Trouble ahead?

Who is the sadist who created the "check engine" warning light? How is this helpful to anyone? It's too vague to be of any real help... yet it freaks me out.

Mine came on yesterday as I was out running errands. Is my car about to explode? Or is it just something minor? HOW CAN I TELL?? I'm no expert, believe me. (And have you ever looked at your owner's manual to see what IT says about the "check engine" light? It tells you to check the engine. So helpful.)

I am a directions-follower, so I did, indeed, check the engine. Yep. It's still under the hood. That's a good sign. Checked the oil, checked my radiator (the only things I know how to check. Well, I know how to check my tire pressure... but since my tires aren't IN my engine, I did not check them. And if my tires WERE in my engine, I think I'd know there was a serious problem. Hopefully...). So I have no idea what triggered that fricking light.

On another note, I caught part of a very troubling commercial on TV last night. It was a Weight Watchers spot, featuring lots of women (interesting -- no men?) who appeared to be joyous at the prospect of dropping those extra pounds through WW, as Cher sang "This is a song for the lonely..."

Umm. Unless you lose weight through Weight Watchers you're going to be lonely? Is that the message here? Charming. And not what I would expect from such a reputable organization.