Isn't this just a liability waiting to happen?

Over at one of our outdoor malls they have this "splash pad" (WARNING:  do not be fooled, there is nothing padded about it).  So it's basically concrete with water that shoots on top of it, that's it.

Was it just me or do they still not let the little kiddos run along the side of the pool?  Humm, wonder why.  Here they can do all the running their little hearts desire, only it's the same surface, just more wet. 

 I'm just saying, am I the only cruel parent that doesn't let their kids run on the concrete slip n slid?  Just saying.

Any way to make a buck.

Is being a High School TA slave labor?

So recently a friend of mine that is still in high school was telling me that she was a TA (teachers assistant) for the high school in her town.  And I remember back a few years that being a TA in high school was a cool thing.  In fact I had a few opportunities to do it, but ended up doing some other classes instead.  The bottom line is..Is it worth it for students to be TA's? 

Some of the other "cool classes" to take in high school seemed to be: study hall, weight lifting and other PE classes.  I would also put being a TA in the same category with these other classes, and basically they are mostly not a great choice for students to prepare them for life after high school

My friend even told me that there was times the teacher would have her do ridiculous things, stuff not even related to schoolwork or education.  Things like:  making the teachers lunch, organizing her music or movie lists, or even cleaning the locker bathrooms.  All things that would fall under either personal responsibilities or teacher work responsibilities, NOT something the student should be doing. 

Seems to me it's a little like slave labor.  These tasks are crazy and it just simply goes to show how lazy some teachers can be.  All said in done, I wouldn't think that being a TA in our high schools would be a very productive thing, as students are preparing to apply for college.

TV's at the Dentists office, pure genius.

So on a recent trip the dentist, we found that they had implemented a system to working with children in their office...TV's.  Pure genius!!  Kids will lay down on the table, sit still (this used to be when they would start the squirming that eventually lead to the kicking and gnashing of teeth) and just watch a cartoon while the "used to be hated" dentist will do his usual poking and prodding in their mouth.  Why have we not done this sooner??  Kids watch a TV screen on the ceiling, have headphones to hear the movie and not even notice that they are even in a dentist office.  Thank heavens to child dentists that have helped keep parents sane for these past few years.  The is a great accomplishment and is keeping any kind of remotely good relationship for kids towards these offices for years to come.

$25 gift card for $5, theres always a catch.



If it's to good to be true, it's to good to be true.  We saw this offer to spend $4 and get a coupon for $25 at a restaurant.  Well our first thought should of been, "Why would they do something so nice like this?"  Actually we thought it was just a good way to bring new people into this restaurant...wrong.  This certificate had so many requirements, like you had to spend over $50 just to get the $25 bucks off.  Basically these types of coupons are interesting and can make you feel like they are trying to be sneaky.  READ the SMALL print.  It just is so amazing the multiple ways places will try to bring in new people.  Bring you in with a small price, and make you pay a lot just to get the full worth out of the coupon. 

Are fox tails really in?

Recently while visiting Nevada City, CA with some family we went to a night market and saw the strangest thing, girls that would be wearing a fox's tail.  Their were even some booths just selling these.  Why the heck would you wear a fox tail?  Some trends and fashion statements I will never understand. 

Is Throwing away pictures of a two year old a crime?

I can't help but wonder if there is some type of "Fair God Mother" out there that could be watching me toss this pic in the trash.  I mean it isn't a sin to throw away your two year olds coloring paper from church right?.  I mean, she will just plaster it with waxy crayola and drool next week right? And where do you keep all of these pictures anyhow?  So we all know, when its your own child how cute they are and of course we want them to feel good, but at the same time not try to give them the wrong impression about good quality art.  But what is all comes down to knowing, is throwing away pictures that your two year old drew a crime?

Is the Post Office a Business?

Sometimes, actually all the time, I wonder if the post office is an actually business.  They always keep raising postage stamps, they can't seem to ever keep all of their postal offices open (so many have been closed and maybe many of those shouldn't of even been open), and finally this one amazing me that they give all of their priority postal supplies out for free.  I guess they have calculated them in their costs of the shipping.  But mostly whenever I hear about the post office in the news I wonder if there is a businessman that is actually running it.  I mean do they really have any competition?  So honestly why do you need to raise prices all the time?  I mean really, is the United States Post Office a business?  (as a side note, I'm glad its not like many of the postal systems we hear about in south a

A Full Service Gas station, Why?

You have got to be kidding me, a gas station in Oregon wouldn't let me pump my own gas?  They said it was the law.  Wow, is that what its coming too, we have to MAKE people not do something they want to do, just to create a job.  And that's what they told me when I asked them why.  "Its to help our state economy, we now have jobs because of this law.  

But I ask, what about the people that actually want to pump their own gas, like me?  They told me sorry and I hoped back in the car.  I mean I can understand those that have a hard time getting out of the car, this is probably a blessing, but come on, I want to do it myself. 

It's laws like this that make me laugh about who we are.  

Lets make a law taking away someones free agency just to create a crappy low paying job for someone else..does this make sense?  So really do we HAVE to REQUIRE a full service gas station?

Hand washing station by the Gas Pumps

Why eat Haggis?

