Major Bad News, Minor Gripes
Everybody, kinda including me, is pretty gloomed out after this week, with all the dire economic news that keeps piling up. Coming to work, I thought maybe I’d write some ponderous, weighty analysis of our collective psyche as we all face the looming hard times. But then I thought…. Naaaaah.. I’d rather write something shallow and inconsequential. (I know what some of you are thinking: “Jim, that’s what you do every night.” Well, stop thinking that!)
I’m tired of complaining about the economy. So I’m going to complain about some other, much more minor things. You know, to keep things in perspective.
• Why do the reading glasses they sell in drug stores have big plastic tags virtually fused right onto the front? Anybody who buys glasses wants to see what he or she will look like wearing them. But that’s impossible when a huge plastic slab is covering up half of your forehead. And all they have is a wee little mirror on the display that gives you absolutely no idea how the glasses look on you, besides the fact that you look completely ridiculous BECAUSE THERE’S A BIG FREAKIN’ TAG STICKING UP FROM RIGHT BETWEEN YOUR EYES!
• On another matter of awful retail packaging, let’s talk about picture frames. Not the fancy kind, but the ones for photos that are sold in discount stores. Why in the world would they put the price sticker—the nearly-impossible-to-remove-cleanly price sticker—on the glass? They could put it anyplace else.. on the frame, on the back. But nooooooooooo, they stick it right on the glass, where you have to try and scratch it off with your fingernail if you don’t want a big blob covering up Grandma’s face.
• Commuter train travel brings a whole series of minor irritations into one’s life. Here’s one: people get on the train. The conductor comes by to get their ticket. This should come as no surprise, because the conductor always comes. Every. Single. Time. And yet, there’s a large percentage of people who seem completely taken aback when it’s time to hand over their ticket. They get all flustered, and start rummaging through their purses, or their wallets, or all their pockets, while the conductor is tapping his foot and clearly becoming increasingly cranky. I think it’s probably the number one cause of conductor crankiness. The passenger just bought the ticket a couple of minutes ago.. how in the hell did it end up at the bottom her purse beneath a Playbill for a show she went to last November??
• Let’s go back to a store for tonight’s final complaint. When you’re paying at the check out counter, and there are people behind you also waiting to pay, it’s okay to put the bills you get as change back in your billfold, or to return your credit card to its rightful place. It is NOT okay to stand there and decide this would be a good time to reorganize your wallet. I was behind a woman at a Duane Reade the other night—I think it was the same night I was buying some reading glasses that turned out to be really awful because I couldn’t tell what they looked like on me with a big plastic tag sticking up (see Complaint #1)—and a woman, I kid you not, took two minutes to get everything in her billfold just so, while I and quite a few other people waited behind her. Nobody said anything, but I think we were all mentally putting some sort of a mild hex on her.
Well. I feel better. Hey, the 30-minutes I spent just writing this was 30-minutes I wasn’t worrying about paying the mortgage.
Comments: 11
Today, I had a strange experience in the drug store. My card was misplaced by the lady behind the counter. I went crazy looking for it, in case I had put it in my bag by mistake. Low and behold it was found, under a box. I think she may have been trying to steal it, only because I didn't know her, and the owners were not there. I got so flustered that I left the store, bought some flowers, and then proceeded to eat a Big Mac.
I hope your day went better than mine.
Lee
Well, these are, like you said, minor annoyances, and won't stay long, so I will give them a few minutes of my day.
The economy, or the stock market, on the other head, stays with us until we die. And, for the bad shape now, it is just a matter of time before it breaks the 7000 line, may be as soon as tomorrow, considering now is only 70xx.
For anyone who is tired of bad economic news, sorry about that. But unless you are living in a cave in the middle of nowhere, you will continue to hear the bad news.
Jim you are the best news anchor and you're so hot. Ill keep watching 11 as long as you're there.
I bought some items in Marshalls, and I couldn't get the darn stickers off them.I decided to put the glass items in the dishwasher. Still, the stickers didn't come off. So now, I have to scratch and scrub these stickers off, until I scratch the glass. I don't know why they do this in the stores. You are right Jim, these minor things are very annoying.
Something good happened to me today. Instead of losing on the scratch-off lottery tickets, I won over 200 dollars. Well, I must say, I have lost a lot of money in the past, but today was my day.
I am sick of all the economy talk, because it is so negative, but, we must be informed about where our money is going. I read that Citi will be nationalized by about 37 percent. I really don't want to know anymore about it.
You can't believe everything you hear in the news anyway, because, it changes from hour to hour. I'm just trying to enjoy myself, and with my new found "money", there will be some nice dinner out tonight!
People control their destiny. There is no such thing as bad economic times. You just have to, "CHEAT, LIE, and STEAL", in this day and age in order to survive.
Jim, great post. I really chuckled at the one with the commuter train. It reminds me of those people who wait for a good half hour on the line for the bus (usually the first ones mind you), and then rummage through their bags or pockets for their MetroCard.
Don't get me started also on the ones taking their sweet time dragging on their cigarettes but take forever to get their fares. If you have enough time for smoking, you definitely have enough time to get your stuff out.
Ah well. The minor things we should never let get us down in life. Way much more other important stuff to wring your hair over.
Jim baby! I'm here to help! When you get those photo frames home, rub the glass with vinegar! Takes the sticky-ness right off those tags. Wow. I feel empowered. I think I may have actually helped Mr. News Guy with his picture frames. Do you shoot pictures?
And wait a minute! You wear glasses? Have you ever worn them on the air? Bet you great in them! Happy Weekend!
Laurie from Jersey
I read Laurie's post, and want to know if you wear contact lenses. I never saw you with glasses "on the air".
You are so darn good looking, I don't think glasses would make a difference!
Hope you have a great weekend with your family!
Lee
JW
Love the newscast, love your wit... my gripe: why is it suddenly broadcast acceptable for WPIX to go to field interview video where the video does not match the audio, i.e the words coming out of the mouth don't match the mouth speaking the words? This kind of derogation is usually associated with some kind of exotic locale such as a herky-jerky satellite video from a cave in Tora Bora. Now I see it on the broadcast every night, just about every run of the mill local interview. What's up with that? really annoying.
Greg
JW
Love the newscast, love your wit... my gripe: why is it suddenly broadcast acceptable for WPIX to go to field interview video where the video does not match the audio, i.e the words coming out of the mouth don't match the mouth speaking the words? This kind of derogation is usually associated with some kind of exotic locale such as a herky-jerky satellite video from a cave in Tora Bora. Now I see it on the broadcast every night, just about every run of the mill local interview. What's up with that? really annoying.
Greg