Pumps' Perplexities

Has anyone noticed that the three above words
only relate to T-shirts these days?.......Along
with XXL, extra-extra large.......

Years ago everything was "small-medium-
large"......No longer......The American
marketing and advertising industry has
found other words......

Try to go out today and buy a roll of simple
toilet paper......(OK we know it's the softest
on the market.)......But do you buy a "roll"
or a "double roll"?.......Do you buy the
"giant" roll or the "mega" roll?.......I suspect
that we could have a "humongous" except
for the fact that it would not fit through
the bathroom door......(A lifetime of toilet
paper in "one" roll.)..........

Come on guys, let's get back to normal....
No more "sampler", "grande" or "party"....

Just SMALL - MEDIUM - LARGE.......Pumps

Little by little people are not making "their"
decisions anymore....They are being
"controlled" by others.......

I have long contended that the "cell" phone
does not allow people to think and mentally
grow....They call someone else to make a
decision for them or receive one.......

Here is another example: I recently went
to a store and ordered a pizza.....It was
$9.99 plus tax and came with 8 bread
sticks.....I said, "hold the bread sticks."
Now the pizza, alone, was $11.99........

So for TWO DOLLARS LESS, I received
one pizza, in a box, along with 8 large
bread sticks, in another box with
dipping sauce....All because the computer
could not handle the transaction.......

An attempt to reduce the cost and raise
the profit (less dough, sauce and cardboard)
would not compute.....No wonder people
complain these days....A sharp business
man would have taken that "deal" in a
heart beat years ago......Pumps

Here we go again.....Is it 18 years of age or 21?....
I guess it all depends what you want to do
and the cost of the insurance to do it......

The people who run the universities and
colleges want the age to be 18 so that the new
students will not "binge" drink when they
arrive and are away from mom and pop for
the first time.....The insurance companies
convinced the government to set the age at 21....
Less accidents and "pay outs" they say.....

But then the insurance companies do not
want to cover anyone over 18 on mom and
pop's health policy.......

You can get married, have children, fight
in a war and vote at 18 just as long as you
let the insurance companies make money
by not giving you any coverage, unless it
is at a "premium" and very high price......

Ah, the good olde days when you could
drink at 18, get cheap car insurance and
use a city hospital for free.....Pumps

Well it is that time of the year again.....Time
for the little minions to return to their studies.....
Time to be reminded that it costs thousands
of dollars to educate each of them.....Time
to be reminded of the increase in your Real
Estate taxes......Time to be told that the
teachers are underpaid, after having two
months off.....

Time also to be told to buy pens, pencils
and paper for the students and to contribute
them to the schools for student use......

WHERE THE HELL IS ALL THAT TAX MONEY
GOING?......Do you mean with all you pay,
you also have to buy additional pens etc......
Maybe if you did not employ some useless union
administrator their salary could buy pens,
pencils and paper....What say?.......Pumps

During the past year a lot of people had to
adjust their financial priorities.....They
left the world of "consumption" and joined
the world of "frugality"......

Being frugal and spending money wisely
is nothing new for "olde farts"......We cut
our teeth on this financial stratagem....

I am beginning to believe that the younger
generation of boomers and X-Yers have
found out that life can be lead in a frugal
manner and that "one" does survive......
So they will continue to downsize their
spending to a certain degree and stash
a little coin or two for a rainy day......

When this happens the TV and Media
people will continue to mention and report
on a "monetary downturn" in the United
States......And of course they will have
to find a way to report that being "frugal"
is BAD.......Pumps

With the recent "down turn" in the economy,
it appears some people are cutting back on
the "quality" of the bread they eat.....It appears
that they are buying generic or "house" brands...
It is saving them money.....

I guess these people have never been in an
"outlet" type bakery store....A shop which
sells bread and cake products destined to be
"out of date" for supermarket sale in a day
or two.....(The older bread which is brought
back to the manufacturer when the newer
loaves are delivered)........

Well, in such a store, you will find a variety
of "brand labels"......Some are costly and
some are generic and they have one thing
in common.....They are made by the same
"baker".....

It is costly to start and stop a commercial
conveyor type "band" oven.....So they run
all day.....And during that day the "baker"
makes different breads......In many cases
only the "packaging" is changed......
Same bread, different plastic bag with a
different name and a different price......

A previously stored loaf of frozen bread
tastes the same as fresh......Pumps

Golf on TV is dull.......But after all who am I to
comment if I do not play golf.....However, I
also do not play football, ice hockey or
basketball......

It seems the other sports, when presented
on TV, offer the possibility of "second opinion"
or "second guessing" what you have just seen....

There is no "second guessing" in golf.....You
can not determine the "lay of the land or
green"......There is no interaction with other
players or coaches......Just one man, one ball
and one hole in the ground......

I guess people who play golf just like to see
other people up MISS or make BAD SHOTS.....
They may see some solace in other people's
humiliation and mistakes.......Pumps