This one is for LadyK....the only person in the world who misses me...

So i'm conducting an interview with myself to give an update about what is going on....

You can probably figure out the question by my answer...it's like one of those deduction tests or something.

1) Yes, i am alive.
2) Yes, i am still a nut about grammar.
3) Yes, the "i" does still not count in my rules.
4) No, I don't still play Dealdash. In fact i haven't even looked at the site, watched it, or analyzed it.
5) Yes, you can consider it some type of Dealdash rehab situation. No more penny auctions. No more spending my time watching Dealdash and commenting. I did love it. And i do miss it.
6) Well, i had to quit because i had to focus on some real life things. Like money, jobs, and mortgages. As in - i needed money, therefore needed to work, so i could pay my interest-only mortgage (we won't talk about that right now).
7) No i can't seem to make any kind of living as a writer even though that is what i would like to do. Only Lady K and my parents would by my book.
8)Well, the only way i think i will come back to blogging is through my other site...wikiwikiworld...i have to get that up and running again. It is based more on life beyond dealdash. Like real life things and stories. Which i tended to end up writing about on Dealdash, but maybe on a regular site more people would check me out.
9)Yes, there are still only a select few people who think i'm entertaining. Do my dogs count?
10) I actually do have a real life. I think i explained at one point that i am a "hot nerd." That pretty much still sums it up.
11) No, i haven't had any more crashes on my mountain bike. 
12) No, I can't actually believe that i still get hits on this website. It makes me warm and fuzzy inside.
13) No, i have never gone back to IHOP for breakfast. But i did go to a Denny's and didn't order anything off the healthy menu. I believe I got some type of egg. I realized at these places you have to order a biscuit and gravy. No one can really mess up gravy. Then you poor the gravy over the eggs and everything tastes like gravy.
14) I actually do have alot to say on the subject of "gravy." I don't know how many people really give gravy props, but i have alot of thoughts about gravy. Mental note - blog about gravy.
15) So yes, i am actually at work right now, so i should probably end my self interview.

Until we meet again....
DD411

Yes, One more time about being on hold

Ok, i really am finding that when i am on hold, it is a great few minutes to check dealdash and blog a bit. And surprise, i am on hold.  I'm bitter about the under $1 wins they have posted.  But that seems to be my norm.

But here is what i really want to say:

Has every single automated phone system in the world "recently changed their menu"?  You know what i mean right? "please listen carefully as our menu has recently changed." I don't think i have come across a menu that hasn't recently changed. Have you? I mean seriously??

I am so sick of recorded voices demanding me to pay attention because they did NOT change their menu in the last 5 years. They just say that so you pay attention. It is really not cool.

So what i am proposing is a National Automated Phone System regulation to be passed. There is a set amount of time you can have your recording say that the menu has recently changed. There is a time limit. Maybe 3 months or something. Because you usually don't have to call some of these places all the time. You don't remember what button to push so you are going to listen to the recording anyway. So i guess if you call on a monthly basis, you will need this information about a recently changed menu. But the rest of us who call only once in awhile are already going to listen to the darn menu options because we need to make the right choice. We actually don't care that it changed because we don't remember what it was like last time we called. So don't give us the b.s. "pay attention" moment. It wastes 2-3 seconds of our lives. We are already going to spend the next 10 minutes on hold waiting for you, so give us back this 3 seconds of life. And don't sternly tell me to pay attention. I'm not in kindergarten.

So after the set period of time, you are required by law to make your automated phone message no longer say that the menu has recently changed. Because it hasn't. Real people always tell us what to do, so don't have a recorded voice tell me what to do too.

DD411: Well well well - What do we have here....

Yup. I could possibly be the worst blogger ever since i post so infrequently now. I know i always give excuses but they are legit! I don't have time to watch DealDash any more, let alone re-join and play. it is a sad day for me to admit that. In fact, i was thinking i should clean out my accounts on all the sites i have been on. I bet i have bids left all over the place. if i can even remember which username and password i used for each site. that's the only problem when you change things up too much...
Contrary to popular belief, i do have a real job and have a major client who takes up every ounce of my time. Then, in my limited free time, i build two companies that i own. NOw i'm not patting myself on the back here....one has made a little money and the other has made a big fat zero. So when i get these companies up to an amazing level, i'll be the deal dash king. For real. maybe i'll have my own penny auction and make my own rules and anyone who annoys me gets a time out. i have monstrous ideas about how to makes a super fun PA.

Anyway, i have updates -
Kindle Fire fiasco part 1 and 2
Major frustration about certain stop signs
Rainboots

DD411 - Am I The Only One?

Yeah, yeah, people are bidding on stuff. I've been traveling and unable to follow deal dash with my usual zeal. And i am still super bitter when i see computers sold for $0.45. Remember i have regressed to the "it's not fair" view of deal dash. So i hate seeing that. It ruins my day.

So instead i want to throw something else out there.

Am I the only one (notice use of capital I - this means i am being super serious. See this all helps to create emotion and emphasis subtly) who thinks the new iphone is NOT ok? I mean they are basically creating a little personal machine that can kind of "think" on its own.   Is any one worried about this? Is it just me?  It is creeeeeeeepy. Has no one actually watched War Games and Terminator Series recently? Haven't we learned what can happen in an over computerized world? SKYNET! JOSHUA! We have already seen what can happen if a computer self-realizes and goes rogue. Did we not learn a lesson from Arnold? Everyone launched nukes at each other accidentally and then machines take over.  It's called Judgement Day people. I suggest you rent War Games, Terminator 1, 2, 3, (but not that random one that was stuck in there before Salvation came out).  Then you may look at your iphone differently.

I think the new iphone is getting too close to making machines too powerful. That is my thought for the day. I'm sure i will have more to say about this. I will end with a mangled quote from the late genius Michael Crichton ( i know i am butchering this quote - my apologies in advance).

