Sunday, July 17, 2005

Reading the paper

Frank Rich's column on the political underpinnings of Comeuppancegate (JT's coinage) is a good one. Are we really approaching the point at which Rove falls on his sword and takes his pasty head elsewhere?

Based on this article, I don't think I'll be buying that hybrid Honda Accord I've been craving. The more upscale hybrids, apparently, use that electric motor to kick performance up a notch, offering only minimal improvements in fuel efficiency. I want a responsive V6 engine that gets me up to highway speed effortlessly, and I want to be green. Honda pretended I could have that with the hybrid Accord, but dammit, I will probably have to choose between being truly green and having kickass performance. Why? Why can't I have it all? Can I blame Detroit?

Speaking of cars, you've heard of viral marketing. The automaker who made my current car (a 2000 model that was quite a hottie when it was new—I'm such a hipster, don't you know) has redesigned the car for 2006, and they're trying a viral marketing thing to promote it. Later this month, they will deliver a 2006 car to me for a 24-hour test drive. They're hoping that I will love it and rave about it to everyone I know, trendsetter that I am. Back in the day, I raved about the 2000 model without even being asked. Now that they're doing intentional rather than natural viral marketing, will it work? You'll find out in a couple weeks if suddenly I start raving about some new car that's not out yet. Uh-oh. What if they give me a four-cylinder instead of my beloved V6? If they do that, they'll be antiviral.

How come my corner of the blogosphere never heard about this? Teenage blogger tells his folks he's gay, and they send him to straight reeducation camp. The camp rules include no Internet and no TV ('cause we all know how gay TV is), so he hasn't posted since he arrived there. Blog people, keep me posted if you hear what happens when he finishes the program, will you? Thanks.

Let me do a little volunteer viral marketing here. This article is about the hoops PC users must jump through to prevent and remove computer viruses, malware, and other crap from mucking up their systems. A couple people they interviewed bought new computers to start fresh; one woman selected a pricey Apple laptop. "She is instituting new rules to keep her home computer virus-free. 'I've modified my behavior. I'm not letting my friends borrow my computer,' she said, after speculating that the indiscriminate use of the Internet by her and her friends had led to the infection problems." Hello? People? It's a Mac. All she has to do it use it like she used to use her PC back in the day, and she should have no problems. All that malware/spyware/virus crap is targeted at the Windows operating system. Nowhere does this article mention that Apple users are virtually immune to these problems. I've used my current G5 Mac for about 18 months, I've taken no special precautions or actions, and I've had no trouble. It's lovely, really.

Can you tell my kid's still asleep? Leisurely reading and writing time, ahhhhhhhh.

2 comments:

thenutfantastic said...

So what's wrong with the Accord Hybrid? Honda's are generally 4cyc bc they kick ass anyway. It's when an engine is carborated that there is no pickup but a Hybrid doesn't have to worry about that.

I keep going back and forth between a Prius and an Accord. I have at least a year to figure that out so we'll see.

Anonymous said...

OMG! Thank you for this.