What's my Size?

Japanese beer comes in many sizes

 

Who determines what size something should come in?  I mean, who decided that we need four litres of milk in three bags?  Whose idea was it to sell hamburger buns in packages of eight?  What genius determined that my bag of spaghetti should contain 900 grams of dried pasta?

Now, I know, I have ranted about the size of things before.  Mostly, though, I was complaining about how they have made everything smaller.  I still feel quite strongly about that injustice, but this rant is different.  I am not complaining, just wondering.

I was making spaghetti earlier this evening when I noticed that the weight of the pasta package was 900 grams.  Why didn't they just make it a full kilogram?  Dried pasta is not exactly a high ticket item.  I stopped to reconsider.  I considered maybe they were selling it in pounds.  Nine hundred grams comes close to two pounds.  I checked the label, and no, actually it equals 1.98 lbs.  I don't know who should feel more ripped off.

If you really think about it, how do you decide what is the right size to sell something?  Is there a certain quantity that we can not exceed?  Is there a certain price we won't pay for something?  Considering how popular Costco and Price Club are, neither one of those things can really be true.  If someone is willing to buy a 20 litre container of mustard (for whatever price 20 Litres of mustard must cost) then you could almost sell them 20 Litres of anything....couldn't you?

Some of this must be historical.  Anything sold in sets of twelve must be connected to a bakery.  This still doesn't explain the hot dog bun versus hotdog package...but don't get me started.  I am pretty happy with the 24 of beer, but since I have seen 28 packs and 32 packs, this number seems kind of arbitrary.

Beverage companies decided that cans of pop should be 355mL.  It seems to be the right size--but then why is the coke company trying to foist those 700mL bottles on us?  I guess they thought we needed more, so instead of screwing around they just said double.  I guess nobody bothered to suggest triple.

Maybe none of this should really bother me, maybe I should let is slide.  The problem is that I live in a country that uses the metric system.  The whole beauty behind the metric system is the nice, useful, easily manipulated numbers it produces.  They still sell butter by the pound, but at least they print the metric numbers on the label.

I guess somebody made the decisions, and that is what we are left with.  If somebody had asked me, I might have been able to convince them to choose another size.  My pasta would come in 1Kg bags and there would be five tennis balls in a can instead of three.

Library Blues

 

 

As part of the commuter lifestyle, I tend to read a lot (when I am not doing the crossword or Sudoku puzzles).  In an effort to be economical or frugal (you can read that as cheap), I take books out of the library.  I hate to rant on the library because its advantages greatly outweigh its disadvantages.  It had lots of books, DVD's, CD's, comic books, graphic novels, magazines and a whole bunch of other stuff that I don't access, but is probably great for other people (seminars, art shows etc.).

Nonetheless, I have two problems.  These two problems have nothing to do with due dates or late fines.  Those things, while slightly stressful, have their place and are necessary.  What bothers me is the way they have done their digital book offerings, and the way that they either don't have some books, or the wait list is has me getting the book sometime in the next decade.

I bought a Kobo, and I am quite happy with it.  I have had difficulty with e-books that the library has, though.  Why is there only one copy?  If it is digital, should there be an infinite number of copies?  It isn't like I am actually taking the data off their hard drive.  It won't be lost.  The copies are programmed to delete themselves after three weeks.... Is it that the library system in Ontario has somehow confused the past with the present.  Are they unable to see the digital forest for the trees?  Are they trying to make the digital age represent the way things used to be?  One only needs to look at how Netflix put an end to Blockbuster to understand how wrong this kind of thinking is.

Maybe there are some copyright issues involved, but those should be explained, rather than hoping that we just understand.

As for not having books...yes, I understand there are space and budget constraints.  There are plans to expand my library, so hopefully they will have more space for books.  My problem is that I want to read a series of books in order, and sometimes the library doesn't have one or more of the books in the series.  If you have most of the series, and are hoping that people take the books out, not having the whole series is kind of ridiculous, don't you think?  Most recently, I have read Jim Butcher's Dresden Files books, but due to availability I have read them completely out of order.  You can guess that I am slightly confused, but starting to make sense of it.

