Cacophony of Fail vs Opera of Win:

Cacophony

[kuh-kof-uh-nee]  

–noun, plural -nies.

1. Harsh discordance of sound; dissonance: a cacophony of hoots, cackles, and wails.

2. S discordant and meaningless mixture of sounds: the cacophony produced by city traffic at midday.

3. Music . frequent use of discords of a harshness and relationship difficult to understand.

To premise my title, you now have an idea that I am speaking about a lot of sound that fails...in this case music.  

Opera

[op-er-uh, op-ruh]  

–noun

1. An extended dramatic composition, in which all parts are sung to instrumental accompaniment, that usually includes arias,choruses, and recitatives, and that sometimes includes ballet. Compare comic 

    opera, grand opera.

2. The form or branch of musical and dramatic art represented by such compositions.

3. The score or the words of such a composition.

4. A performance of one

Just in case there are those out there that need to break up the difference.  

I am no music critic, I do not follow certain genres nor get into the breakdown of such genres into their respective groups and subgroups, all deriving their individual cultures. 

I do love music, and I am pretty eclectic, almost an audiophile of sorts, in terms of how I will make sure I have the best setup for my listening enjoyment. You might, if you peruse, through my iPhone, iPad, laptop, or even my media center, find that I have anything from Andrea Boccelli to Led Zeppelin. I love Rap, but depending on the generation you belong to may not know some of the people I listen to. like Sheila E, Eddie E and Grand Master Flash. You would also easily find Run DMC, Rob Base, and Cool and the Gang, but if you don't know those two, you are missing out on cultural icons that defined their genre for my generation.  

I even listen to what other guys in my circle would call "girly music", like Pat Benatar, Janis Joplin, Melissa Ethridge, and Celine Dion. Hell I had a musical love affair in the 90's with Ace of Base. Whenever the blues hit me in High School, be it a fight with the girlfriend, or a break up. There were many. I would pop Ace of Base in, "Don't Turn Around" would play, I was home.

I had debates with friends when My Chemical Romance started pitching their music onto the airwaves, because I loved it and love their videos.  I thought it was very artistic, angsty, yes. But Artistic none-the-less. I was granted an Emo Brand. Emo...really? Me? I'm not Emo, so I thought, to myself. These guys are stupid, branding people for what they like. Like I need some type of personal pain or need to cut myself to enjoy someones apparent Emo music.  

In that case, most of us are Emo, since a huge majority, of anyone, that was a teenager or in their 20's during the 90's, like me, would of liked Nirvana. Cobain was so Emo, he killed himself. I find it annoying to be labeled for my likes or dislikes. Granted, it is the mark of the disenfranchised to create a label to assert some semblance of their individuality by associating with something other then the norm they were raised to be.

I find now that music has some champions regardless of their genre or what you may perceive to be artistic or beautiful. There are avatars, of such variety, for each.  It's when these, wondrous, people, we tune in to listen to, are featured in another music. Crossing over genres, to build on something different, or try to be new, that is when I cringe.

Back, when dinosaurs roamed the earth, there was a Rap group called Public Enemy and a Rock Group called Anthrax and they decided, why don't we do something no one has ever done before. We'll team up and make some music and combine our styles. Holy Shit...We just invented magic, sex in a cup, and all of that kind of thing.

Run DMC + AeroSmith - Walk This Way

Which gave rise to this diamond of music:

Anthrax + Public Enemy - Turn it Up

But then again, nothing has ever been better than Run DMC when it comes to rap. You have others that are amazing, but they are the top, as far as I am concerned.  I am old, what do you want.

After that, everyone tried to do the crossover. We see it all the time now and we don't think much of it. A lot of times you will have partial crossovers where one superstar singer or group helps an up and comer. Simply sharing a video or a stage. Boom! Up and comer explodes  Eventually doing the same thing for another rising star. It seems to be a popular model, almost a Pay it Forward set of planning.  

I love crossovers, there are many that do the original pioneers justice. But every so often you have, well, flops. You can have a totally garbage crossover. You can have a totally garbage main performance, where the crossover, or the featured person, steals the show. Or the reverse, a great song where your featured person just kills it.  

