Ads during football have never been known for their progressive attitudes towards women, I admit that. But last night really seemed to push it to a new level that really did not sit well with me. Ads in the past seemed more in the let’s party, women in bikinis camp. Offensive to some, but didn’t really bother me like last night. Last night seemed more like ad after ad of men who seem to be just over the line into actively hating their spouses.
I’ve been souring on football for the last several years. Things like NFL Sunday Ticket have made it possible for me to follow every Packers game, but when I look at the package at the beginning of every year I have to seriously ask myself if it is truly worth the roughly $300 I’m spending for the privilege. This year, the only reason I signed up was because I was given a deal by DirecTV when I threatened to cancel my service. Looking back, I’m not so sure it was worth even the discounted price.
Then we come to the Super Bowl. An excellent story, leading up to what turned out to be an excellent game. Unfortunately, what has stayed with me most about last night is those ads, and the feeling that this is what at least some people think of me as a fan of that sport. It’s off putting, and I think it’s going to stick with me until the beginning of next season when I decide if this is even something I want to bother with any more. Maybe I’m alone in this, but I kind of hope I’m not.
Since I’ve been commuting by bike to work, I’ve started stopping at the grocery store occasionally to pick up stuff for dinner or to keep at work. The one downside was that the Publix Greenwise near our place didn’t have a bike rack, so I had to chain up to a stop sign in the parking lot. I figured an email to HQ couldn’t hurt, so I sent an email to their corporate site asking them to please consider installing one. Not three days later, I have a reply:
Thank you for your email. We appreciate our customers taking the time to contact us. In regards to your inquiry, the manager of the Publix at Boca Village Square was unable to reach you at the phone number provided. The manager explained that they received approval for a bicycle rack. Please contact [the manager] at [his phone number] if you would like to discuss this further.
Awesome! I guess it never hurts to ask, and Publix has my to/from work business from now on.
Update 2/8/2010: Well, they never did put in the bike rack.
If I show up to an Alley Cat without a fixed-gear bike, will I be mocked? How about if I show up with my Sunlite trunk bag instead of a proper messenger bag?
After a year in South Florida, I’m finally starting to find the local beer scene. I’ll be going to a tasting soon and I’d love to bring along some of the Boulevard Smokestack beers. What’s their availability like these days? Are there stores that have them in stock pretty much all the time, or do they still sell out quickly?
Well, I’ve been in Florida for almost a year now. The best thing about Florida? The Pure Imagination radio show. The show is wonderful mix of music and storytelling. We first were exposed to it at a live performance down in Miami, but I’ve since been working my way through all the back episodes of the show via their podcast. If you’re not in Florida you can’t attend their live events, but the podcast is not to be missed.
Highlights from what I have listened to so far include “The Unseen Seagal”, an accounting of the lesser known works of Stephen Seagal. And last year’s Post Christmas Special, an almost This American Lifesque portrait of the lives of North Pole elves.
Currently marking my calendar for the next live event on February 7.
I only watched the first half of the game last night, but I did get to see all of Rodgers’ playing time. I think Aaron Rodgers is going to be good enough. We have a talented, young team and I’m glad that AR is going to have a chance to mature with this team. I think now is the right time for him to get his start. We’ll take the division this year.
Also, I am personally embarrassed that I do not own a Donald Driver jersey. That guy is a damn freak. Running through defenders like that in a pre-season game? You are hardcore, sir.
Yup, Hillary is in fact playing hardball. Not a surprise, but still disappointing. Not only does Clinton want the Florida and Michigan primary results to be counted, it sounds like she and her people are starting to say that the results should be counted as they stand.
Hey, I’m all for every vote counting. Really I am. Hillary says:
1.7 million Floridians turned out to vote. They clearly believed their votes would count. And I think there has to be a way to make them count.
And I agree. My problem is that so many others who were quite explicitly told that their votes would not count may have, very sensibly, decided to stay home. What about their votes? I think that if we want to seat the Florida delegation, and we should want to seat the Florida delegation, we really need to have another primary or caucus. Doubly so for Michigan, where millions who wanted to vote for Obama didn’t even have the opportunity to do so. What about their votes?
Finally, Hillary just needs to admit that if they hold another election in Michigan, one that is not, you know, a banana republic style one-candidate ballot, she is still going to be behind Obama in both the popular vote and in the pledged delegate count. Her only chance to win the nomination will still remain convincing superdelegates to go against the clear will of the voters.
Hillary, can you please, please stop being so, I don’t know, Clintonesque?
Brett. I know you have your press conference scheduled this morning. It is not too late. Just step up to the podium and say that you’ve had a few days to think about it, and you just can’t hang it up yet. Come on, one more season. Hell, pre-announce your retirement. Imagine the motivation of the rest of the team knowing that this is your last shot.
Come on, just one more year. One more year.
And more election fun. Now apparently Florida and Michigan want their damn votes counted. I mean, we all knew the Clintons weren’t going to go down without a knock-down drag-out fight, didn’t we?
On the plus side, there is talk of having a re-vote in those two states, which would be nice seeing as Obama wasn’t even on the damn ballot in Michigan. Also, if they re-vote in Florida, I’ll totally be there to fuck it all up. (I think that fuck*ng up elections is what I’m looking forward to most about moving to Florida.)
No Tony, it’s not that I don’t care about the election, but priorities are priorities. As for McCain taking the nomination officially? Yawn. The only news is that it is now official that the Republican Party will be running on the War Forever platform in the fall.
As for the Democrats, Pennsylvania’s primary isn’t until April 22? Are you fucking kidding me? You’re telling me that we have to put up with almost two more months of Hillary and Obama tearing each other down while McCain just sits back and takes the occasional potshot at both?
And please, Hillary. Don’t even start talking like you’re the front runner now. You’re still in a deep hole, and the couplefew delegates you picked up last night haven’t saved your campaign yet. While I’m giving advice, can I also suggest that you perhaps stop running ads that play into John McCain’s hands? Do you really think that voters cowering in fear of The Terror are going to vote for you over McCain? Or I don’t know, maybe they will. I have a very bad feeling about how hawkish a Hillary presidency could be. She voted for the Iraq war, firstly. (And yes, go back through my archives and you’ll find I supported it at the time too. I’ve never claimed not to be an idiot though, and I’m not running for President.)
But more than that, it just seems like a Hillary foreign policy is just going to be more of the same. Obama says that he would meet with the leaders of foreign countries that we have disagreements with and she uses it against him. Ugh.
Texas and Ohio, I’m very disappointed in you. You had a chance to put Hillary out of her misery, and you failed. The groundhog saw its shadow, so I guess we have six more weeks of campaign ahead of us. Thanks a bunch, Texohio.
Oh yeah, also: Hillary can not win against McCain.
