Even though it is several days later, this is a follow-up to entry I began as we were leaving Lake Gaston. The trip through NC was lovely. We started up I95 and I knew we should take I64 over to Williamsburg, but the other lady in our car, the bitch on the GPS, decided she wanted to go through the countryside. I could tell she had never driven a 38-foot RV, or she never would have chosen this small, two-lane country road. Being an experienced RV'er with more than 30 miles under my belt, I was nervous to say the least. We were way out in the middle of nowhere. Have you ever heard of a Civil War battle called Malvern Hill? Neither have I. That's how far out in the country we were. It was so far out, history has forgotten it. Anyway we were struggling along, praying that no four-lane farm equipment showed up, (Yes, that exists too. I followed one in NC once and watched it mow down mailboxes like daisies.) when what to our wondering eyes should appear but a DETOUR sign. So now the bitch started up with her, "Recalculating, Recalculating." It's like the worst condescending voice saying,"I drew you a map, put directions in writing and TOLD you every move to make, and you're still too stupid to get where you're going ." Anyway we pushed on, with Larry doing his usual muttering about bridges. Now you need to understand, Larry suffers from gephyrophobia. (FYI: The fear of bridges or of crossing them is gephyrophobia.) He expects every bridge to be incomplete or too old and rickety to bear the weight of a bicycle. Anyway, thank goodness there are good people in the Virginia countryside who don't mind a white guy storming into their backyard, pleading, "Please, how do I get out of here without crossing a bridge?" Thanks to their great directions we got bact to I64 and made our way to the campgound.
The campground was adquate, no great shakes. One neat thing happened. Our neighbor walked up to Larry who was outside enjoying a refresing beverage and said, "I like the sign on your satelite." Larry told him that we make friends and enemies with that sign. What does in say? "Fox News: Bad news for America. Turn off Fox News.?
You do realize you are driving the RV equivalent of the Biltmore House? My RV would fit in the closet of your RV.
ReplyDeleteHere is some useful information about GPS. GPS was orginally called BPS with the B standing for Bend-over. Fortunately (or unfortunately) someone in marketing said "Wait, we have calculated that almost 2% of the American public will realize a Bendover Positioning System is actually a very sophisticated engineering joke." This marketing guru went on to say "We have also calculated you cannot say BENDOVER as the punchline"
So the creative engineers put their heads together and decided to call the new electronic gizmo a Global Positioning System and, taking a cue from Marketing, instead of saying "Bendover" the improved units now say "Recalculating."
And thats the story behind what "Recalculating" really means.
This comment was in my email, but blogspot was acting up yesterday and I don't see it here. Since others have issues with GPS's I thought it was appropriate to put Scott's remarks here. But be assured, the credit is all his. And, too, it's funny as hell.
ReplyDeleteScott Carlton has left a new comment on your post "I LOVE MY GPS...NOT! May 10,2011":
You do realize you are driving the RV equivalent of the Biltmore House? My RV would fit in the closet of your RV.
Here is some useful information about GPS. GPS was orginally called BPS with the B standing for Bend-over. Fortunately (or unfortunately) someone in marketing said "Wait, we have calculated that almost 2% of the American public will realize a Bendover Positioning System is actually a very sophisticated engineering joke." This marketing guru went on to say "We have also calculated you cannot say BENDOVER as the punchline"
So the creative engineers put their heads together and decided to call the new electronic gizmo a Global Positioning System and, taking a cue from Marketing, instead of saying "Bendover" the improved units now say "Recalculating."
And thats the story behind what "Recalculating" really means.
Alot people also do not realize that one of the major oil companies in the news was originally called "Bendover Petroleum" but they too changed their first name (to British) and we know them as BP oil. As the Gulf area can attest their Corporate philosophy did not change.
ReplyDeleteScott is almost as funny as you are!!!
ReplyDelete