While many of us were tuned into the Pennsylvania Primary to witness the latest fiasco, most all of the media attention was on the battle between the two socialist candidates, Clinton and Obama. While I do not care for either candidate, or their politics, or the way they have run their campaigns, I must respect that at least this is a contest. As I have said before, anyone not willing to stay in the race, at least through Super Tuesday but really until the very end, was never really a viable candidate to begin with. Much as I can’t stand her let alone trust her to hold my pocket change, I have to give credit to Clinton for staying in the race. But that is as far as it goes.
I give her credit, not because she had a good showing and not because I think she has a leg to stand on. Listening to her supposed plans of reform is enough to keep me up at night with the heebee jeebees. I am opposed to Socialism and increasing government intervention but almost all the candidates are taking us down that path. Nor do I think that her motives are anything other than an ego trip and a play for the power and control that she yearns for. You just know that she is loving all the attention and isn’t about to give it up anytime soon. I do however respect that fact that she hasn’t given in yet and that her desire is strong enough to keep her and her followers disillusioned enough to continue.
So will the 10% win in Pennsylvania be enough to change the race. There is still quite a way to go to the finals and there are still a lot of stories to be played out. Do you think Rush Limbaugh’s antics had anything to do with Tuesday’s events?
No, the real story that should have been told and should have come out of this whole Tuesday mess, the one for which none of the media even made mention of is that the Republicans also had a primary election and though the turnout was far less than that of the Democratic party the results were far more telling of the other story.
McCain won in Pennsylvania,… but he only obtained 73% of the vote. He has clinched the Republican nomination for all intents and purposes and yet he only got 73% of the vote. Who got the remaining 27%? It was split between Ron Paul with 16% and Huckabee with 11%. Huckabee has officially dropped out of the race and he still picked up 11% of the votes. Huckabee isn’t even running and he picked up 1 out of every 10 votes.
Ron Paul has a campaign that seems like a lost cause yet he continues to hang in there, and unlike Clinton he is fighting the good fight. He has practically no media coverage and seemingly no support yet he is stilling hanging in there. And why does he hang in there? Because he has a message that none of the other candidates have. He also has the backing of supporters that are strongly behind him and his message. Though he has no chance of being the party’s nomination and practically no chance of being the runner up, he should, thanks to his strong show of support, be able to gain enough influence to help shape and define the party platform at the convention.
I say he should but others have tried only to be quickly swept aside and forgotten as a footnote on the pages of our political histories. Ross Perot’s efforts come immediately to mind, as do other independents that were unable to garner influence in their parties of choice such as Nader and Jesse Ventura. Even after the win of the governorship in Minnesota as an independent, Ventura’s influence for change was not as great as one would have hoped, nor is its permanence assured. I’ve heard him speak of the difficulties he faced in working with the old ways and the old parties.
I have a feeling that the Ron Paul story will eventually surface again, if only as a side story to the Republican convention, but it is an important story none the less. I have often seen races much closer than this, battles on community issues that went down 51 to 49 and when the dust settled, the winner has no recollection of the voice and concern of those 49. In fact, all the winners will tell of how they received a ‘clear mandate from the people’ that their side is the only side that matters. Will this time be any different? Time will tell.
Real reform generally starts from without and must work its way to within. If you are an insider, chances are you got there, not by rocking the boat or trying to create change, but by being one of a like mind with those on the inside. In the political arena, there are very few individuals that have enough true power to be able to speak their own minds. Most are stuck speaking the party line in order to appear to be a person of influence. It is those that can define what the party line is that are the true leaders and yield the real power. All of the others are just taking polls and leading popularity contest.
So back to the real story from the Pennsylvania primary, will this showing of a lack of party solidarity and singular support for the Republican nominee cause concern for the real power brokers in the party? Is McCain an individual or is he just a party member? Will he continue to ignore the criticisms that have been leveled on him from members of his party or will he pander to them in order to garner their support? Is the Republican party facing divisiveness in the same manner the Democratic party is? Is this the time when a strong third party candidate, one who truly stood for the values this country was founded on could take hold of America’s hearts and break us from the tyranny of a two party system?
I say a third party candidate because we have already excluded any chance of their being a valued candidate from the existing two parties. I also think that a third party candidate is the only option because as I have said in the past, our election process for the last few decades have not been about voting for something as it has been about voting against someone. With about half of each party disenfranchised over their parties candidate, this seems like the ideal time to offer them something better. And this time around it wouldn’t take much at all to come up with a better alternative. I’m not holding my breath, but we can still dream can’t we.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
23 April 2008
22 April 2008
Cubicle findings
You find interesting things hanging up in your co-workers cubicles. I recently came across the following two sayings and just had to get a copy. Of course I tried to verify that they were actual and true and like many things there is some doubt about the authenticity or the true author but for the most part they seem genuine. In any instance, they tend to strike a chord with many in our present days and maybe there really is a lesson to be learned.
The first saying is attributable to Theodore Roosevelt and though this might be a composite of quotes made by the former president it still resonates today.
“In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person’s becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American…There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn’t an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag…We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language… and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people.” Theodore Roosevelt 1907
The second quote comes from Alexander Tyler
Subject: The Fall of a Republic
When the 13 colonies were still a part of England, Professor Alexander Tyler wrote about the fall of the Athenian republic over 2000 years previous to that time.
A democracy cannot exist as permanent form of government. It can until the voters discover that they can vote themselves money from the public treasure. From that moment on the majority always votes for the candidates that are promising the most money from the public treasury, with the result that democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy followed by a dictatorship.
The average age of the world’s great civilizations has been 200 years. These nations have progressed through the following sequence: from bondage to spiritual faith, from spiritual faith to great courage, from courage to liberty, from liberty to abundance, from abundance to selfishness, from selfishness to complacency, from complacency to apathy, from apathy to dependency, from dependency back to bondage.
Alexander Tyler
Wikipedia entry
The following unverified quotation has been attributed to Tyler, most notably as part of a longer piece which began circulating on the Internet shortly after the 2000 U.S. Presidential Election A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government. A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship.
The average age of the world's greatest civilizations from the beginning of history has been about 200 years. During those 200 years, these nations always progressed through the following sequence:
From bondage to spiritual faith;
From spiritual faith to great courage;
From courage to liberty;
From liberty to abundance;
From abundance to complacency;
From complacency to apathy;
From apathy to dependence;
From dependence back into bondage.
This passage actually consists of two quotes (the first paragraph being one, and the second paragraph and list, known as the Tyler cycle, being the other). Both can be traced back to the 1950's, and they began to appear together in the 1970's. No original author can reliably be determined for either quote.
If the quotes are actual or not they still make one pause and wonder. How far have we travelled from the roots and wisdom of our founding fathers? Is this a warning that needs to be heard? Or are we just a more enlightened modern society? Have we learned the lessons of history or are we doomed to repeat them?
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
PS. The above references were verified at www.snopes.com and www.wikipedia.com which are wonderful places for the checking of the myths of the web, and especially all the inbox clutter that gets passed around.
The first saying is attributable to Theodore Roosevelt and though this might be a composite of quotes made by the former president it still resonates today.
“In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person’s becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American…There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn’t an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag…We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language… and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people.” Theodore Roosevelt 1907
The second quote comes from Alexander Tyler
Subject: The Fall of a Republic
When the 13 colonies were still a part of England, Professor Alexander Tyler wrote about the fall of the Athenian republic over 2000 years previous to that time.
A democracy cannot exist as permanent form of government. It can until the voters discover that they can vote themselves money from the public treasure. From that moment on the majority always votes for the candidates that are promising the most money from the public treasury, with the result that democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy followed by a dictatorship.
The average age of the world’s great civilizations has been 200 years. These nations have progressed through the following sequence: from bondage to spiritual faith, from spiritual faith to great courage, from courage to liberty, from liberty to abundance, from abundance to selfishness, from selfishness to complacency, from complacency to apathy, from apathy to dependency, from dependency back to bondage.
Alexander Tyler
Wikipedia entry
The following unverified quotation has been attributed to Tyler, most notably as part of a longer piece which began circulating on the Internet shortly after the 2000 U.S. Presidential Election A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government. A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship.
The average age of the world's greatest civilizations from the beginning of history has been about 200 years. During those 200 years, these nations always progressed through the following sequence:
From bondage to spiritual faith;
From spiritual faith to great courage;
From courage to liberty;
From liberty to abundance;
From abundance to complacency;
From complacency to apathy;
From apathy to dependence;
From dependence back into bondage.
