August 21, 2005
What Cats?
King County wants me to pay them $80 for the privilege of owning a cat. That's right, they expect me to spend $80 to license our fluffy feline, Fluffington. That's on top of the $199 the cat cost, and the $400 our apartment want us to pay them, not to mention the $120 vet bill Fluff recently got. Yes, King County wants us to give them $80 because we dare own a cat. Mind you, we don't have $80 to pay them. I mean, we don't have $8 to pay them, really.
They tell us that we should do it. Because "it's the law." And if we don't send them the money, they might send out an enforcement officer. But what right do they really have to tell me what I can or can not have in my own home?
The government makes plenty of money off of licensing. But a lot of licensing is really just a user fee. Every year, when I renew my license tabs, I'm paying for the roads I drive on, and sadly a mass transit system I will never use. But my license fees help offset the cost of the roads I freely drive on.
But what burden does our cat place on the county? He doesn't go outside without a leash, and even that is a rare event. He was fixed long ago, so he won't be producing any little Fluff's. All he does in life is lie around and try to nurse on my armpit. For this the government wants my money?
What else do I need to pay them to have the privilege of? How about a television license, like the one that supports the BBC. How about a radio license? A computer license? A license to use the telephone? Should I have to pay a yearly fee for my wife?
The county says that if I can provide proof that Fluff is fixed, they'll drop the fee considerably. Perhaps if I signed an agreement that said I won't have any sex, I could get a good discount on my wife license too.
How do you enforce any of these things, without violating someone's privacy? Isn't this law completely unenforceable? The only reason the county knows we have Fluff at all is because the pet shop sent them the information when we bought him. What happens when the enforcement officer comes to my door?
"Hello, I'm here because you haven't renewed your pet license for Fluff."
"Oh, yeah, sorry, we don't have Fluff anymore."
"Oh. Sorry. Well, who is that big orange cat there?"
"What orange cat? I don't see an orange cat."
"The one right there."
"We don't have any cats, silly. Are you feeling quite right?"
"You have a big, fluffy orange cat right there. And there's a Siamese kitten right next to him."
"Sorry, old chap, but we don't have any cats at all. I have no idea what you're talking about. Bye!" (Slams door on his face)
Seriously, there is no way they can enforce this law. It's stupid. I'm going to have to call them up so no one will come out. I'm going to tell them he ran away. I'll say we tried to file a missing cat report, but the cops wouldn't let us. So we just gave up, and we hope he comes back to us someday. Poor Fluff. Then maybe I'll cry.
Posted by March at 10:23 PM | Comments (0)
Dave Thomas Rolling in His Grave
So a few weeks ago Jennifer and I went to Wendy's and were greatly surprised by a change in their menu. When you "Biggie" size your meal, you no longer get the "Great Biggie" fries, but rather just the "Biggie" fries that used to come with the meal by default. Jennifer and I usually get the "Great Biggie" fries and then share them.
They didn't bother announcing this change, of course, because nobody really wants to send out a press release alerting customers to the fact that they now have the luxury of paying 49 cents extra for what used to be included in the meal.
The crew member who took our order explained the change to us, though only after we asked if he actually "Biggie-sized" the meal. All of this I could live with. What is absurd about the whole thing is that we were then told that we couldn't GET the "Great Biggie" fries with our meal. They had to be ordered seperately. We couldn't just "Great Biggie-size" our meal.
So basically Wendy's is not only giving me less food for the same price, but they are actually eliminating the possibility that I pay more so I can eat what I like.
This is the last straw, as far as Wendy's is concerned. They got rid of my favorite sandwich. They serve Coke (except for in one store I found in Oregon.) And now you can't even get "Great Biggie" fries with your meal. I have for quite some time only gone to Wendy's for Jennifer, ever since they screwed up their grilled chicken sandwich, and made it so I couldn't even custom order it like it used to be.
I don't know if Wendy's is just trying to be healthy, or if they're trying to cut costs, or if they're just idiots, but no matter the reasons, Wendy's gets a big thumbs down in my book.
Speaking of fingers, doesn't this seem like the exact kind of thing you would want to AVOID after someone finds a finger in your chili? I mean, I know she planted it there, but still, you want to bring customers back into your stores, not drive them away.
