tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4030302224466815737Thu, 19 Sep 2024 13:01:16 +0000419Doris SalcedoEOCCIvory CoastNew Years ResolutionSierra LeoneUrs Fisherartbabiesbarakbreaking promisescelebrity endordementforeclosurefraudgallerieshousing crisisindia call centerkeeping promiseslost benefitsmortgage crisismortgage ratesobamaoprahout sourcingoutsourcingphishingphoneypolar bear clubretirescam. Nigeriashort term thinkingsuckerteaser mortgagesweirdChronicling the precipitous decline of common sense in our times and casual observations on the often bizarre outcomes of politically correct solicitousness.http://declineandfallofcommonsense.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Ed McCormick)Blogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4030302224466815737.post-4424602207446616967Tue, 01 Jan 2008 18:42:00 +00002008-01-01T14:39:49.789-05:00breaking promiseskeeping promisesNew Years Resolutionpolar bear clubYouth is when you're allowed to stay up late on New Year's Eve. Middle age is when you're forced to. Then it comes down to us older folks who go to bed before midnight as I did last night. But it was not before thinking about whether I should jot down a New Year’s resolution or two on the pad on the night table. During the last few years I gave up on resolutions and began to look forward to http://declineandfallofcommonsense.blogspot.com/2008/01/humilating-new-years-resolution.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Ed McCormick)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4030302224466815737.post-5924635913216409660Sun, 30 Dec 2007 23:43:00 +00002008-01-01T10:20:04.138-05:00419fraudIvory Coastphishingscam. NigeriaSierra LeonesuckerAs 2007 comes to a close I suppose I should be grateful for the many opportunities I have been offered by total strangers to pocket millions of dollars for very little work. I estimate that I have received three or four such opportunities a week this year. Each email spins a story more grand and with a more perilous and tragic story than the next. At an average of ten million dollars per offer http://declineandfallofcommonsense.blogspot.com/2007/12/opportunity-to-earn-2-billion-snubbed.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Ed McCormick)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4030302224466815737.post-5183757967956113595Sun, 30 Dec 2007 00:41:00 +00002008-01-01T13:04:00.764-05:00artDoris SalcedogalleriesphoneyUrs FisherweirdThis year two major pieces of art at galleries in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 />London and New York City were basically holes in the floors of the buildings, yet were the subjects of glowing reviews. Doris Salcedo's "Shibboleth," a large crack in the floor of a hall at London's Tate Modern By the way 15 people have suffered minor injuries after tripping. The piece is said to symbolize racial andhttp://declineandfallofcommonsense.blogspot.com/2007/12/holey-art-being-and-nothingness.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Ed McCormick)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4030302224466815737.post-5380895506552977836Sat, 29 Dec 2007 01:00:00 +00002008-01-01T10:45:51.810-05:00barakcelebrity endordementobamaoprah Last night’s LA times had an insightful article (written by Tina Daunt, Cause Célèbre) on celebrity endorsements and the growing number of Oprah's fans that are fuming from her Obama endorsement. They didn’t use ‘backlash’ but that is the term that best fits.One posting on her website, Oprah.com, accused the talk diva of being a traitor. By Thursday, that message string had attracted more than http://declineandfallofcommonsense.blogspot.com/2007/12/oprah-allow-us-voters-to-form-our-own.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Ed McCormick)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4030302224466815737.post-253120419816863953Fri, 28 Dec 2007 06:32:00 +00002008-01-01T11:23:01.571-05:00babiesEOCClost benefitsretireJonathan Swift’s, A Modest Proposal suggested that the cure for England’s over population problem was to eat all the babies. That was a satirical essay. But it was taken as true by some in its day. . . as humorous as this next revelation sounds though it IS true . . . it’s actually the law of the land now.In essence, this week’s EOCC ruling from our nation's capital confirms that employers can http://declineandfallofcommonsense.blogspot.com/2007/12/jonathan-swifts-immodest-proposal.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Ed McCormick)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4030302224466815737.post-7009385749996748979Thu, 27 Dec 2007 14:29:00 +00002008-01-01T11:35:17.547-05:00india call centerout sourcingoutsourcingshort term thinkingThe other day I called Elizabeth Gas, our local utility to turn on the heat at our Newton, NJ warehouse. To my surprise, I heard a seemingly familiar accented voice on the other end, similar to the one that I had just hung up with trying to solve a software problem earlier that morning. Which didn't happen. So my ear was tuned in.I had to know.“Am I calling India?” I asked.“Yes sir,” the polite http://declineandfallofcommonsense.blogspot.com/2007/12/turning-on-heat-ultimate-outsourcing.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Ed McCormick)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4030302224466815737.post-5575246742220502500Thu, 27 Dec 2007 07:42:00 +00002008-01-01T11:38:59.376-05:00foreclosurehousing crisismortgage crisismortgage ratesteaser mortgagesDear Fox News,Aren’t you contributing to the mortgage crisis by accepting teaser rate mortgage loan ads on your web site? This is what started the financial crisis in the first place.The heading says Mortgage Rates for 4.65%. The actual APR is over 7.75% with a possible 1% increase every six months. A real bargain? I calulate that is an actual 66.7% over the rate in the headline. (7.75-4.65=3.1 http://declineandfallofcommonsense.blogspot.com/2007/12/fox-news-encourages-illegal-aliens.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Ed McCormick)0