This morning, I decided to cancel one of my credit cards. I haven't used it in months. I'm not even sure I've even used it this year, in fact. I have no need for it, nor do I foresee a day when I'll have a need for it. My other cards more than cover my needs. My Discover Card even has a whopping $10,000 credit limit--Lord knows what I'd need that much credit for--but somehow, over the years, I've managed to collect four different Mastercards and I figured it was about time that I retired one of them. (The others I want to keep since they can also act as debit cards and let me access the money in those accounts easily.)
The card is a CapitalOne Platinum "No Hassle" card. It has a $5,000 credit limit. I've had it since 2000, and this particular card I have in my hands expires July 25, 2010. Says so right there on the card.
So I called the 24-hour customer service number listed on the back, typed in my credit card number, last four digits of my SSN, and a bunch of other stuff to verify who I am, navigating my way through several layers of menus before finding the one to cancel one's hard. Clearly, "no hassle" does not apply to people who want to cancel their cards.
Finally, it put me on hold, with some 80s music playing in the background, which went on for several minute before a live person picked up. I knew what to expect--they were going to try to convince me not to cancel. I've canceled cards before, though I usually do it in writing so as to avoid the hassles of the hard sell. The one time I called to cancel credit cards in the past, the cards weren't even mind--they were my step dad who died. When they ask why I want to cancel the card, I'd tell them because the account owner is dead. That got things done real fast. =) My error in this case, was to admit that I was still alive and just didn't want the card anymore.
"But you're a customer in good standing!"
"It costs you nothing!"
"But you've got a platinum card!"
"We recommend you keep it for emergencies!"
And I continued to say no, no, no!
"But you have 5000 points on it!"
I do? *raised eyebrows* I didn't know that. Must have given it to me many moons ago for some silly reason.
"Can I redeem them or cash them out or something?" I asked.
"Yes, let me transfer you to the rewards specialist (or whatever they're called)."
So I'm on hold again, listening to more 80's music. I wait a few minutes before another person picks up, who asks for my account number, last four digits of my social security number, blah, blah, blah. (Gotta make sure it's really me, after all!)
"I'd like to redeem or cash out my rewards points," I tell her.
"You have 5000 points, but you need 20,000 points to get a $100 gift certificate."
"So is there anything I can get for 5000 points?" I inquire.
"No."
"Okay, then, can you cancel my card now." =)
"I'll have to transfer you to someone who can do that."
*sigh* I knew that was coming.....
Once again, I'm on hold for a few more minutes, before someone who probably lives in India answered. "Hlo, cn I hlp yu?" I swear he spoke with half his vowels missing, and I had a hard time understanding him.
"Yes, I'd like to cancel my card."
"Wht reson do yu wnt to cncl fr?"
To make a long story short--and it was some effort to get through that thick accent--he told me he had to transfer me to someone who could cancel my card. Hello?! That was supposed to be you!
"Lt me giv yu nmbr to cll n cas yu git dscnntd," he told me. "Ar yu rdy?"
I take down the number, thinking, just knowing, at some point, this call would magically get disconnected through no fault of their own.
Then he finally transfers me to a supervisor. I'm on hold for another couple of minutes before she picks up, and the connection seems to fade in and out during our conversation. More than once she asks, "Hello? Can you hear me?" More than once I said the same thing.
"I want *crackle crackle* card," I say. "CANCEL card!"
I repeat the account number several times, and it's not coming up for her, so then she wants my full social security number, zip code, blah, blah, blah to look up my account.
"Hello?" she says. "Can you hear...." Dial tone. I have been disconnected.
I try calling the number the Indian guy gave me, and it asks for me to type in my account number, blah, blah, blah. I don't really feel inclined to follow directions anymore, and just start pushing numbers randomly. I mean, sure, I could type in my account number, but why bother? Every single person I've talked to has always asked me to repeat it anyhow.
"Please wait for a service representative to answer your call....."
I was hoping the special number I got would put me through to a live person immediately so I could skip the menuing system, but that did not appear to be the case. I hung up.
