Cold Feet, My Ass

So Jennifer Wilbanks had cold feet. Like, she's the first person in the world to get married? Good God, she's 32 years old! Not 16! She LIED to the 911 operator, saying that she was being abducted. Kidnapping is a federal offense. That's why it is investigated by the FBI. If being stupid were illegal, she'd be on death row. And her family! What kind of a nutcase would upset her own family by making them go through this!? I suppose that this is how rich little girls, who have never had to make a decision, handle pressure. And they say that she won't be charged with any wrong doing! Her boyfriend should be arrested if he goes on and marries her. He says he will. Maybe they are a perfect match.


Jennifer, cold feet?

Arson At Bridgeton

The Brigeton Covered Bridge was built in 1868. It was one of the most scenic of all the covered bridges in Park County, Indiana. Early Thursday morning, 4/28/05, someone burned it down. I have never been to the Parke County Covered Bridge Festival. These things don't interest me. However, I'm sure that I would get plenty of support if I were to suggest that the person or people responsible should be punished in a similar manner as the burning of this historic landmark.


Brigeton Covered Bridge - before and after 

Highway Safety

The U.S. Government estimated that the highway fatality rate sank to a record low last year. The fatality rate slid from 1.48 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled in 2003 to 1.46 deaths in 2004. It was the lowest since records were first kept in 1966, when the rate was 5.50 deaths. Fifty-six percent of those killed weren't wearing seat belts, a rate unchanged from 2003. NHTSA Administrator Jeffrey Runge said seat belt use is at 80 percent, an all-time high.

Deaths of drivers and passengers in sport utility vehicles were projected to grow from 4,446 in 2003 to 4,666 last year, an increase of 4.9 percent. Rollover fatalities in these popular vehicles increased by 6.9 percent, to 2,821 in 2004.

The number of deaths dropped 2.4 percent for people in passenger cars to 18,987 and fell 2 percent for pickup trucks to 5,787. Among large trucks, the number of people killed grew 3.7 percent to 5,169.

Bottom line: buckle up and stay off the damn phone.

Sports Promotion Network

This is a little hard to believe. A while back, the company where I work was contacted by Sports Promotion Network of Arlington, Texas to buy some miniature basketballs for the local high school. The idea is that these miniature basketballs would be thrown to the crowd at the high school basketball games. Sounds like a great idea? We thought so. So for a few hundred bucks, we went for the idea. A few months later, after the high school basketball season had started, we get a couple of sample miniature basketballs, in the mail. Very cool, until we see that our competition's name, logo, phone number and web address were printed on the basketballs that we purchased! I called the home office of Sports Promotion Network in Arlington, Texas and they assured me that we were shipped a couple of demos for the competition by mistake and that the only error was that WE received the wrong balls and that the local high school received the correct basketballs with our name, etc. on them.

Being the way I am, I called the local high school and guess what? All of the basketballs at the high school had the competition's name, etc. on them. I called the home office of Sports Promotion Network in Arlington, Texas again and told them about this. I even got to speak with one of the owners. They refused to correct the problem. Instead, they offered to not charge us for the basketballs. So, the local high school is out the money that they would have raised for this promotion...and the business where I work is out the promotional benefit that we were seeking and personally, I am out of a couple of hours of my time which, at times, is worth something.

I suggest that no one should do business with Sports Promotion Network of Arlington Texas. Unless you want to take a chance of getting into a hassle with people who obviously do not dot their i's or cross their t's.

MORE ON GAS PRICES...

It seems like the modern method of marketing a necessary commodity is to raise prices dramatically, at first. This gives you free news coverage plus a huge and sudden increase in profit. People watch and talk about your next move. It doesn't matter that the public has bad feelings because you corner the market on this one necessary commodity!

So, you've dramatically raised the price. Now you can lower the price, a little bit, to where you wanted to raise it in the first place. This move will again get you noticed! It's win-win...you get profit and free advertising! Life is good.

Seriously, you can monitor gas prices by going to a number of web sites including http://www.GasBuddy.Com where you can see the highest and the lowest gas prices in other states. Check it out.

One Of The Greats...

John Paul The Great

He was Pope for many years. It may be easy for us to forget some of the many wonderful things that he did. I'll remember him for always moving forward - visiting different parts of the world. Most of all, I'll remember his love of life and his warnings against "The Culture of Death." You can read and download many of his writings and thoughts at the Vatican Web Site - http://www.vatican.va

Something Nice...

Much of this blog can be taken as negative.

Here's something positive.

Her name is Yoko Matsugane and she is incredibly popular in Japan as a "Japanese Idol." She enjoys basketball and golf. What you see is natural. Oh, and Yoko does not pose nude.


Yoko Matsugane