My daughter had her checkup yesterday, and I was talking to our pediatrician (nice guy, good doc) about the HPV vaccine, which I am all for (had it myself). He recommended she get it before the age of 14 to make sure that she has it before she becomes sexually active. I thought 14 was actually too late.

OK, so I admit that my gut feeling is "not my kid" when it comes to things like that, but I'm not naive enough to assume that my kids won't be sexually active at some point as teenagers. The question is-- when?

So I was having some discussions with people and repeatedly heard that because the average age for somebody to lose their virginity is 17, you don't need to worry about it when your kids are still playing with kid toys. (The age is based on some sources but not others, I'm just going to go with 17 since that was the widely held belief of the people I spoke to). I also heard some people say that it was impossible for pre-teens to have sex because their bodies weren't developed enough.

Well, let my ranting begin.

• That average age, 17, is the average, meaning some people start later (like 30), and some people start EARLIER (like 12).
• That average age is the average age for vaginal intercourse. That does not include things like oral sex, anal sex, and other sexual activities that can spread STDs. (This is based on some of the studies I've read. And, by the way, the conclusive average age in those studies varied. Some said 16, some said 18. Etc.)
• When I was in junior high (7th grade, 12 years old; 8th grade 13 years old), kids were performing sexual acts on each other. I don't just mean that they said "Yeah, I did it." I mean I actually saw my peers engaged in sexual acts. I even saw them do this at school, with adults nearby. Sometimes on the basketball court. Sometimes on the bus. Sometimes behind buildings. Etc.
• By the time I was in high school, I had quite a few friends who already had kids of their own. One of my friends already had 2 kids by the time she was 14.
• None of the parents thought that their kids were having sex.
  

If some kids (not all kids, but some) are starting to engage in sexual activities at 12, then you need to reach them before 12. You need to make sure that they understand what sex is, how it works, what consequences there are, etc. They need good information, not myths from their friends. They need to know that sexual feelings are normal and are going to happen. They also need to know how to deal with those feelings; ignoring them doesn't always work. Knowing how to pleasure themselves is an empowering way to deal with urges, and, other than the possibility of developing a UTI (mostly for females), it's the safest physical sexual act they can perform. I'm not suggesting you give a demonstration or anything, but let them know it's perfectly acceptable for them to take care of business on their own. (All those old "It'll make you go blind" lies are a thing of the past.) And make sure they have access to things like condoms. It's not a license to drive; it's a seatbelt.

Labels: Health, Things that Annoy Me

I'm definitely not a fan of any diet pills. Yes, it's tempting, but most of them don't really work, and even if they do, there are always side effects, usually bad ones.

Here's the latest. Hydroxycut causes liver failure.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ijbVgN_ATciR3vPd7y0t41vtzKLgD97TKU980

Labels: Things that Annoy Me

But the sanctity of marriage! I get so tired of hearing people talk about the sanctity of traditional marriage. I repeatedly go into the history of marraige (it's all about property and power) to explain that there was nothing truly sacred about it from a traditional standpoint. (Well, it was about as sacred as a bank account, anyhow.) I think that the sanctity of marriage should be determined by the individuals in the marriage, not by some group of people whose knowledge of traditions only goes back to the 1950's. So today I read this, and it brought a tear of happiness to my eye. At last, a quick, well written summary of marriage through the ages, and a reminder that conservatives are really just stuck in the 50's (along with segregation, communism paranoia, the immediate insertion of the word "God" into every government symbol, ...). http://www.psychologytoday.com/rss/pto-20050506-000006.html

Labels: Deep Thoughts and Philosophy, Things that Annoy Me

Week 1: Everyone in our family had a cold. My daughter got strep throat. We took my daughter to the doctor to get antibiotics. While at the doctor's office, I picked up the flu (even though I tried to sanitize myself and everyone else with gel, wipes, disinfectant spray, and a good old soap and water).

Weekend 1: My husband came home from a business trip. Soon after he got home, my fever started and went from 103 to 104 to 105.

Week 2: My kids both got the flu. My poor kids are having some nasty fevers too. Nobody went to school My husband got the flu. My poor husband. He had to miss a bunch of work but did manage to work from home.

