My Sick Mind

I'm not sure what has happened to customer service. I think it's floating out there in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Two recent incidences make me think that the old ways of doing things are fast falling by the wayside. I'm also not sure what has happened to telephones. It seems as though the "phone" function is an afterthought, and that they are for web browsing, text messaging and running applications. Using it to actually speak to someone is a nice ancillary benefit. I filed my Federal income taxes last night. They make it sound like the e-filing process is the easy way to do it. It is, to a point. To the point that you need to finish it, that is. Just before I hit the "click here to send" button, I was told that I needed a PIN to file the forms with the IRS. They don't tell me what the PIN means or what its significance is, just that I need it. When the IRS tells you that you need something, you tend to believe them because the...

Rampart (n) A defensive mound of earth or a wall with a broad top and usually a stone parapet. An embarkment for defensive purposes. Even before the Super Bowl got started, there was excitement. While Christina Aguilera was singing "The Star Spangled Banner," something didn't sound right. Like you, I've heard the song hundreds of times, and when a word (or five) is misplaced, it's noticeable. You have all seen it and read about it, so I'll spare you the analysis. Suffice it to say, Christina is proud of our ramparts. Later, she would say that "I got caught up in the moment of the song and I lost my place." I suppose that would be a valid excuse for a person who has never been on a stage or sung in front of people, but she is supposed to be a professional, and as such, shouldn't get "caught up" in anything. Other than her goofy rendition, the thing that I got caught up in was that she said "Thank you" after she finished si...

On the ION Television channel, they're showing "The Right Stuff." I have chosen to watch it, even though I have the DVD on my shelf. I do that a lot - watch movies and shows with commercials when the non-commercial version is sitting not 5 feet from the TV. I saw it in the theater when it was released in 1983, and it's still one of those "stop the clicker" films. It's about a great time in our history, which overshadowed a horrible time in our history. The glamour of the manned space program made us forget about the Vietnam war, major assassinations and a lot of unrest at home. Films like "The Right Stuff" give dead people short shrift. Particularly, Gus Grissom and Lyndon Johnson, both of whom are not portrayed in a flattering light. One would figure it's because they're incapable of defending themselves, so the filmmaker can ... um ... tell the truth as they see it . The film makes it appear as though Grissom panicked and blew the...