Dave Thomas must be rolling in his grave.
Also see: http://www.thedustin.com/archive/2005/07/27/7808
Posted by March at 09:49 AM | Comments (0)
August 07, 2005
Fluff's New Friend
I've been hearing a strange growling noise over the past half-hour or so. I couldn't figure out what it was for the longest time... but I was lying in bed reading and hadn't really given it much thought. They've been doing construction on the QFC next door, so strange noises in the middle of the night are commonplace.
But finally I had to look, so I pulled open the bedroom curtain, and saw a big, panting dog. He was sitting there, staring at Fluff. And Fluff was nervously staring back. It really shocked me a little at first, because we live on the second floor of an apartment complex that does not allow big dogs, and up until very recently did not allow dogs at all.
So I don't know where he came from, but it seems Fluff has made himself a new friend, even if Fluff doesn't find him so friendly. They've been staring at each other for the last half hour.
Comments are open in case you're interested.
Posted by March at 02:21 AM | Comments (2)
August 01, 2005
A Cyclist Was Struck Here... well... Sort of!
A group calling itself Ghostcycle has placed 40 bicycles around Seattle, painting them a ghostly gray, and hanging signs on them that say "A cyclist was struck here."
They are there to raise awareness of bicycle/automobile accidents, but at first glance they appear to be very misleading. Here are some of the horrific stories behind the GHOST cycles!!! We'll start with Ghost Cycle #1!
Approached intersection of 9th Ave. and Columbia, noted car in opposite direction signalling left turn. Car was at stop while in intersection, so I proceeded through. Car then rapidly accelerated to make left turn.... I locked up my brakes and slid into the front right fender-panel of vehicle and then flipped onto hood of car leaving bicycle. Vehicle also stopped immediately prior to impact. Driver paid for replacement wheel.
A ghost cycle gives me the impression that the rider is DEAD! But apparently not so. Still, at least this particular story is kind of scary.
But the story of Ghost Cycle #2 is even scarier.
the truck sped accross 8th, blowing off their stop sign. I didn't have one. Driver didn't see me and I had to swerve, causing me to wreck into the curb. Driver kept going so I caught him at the light and told him what happened and that he was at fault. He called me a 'pu**y' and drove away.
Horrific! The bicyclist hit a CURB. Apparently you don't have to actually be STRUCK by a vehicle, just scared by one, even if the sign says otherwise. And even worse, the driver of the truck was WUDE!
Ghost Cycle #4 didn't make any contact with a vehicle either.
heading down 45th. preparing to take a right onto roosevelt when a car behind me sped up and then pushed me off the road (almost hit me). i flew up onto the curb to avoid being struck by the car.
And listen to the atrocious behavior one automobile driver engaged in with Ghost Cycle #5!
i ran into the back of a car while going down the hill. the car in front of the car i hit was going to turn right, but then stopped, causing the car i hit to stop suddenly and i couldn't stop in time and there was no escape route, so i hit the car.
That's right. The car in front of this person STOPPED and the bicyclist HIT THE CAR! First off, my guess is that when push comes to shove, a 25lb bike is probably going to stop a lot faster than a 3000lb car. Plus, the car even has brake lights to warn you. But either way, whose fault is this? It's not the fault of the auto driver.
GhostCycle #22 actually has a story that doesn't involve a car whatsoever.
There is a very subtle curb that is rimmed with metal. Do not try to jump this curb, especially when it is raining and you are on a road bike
I applaud trying to improve road conditions for bikes (I guess) but what was the bike struck by? The problem here is that some people , especially members of the "reality-based" community, believe it's all right to stretch the truth in order to get a point across. Sometimes it's okay to outright lie. But see, when that happens, the point is lost. Instead of bringing attention to the plight of bicyclists, some of these people just end up looking like whiners. The site does have plenty of other actual accidents, even a few where people have to be taken to the ER. But I guess in today's world, being called a bad name is just as bad as fracturing a bone... we can't discriminate between them. Maybe we ought to though.
Comments are open for this article.
Posted by March at 10:38 PM | Comments (0)