People Who Invade Your Personal Space

I recently went to this cute little place in SF. It was pretty full, and they managed to pack quite a few seats into a fairly small space.  This. Was. A. Problem.  I enjoy my personal space, my little personal bubble, if you will.  However, the lady sitting to my right was MUCH too close. I mean, our elbows touched (another problem I have, but let's save that for a later post).  She also kept getting up and sitting down and she would have to squeeze herself between our tables. The person I was with could see my clear and utter annoyance and I think he found it a tad amusing.  But this woman seriously had some sort of laptop bag/briefcase monstrosity blocking my from leaving my seat when we were finished.  She was also very loud, which irritated me in a completely different manner.  This is not to say that I hate people, just strangers that sit too close for comfort.

This idea of "personal space" also rings true when I sit in an empty bus or subway car and someone gets in and sits RIGHT. FREAKING. next to me.  PROBLEM.  Why *must* you sit so close? This entire place is empty and you chose that seat, right there.  And then, I don't know if I just look approachable, but these people insist on talking to me.  I love to talk, anyone who knows me can tell you that, but I do not want to sit next to some stanger who is going all Forrest Gump about their life to me. OMFG. STOP. Just don't be creepy or annoying and sit somewhere else. Please and thank you.

Another place that my personal bubble get popped is in lines.  I'm standing in line and take one half-step back for whatever reason and I step all over the person behind me.  I apologize, but in my head I'm screaming, "Why the FUCK were you standing so close to me anyway!".  I mean, honestly, did you *need* to be that close? Did you? I don't think so. I think you could've been a tad farther back, avoiding this whole situation of me stepping on you, and still be okay with your place in line.  It's like tailgating a car, but with people.

I like people, I really do, and I like interacting with them. But for the love of God, MUST you burst my little bubble?  Just stay a respectable distance from me.  That is all I ask.  Don't pop my personal bubble if you are a stranger.  That is just creepy sometimes and utterly unacceptable. 

Baby Feet

The cutest part of newborns? It is undeniably their feet. So small (as everything on newborns tends to be), soft, and adorable.  I don't know anyone (female) who is not enamored by the feet of an infant. I did try to confirm that many people believe this by using Google (as many of us would), but when I typed in my question I got a somewhat disturbing suggestion, so I decided to just stop searching before I was scarred for life. Yes, that is an undoctored screen shot and yes, it made me go "WTF?" too.

Annnnyway....I still think the cutest part of a baby is their feet.  My favorite part about them is the Plantar Grasp reflex. "This reflex occurs when you stroke the sole of your baby's foot, his toes will spread open and the foot will turn slightly inward. It is also known as the Babinski reflex. This reflex is fun to watch. By the end of the first year this reflex is usually gone," (from about.com).  I am pretty sure I have tortured quite a few infants by constantly stroking their feet just to watch them react. Its. So. Damn. Cute!

Because this topic is hard to expand on and Google freaked me out a little with their "Did you mean:" stunt, here are some pictures of little toes and feet to make you go "Awww. They're so tiny!"

The Prius

I understand that the environment is crumbling around us.  I understand cars and their emissions are a major factor.  I understand the world’s dependence on oil is detrimental. I understand cars also play a major role in this demand.  BUT I. hate. The. Prius. Reasons? I have plenty.

They are ugly. I don’t know why these cars had to be this odd tumor-shape.  It is not futuristic. It is not cool.  It is ugly.  Why not do what Honda did? The Honda Civic Hybrid looks just like a regular Civic except it’s a hybrid.  Prius, you are an eyesore.

A lot of people who drive them slather them in stupid bumper stickers. We get it, you drive a Prius, no need to tell us youre “Going Green” through five different bumper stickers.  No need to tell us to “Free Tibet” or (my personal favorite) to “Coexist” through using various religious symbols.  Just stop.  As if the Prius was not ugly enough already.  These do not make a statement about you other than: I like being barfy.

A lot of people who drive them simply cannot drive.  Just because you are driving a Pruis, doesn’t mean you get to run the road. Going 10mph under the speed limit? Unacceptable.  Randomly braking for no reason at all? Nono, don’t do that.  Cutting me off, going 10mph under the speed limit, and then randomly braking while making me stare at 15 different bumper stickers that make some sort of “statement”? OH. HELL. NO. Just because you are reducing your carbon footprint, does not mean I will make allowances for poor driving.

