Category Archives: Business Beat

Dancing Tire Man

Dancing about a tire shop

Beto’s Tires, which sells new and used tires and rims, picked a great location when they moved from Gorst to Belfair earlier this summer. But if being at the corner of SR 3 and SR 300 isn’t choice enough, they recently added an inflatable dancing man (see photo) to attract the attention of passing motorists and boost sales. That should work as long as the dancer doesn’t tire (bad pun).

The Mud Bay Blog can’t resist roadside attractions especially when they double as do-it-yourself advertising. This is the seventh post about dancing men. Coincidentally, the most recent post about the quirky inflatables (from 2014) was also set in Belfair and was related to automobiles. Local Wrench, the business that was being advertised, is still going strong, although the ACDelco dancer that was in its parking lot has long since moved on. Hopefully Beto’s will have the same type of success. Every car that drives by is riding on a set of tires, and some of them need to be replaced.

If You’re Free

Do users often ignore the spam reminder?

My response is always the same when I get a text on my iPhone like the one shown in the screen capture — delete the message and be glad I don’t receive more of them. This time, with nothing pressing to do, I examined the message a bit more closely and considered its mission. Still, the result was the same. I’m not having dinner with 1-647-986-9649.

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Off Market, No Photos?

A Zillow listing like this one would be ideal for off market houses.

If your house isn’t for sale, you might be thinking that only a few exterior photos of it, if any, exist on real estate websites and on Google Maps. Think again. The screen capture shows the photo that accompanies the listing on Zillow for my Mud Bay house — an overhead shot of the neighborhood overlaid with the label “Off market.” While a similar photo would be ideal for all off market houses, that doesn’t always happen when a home is not for sale.

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Mobile Banking — Convenience or Conversion?

BoA mobile banking app enrollment screen

As someone in favor of using cash, sending letters by USPS, and other old-school customs, I used digital technology today to perform a task that used to get me out of the house. I installed the Bank of America mobile banking app (see screen capture) on my smartphone and conveniently deposited a check, complete with confirmation, without ever leaving home.

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A Simpl(icity) Solution

Everything about the new vacuum cleaner is better.

I’m slow to change what other people have done. Accordingly, I end up living with thing I don’t like for years. Such was the case with the Shark vacuum cleaner at Treasure Island—a clunker I hated as much as any appliance I have ever used. Last week it died, and hate has quickly turned into love for its replacement (see photo).

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A Personal High for Gas

Gas and diesel prices at the Kitsap Way Shell in Bremerton

Even if the last thing the world needs is another observation about high gas prices, the Mud Bay Blog offers this post. Mostly it’s a reminder to me that the price shown in the photo is the highest I have ever paid for a gallon of unleaded regular. Hopefully it is also the high-water mark for the recent round of gas price increases. But that’s a wish not a prediction.

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A New Gas Stove — Finally

The new stove is on the right.

It took most of April to replace my old gas stove (see photo). Along the way I hope I learned to have a bit more patience and also not to use Home Depot’s installation services for any future appliances I might buy from them.

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With Astound Sometimes It Pays to Call

As easy to contact as its predecessor Wave Cable

As a customer of two Broadband companies for years, I’m used to the annual drill. The cable company hikes your monthly bill, and you call them to find out how serious they are about the increase. Today’s call to Astound (see screen capture) was worth the effort — I ended up with a new monthly bill that will be lower than what I’m paying now.

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Paying for Ratings

Nielsen doesn’t really want to know what I watch, or do they?

Yesterday I got a letter from Nielsen (see screen capture), which bills itself as a “global leader in audience measurement, data and analytics, shaping the future of media.” My household has been invited to take part in the Nielsen Media Ratings. The letter was dated April 1, but that was likely a coincidence and not a prank. As an encouragement to participate, Nielsen enclosed a $5 gift with a promise of additional cash gifts in the future.

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Seiko Time

My old Seiko quartz watch tells the time, day, and date.

In July when the USA celebrates its 250th birthday, my Seiko watch (see photo) will also reach a milestone—50 years under my ownership. Following a recent cleaning and servicing, it’s keeping accurate time again. Will it last another 50 years? If it does, I won’t be around to see it, but hopefully a younger family member will.

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