Double Standards and Dog Crap

Ok, so I had some sort of rant in my head, but cannot seem to remember what it was about...anyway...

I decided this morning to take my dog for an actual walk around the block instead of just out to the grass (she's a small dog, so she doesn't need as much exercise - chasing a squeaky toy up and down the hallway a couple times is enough to wear her out). Anyway, we're trucking along, about halfway around the block, when she stops, right in the middle of the road, and drops a deuce. My dog certainly does not discriminate when it comes to where she poops.

I think I've remembered one of the rants...it's something that my wife has pointed out a number of times in the past, but has really been standing out to me recently. Have you ever paid attention to the double standard for genders on TV and film? It is rare (and usually a supporting character) if women are not slim and pretty. Men, however, can be anything and are, more often that I like, rather ugly. The Axe commercials are especially bad, depicting gorgeous women as unable to resist the lure of Axe on a hideous man. Have you ever seen the sitcom "Jim"? That's another one with average, overweight men married to slim, attractive (and younger?) women. When will the average, overweight woman be on TV, happily married to some guy that looks like a Desperate Housewives gardener?

Ha! Now, every time you watch TV, it's going to bother you too!

Peace,
Alphadork

Happy New Year and All That Jazz

OK, so I am trying out the "new version" of blogger presented through Google, or whatever. Brilliantly, I did not save a text copy of my previous HTML, although the online software supposedly saved a backup copy. I cannot find the backup copy. I fought for way too long yesterday trying to get things laid out the way I want them and trying to edit the HTML with little luck, only to find that it really is very simple. However, I wish that when I add objects, they could be placed outside the green and blue boxes on the right; I liked my Google search bar much better when it was between the boxes, not in them. I also tried to do a different link style for the Amazon thing, but it kept giving me a bad address for the picture and nothing would show up. Frustrating.

Well, that's all I have for now...

Peace,
Alphadork

Some Quick Thoughts

Well, I've been an MIA blogger for awhile...and may be for awhile more; accounting busy season is about to start, you know. Oh, how I dread the long hours...

I got a handheld GPS...I cannot wait to get out and do some geocaching. If you've never tried it, find someone with a GPS unit and try it out. Loads of fund, and it gets you outdoors!

I bought The Crane Wife by The Decemberists. Very good folky, indie rock album - I recommend to any who like indie rock and even those who like folk music and enjoy a little rock on the side.

That's all I have for now...the big holiday is over, traveling is done, and gifts are in...I have a lot of music to listen to, books to read, movies to watch, and games to play.

Peace,

Alphadork

Walmart Digs the Hole Deeper

I gave Walmart a fleeting chance this weekend. No, there was no chance the super-chain would get on my good side; going there was more a matter of situation. You see, the wife wanted to hit some softballs, and we only have two...one of which is a dead ball. We often go to the park, where I pitch to her, and she has all the room in the world to smack them around. We didn't have a lot of time until sundown, so I chose to run to Walmart because of its proximity to my home in relation to other retailers.

I found a reasonable parking space amongst the vast sea of SUVs and jalopies and speed-walked my way in to the store and back to the sporting goods department. There, I found an aisle of bicycling goods, and aisle of exercise stuff, and an aisle of traditional sporting goods (basketballs, footballs). "This should be the place," I thought. I looked through the aisle, finding only basketball and football items, and one of those loose ball bins with only one small basketball and a couple footballs. OK, this isn't the end of the sporting goods, maybe softballs are another aisle or two down...right? I continued to the remaining aisles to find guns, ammo, fishing, and camping supplies. I shuddered at the thought that guns and ammo were more well represented than even football in this store. After re-looking a couple times to be sure I hadn't overlooked a small bin of softballs, I approached the 400 lb camo-clad salesman at the gun counter to ask. He nicely informed me that softballs were available only in spring and summer. I thought to myself, "who is Walmart to say when I can and cannot play softball?" I thanked the gentleman and scurried my way back to my car.

I am amazed they couldn't simply give the equivalent of one basketball worth of space up to a bin of softballs to keep them out year-round. There was plenty of golf stuff, and I play softball later in the fall than I play golf. Blah. Moral of the story? Walmart is the softball Nazi.

Peace,

Alphadork

Now We're Just Getting Silly

Honestly? $89 million for a PS3? The funny thing is, I happened across this one when it was at $99,999,999, and then the seller started deleting bids because they didn't meet the minimum bidding requirements and seemed to be bogus. Funnier yet is that they did, in fact, meet the seller's minimum requirements, having 10+ feedback and 98% or so positive ratings. These bids have to be fake, but why would successful, positive eBayers put in fake bids? (One had over 2,000 feedback) I bet the seller's heart skipped a beat, thinking, "Oh my fucking god, I am rich, bitch!" Then, they come to reality, realized this cannot be real (I even question the $35,000 bids).

I also question eBay's rules for PS3 sellers...you must have 50+ feedback, etc. I know they are trying to protect people from bogus auctions, but it seems they are unfairly excluding legit sellers who usually sell off things they no longer need around their house and have only 10 positive feedback, in favor of the eBay scalpers that seem to make a living on opportunities like this...it's kinda like Bush tax policy...

Peace,

Alphadork