"Scientists are so busy inventing all the things that they could, but they never stop to think if they SHOULD."

i'll have to look the real quote up later. But you get my point. Now go watch the world be destroyed by thinking machines and have a healthy fear of your new iphone.

dd411: a Very Kindle Moment

so we have all seen that pre order for the kindle fire up on dealdash..since i am fully  bitter person now, i see that and say why the heck did i just buy a regular kindle only to have it totally shown up by the new kindle? this is something that makes me nuts. i finally say ok ill get the stinking kindle and now i cant even enjoy it without cooler stuff coming out. you maybe saying "well dude you are a few  years late on the kindle...so of course there are better ones now." to that i say "i never said i wasn't a moron. i was so into my discman even while everyone moved on to ipods and stuff."

remember when it was totally ok to carry around this giant discman machine? and you were so awesome if you got the  cassette tape hook up so you could use your disc man in the car? do they even make cars with cassette players any more? can you request one?  i cant believe i am finally old enough to start the "back in my day..." and i get shocked looks.  "wait....you used to hold that giant discman in your hand when you went running? i hope you switched it from hand to hand so you didn't end up with one giant arm muscle from holding that brick.."  or "what do you mean if you went over a bump in the car your discman would skip a beat??? what is skipping a beat anyway? how did you live like that?"    

                 ok back to the kindle. so a few months ago i bought  a darn kindle and i got that insurance thing from best buy because i am notorious for dropping all electronic items constantly. yes i went through many a discman and walkman.  my dog tends to eat all my things too so i got the free replacement plan with that in mind as well. 

What's worse than forgetting a book or kindle before you get on a long flight?? i will tell you...it is being on the actual flight, getting your kindle out and finding it the screen all messed up because your 100 lb dog stepped on it.... (so i deduced)...which just happened to me. I'm on the stinking airplane and find out my Kindle is toast. I mean toast. For some reason in my head, a kindle is like an extra sturdy little machine. It doesn't seem as fragile as an i phone or or computer or tablet. To me it was like a little sheet of cement. This is not true. Don't ask me why i thought i could toss this thing around like a frisbee. Actually, maybe once i realized i had the insurance, i realized i could toss it around because it was insured. In case you were wondering, i also have the insurance on my cell phone. I tend to drop that thing like it is my job. I do the drop followed by a kick sometimes too. I need the insurance for sure.

Anyway, back to the Kindle-airplane fiasco.  So now i am stuck on a long flight with no book to read, no games to play, and thank god i had just downloaded some podcasts onto my DealDash ipod, so at least i had a little something to do.

Upon my return home, i marched right into Best Buy all confident and proud because it was busted but I was smart enough to get the insurance. You may be thinking this story is headed down the path of "didn't read the fine print and any pet-inflicted kindle injury is not covered by the insurance." But don't worry. Before i got the insurance i asked a series of pointed questions to check this out:

Me: So if my dog chews on my kindle, i get a brand new one?
Clerk: Yes
Me: So if i run over it with my car, I bring it back and I get a brand new kindle?
Clerk: Yes
Me: What if it is in a million pieces.
Clerk: As long as you bring all the pieces with you.
Me: What if i forget one of the hundred pieces that it is in?
Clerk: As long as you have the majority  you're fine.
Me: So i drop it in the toilet and it gets water-logged, I still get a brand new one?
Clerk: yes
Me: What if i take it to the beach and a tiny grain of sand gets in it and wreaks havoc?
Clerk: new one
Me: What if i decide to open the back, take it all apart and try to put it back together again and it doesn't work. Will you replace that?
clerk: yes.
Me: I think i've done my due diligence. I'll take it.

So Best Buy/Geek Squad peeps check it all out. They are like "woah how did this happen?" You must have banged the poopies out of this thing." I told them i actually didn't bang it on anything. They said it somehow had to be crushed to make the screen look the way it was looking. I said it really wasn't crushed. in fact, I let them know that i believed my dog had stepped on it while i was charging it up the night before i left. I had it charging on the floor. (i never said i was a genius). I love it when they totally don't believe you and the dude gives me this look like "oh sure, that's what happened..." like i won't tell him how it really happened. He even reassures me by saying "it doesn't matter how it happened we will replace it no matter what you did to it." Like that would give me the confidence to spill the beans about what i was actually doing with my Kindle. What did he expect me to say? Oh I was playing basketball with it and hit the rim. Oh my friend hit a killer home run with it. Oh i was jumping on it with my pogo stick. Oh i was reading high up in a tree and it fell and hit a few branches on the way down. I was lost in the desert and tried to dig for water with it. I used it for archery practice.

They weren't buying my dog story at ALL. the guys says, with this look, "so how big is your dog?" Like i must have a dog the size of a Clydesdale to ruin a Kindle like that. i say he is about 100 lbs. He gave me the look again and then we moved on. He probably couldn't believe someone would be dumb enough to leave their kindle laying in the middle of the wood floor through the night for it to get stepped on. Oh but i did.
So they say what is music to my ears...."go pick out a new kindle." Score! I head over to the Kindle section and i notice that the price on the exact same one i had is like $80 less because it was "old." I started to feel that bitterness rise up in my stomach because i overpaid. And that the new Kindle Fire was actually only $10 more than what i had paid on my old school Kindle. So with my suave negotiation skills, I paid $10 and pre-ordered the Kindle Fire as my replacement. (ok no negotiations necessary - upgrade was part of the deal).
So i have to wait a few weeks, but now i get the Kindle fire. And yes, i will be getting the insurance on my new kindle. Just in case i get a flat tire and need to use my Kindle to jack up my car.

End Story. This was a happy story. I am actually shocked that it all worked out ok. Although i am still waiting for the ball to drop...things aren't supposed to be this easy. Maybe gremlins are going to steal my new Kindle and gremlin theft won't be covered by insurance....

So how cool would it be if DealDash embraced the 3D movement? (by the way, what on earth is 4D? should i go look it up?)

I think dealdash should let  you put on 3d glasses and then if you win the auction, the item gets thrown at you. hahaha. so awesome.

DD411: Bean Bags

You want to know what else i think? (don't actually answer that)

These should be One per User. Because seriously, no one should ever have more than 1 bean bag chair. Unless you are 5.  It's really more of a  good will gesture to not allow people to have more than one.

And this thing I admit is kind of cool...right out of that Hammacher Schlammacher catalog. I know that isn't the exact name of the company but it is much more memorable when it rhymes. i can't ever remember the second word. This is like a perfect christmas gift for that someone you don't really know that well....you aren't sure about their interests and tastes, but you don't want to get them a sweater or gift card. They are kind of new in your life so it would be polite to get them a gift of some sort....that is when you buy the "cool object" gift. I think this qualifies as a "cool object" gift. Or get something awesome from ThinkGeek.com.  

