One of my least favorite tasks is changing light bulbs. I don’t know what it is that makes it seem like such a chore. I can usually notice the difference in lighting level when just one bulb in a set of two or more bulbs burns out.
I guess you can call me cheap. When a bulb burns out, I only change the one bulb that burned out and not the other bulbs in the fixture. I guess I should know better because bulbs should have a relatively even life. As a result, I may be saving a few cents by not throwing away a working bulb, but I am setting myself up for having to go back in the near future.
Currently, I have three bulbs out in the master bathroom. I had to make a special trip to the hardware store to get replacements. For some unknown reason, I didn’t run to replace the bulbs as soon as I got the replacements.
Today, I noticed I had a burned out headlight. I think it is the third time that headlight has gone out. Since I am doing a fair amount of driving before sunrise and after sunset, I made it a priority to change the bulb. I ran over to an automotive store during lunch and changed the bulb right away… Now, I have a replacement for the other headlight, but decided not to change it just yet. Changing the headlights isn’t too hard, but due to their placement, I can’t see in very well, so it is more a thing that I need to feel. I have done it enough times that I knew how to get the old bulb out, but it still took me 10 minutes to figure how to get the new bulb ligned up properly.
Daylight Savings Time has ended for the year. It is now Standard Time. But with the change, comes the time when all of the clocks need to be adjusted. Some are easier than others, but getting them to all gree on the time is almost impossible. Some clocks are set by computer networks, others are set manually. A few are forgotten.
There was an article in the Washington Post last week about community clocks, those big clocks on sides of public buildings. I can’t say I notice too many on my daily commute. The article made an interesting comment about how their ability to keep time makes a statement about the community. I used to laugh whenever I passed a bank with a clock or temperature listing that was clearly wrong. I don’t think I ever made a decision about the quality of the business based on the functionality of its clocks. I guess that if I can’t set the clocks in my own house, I shouldn’t have a problem if others have the same problems with their clocks.
Personally, I don’t think we need the sun to rise before 7:00am. I would be happy with a few more weeks of Daylight Savings Time as that would also mean a few more weeks where I can get home from work before the sun sets.
When I talk to people about websites, one of the things I often mention is to make sure the dates are current. If you stop updating your website, suddenly, people see events, awards, and other news that was several years old. They will wonder if you are still in business.
Well, when I was eating out at a local chain, I noticed the walls were plastered with articles and signs telling of their many awards for best food in various cities. But, after looking around, I noticed that most of the awards were at least 3 years ago. It made me wonder, had they decided to stop putting up the newest awards or had they stopped winning the awards?
I know a bit of the history of the chain. It is about 10 years old and started in the DC area. Years ago, I would hear my friends talk about the chain several times each month. I know they have grown and expanded to other parts of the country, but the local buzz seems to have died down. Either growth has caused them to loose some of whatever it was that made them special or they are no longer the great new place that everyone just discovered. The food is OK, but I know why I never made it a regular place to stop.
But it made me think about the restaurants that have walls plastered with pictures of famous people who at there. Any place open long enough could eventually fill a wall of fame. But places change, staff comes and goes, maybe the awards and pictures do need to be reset each year. Just because a business was voted the best value or any other award last year doesn’t mean they are still the best value today. You can’t rely on the past, you need to be the best each and every day. And being the best actually means you need to get better all of the time.
I think I noticed it first at McDonalds, the video menu board. They don’t have it for everything, just their specialty drinks (coffee, shakes, etc.) It is a new use of technology. These boards don’t just have a static display, they are animated or cycle through different drinks.
One of the movie theaters replaced all of their traditional menu board/price list with a video display. But, I think they have gone overboard. Not because they have replaced all of their menu with a video display but because they are animating it too much. I was checking out the offerings when suddenly, the entire menu board changed to a picture of pizza. OK, yes they have pizza, but I was trying to read the menu and now it is gone. It eventually comes back and I have to find where I was looking. I check out the prices and decide what I want (or can afford) when it again changes, this time it all becomes a giant Coke ad. Once again, none of the menu/price board is visible.
If they were smart, they would NOT animate the entire display at one time and maintain at least some of the menu/prices. Just because you can animate the menu board does NOT mean it is appropriate to do.
I walk through hundreds of doors every day. Some are open and others I have to open. I find glass doors to be the biggest challenge. It is not always clear if they will open in or out. And as much as they may think that putting a small sign on the door the reads, “Pull” doesn’t always help. With glass doors, I can see through the door and read the letters “Pull” written on the other side of the door. OK, the text is backwards, but with only four letters, it is clear what it says. Unfortunately, that text isn’t for me, it is for people on the other side of the door. I don’t know why, but they seem to never put the opposite, “Push” on the push side of the door. If they would use an opaque backing, I wouldn’t have a problem. But, as long as my brain reads the word, “Pull,” I will automatically think that I need to pull to open a door.
I have always seem to notice the signs at fast food places reminding guests not to throw out the trays or other reusable items. Recently, I have noticed a trend to make it impossible to throw the tray into the trash. Fast food places are switching for the wide open lids or doors to a small circular hole in the top of the trash can. The hole is smaller than the tray, but this in my opinion makes it harder to throw the trash away.
Usually, a fast food place has a paper tray liner on the tray. If the tray can’t fit into the trash can, the tray liner won’t fit either unless it is folded. You can’t just walk up and tip the tray over any more. Now you have to throw each item away and push it into the trash. Personally, I think this is harder and dirtier than before. I have seen many places upgrade their trash cans, but wish they would go back to the old methods.
