http://ravuya.ballofdoom.com/blog/index.php Where logic goes into a compiler, then dies. en ravuya@ballofdoom.com Copyright 2009 Pivot Pivot - 1.40.1: 'Dreadwind' Fri, 20 Feb 2009 17:05:12 -0800 60 http://ravuya.ballofdoom.com/blog/pivot/entry.php?id=87 http://ravuya.ballofdoom.com/blog/pivot/entry.php?id=87#comm
I picked out a base model Saab 9-3 Sport Combi, which I've always felt is egregiously overpriced, but GM's website says they will give me between a $5500 and $7000 "delivery allowance" since I am a good Canadian citizen and buying a car from Canada instead of getting it from the States, which a sane human being would do. I send off my quote.

This is where you, if you're a Canadian car dealer, might want to pay attention:

1. I am asking you for a quote because I want you to beat the MSRP.
2. I am asking you for a quote on the specific model because I want that specific model and probably have figured out what I want from a car.
3. For some reason, I am buying a Swedish-made American-supported car. This means I might be insane.

What does the local Saab dealer do? They send me an email in 16-point red Comic Sans, telling me that they received my "inquirey" and then telling me about the car I just told them to quote. Then they give me a price $2000 over MSRP and include erroneous information about options I didn't request.

If anyone from GM is reading this (if, in fact, you can read) you might want to clue in your dealerships a bit. ]]> 87@http://ravuya.ballofdoom.com/blog/pivot/ default Fri, 20 Feb 2009 17:04:00 -0800 http://ravuya.ballofdoom.com/blog/pivot/entry.php?id=86 http://ravuya.ballofdoom.com/blog/pivot/entry.php?id=86#comm
Anyway, in the interest of finally updating this blog, I figured I would share a story from one of my options this semester; it's the History of Totalitarianism and a lot of rather not-bright people are in it.

The professor is one of "those" young guys who like to talk informally and at length on a variety of topics; you can imagine that when he gets to around tenure age he'll be one of those old professors who can enunciate for hours on nothing at all. Anyway, in the course of his discussion, he told us to read the book 1984 if we hadn't, and shows us the infamous Big Brother poster from 1984. It's the one that says "BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU." I notice the girl next to me writing furiously. I look over at her page, and I see that she has written down "Read BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU."

This is the same class where some person behind me could not distinguish if an obvious Soviet propaganda film (replete with bourgeois caricatures stabbing a common working man to death with a parasol) was real newsreel footage of the October 1917 revolution or not, and proceeded to ask the professor if he liked Obama. ]]> 86@http://ravuya.ballofdoom.com/blog/pivot/ default Fri, 30 Jan 2009 22:26:00 -0800 http://ravuya.ballofdoom.com/blog/pivot/entry.php?id=85 http://ravuya.ballofdoom.com/blog/pivot/entry.php?id=85#comm stuff like this be allowed? Is it really a productive use of your tax dollars to provide people with the avenue to be a partisan slimeball? Perhaps I just don't "get" the purpose of Congress. ]]> 85@http://ravuya.ballofdoom.com/blog/pivot/ Politics Sat, 21 Jun 2008 22:54:00 -0800 http://ravuya.ballofdoom.com/blog/pivot/entry.php?id=84 http://ravuya.ballofdoom.com/blog/pivot/entry.php?id=84#comm a much-linked set of pictures of the new Toyota/Subaru RWD coupe. I think I've found my next next car.

The front end reminds me of the Prelude, for some reason, and the rear reminds me of the Legacy, two coupes which I really like, and I'm not even really into coupes all that much. Hopefully the weight and performance improvements also make it over to the mainline 'preza and Legacy. Performance belongs in a hot hatch, dammit. ]]> 84@http://ravuya.ballofdoom.com/blog/pivot/ Cars Wed, 04 Jun 2008 20:14:00 -0800 http://ravuya.ballofdoom.com/blog/pivot/entry.php?id=83 http://ravuya.ballofdoom.com/blog/pivot/entry.php?id=83#comm here is the forum thread that sussed it for me.

The Eee is pretty awesome. Go pick one up! ]]> 83@http://ravuya.ballofdoom.com/blog/pivot/ default Thu, 01 May 2008 18:06:00 -0800 http://ravuya.ballofdoom.com/blog/pivot/entry.php?id=82 http://ravuya.ballofdoom.com/blog/pivot/entry.php?id=82#comm should be coerced and bullied into not testifying. It sounds reasonable then that atheists also shouldn't be allowed to own land, or have children.

This is so far beyond politics, it's not even funny anymore. She should be in prison. ]]> 82@http://ravuya.ballofdoom.com/blog/pivot/ Politics Tue, 08 Apr 2008 12:06:00 -0800 http://ravuya.ballofdoom.com/blog/pivot/entry.php?id=81 http://ravuya.ballofdoom.com/blog/pivot/entry.php?id=81#comm
What the hell?

Well, at least someone else feels the same way I do. ]]> 81@http://ravuya.ballofdoom.com/blog/pivot/ Software Engineering Sun, 16 Mar 2008 18:21:00 -0800 http://ravuya.ballofdoom.com/blog/pivot/entry.php?id=80 http://ravuya.ballofdoom.com/blog/pivot/entry.php?id=80#comm Yesterday's news, today, brought to you soon by Microsoft. ]]> 80@http://ravuya.ballofdoom.com/blog/pivot/ default Fri, 07 Mar 2008 16:56:00 -0800