Schools Back......

There is a buzz in the air.  It is a mix of nervous energy and eager anticipation.  School is in and the kids are back in it.  There is definitely an air of hope and dreams in the air.  It is a great time of year....

That is, unless you're riding the bus with these loud obnoxious leaders of tomorrow.  Though I risk sounding like a crotchety old man, they're just talking loud and saying nothing.  Nothing at all.  If it sounds like I am eavesdropping, I'm not.  I really don't want to hear what they have to say, but they must think I am interested, because they don't seem to practice any form of editing.  They stuff they will say into their cell phones is amazing.  Either they think no one can hear them, or they just want to broadcast their sexcapades.  If I knew their names and could contact their parents.... well, lets just say that the blackmail money could be quite lucrative.  Of course, then, I wouldn't have to ride the bus.

 

Mostly, I guess, it's just the crowds.  My bus is always full, but it seems more so now.  Before, I always got a seat, and could even sit by myself for a few stops before some overly large man (as to an attractive petite woman) with obvious spatial recognition issues would shoehorn himself in beside me. I can still get a seat, but the pickings are slim and the bus is full much quicker.  I guess it's a good thing that I live near the end of the line.

Either I will get used to it, or some of them will drop out of school.  Maybe I should just buy better headphones.

New and Improved means Smaller and Just as Expensive

Once again the evidence is clear.  Some ad executive somewhere has decided that "new and improved" is a fantastic cover story for smaller, but not less expensive.  I have written about this before, but I have to make the case again.  I have to rant and rage because it really bother's me.   We let it happen to potato chips (remember the two separate bags in a big bag of chips?) and we can't let it happen again.

Maybe it is too late.  Maybe we are destined for a shrinking world rather than a higher priced world.  Maybe, because we balked at the higher price we took comfort in the same price for less.



What started this rant was my body wash.  I noticed the size discrepancy while taking my shower.  Not the most pleasant way to wake up I can assure you.   They couldn't even reduce it by a round number...causing me to do math before I had my coffee.  If that isn't disrespectful, I don't know what is.

 

New and Improved--and 89millitres smaller!

Before we become too complacent, we should consider the ramifications for this.  Do you really want to buy hotdogs in a five pack?  We already have the inconsistent 8 pack of hotdogs and the six pack of buns.  Do you want to smaller ketchup bottles?  We had them when I was young--they were glass mind you, and I kind of miss them now.  Could you drink a 150 millilitre box of chocolate milk?

I was looking at the remastered box set of Star Trek the Original series today.  In that first season they shot 29 episodes.  That's right, 29.  Let that number sink in.  Now 22 or 23 seems to be the norm (and I am not even thinking about those 8 or 12 episode seasons which HBO seams to favour).  Of course, prior to that it was not uncommon to have 36 episode seasons.

Why is it that the things I want to become smaller never seem to.  I wouldn't mind smaller commercial breaks.  I certainly wouldn't say no to shorter speeches by politicians.  Shorter acceptance speeches for award winners or beauty contestants is a must-- this might have saved a certain Miss Teen USA some embarrassment.  Pre-game shows are longer than the games themselves.

Can I blame shrinking products for all this?  No.  All of these things are symptoms, not the cause.  The cause was the desire to make money at the expense of the customer.  The only problem is that I am one of the customers.  I don't like it.  I am going to keep calling them out until they listen.

Frustrations of the Modern World

There isn't anything more frustrating than when something that usually works, stops working. Imagine, you're set to watch your favourite match on TV, or your favourite show (either the premier or the final) and your TV doesn't work.

You might take it calmly.  You might rationalize that machines sometimes break.  The key word in that sentence (for me at least) is the you.  You might, but I simply can't.  When I expect something to work, like the TV or computer, and it doesn't, I flip my lid.  I go absolutely ballistic.  Imagine a cartoon character...... you get the point.

