Despite all the gloomy news–unemployment, foreclosures, bankrupt cities and states–making the front pages of various publications, things must not be too bad. Despite the fact that more people have been out of work for longer periods of time than at anytime since the Great Depression, perhaps the Bush/Obama cheer-leading is on to something.

I–quite seriously–do not understand modern American business.

After leaving active-duty in June of 2007, I was unemployed until Aug 2009 (okay, I had a temp job during the summer of ’09; however, that was underemployment). Now that I’ve been employed for a few months, I’ve managed to stuff away a few dollars in the sock drawer. Partly an emergency fund (Tami says I act like I lived through the Depression), and partly as a “radio fund” with which to buy Amateur radio equipment.

Since I’d been putting aside a small chunk of my paycheck, I had managed to save enough to make some needed acquisitions of radio stuff. Previously, I had purchased a new antenna and mount which we installed on Tami’s truck. Because of the unique manufacturing of my Jeep hood, the same style “lip” antenna mounts would not work for me.

So I devised a configuration plan to install an antenna on the Jeep. I decided to use a CB antenna mount, which was designed to fit under the lip of the Jeep hood, and acquire the needed coax cable assembly and antenna separately. Once I had decided on the parts, I started looking for online retail vendors to supply what I needed. That’s when the fun began.

I had no idea that retailers–whom I assumed would be glad for business–could be so damn hard-headed: “We only take credit cards!”, “We only accept PayPal”, “We don’t accept money orders!”, and my personal favorite “You must create an account!” O.o

The corollary to this gripe is that when I did find a retailer who would accept money orders, they didn’t have the produces I needed. Lovely.

A potential customer is waving $200 in cold, hard CASH under their nose, and all they can do is make excuses as to why they can’t take it. I must have been the only one in recession for the last two years.

All I wanted to do was select my items, select my shipping options, be presented with an invoice and total bill, acquire a postal money order, mail them to the retailer, and have my product(s) shipped. Apparently that’s a violation of some obscure retailing law.

After wasting my time reading various terms-and-conditions on a number of sites, I was able to find both the products I needed at retail establishments which accepted money orders. Still, it was an unnecessary hassle which I absolutely do not understand.

Ironically, now that I’ve found retailers who will accept money orders and stock the products I need, I’m not likely to try other alternatives.

The only thing I can think is that these people are somehow immune from our current Great Recession.