensive Albert Pujols rookie card which is just several years old is more than a vintage 1939 Play Ball Ted Williams rookie card? Until Pujols bats .400, wins 6 batting titles, serves the better
part of 5 years in service to his country, breaks his arm running into a (unpadded) wall to make a catch in an ALL STAR GAME, hits .388 at the age of 38 and hits a HR in his final at bat, you cannot compare him to Ted Williams. Williams is an
American ICON. I am not going to say "Hero" and this word is way overused today. Everybody is a "hero" nowadays. You are a "hero" just today just trying to make ends meet and taking care of your family. Pujols is a great hitter and maybe the
nicest guy in the world. But there is no way any of his cards should be more expensive than any vintage Ted Williams card. This whole thing pisses me off. I am in the poverty level (see my above Starbucks check) and here we have these clowns
with enough money to spend over a thousand dollars for a two year old baseball card. Unbelievable.
P.S. The newest rookie PHENOM is Steven Strassburg!!! Spend like there is no tomorrow! (Postscript: Strassburg is out for the season for "Tommy John" surgery; while we wish any injured player to recover, doesn't this show how ridiculous it is to
spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars for a baseball card of the newest rookie phenom? Did I mention HERB SCORE???
We should declare our independence from these fuckers who "we" have somehow voted in office. I sure as shit did not vote for Jim Bunning, and he is damn lucky he got voted into Baseball's Hall of
Fame. But as a Senator, this guy is a creep. He blocked funding recently for the unemployed because he is a CUNT. Not only does this asshole have a Senator's salary plus perks, blow jobs, you name it. But
he also has a Baseball Pension plus perks as a "Hall of Famer." Yet this AHOLE feels that the underprivileged should not be helped out in this sorry economy. This is the major problem in our county.
Politicians. You have 2 major political parties and good luck trying to get anything done except going headfirst into war. Unemployment? Too bad. No health insurance? Too bad. We are too busy making
profits for CORPORATIONS while at the same time making minimum wage busting your ass. Meanwhile celebrities and athletes and politicians make obscene amounts of money. For what? For pretending
to make music? For playing a fucking game? For supposedly "serving the people?" Give me a break. What we need folks is a major revolution or a major ass whooping to get this country back to what it
has lost. This Bunning character needs to get all of his pensions removed, health benefits, etc. Let him and those who think the same way lose their jobs and see what it's like. A real ASSHOLE, Jim Bunning.
Fame. But as a Senator, this guy is a creep. He blocked funding recently for the unemployed because he is a CUNT. Not only does this asshole have a Senator's salary plus perks, blow jobs, you name it. But
he also has a Baseball Pension plus perks as a "Hall of Famer." Yet this AHOLE feels that the underprivileged should not be helped out in this sorry economy. This is the major problem in our county.
Politicians. You have 2 major political parties and good luck trying to get anything done except going headfirst into war. Unemployment? Too bad. No health insurance? Too bad. We are too busy making
profits for CORPORATIONS while at the same time making minimum wage busting your ass. Meanwhile celebrities and athletes and politicians make obscene amounts of money. For what? For pretending
to make music? For playing a fucking game? For supposedly "serving the people?" Give me a break. What we need folks is a major revolution or a major ass whooping to get this country back to what it
has lost. This Bunning character needs to get all of his pensions removed, health benefits, etc. Let him and those who think the same way lose their jobs and see what it's like. A real ASSHOLE, Jim Bunning.
"I am a DICK!!!" - Jim Bunning
March 18, 2010. Yesterday I took our family to the Santa Anita Mall in Arcadia to go to J.C. Penny Department Store. I saw a bunch of T-Shirts on sale for $9.99 with vintage logos (like "STP," "Wheaties,"
etc.) and cartoons. One of which was "CAPTAIN AMERICA." You remember Captain America don't you? Well check this out. Here is this T Shirt of "Captain America" and where do you think it was
made? U.S.A.? Good guess but you are WRONG. It was Pakistan, Vietnam, or some other country but sure as hell not here. We can't even make our own "Captain America" T-shirts? Does this seem funny
to you? This is just a small example but go to a Starbucks Coffee Store (or any similar store; I am not just picking on Starbucks) and check out the merchandise (coffee mugs, tumblers, etc.), flip them
over and see where they are made. "MADE IN CHINA." We go to WalMart to save money and where do you think most of the stuff there is from? Here? I sincerely doubt it but I don't go to WalMart.
What I miss is the small mom & pop stores where you could walk to and pick up some groceries. "Super Markets" put an end to that. Now we have Costco, WalMart, etc., and these companies are going
to eventually (it seems) put traditional "Super Markets" out of business.
Am I saying foreign countries are evil? Not at all. But I am saying the United States of America is if if we put the almighty dollar ahead of our own people. We can't make anything ourselves and have to
rely on cheap foreign labor to produce goods. We are fat, lazy and sometimes I think we are retarded. Really. Our ideas of "work" are sitting on our ass in an office and punching computer keys. Tough
America is gone, we have gone soft. Technology enables us to gab on the phones 24/7 and we might as well have these devices surgically inserted in our brains so we will never be without a phone,
Internet, texting, or a video game. My grandparents grew up on farms way back when and knew how to grow things. Unfortunately I can't make grass grow but I sure as hell can make weeds grow. With
no effort at all. If a country wanted to do us in, all they have to do is target our techno framework. Shut down everything. America would be at anyone's mercy. We would be out in the streets crying like
babies while China, North Korea, etc. kick our ass. "Oh, boo-hoo! I miss my "American Idol" and my text messaging... Boo-hoo! Crying little babies waiting for the Government to bail us out. Yeah right.
We can't even afford health care so how in the hell is our Government going to help us out while we are getting our ass kicked by some nation we have pissed off somehow, someway.
etc.) and cartoons. One of which was "CAPTAIN AMERICA." You remember Captain America don't you? Well check this out. Here is this T Shirt of "Captain America" and where do you think it was
made? U.S.A.? Good guess but you are WRONG. It was Pakistan, Vietnam, or some other country but sure as hell not here. We can't even make our own "Captain America" T-shirts? Does this seem funny
to you? This is just a small example but go to a Starbucks Coffee Store (or any similar store; I am not just picking on Starbucks) and check out the merchandise (coffee mugs, tumblers, etc.), flip them
over and see where they are made. "MADE IN CHINA." We go to WalMart to save money and where do you think most of the stuff there is from? Here? I sincerely doubt it but I don't go to WalMart.
What I miss is the small mom & pop stores where you could walk to and pick up some groceries. "Super Markets" put an end to that. Now we have Costco, WalMart, etc., and these companies are going
to eventually (it seems) put traditional "Super Markets" out of business.
Am I saying foreign countries are evil? Not at all. But I am saying the United States of America is if if we put the almighty dollar ahead of our own people. We can't make anything ourselves and have to
rely on cheap foreign labor to produce goods. We are fat, lazy and sometimes I think we are retarded. Really. Our ideas of "work" are sitting on our ass in an office and punching computer keys. Tough
America is gone, we have gone soft. Technology enables us to gab on the phones 24/7 and we might as well have these devices surgically inserted in our brains so we will never be without a phone,
Internet, texting, or a video game. My grandparents grew up on farms way back when and knew how to grow things. Unfortunately I can't make grass grow but I sure as hell can make weeds grow. With
no effort at all. If a country wanted to do us in, all they have to do is target our techno framework. Shut down everything. America would be at anyone's mercy. We would be out in the streets crying like
babies while China, North Korea, etc. kick our ass. "Oh, boo-hoo! I miss my "American Idol" and my text messaging... Boo-hoo! Crying little babies waiting for the Government to bail us out. Yeah right.
We can't even afford health care so how in the hell is our Government going to help us out while we are getting our ass kicked by some nation we have pissed off somehow, someway.
"Get me the hell outta this loony bin...."
Questions? Comments? You can email me at nowbatting19@yahoo.com. I hope you get angry too. Stick your head out the window and yell "I'M MAD AS HELL AND I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANYMORE!"
And don't take anymore bullshit. Tim
And don't take anymore bullshit. Tim
I don't want to end this page on a downer. Things are bad, sure. But it can always be worse. I've got two kids with Autism, and you know what? They don't care. It doesn't bother them and they are happy.
There are plenty of kids that are worse off. Really. We tend to get caught up in "life," pursuing careers, money, houses, cars, boats, women, whatever. Drugs and Alcohol can numb you but you still have to
live in the "real" world. Sometimes we need to do a reality check to see what we are really about. Is getting ripped off in a baseball card deal really as bad as losing your pension or life savings? No. Is a
broken softball bat really a big deal in the grand scheme of things? No. Are there always going to be assholes in the world (namely Politicians and Corporate Fuckers)? Yes. Can we do anything about it?
