Challenged to Post, "Without Comment"

[It's been a minute since I wrote something here, but I thought I'd put this out there so I could easily reference it later should it become needed.]

Someone has challenged you over the next X days to post on some media platform pictures of:

 - Your favorite albums of all time.

 - The movies that were most influential on you.

 - The books could you read over and over.

 - The [some way of pretending to get random things] photo(s) on your phone. [1]

 - The food you blah blah blah . . . 

 - The place(s) you would yadda yadda yadda . . .

 - etc, etc, etc.

Let's be clear, I'm not opposed to these sorts of things.  I most likely am interested in what you might have to share.  After all, the reason we are ostensibly friends on whatever social media platform this is occurring on is because we both chose to be.  Thus, I probably care some amount about you and am interested at least on some level about who you are, what you care about, and other parts of you life.

But here's the supposed kicker, you have to post them, "without comment".  

Though I'm probably reading more dramatic emphasis into it than is really there, I always imagine it more like:

"I was challenged to post this, WITHOUT COMMENT!"  [Dum, dum, dummmmmmm!] [2]

But the question is, why?

Why wouldn't you comment?  What point is there to the whole thing if you don't comment?

Oh, here's some photo that seems important . . .

 . . .but I've no idea why.

Hey look, they like a movie that 90% of people like . . . 

 . . .  what a non-surprise.

They've read that famous book . . . 

. . . that millions of other people have read too.  

Complete non-shocker, and honestly, I don't care.

Of course if you were to comment then suddenly I do care.  Because now I know that the reason you picked that photo was because of [something meaningful and/or interesting].

Or maybe it wasn't.  Maybe you just like the way you look in that photo.  Or you just want to show the world your cute kid(s).

Maybe you just like that movie because of that one fight scene.  Or that one line.  Or because of that hot actor/actress is in it.  

And I suspect that's one of the real reasons people are so pleased to post "without comment".  Because they have nothing to say beyond, "I liked this."  Because their 10 things are completely banal and in truth uninteresting. 

A second reason is probably that after posting and commenting on 1 picture of their kid/dog/self/whatever that fulfills the requirement of this supposed challenge, they would really have nothing left to say on days 2 through 10.

A third reason, and most likely to most applicable is that people are lazy.

So, before I wrap this up.  Let me actually challenge you.

The next time someone "challenges" you to post pictures of whatever "without comment", I challenge you to completely ignore the lets 'o', 'u' and 't' in the word "without" and to post them WITH comments.

Because let's be honest.  One of the main reasons you accepted this "challenge" is that you were hoping people will think the things you picked are cool/interesting/say something about you, and/or that you want people to talk with you about it.  

There's nothing wrong with that, so skip the hoping someone will take the lame bait of a pic with no comments and start the conversation yourself.  

I for one will be way more likely to: 

 - pay attention

 - think about what you've posted for more than half a second

 - post a comment

And if the person who challenged you complains about your changing the rules, just reply to them with a link to this post.

Challenged to Post "Without Comment": D-

[1] - This is "Pretending to be random" because: A) if the randomly selected picture isn't something you want others to see; or B) isn't cool enough; or C) you really want to pick some other picture, we all know your just going to pick whatever you want.

[2] - That's a bad attempt at dramatic sounding music.

Cereal: Aldi vs the Name Brands

Cereal: Aldi vs the Name Brands:

I have previously talked about how much I love cereal. [1]

And I suspect at some point I will talk about how much I like the store Aldi. [2]

One of the many things I like about Aldi is that there store brand is often as good, if not better, than the name brands.  This is very true with their cereals.

Aldi cereals are boxed under the name: Millville. [3]

I have, naturally, tried many of these and now I present to you a face-off between the Aldi brands and their name brand counterparts. [4]

Kid's Crunch vs Cap'n Crunch (Quaker): Just so you don't think this is going to be a completely one sided review, I figured I start with this one.  To put it bluntly, I think a bowl of Styrofoam would be better.  This stuff was flavorless and texturally was like Cap'n Crunch which had gotten soggy, dried out and then went stale. [5]  There is a peanut butter version of Kid's Crunch, but I don't really like the peanut butter version of Cap'n Crunch, so you won't catch me trying it.

The Verdict: Quaker is the clear winner.

