My Blog
Classy Action Free Money
Monday, February 26, 2007 at 5:55 pm
It's not every day that you get a check in the mail and did almost nothing to get it, and don't remember anything. Apparently, about 4 years ago, I filled a form out online and joined a class action lawsuit against the music CD industry. Apparently, this lawsuit succeeded, and they mailed me a check to my address in 2004 - which was returned as undeliverable. Three years later, they got a court order to look up my address (and the other undeliverables) and sent me a check for $13.86.
I don't have any idea what the details are. I'm looking now... Well...apparently a bunch of companies conspired together to artificially raise the prices of CD's all at the same time. Sounds good to me. I'm gonna go buy something.
Moonlight Sonata
Tuesday, January 16, 2007 at 9:00 pm
When you think Playtex, do you think Beethoven? Apparently their advertising agency does. In the commercial for their new "Playtex Sport" line of products, they use a that song sounds just like a hip-hopped up version of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata. I'm still in shock, but there's no doubt - watch the commercial for yourself.
SPAM Veggie Pita Pockets
Thursday, January 04, 2007 at 11:08 pm
I have a secondary email address at GMail, and I'm used to their advertisements. This is something new. I went to my junk mail folder, and at the top, was a rotating list of SPAM recipes! That's about the craziest thing I've seen all day. So...without further ado... SPAM Veggie Pita Pockets
Borders Rewards
Saturday, December 23, 2006 at 7:36 pm
Last time that I went to a Borders bookstore, I signed up for a Borders Rewards card. The basic deal is that you give them free marketing research by letting them track all your purchases, and then in return they give you tiny discounts that you never take advantage of.
That is, until today. David had accidentally kept my camera's memory card until after he flew back home for Christmas. He gave me the ok, and I decided to break into his apartment and take it back so I could have it this weekend. It took me about 30 seconds to slide in my Borders Rewards card behind the latch and his door just popped right open. I have to admit, that's far more reward than I ever expected out of the card. And I was lucky to have it, too. I would never have risked my credit or debit card - it was my only other plastic card!
The moral of the story? Rewards come in many forms.
God Will Provide
Monday, November 20, 2006 at 8:00 pm
Last week I found out that I had paid my credit card bill 5 days early (one that I'm using to pay for my laptop at 0%). Five days early, of course, means that I technically missed a payment. I didn't receive any mail, and the cheap non-human phone calls to tell me about my plight were unable to press 1 to speak with me. When I called about something else, I was informed that my interest rate was now 32% and not 0%, and that I also owed interest, a late fee, and a month's payment. I was able to take care of that, and pay the bill and it was resolved rather quickly, including my interest rate. That led me to a cash flow problem. In just a few days, I would be paying my rent and I was $108 short according to my bank account.
I've been in similar situations before. Sure I think, "What can I do?" but I always find myself wondering "What's God going to do this time?" See, most of these seemingly impossible situations get resolved in seemingly impossible ways. I knew it. Even though I'd been waiting 5 months for 1 mail-in rebate, and 3 months for another, they added up to exactly how much I needed. I decided on Friday that I would be getting those rebates on monday. I checked online - my Vonage rebate had been mailed to my old address on October 31. My AT&T Rebate had apparently been mailed that week! Still, how do two rebates, one going through standard mail, and one going through mail forwarding arrive at the same time?
Well, today is monday and both checks were in my mailbox - almost no surprise to me. Even optimists are going to say this is more than coincidence. I'm going to say that this seems to be what always happens when I'm in trouble.
P.S. And of course, some would say it's an act of God when rebate checks even arrive at all!