No. So why get stressed out about it! Live and enjoy each day. You never know if it will be your last. I need this reminder as much as anybody. I highly recommend a classic "Cult" movie called "HAROLD
& MAUDE" (starring Bud Cort and Ruth Gordon). Cort plays "Harold" who is a dark character with no joy in his life. He meets "Maude" (Ruth Gordon) an elderly lady who has a zest for life. Great, great
movie. Of course you can always watch "It's A Wonderful Life" around Christmas time. Either way we need to CHILL OUT!!!
There are plenty of kids that are worse off. Really. We tend to get caught up in "life," pursuing careers, money, houses, cars, boats, women, whatever. Drugs and Alcohol can numb you but you still have to
live in the "real" world. Sometimes we need to do a reality check to see what we are really about. Is getting ripped off in a baseball card deal really as bad as losing your pension or life savings? No. Is a
broken softball bat really a big deal in the grand scheme of things? No. Are there always going to be assholes in the world (namely Politicians and Corporate Fuckers)? Yes. Can we do anything about it?
No. So why get stressed out about it! Live and enjoy each day. You never know if it will be your last. I need this reminder as much as anybody. I highly recommend a classic "Cult" movie called "HAROLD
& MAUDE" (starring Bud Cort and Ruth Gordon). Cort plays "Harold" who is a dark character with no joy in his life. He meets "Maude" (Ruth Gordon) an elderly lady who has a zest for life. Great, great
movie. Of course you can always watch "It's A Wonderful Life" around Christmas time. Either way we need to CHILL OUT!!!
A few quotes from "Harold and Maude" (1971):
Maude: "A lot of people enjoy being dead. But they are not dead, really. They're just backing away from life. *Reach* out. Take a *chance*. Get *hurt* even. But play as well as you can. Go team, go!
Give me an L. Give me an I. Give me a V. Give me an E. L-I-V-E. LIVE! Otherwise, you got nothing to talk about in the locker room."
Harold: You hop in any car you want and just drive off?
Maude: Well, not any car - I like to keep a variety. I'm always looking for the new experience.
Harold: [smiling] Maybe.
Harold: [more seriously] Nevertheless, I think you're upsetting people. I don't know if that's right.
Maude: Well, if some people get upset because they feel they have a hold on some things, I'm merely acting as a gentle reminder: here today, gone tomorrow, so don't get attached to things.
Maude: "A lot of people enjoy being dead. But they are not dead, really. They're just backing away from life. *Reach* out. Take a *chance*. Get *hurt* even. But play as well as you can. Go team, go!
Give me an L. Give me an I. Give me a V. Give me an E. L-I-V-E. LIVE! Otherwise, you got nothing to talk about in the locker room."
Harold: You hop in any car you want and just drive off?
Maude: Well, not any car - I like to keep a variety. I'm always looking for the new experience.
Harold: [smiling] Maybe.
Harold: [more seriously] Nevertheless, I think you're upsetting people. I don't know if that's right.
Maude: Well, if some people get upset because they feel they have a hold on some things, I'm merely acting as a gentle reminder: here today, gone tomorrow, so don't get attached to things.
| 1987 Fleer #604 Barry Bonds RC 1984 Fleer Update #U-27 Roger Clemens XRC 1985 Topps #401 Mark McGwire USA RC |
More baseball. The new development in MLB is the powers that be (and or the Media) want to have instant reply involving not just Home Runs, but other close plays as well. In a fast paced game like Hockey I can see the reasoning. In
Football, sure I can live with it. But Baseball? No way. Baseball is a game that is constantly screwed with. Just the idea of the Designated Hitter (DH), artificial turf, aluminum bats (College), is ludicrous. Bafoon "Commissioner" Bud
Selig already has etched his "legacy" into Baseball History with MLB's total ignorance of "the Steroid Era," a stupid "Wild Card" format where a team that doesn't even win it's Division gets in the Playoffs. Hey, you don't win the Division?
You should NOT be in the playoffs! Now lately this year (2010) we have had tons of media coverage on blown umpire calls. Yes they were blown calls. But in most cases, close plays. The game is played by players who are not perfect.
A great hitter is a guy who gets a hit 3 times in 10 at-bats. That is 30%. A .300 hitter fails 7 out of 10 times. That is a 70% failure rate folks. A perfect game in baseball is rare. Umpires are not perfect either. But most of the time they get
the call right. And what's cool about baseball is there are screw ups. You see players make errors and goofs and umpires too. It doesn't happen all the time and when it does, hey you have something to talk about the next day. So what I
am saying is LEAVE THE GAME ALONE!!! With people saying that Major League Baseball games are "too long" (usually caused by bad pitching and numerous pitching changes) already, now you want to add more instant replay? Does
this make sense to you?
Here is what baseball should be like. Green grass. Wood bats. Good pitching with starters going 7 or more innings. No DH, no Wild Card. You win the Division, you are going to the Playoffs. Get rid of stupid swimming pools, Choo
Choo trains, and hills in centerfield. No instant replay. No fireworks. Nothing but baseball. That would be my idea of perfect baseball. It's not going to happen. Why? Because baseball fans (in general) are STUPID!!! They go to games to
punch beach balls in the air, go swimming in the pool, do anything but watch the game. MLB is giving these stupid fans what they want and these fans lick it up like a popsicle. Just like they did when McGwire, Soser and Bonds were
swatting home runs like golf balls. Every bleeping year I have a little bit of my love for baseball taken away because of the stupid people who are trying to bleep up the game. Thanks a lot you assholes!
Football, sure I can live with it. But Baseball? No way. Baseball is a game that is constantly screwed with. Just the idea of the Designated Hitter (DH), artificial turf, aluminum bats (College), is ludicrous. Bafoon "Commissioner" Bud
Selig already has etched his "legacy" into Baseball History with MLB's total ignorance of "the Steroid Era," a stupid "Wild Card" format where a team that doesn't even win it's Division gets in the Playoffs. Hey, you don't win the Division?
You should NOT be in the playoffs! Now lately this year (2010) we have had tons of media coverage on blown umpire calls. Yes they were blown calls. But in most cases, close plays. The game is played by players who are not perfect.
A great hitter is a guy who gets a hit 3 times in 10 at-bats. That is 30%. A .300 hitter fails 7 out of 10 times. That is a 70% failure rate folks. A perfect game in baseball is rare. Umpires are not perfect either. But most of the time they get
the call right. And what's cool about baseball is there are screw ups. You see players make errors and goofs and umpires too. It doesn't happen all the time and when it does, hey you have something to talk about the next day. So what I
am saying is LEAVE THE GAME ALONE!!! With people saying that Major League Baseball games are "too long" (usually caused by bad pitching and numerous pitching changes) already, now you want to add more instant replay? Does
this make sense to you?
Here is what baseball should be like. Green grass. Wood bats. Good pitching with starters going 7 or more innings. No DH, no Wild Card. You win the Division, you are going to the Playoffs. Get rid of stupid swimming pools, Choo
Choo trains, and hills in centerfield. No instant replay. No fireworks. Nothing but baseball. That would be my idea of perfect baseball. It's not going to happen. Why? Because baseball fans (in general) are STUPID!!! They go to games to
punch beach balls in the air, go swimming in the pool, do anything but watch the game. MLB is giving these stupid fans what they want and these fans lick it up like a popsicle. Just like they did when McGwire, Soser and Bonds were
swatting home runs like golf balls. Every bleeping year I have a little bit of my love for baseball taken away because of the stupid people who are trying to bleep up the game. Thanks a lot you assholes!
1972 photograph Ranger's Manager Ted Williams giving someone an earful
Which card would you rather have? A 1955 Topps #123 Sandy Koufax Rookie card or this 2007 Bowman Chrome Prospects Orange Refractors Tim Lincecum
autographed card?
autographed card?