Weekend 2: Our house sounds like a bizarre symphony of coughs. Everything in our home has been washed and disinfected multiple times. Whine and groan. Whine and groan. I feel icky.

Week 3: Dear flu, please go away. Sincerely, Uhhhhggggghhhh cough cough.

Labels: My Life, Things that Annoy Me

My kids got some Moon Sand, that sand that is coated with "something" that makes it stick together like wet sand. What is it? What's it made from? Am I letting my kids play with a toxic toy?

I looked at the official Moon Sand website. Nothing.

I called the number on the website. I asked my question to the woman who answered. She said, "It's sand."

"Sand and what?" I asked.

"I don't know," she replied and put me on hold. She came back on the line, "You should call the corporate number. Maybe they can tell you." She gave me their number.

I called the corporation, Spin Master Ltd., directly and asked the same question. The man who answered the phone said he couldn't tell me what it was because it was patented. Then he asked me if my children had allergies and read off a list of all the things it was free of: wheat, gluten, peanuts, etc.

"What about pthalates?" I asked. "What about PVC? Do any of the chemicals off gas?"

"I don't see pthalates on the list," he said. "It doesn't say if it has any PVC. It doesn't say that it makes any gas." The more I talked to him though, the more I realized that he didn't understand what I was talking about. Pthalates starts with a P not a Th, and vinyl contains PVC, but he doesn't seem to know that either. Even if those items were on the list, I don't think he would have found them. "It's safe," he said.

Safe? But how am I supposed to know? Am I just supposed to trust the word of the company? This is the same company that made Aqua Dots, which were recalled when it was discovered that their safe, non-toxic adhesive coating converted to GHB (the date rape drug) when consumed, causing children to fall into comas.

"Can I get a copy of the MSDS?" The MSDS (materials safety data sheet) for Moon Sand.

"Sure I'll email it to you."

I gave him my email address.

"Also I noticed that your company also makes Pixos," which, let's face it, is a repackaged Aqua Dots. "Can you send me the MSDS for that too?"

He said he would, but I never got the email.

I went to the company's website and sent them the same request via their contact form, just in case the guy on the phone didn't write down my email address correctly. They never did send me the MSDS for either product.

So my kids have the Moon Sand, but I won't let them just play with it whenever they want. I supervise them just to make sure they don't put their fingers in their mouths or rub their eyes while they're playing with it. They must wash their hands immediately after using it. And we clean up the mess thoroughly, just to ensure that our pets don't eat the stuff.

I don't care if they say, "It's safe." I don't trust a company that won't tell you what its products are made out of but wants you to let your kids play with those products for extended periods of time.

(And what about the environment? Will the stuff break down into something toxic? Will it pile up in landfills and contaminate the ground water? Why don't they talk about that? Play with it today, worry about it tomorrow.)

Oh well, as soon as the weather gets warm, the kids will be back outside, playing in the sand box, with real old-fashioned water and sand.

Labels: Things that Annoy Me

Unknown Name/Unknown Number calls repeatedly (often once per day and even at night) and either says that they want to lower my interest rates on my credit cards, lower my auto loan rates, or extend my automobile warranty ("Just press 1 to speak to someone about.... Press 2 to not be called again...").

I used to press 2 to be removed from their lists. Of course, it didn't work. So now I always press 1 and ask for company information or to be removed from their call list, and they always just hang up on me.

Today I pressed 1 to talk to somebody about lowering my credit card interest rate, and pretended I was interested. I spoke to an operator who said her name was Whitney and that the company was Consumer Services. She said she just needed me to give her a bunch of my personal information and credit card numbers and they would lower my rates. She said they already had my information, including the information about my credit card rates and payment history, and just needed me to verify it all by telling it to her over the phone.

HA! Yeah, right.

She said they could get my credit card rates down to 12%! (Wow, what a crappy deal since my cards are already way under 12% fixed APR.)

So I acted like a flustered fool who was interested (those college acting classes come in handy for all sorts of things) and asked them for their company information.

She told me their number (800-847-2911) and said their address was Suite 300 W Peachtree, Ft Meyeres FL 23906. She said that they are affiliated with Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express and with all banks. I kept trying to get her to explain how they were affiliated (e.g. were they in a network, was she a part of the CCC, etc.). She kept giving very vague answers, but ultimately she said they were affiliated with everything I mentioned, including things I just made up right then and there. So I asked to talk to her manager.

