mcgees.org

Huggies diapers were introduced in 1978.  So were Laserdiscs, believe it or not.  Also, the game Simon, the villain Mystique, and the Sunkist soft drink.

Find your favorite year: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:YEAR_introductions

My surgery, for all those following developments, has been postponed until the 27th of this month.  It was supposed to be today.  I was all psyched for it, and now I have to get re-psyched in a couple weeks.

I have free CDs from BMG.  What should I own that they offer?  This will get you started.

Oh my god.  Best Johnny card ever, and it’s a common.

Los Angeles Better Business Bureau’s Pluto Awards for worst companies.  The list includes “Girls Gone Wild”.

Also, scamwatcher.org which is, itself, a scam, and though it promises not to do anything untoward with your email address, rejects Mailinator (no-commitment) email addresses.

OK, I’m a dumbass.  A dumbass in a hurry.  I needed a Federal Employer Identification Number, for which you can apply for free online.  Problem is, the site doesn’t work with Firefox, at least Firefox 1.5.0.4 in Linux.  But I didn’t know that at the time, I just thought the online process didn’t work.

A workaround?  One of the Google Adwords advertisers who bid on “EIN” was federalnumber.com, who claims to be able to get you an EIN in minutes for a fee.  Now, I know that the IRS allows an agent to apply for an EIN on your behalf.  So, I figured, what the site would do would be to collect your information, collect your money, then submit it to the IRS as your agent, using a compatible user-agent or API.  And surely they wouldn’t charge you if they couldn’t successfully retrieve your EIN.  Reasonable, if you’re in a hurry.

Wrong, wrong, wrong.  The whole site is a scam.  The site just charges you, then prints out what you entered with the main number for the IRS to call and arrange to get your EIN.  The site is run by one Alexander Kleyman, formerly of Forest Hills, NY and now apparently of Hallandale Beach, FL.  He’s been arrested for a similar scam in the past, that time against the Social Security Administration.  Interestingly, however, the registrant information in the whois entry for the domain lists what appears for all the world to be a residential condo address.  So I may actually have his home address.  If you’re interested, it is 1850 South Ocean Drive #3504, Hallandale Beach, FL, 33009.

He gave a contact phone, and my call at midnight went to an answering service with a real live person.  I’ve requested a refund, but fat chance of that happening, so I’ve also contacted the bank that issued my credit card for a chargeback.  When I was last scammed online, I had to have a document notarized, which cost something like $15, but it’s going to be worth it just to spite Fuckhead Alex.  Fuckhead Alex with my social security number and credit card info.  As I said, I’m a dumbass.  And haste precedes fuckups.  I could have done the scam research first.  So keep a couple things in mind.  There are a lot, a lot of fuckheads like Al out there, and a lot lot lot of them advertise on Adwords.  The Google don’t-be-evil thing doesn’t extend to its advertisers.  And if you see on the news that A-Kley gets run over by a commuter tram in Florida, keep in mind that he had it coming.  If only the universe really worked that way.

[In a sing-song:]  Gooooo, Wales!  (They ain’t got a chance, but) Gooooo, Wales!

Over here, we won’t even get to see the bloodbath to which Scotland will subject the Faroe Islands.