You know...like your daughter's new boyfriend....he's coming over for christmas so he should have a gift to open, but you really don't know him that well. Or your kid's college friend who lived too far away to go home for Christmas and is coming to your house. The new neighbor coming to your Christmas...it is really fits nicely into the cool object category.

 I can see this as a gift in the office "gift pool" or secret santa...because you don't always know what your co-worker would want...unless they are pale and you can get them the self-tanner. 

And I like Hannukah too, so you can always gift it at your Hannukah party. It is not CHristmas specific. FYI.

DealDash411: Really?

So yeah....really?? Why on earth is this on the site? Hmm...maybe because PA players spend too much time at their computers so they are super pale, and they may want to pretend to be tan! ok. That must be it. 

maybe it is time to start compiling a list of the most random items you've come across in any PA.....post away people. I'll have to think back on some....

Drummerboy vs hsimpson...

hsimpson, a newbie is going head on against drummerboy....hsimpson you really shouldn't be doing that. drummerboy is going to win and is just toying with you...

DealDash411: Tips, Hints, Strategies, Commentary

Kilroy? Who are you?? You commented! You check out my blog! I'm so happy. Sometimes i think LadyK and drummerboy just check my blog alot so that i feel like i have alot of visitors. Thanks guys.

Alright, I have no more excuses for why i can't watch dealdash all the time right now...oh wait yes i do....

- that thing we don't like called work,
- mountain bike crash
- new season of Survivor started (Ozzie and Coach are back. I love to hate the dragon slayer).
-  i got sick (i'm not funny when i'm sick). Maybe that's why i was so bitter for a few days. I was getting sick. But i kind of like it when i'm bitter. I enjoyed those posts. Anyway, back to my excuses:

- I am still getting bitter when i see things go for a few pennies. What can i say.
- IT showed up back again and I had to click off quickly so i wouldn't ruin my day.
- Dry Cleaning bill was so much that i had to get a second job to pay the bill.
- Suddenly i've heard this thing i say all the time (in the way i say it) on the radio and on tv, so now everyone is going to think i do it because i heard it on tv and not know that i've done it for minimum 10 years. It's a drawn out "what?" which sounds more like "watt" but with lots of aaaa. Waaaaaaaaaatttt. "W" is a lower tone and aaaaatttt is a high pitch finish. So hard to explain on blogs. It sounds like it is annoying but it really isn't. But now everyone is going to think i got it from tv and i'm bummed. I created it. I promise you. The glory is all mine. And now i will probably have to abandon it. I'm really really upset about it.  Heartbroken and angry, actually.
- the Stop n' Go by my house kept running out of coffee, so i had to boycott and picket them for the 15 minutes they needed to brew more.
 - my email still gets a bazillion copy of each email i receive and i just can't bring myself to call the help line and sit on hold again so they can NOT fix it. I think today i'll surpass 7000 emails in my inbox. GO ME.
- Every time i see that IHOP card on Dealdash that super 80's Cyndi Lauper (spelling on that? not sure. too lazy to go find out) She-Bop comes into my head. You know it? I-bop, you-bop, they-bop or something like that, but now i lead in with IHOP instead of I-bop. It is driving me crazy.
- my friend mgoldstein totally biffed it on the math during that last frenzy and is not happy with the win. I had to console my moronic friend.
- hmmmm does that about cover it? I can't be sure.

And i would just like to say, I wouldn't call this item something for "all size dogs."  All i have to say is a great quote from a great movie, "You obviously don't know my dog." Really, it is something for "well behaved" dogs of any size. My two monsters would work all day to bust this thing open. It would have to be a metal safe of some sort to keep those two out.  Even if i recorded a harsh "No"  they wouldn't care. I've seen the determination they have to get into that locking trashcan i have in the kitchen. It is impressive. You know i kind of want to get this so i can see how long it takes them to ruin it...maybe if i can win it for just a few pennies.....i would totally record it and post a video. And send it into DealDash to see if they will post it on that top bar with other winners.

DealDash411: Tips Hints Strategies and Commentary: ON HOLD

So i'm on hold on the phone right now waiting for a human being to answer the tech support line and help me stop getting 10,000 copies of every email i receive. Though it makes me feel super popular when i think i have 7000 new messages, even when they are all the same junk emails repeatedly coming in. I can't stand being on hold. i just can't. but i'll suck it up and wait

So i take the opportunity to check in on dealdash and see what's what. I noticed that they still have that darn Boogie Board thing on there. That thing is so bogus. I totally fell for it. Writing tablet? It makes you think you can take notes and save them or do something useless with it. But guess what? You can't. you can write on it (in good lighting only) and then erase it and write more. So it is pretty much good for list making and nothing else. But not if you need to look back at the list later. It is gone when you hit the magic button. So i guess it is like a portable notepad but you have to throw out the notes. So i really don't find it useful at all. Worst of all, at the top in big dumb letters it says "Boogie Board." So as if it weren't already lame enough to have this tablet thing around, it says Boogie Board on it which brings only ridicule when someone sees it (trust me, I know). I finally got a sharpie and colored it in so at least i looked like i had a semi - legit item. It's pretty much a kid's toy i think. i kept thinking it was something way cooler. But it's not. And it says Boogie Board on it. Just know that it is pretty much like carrying a chalkboard around with you.

FYI i just searched "boogie board" on google and the lovely lcd tablet shows up right next to awesome shark boogie board (for riding waves at the beach). Don't know if your search will do that. But maybe they should have named it something less ridiculous. Like "LCD Writing Tablet." Or "Portable Chalkboard" or "Just Use a Sticky Note" or "Don't write anything on here you don't want to forget."

So don't overbid on this gem. For a few cents give it to the kids or doodle on it. And black out the name of it on the top to prevent ridicule.

This is just some friendly advice. Now i am going to continue to wait on hold.

