The Seattle Sonics are demanding that the city upgrade Key Arena to the tune of $220 million of which the Sonics will contribute $18 million. The Sonics are losing money and blame it on thier lease and the facility. It seems like they’re blaming every one but themselves. The Sonics’ regular season record under the new ownership is just 8 games over .500 in the 5 seasons–made the playoffs twice–that Howard Schultz has owned them. Do they really believe that they can be a below average team and still be profitable? Does Schultz believe that a below average coffee shop should be profitable?
Archive for April, 2006
Seattle Sonics and Stadiums
Thursday, April 27th, 2006Comment Spam
Thursday, April 27th, 2006I was working on fixing my comment section–visitors couldn’t leave comments–when I came across Cero Spam. The problem with allowing comments is that you get comment spam. It got to the point where I would have to delete 30+ comments at a time. Cero uses the Captcha method. Let me know what you think.
Cash Back Credit Cards
Wednesday, April 26th, 2006I was in Arizona last weekend for Laura & Barrett’s wedding. It was a wonderful time, nuff said.
While playing credit card roulette for lunch before the wedding, we got into a discussion about credit cards. After using an Alaska Airlines Visa for the past few years, I decided that miles are what they used to be. With so few reward seats available, you can never get the flight you wanted. So now I just want cold hard cash. I’ve switched to two main cards; Costco American Express and Citibank Dividend. The Costco Amex gives me 3% back on dining out, 2% for travel, and 1% everywhere else. The Citibank Dividend gives me 5% back at supermarkets, drugstores, and gas stations and 1% everywhere else. The Citibank Dividend maxes out at $300 per year so I only use it at supermarkets, drugstores, gas stations, and places that don’t take Amex. I use the Amex everywhere else.
Here’s a site that compares cash back cards–although they don’t list the Costco Amex.
Art
Thursday, April 6th, 2006Damn live auctions. I went to a a fund raiser for King County Conservation Voters and I left with a framed photograph. Damn live auction. They were auctioning a beautiful framed photograph of four Bhutan monks. I told a friend that I really liked the photograph but I knew better than to bid on it. I didn’t think I would actually win the auction. Now I actually have some art to hang on my walls after living in my house for six years.