I see this a lot, where you have perhaps pop or rock and a rap artist featuring.  Then again, I don't always go out there for new music, I'm contented with a brisk list of music I tend to listen to often.  With the occasional, let me check out whats new, and absorb the music of any one person I really like.

Let's put a good example of a recent musical crossover.

Kevin Rudolf Ft. Lil Wayne When I arrive

Eventhough Lil Waynes lyrics are a little weird, the song is great and it works.

Lets look at a female variation crossover

Mariah Carey Ft Nicki Minaj - Up out my Face (Boy)

These are great and are entertaining, you don't think to yourself, some of the rap lyrics don't really make sense.  Which is a plus, even though some of it is off.

Here is an example, where the Artist is fantastic, but the Rap feature...not so much.

Katy Perry Ft Kanye West - E.T.

Now, when you listen to Katy Perry sing, you almost immediately get sucked into her lyrics and her beat. Especially if you are into this particular genre, you can't avoid liking it, even if you are not a Katy Perry fan. The lyrics make a lot of sense toward the goal of her song.  But, I know, there is the but, You listen to Kanye's Rap, and you have to stop and ponder, what the fuck, does any of it have to do with her song. It seemingly makes no sense.  Here is a set of lyrics 

Katy Perry

Your 

So

Hypnotizing

Could you be the Devil

Could you be an Angel

Your

Touch

Magnetizing

Physical Imploding

Leaves my body glowing

Kanye West

I know a bar out in mars

Where they drive spaceships instead of cars

I don't need to go further than those two lines.  The video itself is fantastic, beautiful, a spectacle.  I loved it right away, but I have other motivations. It reminded me of one of my favorite fantasy characters in Anime, Sharon Apple, from Macross Plus.  I thought the parallel was uncanny.  Almost potentially inspired by it.  To the point I sent out an email to her production label with a curious question of its inspiration.  I have a friend at Capital Records, figured he might know the answer.  Which most likely it's just similar, and he will ask me "Wha???".  But I'm curious and inquisitive and have found no information on it online.  

Either way, her music is great and the song itself is also great, but the Rap feature, kills it for me.  

Lets look at a different Rap feature for someone that would normally be hardcore as a rapper but is fantastic

Far East Movement Ft Snoop Dogg - If I was you (OMG)

Although, the more I think of this one, it's not much a crossover as it's a combination of similar genres. But it is a great song featuring Snoop, the rap lyrics, which can be, related more toward Hip Hop still makes total sense.  I also get a kick at how physical he is with the models ass.  Nice Job Snoop...So let me look at a different example.

Taio Cruz Ft Ludacris - Break your heart

It's a great song with great rhythm for the club scene, however, while most of Luda's lyrics relatively follow the concept of the song, some of it, is so cheesy.  Really guys, can we egress from the concept of "Clever" Rap, because "hey it rhymes."  

You also have the concept of "Talk" Rap where its not really singing or rapping so in those instances we don't need to rhyme we just spit out there whatever we like:

That's all I'm gonna do woman...listen

Now I'm only gonna break your heart

Shatter and Splatter it, into itty-bitty pieces

whether or not you get it all together

its finders keepers and losers weepers

Let me stop there...it's atrocious when you break it down like this.

Those lyrics are quite possibly the worst I have heard on what is actually a great song.  Well, when i say great, I don't mean the concept. I'm referring to the beat, the rhythm.  You can dance to it...derp.

This one was kind of weird as well and I love Gwen Stefani, never miss a concert.  But personally it seemed like a complete 180 of what she does.  Then again that is good, gives her a different audience to promote to.  

Gwen Stefani Ft Slim Thug - Luxurious

For the record, that dude is not slim...O_o

Then you have her team up with AKon and that was awesome.  More of what her hardcore fans love. but then again, she has hardcore fans across 4 genres...XD  She is not a category, she is just awesome.

Gwen Stefani Ft. Akon - The Sweet Escape

But of course, his role in the song was pretty much, that of a back up singer.  

How about the reverse.  Rap artist featuring someone outside of Rap.  Lets explore this a bit.  

Nicki Minaj Ft Rihanna - Fly

This is a gorgeous song and done well, although from the beginning it feels like its a Rihanna song featuring Nicki Minaj.  Who knows.  

