What’s The Word?

Do you think town criers should replace Twitter’s tweets? A town crier popped up at St. Mary’s Hospital in London to announce the royal birth of Prince William and Kate’s son. If you haven’t seen the announcement of the good news, take a look:

                                          http://youtu.be/rlC0SlCbX88

 We should definitely import this occupation from the Britain to America! We could position a town crier at every town’s post office to proclaim all the news that’s fit to yell and worth knowing. TCTV (Town crier TV) could be the television station that broadcasts all of the nation’s town criers so that we’d have all the important information from across the country. Doesn’t this idea sound so much more entertaining than our current news programs or those limiting 140-character tweets? Not only could town criers give us the news and nothing but the news, these new jobs would also lower the unemployment rate—it’s a win-win for everyone. Once this plan is adopted and your town has its very own announcer, what’s the first piece of good news you want your town crier to proclaim?  

           

        

Follow Your Black-Topped Road

We have a major intersection that connects five major roadways in our area. You probably have one in your town, too. If you drive through it on a regular basis, then you know the stop-and-go light timings, which lanes move fastest, and at what point you should switch lanes to get where you want to go in record time. Traffic often flows smoothly through those major intersections, except when there’s a driver who’s impatient or ignorant of the rules.

Once in a while I’ll see the first driver in line try to switch lanes during the red light. They wind up delaying everyone behind them when they can’t make a smooth transition. Sometimes a driver will inch so far into the left turning lane that they get stuck and block traffic when the light turns red. That’s when we get live action—honking, swerving and sympathetic head-shaking. Your road trip can turn from a pleasant outing to a chaotic nightmare if drivers fail to follow the rules. When people want to experience rule-free driving, here’s where they go:

                                   

                                          http://youtu.be/P8PQUTiBNyw

 How about that? Even the German autobahn, which has no speed limits, has safety rules. We can’t avoid them.  What rule(s) do you make a special effort to follow?

    

Large and Small Deals

Did I see what I thought I saw? Back-to-school sales! Let’s give this merchandising strategy a  name, call it “sales creep.” It’s the retail industry’s habit of scooching the traditional selling period for any holiday or special event earlier and earlier every year. Before long, stores will sponsor huge sales at the end of a school year and keep going until Independence Day. How awful to rush the summer break! What’s worse is that I’d be the first to grab all of those horrible one cent deals at those too-early back-to-school sales. What can I say? I’m a pushover for a bargain. You can never own too many folders and paper clips, can you? If you like deals, here’s one that might intrigue you:

                                         http://youtu.be/ewEfz_AEc8Y

 What a gorgeous place! I know it has the potential for a great resort, but the advertisement frightens me. Blame it on the choice of background music that makes the ad feel like a movie about murder, mystery and intrigue. Once you combine murder and paradise, the last thing I’m thinking about is a relaxing resort. For that reason, I cannot purchase the island—but that’s just me. How about you? Barring one cent back-to-school deals, what’s the best offer you’ve  heard?

A Rainy Day

Imagine yourself sitting in the back of your home enjoying the semi-sunny view outside. Now imagine walking to the front of the house, looking outside, and discovering that it’s nighttime. Something similar happened at our house. Here’s the real story:

We were at home, sitting where we could see outside. A few clouds dotted the sky. When we walked to the front of the house and opened the door, believe it or not—it was raining outside. A steady downpour. At one point we could see both areas simultaneously and yes, the back was clear, but rainy in the front. How odd! You never know what you’ll find outside or under your bed. Listen to one lady’s discovery:

 

                                             http://youtu.be/AIw7B7Ji0Ew

 

 There have been a lot of sinkholes popping up in recent months. Watch where you sleep, walk, and drive; turn a corner and a wild adventure may be just around the corner.  What’s the most amazing thing you’ve experienced?