But I want to give you my money!

Can someone please explain to me why companies will go to the trouble to get themselves listed on line, spend money to offer websites with information about their services, and provide an online option for someone to request an estimate and then not bother to call or e-mail the prospective customer?

It's seems somewhat counter-intuitive, doesn't it? You're in business to make money, you get that money from customers, and then when a prospective customers comes to you and says "yes, please tell me how I can give you my money" you just ignore them.

What's baffling is that I submitted requests to five different companies via their websites, asking all of them for a call to provide a quote for some work to be done on our house. Current number of replies?

Zero.

All five of them just decided to ignore me? Did the economy start booming again and no one told me? I know it's not my computer or my Internet connection. Amazon.com and the iTunes Store aren't having any problem receiving my requests and charging my credit card.

So now, five different companies have all lost out on me as at least a 1-time customer if not a long-term customer. Way to make the most of your marketing and customer acquisition dollars, guys.

Keep your fingers crossed for Abby S

16-year old Abby Sunderland, attempting to become the youngest person to complete a solo circumnavigation, is feared lost at sea following severe weather. You may disagree with her parents for letting her attempt this feat (I'm not in favor of it myself) but that doesn't matter now. Rescue teams are en route to her last known position. Keep your fingers crossed that they find Abby alive and well.

**********Update***********

Reports are that she's been found adrift but alive in the Indian Ocean.

Paging Miss Remembering

Quote of the day:

“I simply misremembered it wrong."

- Representative Mark Kirk, attempting to excuse his exaggerated claims of military service

When exactly did "misremember" become a verb? Actually, when did it even become a word? And does this somehow count as a double-negative that actually means that Kirk's efforts to remember incorrectly were still wrong? I'm very confused.

Of course, there's the larger question here: when are politicians going to realize that there is no way to NOT get caught in lies and exaggerations now that every iPod user at campaign events is a potential videographer?

Probably never.