Have a lovely Monday

DealDash411: Get All Your Bids Back

So what's going on now is really not considered a penny auction. There is not really timing, skill and prowess in play  here. Really we are in a contest for who has the most bids.  Which is cool. Ok no worries. It just means most people aren't going to win a thing. No problem.  I see some good names out there - LadyK strutting her stuff, drummerboy's out there, Rigman is (hi rigman!) playing the game, MyPreciouS is scaring people with Golum...i see a little ratpack and bidingaddict, some krypto (how are you enjoying IT? scare the poppies out of you yet? haha - i just saw i spelled it "poppies." that is so awesome that i am leaving it. You know why, because poppies are a root cause of my bad mood. no not drugs or something. it's a work thing. and no i'm not a florist either), survivorman1, Dawnof1. you know good stuff.

I see a Sanchezdrty and that is gross. inappropriate. Inappropriate (capital I). Unless your name is actually Dr. Ty Sanchez. Then i guess i'm sorry. But really come on people.....

1evilclown1 is out there making people THINK about the movie IT! Kind of genius. I was distracted. He just woke up and started bidding on top of the bidbuddy people, you hop-on nonsense clown you. You know some people are letting their clocks count down so they can win free bids you dillweed. Wow doesn't take much to put me in bitter mode.  Oh he's gone...that's right...go take your clown gig somewhere else...i might have to go back to sleep for awhile...

Dealdash411 Tips, Hints, Strategy and General Commentary: So no one seems to care that i create fantastic games

That's ok. You can't win em all.

So i'm starting to realize that my patience for grammar is definitely affected by my annoyance level during the day. I'm way nicer of a person when i've had an easy day (yes i know "way nicer" is more slang than correct grammar. I'm making a point. I'm tired and annoyed so i'm going slang. But on purpose). That's probably the case for most people.  I'm noticing that as i have less and and less time to watch dealdash and blog about it, the more intolerant i get. So let me preface by saying the poo poo hit the fan today.

So i finally get a few seconds to check dealdash and i immediately have 3 thoughts/emotions:

1) First i have a pity party bitter attitude reaction when i see this. And i say "it's not fair."

These lucky people are poo poo heads. 

2) Why are so many people morons and can't spell things. More importantly, why don't they care? I really really try hard not to critique the grammar of the About Me because i really do want to give the benefit of the doubt. But i'm in a bad mood. So "liveing" should be "living." I'm sorry but anything you said after "liveing" i didn't read. I judged you on the word "liveing." 

3) then I see this and wish Kangaroou was my friend. 

 That brightened my day a bit. 

4) Then i went A.D.D. and now i want to know, which player is this?

I really just want to know.

Drummerboy you are after the TV. good luck dude. I hope you win it. I'll give you my address - my birthday is coming up soon and this would be a lovely gift.

DD411 - Games

So, I'm waiting for DealDash to get some Trivial Pursuit games up on the site. Because that's somewhat of a necessity for me right now. They have Monopoly and yahtzee and stuff,  but  i need some updated trivial pursuit cards.

here is why: I've invented a game (to an extent). Basically i combined two games to make them way cooler.  It's called Trivial Pursuit Billionare Steal.

First of all, i got these 2 card/travel pack games at the Borders 50-70% off closing sale. You know they are done-zoe right? As a word nerd and book nerd, of course i was there scavenging for 1-2 dollar books. I came across these two travel games: Trivial Pursuit Steal and Billionaire. on sale. so i got them. The instructions were hysterical because they give you the basic idea of what to do, but do not offer all necessary answers, nor tell you exactly how to play. So we had to start making our own rulings because they left us hanging. Billionaire turned out to be pretty lame (maybe because it 3+ players and we were only 2).

But when you magically combine these two worlds, you get Trivial Pursuit Billionaire Steal. A revolutionary game of skill, strategy and triumph.
It's a real crowd pleaser, and you get to test your trivia skills. Anyway, we blew through the small stack of Trivial Pursuit cards in about 2 hours. So we need new cards. By the way, did you know that the original name of the planet Uranus was "Herschel?" (.....hmm....well, it doesn't look like a "jane," not really a "neil," i've got it! Herschel!)

So i need more trivial pursuit cards. I'll take any donations, as long as the cards were made from 90's on. I am no longer accepting cards made pre 1990.  And no Lord of the Rings trivia cards. Beggars can't be choosers, but the Baby Boomers edition asked a question about the most popular tv show from 1966 - 1971. I just don't know that kind of stuff.
You can send them to 1818 Word Nerd Lane, Loserville, 0.7734. (did you get that one??? the zip code??)

When DealDash puts Trivial Pursuit up for auction, I'm all over it. And i wonder why very few people check my blog. Besides the fact that i go off subject ALL the time. I need to reign it back in, i know.  It's a time factor people...i have some biz going (finally!) so i can't always spend my days staring at DealDash...but i will try harder.

You know who doesn't have anything else to do?

woweewin and ASPENREX

DealDash411: Tips, Hints, Strategies and Commentary: TIMING and IT

Ok we just heard some AWESOME info from LadyK and Drummerboy giving us the DL on past DD. Or i guess i could say LK and DB gave us the DL on DD. I've been around, but not as long as they have, so i needed help on that one. Which brings me to one of my 2 points today: TIMING. Well, actually, I'll start with IT. Yep there is a Stephen King's IT Dvd up for auction. First of all, RANDOM! Was someone going through their old DVD collection and rooting stuff out for DD? That movie is a blast from the past, and not a nice blast. That book/dvd is creeeeeepppy. I have an irrational thought that if you bid on a movie like that no good can come of it. (woohooo that one was unintentional but i like it).

I would like to point out a few things - 1) They say in the description that this movie is UNRATED. Is that even possible? It has to be R or strongly cautioned or whatever they say to protect young children's eyes and creating a lifelong fear of clowns. Clowns freaked me out before, but after IT, they are a lost cause. I will never like clowns. Ugh I'm remembering scenes from the book it is all flooding baaaaaack. Don't get me wrong - I am a Stephen King fan - I have respect for his ability to come up with the most crazy, sick, twisted stuff. But some of it is a bit too much for me (like MISERY). The Shining is sooooo good - that's literally the only book that i had to stop reading at times because i was so freaked out (i was young give me a break).  Clearly Shawshank Redemption  is ca-ray-zee good. Like remarkably amazing. Some Stand By Me  was a cult classic, but let's not forget gems like The Green Mile, The Stand, and The Langoliers.
BUT the problem with IT is that it freaks the poopies out of people.  Sailboats, gutters, ugh. I wonder if DD just triggered people all over the country to have anxiety attacks when they saw IT up for auction. That movie, like Jaws, scarred alot of people for life.

