1514 Biz Err

Businesses are no different than the regular population. There are bound to be mistakes. Heck, not a day goes by I don't screw up something.
But you expect larger corporations to be a little smarter in the PR department. If only because they can actually hire a PR department. One would expect they'd be more conscientious about catching errors. Bizarre biz errors.
So I wasn't too surprised the other day when I saw a new business had closed. They were called Benchmark Mortgage. On the face of it, a good name. Benchmark is one of those appellations that set the tone for a higher standard. Or at least an exacting one. If one meets or exceeds a benchmark, that's a good thing.
It also makes one imagine the word bench, which is a good place to sit.
Unfortunately, the general public has the tendency to shorten things to initials. Especially when the company itself does the same thing in its logo. So coupling the word benchmark with the word mortgage was a problem. The giant initials BM call forth a different sitting image.
On a separate biz err note, I got a letter from a Mike Maxwell the other day. Mike, according to his letterhead, is the Vice President and General Manager for AT&T of the Pacific Northwest and Alaska.
What got me was the first line of his letter:
"Dear Jerry, As Vice President and General Manager of the Pacific Northwest, I'd like to thank you for..."
Really...Doesn't he mean, "AT&T's Vice President and General Manager of the Pacific Northwest...?" Because I'm pretty sure we have just one Vice President. And he's for the whole country.
AT&T was once known for dropping calls, they shouldn't drop their words.
Maybe Mr. Maxwell's setting a new Benchmark for AT&T.
America, ya gotta love it.