They Don't Really Eat That, Do They??

This is just unimaginably nasty...

"Among the ice cream flavors offered recently at Ice Cream City in Namco Nanja Town in Tokyo's Toshima-ku (and posted on the Web site of the English-language Mainichi Daily News) are these: spinach, garlic, tomato, seaweed, oyster, red wine, goat, chicken, lettuce and potato, wheat, shark fin, and something called "raw horse flesh." Each flavor's package is shown, mouth-wateringly photographed. [Mainichi Daily News Web site, 6-29-04] "

I think I'll stick with fudge ripple, thanks.

Worth Noting

Does it actually take the funny pages to point this out to the general public?
Man, I hope not.

They're Kidding, Right??

Now, if this isn't just the most capitalist thing I've ever heard...

N.Y. Mayor to War Protesters: Shop Till You Drop, Too
NEW YORK, Aug. 17 --
Why worry about antiwar views, anarcho-syndicalist politics and "Dump Bush Now!" placards when something serious is at stake -- like money?
The billionaire media mogul who happens to be New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has decided that if antiwar protesters are to descend on his city by the hundreds of thousands for the Republican Convention, he may as well turn them into shoppers. So with just a hint of the sardonic, Hizzoner announced Tuesday a "Peaceful Political Activists" visitor program modeled after the one offered to Republican delegates.
Affix a "Peaceful Activist" button and a protester can claim a free glass of Montepulciano wine with dinner at La Prima Donna, rent a room at the boutique Dylan Hotel ($150 a night) and get dibs on discounted theater tickets.

It goes on, but I think you get the point. Methinks, apparently, Bloomberg does not.
Let's face it, most of the people who are planning to go to NY and protest the war, or anything else for that matter, are more likely to be crashing with a friend or living it up at the Motel 6 than sleeping in hotels costing $150 per night (and that's the discounted price!). If they could, they would probably be attending the convention, not protesting it!
Ugh... my head hurts.

Cynical - Who, Me?

I think I'm getting cynical.
I mean, I've always tended toward the cynical, but lately I am noticing it a lot more. Maybe it's because I'm getting older. Apparently, the farther you get from the "younger generation," the more critical of the world you become. Perhaps it's because our modern American culture caters to youth.
Everything is about looking younger, feeling younger, and acting younger. Either you're with it, or you're out, baby. I will tell you one thing - 70's fashions might be all the rage now, but I didn't like wearing bell-bottoms then, and I'm not going to do it now.

Shopping Carts and Parking Lots

You have to wonder about some people. Just how lazy can you be, anyway?
There is a reason that they installed those little carriage corrals in various areas throughout shopping center parking lots. And most people really do get it. Most people know that when they've emptied that buggy, instead of leaving it sitting all askew on the line dividing the already-too-small parking spots, it would be preferable for them to actually move it to one of the carriage corrals.

But, no. Why on earth should they be courteous?? They're leaving anyway, so why should they care? Let the next person get out and move it as they try to maneuver their car into the spot. That would be good for a laugh. Hmph. Well, that's just not nice. And the worst part of it is that it's usually a spot that is right close to a carriage corral. Come on, get with the program, folks.

The worst part is, these are the same people who will complain the loudest if the spot they want has a buggy sitting in it when they go to pull in, right?
You know it's true.

Why Do They...

Here's what I want to know...

Why do companies offer you things that you can't have yet? And I don't mean just falling into that instant gratification - "I MUST HAVE IT NOW...NOW!!!" trap. I mean the company makes a big deal announcement about new products that you can't get.

You can't get them from a dealer, and the company itself is also "out of stock" when you have the dealer call to get you a price (which they also don't inform you of in their big announcement). At least 8 weeks for something that is supposed to be "NEW for Summer, 2004." Correct me if I'm wrong, but we are well into Summer, 2004, right??

It's just a big tease. But if you're interested, check http://www.fender.com to see the nifty new summer gear you can't get this summer.