now for TIMING. TIMING is seriously what i think rules this world. (Read The Outliers by Malcom Gladwell if you don't believe me. I'm a book nerd too, did i mention that?) I've always said since i was young that i was born in the wrong year for everything i have done. meaning i seem to miss the hey day of most things. Some examples - not being old enough to go to your favorite's bands concerts before they broke up.  joining a company right after it had it's big peak. Joining then yet another company that just had its big peak (hence, why i have limited $$). So you get to hear all the stories about "how it used to be" but you missed it. And they all got paid out and you didn't. And it used to be so much fun, and now it isn't. Then buying a house in the good area right before economy busted. 2 years earlier and you would have made bank like everyone you know in the neighborhood sitting pretty. And so i'm not at all to hear that i missed the PEAK of DealDash. I hear all these awesome stories like in the last post, about games, and PA respect, and good deals and lots of winning and i think it is safe to say these are "the good old days of dealdash." Which are clearly over, because DD i guess wanted to be rich, not cool and awesome. it really is about timing in this world. But now you are underwater. You either have good timing or you don't. Some of it is not our fault - it is just circumstance (seriously - read Gladwell's book - it will change your outlook on all kinds of things).  I have know for a long time that i am NOT the person with the timing. So i no longer get disappointed. I expect that i will have missed the peak. So I guess what i am trying to say, is that when i know or find out about something, there is a good chance that it already peaked! I'm like your human timing gauge. I found DD and I found it too late, and now i blog about it instead of winning cool stuff.  Therefore, i will make a point to announce things that i have just discovered, so everyone else can realize it is time to move on. Think of it as a public service announcement.

See i try to help people as much as i can. I'm a giver.

Now, I can't check out DealDash for a minimum of 10 full minutes because i can't keep seeing that darn clown on the IT dvd cover. Then i may not be able to check the winnings for a few hours so i don't have to see IT there either...see what you have done to us DD? Don't auction things that bring up old childhood fear and anxiety. You seriously just ruined everyone's day. Everyone woke up saw the clown and now can't stop thinking of when their innocence was taken and ruined by this moment in life. No one is going to be in the mood for bidding now. You just shot yourself in the foot. In the clown foot.

Thanks for reminding me how much that movie/book freaks me out. I don't even want to spell check or check my grammar because i'll have to think about it again. So grammar pass on this one, stemming from the re-awakening of childhood anxieties.

DealDash411 Tips, Hints, Strategies, and Commentary: How Has DealDash changed? And What Does One Per User really mean?

This is new for me. People asking me questions. It is making me a little nervous. I hope i do a good job. I'm over- excited about this as usual. Here we go:

Starting with the One-Per-User Myth. I'm calling it that because i too have noticed that there is something suspect about the One-Per-User.  It seems like some players shouldn't be able to go for the same item after winning one.  But yet some people do seem to be able. So there is obviously some sort of loop hole in the One-Per-User Rule. Here are some possibilities:

1) Any new update, version, etc. immediately means it is a new item, and back up for grabs for anyone. Even a new color. Or a new tiny update of some sort. Or a different description word, or a they found a higher retail out there somewhere and are matching it. So "technically" it is a new item.  So I bet even if you called DD out on this, saying you are looking for at the exact same item with same bidders on it, they'll come back and say, well, this one is "technically"different because it has a different serial number." And you say,"of course - don't they all have a unique serial number?" And they say "exactly." And you groan and roll your eyes.

2)Maybe One-Per-User is really "One-Per-List." So when one list gets too long they make a new list and it all starts again. I mean, we obviously know DD wants to make max dollars, but still come across as very fair.  So they want people to keep coming back. So they have created loopholes

3) Their system doesn't track that well. I find that one hard to believe.

Why do the same players go after very similar items? Shouldn't they be satisfied with winning one mac computer already?

This is how the world works. It's not always fair. People do what they want.  I think that after awhile, the players who have already gotten all their Hamilton Beach gear, bean bag chairs, giant giraffes and PS3 systems get bored and wait for a new item so they have something to go for. I think it is about the win. Or about Christmas presents or birthday presents. Everyone wants a deal. Even if they already got one.

I personally have a different moral code for DD (not that i've thought about this until about 2 seconds ago, but i like where i'm going with it).  I don't go for things I've already won. Well, at the way beginning i did, but now, it's a one shot win for me. i don't need a bunch of cameras and computers. However, maybe i would have more friends if i gave them all mini-netbooks and ipods. hmmm......maybe my family members wouldn't have gotten sick about me talking about dealdash if i consistently gave them rad stuff....

And maybe people who have money to spend just like to get lots of stuff for cheap. Isn't that the 99 cent store phenomenon? Don't you always end up getting more stuff there just because it is 99 cents? I do. Because it makes me fee like i have dough.  (although isn't it false advertising to call it a 99 cents stores, and then stuff is not always just 99 cents? That's crap).

After a while, you're sick of seeing the same old stuff up for auction, so when you have a new item pop up everyone goes a little bit ca-razy. (actually i usually say "crazy" as a 3 syllable word. I don't do it justice unless i say "ca-ray-zee." Yeah that is much better).

HOW HAVE THINGS CHANGED SINCE THE BEGINNING OF DEALDASH TO NOW?

I'm calling on my long time player friends to pitch in on this one....that's LadyK, Proto, Drummerboy, Pennywiser, MyPreciouS, AbbyGirl, and i guess anyone who actually reads this. I shouldn't be too picky about that.
LadyK will jump in on this. She does a great job. (was that pressure? i didn't mean to put pressure on you).

I've noticed the obvious:
1) way more bid sales
2) 300 and 600 bid packs are no longer One-per-User (maybe because there really is no justifiable loophole for this one).
3) Major increase of hop-ons/jumpers/froggers or whatever your term of choice is.

I want to hear what some long time players have to say....let's wait and see.....

DealDash411 Tips, Hints, Strategy and General Commentary: A Very Interesting Subject and Woo Girls

Ok, for those who may not thoroughly check through my blog and look at ALL comments, i am posting a most interesting comment i received earlier today. I have interspersed my comments throughout in RED. original comment is in BLUE. This is a long one...i'm warning you in advance.

