RipCordless

A pop-culture consumer who keeps it, by design, in the shallow end of the pool.

Life Rant

Drama Sucks

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What happens when drama arrives in an unexpected environment? If you are drama-averse, what is the appropriate response? Fear not, I won’t go into the sordid details but simply remain in the scope of generalities. Don’t get me wrong, I like a little drama — call it the spice in the soup. But when drama becomes the soup then I’m not interested. Why? Because I don’t do drama.

Imagine, if you will, participation in a relaxing activity. Doesn’t really matter what activity, just know it is your place of enjoyment, fun and relaxation. A place where friends gather to laugh, poke harmless fun, and group for a task. It could be a team sport (i.e., basketball), an outdoor activity (i.e., rope climbing), or an indoor event (i.e., gaming). Regardless of the venue, it is your place away from the everyday annoyances of life.

Now suppose your place of relaxation has that “one guy.” The guy who on the surface seems just fine but when the chips are down or the situation becomes just slightly bumpy, then that “one guy” begins acting in an unusual way. He begins seeing problems where none existed before. He begins to take personal offense at imagined slights where no slight was intended. But worst of all, he doesn’t try to resolve his complaint with you or others in the group — instead, he leaves the group in an overt fashion then makes statements about rank unfairness. He convinces other members of the group of your injustice and the very fabric of this carefully constructed social gathering begins to fray. Finally, he turns an accusation upon you, suggesting you bend the rules to provide an advantage to others in your group. And all of this from absolutely … nothing.

Yeah, that guy.

Imagine if you or others in your group try to take the high road, try to suggest a dialogue to air concerns in an effort to repair the damage. Those requests are met with a promises of a future conversation but time passes and that conversation never happens. And in a final blow, that guy claims he’s over it and doesn’t want to talk anymore.

But the damage has been done.

The social group is splintered and the accusation of compromised ethics sticks in your throat like a swallowed toothpick going down sideways. And despite your efforts to ensure everyone was treated fairly, that everyone’s needs were considered, the accusation of unfairness remains like a stain on your favorite shirt. What do you do then?

Nothing — because you don’t do drama either.

A Desert of Zero Updates…

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Stale. Absent. Zero updates. A desert devoid of chatter.

That is the truth of the matter for ripcordless.com. Why have I been absent from scribbling the prose which I so dearly love?

Life. Real life.

Things have been less than ordinary over the past six months. My planets have been pushed out of orbit, the ground under my feet has shifted without warning, and the dependability of routine has been replaced with happenstance and drama.

Did I mention I hate drama? Not saying I don’t enjoy spice of life, or living by the seat of my pants, or taking a road trip without a destination in mind. All of those things sound like fascinating adventures. But the things which I depend upon to remain solid under foot, or strong enough to lean upon in crisis — haven’t. Thus the gap in chatter and updates.

How about we change that? Once more into the breach, dear friends. Charge!

Netflix Review | World War II from Space

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I’ve seen one or three series, shows, and films from the vast (and ever growing) Netflix library of goodies but recently stumbled into one while sipping on my morning coffee. Not wanting to update myself with the trials and tribulations of topical news, I decided to wander down and well trodden path of history and, uh… watch the trials and tribulations of World War 2.

In 2012, the History Channel released a poorly titled documentary, WWII from Space. Different from your standard historical perspective, this particular series details World War II from a geographical perspective, showing borders, tactics, lines of engagement, and points of interest. The geography is mixed with obligatory historians commenting about critical decisions made during the conflict — decisions which went on to shape the very history of the planet. Examples include the United States decision to support the last bastion of hope, England, instead of turning their full attention to Japan. Another fascinating moment was the United States choosing to “blood” their troops in North Africa before attempting an invasion of Europe despite Churchill’s repeated pleas for immediate assistance.

The documentary goes on to illuminate the power of military intelligence as it related to battlefield decisions, the deft hand of deceit, and the successes of those plans. But not all is blooming in the garden of Allied victories and with war comes pain, suffering and absolute horror. During this almost two-hour presentation, we’re exposed to the brutality of war, the staggering human cost, leading all the way to the use of both the plutonium and uranium atomic bombs which ended the war with Japan.

With high production value, exceptional commentary, and laced with fascinating nuggets of information I was unaware of, this is one of History Channel’s best productions in recent memory. If you’re not a Netflix subscriber, no worries, the documentary is available for free on YouTube and is definitely worth your time. Enjoy!

Suarez’ Bite Leaves Fans Wondering

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In the wake of the decision to ban Luis Suarez from both the 2014 World Cup and also domestic play with Liverpool FC, fans must be left wondering. I know I am.