Diddy Dirty Money ft Skylar Grey - Coming Home

Fantastic song.  Diddy knows how to do it.  I expect nothing less from a guy who got the approval of Led Zeppelin to play with him.  Although there are those that hate it, most likely, due to the Godzilla film itself. I love Godzilla, but I love them all, and that one was entertaining, it made relative sense, so I dug it.

I, at this moment, am going blank in regards to finding one where the rap stole the performance.  I am sure I will think of one when I hit my bed at some point next year.  For now, I did think of, a song I loved where the musicians were great but essentially the Rap aspect "out-showed" it, slightly.

David Guetta & Chris Willis Ft Fergie & LMFAO - Gettin' Over You

O.K., actually after watching LMFAO, whom are quite awesome, and stole the show, I remembered a great song of theirs, but it was stolen by none other than Lil Jon.

LMFAO Ft LIl Jon - Shot

While we can all mostly agree this is a great party song.  I sure there is footage of me and my crews blowing rooms up with this song.  I'm certain.  But, I think most will agree with me, if there is no Lil Jon, this song would not be what it is.  

However, both of those above do not really fit the proper bill for what I was looking for, I was trying to research songs that were train wrecks yet the Rap feature gave it some credit.  

I hope the industry out there truly considers what they are shoveling, and understands you cant slap two awesome artists together and expect to get amazing music.  Most of us, I believe, are downloading music and that in itself should be a statement.  That we will get it to listen to it, but we won't buy it. 

I had hoped after 10+ years of the digital download age that the industry would pay attention.  Most people will buy what they like  If they don't like it, but it's tolerable, well you didnt pay for it.  There are tons of ways the Industry can measure what you like and what you don't.  

I like a little bit of everything, but it has to blow me away, for me to love it.  I don't care if it's Pavarotti singing Rap with Khia...if the song is good, awesome!  Speaking of which, the concepts I have been talking about, a lot of times are fixed by, none other than, mash up artists.  Girl Talk and Super Mash Bros have turned music that some of us otherwise would not care for and make it into instant hits. Personally, Khia.  I hate her music, but Super Mash Bros has a great track with Khia included in it

Super Mash Bros - Stop that Booty (Here we Come)

Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to get a lot of these performers to come to a concert and perform with these mash up artists.  I think it would be quite epic.  

I hope you all are listening to music, or watching something that puts a smile on your face, something that gets your head grooving.   Raise your voices, the industry has to bend to our will, not the other way around.  Remember that.

Spectacular Spider-Man A Retrospective

I have been slowly absorbing as much material as is possible with my heavy work load lately. Landing new projects has been the theme of the month for myself as a PMP. However, the child inside cannot be suppressed and of course neither can the Comic Book fan. 

After finishing The Avengers: Earth Mightiest Heroes I decided to watch the Fantastic Four: Earths Greatest Heroes. To be honest, I have never been much of a fan of that particular comic book, even though I have many of those publications in my collections --Reading them is something I need to do (eventually). This particular series as I started to watch it, something inside me went "Bleh..." and I had to turn it off...

Fantastic Four: Earths Greatest Heroes - Did not readily inspire much enthusiasm for me. But I will get to it...

Perhaps it was my mood, the amount of work I had in front of me or simply my lack of interest in those characters. I decided to go toward one of my favorite series and look up Spider-Man. I have always loved the old school variations. Specifically Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends from the early 80's. I even remember watching the 1978 live action Amazing Spider-Man --Which I loved as a kid. I loved it so much, a close friend of my family who served in the Marines with one of my uncles who started a comic shop after the service gave me some of my first set of Spidey comics, among them a glass encased edition of #1 (but that's another story).

Some of my earliest comic book love and later purist and completest collecting behavior has stemmed from this early access to Spider-Man. Among the comics as many of you know from reading my notes and mini-blog posts (some not so mini) that it also goes toward collecting the animated series and films.

When I bypassed Fantastic Four for some Spider-Man I found The Spectacular Spider-Man. At first, I felt like I was watching something directly geared toward children and very young teens, of course most of these series are for those audiences; Yet finding it relevant and purposeful is a delight in itself.

