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The Top Ten Lies Blockbuster Video Tells Their Customers

Thursday, September 2nd, 2010

Written by tatar job

I worked for Blockbuster Video for the better part of six months. I was used at several different stores as a shift manager, and had to deal with many, many different kinds of customers. While the job was criminally easy at times, I came to despise the job, the corporation, and the customers who gave it money.

As a way of exorcising the demons in my video rental past, I now present my completely unbiased and totally honest list of the ten biggest lies Blockbuster Video tells their customers.

10. “Sorry, I can’t do that”

If you tell a Blockbuster employee to credit something off your account, or change your payment method after he’s already confirmed it, or one of any number of irritating special requests one could possibly make to an employee, he will more than likely tell you that he is sorry, but the computer system will not allow him to do that.

This is untrue.

While Blockbuster still uses a Point of Sale computer system that is literally more than twenty years old (abbreviated, appropriately enough, to “P.O.S.”), it still allows the average BB clerk to do pretty much anything that could conceivably need to be done. The reason for his refusal to comply with your request is relatively simple: he is personally angry at your stupidity or dishonesty (keeping a videogame out for six days, then coming back and demanding a refund because it didn’t have an instruction manual) and feels it should not be positively reinforced.

No matter what your problem is, the average BB clerk can, technically, solve it – but the more complicated it is, the less he or she will actually want to. Hypothetically, refusing a customer any sort of service would be a no-no in the world of customer service, but given that an average BB computer looks like some sort of hacker workstation to the average citizen (blue screens, no mice, keys that make a satisfyingly loud noise when they are punched) , the Blockbuster employee is easily able to blame everything he can’t or won’t do on the computer system. Hopefully, the average consumer will not realize the full extend of what the POS system can do, and will have no choice but to accept the employee’s assertion that it is the computer, and not the employee, that is being unhelpful – which leads us straight into number 9.

9. “The computers lock down five minutes before closing time – we can’t do anything about it”

I heard this lie from the coolest manager I ever worked with – a guy with a vanity license plate reading “WOOKIEE” and a son with the middle name “Vader.” He hated customers even more than I did, and he used the above lie as a foolproof way of ending the night early. It is, of course, total bullshit, but it’s a damned good lie.

Promising that the computers will automatically lock down sounds absurd enough to be true, and technical enough to dissuade the unwashed masses from questioning it further. Also, the customers are forced to action: if you don’t hurry the fuck up and find a movie that will fit whatever mood you’re in at 1:00 in the morning, the system will shut down and you won’t get anything. The customers leave faster, the store closes earlier (thus preventing possible last-minute robberies), and the staff get to go home sooner. This lie, all things considered, contributes to a win-win-win situation.

8. “Sorry, the restroom is broken”

Seriously, it’s not. The restroom is unhygienic, disused, and probably caked in several layers of bodily fluids, but it is still technically functional. The reason BB staff lock their restrooms and tell customers the plumbing is broken is because the restroom is the one place in the entire store where the staff cannot see you.

As a result of this fact, restrooms are the perfect place to steal shit: during my time at Blockbuster, thieves often grabbed DVDs or videogame hardware, stuffed them into their pants, and entered the bathroom. Inside, they literally had all the time they wanted to remove the numerous security strips and magnetic locks affixed to every piece of merchandise.

One female customer in particular took her baby into the restroom with her and removed the packaging for an Xbox 360 controller, a new DVD copy of Gridiron Gang, and a copy of InStyle before stuffing all three items into her purse. Everyone working the shift that night obviously knew what the woman had done, but we were powerless to stop her thanks to lie number seven:

7. “Theft is bad”

Like many other corporate chains (Target and Wal-mart come to mind), Blockbuster must appear to despise shoplifting in all its shapes and forms, whilst doing pretty much nothing to stop it.

If you stuff eighteen DVDs, a Grand Theft Auto strategy guide, and a box of Red Vines into a backpack and walk out, congratulations – you’ve just committed the perfect crime. Even if the metal detector by the door goes off on your way out, you’re fine. Even if the security camera catches your face, you’re fine. Even if DVDs are literally poking out of your dungarees at the feet and waist, and even if every step you make is punctuated by the loud, repeated clapping of plastic case against plastic case, and even if an employee personally comes up to you and asks to see all the items you are carrying, once you leave the store you’ll still spend the rest of your arrest-free night watching your stolen copy of Red Dawn.

Blockbuster employees are trained not to stop, accuse, or pursue criminals, no matter what. This is partially for legal reasons (if a Blockbuster employee accuses a thief of stealing as per company policy and the thief shoots him, Blockbuster can be held accountable), but partially because Blockbuster doesn’t want to waste its time getting in battles with every two-bit pickpocket in the US. In the same way that videogame companies tend not to crack down on pirates, so too does Blockbuster ignore theft. Literally the only situation in which a Blockbuster employee can take any action against a thief is if the thief confesses to attempting to steal something. The BB theft response system quite literally punishes honesty – if someone admits to having stolen something, the employee is to immediately call the police and wait with the thief until their arrival, at which point said thief will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Yeah, that‘ll fucking teach him to fess up and apologize.

