Nanny, Nanny, Go Away!

I know I've mentioned this before, but really and truly it's driving me nuts.

... teeth-grindingly irksome is the increasing tendency of this culture to treat me like an idiot, lecture me, or both. My cell phone doesn't just tell me it's fully charged, it tells me to unplug from the charger "to save energy." Save it for what? A rainy day? What happens to all that "saved" energy? Where does it go? To the unfortunate poor in Haiti? 

Even my teabags lecture me! Somehow, by drinking Lipton, I am helping the environment. What are they TALKING about? And no, I don't want to go to Lipton.com to "find out more." I just wanted a frigging cup of tea. 

 

The problem with having a nanny state is that the private sector duly follows suit. Not only the universities but even private corporations now advertise how much they they value "diversity." But here's a social issue we don't hear much about anymore: litter.

At least that's what I thought until I opened a new pack of (American Spirit) cigarettes and found a little piece of paper in there ... lecturing me ... in ALL CAPS:

 

"38% OF LITTER ON OUR ROADSIDES IS CIGARETTE BUTTS.

SHARE IN OUR RESPECT FOR THE ENVIRONMENT.

 PROMISE YOURSELF

THAT YOU WON'T LITTER A SINGLE BUT FROM THIS PACK.

 LEARN HOW YOU CAN FIGHT CIGARETTE BUTT LITTER AT [website]."

 

 

How many fools do you think will actually take the time to go to a website in a real effort to learn how they can "fight" cigarette butt litter? It's the stupidest thing I've ever seen, especially given that now I have to find a way to dispose of this useless little piece of paper.  I imagine most of them will end up as ... you guessed it ... litter!

Maybe I'll collect these and mail them back to the company, or eat them, or burn them in the winter to keep warm -- since I've been told by The Won in no uncertain terms that I can't drive my SUV, eat as much as I want, or keep my home on 72 degrees at all times.

Argh & GRRR.

Comments

[Tom Glennon]

Yael, some of this is to protect the idiots among us from their own stupidity. I bought a Dremel multi tool. It contained a warning that it should not be used as a dental tool. That means that someone actually sued Dremel when they used it as a dental tool, and they injured themselves. I bought a bottle of shampoo that I had not used before. The bottle said "wet hair, apply shampoo, massage vigorously,rinse, repeat". I followed the instructions until I ran out of shampoo. The bottle did not tell me what to do next.