first, second, third, top ten at least?

If no one complained, who would keep the idiots in check? Those bracelets are unAmerican!

I have a complaint! Why don't you put that ciggy butt in your pocket instead of the grass, or the street, or MY LAWN! It's your cigarette! YOU keep it! I don't throw my trash in your yard, I don't throw my gum in the street!!

I'm sorry, but I am SO not buying the "complaint-free" idea. I mean, we're a nation being run by morons - now is not the time to not complain! The whole thing just makes my inner angry feminist well, extra-angry. :)

am I first? wow
so are you and your fur babys safe from the fire?
because if the plie of shame would catch on fire that would be well not so nice.
cap u r the best blog ever

I'm torn between being mad at the smoker, and feeling sorry for him. And you *know* he'll never toss another butt again.

You never know if you're really going to be the first when you put "first" since eleventy billion others could be leaving comments at the same time - so I was covering my bases lest I be left looking like a fool for writing "first"!

I've always wondered how anyone can stand to smoke on hot days? I'm always looking for ways to get cooler, and sucking hot smoke down my throat doesn't ever make the list!!

Nancy, I feel the same way. I'm obviously horrified that he was so idiotic, and also I feel a little sorry for him because clearly he saw what happened and tried to stop it and got severely burned.

It's also hard because as a recent ex-smoker, I know those moments when you just forget that you could set the world on fire (since you never did so in the past) and toss out a butt without thinking. Stupid? Yes. Malicious? Not necessarily.

I heard a few women at the bus stop this morning discussing it and they had that tone which automatically assumed because dude was a smoker he must be a filthy bastard. But even nice people smoke! Although they are sometimes dumbasses and clearly the fire is an awful example of it.

So that is my long way of saying I am torn, too.

And no-- the fire isn't on my side of the valley, although the smoke is everywhere. I'm more worried about the Topanga side going up in flames, it was very very tense two years ago.

ahahaha. I dont like the color either!!

poor burnt man...what was he THINKING?!

Love,

Christina

Valerie,
As a smoker I can tell you--the weather has no impact on a nicotine addiction...even in the dead of winter when you are freezing your ass off. You may wish you didn't have to do it...but nothing stops you. Also, there is no "heat" experienced when smoking...unless you accidentally burn yourself.

I am SO with Sarah - No purple bracelet for me or thee - we all need to complain loudly and vociferously to our elected officials about how this country is NOT being well run (imho).

Poor smoker guy - the guilt will follow him for years.

You can have the two feet of my water from my basement to put out your fire.....signed drowning in rain and blown away by tornado's in Kansas :D)

It could be a bracelet for the Animal Rescue site - those are purple too.

www.theanimalrescuesite.com

As long as George Bush is president I cannot wear that bracelet. I'm sorry to bring politics into your comments but I feel VERY strongly about it.

I complain because you should do what you are good at.

I refuse to wear stupid trendy bracelets, I hate people who litter especially when it starts a fire, and I hate the asshole Mr. Know-it-all who took over the training class I just finished.

Whew, that felt good! No bracelet needed.

Jenn, I just looked on their website and I saw orange and blue and green plastic bracelets but no purple? https://shop.theanimalrescuesite.com/store/category.do?siteId=310&
categoryId=401&page=3&link=Store_ARS_Next_Bottom

Um, it's my constitutional right to complain. Really. First Amendment stuff here -- right to petition the government for redress of grievances. I'm not going to pledge to give away my rights -- not when I have elected officials who decide to do it for me!

I still think that based upon what we know about the Mayor it's a complaint-free bracelet. Just a hunch.

I know my positivity peeps when I see them ;)

Psychomom!! "I complain because you should do what you are good at." hehehehehehe you had me laughing at my desk!!!

I am 100% down with the whole positivity movement but the complaining, Lord I love my traffic complaining. It makes me feel connected to the greater grumpy. And I need connectivity in traffic. Plus I swear it burns calories.

I made Laurie laugh!

Why does that make me so happy?

I like the complaint free thing, but it could be a lupus awareness bracelet.

The purple bracelet could also be from the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training. It's imprinted with something like "T(rain) E(ffort) A(chieve) M(atter)." http://teamintraining.org

I hadn't realized the fire was started by a smoking golfer. BAN GOLF! tee hee hee

morals of the story: NO smoking. Keep Complaining.

I can do that.