This passage actually consists of two quotes (the first paragraph being one, and the second paragraph and list, known as the Tyler cycle, being the other). Both can be traced back to the 1950's, and they began to appear together in the 1970's. No original author can reliably be determined for either quote.
If the quotes are actual or not they still make one pause and wonder. How far have we travelled from the roots and wisdom of our founding fathers? Is this a warning that needs to be heard? Or are we just a more enlightened modern society? Have we learned the lessons of history or are we doomed to repeat them?
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
PS. The above references were verified at www.snopes.com and www.wikipedia.com which are wonderful places for the checking of the myths of the web, and especially all the inbox clutter that gets passed around.
18 April 2008
Headline Review 18 Apr 20008
So what is going on in the world today?
A look at the news headlines on the Google news page shows a variety of topics to choose from. Under the top stories we see “It’s still “the economy, stupid” in Pennsylvania”. Well duh. The economy has always mattered. It will always matter. People are concerned about their welfare and of those they know. The funny thing is that the politicians seldom make things better and most often make things worse. This coming election is a fight for the biggest socialist and their promises to take over and run your life because you haven’t been doing a very good job of it. Just look what you say about how things are when they take a poll. It is obvious you need help, and they are just the ones to provide it. So is it just the economy? It is never just one thing but a combination of things. The attention span of the media and the intelligence of the average audience has sunk to the point where they can only handle one flashing light at a time.
“An Earthquake Rattles the Midwest” Indiana got hit with a 5.2 earthquake. I hope that no one was injured and that the damages were minimal. Natural disasters have a way of waking us to our surroundings and to extending a helping hand to our fellow neighbors. It is amazing how many earthquakes of various sizes occur every day. One story that caught my eye recently talked of a large number of earthquakes group about 100 miles off the Oregon coast. Scientist were puzzled and a vessel was sent to observe the area. Our world is an amazing place and continues to change on a daily basis. It is so vast and complex. I am amused sometimes at the arrogance of man when in comparison.
“Jimmy Carter meets Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal” I oft times wonder why we put so much praise on some people. I was joking with someone the other day that I wondered if Jimmy Carter is broke and needs money so he went to the Middle East to stir up some controversy and discontent with the hopes that he could again broker some peace and earn a million dollar Nobel Peace Prize. There was a rumor about Israel refusing to offer security for his visit because of his planned meeting with Hamas. They say they weren’t asked. Don’t know which is true. My thought on his travels is 1.) I hope it is not on U.S. taxpayers backs (though I know as a former president he has personnel security and his pension) and 2.) Since he is no longer an official representative of the government he is traveling as a private citizen and as such it is totally up to the receiving people/government/nations to decide whether or not to give him the time of day and 3.) It was his peace deal an US taxpayer funding (that continues to this day) that helped create the situation we and they are in today and continues to shape the problems we will face tomorrow. I don’t believe he is really making things any better. I do hope that his intentions are at least good.
“John McCain releases his tax returns – but not hers” so what. How many of you have actually seen it? I have seen the press release for it and I have seen the stories that report the portions they want to on it but have not actually seen it. The same goes for the other candidates in this run. I have seen past one from various presidents and McCain’s 2006 is on file at his web site. And as for not seeing her return, it really doesn't matter. Your really pretty much just see what they want you too see.
There is another web site that has the presidential tax forms on file, just Google to find the link. The two biggest points that I always see when looking at them is 1.) they make way more money than I do, and 2.) they are much better at giving away taxpayers money than they are at giving away their own. One thing I like to do is see what percentage of their money they gave to charity. For most people, the law of tithing is one tenth of your increase. McCain’s 2006 return does have a healthy deduction for charity and a large portion of it is carryover from previous years but in looking at the schedule it is hard to tell what it is going to since it is listed as miscellaneous.
At this level it is not uncommon to set p your own charities to promote your own causes. I am not saying that is what he is doing I am just saying that at this level of income the rules are different and those that are in that category will take advantage of them. This search for real equality in taxation is why I am working on the Nef Tax Plan. Look for it soon.
It is interesting to note that he was hit with the alternative minimum tax in 2006. Kind of makes you think there would be some incentive to correct that problem in legal land.
”Putin tells press he ‘likes all Russian women’” and he means to prove it. There have been rumors that the Russian president was going to divorce is wife and marry 24 year old gymnast Alina Kabayeva. He is now denying it. True or not why do we get caught up in all this nonsense? Personnel life and public life overlap to the point that they become one and the same for the famous of the world, but why do we get caught up in it all? The importance lies in the fact that this is an indication of character and that gives it relevance to the public figure. People are people and should be given the benefit of the doubt as often as possible but there are some things that are telling about the integrity of the individual. Public figures, and by that I mean government officials, should be of the best character and most upstanding of individuals. They work under the trust of the people. If that trust is jeopardized on personal matters, what is there to prevent the trust of the community from also being abused. Though this example is coming from abroad, and some may say that they have different standards, (I remember a time when they use to make excuses for many European leaders to have a mistress because that was there standard) we have also had a fair share of political shenanigans here. I say we should hold our public servants to at least as high a standard as we ourselves hold. I hope you are holding the bar rather high.
“Dockers refuse to unload China arms shipment for Zimbabwe”. This is one of those headlines that you hope is not misleading like so many are. A quick read seems to indicate that it is what it indicates. China is shipping arms to Zimbabwe through the South African port at Durban. The South African Transport and Allied Workers Union are refusing to unload the cargo. On top of that the country is refusing to grant the transit permit needed. How often do we just go about doing our job without concern for the moral implications? For most of us, there are no moral implications to be had and one should be glad if that is the case. Some are not aware of the actual affects of their work and are just doing their jobs the best they know how such as the dock worker that is just loading and unloading containers without the knowledge of what is in those containers. But if you were confronted with a situation that made you stop and think, would you be willing to make a stand? Do you make a stand for the small things you see in your daily life?
“Stolen laptop had data on 16000 Buffalo State students”. Everyone is concerned about stolen identity. It is a valid concern. Instead of trying to make all the noise about avoiding the theft and protecting your identity, why not focus on the victims’ rights and start seriously going after the perpetrators. Fraud is a crime that doesn’t happen by accident. It is deliberate. It is unacceptable. To make the victim pay twice for their loss is also unacceptable. Those that commit these crimes should be relentlessly pursued and punished vigorously. I feel the same way for all thieves and vandals. Their actions are deliberate and they should pay the consequences for their actions.
Well, that is enough for now. Focusing on too much news in a single sitting is not good for a person.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
A look at the news headlines on the Google news page shows a variety of topics to choose from. Under the top stories we see “It’s still “the economy, stupid” in Pennsylvania”. Well duh. The economy has always mattered. It will always matter. People are concerned about their welfare and of those they know. The funny thing is that the politicians seldom make things better and most often make things worse. This coming election is a fight for the biggest socialist and their promises to take over and run your life because you haven’t been doing a very good job of it. Just look what you say about how things are when they take a poll. It is obvious you need help, and they are just the ones to provide it. So is it just the economy? It is never just one thing but a combination of things. The attention span of the media and the intelligence of the average audience has sunk to the point where they can only handle one flashing light at a time.
“An Earthquake Rattles the Midwest” Indiana got hit with a 5.2 earthquake. I hope that no one was injured and that the damages were minimal. Natural disasters have a way of waking us to our surroundings and to extending a helping hand to our fellow neighbors. It is amazing how many earthquakes of various sizes occur every day. One story that caught my eye recently talked of a large number of earthquakes group about 100 miles off the Oregon coast. Scientist were puzzled and a vessel was sent to observe the area. Our world is an amazing place and continues to change on a daily basis. It is so vast and complex. I am amused sometimes at the arrogance of man when in comparison.
“Jimmy Carter meets Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal” I oft times wonder why we put so much praise on some people. I was joking with someone the other day that I wondered if Jimmy Carter is broke and needs money so he went to the Middle East to stir up some controversy and discontent with the hopes that he could again broker some peace and earn a million dollar Nobel Peace Prize. There was a rumor about Israel refusing to offer security for his visit because of his planned meeting with Hamas. They say they weren’t asked. Don’t know which is true. My thought on his travels is 1.) I hope it is not on U.S. taxpayers backs (though I know as a former president he has personnel security and his pension) and 2.) Since he is no longer an official representative of the government he is traveling as a private citizen and as such it is totally up to the receiving people/government/nations to decide whether or not to give him the time of day and 3.) It was his peace deal an US taxpayer funding (that continues to this day) that helped create the situation we and they are in today and continues to shape the problems we will face tomorrow. I don’t believe he is really making things any better. I do hope that his intentions are at least good.
