Everyday Stupidities

There's one thing that the pundits keep saying that really bugs me because someone wasn't thinking clearly when they contrived it, and this lack of thought is doubled by all the talking heads who have been repeating it. It has been said that the gas-gouging skyrocketing price of gasoline will serve as an impetus for developing and using alternative fuels. Er, no. See, it might encourage the consumers to change their ways, but a) industry hasn't provided alternatives -- we do not have hydrogen cars, full-electric cars, nuclear cars, solar cars, etc. (and natural gas vehicles are few and far between in the consumer market), b) Detroit and so forth are rather entrenched in gasoline internal combustion engines and people still buy them, and c) the petrochemical industry is making a buttload of money presently off the fossil fuel. There's no incentive for the folks who make rapid transportation possible to lower prices or change locomotion methodology, they're doing record business. So the consumers like you and I get to take it in the shorts, and keep anteing up at the petrol pump because that's the only game in town. As always, the problem with anarchy is that it lacks clear leadership.

Conversation with a customer:
(or 'Why I Love My Job, a play in one act')
him: I can't dial out, I'm getting [error seen when the TCP/IP stack is corrupt]
me: Okay, we need to reset the device.
him: Will that erase all the data?
me: Yes, it will.
[Note: He just got this device an hour ago. What could be on it?]
him: Are you an idiot?!
me: ......Yes.
(Customer, taken aback, hands phone to someone else who follows directions without argument and in minutes we fix the problem.)

The title of today's missive is a reference to yesterday (when I started writing this entry) being my eighth wedding anniversary. When I got home from work, I was met with a German chocolate cake [somewhat of a gift to herself because I don't like German chocolate] and the Æon Flux boxed DVD set, and I gave her a handheld Boggle electronic game [her grandmother would approve since unlike regular Boggle it's quiet] and a set of Magnetix flexible pieces. We're going to Portland, Oregon this weekend for our annual getaway so I won't have an entry "on time" (not that we keep time around here, but Sundays and Wednesdays are the usual posting days)... If I find any cool books at Powell's, I'll tell you. See y'all again Monday.