It's lunch time, and I'm ready to get something to eat. I'll try canceling my card again later, but I'm smarter now. I won't fall for that whole "But you have 5000 rewards points!" trick this time. Nope. I'm even thinking about telling them I just died. Tragic car accident last week. "I'm the brother and just canceling all of the cards in Ryan's wallet."
On a related note, despite how hard it is to cancel credit cards, I am rather fond of them. I love my credit cards. Often times I go weeks without so much as a single dollar bill in my wallet, relying purely on credit cards. Nowadays, the main one I use is from PayPal, and it's attached to my PayPal account that so many of you premium members help fund. =) When I use that card, they give me 1.5% cash back, which I think is pretty good. My Discover Card, for instance, only gives me back 1%, and then I don't get the money until I've gotten at least $20 worth. The PayPal credit is immediate. And I don't have to send in a payment every month--it's just taken directly out of my PayPal account.
I love my credit cards, though. As long as one doesn't carry lots of debt on them or buy more than they can afford, they're nice little toys to own. =) (I always pay off my credit cards promptly.)
Back in my college days, I took an HTML class, and we had to do a project called "What's In My Pocket?" Basically, we were to make a website about stuff that was in our pockets. You'd think this would be boring, but with a little imagination, you can make the website about anything. "I turned out my pockets and.... a grain of sand FROM HAWAII came out!" Then you could babble on and on about your trip to Hawaii. Pretty simple.
I didn't choose a grain of sand, though. No, I picked out.... my credit cards. I had four of them at the time, and wrote a story about every single one of them. Three of them are all true. One of them I completely made up from the depths of my imagination, but I'll let you figure that out on your own. Not to worry--those pictures of my credit cards--I changed all the numbers so they weren't my real credit card numbers, and in any case, only one of those four accounts are still active today--the Discover Card. (And look--back then, it only had a limit of $1,900! My how things change.....) The rest have long since been retired for whatever reasons.
Anyhow, hope enjoy reading about What's In My Pocket? It's no Atlas Quest, but it was one of the first websites I ever made. There are some pretty wonderful pictures at the bottom of the AT&T Universal card I took in Sequoia National Park. For those of you who met the Flying Brain, there are pictures of her in the Discover Card story.
I'll let you know when I finally succeed in canceling my CapitalOne "No Hassle" credit card, though. =) Stay tuned!
Thursday, November 01, 2007
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Seeing red?
You know those little ticker symbols for stocks? That show how much up or down a stock is on any given day? Almost anywhere you look, there's a pretty consistent standard that when a stock is up, it's green, and if it's down, it's red.
I read recently that red is bad--just the color itself scares people.... or something like that. They see red, and red means bad. It means stop. It makes people do irrational things like panic and sell their stocks, often when they should be buying more.
Now if you're someone that is buying stock, it is in your best interests for the price of stocks to go down. You don't get excited when your favorite lunch place raises prices, so why would you get excited when the stocks you want to buy go up in price? It's completely irrational.
So here's my suggestion: Switch the colors. If you're a net buyer of stocks, constantly adding more money to your portfolio, the stock prices should turn green when the stocks go down, and they should turn red when prices go up. Red is bad. Higher stock prices are bad. Lower stock prices are good.
It's the way the world should work--at least for net buyers of stock. Perhaps they'll become better investors, buying more when those numbers turn green, and perhaps panic selling when things turn red. At least it follows more of a buy low and sell high strategy that way.
If you're retiring and looking to sell out, well obviously, the current method works just fine. You want stock prices to go up, and green is good. =) You don't want stock prices to go down, and red is bad. (But still, wouldn't you rather sell on an up day?)
I read recently that red is bad--just the color itself scares people.... or something like that. They see red, and red means bad. It means stop. It makes people do irrational things like panic and sell their stocks, often when they should be buying more.
Now if you're someone that is buying stock, it is in your best interests for the price of stocks to go down. You don't get excited when your favorite lunch place raises prices, so why would you get excited when the stocks you want to buy go up in price? It's completely irrational.
