I took my truck to Texas Nissan of Grapevine and, where my remorse should of died, it was watered & fertilized to bear fruit [presently]. I hate the process of purchasing a vehicle and my experience with the dealership, here out known as TNOG, has only reinforced that fact. I’ll highlight the pain points so that perhaps you can learn the easy way! I was misinformed and worse, lied too, about the 2007 Altima that I purchased. As a future buyer, you should BEWARE.  

When I first entered the TNOG dealership that fateful Saturday morning, one thing was clear in my mind, I did not have a lot of time. I purchased a dealer vehicle once in the past and I had no desire (or ability) to spend upwards of four hours stretching out the paperwork process. I was very clear with the young salesman Louis (yes, after a year I remember his name) about that fact and he assured me such would not be the case. I have ever learned the road to hell is paved with good intentions.  

Jon’s Law: Never believe a car salesman if he has nothing negative to say

As is customary, I filled out the obligatory “let’s find out what you’re worth” credit check form and I waited. And I waited. And I waited. After 45 minutes I inquired with Louis only to learn that my credit check hadn’t even been run yet. Maybe he was unclear on my “i’m not spending my entire Saturday here” speech? At this point, I told him he could ring my cell when he was prepared to sell me a car, I had errands to run. I promptly left the car lot to attend my agenda.  

I think most car buying customers are willing to play the waiting game because they believe it to be necessary (it is after all a big purchase). I also think dealerships like TNOG engage in that process as part of their sales tactics. I am clearly not most customers and thus the look of confusion on Louis’s face when I left confirmed that fact. Unfortunately I was overly sympathetic to the “we’re crazy busy” speech he gave and thus later that day I came back to the car lot.  

My criteria for choosing a vehicle was as straight forward as straight forward could get. I wanted an as new as possible, low miles, non-light color car that, above all things, was a stick shift (I’m old school like that). Knowing exactly what you want narrows things down pretty quickly and soon I was settled on a 2007 Nissan Altima, silver-grey with about 55,000 miles on it (stick shift of course). The general look & feel of the car was acceptable and so the paperwork began. The problems began right after the paperwork.  

Car dealers are like drug dealers: the product makes you happy for awhile

Before I drove the car off the lot I noticed the tire air sensor was on. “That’s normal”, salesman number two informed me. “We put nitrogen in the tires and the sensor can’t account for that”.  He either bold faced lied or he was blowing smoke up my backside. The sensor should be replaced in the tire having problems though sadly I believed him. My grievances were just beginning.  

Over the next week, my Altima developed a low grinding noise that took me from irritated to infuriated. My first guess was that the bottom plastic cover was loose and so I began inspecting the vehicle for issues. Suffice it to say I found issues. The air intake vent was not bolted down and the air filter was not clamped shut. After sitting through that ‘our pre-certification check is awesome‘ sales pitch, I immediately became livid. The next morning I drove my Altima back to Texas Nissan of Grapevine and I left my happy pills at home.  

In the service department, it was discovered that the left strut was near death. I began to wonder if my vehicle had been certified at all. Were that my only grievance, it would be enough to remove any beliefs in their integrity as a dealership. When you spend thousands of dollars on something, you need integrity in the business relationship. You require it. My strut was repaired and my gas tank filled as compensation.  

That was less than a year ago. I just finished a 1200 dollar repair to replace the radiator, hose, and cap and the rear shock absorbers have to be replaced as well. Of course, none of this is covered under the “silver” warranty I was sold. While I might be inclined to believe some parts just aged, the initial lack of inspection on the car leads me to believe otherwise. My next vehicle will NOT be purchased from Texas Nissan of Grapevine.  

It’s a sad fact of business that dealerships like TNOG can’t be trusted. In the future, I will take my vehicles to a third party for verification where I can validate the dealer report. This will cost me more time and more money but at least I’ll sleep knowing I have all the car I paid for.

P.S. – I forgot to mention the bubbling paint on the rear side of the vehicle though, according to CarFax, it has never been in a wreck!

