My personal fashion consultants (I'm not naming names, but you know who you are) say pantyhose are out, tights are in. But only with boots, apparently. No hose or tights with pumps or sandals.
Are they right? What if my legs get cold? After all, many places have their AC on full blast in the warm months, and in the winter months the combo of temperature and wind can make it feel like I've gotten stuck inside a meat locker with no way out. Why would I want my legs to be bare? And what about the fact that my legs aren't perfect, and I need a little something to help hide the flaws?
Facing cold temperatures and Virginia's first day of snow (I can't remember any time it's snowed in October, and I grew up in Chicago), I decided it was time for me and my spider-veined legs to unveil the truth about the pantyhose question. I used two research methods, neither of which is particularly reliable, I admit. First, I plugged such terms as "fashion advice hose" and "tights with pumps" into my favorite search engine. Now I know there is a lot of old information on the Internet, so I tried an advanced search for posts made in the past year. Not perfect, but better, I reasoned.
Second, I made first-hand observations of women in two different synagogues in the Washington, D.C. area. Again, a flawed research tool. The nation's capital is not known as the nation's fashion capital, but I had to work with what was available.
Let's start with what I found on the Internet. All sites seemed to agree on two things: No hose with sandals and match your tights to your shoes. From there, things got a little less clear.
The Ladies Home Journal website said you may want to wear hose to a job interview for all but the most creative companies, a funeral, a formal tea, and a serious religious event or holiday. In addition, it suggest that when you do wear hose, they should match your shoes or your skin tone.
Stacy London and Clinton Kelly from "What Not to Wear" gave a big thumbs down to suntan pantyhose and a thumbs up to tights. But they suggested wearing sheer tights or a small fishnet design for evening for a dressier look.
Fabulous over 40 (Fabulous After 40), which may become a favorite website of mine, posted that pantyhose are aging, but if you choose to wear them they should be as close to the color of your skin as possible.
Fashionadvice.com (Fashionadvice.com) said that "what dictates whether you wear stockings or go bare legged is shoe style, what looks flattering on you, the weather and/or good taste." Moreover, the site advises the following:
* Wear stockings to job interviews and important events.
* Bare legs look best if you have tanned legs.
* Stockings give you a more polished look.
On to research method number two, observation. Given what LHJ said about wearing hose to a serious religious event, I can't exactly claim synagogue attendees as representing the masses. That said, I did not spot one woman over the age of 35 wearing a dress with pumps and bare legs. Teenage girls, yes. But women? They either wore knee-high boots or pumps with tights the same color.
Why am I concerned about the pantyhose trend, you might ask?
My daughter's bat mitzvah is in December, and I need to know what to wear on my legs. Originally, I planned on selecting an outfit I could wear with boots and tights so I didn't have to face the bare leg versus pantyhose with pumps issue. But then all the outfits I saw were too dressy to wear with boots. In the end I bought a suit. Definitely need to wear pumps with it. But I don't want to freeze my bajeebers off in December, and even if I don't mind losing my bajeebers, I'm not keen on the idea of having my snow-white legs hanging out from under a black skirt.
I know what you're thinking. "Why doesn't she use a self-tanner so her legs are so pale?" I'll tell you why. I'm a pro at ending up with streaks down my legs when I use them. (I think I've tried at least four brands and gotten the same results with each one.) I'd rather show off my pearly whites, (legs, that is,) than tiger stripes.
The suit is a houndstooth jacket and black skirt. I was thinking of wearing a red hat to give the outfit some color. Here are my leg choices:
Black pumps with medium-weight tights (not too heavy, not too sheer)
Black pumps with bare legs
Red shoes with skin-toned hose
Red shoes with bare legs
Which one do you vote for?
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Blond is the New Gray
In my opinion, Nancy Reagan started it. I know, I sound like a child blaming my sister for our mother's broken lamp. (But Moooooom, NANCY started it!) But it's not a fight I'm referring to. I'm talking about the trend to go blond as women age.
My recollection is that Nancy Reagan got blonder as the years went on. Not towhead blond but butterscotch blond. And many famous women joined the trend. Andrea Mitchell, Katie Couric, Kathy Lee Gifford, to name a few.