So here's my suggestion: Switch the colors. If you're a net buyer of stocks, constantly adding more money to your portfolio, the stock prices should turn green when the stocks go down, and they should turn red when prices go up. Red is bad. Higher stock prices are bad. Lower stock prices are good.
It's the way the world should work--at least for net buyers of stock. Perhaps they'll become better investors, buying more when those numbers turn green, and perhaps panic selling when things turn red. At least it follows more of a buy low and sell high strategy that way.
If you're retiring and looking to sell out, well obviously, the current method works just fine. You want stock prices to go up, and green is good. =) You don't want stock prices to go down, and red is bad. (But still, wouldn't you rather sell on an up day?)
Monday, October 15, 2007
The Butterfly Effect
I'm sitting here, when the latest issue of BussinessWeek, and just read this line: Bosses are particularly pessimistic about employment, with 34% saying they expect a hiring dip in the next 90 days. That's troubling, since the survey's take on hiring typically foreshadows the jobs numbers put out by the Bureau of Labor Statistics six months on.
Stupid, pessimistic bosses. If they only knew that by lightning up a little bit, it would be good for the economy.
But wait a minute, I thought. What if the bosses were pessimistic because employees were complaining too much? Maybe we should start taking a survey of employees attitudes, since clearly they're more inclined to complain to the boss when they're in a bad mood as well.
In fact, I'd go so far as to say we could be surveying the better halves of these workers, because if they're distressed, obviously it must be because of problems at home.
In fact.... to push this a bit further, if we survey the kids of such families, we'd learn early on when there are problems in the household, causing them to bring their problems into work with them, causing the boss to feel depressing, causing hirings to slow, and the economy to slow. We might be able to know the economy is in danger of slowing FIVE YEARS before it happens! Six months, ha. Think big, people.
Wait a minute, but what if the problems at home are because the boss cut the breadwinner's pay to save money. Money is the number one cause of problems in marriages, after all. Maybe it really is the boss's fault after all. =)
Of course, maybe the boss wouldn't have had to cut their pay if the employees worked just a little bit harder and stopped spending so much time on Atlas Quest or any other noteworthy website. Of course, if I didn't create such an amazing website, people wouldn't be able to use it.
Maybe it's really my fault. Did my lone little website cause the fall of the global economy? Yikes! Sorry about that, folks. I'll try not to let it happen again. =)
Stupid, pessimistic bosses. If they only knew that by lightning up a little bit, it would be good for the economy.
But wait a minute, I thought. What if the bosses were pessimistic because employees were complaining too much? Maybe we should start taking a survey of employees attitudes, since clearly they're more inclined to complain to the boss when they're in a bad mood as well.
In fact, I'd go so far as to say we could be surveying the better halves of these workers, because if they're distressed, obviously it must be because of problems at home.
In fact.... to push this a bit further, if we survey the kids of such families, we'd learn early on when there are problems in the household, causing them to bring their problems into work with them, causing the boss to feel depressing, causing hirings to slow, and the economy to slow. We might be able to know the economy is in danger of slowing FIVE YEARS before it happens! Six months, ha. Think big, people.
Wait a minute, but what if the problems at home are because the boss cut the breadwinner's pay to save money. Money is the number one cause of problems in marriages, after all. Maybe it really is the boss's fault after all. =)
Of course, maybe the boss wouldn't have had to cut their pay if the employees worked just a little bit harder and stopped spending so much time on Atlas Quest or any other noteworthy website. Of course, if I didn't create such an amazing website, people wouldn't be able to use it.
Maybe it's really my fault. Did my lone little website cause the fall of the global economy? Yikes! Sorry about that, folks. I'll try not to let it happen again. =)
Friday, October 05, 2007
I went to Costco today....
...and they had Christmas stuff for sale, and I even heard a Christmas song playing somewhere there in the background. I wanted to cry. It wasn't even Christmas. I saw my first pumpkins less than a week ago, and now we're already to Christmas?
Sometimes I wonder why they even bother to take down the Christmas decorations at all. Maybe Christmas only comes once a year, but does it really have to last three months?!
