My Co-Worker Farts
Fun, Stuff I hate January 15th, 2008I have a co-worker who farts. Well, not in the conventional sense. She doesn’t fart, but her shoes do.
Apparently Dr. Scholl’s makes a product called Massaging Gel Insoles that are supposed to provide added support and comfort to your feet all day long. Slip them in your shoes and you’re Ginger Rogers.
The problem, she says, is they’re made of plastic. Plastic makes your feet sweat. Sweaty feet make farting noises when you walk. We always know when she’s coming because she sounds like a fart machine. Farty fart fart.
Doesn’t anyone test these things in the real world before putting them out on the market?
I would make an awesome product tester:
1. If I worked for Dell, I could have told them years ago how stupid it was to stick front side USB ports underneath a big plastic panel that you have to lift up and then search around for the ports. The uplifted panel shields light from the area you’re poking around in, plus the ports are fixed at a 45 degree angle. Some of my clients at work ripped the damn things off permanently and it’s still hard to insert a thumb drive.
2. If I worked for Charmin, I could tell them that their Ultra Strong version of toilet paper doesn’t stand a chance in hell of being flushed down the toilet on the first try. It’s the consistency and thickness of paper towels, and no one with half a brain would try to flush paper towels. Stick with the Ultra Soft brand if you want to save a thousand gallons of water.
3. If I worked for any computer manufacturer, I would have told them how hard it is to read which is the DVD drive and which is the CD drive. Nice job printing which is which, embossed in black writing on a black background.
4. If I worked for TV manufacturers, I could tell them that people need about five buttons on a remote control, an ON/OFF button, two for channel-changing and two for volume. If it’s a DVR controller, a few more. I do not need half the buttons on my current controller. I can’t find the ones I need. Oh, and it’s the size of a mailbox. I almost need two hands to use it.
5. If I worked for Honda, I would have told them that the trunk latch and the gas cap release are too close together. I’m either opening my truck at the gas station, or opening my gas cap door when I need to unload groceries.
6. If I worked for a bedding company, I would have told them to make comforters the way they used to be made — so they’ll fit in your home washer and dryer. For God’s sake, at least put a label on the package that says “You’ll have to drag this beast to a laundromat and spend your Saturday afternoon pumping quarters in a jumbo washer because that’s the only one big enough, and then you’ll have to drag it half wet to your car because it’ll never get dry, and you may drop it on the way because it weighs fifty pounds and it’ll get nice and dirty again.”
So there. Will somebody please hire me as a product tester? And Dr. Scholl’s, you need to do something about your farting insoles.
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Humor-bloggers wear fartless shoes.
Stumble it!
January 15th, 2008 at 8:01 pm
I’ll hire you, if you’ll tell whoever packages DVDs and CDs that if the disc is already covered in plastic then we do not need an impossible-to-remove piece of tape over the top! Also, Gus wants cat food in single-serving cans so he doesn’t have to eat refrigerated food for leftovers. Oh, and I’d appreciate it if you could find me the perfect pillow. Thank you.
JD’s last blog post..I am Distracted so you don’t have to be
January 15th, 2008 at 8:10 pm
Humourous and informative post, and I agree with your accounts. The other day I could not, for the life of me, find the button to open the DVD drive on my new computer. Because of course, it’s not only SMALL but black on black!
I had to turn on several overhead and other lights and pull up window shades and find my magnifying glasses, before that button gave itself up to my searching eyes!
Lynda Lehmann’s last blog post..She Sees No More
January 15th, 2008 at 8:35 pm
A-frickin-men on the toilet paper. We bought a large amount of it and it is horrible to flush. Particularly when Mark will blow his nose or wipe up the counter and then drop it in the toilet and not flush it. It then becomes the size of a tennis ball. Note – flush immediately if you use that stuff.
Margaret’s last blog post..My New Best Friend
January 15th, 2008 at 8:56 pm
ha,, ha,, you wrote ‘fart’…I saw it,, I saw it…
yes I did…huh,, on a more important matter…
whats your feeling on ‘tags’?…….
gt281’s last blog post..THE MEME ALBUM
January 15th, 2008 at 9:05 pm
Farting Shoes and Unflushable T.P. Damn that’s good stuff. I think a new Junkdrawerblog category is in order: Product Testing. Lord knows there’s a lot of content available and there will always be LOTS of feedback. Blog on.