The "card member services floor manager" said his name was Mike.

I asked him how it all worked and he spoke in a fast-paced salesmen voice telling me how they were affiliated with all the banks and asked me what the problem was I was having.

When I asked how they found out about me, he said they got my number from Visa and Mastercard because I have a very high credit score and good payment history.

I mentioned that the automated system that called us often calls us at night when their offices aren't even open. I asked why it did that. He said in an annoyed tone, "What does that have to do with getting a better interest rate?" When I asked him why his system often called us at night, he became clearly agitated.

I asked him if they used the Do Not Call list, and he became very upset, speaking to me quite rudely: "Is this what this is all about? You went through all this trouble to be asked to be taken off the list!" (Actually, I went through all that trouble to get as much information about them as possible so I could report them.) He insulted me for having "nothing better to do with my time" and tried to make me feel guilty about wasting his time. (Oh please! I have a mother. I have conquered threats of guilt far greater than any random stranger over the phone could do. You have no powers over me, little man.)

Then he hung up on me. Poor little Mike won't be scamming my family today.

So then I reported them to the FTC and went online and posted their info on sites about reporting scams. Apparently other people have had quite a few problems with them too.

Labels: Things that Annoy Me

It's pathetic when you have to cheat to win.

The McCain / Palin campaign sent a bunch of absentee ballots to Obama supporters. How nice of them. Except they weren't actually being nice at all. They were being sneaky and malicious.

Problem 1:

The ballots contain an unnecessary checkbox which the voter must check to indicate that he/she is qualified to vote. Legally, there is suppose to be a statement indicating that the voter is qualified to vote (i.e. "By submitting this ballot I certify that I am qualified to vote."), not a question (i.e. "Are you qualified to vote?"). If that box isn't checked, their ballot is invalid, and their vote isn't counted.

To fix the problem, everyone who has already voted must vote again. This means that they must be notified, issued a corrected ballot, fill it out, mail it off, and hope that it gets to the correct destination. It sounds simple, but every extra step is an extra opportunity for a screw up, and repeating the task twice adds lots of extra steps. And some voters may have filled out their absentee ballot because they were going to be absent (e.g. out of the country, busy fighting a war, traveling on business trips, going out of state on vacation), so they won't even be home to get the replacement ballot. All of this means that it's probable that some of those voters won't get their vote counted or won't get to re-vote at all.

Problem 2:

There are reports that return envelopes for the absentee ballots had the wrong mailing address on them.

This means the citizen votes on the absentee ballot, seals it in the envelope, puts the envelope into the mailbox, and falsely believe that he/she has done her patriotic duty as a citizen. Meanwhile, their vote is sent on a journey to a place where their vote isn't supposed to go, a place where their vote never gets counted.

Problem 3:

Why is it legal for a candidate to issue absentee ballots anyhow? Isn't this something that a neutral third party, like... oh... maybe the State Board of Elections should handle? If a candidate really does want to increase voter turn out, he/she can just donate money to the State Board of Election to aid in the voting efforts, but they don't do that. They want to send out their own ballots. Why? It gives them to opportunity to screw things up for their own benefit. Plus, it gives them yet another opportunity to campaign at the very last moment. Just check out the McCain ballot at http://forums.therandirhodesshow.com/index.php?showtopic=9064.

McCain for President? Palin for VP? Country First?

Country first is right. Lie to the country first. Then cheat your way to the top. After that, you can manipulate the system for your own selfish, greedy benefit. It's the Republican way.

For more about these stories, check out...

http://zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080912/UPDATES01/80912006/1002/NEWS01

http://current.com/items/89293206_misleading_absentee_ballots_being_sent_to_citizens_by_john_mccain

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2008/09/11/McCain_forms_confuse_Ohio_absentees/UPI-87691221180496/

http://current.com/items/89293206_misleading_absentee_ballots_being_sent_to_citizens_by_john_mccain

http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080911/NEWS0108/309110032

Labels: Activism, Things that Annoy Me

Why is Putin acting like a fascist and a communist at the same time while screaming out that he's pro-democracy? Why does he have youth camps that advocate hate? Why does he pay children and teenagers to stage protests to any opposition? I guess it's easy to get away with stuff like that when you have 99.9% control of the media in your country. I feel sorry for the Russians. So many of them have no idea that they're being suckered, especially the Russian youth.