Speaking of Kathy Lee Gifford, I had my car serviced the other day, and the service center's TV was tuned to the Today show's fourth hour (is that what it's called?), which Kathy Lee hosts with Hoda Kotb. Behind the two women were animated drawings of them. Kathy Lee's was a butterscotch blond. Hoda's was a brunette. I stared at the real women. Hoda was as butterscotch-haired as the animated Kathy Lee. Kathy Lee, however, was bright blond. I can almost hear Kathy Lee. "If Hoda's going to copy my look, I'm going to up her one by going blonder."
What is my point in sharing this information? I've discovered the butterscotch trend among "real people" too. Non-famous people. People at grocery stores, banks, and restaurants. People at my synagogue! (I won't be naming names, you know who you are.) So I have to ask, does blond hair make us look younger? If not, what's the draw?
According to the Schwarzkopf profession hair care Web site, "People associate blonde hair colour shades with youth more than any other hair colour." The site goes on to say, "The only real way hair colour makes us look younger is by flattering our complexion....All ash-blond hues work wonders in creating a youthful appearance: This colour shade counter-balances red blotches, softens the lines of the face and blends well with the first grey hairs." Hmmm.
Hair colorist Rita Hazan, on Oprah.com, says you should stick with your natural color but go a few shades lighter. So if you take your medium-brown color and go a few shades lighter, does that get you to butterscotch? Not in my opinion, but then, who cares what I think? By the way, Hazan suggests you add highlights as well to make your hair color look more natural.
Charla Krupp, author of How Not to Look Old, says, "The older you get, the lighter you get--and should get--in hair color. To find the right hue: Choose a color that is close to the shade you were as a toddler, stay within a few shades lighter of this color range, and select warm, sunny, golden highlighting shades."
I assume Krupp's statement about getting lighter as you get older, refers to skin tone. This frightens me because I'm already quite pale. If I get any lighter, I'll look like a ghost with curly hair and freckles. Or even worse, I'll become invisible!
I decided long ago that as soon as I became noticeably gray, I'd color my hair because I couldn't picture myself with gray hair and freckles. I don't think I've ever seen a woman with gray hair and freckles, have you? When I did a google image search for gray hair and freckles, I got pictures of people with freckles, but they didn't have gray hair. When I searched for gray hair, I got pictures of people with--gray hair! And my search for freckles gave me the same pictures as my search for gray hair and freckles. After such extensive research, I think it's safe to say there is no such thing as a person with gray hair and freckles.
Some may disagree. They may say freckles fade with age and that is why I can't find pictures of gray-haired, freckle-faced individuals. To them I say: I know plenty of women who have freckles, and who would have gray hair as well, if they didn't color their hair. I conclude there is not a single person who has freckles and gray hair because freckle-faced men go bald and freckle-faced women dye their hair so they don't look terrible. I'll be joining the second group soon. Only question is, what color do I choose? I can't picture myself as a butterscotch. I'm more a caramel person, I think. Not Kraft caramels, but Velatis caramels. High quality with no preservatives.
My recollection is that Nancy Reagan got blonder as the years went on. Not towhead blond but butterscotch blond. And many famous women joined the trend. Andrea Mitchell, Katie Couric, Kathy Lee Gifford, to name a few.
Speaking of Kathy Lee Gifford, I had my car serviced the other day, and the service center's TV was tuned to the Today show's fourth hour (is that what it's called?), which Kathy Lee hosts with Hoda Kotb. Behind the two women were animated drawings of them. Kathy Lee's was a butterscotch blond. Hoda's was a brunette. I stared at the real women. Hoda was as butterscotch-haired as the animated Kathy Lee. Kathy Lee, however, was bright blond. I can almost hear Kathy Lee. "If Hoda's going to copy my look, I'm going to up her one by going blonder."
What is my point in sharing this information? I've discovered the butterscotch trend among "real people" too. Non-famous people. People at grocery stores, banks, and restaurants. People at my synagogue! (I won't be naming names, you know who you are.) So I have to ask, does blond hair make us look younger? If not, what's the draw?
