DNTBDCK « The Everyday Hustle

DNTBDCK

DNTBDCK / Found / Monotonous — No Comments
14
Aug 10

You are what you.. eat?

“These photographs of albatross chicks were made on Midway Atoll, a tiny stretch of sand and coral near the middle of the North Pacific. The nesting babies are fed bellies-full of plastic by their parents, who soar out over the vast polluted ocean collecting what looks to them like food to bring back to their young. On this diet of human trash, every year tens of thousands of albatross chicks die on Midway from starvation, toxicity, and choking. To document this phenomenon as faithfully as possible, none of the plastic in any of these photographs was moved, placed, manipulated, arranged, or altered in any way. These images depict the untouched stomach contents of baby birds in one of the world’s most remote marine sanctuaries, more than 2000 miles from the nearest continent.”

Could be worse, I could be a Nihilist.

Thank you for bringing those “oh I don’t believe in god, I just know something is out there” -ers back down to our gritty level.

Read More | Library Grape This gentlemen’s blog had a lot of good reads as well.

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13
Jul 10

They finally started to have success capping the oil spill which is a great step forward. The fact that Palin would try and say that the “Radical environmentalists” are “…damaging the planet with your efforts to lock up safer drilling areas, and Americans are on to you as we question your true motives.”

What other motive might one have beside to corner people into other sources of energy, not to force more dangerous drilling. What alternative motive would these “radicals” even have?

This is of course after blaming the radicals for outsourcing jobs! HAHAHAHA Because “…you outsource jobs and opportunity away from America and into foreign countries that are making us beholden to them. Some of these countries don’t like America.”

Thanks Palin, I know some of these countries don’t like us, and a big part of it is because of you and your yahoo party who keeps trying to commandeer their land or keeps tossing money at their enemies. Secondly most of your CEO buddys that would rather buy another yacht then pay an American a decent wage were most likely the ones who drove the considerable amount of jobs out of the US.

Not to mention what happens once you do start drilling. Her comparison of a stamp on a football field doesn’t sound terrible, until you keep planting those stamps. Before too soon you have 27,000 unused “stamps,” except their big, atrocious oil rigs.

DNTBDCK / Found / Monotonous — No Comments
8
Jul 10

Day 80: COME ON

Lets not put this on the back burner.

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7
Jul 10

Less of a game now that the hazards are more apparent?

Dear Apple, Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft

“Right now, you all might be digging your own holes.

The recent rash of suicides at Foxconn’s Shenzhen factory has shined a light on the fact that large companies like Apple, Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft have contracted out the manufacturing for devices like the iPad, the Wii, the PS3 and the Xbox 360 to Chinese factories. In what now seems like a daily occurrence, jumpers at the Foxconn Shenzhen factory continue and now have reached 15.

It can be argued that these factories, with their on-site dormitories and $130 in monthly pay, are modern day slave labor. It can also be argued that they offer better wages and possibly a better life for these migrant Chinese workers. I am arguing neither.

(Of course, paying workers more than $130 a month would cause the price of electronics to go up. Yet, for decades, workers in factories were paid living wages, were able to do things like buy houses, new cars and products. Too bad the U.S. doesn’t have much of that left to kick start its economy!)

Instead, these factories, along with China’s significantly undervalued currency, are propelling an economic super power. Companies like Foxconn have been contracted to make everything from complex gadgets and consumer goods to textiles and toys. Goods that used to be made in the countries that bought them no longer are.

The factories are veiled in secrecy. The public doesn’t really know what is going on in them. Do you?

Nintendo is launching an investigation into the factory suicides, which appears to indicate that the company is somewhat in the dark regarding the situation at Foxconn. Wouldn’t it be better to have factories that were managed directly by your companies in the countries in which you are headquartered?

The counterargument here of course is that it is difficult to meet the demand, hence that is why their products are outsourced. Wonder what companies used to do before outsourcing…

Modern capitalism is built upon the concept of having goods made at the cheapest price possible. Modern capitalism has made China very, very rich.

But what happens when these factories decide they no longer want to make stuff for you guys and want to make its own products? Its own electronics. Its own video game consoles. China’s no dummy. It already has manufacturing down. R&D cannot be that far off.

You are not creating a future market for your goods. These emerging companies are. Right now they might be producing knock-offs, but they won’t always be. China continues to explode, and there will be more and more companies of a Lenovo caliber. You are building up your future rivals.

All of these knock-offs, like the Vii and the iPed, might seem oddly comical, but they’re a testing ground for Chinese companies to learn the ropes and master the craft. And for customers in China who possibly cannot afford a Nintendo Wii or an iPad, they are viable consumer goods. When you can’t afford a real iPad, you buy the next best thing. The next best thing keeps getting better and better.