Honey Crunch 'n Oats vs Honey Bunches of Oats (Post):  I think that there are two Aldi versions of this one, as compared to the six hundred versions of the Post cereal. [6]  The Aldi versions don't taste exactly like the Post cereals but they taste just as good in their own way.  Also the Aldi versions don't have quite as many oat clusters. [7]

The Verdict: A tie.

Frosted Flakes vs Frosted Flakes (Kellogg's): If you hadn't noticed before the name "Frosted Flakes" is not actually copyrighted. So everybody tends to have their own version.  I'm a big fan of the frosted flakes, despite the fact that they go soggy in milk very quickly.  Well the Aldi version slightly solves that by coating each flake in ten pounds of sugar.  This makes them oh so much better. [8]  And just like the Kellogg's version the flake part gets all stuck up in your teeth.

The Verdict: Aldi wins

Chocolate Frosted Flakes vs Frosted Flakes: Choco Zucaritas (Kellogg's): The Kellogg's version used to be called Frosted Flakes Chocolate with Choco Zucaritas in smaller writing underneath, but while you weren't watching they dropped the word Chocolate all-together.  Last summer (2013) there was an Aldi version.  It was probably the noisiest cereal ever invented [9] Nevertheless it was very good.  I am sad that they have not yet brought it back.

The Verdict: Aldi wins

Crispy Oats vs Cheerios (General Mills): The Aldi version isn't bad, but it isn't very good either.

The Verdict: General Mills wins

Honey Nut Crispy Oats vs Honey Nut Cheerios (General Mills): Every once in a while I get a hankering for Honey Nut Cheerios.  If I'm lucky I can satisfy it away from home, because if I buy a box, I eat one bowl and then it sits on the shelf until it goes stale.  The Aldi version tastes effectively the same but the O's are much harder and crunchier.  Which I actually think is a positive.  And I spend less money as it sits on the shelf going bad.

The Verdict: Aldi wins.

Apple Cinnamon Crispy Oats vs Apple Cinnamon Cheerios (General Mills): Aldi used to stock this on a regular basis.  It came in the same cases as the Honey Nut version, but I guess it didn't sell as well because they no longer make it.  To me it tasted better than the the Cheerios version and it was also much harder and crunchier.  Which was even more of a positive in this case.

The Verdict: Aldi wins.

Peanut Butter Cocoa Puffs vs Reese's Puffs (General Mills): Reese's Puffs are pretty tasty, but the Aldi version are just a bit more coated in the peanut butter goodness.  Besides making them taste better, it also makes them just a bit heavier.  Also, they actually retain the milk inside themselves better than Reese's Puffs.

The Verdict: Aldi wins handily.

Fruit Rounds vs Froot Loops (Kellogg's): Remember how I said the Kid's Crunch was kind of like flavorless Styrofoam?  Well they take the stuff that was too flavorful for the Kid's Crunch and use it to make the Fruit Rounds.  Blaaaagh!

The Verdict: Kellogg's win easily [10]

Marshmallows and Stars vs Lucky Charms (General Mills): The cereal bits are bad. The marshmallows are gross.  About the only good thing about this cereal is that it comes packaged in a box that fits easily into your trash can.

The Verdict: General Mills wins decisively.

Aldi Raisin Bran vs Kellogg's Raisin Bran vs Post Raisin Bran: This is another example of a cereal name that isn't copyrighted.  All three are pretty good.  Not something I go to on a regular basis.  [11]  Of the three I like the Kellogg's version the best.

The Verdict: Kellogg's wins by a nose [12]

Crunchy Granola Raisin Bran vs Raisin Bran Crunch (Kellogg's): Again both of the cereals are fine.  But the Aldi version's flakes are tastier and crunchier.

The Verdict: Aldi wins

Cinnamon Crunch Squares vs Cinnamon Toast Crunch (General Mills): The Aldi version has more powdery cinnamon and sugar on it.  This makes it a little more toothsome [13].  Either are fine, but we go through a lot of the Aldi version in our house.

The Verdict: Aldi wins.

Corn Squares/Rice Squares vs Corn Chex/Rice Chex (Quaker): All of them test nearly the same.  The Aldi versions are even harder to tell apart.  The Aldi versions are also just a bit less solid.  This gives a slight edge to the Chex.