Similarly scripted as The Avengers: Earth Mightiest Heroes much of the premise follows along the Silver age storylines with a variety of those early characters coming into play. Much of it also springing forth from either of two centralized characters the Kingpin via proxy in Tombstone and Oscorp. So the tech angles definitely pop up but most of it is very low key and focused mostly on the relationships that Peter Parker has with his closest friends and of course his struggle to help his Aunt May and maintain his responsibilities as Spider-Man and live up to his notion of what Ben Parker wanted him to be. 

I have thoroughly enjoyed the first 4 volumes, the first of which is titled Spider-Man: Attack of the Lizard the other volumes following The Spectacular Spider-Man: Volume 2 and so on.

I am looking forward to watching the next set of volumes for the second season then I will jump over to Spider-Man Unlimited which I never got a chance to get on DVD but with the entire series on Netflix I can watch the entire thing with my children. 

Like with any animated variations of a series there are always details that are either added, omitted or adapted for an audience, in this case certain things are conceded for a TV-Y7 audience. But even with that it is still a very solid series and the Symbiote Suit arc is easily among it's best stories. A few characters that are minor nuisances in the Marvel Universe yet part of the origins of Spidey are showcased nicely and it definitely adapts a young audience to a great comic book series that will slowly bring them into our world of comics (It has already worked for my girls).

It will be a week or two before I get it out of the way and move on to Unlimited and eventually I will get to the Fantastic Four series.

The Avengers: Earths Mightiest Heroes

I've been catching up on all kinds of comic book series with my kids. Most recently we saw all 26 episodes of The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes which aired on Disney XD and just recently in April completed airing. 

I will definitely say this, for a show that is roughly translating a lot of comic book events into a 26 episode series I found it entertaining. You can definitely feel the young teenage level of the story (it is on Disney after all). 

But you can also feel a solid connection to the characters we are getting used to, specifically the Robert Downey Jr. voice we know from the film. Thor was a little more on the RPG side of things, it felt very British chivalry to be honest. Hulk spoke much more often but was interesting to see. 

I like how essentially in this series you see a general thread connecting all the episodes where it demonstrates more and more how they tend to create their own problems. It is also quite interesting to see how the season slowly progresses toward Secret War / Civil War as well as toward the Skrull/Kree wars. 

Granted there are a few issues, like with any interpretation of a comic book into a series, but most of it is small and of no circumstances.

I actually had a very early gripe with a character Thor was fighting in the second episode Thor the Mighty. The character name was Wrecker. Now, I find out later this was a normal thing as is intended, however the audience (which is mostly kids and teenagers, some of which never read the earlier comics) won't know the connection.

Funny thing is, while I caught it, I didn't know enough about this character that it forced me to look him up and see if he appeared in any of the comics I had, which he did - but those are from Silver Age and I haven't opened them since the early 1990's. 

Wrecker carries a crowbar...

Nothing fancy, just a crowbar, yet when Thor charges at him with Mjolnir and strikes him from above, wrecker blocks it with the crowbar...

At first thought, this also being episode two...I of course yelled out, "That's a load of Bull!" thinking to myself that the producers of the series created a gaping hole in their plot if Thor's hammer could not best a simple crowbar...

I found from reading a few of my older comics and from some research online (to find these comics) Wrecker's crowbar is bestowed with similar enchantments to Mjolnir...O_o

OK, that's a new WTF moment...

He also bestowed some of that power to him crew and lost some of his total power. Later being restored. So you can imagine I was blown away that something so simple was actually a lot more than it really was. I'm more amazed at the weirdness of the weapon and the character - He is essentially a lower level nobody. He does appear again later on in this series and given more power by the Leader with Gamma irradiated booster technology. 

However, any kid, teen or comic fan like myself getting a fix from this series will catch it right away and rage at the potential for a crowbar to actually stand against Mjolnir...Wrecker and his obviously whoa WTF awesome crowbar has no back end story or explanation (unless you know the comics). 

There are a lot of other cool little tidbits in the series what I like to call the "Thing's that make you go Hmm..." moments. 

While I couldn't help but slightly compare it to the higher production value of Iron Man: Armored Adventures it was a great show, even if the Iron Man series was a re-imagining as Tony Stark in his teenage years. the Art was cleaner and the CGI was well done.

