As always, I urge a write-in vote for William Howard Taft. A policy of trust-busting, dollar diplomacy, an increase in the corporate income tax, and strong tariffs is just what the times demand! It was right in 1908, and it’s right in 2008. So, get out and vote!

I was down at the local Honda dealer getting my oil changed today. So, I wandered into their showroom, where I found a dark blue Mugen Honda Civic SI. It’s a sharp looking car, but who really wants a $30,000 Civic? Also, why the hell did they do this to a four door instead of a coupe? Anyway, here’s some pictures:

You can see larger versions in this Facebook gallery.

Guess this explains the post-dated email I got from Dreamhost: $7.5 Million Billing Error at Dreamhost.

Last June, General Mills raised the price of its cereal, but decreased the size of the box, so that the price per box went down. Apparently, this confused some analysts. Here’s the transcript:

Analyst: So let me see if I understand this. The price of your cereal is going up?

General Mills Spokesperson: That’s correct.

Analyst: But the price per box is actually going down?

General Mills Spokesperson: Correct.

Analyst: So then how is the price going up?

General Mills Spokesperson: Because we’re making the box smaller.

Analyst: Ok, but you just said the price of each box is going to be less.

General Mills Spokesperson: Yes, that’s true.

Analyst: So then you’re actually lowering prices.

General Mills Spokesperson: No, we’re raising prices.

Analyst: How?

General Mills Spokesperson: Look, you’re an analyst, you work with numbers.

Analyst: Right. Ok. I got it.

General Mills Spokesperson: Next question.

Analyst: Uh, actually, I don’t get it. How can you raise the price by lowering the price?

General Mills Spokesperson: Because we’re decreasing the size of the box.

Analyst: Ok, but you’re charging less for each box.

General Mills Spokesperson: Yes. Because we’re decreasing the size.

Analyst: Ah, I get it. So then the price is really the same, you’re just making the box smaller which makes the price look lower.

General Mills Spokesperson: No, no, no! Listen. We’re raising the price of our cereal.

Analyst: But -

General Mills Spokesperson: Shut up! Now listen, we’re raising the price of our cereal.

Analyst: (Silence).

General Mills Spokesperson: Say it.

Analyst: We’re raising the price of our cereal.

General Mills Spokesperson: Good. We’re raising the price of our cereal… while simultaneously making the box smaller. Go on, say it.

Analyst: While simultaneously making the box smaller…

General Mills Spokesperson: But… and this is the important part… but we’re raising the price more than we’re decreasing the size of the box… go on…

Analyst: But we’re raising the price more than we’re decreasing the size of the box.

General Mills Spokesperson: So…

Analyst: So…

General Mills Spokesperson: That…

Analyst: That…

General Mills Spokesperson: Come on…

Analyst: Come -

General Mills Spokesperson: No, I mean, come on and follow the thought. So that…

Analyst: Oh. So that…

General Mills Spokesperson: The…

Analyst: The… price is lower?

General Mills Spokesperson: No! So that the customer…

Analyst: So that the customer…

General Mills Spokesperson: Will.

Analyst: Will.

General Mills Spokesperson: Oh good Lord. So that the customer will think the price has gone down when it’s really gone up!

Analyst: Oh.

General Mills Spokesperson: See? Price increase. Smaller box. Larger price increase than smaller box.

Analyst: Right. I still don’t get it.

General Mills Spokesperson: You know what? Just forget it.

Analyst: I’m going to have to downgrade your stock, you know.

General Mills Spokesperson: Good. Good. You do that.

Analyst: I will.

General Mills Spokesperson: I don’t even want you to rate our stock positive.

Analyst: Good, because I won’t.

General Mills Spokesperson: It would be an insult to the company for you to rate it positive.

See more analyst fun here.

Check out this story in The Sun (yeh, I know that it’s not the most credible source, but they have video). According to the story, fifty drunken santas ran amok in a cinema smashing stuff up and swearing at customers! The manager of the cinema is quoted as saying:

“As they ran through the complex they wrecked everything they could, the Christmas tree – they bowled everything over … (they were) just absolute fools.”

That’s the spirit of Christmas for you!

Currently, I am the 23rd result on Google for the query “collapse of an empire lessons for modern russia.” I know this, because it drove a referral to this blog. Shows the power of Google.

John F. Potter, Co. A – Potter wrote a number of columns as a “regular correspondent” to the Cortland Gazette and Banner, under the pseudonym “JFP”. His columns for December 1861, January, February, March, April and May 1862 are available on this website.