The Godfather revisited

If you don't yet subscribe to Gottesdienst, here's more enticement.

Oh my. When I read this last night, I laughed so hard that I was choking.

Why I hate Wal-mart

In reality, there are so many reasons I dislike Wal-mart, that I don't think I could list them all. Let's start with inferior products and dirty stores. That's enough reason to keep me from going there. Sam Walton's stores were packed with "Made in America" signs, now Walmart stocks mostly things that are made in China. Or maybe it's the strong-arm tactics they've used with companies to lower prices, lowering quality and hurting other companies in the process that makes me despise them.

I'm a shopper and I like a bargain, but I don't think that what we're getting at Wal-mart is a bargain. Check out this video, which was linked to by Scott for a look at an amusing take on Wal-mart's "low prices."

An ego boost

A post on my friend Karin's blog reminded me of something that I wanted to tell all of you last week.

Now, first, everyone remembers that just 13 days ago my oldest turned 21. Right? And some of you remember that I celebrated my 40th birthday in Florida a few years back. Right?

So, last Friday morning,

I GOT CARDED!

I was at the grocery store buying bread, Doritos, beer, and cheap wine. The girl at the register said, "Can I see your ID?" I thought she meant the little scanny-discount-card-thingy so I handed her that and she swiped it. Then she kept waiting. "Can I see your driver's license?"

Still not getting it, I pulled it out and gave it to her. I thought that maybe the store had switched to a new system and needed ID for my debit card or to make sure I was using my own BigBrother discount card. I was just getting ready to ask her why she needed it when she looked up at me and back at the ID. "Wow! You look really young!"

I think I floated out of the store.

Just for grins, here I am at 21.

I think my attire may have had something to do with it. I was carded about two years ago when I was wearing a sweatshirt, tennies, etc. This time I was wearing a pale pink fleece pullover and jeans and cute earrings. And then there's the whole Doritos & beer thing.

Heavy sigh...

I will not write posts with any attempt at humor. I will not write posts with any attempt at humor. I will not write posts with any attempt at humor.

Now that I've been suitably punished:

Some of you got my earlier posts on dressing as what they were. Maybe because you know me. Maybe because I declared my curmudgeonly intent at the beginning. Sarcasm and exaggeration were present in abundance.

So for those of you who don't know me:
I have friends who dress well. I have friends who don't. I don't care.

I don't care if you wear a baseball cap in a four star restaurant, unless you're with me. (But, guess what! It's okay for me to have a little pet peeve about that!) I do on the other hand care if you wear shorts so brief that I'm seeing parts of your anatomy better left unexposed.

I don't care if you wear jeans to church. I'm not going to, but you can if you want to. And that is an entirely different conversation.

I do, however, think that the way you dress shows respect--or lack thereof--for where you are and what you are doing. I don't think that the growing casualness in our society is a good thing. Businesses and schools are recognizing this. There have been a number of articles lately discussing the retreat from casual attire in the workplace and many schools and school districts have instituted uniform policies or stronger dress codes, because they know that how people dress has an impact on how they think and act.

As for the guy in the baseball cap that some of you seem so concerned about: The baseball cap was just one thing. If it had been a good match she could have trained him not to wear the hat at the table, inside a building, while talking to a lady. (And yes, for those of you who don't know me and have judged me to be judgmental, I have a HUGE grin on my face as I type that.) It just wasn't a fit.

(Oh--and for anonymous if you are curious--there are many websites with proper hat etiquette. You are fine with your hat on in the mall. It is considered the same as a street. But as soon as you go into an eatery, it should come off.)

Alternate LOTR ending

Go check out HowThe Lord of the Rings should have ended. Short and sweet.

HT: Clayton Cramer