The Avengers are rooted in the old interpretations of some of the comic characters and is true to the background of those characters, for the most part (which I liked a lot) - Specifically a scene that made me chuckle where Captain America is teaching Tony Stark how to fight. Tony completely getting his ass kicked. Wanting to rely solely on his armor as opposed to any skills. Where Rogers relies on training hard work and tactical skill. 

As the series carries on it introduces larger and more grandiose scenarios as they have to save the world more and more often. Keeping in mind with this as anyone watches it, and then sees a film like X-Men:First Class you will immediately notice a specific character plot hole in the Wasp...specifically her powers and abilities, and the fact that she was a wealthy socialite, not a penniless girl that needed to strip for money...Not to bash the film, I did like it as a film, not as an X-men film. 

My only other gripe is the same most comic books that share the earth normally face. The storylines are not in a vacuum. If the world is being taken over by a race of aliens, there are other mutants and super heroes that will pop up and give a lending hand. Excluding many of them is awkward sometimes. 

Again, this is just an animated series and is designed more toward a younger crowd. I recommend giving it a look, it certainly helps waiting out the eagerness to watch The Avengers coming out next year.

X-Men First Class: Two Points Of View Review

I didn't originally get to review this film, my advanced screening opportunity fell on the night I had work @ AIU, so I figured I wouldn't be reviewing this one. After watching it last night, I decided to change my mind and at last talk about the film from two different perspectives.

• I am going to give you two perspectives. 
• One of a guy watching a movie. 

Perspective I | A Comic Book Fan and Collector:

One that knows just about everything there is to know about these characters. (Well, almost everything). 

As a guy watching a movie, First Class delivers a fantastic journey into the world of the X-Men at their birth. The actors are fantastic and you can connect with them right away, especially the flirtatious and not usually seen behavior of Charles Xavier; who is a genius very early on and highly compassionate. The story while connected to Charles, as much as it is with Erik Lensherr, does feel more of a focus on Magneto's life and his plight above everyone else.

I enjoyed the connections and I enjoyed the action. Overall it was very satisfying even were I not a comic book fan, I could enjoy it and essentially understand from a mainstream concept what was going on and why certain things connected together. It felt almost like a reboot in the spirit of Smallville. The writing and direction took this film into a place that made it believable and utilized a more humanizing touch. Especially in the concept of good vs evil, frailty, life, and death.

The special effects were excellent although some of the concepts behind the effects on Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon) were a little strange, it still did not completely detract from the story and what was going on. Again, akin to the Smallville like story telling, the climax was a little unsatisfactory and seemed to finish too quickly for my taste. I would have (perhaps) liked to have seen more of a struggle. I won't issue details that will ruin it, but you will understand from my parallel to Smallville especially where the character Doomsday was concerned in that series' finally.

Overall it was enjoyable, it had a good amount of action without dumbing it down with monotonous chatter, yet some of the drama poured through especially with Magneto's story. I would recommend anyone in the mainstream to see this as it will give you a good movie for your monies worth.

Perspective II | From the eyes of a Fan:

First Class made me shrug and shake my head often. Despite the movie being well done and having a variety of excellent story features that made sense and allowed for a proper flow that would leave no stone un-turned, rather the plot holes were not apparent to the laymen...to me as an avid fan and historian of comic books all I saw were holes.

For starters. Professor X and Mystique do not meet in their youth, Mystique is also not part of the First Class. Mystique is said to be potentially over a hundred years old, putting her age completely off in this timeline. Sebastian Shaw does not encounter the X-Men until well past the Phoenix Saga. I don't recall Alex Summers being in prison? Azazel being in this film made no sense, especially since they never explored the connection between he and Mystique...If you knew Nightcrawler was the product of a fated Azazel and Mystique union, and figured well perhaps they would have an encounter here to build on that possibility - it's not going to happen. Azazel is more a drone than an active member. A sentry would be a better description. In truth I felt that the producers and directors had this conversation behind closed doors:

Bryan Singer - "You know...the nightcrawler scenes in X-men 2 were pretty badass..."
Matthew Vaughn - "I agree, totally kicked ass"
BS - "We should do that again...in this one...but it can't be nightcrawler...who do we use?"
MV - "I know...we'll use his dad...fuck it...we'll make it work!"
BS - "Totally Bro!"

