Redemption for Guys

After being told many times that I was doing it wrong (i.e. the dishes won't get clean), imagine my profound relief when I read the following article "Common Myths About the Dishwasher Debunked" in the Dallas Morning News on April 4, 2009.  (For the record, I am not talking about my spectacular wife Ashlee who felt a similar joy when reading this article.)

I couldn't find an online link, and since I think it speaks for itself, I re-typed my favorite passages :)

"One of the most common disagreements among families is whether it's better to wash the dishes by hand or use the dishwasher. Some people think they are saving time, water and energy when washing by hand, but really the opposite is true.  This isn't the only myth about this popular appliance that is misunderstood by consumers...  

Myth: You must rinse the dishes before putting them into the dishwasher. 

Reality: Not true.  Rinsing the dishes before loading them can actually hinder a dishwasher's performance. Detergent is engineered to breakdown debris.  If detergent has no food to cling to, it could be abrasive on rinsed dishware, damaging the surface.  There's a reason you use detergent in the dishwasher and the appliance has a purpose; let it do its job.  A quick scrape of large food items before lading dishes into the dishwasher is all that's necessary.  

Myth: Adding more detergent is better.

Reality:  False.  Too much detergent can actually make dishes and glassware cloudy.  The cloudy appearance is often thought to be soap scum or dirt, but it's more commonly tiny abrasions caused by excessive detergent. Follow the directions on the detergent box or bottle and use only as much as directed."

Sure, there's more useful info in the article, but this was the really important stuff!  which is why I was willing to risk carpal tunnel to re-type it verbatim.  

So... next time someone gets mad because you put dishes in the dishwasher without scrubbing them so clean you'd feel comfortable cuddling them in bed, kindly explain that you are honoring the symbiotic relationship the dishwasher implores us to embrace, being kind to the environment by saving water, and point them here for further clarification.  

Starving for Thinking

The danger with status updates, tweets, and similar communications is that they are making us believe that the most important ideas can be communicated in 140 characters or less. 

This is bumper sticker mentality that shouts “here is everything you need to know”.  Isn’t this what politics is all about now? Pithy one-liners and speech-like rhetoric kept short so it can be read as it runs across your TV screen?  Status updates and tweets that “define” us every hour?  

But, when was the last important phone call that could be taken care of in 20 words or less?  What societal issue can be fully explored, discussed, and solved in a 2 minute protagonist lecture and an off-topic 1 minute rebuttal? 

Sure, messages like “I love you” and “Duck! That kid has a super-soaker!” are important and powerful, but they are also cursory to the real message that needs to follow… a discussion on where you are going on a date, and/or tactical maneuvers on how to take the meaty, fat kid in the swimtrunks out while his parents aren’t watching. 

I love writers/directors/people who can communicate complex ideas simply. I don’t want to read a 2 page summary of a 20 page article, if to explore the idea fully the summary needed to be 20 pages.  Understanding this mitigates a frustration I felt often as I tried to share with others why a book or article impacted me, but find myself unable to do so in a few short sentences. 

I once read a powerful Charleton Heston speech called “Winning the Cultural War” who’s central thesis is about the censorship effect of political correctness…Wait. Now I’m doing it. Sure, that idea is in the speech, but there is so much more. 

So remember: Simple is Bigfoot.  Life is complex. Suspect the motives of those who say, “Let me tell you the one thing you need to know.”  Even if they say it via Twitter.