August 30, 2003
August 29, 2003
2003 Ugliest Car of the Year
Sometimes I'm amazed by what companies are able to sell to the public. And occasionally I feel the need to give my opinion of these products (and thanks to the wonder of the internet, I can with no hope that my small voice will make the slightest difference to Honda). Which brings us to the award for...
2003's "Ugliest Car of the Year"
After being fired from Pontiac for designing the Aztek, "designer" Fred Jones was hired to come up with Honda's answer in the popular Car/SUV/Cardboard Box Hybrid category. His "idea", a "collage" of parts stolen from other SUVs and glued together in Honda's "backyard", was released as the Element.
The name, notes a high ranking Honda official, comes from the fact that "we really couldn't think of anything good and our lawyers wouldn't let us call it the Exterralade." A noted expert in the higher numbered elements commented, "Like most of the heavier elements in the periodic table, we're not really sure what it is, and it probably won't be around very long." Industry analysts expect the Element to have a half-life of about 6 seconds, noting that some dealers will probably be able to dupe consumers into buying it in the early days by using the "it's not ugly, it's versatile" sales tactic.
Calling it a throwback (to the days when carmakers didn't actually have design departments), Honda hopes to capture the much coveted I-don't-care-what-it-looks-like-as-long-as-my-neighbors-think-it-was-expensive market segment.
One exciting feature of the Element is that it comes with an optional "camping" package, including a tailgate cabana and picnic basket roof rack attachment. Additionally all four seats are able to be folded flat to make a "full-size" seat bed. This also qualifies Element to be entered in the running for "Ugliest Tent of the Year."
August 28, 2003
i'm not a smart man, Jenny, but i know what a blog is...
I've decided to jump into the world of the weblog. Since my wife Ashley is pregnant, it will be a good place to record the progress. And thanks to Tom Okie for inspiring me to write a poem.
ASHLEY
Ashley's full of joy today,
although she would deny it
Sickness brings a boy, they say,
though I'm not sure I buy it
He grows inside her womb, we know,
or she, while in the quiet
Living, warm in the room below,
more comfy than the Hyatt
Eggos, toast, and grilled filet
are what makes up her diet,
Yet Ashley's full of joy today,
because God did not deny it