My ex-husband once tossed his cigarette butt out of his car window at a redlight. He obviously had not noticed the police car stopped behind him. I thought the $120 ticket (now that he's my ex, I love that he had to pay that much) would have cured him - not of smoking, but at least of tossing his butts. It didn't. Thankfully he didn't start any fires.

I have way too much to complain about to wear a bracelet telling me not to...such as an ex.

Well, just to add to the Purple Confusion, I do believe the anti-horse slaughter people are also using purple, and I know they also have bracelets. Right now, there is a huge push to get the anti-slaughter bills signed although something tells me Dubya might veto (good cowboy that he is).

From today's ForeWord This Week, a weekly email news service covering independent publishing of interest to booksellers, librarians, and other trade professionals.

ALL THE BEST THINGS ARE FREE
The ForeWord Magazine and BEA promotion of free Galleys2Grab netted about a hundred submissions from almost as many publishers. Based on the quality of the all-important 40-word blurb, ForeWord editors culled and sorted then did a little online research. Twenty-three exciting titles came leaping out of the pond.

Adult and children's FICTION comprised the overwhelming majority of submissions--perhaps a symptom of both the bloat of "competent" and predictable Big 6 novels and the "I can do anything" mentality of the computer-literate. Nevertheless, several unique and compelling stories called out to us:
ADULT COMIC FICTION-not exactly a serious category, but then solemnity is not the point-added some pepper to the pot. (By the way, where's the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse prize in the U.S.?)

Laurie Perry with her book, Crazy Aunt Purl's Drunk, Divorced and Full of Cat Hair, HCI Books, offers a moving and irreverent glimpse into a woman's life after her marriage ends-and her knitting hobby begins. Part self-help, part home-spun portrayal of a woman's first year of divorce, Crazy Aunt Purl knits herself into good health. Laurie Perry, whose wildly popular blog (www.crazyauntpurl.com) attracts thousands of visitors a day, has written for all levels of expertise and dejection. (BEA Booth 4557)

I know to smokers butts probably don't seem like litter...it really bothers me. Especially when it starts a fire.

CAP, I missed the morning news and when I turned on the radio just now for my lunch break and heard the news, the first thing I did was check on you to see if you and Grandma and the cats were okay. I don't know how close you are to any given fire. My knowledge of L.A. geography is extremely fuzzy from one brief visit long ago (all I remember is a lot of streets and cars).

Folks ... I know that Laurie must already have these things in place, but as an animal-rescue professional I want to pass on some advice. PLEASE, everyone out there -- whether you live in tornado alley or a fire zone -- make sure you have one well-ventilated carrier for each pet and have it handy -- not buried "somewhere" in the attic. Make sure they all fit in your car. Make sure you have a rubbermaid box with an emergency kit -- prescriptions, dog/cat food, litterbox and litter, bowls, bottled water. Make sure the emergency kit is already put together so all you have to do is grab it. Any prescriptions as well, if you have a pet who needs medications. A carrier for EACH pet is very important -- you may end up in an emergency situation where other people may need to care for your animals for you. Crates are essential -- your otherwise well-behaved pet may leap out of an open car door if frightened. Have a luggage tag with your name and physical address, email and all phone numbers on each carrier. Have visible ID at very least on each pet; visible ID and a microchip if possible. If you have a large dog and can't fit a big-dog carrier in your car, get a harness that you can attach to the seatbelt and be sure he is on a leash at all times. Put these items together and make your evacuation plan BEFORE you have an emergency. Please, please take a lesson from Katrina .... and y'all please say a prayer for my friend Meg who is likely rescuing animals in the middle of this fire in L.A.

Oh, and BTW, hiss and scratch to those women assuming the smoker was not a nice person. He just did a dumb thing. Maybe he wasn't even FROM the area and didn't realize how flammable it is.

When I was in college, my now-departed friend Patty, who was a very dear young Southern lady, smoked. She also carried a "portable ashtray" in the form of a mint tin with some baking soda in it. If she found herself someplace where an ashtray was not available (like the park) she would remove the tin from her purse, snuff the butt, and put it away. Easy to empty when you get home, and the baking soda diminishes the odor.

Purple bracelet? Could be an Animal Rescue Bracelet ... I have one ... as for the complaining thing? I'm an American, it's my constitutional right, and now I have learned from CAP that it burns calories, too. BIG difference between complaining and whining because your own life isn't perfect. And a complaint may correct an injustice, improve a service or otherwise make the world better.

Back in my box now. Laurie, be safe.