6. “Sorry, we don’t have that movie – I’ll call the other store and check if they have it”

There’s nobody on the other line, dude. Yeah, you saw me look up the phone number for another store, and you probably watched me dial some numbers, but I actually just called my cell phone. You might think I’m talking to another Blockbuster employee over at 19th Avenue and Union Hills, but I’m just speaking over the sound of my voicemail message, making occasional pauses to heighten the realism before disappointedly sighing, hanging up, and pronouncing, “Nah, I guess they don’t have it. Sorry.”

If you’d asked for a better movie I probably would have really checked, but you didn’t, so I didn’t.

5. “Yeah, we’re big movie buffs”

While under the employ of the Blockbuster Corporation, I worked at no less than six different stores in the greater Phoenix area. And in all my time, I did not run into a single store manager who had seen any of the following movies:

-City of God

-Fight Club

-The Wild Bunch

-Gone with the Wind

-Citizen Kane

-Casablanca

-THE FUCKING GODFATHER

On my first day, my store manager asked me what my favorite movie was. After responding, “Blade Runner” and watching her nod in faux-understanding, I asked her what her favorite movie was. She replied, “Rumor Has It.”

In retrospect, I should have quit right there.

When I later asked her why she hadn’t seen any movies of historical or artistic significance, she used these exact words:

“Gas station attendants don’t need to know how to work an oilrig, do they?”

No, but they do need to know the goddamned difference between unleaded and diesel. Jesus.

4. “No, I won’t write down stuff you say to me and then repost it on the Internet”

“Did you like Terminator 3?” -An employee
“Uh, maybe if I’d never seen Terminator 1 or 2.” -Me
“What? You didn’t-”
“You’re talking about comparing a decent action movie to two of the best action movies ever made.”
“What’s my favorite action movie? That’s a good question, I’ve never thought about that.”
“?I didn’t ask-”
“Probably Blade 2.”
“?”

“Is it possible to understand Road House 2 even if I haven’t seen the original?” -A customer

“-Are you from Pakistan?”- 50 year old, balding customer with glasses and a pedo-smile
“I-what?” -Me
“Your ethnicity, are you from Pakistan?”
“Uh, sort of.”
“Oh, I thought so. You ever thought about modelling?”
“?What.”
“You’ve got a real face for it.”
“I-”
“-Yeah, my son in law does it. Makes a pretty good living off it. You’ve got a face for it, I can tell you.”
“Uh, if you need anything else, let me-”
“-And you don’t have to be gay to do it, either.”
“IFYOUNEEDANYTHINGELSEJUSTLETMEKNOW”

“Is this Final Fantasy Seven? The one with the V, and the two lines?” -An employee

3. “There are no late fees”

Perhaps the biggest marketing move in Blockbuster’s history has been the so-called abolishment of late fees. While, technically, there is no longer a service charge referred to as a “late fee” at any Blockbuster store on the planet, there are plenty of other small fees and price changes to make up for it.

Firstly, rentals themselves are now more expensive than ever: in Arizona, a movie rental costs 5 bucks, and a game rental costs 9. In states like California or New York, I assume some sort of first-born bartering system is used.

Secondly, there is a late fee if you keep a movie a week past its suggested due date: the $1.25 charge is referred to as a “restocking fee,” but trust me – it’s a late fee. There is nothing in the process of returning a movie from the night drop to the store shelves that costs even the smallest amount of money; if the $1.25 is truly financing “restocking,” I have to wonder where that money is going. I sure as hell didn’t see any of it.

Thirdly, the tradeoff with late fees if that if you keep a movie for a month past its suggested due date, you have to buy it. This is probably the most reasonable aspect of the no late fees policy, and is therefore the one frequently argued against by deadbeats who refuse to return copies of Fast and the Furious 2 within a reasonable period of time.

2. “Blockbuster Online is better than Netflix”

Every Blockbuster Online mailer counts as a coupon for a free instore rental. It’s a pretty good deal, admittedly, but the problem is that it’s a wholly temporary one: while Blockbuster Online’s current monthly fee is pretty much on par with Netflix’s, it won’t stay like that for long.

Blockbuster Online was created solely to steal Netflix’s online rental idea and drive them out of business: as such, if/when Netflix is bankrupted by Blockbuster Online’s Bauman-esque ripoff artistry, Blockbuster Online will raise its prices significantly, and probably get rid of the whole “free instore rental” thing. Thanks to the combination of No Late Fees and the Blockbuster Online free rentals, the BB Corporation is losing money – once their main source of competition is gone, they’ll do whatever necessary to get that cash back.

1. “Yeah, that’s a really good movie”

If there is only one thing you need to know about Blockbuster, it is this: the movie you are renting, or the movie that was suggested to you by an overweight female clerk who has had two husbands, one child, and half a dozen miscarriages, will not be good.

The fault for this does not completely lie on either employee or customer, but weighs equally on both parties.

As mentioned earlier, Blockbuster employees, for the most part, know next to nothing about movies. As such, their recommendations will be at best useless and at worst harmful: whichever new release has the prettiest cover will likely be the one immediately recommended by the manager on duty.

