Stu's Rant Blog
Apr 12, 2009 - Brisbane City Council
Why have these morons (BCC) issued permits to the developers over the road to let them cut concrete at 10 pm. This is after last week where they were jack hammering between midnight and 2 am. I understand that we all must make sacrifices for 'Progress', but can't somebody else besides my two infant sons. I believe that Mr Newman has let the 'Lord' part of his honorary title go to his power hungry little head.
Feb 25, 2008 - Teenage Binge Drinking
There has been a lot of press lately about the number of teenagers that have been drinking to excess and seemingly getting out of control. They can't seem to agree on the exact statistics but apparently somewhere between 1 in 5 and 1 in 10 teenagers are getting drunk at least once a week (my guess would be even higher). This is a problem for our entire society. Have a look around at how we celebrate any event. There is always alcohol involved. How many prizes in competitions include wine? What gifts do suppliers at work give as tokens of appreciation? When you've booked a flash weekend away, ever gotten a complementary drink? It's on billboards, in magazines and on television. It is bloody everywhere. How do sporting teams celebrate a big Grand Final win? How do the stars celebrate the Oscars, or the Logies?
I'm not saying that there isn't a serious drinking problem amongst the young. I am saying that it is not just teens. It's all of us. Next time you are having a celebration, see if you can do it without a drink (being the designated driver doesn't count, try it even if you aren't). Do it a few times and you might start to enjoy yourself.
Jan 06, 2008 - In-Store Gift Cards
Michele & I went to the movies the other day. We would have been there right on time except for the fact that it was New Years day and every man and his dog decided to go to the movies. Eventually we got to the front of the line at the candy bar to buy our tickets and some popcorn. When we asked for the tickets to the session that was just starting, instead of getting them for us straight away, the woman serving decided to empty and refill the popcorn maker instead. As there were still buckets of popcorn in the machine, I was not very impressed. Finally she came back to finish serving us. I tried to pay with a Gift Card which I had in my wallet. She politely informed us that it had expired. This really, really did not go down too well. I wanted to jump the counter and grab her by the neck and yell into her face that she was a thief. Instead I fumed that it was OK and forked over the money.
I generally don't have a problem with gift cards. I think that they are a great idea for that 'hard-to-buy-a-present-for' type of person. The only thing that annoys me is the fact that they put an expiration date upon them. This is stealing. Plain and simple. These companies have taken money for a service that they will not provide.
So please don't let your Gift Cards expire.