Do you remember when you were younger and asibling or playmate would tell you to do something and your firstresponse was, “You’re not the boss of me!”

    Well, I often wonder who was the boss of some things. For instance,who was the boss who decided that when we drive a vehicle it’salways on the right side of the road? The British drive on the leftside of the road; why don’t we?

    Why is the red light always on top or to the left on trafficsignals? Why isn’t the green light on top and the red light onbottom? Why does red have to mean stop and green mean go?

    Stop signs are octagonal with white lettering and a red background.Why couldn’t they have been big white square signs with big redlettering?

    Have you seen the no smoking signs? Why does the slash throughcenter go from top left to bottom right? Why not the other way?

    I have lots of questions for the folks who decided roadway rulesand signs.

    Who decided that when we’re in school that the class roll wasalways called in alphabetical order? Why not call it from Z toA?

    And who decided that school was only in the fall, winter and springmonths of the year? Why not all year long or during the summer?

    TV remotes are mostly square or rectangular. Why can’t they beround with the power button in the center?

    Up until the last few years, light bulbs have always held the sameshape. Why is that? Why aren’t they square or shaped like animalsor something else?

    Have you ever noticed that most meat at the grocery store is alwayspackaged in a Styrofoam tray with plastic wrapping on top? It seemsmeat would last much longer if it were vacuum packed in a thickerwrap. Then it would also be ready to pop into the freezer, should aperson need to store it.

    Who decided that a ruler should only contain 12 inches? Why not agood even number like 10 or 20?

    Don’t get me started on the sizes of wood at a lumberyard. Did youknow that if you buy a 2 x 6 board that you’re actually getting aboard that’s more like 1.5 x 5.5. Same holds true for other sizeboards. I didn’t realize this until I was remodeling my houseseveral years ago.

    Another thing I realized while I was remodeling was that the oldnails in my 100-year-old house had square tops. Who was the bossthat decided nail heads had to be round now?

    There’s been some really strange goings on at the grocery store,too. Where we once got 16-ounce cans of goods, they’ve now shrunkthem down to 14.5 ounces and jacked the prices up. The bosses ofthat think they’re being sneaky. I have news for them: Don’t thinkmost of us haven’t noticed that our dollars aren’t going quite asfar as they used to.

    They’ve done the same thing with washing detergent, dishwashingliquid, dog food, among many other things.

    Who was the boss who decided 12 eggs to a carton? Again, why not agood even number like 10? With the shrinkage of everything else atthe grocery store, I’m sure eggs will be next.

    Who was the boss of refrigerator icemakers when they decided thatthe ice would be shaped in half-moon shapes? Why not round cubes orstar shaped cubes or better yet that cute little crushed ice youget at Ward’s fast-food place?

    Another wonder is gallon jugs. They all seem to be shaped the samewith the handle built in. Who was the boss of that? Why not put thehandle on top or down the side. And who said the caps had to bered, because most of them are.

    I have a lot of other questions.

    I guess someone else is the boss of me.

    And how was your week?

    Lifestyles Editor Tammie Brewer can be reached at The DAILYLEADER at (601) 833-6961 ext. 134, by e-mail attbrewer@dailyleader.com or you can write to her at P.O. Box 551,Brookhaven MS 39602.