Author Archives: Michael Froomkin

Overkill

Posted on October 9, 2012 by Michael Froomkin

Barack Obama approved this message? Really?

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A Different Way to Spend a New York Minute

Posted on October 9, 2012 by Michael Froomkin

I was recently in New York, and encountered this sign as I was walking about.

Rhett was being groomed next to the sign and he was indeed a handsome specimen but even so I thought the idea of renting a dog for $1/minute was a bit strange.

On the other hand, my local guide had a different view: $60/ hour is cheap! Therapists charge much more per hour!

Posted in Completely Different | 1 Comment

Obama to Campaign at UMiami on Thursday

Posted on October 8, 2012 by Michael Froomkin

President Obama is coming back to U. Miami to speak at the Bank United Center here on campus this Thurday. Doors open at 1pm, the event should start just before 3:30:

PRESIDENT OBAMA TO CAMPAIGN IN CORAL GABLES, FLORIDA

CHICAGO— On Thursday, October 11, President Obama will deliver remarks at a grassroots event in Coral Gables, Florida at the BankUnited Center at the University of Miami.

While in Florida, President Obama will continue to speak directly to voters about his vision for an economy that grows from the middle out, not the top down, and discuss his detailed plan for restoring middle-class economic security by creating jobs, expanding opportunity and ensuring our economy is built to last. He will continue to underscore the clear contrast between himself and Mitt Romney, who has grown increasingly misleading in how he talks about his own plans – because he knows his policies would take us backward and are extremely unpopular with middle class families.

Actually, when you stop and think about it, what are the signature Obama domestic policy proposals for his next term? There’s an end to the Bush tax cuts for the top 4% (families with incomes over $250,000). There’s the Grand Bargain to cut Social Security, but they are not talking about that. Continue to roll out Obamacare. There are plans to spend a bit more on new energy sources, on teachers, maybe some cops. But there are actually surprisingly few Obama domestic promises for next term other than not letting Mitt Romney destroy the economy, undo health care, trash civil rights for gay people, and further inflate the defense budget beyond the high levels we already enjoy.

There is one major Obama promise on foreign policy: end the war in Afghanistan. Romney’s position appears to be that he’ll formulate a position within a 100 days of taking office.

Posted in 2012 Election | 1 Comment

Elegantly Done

Posted on October 8, 2012 by Michael Froomkin

Making Light: Chupacabra

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The Grand Finale (Probably)

Posted on October 8, 2012 by Michael Froomkin

At about 9am, a big truck pulls up outside my house.

The other truck is AWOL, but the guys on this team decide to go it alone. Four guys wouldn’t fit on my staircase anyway, one of them says.


A bit after 9:30 the other team arrives. Apparently they had to go back en route to pick up an extra mattress, and didn’t get the call from the first team not to bother showing up.

So everyone pitches in and is busy screwing things in.

One piece goes in backwards at first, but they quickly get it right.

And by 10am….I have a treadmill:

I haven’t gotten a new bill yet, though, so perhaps this isn’t quite the last chapter….

[Next: The Consumerist]

Previously:

Posted in Shopping | 6 Comments

A Quick Dispatch from the Treadmill Front

Posted on October 8, 2012 by Michael Froomkin

Where is my treadmill?A different Sears bot called last night to say we should expect delivery of our treadmill between 8am and 9am today. Last night we moved the dining table and the heavy sofa to clear a path to the staircase; this morning we made the bed so the room would look nice for the delivery people.

Yesterday I also got an email from Sears.com telling me they were refunding my payment.

Dear Sears Customer, 
 
Thank you for your order with sears.com!
 
In regard to order number ##########, a credit in the amount of $#####.## was issued to your account today.  This credit was issued because of your cancelled order.  We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. 
 
This credit should be viewable by your financial institution within 72 hours.  If you have any questions, please contact your financial institution after that period to verify receipt of the credit to your account. Please note, your financial institution may have processing guidelines for posting credits that may impact the time it takes for the credit to be reflected in your balance.
 
If you have any comments or questions, please e-mail us at order@customerservice.sears.com or call us at 1-800-283-6940.  We hope you visit us again soon at www.sears.com. 
 
Sincerely, 
Karla G.
Sears Online Customer Care

(It’s odd that no one at Sears seems to have last names.)

I took this to mean that Sears has no other way to book what it sees as an ‘exchange’ of my non-existent treadmill for an actually existing one – that thing the rest of us call ‘delivery’. And I presume that I’ll have to sign a new credit card slip for the new treadmill when they deliver it.

This morning around 8:10 – just about when the other bot used to call – a human phoned to say they’d actually be here between 9am and 9:30.

I’m still hoping that the end may be in sight.

[Next installment: The Grand Finale (Probably)]

Previously:

Posted in Shopping | 1 Comment