What Year is it?

As I write this it is not even halfway through January 2006. I just saw a commercial for a vehicle from an American auto maker.It was for the 2007 model of one of their vehicles. I found it hard to believe. We just started 2006 and they are releasing 2007 vehicles? I found that a bit odd.

I remember the new model year vehicles would come out around October. Years later the new models started coming out in the summer. Now the new models come out almost a year ahead. I wonder how long it will be before the new vehicles come out a year and a half early.

I sit and wonder if 50 years from now, will they release the 2058 models in January of 2056?

I can sort of understand what is happening. The auto makers are trying to get a leg up on the competition. They are racing to get the new models out before their competitors. I don't think that is a problem but I think they are now getting ahead of themselves. I think they should spend less time being first and more time being best. Spend more time perfecting the technology rather than being the first to release electric doors or electric folding seats. I think it says a lot about Americans as a whole when we need electric folding seats but that is a topic for another time.

In the quest to be the first to release a vehicle with a new gizmo or gadget, they are putting stuff into the vehicles without enough testing. If they put a little more into research and development there would be less recalls. I can't help comparing the automakers to software developers. Everytime a new version of software comes out there will soon be bug fixes. The people that buy the software feel like they are beta testers. I feel that anyone that buys a new model vehicle is beta testing the vehicle. I don't think it is right for someone to spend a years salary for a car and have to beta test the car.

Donation Gatherers

Something many people don't know is when you get a phone call asking for donations, that call is from a company that is hired to raise money. These comapnies can make a lot of money for themselves and the group who buys the service. In one way this is a good idea. It saves the groups from having round up volunteers to make the calls. I don't like the idea that hired company makes large sum of money. I just read about one company that raised over a million dollars. From that million the group was given about one hundred seventy five thousand. That is a lot of money that the group did not see. I can't help but wonder what happened to the rest of the money.

One thing that really makes me wonder id a new tactic they use to get money. The phone rings and you answer. You are told that they are calling from the group in need of money. They are actually calling on behalf of the group and not from the group. Next they ask if you are willing to make a donation. If you tell them you are willing to donate ten dollars, they tell you it is not enough. They say they can accept fifteen twenty five or thirty five dollars. If you tell them you can not afford those amounts they hang up. I think that is stupid. Now instead of the ten dollars you were willing to give, they get nothing. Does that seem right to you? Because they are getting greedy they are getting nothing. I think if you are looking for a hand out you should accept anything offered.

Random Thoughts

What Year is it?

Donation Gatherers