January 15th, 2008 at 9:20 pm
Aha some one else who has the problem with the trunk release button and the gas cap lid lever..on a Honda…:):):)
robert bourne’s last blog post..Twelve Month Tag
January 15th, 2008 at 10:11 pm
You’re lucky. One of my co workers farts constantly of the ass kind.
January 15th, 2008 at 10:21 pm
Very funny. Back in the old days when I used to actually use the parking brake on my car, I was forever opening the hood instead of releasing the brake.
Oh, and Dr. Scholl’s might have farting insoles, but I have farting in-laws. A trip to their house is a total gas.
Jeff’s last blog post..Hey wait, I know this one…
January 15th, 2008 at 10:28 pm
Well, I personally think that the worst farts are the kind you find in a book store. I’m not sure why, but jesus. They are RANK.
I loved your blog and laughed out loud several times. So good job!
Bex
I can be found at http://www.rqmitchell.blogspot.com
Bex’s last blog post..Something… funny…. It’s gotta be around here somewhere…
January 15th, 2008 at 10:57 pm
You would enjoy working at Consumer Reports.
Oh and I agree 150% about the black on black cd/dvd drives!
January 15th, 2008 at 11:22 pm
My car has the radio button too close to the lever that activates the windshield wipers. Half the time I go to turn the radio on or off and I end up turning on the blasted windshield wipers instead.
Libertine’s last blog post..20 Types of Marriage
January 16th, 2008 at 1:50 am
What an excellent title! You had my interest from the get go. And the rest of the post is hilarious, but true. Thanks for shedding light on the Charmin toilet paper issue, I was wondering why it was so thick – I will have to look for the other kind.
Neena (NeenMachine)’s last blog post..Friday Giveaway Roundup
January 16th, 2008 at 6:09 am
I totally agree with you on points 1 and 2. My Dell computer does indeed have that stupid panel which makes plugging in my USB devices much harder than it should be. I also have never been able to remember which drive is my DVD and which one is my CD burner (which is probably a failing of my own making), but being unable to read which one is which unless my nose is pressed against the drive is just ridiculous.
Maybe Dell have a hidden camera in their computers so they can laugh at us all whilst we try to plug in our USB devices and work out which drive to put the DVD in.
Riayn’s last blog post..Swimming Stats
January 16th, 2008 at 6:16 am
JD — CD wrappers? That’s a “husband job.” Gus can get his own job and buy prime rib if that’s what he needs. We’re thinking of putting our two younger ones to work. They’re eating us out of house and home.
Lynda — Every time I have trouble finding it, and every time I forget whether it’s the top drive or the bottom. I need to slap a label on there. A WHITE one!
Margaret — TP that thick should be against the law. Low-flow toilets just can’t handle it.
gt281 — You mean meme tags? I’ve been tagged many times but did only one in six months.
BigNerd — I probably could. I run into a couple things every day I think could be designed better. I need to start making lists.
Robert — Yea! I’m not alone!
Mike — My sympathies. Maybe they need an intervention?
Jeff — It wouldn’t be so bad if I could actually see the levers instead of groping around like I do. Never get it right. Didn’t you write once about special underwear for the gaseous type? Maybe they need a pair.
Bex — I think books keep them concentrated in a small space. One word: Amazon.
Gizmo — You’re right, I would. And clearly I’m not shy about offering up my opinion!
Libertine — And every car is different. When I drive my husband’s Toyota, I get high beams when I want wipers. Geesh.
Neena (NeenMachine) — Charmin switched recently to these two kinds and we didn’t know it until I later noticed the “Ultra Soft” kind, which is the same as the old kind. Ultra Strong, never again. Glad you enjoyed the post!
Riayn — Luckily, Dell smartened up and changed the design so that the ports are accessible on the front (no panel now), but there are still old systems floating around in my building that I have to work on. Always a pain. I want to rip the panel off them, but ruining other people’s equipment is not in my job description.
January 16th, 2008 at 8:33 am
Your first mistake was buying a Honda! :0)
Excellent post Kathy. I started my morning out with a good laugh and that’s the best way to start the day. If your current job in tech support falls through, you should contact George Carlin or Robin Williams. They would love your material.
Lee’s last blog post..Getting a Life…Any Life
January 16th, 2008 at 12:41 pm
While you’re talking to the Honda people, skip on over to the Toyota people…. my Solara has the same problem! Gas tank release handle is right next to the truck release handle!
Very funny post, Kathy. Loved it.