“John McCain releases his tax returns – but not hers” so what. How many of you have actually seen it? I have seen the press release for it and I have seen the stories that report the portions they want to on it but have not actually seen it. The same goes for the other candidates in this run. I have seen past one from various presidents and McCain’s 2006 is on file at his web site. And as for not seeing her return, it really doesn't matter. Your really pretty much just see what they want you too see.
There is another web site that has the presidential tax forms on file, just Google to find the link. The two biggest points that I always see when looking at them is 1.) they make way more money than I do, and 2.) they are much better at giving away taxpayers money than they are at giving away their own. One thing I like to do is see what percentage of their money they gave to charity. For most people, the law of tithing is one tenth of your increase. McCain’s 2006 return does have a healthy deduction for charity and a large portion of it is carryover from previous years but in looking at the schedule it is hard to tell what it is going to since it is listed as miscellaneous.
At this level it is not uncommon to set p your own charities to promote your own causes. I am not saying that is what he is doing I am just saying that at this level of income the rules are different and those that are in that category will take advantage of them. This search for real equality in taxation is why I am working on the Nef Tax Plan. Look for it soon.
It is interesting to note that he was hit with the alternative minimum tax in 2006. Kind of makes you think there would be some incentive to correct that problem in legal land.
”Putin tells press he ‘likes all Russian women’” and he means to prove it. There have been rumors that the Russian president was going to divorce is wife and marry 24 year old gymnast Alina Kabayeva. He is now denying it. True or not why do we get caught up in all this nonsense? Personnel life and public life overlap to the point that they become one and the same for the famous of the world, but why do we get caught up in it all? The importance lies in the fact that this is an indication of character and that gives it relevance to the public figure. People are people and should be given the benefit of the doubt as often as possible but there are some things that are telling about the integrity of the individual. Public figures, and by that I mean government officials, should be of the best character and most upstanding of individuals. They work under the trust of the people. If that trust is jeopardized on personal matters, what is there to prevent the trust of the community from also being abused. Though this example is coming from abroad, and some may say that they have different standards, (I remember a time when they use to make excuses for many European leaders to have a mistress because that was there standard) we have also had a fair share of political shenanigans here. I say we should hold our public servants to at least as high a standard as we ourselves hold. I hope you are holding the bar rather high.
“Dockers refuse to unload China arms shipment for Zimbabwe”. This is one of those headlines that you hope is not misleading like so many are. A quick read seems to indicate that it is what it indicates. China is shipping arms to Zimbabwe through the South African port at Durban. The South African Transport and Allied Workers Union are refusing to unload the cargo. On top of that the country is refusing to grant the transit permit needed. How often do we just go about doing our job without concern for the moral implications? For most of us, there are no moral implications to be had and one should be glad if that is the case. Some are not aware of the actual affects of their work and are just doing their jobs the best they know how such as the dock worker that is just loading and unloading containers without the knowledge of what is in those containers. But if you were confronted with a situation that made you stop and think, would you be willing to make a stand? Do you make a stand for the small things you see in your daily life?
“Stolen laptop had data on 16000 Buffalo State students”. Everyone is concerned about stolen identity. It is a valid concern. Instead of trying to make all the noise about avoiding the theft and protecting your identity, why not focus on the victims’ rights and start seriously going after the perpetrators. Fraud is a crime that doesn’t happen by accident. It is deliberate. It is unacceptable. To make the victim pay twice for their loss is also unacceptable. Those that commit these crimes should be relentlessly pursued and punished vigorously. I feel the same way for all thieves and vandals. Their actions are deliberate and they should pay the consequences for their actions.
Well, that is enough for now. Focusing on too much news in a single sitting is not good for a person.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
14 April 2008
Google me carefully
Have you ever Googled your name? I think that everyone has at least once. I have more than a few times and more lately since I started this blog. Curiosity leads me to see if the blog will show up in an internet search. This can be pretty disappointing especially when you reference very unique things that you know should come back with a hit only to find that you don’t even make the top ten pages.
I have tried different search engines with varying results. Since this site is hosted by Google it only makes sense that they should be able to find me and they have after a bit of coaxing. Other web sites don’t even try very hard and ask me to change the spelling of Farrwestview even if that is how I have it entered.
They really sad part for me though is when I do Google my own name. It is a relatively simple name and I have kept it as such because of the simplicity. Also, any variations thereof should show when just using the roots.
Alas, therein lays one of my greatest problems. Ever since Bob Dole came out as a spokesman for Viagra or one of its derivatives and gave the problem the short hand label of “E D”, I can’t do a word search on my name without getting back a plethora of advertisements that have nothing whatsoever to do with me, trust me. Even when the word search contains both names, it’s as if the person didn’t exist.
Well that is not totally true. As rare as this name is I have come across one other individual that shares my name. He has been made mention of in association with Andover university and charitable work with the people of Mongolia. He has a Swiss background, as do I. I would like to meet him someday for he sounds a very interesting fellow.
I on the other hand, am also an interesting fellow, just not as well known…yet. Who knows, one day I might make some profound breakthrough that will be worth mention and a selection on a web site browser. Perhaps my forthcoming Nef Tax Plan will be the newsworthy item that will be worth noting.
In any case, it would be nice to have this name be associated with something other than a sexual dysfunction again. After all, there is so much more to the Ed’s of the world. We are very deep, rich, intelligent people. Don’t let the real Ed’s be overshadowed by fleeting Madison Avenue sound bites sprouted by some washed up hackneyed politician. We deserve better than that.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
I have tried different search engines with varying results. Since this site is hosted by Google it only makes sense that they should be able to find me and they have after a bit of coaxing. Other web sites don’t even try very hard and ask me to change the spelling of Farrwestview even if that is how I have it entered.
They really sad part for me though is when I do Google my own name. It is a relatively simple name and I have kept it as such because of the simplicity. Also, any variations thereof should show when just using the roots.
Alas, therein lays one of my greatest problems. Ever since Bob Dole came out as a spokesman for Viagra or one of its derivatives and gave the problem the short hand label of “E D”, I can’t do a word search on my name without getting back a plethora of advertisements that have nothing whatsoever to do with me, trust me. Even when the word search contains both names, it’s as if the person didn’t exist.
Well that is not totally true. As rare as this name is I have come across one other individual that shares my name. He has been made mention of in association with Andover university and charitable work with the people of Mongolia. He has a Swiss background, as do I. I would like to meet him someday for he sounds a very interesting fellow.
I on the other hand, am also an interesting fellow, just not as well known…yet. Who knows, one day I might make some profound breakthrough that will be worth mention and a selection on a web site browser. Perhaps my forthcoming Nef Tax Plan will be the newsworthy item that will be worth noting.
In any case, it would be nice to have this name be associated with something other than a sexual dysfunction again. After all, there is so much more to the Ed’s of the world. We are very deep, rich, intelligent people. Don’t let the real Ed’s be overshadowed by fleeting Madison Avenue sound bites sprouted by some washed up hackneyed politician. We deserve better than that.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
The loneliest blogger
This is to state officially here and now that this is the least read Blog in the whole of blogosphere.
Total readership: one.
I have to read it since I am the author. I am also the editor, publisher and marketer. I guess I need to be working on that last point.
That is the great thing about this country. We have freedom of speech. We are still allowed to say what is on our minds. Even if it is politically incorrect and there will be many that disagree, we still have the right to have an opinion and to voice that opinion.
What we do not have a right to is an audience. That is one thing that you have to earn.
So many people think that they have to have a voice, and that is the one thing that they are guaranteed to have, their voice. That is what freedom of speech is about.
They do not however, have to be heard. And, in fact, we do not have to listen. That is the greater power. When we do listen, we should evaluate and decide the value of the words we are hearing and decide if they are of enough worth to us to continue to listen or have the wisdom to tune them out.
In this time of season, when the political winds are howling and media pundits are spinning as fast as they can, it makes great sense to remember that we have the power of the listener and the ability to decide is ours. Choose wisely. And if you need to, turn it all off for awhile.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
Total readership: one.
I have to read it since I am the author. I am also the editor, publisher and marketer. I guess I need to be working on that last point.
That is the great thing about this country. We have freedom of speech. We are still allowed to say what is on our minds. Even if it is politically incorrect and there will be many that disagree, we still have the right to have an opinion and to voice that opinion.
What we do not have a right to is an audience. That is one thing that you have to earn.
So many people think that they have to have a voice, and that is the one thing that they are guaranteed to have, their voice. That is what freedom of speech is about.
They do not however, have to be heard. And, in fact, we do not have to listen. That is the greater power. When we do listen, we should evaluate and decide the value of the words we are hearing and decide if they are of enough worth to us to continue to listen or have the wisdom to tune them out.
