Catching Shoplifters Is Grounds For Termination, and Credit Card Debt Signs

Some quick-hitters:

- Drat! While moving my old CPU heatsink/fan from my secondary computer to my DOSBox--I picked up this heatsink/fan (FAR at Buy.com; I might post a mini-review about this product in the future), and I needed to replace the hs/f in my DOSBox--I somehow broke the blue LED in the fan! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I so wanted the cool blue LED in my otherwise crappy DOSBox! :P

- One quick blurb about Billy Donovan: Jay Bilas wrote that Donovan's handling of his contract situation with the Magic was "unprofessional" (ESPN Insider subscription required). I could not agree more. Why Donovan is getting so much support is beyond me; the most common defense that I've seen revolves on the "He made a mistake!" theme. If that's the case, then why the hell did he sign the contract in the first place?!? And don't give me that "he was pressured to sign the contract" BS.

- (from Consumerist) Four Midwest City, OK, employees of Home Depot have been terminated for (get this) helping the police catch suspected shoplifters! According to company policy, "associates cannot accuse, detain, chase or call the police on any customer for shoplifting." Home Depot responded, saying that they have "standard operating procedures in place for situations like this."

I'd really like to know what these standard operating procedures are. If employees aren't allowed to identify shoplifters, how exactly is the store going to stop the guy? Maybe the "loss prevention" guys at Home Depot just pray that the shoplifters have a change of heart, and willingly return the stolen goods. That's about as plausible as a store policy to fire any associate for stopping a suspected shoplifter. Or maybe, Home Depot fears that a store associate will wrongfully accuse a person of shoplifting, only to have that person file a harassment lawsuit?

In any case, yes, rules are rules, and yes, this rule is stupid.

- (also from Consumerist) According to Bankrate.com, you've got too much credit card debt if:

1. If you can't remember the last time you had zero balances on all your credit cards.

2. If your FICO score is below 650.

3. If you don't remember what you bought on your credit card last month.

4. If you don't really know how many coffees, teas, soft drinks or snacks you buy every week.

5. If you use your credit card for utilities, food, snacks and so on, and you're not doing it to earn frequent flier or bonus points.

6. If you have money in a 401(k), but you have to live on your credit cards in order to put it there.

7. If you have no money in any sort of general savings account.

8. If you're still paying for restaurant meals you can't remember eating.

9. If you have to take a cash advance from one credit card to make a payment on another one.

10. If you ever held a garage sale to raise money to make credit card payments.

I suppose some of these make sense, but a couple of them are garbage. For instance, #1 applies to me, only because I have a huge balance on one CC at 0% for investment purposes. Also, #3 and #4 apply to me, but that's probably because I put just about everything on my CC, including $2 purchases at a fast food restaurant. #10 applies to me, too, but replace "garage sale" with "eBay/Amazon," whenever there is a series of hot deals that I just can't resist :P. #2 isn't necessarily true, either; I personally know someone with a low credit score and zero credit card debt. That person got his low score from delinquencies on his student loan payments.

I totally agree with #6-9, though.

That's all I've got for now.