1955 Topps #123 Sandy Koufax Rookie card SGC 70 EX+
Pete Townshend of The Who going off on the amps (circa 1960's)
Movie still from "Bullitt" starring Steve McQueen (the car is a 1968 Ford Mustang Fastback)
And we called the Native American Indians "Savages?" What about CEO's and other corporate raiders who deplete people's life savings? What about banks and their foreclosure of homes while at the same time, they get "bailed out"
by the Federal Government? What about our sending troops in harm's way to some other country for God knows what. We don't even have decent health care in this country and when the President tries to get a plan in place, half the
country wants to lynch him! Pardon my saying so, but this country sucks. You can wave the American Flag all you want, have BBQ and drink yourself into a stupor on National Holidays like Memorial Day, 4th of July, but all it is an
excuse to party. That's all it is. At one time it used to be about something other than blowing off firecrackers and ruining the desert with your toys. Self proclaimed "Patriots" are either racial bigots, or CEO's, or shareholders who are
making bank. True patriotism is believing in our country and equality for all, freedom of religion, freedom of speech. It is about hard work with our own hands, not some guy who washes your car and mows your lawn for you and at the
same time you want the borders protected from "illegal aliens." Hey America was built from hard working immigrants. Isn't that what the "Statue of Liberty" is about? True terror is not about "us and them." It is about "us vs. us." It is
about getting your pensions wiped out by corporate greed, which includes shareholders. Hey I am not worried about a nuclear war. Bring it on. At least that way we can blow ourselves into oblivion and the world will be at peace. But
real terror is having your pensions wiped out, your jobs taken away, your homes foreclosed and no money to put food on the table for your family. Probably half this country knows something about that, while the other half, the rich and
the ignorant think this is what it is all about: fancy homes, fancy cars, fancy women, and more money than I can imagine. The "American Dream." The Indians should have wiped us out. Hell, who knows, maybe China, North Korea, or
Iran will kick our ass and maybe we need it. We need to stop meddling in other countries affairs and start meddling with problems HERE. Not talking about them, taking care of them!
by the Federal Government? What about our sending troops in harm's way to some other country for God knows what. We don't even have decent health care in this country and when the President tries to get a plan in place, half the
country wants to lynch him! Pardon my saying so, but this country sucks. You can wave the American Flag all you want, have BBQ and drink yourself into a stupor on National Holidays like Memorial Day, 4th of July, but all it is an
excuse to party. That's all it is. At one time it used to be about something other than blowing off firecrackers and ruining the desert with your toys. Self proclaimed "Patriots" are either racial bigots, or CEO's, or shareholders who are
making bank. True patriotism is believing in our country and equality for all, freedom of religion, freedom of speech. It is about hard work with our own hands, not some guy who washes your car and mows your lawn for you and at the
same time you want the borders protected from "illegal aliens." Hey America was built from hard working immigrants. Isn't that what the "Statue of Liberty" is about? True terror is not about "us and them." It is about "us vs. us." It is
about getting your pensions wiped out by corporate greed, which includes shareholders. Hey I am not worried about a nuclear war. Bring it on. At least that way we can blow ourselves into oblivion and the world will be at peace. But
real terror is having your pensions wiped out, your jobs taken away, your homes foreclosed and no money to put food on the table for your family. Probably half this country knows something about that, while the other half, the rich and
the ignorant think this is what it is all about: fancy homes, fancy cars, fancy women, and more money than I can imagine. The "American Dream." The Indians should have wiped us out. Hell, who knows, maybe China, North Korea, or
Iran will kick our ass and maybe we need it. We need to stop meddling in other countries affairs and start meddling with problems HERE. Not talking about them, taking care of them!
1933 Goudey Indian Gum #216 Torturing Their Victims
*********************************** This page is currently under construction. Check back soon for some spectacular rants and raves!!! ******************************
Today is August 30, 2010. Here are my feelings on some things. Baseball is NOT the game it was. I am lucky I got to see baseball before Free Agency took hold and effectively ruined the game for fans. Of course I agree with Curt Flood
in his original lawsuit against Major League Baseball. He and players like him, WERE treated like cattle. He played 10 years for the St. Louis Cardinals and was traded without his consent. Players today who have played a few years can
now resign with the club for millions after his initial contract has ended or sign a multi-year multi-million dollar contract with another team as a free agent. If he is a veteran player he can agree to a trade or veto a trade. Either way, the
player can't lose. The owners do not lose. MLB and teams get BILLIONS in revenue a year. Even if they lose a franchise player they can pick up another one, especially the big market teams like the Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, etc. The one's
who really suffer from the business aspect of the sport is the FANS. The fans, loyal and stupid as they are INVEST in a team. They have a financial and emotional investment in a team. They usually are loyal to the team, will spend easily
over a $100 to take a family to a game (including tickets, food, parking, not to mention team merchandise, jerseys, caps, etc.). And they have their favorite players who usually stay with the team for all of about 4 or 5 years, tops. The
player than signs a multi-million dollar contract (mentioned earlier) making more money for himself and his agent. The fans of his new team are overjoyed at the new player signing with their team and guess what? They will invest time and
money in that player and team as well.
Example? Plenty of them. I grew up a Dodgers fan so we were a bit spoiled when it came to a strong, well stocked farm system. The Dodgers brought up pretty much their entire regular lineup in the 1970's from the Dodgers farm clubs.
Players like Don Sutton, Joe Ferguson, Steve Yeager, Bill Russell, Steve Garvey, Ron Cey, Davey Lopes all played most of their careers with the Dodgers during the 1970's. This was before players were granted free agency. So guys like
Sutton, Garvey, Lopes, Cey and others were eventually gone via free agency but at least those guys were with the team 10 years or so. You can kiss that goodbye today. It is extremely RARE for a player to stay with the same club for an
entire decade. Once you had lifelong players to root for; players like Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Bob Feller, Ted Williams, Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, Mickey Mantle, Brooks Robinson, Carl Yastrzemski, Al Kaline, Sandy Koufax, Bob
Gibson, Willie Stargell, Johnny Bench, Mike Schmidt, George Brett, Robin Yount and more. Those guys all played for only one team. Even more recently you have guys like Cal Ripken Jr., Tony Gwynn, and Derek Jeter. But these are
exceptions now. Look at some of current top players of the game; Alex Rodriguez, Vladimar Guerrero, Mark Texierra, Roy Oswalt, Tori Hunter... just about every team has a franchise type player who has played on multiple teams now. I
look at the Dodgers lineup now and see guys like Scott Posednick (White Sox), Casey Blake (Indians), Rafael Furcal (Braves), Theroit (Cubs), just about the entire Dodgers pitching staff is from somewhere else and I won't even mention the
recently departed Manny Ramirez (Indians, Red Sox). These are not Dodgers!!! Why should I buy a player's jersey when he is gone in a couple years? I still have a Johnny Damon Red Sox jersey, a Nomar Garciaparra Red Sox jersey and
of course both players had relatively short careers with the Red Sox. Nomar played with the Red Sox for almost 10 years, but can you name how many shortstops the Red Sox have used since Nomar was traded in 2004? I can remember
Orlando Cabrerra, Edgar Renteria, and Scuttaro but I know there have been more. Since Ron Cey played third base for the Dodgers, I can't even recall how many have played there since. I remember Bill Madlock, Jeff Hamilton, some guy
from the Expos (his name eludes me), Adrian Beltre, some other guys I can't remember and now we have Casey Blake. There have been a lot more in-between. And we are supposed to be LOYAL TO OUR TEAM? If I am loyal to my team as
the team and MLB is loyal to me, I'd be trading up teams every 3 years or so.
The point is, it SUCKS. Yes, players deserved more but now it is overboard. I still hear arguments that "well owners make bank so the players deserve all they get." Really? That's like saying, "well the big corporations in America make
bank, so their employees deserve all they get." What big corporation has employees that makes bank like the CEO's? I work for a big corporation (Starbucks Coffee Company) and I sure as hell make peanuts compared to CEO Howard
Schultz. According to this philosophy, any company or employer that makes big bucks should have it's employees make big bucks. Is this is the case? No! Employers make the big bucks on either buying cheap and selling for profit, paying
it's work force low wages to do the "Grunt" work while cutting benefits, or hiring 3rd world countries to manufacture goods on the cheap and charge outrageous prices for a pair of shoes MADE IN CHINA. America is built on making a
buck. So is baseball but that doesn't mean the players should make as much as the owners.
More. The Baseball Players Union is the STRONGEST UNION IN THE UNITED STATES!!! Meanwhile, most of us suckers have either lost our pensions due to weak unions and corporate greed. In fact most Americans probably don't even
get a pension! We can rely on our 401K plans and Social Security to live out our "Golden Years." Yeah right. So give me a fucking break. NO PLAYER (aside from Christy Mathewson, Babe Ruth, Ted Williams or Jackie Robinson)
deserves what players are getting today. No way. And I'll say it again: SPORTS FANS (YES YOU AND ME) ARE IDIOTS FOR BEING LOYAL TO OUR TEAMS! Complete jackasses. We might as well just have money taken electronically out
of our bank accounts to our favorite teams. But I ask you, WHAT HAS YOUR TEAM DONE FOR YOU??? Win a World Series? BIG DEAL! You can win a World Series now without even winning your division! I would rather root for a team
that was out there every day, a team like the 1960's Cubs (Ernie Banks, Ron Santo, Ken Hubbs, Billy Williams, etc.) then root for ANY current MLB team including recent World Champions! Look at the Yankees last year. Who do they have
on that Championship Club that was with the Yankees from the start? Jeter, Posado, Rivera are key players for sure but that is about it. On a team of 27 players. How about the Red Sox in 2004. Their best players were from other teams:
Johnny Damon, Curt Schilling, Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz, Pedro Martinez. I can go on and on but I feel my blood pressure rising so I better stop. All I can say is SHITFUCK.
