What not to wear — ever

Those of you who know me probably figured you’d see a post like this, somewhere along the way. If you are offended by frank discussion about what women wear to the office and to school, click here. I won’t be mad.

I’ll get right to the point. There are a few conclusions I’ve drawn over the years:

  1. Too many women do not own full-length mirrors. I say this because there is no way on God’s earth they could look at themselves in a full-length mirror and still leave the house wearing what they’re wearing.
  2. Too many girls think that wearing shirts and jeans that are two sizes too small will actually make them look two sizes smaller.
  3. Too many girls think that stomach, back and butt fat being squeezed over the edges of fabrics and out every imaginable clothing opening turns guys on.
  4. Too many girls think that the more cleavage they show (even if it’s on an 11-year-old 6th grader in a 30AA push-up…trust me, I’ve seen it), the more everyone will think they’re shecksy.
  5. Too many women think that if their blouse pulls at the buttons to the point of ripping the fabric, people will think….well, I don’t know what. I got nothin’. But they wear them all the time. Even on job interviews.

Item:

Is this what I see every day? Um, yeah. Now is it just me, or is this completely unattractive? Guys, please comment. [Don’t worry — it’s the internet, fuh cripesake. You can be anonymous.] Is this sexy? Should I change my outlook?

But honest to God — what was she thinking? Did she look in the mirror that morning and say, “I like how my fat looks when it flops over my polka dot belt when I walk”?? Who likes this? I mean…am I just uninformed, and it’s actually cool?

Maybe it’s just that these girls are comfortable with who they are and what their bodies look like. I say that’s great, and I wish I could say the same with confidence. But there are ways to wear nice clothes if you’re not a size zero. Let’s face it: sometimes, it ain’t about self-expression. Sometimes, people don’t care to see everything you’re made of. Those times are at work and at school. And I don’t consider myself a prude or prim and proper…I just think women — especially younger women — don’t use their heads. I am fine with girls dressing sexy, but Mary, Joseph & Buddha…use some discretion. Don’t go to school (especially if you’re a teacher, fuh cryin’ out loud) or to the office with your bodacious ta-tas hanging out.

I read some research about this. A psychologist who did a study on teenage clothing styles said:

Some of these girls don’t want to admit that they need bigger clothes. The little skinny girls are still shopping in juniors, and the big girls don’t want to admit that their bodies aren’t little.”

That could explain the following:

Item: The Sausage Casing Look

So let’s say that the girl does cover herself up and doesn’t have muffin bake exposed. Trouble is, many girls cover up with wafer thin fabrics that are skin tight: the Two Sizes Too Small Syndrome.

I want to help these girls. What shall I do? I know. An assembly on the first day of school. Bring in Clinton and Stacy!

Another disclaimer: Much of this is done in jest (ok, some of it is done in jest). I’m no snappy dresser — not by a long shot — but I do make sure all my imperfect parts are not on display for the general public. I know that doesn’t solve the issue of my face…but I’m afraid there’s not much I can do about that, other than the Unknown Comic thing.

Fink out.

Cars.

Here in my car, I feel safest of all / Somethin somethin somethin / and la la la la / in cars

Yep, that was my Gary Numan moment. I hate 80s technopop. OK. On to today’s RNFs:

I love my mechanical conveyance. The Mighty Ford Ranger. Kevin Poth calls it “a car with a bed,” but I don’t care. (Besides, have you seen Kevin’s truck??)

Even though the air conditioning unit died 2 years ago ($1500 to replace it..shyeah I’ll get right on that) and it has 160,000 miles on it, I still love it. I’m surprised I haven’t named it. Perhaps I will do that. Hmmm….

Anyway, as much as I love the Ranger, the price of gasoline — and the fact that I have a 22-mile commute one way to work every day — concerns me. I’ve been thinking lately that I would like to hold out with the truck as long as possible, to hopefully buy an electric or hybrid in the next couple of years.

(Just saw this photo of a gas station in Arcadia, California. Incredible. Could that be coming to little Ohio? Probably.)

Anyway, enter the Chevy Volt….

Nobody really knows what it looks like yet, but according to the story I read on Wired.com, it might reveal itself at the Detroit Auto Show in January. They say they don’t know exactly what it’ll cost, but that they want it to be “affordable.” What’s “affordable?” Well, let’s just say it doesn’t bode well for the home team when the cost of the lithium-ion battery alone is $16,000. Nice.

Don’t go here. It’s like looking at bad car accidents — you won’t be able to look away.

I can’t imagine what SUV owners are going through right now. I know my son is trying to sell his huge Suburban. Anyone wanna buy it? I don’t know what he’s asking for it. Eleventy thousand dollars, maybe. But really, at 10 MPG, who’d want it?

