Rants

Saturn Vue – Really cute commercial with these 4 20-somethings heading out to the swimming hole. One rocket-scientist sets up a rope swing and when he tries it out he doesn’t let go over the water, he comes back across the shore and slams into the side of the car. While lying on the ground, he tells his friends, “I’m alright.” Nice subtle touches to let us know this baby can go off-road and has those famous plastic body panels. I only wish before he launched himself he would have said the legendary redneck last words, “Hey Bubba. Watch this!” Too bad this thing is 1) an SUV & 2) ugly as sin (looks like the Saturn Sedan in a funhouse mirror.)

Viagra – Nicely dressed fellow at the office and everyone is telling him he looks different. “Did you get a haircut?” “Did you lose weight?” Etc. He just smiles. Could it be the bulge in the front of his pants?

And I use the word repair lightly. there are about a half dozen spots on my commute to work that have had sewer work or water main connections or repairs done to them. The patching back up of the road is so dismal that you have to slow down to keep from rattling loose automotive fasteners. I know it would be impossible to return the road to previous smooth as silk condition, but could you at least try? I think they just toss back in what dirt they can find of what was removed, sprinkle on some gravel and then lay a 1/2 inch of asphalt over the top. In the matter of a week there is a 2″ dip!

Fortunately a couple of these “repairs” occur in just one lane of the 4 lane road that I travel, so that I can on most days, switch lanes and then go back to avoid them. I’m sure the big sedans and SUVs behind me wonder why I dodge left, only to go back right. Well I’m saving my fillings from falling out.

Caught a rerun of Sports Night this morning on Comedy Central. That was such a well written show. At least I can still get my Aaron Sorkin fix this Wednesday on the season premier of The West Wing. The again maybe it is a good thing it went away after 2 seasons. It went out at the top of its game, like Jimmy Hendrix. We were spared the decent into mediocrity of other things that hang around too long, like The X-Files and the Rolling Stones.

Turtle Wax Color wax has made all these dark swirl marks on my car. I’m sure they are temporary, but after waxing the car today I noticed streaks of darker blue in places on the paint. I’m hoping it is just because I inadequately wiped off the dried wax. I used the wax once before and didn’t get this problem, but this time I applied it a bit thicker. Tomorrow I may just re-wax it with a cleaner/wax product and see what happens.

The last 2 days have been about the end of my free ride on the internet. Here is my thoughts on free services: If you intent is to give away something for free on the internet, there comes a time when you have to limit the number of people who can use your free service. If you can spend $100 a month providing this service and it cost $1 a user, stop at a hundred. Don’t go to 200 and then say to your self, “Damn, I’m spending too much money, I better start charging.”

Of course I never attended any business courses in college, maybe this is the way to get into business, get people used to using your service for free and when they are so entrenched that they can’t live with out it, charge ’em. I mean, it works for drug dealers, right?

Back in the wild and wooly days of blogging, 6 months or so ago, I signed up with enetation to handle the commenting on my 2 blogs. They promised me free comments for my blog. Just like the exponentional nature of growth on the internet, in that short time enetation has now decided that comments are free, but if you want your comments without a tagline that begs for money, you shall pay. They want 10 quid or around 14 bucks a year, while that in itself is not a princely sum, added up with all the other fees I now pay to keep what was once free, ad free, we are fast approaching the amount at which I have to consult with my Budget Director (AKA, wife) about before spending.