According to the Schwarzkopf profession hair care Web site, "People associate blonde hair colour shades with youth more than any other hair colour." The site goes on to say, "The only real way hair colour makes us look younger is by flattering our complexion....All ash-blond hues work wonders in creating a youthful appearance: This colour shade counter-balances red blotches, softens the lines of the face and blends well with the first grey hairs." Hmmm.
Hair colorist Rita Hazan, on Oprah.com, says you should stick with your natural color but go a few shades lighter. So if you take your medium-brown color and go a few shades lighter, does that get you to butterscotch? Not in my opinion, but then, who cares what I think? By the way, Hazan suggests you add highlights as well to make your hair color look more natural.
Charla Krupp, author of How Not to Look Old, says, "The older you get, the lighter you get--and should get--in hair color. To find the right hue: Choose a color that is close to the shade you were as a toddler, stay within a few shades lighter of this color range, and select warm, sunny, golden highlighting shades."
I assume Krupp's statement about getting lighter as you get older, refers to skin tone. This frightens me because I'm already quite pale. If I get any lighter, I'll look like a ghost with curly hair and freckles. Or even worse, I'll become invisible!
I decided long ago that as soon as I became noticeably gray, I'd color my hair because I couldn't picture myself with gray hair and freckles. I don't think I've ever seen a woman with gray hair and freckles, have you? When I did a google image search for gray hair and freckles, I got pictures of people with freckles, but they didn't have gray hair. When I searched for gray hair, I got pictures of people with--gray hair! And my search for freckles gave me the same pictures as my search for gray hair and freckles. After such extensive research, I think it's safe to say there is no such thing as a person with gray hair and freckles.
Some may disagree. They may say freckles fade with age and that is why I can't find pictures of gray-haired, freckle-faced individuals. To them I say: I know plenty of women who have freckles, and who would have gray hair as well, if they didn't color their hair. I conclude there is not a single person who has freckles and gray hair because freckle-faced men go bald and freckle-faced women dye their hair so they don't look terrible. I'll be joining the second group soon. Only question is, what color do I choose? I can't picture myself as a butterscotch. I'm more a caramel person, I think. Not Kraft caramels, but Velatis caramels. High quality with no preservatives.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Earthquakes, D.C. Style
The U.S. East Coast had its strongest earthquake in over 100 years this past Tuesday. While its epicenter was 84 miles from Washington, D.C., the nation's capital definitely felt it. And what did most of us do when things started shaking? We ran outside, which I have learned is NOT what we were supposed to do.
The FEMA web page advises that in the event of an earthquake, take cover under a table or desk, cover your face and head with your arms, and stay away from glass, outdoor walls, and anything that can fall on you. Does it say go outside? No. It suggests staying indoors until the shaking has stopped. Of course, if you are already outside, you should stay there, and FEMA tells you what to do to keep yourself as safe as possible.
So why did so many of us run outdoors?
I say it was instinct. We're not trained to consider an earthquake. A tornado? Yes. A hurricane? Yes. Our children have tornado and hurricane drills at school. I bet California school children are taught what to do in the event of an earthquake. As it turns out, the tornado procedure and the earthquake procedure sound pretty similar. So I guess we would have been in good shape had we gone into the basement and covered our tucked heads with our arms. Only problem would have been if our house fell down on top of us.
So if we didn't think it was an earthquake, what did we think it was? Personally, I feared our house was about to explode, specifically the water heater. That thing hasn't been working properly in over a year, I think. On occasion, we discover it has shut itself down, and we have to flip the circuit breaker to turn it on again. We decided we could live like that until it gave out for good, and then we'd replace it. It had gone out that very morning, so of course, it was on my mind. And it didn't help that I was sitting just above the room that houses the hot water heater when the ground underneath me began shaking. My daughter and I made a beeline for the door, and into the street, where I assumed we'd be safe from flames and flying debris. Little did I know...
My friend thought her house was going to explode too. Her mind was focused on a house in a nearby neighborhood that had exploded eight months earlier because of a gas leak. She headed outdoors, as did her neighbors. And another friend blamed the tremor on a crew working nearby.