Sometimes I wonder why they even bother to take down the Christmas decorations at all. Maybe Christmas only comes once a year, but does it really have to last three months?!
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
Stupid Ways to Save the Earth
I'm an earth-loving guy. Really, I am. I like to walk through trees, leaves crunching under my feet. I like to keep my carbon footprint low--actually, I always have, but until the last year or so, I had no idea that was what the term was called. I walk to the grocery store and sometimes go months at a time without filling the gas tank in my car.
But enough is enough. Some of these ways I'm seeing to save the planet are nothing short of absurd. This afternoon, I walked to the bank--it was about a 1 hour and 20 minute walk, one way--to deposit a few checks. (I did make a quick stop at Costco where I purchased the Heroes season one DVD set and The Economy magazine along the way--I'm very efficient and like to get multiple things done when I'm off walking around that way.)
And while depositing these checks, I noticed a little sign that claimed if all Americans paid their bills online, it would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 1.9 TONS!
I got to thinking about that. Just 1.9 tons? In the grand scheme of things, that's not really a whole lot. It's the word "tons" that throws people off, though. People use it a lot to make things sound heavy. "It weighs a ton!" But have you ever tried to move a "ton" of rocks? I have. While doing some work up in Sequoia National Park many years ago, we had to dig up an old asphalt trail that was no longer in use, and a few of us dug out--if I remember correctly--19 tons of asphalt, carrying it out one wheelbarrow at a time. It was a nice little pile we made, and we felt a great sense of accomplishment at our pile, but I do remember looking at it and thinking, "That's what 19 tons looks like?" It's not as much as you would think.
At last count, there were over 300 million people in our country. That's 300,000,000 for people who like to see a lot of zeros, or 299,999,999 if I don't include myself and you like to see lots of nines. =)
And if every one of them paid their bills online, it would reduce those greenhouse gases by 1.9 tons, or 3,800 pounds, or 60,800 ounces. If you divide 300 million into that, that means each person who pays their bills online is cutting greenhouse gases by.... *drum roll please* 0.002 ounces.
Yes, you read that right. For each person who pays their bills online, they're reducing greenhouse gas emissions by two-one thousandths of an ounce. I seen farts in a tub that create more greenhouse gas emissions than that. Is that really the best suggestion they can come up with for how to save the world?
Of course, that sign really had nothing to do with saving the world. They want to save on postage costs. They want to save the cost of buying envelopes and mailing statements. Which is all fine and good--I love paying my bills online if for no other reason than that's 41 cents less I have to give the post office. Good enough for me!
But it's insulting to my intelligence to suggest that I'm saving the world too. Walking to the bank did far more than paying my bills online would.
Then I walked the 1 hour and 20 minutes back, with a quick stop at Taco Bell along the way. Alas, that stop may have contributed more to global warming than anything else I've done today. ;o)
But enough is enough. Some of these ways I'm seeing to save the planet are nothing short of absurd. This afternoon, I walked to the bank--it was about a 1 hour and 20 minute walk, one way--to deposit a few checks. (I did make a quick stop at Costco where I purchased the Heroes season one DVD set and The Economy magazine along the way--I'm very efficient and like to get multiple things done when I'm off walking around that way.)
And while depositing these checks, I noticed a little sign that claimed if all Americans paid their bills online, it would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 1.9 TONS!
I got to thinking about that. Just 1.9 tons? In the grand scheme of things, that's not really a whole lot. It's the word "tons" that throws people off, though. People use it a lot to make things sound heavy. "It weighs a ton!" But have you ever tried to move a "ton" of rocks? I have. While doing some work up in Sequoia National Park many years ago, we had to dig up an old asphalt trail that was no longer in use, and a few of us dug out--if I remember correctly--19 tons of asphalt, carrying it out one wheelbarrow at a time. It was a nice little pile we made, and we felt a great sense of accomplishment at our pile, but I do remember looking at it and thinking, "That's what 19 tons looks like?" It's not as much as you would think.