Haggis, the word alone almost makes me gag.  So some of my ancestors are of Scottish descent, so thinks me, I should try some Haggis.  Well it came to me as one of those foods where you would of liked to think it was grandma's chili, instead of intestines, just to get it down.

So I'll be honest, it wasn't bad, it just the mental thought of knowing (or not knowing) what the bloody heck I'm eating.  My question is, are we that crazy to eat this stuff and enjoy it?  I will just assume that my ancestors were really poor and hungry and had nothing to eat, so the feasted on what they could find to survive.

But why are we still eating it today?  Well I guess I've done my ancestors proud, at least as much as I can get for a spoonful.

Salsa that tells you how to use it

People Drink Wheatgrass??

So to be honest I do, I was raised on it. But I sometimes stop to contemplate just that act alone, drinking grass, and just how it sounds to others.

First of all for the non experienced, it doesn't taste good (hard to believe I know).  But getting past the taste there are good health benefits to be had, or do my parents told me.  Not to get in to all of this and just bore the couch potato that accident landed on the blog, I just wanted to notice how interesting it is that some people drink grass. 

Wallets in Backpocket?

Honestly I've never understood why this is done. First of all I think it's putting you wallet at a huge risk to get taken, but as if that is not enough I think it's also very uncomfortable to sit on a FULL wallet. Chiropractors I've talked with have said this can mess up your back. But disregarding these things, people still think that this is the best way to carry a wallet..... Why??

Who uses a pay phone?

So just recently seeing a pay phone at a major university one of my family members just graduated from made me think... Who still uses these things? I would of thought that cellphones and the huge amount of them all around that you could ask to use if you didn't have yours would well, put these thing out. Just doesn't make sense, it's funny. I guess someone somewhere will be able to sleep at night knowing that if they might possible need one, it's there available. "Please dust of phone before and after use."

Would This Help?

     So you know its scary when someone comes in the bathroom after you and leave before you are done.  Now this could happen if you need a little extra time, but usually when a guy visits the bathroom to use the urinals and someone beats him out, there is something going on.  

     At work today, this very thing just happened.  I had just started to wash my hands when a guy had come in, disposed of his body liquids, and was passing me on the way out WITHOUT WASHING HIS HANDS.  Common sense people, why do people do this?  Are we really in that much of a hurry to not wash our hands?

     So having lived in other countries, I've seen this a lot, NEVER got use to it, but I knew, hey it's NOT America.  But we should all know better, in most of these other countries, there is often not soup or good clean water.  Usually we have both and some of us still can't take the time to wash.  

     But the question is, would an alarm like this help..I believe NOT.  Just the fact that these people ( and I say these people because I know there is more than one, I saw another guy 6 years ago do the same thing...could of been the same guy, not sure) would do this in front of others (I and three others saw him) would tell me THEY DON'T CARE.  And to me, that is sad.  But still I wish we had had this alarm, its always fun to point fingers.

Should everything be automatic?

     Our bathrooms at work just became all automatic with sensors.  You would think this was a good thing, but now I tend to put my hands under any sink and just EXPECT this to spit soap and water at them.  We live in a world where it gets more and more automated, I wouldn't be surprised when the doors will soon be automatic.
     This has been a blessing to not have to turn off the water after washing my hands, but I just can't help the fact that sometimes I just forget that not all sinks are the same, and for this I wonder if we really need them at all.

Thinking like a Business

Ha, just saw this at the post office. So they have just started adding gift cards, wow, to me this seems like business owner no brainier. Especially due to the fact that only 80% of gift cards are redeemed. To me it is no wonder this business isn't making it. Why would you not offer gift cards from day one, it's like having emmediate cash flow with out products or services being exchanged

Is Scaffolding Legal?

Does laying 2x10 across metal scaffolding frames constitute a safe and legal working environment ( I really hope NOT)?  Workers next to our building five stories up were up on this scaffolding with only rope or metal pipe to act as the the blocker to an immediate fall their death.  I could only keep saying to myself, "I could never do that stuff."  How much money would they need to pay you to go up on that stuff....NOT ENOUGH.  I guess I just don't get it, it's not a job I would do.  I don't like heights, and I'd never feel like I was safe.  Plus the scaffolding just seemed so rickety, old and just down CRAZY!!

Need a Ride?

Have you ever seen this before?  Ask yourself what is going on here, and the simple answer is they are just doing what they do everyday of their life.  Having lived in China (didn't take this picture though) I can declare that this a very accurate situation in China.

While living there I was never amazed at some of the things we experienced.  Five men on a motorcycle with the driver on his cellphone, just after it rained, was certainly one of those things I don't understand, but when it comes to China I'm not surprised.

Toll Free Line- Vending Machines

  Ok, so when you see that the vending machine at your office has a "toll free refund hotline," does that make me want to buying something, or even feel comfortable making my purchase now?  I mean, just the fact that they must offer a toll free line is amazing to me.  Is there that much business for them that they must dedicate a whole phone line to people calling in when these machines have taken their money? I mean honestly, what happened to the days at school when on that rare chance the machine took your money and you'd go down to the school office to get your two quarters back?  Those days are apparently gone, all we have now is a toll free hotline number directing us to a call center, all to process a refund that if the machine actually works, wouldn't need to exist.  Oh the times have changed.