The cartalk.com TIME KILL WEEKLY Special Public Service Edition ______________________________________________ Killing Time, Unencumbered by the Work Process ______________________________________________ Maury Maille, Editor
What's new at Car Talk Plaza? Two very important public service messages, that's what. 1. As many of you are painfully aware, this is an extremely busy time of year for our nation's shops and malls. In the interest of alleviating some of the strain upon our country's point-of-purchase infrastructure, we've conveniently developed the following, non-mall-based purchasing system: http://www.shamelesscommerce.com Granted, it's only got Car Talk stuff. (Though we do have links to some things from the good NPR shows.) Hey, we're just trying to help people, OK? What's there? Stuff for all of your not-so-loved ones. If they were loved ones, you'd get 'em something really nice. But there's our brand-spankin'-new CD, Maternal Combustion: Calls about Moms and Cars, featuring some of our favorite calls involving moms--including Tom and Ray's beloved and (need we say it?) long-suffering mother, Elizabeth. There are plenty of other CDs, too-- including our popular car tunes CDs, our classic Best of Car Talk series-- even special deals on packages of our favorite Car Talk CDs. Want Car Talk fashion? (Oxymoron intended.) There's our new lackey T-shirt, featuring dozens of our oft-quoted boooo-gus staff members in small burgundy and blue lettering. We've got official Car Talk baseball jerseys, caps, T-shirts-- even our own Car Talk "Muffler Pack," which, well, you'll have to see to fully appreciate. There's other stuff, too-- like our Car Talk thermos (perfect for keeping 5W30 or organic, shade-grown Kona piping hot), a Car Talk shop clock, our unmarked bill carrier, travel mugs and sundry other Car Talk paraphernalia. So, in the interest of selfless public service only, that address again is http://www.shamelesscommerce.com/ Orders going out the door right now even get a free, bonus "Best of Car Talk" cassette-excellent for use propping doors open, or testing mouse traps. You can shop now, or if the boss is looking as you read this, save it for this weekend-- when you can hide from annoying in-laws, appear busy and be done with your holiday shopping in one fell swoop. No bad, eh? You're very welcome. Still reading? Good. Here's our second public service message: 2. We need an intern. That's right. If you know someone who lives near Our Fair City and is... looking to avoid schoolwork or a real career... not adverse to an enormous black mark on his or her resume... willing to work 10 hours a week for a pittance and all the free ice cream he or she can eat... then what are you waiting for? Have 'em e-mail us via our virtual Box 3500 at http://www.cartalk.com/email/email.html The deadline is December 1. Now it's your turn. Sally forth, rise to the occasion and be public-spirited citizens! Buy our junk and find us someone to do our work, will you? Please? You have our eternal thanks. Maury Maille Chief Public Service Officer Car Talk Plaza P.S. Here's this week's Lame Joke Of The Week, courtesy of Dave Chase. A fellow decided to forsake all worldly attachments and joined a monastery. The monks all took a vow of silence; however, once a year they were allowed to come before the head monk and utter two words. At his first annual meeting the head monk says, "Well my son you have had a year to ponder all in silence. What do you have to say?" And our monk says, "Bed hard." And he returns to silence for the next 12 months. On his second anniversary, given a chance to speak he says, "Food bad." And he goes back to his monk-ly duties for another year. On the third anniversary he comes before the head monk. Given the chance to utter two more words of wisdom our monk says, "I QUIT." The head monk says, "Well I'm not surprised. You've done nothing but complain since you got here." ******************* USEFUL INFORMATION ALERT: Tired of paying auto club dues to an outfit that lobbies against environmental causes? Check out Better World Club. It's an auto club with genuinely decent values -- unlike some others we could name... whose initials happen to be AAA. Better World Club cares about... *Your environmental interests: It gives 1% of its revenue to environmental clean up and advocacy. *Your consumer interests: It even has discounts on hybrid rental cars. *And, it has the nation's only bicycle roadside assistance program. Dump your AAA membership and join Better World! If you join via the Car Talk web site, you'll even get an extra month's membership. Check out Better World now at http://www.cartalk.com ******************** Got more time to kill? This past weekend's new, lousy Car Talk show is now on the web site, at http://www.cartalk.com/Radio/Show/ ******************** Miss the puzzler? Losing sleep over it? Add your e-mail to our Car Talk Puzzler Psychic Friends Network and we'll personally hand deliver Ray's new puzzler to your inbox every Monday. http://www.cartalk.com/ct/maillist.jsp?puzzler_list=subscribe#psychic ******************* Embarrassed by having e-mails from Car Talk in your inbox? Can't say that we blame you. Unsubscribe any time, via http://www.cartalk.com/ct/maillist.jsp?mailing_list=subscribe