The Verdict: Quaker Wins.

There are actually a lot of other Aldi versions of cereals but as they are versions of name brand cereals that I don't eat in the first place, I've never bothered to try them.

Looking at the results it seems like you've got about a 50% chance that an Aldi Millville cereal will be better than name brand version and since the Aldi versions are much cheaper, I never feel bad about trying them out and then if they suck, throwing them away.

[1] - You can read it here
[2] - Perhaps the future version of myself can come back and put that link here.
[3] - Any similarity to the name 'General Mills' is entirely coincidental. I'm sure.
[4] - Presented, mostly, in the order I thought of them.
[5] - If that's even possible.
[6] - And that is only a slight exaggeration.
[7] - Which might be an issue for you, but wasn't for me.
[8] - I also highly recommend them poured onto ice cream.
[9] - With the obvious exception of the tooth shattering Grape Nuts.
[10] - And hopefully the Fruit Rounds die.
[11] - If you need your colon cleared out any of the three will do you proud.
[12] - Or should I have said by a scoop?
[13] - If I can say that without sounding too pompous.

Zazzle.com

Zazzle.com:   Have you ever thought of something really clever and wished you could get it printed on a t-shirt?

Well zazzle.com has you covered.

But wait you say, I also wanted to get it on my iPhone case, a poster, a mug, a speaker cover and about forty other things. [1]

Well zazzle.com has you covered.

But wait you say, I don't have a witty saying, I want a cool picture or graphic on my shirt.

Well zazzle.com has you covered.

Basically these guys have made a very successful business out of printing whatever you want on whatever you want.  And if they don't actually have the thing you want, they are always accepting new ideas for new things to print stuff on.

But wait you say, I'm not that creative.  I need somebody else to come up with the clever sayings and cool graphics.

Well zazzle.com has you covered.

Because once somebody creates something, they can post it online for the world to see.
And buy.

For instance:



make custom gifts at Zazzle

Anyway, I like zazzle.com

Zazzle.com: A

[1] - Here is a nearly complete list: iPad cases, laptop bags, pacifiers, playing cards, shirts of all types and sizes including hoodies, sweat shirts and baby clothes, bags, messenger bags, buttons, hats, keychains, necklaces, ties, belt buckles, invitations, cards, stamps, labels, envelopes, mugs, stickers, magnets, calendars, aprons, coasters, stationary, pet bowls, pet clothing, photo sculptures, ornaments, 3 ring binders, water bottles, pillows, napkins, placemats, kitchen towels, pitchers, candy jars, plates, teapots, tiles, gift boxes, plaques, puzzles, notebooks, notepads, pet tags, cake toppers, luggage tages, clocks, dry-erase boards, dart boards, yard signs, awards, business cards, mousepads, planners, posters, wrapped canvas, wall decals, iPhone cases, kindle cases, galaxy cases, Droid RAZR cases, MacBook sleeves, speakers, bumper stickers and skateboards.

Amazon.com

Amazon.com:  

I want you to stop whatever it is you are doing* and ask yourself what is it that I need right now to make my life better.  Have an answer?  Well Amazon can get you that.  Seriously, they have everything on Amazon.  But wait you say, I wasn't thinking about a book or movie or CD.  Doesn't matter, they have it.

They have food.  And not just prepackaged or canned food that could be shipped to the moon and back and remain essentially unchanged**.  You can get fresh stuff too.  For instance Lettuce or Tomatoes or even
Milk.  And not canned tomatoes or some strange milk hybrid that lasts 1000 years and is the preferred brand of choice by survivalists, but fresh tomatoes and lettuce and a regular old gallon of milk.

They have clothes.  Any kind you could want.  From dresses to swimsuits.  From tuxedos to tighty whities*** You could even get yourself a Three Wolf Moon T-Shirt if you think you could handle the cool.

I'm telling you, whatever it is that you think you need.  They have it.

Well, maybe you know what you need but you don't exactly have the money on hand to purchase it.  No problem!  Put it on your wish list.  They have a convenient place for you to list those things you were hoping your significant other, friends, co-workers, random strangers or web stalkers might get you.