How long has the 2012 gospel been preached? I’m not sure. I think it grew to hype sometime around early 2010 but I forget. I know people are very here/now oriented so I can’t imagine it being too much earlier than that (though I remain the right to be wrong). You have to jump on such things pretty quick because your great “the world is ending in 2012″ book is not going to be worth much in the year 2013. How many outdated rapture books have we seen now!

Prophets of doom have been saying that we’re in for an apocalypse on Dec. 21, 2012, because that marks the end of the Maya “Long Count” calendar…

So what happened to the Mayans? Perhaps 2012 was just way too long to wait to see the demise of their culture and they vacated out early. Hey, it’s plausible. Why die out centuries later when you can die out today? Who knows. Perhaps it was due to famine, disease, war or something similar. Maybe someday we’ll know for sure. What killed off the Mayans is probably not too different from what’s killed off any other culture in the past. What we do know for sure is that life moves on, even if it is without us.

Indeed, life did move on without the Mayans and it’s likely to move on quite further. Contrary to the fantastic notions of Hollywood, the Mayans did not predict the end of the world in 2012 nor did they stop recording time after that point. That all too famous 2012 calendar was not displaying the end of time, it was merely displaying the end of that calendar. It’s not much different than any of our 5yr or 10yr calendars.

Further evidence of the above fact has been recently discovered in Guatemala. The find is pretty exciting, not so much from the 2012 perspective but from the perspective of archeology in general because the find was decently preserved. As for completely blowing away ‘the world is ending in 2012′ theory, well, the evidence uncovered was just an extra bonus. Besides, no real archeologist believed the Mayans predicted the end of civilization in 2012. I suppose then if the world does end this year, the Mayans don’t get the credit for it. Then again, if it does end this year, it might be a moot point to figure out who predicted it first.

Let’s face it, I’m no optimist. You won’t find me on any cheering squads and sales is unlikely to ever be my occupation of choice. I avoid books that involve authors like Wayne Dyer, Zig Ziglar, and Deepak Chopra. The insatiable appetites for hoorahs that involve those speakers just rub my fur the wrong way. I don’t know why, it just always has. Deep down inside of me, I’m prone to believe that Murphy was an optimist.

Now, given my distaste for unmerited optimism, one might be inclined to think that I’m a pessimist. I don’t consider this to be true either. I don’t wake up in the morning chanting “oh woe is me” nor do I think the world has gone out of its way to pee in my bowl of honey-nut cheerios. While I’m inclined to sympathize with Glum from Gulliver’s Travels (he did have some valid points), I can’t honestly say that I believe “We’re never gonna make it”! I don’t believe the light at the end of the tunnel is all sunshine but I’m not fully convinced it’s a train either. I approach it with caution.

If anything, I consider that I’m a realist. I do not see the glass half-full and neither do I see it half-empty. I see just half a glass. Nothing more, nothing less. I’m somehow wired to believe that a vast majority of emotional investment in one’s own perspective is really waste of good emotional energy [something of which I don't have a whole lot]. I tend to be like Spock on Star Trek when I make decisions. I suppose all decisions involve a bit of emotion but stuffing the whole thought process with “don’t worry, be happy” is plain silly.

I am not a pessimist; to perceive evil where it exists is, in my opinion, a form of optimism. — Roberto Rossellini

Being a realist certainly has its drawbacks but I get frustrated with those that confuse realism with pessimism. I find this most true at work where I encounter those sold-out corporate types who hang on to and echo every word the super-executives tell them. You know, super-executives, those individuals whose careers [read pay grades] are so idolized that their speeches are quoted like Scripture. The minions run around chanting their mantras like some drug induced ditto-head and I’m therefore considered “negative” when I question the rationale of decisions being made. But I digress…..

Being negative has its positives. When anyone stands up and says “We can do it!” there should always be someone who wonders at what cost. There should always be someone who says, “But should we do it”? Unmerited optimism is dangerous in its own right. While being overly negative can hinder growth & development, being overly positive [without good reason] is tantamount to suicide. Fear in the proper dose, is a healthy thing.