In this time of season, when the political winds are howling and media pundits are spinning as fast as they can, it makes great sense to remember that we have the power of the listener and the ability to decide is ours. Choose wisely. And if you need to, turn it all off for awhile.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
cell phone update 14 April 2008
Well it is time for the cell phone adventure update. I have had the ‘thing’ for close to a month and half now and though I have been using it I am not that much closer to liking it yet. In the words of Jay Sherman “It stinks”!
I just got off the phone with a service rep named Brandon who by the way was very pleasant and patient with me. I must say that the one thing that T-Mobile has done right is to teach proper customer service to their phone representatives.
So why was I on the phone to a service rep and why did I need a patient one? I got a letter in the post today that said I was denied my sign up rebate. Everyone should know that the rebates are part of the deal to get you to sign up in the first place. I hate rebates because they make me do extra work that should just be done at the time of sale automatically. Businesses love them because it does drive sales up and they know that a certain percentage of people will never actually fill out the paperwork and send it in. Well brother, if I am going to be suckered into a sale because of a rebate, you better believe I am going to send in for my rebate and it better be worth the trouble or you won’t be seeing my business.
So now my rebate is in question and I am just a little upset. The letter says that they do not honor rebates for purchases made through discount places such as Wal-mart or Sam’s. I bought mine through Costco where they have an authorized dealer and they are the ones that gave me the rebate form with their dealer numbers on it and they are the ones that gave me copies of my receipts to send in. It was all part of the deal.
So the letter gives me an 800 number to call if I had questions about said letter. If I were to call using the new cell phone just recently obtained I would have to call during business hours and utilize airtime minutes to correct the situation. I called on the land line and was glad I did because I then went through the normal service call process, that is, I got to talk to a computer that didn’t understand a word I was saying. Computer answering systems have reached the height of uselessness. They don’t know what you want, the choices they offer are pointless for most items and eventually I end up talking to a human anyway because, that is what I really wanted and that is what I really need in most cases. If only there were a quicker way to get to that point. The computer did give me instructions on where to go online and there I could talk to another computer that wouldn’t listen any better, I’m sure. What is the use of having a phone if even the phone company wants you to deal with a computer over the internet?
So after going through a long process of select one to continue in English and so on, I finally made it to the holding line to talk to a real person. The hold music was the worst ever. I know it was supposed to be relaxing but I felt like I had been trapped on an elevator that never got to the next floor and the elevator recital was on an endless loop that played the same section of annoyance over and over and over and over. Other than a dead spot where the phone would drop the sound level every so often, I would get the traditional “all of our operators are busy helping everyone else but you” computerized speech to let me know how truly special I am. I was just about ready to fling the phone though the wall when Brandon came on the line.
Now computers I can be rude back to rather easily and was being rather loud into the phone talking back to this computer, but humans are humans and I tried not to let the upset carry forward into this new conversation. Brandon helped me transition by being patient and apologetic. I appreciated that response to my frustration and so we were able to get right to the point, even though I did quickly tell him how irritating the hold music and computer interface was.
Brandon looked up my problem and quickly found that I was correct and they were wrong. He told me that this was a common error and has happened quite often, something to do with the way it is coded in the system. Of the two phones bought on the same day at the same time, and the two forms sent in at the same time with the same information in the same envelope, one worked and one didn’t. Brandon verified some information and quickly got things resolved and gave me a new tracking number and we were on our way.
The question arises in my own mind now as to whether this was a legitimate error, or was it an intentional play done as a second attempt to get a customer to forgo a rebate? I want to give the benefit of the doubt and choose the former because there is the possibility that when I had to change my assigned number the day I got the phone that this could have created a glitch. Still that seed of doubt is planted and I will be watching for further developments.
As I have said before, the phone business model needs to change as there is still much room for improvement. This is one business where the proper initiative could bring a true change in the whole phone world and it wouldn’t take much.
So to make this a real update, the Blackberry Pearl is less than grand. We are still trying to learn some of the features and so far it seems to have less capability than I was hoping for, or maybe it just doesn’t do any of them in a really stress free productive way like I was hoping. I haven’t really figured out a lot of short cuts like you can with most computer programs. Our address books are still far from being built because it seems to take a long time to do it directly into the phone and we haven’t figured out how to do the computer interface correctly yet, but one day hopefully I will find enough time and patience to try again. The keypad for input on the phone has two different settings, the traditional multi tap and since there are more keys it should make for a quicker input, or another way that tries to guess what letters you are inputting based on the possible words you are trying to spell. The latter is the default setting and it seems that my attempts to use it have produced about 50% more key punching than is needed.
The Motorola H700 Bluetooth earpiece that I got is only moments away from being taken back. The sound from the speaker has kind of been distorted from day one but not bad enough for me to get too upset. The mic used started out fine but seems to be getting worse as time goes on. Some people I have talked to on it have made mention of the fact that they can certainly tell when I am using it and have gone so far as to ask me to switch to the handset. If there is any wind while using it either driving or walking let alone while riding a bike it becomes practically useless. The whole point of having a hands free set is to be able to do things with your hands while still being able to carry on a conversation but if you have to put done what you are doing and pick up the phone then it has lost its purpose.
The Blackberry Pearl has voice command recognition which means you are supposed to be able to talk to it and it will perform certain functions like calling someone from your address book or dialing a spoken number. In conjunction with the H700 earpiece this should be a very useful tool. As time goes on I am getting more and more frustrated with it. I have to raise my voice more and more to get heard and have even cupped my hands around my face trying to direct the sound into the mic. Sometimes that works but most times I just feel silly.
You push the button on the earpiece to summon the phone and a voice says “say a command”. You then tell it to call a person in your book and lately it will repeat itself asking me to “say a command” again. I speak louder and try again and it questions me “did you say call Bob mobile”. I find myself saying sarcastically “No”, which if I am lucky enough for it to understand goes on to the next wrong guess at what I said. Often times it will come back and say “Sorry, no match found” then proceeds to hang up on me and make me start all over. This is for the items that are in my address table. For a straight number, it makes the most outlandish guesses and if I’m not careful it will go ahead and try to dial them, long distance or not. You have to be in ideal conditions for this thing to work properly and I was hoping that with time there would be a learning function that would make it work better with my voice as it got familiar with me or me with it. It seems to be getting worse. I am not sure which unit, the earpiece of the phone, is to blame but I think I will start with the earpiece and see.
I understand that there are worse units out there as well as much better units than this but they are well into the hundreds of dollars and I am already beginning to think I have put way too much money into this venture. On a scale of 10 I would have to give this a 3.
So what about coverage? This is where I am still better off than the AT&T phone. I don’t recall being dropped yet and that includes the being in the several places the AT&T did drop the call. That said, I have still found some dead spots where I had to go elsewhere to find a signal. Some places were understandable, but some were not. If I think about it very long I should probably be amazed that there is as much coverage across this great land as there is.
The first bill came and it was even more shocking than I had prepared myself for. About double what I wanted it to be, but this is the first one with all the rotten start up fees and even more rotten taxes and surcharges. At this point I would probably still quite right now and cut my losses and say lesson learned if it was not for the two year commitment with high exit fee to T-Mobile and my commitment to my wife. She wanted me to have one and so I do, and to be able to reach out and talk to her whenever I want or need, for this I am glad. There are some days that go on way too long without taking a break and hearing her sweet voice. I guess I will keep on with it for now.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
I just got off the phone with a service rep named Brandon who by the way was very pleasant and patient with me. I must say that the one thing that T-Mobile has done right is to teach proper customer service to their phone representatives.
So why was I on the phone to a service rep and why did I need a patient one? I got a letter in the post today that said I was denied my sign up rebate. Everyone should know that the rebates are part of the deal to get you to sign up in the first place. I hate rebates because they make me do extra work that should just be done at the time of sale automatically. Businesses love them because it does drive sales up and they know that a certain percentage of people will never actually fill out the paperwork and send it in. Well brother, if I am going to be suckered into a sale because of a rebate, you better believe I am going to send in for my rebate and it better be worth the trouble or you won’t be seeing my business.
So now my rebate is in question and I am just a little upset. The letter says that they do not honor rebates for purchases made through discount places such as Wal-mart or Sam’s. I bought mine through Costco where they have an authorized dealer and they are the ones that gave me the rebate form with their dealer numbers on it and they are the ones that gave me copies of my receipts to send in. It was all part of the deal.