So feel free to continue to take manufacturing out of the countries in which you are based. Take it to China. And when China becomes too expensive, there is always Africa. And even if you think that by assembling the most sensitive and hi-tech parts in your home country is a way to avoid knock-offs, it’s not.

You may think you have a monopoly on good ideas. You don’t. The way you are conducting business shows just that.

Yours truly,
Brian Ashcraft”

Read More | Kotaku

My only beef is that I feel the problem lies with the consumer, regardless of what we think is “right,” at the end of the day we’re hardwired (specially in these times) to cheap out. I wish it were as easy for the Manufacturers just to offer quality product and have it fly off the shelves, but were knee deep in this shit called Capitalism, and as soon as the iPad gets more expensive because it is engraved “MADE IN THE GOOD OL’ USA,” all the sudden you’ll hear your best friend bragging about how much they saved on the rip-off. BRAGGING ABOUT BEING CHEAP and UNCONCERNED about how far that few bucks could have gone (a fellow americans food, education, DARE I SAY HEALTH) instead of landing in a few execs pockets who probably found away around paying taxes on top of it all. So feel free to continue to take manufacturing out of the countries in which you are based. Feel free to be an AMURICAN, and not do shit. I am not saying you need to throw out all your china goods, nor never buy anything chinese again… I UNDERSTAND THAT IS DAMN NEAR IMPOSSIBLE, but you can try. You could make a conscious effort to try and buy/shop local. You could spread the word, you could help represent the small minority that will pay a few bucks more to help manufacturers find that this market DOES exist. (instead of wasting the money in gas that you’re trying to save)

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13
May 10

“Do as I say, Not as I do”

I was just doing a little more research on this broad to beef up DNTBDCK, and I came across this post from someone, who unlike me, doesn’t necessarily agree with Keith Olberman nor the President on how were spending our money. But he and a lot of reasonable centrists at Thelastogle.com can agree that just saying you would like to stop, doesn’t mean that you’re really trying to stop spending.

Clark Mathews Says :

What Representative Fallin wanted me to know is that she is saving my tax money. The examples of cost savings she provided included:

-Voting against the budget (that was passed)
-Voting against Cap and Trade measures
-Government Regulation of Health Care (kudos for not calling it “ObamaCare” this time–But no kudos for failing to mention that the Congressional Budget Office projects these regulations to save money long term)
-Voting against the stimulus

All of that is well and good, and probably impresses a good portion of the people who received the flyer courtesy of the United States Postal Service. Of course, none of those things actually saved my tax dollars. The one way she does have control of how my tax dollars are spent is how she uses her personal budget. In this case she chose to spend those dollars to explain how she didn’t save me money.
In the fine print of the flyer it says:

“This mailing was prepared, published and mailed at taxpayer expense.”

So my hippie-self will just shut up and let people more “right” than I do the talking. I’ll add similarities mentioned before like the ongoing struggle of “Less Government(control/spending)” in our daily lives (aka at our convenience), EXCEPT could you do us a favor real quick? Strip gay/lesbian citizens of their rights, Kick out the immigrants (in a land of immigrants), Still want that tax cut while we plunge into debt 8 YEARS BEFORE OBAMA, Back our company that is “too big to fail,” oh and in the meantime can you still find a job for me?

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4
Apr 10

Hoop and I still rollin a year later.

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14
Mar 10

Attention mall shop dick riders!! Get hyped.

DNTBDCK / Found / Monotonous — No Comments
12
Mar 10

I had a friend recently try to raise awareness for a cause they find important to them. I try hard to not to dive into political beefs on the internet as during the election I think I probably lost a few friends. But my point being is that the social networks and the media’s buzz or hype is creating a haven to spread ideas, work, or advertising on these sites. Twitter showed a huge push in awareness during Iran’s elections, but I for one hate to push to hard on social networks because of exactly what happened here. Instead of creating a list of positivity and awareness with this Facebook post, people who disagree quickly came with their torches lit. I changed all the names to pseudonyms from the movie Casino to disclose anyone not wanting to be quoted (except the author will be in asterisks). So instead of dick of the week, I will continue with more of a “You know what really grinds my gears?” type of corner that will be categorized still under DNTBDCK. I’ll let the horses loooose……. now.

****** ******* I need health insurance! Take a moment of your time and call!

Let your representative know you support health reform
my.barackobama.com
Across the country, supporters of health insurance reform like me are calling their representatives to ask them to vote for reform.

Someone likes this.

Ginger McKenna This kind of propoganda makes me sick! Are ready for your taxes to go ski high?!?! I am already paying over 50% of my income in taxes (income tax, sales tax and property taxes). Besides this is just a power grab by our elected officials to tak more of our civil liberties away from us! They just want us to be stupid sheep! DON’T BUY IT! You are smarter than that!