But what I've heard from people who weren't in their own homes, especially those at work in tall buildings, is very telling. They feared a terrorist attack. I think it's a likely response for those of us who live in or near the nation's capital. We can still remember clearly what it was like during and shortly after the 9/11 attacks. And we know living and working so close to the epicenter of our federal government puts us in a vulnerable position. We are a likely target for those who want to do harm to our country.
So when the earth rumbled and shook, we didn't want to wait for the walls to come crumpling down on us. We wanted to get as far from the exploding buildings as possible. And so many, many of us took to the streets. Thankfully, we were wrong about the cause of the shaking, and relieved that no serious injuries were reported. But some of our beloved buildings didn't go unscathed. Spires at the National Cathedral broke off, causing millions of dollars of damage that won't be covered by insurance, and cracks have been reported in the Washington Monument, the Capitol, and the Rayburn House Office Building.
Now we've got tropical storm Irene heading our way. I'm definitely staying indoors for this one.
The FEMA web page advises that in the event of an earthquake, take cover under a table or desk, cover your face and head with your arms, and stay away from glass, outdoor walls, and anything that can fall on you. Does it say go outside? No. It suggests staying indoors until the shaking has stopped. Of course, if you are already outside, you should stay there, and FEMA tells you what to do to keep yourself as safe as possible.
So why did so many of us run outdoors?
I say it was instinct. We're not trained to consider an earthquake. A tornado? Yes. A hurricane? Yes. Our children have tornado and hurricane drills at school. I bet California school children are taught what to do in the event of an earthquake. As it turns out, the tornado procedure and the earthquake procedure sound pretty similar. So I guess we would have been in good shape had we gone into the basement and covered our tucked heads with our arms. Only problem would have been if our house fell down on top of us.
So if we didn't think it was an earthquake, what did we think it was? Personally, I feared our house was about to explode, specifically the water heater. That thing hasn't been working properly in over a year, I think. On occasion, we discover it has shut itself down, and we have to flip the circuit breaker to turn it on again. We decided we could live like that until it gave out for good, and then we'd replace it. It had gone out that very morning, so of course, it was on my mind. And it didn't help that I was sitting just above the room that houses the hot water heater when the ground underneath me began shaking. My daughter and I made a beeline for the door, and into the street, where I assumed we'd be safe from flames and flying debris. Little did I know...
My friend thought her house was going to explode too. Her mind was focused on a house in a nearby neighborhood that had exploded eight months earlier because of a gas leak. She headed outdoors, as did her neighbors. And another friend blamed the tremor on a crew working nearby.
But what I've heard from people who weren't in their own homes, especially those at work in tall buildings, is very telling. They feared a terrorist attack. I think it's a likely response for those of us who live in or near the nation's capital. We can still remember clearly what it was like during and shortly after the 9/11 attacks. And we know living and working so close to the epicenter of our federal government puts us in a vulnerable position. We are a likely target for those who want to do harm to our country.
So when the earth rumbled and shook, we didn't want to wait for the walls to come crumpling down on us. We wanted to get as far from the exploding buildings as possible. And so many, many of us took to the streets. Thankfully, we were wrong about the cause of the shaking, and relieved that no serious injuries were reported. But some of our beloved buildings didn't go unscathed. Spires at the National Cathedral broke off, causing millions of dollars of damage that won't be covered by insurance, and cracks have been reported in the Washington Monument, the Capitol, and the Rayburn House Office Building.
Now we've got tropical storm Irene heading our way. I'm definitely staying indoors for this one.
Dear Mr. Robber,
Times may be hard for you. Maybe you are out of work and have no money to buy food for your family. Maybe you can't make the rent and are about to get evicted. Maybe you're already living on the streets. I can think of many reasons that might cause you to rob someone at gunpoint. I can't condone your activity no matter your circumstances, however, because times are tough for a lot of people, and most don't turn to violence and stealing to overcome their misfortune.
