Have you ever read something that just makes you laugh or go huh? Well this week I have found myself laughing a lot. Which is a good thing. Laughing is good medicine.

When I read something that I don’t agree with, or notice the way the wording is, like on ads and articles, I have to read it over again. And the other day I stumbled over a post that made me laugh – mainly because the author was promoting the ignorance of the people that do not watch television.

I am one of those ignorant people.

The author states:

Television is a part of the cultural landscape at this point—a lot of it is good. A lot of it is bad, some of which is also good.

Television has been replaced at our house by the internet. I think the last time we participated in the “cultural landscape” was on was President Obama’s inauguration – before that, the World Cup back in August 2008.

I think the last sitcom I watched was reruns of Seinfeld and Friends years ago. I just don’t have the time or desire to get hooked on TV shows. I refuse to be one of the many that are out and excuse themselves because they have to get home to watch the grand finale of American Idol.

I read the news off the net. I would rather live reality then watch Reality TV but whoa – The Apprentice was cool while I watched it!

The thing is, the author of the article mentioned above was very right up to a point. Television is a part of the cultural landscape but needs to have some landscaping done. I like entertainment as much as anyone – just not so much on TV. Television, like everything else, in moderation is fine. We choose to limit it to almost zero though – I know, it sounds ridiculous to some.

I recall one of my friends saying his girlfriend was so caught up on what she watched on TV, and all the movies, that she was comparing it to real life and not accepting it as what it is – pure made-up, fictional entertainment.

I confess: I am not a TV fanatic and my second admission is I hate to shop! I know, how unfeminine of me.

When telling people I don’t watch television, and I pass on the mall, I do not feel awkward or from outer space. I don’t feel like I am out of touch, or missing out on anything. I keep updated on the internet and don’t care about who is doing who on Desperate Housewives.

Da Web Da Web

I shop on the web. Mainly because I know the brands, and – no lines to wait in. Plus, very often, merchants offer different products and specials that are have online only. That is a huge benefit for me:

• no lines
• the comfort of my home
• the store is always opened
• new products offered
• sale specials only offered on the web

The thing is, when you shop you are tempted to spend more money than you anticipated. You see SALE and get all excited and think that means you have even more money to spend. Then you end up spending your savings needlessly.

Online shopping is very common to those of us who do not like to go out and shop. It has the advantage that you can research and decide on what suits you best, and how much of a money saving you can have. This is something you aren’t going to find at Walmart or Neiman Markus.

When I absolutely have to go out to shop, I love the outlet stores where you can buy brands for half the price or less. Abercrombie and Fitch or American Eagle, for example, are very hard items to buy online unless you know your measurements. The cut runs bigger than usual, but the quality is very good. Athletic grab is a toss up between Nike and Adidas.

If I find a good sale, say 3 wife beaters (tops) for $25, and I know the brand is good, I will spend $50 because this item is something I wear nearly every day at home. There are some things that I decided I can’t buy online – running shoes are one. I need to try them on and feel how they fit.

Read the Ads

The thing is, when you are reading the ads online or have a salesperson in front of you: take serious notice of the wording that is presented to you. For instance, let’s talk about anti-aging miracle cremes. Miracle skin products that are focused to hook the vanity of a woman. That is, the vanity of a woman who notices the calendar instead of knowing of a healthy and natural regiment of diet and products right in her pantry. Products that are cheaper than miracles, natural, and help fight skin problems and the onset of aging.

A couple of things trigger this article. The first was one of Thumper’s clients wanting an avantgarde website for a beauty product that claimed to be as good as botox. The client insisted on a pink color palette. Pink alarm!

When Thumper asked me to look at it, I was floored. I knew it was going to fall into the average, and he doesn’t aim for that but he does deliver what the client wants. Have you noticed many site designs being similar and not unique? Now this is not usually the web designer’s fault, although some just change the color, font and use the same format over and over again. Not my guy!

I am going to throw this out here because I totally believe if you want to be taken serious you need to be serious and original. In advertising (and that is Thumper’s field, not mine), you have to have a product you believe will sell and market it to the consumers that it is directed to.

For instance, and please don’t take offense here, but if you are selling a pricey anti-aging miracle cream that I would say is directed to 35+ aged women, you aren’t going to attract many with using pink. Pink is a youthful color – it is supposed to be another psychological ploy to get women to buy into the product, only that it is not well thougt through. The target audience has outgrown the pink – women who are having a difficult time coming to terms of age being a number.

Read the words carefully girls. You will find many sites claiming to conceal lines but not erase them. You have to realize, you need to use preventative measures, because once there – they aren’t going away.

I decided to look at some blogs just to check this out. I found a whopping number of similarly looking websites that say the exact same sales copy. Promising the overnight miracle wonders I am referring to rather sarcastically. I am not a cosmetologist or makeup artist, but I use very little makeup on my skin. I have concerns of allergies and breakouts that might damage it – and I always prefer the natural route over any factory product with an expensive name on it.

The more professional sites on this topic I know of use black and white or brown and cream colors. Usually, they are promoted by a dermatologist and can back up the effects of these products. Usually, you will also find these products in a store. These sites have you a variety of products to prevent lines and winkles. The fact is – if you do want to use them, start using these products before, and not after the winkles and crowfeet appear.

My Anti-Aging Creme doesn’t come in a Fancy Tube

For me – I have continued to use sea salt, honey, sugar and olive oil for years. All you do is make a paste of it and slather it over your body. You can make dinner before you shower off. You should leave it on for at least 30 minutes to an hour, and don’t scrub it off but let the water rinse it off along with the dead layers of skin.

Sea salt, sugar and olive oil are the oldest beauty treatments in the world. Honey is a Spanish secret regime; a very old and natural way to care for your skin that you probably have in your kitchen anyway. Men – this is not exclusive to us girls. You have the same skin we do.

On another note: many of us love the sun, but it is our worst enemy when you over-expose your skin to it. Moderation is the key, as I have said many times. Your skin should be covered with a sunscreen lotion and a higher SPF on your face. After the sunbath, you need to replenish your skin – use a homemade body mixture of carrot puree and olive oil for this. Plus, the beta carotene naturally enhances the skin color (it doesn’t make you orange, though).

Many of my girlfriends swear that they only use a sunscreen as a beauty treatment – and have great skin.

There is time for work, and time for love. That leaves no other time.
- Coco Chanel

I totally agree with her

Ok, rant over – and to close the circle on the aforementioned post that made me write this, here’s another quote from it:

People Who Care About “Tweet” Being the Verb Form of “Twitter” and Have Opinions About Its Usage

This video is my response to that.