Here's an interesting documentary:
http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/russia703/

Labels: Things that Annoy Me

My brother worked at Disneyland for awhile. He loved it. All of his coworkers loved working there, too. They spent all their time either working or hanging around in the park. When they weren't there, they were talking about it and watching Disney movies. It wasn't a job; it was a cult.

Back then, a job at Disney was pretty good. The pay was decent. They had benefits. And as long as you were pretty (or could fit inside a giant character mask) and perky, they'd let you mingle with the customers.

But now they want to treat their workers like dirt. Disney is stripping it's hotel workers (housekeeping, dishwashers, bellhops, and cooks) down to size. Apparently, Disney thinks that the work they do is inferior to the work that other employees do, and they're going to make sure that those inferior workers know it. They're taking away their sick pay. They're taking away their holiday pay. They're taking away their vacations. And worst of all, they're taking away their health insurance (for their employees and their families). And I can't forget to mention those hotel workers already being paid several dollars less per hour than other hotel workers in the area.

Why? Because inferior workers don't deserve to go to the doctor. They don't deserve a day off. And if they get sick... well, that's just to stinking bad. They should have thought of that before they decided to become an inferior worker. And their children certainly don't deserve health care because they might actually survive childhood and grow up to become inferior workers just like their parents. (If those kids have any brains at all, they'll think about running away and getting adopted by parents who aren't inferior workers.) Oh yeah, and we can't forget the biggest reason of all: money!

After all, Disney is struggling to get by. I mean, really, they only made about $1.2 BILLION dollars net profit last quarter. How can we expect any company to run on a mere $1.2 billion of profit for 3 whole months? That's why they have to charge $5 for a $0.25 soda and serve cheap junk food, filled with artificial colors and preservatives, instead of food that won't kill it's customers in the long run. They're doing everything they can just to stay afloat.

Meanwhile, those lazy inferior workers are squandering Disney's profits with cushy perks like sick days and health insurance. It's not like they're really working hard or anything. They just clean stuff and tend to back-breaking labor all day. Any pimple-faced teenager could do that for minimum wage and zero benefits (plus they're full of energy at that age, so they could probably do it faster).

Argh!

I hope this gets more publicity. Disney keeps portraying themselves as a company that wants to help people and bring joy to the world. I'm sure there are lots of employees who have that vision too, but the greedy overlords at the top only care about dollar signs and fat wallets, and they'll even abuse their own employees to put a few extra dollars in their pockets.

Worst part about all of this, is that I had to explain to my kids why Tinkerbell and Cinderella were in handcuffs for protesting with union picketers against the wickedness of a corporate giant instead of living happily ever after. Solidarity my fairytale girls.

Go find out more about this at
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jXGsA6a9caN4qHy8j7npWIv68-GwD92IGR380

Labels: Things that Annoy Me

I just found out tonight that my favorite local grocery store, Wild Oats / Whole Foods, is closing. I've decided that it feels much like being dumped.

Sure, I can just drive for an hour to another one, and that other one will be very similar to my old local store, but it won't be the same. It won't be the same friendly faces. It won't be "right around the corner." Things won't be in the same spot. The cashiers won't joke around with me in the same way. It's much like being dumped but then being told, "Hey, you can date my brother if you want." Sure, they look similar, and they might even sound similar, but it's not the same.

Some of the employees told me which other stores they would transfer to and suggested that I come by those stores to visit with them once in awhile. It was very sweet, but it felt far too much like "But we can still be friends."

I can just go to other grocery stores in my area, but I don't want other grocery stores. I want my old grocery store, the one I fell in love with, the one with the earth-tone colors, samples of organic-natural-fair-trade-vegetarian-eco-friendly treats scattered throughout the store, aisles of PETA approved cosmetics and lotions with "try me" stickers on at least one of every product line, progressive or folk music playing through the speakers in the ceiling, and weekend events like free wine and cheese tastings and free 5-minute massages. The other stores don't have that. They only have some guy who interrupts the pop top-40 music to mumble over the loudspeaker about the special of the day, and their organic-natural-fair-trade-vegetarian-eco-friendly products section doesn't bloom with variety at all, and I've never seen them offer their customers free massages.

