I plan on adding a lengthier blog a bit later, however right now I am going to broach a few annoyances that are currently high on the list.
1. People, it is spelled DEUCE, not DUECE. Man, I am not sure why that particular error goes right through me, but boy does it. I can accept errors under the typical “I before E except after C” failure mode, but not duece. No, no, no. Deuce is a powerful, significant representation of a number. I am not sure what the hell a “dew-ess” is, but that is what I think when I see the other spelling.
2. Another one that is prevalent as of late is the misuse of the expression “moot point.” It is not a MUTE point. A mute point is one that never gets stated, for obvious reasons. A mute point is one gained by a mime playing ping pong. C’mon folks, clean up the verbal atrocities, mmm’kay?
3. Rewards programs have gone insane. There is one for everything from hotels to rental cars to massage parlours (hmmm, that gives me a brilliant idea). I get it from the company side; it makes perfect sense. But, the levels to obtain anything for many have gone right off the chart. Back in college there was one for Mountain Dew where you could get some cool crap, without reducing yourself to a shaking mess every day from the caffeine overload. Granted, nearly everything cool got sold out by the time I got enough points, but that is neither here nor there as I wasn’t as committed as some of my collegiate brethren. The new one for Coca-Cola - is simply outrageous. It is certifiably insane. I finally got my 8th code in, which enables me to get a free soda. 9 for the price of 8 knocks $0.14 off each. That is a tangible gain. But looking at the other stuff, virtually nothing starts under 210 “points”, which is 70 sodas! A freaking Coca-Cola key chain or plastic calculator requires something like 71 sodas. At $1.25 each that is nearly a $90 calculator!!! For ninety bucks that calculator better be able to figure out how my mortgage company keeps screwing me.
-Michael
irregardless