On the other hand, the vast majority of those who frequent the shelves of Blockbuster Video are slobbering, slack-jawed idiots who harbor no true love for cinema, no desire to probe deep questions about life, and no ability to enjoy something that might require the slightest bit of effort. In one respect, I can understand this: these people have worked hard during their day jobs – why shouldn’t be allowed to relax and escape with some harmless Hollywood entertainment?

The problem arises in what they watch. Relax and escape, yeah, but at the very least adopt some goddamned standards. If you’re looking for a comedy, don’t rent Phat Girlz. If you want a drama, don’t get anything with Ben Affleck. And for the love of God, do not rent something just because it is new.

I literally cannot tell you how many people come to Blockbuster on a daily basis, just so they can rent the new releases. Not because they’re interested in them. Not because they look good. Simply because they are new.

And while they spend their time and money on dreck like Behind Enemy Lines II and The Break-Up, these people literally refuse to anything that:

-Was made before 1995

-Comes from a different country, even an English-speaking one

-Might be mentally or emotionally disturbing

-Has subtitles

-Has voice-over narration (I literally talked to a customer who didn’t like any movie that had voice-over narration: that’s like fucking saying you don’t like movies with a number in the title)

Of course, there are always those precious few customers who actually want something different, but they are extremely rare. And by the time they show up, most Blockbuster employees are already burned out: my first few months on the job, I tried to expand people’s movie vocabulary by exposing them to unusual fare like Oldboy, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Brick, and so on, but my efforts were all for naught. The things I recommended to customers were either immediately returned to the shelf once I left their field of vision, or watched on a whim and then endlessly complained about (“the pedophilia stuff in Hard Candy was so gross that I had to turn it off after ten minutes”). It literally gets to the point where, as an employee, you don’t want to share good films with customers because, in the words of one of my old co-workers, “they don’t deserve them.”

This attitude snowballs into a general loathing of all Blockbuster customers, and then all consumers, and then all of humanity in general.

Long story short, I was fired from Blockbuster for calling a female customer a “cunt.”

She was totally acting like one, though.

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Difference between DOS Attack and Digg Traffic on Web Servers

Friday, August 27th, 2010

Everyone loves it when lots of traffic comes through their website. In fact, many do whatever they can to achieve that traffic in hopes that someone will find what is on their site interesting and will make a purchase from the site. That’s the idea, right? Of course it is, but it is a fact that traffic of all types may not be very beneficial if it isn’t targeted traffic.


However, there are ways in which traffic is brought to sites and two of these are DOS Attack and Digg Traffic. There are actual differences between the two as far as how they bring traffic to websites. Let’s just say that one is more vicious than the other.


DOS Attack


Dos Attack makes the web server beg for mercy because it is flooded with traffic that can actually be considered useless. There are different kinds of DOS Attacks such as Teardrop and Ping of Death. What these do is exploit the limitations of the TCP/IP protocols.


However, there are software fixes that administrators administer to their systems to reduce the damage that is done by DOS Attacks. But just like computer viruses, there are always new attacks being created by hackers.


What these attacks do is keep the website from functioning properly and usually target large sites such as those of banks and credit card sites. The Teardrop attack sends IP fragments with huge payloads that are overlapping to the machine that they are targeting. Many operating systems are vulnerable to this type of attack and can crash the entire system.


There is also an attack called the Smurf Attack in which it floods the internet by sending packets of information to be sent to the computer hosts on a certain network. This is one of those methods in which it appears a website is receiving a lot of traffic, but none of the traffic is legitimate. SYN Flood is another that floods the servers to appear as legitimate traffic.


Digg Traffic


Digg is actually a legitimate way to generate traffic to websites. It is community-based and uses articles to gain traffic. It combines blogging, social bookmarking, and syndication with editorial control by the users. Websites and news stories are submitted by the users and a user-based ranking system is used to promote the website. It can happen that the web server is not prepared to manage that high incoming traffic and ultimately crashes the site for a short time.


However, Digg has met some controversy because it is said the users have entirely too much control over the content. There are even users who have been accused of operating what is called a “Bury Brigade” in which users mark articles as SPAM, which can bury these legitimate stories under the ones that users want to promote, whether they are legitimate or not.


The differences


The differences are rather clean in that DOS attacks are a way in which hackers maliciously flood systems with fake traffic and can actually disable use of a website. It is not a legitimate way to gain traffic, whereas Digg is a legitimate method. However, even


Digg has met its controversy in which traffic can be directed away from legitimate articles due to “Bury Brigades,” which can hinder one’s ability to promote through Digg’s system. Yet as with any system on the internet, there are always ways to compromise its original intent and Digg is not an exception. DOS Attacks, on the other hand, still do what they are intended to do and that is to maliciously attack the web.

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Yacht Racing

Thursday, August 26th, 2010

Yacht racing is a very entertaining and challenging sport, played in various world games as well. There are different kinds of yacht racing, and various types of yachts used for them. Some of the yacht racing is done in small outlets called buoys or also small areas in protective waters. Sometimes, a longer yacht race is held in open waters too. Yacht racing is governed by the Racing Rules of Sailing. The various types of yachts used may be catamarans, dinghies, boats, and propose-built racing boats.

