Not A Mystery
Rant
All Apple Music Needs Is A Kitchen Sink
Last year Tim Cook disparaged Microsoft’s effort to merge its tablet and desktop products, saying: “You can converge a toaster and a refrigerator, but those aren’t going to be pleasing to the user.” Tim, I love you, but a toaster-fridge would be more pleasing to me than the current controls on Apple’s Music App. Here’s one example that … Continue reading
Bank of America, Now Channeling Peanuts
Every year Lucy tells Charlie Brown that she’ll hold the football for him while he kicks it. We all know how that works out. This week I felt like Charlie Brown, with Bank of America holding the football. The football was my new Bank of America Debit card, which arrived in the mail appearing to be an EMV CHIP and PIN card. Wow, I’ve been … Continue reading
AARP Offers An Early Renewal Option, Sort Of…
It’s one thing to be scammed by an organization you don’t know. It’s another thing when an organization to which you belong (and pay dues to no less), decides to increase their cash flow at your expense. I’ve been a happy member of AARP since I was, wait for it, 55. I got an invitation to join … Continue reading
Not Their Finest Hour
It’s about f*cking time. Yesterday, only 60 years after he was harassed by the British government into taking his own life, Alan Turing received a formal pardon from Queen Elizabeth II for his conviction in 1952 on charges of homosexuality, which at the time was a criminal offense in Britain. It’s difficult to find a … Continue reading
Hey Manolo, Now These Are Some Really Green Shoes
There’s fine print, and there’s even finer print. The very finest print, is used by our banker friends on Wall Street. The recent Facebook IPO generated a lot of money for the company and their original investors. Then there were fees for the bankers that took Facebook public. A syndicate of investment banks, lead by Morgan … Continue reading
Thinking Outside The Exercise Bottle, You’re Never Too Thin
Some days it’s hard to tell if your glass is half empty or half full. (Politicians can get pretty creative when they describe the state-of-the-glass, but that’s why they take get the big bucks.) But for me today is a really good day. I am proclaiming my “glass at least half full”. In fact it’s exactly … Continue reading
It’s Time To Regulate The Soapbox
I have a modest proposal for the health care debate. Only those of us who have actually shopped for an Individual Health Insurance Policy would be allowed to get up on their soapbox and let fly with their opinions. This leaves out all current member of Congress; any retired members of Congress who served more … Continue reading
Obamacare Gets A Haircut
I usually don’t mind waiting to get my hair cut. But today was a little out of the ordinary. The fellow ahead of me, who I’ll call Randy, felt called upon to deliver a lecture on Obamacare and how the President is directing the government to take over our lives. It was quite a rant, and Randy clearly … Continue reading
Muppet Taxpayer Triumphs Over The IRS
[Disclaimer: Since starting up the blog again, my goal has been to avoid posts that ranted against the daily insanity visited upon us by our institutions. But after filing my 2011 taxes that goal has been set aside for today.] This from my inbox, where I am being Congratufuckinglated for having the IRS Accept my … Continue reading
To Bundle Or Not To Bundle, That Is The Question
Airlines and Cable Networks, two of our most popular industries today. If you ignore the Banks. Sign up for Cable and you get more channels than you need or want. You’ve been bundled. Get on an Airline and nothing is included in the price of your ticket. You’ve been unbundled. And yet, as a consumer, … Continue reading
Airlines Will Run Out Of Fees, But Only When Pigs Can Fly
It is entirely possible that Airlines will soon revoke the law of diminishing returns. And I’m not talking about their profits, but instead their ability to come up with new ways to tack on charges. United Airlines has just begun to offer a new ‘service’, which they’ve dubbed Premier Line. Board the airplane sooner and get earlier … Continue reading
Not A Mystery 