High gas prices? Fugettaboutit!
This was bound to happen sooner or later. Some very skilled criminals decided to cut out the middle man and set their own gas prices. How does $10 a tank sound? That’s how much people were lining up to pay at one gas station in Baltimore recently. Only problem is the gas station didn’t get any of the money from this deal. Turns out these high tech freedom fighters criminals rigged the pumps so they didn’t report back to the cashier inside the store. I’m not sure how the thieves managed to accept payment without store management noticing that cars were lined up along the highway yet nobody was pumping any gas. All in all the gas guzzlers got away with 2,800 gallons of gas (roughly $8,100 worth). Let’s say an average car holds 20 gallons of gas (mine holds 12). That would mean that 140 cars filled their entire tank before the store even noticed. If the gas station is correct on their guess that the petrol parsers were reselling the gas for $20 a gallon, this heist would have netted $2800. Not too bad for a few hours work. Due to the intricate planning that must have gone into this and the lack of interest from Baltimore’s finest, one can suspect that “the family” had something to do with it. Maybe it’s not really over for the little guy Patsy…
Source: TheWBALChannel.com
Movie theaters fail Economics 101
Have you been to a movie theater lately? Neither have I. In fact, I think the last movie I went to see at the theaters was a pre-screening of Serenity last year. One of the main reasons that I skip out on the big screen experience these days is that while ticket prices are increasing, the customer’s ROI is rapidly declining. Think about what you get for that $8 ticket price (here in Atlanta). You get on average 20 minutes of ads and previews before your movie actually begins. I’m not a rocket science or anything but don’t the big 3 networks offer television for free with about 20 minutes worth of commercials per one hour show? I know their show’s don’t have multi-million dollar budgets but it seems that the ticket prices are increasing along with the total number of ads before the show.
You really can’t drive 55
Many people don’t know (or care) that the speed limit around the Atlanta perimeter is a snail-paced 55MPH. If you’ve driven 285 (outside of rush hour), cars are whizzing by you at 20 miles over the imposed speed limit. The only way to safely drive this trek is to keep up with traffic and break the law. A group of students from GSU recently took life into their own hands by seeing what would happen if they created a “rolling road block” and forced traffic to flow at the intended 55mph speed limit. Warning: Don’t try this in your city.
ULM buries the hatchet
It’s a sad day for Indians everywhere. No, the US Government hasn’t annexed tribal land or brought jobs back from India. Something else is going on that has hit close to home. Yesterday, I received a letter from ULM informing all alumni that Indian mascots across the country are facing extinction. The last I had heard about this issue before leaving Monroe was that ULM had the support of the Coushatta tribe and shouldn’t have a problem keeping their namesake. Well it appears that the NCAA thinks otherwise. They fired back at ULM saying “. . .while the support of the Coushatta Tribe would likely be sufficient to endorse the university’s use of the official tribal name (Coushatta), it does not suffice as an endorsement of the use of the generic term “Indian.” What does this mean for ULM? Well if they would like to continue playing NCAA teams, they’re going to have to pick a new mascot and namesake. They are forming a Mascot Committee to come up with a new mascot. What suggestions would you give if you were on that committee? How about the Loafers since there’s nothing to do in Monroe except for loafing? Nobody takes our football team seriously anyway so why not name them the Fighting Nurses (ULM is known for their nursing program after all)? There’s always the ULM Rednecks! That should keep the university safe until the redneck population takes offence to being exploited by the likes of Jeff Foxworthy and Larry the Cable Guy and we’re right back where we started.
Atlanta has a new anthem
Well it seems that I moved to Atlanta just in time for the city to unveil its branding campaign. I guess Atlanta needed a “brand” because someone thought that there were people that still didn’t know that Atlanta existed. Let’s start with the logo. Kudos for highlighting the ATL portion of the city’s name because not everyone has flown through Hartsfield Jackson Airport or listened to a hip-hop song. I do find the hurricane-like circle consuming the “ATL” a little disturbing.
Apparently every big city needs a theme song. Cleveland has “Cleveland Rocks”, New York has “New York, New York”, heck even Las Vegas has one (Viva Las Vegas). For so long, Atlanta has been missing something. While some may say the city needs a solution to its traffic and smog problem, others felt it necessary to come up with a theme song. The branding committee picked a rapper who, by name alone, proved he knew a thing or two about cities. Dallas Austin wrote, produced, and “sang” a song he called “the ATL.” Most of this song is incoherent nonsense that sounds like he is talking in tongues. Anyone that’s ever listened to a Mariah Carey or Whitney Houston song will know what I’m talking about. I thought the purpose behind the theme song was to highlight Atlanta’s diversity in music. Aren’t there already enough hip-hop songs that mention the ATL or A-Town? I know Lil Jon can’t stop talking about us. Give this clip a listen and tell me if you agree that this song focuses on only one part of Atlanta.
