Irrational Rants & Raves!

The ECONOMY-
They say people aren't spending, finally admitting something we already knew for over a year- we're in a recession, hopefully not heading for a depression part II. If this is indeed true, can someone-anyone, tell me why the nearby mall, with anchor stores like Target and Walmart, was JAMMED-PACKED with people and cars?! I actually got stuck in traffic a few times. You'd think it was Christmas! Where were all these cars and people going if they weren't spending any money?! I sure was!

ARTISAN THIS/ARTISAN THAT-
When did this word become such a fancy catch phrase? Much like the word couture (which also makes me furious!), these words are thrown around so often they've become meaningless- at least to me. What happened to the days when big, important words like that really stood for something. When words like that were softly spoken by the rich and elite! For example, I stopped by Panera to enjoy a bowl of my favorite soup- creamy tomato. Every where you looked they're touting their amazingly crafted ARTISAN breads. I'm sorry and mean no disrespect, but in most of the Panera's I've been to I've never seen a single artisan chef. Do they hide them in the back? Do they only secretly work overnight? Have you seen the people that work there? I know for a fact their soup comes out of a BIG clear plastic bag, that looks like a colostomy bag (sorry), and yes, I eat it anyway.

PROUD PARENT BUMPER STICKERS-
Almost everywhere I look, I see cars that have these plastered all over. Kids can be great (rarely & occasionally). I'm GLAD you love your kid. I'm GLAD your so proud of your amazing kids amazing academic achievements, but read my lips- I DON'T CARE! Sometimes I get so FURIOUS and filled with rage, that in my minds eye I see myself in my Mad Max cruiser ramming them off the road to massive cheers and applause coming from only me I suppose. I was an academic underachiever and my parents never touted it on bumper stickers and T-shirts. They didn't care, and suspected no one else did either. Wise people.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST-
Machinery with sensors, such as toilets, sinks, and in my case water fountains! I stopped by work (where I rarely actually work) today to take care of a few things, when I found myself a bit thirsty. I walked down the hallway to the money saving sensor water fountain, standing in front of it anticipating the refreshing dispensing of H20. It came- it went- it came-it went. I thought I was on Candid Camera. EVERY TIME I got close enough to drink, the damn thing shut off. All I could think of was someone was sitting somewhere controlling the damn thing and laughing hysterically at MY expense. Either that, or the water gnome inside was tired and could barely pump it out. Perhaps it had become a sentient being like Hal in 2001 a Space Odyssey, and was just trying to figure out how to work itself. I just don't know. I'm so very tired now.

I think I'm done (for the moment). I think I'm just a little cranky.