Oh well. Every relationship breakup in my life has pushed me toward becoming a better me. Maybe this one will do the same. Maybe it will inspire me to open my own little health foods store or cafe and not rely on others for my grocery needs. Maybe it will force me to find better stores, leaving me to wonder why I was so madly in love with this store in the first place. Maybe this store was just a phase in my life, and I need to appreciate it for what it was and start a new chapter. Whatever. I still hate being dumped.

Labels: Things that Annoy Me

I'm watching the Today Show right now. They're talking to a woman from Us Weekly about Hilary and Obama. Guess what they were they saying...

Hilary is, like, way not fashionable. Like, just look at all these totally ugly outfits she wore. Like, oh my god!

and

Obama is such a wonderful husband, and, get this girls, he does his own grocery shopping. Isn't that amazing?!

Am I the only one who sees something wrong with this picture?

When a woman runs for president, the media wants to talk about the clothes she wore in the 70's and 80's (when, by the way, even the most fashionable people were wearing embarrassing outfits). And then they went on about the choices she made to wear "mom clothes" instead of "hmmm, I think I'll run for president one day" clothes.

Meanwhile, when a man runs for president they want to talk about his family and marriage values and praise him for purchasing a loaf of bread all by his big-boy self.

The thing that makes this worse is that the two people having this conversation were women. Women always seem to complain about the glass ceiling imposed by men, but honestly I rarely hear men insisting that women are inferior in the workplace. I do, however, frequently hear women judging other women's worth and even professional ability based on superficial things, like fashion, weight, and even the quality of their scrapbooking talents. But when those same women talk about men, they tend to focus on deeper issues, like family skills and job responsibilities. I can't help but think that the reason why we still talk about the glass ceiling is because women are holding each other back.

Labels: Things that Annoy Me

He sends our military to war, and any veteran who survives gets a "thank you" and is left to put themselves back together.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/96351.php

Honestly Bush, if you can't afford to take care of these men and women when they get home, then don't send them to the other side of the world to dodge bullets and bombs just to protect your assets (the oily kind, anyone who has actually studied it knows that freedom and democracy had nothing to do with this no matter how many times you say those words). It's bad enough that our forces are earning minimum wage (and sometimes even less than that), and now you're taking away their benefits too.

I bet Bush doesn't even pay his waiters the full 15% tip.

Labels: Things that Annoy Me

A friend of mine took her kids to a store that sells children's clothes, toys, etc. She brought her kids. (After all, it's stuff for them, so it's usually a good idea to let them pick it out. Otherwise, you end up getting things they don't like, don't use, and don't want. Waste of money.)

Every time on of the kids even put a finger on anything, the owner of the store made a point to say, "Don't touch that! You'll break it."

(I agree with her completely. Whenever I take my kids to the toy store, I tie up their hands with duct tape, so they can't touch anything, especially the toys for children. Children should never touch toys! They might break them. And children's clothes... they're just to decorate the closet. You're not actually supposed to let your kids wear them except during picture day, after which you must remove the clothes immediately and dress them in durable flour sacks.)

There was an unlocked door in the play area. The kids naturally wanted to open it to see what was on the other side. (It was in the play area, so it must be for play.) Again, the store owner barked out, "Don't open that door! It's a staircase that leads down to the basement."

(Kids instinctually know to stay away from dangerous things. Obviously my friend's kid must have been mentally disabled or something. I'm sure any other kid would have known that there was a dangerous staircase on the other side of the door (children can see through walls), and surely they would have known to avoid it.)

Kids in a kids store... geesh! What's next? Cars at a car wash? Food in a grocery store? Computer geeks at a Fry's? Oh the world is just going to hell.

Labels: Things that Annoy Me

So let's get this straight...

You left your baby alone, for 10 minutes, in a freezing cold car, on a freezing cold day, in a busy parking lot that is NOT monitored by surveillance cameras and nobody seems to be paying attention (except for the big strange guy), next to a big strange guy who was alone in a truck and had been watching other people's children go in and out of the building for an hour.