Anonymous said...

Hey DD411... or is it really TPAF, or now TG411? (btw, shouldn't that be TV411? just sayin'!)

DD411 -  you would think i should be TV411 instead of TG411. In my puny brain  I was just thinking...."oh my gosh! i totally blew it! it should be TV411. What was i thinking?  And then  i remembered, "oh yeah, i did that on purpose. " i had forgotten. i felt like TV411 would mislead people into thinking i was a TV junkie. I do watch a good amount of tv. But i'm not talking about tv. So I changed it to TG411. It may not be the most sound reasoning in the entire world, but i'm just happy i remembered that i  DID have a reason and i did contemplate it for all of 5 seconds.  Trust me I would be the first to call myself out of stuff like that if i had screwed it up! I almost did until i remembered why. 

Anyway, I digress. My reason for dropping a note is to fw to you and the other DD'ers "in the know" on this site my following post to DD:

"Hello again, Dave!

Now our "About Me"'s are being censured? When did that start? Maybe I'll have to ask Jayboy.
Anyway, when can I make a new "About Me", so that I can stop being a billboard for DD's "About Me"? Please respond, 'cause I can't seem to change the one you gave me, and I have more banal info to share if you'll let me; I promise you can trust that it won't be so objectionable to you...

Respectfully,
MyPrecious"

So what do you think? Had you noticed that some of us that had posted "About Me's" had them removed and replaced by the inane DD advertising that they have for us now:

"About me... be friendly and share a bit
about yourself. Hobbies, Interests, etc.
- DD"

DD411 - Now like i said i will be the first to call myself out. I did NOT notice this change yet.  I probably should have noticed but i was too busy copying and pasting that lamp from the Ikea site, so i missed it. However, I did know that some were "unchangeable." my lovely supportive friend mgoldstein1029 tried to revise their About Me to make it point to lovely me and was unable to. Now it can be changed once a week. But for awhile it had been locked. I didn't comment on it at the moment, because i didn't want my friend to get kicked off like my friend SORELOSER did.  So i kept my trap shut. 

However, to start removing people's About Me and replace them with DD's personal message to the world is RIDIC. i'm not even spelling out that whole word because it isn't even worth the rest of the word! So many thoughts running through my head...must organize

1) Don't ask everyone to make a personal statement about themselves and then not allow half of them. I fully understand no one should write something like "if you bid against me i will  hunt you down and make you regret it." Duh. We all understand that's not cool, and no one should use the About Me to cheat. Another DUH.  But if you can't infuse your own personality into it, then why bother? No offense to all those who really do share their hobbies, but come on...do we really care? We're still going to try to kick your bootie and win stuff even if  you love paper dolls, hackey sack, and fruit loops.  In fact, sometimes this personal information can really hurt a player's odds. Let's not forget that essentially this is a gambling site. There are always a few ruthless people out there. When they see that you have 17 grandkids and 12 great-grandkids, they begin profiling..."little old lady, just learned to use the computer. great grandson johnny told her about dd so little granny is going to give it a go.  Clearly  she must be super sweet because she loves all her grandkids and they clearly like her. I don't think you brag about your offspring if they all hate you. So clearly granny has won them all over, so she must be all sugary and sweet and has a rocking chair. "  It actually puts a "potential sucker" stamp right on little granny's forehead!  And who knows if that is even remotely true anyway? While the rest of us say "Aw that's nice," some ruthless player is zeroing in and setting some bid buddies in case granny falls asleep at the computer, whether any of that is true or not.

So, let's be honest -no one really CARES about what their competition likes and dislikes. No one is going to back out of an auction because they "like tennis" too.  Go make friends with your competitors over on Bid Lounge and everyone can discuss all their likes and dislikes over there. Part of what always intrigued me about deal dash is that you could infuse some real personality in the game. If we really can only write about stamp collecting and cacti then we might as well say  nothing at all.  [Tangent: i once saw someone write "might as well" as "mieswell." One word. So awesome.]

Can you actually believe that's what pops up next to Gollum's creepy face every time I place a bid on anything? That's just wrong. Smacks a little of when another DD bidder got in trouble for giving you props by listing your DD411 link on their ShoutOut, way back before they even had this "About You" thing.
Anyway, I thought this seems like it might just be up your alley for fodder for the DD blog. Not like you seem to need any help or anything (except for maybe today?. JK, you're doin' mighty well at this.) But have at it from here if you want, it's all yours... (or don't, my feelings won't be hurt either way!)

DD411 - Ok, so i completely agree. Gollum is not saying a friendly a message from the DD crew. AT ALL. It's bogus.  Why let you even put your own icon and create your own Username if they are going to hijack your About Me? You can't give out 1/2 freedoms. It is all ( and i mean all in a non-offensive non cheating way) or nothing. If you say something more competitive, first, does anyone really care? It's a great way to bluff or pretend  that you have no human feelings. But it is like a UserName. It is just a name. If anything it is entertaining. They want to create a competitive yet safe  happy loving environment on DD. It's like when everyone wins the same trophy at the end of the t-ball season, so it's not really about winning. It's about getting a worthless trophy.  So, if DealDash is going to give ALL of us a trophy for playing "nice" on DD, then ok, maybe i can get there -if the trophy is in the form of cash or apple gift cards. If not, then let us just play.  We essentially are competing for trophies of various worth, not consellation prizes and trying to be everyone's best friend. So you can't mix really competition and try to keep everyone being lame and talking about hobbies.  If they want everything equal and perfect, then the next step going to be where everyone is simply a number.  139459837 just won the ipad. BORING.   If you aren't going to let us be who we are, then make us a number (ooh but then i call dibs on 8675309). Don't make Gollum (who we all know Gollum, (not necessarily MyPreciouS) freaks the poopies out of me - that voice!) say something  from the DD people. Gollum doesn't give a poop about your hobbies and interests. Period. Gollum is never going to say, "oh look how sweet, this person loves taking walks on the beach!"  

