The Stupidest Auction on eBay

To the right there is a screen shot from an auction currently on eBay. It is for the knowledge on how to bump up your feedback rating from 0 to 100+ in only 24 hours.

He goes on to say why it is important to have a high feedback rating and what the benefits are to sellers who have 100+ ratings.

Makes sense to me and if it works and is not against any eBay rules then no problem, right?

Well, there's just one problem. I know the screen shot is small, but there is one detail that stands out. Can you see his feedback rating? 45! What a moron.

I've emailed him to ask him to explain this discrepancy. We'll see how he spins it.

UPDATE:
I heard from the seller almost immediately. His response was this:

"It does seem at bit odd, does it not? I am a bit lax in doing that myself - I have been too busy with other things, and eBay and I are in a dispute over some erroneous charges right now."

Hmmmm. In dispute with eBay, eh? I would believe it more if the dispute was about selling ways to beat the system instead of over erroneous charges, but that is just me.

It's begun.

Yesterday I walked out the back door to feed the chickens and immediately spotted a kestrel hunting sparrows around my house. He swooped after one that got away, flew back over my roof and then perched my my neighbor's tree that overhangs onto my property.


This morning I was out with the chickens again and a big red-tailed hawk flew low over my back acre and landed on one of my fence posts. He too was out hunting. Hopefully not for my chickens, but to be honest he could take a couple and I would probably never know.


The fall raptor migration has begun. That may not sound too exciting, but for a wildlife biologist like me it is pretty cool. Especially when I get to see it in my own backyard.

Fog

We live in the middle of the valley and at certain times of the year get totally socked in with fog. Natural fog. Last night was different.

My wife and I went out for a short 2 mile run last night, pushing the kids in the running stroller. We didn't get but 3 houses away when I heard it.

Chemical Ali.

That's what we call him . . . the mosquito abatement man. He was coming and the fog was thick despite him driving way too fast to do the job properly (I've been meaning to call and complain about that all summer). You would have thought he would cut off the fogger as he passed us, especially since we had our 6 and 1 year children with us, but no, he was in a hurry.

We probably should have stopped and gone in, but we continued the run and shortly got to a place not fogged with good air. We thought we were in the clear. About 15 minutes later we rounded the corner for the home stretch and it hit us again. You couldn't see it anymore, but you could smell it.

Fortunately it is getting pretty cold at night now and that is doing a better job of killing off those buggers than the fog ever will. I can't wait for the autumn to put Chemical Ali out of a job.

911

Today is September 11th . . . six years later.

What more is there to say?

Either you get it or you don't.

Go spend some time on a walk in a beautiful place with those you love.

Enjoy the life and freedom you have that others lost.

Welcome autumn

Autumn is the best.

Don't believe me? You are wrong.

Thank heaven summer is gone.

Good riddance.


Who doesn't LOVE autumn?

If you don't, I don't want to know you.

10

Last night I was laying in bed and realized, "Hey, I joined the Army 10 years ago today." Now I really feel old. I have never had a job other than this that I have stayed with for 10 whole years. I am actually half way to retirement and only 32 years old. I could actually retire (from the Army) at age 42! (but probably will not).


Even though I've gone through 10 years including basic training, Army cook school, multiple NCO leadership courses, emergency state-duty call ups, and a tour in Iraq, there is plenty more to come. I am changing jobs and will soon be a Field Artillery Officer. With that comes about 8 months of training away from home. There will no doubt be other schools to go to like Air Assault and Airbourne, and with as much time as I have left, I definately expect another tour in Iraq, Afghanistan, or wherever the next set of jerks pop up.

This is not a slide down the hill toward retirement, but cresting the hill only to find that the peak is actually much higher up than you expected. Fortunately, this is a mountain I enjoy climbing.