Or, we could be like Fusion Man and travel in real style — via wings and jugs of jet fuel strapped to our persons.

Meh. For the moment, I’ll stick with the MFR, thanks. Until gas reaches $7 a gallon…then who knows. Maybe I’ll go the way of the Amish.

Fink out (of gas).

PS – Kay’s home! Yay!

People just don’t git it

I’ma say this one last time (well ok, it probably won’t be the last).

A teacher apparently cleaned out some shelves in his/her classroom last week, and left a stack of several copies of this book on the faculty lounge table, with a sign that said “Free.” The title intrigued me, so I took one. Free books are like Christmas to me, so I was happy to get the gift.

That is, I was happy until I noticed an unforgivable, egregious, stupid, blatant and ridiculous error.

Nikola Tesla was left out.

I was incensed. After doing an initial, unsuccessful fanning of the pages to locate his picture, I went to the index in the back of the book. Nowhere to be found. Incredible. And this is a book by Scholastic — one of the leading publishers of K-12 textbooks in the country. What the world is going on here? Edison is listed, but not Tesla? Maya Lin, but not Tesla? Tiger frigging Woods, but not Tesla? It’s madness. Madness. I’m getting mad all over again just writing about it.

So I went to the web to see what other people thought about it. To my surprise (and, admittedly, utter delight), I found a review of the book at Amazon.com, submitted by an engineer. Her comments:

[T]he author forgot to mention the inventor of the electric systems used today; the AC motor, the triphasic electrical system, the AC generator (as in Niagara Falls), wireless communications, remote control, logic circuits, fluorescent lamps and many other [inventions] without which our lives today would be totally different. What would America be without Nikola Tesla?

What, indeed?

Now, see here. I’m no conspiracy theorist. In fact, I think most conspiracy theories are crap. But consider this: Tesla wanted to provide wireless capability for everyone in America — for free. Could this explain why billionaire J. P. Morgan suddenly yanked his financial support for Tesla projects? Well of course it could, sweety. Inexplicably, Tesla had enemies, not the least of which was that little rodent Thomas Edison, whose apparent mission in life was to discredit Tesla.

Disclaimer: This is not an Edison bash-fest (although it probably looks like one). He was a brilliant man who contributed tons to the development of powered technology in this country, and in fact, the world. I just think he hated competition, and Tesla was doubly bad news because he was right. At least about this.

Back to the drama…

Edison must have known on some level that his direct current was dangerous and inferior when compared to Tesla’s AC system, but it didn’t stop him from launching a macabre, minstrel-show tour of horrors, where his assistant would use AC to electrocute dogs, live, on stage, to show how dangerous alternating current was. Tesla was, at this time, partnered with George Westinghouse, and Edison used him as a target as well.

One of Edison’s assistants got his hands on a Westinghouse AC generator, and had the bright idea to give the American public the ultimate demonstration of the horror of Tesla’s alternating current: use it on a human.

Such was the unspeakably cruel fate of William Kemmler at his execution. He was supposed to hang, but Edison’s lackey had a better idea. Here is the newspaper account from 1890, written by an eyewitness to the 9-minute “death by torture.” It will make you sick.

That’s it. I am going to do my own list.

Don’t mind me. I’m just a lil fussy this morning.

Fink out (of sorts)

Did you know…

…. that I once toured Europe? In 1976, I auditioned for, and was accepted into, a nationwide choir/band/orchestra touring group called America’s Youth in Concert. I was in the choir, and our first gig was Carnegie Hall. Then we went to Rome, Florence, Venice, Paris, Innsbruck, Geneva and London. The choir was directed by Dr. William Ramsey of Stanford University, whose music my own high school choir has sung. Neet. Sandin Wilson played bass in the orchestra that accompanied us. I was the alto soloist in the quartet featured in Mozart’s Coronation Mass in C Major. I took dozens and dozens of pictures, which, unfortunately, were lost during a move. I am still heartbroken over it. Anyway — seeing Matt Gross’s latest blog post reminded me of it. I want to go back sometime before I die. But there’s that flying issue…(shut up, Kay).

…. that I own all the Beatles’ albums? Sure you did.

…. that I just bought this shirt? How cool is that. The downside: had to pay the current GBP exchange rate. Nauseating. I have that font; why didn’t I just design the shirt myself? I am dumm.

…. that former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor (age 79) just invented a video game?

…. that I have to sit through six interviews for a band director over the next 2 days? (Thanks, Mando & Adam. Sheesh. I know where I stand.)

…. that I am going to be late for said interviews if I don’t get a move on?

Have a great day, y’all. Have I mentioned I’m on summer vacation? Still waiting for it to start….