So the letter gives me an 800 number to call if I had questions about said letter. If I were to call using the new cell phone just recently obtained I would have to call during business hours and utilize airtime minutes to correct the situation. I called on the land line and was glad I did because I then went through the normal service call process, that is, I got to talk to a computer that didn’t understand a word I was saying. Computer answering systems have reached the height of uselessness. They don’t know what you want, the choices they offer are pointless for most items and eventually I end up talking to a human anyway because, that is what I really wanted and that is what I really need in most cases. If only there were a quicker way to get to that point. The computer did give me instructions on where to go online and there I could talk to another computer that wouldn’t listen any better, I’m sure. What is the use of having a phone if even the phone company wants you to deal with a computer over the internet?
So after going through a long process of select one to continue in English and so on, I finally made it to the holding line to talk to a real person. The hold music was the worst ever. I know it was supposed to be relaxing but I felt like I had been trapped on an elevator that never got to the next floor and the elevator recital was on an endless loop that played the same section of annoyance over and over and over and over. Other than a dead spot where the phone would drop the sound level every so often, I would get the traditional “all of our operators are busy helping everyone else but you” computerized speech to let me know how truly special I am. I was just about ready to fling the phone though the wall when Brandon came on the line.
Now computers I can be rude back to rather easily and was being rather loud into the phone talking back to this computer, but humans are humans and I tried not to let the upset carry forward into this new conversation. Brandon helped me transition by being patient and apologetic. I appreciated that response to my frustration and so we were able to get right to the point, even though I did quickly tell him how irritating the hold music and computer interface was.
Brandon looked up my problem and quickly found that I was correct and they were wrong. He told me that this was a common error and has happened quite often, something to do with the way it is coded in the system. Of the two phones bought on the same day at the same time, and the two forms sent in at the same time with the same information in the same envelope, one worked and one didn’t. Brandon verified some information and quickly got things resolved and gave me a new tracking number and we were on our way.
The question arises in my own mind now as to whether this was a legitimate error, or was it an intentional play done as a second attempt to get a customer to forgo a rebate? I want to give the benefit of the doubt and choose the former because there is the possibility that when I had to change my assigned number the day I got the phone that this could have created a glitch. Still that seed of doubt is planted and I will be watching for further developments.
As I have said before, the phone business model needs to change as there is still much room for improvement. This is one business where the proper initiative could bring a true change in the whole phone world and it wouldn’t take much.
So to make this a real update, the Blackberry Pearl is less than grand. We are still trying to learn some of the features and so far it seems to have less capability than I was hoping for, or maybe it just doesn’t do any of them in a really stress free productive way like I was hoping. I haven’t really figured out a lot of short cuts like you can with most computer programs. Our address books are still far from being built because it seems to take a long time to do it directly into the phone and we haven’t figured out how to do the computer interface correctly yet, but one day hopefully I will find enough time and patience to try again. The keypad for input on the phone has two different settings, the traditional multi tap and since there are more keys it should make for a quicker input, or another way that tries to guess what letters you are inputting based on the possible words you are trying to spell. The latter is the default setting and it seems that my attempts to use it have produced about 50% more key punching than is needed.
The Motorola H700 Bluetooth earpiece that I got is only moments away from being taken back. The sound from the speaker has kind of been distorted from day one but not bad enough for me to get too upset. The mic used started out fine but seems to be getting worse as time goes on. Some people I have talked to on it have made mention of the fact that they can certainly tell when I am using it and have gone so far as to ask me to switch to the handset. If there is any wind while using it either driving or walking let alone while riding a bike it becomes practically useless. The whole point of having a hands free set is to be able to do things with your hands while still being able to carry on a conversation but if you have to put done what you are doing and pick up the phone then it has lost its purpose.
The Blackberry Pearl has voice command recognition which means you are supposed to be able to talk to it and it will perform certain functions like calling someone from your address book or dialing a spoken number. In conjunction with the H700 earpiece this should be a very useful tool. As time goes on I am getting more and more frustrated with it. I have to raise my voice more and more to get heard and have even cupped my hands around my face trying to direct the sound into the mic. Sometimes that works but most times I just feel silly.
You push the button on the earpiece to summon the phone and a voice says “say a command”. You then tell it to call a person in your book and lately it will repeat itself asking me to “say a command” again. I speak louder and try again and it questions me “did you say call Bob mobile”. I find myself saying sarcastically “No”, which if I am lucky enough for it to understand goes on to the next wrong guess at what I said. Often times it will come back and say “Sorry, no match found” then proceeds to hang up on me and make me start all over. This is for the items that are in my address table. For a straight number, it makes the most outlandish guesses and if I’m not careful it will go ahead and try to dial them, long distance or not. You have to be in ideal conditions for this thing to work properly and I was hoping that with time there would be a learning function that would make it work better with my voice as it got familiar with me or me with it. It seems to be getting worse. I am not sure which unit, the earpiece of the phone, is to blame but I think I will start with the earpiece and see.
I understand that there are worse units out there as well as much better units than this but they are well into the hundreds of dollars and I am already beginning to think I have put way too much money into this venture. On a scale of 10 I would have to give this a 3.
So what about coverage? This is where I am still better off than the AT&T phone. I don’t recall being dropped yet and that includes the being in the several places the AT&T did drop the call. That said, I have still found some dead spots where I had to go elsewhere to find a signal. Some places were understandable, but some were not. If I think about it very long I should probably be amazed that there is as much coverage across this great land as there is.
The first bill came and it was even more shocking than I had prepared myself for. About double what I wanted it to be, but this is the first one with all the rotten start up fees and even more rotten taxes and surcharges. At this point I would probably still quite right now and cut my losses and say lesson learned if it was not for the two year commitment with high exit fee to T-Mobile and my commitment to my wife. She wanted me to have one and so I do, and to be able to reach out and talk to her whenever I want or need, for this I am glad. There are some days that go on way too long without taking a break and hearing her sweet voice. I guess I will keep on with it for now.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
Pizza talk
Just when I thought pizza couldn’t get any smaller Dominoes comes out with their newest add of Three ‘Full Size’ one-topping pizzas $4 each. If you can catch the fine print you find that the ‘full size’ pizzas are whopping 10-inches. The few pizzas I have had from Dominoes are o.k. but they were never over the top great and they have never been a bargain no matter what deal they have running.
I remember one sale where you could get any pizza for half price. That sounded wonderful to me so I ordered the largest pizza they had with all the toppings, I mean the works. The final price was still 60% more than I was used to paying but it was going to be worth it because this was going to be the best pizza they could make. I waited with great anticipation as the smells from the store wafted into my already anxious nostrils. I was hungry.
They called my name and I went to the counter to retrieve my bounty when the guy hands me a rather small box. “What’s this” I asked, “I ordered the large.” “That is the large”, he replied. Their large was a mere 14 inches. I took the box and went my way thinking live and learn. The pizza was once again, just o.k. and come to think of it I haven’t been back since. Mediocre is what mediocre is.
I have often been disappointed with the national chains and often with other people’s pizza recommendations. This was not the first time I had been disappointed. I remember a time when my buddies and I had a coupon (poor starving students that we were) to buy a large and get a medium free at the local pizza joint, one that was supposed to be highly recommended. Well, we ordered four pizzas for the five of us thinking that should be enough, but no, the large was a 14 incher and the medium even smaller. We ended up having to buy another pizza to polish up our appetites. You see, when it comes to pizza, size matters almost as much as the quality.
As a matter of comparison, our normal places had a large that was 16 inches in size with one of our favorite places having a 17 incher that would generally feed three of us. Their pizza was so good that when they had the grand opening of their second store my friend and I went and ate the equivalent of a large pizza each. Those were the days. I can still handle a 12 incher as an individual pizza but I am more apt to split them now.
There are places with bigger pies, like the one that used to make a wonderful New York style 20 incher and a couple of college places where you can find a 23 incher, but I must insist that quality still matters. Volume used to work when I was a kid and just wanted to fill my belly but since that time I have acquired some taste buds that are pretty insistent that the food I stick in my mouth be appropriate. I am all too happy to oblige whenever I can.
Pizza is a necessity and one of those little jewels life has to offer. I think I am feeling the need again.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
I remember one sale where you could get any pizza for half price. That sounded wonderful to me so I ordered the largest pizza they had with all the toppings, I mean the works. The final price was still 60% more than I was used to paying but it was going to be worth it because this was going to be the best pizza they could make. I waited with great anticipation as the smells from the store wafted into my already anxious nostrils. I was hungry.
They called my name and I went to the counter to retrieve my bounty when the guy hands me a rather small box. “What’s this” I asked, “I ordered the large.” “That is the large”, he replied. Their large was a mere 14 inches. I took the box and went my way thinking live and learn. The pizza was once again, just o.k. and come to think of it I haven’t been back since. Mediocre is what mediocre is.