At last count, there were over 300 million people in our country. That's 300,000,000 for people who like to see a lot of zeros, or 299,999,999 if I don't include myself and you like to see lots of nines. =)
And if every one of them paid their bills online, it would reduce those greenhouse gases by 1.9 tons, or 3,800 pounds, or 60,800 ounces. If you divide 300 million into that, that means each person who pays their bills online is cutting greenhouse gases by.... *drum roll please* 0.002 ounces.
Yes, you read that right. For each person who pays their bills online, they're reducing greenhouse gas emissions by two-one thousandths of an ounce. I seen farts in a tub that create more greenhouse gas emissions than that. Is that really the best suggestion they can come up with for how to save the world?
Of course, that sign really had nothing to do with saving the world. They want to save on postage costs. They want to save the cost of buying envelopes and mailing statements. Which is all fine and good--I love paying my bills online if for no other reason than that's 41 cents less I have to give the post office. Good enough for me!
But it's insulting to my intelligence to suggest that I'm saving the world too. Walking to the bank did far more than paying my bills online would.
Then I walked the 1 hour and 20 minutes back, with a quick stop at Taco Bell along the way. Alas, that stop may have contributed more to global warming than anything else I've done today. ;o)
Sunday, August 19, 2007
You're dumber than you think you are
I recently read that 90% of the working public believe that they are in the top 10% of best employees.
Which means about 80% of the population (or more!) think they're stellar overachievers but are wrong. Are you one of them? =)
At Pizza Hut.... I worked with a large number of very incompetent people and have little doubt I'd be in the top ten percent. My days at Intel.... Oh, I'm smart, but frankly, the job bored me and it probably affected my performance. I doubt very much I was one of the top 10% of their top employees. Fortunately, I'm pretty sure I wasn't in the bottom 10% either which is the place you really want to avoid. I have no qualms about being average. In fact, most people are. That's the definition of average, you know. ;o)
I like to think I do pretty well, but I'm not fooling myself. Deep down inside, I really am average.
Which means about 80% of the population (or more!) think they're stellar overachievers but are wrong. Are you one of them? =)
At Pizza Hut.... I worked with a large number of very incompetent people and have little doubt I'd be in the top ten percent. My days at Intel.... Oh, I'm smart, but frankly, the job bored me and it probably affected my performance. I doubt very much I was one of the top 10% of their top employees. Fortunately, I'm pretty sure I wasn't in the bottom 10% either which is the place you really want to avoid. I have no qualms about being average. In fact, most people are. That's the definition of average, you know. ;o)
I like to think I do pretty well, but I'm not fooling myself. Deep down inside, I really am average.
Friday, August 10, 2007
It was a wild and wacky week in the stock market....
The last couple of days, I've noticed a strong focus on the stock market. It's been a "wild week" as one news anchor described it. Another said that investors are nervous and fearful. Today the DOW fell about 200 points, but ended up the day off just a few points. Whew!
Well, I'm an investor. Most of my assets are in stocks right this minute, invested in some companies that you may have heard of such as Costco, Boeing, and Microsoft. Guess what? I have absolutely no idea how well the stocks have done this week, and I really don't care. I'm not nervous, nor am I fearful. I am hopeful, however, that stocks will crash terribly hard. For a couple of weeks, at least, so I can buy up more for so much less. When I hear news anchors saying that I'm nervous and fearful, that I should step back and rethink my investments, I get very excited. To me, that means it's time to buy.
Why does the news always get everything so darned wrong?
Well, I'm an investor. Most of my assets are in stocks right this minute, invested in some companies that you may have heard of such as Costco, Boeing, and Microsoft. Guess what? I have absolutely no idea how well the stocks have done this week, and I really don't care. I'm not nervous, nor am I fearful. I am hopeful, however, that stocks will crash terribly hard. For a couple of weeks, at least, so I can buy up more for so much less. When I hear news anchors saying that I'm nervous and fearful, that I should step back and rethink my investments, I get very excited. To me, that means it's time to buy.
Why does the news always get everything so darned wrong?
