Dollar Coin

When will they learn? Congress has approved yet another version of the dollar coin. I think I speak for all, sane Americans when I ask, why? Dollar coins are the worst thing in the world. When I travel to Canada or Europe they weigh me down and make me miserable. If I get them, they’re the first money I spend (or I deposit them in the bank) just to get rid of them. I HATE dollar coins and wish Congress would stop trying. They have better things to spend their time on.

An Open Letter to Ford/Mercury

Dear Ford (and Mercury too),

I’m in the market for a new car and decided I kind of liked the hybrids you’re offering.  Now, due to the styling I like the Mercury Mariner better than the Escape.  I’m sure that’s ok since it costs more.  Like most Americans, when I go car shopping the first thing I want to do is drive the car.  This is especially true of a hybrid vehicle.  My wife and I recently shopped the Prius and the Civic hybrids and the way they drove made us decide on the Civic (like a real car instead of a semi-retarded space egg).

However, when I called my local Mercury dealerI was told that there were no Mariner Hybrids on the lot, nor would there ever be. I was told I could order one if I wanted.  Now, silly me but this doesn’t feel like a company that has a strong comittment to its hybrid technology.

I wrote Ford and two days later got this canned response back…

— 

Dear Martin,

Thank you for contacting the Ford Motor Company Customer Relationship
Center regarding your interest in purchasing a Mercury Mariner Hybrid.

Please be advised that if you would like to purchase a new vehicle
directly from the assembly plant, we recommend you to contact our Marketing
Department at:

Mercury:
1-(888)-566-8888

Moreover, please be advised that the Sales Department of your local
dealership is in the best position to advise you of vehicle pricing or
availability.  Ford and Lincoln-Mercury dealerships are independently
owned and operated and as such, set their own prices for vehicle sales.  To
locate a Ford or Lincoln-Mercury dealership, please visit:

If you have any other inquiries, please feel free to contact us and we
will be happy to address them for you.

Sincerely,
Phebe
Customer Relationship Center
Ford Motor Company

—

So, the factory can’t tell the dealers to carry the hybrids but the dealers claim they’re not shipped any to carry.  Sounds like a load of bullshit to me.  Needless to say, I won’t be buying a Ford or Mercury product, despite my willingness to consider an American manufacturer after years of avoiding them like the plague.  Kudos Ford, way to drive away a customer.

Sincerely,

Mr. Bitter

All the more reason to switch to Directv

The cable man just came to our office.  Yes we got cable installed, we thought it would be a nice perk for the office.  Within an hour the guy from Time Warner Cable broke the piece of furniture the TV was on AND broke the $1,200 TV. Even more of a reason to stick with Directv.

Let’s Go to the Airport

So I travel for work. A lot. There are weeks when I feel like I’m living in the airport. As such, I have a system for getting through security. My phone and keys have a place in my brief case (and are placed there as soon as I am out of the car), I know when I need my ID, I know what to do with my laptop, shoes, and jacket. I even have the liquids thing figured out. As a result, when there isn’t a line I breeze through and am back together quickly.

While I don’t agree that the measures at these checkpoints do any good, I live with it because I have to. However, I’ve noticed a lot of people who seem to show up at the airport and I want to ask them, “Did you know you were getting on a plane today??”

So many fellow travellers show up with more shit in their pockets than I thought humanly possible. They wait until they get in line and then they’re pulling out phones and change and belts and moneyclips and lighters and pocket knives and pens and PDAs and Crapberrys and Starbuck’s cups and small children. It’s like another dimension in their pockets and they always seem to have forgotten that none of it can go through the metal detector. While they’re pulling it all out, they look up while mouth breathing and ask, “Do I have to take my shoes off?”

Get a clue, please! We’re all in it together at the airport, stay alert and organized. Don’t have your pockets filled. Please get out of my way, I’m grumpy in the airport and all I want is to get to the Admiral’s Club as quickly as possible.

On another note, the amoount of noise pollution at airports just keeps getting worse. They’re putting in tile floors (so the sound bounces), playing CNN at full blast, making gate announcements, making security announcements, and playing Muzak on the planes as you get on. Delta, why the hell do you think Michael Bolton is going to relax me? If anything, you’re adding to my tension. Thanks!

Periodic Roundup and Odds and Ends and the Such

Just one or two interesting things I wanted to get off my chest/bring up…

First, I really hate this guy. Curt Schilling has been out of the news for a while so now he has to have all the attention in the world. “Hey, look at me, I’m a giant asshole!” I really really REALLY hate this guy and hope that he has the shittiest year of his career.

Red Sox Asshole Seeks Attention

Second, I was invited to participate in the National Security Bloggers. I’m not sure I totally get this since I really haven’t written about national security at all. I mean, I want to scream when I watch President W . trip/fall/blunder his way through foreign policy and International relations, but I don’t find it that interesting to write about. It’s too easy to make fun of him, it would be like mocking the retarded.

Finally, I find myself wondering what the hell is wrong with GenY again. They just don’t seem to get it. I’m discovering that, as an employer, you have to tell them a lot. just because you have a late meeting doesn’t mean you sleep in, be up and ready to go when the office opens. Sometimes I wonder if they have common sense…

Asshole of the Week

This week’s selection… Everyone else. In my hotel room today I saw several fun news stories.

First, Michael Vick. First the whole Ron Mexico fiasco, now he is trying to hide pot in a water bottle. Everyone in the country knows that you can’t take liquids on the plane, but this genius decides that taking liquids on the plane is the best way to hide his drugs… GENIUS

He’s Only Football Smart, not Smart Smart

Then, I see all this crap about Grey’s Anatomy. I know the show is popular, but honestly. WHO CARES??? So one guy insulted the other, made dumb remarks in pulbic, etc. I don’t even know who the hell T.K. whatever his name is, or the other guy.

And finally, a radio station morning crew is in trouble and may face charges of manslaughter because an adult woman drank too much water and died trying to win a Nintendo Wii. The coverage of this has been awful. People are actually blaming the radio station? This woman was dumb enough to try to enter this contest, signed a release, and they’re to blame?? I’m sorry but she is a fucking idiot and everyone that says the radio station is at fault are bigger fucking idiots. Here are a few websites covering this, the first is great calling it so tragic. It sounds like Darwinism to me.

Piss Poor Coverage

I hope they have the Drink Poison to win a PSIII Contest Next. I can’t wait to see how many hopeful contestants will drink hemlock and then have their families blame the radio station for their idiocy.

Maybe the real assholes are the public because they seem to be blaming the station and caring about two idiot actors feuding. At least I didn’t have to see Dianne Sawyer talk about it though Mr. Robin Roberts isn’t much better.

I Agree with the Old Lady

So another poor country has adopted the Euro.

Slovenia, I wonder if they aren’t too tidy

I was in Europe this spring and I have to say, the Euro sucks! The money is all weirdo coins or bills that are in different sizes. The only thing worse is the Pound in England. At one point I had $40 worth of change in my pocket.

So, in response to the idiots who want to do away with the dollar bill… CUT IT OUT. The dollar coin is a sign of our country falling into the abyss!