So why be negative? Being negative can save you money. It can save you time and it can save you from the regret of bad decisions. The optimist gurus will always chant mantras of “missed opportunity” but experience has taught me well: opportunity is ever present. If you’re emotionally pressed to make a decision ‘now’ [kinda like what happens during a multilevel marketing speech] then the odds are you’re not being optimistic, you’re being dumb. If you throw a bit more negativity into your decision making process, you’re likely to make better decisions and that’s something you can be POSITIVE about.

I try to be more optimistic [at times]. Maybe I need a psychiatrist to readjust my serotonin levels to a bright green shade of ‘the world is all rainbows & unicorns’. But really, that kind of optimism is just icky. Like, I need a shower icky. I do my best to stay far away from the negative-zero influence of doom and gloom and even the trap of realism (analysis paralysis) but I think I’d rather err a bit more to the cautious left than to the unhealthy right. I guess you could say I’m kind of optimistic about my negativity. Hmmm….I think I just turned over a new leaf.

Lesson #1: They’re Not Making Any More Land

Historically, land has been one of the most valued commodities because, not so jokingly, they’re not making any more of it (unless you live near an active ocean side volcano which is beside the point). This one simple fact of supply and demand has created an almost perpetual market for property. No one in history has ever bemoaned themselves for having too much of it.

Lesson #2: Supply & Demand Laws Still Apply To Land

Although supply is fixed, it is offset by the laws of demand. You can own the nicest beach front property on Boracay Island but, if nobody wants it, it’s not worth very much. I’ve known more than one person to get burned jumping at a good deal only to find that they could not turn around and sell their new acquisition. The laws of supply are completely irrelevant without the laws of demand.

Lesson #3: Real Estate Value Is In The Eye Of The Beholder (and sometimes the owner)

How much is that piece of property you want really worth? It’s worth the highest bid. Granted, perceptions are tempered by the economics of reality but the simple fact remains, a piece of property is worth what someone is willing to pay and what the owner is willing to part for. One person might be willing pay $5000 for that acre while another might be willing to bid $20000. The current owner will generally go with the bigger amount (and who wouldn’t?).

Lesson #4: Patience Is The Name Of The Property Game

If you’re buying property to flip it over at a higher price, be prepared to wait. Be prepared to wait for years. Like all markets, the real estate market is unpredictable as it depends upon qualified buyers. When purchasing property in a foreign country, it can be even more difficult to predict the market. Be prepared to wait. If you can’t wait, don’t buy – period.

Lesson #5: Know The Laws of The Land

The legal aspects of buying & selling property differ from country to country. What is true in Asia is not necessarily true in Central America. Don’t make assumptions, ever. If you’re buying property in a foreign country then find yourself a reputable attorney to handle the contract. You don’t want to find yourself in a position of dealing with fraud, squatters, foreign lawsuits, etc. Buying property overseas can be a bit nerve racking but a bit of legal backing will make the process easier for you.

I’m sure there’s many other valid lessons and I know volumes of books have been written on the subject (probably a few million blog posts as well). None the less, those are the things that stand out in my head. Feel free to share any insights you may have. Whether it’s about buying property or selling it off, there’s always things to be learned.

For fast-acting relief, try slowing down. ~Lily Tomlin

It’s no doubt I’m under stress. The worries of the world have plagued me , dragging down the quiet fires of hope and leaving me stranded in the depths of uncertainty. Over six-hundred fellow co-workers were laid off at my company. It was an event that many co-workers describe as “round one” because they postulate a soon-to-arrive round two. The thought has me restless and tired.

I should be accustomed to unemployment. Well, not that accustomed, but well enough to know it an unpleasant experience that I’d like to avoid at all costs. Food & shelter suits me just fine and, while I’ve been without employment before, food has been ever-present and my chief desire remains that it stay bountiful. [In my head] the unemployment office exists only in far away places from myself: Slovakia & such. It should stay that way.