Sunday, July 15, 2007
What Your Car Says About You
I recently read somewhere that the number one reason people give for buying a Toyota Prius--any guesses out there? Perhaps to do good for the environment? I never really believed that for a minute since the concept of hybrids didn't really take off until after gas prices more than doubled seemingly overnight a few years back. I would have guess it was to save on fuel costs, but apparently, that's not the reason either.
The number one reason people provide for buying a hybrid--it makes them look cool. They want others to think they are environmental stewards of the world. I'm a bit conflicted about that. On the one hand, it bothers me that people are more concerned about their image than they are about the world. On the other hand, it's kind of nice to know that we can peer pressured people into doing what's good for the environment. (Not all peer pressure is bad!)
Ever since I read that article, though, whenever I see a Toyota Prius, I can't help but think, "How sad. They must have low self esteem if they are so concerned about how they look."
At the same time, however, I have a bit more respect for those driving around in a non-Prius hybrid. Perhaps they're doing it for selfish reasons (to save money at the gas pump), or maybe they're doing it for the environment (two thumbs up!), or maybe a combination of both. But those are reasons I can understand and support. Oddly, the more someone actively works on their image, the less respect I tend to have for them. Be proud of who you are! And if someone doesn't like that, well, that's their problem, not yours. Isn't it? =)
What your car says about you (the serious version)
What your car says about you (the not-so-serious version)
The number one reason people provide for buying a hybrid--it makes them look cool. They want others to think they are environmental stewards of the world. I'm a bit conflicted about that. On the one hand, it bothers me that people are more concerned about their image than they are about the world. On the other hand, it's kind of nice to know that we can peer pressured people into doing what's good for the environment. (Not all peer pressure is bad!)
Ever since I read that article, though, whenever I see a Toyota Prius, I can't help but think, "How sad. They must have low self esteem if they are so concerned about how they look."
At the same time, however, I have a bit more respect for those driving around in a non-Prius hybrid. Perhaps they're doing it for selfish reasons (to save money at the gas pump), or maybe they're doing it for the environment (two thumbs up!), or maybe a combination of both. But those are reasons I can understand and support. Oddly, the more someone actively works on their image, the less respect I tend to have for them. Be proud of who you are! And if someone doesn't like that, well, that's their problem, not yours. Isn't it? =)
What your car says about you (the serious version)
What your car says about you (the not-so-serious version)
Monday, July 02, 2007
Bush spares Libby from prison
Doesn't that title make you angry? Yeah, me too.
The article then quotes Bush as saying, "I have concluded that the prison sentence given to Mr. Libby is excessive." Excessive? I've heard the same thing about Paris Hilton's prison sentence, but I didn't see her get a pardon.
Perhaps Libby's sentence is excessive--I'm not sure what is typical in a case such as this. But doesn't taking Libby out of prison completely mean his sentence is now too light?
There was also this nugget in the article: "Bush stopped short of an outright pardon, leaving intact a $250,000 fine and Libby's two-years' probation."
Hey, anybody else out there would rather have Libby serve out 30 months in prison and pardon the fine and probation instead? I think that would have been a fair trade. =)
I'm actually very surprised about the pardon, and wonder if Bush is trying to hide even bigger secrets. I'm not normally one for conspiracy theories. I think Lee Harvey Oswald really did do it. But consider this. This just looks bad. Regardless of whether it's fair or not, it stinks to high heaven. Bush had nothing to gain by keeping Libby out of jail, but a whole lot of bad press (which is the last thing he needs). So why would he do it? For justice? This, from the same guy that's probably done more to erode civil liberties and privacy than perhaps any other president in American history? So really, why would he keep Libby out of jail with absolutely nothing to gain?
Libby was entrenched very deeply in the White House. He probably knows a lot of things that Bush would rather not have public. How do you buy such silence?
Okay, it's circumstantial. Maybe Bush is just trying to be a good man, pushing for a fair sentence. But he's not exactly an impartial observer to be making such decisions. Just because he has the legal right to do so doesn't mean he should. I'm very disappointed.
The article then quotes Bush as saying, "I have concluded that the prison sentence given to Mr. Libby is excessive." Excessive? I've heard the same thing about Paris Hilton's prison sentence, but I didn't see her get a pardon.
