So we sat down last night and decided to stream some tv to ourly newly hobbled together “media center”. We watch some house flipping on TLC and eventually found our way to Extreme Make Over: Home Editon. Which, as far as I know, is now the ONLY edition having realized that there are just some wrecks you CAN’T save.

We used to watch this show way back in the first season or two. Back when it was a glamourised ‘This Old House’. They’d find some people whose home was just trashed for one reason or another and they’d come in and fix it up. It was always full of technical detail and discussions about the design of the house and rooms. Interesting stuff.

What I saw last night (three episodes worth) was terrible. It’s gone from the entertaining show we once knew to this publicity engine for sponsers. Sears, Ford, etc etc all getting their plugs in and intermingled with that are emotinal bombs of truly news center proportins.

For example, they’re going to build a house for a family whose husband is deployed. Lot’s of emotion there. They bring him back for the week while they build the house. Okay. During the prebuild interview with the wife they drop this nice emoti-bomb.

Host: “oh, it’s going to be fabulous. We’ll fix it all up and we’ll finally finish this house your family always wanted.”

Wife: (smiling and nodding): “Yes, it’ll be wonderful. A great releif of stress….”

Host: (suddenly serious) : “But, you know your husband won’t be able to stay, will he?”

(dead air with the camera pointed at the wife for what seems minutes until she finally gets it and breaks down into a crying fit and let’s the guy console her. )

WTF?! That was pretty pointless. Here’s another good one.

Brother fire fighters are getting their house in New Orleans rebuilt after the tragedy. At one point one of the brothers is talking about serving the community and then breaks down and leaves the room. The cameras are of course waiting in the hall to capture it. When Ty asks what’s up his brother tells him it’s been really bad lately. Bad calls and recently there was a fire where they couldn’t rescue the people inside and Ty whips out this heartfelt one liner: “Oh, and he like had to she the babies burn?”

WTF is that?!

It’s so not abut the construction anymore either. The houses in all three shows were built in a 45 second music montoge in the last 15 minutes of the show. Just a quick “zip” and it’s built.

It used to be that the carpenters would take on a special project and you’d see how it was done and a special reveal to the family. Now the things they work on are hardly even mentioned. Almost under the breath. Sad.

I think it started to head south when it appeared the powers that be were starting to notice the show. I recall tuning in to find that they tacked an additional hour on to the show for a special “behind” the scenes. A show which might be cool if it focused on the people and the projects. But that actually talked about how the show was made from a production stand point. Things like highlighting how much showmanship goes into it all. The filming and refilming their approach to the “unsuspecting” family’s house. And how the people are alerted well in advance.

I’d rather they were a little more genuine rather than so over the top and disgustingly emotional.

It really has become the offspring of marrying the evening news with this old house and reality tv. Very sad.

(posted from iPhone)

Okay, Gizmodo is CONSTANTLY posting about Legos. (That’s not all of them either.)  It’s quite apparent that it’s part of some paid advertising, like those annoying articles you see in magazine with the small print at the bottom “paid advertisement”.

I just want Gizmodo to admit it and disclose that fact.  Why does it bother me?  I don’t f’ing know.  I just know that every time I see a Lego article in my feeds I know it’s Gizmodo writing about it. And I just know that it’s obnoxious.  Lego’s are very loosely tech.  Sure there are Lego Mindstorms, and all of us nerds start with Legos.  But.. but.. leggo of the legos already.  Jeeez.

So, there I am getting my lunch at a chain eatery. I have their stupid little club card and decide to cash it in and pay for some of my meal with it. After much sliding of cards and punching of touch screens the clerk finally tells me I’ll owe .54 cents. So I make to hand him my debit card and he looks at me like I’ve just shit in my hand and I’m now trying to hand it to him.

“No. No mang. We canna do that. 54 cents no. You got cash?”

“No, I don’t have cash. Just my card. Just run it.” I hand it again.

“No, not 54 cent. We take charge for that. Not 54 cent.” he continues to stare at me like I’m hiding money in my pocket, and just won’t give it to him.

“Not my problem. Just run it.”

“You no want sandwich then?”

“*sighs* just keep the chips.” I give in.

“There you take your free sandwich.” he sneers at me and goes back to making sandwiches.

Oh, my free sandwich? Yeah, we have an agreement. You’re offering me these silly points if I’ll eat at your place and fill your system with my sales statistics. So let’s not act like you, joe sandwich slinger, have just bent over backwards and given me food from your kids mouths.

But, that attitude isn’t really my complaint. I’m annoyed that companies will always have this Atlas’ burden take on the surcharge for purchase below certain amounts or for using debit for gas. Buck the hell up. It’s not my problem. Don’t put your operating expenses off on me, in my face.

I don’t come in to work and tell my boss, “I had a crappy time getting out of bed this morning and had a flat tire on the way in. You’re gonna need to give me $50 out of pocket for today.”

Noooo I have that kind of thing wrapped up in what I make. Maybe I get a cost if living raise once a year. That’s how it works. And if I can’t swing it on what I’m making I change jobs to raise my salary. I don’t flipping nit pick my boss everytime I see him.

It’s your business. Don’t throw the fact that it costs you more to run sub $5 charges in my face. Structure your pricing to deal with it. And stop complaining about taking my money. Jeez. Pisses me off.

I don’t know how many times I’ve stared down gas station attendents over crap like this. Your problem. Not mine. Run your business or don’t.

And don’t get me started on places that only take cash. OMG! Catch up with the world, people.

And then there are stores that close before I even get off work. So you WANT to fail? All these businesses so don’t want my money!

*heaving chest and smashed keyboard*

Okay, got that off my chest. Have a nice day.