WAIT ~ complaining is a negative thing?
OH shit I wish I would have known sooner.

Would Oprah have a show if people stopped complaining? Not complaining is unamerican. freedom of speech is really the right whine. Let's be honest.

The last news I heard was that it might have been a golfer, might have been a homeless guy, may or may not have been a ciggy butt, but the guy was definitely in the hospital with burns. Whatever and whoever he is, it's a good reminder of what a single thoughtless action can do, no matter whether a person is a jerk or an angel.

Complaining, hm. I differentiate between "constructive complaining" and "destructive complaining" aka "whining". I have noticed that when I whine, my life sucks worse. When I shut up, it gets better. When I look for what I can do to improve things or, if I can't, start refocusing on whatever positive I can find, it gets better still. That's my observation, so I really look at what I complain about and how, and try to stop the aimless whining whenever I catch myself doing it.

As for other peoples' whining, I have less and less tolerance for aimless whining as I get older (unless it's entertaining).

I heard on the news this morning that the guy was sort of "camping out", and he admitted to falling asleep while smoking. The cigarette burnt his chest and he's in the hospital with major burns.
Duh.

Was the mayor complaining about the fire? If so, then check on today's news to see if he switched the bracelet to his other wrist!

Me thinks me needs a "Complaint Free World" jacket... or suit... A suit might be what I need to counteract my whining...

Anna-Liza: I find that when I focus on what's right, on what's working in my life, I feel more upbeat and confident and less paralyzed with anxiety. I made a list of "What's Working" and keep it with me all the time.

Conversely, if I start to think of all the ways I could fail or am not measuring up, I start to panic, and find more things I am sucking at.

Then there is my favorite -- driving under the influence of copmplaining. Complaining in traffic is very fun, for me. I love to sit alone in my Jeep and tell people what I think of their driving. I find it very amusing and of course calorie efficient LOL.

I've been on the growthy train for several years now, and I can see huge leaps of good in my life when I focus on what's working instead of what's sucking. Yet traffic, traffic remains the same ;)

Oh good gracious. Complaint-free-world braclets? THAT's what passes for charitable citizenship these days? We couldn't possibly devote some time to, oh, I don't know, fixing the problems people have to complain about? YEESH. I had no idea these things existed.

I am with you, I think complaining is a healthy part of life. Also, thank you for your perspective on the fires, I hope it is all resolved soon.

My brother-in-law threw a butt out his window and ended up having to pick up trash on the side of the road in one of those orange vests. I love the man but I have to say, I was physically restrained from driving by, pointing and laughing.

The world is not your ashtray people.

I've been watching the fire news closely. I used to live in Los Feliz and I hate to think of the park burning! On GMA this morning they actually said the fire was burning "near downtown LA."

Apparantly "near" is a relative term!

Smokers are the worst litterbugs on the planet. I know, I used to be one. Although for the most part, in the summer when it was really dry out, I used the ashtray not the ground. Thank you Lord for the backbone to quit that crappy habit.

I like to complain. How else would I get out all the toddler craziness?

Mayor Villaraigosa is awesome, and quite handsome! I saw him in person at LACMA when he spoke at an event put on by the charity I worked for.

LA is on fire? Glad to see not much has changed. I kid because I love, you know ;)

Indeed.

Is it just me, or did the guy standing behind the mayor vomit all over his own chin?

Mayhaps I am hallucinating ... oh I looked again and I guess it's a reflection from the window. But it looks like spittle. Nice placement.

This is my first time commenting, I recently came across your blog after googling a doggie dooley (your cat litter post came up), and I just finished reading all your archives.

Now that I'm done, I'm sad. How will I get through my workday now!

Anyway, great blog.

Burbank currently smells like Smokey the Bear's outhouse. Feh.

Burbank currently smells like Smokey the Bear's outhouse. Feh.

the fire sucks. i saw it yesterday on my way to the glendale galleria. it was a little fire with little smoke at that time. by the time i left gg, there was smoke all over the place. i hope the zoo and observatory stay safe.

the first thing i thought when i read the part about the complain free bracelet was how much i hated that purple color.

so, first there were the walks. the walk for hunger (here in boston), the aids walk, the breast cancer walk, ... i'm all about walking and for raising money to cure diseases, but if everyone has some sort of walk that the rest of us have to pledge to then it just becomes meaningless. my first walk for hunger, you got pledged per mile and you got paid per mile so there was a real incentive to finish the 20 miles. but now they want the money up front so why even bother showing up. just send in a check. and yeah it looks like fun, but it's just as much fun taking everyone you'd normally be walking with, to hang out in a bar.