Darla’s last blog post..From Here to There
January 16th, 2008 at 1:07 pm
I definitely agree on the Dell Computers….what brainiac thought that stupid USB cover up? Makes no sense.
lotus07’s last blog post..Y-Pod
January 16th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
Yes,all comforters are awful! Sometimes I really have to debate– ‘is it really that dirty?’ Then, ‘where’s the fabreeze?’ instead.
StephanieC’s last blog post..caution!
January 16th, 2008 at 4:17 pm
So, did comforters ever really fit in washing machines? I mean, our comforter only hangs over our bed a little but it still is unwashable until I go to a local hotel and hijack one of their machies while wearing my “Bellboy” outfit (that was another career, long ago). I mean, haven’t comforters always been made to fit on beds? Are our beds getting bigger? Or our washing machines smaller? You see, Kathy, as a housewife, these are the kind of questions I can really sink my teeth into.
the frogster’s last blog post..Being, Nothingness and The Band Meme
January 16th, 2008 at 5:33 pm
Lee — I’m glad this helped your morning. After today, I’d love to quit my day job. Real doosie!
Darla — Glad you liked the post! Someday I’ll figure out that the smaller latch is the gas tank thingie and the big one is the trunk. Or is it the other way around?
lotus07 — I encountered two of those stupid Dells today. There I was crawling on a dirty floor trying to find the stupid ports!!!
StephanieC — I would hardly clean mine at all if not for my three cats who sometimes leave “butt gifts” on it.
Frogster — Picturing you in a bellboy outfit. You look very handsome. Another annoying thing about our beast of a blanket is I can’t shove it under my neck without having to pound the thing down so I can see over it. It’s like 10 inches thick and I feel like it’s gonna swallow me up and I’ll never find my way out. Stupid blanket!
January 16th, 2008 at 7:06 pm
Stupid Charmin. I don’t know what they were thinking. I mean, you’ve gotta have an industrial strength flusher to get that stuff down. It’s responsible for flooding my entire basement and for the cost of a plumber coming out to snake the line.
Momo Fali’s last blog post..The Darlingest Dog
January 16th, 2008 at 7:35 pm
Momo Fali — Yeah, I think I’m going to write a letter. It’s TP on steroids. It’s just not necessary to throw what amounts to a towel down the pipes. If you need TP this thick and strong, you need to see a doctor.
January 16th, 2008 at 10:04 pm
*Stands up and applauds about the Dell USBs*
Amen,sister. You don’t know how many frickin’ times I am on my hands and knees under desks trying to access those suckers (geez, THAT sounds reallllllly bad / illegal). I have resorted to buying extender cables for everyone who needs to use those damn things.
And I have problems reading the numbers on our multi-disc DVD player. Yup, black on black there too…. I swear I am going to paint those numbers with nail polish…
Maureen’s last blog post..Set The Wayback Machine to 1977 Sherman
January 17th, 2008 at 2:03 am
i agree with you about the dell door thingy. that has frustrated me for years now.
chickadee’s last blog post..Purchasing
January 17th, 2008 at 6:06 am
Maureen — Even when someone has their CPU on their desk, it’s still hard to get at the ports. But it’s better than the floor. Sometimes I’d lay on my side, so at least my back side isn’t scaring people. I’m thrilled we have less and less of that model lying around. Ooo! Nail polish. That’s a smart idea.
chickadee — Seems the Dell door has won the contest for worst design!
January 17th, 2008 at 11:16 am
OH MY GOODNESS I was hysterical throughout this post..The comforter threw me over the edge.. great stuff!
Kim’s last blog post..Thursday Thirteen – The Very First One
January 17th, 2008 at 3:01 pm
I would like to be a product tester for brassiere manufacturers so I can tell them to lay off the stupid freakin bows and satin roses that make women look like they’ve grown a third boob complete with a third nipple. And then I’d tear them a new one for putting weird lace and pattern panels on bras that ensures you can never wear a T-shirt without an undershirt because the bra design will show through.
elasticwaistbandlady’s last blog post..Another Infidel Freak Secret Of The Week!
January 17th, 2008 at 3:23 pm
LOL @ farthing shoes! I did a post about a boss who actually did fart, lol.
I like #4 … that is so freaking true! And 6…that’s true too…but less annoying to me. I think you should be a product tester!
