The Chinese drink very little

Paul & Nome Van Middlesworth, The Computer Factory www. thecomputerfactory.net "San Diego's Best Computer Store 2015-2020" Union Tribune readers poll

Technology, manipulation and how to survive. Part I

They contacted us by E mail asking for a price on a desktop PC. They provided a complete and comprehensive list of components that appeared to be aimed at creating a relatively high end gamer PC in the fifteen hundred dollar range. We emailed a quote to them with some follow-up questions. Their user applications seemed to be at odds with the complexity of the system they were asking us to build, so we invited them in for a face to face design conference.

They were a very nice retired couple. The wife had taken on the project of sourcing a replacement for their aging home PC. To develop a specification

Chuckles Cont. from Page 11

longer; that's like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer? Take a nap.

Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables?

A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does a cow eat? Hay and corn. And what are these? Vegetables. So a steak is nothing more than an efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system. Need grain? Eat chicken. Beef is also a good source of field grass (green leafy vegetable). And a pork chop can give you 100% of your recommended daily allowance of vegetable products.

Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake?

A: No, not at all. Wine is made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine, that means they take the water out of the fruity bit so you get even more of the goodness that way. Beer is also made out of grain. Bottoms up!

Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?

A: Well, if you have a body and you have fat, your ratio is one to one. If you have two bodies, your ratio is two to one, etc.

Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle?

A: Definitely not! When you

for their replacement PC she spent hours doing research on the Internet. She also talked, texted and chatted with sales personnel in the “big box” stores and Internet service providers. Her diligence was admirable and it was plain to see that both she and her husband were proud of her efforts and new knowledge.

The problem is that without a fundamental understanding how computer capabilities relate to actual needs, she was at the mercy of the equipment and service sales personnel whose job it is to maximize sales revenue. The result was a very expensive and powerful computer system, a massive and wasteful overkill for their applications. Cox convinced them to sign up for “Gigablast” ultra high speed (1.0Gbit) Internet, a feature costing over a thousand dollars a year and providing absolutely no benefit for their specific requirements. We invited them to start over and let us help them develop a specification that fits their needs. They’re thinking about it. This is simply one example of how evolving technology has made it difficult for consumers to determine what products actually meet their specific needs. It also illustrates the point that product marketing efforts are aimed at hyping profits rather than meeting consumer needs, “caveat emptor” is truer today than it was in ancient Rome.

In the past hundred years we have evolved from an economy in which consumers bought products they understood from dealers they knew, to an economy where consumers purchase products they don’t understand from anonymous sources. Mid-century TV and radio marketing of consumer products from RCA, Westinghouse,

exercise a muscle, it gets bigger. You should only be doing sit-ups if you want a bigger stomach.

Q: Is chocolate bad for me?

A: Are you crazy? HELLO Cocoa beans! Another vegetable! It's the best feel-good food around!

Q: Is swimming good for your figure?

A: If swimming is good for your figure, explain whales to me.

Well, I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had about food and diets.

And remember: 'Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - Chardonnay in one hand - chocolate in the other - body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming 'WOO HOO, What a Ride' •••• TWO. DIET & LIFE EXPECTANCY

For those of you who watch what you eat, here's the final word on nutrition and health. It's a relief to know the truth after all those conflicting nutritional studies. 1. The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans. 2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans. 3. The Chinese drink very little

GE, Pillsbury, Kodak, General Mills Procter and Gamble, Ford, Chevy, Chrysler and many other “trusted sources” emphasized the easily understood benefits of their products and services. Advertising was, for the most part, primarily used to inform the customer of the competitive features of the product. We felt like they were on our side.

These days the features, functions and services provided by consumer electronics and communication companies are simply too complicated or technical to be understood by the average consumer. There is an old saying in the marketing industry “You don’t sell the steak, you sell the sizzle.” That means when selling complex multi-featured products, it’s a lot easier to create a favorable “vibe” for the product by emphasizing something simple and positive associ ated with the pro duct. They know that very few consumers actually dig d eep enough into the fea tures of competing produ cts to make rational buying d ecisions. Today’s mar keting is based on emo tion. If they can make you feel good about their pro duct or service, they can get you to bu y it. After they sign you up they face two more problems. First, how to keep you as a paying customer and second, how to minimize the cost of customer support without pissing you off.

Here in San Diego we have several large National service providers. Sprint, Verizon, AT&T, SDGE, Cox, Spectrum and Dish to name a few. We all use one or more of them. Next week we will discuss their products and tactics and how we can help keep their service costs in line.

red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans. 4. The Italians drink a lot of red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans... 5. The Germans drink a lot of beer and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

CONCLUSION:Eat and drink what you like. Speaking English is apparently what kills you. •••• WARNING: If you get an email titled "Nude photo of Nancy Pelosi" don't open it. It contains a nude photo of Nancy Pelosi. •••• Double Standard . . .

When a girl gets a vibrator... it's seen as a bit of naughty fun.

BUT When a guy orders a 240 Volt LuckMaster Pro 5000 blowup latex doll with 6 speed pulsator, elasticized collection tray, together with optional built in orgasm scream surround sound system... he's called a pervert!

To place Legal Ads Call The Paper 760.747.7119

Social Butterfly Cont. from Page 8

mental stimuli. Zoom meeting links will be sent the morning of the session. Designed for puppies up to 16 weeks of age. Cost: Free

Puppy Preschool, Virtual Classroom, Tuesday, July 7 at 6:30pm, and Saturday, July 11 at 10am. Puppy Preschool is a 6- week program designed to meet the training and socialization needs of puppies under 16 weeks of age. Owners and their pups learn to adapt to new people, dogs, environments, and experiences. Cost: $170.

For Kittens: Kitten Socialization in Isolation; Virtual Classroom, Every Sunday at noon. Kindergarten (and the associated playtime) has been postponed, but socialization windows wait for no virus. Join Community Training Coordinator Juliette Nash for a 30-minute chat packed with socialization techniques and tips for kittens in isolation. We'll use a kitten socialization checklist as a guide and some thinking outside the box to find ways to work on socializing our kittens while at home. We'll also spend a few minutes discussing topics such as training tips, enrichment ideas, tips for building good habits and general behavior tips. Designed for kittens up to 17 weeks of age. Zoom meeting links will be sent the morning of the session. Cost: Free

For Dogs: Level 1, Marvelous Manners; Virtual Classroom, Saturday, July 11, 11:30am; Monday, July 13, 3pm; Friday, July 17, 6:30pm; and Wednesday, July 29, at 6pm. This 6-week introductory-level class will teach you the basics of positive reinforcement training techniques while your dog learns good doggie behaviors.