So in closing, the answer to the question above ("What do these players have in common?") is this: They all played their entire careers with the same team! (the exception would be Willie Mays who played his final year with the New York
Mets)
in his original lawsuit against Major League Baseball. He and players like him, WERE treated like cattle. He played 10 years for the St. Louis Cardinals and was traded without his consent. Players today who have played a few years can
now resign with the club for millions after his initial contract has ended or sign a multi-year multi-million dollar contract with another team as a free agent. If he is a veteran player he can agree to a trade or veto a trade. Either way, the
player can't lose. The owners do not lose. MLB and teams get BILLIONS in revenue a year. Even if they lose a franchise player they can pick up another one, especially the big market teams like the Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, etc. The one's
who really suffer from the business aspect of the sport is the FANS. The fans, loyal and stupid as they are INVEST in a team. They have a financial and emotional investment in a team. They usually are loyal to the team, will spend easily
over a $100 to take a family to a game (including tickets, food, parking, not to mention team merchandise, jerseys, caps, etc.). And they have their favorite players who usually stay with the team for all of about 4 or 5 years, tops. The
player than signs a multi-million dollar contract (mentioned earlier) making more money for himself and his agent. The fans of his new team are overjoyed at the new player signing with their team and guess what? They will invest time and
money in that player and team as well.
Example? Plenty of them. I grew up a Dodgers fan so we were a bit spoiled when it came to a strong, well stocked farm system. The Dodgers brought up pretty much their entire regular lineup in the 1970's from the Dodgers farm clubs.
Players like Don Sutton, Joe Ferguson, Steve Yeager, Bill Russell, Steve Garvey, Ron Cey, Davey Lopes all played most of their careers with the Dodgers during the 1970's. This was before players were granted free agency. So guys like
Sutton, Garvey, Lopes, Cey and others were eventually gone via free agency but at least those guys were with the team 10 years or so. You can kiss that goodbye today. It is extremely RARE for a player to stay with the same club for an
entire decade. Once you had lifelong players to root for; players like Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Bob Feller, Ted Williams, Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, Mickey Mantle, Brooks Robinson, Carl Yastrzemski, Al Kaline, Sandy Koufax, Bob
Gibson, Willie Stargell, Johnny Bench, Mike Schmidt, George Brett, Robin Yount and more. Those guys all played for only one team. Even more recently you have guys like Cal Ripken Jr., Tony Gwynn, and Derek Jeter. But these are
exceptions now. Look at some of current top players of the game; Alex Rodriguez, Vladimar Guerrero, Mark Texierra, Roy Oswalt, Tori Hunter... just about every team has a franchise type player who has played on multiple teams now. I
look at the Dodgers lineup now and see guys like Scott Posednick (White Sox), Casey Blake (Indians), Rafael Furcal (Braves), Theroit (Cubs), just about the entire Dodgers pitching staff is from somewhere else and I won't even mention the
recently departed Manny Ramirez (Indians, Red Sox). These are not Dodgers!!! Why should I buy a player's jersey when he is gone in a couple years? I still have a Johnny Damon Red Sox jersey, a Nomar Garciaparra Red Sox jersey and
of course both players had relatively short careers with the Red Sox. Nomar played with the Red Sox for almost 10 years, but can you name how many shortstops the Red Sox have used since Nomar was traded in 2004? I can remember
Orlando Cabrerra, Edgar Renteria, and Scuttaro but I know there have been more. Since Ron Cey played third base for the Dodgers, I can't even recall how many have played there since. I remember Bill Madlock, Jeff Hamilton, some guy
from the Expos (his name eludes me), Adrian Beltre, some other guys I can't remember and now we have Casey Blake. There have been a lot more in-between. And we are supposed to be LOYAL TO OUR TEAM? If I am loyal to my team as
the team and MLB is loyal to me, I'd be trading up teams every 3 years or so.
The point is, it SUCKS. Yes, players deserved more but now it is overboard. I still hear arguments that "well owners make bank so the players deserve all they get." Really? That's like saying, "well the big corporations in America make
bank, so their employees deserve all they get." What big corporation has employees that makes bank like the CEO's? I work for a big corporation (Starbucks Coffee Company) and I sure as hell make peanuts compared to CEO Howard
Schultz. According to this philosophy, any company or employer that makes big bucks should have it's employees make big bucks. Is this is the case? No! Employers make the big bucks on either buying cheap and selling for profit, paying
it's work force low wages to do the "Grunt" work while cutting benefits, or hiring 3rd world countries to manufacture goods on the cheap and charge outrageous prices for a pair of shoes MADE IN CHINA. America is built on making a
buck. So is baseball but that doesn't mean the players should make as much as the owners.
More. The Baseball Players Union is the STRONGEST UNION IN THE UNITED STATES!!! Meanwhile, most of us suckers have either lost our pensions due to weak unions and corporate greed. In fact most Americans probably don't even
get a pension! We can rely on our 401K plans and Social Security to live out our "Golden Years." Yeah right. So give me a fucking break. NO PLAYER (aside from Christy Mathewson, Babe Ruth, Ted Williams or Jackie Robinson)
deserves what players are getting today. No way. And I'll say it again: SPORTS FANS (YES YOU AND ME) ARE IDIOTS FOR BEING LOYAL TO OUR TEAMS! Complete jackasses. We might as well just have money taken electronically out
of our bank accounts to our favorite teams. But I ask you, WHAT HAS YOUR TEAM DONE FOR YOU??? Win a World Series? BIG DEAL! You can win a World Series now without even winning your division! I would rather root for a team
that was out there every day, a team like the 1960's Cubs (Ernie Banks, Ron Santo, Ken Hubbs, Billy Williams, etc.) then root for ANY current MLB team including recent World Champions! Look at the Yankees last year. Who do they have
on that Championship Club that was with the Yankees from the start? Jeter, Posado, Rivera are key players for sure but that is about it. On a team of 27 players. How about the Red Sox in 2004. Their best players were from other teams:
Johnny Damon, Curt Schilling, Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz, Pedro Martinez. I can go on and on but I feel my blood pressure rising so I better stop. All I can say is SHITFUCK.
So in closing, the answer to the question above ("What do these players have in common?") is this: They all played their entire careers with the same team! (the exception would be Willie Mays who played his final year with the New York
Mets)
What do these players all have in common??? (and yes, I know they are all of Hall of Famers)
Our Dick Of The Month Club Award Winner for the month of September 2010 goes to "Somersetvelvet (eBay username)." He didn't have the courtesy to send his real name (note that I used my name and email
address) and complained that I "stole his baseball card image without his permission." Check out his email below if you don't believe me. All I can say is "WAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! Well, actually I said more in my
reply (also see below). What a complete JACKASS!!! I created this website for my own enjoyment (and amusement) and hopefully yours as well. And this creep is threatening me with legal action??? Are you kidding
me? Over a baseball card image? Let's get something straight. The image used to create the 1951 Berk Ross Joe DiMaggio baseball card is NOT copyrighted by "Somersetvelvet." The copyright was actually owned
by Berk Ross Company of New York City. Berk Ross is not even around anymore having closed shop after 1952. Not only that, Somersetvelvet has an eBay store and lists thousands of cards for sale using, yes,
copied scans of baseball cards. Does he own the copyrights of all these cards? HELL NO. Topps Chewing Gum Inc., Bowman Gum, whatever, but sure as hell not Somersetvelvet. And he accuses me of "stealing" his
image? If you think this is ridiculous, I suggest you email "Somersetvelvet" (email: bucklercards@yahoo.com) and let this creep know how you feel. I know I did and I feel much better now. If the guy has the balls to post
his real name I will add that as well. What an A@$H@LE!!!
RE: 1951 Berk Ross Panel #2-5 Joe DiMaggio & #2-7 Granville Hamner
From: bucklercards <bucklercards@yahoo.com>
To: nowbatting19@yahoo.com
Sent: Sun, September 5, 2010 8:24:44 PM
Subject: 1951 Berk Ross Panel #2-5 Joe DiMaggio & #2-7 Granville Hamner
You have stolen my image, you do not own this item and have no right to include the image on your website without my consent. I will give you 1 warning to remove this image from your website; otherwise my lawyer will be contacting you on
Tuesday to discuss the possibility of charging you with copyright infringements. You do not owner the rights to publish this picture as it is stolen! If it is not removed by Monday evening then I will be filing suite against your website and it WILL
BE REMOVED. Your ISP will be contacted and it will be removed!
SomersetVelvet
From: Tim Pulcifer <nowbatting19@yahoo.com>
To: bucklercards <bucklercards@yahoo.com>
I have not stolen anything. You put any image on the web and it can be used as long as it is not for private or illegal gain. If you want to protect your image you can do so. However the image is NOT yours. It is actually copyrighted by Berk
Ross of NYC you asshole. If it makes you feel better I can black out the SGC number but only an jerk (and you are the first) would make a complaint about it. I started my website for enjoyment of collecting. I do not advertise cards as being
for sale that I do not have on my baseball cards for sale page. The image is not yours. So threaten me all you want and waste your time and money with your "lawyer." I have bought cards from you in the past and will cease to do so as you
are a jerkoff for sending me this threatening email. So kindly go fuck yourself. Best regards
Tim Pulcifer www.nowbatting19.com
Just to show that I can be an asshole too, I am going to post another of SOMERSETVELVET's baseball card images that he exclusively "owns." See below. Enjoy!!!