They actually aren’t great cars, so no, I am not jealous of your purchase.  Most recently, Toyota has been recalling these cars due to malfunctions in acceleration…great. I don’t know much about cars so I did a little research. Looks like it is pricey while being small, having poor handling and traction, and being cheaply made. See what this guy has to say.



Now, at first I thought I was part of a small group of Prius-haters, but just type "Why I hate the Prius" into google and BAM thousands of blogs, sites, and rants dedictated to what else? Hating the effing Prius. Look at few I found:

http://www.priusdrivers.com/

http://hybridreview.blogspot.com/2007/07/three-reasons-you-should-hate-prius.html

http://notlikeyoucarebut.blogspot.com/2007/06/i-hate-prius-people.html

http://evilmonito.com/2010/01/20/why-i-hate-the-prius/

http://blog.tubgull.com/?p=19

Looks like we are all in the same boat here, hating the stuck-up, self righteous, drivers of the slow, ugly cars.

Hotdogs

I don't care what is in them or how bad they are for you, I will never stop loving hotdogs. They are SO yummy.  One of my favorite foods, definitely.  Let's expand on this topic, shall we?

Here is a great place to find answers to questions like: Why do hotdogs come in 6-packs and buns in 8-packs?


And from a different portion of the same website a list of Do's and Don'ts:

• Don't...Put hot dog toppings between the hot dog and the bun. Always "dress the dog," not the bun. Condiments should be applied in the following order: wet condiments like mustard and chili are applied first, followed by chunky condiments like relish, onions and sauerkraut, followed by shredded cheese, followed by spices, like celery salt or pepper.
• Do...Serve sesame seed, poppy seed and plain buns with hot dogs. Sun-dried tomato buns or basil buns are considered gauche with franks.
• Don't...Use a cloth napkin to wipe your mouth when eating a hot dog. Paper is always preferable.
• Do...Eat hot dogs on buns with your hands. Utensils should not touch hot dogs on buns.
• Do...Use paper plates to serve hot dogs. Every day dishes are acceptable; china is a no-no.
• Don't...Take more than five bites to finish a hot dog. For foot-long wiener, seven bites are acceptable.
• Don't...Leave bits of bun on your plate. Eat it all.
• Don't...Fresh herbs on the same plate with hot dogs over-do the presentation
• Don't...Use ketchup on your hot dog after the age of 18. Mustard, relish, onions, cheese and chili are acceptable.
• Do...Condiments remaining on the fingers after eating a hot dog should be licked away, not washed.
• Do...Use multi-colored toothpicks to serve cocktail wieners. Cocktail forks are in poor taste.
• Don't...Send a thank you note following a hot dog barbecue. It would not be in keeping with the unpretentious nature of hot dogs.
• Don't...Bring wine to a hot dog barbecue. Beer, soda, lemonade and iced tea are preferable.
• Don't...Ever think there is a wrong time to serve hot dogs. 

To summarize, hotdogs are meant to be a causal, non-fancy delight.



Also from the previous website, some hotdog consumption facts:

• In 2009, consumers spent more than $1.6 billion on hot dogs and sausages in U.S. supermarkets.
• Americans will eat enough hot dogs at major league ballparks this year to stretch to and from Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia and Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla., the two sites of the 2008 World Series.
• Los Angeles residents consume more hot dogs than any other city, beating out New York and San Antonio/Corpus Christi, Texas.
• Chicago's O'Hare International Airport consumes SIX times more hot dogs, 725,000 more than Los Angeles International Airport and LaGuardia Airport combined.
• On Independence Day, Americans will enjoy 150 million hot dogs, enough to stretch from D.C. to L.A. over five times.
• During Hot Dog Season, Memorial Day to Labor Day, Americans typically consume 7 billion hot dogs or 818 hot dogs consumed every second during that period.
• U.S. soldiers in military posts around the world from Fort Meyers in Arlington, Va. to Okinawa, Japan to Aqaba, Jordon consumed 2.4 million hot dogs last year.

To summarize, I am not the only one who LOVES hotdogs.


Now, I just did a quick search for hotdog related products to showcase here, and I found the mother lode!  Look at all these products related to hotdogs:
Kitchen things:
 
Apparel:
 
Toys/Misc:
 

Pet Products:

Jewelery:


And these are just the ones that I liked, there are literally thousands of hotdog-related products. This is definitely one fine food.  Classic, unpretentious, all-American. That's my kinda meal.