Ouch! What's up with commercials?

The above photo is from a TV commercial here where a woman falls down, slamming her knee painfully into the floor. It's for a company that will file a lawsuit for you. It hurts to even watch this ad, particularly given my knee problems.

Lots of commercials in this country seem to be a bit graphic when it comes to showing painful-looking things. Like the commercials that show car accidents, or a child laying lifeless in the street, or a teenager playing around and getting hit by a car. I've learned when to sense danger coming in an ad. If someone is in a car or in the street and there doesn't seem to be a point to the commercial, watch out! They're likely to slam their head into the windshield without a second's notice. It's a bit much for me!

Idiots

Apparently, the cool new thing for young women to do is post pictures of themselves being drunk and stupid to a Facebook group. These genius college chicks often include their full name and where they go to school. This is why employers Google applicants. And also why some animals eat their young.

I bet they were "All Shook Up"

I told y'all elevators don't work in this country! According to this article, even the King(s) can't catch a break!

"Oh, good grief"

That's what my husband said when I told him that tonight in clubs in Reading police will be doing random drug testing. They'll use a high tech device that costs £40,000 to detect traces of drugs on one's hands. If you're caught drug-handed, as it were, you won't be arrested but will be banned from the club -- for one night. Ohh, scary, that'll convince people to stop using drugs!

Seriously, all that will happen is people who get busted will move on to another club. I doubt there are many of the testing machines, and there may only be one. It will be used in several clubs, but I'm guessing the cops will move from place to place -- so once you've been caught at one club, move on to another club before the police get there (as it sounds like they will be testing before you get in the club). Or it will just convince those who lack the imagination to have a good night without using drugs to wait until they get in the club to take drugs and fry more of their precious few remaining brain cells.

And so what if you don't use drugs and you get into the club? Why, then you'll drink a dozen pints or alcopops and act stupid! You'll throw up, fall down, bust your head, get in a fight or have sex with someone that would normally repulse you. Thank goodness your traditional fun night out won't be affected by that silly drug machine! Thank goodness you still don't have to be smart enough to be able to have fun without obliterating your senses! And thank goodness you won't have to be bothered by those idiots who act stupid because of drugs. You can party in the assurance that all the stupid behavior around you is due to excessive alcohol consumption, and you'll know all is right with the world.

Of course not everyone drinks themselves senseless when they go out, but I think a problem remains with those who do, even when you take drugs out of the equation. With all the problems of excessive drinking, from health to crime, you'd think there'd be more campaigns encouraging people to drink moderately. That seems to be a sacred cow no one wants to butcher.

Gloomy winter

This is what it looked like at 3:30 in the afternoon. By 4:15 p.m. it was full-on nightfall. It's strange to see darkness fall so early in the day, whereas in D.C. it was probably 5:30 or so before winter nights became ... well, winter nights.

Harlan Ellison rocks

Harlan Ellison is hilarious. Who knew? Apparently enough people knew to make a documentary on him, Dreams With Sharp Teeth. Thanks to The Medium is Not Enough TV blog for calling my attention to this riotously funny interview. I may have to actually read one of his books one day.

Macho tissues for macho men

Are you a big, strong he-man who would decimate a normal tissue with one good blow of the nose? Is normal Kleenex too small, too week, too delicate? Are you sick of girly Kleenex?

Then try Kleenex for Men. It's the paper-product equivalent of what you'd get if John Wayne and Bruce Lee had a baby. Which they would never do, since they're not little girly men using little girly tissues. Hooah!

P.S. I bought this product, and it has yet to stop my husband from keeping a roll of rough Tesco value toilet paper in the living room for wiping his nose. That's a hardcore macho man.