Think back to the first time you and your friends tried mixing all the sodas in the pop fountain. You watched each different fizz cascade into the 64 oz. Big Gulp, mesmerized as the cola-colored puddle metamorphosed into a rust-colored, guaranteed gut-buster of a beverage. You thought to yourself, "Is this a good idea?"

And if you're anything like me, you said, "What the hell," and took a sip and even as you felt your Cheetoes and chocolate milk crawling back up your throat (with just a hint of Dr. Pepper), you swore to all your friends--you swore to God--that it was the "best thing ever made, try it, you gotta try it, just try it." And in the end, after fighting back your lunch, you decided it wasn't really that bad. And you took another sip.

That's what life is like in mredison's neighborhood. Welcome.

Thursday, January 15, 2009

'Stuff--' harbinger of the derisive chuckle

People taught me educational objectives throughout my childhood, but recently I wonder if I didn't miss a lesson along the way. . .

Last week I tried to wrap up a phone call with a lame request for "questions, comments, lame jokes or funny stuff." My customer laughed disgustedly and said, "Heh. Stuff." under his breath.

On another call, one of my customers said stuff and then immediately retracted it. "Stuff? Oh my god, no. I meant medications."

Is there something wrong with the word stuff? Wouldn't you get it if I had used "stuff" instead of "educational objectives" in the first sentence above. More importantly, wouldn't you like me better?
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