****** ****** Aww, “Ginger”. I’m sorry you’re so misinformed on the facts! You must be watching too much Fox “News”. Here’s a link you can click to get up-to-date on the truth! Hope it helps you =)

http://my.barackobama.com/

page/content/finalmarch-day1

Nicky Santora ******, I find it funny that you talk about being misinformed on the facts but then you post propoganda to support your beliefs. Do you have any un-biased studies that support why a person should be in favor of the current healthcare legislation (if you can even define what that is!)?

Frank Marino now now lets all just calm down ladies :)

Continue reading →

DNTBDCK / Found / Monotonous — No Comments
12
Mar 10

I’m sure some might feel this way towards me, but at least the one I beef knows where to find me. The Skatelab beef has 12 year olds talking shit, when the ideas are bigger then what they can wrap their heads around.

DNTBDCK / Monotonous / Photo — No Comments
7
Mar 10

Here is just a glimmer of my contribution to that pile of Electronics in Ghana. But really, thank you Best Buy for charging me this $8.00 bucks so you can ship have someone else’s tech shit to the still developing world. I would hope, once again, that these publicly traded corps(es) could find the decency to pull that out of someones bonus.

DNTBDCK / Form / Monotonous — 1 Comment
26
Feb 10

Another GOOD Post.

“We need to learn more about how to present information in forms that are agreeable to culturally diverse groups, and how to structure debate so that it avoids cultural polarization.”

That is what I am trying to create a debate, a platform, a stance against a VERY, VERY strong force of money and careless commercialism. It’s because there is such a strong “polarization” between these two (ideologies) groups involved that it’s easy to either conform out of ignorance, or said by Alicia Capetillo, “people are more willing to be open-minded if the potential benefits are consistent with their already established point of view.”
So you may be more inclined to support Walmart, Skatelab, or these other businesses because you may have established that the low prices, or the new-room are benefiting you.

I understand a Skatepark isn’t cheap to maintain, either is any business (specially in this time in our industry, with striking resemblances of the early 90′s death Pepsi=Mt. Dew, Red Bull, MTV, etc… PLUS the economy) But to tread on the corporate waters that so many are making waves in these days, jus does not align with the the point of view of skateboarding as I know it, NOR does it make it OK with the LOCALS. Jus some. These decisions are lowering quality and price standards for your own industry. Did you guys forget as soon as were not COOL anymore this guys are going to drop your ass? So I only try to create a space for some others to get mad about someone putting a price tag on skateboarding’s “unique graphic approach that kids will be drawn to.” For fucks sake, for someone who takes pride in art and design as-well, this is how you will represent our unique graphic approach?!?!

And I’m the one who gets called a Hipster? What kind of emo, punk, skull, shit is this. Did you take the time to ensure the designer of this line knew ONE SHRED of skate culture? Is this MMA (affliction, Tapout) or skateboarding? Punk is raw and what-not Radinsky, but I hope our boys in the UK can stop the spread better than us yanks.

I just ask that a younger generation can ponder and ask their own questions after this because of the “messenger affect” that Captillo mentions. “…meaning people are more likely to listen and accept facts if they come from people with similar worldviews. When data comes from a mouthpiece people can relate to, the protective walls come down and any perceived threat to their values decreases.” As someone closer to your age (not maturity, as Huber mos definitely got me beat on that), and someone closer to your world views, I challenge you to actually read these articles, question everyones business choices, Get up, Get out. (GET MAD) Get something! (thanks Little Brother).

It’s like some fucking Alex of Macedonia shit,
“We’ve always wanted to expand beyond our building, he says, “so we’ve been licensing our name in several categories. We started with a few shirts in Macy’s, Taget and JC Penny’s, and after presenting our line to Wal Mart it was a really good fit.”

AKA softgoods wholesaler > skatepark in $$$$$$$

This was most contradicting of Todd’s interviews. | Transworld Business

At least the other interviews he stood strong behind selling out, now he says he fights big box stores, while bashing locally owned Boardshops that once shared pride in the skate community they had built together (On second thought, that was built by the shops prior to 12 years ago.) You can buy a skate deck from a billion places these days. For someone to rip on a kid for buying a stick next to a surf or snow BOARD, is comical when HE signed the papers for his product to be sold next to AMMUNITION, TIRES, DOUCHES, DIAPERS, MILK, $29.99 Complete Skateboards…. Fuck, you know what WALMART, JC PENNY, KHOLS, TARGET, and the lot carry.

Rocket Signs Skatelab, Will Exhibit at BLE (Sells Out to UK) | www.licensemag.com Watch out cliche, blueprint and all you European others!