Because that is really what Azazel provided, an easy kick-ass factor, where they delved nothing into his character and didn't even consider the utilization of his story. 

Another Immediate plot hole. NOTE: ***Spoiler*** While interesting and cool to see Logan (Hugh Jackman) in this film, for a few seconds, his one line "Fuck Off!" seemed impressively fitting if not perfectly appropriate. 

Can't find the reasoning yet? During X-Men Origins: Wolverine, you had of course Hugh Jackman as Logan, but you also see in that particular film a very young Emma Frost, aka The White Queen. I will say first I loved January Jones in First Class...Dear God, she was an exquisite Emma Frost, but by throwing in Logan, you now completely threw any normal continuity attempt (as if there was any regardless) out the window because of the age differences. 

Granted, we all know that Emma Frost can use her abilities to manipulate what you see her as, however this films timeline predates X-Men Origins: Wolverine. She uses none of that ability in that film, and it can't be stated as that as a cop-out, seriously now... 

So this is a bit of a fanboy raging on my part (whether it's rational i'll leave to you to deem). Beyond this I can reveal quite a few other issues but it would in effect take away from the film if you happen to watch it, so I will keep that to myself. I could reveal and spoil the Wolverine cameo because chances are you already knew he was popping in the movie, just not where, when or how.

While my inner Comic fanboy screamed and raged, my inner film fanboy was perfectly content. It's a duality I have when it comes to watching movies. I can understand the necessity to work with content and derive more stories from it by adding a little embellishment here and there. I can also cry out in frustration to state the obvious and unnecessary aspects of a producer and directors need to make something their own. When in truth it is not their own, it is something the fandom has loved for generations. 

This is a story that has multiple elements comprised that are not necessarily told in the comics we have read, however in pieces they are their own respective stories from separate timelines and separate characters. Considering how comics, as they are, can many times branch out into a variety of storylines without regard for others, it almost makes sense to allow the films to do the same. I can paraphrase the last paragraph into "Ah, fuck it! it works."

I would still suggest those entrenched in the fandom to watch this film and formulate their own opinion. While it frustrated my inner fanboy on many levels it still somewhat held some relative intrinsic value. 

Film Fanboy | 4 out of 5 Geeks will love it
Comic Fanboy | 3 out of 5 Geeks will love it
Overall | 3.5 out of 5 Geeks

Why Gamers Are (Should Be) Leading The Way...Everyone Else Is Slow!

--- This is a rant, this rant will be long, this has been a warning of the emergency rant system ---

Why are Gamers leading the way Camacho?  Are you on another rant?

We gamers are a voracious bunch, regardless of the genre of game we are playing, we make harsh demands on developers and for the most part we get what we want.  Because when we don't, oh god...Run!

And yes, this is a damn rant!? XD

Oooh a Rant...O.K. I'm Reading

We lead the way in voicing our opinions, we lead the way in breaking the molds of racism, and prejudices, because we play online with all kinds of people everyday.  Men, women, black, white, yellow, red, gay, straight, bi, transgendered, OMG Cat, and Sign me off Piano Cat...It doesn't matter.  All that matters is the game.

When we want more gaming we demand it online and we eventually (usually) get it (in time).  Even the failed attempts since the late 80's to connect us to the internet with consoles.  The random modem slot underneath our GameCube's that were being worked on, we might not have gotten it then (at least not completely), but developers and companies kept pushing the envelope to make it happen.

When the Gaming world started to venture into the Digital world (Yes I know games are all kind of Digital...well, mostly) Publishers and Developers could have kept selling them only from Brick and Mortar locations and not provided online direct2download options.  But we pushed, and they delivered.  We save more because of it, they make more because of it! 

Overall, we as gamers from a small perspective have helped pave the way for some progress...

Here is where I think we can help the rest of the world...

Ok Camacho? So you're crabby about something that's outdated and think we should all bitch about it for you?

In a word...Yes.

