What, no steak knives? Really cheap, Liberty Tax!

Even before I saw this commercial, I've always had a kind of morbid fascination with the Non-Existent 8 months out of the year company known as Liberty Tax.

First, like I said, this company seems to pop into existence around the first week of January only to vanish without a trace on April 15 and reappear again right after Christmas.  You can pretty much set your watch to seeing underpaid stooges*- some dressed in Statue of Liberty costumes- spinning arrows on the street, or those freaky wind sock creatures hypnotically beckoning you to come in and spend way too much on slap-and-dash tax preparation "services."

Second, it never fails to amaze me that anyone would think that Liberty Tax looks like a reputable business operation.  The "offices" are always located in rent-by-the-month buildings next to dollar stores or pawn shops.  I walked into one the other day (yes, every once in a while I actually do a little research for these posts) and saw that the entire setup consisted of two chairs, one desk (equipped with a laptop which appeared to be connected to the internet with a modem, no kidding) a starving artist Walmart-level painting over the desk, and a rug which could have used a good shampoo.  And you think "yep, these look like people I can trust with my money?"  Really?

Third, a quick trip to RipoffReport.com (one of my favorite sites) reveals HUNDREDS of complaints, all concerning hidden fees, inflated prices, inaccurate refund estimates, etc. etc.  Now, I suppose that the people who have access to RipoffReport.com also have access to cheap, safe, and professional tax preparers, so this criticism may be unfair- but jeesh, public libraries provide free internet access.  Is it so hard to do a little research when it comes to something as important as filing?

And then we have this commercial.  Refer a friend and get fifty bucks.  Refer more friends and get a DVD player.  Refer some more and get a big-screen TV.  Gifts in exchange for referrals- from a tax preparer?  Does this really sound on the level?  I mean, this isn't cable.  It's TAX PREPARATION.

Can I assume that most of the people who use Liberty Tax are new to the United States or very young and inexperienced, and just don't understand that tax filing is a bit more serious than buying a toaster?  Because I really don't understand how anyone of normal intelligence and some understanding of How Things Work could walk into one of these dumps because they saw a guy dressed like he should be in New York Harbor spinning a sign.  I mean, jeesh.  This is MONEY we're talking about.

*Didn't mean to be harsh here- times are tough, and work is work, and I must say that most of these guys seem to show real enthusiasm for their jobs, which makes me wonder if most of their pay isn't based on commission.

MetLife Family Values is measured in dollars and cents. Snoopy said so.

Two sisters barge into Idiot Clueless Parents house because they heard that dad got hurt doing something he's Not Supposed to Be Doing Because Come On He's Practically Dead For Chrissakes.

(I'm going to say right here that one of the sisters looks to be about mom's age- I'm not sure how that works- and the other one is really, really cute.  I mean really cute.  Preachy and insistent and know-it-allish, but really cute.  Ok, done now.)

Mom explains that Your Idiot Father (whose name is "Mr. Do It Yourself") was trying to commit suicide by cleaning the gutters when he slipped and fell and suffered an injury which will require that his arm is in a For Dramatic Effect sling when he sheepishly wanders downstairs to see what all the fuss is about I Was Trying To Take A Nap I'm An Old Man Dammit.  Homely Daughter and Really Cute Daughter (sorry, I just think she's really cute) display their Sigh Can't Turn Your Back On These People For A Minute looks, and I Am Not Sure I Buy That These Two Girls Are Related Non-Pretty Daughter finds a not-very-subtle way of asking if Mom and Dad have ever considered the possibility of maybe making it possible that the next bad accident be a financial windfall for the survivors.

Mom begs off- "getting insurance at our age can be hard..."  but not to worry, Daughter has the answer- "have you considered guaranteed acceptance coverage?"  Mom tries again- "but applying for insurance can be complicated..."  Daughter will not be denied- she's done her research, the Peanuts characters told her about MetLife, the cartoon music starts and Mom is reeled in for the kill by Seriously this Girl is Stunning Younger Daughter.