MORE CARD IMAGES COURTESY OF LEAF GUM COMPANY, CHICAGO IL and T.C.G. (Topps Chewing Gum) but currently in the possession of SOMERSETVELVET. Or are they? Oh yeah, another question... Are
you telling me that all of your graded cards you submitted personally? Or did you buy some of these from someone who had already paid to have the cards graded by PSA. Either way, it doesn't matter. I could have
owned these cards and sold them to you. So should I suit your ass because you STOLE MY IMAGES??? Are these images really yours? Or mine? Are you really this big of an ASSHOLE??? I might have bought these
cards from you if you weren't such a whining bitch. Again, kindly go fuck yourself! Best regards! Sincerely, Tim Pulcifer (President, CEO, "Chief," Grand Poobah, and owner of www.Nowbatting19.com)
address) and complained that I "stole his baseball card image without his permission." Check out his email below if you don't believe me. All I can say is "WAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! Well, actually I said more in my
reply (also see below). What a complete JACKASS!!! I created this website for my own enjoyment (and amusement) and hopefully yours as well. And this creep is threatening me with legal action??? Are you kidding
me? Over a baseball card image? Let's get something straight. The image used to create the 1951 Berk Ross Joe DiMaggio baseball card is NOT copyrighted by "Somersetvelvet." The copyright was actually owned
by Berk Ross Company of New York City. Berk Ross is not even around anymore having closed shop after 1952. Not only that, Somersetvelvet has an eBay store and lists thousands of cards for sale using, yes,
copied scans of baseball cards. Does he own the copyrights of all these cards? HELL NO. Topps Chewing Gum Inc., Bowman Gum, whatever, but sure as hell not Somersetvelvet. And he accuses me of "stealing" his
image? If you think this is ridiculous, I suggest you email "Somersetvelvet" (email: bucklercards@yahoo.com) and let this creep know how you feel. I know I did and I feel much better now. If the guy has the balls to post
his real name I will add that as well. What an A@$H@LE!!!
RE: 1951 Berk Ross Panel #2-5 Joe DiMaggio & #2-7 Granville Hamner
From: bucklercards <bucklercards@yahoo.com>
To: nowbatting19@yahoo.com
Sent: Sun, September 5, 2010 8:24:44 PM
Subject: 1951 Berk Ross Panel #2-5 Joe DiMaggio & #2-7 Granville Hamner
You have stolen my image, you do not own this item and have no right to include the image on your website without my consent. I will give you 1 warning to remove this image from your website; otherwise my lawyer will be contacting you on
Tuesday to discuss the possibility of charging you with copyright infringements. You do not owner the rights to publish this picture as it is stolen! If it is not removed by Monday evening then I will be filing suite against your website and it WILL
BE REMOVED. Your ISP will be contacted and it will be removed!
SomersetVelvet
From: Tim Pulcifer <nowbatting19@yahoo.com>
To: bucklercards <bucklercards@yahoo.com>
I have not stolen anything. You put any image on the web and it can be used as long as it is not for private or illegal gain. If you want to protect your image you can do so. However the image is NOT yours. It is actually copyrighted by Berk
Ross of NYC you asshole. If it makes you feel better I can black out the SGC number but only an jerk (and you are the first) would make a complaint about it. I started my website for enjoyment of collecting. I do not advertise cards as being
for sale that I do not have on my baseball cards for sale page. The image is not yours. So threaten me all you want and waste your time and money with your "lawyer." I have bought cards from you in the past and will cease to do so as you
are a jerkoff for sending me this threatening email. So kindly go fuck yourself. Best regards
Tim Pulcifer www.nowbatting19.com
Just to show that I can be an asshole too, I am going to post another of SOMERSETVELVET's baseball card images that he exclusively "owns." See below. Enjoy!!!
MORE CARD IMAGES COURTESY OF LEAF GUM COMPANY, CHICAGO IL and T.C.G. (Topps Chewing Gum) but currently in the possession of SOMERSETVELVET. Or are they? Oh yeah, another question... Are
you telling me that all of your graded cards you submitted personally? Or did you buy some of these from someone who had already paid to have the cards graded by PSA. Either way, it doesn't matter. I could have
owned these cards and sold them to you. So should I suit your ass because you STOLE MY IMAGES??? Are these images really yours? Or mine? Are you really this big of an ASSHOLE??? I might have bought these
cards from you if you weren't such a whining bitch. Again, kindly go fuck yourself! Best regards! Sincerely, Tim Pulcifer (President, CEO, "Chief," Grand Poobah, and owner of www.Nowbatting19.com)
DICK OF THE MONTH CLUB - September 2010: SOMERSETVELVET (Ebay user name)
1948 Leaf #4 Stan Musial (Back view) 1951 Topps Ringside #32 Rocky Marciano
The state of the baseball card "hobby" today. What used to be fun and enjoyable is now a multi-billion dollar INDUSTRY. No longer can you go to a 5 & Dime (remember those?) and pick up a pack of cards with gum for 5 cents. I don't
know how much a pack of cards costs now and I don't care. We have turned a "kids" hobby and turned it into an ugly business. Go to just about any big dealer now. Most card "Shops" are now online. Check out the prices. Say you would
like this 1959 Armour Franks Roger Maris SGC 96 (above). How much? You can buy it online (eBay) for $2500.00 or "Best Offer." Then go to a price guide (personally Sports Collector's Digest Standard Catalog of Baseball Cards is
the only guide to publish more realistic prices) and see what the guide says. I have an outdated copy (2009) but it lists a 1959 Kansas City Athletics Roger Maris for $600 in ungraded NM condition. And that is for an AUTOGRAPHED card!
Most known examples are autographed. To me that is worth every penny of $600 to get an early Roger Maris autograph (pre-Yankees) on a very scarce issue. So where exactly does the $2500 price tag come from? The above example is
high grade (SGC 96 MINT) but it is not even autographed! So who makes up the price??? The dealer.
Now I am not just picking on this particular dealer. I won't even mention who is selling this. It doesn't matter. Most big dealers set the prices of their cards. A 1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle graded PSA 3 VG sells for $7556.25 (using PSA's
formula for grades not found in the SMR). According to the SCD Standard Catalog an ungraded 1952 Topps Mantle lists for $8000 in VG condition. Yet check out dealer prices for a PSA or SGC VG example. I've never seen a dealer with a
graded VG example (PSA, SGC, or BVG) for LESS than $8000. Most will ask even higher than that; one dealer in particular who specializes in about every Mickey Mantle card you could possibly want. I just checked out his website and he
has 2 1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle baseball cards graded PSA 3 VG. Price? $10750. And those examples were not even centered (see below, left)! I have a 1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle PSA 3 VG CENTERED (below, right) and if
someone offered me ten grand I would sell it in a heartbeat. But Joe Blow like me can't sell for dealer prices. I might get $8000, maybe $8500. Not $10750. Who makes up those prices? The dealer. Not the price guides, not the customer.
THE DEALER sets the prices!
Now let's talk about profit. Of course a dealer is in business to make a profit. And isn't that the American way? I am fine with making a profit. But I am not fine with price gouging. The above 1959 Armour Franks Roger Maris has a $2500
price tag. Ok, now how much do you think the dealer actually paid for this card? $2000? $1000? I am willing to wager they paid no more than $400 for the above card. But for the sake of argument, let's say they paid $500. So they are
asking $2500 or "Best Offer." How much lower do you think they will go? I bet no lower than $2000. Ok so they bought the card for $500 and sell it for no less than $2000. That is a FIFTEEN HUNDRED DOLLAR PROFIT! Is that a good
investment for the dealer? You bet it is. How would you like to trade $500 for $2000? And that is the way it is. I liken it to the "Wild Wild West." There are no watch dogs or regulations regarding these dealers. They are free to do as they
please and that is what they do. Now try to sell a 1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle PSA 3 to one of these dealers. The MOST you will get is by that one particular dealer I mentioned earlier that specializes in Mantle cards. According to his
advertisements he will pay $6000 for a PSA 3 Mantle. Which is high for a dealer. Then he puts a $10750.00 price tag on it and sells it so some guy who thinks he is making a great "investment." The dealer makes a $4750 profit.
I actually tried to trade my 52 Topps Mantle PSA 3 for the above 1959 Armour Maris SGC 96. The dealer emailed me fairly quickly and asked what my offer was. Which tells me that he knows he can sell the Mantle much more easily than
the Maris. I said I would trade my Mantle for the Maris plus $7000. To me, that is a fair trade. I get the Maris and $7000. The dealer is essentially paying $7000 for a Mantle card he can easily get $9000 for (minimum for a dealer). That is
a $2000 profit just for the Mantle. The Armour Maris is an obscure issue and most collectors are not even aware of them. But this one, while high grade, is not even autographed! So, assume he paid $500 for the Maris. So he has "paid"
$7500 and will get a $1500 profit on the deal assuming he sells it for a minimum of $9000. That is a pretty good return don't you think? He didn't think so. So there went the deal. Which is fine. But how much of a profit do you need? I was
not going to get any profit from the trade. I paid "retail" for the Mantle a few years ago and I sure would not be able to sell the Maris for anywhere close to $2000, or $1000 for that matter. But I am not in this hobby for investment purposes.