There are few things we as a people (as a society) or perhaps not us, but "it's" certain organizations that are trapped in the stone age with certain outdated items we should not have to deal with anymore...

Snail Mail, Faxes and Sending Signatures via Mail

I have been fighting for 3 years now 8 intrusions into my identity.  Some occurred on the road during our convention tours (SGC, AUSA, Anime Boston, etc. etc.).  Others while sitting in a restaurant.  In two separate occurrences someone gained my information via a WiFi scanner.

Of course I have fought them and got most of my money back, I am still fighting for 2 of those intrusions. One maxed out a credit card and bought a ton of LCD Panels...Especially in my business, when the credit card company sees the history and argues - "We are not paying you back, those were your purchases, you buy a lot of TV's with this card."  XD RAGE@!!

Needless to say, money mostly regained and credit being repaired, but it's taking years.

I keep getting these phone calls from one particular company, West Asset Management - Number comes up from Desoto, Texas.  The calls have been coming since January to the new house in Port St. Lucie.  

I have answered and talked to them and 4 different times they want someone that is not part of our household.  So I have pointed out to them who I was, to help them understand they have the wrong number. Today I got that call again and now a 5th persons name...Does this company have any clerical or operational organization?  

Really, 5 different people, constantly removed from the list...come on people, get it right.

I finally speak to a management person and it turns out they had me as someone that owed a debt.  I have been clearing out all debts for years and have nothing left except some personal debts, and medical bills (that don't appear on a credit report). Then I learned it was some kind of debt from Sprint that was "supposed" to have been corrected last year.  I have it all documented, receipts and confirmation numbers.  So now begins the long and tedious process of clearing it from my credit report.

So instead of letting me email copies or scanned documents.  I have to write a letter to them, sign it and then send my original paperwork???

No...I'm not giving up original paperwork.  You get copies you dumbasses...

Why in our world of technology do I have to 

1. Waste paper and ink printing out a letter
2. Waste more paper with envelopes and copies of paperwork
3. Spend time and money mailing out these forms (which also spends money on vehicle fuel to get these parcels to their location, adding to higher green house gasses)
4. Wait the time it takes for it to get there
5. Wait for them to open the envelope and read my letter (to only throw away the envelope, further killing trees and effecting greenhouse gases by reducing the population of plants that absorb Carbon Dioxide and breath out Oxygen...)
6. Wait for them to send paperwork to Sprint (repeating virtually the same process above on it's way back to Sprint)
7. Wait for Sprint to Repeat #4-5 and then send it back starting the process again to West Asset Management 
8. For West Asset Management to Repeat #4-5
9. Wait for West Asset Management to realize, they are a bunch of Derps.  Starting their version of my process to send the proper paperwork to Experian, Trans Union and Equifax to tell them this needs to be removed.
10. Wait for these three companies to experience #4-5 and then remove this issue off of my credit.

It's a nasty amount of waste that can take months, even years...and it has!  These scenarios I have had to clear on my credit (as I'm sure others have had to as well).

If they followed their business strategy the way gaming industries think...It would literally be this way..

1. 3:20PM I get the call...
2. 4:00PM I understand they actually do have me on a list and I explain the issue.
3. 4:10PM I scan my paperwork, email it to the clerk at West Asset Management.
4. 4:15PM He sees I am telling the truth - he forwards it over to Sprint, along with the Copy of the Sprint Letterhead I have apologizing to me for the issue with associated reference numbers.
5. 4:20PM An Account Manager at Sprint Corporate opens their email (because I would still be on the phone with West Asset Management and have them call to let them know of incoming traffic to their inbox).
6. 4:30PM Sprint Account Manager replies, "close account, there is no debt owed." 
7. 4:35PM West Asset Management Clerk - Forwards this reply from Sprint to the three Credit Agencies. I remain on the line as he contacts each one to inform them of the incoming traffic into their inboxes.
8. 4:50PM West Asset Management has cleared me from their system and gives me confirmation from the three credit agencies that my credit report no longer shows this issue.
9. 4:51PM I am online checking my credit reports and verifying this information while I still have West Asset Management on the Line.
10. I verify it's cleared and print out the record as a backup for myself with all associated reference numbers. The info of the West Asset Clerk, I spoke with, and store it all properly to use later on if I have to report money owed to me in taxes from associated companies that inappropriately reported negative credit.