That far away place draws nearer in my head each day and, adamantly, I don’t like it. Do I scream? Do I cry? Do I shout? Pray more, pray less? I don’t know. The reality is I have no control in life and the winds blow where they may. Sometimes I enjoy the winds in my face and other times I loath the thought of tidal change messing up my ever glorious hair. What’s a man to do?

We try to pretend we have control and, while pretending, we hoard all the money we can to protect ourselves from the aftermath of a missing paycheck. If hope can’t be our security, at least a few more dollars can delay the inevitable. If we save enough, if we’re lucky enough, we can afford a hope that sets us beyond the time frame of our fears. The cycle repeats itself in our heads until eventually it becomes the systematic routine of what we call the day to day grind. Sooner or later, it stresses you out. It grinds you.

A poor life this if, full of care, We have no time to stand and stare. ~William Henry Davies

With a few deep breaths, I don’t feel any better. I know there’s nothing I can do but wait. Somehow though, knowing what I can’t do adds a bit more to what I know I don’t know and that thought makes me feel better [at least I know something]. Ever wise, ever stronger. I stare at the ceiling until the dark gray forces me to close my eyes and I take another deep breath. This time, I’m going to feel the wind on my face.

To help alleviate the stresses of mind & body, Jennifer and I have embarked on a exercise routine. We’d made several attempts in the past to do so but somehow the reality of exercise never manifested. Perhaps it was the business of work and perhaps it was just laziness, but none the less, we broke past the barriers of apathy and went for a run. It was a good excuse to put those Nike shoes to the test.

The weather was beautiful for a run. The sun was shining, the birds were singing and the ducks graced the lake area. We started early enough in the AM that the noon heat wouldn’t plague us and we would still be comfortable when sweat started to break past the pores of our skin. A mild breeze was present in the air.

Prior to our run we stretched and stretched our leg muscles to prepare. It’s been forever and a day since I ran my last mile and I didn’t want my Achilles heel snapping (which wouldn’t surprise me given my current shape). Jennifer can touch her toes with a bit of ease but it pains my legs to fall short of 3 inches. Yes, she’s half my age but that’s beside the point. Just looking at the gap between my efforts and my destination makes me feel like half the man I used to be, if not less than that. Pains aside, we stretched and stretched some more.

Our plan at the small lake was simple. Run a lap then walk a lap. Run a lap, then walk a lap. Rinse, wash, repeat. I figured we could pull off 5-6 laps before we cratered. In my youth I could run 10 miles in stride (and oft did) but, as Indian slang can offer, I am many moons from that point in my past. We should take it easy on this run lest we burn out too quickly. Well, that’s what I was telling Jenn so I’d be able to keep up with her.

Despite the awareness of our physical condition, we were enthusiastic. The cool wind and shining sun hurled us forward with an enthusiasm that was magical. It felt good, it felt real good. We were running at a mild pace but were both comforted and entertained by silly conversations and the exhilaration of effort. Lap 1 was just amazing.

Just prior to the start of lap two, Jenn slowed down. I managed to encourage her forward a bit and for the next 15 minutes we enjoyed a mildly brisk walk around the lake. Nature entertained us with the sight of birds and turtles and ducks. The lake water looked inviting enough to swim in. Before we knew it, it was time for lap three.

At this point in the excursion, I was alive. I could sprint off into the nether regions of the sidewalk path but Jenn, for all of her enjoyment, was starting to suffer the pains of exercise. To my amazement, she was slowing down and this old man was just getting warmed up! It had been a long time since I last ran but neither my legs nor my lungs had forgotten the passion of it. “Buhi Pa”, as I say in Ilonggo, “Buhi Pa”. I’m still alive.

We often think of growing old as getting weaker. Almost 40, I feel it sometimes. My body is changing shape, the doctor confirmed my shrunken vertebrae and there’s an abundance of white hair manifesting more and more. Really though, the reality of growing old does not mean growing weaker. We grow stronger. Not always in body but most certainly we can in soul and spirit. Age is like a video game, high score wins.

