I had some free time while eating my lunch today and felt like giving my computer camera a workout. Thus, you get to hear me pontificate about people who fail to chew with their mouths closed. Yeah, it was a slow blog day. There was no script for this video, so most of this is straight off the cuff.

I’m not one to give out free advertising. I refuse to wear clothing emblazoned with company logos, I don’t let car dealerships put their company license plate frames on my new car, and I don’t hang up political signs. If a company or person wants attention or sales, they can spend their own funds to make that happen. This includes spending it on me. For example, if Best Buy wanted to pay me $10/hour to wear one of their blue polo shirts around in public, I’d be more than happy to oblige. All that aside, I am willing to provide a company or product with positive word of mouth on my own volition, if I feel that it is especially beneficial, groundbreaking, or noteworthy. This is one of those times.

I’ve been using rechargeable batteries intermittently for years. For a while, I used Energizer NiMH batteries, but grew increasingly frustrated with their performance. I would charge these things up, put them in a drawer, and find them completely dead when I pulled them out six months later. What’s the point of using rechargeables if they aren’t convenient? As a result, I would buy huge packs of alkaline batteries and just keep throwing them out as they died. I felt like I was single-handedly supplying the local landfill with all of its garbage needs, which left me feeling like a heel, but what was I supposed to do? Spend four hours charging up my Energizers only to have them die again in no time? I don’t think so.

That all changed about a year ago when I purchased a 4-pack of Sanyo Eneloop batteries, along with an included AC charger. I took to these things faster than you can say ‘paradigm shift.’ They charge up in the standard amount of time, but they hold their charge for years. Yes, you read that correctly, I said YEARS. Using LSD NiMH technology, they can be recharged over 1,500 times and hold 75% of their original charge for three years (according to Sanyo). Is that not enough for you? As an added bonus, they come fully charged and ready to use when you buy a set… just like a typical pack of alkalines.

So, yeah. There’s my shiny endorsement for Sanyo battery products. If they felt like tossing a few advertising dollars my way, I wouldn’t be entirely unappreciative.

TV advertisements will never be the same again. I’ll miss ya, Billy.

Sometimes I wonder what someone was thinking when they decided to advertise a product, person, or idea in a particular way. Take, for example, the public bus I saw at the shopping mall this morning:

“Free condoms. Get some!” it touts. Seriously? We’ve resorted to advertising sex supplies on the side of our public transportation? Don’t get me wrong; I’m not a prude, nor do I have anything against birth control. As far as I’m concerned, people can do whatever they want when it comes to that. Abstinence, the pill, condoms, a wool sock… I don’t care. It’s their life, so they can choose to live it however they want… As long as they don’t come to me for financial assistance when they suddenly realize that 12 children is too many to handle. But, that’s another rant for another time.

I’m not annoyed about the bus advertisement for free condoms. I guess I’m just a bit bewildered that it’s posted in grand fashion on the side of a bus. Given the subject matter, it surprises me that someone didn’t have a problem with driving it around town. I mean, if a conservative wanted to advertise: “It’s abstinence or nothing.” on the side of a bus, we’d have liberal-minded folk jumping down their throat. “How dare they impress that upon our children?” they might say. Yet, free condoms are okay with the conservatives these days? Apparently so.

Branching in another direction, who is actually taking advantage of the free condoms? I have to admit that I’d feel a bit odd if I walked into a building, sauntered up to a desk, slammed my fist on the table, and said, with a gleam in my eye, “Hi there. I saw the bus ad. Give me all the free condoms you got!” Then again, maybe other people are different. I recall watching a guy in CVS carry condoms up to the counter, lay them down, and then while the cashier was cashing him out, he proudly stated that “it’s going to be a busy weekend.” Great. A little too much information there, pal. If I recall, the female cashier was rather embarrassed. Can’t blame her on that one.