Cheesy Quintessence

Are people really clueless? Is there some reason why the use of prerecorded audio files to serve as information feeds has been named “Podcasting”? As we all know, there are thousands of portable audio players on the market. Apple’s iPod isn’t the only way to listen to digital audio on the go, and it is even in many ways not the best; other players have superior battery life, voice recording, and so forth.

But let’s ignore competitors’ players and pretend that the iPod is the only portable music player in existence. The name “Podcasting” is still inherently idiotic because “Podcasts” can be listened to on your computer. In fact, I’d probably listen to them more on my computer than not so I’d not have to hook up my portable audio player and transfer the data.

Now that “Podcasting” has caught on, Apple is of course going to attempt to take credit for this poorly named innovation. To quote the latest Apple update email I received:

There’s a reason it’s called “podcasting.”
iPod gives you the ultimate control over podcasts, letting you listen to them anytime, anywhere.

Yes, today is the launch of Apple’s new color iPod, along with firmware updates to have a special menu item for “Podcasts.” But is that the reason why “Podcasts,” which have been around for months, are called “Podcasts”? No, it’s not, Apple.

I’m becoming quite irritated with how cold the interiors of establishments are kept around here. Almost everywhere I go, the temperature is uncomfortably cold or, in a select few, unbearably cold.

Today I joined my mother in a visit to Golden Chick in Elgin where she was to have lunch with a friend of hers. Stepping through the door of that building was like being teleported thousands of miles to the north in the blink of an eye. I did not have a thermometer on hand, but the temperature therein honestly felt to be below 60°F. I ate expediently; the last piece of chicken was thankfully only slightly chilled by the time I got to it. I then went out to sit in the car while my mother and her friend talked loquaciously. In the car, I sat without any air conditioning for 25 minutes, during which time the temperature rose to around 100°F, a temperature that was relatively comfortable compared to that of the dining room in Golden Chick. After 25 minutes, I did go back into the restaurant, but only because I became worried for the longevity of my lithium ion batteries.

You might think I’m crazy, but I don’t seem to be the only person finding temperatures in buildings to be too cold; I regularly see people wearing jackets in the classrooms at my college, even when it’s over 100°F outside on the very same day!

Why do people waste money cooling buildings to refrigerator temperatures? I understand that the ideal temperature is highly subjective, but if the humidity is kept down, 75°F should surely keep most people happy. Stupid.

Why do people buy food of a generic brand? Today I had to argue with my mother over which type of cookie dough to get–generic or Nestle Tollhouse–when the price difference for the same amount (18 ounces) was a mere 11 cents. We have tried both, and the brand name is significantly better than the generic. The brand name also comes in a greater variety of flavors, which my mother should be receptive to since she’s obsessed with having nuts in her cookies; generic only comes in chocolate chip. Apparently that’s not worth an extra 0.3 cents per ounce.

Even worse than generic cookie dough is generic frozen food. My mother also insists upon buying this “Great Value” frozen lasagna, which costs about 10 cents per ounce, from Wal-Mart, and she makes it at least one time per week. The picture of the “product” looks absolutely hideous, which is a pretty negative indication, since pictures of packaged food always look much better than the actual food really is; the prepared lasagna has no form whatsoever and is drenched in tomato sauce. For 14 cents per ounce, she could get Stouffer’s frozen lasagna, which, from our experience, is significantly better than the “Great Value” lasagna, as it has form, better flavor, and a more reasonable amount of sauce.

Is five or six dollars really too much money to feed a family of three? I don’t think so. But alas, I can’t get a decent meal since generic crap is available for a dollar less.

I was in an H-E-B store today, taking a picture of their malfunctional checkout lane computer, when a manager told me that I wasn’t allowed to take pictures in the store. I told her I was sorry and put my camera away. It’s curious that I’m not allowed to take pictures in the store, though; what could they be hiding?

If you live in Texas, take your camera into an H-E-B and take pictures; see if you can get thrown out.

Today I was in Wal-Mart when I was misfortuned enough to view a hand-made sign reading, “Today’s produce add.” This is only after two previous occassions on which I observed hand-made signs in which an apostrophe was used in a pluralized word. Are we really sinking this low?

I’m going to have to start carrying a Sharpie in my pocket.