Harbour/buoy racing is the most popular form of yacht racing. It is held in protected waters, and does not normally last long. This yacht racing is probably the shortest type, lasting from minutes to few hours at the most. It is held usually in the form of a regatta, where many races are held, and the yacht with the most wins is declared the racing champion. The race consists of laps, with the pre-set course that the yachts need to go through.

Inshore yacht racing is another type where the race is done along the shoreline of land, and not in protected waters. These races can last long, sometimes going on over several days. One kind of Inshore yacht racing is the famous Swiftsure yacht racing. This includes many races running side-by-side, with different skill levels, some of them even overlapping with each other across the same distances. This kind of yacht racing is normally held at racing clubs and the like.

Another yacht racing is the Offshore racing, which are the really long ones, held out in open waters. Some of them even go into a circumnavigation of the entire world. There are some other types of yacht racing as well, like the famous Three peaks yacht racing, which is held in UK. This is a team event, which includes a three tier racing system – sailing, cycling and running.

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Children and Your Pets: Avoiding Dog Agression

Thursday, August 26th, 2010

It’s terrifying how common tales are of dogs savaging young children. You might think that it’s just Pit Bulls or certain breeds that do this kind of thing but it’s common across all breeds. Children have the uncanny ability to make dogs angry without intending.

Most families will luckily never have to deal with anything remotely as traumatic but if you own a dog and have children; or have children visiting often – then you too must take some responsibility for their actions and behavior.

You want to prepare your children by teaching them a few simple rules about playing with the dog.

The first step to understand the aggression. So, what causes dogs to become aggressive? There are a few different kinds of aggression that dogs experience. If they are scared they become aggressive, if something threatens their territory or family and as an act of dominance assertion.

An aggressive dog’s ears will pin back; their tail might stand up and they will growl. The growl is a warning.

What’s the best way to deal with an aggressive dog?

If you have the luxury of realizing before something happens that the dog is upset and about to hurt your child or you there are some things you can do:

- It’s most important to try to keep as calm as possible; the dog will sense your fear
- Speak in a soft voice – remove the disturbance if possible.

What can you do to prevent an aggressive dog?

- Teach your children that the dogs have feeling too and are to be treated with care. This means no rough playing with the dog. Some breeds of dog become agitated and roughhousing can greatly upset them. Enough to bite your child!

- If your children are very small you will need to take care to supervise them at all times. You cannot leave a toddler with a dog without risking something going wrong. Very young children do not understand how to treat animals yet.

- The importance of having a well trained dog cannot be stated enough. When you get a puppy take them to obedience classes straight away. Even if you don’t have children it’s important to have a well trained dog. You don’t want your beloved pooch to harm someone else’s children.

If you have children and are considering buying a dog; there are some considerations that can make it far less likely for an aggressive dog. Choose carefully – some breeds are known to have a low tolerance and others are known to be child friendly.

Dogs have a long standing relationship with humans – dogs love people and visa versa.  By following these pointers you should be assured of a happy calm dog that won’t harm anyone.  A carefully trained dog will give you peace of mind and most importantly – become an important part of your family life.

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Highly Successful People And Their Traits

Wednesday, August 25th, 2010

We have all read about people who are successful briefly. They win a gold medal, make a fortune, or star in one great movie…and then disappear. Or, there are those like Marilyn Monroe and Howard Hughes who achieve extraordinary success, at the cost of their own lives. These examples do not inspire me!

My focus and fascination is with people who seem to do well in many areas of life, and do it over and over through a lifetime. In entertainment, I think of Paul Newman and Bill Cosby. In business, I think of Ben and Jerry (the ice cream moguls), and a local hardware store owner who is famous for the money he’s give to children’s charities. As a Naval Officer, husband, businessman, politician and now as a mediator and philanthropist on the world stage, Jimmy Carter has had a remarkable life. We all know examples of people who go from one success to another.

These are the people who inspire me! I’ve studied them, and I’ve noticed they have the following traits in common:

1. They work hard! Yes, they play hard, too! They get up early, they rarely complain, they expect performance from others, but they expect extraordinary performance from themselves. Repeated, high-level success starts with a recognition that hard work pays off.

2. They are incredibly curious and eager to learn. They study, ask questions and read – constantly! An interesting point, however: While most of them did well in school, the difference is that they apply or take advantage of what they learn. Repeated success is not about memorizing facts, it’s about being able to take information and create, build, or apply it in new and important ways. Successful people want to learn everything about everything!

3. They network. They know lots of people, and they know lots of different kinds of people. They listen to friends, neighbors, co-workers and bartenders. They don’t have to be “the life of the party”, in fact many are quiet, even shy, but they value people and they value relationships. Successful people have a rolodex full of people who value their friendship and return their calls.

4. They work on themselves and never quit! While the “over-night wonders” become arrogant and quickly disappear, really successful people work on their personality, their leadership skills, management skills, and every other detail of life. When a relationship or business deal goes sour, they assume they can learn from it and they expect to do better next time. Successful people don’t tolerate flaws; they fix them!