Dad shows up just in time to catch the tail end of the "lets plan on dad not surviving the next fall" conversation, and fifteen minutes later he and Mom have agreed to dedicate a large chunk of their fixed income to a company which will ease the pain of losing dad with a wad of cash.   Mission accomplished.  Now, back to the Ancient Aliens marathon.   Speaking of which- this show really lends itself to a great drinking game.  Chug a beer every time the narrator says "Ancient Astronaut Theorists."  You'll be bombed inside of half an hour.

The most awful 11 second commercial ever, courtesy of Hulu

Once again, I'm so grateful I got married before the age of cell phones.  I'm pretty sure I would have killed someone at some point during the ceremony.

Earth to anyone who would do something like this:  If you absolutely, positively cannot stop fucking around with your phone for a 30-minute stretch while two people pledge to live together and have sex for an indeterminate period of time, please just stay away.  Your presence is not so important that the Temporarily Happy Couple is willing to let you behave like an obtuse, self-centered jackass during what might very well be the only wedding they are ever the stars of.   Just stay home with your phone.

Or, if I ever get married again, please come and try to pull this during the ceremony.   Just carry a spare phone with a really good proctologist on speed dial.  Don't put it on the phone you normally use.  It won't be readily available.

Next week, we'll see Bronson Pinchot checking out the latest Nissans.

Someone got paid to write this.

Ever think you'd be sorry when Jan or a big fat guy with a white beard didn't make an appearance in a Toyota Commercial?

Ever wish you had followed your first impulse, turned off the tv, and devoted an hour or so watching paint dry instead?

Ever wish you could just punch someone in the face, really hard, for insulting you with a totally half-assed effort like this?  I mean, the commercial feels compelled to tell us exactly who Craig T Nelson is in the clunkiest manner possible (quick tip: if you have to introduce the guest star and remind us why we should know him, he isn't a guest star.)  Coach was cancelled in 1997.  If you are under 30, chances are you don't remember it.  Doesn't say much for Craig Teabagger Nelson that we are supposed to recognize him from a bad sitcom he starred in 17 years ago (and not the bad sitcom he's been starring in for the past three years.)

Depressed yet?

Another post of personal privilege dedicated to UPS

In Transit : On Schedule

Expected delivery: Tuesday, March 4, 2014, by 8:00pm 

Holy crap, seriously?  This item (a DVD) has been shipped from Ohio--- and I can expect to receive it here in Maryland by Tuesday, March 4 (by 8 PM- well, that's something, anyway???)  Is it being walked to my door?  The snail mail carrier in Frog and Toad are Friends delivered items faster than this. 

Note that I said this has ALREADY been shipped- from OHIO- not Saturn, for chrissakes.  

Here's the silver lining, which still makes it funny- from past experience, I know that the "Expected Delivery" date is 100 percent fictitious.  I'll have this DVD inside of a week.  So where did Amazon come up with "Tuesday, March 4, 2014?"  Does it have something to do with it being Town Hall Meeting Day in Vermont?  Did some poor slob who found himself pulling a Sunday shift just figure it sounded reasonable, so what the hell?

"By 8 PM."  Well, thank goodness for that.  Because I really was planning to watch this DVD at 8 PM on March 4.  

McDonald's and the Olympics: Bite This.

         
         
The funniest moment of this 30 seconds of dumb is where we see a family gathered around the television set cheering something that just happened in the Olympic Games, this year being staged in a prison camp just a few thousand miles west of Siberia.

Yes, NBC and McDonald's, this is for sure happening all over the country.  People are glued to their couches because the Winter Olympics is on and everyone knows how much Americans love the Winter Olympics.  The ratings suck?  Well, that's because Americans are so obese from consuming non-food like Chicken McNuggets they can't get off those couches to turn their tvs on.