I have often been disappointed with the national chains and often with other people’s pizza recommendations. This was not the first time I had been disappointed. I remember a time when my buddies and I had a coupon (poor starving students that we were) to buy a large and get a medium free at the local pizza joint, one that was supposed to be highly recommended. Well, we ordered four pizzas for the five of us thinking that should be enough, but no, the large was a 14 incher and the medium even smaller. We ended up having to buy another pizza to polish up our appetites. You see, when it comes to pizza, size matters almost as much as the quality.
As a matter of comparison, our normal places had a large that was 16 inches in size with one of our favorite places having a 17 incher that would generally feed three of us. Their pizza was so good that when they had the grand opening of their second store my friend and I went and ate the equivalent of a large pizza each. Those were the days. I can still handle a 12 incher as an individual pizza but I am more apt to split them now.
There are places with bigger pies, like the one that used to make a wonderful New York style 20 incher and a couple of college places where you can find a 23 incher, but I must insist that quality still matters. Volume used to work when I was a kid and just wanted to fill my belly but since that time I have acquired some taste buds that are pretty insistent that the food I stick in my mouth be appropriate. I am all too happy to oblige whenever I can.
Pizza is a necessity and one of those little jewels life has to offer. I think I am feeling the need again.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
02 April 2008
I Hate Fine Print, Pt. 2
The last example is also an example of expectations but not in a good way. Every now and again I like many will get mailed advertisements from local car dealers that are having a special sale that you just have to attend. In fact, with this special mailer you have been selected to be a possible winner of a possible fabulous prize. This particular mailer came from the Ken Garff automotive group. Since I have had previous dealings with them, from lousy shopping experiences to an outright maintenance sham run on my wife’s car when it was in for some repairs, my expectations for this mailer from this dealer were running rock bottom.
The type of mailer is a dead give away as to what to expect on the inside. They are structured much like a Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes mailing. The cover has a place to scratch off to reveal what you will win, $2,000.00, $1,000.00, or $500.00. The wording with this is “Current Resident, Scratch off now to see if you’ve won“ and “If you are a winner call the event hotline” and as always the words came with an asterisk or footnote reference. I love the fact that it is addressed to resident. Before I even begin to look for something to scratch the spot with I go looking for the detail behind the asterisk.
This one at least had the details of the asterisk on the mailer. I have noticed many advertisements from car dealers that will have the asterisk on the advertising copy but neglect to include the fine print. It must be a gimmick to get you in the door so that you can read the fine print more conveniently in their office.
So what did the detail of the asterisk have to say? Along with the other footnotes that needed additional detailed information I found buried in the list that “The scratch off amount must be applied as a discount towards a new pre-owned vehicle purchase only. No cash value. Void where prohibited. See dealer for complete list of applicable inventory. Odds of winning $2,000 are 29,998:30,000. Odds of winning $1000 are 1:30,000, odds of winning $500 are 1:30,000. Each offer may not be used in conjunction with any other offer.”
Now if that wasn’t funny enough at the bottom of the footnotes it reads “In the event there is a dispute regarding the interpretation of this advertisement or is application, then at the dealers sole option this advertisement shall automatically be amended to read ‘This offer is good for $1.00 off the MSRP of the vehicle(s).’ The remaining offers shall automatically be deemed void and the language describing them shall automatically be deemed deleted.” I couldn’t make this stuff up if I wanted to.
So did I go running in to see what I “won”? Of course not. Remember what I said about expectations. Well this is one time that they exactly met my expectations for them. After previous dealings and experience, this is exactly the kind of shenanigans I would expect them to pull. You might even say they exceeded expectations but in this case that is not a good thing.
One quick side note. Their regular advertising on radio and TV has the closing line that they “back up every car we sell”. I always wondered if that was because none of the forward gears in the transmission worked.
Back to part 1.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
The type of mailer is a dead give away as to what to expect on the inside. They are structured much like a Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes mailing. The cover has a place to scratch off to reveal what you will win, $2,000.00, $1,000.00, or $500.00. The wording with this is “Current Resident, Scratch off now to see if you’ve won“ and “If you are a winner call the event hotline” and as always the words came with an asterisk or footnote reference. I love the fact that it is addressed to resident. Before I even begin to look for something to scratch the spot with I go looking for the detail behind the asterisk.
This one at least had the details of the asterisk on the mailer. I have noticed many advertisements from car dealers that will have the asterisk on the advertising copy but neglect to include the fine print. It must be a gimmick to get you in the door so that you can read the fine print more conveniently in their office.
So what did the detail of the asterisk have to say? Along with the other footnotes that needed additional detailed information I found buried in the list that “The scratch off amount must be applied as a discount towards a new pre-owned vehicle purchase only. No cash value. Void where prohibited. See dealer for complete list of applicable inventory. Odds of winning $2,000 are 29,998:30,000. Odds of winning $1000 are 1:30,000, odds of winning $500 are 1:30,000. Each offer may not be used in conjunction with any other offer.”
Now if that wasn’t funny enough at the bottom of the footnotes it reads “In the event there is a dispute regarding the interpretation of this advertisement or is application, then at the dealers sole option this advertisement shall automatically be amended to read ‘This offer is good for $1.00 off the MSRP of the vehicle(s).’ The remaining offers shall automatically be deemed void and the language describing them shall automatically be deemed deleted.” I couldn’t make this stuff up if I wanted to.
So did I go running in to see what I “won”? Of course not. Remember what I said about expectations. Well this is one time that they exactly met my expectations for them. After previous dealings and experience, this is exactly the kind of shenanigans I would expect them to pull. You might even say they exceeded expectations but in this case that is not a good thing.
One quick side note. Their regular advertising on radio and TV has the closing line that they “back up every car we sell”. I always wondered if that was because none of the forward gears in the transmission worked.
Back to part 1.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
I Hate Fine Print, Pt. 1
I hate fine print. That is the thing that will reach out and grab you. Nine times out of ten there is fine print because they are trying to hide from you what the deal really is. Fine print is small print. It is usually the detail that accompanies the large bold dramatic print that was used to entice you to come in for the offered bargain in the first place. I always look for the fine print because I am a skeptic of the advertised good deal, as well as too many examples of the shoddy advertising practice at attempted deception. So I present two examples from recent advertising gone awry.
The first is the latest Subway Sandwich push that is happening in our area. Since Subway is like many national franchises and does its advertising regional, you may not be seeing the same deals advertised in your area. In fact, in my travels I have noticed that some areas will have deals that are better and some that are worse than my home base.
Subway is advertising any regular foot long sub for $5 or less. The mention of foot long and $5 are in large prominent lettering…with an asterisk. The second I see an asterisk I am looking for the fine print. In this case, the fine print is pretty straight forward however small. It states that the sale is on regular subs and does not include double stack and premium sandwiches such as the Feast and Philly Cheese Steak. O.K. fine, I can handle that. I should be able to find something from the remaining list that still makes a fine sandwich and would still constitute a good deal. I should be able to find something new to try instead of the same old choices I make when visiting my local store.
So from the menu board I notice that they are a list for hot sandwiches, a list for cold sandwiches, a list for local favorites, and a list of Premium and Double stack sandwiches. This should be simple. Just order anything that is not on the last list and it should be included in the special. I spy a Chicken and Bacon Ranch, and my mouth salivates as it contemplates what this combination might taste like. I think I will try it and see, but wait. The girl behind the counter is kind enough to inform me that this choice is not one of the ones on special. At least she tells me this before she makes the sandwich giving me a chance to change my order. She goes on to verbally list the other three sandwiches that aren’t included in the special.
I ended up ordering one of my usual sandwiches, the Italian BMT, and because I questioned her I think she left me one salami slice short. It was busy so they were in a hurry to get us out the door and my sandwich felt a little lighter packed than normal. Also the soda machine wasn’t working so they had to fill drinks behind the counter as well. My normal mix of lemonade and Sprite wasn’t to my usual ratio. I can accept most of this because life happens and none of this was singularly bad but the accumulation of all these little things made for a special deal that wasn’t all that special anymore.
That’s the thing about expectations, good or bad we all have them as we head into an experience. It is the actual outcome when compared to the expectation that determines if the experience was pleasurable or not. On a scale of one to ten, if you are expecting a ten, you will be disappointed with anything less. Likewise, if you are expecting a two and walk away with a three you will feel like you scored a win even if it was still just a three.
If that didn’t just sum up a prime business lesson I don’t know what will. If you promise more than you can deliver or are willing to deliver you will leave customers with a bad taste in their mouths. If you want your customers coming back again and again then give them what they expect and nothing less. If you give them more than they expect you are a hero. You must at least meet expectations if you are going to maintain a positive business relationship with your customers.
