Opinions for Nothing

Chia Obama Winner

Robin wins Chia Obama! The random number generator chose her retweet comment. Email me your mailing address. peevedmichelle at yahoo dot com

Is Chia Obama racist?

I was listening to the John and Ken Show on KFI AM 640 on Monday. They were talking to Joseph Pedott, founder of the Chia Pets company and creator of Chia Obama. He was so earnest in his description of how he conceived the idea of Chia Obama. He wanted to honor the President with something respectful that represented the hope the President was bringing to the nation (a year ago, when Pedott first had the idea).

Pedott carefully chose every word and phrase in the television commercial and on the Chia Obama packaging so that each sent an uplifting, patriotic message without being political. Pedott took the product to Walgreen's, with which he had a long-standing business relationship. They were thrilled with the product and tested it in the Chicago and Tampa markets, debuting it on a Saturday. Each day the Chia Obama was on the shelves, sales increased 50% over the day before. Walgreens told Pedott they wanted to go nationwide with the product. Pedott shelled out the bucks and ordered 500,000 units. That Friday, Walgreens pulled the plug because there were some complaints about the product being racist.

"Since when is an Afro racist?" asked Pedott. He added that owners can trim Chia Obama's "hair" to any length they want. When Pedott gave one to President Obama, the President liked it. Even Jesse Jackson didn't think it was racist. Jesse Jackson, dudes.

My question is the same as Pedott's: How can an Afro be racist? Obama wore an Afro when he was younger. If he let his hair grow out now, he could have one again. (How awesome would that be?) Recently, I heard a news story about the inventor of a line of black Barbies who was criticized for making their hair too "white." The creator is black herself and said her favorite thing about playing with Barbies when she was a girl was playing with their long hair.

Right now, the only place you can buy Chia Obama in stores is at Fred Meyer in Seattle and Portland. You can also buy Chia Obama online at www.ChiaObama.com or on Amazon. Even better, you can win a Chia Obama right here.

WIN IT

To enter to win a Chia Obama, leave a comment on this post telling me if you think Chia Obama is racist or not.

To get a second entry, tweet this "RT @PeevedMichelle Can hair be racist? (Enter to win a Chia Obama!) http://bit.ly/3FMN2o" AND post a second comment letting me know you tweeted it.

Contest closes Black Friday (11/27) at Midnight Pacific. I will choose a winner randomly from those who comment.

Oopsies

You may have seen a video of my kid here earlier today because I accidentally posted it to the wrong blog.

Call for Opinions: Do you think really deep thoughts?

I don't consider myself to be a deep person who thinks deep thoughts and contemplates all sorts of deep issues. For the most part, I think I am shallow. I like pretty things and shopping and making my house nice and dressing my kids in cute outfits and having shiny hair and writing funny blog posts and tweets and status updates.

I am interested in a variety of topics. I like to learn about things but only enough to form a general opinion about them and then I like to move on to something new. I like to know about a lot of things but I don't like to know a lot about things.

I don't have a burning ambition to find myself or discover myself or explore hidden areas of my psyche. I don't think I have any hidden areas. I feel like I know myself very well. I am conscious of my flaws and prejudices. If I do have a hidden area, it is where I hide the reasons why I stay fat. If you can help me find that one, you will be my hero.

What about you? Deep, shallow, wading in up to your chest?

THE MIDDLE, starring Patricia Heaton

One night this week, I found myself with nothing to watch on TV so I checked out what was On Demand. I found THE MIDDLE on ABC. I'd heard about this show in the summer and then completely forgotten about it. One of the downfalls of only watching recorded shows and fast-forwarding through commercial breaks is that I rarely see promos for shows I don't already watch.

THE MIDDLE is a sitcom about life in the flyover states. (I only use that term because that is part of their opening title sequence. Otherwise, I HATE that term.) Patricia Heaton plays an average working mom with an average husband and three average kids. You'll recognize Neil Flynn, who plays the dad, from his role as the janitor on SCRUBS. Heaton and Flynn, while not my favorites in the past, were both charming and funny in their new roles.

If you haven't seen THE MIDDLE yet, I recommend checking it out. Verizon On Demand only had the pilot, but all the episodes are available on Hulu until 11/19.