Skatelab Launches Apparel Line In Wal Mart (SkateMART) | Transworld Business

“When asked if any Skatelab devotees were opposed to the licensing, Huber says: “Why would my customers give a shit? I think by now everyone knows it is almost impossible to build and keep a private indoor skatepark running and we have been doing it the right way for almost twelve years.”

I hope I have given you enough reasons “to give a shit”, cause this core skater did. Thanks for baby-sitting, I’d be fine with a FREE outdoor one, without time restraints, and a place that kids from all sides of the train tracks could afford (FREE). The world is yours to skate, paint, and express yourself. Don’t pay anyone to put you in a box and then sell you.

But of course how it all started BOB HUBER is runnin’ for mayor.

“As a young voter, its sounds like there are no options for our interest in the future of Simi Valley. ~~I will actively try to spread word against Huber.~~ As a skateboarder who is enrolled in community college, I have seen enough of from the Huber Family to not want to support them. For a beautiful city that wants to support “SHOP SIMI,” the current council has let in Wal-Mart, Plans for a second super Target?????, a shameful excuse for an un-needed mall, and plenty more unnecessary BIG BOX stores that are already available on either direction on the 118. The beautiful golden hills I grew up to enjoy over the past 20 years are now gone, and you continue to allow the demise of Simi Businesses, BUT SOMEHOW KEEP BUILDING SIMI. ONTO HUBER, I wish at this time I was more educated on how little Huber probably did for MY college experience, but that will come as the race comes closer and my research grows. I have been supporting Todd Hubers Skatepark since day one and over time they have turned a mediocre facility for youth to meet, into a place to squeeze each dollar out of you. The hopeful youth of Simi and I had met many times at city planned meetings to create a FREE and SAFE place for skateboarders to meet without scheduled sessions and expensive fees. This council has CONVENIENTLY squashed this plan repeatedly. You can use any excuse you’d like, “the Rancho Pool needed a face-lift”, or the wonderful oh so popular dog park. So not only is the skatepark a Simi Valley Monopoly, but their new ventures include selling the skateboard licensed products in these BIG BOX stores (WAL-MART, KOHLS, and TARGET) across the country and INTO OTHERS LIKE THE U.K. , without offering any of this back to the community, (although Todd loves to rave he’s giving it back to us, acts like he’s the only one who chooses to ride a bike round town) If these are the Huber Values for personal gain, doesn’t sound like much of a choice to me. Appointed or Elected, with these candidates I see more of the same. (SIGNED) -Nick Vic”

Pops never had anything to do with the funding… but you can see where I was headed with the Values….
Confirmed: Bob Huber Is Considering Running For Mayor

I urge you to read both I and Todd’s words, in ALL the interviews and posts. Try not to spell sell-out.

I had made pamphlets to leave on the Skatelab bench of information, but as this debate turned to aggression, I was asked not to drop them off, so I post this post instead with the info and pictures. Here is what you’ve been coming back daily for Todd, turn that screen around and start showing your friends hourly. Or is this one not as fun to flaunt?

Signing off on the subject matter,
-Nick Vic, a young hippie who has to go sell all his NIKE’s now.

PBS on When Wal-Mart comes to your town.
High Cost of Low Prices Documentary

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25
Feb 10

“The Hummer Is No More.”

“General Motors Co. said Wednesday it will shut down Hummer after its bid to sell the brand to a Chinese company collapsed. Heavy equipment maker Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machines Co. pulled out of the deal for Hummer, known for its hulking, military-like SUVs, because it was unable to get clearance from Chinese regulators within the proposed deal timeframe, the manufacturer said in a separate statement.”

I could really thank Christ for this, Fuck I mean imagine how many we saw when they we’re AMERICAN made….

Good Magazine | Washington Post Article

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24
Feb 10

“It jus feels more street, ’cause it’s not all wood and shit”

DNTBDCK / Monotonous — 11 Comments
20
Feb 10

I Me Mine

Another great photo where the credit is only given to the person in picture.

Well since the motto of the blog is don’t be a dick, I think I’m going to start having a Dick of the week. I know, weird weird, Dick of the week from the place you want to get visually lost with beautiful pictures (maybe some T & A) with as little wordage as possible.

Todd Huber from Skatelab has made his way to my blog! YAY! But don’t tell him he is great, “I’m not looking for fame or the whole ego thing,” Huber says. Plenty more laughs there. Don’t Worry Todd. I hope you can visualize what you look like in cartoon form.

“Great pictures! i was wondering who the photographer was as I didn’t see the photo credits?”
-Todd

The hypocrisy is only growing. Official dick of the week. In the future I hope to tackle larger, more important dicks.

DNTBDCK / Found / Monotonous — No Comments
2
Feb 10