Casual Thoughts for the Arrival of Summer

–  Web developers: when designing a drop-down menu to select one’s “country of origin,” and when the majority of your traffic comes from the United States, please just make the USA the first option. I applaud your effort at equality and cultural sensitivity by listing every country on the planet (and seemingly, a few made-up countries as well) in alphabetical order, but the functionality is a bit flawed. I don’t need to wade through the names of every third-world truck stop before I find my nation. Thank you.

– Why do I continue to see private business names containing the word “armadillo” in them? The Brass Armadillo, The Armadillo Mexican Restaurant, and The Armadillo Border Grill are just a few examples of stores or eateries that have the uncanny effect of making me want to be as far away from them as possible. To whom, exactly, is this repulsive animal supposed to appeal?

– It seems that telling a woman in her early 20s she reminds you of “a young Meryl Streep” is not considered a compliment. Odd.

– Would there be many feelings more satisfying than shooting a neighbor dog that refuses to stop barking? I’m doubting it.

– “This vehicle stops at all railroad crossings.” How am I expected to use this information? It’s awful nice of them to pre-warm me about the looming stops, but aren’t brake lights designed to accomplish that same goal?

– Two magnificent things containing animal names with the word “honey”: Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears and the Honey Badger YouTube video. If you aren’t familiar, they’re worth a few minutes.