Yes, censor violent threats and inappropriateness like any normal site.  However, if you do find something that is out of line that you must override  and remove it, don't put  your little deal dash message, like the player is actually supporting the statement. What's that called again? You know, when you make it look like someone is supporting something, but it is actually misleading? I seriously can't think of that word. Someone help me. My point -  isn't that what some lawsuits are based on? (no, no dd lawsuit. i'm just making a point).  Two potential scenarios:

Some innocent naive and not so worldly player stumbles upon DealDash.  They see all the friendly people with nice hobbies and wonderful personalities. Everyone just loves unicorns and flowers and the world is perfect.  Then they see MyPreciouS join the game and at first they are shocked at the site of Gollum (they have never ever heard of LOTR) but then they see the UserName and think, "oh well, maybe it's someone really dear to the player...you know, their precious little cousin." You know like Benjamin Button who was born an old person.  And then their assumption is further supported by the fact that Gollum's About Me says that Gollum really encourages you to share something about  yourself like your hobbies and dreams. And Naive DD player is sold on this Benjamin Button-esque precious little person playing deal dash. Later Naive player sees that same Gollum face in a trilogy they hadn't known about and thinks it is so sweet that little cousin is a star in these movies. So the movies must be all rainbows and butterflies. So they rent them. Probably on VHS is they can find someone to change it over for them, because they only have a VCR. AND THEN THEIR ENTIRE WORLD IS SHATTERED WHEN THE REALIZATION COMES THAT THIS CREATURE IS GOLLUM, AND HE IS NOT NICE AND SWEET AND OLD BUT IS RUTHLESS AND SUPER CREEPY. AND THE WORLD SMACKS THIS NAIVE USER IN THE FACE AND RUINS THE OPTIMISTIC NAIVE PERFECT WORLD THEY HAVE LIVED IN. AND THEY JOIN THE REST OF US IN A NOT SO GREAT WORLD FULLY JADED WITH NO HOPE AND BECOME SO WITHDRAWN, DESPONDENT AND DEPRESSED THAT THEIR FAMILY SUES DD FOR EMOTIONAL DISTRESS.

2nd scenario: (again maybe not the most realistic but i am making another point).  Everyone looks up to this one guy in their neighborhood. He says stuff like oh i play dealdash. that's why i have this awesome fold up ping pong table and you don't. (or that's why i paid triple for my ikea lamp and you didn't). He says yeah i'm user - kingoftheneighborhood. So all the neighbors go home and join deal dash too. And they see that their pal kingoftheneighborhood loves the site SO much that he even posts things for dd, encouraging people to open up and share their hobbies on dealdash. So Mr. King must truly believe in this site if he offers so much support of it. So the neighbors throw down some cash and lose their money on DD. And now they hate Mr. King for misleading them so maliciously, acting like a mouthpiece for DD. And Mr, King is just like "what? I didn't write that on my About Me!! I wrote " I am King of my neighborhood and I will checkmate you every time because i am KING and you are merely a pawn (he must play chess too)." But somehow it got censored and he got a message put up that he didn't approve. And now he lost all social stature in the neighborhood and he has to move and start over and he is bitter. So he sues DD for defamation (i'm no lawyer) or false representation(?) i don't know the right term.  (where do i come up with this stuff? it's friday...my apologies). Doesn't everything these days end up in a lawsuit?

Alright maybe  that is extreme. But i am making a point to show how misleading it is to have Gollum sound so nice and sweet and want to know about your hopes and dreams and wishes. 

Most respectfully,
MyPreciouS

P.S. I was just looking way back in your blog for the name of the DD'er that was busted for your link, and came across the bit where you mentioned about, and then wondered whether you ever explained to us, just what a "Woo girl" is? Are you one? Just thought someone should have asked...

DD411 - Woo girls. 

Now there is one thing that is common among every bar where college girls and bachelorette parties (and others) frequent. Any city and it is the same story. Actually it potentially can happen in any bar, at any time. But it is way more frequent in bars where bachelorette parties go and college girls. It's usually not at the local pub down the street where it's chill and low key. That is not where you find Woo girls. I have nothing against girls AT all. I just don't like Woo girls.

Woo girls are the ones who travel in a pack (that's why the bachelorette party is usually a big part of this), and are celebrating something by drinking heavily - a birthday, a marraige, a new job, the fact that it is the weekend - whatever the reason, they are all fired up. And inevitably at some point in the night, they will order like 20 shots of something apple green, get in a circle, hold up their shot glass, and then all go "Woooooooooooooo!" at the top of their lungs and take the green shot. It is always extremely loud, and the prep takes up way too much of the bartender's time because they always miscount and realize they need 5 more so EVERYONE has one (god forbid someone misses out).  Then they can't just quietly cheers and clink glasses and take the shot. They must scream together at the top of their lungs, and it is usually some version of the word "Woo." These are Woo girls.  90% of the time, i know i will probably not get along with a Woo girl. We just don't seem to be on the same page. I apologize if you are a Woo girl and i have offended you. Not everyone has this aversion. There are way more Woo girls than there are people who don't like Woo girls, so clearly i am in the minority (which is nothing new to me). Woo girls have fun and enjoy it. So i guess it is not really a judgement i am passing on them. It is more of a fact. Some girls are Woo girls and some aren't. I happen to get a headache when i hear incessant Woo girl clans throughout a nice evening out.   It drives me crazy. I'm usually the one giving them the disapproving look. 

Thanks for the reminder MyPreciouS....i'm sure i just offended someone just now, but that's is nothing new either. 

If you actually made it to the bottom on this post, you are my hero. Hope you make it down here to receive my praise. 

DealDash411: TIps, Hints, Strategies and General Commentary: Drummerboy

Hey Drummerboy - Good luck on that mac! I'm watching!

DealDash411: TIps, Hints, Strategies and General Commentary: Someone help me out here

So normally i try to post one major thing every day or two, because i'm convinced that some day i will wake up and run dry. And have nothing to say.  But this one caught my eye. So don't forget to read the post before this one from this morning because i can't let any humor go to waste.


Am i on crazy pills again? Ok, DealDash is making me feel really really dumb right now. I feel like i must be missing something yet again.....I just saw this up for auction later today:

Ok. let's gloss over the fact that they use really funny descriptive words to sell their items on DealDash. It's not just an Ikea Floor Lamp, it's a "beautiful" Ikea floor lamp. You know they did that with a vacuum cleaner...the "popular" Hoover or something. I was going to comment because i thought it was super funny, but i was feeling like i might be too hard on dealDash sometimes. But now that i see "beautiful" i can't let it slide.