I won't bother to ask when McDonald's is going to actually spend some real money to produce commercials which actually make sense and sell their product, because I'm pretty sure that's never going to happen.  Instead, I'll save my question for NBC- when the hell are you and the other networks going to figure out that in a nation where the average person has access to dozens if not hundreds of television channels, not to mention the internet, nobody gives a flying damn about the Olympic Games anymore?  How many more billions of dollars are you going to invest in securing the coveted rights to broadcast a moss-covered relic whose popularity peaked in the 80s and hasn't been at all relevant since the Cold War ended?

It's not that Jingoism is out of style.  Jingoism will never go out of style.  It's that there aren't any real rivalries anymore.  You think anyone gives a damn how many medals the US accumulates compares to the Russians?  You think anyone is setting their DVRs to make sure they don't miss a moment of US-USSR hockey?  Earth to the networks: It's over.  Nobody cares.  We aren't watching- and no, it's not because we want the terrorists to win.  It's because we recognize that we are living in the freaking 21st century.  When are you going to join us here?

I just don't get zombies, I guess....

I always thought vampires were pretty cool- not the pained, angst-ridden, pathetic vampires of the Twilight series, but the old-fashioned movie vampires who were more interested in ripping out throats than who they were going to take to the freaking prom.

I've never understood why Werewolves can't catch on in Hollywood.  They are so interesting.  Last summer I read a 19th century novel in which the main character was a Werewolf.  The book sucked, mainly because the guy was a werewolf for maybe 1 percent of the time.  But that one percent was really cool.  Anyway, Werewolves have never successfully made the transition to the silver screen- in fact, "Werewolf" is pretty much synonymous with "box office failure."  Seems odd to me.

But I will NEVER understand the current fascination with zombies.  I'll admit, I've never seen a single episode of The Walking Dead.  Not even one.  But I've seen dozens of commercials on AMC (this ad is from Great Britain- I guess it's shown on Fox there, I don't know.  I was just looking for a short commercial to embed) and never once got the impression that it would be at all fun to watch a show about them.

First of all, they really aren't scary-looking.  Once you've gotten used to the rotting flesh and blood effects, they strike me as being rather boring.  And seriously, if you are a fan of this show, hasn't the shock value of seeing an eyeball hanging out or ears torn off worn thin by the second or third episode?  So you are psyched for SEASON FOUR? Why?

Second, I don't see how they are threatening.  They lurch around awkwardly in slow motion, as if they are crawling through molasses.  If I saw one approaching my house, I think I'd be more likely to be respond by laughing than screaming.  Then I'd take a shower, get changed, pack a few things, make a few phone calls, pay a few bills, and calmly step outside and walk away, confident that the "scary" zombie is still lurching awkwardly toward my house.

And if I timed it badly and the zombie actually managed to arrive before I could make my exit? I think I'd just tip it over and go about my merry way.  They look about as sturdy and dangerous as marshmallow scarecrows.  Fear?  I think "pity" would be a more appropriate reaction to seeing a zombie.

Third, I don't get their motivation.  These are just dead people, right?  So you live a fairly decent life- ups and downs, just like everyone else- and then you die, and....you rise from the grave to lurch about like a fly in a bowl of Jell-O, forever stumbling toward people who- being alive- are much more agile and fast than you and have no problem keeping their distance? And if you, as a member of the Walking Dead Set, do manage to actually catch a living human being (maybe asleep on a beach towel or something,) well, then what? I seem to remember reading something about zombies eating brains.  What for?  Does this bring you back to life? Seems kind of pointless, if you are just going to die later and go through this crap over and over again for all eternity.

But anyway, back to this actual ad for this actual show which is actually going into its- Fourth Season?  Really? Four seasons of this?  Jeesh, four minutes of an ad were enough to convince me that this was a pointless snoozefest which must feature episodes about as fresh and innovative as We are Men, Welcome to the Family or Dads, all of which I believe are advertised as shows for people who prefer their zombies to be of the speaking variety.