then there were the ribbons on the back of everyone's car. i hate the ribbons. all of them. i don't care what color they are -- or if they're patterned -- i hate them. and i want to steal them. but i don't because i'm afraid of getting caught and i'm a coward. but i hate them. again, i find they're meaningless. and if i were to put a sticker on the back of my car it would be of a big middle finger flipping off everyone with a magnetic ribbon on the back of their car.

and now it's the bracelets. and this last complaint free positivity bracelet just takes the cake. again what do they mean? half of your commenters don't even know. is it for leukemia awareness? is it for lupus? is it for oprah?

i try to be positive, because in the grand scheme of things i have nothing to complain about. but i reserve the right to complain about charity walks, magnetic ribbons on the backs of cars, and stupid rubber bracelets.

and that fire is just horrible. if it wasn't set maliciously i really feel for the dude.

here in mass, we don't have fires like that (although we did have a small brush fire in my town yesterday) but i can't help but get nervous when i see some person throw a lit cigarette out of their car. what if someone is leaking gas? *POOF* fire on the turnpike!!!!

Hey Laurie ~
I vote for an AL/ANTONIO ticket! Yummy!
Did you happen to catch the name of the councilman that was all touchy-feely with everyone at the press conference yesterday afternoon? First he was lovingly punching Antonio in the arm...then squeezing his shoulder...and I'm pretty sure towards the end he was humping Antonio's leg. Anyways, I thought he was kind of cool in that Mafia-Still-Runs-Hollywood sort of way.

I heard that the guy was smoking a cigarette when he fell asleep, napping in the great outdoors, and woke up to realize his shirt was on fire. That news was from msn.com, so I don't know how reputable it is, but there you go. Maybe he wasn't a golfer, but a napper.

Jill - the councilman out there was Tom Labonge. He's a schmoozer - that Tommy.

If you don't complain things don't get better.

Thanks Faith! My daughter commented that due to LaBonge, it was the most fun she had while watching a fire. I told her I thought he was accepting an Oscar.

Laurie, I have to comment about the cap sleeves....last summer I was looking for a top to wear to a wedding and I tried one on that had cap sleeves. Then I asked my 10 year old grandson what he thought of it and he so sweetly said "I really like you better with elbow support" LOL Even a 10 year old knows those upper arms need to be covered!!

My SO has a big supply of the plastic inspirational bracelets... When I have something REALLY IMPORTANT to remember, I borrow one and write the REALLY IMPORTANT REMINDER on it and wear it all day. So I have one that says "Cat litter" and another that says "Cat food" and another that says "Milk" and you get the idea. Your priority may be "Serenity" but I won't have any serenity if I don't bring home the cat litter.

What? No pics of the busdriver?!

Speaking of complaining, has anyone else checked out the blog-thingy on the Los Angeles Times.com website about the couple who make $225,000 a year and can't find a house in LA in their price range? (They're looking for something decent at $600,000 that doesn't involve an hour commute)

What's interesting about the discussion is how judgemental people are! Some of the comments are downright mean and snarky - about how they must be blowing all their money, how they should just move to Georgia (Umm, hello? Maybe their jobs keep them here?) etc.

A few are quite defensive - they don't want to acknowledge that real estate prices here are ridiculous and take the argument that "yes, yes you can SO buy a house!" without considering the fact that there are a lot of folks facing bankruptcy because they let someone convince them that they could afford a house through some byzantine-mortgage-deal-from-hell.

I feel sorry for the guy who got burned, too. At least he's in a good place to get medical care, but if you're there, you're in seriously bad shape. Not only is he going to have a rough time recovering, but I bet you someone sues him.

CAP: I think I hear different news than you do! Every time you talk about a fire, I've heard a different story. Someone told me it may have been arson. Totally different! haha.

Re: No complaint bracelets = no way! I complain about LA traffic, LA smog, LA men, LA weather.. I truly wonder how our Mayor does it, if he is participating in that. teehee.. "rid City Hall of Whiners." That made my day.

I feel so sad about the animals at the zoo, though. I love the LA Zoo and its animals, and the fact that they're bothered and stressed because of this idiot makes me feel all kinds of awful.

The hot bus driver no longer does the afternoon route ... le sigh.

I've got a purple bracelet like his, but it's for lupus awareness.

