I think I feel more flirtatious as a blonde. Interesting.

My brain has also been coloured by the books I’ve been reading lately (Pink Think, Where the Girls Are, various media texts that critique the stereotypes etc., that exist in advertising and other paraphernalia), and the schoolwork I did this semester – I’m starting to read things into advertising that probably isn’t meant to be there. As Stuart Hall would term it, I’m performing a negotiated reading of the copy.

Argh, school nerd.

Anyhow, there’s an ad for the Cinnabon place in the mall I walk through on my way to work; it features a woman opening the door to a guest that’s handing over a box of Cinnabons as a greeting. In the background, there is a man and a young woman standing, laughing and chatting. The copy reads something about how “sharing is the point of the season” or something along those lines… my brain reads that and subverts it into something about how wifey is sharing hubby with the young lady in the background. Somehow I don’t picture cinnamon buns as being the snack of choice for a swinging party, but hey, you do need to get your blood sugar back up somehow. And I like cinnamon buns as much as the next person.

I’m getting really annoyed with telemarketers lately. I keep leaving the house late, so I wind up fielding the calls. One, they won’t listen when I tell them my folks aren’t interested in whatever they’re selling. I’m 22 years old; I think by now I know what my folks will or won’t go for, and it’s not gonna be a subscription to the Sun or donating to the police services fund (especially when you’re so damn insistent to talk to my dad that you’d rather call back at another time then tell me what it’s in regards to). Two, stop frigging calling so many times! If I turned down a subscription to the Sun last month, chances are I’m not gonna want one this month (okay, I exaggerate, but this is my site, so I can damn well say what I want). Three… argh. I’m actually really pissed off at the pushiness of some of these people, like the MBNA lady from yesterday. When I look back at it, I keep getting mad at myself for not having been more insistent that I didn’t need a credit card “just for emergencies.” I have one “just for emergencies.” Just ‘cause it gets used for other things doesn’t mean that it’s not there “just for emergencies.” Besides, the more credit cards I have, the higher in debt I can get myself and the worse off I am if my wallet gets stolen.

I’m really pissed at myself for having gone through the whole damn process. But I am glad that I didn’t give her my SIN number. I’m not that fucking retarded. I got back at her indirectly today when I ran roughshod over the Sun lady. “I’m so-and-so calling from the Sun.” “Thanks, but we get the Citizen and we’re not interesting in a subscription to the Sun.” “Oh, we don’t want you to give up your subscription to the Citizen [*cough* bullshit *cough*] … we just have a special promotion.” [interrupting] “Sorry, still not interested.” “Okay, thanks.”

I’m not rude to them, ‘cause it’s not in my habit, but I’m gonna start being that way. Like the one that called this morning at 10 in the morning looking for my mom. Argh! Cripes, if you can’t pronounce our last name, I can pretty much guarantee that we’re not interested in what you’re selling. It’s how we weed you out, you see.

The one that got me was the guy calling from the bank at regular intervals looking for my sister to make a “courtesy call.” Guess what, asswipe?! She’s going to school several provinces away! She’s not here! Y’know what? That’s why we got the damn loan for her! Argh!

I realize, they’re calling from call centres, they don’t know what they’re doing, but it still pisses me the fuck off. I haven’t done a ranty post in awhile, this is fun.

As well, the coworker is just a big ol’ damn bloody tool. He’s been back from vacation what, three days now, and today one of the nice guys here was complimenting my hair (I dyed it, you see ;), and he was saying that I was always dyeing my hair, and when would I be satisfied with my appearance? I said when I looked like him, and he stuck out his gut and rubbed it. Coworker started to say something, then stopped himself, laughing. Fine by me, like I want to hear what he has to say. It’s one thing to make snarky comments when you’re friends with someone, but it’s something else entirely when the waters are murky between you, as they are with him and I. What a tool.

In other rants… Santa has been in the local mall since November 16th. Is there a problem with this picture? Yes, yes there is. I heard Christmas music shortly thereafter, and the decorations were up before Hallowe’en. There is something wrong here. Store owners are all worried that consumers aren’t spending as much as they’d like? Here’s why – because we’re fucking sick of having Christmas pushed down our throats so fucking early! I’m sorry, but when I haven’t yet figured out what I’m going as for Hallowe’en, I’m not fucking thinking of what I’m buying my mom and dad for Christmas!

And holy hell the backlash over the removal of the term “Christmas” from everything! My mom was saying it’s because it’s people getting upset at the spirit that is Christmas being removed from the whole thing – Christmas is about people spending time with their families, etc., etc. I saw, forget the commercialization of the damn thing and take back the holiday. Reclaim it, make it what you want. If that means that you and your folks just have a nice dinner together, watch a video, no exchange of gifts, then by all means! It doesn’t have to be about presents (but yes, I’m as much of a consumer as the next person and I like gifts, too).

So, this rant seems to have gotten awfully long and lost a lot of its heat. Time to post it. Other than that… not much is new and exciting. Although apparently Shadow woke Dad up at some point ‘cause she was playing with one of her mouse toys in the bathtub and therefore bouncing off all the walls and thudding around. Hehehe. Y’know, I should’ve taken it as a Sign when tool played with Shadow and completely ignored Digger. Digger was snuggling with me this morning, it was nice; after the phone rang and woke us up, he moved from my feet (where he was sleeping) up to beside me for a pat, then went back to sleep when I did the same. What a cutie.