5. They are extraordinarily creative. They go around asking, “Why not?” They see new combinations, new possibilities, new opportunities and challenges where others see problems or limitations. They wake up in the middle of the night yelling, “I’ve got it!” They ask for advice, try things out, consult experts and amateurs, always looking for a better, faster, cheaper solution. Successful people create stuff!

6. They are self-reliant and take responsibility. Incredibly successful people don’t worry about blame, and they don’t waste time complaining. They make decisions and move on. Sometimes they are criticized for taking this to extremes – Jimmy Carter carried his own briefcase and a President “shouldn’t” do that! Extremely successful people take the initiative and accept the responsibilities of success.

7. They are usually relaxed and keep their perspective. Even in times of stress or turmoil, highly successful people keep their balance, they know the value of timing, humor, and patience. They rarely panic or make decisions on impulse. Unusually successful people breath easily, ask the right questions, and make sound decisions, even in a crisis.

8. Extremely successful people live in the present moment. They know that “Now” is the only time they can control. They have a “gift” for looking people in the eye, listening to what is being said, enjoying a meal or fine wine, music or playing with a child. They never seem rushed, and they get a lot done! They take full advantage of each day. Successful people don’t waste time, they use it!

9. They “look over the horizon” to see the future. They observe trends, notice changes, see shifts, and hear the nuances that others miss. A basketball player wearing Nikes is trivial, the neighbor kid wearing them is interesting, your own teenager demanding them is an investment opportunity! Extremely successful people live in the present, with one eye on the future!

10. Repeatedly successful people respond instantly! When an investment isn’t working out, they sell. When they see an opportunity, they make the call. If an important relationship is cooling down, they take time to renew it. When technology or a new competitor or a change in the economic situation requires an adjustment, they are the first and quickest to respond.

These traits work together in combination, giving repeatedly successful people a huge advantage. Because they are insatiable learners, they can respond wisely to change. Because their personal relationships are strong, they have good advisors, and a reserve of goodwill when things go bad. And finally, none of these traits are genetic! They can be learned! They are free and they are skills you can use. Start now!

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Collecting Antique Chess Sets in the 20th C

Wednesday, August 25th, 2010

Antique chess set collecting

in the twenty first century.

With the Internet now all pervasive there are opportunities for collectors of all kinds with, for example,

e-bay, (a double edged sword).

Auctions online (chancy, unless you can view in person)

Online dealers, (good, but can be pricey).

Chess set collectors have to make several decisions each time they look at an antique chess set. they are, in no particular order.

Is it desirable?

Do I want it?

Will it fit into my collection?

Is it in good condition?

If not can it be fixed, and for how much?

Can I afford it?

There are many different styles of set available, and many different kinds of collectors.

some have a theme collection, e.g. Indian sets, English sets, and so on, some collect only wooden sets, some only ivory, some collect everything they can find.

So, leaving aside the personal requirements of the individual collector, I propose to explore what kinds of set one can reasonably expect to find, where, and

how often one might get the chance to buy such a set and for how much, assuming the set is in good condition.

Also, most importantly, which sets are most desirable for ‘bragging rights’ with other collectors. This is an important consideration, nobody wants to spend good money for sets over several years, and then find that everyone else has better, bigger or bought the same thing more cheaply etc.

Lets start with a decent Staunton pattern set, this should be by Jaques, if you have any aspirations to be taken seriously as a collector. however a collection of non Jaques sets is just as valid, see. http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/chesspurr

A signed set in boxwood and ebony with 3 1/2″ kings, weighted, in the original box with label, can be regarded as the minimum requirement, and will cost around £800 as of 2008.

Beg borrow or buy a copy of Prof Alan Fersht’s monograph on Jaques sets, so you can see if what you are offered is the right set, in the right box etc.

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/Fersht

Buy from a reputable dealer and get a receipt stating exactly what you have bought, if it turns out to be a marriage, you can take it back for a refund or swap.

If you buy off e-bay, or from a market stall in anytown, be prepared for disappointment with no chance of any recompense.

however it is possible that with the changes e-bay are proposing to the feedback system, that e-bay buying may, (and I say ‘may’) become less problematic.

Above is an example of a superb, top of the range Jaques Ivory 4 1/4″ king set in a rosewood box, an early example and perfect, expect to pay £20,000+. (if you ever see one)

If you are a potential ‘real’ collector you will by now be drooling. If the above chess set leaves you cold, stop reading immediately and go and collect garden gnomes, or razor blades or some such, put one in the garden and use the other.

The picture above shows a reasonably good Barleycorn set, however the carving of the knights leaves something to be desired, however these knights are ‘right’ for this set.

Other sets with poor knights are the Selenus and Toy co. sets from Germany, however as this is how they were made there is nothing to be done about it.

There is only one good general guide to antique chess sets which is easily available, and that is Masterpieces. by Gareth Williams. It has information on most of the chess sets you can hope to find and quite a few you will not, and the things Gareth says are accurate as to dates and makers etc.