On to part 2.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
The first is the latest Subway Sandwich push that is happening in our area. Since Subway is like many national franchises and does its advertising regional, you may not be seeing the same deals advertised in your area. In fact, in my travels I have noticed that some areas will have deals that are better and some that are worse than my home base.
Subway is advertising any regular foot long sub for $5 or less. The mention of foot long and $5 are in large prominent lettering…with an asterisk. The second I see an asterisk I am looking for the fine print. In this case, the fine print is pretty straight forward however small. It states that the sale is on regular subs and does not include double stack and premium sandwiches such as the Feast and Philly Cheese Steak. O.K. fine, I can handle that. I should be able to find something from the remaining list that still makes a fine sandwich and would still constitute a good deal. I should be able to find something new to try instead of the same old choices I make when visiting my local store.
So from the menu board I notice that they are a list for hot sandwiches, a list for cold sandwiches, a list for local favorites, and a list of Premium and Double stack sandwiches. This should be simple. Just order anything that is not on the last list and it should be included in the special. I spy a Chicken and Bacon Ranch, and my mouth salivates as it contemplates what this combination might taste like. I think I will try it and see, but wait. The girl behind the counter is kind enough to inform me that this choice is not one of the ones on special. At least she tells me this before she makes the sandwich giving me a chance to change my order. She goes on to verbally list the other three sandwiches that aren’t included in the special.
I ended up ordering one of my usual sandwiches, the Italian BMT, and because I questioned her I think she left me one salami slice short. It was busy so they were in a hurry to get us out the door and my sandwich felt a little lighter packed than normal. Also the soda machine wasn’t working so they had to fill drinks behind the counter as well. My normal mix of lemonade and Sprite wasn’t to my usual ratio. I can accept most of this because life happens and none of this was singularly bad but the accumulation of all these little things made for a special deal that wasn’t all that special anymore.
That’s the thing about expectations, good or bad we all have them as we head into an experience. It is the actual outcome when compared to the expectation that determines if the experience was pleasurable or not. On a scale of one to ten, if you are expecting a ten, you will be disappointed with anything less. Likewise, if you are expecting a two and walk away with a three you will feel like you scored a win even if it was still just a three.
If that didn’t just sum up a prime business lesson I don’t know what will. If you promise more than you can deliver or are willing to deliver you will leave customers with a bad taste in their mouths. If you want your customers coming back again and again then give them what they expect and nothing less. If you give them more than they expect you are a hero. You must at least meet expectations if you are going to maintain a positive business relationship with your customers.
On to part 2.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
Slower Traffic Keep Right, Pt. 3
So what would happen if all the speed limit signs were brought down and replaced with signs that read “Slower Traffic Keep Right”? I know that some out there have thought that no matter what speed limit sign was put up, drivers would still drive 10 mph faster just like they do today. That argument would eventually loose out as you could continue to raise the speed limit and eventually find a satisfactory speed with which fewer and fewer would want, let alone be able to go any faster. In fact back in the good old days a new road would be built and they would send out engineers to survey the average speed of drivers on a given section then set the speed limit and the next 5 mph increment for which 85% of the traffic was traveling in their natural speed mode for that section. This seemed to work pretty well and still indicates that people will find a speed that feels about right for a given road and the vehicle they are using.
An interesting side note about speed is that the current interstate system that was built in the 50’s was designed for 80 MPH travel. This was for cars that were also designed in the 50’s that had suspension systems, and tires, and brakes that were designed in the 50’s. Cars have evolved some since then and most cars handle and brake better than the cars of 20 years ago let alone 60 years ago yet speed limits in many areas of the country are still lower than they were back before the national 55 MPH speed limit.
Another interesting side note. During the days of the national 55 MPH speed limit, I had on several occasions exceeded the national limit and contrary to popular belief I did not spontaneously combust nor did I have a blow out and go careening out of control off an embankment, nor did I wipe out classroom of school children, or even take out any wondering small or large animals. In fact I have safely, and I stress the word safely, exceeded the speed limit on several occasions were the only consequence of doing so was to arrive at my destination on time or early, refreshed, invigorated and ready for the prospects that destination had in store.
There is talk that Utah will be raising the speed limit from 75 to 80 on some rural sections of the Interstate. This will make it the highest speed limit in the nation if it is true. That honor used to belong to Montana for a short time when its daylight speed limit was set at “Reasonable and Prudent”. This was the closest we have come to having an authentic speed law for a freedom loving nation. Yet, because one man’s reasonable is not always another man’s prudent it became too hard to enforce and it had to be given up. Truly a sad day for the nation.
If you have never driven out in the west, again do not prejudge. There are vast sections of long straight well made and maintained roads for which a modern car could safely travel 100 mph without concern. In fact there is a 36+, mile stretch of I-80 just east of the Nevada border that doesn’t have a single curve or bend or hill or anything. It has its own beauty about it as it runs along the Bonneville Salt Flats but it is a section of road that can be fully appreciated in a lot less time.
Also by way of comparison, I have driven on two lane roads back east that have speed limits set 10 mph faster than would the equivalent road out west. One of the roads I enjoyed the most was on the Blue Ridge Parkway (the greatest thing to come out of the depression) as the speed limit was set at 45 mph. I think they intended most folks to slow down for the corners.
Now one point of note needs to be made here. Road conditions might be such that speeds traveled could and should be lower than speed signs posted. Weather may play a factor in driving conditions as well as traffic congestion and road debris and potholes and any other factor that may be around on any given trip. The deal is that the driver still has to make judgments and decisions based on any given situation in order to make what can be considered safe journey. The driver is still required to be present.
And therein is the hope of the individual. Smart cars, and smart roads and mass transit and rural renewal developments are all there to reduce your ability to have to act on your own cognizance and there are many that will strive to force that issue under the guise of some civil suitability such as safety, ecology, conservation or what have you. But if they can not solve all your mobility needs and you still have to meet those needs on your own and are willing to fight to keep that right as an individual, then we still have a chance.
It is a dangerous path we tread because it is so easy to get suckered into the arguments of giving up freedoms for the common good, but once lost they are seldom won.
Back to Part 1, or Part 2.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
An interesting side note about speed is that the current interstate system that was built in the 50’s was designed for 80 MPH travel. This was for cars that were also designed in the 50’s that had suspension systems, and tires, and brakes that were designed in the 50’s. Cars have evolved some since then and most cars handle and brake better than the cars of 20 years ago let alone 60 years ago yet speed limits in many areas of the country are still lower than they were back before the national 55 MPH speed limit.
Another interesting side note. During the days of the national 55 MPH speed limit, I had on several occasions exceeded the national limit and contrary to popular belief I did not spontaneously combust nor did I have a blow out and go careening out of control off an embankment, nor did I wipe out classroom of school children, or even take out any wondering small or large animals. In fact I have safely, and I stress the word safely, exceeded the speed limit on several occasions were the only consequence of doing so was to arrive at my destination on time or early, refreshed, invigorated and ready for the prospects that destination had in store.
There is talk that Utah will be raising the speed limit from 75 to 80 on some rural sections of the Interstate. This will make it the highest speed limit in the nation if it is true. That honor used to belong to Montana for a short time when its daylight speed limit was set at “Reasonable and Prudent”. This was the closest we have come to having an authentic speed law for a freedom loving nation. Yet, because one man’s reasonable is not always another man’s prudent it became too hard to enforce and it had to be given up. Truly a sad day for the nation.
If you have never driven out in the west, again do not prejudge. There are vast sections of long straight well made and maintained roads for which a modern car could safely travel 100 mph without concern. In fact there is a 36+, mile stretch of I-80 just east of the Nevada border that doesn’t have a single curve or bend or hill or anything. It has its own beauty about it as it runs along the Bonneville Salt Flats but it is a section of road that can be fully appreciated in a lot less time.
Also by way of comparison, I have driven on two lane roads back east that have speed limits set 10 mph faster than would the equivalent road out west. One of the roads I enjoyed the most was on the Blue Ridge Parkway (the greatest thing to come out of the depression) as the speed limit was set at 45 mph. I think they intended most folks to slow down for the corners.
Now one point of note needs to be made here. Road conditions might be such that speeds traveled could and should be lower than speed signs posted. Weather may play a factor in driving conditions as well as traffic congestion and road debris and potholes and any other factor that may be around on any given trip. The deal is that the driver still has to make judgments and decisions based on any given situation in order to make what can be considered safe journey. The driver is still required to be present.
