Monday, August 4, 2008

It's always the little things.

Did you miss me? I didn't think so.
If anyone thinks that the Green Bay Packers are genuine in their attempt to open up the quarterback job to competition now that professional pain in the ass Brett Favre has returned, they've got another think coming. The job is Favre's to lose and the farce (favrce) that this has become now drags itself into training camp while the media (spelled E-S-P-N) thinks that the world hangs on the goings-on with the Packers (Pack-of-losers). If I was starter/backup/starter/backup Aaron Rodgers, I'd walk out of camp the minute I saw Favre walk in. Then, I'd announce my retirement and ask the Packers to release me. If I didn't get a release, I'd write a letter to the Commissioner and ask for reinstatement. If he didn't reinstate me, I'd sue the league for unequal treatment. That way, I could prove that they made a special case out of Favre and don't always treat people equally. Hey, what good is making all that money if you can't enjoy spending it?

What we have witnessed lately with the price of gasoline is a classic example of good old-fashioned American marketing. They (them) drove the price up to 4-dollars a gallon, when it got to the point that they realized we couldn't take it financially and we started making adjustments to our lifestyles to compensate. Now, suddenly the price has dropped to $3.80 a gallon and will likely settle in the $3.60-$3.75 range. Meanwhile, hordes of consumers (sheep) will say, "Wow, that's better!" and the people in charge of setting the price will allow the price to settle. We (sheep) will think we're getting a break and the people selling it to us will still be making money hand over (clenched) fist. It's a racket, wherein the price goes up to the breaking point and settles back to a "comfort level" where the sellers realize that the supply equals the demand. It's as old as dirt and we fall for it every time.

I finally broke down (figuratively) and bought one of those GPS devices. After getting crossed-up on my way to The Dark Knight IMAX experience the other night (knight) I finally gave in to the idea that these things are worth the expense. I bought a Garmin nuvi 260, which is the lowest cost device that says the names of the streets as well as the distances. I need the road name. I looked at the TomTom, and while it's comparatively priced, I found that tests showed that the Garmin device gave more reliable directions. Plus, they have downloadable scenic drives that should be fun to do with the camera in tow. I figure, if I can use it ten times a year to go places I haven't been, it will more than pay for itself. I got it from Amazon, who beat the retail price substantially. I'll have to wait a few days, but I ain't going nowhere.
Now, if I get lost I have technology to blame and that's always better than blaming myself.

1 comment:

Kate Michele said...

does she yell at you when you go the wrong way?

"recalculating" with a pissed of tone .

haha
oxoxox