I am a collector and like when we were kids I am looking for a "fair trade." I am not going to trade a Mickey Mantle baseball card for a Joe Pepitone baseball card. Now if you have a Ted Williams, Willie Mays, or Sandy Koufax card, that
sounds more like a fair trade to me.
This is not a case of "sour grapes" here. I enjoy my cards and hey, I am happy to have a 1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle, in any condition. I made an offer and the other party said no. So no big deal. But what IS a big deal is the reaming
you are getting if you pay a dealer retail prices and you think you are going to get a similar return on your "investment." You won't. The same dealer who has this Maris told me he has "several" 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle cards and just
bought one "wholesale" in EXMT condition for $9000. Ok, good for him. He's got $9000 to spend on a baseball card. So how much do you think he is going to sell that card for? Here is what will happen. He will submit the card to a
reputable grading service and maybe pay $150. Say the card is graded EX-MT (PSA 6) or EX/NM (SGC 80). Now what is he going to sell the card for now? According to PSA's SMR, $20,000 in a PSA 6 holder. So he paid $9,150.00, sells
the card for $20,000.00. That is a $10,850.00 PROFIT! How would you like to double your money on an investment in less than a year! Even if you factor in transportation costs to pick up the card in another state (airfare, accommodations,
food, etc.) you are still making a nice profit. So if you really think about this, what are getting from these dealers? A bargain? A vintage card you can put away and hope to get a return to pay for your kid's college? Good luck! What kind of
car do you think these guys drive? Nothing less than a new BMW or Mercedes Benz I am sure. Me? I drive a 71 Volkswagen Beetle. 4 cylinders of gut wrenching 65 horse power! I guess I am just a stupid ass, so don't listen to anything I
say!!!
know how much a pack of cards costs now and I don't care. We have turned a "kids" hobby and turned it into an ugly business. Go to just about any big dealer now. Most card "Shops" are now online. Check out the prices. Say you would
like this 1959 Armour Franks Roger Maris SGC 96 (above). How much? You can buy it online (eBay) for $2500.00 or "Best Offer." Then go to a price guide (personally Sports Collector's Digest Standard Catalog of Baseball Cards is
the only guide to publish more realistic prices) and see what the guide says. I have an outdated copy (2009) but it lists a 1959 Kansas City Athletics Roger Maris for $600 in ungraded NM condition. And that is for an AUTOGRAPHED card!
Most known examples are autographed. To me that is worth every penny of $600 to get an early Roger Maris autograph (pre-Yankees) on a very scarce issue. So where exactly does the $2500 price tag come from? The above example is
high grade (SGC 96 MINT) but it is not even autographed! So who makes up the price??? The dealer.
Now I am not just picking on this particular dealer. I won't even mention who is selling this. It doesn't matter. Most big dealers set the prices of their cards. A 1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle graded PSA 3 VG sells for $7556.25 (using PSA's
formula for grades not found in the SMR). According to the SCD Standard Catalog an ungraded 1952 Topps Mantle lists for $8000 in VG condition. Yet check out dealer prices for a PSA or SGC VG example. I've never seen a dealer with a
graded VG example (PSA, SGC, or BVG) for LESS than $8000. Most will ask even higher than that; one dealer in particular who specializes in about every Mickey Mantle card you could possibly want. I just checked out his website and he
has 2 1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle baseball cards graded PSA 3 VG. Price? $10750. And those examples were not even centered (see below, left)! I have a 1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle PSA 3 VG CENTERED (below, right) and if
someone offered me ten grand I would sell it in a heartbeat. But Joe Blow like me can't sell for dealer prices. I might get $8000, maybe $8500. Not $10750. Who makes up those prices? The dealer. Not the price guides, not the customer.
THE DEALER sets the prices!
Now let's talk about profit. Of course a dealer is in business to make a profit. And isn't that the American way? I am fine with making a profit. But I am not fine with price gouging. The above 1959 Armour Franks Roger Maris has a $2500
price tag. Ok, now how much do you think the dealer actually paid for this card? $2000? $1000? I am willing to wager they paid no more than $400 for the above card. But for the sake of argument, let's say they paid $500. So they are
asking $2500 or "Best Offer." How much lower do you think they will go? I bet no lower than $2000. Ok so they bought the card for $500 and sell it for no less than $2000. That is a FIFTEEN HUNDRED DOLLAR PROFIT! Is that a good
investment for the dealer? You bet it is. How would you like to trade $500 for $2000? And that is the way it is. I liken it to the "Wild Wild West." There are no watch dogs or regulations regarding these dealers. They are free to do as they
please and that is what they do. Now try to sell a 1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle PSA 3 to one of these dealers. The MOST you will get is by that one particular dealer I mentioned earlier that specializes in Mantle cards. According to his
advertisements he will pay $6000 for a PSA 3 Mantle. Which is high for a dealer. Then he puts a $10750.00 price tag on it and sells it so some guy who thinks he is making a great "investment." The dealer makes a $4750 profit.
I actually tried to trade my 52 Topps Mantle PSA 3 for the above 1959 Armour Maris SGC 96. The dealer emailed me fairly quickly and asked what my offer was. Which tells me that he knows he can sell the Mantle much more easily than
the Maris. I said I would trade my Mantle for the Maris plus $7000. To me, that is a fair trade. I get the Maris and $7000. The dealer is essentially paying $7000 for a Mantle card he can easily get $9000 for (minimum for a dealer). That is
a $2000 profit just for the Mantle. The Armour Maris is an obscure issue and most collectors are not even aware of them. But this one, while high grade, is not even autographed! So, assume he paid $500 for the Maris. So he has "paid"
$7500 and will get a $1500 profit on the deal assuming he sells it for a minimum of $9000. That is a pretty good return don't you think? He didn't think so. So there went the deal. Which is fine. But how much of a profit do you need? I was
not going to get any profit from the trade. I paid "retail" for the Mantle a few years ago and I sure would not be able to sell the Maris for anywhere close to $2000, or $1000 for that matter. But I am not in this hobby for investment purposes.
I am a collector and like when we were kids I am looking for a "fair trade." I am not going to trade a Mickey Mantle baseball card for a Joe Pepitone baseball card. Now if you have a Ted Williams, Willie Mays, or Sandy Koufax card, that
sounds more like a fair trade to me.
This is not a case of "sour grapes" here. I enjoy my cards and hey, I am happy to have a 1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle, in any condition. I made an offer and the other party said no. So no big deal. But what IS a big deal is the reaming
you are getting if you pay a dealer retail prices and you think you are going to get a similar return on your "investment." You won't. The same dealer who has this Maris told me he has "several" 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle cards and just
bought one "wholesale" in EXMT condition for $9000. Ok, good for him. He's got $9000 to spend on a baseball card. So how much do you think he is going to sell that card for? Here is what will happen. He will submit the card to a
reputable grading service and maybe pay $150. Say the card is graded EX-MT (PSA 6) or EX/NM (SGC 80). Now what is he going to sell the card for now? According to PSA's SMR, $20,000 in a PSA 6 holder. So he paid $9,150.00, sells
the card for $20,000.00. That is a $10,850.00 PROFIT! How would you like to double your money on an investment in less than a year! Even if you factor in transportation costs to pick up the card in another state (airfare, accommodations,
food, etc.) you are still making a nice profit. So if you really think about this, what are getting from these dealers? A bargain? A vintage card you can put away and hope to get a return to pay for your kid's college? Good luck! What kind of
car do you think these guys drive? Nothing less than a new BMW or Mercedes Benz I am sure. Me? I drive a 71 Volkswagen Beetle. 4 cylinders of gut wrenching 65 horse power! I guess I am just a stupid ass, so don't listen to anything I
say!!!
| 1959 Armour Franks Kansas City Athletics Roger Maris SGC 96 MINT ($2500.00, eBay listing) |
For Sale! 1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle PSA 3 VG
Price: $10,700.00 (Dealer) My 1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle PSA 3
Ok, so you are in the market for a 1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle, without a doubt the most important post-war baseball card. Maybe even the most popular baseball card EVER as most collectors
can forget about obtaining a T206 Honus Wagner. Pictured above are two examples, both graded PSA 3 VG. The example on the left is currently in the inventory of a prominent dealer who has his own
website and is also an eBay "Power Seller." Asking price: $10,700.00. Now look at the example on the right, which is in my own collection. Which one has better "eye appeal?" Which one is nicely
centered? If you were going to pay $10,700 for the one on the left you are crazy. Yet the dealer who has this card and a lot more Mantle cards, has sold thousands of Mickey Mantle cards over the years,
most at retail prices. So I am going to put my card up for sale for any of you bozos who are willing to pay $10,700 to that certain dealer for the card on the left. For you special boneheads I will sell you my
card (above right) for $10,000. That is $700 LESS than the dealers card. So which one would you take? I know, I know. You are going with the dealer. Go ahead and shell out your $10,700.00. I am in
no hurry to sell my Mickey Mantle card.
