One of these things is not like the other....

Every day on my way to/from work & the subway, I pass by a dollar store on Bloor street.

I don't really like dollar stores, not just because of the cheap quality of the merchandise, but because of the persistent, unique, offensive "dollar store smell". It's an olfactory explosion, present in every dollar store I've ever entered, reminiscent (Get it? ReminiSCENT?) of poverty, curry & sweat.

While attending university, I frequented dollar stores, along with every other cash-strapped student. Since living in Toronto, however, I think I've only set foot in one once: I blew a flip-flop at work one day and hoped to be able to locate a suitable, inexpensive replacement set of shoes, since I was on my way to a Jays game and didn't have access to any other functional footwear. Unfortunately, I was too revolted by the dollar-store's omnipresent odour to do any browsing and ended up using packing tape to McGuyver my busted flip-flops back together (I know what you're thinking, my ingenuity knows no bounds...you're very perceptive...).

The other day, I walked by the neighbourhood dollar store and noticed a big sign in the window indicating 50% off the ENTIRE store, with a few exceptions:

If you can't quite decipher this, it says, "Except: Drinks, Candies, African Products...etc."

What?!?

It's the "etc." that's throwing me off here. If you can explain to me the common thread between these 3 categories of items, it would be much appreciated. I've been wracking my brain and have been unable to come up with anything.

Interestingly, I walked by the store this morning and the sign was gone...either their big sale is over or they spied me, last week, surreptitiously snapping this pic and realized something was amiss.

The etymology of language...

I'm a big fan of grammar.

I am currently reading "Woe Is I" subtitled "The Grammarphobe's Guide to Better English in Plain English" (which means I'm not really this book's target demographic, but I still enjoy reading the tips & mneumonic tricks to improving one's grammar contained therein).

"Eats, Shoots & Leaves" is another good one.

I'm always somewhat conflicted about the evolution of language: Is it really evolution or is it devolution? I contend that any word whose useage is modified in such a way that it reduces clarity of meaning is not evolution.


Case in point, earlier today, Poop mentioned that something would be completed in a "promp" manner.


Me: Did you just say..promp?


Poop: Yeah. Promp. What?


Me: That's not even a word.


Poop: Of course it is! It's in the definictionary!


Happy Stupid Bowl Sunday!

Currently... (Theme Stolen from Margot, the Crafty Blogger from PEI)

Listening to: The Derek Trucks Band ("Already Free")




Eating: Greek pasta salad from the office cafeteria (with the barf-inducing olives carefully picked out)

Making: This category doesn't really apply to me, since I'm not a crafty crafter. But, I suppose I could say, I'm making....the world a better place with my presence? :)


Wearing: Pants. Full Tilt poker fleece. Socks (I loathe socks).


Watching: I'm at work, so I'm not watching much, except my back, in these cut-throat economic times. But, in general, TV I'm currently enjoying in my life would be Modern Family, Mad Men & Drop Dead Diva.


Reading: Open (Andre Agassi), Rules of Prey (John Sandford), The Book of Basketball (Bill Simmons)

Missing: Gill & her spawn, Paula & her violent dreams, Tommy James & those damn Shondells

WebMD is EVIL!

WebMD (and sites like it) that allow people to type in their symptoms and receive a diagnosis are bad for our collective health (both physical & mental).

People use these sites to identify their health issues rather than visiting a doctor, which is obviously a bad idea!


"Naw, I don't need to see a doctor, WebMD tells me I'm fine!"


And for people who have a propensity towards paranoia, this type of thing is extremely dangerous....case in point....


A few weeks ago, Poop declared, "I think I have tuberculosis."


Me: You what?


Poop: I think I have tuberculosis. I have all the symptoms.


Me: Let me guess...WedMD?

Poop (shamefully): Yes.


Me: Let me reassure you, you do NOT have tuberculosis. You were probably vaccinated against it when you were a child. I could be wrong, but, I think it was pretty much eradicated in the western world at the turn of the 20th century.


The conversation ended, but I'm not sure I convinced him. He wandered off muttering "tuberculosis" under his breath.


I've banned him from using WebMD in the future.

And, please, see your doctor.