The Joshua Moran Blog

Josh shares about ministry, business, current events, politics from a biblical point of view.

Archive for category General

Empire Gold Buyers Came Through

Jul 14

Posted by Joshua Moran in Business, General | No Comments

Earlier last week I posted regarding a frustration with Empire Gold Buyers and how we felt my sister was getting the run around.

Suffice it to say, Empire Gold Buyers actually came through, and gave my sister exactly what she requested. I also received a call from a gentlemen there and he was was cordial to explain the process upon reading my post via google. My apologies to Empire Gold Buyers, and I have since removed the post!

I retract my statement regarding Empire Gold Buyers being a possible fraud scheme, and actually I am pleased at their follow-through, reputation, and would recommend them to anyone. As a side note though, I was told that no matter what your retail price of a diamond that buyers market/dealers only value it at about 25% of the retail price.

So my advice is, if you need the cash turn in your rings or jewelry to Empire Gold Buyers, but do not expect more 30% of your original retail price. 

 

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Groceries: HEB versus Walmart

Jul 4

Posted by Joshua Moran in Dallas Dining, General | 4 Comments

Well, it’s July 4th and I dare to go where every man goes all at once… the grocery store. I headed over to Walmart and saw the crowds and decided to go to HEB. Now I have been to HEB for a quick gallon of milk or a couple of items at a time, but have yet to go full grocery shopping.

I will never go back to Walmart for groceries again considering HEB has that classic grocery store aura and the following pros over Walmart:

  • Produce – fresher, better selection, and competitive in pricing to Walmart
  • Baked Goods – A much better bakery section hands down
  • Fresh Foods – HEB smokes Walmart in fresh prepared foods to go
  • Deli – better meats and cheeses
  • In-House Coupons and Deals – You walk in and there are yellow coupons and posters stating what meal deals or combos on sale
  • Customer Service – one of the demostration ladies literally ran around the store with me to find artichoke hearts, and the baggers are packing while the checkout lady is checking me out for a much faster exit.

Anyway, my opinion is HEB is a much better overall grocery store than Walmart!

(I was not paid or even asked to write this blog article by any representative of HEB)

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A Scam Came By Mail

Aug 13

Posted by Joshua Moran in General | 2 Comments

So I received this letter in the mail on Saturday, and it said I won the lottery/vacation drawing from a Canadian company called Northwest Financial Inc. in Edmonton, Alberta Canada. Later to only find out it is a total scam. They gave me a $2,980 check and asked me to deposit it and  after it clears to pay the taxes for my $20,000 winning and vacation and then I would receive the funds allotted to me.

I feel sorry for the people who have received this scam and have gone through with it. According to the rip-off reports we are to report this to the Secret Service .

Bringing Home The Bacon

Jul 17

Posted by Joshua Moran in General | No Comments

I was joking with my wife last night when she kindly noticed that I did a bit of work around the yard and finally getting our sprinkler issue resolved. She said I definitely earned my dinner, and I responded with, ” I already qualified since I Bring Home The Bacon. Then we both laughed and I realized I had no clue where the saying came from in the first place.

Bringing Home The Bacon Wikipedia has the saying listed as a term that came from a twelfth-century practice that survives only in the English town of Great Dunmow. The church promised a side of bacon (a flitch) to any man who could swear that he and his wife had “not wisht themselves unmarried again” for a year and a day. Men who “brought home the bacon” in this way were held in high esteem in their communities. This is one of those too neat explanations that defy belief.”

Seems to trite to be true, and after researching, it seems to be absent from any printed record until 1906. The first recorded user of the expression was Mrs Gans, mother of Joe. He was a famous boxer at the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth, the first native-born black American to win a world title. That was in 1900, when he was 26. Six years later he fought Oscar “Battling” Nelson in Goldfield, Nevada, now virtually a ghost town but then a booming community, the largest in the state. The match has been rated as the greatest lightweight championship bout ever contested, whose fame has endured.

This is the way the crucial linguistic moment was reported in the Reno Evening Gazette for Monday, 3 September, 1906:

The following telegrams were read by Announcer Larry Sullivan. Gans received this from his mother: “Joe, the eyes of the world are on you. Everybody says you ought to win. Peter Jackson will tell me the news and you bring back the bacon.”

After this, it soon caught on throughout the world of sports and then later in politics.

Credit for most of this post goes to World Wide Worlds.