But!!! That's not my point. Here is my point:

So i'm not an ikea junkie, but let's face it - they have some great bargain goods. So i check out the store quite often, especially when i need a $15 end table (which by the way, you can really use for anything - step stool, tv dinner tray, coffee table, bedside table, kiddie desk, bench seats - they are really functional for $15 buck and come in lots of colors). So i have seen this lamp. And i just really had to see what IKEA sells it for....yep $19 buckaroos. So why does DealDash say it retails at $62? Well, the highest retail price i can see  online was $39 at amazon. That's a hefty mark up, but still affordable i guess. (tangent - did anyone else know that ikea is also a wholesaler? Meaning you can find their products on all kinds of sites at a higher retail? I thought that was retail 101 - don't sell stuff on your website dirt cheap while your retailers sell it at double the price. Unless it is one of those affiliate programs or something....but lesson here - buy ikea from ikea. seriously. I don't even know what to think about this. If it still bugs me, you'll hear about it over on wikiwikiworld.wordpress.com. You know this goes hand in hand with my IHOP pancake debacle). 

So maybe somewhere, someone saw  $62 lamp in retail sales out there on the web or in a store, thus justifying DealDash's claimed retail price. Technically, if they saw it out there for $62, they can claim that as the actual retail. But really, its a $19.99 floor lamp.

Which brings me back to my initial confusion - why on earth would you have a Ikea Lamp on DealDash and then jack up the price? Of all things, you can check Ikea stores/web/catalog super fast to find a real price. Sometimes it's harder with Hamilton Beach or whatever wholesale products that retail varies. But Ikea is way too easy to go right to the source and be shocked by price difference.  At least you can create a variable of doubt with other products. But not Ikea...most of america is furnished with ikea these days. We all know the prices. Don't push your luck. Anyone who does BIN on that lamp deserves to pay $62 bucks for it. The rest of us could have bought 3 for $62 and put beautiful lamps all over our houses. 

So, am i missing something here? Someone tell me if i am completely missing the logic here. I'm really hope it isn't what i think it is. 

Oooohhh i just thought of awesome wikiwikiworld blog. Ok it kind of has to do with DealDash but it is more wordly, so i'll put a link here and then you have to go over there and read it. When i write it.  It's about perception...basically the whole type of perception that drives sites like DealDash...i know, it sounds deep. It might be. 

fyi, i've had it with proper capitalization. No, not Capitolism. Capitalization. words like dealdash, ikea, ipad, ipod can officially be in caps or in lower case based on my whims. Or based on when my left pinky hits the Shift Key on time or not. 

DealDash411 Tips, Hints, Strategy and General Commentary: To Dash or Not to Dash?

I'm having another vacuum cleaner moment. I'm sitting at the computer this morning waiting for my ipod to charge up so i can go for a bike ride. God forbid i go without my ipod. I still have an old school ipod...which feels and looks like a brick compared to the new ones they have. I've seen that little guy up on dealDash and that thing is a fraction of this brick i carry around and call an ipod. Now technically, this isn't really mine. I had bought it for my mom because she kept saying, "I want an Ipod. I really want an Ipod" every two seconds so i figured, she really wants an Ipod. So for her birthday i took the not so subtle hint and got her an ipod. So she is unwrapping the gift and pulls out the little ipod box that it comes in and gets this confused look on her face...and says, "What is this?" And i said "mom, it's an ipod." And she says, "Oh, ok." My mom apparently had never actually seen an ipod before, so she didn't actually know she was receiving one right then. It was quite hysterical. I mean this was not subtle-gift- hint dropping. This was blatant "I want an ipod" for days and days. If i didn't get the ipod, i would really be some kind of moron. But then she didn't even know exactly what it was and what it looked like. God love her.

Anyway, she has now realized she has an ipod and wants me to show her how to use it. Now my mom is a super smart lady. She knows alot about alot of things. But not about the world of Apple products and more complex electronics.

We are at her computer looking at itunes. She wants an ipod because she wants to listen to the University lectures. I told her you could put music on it too. She said she wouldn't even know what to put on it. Ok, so we are getting lectures. I show her how to get to the store and download what she wants (these are free thank god). She is with me this far. Then we get to the part where you have your itunes library, and then you have your ipod library. I might as well have started speaking in Chinese. I think if she wanted to, she could have figured it out. But i think she was already over having an ipod.

We took a break. Part 1 lesson turned out to be showing her what an ipod looked like. Part 2 was supposed to  be how to get stuff and put it on your ipod, but we never seemed to get through that. In the end, after her ipod sat there  untouched for a few months, i made an executive decision and told her i was just going to use her ipod ( i was the only person in the world who didn't have one at that point. ooh ooh i had the original shuffle...the bigger one, not that mini one they have now. Somehow it disappeared. My friend who is a dingbat kept trying to convince me that he found it and he would produce the little remote control that goes with the mac desktops. Or at least they did like 8 years ago. I don't know how many times i had to tell him that was not my shuffle...) So i tell my mom i'll just "borrow" her ipod until she decides she is ready to try using it. It's been at least a few  years now. I'm not even sure she remembers that it is hers.  Oh well, we tried.

My long-winded point is that I have a pretty darn old ipod, in comparison to what they have out there now.  And it is taking forever to charge right now. So i consider...is this something i should go for on DealDash? It is the age old question that our ancestors were faced with constantly: Get it on a penny auction? or just buy it a lower retail price somewhere else?

I could try to go for it, but technically i don't NEED an ipod. I just WANT a new ipod. But i want alot of things. Like people to read my blogs. And I don't always get what i want.  Most people call this a no-brainer - perfect time to DD for it. I call it a dilemma. I don't actually have money to play around with on DealDash and hope to get a deal or BIN.  Nor do i have the patience any more. That may seem odd because i have the patience to watch DD, but that is different. I am doing lots of other things at the same time.  I think if i could, i would re-register with the UserName IOnlyWantTheIpod and a sidekick About me, saying how the only thing i've ever wanted in this world was an ipod. I wonder who would be mean enough to bid against me....

Ok I think my mom's old school Ipod is charged up enough to head out.
Thanks  mom.

And hey you can say mean things about me, but not my mom. I'll beat  you up. That's my moms.
--purposely pluralized, thank you very much--