But my purpose in writing is not to reprimand you. I'm writing to ask you to consider what the person you are robbing is going through. I don't mean how scared he is that you are going to harm him with the gun you are pointing at his body, although I'm sure he is terrified. I mean consider his situation. He could be in the same boat as you. The wallet you are taking from him may be empty. Or it may contain his last few dollars--the exact amount he needs to make his rent payment. He could have just lost a beloved relative, found out he had a serious illness, received his pink slip, or learned his spouse was cheating.
Is there any compassion in your heart?
But my purpose in writing is not to reprimand you. I'm writing to ask you to consider what the person you are robbing is going through. I don't mean how scared he is that you are going to harm him with the gun you are pointing at his body, although I'm sure he is terrified. I mean consider his situation. He could be in the same boat as you. The wallet you are taking from him may be empty. Or it may contain his last few dollars--the exact amount he needs to make his rent payment. He could have just lost a beloved relative, found out he had a serious illness, received his pink slip, or learned his spouse was cheating.
Is there any compassion in your heart?
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Pick a Little, Talk a Little
We've all encountered close talkers: people who don't give you enough personal space when they speak to you. You feel like saying, "Could you back up a foot or two so there's enough oxygen for the both of us?" But you never actually say it. You just keep backing up that foot or two yourself, and the close talker follows.
Then we have the loud talkers. I don't think they'd test higher on a decibel scale, yet their voice seems to rise above the others. Maybe it's their pitch (not sure if this is the correct term) that is higher than the average person, causing their voice to stand out among the rest. You can easily pick them out in a crowd. They are the ones you're listening to instead of the person who's talking to you. You just can't help it because you can't hear the person talking to you, you can only hear the loud talker. One of them goes to my gym. No matter how far away I am from her, it's her conversation I end up listening to.
Now I'm not crazy about either of these kinds of talkers, but the ones who seem to truly drive me up the wall are the slow talkers. Am I in the minority with this one? I've never heard of anyone else who's particularly annoyed by them. But people who speak slowly get under my skin, and I don't know why. I just know that I want to push the fast forward button on them, if only they had one. I will admit, every time my mother-in-law left a message on my answering machine, I would use the fast forward button to speed her up. Fortunately, I wasn't particularly bothered by her slow talking in person.
Lately my husband's been getting phone calls at home from a business associate. I'm the one who answers and when I tell her he's not home and the best way to reach him is via email, she still insists on giving me the entire purpose of her call s-l-o-w-l-y. And she catches me in the middle of something too (I work from home) so I'm pulling at my hair as she speaks. Do I need to know she doesn't get to her email until 10 or 11 at night? (You're a business woman in the government. Don't you use email on a regular basis? You, in particular, might get more work done in a day if you used email instead of the phone. Even if you're a hunt-and-pecker, you'd certainly type faster than you speak.) Do I need to know you want to meet with my husband on Monday? Do I need to know you're going away for the weekend? NO! I'm the wife of the person you want to speak to, for heaven's sake. I need to know nothing! Email him, ma'am, like I already told you!
Okay, I feel better having gotten this off my chest. And I'll feel even better if all you slow talkers would speed it up a bit.
Then we have the loud talkers. I don't think they'd test higher on a decibel scale, yet their voice seems to rise above the others. Maybe it's their pitch (not sure if this is the correct term) that is higher than the average person, causing their voice to stand out among the rest. You can easily pick them out in a crowd. They are the ones you're listening to instead of the person who's talking to you. You just can't help it because you can't hear the person talking to you, you can only hear the loud talker. One of them goes to my gym. No matter how far away I am from her, it's her conversation I end up listening to.
Now I'm not crazy about either of these kinds of talkers, but the ones who seem to truly drive me up the wall are the slow talkers. Am I in the minority with this one? I've never heard of anyone else who's particularly annoyed by them. But people who speak slowly get under my skin, and I don't know why. I just know that I want to push the fast forward button on them, if only they had one. I will admit, every time my mother-in-law left a message on my answering machine, I would use the fast forward button to speed her up. Fortunately, I wasn't particularly bothered by her slow talking in person.