Other earlier books are either difficult to find,or written in a ‘foreign’ language (Shakpartie Durch Zeiten und Welten, ‘The Hamburg chess club catalogue’) or hopelessly inaccurate, (Keats, World Chessmen), or just plain hopeless, (Mackett-Beeson, Chess sets).

The best place to see sets on a weekly basis,is Portobello Market in London on a Saturday morning.

Otherwise look for sets in auction catalogues on line.

There are occasional dedicated chess sales, where well known collectors meet in the flesh, at the moment these are hosted by Mr. Luke Honey at Bonhams auctioneers.

There are various chess dealers and collectors online, and entering ‘Antique chess sets’ into a search engine will catch most of them.

Mr. Jon Crumiller, ( Jon’s chess sets’ ) stands out amongst these for several reasons, he is a collector, not a dealer, and all his collection is online and regularly updated, his descriptions are as accurate as he can make them.

http://www.crumiller.com/chess/chess_pages/jonchess.htm

The dealers captured as above are a valuable resource, but remember, the descriptions are likely to be optimistic, as are the prices, and discounts can often be negotiated.

If you would like to start a chess set collection without breaking the bank, a good representative collection can be started for a couple of thousand pounds, and this can be spread over purchases made over two or three years, so it’s not beyond the means of most people.

Above is a fairly standard Old English bone set, should cost from £100 depending on size, anything under a three inch king should be regarded as too small.

What should I buy first?

Look first to buy reasonably good examples of easily acquired sets, these are, (again in no particular order, and apart from the already mentioned Staunton pattern), Barleycorn bone set, Old English bone, St. George pattern, Burmese ivory, Cantonese puzzle ball,and Indian ivory.

A word about collecting antique ivories is probably appropriate here.

collecting and owning antique ivory objet d’art is not yet illegal neither is their sale or transportation, although this is now becoming severely restricted, particularly in America.

In effect the movement of ivory in and out of both Europe and America is forbidden, there are CITES certificates which can theoretically be issued to allow this, but until someone tells the morons who work at the airports and borders this is irrelevant.

The tree huggers responsible for this state of affairs will not stop until we are all prevented from, smoking, drinking,driving and living, we will live in a perfect green paradise, but will all have died from boredom. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

You will find some dealers sites which claim to have George Washington sets on them, this is because G.W. owned this set,

Any set which is substantially different to this should not be so described, and indicates the dealer concerned is ‘fluffing’ his sets and caution should be used before quoting anything said on such a site as fact.

However sets like these with contrasting brickwork on the rooks and urn stems, were made in the 18c, but also through into the 19c and guessing which is which is not easy.

This St. George pattern set above didn’t sell at auction, estimated £120 -£160 and only achieved £55 on the day and consequently was marked unsold, but it’s more than possible there were replacements or other faults which were not noted in the catalogue.

That is of course just one reason why you should always view and handle lots you are planning to bid on.

This handsome ivory Hastilow set would cost around £2000 at auction (£1700 was the hammer price, and commission of between 15%-30% must be added depending on which auction house you are bidding at)

no one is really sure if Hastilow really made this style of set, but once the name has appeared in print the label tends to stick. (There are serious researchers who are working on problems such as this and scholarship and knowledge moves on.)

As a very general guide, you will very rarely be offered an 18c set, most 19c sets are actually early 20c. so exercise some caution in buying, however dealers and internet sellers are all covered by the same sale of goods act that all retailers are, so make sure you get a receipt stating exactly what you have bought. If it later turns out to be substantively different to described, you can reasonably claim against them, (although this is not straightforward).

Chinese and Canton sets.

hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of these sets were imported into the UK in the 19c. and because the Victorians kept them under glass domes, (for the most part) a great many have survived, so if you like this sort of thing, (I don’t)

You don’t need to buy the first one you are offered, as another better one will be along in a minute.

Apart from lot 21, the above sets are reasonably common examples, buy them if you like them, but never buy a set with pieces missing, as you will never find any matching pieces, as these sets were made to suit the materials and sizes to hand at the time of making, and always vary slightly from set to set.

Try to buy Chinese sets with well made pawns, carved in the round, not hacked out as most 20c ones were.

The best way to start collecting chess sets, is to surf the net, starting with my picasa site,

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/chessspy

then move onto my scribd site.

http://www.scribd.com/people/view/85927-frank-alan-dewey

As I stated earlier, typing ‘antique chess sets’ into the search engine of your choice, will return a sufficient number of relevant sites to keep you amused for weeks if not months, just don’t believe everything you read.

As with any other avocation, there are highways and byways. there are for example those who only collect famous chess players signatures, and those who are interested mainly in travel sets etc.

My personal interest is turned chess pieces, but for anyone with a computer, (or access to one) there are enough collectors and dealers online to satisfy all tastes. Have fun.

Alan Dewey. 2008.