(Speaking of middles, I caught an episode of MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE this week and laughed my ass off. I wonder why I never watched that show when it was on.)

Call for Opinions: Time Off for Good Behavior

When you ask for time off from work, using your earned vacation time, do you tell your boss what the time off is for? I generally do not. Now that we have an automated system, I put nothing in the comments field. Before, when the boss had to actually sign a piece of paper, I would just leave it on his desk with no comment. It has been a long time since I have been in a position where I felt it was necessary to justify using my time off.

Recently, like a week before he got laid off, my husband was questioned by his boss about his time off because he was taking a half day one week and a day off the next week. One was to get a free flu shot at my office and the other was to get a fricking vasectomy. I helped him word his email reply to his boss so as to maximize the discomfort his boss would feel for having asked the question.

Do you have to tell your boss why you are taking time off?

*WINNER* Chop Socky Chooks Vol. 1 - DVD Review

Jenna is the winner! Email me your mailing address. peevedmichelle at yahoo dot come

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CHOP SOCKY CHOOKS!

That's how I say it in my head every time I read it, in all caps, with an exclamation point. CHOP SOCKY CHOOKS! It's a tongue-twister, though, so sometimes when I say it aloud, it comes out, "CHOP SUEY SOCKS!"

From wikipedia:

Chop Socky Chooks is a British animated television series produced by Aardman Animations and DHX Media that debuted on March 7, 2008. It was created by animator Sergio Delfino, a prominent animator at Aardman. It currently airs only on Teletoon (EU & UK). For now, it airs on Cartoon Network, except in the USA. The name is from "chop socky" which is slang for the Asian martial arts film genre, and "chook" which is Australian and New Zealand slang for chicken.

Chuckie Chan, the wisened sensei; K.O. Joe, the smooth-talking muscle man with a giant afro; and Chick P, the brains and the beauty of the operation, battle the evil leader of Wasabi World, who else but Dr. Wasabi, of course. Dr. Wasabi rules his shopping mall world with help of his dim-witted bodyguard Bubba, his wily Ninja Chimps, and a host of evil minions. He's not the only one after the Chooks, though. Wasabi World is full of baddies.

Kids will love the contemporary themes, fast-paced action, and kid-appropriate humor. Adults will love the irreverent asides and pop culture nods. Though it's aimed at kids a bit older, Chop Socky Chooks, Vol. 1 even held the attention of my toddler.

WIN IT

I have one copy of Chop Socky Chooks, Vol. 1 to give away. Enter to win leaving a comment telling me your favorite Chinese dish. I love mu shu pork and shrimp in lobster sauce and wor won ton soup.

For an extra chance to win, tweet about this review and giveaway. For it to count, you need to leave a second comment on this post, letting me know that you tweeted it. "RT @peevedmichelle Win a copy of CHOP SOCKY CHOOKS VOL. 1, a hilarious animated series from the UK. Enter by Mon. 11/9 http://bit.ly/vycD4"

I will choose a winner at random on Monday 11/9 at Noon PST.

I was provided with a free copy of this DVD for the purpose of creating this review.

Can people change?

One of my relatives recently left her husband (again) and my sister and I were discussing the situation. I feel like our relative should divorce him already and cut her losses. My sister feels like our relative hasn't yet tried everything and should give him another chance to change his behavior. I said to my sister that I don't believe people change.

I don't believe that people can fundamentally change who they are. My sister agrees with that, but she does think that people can change their behavior. In the case of our relative, and in most marriages, if one spouse has left before and been fed up before, the douchey spouse saying he is really going to change this time seems like it is just a ploy because he knows she'll stay if he pretends. If he was really willing to change - if it was part of his fundamental nature to do so - he would have already done so.

This is what my sister says about it:

I believe whole-heartedly in the capacity for regeneration of the human heart. The difference is that while our personalities are fixed from conception, our behaviors are learned and can therefore be unlearned or retrained.  I do concede that apart from love, grace and forgiveness, it is an exercise in futility. One has to want to change and be willing to do the work to go after it.

In the case presented, if the parties involved are willing to admit their own part in the situation, forgive one hundred percent of the other person's part and move forward with love and grace.  There is no damage (and I mean none) that cannot be repaired and restored to an even greater level than before.

What do you think? Can people change?