I swear, if I hear one more corny, inane comment about how cell phone use is responsible for everything bad or evil that happens in the world, I’ll be tempted to add my portion of ultra-violence to this already toxic stew. Yeah, yeah – I know all about it; ‘cell phone use causes brain cancer’, ‘people are too loud and rude when on the phone’, ‘they don’t have anything to say anyway’, etc. ad nauseum. It’s ironic, if you think about it, how the very people who severely criticize modern technology, are in fact the ones who need it the most. More →

They say one person’s trash is another person’s treasure. While that might be true, I’m tired of being the guy bringing riches to others.

I’m all for recycling, re-using and re-purposing, but gosh, am I sick and tired of the garbage collectors patrolling my neighborhood. I’m not talking about the guys in the orange jumpsuits who get paid to pick through trash, I’m speaking of the folks who do it for fun…or hobby…or money.

Seeing people rummage through garbage bins in the New York area is commonplace. In fact, I think there was a time when I was 16 that I might have even partaken in the dirty pastime. But now, as an adult homeowner, I can no longer condone the activity. More →

Another Black Friday is almost upon us. Only in a capitalist society would a shopping day following a holiday get more attention than the holiday ahead of it.

Hey, if people want to get excited for ‘doorbusters’ that will save them $25 on a flat-panel TV, that’s their prerogative. However, each year I make a prediction, and that guess is that people will die on Black Friday, a result of shopping mayhem.

Will this be the year that I’m right? More →

If you are old enough, you’ll remember the ‘baby on board’ craze. These were small yellow diamonds that people hung in their vehicles to make a statement about their personal life.

Baby on Board spawned Dog on Board, Cat on Board, and even Bitch on Board.

I guess the thinking is that an aggressive driver, or a drunk one, will see the sign and be extra cautious when driving near the yellow-tagged vehicle.

There is a new trend that is similar, but even more annoying. More →

Let this blog post serve as official record that I would like to be cremated. The world would be a much dimmer place without Jack of All Blogs, so the good news for you is that I don’t plan on going anywhere anytime soon. But should some unforeseen stroke of madness occur, and my friends and loved ones are faced with the painful decision of where to place my bodily vessel, now they know: Burn me.

Or hold an online funeral (sarcasm!). More →

Ever notice that every boardwalk on the planet has a tarot card reader who is willing to drain your wallet for a supposed glimpse into the future? Nobody knows what’s going to happen next. Since we are all on equal footing when it comes to crystal ball gazing, Jack of All Blogs figures we’ll give this soothsaying thing a crack. Here are your tech (and other) predictions for 2010. More →

Back in the late eighties car alarms became widespread. It didn’t matter if you were driving a Ford Festiva or Cadillac Eldorado; if you bought a car, you got an alarm.

Along with this new sense of security came a key ring clicker. Hit the button, and the alarm is activated. This is verified by the alarm sounding briefly, usually in the form of a horn honk or single chime. This sounder tells you, and the world, ‘don’t come near my car, it’s alarmed.’ This might have been an effective security measure two decades ago, but in this day and age, it doesn’t help. Not one bit. So cut it out!
More →

TV commercials suck.

God bless the technological advancements that permit us to skip ads. Designed to raise brand awareness and sell us a product, I’m always amazed at how ineffective these paid spots are. Unless they are working on some deep psychological level, I’ve never seen an ad and than run out to purchase a product.

One trend that I’ve been waiting to end for over 10 years now is the repugnant ‘every-person’ montage. These are the ads that show a group of different people – usually from all walks of life – that repeat the same word. More →

In the marketing section of Tuesday’s Wall Street Journal, an article, Videogame Firms Make a Play for Women discussed top video game companies realizing a “new” market. Research is showing that more girls /women playing video games, “…female game players now account for about 40% of the overall market, compared with the IDC research firm’s estimate of less than 12% in 2001.” Well, good, I thought, maybe they’ll start paying more attention to this market segment. I went on to read that video companies are talking about titles like “Little Pet Shop” for girls and workout and dance-themed games for women. Am I the only chick who admits that back in the day she liked making Laura Croft blow stuff up and use assault rifles on the bad guys? I doubt it. Although I now belong to a “casual” game club and enjoy the mindlessness of “hidden object” games on a regular basis, I like action titles, too. More →

It is no secret that the umpires have been absolutely atrocious during the baseball playoffs this year. And don’t tell me that it’s the volume of HDTV sets and advancements in video technology that have brought the imperfections to light.

Being an umpire is not difficult work. It requires concentration, a certain level of equanimity, and a willingness to spend much of your life traveling. Beyond that, there are very few responsibilities. More →