What I want to know is, are there really that many people making collect calls?

I was thinking about this, while I was supposed to be sleeping. That's a story for another day however. What I would like to know is, how can this collect call thing be profitable? There's a flurry of 1-800 blah, blah, blah ads on the TV. You can't watch a channel with commercials and not see Carrot Top, Alyssa Milano, or whatever down on his luck former sports figure, is hawking 1-800-CALL-ATT, 10-10-220, 10-10-987 or the newest variant on the same theme. Are there that many people making collect calls? I've made a few in my day, but that was back when I was a kid, and didn't have any money or facilities. I would never make a collect call now.

These are American commercials. I've been to the states a few times in the past couple years and the one thing I've noticed is, it is unlikely anyone in that country would make a collect call. They all have cell phones! I'm at the Four Corners Monument, and there's teenage girls (young ones, not 18/19 years olds) and they're making cell phone calls. (Or trying to make calls. Mysteriously the cell phone coverage is abysmal at that particular point. I'm surprised no enterprising entrepeneur hasn't slapped up a cell tower at that spot, and charged back to the major players (Verizon, AT&T) a nice roam fee. The Indians charge you three bucks to get on the site of the monument, why not build themselves a cell tower too and make a few more bucks?) So why all the ads for collect calls?

Maybe there's a segment of the population still using this quaint phone technology, but I'm not seeing it. If anyone has some further insight into this question, I'd be glad to hear it. Maybe I'd sleep better.

Toodles!

It never fails. I always forget something.

AGAIN, it was my CD player that got left at home.

(That's if we pretend I consciously chose to leave my sandals in Saskatoon)

There is something that will always, without fail, piss me off.

What is wrong with some people?

I'm driving from Watson to Regina this evening. It is a boring, almost completely straight road. However, there is just enough, up and down, with hills and dips that you frequently lose sight distance. It is a difficult road to pass safely on.

Now under ordinary circumstances, this doesn't matter. Its a rarely used road, relatively speaking, and its infrequent that I've ever noticed significant traffic. Thus you can set your cruise at a comfortable pace, and just settle in for a two hour drive.

But then there's Mister Wizard. The stupid-ass monkey butt that's just gotta go 200 miles per hour in his Chevy Malibu. And he is just so damn important that he's gotta pass me. No one for a hundred miles, I'm not going slow, but this genius just HAS to pass me.

The trouble is, I'm following someone myself. Like I said, its a slow, lazy, boring drive. Hilly terrain making it difficult to pass. So, I adjust my cruise down a couple notches, and just stay behind the car in front of me. But not Mr. Wizard! Going up a hill, the idiot goes around me, but because he's an impatient jack-ass, as he's halfway through his pass, someone crests the hill in the oppposite direction. Pinball Wizard quickly ducks back into the proper lane, and now he's sandwiched himself between me and the person I was following. Keep in mind I'm on cruise, and I've set a comfortable following distance. Dill weed the wonder weevil has now completely screwed that up.

Is it really so damn important that you get to Regina 10 minutes sooner? I mean REALLY! Just slow, and wait until its clear to pass. Don't pull this irritating cowboy crap.

People piss me off. Can someone explain why we're not hunting them for sport?

Blog Question Of The Day:

Why do I have so much trouble getting up in the morning?

1-800-559-8155 is back.

Some people just don't get the message.

Here's what I want to know.

These two nitwits, Paris and Nicole, are all about image, and beauty, makeup/hair/style and on, and on and on. So, today they are working in a beauty salon.

HOW CAN THEY F&%K THIS UP!?!?!?!?!

I don't get it. This IS their calling. They should be fantastic at this. Then again, you take a look at the pancake approach they use on their own faces, and it gives a person pause. Nevertheless, they try to promote the agenda that they are hot, and know how to create hot. So why the hatchet job?

This is the fundamental flaw with The Simple Life. Its staged. Its supposed to be reality, but its clearly not because the principles are obviously doing things that are out of character for a typical person. And that's why you can't really embrace the show. You know its all a put-on.

In conclusion, I thought this episode was stupid. Paris and Nicole can't even do a good job of working in a beauty salon? If even that is a joke then what's the point? Luckily the biker family was of just the right temperment to put up with this idiocy.

See you all again next week!!!

Whoever is calling me from 1-800-559-8155, you should really consider giving up. I never answer my land-line phone. I know that anyone who wants to reach me, and who I want to speak to, will call my cell phone or get me on the computer. You're not going to get me to answer when I see only a phone number, and a suspicious one at that.

If you wanna talk to me, I'd better know its you or the call we be unanswered.

Toodles!

To quote the wise Allison (Ally Sheedy), the dark, loner in The Breakfast Club:

'My home life is UNsatisfying'

I will freely admit that I have no clue about all the intricacies involved in the BSE crisis that is ruining (or so we are told) the lives of cattle producers in Canada. However, I have some ideas.

1) Grow something else. I was reading the wall of the diner today, as I awaited the completion of my cheeseburger. They were offering a conversion to buffalo or elk burgers, for a lower price. So, I asked myself the question, why not buffalo, elk, deer? I have not heard mention of any of these animals getting mad cow disease. (and why would they, they're no cows) Perhaps we could end-run that beef embargo by selling the Americans some exotic meat.

2) Why not a BSE-resistant cow? We can build all kinds of hybridized plants, flowers, and other assorted living things, so why not a cow that can't get BSE? If the cow can't get mad cow disease, the ban on the shipping of them would have to be lifted, wouldn't it? How can you ban something because it might carry disease if genetically it can't get the disease? Makes sense to me.

Points to ponder. Toodles.

Something I forgot to mention on Friday

To all of you who suffered my accusation about stealing my blue shirt, I apologize. I found it in the laundry when I cleaned clothes on Thursday night.

That is all.

Update to Friday's depressing blog.

Things needed to change. So, they did.

I had a chat with my boss this morning. I explained my point of view and how I did not appreciate the comments directed at me during last week's operations meeting. He agreed. My boss said he felt the tone of the comments directed my way was inappropriate. However, he had some vision on it that I was clouded from seeing. After a good chat, he brought me around to understanding that it was all about changing things, and making them better. So it will all work out, by the end of the game.

Those of you concerned for my state of mind, thank you for your comments. The interest you have in my predicament was appreciated. Its not to have support from the ones that care. And to answer the questions put to me, yes, there will be changes in operation at work. We're going to expand the roles of a few people, and get me some help. I am feeling relieved.

Thanks for listening and have a great day!