If you are really interested in my '52 Topps Mantle, you can email me: nowbatting19@yahoo.com. UPDATE: I have sold the above 1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle PSA 3 VG (31583069).
can forget about obtaining a T206 Honus Wagner. Pictured above are two examples, both graded PSA 3 VG. The example on the left is currently in the inventory of a prominent dealer who has his own
website and is also an eBay "Power Seller." Asking price: $10,700.00. Now look at the example on the right, which is in my own collection. Which one has better "eye appeal?" Which one is nicely
centered? If you were going to pay $10,700 for the one on the left you are crazy. Yet the dealer who has this card and a lot more Mantle cards, has sold thousands of Mickey Mantle cards over the years,
most at retail prices. So I am going to put my card up for sale for any of you bozos who are willing to pay $10,700 to that certain dealer for the card on the left. For you special boneheads I will sell you my
card (above right) for $10,000. That is $700 LESS than the dealers card. So which one would you take? I know, I know. You are going with the dealer. Go ahead and shell out your $10,700.00. I am in
no hurry to sell my Mickey Mantle card.
If you are really interested in my '52 Topps Mantle, you can email me: nowbatting19@yahoo.com. UPDATE: I have sold the above 1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle PSA 3 VG (31583069).
| 1980 Topps #482 Rickey Henderson PSA 10 1980 Topps #482 Rickey Henderson PSA 9 1980 Topps #482 Rickey Henderson PSA 8 |
Ok, above we have 3 1980 Topps Rickey Henderson rookie cards, all professionally graded by PSA (Professional Sports Authenticator, Inc.). Now I am not bagging here about Rickey Henderson. I love Rickey Henderson; the guy was a
demon nightmare on the bases and perhaps the All-Time greatest lead off man ever. I am not bagging on PSA either, though I kind of do on my PSA SUCKS! PAGE. What I am going to bag about is the prices of the above cards, notably the PSA
10 GEM MINT example (above left). Guess how much the seller wants for this card? Keep in mind a PSA 10 GEM MINT is the highest grade PSA gives, but also keep in mind that in 1980 Topps was churning out millions of baseball cards. There is
no shortage of Rickey Henderson rookie cards. And by 1980 the hobby was well advanced to the point of protective card holders, sheets, etc., and collectors were wary about keeping their cards in nice shape (unlike earlier generations who
played and studied the cards). And while PSA may claim to have only graded a few PSA 10 Rickey Henderson rookie cards, this by no means there are no other GEM MINT ungraded 1980 Topps Rickey Henderson cards out there. Back to the
price: $10,000 or "Best Offer." Price for the PSA 9 MINT Henderson? $297. Price for the PSA 8? $47.95. I am not here to bag on the dealers here who are selling these cards. Hey, if I have that PSA 10 Henderson and some dope out there wants
to give me $10,000 for it, you better believe I am going to sell it. In a heartbeat. But on a small scale, this is what is wrong with this country. Capitalism. We can buy a new car and the price of a new car is easily $20,000 and up according to
the window sticker. Buy it and drive it off the lot. How much is it worth then? A few short years ago you could think that regular 'Middle Class" homes are worth $500,00 and more (according to the Banks and Real Estate Agents), buy them even
though your gut tells you there is no way in hell that house is worth a half million dollars, and look at what happened when everything came crashing down. That half a million dollar home is back to reality and is worth $200,000. Maybe less but
you owe a half million not including interest. Remember when we had tv with only 13 channels and usually something good was on? It was FREE. Today we pay $80 a month for 500 channels and good luck finding something good to watch. Oh, I
forgot. We have "American Idol," "Judge Judy," and Regis and Kathy Lee (actually I don't think they are on anymore but I used that for dramatic purposes). We live in a time of inflated values. Is the above 1980 Topps #482 Rickey Henderson
rookie card graded PSA 10 GEM MINT really "worth" ten thousand dollars? Think real hard about that. If you have to think real hard about it you probably have enough money to buy the "best of the best" and money is no object. You probably
are white, balding or have some sort of hair restoration and regularly use Viagra because you just can't get it up anymore. Probably because you are thinking of buying the best condition cards on the planet instead of thinking of getting laid. To all
of you who fall into that category and you know who you are (we read about you in PSA's Monthly "Sports Market Reports" and see your anonymous bids at "high end" auction houses I want to give you the finger. Picture in your head that famous
image of Johnny Cash giving you the bird. And let's not limit the finger to just baseball card nuts. Let's include the CEO's and other assorted "people fuckers" who are in charge and give them the finger too. At one time we were like that. Raw
and rebellious. Wanting something better, an ideal. We essentially gave "the finger" to Mother England and became the "United States of America." Today we are pussies. The states and people are not "United." United in making money any way
you can, and no matter who you screw over? Sure. You can call me whatever you want, "Anti-American," "Communist," "Atheist," "Asshole," or whatever. But I think we have totally lost it. I just don't know what more I can say. Actually I have a lot
more to say, but what the hell. Are you really listening anyway?
demon nightmare on the bases and perhaps the All-Time greatest lead off man ever. I am not bagging on PSA either, though I kind of do on my PSA SUCKS! PAGE. What I am going to bag about is the prices of the above cards, notably the PSA
10 GEM MINT example (above left). Guess how much the seller wants for this card? Keep in mind a PSA 10 GEM MINT is the highest grade PSA gives, but also keep in mind that in 1980 Topps was churning out millions of baseball cards. There is
no shortage of Rickey Henderson rookie cards. And by 1980 the hobby was well advanced to the point of protective card holders, sheets, etc., and collectors were wary about keeping their cards in nice shape (unlike earlier generations who
played and studied the cards). And while PSA may claim to have only graded a few PSA 10 Rickey Henderson rookie cards, this by no means there are no other GEM MINT ungraded 1980 Topps Rickey Henderson cards out there. Back to the
price: $10,000 or "Best Offer." Price for the PSA 9 MINT Henderson? $297. Price for the PSA 8? $47.95. I am not here to bag on the dealers here who are selling these cards. Hey, if I have that PSA 10 Henderson and some dope out there wants
to give me $10,000 for it, you better believe I am going to sell it. In a heartbeat. But on a small scale, this is what is wrong with this country. Capitalism. We can buy a new car and the price of a new car is easily $20,000 and up according to
the window sticker. Buy it and drive it off the lot. How much is it worth then? A few short years ago you could think that regular 'Middle Class" homes are worth $500,00 and more (according to the Banks and Real Estate Agents), buy them even
though your gut tells you there is no way in hell that house is worth a half million dollars, and look at what happened when everything came crashing down. That half a million dollar home is back to reality and is worth $200,000. Maybe less but
you owe a half million not including interest. Remember when we had tv with only 13 channels and usually something good was on? It was FREE. Today we pay $80 a month for 500 channels and good luck finding something good to watch. Oh, I
forgot. We have "American Idol," "Judge Judy," and Regis and Kathy Lee (actually I don't think they are on anymore but I used that for dramatic purposes). We live in a time of inflated values. Is the above 1980 Topps #482 Rickey Henderson
rookie card graded PSA 10 GEM MINT really "worth" ten thousand dollars? Think real hard about that. If you have to think real hard about it you probably have enough money to buy the "best of the best" and money is no object. You probably
are white, balding or have some sort of hair restoration and regularly use Viagra because you just can't get it up anymore. Probably because you are thinking of buying the best condition cards on the planet instead of thinking of getting laid. To all
of you who fall into that category and you know who you are (we read about you in PSA's Monthly "Sports Market Reports" and see your anonymous bids at "high end" auction houses I want to give you the finger. Picture in your head that famous
image of Johnny Cash giving you the bird. And let's not limit the finger to just baseball card nuts. Let's include the CEO's and other assorted "people fuckers" who are in charge and give them the finger too. At one time we were like that. Raw
and rebellious. Wanting something better, an ideal. We essentially gave "the finger" to Mother England and became the "United States of America." Today we are pussies. The states and people are not "United." United in making money any way
you can, and no matter who you screw over? Sure. You can call me whatever you want, "Anti-American," "Communist," "Atheist," "Asshole," or whatever. But I think we have totally lost it. I just don't know what more I can say. Actually I have a lot
more to say, but what the hell. Are you really listening anyway?
