Weekend, the homefront, personalization, radio, UTI, advertising

I wrote a really big post yesterday, but BLOGGER ATE IT, so less informative today.

Our camping trip for this weekend has been cancelled due to rain. I have really mixed feelings about this. I wanted to go, and was excited about using all the camping gear that usually sits in my garage (Piggs can tell you about my unearthing my old camping coffee percolater -- "Sweet! I rule!"). On the other hand, it was going to be really cold, I hate having substitutes, and it would mean no time alone with my sweetie this weekend. Also, I had to cancel a Gynas show (or, in reality, ask the other Gynas to cancel it), which was disappointing in the first place, and now I'm embarrassed that we had to cancel a booked show (with a good lineup -- we've been wanting to play with Uberkunst forever!) for no good reason, since now I'll be sitting at home Friday night. I'm embarrassed to even tell the girls, although at least Gynagirl will likely find out by reading this very post. Anyway, harumph in general.

On the homefront, we (Mom and I) have painted the kitchen, walls, ceiling and trim, but the biggest job, the cabinets, is still to come. I also changed the outlets and light fixture, and it's a tremendous improvement thus far. I also bought a composter!

I am irritated at the radio right now. About two years ago, a new butt-rock station hit the airwaves, and I was pleased. It was at 93.7. I told my friends and my cousin, even. Then it changed to Howard, an alternative format. I liked it, even though I found it a little redundant, since we already had KWOD. The KWOD became KWOD 2.0 and plays a lot of Counting Crows. But I still had Howard. And now Howard is Jack, as of about 24 hours ago. Yesterday afternoon one of their stupid recorded announcers said "We're Jack. People call us new and, yeah, I guess we are new." Oh, I guess so, since when I got out of the car this morning you were a completely different station! Anyway, now THEY'RE playing adult contemporary shit, and I only have 98 Rock left for hard rock, and no alternative station (not that very much alternative music still exists, but when I want my Radiohead and Foo Fighters, I want 'em!)

I was talking to Monkeygirl about the Personalization of America. Basically, listen to almost any TV or radio advertisement, and there will be something in there about how the product, whether it's education or chicken fingers, is tailored just to your specific needs. Now, not only is this bullshit (you get a choice of three sauces -- whoo!), it also really feels like pandering to our collective egos. Each of us, apparently, is so damned special that our personal car insurance experience must be made for us individually. And since when did getting to choose what we eat become some special selling point? For as long as I can remember, McNuggets have come with your choice of sauce. Waitresses at restaurants rattle off your choices of salad dressings. Who decided this was revolutionary? It just irritates me.

UTI. Yeah, that's actually short for Universal Technical Institute, not Urinary Tract Infection, in case you were wondering. They've been advertising on the radio recently with all the enthusiasm of those "SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY" monster truck rally ads, but they seem to have no idea that their name is synonymous with painful urination.

And finally, I know that all things Asian are hip right now, but does anyone else find it annoying that Jeep is advertising the "yin and yang" experience of driving their vehicle and Newcastle Brown Ale is talking about whether or not their beer interrupts your flow of chi?

Okay, random thoughts dispersed.
CM