Seriously though, the wish list is key to avoiding bad Christmas and birthday gifts.  You know that one relative who clearly doesn't know who you are?  The one that always gives you a gift that you wouldn't have wanted in a million years.  Well Amazon has provided you the means to never receive a neon lit palm tree again.****  Just direct that relative to your wish list and problem solved.

What if the things you want are so odd and out there that even Amazon.com cries uncle and admits that they don't carry such a thing.  Still no problem because you can link items from other websites to your wish list.  That's right Amazon will inform your potential gift purchaser of items you want from other website, essentially diverting purchasers away from their website.  Why?  Because Amazon is awesome.

Don't want to pay shipping?  Order more than $25 and often shipping is free.

Need your velvet Elvis painting immediately?  Expedite shipping and you can often have it the next day.

Want to sell out your blogging integrity and see if you can make a profit by linking Amazon products in your blog?  They can help you do that too.

Seriously.  Amazon is so awesome you never have to leave your house again.*****

Amazon.com: A+

* - Your reply was probably, "I'm reading your blog moron."
** - No, I wasn't specifically referring to Spam, but that is a good example.
*** - Gentlemen don't click that link.  Don't say I didn't warn you.
**** - After receiving something like this for a birthday present from his mother, my nephew said, "What, do you hate me?"
***** - Except to possibly gather your adoring masses while sporting your three wolf moon shirt.

Brandwashed

Brandwashed: (by Martin Lindstrom)  This book is about advertising and branding of products and how the average person is manipulated into buying into and buying those products.  I either read an interview about it on Freakonomics.com or heard one on NPR and was interested enough to get and read it.  Sadly the book didn't live up to the hype.  I thought I was getting a book that talked about the tricks of advertising with amusing and enlightening anecdotes along the way.  The book had some anecdotes and did talk about some tricks, but mostly it just felt preachy.  A lot of the book's message seemed to be how products and advertising were manipulating you (his words) and thus are evil (my word).  Especially because they were (gasp!) making money off of you.  Personally I can't see how that's a problem.  Why should we punish businesses for success?  Capitalism = good.  Does it surprise me that business have figured out exactly where to place products to maximize sales?  No.  Does it surprise me that they have figured out exactly what music, phrases and actors will translate into the most money for them?  No.  Do I find that bad?  Again, no.  He spends a whole chapter ranting against membership cards and the like and how the store/website is tracking that data and using it to sell more stuff to you.  Oh Nos!  You mean that the ads that pop up on the websites I visit are more likely to be things I actually want?  The horror!  The last chapter is all about peer pressure and how easily a group of people in an "experiment" were manipulated to buy things.  It's fairly interesting, but any results are a bit spurious, since most people I hang out with stopped being so worried about name brands and using the "in" products back in high school.

Brandwashed: C+

Home Depot

Home Depot: Home Depot is pretty awesome.  It's chock full of stuff that you may or may not actually be able to do, but it's okay they're keen for you to give it a try.  Need an arc welder?  They've got that and they'll sell it to you too.  What's that you say?  You've never used an arc welder before and have no idea what your doing?  No problem.  They take cash or credit cards.  Actually I'm pretty handy myself.  Not in a Cliff Huxtable-think I'm handy but I'm actually not way, but actually handy.  I'm pretty sure it's genetic.  My dad is an honest-to-God handy-man.  If it's in Home Depot, he's either used it before or would have no problem using it now.  When something goes kaflooey in our house and I've no idea how to fix it, I just call dad and he tells me what to do.  There's something very empowering about fixing stuff yourself.  For example, today I installed a ceiling fan, a shelf in a closet and some curtains.  Most of it was bought at HD.  And here's the best part, doing it yourself is cheaper.  Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay cheaper.  We had a light installed a few months ago and I could have done it myself except for the fact that it was at the top of our foyer which is two stories tall.  I don't own a ladder that big, so we had to hire an electrician.  It took him 20 minutes tops to set up his ladder, take out the old light and put in the new.  It cost me around $300 (and that's not counting the cost of the light).  Today I installed the ceiling fan I mentioned earlier.  That cost me about an hour of time.  I don't know about you, but I don't get paid $300 an hour, so that's a pretty good deal in my book.  In the end, I should have installed that light myself.  The ladder would have cost less than $300 and I could have bought it at Home Depot.

Home Depot: A