BLEEP OF THE MONTH - NICK the Barista, November 2010
Ok, I have been pretty cool the last few weeks. Then came yesterday. I am scheduled to work at Starbucks Sunday at 8:30 am. It is an 8 hour shift and extremely busy. So we should have at least 3 people "on the
floor" as we say. Wrong. Our manager (God bless her) opened but was sick as a dog. So she was in the back office most of the day in pretty bad shape. We were missing one person, Nick (name not changed to
protect this creep) who decided to stay in bed and not even bother to call in sick. So the Shift Supervisor called him up to find out why he wasn't at work. He said he was sick, and when she asked him if he was going
to even call in about being "sick," Nick stated he was not coming in and hung up. Now if I were manager, I would have fired his sorry ass. I have worked at Starbucks 3 years now and have NEVER called in sick.
Granted, I am not most people and of course if you are not feeling well, you should stay home. But have the damn courtesy to call your employer and let them know. Isn't that the right thing to do? Today's younger
people, from what I have seen, don't want to work. They want to get paid, but they don't want to have to actually work for it. Even worse, some think they are OWED something. For what??? If you are a military
Veteran, then yes, I believe you are OWED something. But not some snot-nosed punk-ass who wants to sleep in on Sunday morning.
So our manager had to call in a barista on her day off and she covered for Nick until I got there. She has a husband and two small children. You don't think she wanted to be home with them on her day off? Did Nick
give even a thought to his fellow partners? So now it was just yours truly and Laura handling the Sunday crowd. We did the best we could and the customers did not give us grief (good thing because both Laura and I
would have leaped over the counter and pummelled somebody if they complained). We are supposed to get two 10 minute breaks plus a 30 minute lunch and while I did get the lunch I did not get the other breaks. All
because of this punk Nick. So I am pissed. Next day I come in to work and guess who is there working- Nick. Do you think this guy had the nads to apologize for bleeping up and letting Aida, Laura and myself cover
for him while he is sleeping and probably having a wet dream? I asked him what happened to him Sunday and he said "a friend's mom told me I had pneumonia." Actual quote. Well I have had pneumonia before and
I was not able to come to work the next day (actually I was really young so I wasn't working yet). I can tell you that it is my opinion, and I would bet serious money on this, that Nick did not have pneumonia. Maybe a
hang over but he sure as hell was not sick. So I said to him next time you do something like that you better be near death. I also told him he "owed me one." You know what Nick the asshole said? "I don't owe you
Jack." Now normally I would not even say a word but I would have gone right up to him and punched him flush in the face. Boom, boom, out go the lights. Goodnight sweet Prince. But I am older and wiser and I don't
do anything. I have a wife and kids and a job that provides benefits for my family. But if I didn't have a wife and kids, I would have knocked the snot out of him right then and there. So what if I got fired. I don't want to
work with assholes like that. If he sues me I will just go over and kick the shit out of him again. And if I went to jail guess what. When I got out I would do the same thing over again. Maybe he can play guitar but his
face is going to look like Mickey Rourke (currently). He is a wanna be rock star anyway so why work if you don't want to work. Go play your music and live the rock n roll life. But don't apply for a job and then act
like you don't want to be there.
This is life lesson for anybody. Don't like your job? QUIT. Sure the economy sucks right now and maybe there are not opportunities for you. But you are getting PAID to do something. So DO it. I am 47 years old, I
don't have a college degree and I have NEVER had a hard time finding a job. Maybe I couldn't find the perfect job that pays you just because you are there, and maybe it wasn't for the big pay check that is OWED
you. But I always busted my ass and I never had trouble finding a job. If you think you are owed something you are a piece of shit. Really. You are not owed a damn thing unless you served in the Armed Forces or are
Jesus Christ.
Now tomorrow I am going to work and I hope Nick is there. I am going to print this out and post it on the bulletin board. I would tell him in person but I can write better than talk. And if he wants to talk about it later
fine. But I am not doing this A-hole any favors. You call me up and ask me to cover your shift? Like hell I will. I don't even want to work with him anymore because he has shown me what kind of person he is. And I
don't befriend a piece of bleep. I flush it down the toilet.
What's really funny is that we all decided to have a "Secret Santa." So instead of buying or getting everybody a present we picked a name out of a hat and guess who's name I picked? That's right. Nick the creep. So
what exactly am I supposed to get this asshole? Any ideas? I think the best thing to give him is either an ass-whooping or his walking papers. I really don't give a good God damn about him or anyone who has the total
lack of decency or work ethic that this creep displays. So congratulations Nick. You are now on the internet. This may be your 15 minutes of fame. And while I am here, get some deodorant Nick! You smell like bleep.
Sincerely, Tim Pulcifer
Ok, I have been pretty cool the last few weeks. Then came yesterday. I am scheduled to work at Starbucks Sunday at 8:30 am. It is an 8 hour shift and extremely busy. So we should have at least 3 people "on the
floor" as we say. Wrong. Our manager (God bless her) opened but was sick as a dog. So she was in the back office most of the day in pretty bad shape. We were missing one person, Nick (name not changed to
protect this creep) who decided to stay in bed and not even bother to call in sick. So the Shift Supervisor called him up to find out why he wasn't at work. He said he was sick, and when she asked him if he was going
to even call in about being "sick," Nick stated he was not coming in and hung up. Now if I were manager, I would have fired his sorry ass. I have worked at Starbucks 3 years now and have NEVER called in sick.
Granted, I am not most people and of course if you are not feeling well, you should stay home. But have the damn courtesy to call your employer and let them know. Isn't that the right thing to do? Today's younger
people, from what I have seen, don't want to work. They want to get paid, but they don't want to have to actually work for it. Even worse, some think they are OWED something. For what??? If you are a military
Veteran, then yes, I believe you are OWED something. But not some snot-nosed punk-ass who wants to sleep in on Sunday morning.
So our manager had to call in a barista on her day off and she covered for Nick until I got there. She has a husband and two small children. You don't think she wanted to be home with them on her day off? Did Nick
give even a thought to his fellow partners? So now it was just yours truly and Laura handling the Sunday crowd. We did the best we could and the customers did not give us grief (good thing because both Laura and I
would have leaped over the counter and pummelled somebody if they complained). We are supposed to get two 10 minute breaks plus a 30 minute lunch and while I did get the lunch I did not get the other breaks. All
because of this punk Nick. So I am pissed. Next day I come in to work and guess who is there working- Nick. Do you think this guy had the nads to apologize for bleeping up and letting Aida, Laura and myself cover
for him while he is sleeping and probably having a wet dream? I asked him what happened to him Sunday and he said "a friend's mom told me I had pneumonia." Actual quote. Well I have had pneumonia before and
I was not able to come to work the next day (actually I was really young so I wasn't working yet). I can tell you that it is my opinion, and I would bet serious money on this, that Nick did not have pneumonia. Maybe a
hang over but he sure as hell was not sick. So I said to him next time you do something like that you better be near death. I also told him he "owed me one." You know what Nick the asshole said? "I don't owe you
Jack." Now normally I would not even say a word but I would have gone right up to him and punched him flush in the face. Boom, boom, out go the lights. Goodnight sweet Prince. But I am older and wiser and I don't
do anything. I have a wife and kids and a job that provides benefits for my family. But if I didn't have a wife and kids, I would have knocked the snot out of him right then and there. So what if I got fired. I don't want to
work with assholes like that. If he sues me I will just go over and kick the shit out of him again. And if I went to jail guess what. When I got out I would do the same thing over again. Maybe he can play guitar but his
face is going to look like Mickey Rourke (currently). He is a wanna be rock star anyway so why work if you don't want to work. Go play your music and live the rock n roll life. But don't apply for a job and then act
like you don't want to be there.
This is life lesson for anybody. Don't like your job? QUIT. Sure the economy sucks right now and maybe there are not opportunities for you. But you are getting PAID to do something. So DO it. I am 47 years old, I
don't have a college degree and I have NEVER had a hard time finding a job. Maybe I couldn't find the perfect job that pays you just because you are there, and maybe it wasn't for the big pay check that is OWED
you. But I always busted my ass and I never had trouble finding a job. If you think you are owed something you are a piece of shit. Really. You are not owed a damn thing unless you served in the Armed Forces or are
Jesus Christ.
Now tomorrow I am going to work and I hope Nick is there. I am going to print this out and post it on the bulletin board. I would tell him in person but I can write better than talk. And if he wants to talk about it later
fine. But I am not doing this A-hole any favors. You call me up and ask me to cover your shift? Like hell I will. I don't even want to work with him anymore because he has shown me what kind of person he is. And I
don't befriend a piece of bleep. I flush it down the toilet.
What's really funny is that we all decided to have a "Secret Santa." So instead of buying or getting everybody a present we picked a name out of a hat and guess who's name I picked? That's right. Nick the creep. So
what exactly am I supposed to get this asshole? Any ideas? I think the best thing to give him is either an ass-whooping or his walking papers. I really don't give a good God damn about him or anyone who has the total
lack of decency or work ethic that this creep displays. So congratulations Nick. You are now on the internet. This may be your 15 minutes of fame. And while I am here, get some deodorant Nick! You smell like bleep.
Sincerely, Tim Pulcifer