Antiques restorer (retired)

Live in Kent England

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Purposes Of Various Medications Used In Alcohol Treatment In Vermont

Wednesday, August 25th, 2010

On one hand, the holistic programs have become quite popular for alcohol treatment in Vermont, but on the other hand, the conventional treatment programs that use medications and other qualified techniques are going quite strong too. Different kinds of addictions have different forms of medications but their purposes are almost the same. Let us take a look at the purposes of some of these medicinal therapies that are used so profusely in the alcohol treatment in Vermont.


Helping the Person to Keep Abstinent from Alcohol


This is the primary purpose of most forms of medication that are used for alcohol treatment in Vermont. Most of these medications will work by creating a dislike for alcohol in the mind of the patient. They will work in a completely different manner on the body than alcohol does, i.e. when alcohol produces a feeling of false felicity in the person, the medication will produce an uncomfortable reaction in the person. In time, this uncomfortable reaction becomes overwhelming for the person and they will not want to consume alcohol any more.


A very good example of this medication is Antabuse. Antabuse is actually disulfiram which is an acetaldehyde retaining agent. When this substance is introduced in the body, the person will find the discomforting effects of acetaldehyde in the body, which is responsible for causing the alcohol withdrawal. Hence, whenever the person takes in alcohol during the administration of Antabuse, he or she will experience magnified effects of the alcohol and will eventually not want to consume it at all.


Another example of such a medication is Naltrexone. Naltrexone is used directly to reduce the urges that a person experiences for consuming alcohol. When the substance is introduced into the body of the patient, there is a decrease in the craving for alcohol because the substance reduces the amount of endorphins in the body which are responsible for keeping the patient within the addiction. Another medication that acts in the same manner as Naltrexone is Vivitrol that is also used for reducing the amount of alcohol dependency in the person.


Normalizing the Patient’s Physical Constitution after the Withdrawal


Alcohol withdrawal can bring on a lot of problems in the body of the person. It is not just about experiencing some physical symptoms and then coming out of those. There are some definite changes that occur in the person’s body when he or she is made to abstain from alcohol. When the person consumes alcohol for several years, there are certain chemical changes that occur in the brain (in fact, these are the changes that keep the person with the addiction). Now, when the person is put into a detox program where he or she has to abstain from the substance, these chemical balances are disrupted.


There are some medications like acamprosate that are used in stabilizing these balances within the central nervous system. This is quite important if the person has to revert to a life of normalcy where the addiction will not be the mainstay of the person. Acamprosate was approved by the FDA in 2004, and since then it is available under the brand name of Campral.


Reducing the Usage of Alcohol


In some cases, it becomes necessary to first make the person cut down on the usage of alcohol. If a person has been drinking quite heavily, it is not advisable to put them into a detoxification program right away even if their physical and mental condition indicates that they are suitable for going through the treatment. The method employed here is to first allow the patients to lessen the amount of alcohol they consume, and when this usage becomes manageable, then to put them on detoxification.


One of the drugs that can help do this is topiramate. This substance is sold under the brand name Topamax. When a person is put on this treatment, the main effect is that of reducing the dependency on the substance. Resultantly, the person finds that he or she can do well with a lowered amount of alcohol in their body. Topiramate is quite capable in mitigating a person’s dependency; it has been found that trace amounts of topiramate in the body can also help reduce a patient’s alcohol usage significant. People are made to stay on a topiramate medication for about a month, and when their alcohol consumption is reduced, they are put on the detoxification treatment.


Hence, there are different medications that are used in alcohol treatment in Vermont, all with different actions on the body. But, they are required to bring the patient back from a complete dependency to a life of addiction freedom.

You can read more articles like this one on alcohol treatment in Vermont by visiting http://www.floridadrugrehab.net/vermont.

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How to Find Affordable Targeted Advertising in Magazines

Wednesday, August 25th, 2010

By now most of us have tried just about every advertising method available. From ads on Google to website banners. And even though you may have found an advertising method that works, you’re probably still looking for more.

I’m often surprised by how many home-based business owners and opportunity seekers have never thought of advertising in magazines. Magazines are the original targeted media. While TV shows and newspapers may try to appeal to a very wide audience featuring many different kinds of people, magazines have always focused their efforts on a tightly defined audience.

For example, look through the magazine rack the next time you’re at the grocery store and you will see dozens of different magazines focusing on everything from cars, fishing, crafts, home decorating, relationships, and business. All these magazines cater to a different audience with different tastes and buying habits.

By choosing magazines that focus on your best potential customers, you almost guarantee your ads will be successful. It’s an old rule in marketing that getting your ad in a magazine that intensely appeals to your best customers will get you ten times the results than advertising in a famous mass appeal publication like Business Week, Time, or Newsweek.

That’s right, advertising your home-based business in Home Business Magazine will most likely get you far more response than getting your name in Newsweek.

And this is REALLY good news for those of us working from home. Smaller, more tightly-focused magazines almost always offer very affordable ads, usually in the back of the magazine. While full and half-page ads can cost hundreds or thousands, you can advertise in the back for about the same cost as putting a classified ad in your local paper. Then, as very few people know, there are also ways to get FREE ads in big magazines. Either way, it’s cheap, targeted, and it could be your best path to new profits.

And don’t let that “back of the magazine” position discourage you. More than half of people read magazines from back to front. Businesses advertising in the back actually have the most visible spot in the magazine.