Glad to hear you're out of the way of the fire, but it breaks my my heart to see that all of that damage and loss and grief and terror and danger is because of Carelessness. Perhaps not malice, but people need to think of CONSEQUENCES, good bad or indifferent. Dez - thanks for the idea of the safety kit for our treasured four-legged babies; Angela - YES it's our right to complain! Keep an upbeat attitude but man, we need to make Constructive Criticism especially toward the government. (And Laurie? I have a beanie pug on my dashboard - he looks very Earnest so that's his name. I gripe, swear, cuss, complain to Earnest! And you know, he agrees with me 110%.)

So happy I'm not there to smell that smell and have months MORE of asthma.

When I heard about those complaint bracelets, I imagined what I would do. Immediately I realized that I would have to snap a new bracelet and start over every 30 seconds. But I DID find the appropriate bracelets for me: Seven Deadly Sins wristbands!
http://www.mcphee.com/items/M6133.html
On the same site they also have Apathy, Nihilism and Despair, and a collection of Bad Attitudes.

I like Dez's comment about the tin of baking soda. I think in this day and age people could actually make and market the mini ashtray and it could be a hit.

I hate smoking myself, but I try really hard not to push my views on other people (though I'm not very good at resisting the urge to cough when I walk by people smoking). I always want to shout "You're killing yourself!" I don't, but I want to.

so many stupid people, so little time!
I didn't know anything about the complaint free bracelet. Is it against complaining, or for it?
I could use a big NO WHINING pretty!

I had no idea there was a complaint free bracelet out there. As a non-smoker I feel for the guy, but "oh boy" - stupidity!

The first thing I thought when I saw that bracelet was Neato! The mayor of (umm, it's LA right) wears a Lupus awareness bracelet?! I know that there are a lot of causes that sport purple bracelets, but Lupus naturally came to mind since I have it and I happen to own 2 of those bracelets. Well technically 4 but only 2 are for Lupus and therefor, purple.

As for the smoker, and assuming that the story is true..I feel badly that he got burned. He really shouldn't have thrown his lit cigarette on the grass, but I would guess that he has never set fire to a town before. At least it wasn't on purpose and he DID TRY to put it out. I hope that he recovers soon!

Oh, I made a booboo...umm, if you click my name on that last comment it'll take you to one of several sites at which they sell the silicone Lupus wristbands. hehehe or you could just go to this site:

http://cure4lupus.org/product_pages/jewelry/wristband.htm

I used to throw butts out the window until I moved to Montana way back in '88. Seeing wildfires cured me but good!

I don't live in Montana anymore, but I still won't/can't throw flaming objects out my window.

Why don't elephants smoke?
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
'Cuz their butts don't fit in the ashtray.

:snort: Laurie took another picture of her tv.

Thinking of you during this hot, no-rain, smokey time. And I too would never wear a purple latex bracelet for any reason. I wouldn't complain about it. I save that high calorie burning activity for better things. People who tailgate, for example. They suck and they should know this. ;)

i like the idea of buying that bracelet FOR people. good lord there is a bracelet for everything!

I am so glad that I read the comments first.

I didn't notice the bracelet; I was entranced by what truly appears to be vomit on the chin of the firefighter.

I'm glad to see that I am not alone.

Last fall, a dropped/thrown cigarette butt plus windy weather resulted in the loss of a brand new subdivision in Raleigh, NC. They have just begun to rebuild.

Hm. I'd never heard of those. (Hi! My name's Kristen and the rock that I live under is very, very wide). My first thought when I saw it was that it looks like the pancreatic cancer bracelet that I have, so he could be rallying under quite a few different causes.

Just my .02 for all of those of you who are getting all political-ish.....

no matter who is in political office, (left, right, or a lefty righty heh) they will likely be an idiot....

what is that saying again though.... the squeaky wheel gets the grease?

I am so glad I'm not the only one that feels the same way about walks/ribbons/bracelets as Maryse does. It reminds me of some variation of Stupid Human Tricks. I don't mean to put the causes down and there are some to which I contribute but I feel as though I'm having a guilt trip laid on me to cough up $ b/c someone took a nice long walk or bike ride and I rather resent it. Treat me like an adult and just ask me for money; I may give you some. The bracelets (newest trend!) especially remind me of Dr Seuss' star-bellied sneetches (off! on! off! on! Ribbon off! bracelet on!), and after a while this kind of visible display has been so cheapened (in my PERSONAL opinion) by its omnipresence that it doesn't mean anything to me anymore. And I swear there's an official Day for everything under the sun.

