TubaOrNotTuba

The wise consumer ALWAYS reads the fine print. At least, in a perfect world; if you watch TV, you have “briefly seen” what some call mouseprint. Texts that try to make perfectly misleading statements into mistruths. Not exactly lies, but gone by quickly enough that you can’t be sure. Could be the aged eyes, could be the rapid delivery; the whole story is over and done before you realize you’ve been “sold” a false bill of goods.

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I have always believed in free telephone service. I’ve spent a lifetime pursuing the principle. Some examples of my frugality in the personal telecommunications area would have to include the following,

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I’m in the midst of devolution. Much more and they’ll be sending in a film crew to catch my meltdown. No, nothing that is really important, just a swamp of details. For example, at least three computers around here are demonstrating that a virus has taken control of the desktop. After putting in more hours than I like to think on one machine yesterday (victim of Vundo), the family seemed pretty much reconciled to a reformat and regroup our forces, when two others started randomly flashing a popup window that claimed to be “personalizing settings”. At least, that’s what we’ve determined the message to be.

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Today was a working holiday. After spending late hours at the office, I finally recovered some time for myself, and promptly got nominated to the position of “official prepare the car for spring” guy. No big deal, given that it only happens once a year; I have another 11 months and a bit to prepare for next time around. All in all, a chance to “hang out” in a couple of different garages while someone else did the hard work.

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Do you remember when you would ask your parents for some money and after a “short period of reflection” they would dig out the coin purse, cross your palm with silver (in the old days, the mint actually used semi-precious metals) and ask you to explain, again, what exactly you were going to do with all that capital? Do you remember how you loved the idea of finally earning your own cash? No controls. Free to spend as you pleased, on your own where and when. In some places, freedom to manipulate currency is not a given.

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Ask an average person “What would a program on CBC called Land And Sea be about?”, and the response is predictable. Farming and fishing. Don’t underestimate the producers at CBC, though, because that response is too easy. This afternoon, I learned that the cymbal industry is alive and well in New Brunswick, and that your average cymbal is never average. With thousands of models to choose from, and a market that is extremely competitive, it’s a world that requires sizzle and crash.

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An ad on TV this evening caught my eye (that’s what it was supposed to do) and then took me down the “What If?” pathway. The advertiser: our national passenger rail corporation. The idea: that I come and ride the train, on an adventure through beautiful scenery, in comfortable, “worry free” seating, just because I can. I’m easily distracted by the idea; after all, I have something like 32 trips on The Ocean under my belt.

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Apparently I’m just stupid enough to be happy. When a remark like that comes from your best friend, you have to believe. According to my friend, I should be much more stressed about the financial choices that are forced on us by time and mechanical failure, but after analysis, it’s much easier just to roll over and accept that I’m not a carrier of the “rich” gene.

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Today, while reading the “local” English language newspaper (from the other city down the road), I felt a great cultural chasm open before me. With all my experience in the world, I have never seen, let alone tasted, a “matzoh ball“. The paper had three pages of coverage, not counting the front page headline; there’s a divide among the “sinkers” and “floaters”. What to do? Where to turn?

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Should one be more exasperated with the climate or the stupid behavior it engenders in people? Hard call; after receiving the largest snowfall in recorded history (for this city) people are weary. People want their green lawns and patio chairs. People will act oddly if the opportunity appears.

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