My Credit would be reflected instantly online on the three reporting bodies.

Not even two hours to solve a simple problem without the bureaucracy and redtape associated with personal finances that hurt and effect people everyday (in effect, harming the entire global economy, as the US sets the economy)...

We as Gamers need to help the push to "easier-use" technology and force companies to remove their obsolescence.  And help the economy to boot!

Dude the Government screws us too!

The government has so many stupid idiotic criteria on small things that it's crippling itself and burning more money on wasteful micro-government and we all pay for it in taxes.

Whoa, slow down Camacho, we have no control over that...

Yes...Yes you do!

VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! correctly.  Actually, correctly is a personal choice...Just frakking vote!

The more we as gamers (Most of us in the 18-25 age ranges do not vote [56-67% of that population] according to the US Census).  To use a phrase that is not politically correct...That's retarded...

We are an enormous community that can swing votes in our own direction if we put our collective minds together and are focused in our efforts.

Here is an example of stupid micro-government in a wasteful and obsolete manner.

We had a recent car accident, on my way to AIU (Where I was consulting a Gaming Design Program). Sabrina got a ticket.  It also happens to be that time of year to renew insurance, tags, etc.

With the ticket, they suspended her license...all because an idiot cut us off and caused a small pile up...we got the blame...I wanted to knock out the cop who was an idiot (but the statute is not his fault, he was just a jerk), but alas I was a good boy. (I was polite, I stayed in the car XD) 

To fix this problem Sabrina had to go pay for the ticket, so she could reinstate her license (her license was taken at the scene). Side note: This ended up causing me to have a friend Jules Casanova drive me to AIU (I'm still on some medication, can't drive), Jules is a life saver, shout out! *hugs*.  

Sabrina paid for her ticket.  

Now to get her license back.  To accomplish this simple task, she had to walk into the DMV with a birth certificate...easy enough. DMV told her...nope, you need a Certified Birth Certificate...So her "Birth Certificate" doesn't work...WTF!

She then figured, fine, I'll go get it in Miami.  She would for now, go renew the insurance, which I did.  Now to renew the tag(s)...

"Sorry Ma'am you need an ID" - the clerk stated to her.

When she walked in (Both our cars are in her name, I was on the road most of the time so Sabrina takes care of stuff like this).  She shows them her Birth Certificate, same argument...needs to be a Certified Birth Certificate...

These people are seriously at risk of Sabrina ripping them to shreds...

She goes to get her Certified Birth Certificate...

"Can I see your ID" XD XD XD XD

So...Everyone in Miami is now killed, as Sabrina goes thermonuclear due to this stupidity...

This is a circular and paradoxical problem caused by insanely stupid and ineffective micro-government.  

It would be far simpler to think like a gamer and get with the times and move forward with Retinal ID's, Biometric Scanners, and the like.  I'm not talking about "Gattaca" where you prick your finger all day long giving blood for all kinds of ID purposes.  No...I'm talking about simple options (that already exist).  Most of our lives are already online, our images, records, education, credit, to the point of reductio ad absurdum...

It's there...how about we tether that info to us, our body, not a piece of paper or plastic we can lose; That gets taken away.  

This would make life a lot easier in a number of ways...not to mention shrink all that garbage micro-government, everyone hates anyway, and save us a ton of tax dollars...

It would even make life a lot easier in terms of Identity theft...Imagine paying for your bill by scanning your eye or pressing your thumb on a scanner...paying for bills with your social security or simply a credit card number associated to your biometrics.  

Sure, theft of this kind would occur, nothing is perfectly safe; it would for certain be a lot harder to accomplish.

So what now?

I have no clue, we need to raise our voices and help push technology and our opinions toward progress, because a lot of what surrounds us is completely obsolete and outdated.  

I can go into other examples, like the large amount of people standing around and watching one guy work on a road that endlessly never gets finished...When we know there is equipment that takes one guy to run and another set of boots on the ground to manage a path and can deliver one mile of road every hour...But hey, that's progress.  And our world makes progress and profit out of halting progress.

Rant over...Derp

<M>