Jennifer tries oft to persuade me to color my hair. The white hairs, once non-existent, are now springing up more and more. Not so I tell her, never! I’ve earned every one of them. They are all my personal trophies and reminders that strength is never lost, it just changes with the years.

The first thing you can’t miss about the phone is the size. It’s a whopping 5.11″ x 2.74″ x .38″ with a viewable display of 4.52 inches. As phones go, it’s big. It’s very big. Despite the diameter, the phone is thin (excluding that ballistics case I have) and the weight is not too daunting. Sans the case, it comes in around 4.6 ounces. The size and weight of the unit grow on you till feel naked when leaving the house without it (kind of like your watch).

Battery performance is excellent. This should be expected from a phone that has enough size to pack plenty of lithium and it delivers. Like most phones, there are things like wireless, GPS, bloated apps, etc.. that can drain your battery so that should be kept in mind when gauging the metric. It’s been a few months now and I’ve remained quite happy with the battery.

One of the most glorious features of the phone is the screen. The size is optimal and the clarity is amazing. With 800×480 pixels and H.264 video capability, watching Netflix rocks (assuming you’ve gotten over their price hike). Browsing photos, surfing the web, and watching videos is now a painless comfort when you’re on the go.

The price, while it could be better, was placed where expected at $400. Like most people, I picked mine up at half the price while selling my soul to Sprint for 2 years. So far, no harm no foul. They have an unlimited data plan and I have no intention of paying per gig (that’s insane).

As an android phone with plenty of memory, there’s no limit to the apps that are available. Games galore, office productivity, and network utilities are just a few of the categories that load my unit. With the exception of a few nuisances, I’ve had no problems with apps or the Google market place [steering clear of the crapware is a good idea].

All in all, I have only two complaints about the Sprint phone: 1.) it’s preloaded with some Samsung crapware that you can’t remove unless you root the phone and 2.) the GPS sucks. The Samsung garbage is easy enough to ignore but the GPS problem can be a headache. Sometimes it can’t get a lock and the only way to revive it from slumber is to reboot your phone. Like most problems that companies refuse to fix, Sprint & Samsung have remained ominously quiet on the issue even though their own forums are loaded with complaints. Fortunately I’m not glued to the GPS function so I remain more contented than some other users.

So why I am writing this little review now that the next upgrade is coming out? I have no intention of upgrading. Not now, and not for a very long time. This is all the phone I need and it works rather well for my needs. Big enough to be easy on the eyes and it fits in my back pocket. Could you ask for anything more in a cell phone?

Silent screams in midnight dreams
Where mercy never triumphs
Forgotten fears past hidden tears
But now they’re waking giants

Pushed to the point of innuendo
The enemy of enemies my friend
I only respect what I protect
And this to a bitter end

Though never resting always testing
Sleeping giants where they lay
I fight the rules binding fools
That are standing in my way

Yet now anger, yet now peace
The coin is flying in the air
And with another toss I count the cost
Of the giants sleeping there

Once conflicted dreams cemented
This naked soul laid bare
I’ve slain more giants in defiance
And this without a care

Take for example the recent mortgage crisis and Bank of Americas “rent back” program. Bank of America, guilty of fraud in the mortgage crisis, now gets the benefit of leasing their homes in the aftermath of the economic collapse they helped to create. Consumers lose their entire savings and the bank comes out ahead (again). This is nothing new though. A cursory glance at our “founding fathers” reveals much of the same upper class greed. The nations motto should read “In God We Lust”.

George Washington, our first president and a slave owner, had turned down the requests of blacks seeking freedom, to fight in the Revolutionary army. As one of the richest men in the colonies (if not the richest), he needed the slaves to work his plantations. Giving them freedom would not protect the status quo.

