Weights and Measures Craziness

I was comparing the nutrition information of two bags of cheese at the grocer's today.
And noted that the information was based on the amount of cheese by cup and gram.
Somehow, although they are both using 30 grams as the measure - one has 30 grams being 1/3 of a cup but with the other the same 30 grams is 1/4 of a cup.
Hmmmmm. So what does a web-based converter say?
Apparently 1/4 of a cup isn't 30 grams - it's 59!
I give up.

Liberal Wastage

I received this mailer from the Liberal Party of Canada in my mail today.


It's a "Special Invitation" to join the Laurier Club for a suggested donation of between $225 and $325.


Inside is a "personal video message" which can be viewed by using the enclosed USB stick.
To my surprise the "personal video message" was identical to the one that could be viewed at the URL listed just below the attached USB stick. So, the Liberal Party marketeers created a very expensive way to communicate a simple URL. Also, because the USB stick does not show up as an attached device on the user's computer desktop - it can't be reused for any other purpose.

What a waste.

Things that make me go Grrrrrrrrrrr...

I recently bought a new (actually used) vehicle and typically with such purchases, there was no printed owner's manual. However, I was able to download, in PDF form, a digital version from the manufacturer's website.
But...
Why on earth is the manual a screened PDF with all the associated artifacts?It's a PDF after all! It doesn't cost any extra to publish it digitally using continuous tone greyscale images or even in full color.

Then there's the weird demo guy.

First he has a fixed Botox-like smile that never changes:
And the same illustration is used for different actions.
However, despite his Botox frozen facial expression, he somehow manages to change his hair style and color from page to page:

Grrrrrrrrrrr...

Things that make me go Grrrrrrrrrrr...

Not what I was hoping to post today...but...holy smokes, the Conrad Murray trial on the death of Michael Jackson has just begun and the high-priced lawyers for the man charged with the manslaughter death of Michael Jackson actually misspelled the King of Pop’s first name in a chart by Ed Chernoff, attorney for Conrad Murray. It was shown today to jurors during the defense’s opening statement in a Los Angeles courtroom. What has happened to basic proof reading?
Then L.A. prosecutors also ran into spelling problems during their opening statement. On one of the slides shown to jurors, the word “pronounced” was missing the second “n.”Jeepers, when a comma can mean the difference between "Let's eat, Grandpa." and "Let's eat Grandpa." shouldn't lawyers be more astute?

Things that make me go Grrrrrrrrrrr...

Campbell's hearty noodle soup...yum, yum.But it's been in the cupboard for awhile. I wonder what the expiry date is?
Nothing printed on the bottom or sides...but I think I see a smudge of black on the bottom left side of the cup's top cover.
Luckily I have my loupe for a close up view.Hmmm, even viewed under loupe it's still unclear. But with a bit of image manipulation in PhotoShop the expiry date is finally legible.Surely the design folks at Campbell's or their packaging supplier, Interpress Technologies, can come up with a way to print a legible expiry date on their containers.

Things that make me go Grrrrrrrrrrr...

Pretzel hotdog buns, yum yum.
The package label says it contains 6 buns. I wonder what the ingredients are for just one bun?
Doh! Ingredients are listed by serving weight.
But what's a serving? Do I have to weigh the package to find out what makes up 50 g?

Why couldn't they have listed it as: "Per serving (one bun: 50 g)"?

Things that make me go Grrrrrrrrrrr...

I don't know if this is a design issue, a labeling issue, a legal issue, or?
Here's an example of a label that makes me go Grrrrrrrrrrr:

A can of Campbell's soup (yum, yum):

Ah, it contains 540mL of soup:

Grrrrrrrrrrr! The ingredients are listed based on 250mL:

Why aren't the ingredients listed based on 540mL (the can contents) or even 270mL (half a can)?
For some reason most soups, not just Campell's, suffer the same ingredient measurement mismatch.

Grrrrrrrrrrr!

At least the label is printed using FM screening. :-)