All The Small Things, Vol. II

Way back in 2002, I wrote up a rant about things that bothered me. Those things still do irritate me, although CD packaging not so much as it used to. Mind you, that's not because CDs are any easier to open, but simply because I don't open as many CDs as I used to. But there are other things — fresh new things — that just get under my skin and just plain tick me off. And so these are the new additions to my catalogue of annoyances.

The Tempur-Pedic Logo: While I may not watch as much television as I used to, and much of what I do watch is recorded and played back later, I still do watch some actual honest-to-goodness fresh off the air TV, usually in the form of news or sports. And of course this means the inevitable commercial interruptions. While I dislike commercials as much as the next person, there is one particular item that bothers me more than any other. I speak of Tempur-Pedic mattresses. Not that I have any problem with Swedish bed systems in particular, but the logo for Tempur-Pedic features a bare bum. And the commercials tend to end with someone laying down on one of their beds and suddenly it morphs into the bare-bum logo, so you don't get any warning. The result of being blind sided by the bare bottom tends to be something akin to a two minutes hate.

It's not that I find the human rump hideously offensive, I just find it disturbing to go from watching the five day forecast and suddenly there's a line-art drawing of a derriere in my face. What's more, a rear end is just not something that should be on a company logo, not a company that expects to be taken seriously.

Damp Dishcloths: Dish cloths get stinky. That's a fact of life, unfortunately. There is a solution, however, one that has two parts. The second part is to wash dishcloths frequently, and to relegate them to the laundry at the first hint of foul odour. The first, and really, the most vital aspect to preserving fresh and unsmelly dishcloths is to let them dry adequately. This is not achieved by leaving your soaking wet dishcloth in a lump at the bottom of the sink. Nor is it by folding the moist cloth twice and leaving it perched on the edge of the sink. The only way to do this is to rinse the cloth thoroughly after using it, wring it out, then spread it out fully on the edge of the sink, or perhaps over the faucet. I know damp dishcloths are unpleasant to wring out, but won't someone think of the bacteria, or rather, killing the bacteria? Or actually denying the bacteria the moist environment they desire, to be precise?

China: China is so hot right now. Everyone wants to do business with China, they are hosting the Olympics, they are the world's biggest emerging market, yada yada yada. They also have a human rights record second to, well, pretty much everyone (offer void in North Korea, Sudan and Myanmar — all of whom seem to get along rather well with China). If you happen to be Tibetan, Uyghur, Christian, Falun Gong, or a member of various other groups deemed undesirable by the Chinese government, oppression is to be expected. And as far as personal safety goes, China's record is abysmal. For example, the last number of years have seen more than 5000 people die in mining accidents — every year, that is, not in total.

So why is the rest of the world so keen on China? It all comes down to the almighty dollar, and I'm tired of people making excuses for China simply because it's economically advantageous to look the other way. it's a travesty. China needs to work harder, not just to improve its image, but to actually treat its citizens fairly. Until then, China's report card will continue to read "Improvement Needed" and "Does not play well with others."