Lord Fairfax, a Loyalist friend of Washington, had his 5 million plus acres protected after the revolution while other Loyalists were stripped of their land titles. His bias in “democracy” was obvious. His own aide, Alexander Hamilton, is quoted as telling him “The people are turbulent and changing; they seldom judge or determine right. Give therefore to the first class a distinct permanent share in the government.” George took his advice to heart.

Thomas Jefferson who wrote our Declaration of Independence was as equally biased as Washington was. In no uncertain terms did Jefferson believe “that all men are created equal”. Indians, women and blacks were not in the least bit considered “equal”. Some have argued that Jefferson held sensitivities toward the black race but, even if so, his actions cowered to the cotton plantations, the slave trade, and the politics of unity. He further soured any good name he could possess by his part in the barbaric slaughter of the native indians. All of this was for the furtherance of commercial enterprise and land speculation.

Theodore Roosevelt was, to put it politely, a war monger. Writing to a friend in 1897 he stated, “I should welcome almost any war, for I think this country needs one.” It was the height of the populist movement and capitalists needed something to distract the “lower classes” from their labor grievances: a war would do just fine. He was an expansionist and war was a trusted tool.

While Roosevelt made a reputation for himself as a “trust-buster”, the positive aspects of his presidency are marred by his compromises (if not bribery) with J.P. Morgan’s men- Elbert Gary, chairman of U.S. Steel, and George Perkins, who became a campaigner for Roosevelt. They “arranged a general understanding with Roosevelt by which . . . they would cooperate in any investigation by the Bureau of Corporations in return for a guarantee of their companies’ legality.”

Abraham Lincoln is generally credited with the abolition of slavery but, make no mistake, Lincoln was not an abolitionist. He believed that the 10th amendment could not constitutionally bar slavery in the states and he refused to denounce the Fugitive Slave Law publicly. While campaigning for Senate in southern Illinois, he told his audience, “I will say, then, that I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races”. At the end of the civil war blacks were free but, more importantly to Lincoln, commerce could continue uninterrupted. The property confiscated under the Confiscation Act of July 1862 was given back to the Confederate owners and the common man, once again, was left holding nothing but the scars of war.

It’s not my intent to disparage the future by dragging up the past but, as is oft quoted, those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it. The lies our forefathers told are still being repeated today: corporations are people and banks are too big to fail. In God We Lust: what better motto could there be for a nation who, in homage, carves the faces of such men in granite on stolen land? Indeed the Scripture is true: For the love of money is the root of all evil (1 Timothy 6:10).

Were it an honest self-promotion it might be more tolerable, but it’s not. Its a spectacle of he said/she said idiocy that has bled over into Christianity. You almost expect such silliness from a Mormon (think planet Kolob) but Rick Santorum has taken things to a whole new level (I won’t digress into the details). Christianity and politics do not mix and they never have. When people try to mix them, they damage the faith as much as they do the country.

No where recent has that damage been more evident than in the lynching of Sandra Fluke. Sandra recently gave testimony before Congress on the necessity of contraceptives in health care coverage but right-wing nut jobs like Rush Limbaugh (and even some conservative churches) have twisted her words. If you haven’t heard or read the testimony, you can read it over at ABC news.

I expect lies & distortions from Rush Limbaugh. He’s a mouth and nothing more. What I don’t expect is to sit in a Sunday service and hear the same rhetoric repeated. It’s disgusting. I don’t know what Sandra’s faith is. Her being in a Catholic school I can make presumptions but they would be nothing more than that. Regardless of her faith, or lack there of, to hear her crucified in a Church setting based on lies is a horrible thing and it saddens me that so many churches have allowed themselves to become political action committees.

Politics and patriotism have no place for pilgrims (Heb 11:13) and such concepts should be ousted from the Church. We can change the lives of those around us by loving God and loving our neighbors, not by engaging in silly arguments of what congress is doing with our taxes. Reforming the country (any country) is a lost cause; I’ve read the end of the book. We do better to reform ourselves.

On the behalf of Baptists and others who should know better, I apologize Sandra Fluke. I sincerely apologize.