And no complaining? What would we Stitch and Bitchers do???

Thank you for the update on the fire.

Ok, so let me just tell you, about yesterday...I 100% agree with you. Um, just had a kid....that whole armchub area? It sucks and no one makes normal sleeves anymore. I do the whole "shake my arm and wonder what the hell this crap is dangling from it." Not hot. I'm on your side. If the book thing doesn't work out, and I'm rooting for it to, I will buy your t-shirts!!

My boss ordered me ten and had them sent to my house here in London.
When they arrive she expects me to wear all ten. As that is how much I complain.

Personally I don't know about these bracelets. I think I (and most people) tend to complain about things they can't change. Some people see this as futile, pointless, and annoying (my boss is one of those) I see this as catharsis, emotionally cleansing, healthy.

If I were complain about things I can fix I should stop complaining and fix them...probably true. (Though I think a certain level of whinging in this area is healthy too!) But when things are out of my control the only thing I CAN do is complain about them. How am I to release all that sadness/anger/frustration/despair/etc. if I can't complain about it? I think if we just keep it inside and say nothing it festers. I've got enough things I already feel like I can't talk about to anybody without having to hold all my complainatory remarks inside as well...

Laurie, did you know the font on your blog is really small? I mean, some of us are over 40 here. Furthermore, who has time to watch Oprah? And who puts politicians up to these silly stunts? Complaint-free world, who is he kidding?

Am I thinner yet?

Isn't listening to complaints the nature of the job as a politician?

Folks come to you and complain,
then you promise to do something about it,
and then you don't do anything about it.

This guy is telling everybody right off...

Don't bother comng to me.
I don't like complainers.
(Which is everybody.)

I'm all confused.

Just a 'fashion report' from the other side of the world. I just happened to go to the BX yesterday (base exchange for the non-military talking trained folks.. which means: OUR ONE AND ONLY STORE TO BUY: electronics, clothing, make-up, housewares, dvds, music, and various odds and ends) and.. I went to try to find an 'extension cord'.. buy as part of my 'research of missing sleeves' I did push my buggy down to the little clothing section.. and what did I see?

SHIRTS on display WITHOUT SLEEVES!

So, it's a mighty sad situation- since, my clothing options are as limited as the girls from Pettycoat Junction would find at the General Store in Hooterville! Translation: ALMOST NOTHING to select from! Since, our little clothing area has a very few things for: petites, juniors, woman, misses, and a token few items for those 'in the motherly' way..

AND.. the option of buying something, to fit me, from off base on the local Korean economy? NO WAY.. does an American adult female body fit into the pre-teen 9 year old sized adult Korean female body size.. *THAT is the size that the adult females are here. I'm too tall and too big for their clothing! So, I guess it will be the Internets for my shopping needs?

OR maybe.. I should check out the ARMY GREEN PT (Physical Training) T-shirts for the soldiers? Humm, how do you think: A nifty army green t-shirt emblazed with the slogan: GO ARMY or is it: AN ARMY OF ONE now? Sound for me to wear as part of my teaching wardrobe?

However, the lack of sleeves in clothing and other problems-- is the reason that I wear my same 4 shirts day after day. At least, my students can tell it's me from a distance! :D

Hey, Laurie, I never said I never complain, or whine even! And please do keep in mind that "entertaining whining" category--it's an out for many things.

I have been known to be driving along quietly and suddenly just say out loud, "Would ya PICK a LANE, CUPCAKE?" Just, you know, traffic reference. And sometimes people need to vent a little before they can get onto something constructive (although some people take it to an extreme and never get to the constructive part. Like this one ex of mine).

However, I have also attended SnB meetings where people spend the entire evening bitterly complaining about how everything in the universe sucks (gov't, health care, men, kids these days) and I leave feeling drained, down, and pissed off. That is not "entertaining whining", that's "aimless destructive whining". I did once shut one woman up by saying "I don't really get what the problem is with people being porn stars." The look on her face was quite entertaining.

is it fire season already?
my how time flies.....

Not that the others aren't also equally possible, but the purple bracelet could also be an "Erase Hate" bracelet from the Matthew Shepard Foundation (http://www.matthewshepard.org/).

If complaining burns calories, why am I so damn fat?

I'd need more than a bracelet too. Like a muzzle, maybe.

When I saw the bracelet, I immediately thought of these

rats! http://www.flylady.net/pages/FlyShop_bracelet.asp