To my friend, Sgt. Saldivar (on the right in the photo below), who is on active duty and for everyone else who has served in our military, current and past, I thank you. If not for you, we would not be able to enjoy this weekend nor any others in quite the same way. Come home safe buddy.
Read more about the Gratitude Campaign here: http://www.gratitudecampaign.org
In a previous posting, I raved about the things I love about RedBox and a few things I don’t like about them. Well, with their recent decision to no longer send out free movie codes each week, I not only have another thing to add to the hate it list, but I have to publicly say that I’m no longer using RedBox at all. RedBox execs I hope you’re listening.
Here’s why I think your decision is so dumb:
a) I unsubscribed myself from all of your SMS text alerts and email alerts. So I no longer think about you every Monday.
b) I used to get the free movies every Monday knowing that I would come back on Tuesdays to get the new release movies (which I paid for). Guess what? Since you’re no longer giving out free movies on Monday, I have no reason to go to the store. Nor do I need to come back on Wednesdays anymore to return the weekly new release.
c) Not only did you screw things up for yourselves, but you have affected the sales at Albertson’s stores as well. I would drive 5 miles out of my way to rent a DVD from RedBox when I knew that Blockbuster was right across the street from my house. And since I was there already, I would shop everytime I was there. But with a Ralph’s right by my house and no reason to visit the RedBox DVD machine, why would I go out of my way to drive to Albertson’s?
Whatever “brilliant” marketing guy over there at RedBox decided that RedBox shouldn’t give away free Monday movies anymore should be fired. And hopefully as a result of a decline in sales at Albertson’s, they’ll ask you to remove your DVD dispensers from their stores.
Listen up execs at RedBox, I already had a Blockbuster Total Access (home delivery via mail) service yet I stilled used your DVD machines in the store. But you know what? I have no more incentive to go out of my way to rent movies from you anymore. My prediction: you’ll be out of business by the end of the year thanks to this decision.
I’ve always loved the movie Seabiscuit (check out the real Seabiscuit story on WikiPedia here) – especially now during these tough economic times. The movie reminds me that we will all suffer at some point in our lives, but also that with dedication, determination, and a strong will to survive, that one can overcome any obstacle.
I don’t play the lottery, but I noticed today’s Daily 4 winning numbers. WOW. What are the chances of every number being the same? I’ll bet there are a lot of people out there that play numbers like this!
In ancient Greece, scholar and intellectual, Dr. Socrates was reputed to hold knowledge in high esteem. One day an acquaintance met the great philosopher and said, “Do you know what I just heard about one of your friends?”
“Hold on a minute,” Dr. Socrates replied. “Before telling me anything I’d like you to pass a little test. It’s called the Triple Filter Test.”
“Triple filter?” asked the man.
“That’s right,” Dr. Socrates continued. “Before you talk to me about my friend, it might be a good idea to take a moment and filter what you’re going to say. That’s why I call it the triple filter test.
The first filter is Truth.
“Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?”
“No,” the man said, “actually I just heard about it and wanted to tell it to you”
“All right,” said Socrates. “So you don’t really know if it’s true or not.”
Now let’s try the second filter, the filter of goodness.
“Is what you are about to tell me about my friend something good?”
“No, on the contrary, it is bad ”
“So,” Socrates continued, “you want to tell me something bad about him, but you’re not certain it’s true.”
You may still pass the test
“Is what you want to tell me about my friend going to be useful to me?”
“No, not really.” Replied the man.
“Well,” concluded Dr. Socrates, “if what you want to tell me is neither true, nor good, nor even useful to me, then why tell it to me at all.”
A Passing Thought:
An arrow which has left the bow and killed an innocent soul, and a spoken-word which has come out of your mouth and hurt someone’s heart, both can never be recalled. So before speaking, please use the triple filter.
