A waste of bits and bandwidth

I made my first purchases on Amazon recently. I have no idea how they can sell them so much below the cover price; either the publisher is taking a hit or we are in the book stores.

Confessions Of An Economic Hit Man Link

Perkins, a former chief economist at Boston strategic-consulting firm Chas. T. Main, says he was an “economic hit man” for 10 years, helping U.S. intelligence agencies and multinationals cajole and blackmail foreign leaders into serving U.S. foreign policy and awarding lucrative contracts to American business. “Economic hit men (EHMs) are highly paid professionals who cheat countries around the globe out of trillions of dollars,” Perkins writes. Confessions of an Economic Hit Man is an extraordinary and gripping tale of intrigue and dark machinations.

Perkins details the manipulation of countries whereby they agree to infrastructure projects which can never be paid back. The infrastructure contracts enrich the American corporations doing the work and enslave the country.

I’m up to Chapter 14 and I have to say, it’s a page turner. There have been many blanks filled in around the Saudi Arabian – American relationship, the Panama Canal and the Iranian hostage crisis. It’s a really good read.

I know what I did wrong, so at least I learned something…

Some observant readers may have noticed that I’ve joined a Flickr group put together by some of the guys at work. As I understand it, Take 52 was to encourage us to take pictures every week and then upload at least one to the group.

Much to my amazement, I’ve uploaded 11 weeks in a row and near as I can tell, the only reason for that is that I make sure I do it the same time every week. It’s not always pretty and very often I’m running around at the last minute looking for something to photograph.

The point being, the scheduling and forced deadline help to make it happen.

And now, a sufficiently strange Korean commercial…

Had a nice Sunday having spent the afternoon in Whytecliff Marine Park. We didn’t plan to go there, it just sort of happened. Nice place to stumble across.

What was interesting was the drive along Marine Drive in West Vancouver. It seemed like 20% of the homes out there are for sale. While the number couldn’t be that high, there were pockets where it was nothing but realtor signs. That’s gotta be good news for the bears.

Occasionally, I find myself in a McDonalds for a breakfast. Not very often but once in a while I indulge myself. While I really can’t stomach their meals I still like stopping in for an occasional breakfast.

As you are likely aware, you need to submit your order in the expected manner or you will need to repeat yourself despite having already given the required information.

Me: “Number 2 combo, medium coffee, (pause to allow for processing) black, to go.”
Woman at the counter: “Large coffee?”
Me: “No thank you, just a medium coffee – black”
Woman at the counter: “Cream and sugar?”
Me: “No, just black”
Woman at the counter: “For here or to go?”
*sigh*

So this morning, I walk in and go up to the counter. I order, following the standard FAIL detailed above and then step aside. Then this hipster doofus walks up and begins to give his order to the same woman who just ignored everything I asked for and guessed, unsuccessfully, at what it was that I actually wanted.

Hipster Doofus: Sausage McGriddle blah, blah, blah (I wasn’t really paying attention) and hands her a credit card for his $4 meal
Hipster Doofus: No! I don’t want sausage. No meat!

Now I don’t think I’ve ever had a Sausage McGriddle but when the item you want removed is in the title of the meal, you should expect some resistance from the staff.

She was totally flustered and required a manager to remove said sausage while the hipster doofus stared ahead blankly as if requesting a sausageless Sausage McMuffin was completely normal.

In the morning…