The weeks ahead are traditionally a time when magazines drop their advertising rates. Place your ads NOW to take advantage of low rates early in the year which, incidentally, is the time of year when the most people are interested in joining a business opportunity.

Want to find out about chicken hutch and chicken lice? Get tips from the Chicken Health website.

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Carter Hargrave Jeet Kune Do

Wednesday, August 25th, 2010

If you are a fan of the Carter Hargrave form of martial arts and Jeet Kune Do, you can now follow him online at his web site, and his blog to be able to keep up on all of the latest news and information about martial arts and Carter Hargrave. The form of martial arts that is performed by Hargrave has many followers, and may people turn to Hargrave to keep up on the latest in the martial arts industry. If you enjoy his form of martial arts and want to see what is happening, you can now find him online and follow his blog to keep up the martial arts that you enjoy.

Carter Hargrave has been an instructor of the Jeet Kune Do form of martial arts for years, and those who teach this form of martial arts following the training and teaching of Bruce Lee. There are two different kinds of curriculums in this form of martial arts that students can learn. One is the original form of this martial art and the other is learning the techniques and concepts of the martial arts. The concepts part of the practice focuses on the combat than the original form and whichever form is a better match for you depends on the instruction and teaching that you want to receive.

Carter Hargrave teaches the Jeet Kune Do form of martial arts and has been sharing this art form with others all over through his teaching, instruction and web site. Followers of Carter Hargrave from all over can now enjoy keeping up with him and watching the latest in his martial arts practice online at his web site or by following the blog that he has created to help keep everyone who enjoys learning more about this form of martial arts informed and ready to practice.

If you have often thought about getting more involved in a form of the martial arts and would like to learn more about Jeet Kune Do and what you can do to learn the training and techniques that you need to help improve your own practice, you can follow Carter Hargrave and learn the methods that he has been teaching for years. People from all over enjoy following his teachings and learning more about the form of martial arts that he teaches. You can now keep up with the Hargrave web site and blogs that allow you to see and learn more about Hargrave as a teacher, and the form of martial arts that so many are following. Go online and find what you need to know about this martial arts form.

Carter Hargrave Jeet Kune Do Martial Arts Blog. Visit www.carterhargravejkd.com to learn more about the Carter Hargrave Martial Arts

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Racing Go Kart Action – Which Sort is Best for You Personally?

Wednesday, August 25th, 2010

If you have ever seen the Indy 500, you have seen open wheel racing, an exciting motor sport where racers achieve speeds faster than 230 miles per hour. Go kart racing is similar to open wheel racing competition, employing a speedy kart. Kart racing is often used like a stepping stone to the faster and more expensive ranks of auto racing where a large number of professional race drivers began.

When a large number of individuals imagine go carts, the image that comes to mind is customarily the sluggish karts found at amusement centers. The top speeds achieved at nearly all fun center go kart tracks are roughly 15 miles per hour, but various other types of karts will be able to attain speeds greater than 160 miles per hour.

Kart racing is regulated and permits children 8 years of age or more to race. As immature kids enhance their expertise in a regulated atmosphere, they have the option to move up to faster racing as they get more skilled.

Along with the assorted go kart racing leagues, Kid Karts go cart racing programs are provided for children 8 years of age or sometimes less. These courses can be continued through the age of 16 where teenagers may reach senior status. This can be a great place for young kids to get involved in racing in a safe and fun atmosphere.

There are actually quite a few different kinds of go kart racing such as speedway, sprint, and endurance, often called Enduro racing. Sprint racing takes place on short tracks that require both right and left turns. The race tracks normally differ in size from a quarter mile to one mile. A standard sprint kart race consists of preliminary races, also referred to as heats, that are only a handful of laps. The top several finishers of each heat will then advance to the championship race where the final winner will emerge.

Speedway races are just like certain Indy Car races, and take place on an oval track having all left turns. The basic variation is the size of the track, with go cart tracks being much shorter, normally between 1/6 of a mile and one-fourth of a mile. The go cart tracks are ordinarily asphalt or clay with a couple of straights and 4 left-handed turns.

However, some tracks may be non-ovals, such as triangular-shaped. Infrequently, the track can be dirt, which provides some fantastically thrilling racing. A special kart frame was manufactured for use on all-left-turn tracks that improve the handling of the go cart. In spite of this, using these “dirt track” kart frames won’t be best when employed in other varieties of racing such as sprint.

As with sprint racing, speedway racing will typically have heat races to decide which racers drive in the final event. The qualification heats will typically be only a few laps in length while the final might be as many as 20 full laps. Endurance races last for a precise period of time, ordinarily from a half hour to 24 hours, and sometimes longer. For shorter-duration races a single driver for a racing kart might be all that is required. Nevertheless, for longer endurance races there are ordinarily more than one driver for each kart, who will switch off driving, permitting rest opportunities.

Which would you prefer, a speedy racing go cart or an off road go cart? Discover how you can make kids go carts with go kart kits utilizing excellent go cart parts, or the way to obtain the right go cart plans.

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