Hey, you! » Consumption Junction

rhymes with “ham”

Ben — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 14:20:32 +0000

I received this lovely email yesterday:

Hey I saw your vehicle for sale and I am interested. I am 18 and live here in town with my parents. I have the cash and want to come look at the vehicle. The thing is even though I think you are askng below bluebook, my dad is making me get the trade in value to show me before I buy any car. Can you please just plug in your car info to this site so my dad will let me buy it. Thanks http://tradeinvalue.textmeshop.com Im serious and have the cash right now to buy it. If you dont want to get the trade value maybe you could just email me the data so I could try to do it. Thanks again…and Id like to come by tonight or tomorrow.

Don’t bother going to the web site, a quick google showed that other people have received the exact same message, in other ~~towns~~ states. Either this 18 year old gets around (and, oddly enough, wants a minivan) or this is bullshit.

My money is on the bullshit.

It will get you where you’re going

Ben — Sun, 18 May 2008 01:53:17 +0000

Oh, man, I have to gush just a little bit about my mechanic.

I haven’t had my car at all this month, it has been in the shop. What I thought was a simple problem of a leaky head gasket? Turned out to be much more difficult to diagnose.

Two. weeks.

He spent hours on this car, going down a long list of items, because the stoopid computer kept showing fault codes for one system, when it was a different one (fuel vs. ignition)

In the end, he persevered, found the problem, and only charged me for a couple hours labor plus the necessary parts. And my car is running again.

Which means I won’t be getting that Prius, but it also means I won’t be saddled with a car payment just yet. That’s OK.

Jukebox hero?

Ben — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 20:02:33 +0000

Glennz Tees has some new stuff!

Love this one:

(no afilliation with Glennz, just think they are cool)

If it quacks like a duck

Ben — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 20:28:26 +0000

I don’t know why, but this disturbs me greatly.

(and take “disturb” with a grain of salt, because some wierd shit gets under my skin and sorta festers there, but that’s how I feel at the moment)

To summarize the article (and in case the link goes dead), Sam’s Club, part of Wal-Mart, the biggest freakin’ retailer in America, has announced that effective immediately you can only buy four bags of rice at a time.

Sam’s Club warehouse unit is restricting the purchase of some rice to four bags a visit because of “recent supply and demand trends.”

The limits on jasmine, basmati and long-grain white rice will take place in all U.S. stores where allowed by law and are effective immediately, Sam’s Club spokeswoman Kristy Reed said today in an e-mailed statement.

Some consumers have started hoarding rice, the food staple for half the world, as supplies shrink. Prices have soared as China, Vietnam, India and Egypt curbed sales abroad to safeguard domestic supplies and cool inflation. Thailand also may restrict shipments, a World Bank official said today.

Now, let’s think about that. There is not enough rice to keep the stores stocked, because people are hoarding it. Everywhere. But they think it will happen here. There are riots in parts of the world over - food. Not over the Laker’s winning or not the big game, but food. This is serious bidness.

And (in my hand-wringing, worry about shit I can’t control sorta way), I think it’s just beginning.

Another Sam’s item: where the hell did the SpaghettiOs with Meatballs go? Huh? We haven’t been able to buy them at Sam’s in AGES, and it’s causing much distress in the seven-and-under group at our house.

Update: there’s a butter shortage in Japan. Huh?

State Farm is where?

Ben — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 03:45:45 +0000

Just saw the State Farm commercial where the guy is embarassed (and ridiculed by his cow-orker “Sheila”) for wearing bike shorts and riding his bike to work.

You know, if he’d switch to State Farm, he’d save so much he could fill up his truck with gas two, maybe three times!

So, fuck the planet. Just get cheaper insurance and you’ll be fine.

Dear Congress:

Ben — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 22:25:57 +0000

If you’re done harassing has-been baseball players and their trainers, perhaps you’d like to explain (and use little words, please) just what the fuck is going on with Wall Street and why we feel it necessary that the US Taxpayers should bail the rich asshats out?

Thanks.

the rich get richer

Ben — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 20:05:45 +0000

I don’t give a shit what the Fed does with the interest rate, or that the Dow goes nuts as a result.

You can make it zero percent, and Discover will still charge me 21% for the gas I bought on credit because I couldn’t wait until payday.

I’m thinking more of America is like me than CNN Money would want us to believe.

We’re still circling the drain, people, this isn’t over by a long shot.

Little green men

Ben — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 16:07:33 +0000

I could do a seriously long St. Patricks Day post, but I’m busy and lazy all at the same time, so I’ll direct you to this blog, who has already done the work.

Most of the time, white people consider celebrations of European heritage to be racist unless they omit large swathes of the 16th through 20th centuries. But since the Irish never engaged in colonialism and were actually oppressed it is considered acceptable and encouraged to celebrate their ancestry. For this reason, 100% of white people are proud to claim that they are somewhat Irish.

A big part of St. Patrick’s Day is having white people feel particularly upset at the oppression of their ancestors that has in no way trickled down to them. If you find yourself talking with a white person who tells you about how their great grandfather was oppressed by both the English and the Americans, it is strongly recommended that you lend a sympathetic ear and shake your head in disbelief. It is never considered acceptable to say: “but you’re white now, so what’s the problem?”

It’s too bad

Ben — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 18:39:04 +0000

Now I regret blowing all my spare change on wine, I can’t afford any new t-shirts…

Neenex battle of the sexes

Ben — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 00:21:28 +0000

Me: examine all of the facial tissue offerings for several minutes, comparing price per each with such features as aloe or antibacteria crap; eventually picking one that is not too expensive but not too scratchy looking.

Two days later the dog eats the entire box.

She: Grabs a box with Ratatouille on it. Instant hit with the kids.