Perhaps Libby's sentence is excessive--I'm not sure what is typical in a case such as this. But doesn't taking Libby out of prison completely mean his sentence is now too light?
There was also this nugget in the article: "Bush stopped short of an outright pardon, leaving intact a $250,000 fine and Libby's two-years' probation."
Hey, anybody else out there would rather have Libby serve out 30 months in prison and pardon the fine and probation instead? I think that would have been a fair trade. =)
I'm actually very surprised about the pardon, and wonder if Bush is trying to hide even bigger secrets. I'm not normally one for conspiracy theories. I think Lee Harvey Oswald really did do it. But consider this. This just looks bad. Regardless of whether it's fair or not, it stinks to high heaven. Bush had nothing to gain by keeping Libby out of jail, but a whole lot of bad press (which is the last thing he needs). So why would he do it? For justice? This, from the same guy that's probably done more to erode civil liberties and privacy than perhaps any other president in American history? So really, why would he keep Libby out of jail with absolutely nothing to gain?
Libby was entrenched very deeply in the White House. He probably knows a lot of things that Bush would rather not have public. How do you buy such silence?
Okay, it's circumstantial. Maybe Bush is just trying to be a good man, pushing for a fair sentence. But he's not exactly an impartial observer to be making such decisions. Just because he has the legal right to do so doesn't mean he should. I'm very disappointed.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
If they have to tell you....
For those of you not living in the Seattle area, one of the news stations around here is the first to broadcast in high definition. King5 news. I saw it a month or so ago when they first started it, with a flashy intro like a laser cutting across the screen and a noise not unlike someone pressing 20 keys on an organ simultaneously. You know the sound--you hear it often at the beginning of movies when they want to brag about the sound quality. I wish I could tell you what it was called, but frankly, I don't really care. But I recognize that sound.
But here's the thing for me. I don't have a high definition television. The broadcast looks exactly the same to me. But now they make it sound like the news is so much glitzier because whew! Thank God we can see the pimple on the face of the news anchor. Well, at least if you have a high definition television.
I find the whole thing annoying, though. It's like a smack in the face to everyone who doesn't have a high definition set, and those that already have it--shouldn't they be able to SEE the difference anyhow? If you have to tell people you're broadcasting in HD, does it really count?
If that wasn't enough, the meteorologist on that station now has new software that can take you "into" a storm. You can view it in three dimensions. Is this really helpful? When I want the weather report, I really want answers to questions such as:
And then I realized. They're trying to dazzle you with all these pictures because.... they don't really know how hot it is going to be, or if it'll rain today! They're distracting you with useless information so you won't notice how little information they do have. It's all fluff. I don't care that an area of low pressure is coming in. What the heck does that mean? There have been times I've wanted to pay attention to the weather to see if it would rain, and while presenting all that fluff, my eyes glaze over and next thing I know, they're thanking me for tuning in and they'll be back at 5:00 the next morning. (And who the heck watches the news at 11:00 at night then gets up at 5:00 the next morning to find out what happened during that time?) And I'm thinking, "Damn! I missed the weather report! How did that happen?"
Now there's a little sketch they've been showing, where the news anchors tell you what they like most about summer. One of them says they like to lounge around in the backyard, and another one talks about how they can get together with friends and family and have a 'really good time.' And she says that in the same tone as if she's reporting the death of seventeen kids after a school bus ran off the cliff. Do these people even know what fun is?
I tell you, I would absolutely love to watch the late night news if the anchors actually had any personality at all. Why do the powers that be feel that they have to suck the personal element out of the news?
And finally, one last pet peeve about the news. I first noticed this while watching the news down in my hometown of San Luis Obispo. It was Kimberly Romo. I'm not sure why I remember her name so well, but I couldn't take my eyes off her whenever she was on. I'd just stare at those impossibly white teeth of hers, like a ship drawn to a lighthouse. I had this incredible urge to rub dirt all over her teeth.