Lately my husband's been getting phone calls at home from a business associate. I'm the one who answers and when I tell her he's not home and the best way to reach him is via email, she still insists on giving me the entire purpose of her call s-l-o-w-l-y. And she catches me in the middle of something too (I work from home) so I'm pulling at my hair as she speaks. Do I need to know she doesn't get to her email until 10 or 11 at night? (You're a business woman in the government. Don't you use email on a regular basis? You, in particular, might get more work done in a day if you used email instead of the phone. Even if you're a hunt-and-pecker, you'd certainly type faster than you speak.) Do I need to know you want to meet with my husband on Monday? Do I need to know you're going away for the weekend? NO! I'm the wife of the person you want to speak to, for heaven's sake. I need to know nothing! Email him, ma'am, like I already told you!
Okay, I feel better having gotten this off my chest. And I'll feel even better if all you slow talkers would speed it up a bit.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
There's a Web Site for That
 |
| Photo courtesy of freefoto |
I am convinced you can find anything on the Internet. It's my go-to device for everything lately. I wonder if Al Gore had any idea what he was inventing when he came up with the idea for the World Wide Web.
What's that you say? He didn't? Really?
Anyway, if I want to know if a store carries a product, I look on their Web site. Need a definition of a word? I type define and the word into Google, click search, and get the definition. I do this almost every day. And when I buy something at the grocery store that I don't know how to prepare, it's no problem. The Internet knows.
I've used the Internet extensively for the novel I'm writing. I found a great site where you can give it the definition of a word, and it will give you suggestions for the word. This is perfect on occasions when I know the right word is out there, but my mind can't locate it. Do you know how many words there are to describe a person walking? Amble, teeter, strut, hobble. See how having the right word can make a difference?
I hope using the Web has increased the authenticity of my book too. By interjecting real streets, restaurant names, and foods native to the city the book is set in, my goal is to make the reader feel the story. Experts call this showing rather than telling.
But what led me to this blog post were two Web sites I found today. I was searching for a wide belt (suffice it to say they're my new favorite accessory besides jewelry), and I came across a Web site called womenswidebelts.org. What, I wondered, could this site possibly be about? So I clicked. If you've been reading my blogs, you'll know I sometimes have trouble resisting the temptation to click. But this time I didn't hesitate; I just HAD to do it. I could not believe the site was truly about what wearing a wide belt can do for the way a woman looks.
Did you know that if you want to hide your flabby tummy you should wear a wide elastic belt with solid, dark colors? It will help hold everything in while not drawing too much attention to it. I disagree. I stopped wearing elastic belts years ago because they caused all my stomach fat to accumulate above the belt. I looked like I had breasts under my armpits as well as where they're supposed to be!
So who are the people that run womenswidebelts.org? When I clicked on About Us (yes, I clicked again), it said they strive to offer thorough reviews and information about Womens Wide Belts. So now we women have one less thing to worry about, thank goodness. Wide belts are covered.
The other Web site I discovered is called infectedtoe.org. On February 28, their Admin posted an article entitled, "Learn the Medication for Infected Toe." Excuse me, Admin, but you could use a copy editor. Not just because your title is grammatically incorrect, but because the article never mentions medication. A good copy editor would have picked up on that.
I wonder what other strange Web sites are floating around cyberspace? Feel free to share any you find.
What's that you say? He didn't? Really?
Anyway, if I want to know if a store carries a product, I look on their Web site. Need a definition of a word? I type define and the word into Google, click search, and get the definition. I do this almost every day. And when I buy something at the grocery store that I don't know how to prepare, it's no problem. The Internet knows.
I've used the Internet extensively for the novel I'm writing. I found a great site where you can give it the definition of a word, and it will give you suggestions for the word. This is perfect on occasions when I know the right word is out there, but my mind can't locate it. Do you know how many words there are to describe a person walking? Amble, teeter, strut, hobble. See how having the right word can make a difference?
I hope using the Web has increased the authenticity of my book too. By interjecting real streets, restaurant names, and foods native to the city the book is set in, my goal is to make the reader feel the story. Experts call this showing rather than telling.