I was all set to check something out on streaming video and it didn't work.  I haven't sworn like that in ages.  My poor cat was probably wondering why I was so worked up.  He probably hasn't heard that language since the hard drive in my last computer was so clogged that it took an hour just to do the startup routine.  I slapped that machine silly, in addition to teaching it all the expletives I knew in English, Japanese, Spanish, French and Korean.  That's right, I showed that machine who's boss.

Is it wrong to expect things to work?  Is that how disposable society has become?  When was the last time a machine made you so angry?

The problem has been fixed...without machine homicide...and it probably wasn't my machine, but something that originated at the source....but it still made me angry.

The Do Not Call List

I put myself on the do not call list because I didn't want anyone to call.  What I understood was except for charities and government pollsters, I would be left to go about my business undisturbed.

This does not seem to be the case.  Since going on the do not call list, I have been bothered at least once a week (though often more) by people offering to clean my air ducts.  In fact, as it is Saturday morning, I suspect that one of these calls will happen any minute now.  I can't really express how much this bothers me...though I have tried to express it to these people on a number of times.

I know how she feels

Some of the things that I have done to register my displeasure, beyond swearing, name calling, and other acts of hostility include one of my favourites.  I answered, they asked to speak to me, then I offered to go and get the person they were referring to.  Then I waited a minute and told them to wait a little longer.  I repeated this step for about 10 minutes.  To what end?  Besides personal satisfaction, I probably kept 10 other people from being bothered that day.  Sadly I couldn't stop it from happening another day.

Do any of you have any strategies?  I'd love to hear them.

Changes: Newer isn't better

I hate it when they make changes to things that I like.  New isn't always better.  Some things should be left alone.  Change just for change sake isn't really an improvement.
Why is this an issue with me?  Recently, they changed YouTube (again).  I get it.  YouTube is wants to remain fresh and relevant....but come on.  Yes, it is nice that you can watch longer videos...but that also means some people prattle on for longer than they should.  Sometimes it is good to give people a time limit.  Imagine if some movies went on four six or seven hours--even the Avengers would get tedious at that length.  A limit provides a good chance to edit. 
I would have put a remark about how less is more in the column but after watching Yngwie Malmsteen on a TV show explain that more is more, I will have to resist.  I agree Yngwie, more is more, but not everybody should be allowed to put more.
I used to love YouTube when after you watched one of your subscribed videos, or didn't want to see one of them, you could delete it from the cue.  Now they just stare at me for all eternity.  Some of my favourite Vloggers and JVloggers put several different series, but I don't want to see all of that.

Here is a few of they things I wish they hadn't changed.

McDonalds' Milkshakes

Yes, I get it.  They are healthier now.  Of course they are also more expensive.  If I were really concerned about my health I wouldn't eat at McDonalds. I go in there craving junk.  I know that drinking a large milkshake isn't going to help me towards my weight loss goal.  Please.

Used Cars.....Previously Enjoyed Automobiles

Change the words and you change to connotation.  It makes sense, but it is also a slap in the face.  You are trying to fool us, and we are not fooled.  If this car was so enjoyed, why is it in your used car lot....sorry previously enjoyed car lot.

Sizes of pop bottles

I could complain about the change from glass to plastic, but I am too late on that one.  Just why they decided to come up with a 710 mL bottle, I am unsure.  Basically that is two cans of pop.  When they had the 600mL bottle, they secretly changed that to a 591mL bottle, with no one being the wiser.  Maybe they will do the same with this one.  Remember when a 750mL bottle was good for three people, or three drinks.  I wonder what the current bottle is good for.  I am guessing that is a one person size.

As for the glass plastic debate....they couldn't make us switch our beer bottles to plastic, so I guess we won some kind of victory.

Windows anything

Here is a good idea, instead of trying to make it better by making it new.  Make it better by making it work.  Rather than release it half finished, release it when it works.

Your thoughts

I'd love to hear from you guys.  I wrote this rather quickly this morning, and I am sure that I will have many more thoughts over the coming days and will add to this blog.  Either way, I would love to hear what things you wished they hadn't changed.