Then I started noticing it on other people. Those blinding, white teeth. Impeccably straight. I've noticed it on actors and actresses. I've noticed it on family members and friends, who I won't name to protect their embarrassment. It's a terrible trend, and I'll tell you why:
They actually looked too perfect. It's look their teeth are fake! Ewwww! Granted, you don't want to walk around with brown or green teeth, but snow white teeth are ugly, people. Don't fall for their tricks. Lightening your teeth if they're badly stained from coffee or smoking is one thing, but they aren't supposed to be white either.
Not to be all negative, I have noticed a woman filling in for the sports recap on King5, which I absolutely love. A woman, telling the sports? It's the only time I've ever seen that happen. I can't say she's any better or worse than any of the men who've done the sports, but I love the fact that it's a woman who's doing it. It's about time one station has broken that particular gender stereotype. =)
I really hate television news, though. I watch it, but usually because it's late at night, I'm bored, and there's nothing else on. Especially now in this time of summer reruns.
But here's the thing for me. I don't have a high definition television. The broadcast looks exactly the same to me. But now they make it sound like the news is so much glitzier because whew! Thank God we can see the pimple on the face of the news anchor. Well, at least if you have a high definition television.
I find the whole thing annoying, though. It's like a smack in the face to everyone who doesn't have a high definition set, and those that already have it--shouldn't they be able to SEE the difference anyhow? If you have to tell people you're broadcasting in HD, does it really count?
If that wasn't enough, the meteorologist on that station now has new software that can take you "into" a storm. You can view it in three dimensions. Is this really helpful? When I want the weather report, I really want answers to questions such as:
- How hot will it be today?
- How cold will it be today?
- It is going to rain today?
And then I realized. They're trying to dazzle you with all these pictures because.... they don't really know how hot it is going to be, or if it'll rain today! They're distracting you with useless information so you won't notice how little information they do have. It's all fluff. I don't care that an area of low pressure is coming in. What the heck does that mean? There have been times I've wanted to pay attention to the weather to see if it would rain, and while presenting all that fluff, my eyes glaze over and next thing I know, they're thanking me for tuning in and they'll be back at 5:00 the next morning. (And who the heck watches the news at 11:00 at night then gets up at 5:00 the next morning to find out what happened during that time?) And I'm thinking, "Damn! I missed the weather report! How did that happen?"
Now there's a little sketch they've been showing, where the news anchors tell you what they like most about summer. One of them says they like to lounge around in the backyard, and another one talks about how they can get together with friends and family and have a 'really good time.' And she says that in the same tone as if she's reporting the death of seventeen kids after a school bus ran off the cliff. Do these people even know what fun is?
I tell you, I would absolutely love to watch the late night news if the anchors actually had any personality at all. Why do the powers that be feel that they have to suck the personal element out of the news?
And finally, one last pet peeve about the news. I first noticed this while watching the news down in my hometown of San Luis Obispo. It was Kimberly Romo. I'm not sure why I remember her name so well, but I couldn't take my eyes off her whenever she was on. I'd just stare at those impossibly white teeth of hers, like a ship drawn to a lighthouse. I had this incredible urge to rub dirt all over her teeth.
Then I started noticing it on other people. Those blinding, white teeth. Impeccably straight. I've noticed it on actors and actresses. I've noticed it on family members and friends, who I won't name to protect their embarrassment. It's a terrible trend, and I'll tell you why:
They actually looked too perfect. It's look their teeth are fake! Ewwww! Granted, you don't want to walk around with brown or green teeth, but snow white teeth are ugly, people. Don't fall for their tricks. Lightening your teeth if they're badly stained from coffee or smoking is one thing, but they aren't supposed to be white either.
Not to be all negative, I have noticed a woman filling in for the sports recap on King5, which I absolutely love. A woman, telling the sports? It's the only time I've ever seen that happen. I can't say she's any better or worse than any of the men who've done the sports, but I love the fact that it's a woman who's doing it. It's about time one station has broken that particular gender stereotype. =)
I really hate television news, though. I watch it, but usually because it's late at night, I'm bored, and there's nothing else on. Especially now in this time of summer reruns.
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