As an ardent Liverpool FC supporter, I was horrified at his behavior in biting Branislav Ivanovic. It was during that media coverage, I learned of a prior incident with similar overtones while Suarez played with Ajax (in the Netherlands). On reflection, I thought Liverpool handled themselves and Suarez quite well during the Ivanovic incident. There was a humbling and contrite apology from the man himself. The team seemed to unify behind the striker, removing any speculation about an internal fracturing or loss of team unity. Brendan Rogers also managed the attempted departure of Suarez from LFC with a deft hand, a whispered word, and the reassurance all would be well. The results were significant. Liverpool’s 2013/2014 season was one for the ages. After the Ivanovic suspension was over, Suarez returned with intense and magnificent play, not only leading Liverpool to champion’s league qualification, but also a near league title. Suarez also received many accolades and awards for his excellent on- and off-field endeavors. It seems the world of football wanted to forgive and forgot; wanted to offer a salve of redemption which Suarez heartily accepted. History forgotten, Suarez had taken his place among the world’s elite. The stars had aligned with magnificent precision and all seemed right with the world but little did we know the 2014 world cup would change all that.

Suarez left the delicate bubble built around his successes at Melwood (Liverpool’s HQ) and went off to the grand stage of international play. After almost single-handedly removing England from the world cup, Suarez appeared to lose his mind and allegedly bit Giorgio Chiellini while playing against Italy in group play game three. Reactions have been mixed but mostly negative. And FIFA clearly concurred by handing down one of the most draconian punishments in their history. Booted from the world cup, Suarez must also now face his Liverpool teammates and fans while enduring a four-month suspension from all football related activities. Unfortunately, Suarez appears to have lost the plot and, minus the calming hand of Liverpool management, has shrugged off his behavior claiming he “lost his balance” and also claimed the pushing and shoving is the box is a rough part of the game and par for the course. So, what should fans and casual observers make of all this?

Sure, there is the typical raging response, which includes a dose of bitter, a slab of outrage, mixed with a dash of shame. But that doesn’t get to the heart of the issue. The other end of the spectrum is also frustrating because a myopic, ignoring the behavior and focusing on the pure talent and genius of the the striker, seems absurdly utopian. Truth be told, the appropriate reaction (if that is even accurate) probably lies somewhere in between.

On a personal level, I’m grasping for a hold on the moment. Much like a bar of soap in the tub, it continues to elude my best efforts to nail it down. Some claim Suarez intentionally bites, due to anger, uncontrolled rage, as he nears insanity with clouded judgment. I don’t see that. Nor do I believe there is a mental health issue causing odd events of uncontrolled, reactionary behavior. Based on all his other seemingly appropriate and quite stellar conduct, it appears highly unlikely all his negative behavior only boils to the surface with biting opponents. The answer lies somewhere else.

The most compelling opinion popped to the surface a day ago where a doctor (his name eludes me) believes the biting is something akin to behavior exhibited by an exceptionally high-functioning autistic. Interesting. Ponder that for a moment. The biting appears to arise during intense frustration, manifesting in an instant lunging attack. Suarez is literally a savant on the pitch, making incredible shots and thinking differently. His imagination, precision, and ability to strike from any angle is a thing of wonder. It seems to makes sense this world class player is being impacted by the less than desirable characteristics from the fabric of his very makeup. Characteristics which unfortunately, are deeply rooted and only evident in extreme situation. One must only remember the sobbing Suarez to understand there is something else in play here.

Of course, if people believed this, then it gives Luis Suarez an out, a crack of light, a defensible position. Perhaps my love for Liverpool has clouded the truth. So, then the opinion falls to you. Rage biting? Insane biting? No, there is something much deeper going on here and I can only hope time and attention to work on his issues will remedy what can only be a living hell for Luis Suarez and his family right now. And FIFA preventing Suarez from all football related activities has the unintended consequences of potentially preventing him from seeking the very help he needs. Clearly, his hasn’t been FIFA’s most shining moment.

BestBuy Matching Amazon.com Prices

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As a gadget-guy, I enjoy strolling the aisles of BestBuy to see what new goodies are out there. Most of the time you can better prices from online retailers unless you’re in a pinch and must have something right then and there. And that has always been my policy — size up something locally, online shopping is simple, safe, effective and gets my coin.

About a month ago, I was nosing around in a local BestBuy and heard a fellow customer ask a clerk, “I understand you match Amazon.com prices?” The clerk said that was correct with the caveat, “…only if the item is stocked and shipped by Amazon.com.” In other words, the price matching does not extend to the Amazon.com Marketplace.

I was looking for a new camera bag and found something that caught my eye on the shelf. Costing $99, discounted to $89 in the store, I checked the Amazon.com price and found it listed for $43.77 — but surely the store wouldn’t match that price? I chatted up a salesperson and mentioned the online price. Without missing a beat, he verified the stocked and shipped by criteria, called over a manager to adjust the price, and five minutes later I was walking out with the camera bag at about half-price.

I’ve done this about three of four times in the last month, each time receiving somewhere between a 10-45% discount on whatever I’ve purchased. But it does beg the following question: How can BestBuy continue to match Internet pricing while existing as a brick-and-mortor store? I would be surprised if BestBuy continued matching throughout 2013. Surely, their overhead will either prevent continued matching or are they doomed to the fate of Circuit City and The Good Guys (both dead and gone). Time will tell but meanwhile, why wait for the Amazon.com box to arrive when I can pull the trigger and take it home right now.