Finding A Great Kid Shows On TV

Jul 15

Posted by Joshua Moran in Christianity, General | No Comments

Personally I have found it difficult as a father of three to find good, wholesome, and edifying kid shows for my girls to watch and not have to do some major re-teaching afterwards. I have compiled a small list of shows my kids can watch with no problems.

Little Einsteins – Challenges children to use their minds to solve problems, and supports good moral behavior. All this is done through improvised classical music being used in the background and musical terms being used and taught.

Wonder Pets – These pre-school pets are not just your average classroom animals. When the pre-school empties out the Wonder Pets come to the rescue as they work together to rescue other animals in trouble. The best part of the show is that each episode teaches on teamwork and good attitudes to get the job done.

Diego – This show is about rescuing animals and caring for others before yourself. Diego and his friends and family teach small amounts of spanish at the same time. My kids pick up the spanish fast. I like this show better than it’s counterpart Dora, as Dora seems to be more into mystical themes than Diego.

Blues Clues -  This show probably goes without saying, but it teaches great moral principles with constructive themes to build the child’s character.

There are some obvious Christian Shows and DVD’s that always fit the bill like Max Lucado’s Hermie series and Veggietales.

I will be posting a warning to parents about some of the shows that will tear down children to accept evil for good and good for evil.

Got Milk? Get A Second Job!

Jul 14

Posted by Joshua Moran in General | No Comments

Milk Prices Soar HighIt seems as if gas prices rising were not enough to wreak havoc on the lower income to lower middle class so the price of food in general has raised 3.9% nationally in April 2007 according to federal statistics. I just went to Brookshires in my hometown (Red Oak, TX) and had to buy milk only to realize that the price was $3.99 per gallon. To have my family of five keep up with these necessary dairy items I need to budget the following amounts monthly.

Milk- $40
Butter – $13
Creamers – $20
Cheeses – $25
Total – $98

A little frightening is the fact that Dairy now has a budget class all it’s own in my household. Have you heard congress approaching Milk Reform as of yet? Are we approaching the day where a loaf of bread costs the same as a man’s daily wage? Scary!

Best HDTV Purchase… Ever

Jul 13

Posted by Joshua Moran in General | No Comments

I was saving and looking for a High-Definition TV for about 6 months and was saving for a very expensive 42 inch Sony model. I was thinking I needed at least $2,500 to even get a decent TV for gaming, movies, and sound. One day I decided to check out Sam’s Club and their products were surprisingly cheaper, but most of the televisions were still expensive. Then all of a sudden there it was… a 42 inch Vizio LCD HDTV priced at $999. I read the label thinking something was missing on the is model or it lacked certain connections.

I bought the TV in February 2007 and today my family and I are enjoying the TV immensely. The clear picture and the ability to do anything any other HDTV does makes it the best bang for your buck. I highly recommend the Vizio L42HDTV to anyone looking for an affordable TV without breaking into your 401K.

Article Submission Is Here To Stay

Jul 12

Posted by Joshua Moran in General, Web Design | No Comments

I have released two article submission sites for authors to submit their expert articles for publishing on the websites. This will allow authors a place to gain popularity via links, keywords, and their articles possibly being re-published on other websites. The greatest part is that it is free to join and your articles will be online within 72 hours if approved. Come check out the site and submit your articles today. If you are a conservative and wish to get your voice heard check out www.conservativevoices.org, and if you are a web designer, host, or IT professional submit your article at www.we-bdesign.com today.

Credit Card Fraud

Jan 18

Posted by Joshua Moran in General | No Comments

Today I found out that my credit card info got into the hands of thief. This person somehow ordered designer sunglasses from a company in New York and had them shipped to an address in Valencia. They knew the billing address of my card but shipped to a different address.

I had all teh info but the Sheriffs Department will not do much due to the fact that my credit card compnay will become the victim and they “never really prosecute”. This is a sad reality for the credit card fraud victims.

I feel like someone literally went into my wallet and stole from me. Hmmm… I will get my money back but part of me wants retribution.

A 24 Fanatic

Jan 16

Posted by Joshua Moran in General | 3 Comments

I am a 24 fanatic! Both my wife and I love watching the show,and I have to say that the new season is no hold barred so far. I will not put any spoilers in here for the Tivo and DVD followers but one of the actors from the show put it this way… “there are two kinds of people in this world, those who do not watch 24, and fanatics of the show.”