A Series of Tubes

$700 Billion dollars is the amount of money the government is planning to give to the people that passed out bad loans and rated packages of these bad loans as AAA (the highest possible amount).  It is irresponsible.  Heads should roll for screwing up the market.  $700 Billion dollars is a huge pile of money to give to the people that just screwed up.  Read more about it at Bonddad.

I’ve already contacted my Senators and Congressional representative to oppose the bailout.  I don’t think I would say this often but, I agree with Newt Gingritch on this one.

I don’t know where the people that want a bailout are coming from.  I do know Bush wants the bailout.  I know the financial companies want the bailout.  I’m not so sure I know who or where the grass roots proponents are.

So normally if someone calls me and I don’t recognize the number I just let the person leave a message and I call them back.  I was getting flack for this policy because it could be someone calling with an emergency.  So I’m sitting at work and my cell phone rings and the number: 719 398-5898 comes up on my cell phone.  I decide to answer the phone on the off chance that this might be someone stranded near a pay phone in an area code that I don’t recognize.  Turns out that I’m listening to an automated dialer telling me that the factory warranty of my call has expired.  I have a 10 year old car that I bought used so I’m pretty positive my warranty is expired and cannot be renewed.  I am also told that this is my last chance to renew and I can press 1 to talk to a representative and 2 to be removed from the call list.

Well if this is my last chance to to get the warranty updated then why the hell would I need to press 2?  Anyhow this actually isn’t the first time this group has called, and the last time they called I pressed their damn 2 button.  This time I press 1.  I get on the other line a guy with an indian accent asking me if I am interested in renewing my factory warranty on my vehicle.  I decide that I will be nice and start off with “Hi.  This is the second time that you have called me and I requested that you remove my name from your calling list.  If you did not remove me from the calling list the first time I need to remind you that you are legally bound to…”  I then hear a click on the other end of the line as Mr. Warranty doesn’t think he will get any money out of me.

I then try to call the number back Read more

Everyone gets junk mail.  Most people groan and are disappointed when they receive junk mail.  Not me.  Junk mail is kind of like a treasure hunt for me.  I’m looking for that envelope that says “no postage necessary if mailed in the United States”.  Yesterday’s junk mail included one from Taste of Home Subscription Fulfillment Center:

So why do I care so much about this envelope? Read more