DrowseyMonkey’s last blog post..What a Week
January 17th, 2008 at 5:06 pm
Kim — I tried very hard to find a thinner comforter. But it’s either quilts (not enough fluff) or big comforters that will suffocate you. No win situation.
elasticwastbandlady — (love your name!) Nothing, I say, nothing is simple anymore!!! We need no bows.
DrowseyMonkey — I’ll have to search your blog for the farting boss post. God help us all. I can’t imagine a work environment like that. Do people have no respect for themselves?
January 17th, 2008 at 7:22 pm
LOL! I actually had to use my trunk’s locking feature because I was ALWAYS popping it open at gas stations!
January 17th, 2008 at 7:42 pm
Corrina — Hmmm, I wonder if mine has a lock. I’ll have to look. I’m glad I have such smart readers!
January 17th, 2008 at 9:49 pm
Oh. My. Gawd. Yes, please, if you could spare the time, donate your product testing services to French’s and Aussie.
FRENCH’S
The new squeeze bottle for French’s yellow mustard is horrific! No matter how much shaking of the bottle is done first, only pale yellow liquid comes forth – no mustard. And it can’t just dribble out; noooooo, it projects in several directions nowhere near the intended application. Did they do any testing? What kind of improvement is this!?
AUSSIE
The new shampoo bottle design for Aussie stinks too. Ugh, no one from that company even thought about opening the cap with wet hands. DUH!
If I’d known what a total hassle each bottle was, I would have kept my old styles and transferred the new contents!
So, if you could just donate your services and warn the public of any future bad designs that would be appreciated 🙂
January 17th, 2008 at 10:38 pm
Ooh, Kathy, yes. The thickness. Hmm. I hadn’t thought about that. See, I’m allergic to anything goose feather/down related, so we have a very SKINNY comforter. If my wife does leave me, it will be for a man with a high goose tolerance level.
the frogster’s last blog post..Being, Nothingness and The Band Meme
January 17th, 2008 at 10:42 pm
Oh, and thanks. Aw shucks. Maybe I’ll go through my uniform closet and take some pictures for a post- bellboy, police officer, indian chief, biker, pastry chef, cowboy- you know, the usual.
the frogster’s last blog post..Being, Nothingness and The Band Meme
January 18th, 2008 at 6:42 am
Amy — I shall be happy to provide my product-testing services to the public. It will be my goal to rid the world of wayward-squirting and slippery bottles.
the frogster — I would be thrilled to find a skinny comforter like I used to have before it fell apart. I may need to just buy 4 skinnies to make one normal blanket. Geesh. You’ll pay somehow for making me sing Village People songs in my head. I don’t know how, but you will pay.
January 18th, 2008 at 12:41 pm
You know power windows, usually the driver-side only, when you push the button all the way down, the window opens all the way automatically even if you release the button. Um, why don’t they have that feature for when you are rolling UP the window??
Steve’s last blog post..Life is funny and surprising
January 19th, 2008 at 10:36 am
You must have a small Honda car. I have an Element. You know, the kind that looks like a milk truck and has a lever by the steering wheel that is so close that when you turn right, you also turn on my windshield wipers. Good design. When will they learn from Apple, and just make an iPod steering wheel where you just use your thumb!
Croyus’s last blog post..How to interpret my recipes
January 19th, 2008 at 2:06 pm
Steve — I KNOW!!! I’ve always wondered that myself. I suppose it has something to do with keeping fingers and heads from getting smashed. But, yeah, I’d totally get that.
Croyus — I have a Civic, so yes, small car. I so want a wheel I can turn with my thumb. Actually, I want to drive using only my brain power. I also want to mentally change my TV channels. Um, yeah, I’m lazy.
January 21st, 2008 at 2:49 pm
The problems with these products are funny, but they’re also the result of experts not bothering to work with people who don’t share their assumptions. I found an interesting article about innovation that speaks to this problem, which I blogged about in the context of what historians do.
Mark Stoneman’s last blog post..Eight Random Things
January 21st, 2008 at 5:42 pm
Mark — Thanks for that link. Very interesting story. I loved the NYTimes article, particularly the “tappers” and “listeners” illustration. The group think mentality serves the group very well, doesn’t it? I would sincerely love to be brought in to review new products, use them and provide constructive feedback. Where do I sign up?
June 17th, 2008 at 11:10 am
interesting very interesting
March 22nd, 2010 at 9:10 am
so true and the Charmin toilet paper will screw your septic system.
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April 17th, 2010 at 11:23 am
In real sense, farting is a part of life. All human beings fart and even animals.
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