Prattle & Jaw

Two blogs about a whole lot of nothing

Oh JCPenney...

Can't seem to start this post in the right way. There are too many negative things I want to say and not enough ways to say them. I'll start from the beginning.

JCPenney thinks it's a totes neat idea to give people a QR code, sorry, 'Santa Tag' with every gift they buy this holiday season. You can then use the Santa Tag to record a message, which is then played back when the recipient scans it. You know the deal.

The FAQs don't say how long the message can be, and I'm presuming not very long, which is a shame as in my mind leaving long, stupid messages is the only half-decent fun that could possibly come out of this. Anyway, watch the video, look at the FAQs - does anyone want to go through so much bloody effort to 'make' their Santa Tag? Never mind that, when you get a gift, would you rather glance at a handwritten card or take out your phone, scan the sodding Santa Tag, and sit their and listen to what's probably a very short message? Anyone? 

Pardon the rant. QR codes can really rub me up the wrong way. Everyone watch this, it's really very educational.

I Give Up

Tell me - what do you see when you look at this ad?

A girl sitting on a railway track, looking a bit sad (and slightly daft) - maybe she lost her way, maybe she lost her right eyeball, maybe she just missed her train and is just feeling a bit deflated, or maybe, as the ASA would have it, she's perched in an outrageously dangerous location, seconds away from being squashed into oblivion by a train she wouldn't hear, see or feel as it came careering along the tracks. 

Yes, this ad from Miu Miu featuring Hailee Steinfeld has become the latest ad banned by the ASA after receiving one complaint saying the ad suggesting youth suicide. Yes, you did read that. The good old ASA rejected the idea that it suggested youth suicide but did agree to pull the ad on account of the fact it showed a young, impressionable girl in an unsafe location

I don't even know where to start with this, and I'm not even sure I can be bothered to do a Google for images that also place people in 'unsafe locations', like, I don't know, a car. 

Do you think it's the same one person complaining every time? Does anyone check these things?

You Want This Snowblower

Do you like shoveling snow? Then stop reading this and go back to your pushups and granola because you are not someone that I want to talk to.

Let's face it, we live in a place that attracts snow like Magnetic Hill attracts cars, only that ain't an illusion out there. That's 12 inches of snow piling up and, oh, what's that sound? Why it's the snow plow and it's here to let you know that it hates you and all the time you spent to shovel your driveway. Did you want to get out of your house today? Were you expecting to get to work on time? Or even this week?

You gave it your best shot. You tried to shovel by yourself and I respect you for that. I did it, my parents did it, some of my best friends did it. But deep down inside, we all wanted to murder that neighbor with the snowblower who was finished and on his second beer while you were still trying to throw snow over a snowbank taller than you are.

So, here we are. You could murder your neighbour, which could ensure that you won't need to shovel a driveway for 25 to life, but there are downsides to that too. What to do?

Here's the deal. I have a snow blower and I want you to own it. I can tell you're serious about this. It's like I can almost see you: sitting there, your legs are probably crossed and your left hand is on your chin. Am I right? How'd I do that? The same way that I know that YOU ARE GOING TO BUY THIS SNOWBLOWER.

I want you to experience the rush that comes with smashing through a snowdrift and blowing that mother trucker out of the way. The elation of seeing the snow plow come back down your street and watching the look of despair as your OTHER neighbour gets his shovel out once more while you kick back with a hot cup of joe (you don't have a drinking problem like that other guy).

Here's what you do. You go to the bank. You collect $900. You get your buddy with a truck and you drive over here. You give me some cold hard cash and I give you a machine that will mess up a snowbank sumthin' fierce. I've even got the manual for it, on account of I bought it brand new and I don't throw that kind of thing away. Don't want to pay me $900? Convince me. Send me an offer and I'll either laugh at you and you'll never hear back from me or I'll counter.

You want a snow blower. You need a snow blower.

This isn't some entry level snow blower that is just gonna move the snow two feet away. This is an 11 HP Briggs and Stratton machine of snow doom that will cut a 29 inch path of pure ecstasy. And it's only 4 years old. I dare you to find a harder working 4 year old. My niece is five and she gets tired and cranky after just a few minutes of shoveling. This guy just goes and goes and goes.

You know what else? I greased it every year to help keep the water off it and the body in as good as shape as possible. It's greasier than me when I was 13, and that's saying something.

You know how many speeds it has? Six forward and two in reverse. It goes from "leisurely" slow up to "light speed". Seriously, I've never gone further than five because it terrifies me. I kid you not, you could probably commute to work with it dragging you.

You know what else is crappy about clearing snow in the morning? That you have to do it in the dark. Well, not anymore! It has a halogen headlight that will light your way like some kind of moveable lighthouse (only better, because lighthouses won't clear your driveway).

Oh, and since it's the 21st century, this snow blower comes with an electric starter. Just plug that sucker in, push the button, and get ready to punch snow in the throat. If you want to experience what life was like in olden days, it comes with a back-up cord you could pull to start it, but forget that. The reason you're getting this fearsome warrior was for the convenience, so why make it harder on yourself?

By this point, you're probably wondering why I would sell my snowblower since the first snowpocalypse is upon us today. I'll tell you why: because I heard it was time for you to man up and harness some mighty teeth and claws and chew your way to freedom, that's why.

This is my snow blower. Make it your snow blower.

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