But what led me to this blog post were two Web sites I found today. I was searching for a wide belt (suffice it to say they're my new favorite accessory besides jewelry), and I came across a Web site called womenswidebelts.org. What, I wondered, could this site possibly be about? So I clicked. If you've been reading my blogs, you'll know I sometimes have trouble resisting the temptation to click. But this time I didn't hesitate; I just HAD to do it. I could not believe the site was truly about what wearing a wide belt can do for the way a woman looks.
Did you know that if you want to hide your flabby tummy you should wear a wide elastic belt with solid, dark colors? It will help hold everything in while not drawing too much attention to it. I disagree. I stopped wearing elastic belts years ago because they caused all my stomach fat to accumulate above the belt. I looked like I had breasts under my armpits as well as where they're supposed to be!
So who are the people that run womenswidebelts.org? When I clicked on About Us (yes, I clicked again), it said they strive to offer thorough reviews and information about Womens Wide Belts. So now we women have one less thing to worry about, thank goodness. Wide belts are covered.
The other Web site I discovered is called infectedtoe.org. On February 28, their Admin posted an article entitled, "Learn the Medication for Infected Toe." Excuse me, Admin, but you could use a copy editor. Not just because your title is grammatically incorrect, but because the article never mentions medication. A good copy editor would have picked up on that.
I wonder what other strange Web sites are floating around cyberspace? Feel free to share any you find.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Why I hate Rachael Ray
All right, I don't really hate Rachael Ray, but I hate the ads that pop-up on some of my favorite Internet sites. And the ads that mention Rachael Ray are top on my list.
I play Lexulous (not sure what makes it different from Scrabble) on Facebook. Every time I open the Lexulous board I see ads that cause my click finger to twitch. Why do they make them so tempting? Obviously, because they want us to click. "This 57-year-old woman looks 35. What's her secret?" And "What's the one thing you can do to get rid of wrinkles that dermatologists don't want us to tell you?" What middle-aged woman wouldn't want such information?
The ads I see most often are those asserting Rachael Ray's weight loss accomplishments: she lost 32 pounds in 3 days, she lost 5 pounds of flab from her belly every six seconds, or some such miracle. And all by following one diet principle that I, too, can follow! YAY!!!!
Now if you follow my weight loss blog you'll know I got suckered into clicking a similar ad that used Dr. Oz's name. In fact, I think there are ads that use both his name and Rachael Ray's. That should have been a red flag for me, but in a moment of desperation (see my weight loss blog for details), I did it again. I clicked. And as I expected, it was an ad for acai berry. I won't repeat the details here, but let's just say the diet principle they wanted me to follow was akin to a colonoscopy prep. No thank you. I'll stick to my slow weight loss. There's no point in looking thin if no one sees you because you're spending all of your time in the loo.
So Rachael Ray, congratulations on your weight loss. I've lost half the amount you have in twice the amount of time. But I'm using a method I'm willing to stick with the rest of my life.
I play Lexulous (not sure what makes it different from Scrabble) on Facebook. Every time I open the Lexulous board I see ads that cause my click finger to twitch. Why do they make them so tempting? Obviously, because they want us to click. "This 57-year-old woman looks 35. What's her secret?" And "What's the one thing you can do to get rid of wrinkles that dermatologists don't want us to tell you?" What middle-aged woman wouldn't want such information?
The ads I see most often are those asserting Rachael Ray's weight loss accomplishments: she lost 32 pounds in 3 days, she lost 5 pounds of flab from her belly every six seconds, or some such miracle. And all by following one diet principle that I, too, can follow! YAY!!!!
Now if you follow my weight loss blog you'll know I got suckered into clicking a similar ad that used Dr. Oz's name. In fact, I think there are ads that use both his name and Rachael Ray's. That should have been a red flag for me, but in a moment of desperation (see my weight loss blog for details), I did it again. I clicked. And as I expected, it was an ad for acai berry. I won't repeat the details here, but let's just say the diet principle they wanted me to follow was akin to a colonoscopy prep. No thank you. I'll stick to my slow weight loss. There's no point in looking thin if no one sees you because you're spending all of your time in the loo.
So Rachael Ray, congratulations on your weight loss. I've lost half the amount you have in twice the amount of time. But I'm using a method I'm willing to stick with the rest of my life.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)