Gecko's Plans Goes Awash

Found an unpleasant little surprise while I was taking clothes out of the washing machine yesterday evening ... a dead critter. What kind of critter, you ask? Well, let me put it this way: I don't think the Geico gecko will want to visit our house anymore.

I put the clothes in the machine yesterday morning before I left to go to work. I don't know whether or not he was alive when I turned the machine on. Maybe he wanted to go surfing. Maybe he thought it was a giant hot tub. Maybe he just wanted to go for a spin. In any case, he wasn't looking too good when I found him ... very little green and a lot of dark grey.

Now, I think geckos are cute, and I'm not afraid of them. They don't freak me out at all. However, I don't know what it is about dead critters that make me suddenly not want to be around them, much less touch them. I was truly grossing out over the situation, wondering, "EWWWW! How am I going to get him OUT?!"

Luckily, my late dad was a genius in getting those extended grabber thingys to help him pick things up around the house. With a look on my face that would make someone think I was handling toxic waste (I think I would have rather handled the toxic waste), I managed to pick up the dead carcass and put it in the trash can.

There was a trouser sock remaining in the washing machine. I noticed the critter's tail had broken off and was stuck to it. I almost threw the sock away. However, I picked it up with the grabber and managed to pull the tail off ... with my bare hand. Ick, gag me! I hate that he died the way he did, but did it have to be in MY washing machine? EEEEWWWWW!!!

I rewashed the clothes using hot water, soap, and white vinegar. I wasn't about to take a chance on them developing dead animal funk. I think I'll wash them one more time before I put them in the dryer.

Infomercial Scams

I'm sitting here with my television turned on the TV Guide channel. I just finished listening to a commercial for the Walk Fit orthotic foot supports, wondering if they really worked or if they were just as scammy as the other informercials that air on television. I have back and knee pain, so yes it got my attention, but I'm very cynical about "miracle products."

I used Google and typed in "Walk Fit" into the search engine space. An interesting web site came up: infomercialscams.com. I clicked on the link and came up on the section about Walk Fit. I read enough of the submitted complaints to realize that I did not need to make the purchase.

I also noticed a banner at the top of the screen stating that Video Professor "has issued a subpoena to infomercialratings.com and infomercialscams.com. Learn what they are trying to do with your PRIVATE information! CLICK HERE!"

Very interesting reading. According to the site, Video Professor is suing their own customers.

Not all informercials advertise junk products. I have ordered the IRobot Scooba, the Flowbee, and the Magic Bullet. I'm very pleased with all three products. They work as promised, and the shipping charges were fair.

Still, it bothers me that the products that don't work like they should can advertise and mislead people. Even with the disclaimer by the television stations and channels that "the following advertisement does not necessarily reflect the views of the (insert name here) Channel," it bothers me that there does not seem to be any accountability for allowing, much less being paid for, the infomercials to be broadcast.

Until then, it's still Caveat Emptor for the buying public. Do your research and homework before you buy. It's easy to do. Just go to Google.com and type in "infomercial scams."