And therein is the hope of the individual. Smart cars, and smart roads and mass transit and rural renewal developments are all there to reduce your ability to have to act on your own cognizance and there are many that will strive to force that issue under the guise of some civil suitability such as safety, ecology, conservation or what have you. But if they can not solve all your mobility needs and you still have to meet those needs on your own and are willing to fight to keep that right as an individual, then we still have a chance.
It is a dangerous path we tread because it is so easy to get suckered into the arguments of giving up freedoms for the common good, but once lost they are seldom won.
Back to Part 1, or Part 2.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
Slower Traffic Keep Right, Pt. 2
I have driven in Germany (among other places), and have found it to be one of the most ordered places to drive in worldwide. For those that have not experienced it, do not prejudge. I admit it has been awhile since my last visit and I understand that things change; I even hear tell that there are speed limits on more and more sections of the autobahn. Whatever your views on speed, be it known that Germany without a speed limit had a better fatality rate per miles driven than the USA did during many years of the national 55 MPH speed limit. What was it that allowed this to be so? As I said before, it is a well ordered place.
Germany has some core rules that they make sure drivers know, not just have a passing familiarity with, before they are issued a license. When all the drivers know the rules and are expected to play by those rules, then you can safely make expectations for what the other drivers will do in most any given situation. This makes for a much smoother driving experience no matter what the speed.
Drivers in Germany know how to use a turn signal, know how to use rear view mirrors, know how to yield to the right of way and know who has the right of way at any given intersection, they know proper passing techniques, they know how to merge, and they know that slower traffic keeps right. Not only do they know how to do these things, they actually do these things. That may be the key difference.
I think that traffic laws and driving habits are a metaphor for a society, and slower traffic keep right is one of the greatest indicators of the state of a nation. Slower traffic keep right is an indication of the harmony that exist within a society.
There was a comedian (I wish I could remember his name) that had a bit about anyone driving faster than him was crazy. “Look at that driver, he’s nuts. Driving that fast is going to kill someone, he must be insane.” While anyone driving slower was a moron, “Would you look at this guy, c’mon all ready, were not getting any younger, what an idiot.”
Slower traffic keep right is a way to allow all drivers to peaceably coexist on the roads today at the same time. Those that wish to travel faster can as well as those that wish to travel at a more leisurely pace. This is a way to recognize that we are not all the same, that we all have different skills and abilities and needs and desires, and that each drivers’ needs can be met despite those differences. This also allows for changes in needs and skills and desires of the driver to meet whatever needs apply at the time.
Slower traffic keep right reflects the abilities of the drivers and the faith of the lawmakers in turning over trust to those drivers. How much daily detail decision making ability is left in the hands of individuals and how much is mandated or dictated or directed and actively enforced is a real indicator of how much freedom a nation enjoys. That is why I think traffic laws are a pretty good reflection of the level of freedom and liberties a nation’s people have. The tighter the reigns are held on simple daily tasks, the less likely headway will be allowed in other areas and aspects of life.
On to Part 3, or back to Part 1
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
Germany has some core rules that they make sure drivers know, not just have a passing familiarity with, before they are issued a license. When all the drivers know the rules and are expected to play by those rules, then you can safely make expectations for what the other drivers will do in most any given situation. This makes for a much smoother driving experience no matter what the speed.
Drivers in Germany know how to use a turn signal, know how to use rear view mirrors, know how to yield to the right of way and know who has the right of way at any given intersection, they know proper passing techniques, they know how to merge, and they know that slower traffic keeps right. Not only do they know how to do these things, they actually do these things. That may be the key difference.
I think that traffic laws and driving habits are a metaphor for a society, and slower traffic keep right is one of the greatest indicators of the state of a nation. Slower traffic keep right is an indication of the harmony that exist within a society.
There was a comedian (I wish I could remember his name) that had a bit about anyone driving faster than him was crazy. “Look at that driver, he’s nuts. Driving that fast is going to kill someone, he must be insane.” While anyone driving slower was a moron, “Would you look at this guy, c’mon all ready, were not getting any younger, what an idiot.”
Slower traffic keep right is a way to allow all drivers to peaceably coexist on the roads today at the same time. Those that wish to travel faster can as well as those that wish to travel at a more leisurely pace. This is a way to recognize that we are not all the same, that we all have different skills and abilities and needs and desires, and that each drivers’ needs can be met despite those differences. This also allows for changes in needs and skills and desires of the driver to meet whatever needs apply at the time.
Slower traffic keep right reflects the abilities of the drivers and the faith of the lawmakers in turning over trust to those drivers. How much daily detail decision making ability is left in the hands of individuals and how much is mandated or dictated or directed and actively enforced is a real indicator of how much freedom a nation enjoys. That is why I think traffic laws are a pretty good reflection of the level of freedom and liberties a nation’s people have. The tighter the reigns are held on simple daily tasks, the less likely headway will be allowed in other areas and aspects of life.
On to Part 3, or back to Part 1
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
Slower Traffic Keep Right, Pt 1
Slower traffic keep right. How simple is that? It is probably one of the most important rules of the road and yet it seems to be harder and harder for people to play by that one simple rule. In fact, I find it often faster to be driving in the slow lane because there is less traffic there.
This is not a new phenomenon; I have observed it for many, many years now. It used to be confined to big cities and heavy traffic congestion areas but it is expanding into all roads traveled. I used to think that it was just a Utah thing also since they have some of the worst drivers on the road but I need to correct that as the bad habits observed in Utah are not that uncommon on most of the US roads now. It is highly disturbing, and I will comment on other habits later but for this time I want to focus on the most obnoxious of poor driving etiquette, the Left Lane Bandit.
I did not come up with the label Left Lane Bandit; I think that it was coined by a writer at Car and Driver a few decades ago. The irritant had just started to appear and this was and still is the best way to describe it. It took heavy roots during the national 55 MPH speed limit though I am sure it had presence long before that. You can hear instances in some of the old car songs.
Basically it is when a vehicle insists on driving in the passing lane even though it is not passing anyone and there are other vehicles that are traveling faster than they are, or at least trying to travel faster. Not only is this dangerous it is down right rude.
Granted, some drivers just don’t know any better. I have talked to some of these Utah drivers and found that they were taught in driving school (which was part of the high school system) that they were to travel in the other lane to allow other drivers to merge onto and off the freeway. (This was probably the only way they could think of to teach new students how to merge since they don’t do that very well either.)
I have also talked to drivers that think it is there right to travel in that lane, they are going the ‘speed limit’ and there is no reason for them not to let the world revolve around them. This is a biggie for some and was even more so during the national 55 MPH speed limit. It also created what I termed the ‘rolling roadblock’ were two or more cars (depending on the number of lanes available) would travel down the road side by side at the ‘speed limit’ without regards to anyone else on the road. This would make for one heck of a blockade and a whole lot of frustration. This has become less common since they raised the speed limit in many states though if you do happen on to one, beware because there is usual a traffic cop at the head of it.
Continue on to Part 2.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
This is not a new phenomenon; I have observed it for many, many years now. It used to be confined to big cities and heavy traffic congestion areas but it is expanding into all roads traveled. I used to think that it was just a Utah thing also since they have some of the worst drivers on the road but I need to correct that as the bad habits observed in Utah are not that uncommon on most of the US roads now. It is highly disturbing, and I will comment on other habits later but for this time I want to focus on the most obnoxious of poor driving etiquette, the Left Lane Bandit.
I did not come up with the label Left Lane Bandit; I think that it was coined by a writer at Car and Driver a few decades ago. The irritant had just started to appear and this was and still is the best way to describe it. It took heavy roots during the national 55 MPH speed limit though I am sure it had presence long before that. You can hear instances in some of the old car songs.
Basically it is when a vehicle insists on driving in the passing lane even though it is not passing anyone and there are other vehicles that are traveling faster than they are, or at least trying to travel faster. Not only is this dangerous it is down right rude.
Granted, some drivers just don’t know any better. I have talked to some of these Utah drivers and found that they were taught in driving school (which was part of the high school system) that they were to travel in the other lane to allow other drivers to merge onto and off the freeway. (This was probably the only way they could think of to teach new students how to merge since they don’t do that very well either.)
I have also talked to drivers that think it is there right to travel in that lane, they are going the ‘speed limit’ and there is no reason for them not to let the world revolve around them. This is a biggie for some and was even more so during the national 55 MPH speed limit. It also created what I termed the ‘rolling roadblock’ were two or more cars (depending on the number of lanes available) would travel down the road side by side at the ‘speed limit’ without regards to anyone else on the road. This would make for one heck of a blockade and a whole lot of frustration. This has become less common since they raised the speed limit in many states though if you do happen on to one, beware because there is usual a traffic cop at the head of it.
Continue on to Part 2.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
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