Your baby could have choked on that cracker it found under it's leg (the one you had forgotten about). Your baby could have been kidnapped. Your baby could have died of hypothermia (it was damn cold). Your baby could have woken up, realized that it was alone in a strange place, and started crying in fear. Why?

So you could walk across the parking lot, go into a cafe, wait in line for 10 minutes, and buy... an orange juice.

Well that's all perfectly understandable. If you had brought your little bundle of joy into the cafe with you, you might have fumbled and spilled some of your orange juice. That would have been a tragedy. Like, if you spill your orange juice, you'd have to go back into the cafe and, like, buy another cup.

Besides, you can always make a new baby if something happens to the old one.

Labels: Things that Annoy Me

The more I watch documentaries about art and artists, the more I have become annoyed with critics. Any person who earns a living as an art critic is a sore on the lip of society.

Art is an expression of a person's views of life. It is an outward presentation of inner thoughts. A carefree child creates carefree finger-paintings. A perfectionist tries to create art that perfectly resembles what he sees or hears or feels. An emotional person creates art that displays her emotion, not necessarily the subject. An opinionated activist creates art that makes a statement. Whether they went to art school or only just learned to pick up a crayon, their works are artistic, and the quality of their works is always superb because it reflects what they wanted to express at the time that they created it. How can such excellence be criticized?

If you're going to criticize art, then you might as well criticize the way the person looks, the tonal quality of their voice, and the experiences they've endured. Criticizing art is the equivalent of saying, "I think your nose is too big, and you are flawed for that." "I think your voice is too scratchy, and you should be ashamed of yourself for it." "I think the abuse you suffered makes you a nobody who is trying to con everyone into thinking that you are a somebody." It's disturbing to see such behavior on the playground, but seeing it among adults is sickening.

Listening to an art critic is just as disgusting because essentially the critic is saying, "You're expression of yourself is wrong, so you as a being is wrong and don't deserve recognition or praise." Anyone respected as an art critic will get no respect from me. As far as I'm concerned, the art critic is a over-glorified bully.

If you like it, say "I like it!" If you don't, say "It's not my taste." But don't be so arrogant that you feel that you can say that something is or is not art, that a person is or is not a person, or the a life is or is not a life. You have no right to make such judgments.

Labels: Things that Annoy Me

So I'm talking to a pre-teen, just-getting-ready-to-enter-the-world-of-lust-filled-teenagers kid who goes to a private religious school where sex-ed is banned (because teaching kids about reproduction and STDs might make them want to run out and have sex immediately). The news was on in the background, and the reporter was talking about AIDS.

KID: I'm an American, so I can't get AIDS.

ME: Are you serious?

KID: Yeah, it's true.

ME: What! Who told you that?

KID: At school they said that people in Africa get AIDS, and my mom told me that it's because they're a third-world country. America's a rich country, so Americans can't get it.

ME: Well, how do you think people in Africa get AIDS?

KID: They get it from the water and bugs and drugs and stuff.

ME: Um, I don't think they're right. Doctors say that you get AIDS if bodily fluids, like blood and stuff, from somebody infected with HIV get into your body.

KID: You mean like from a blood transfusion?

ME: Yes, or if you share needles with somebody who has HIV, like if you do drugs, or if you have sex with somebody who has HIV.

KID: You can get AIDS from having sex?!

ME: Yup, you can get lots of diseases from having sex. That's why you have to be careful about who you have sex with, make sure you use condoms, get tested for diseases at least every year--

KID: You can get diseases from having sex?!

ME: Yup.

KID: What's a condom?

Labels: Things that Annoy Me

I know that before online shopping, people actually had to go to the store, sit in traffic, fight the crowds, buy gifts, and drag them all home. But life is easier now.

We can turn on our computers (those of us who have them), whip out our credit cards (those of us who have them), and shop online. We can compare quality (via reviews) and prices all with a couple of clicks. Then we do a few more clicks to buy what we want, and *poof* it shows up on our doorstep in a few days or weeks. If we need to mail the gift off somewhere, we can just tell the store to wrap it for us and deliver it to their door. What could be easier?

So I'm driving by the mall yesterday (not daring to actually go to the mall), and the freeway was completely clogged with people who were waiting to get on the exit to the mall. On the way back, it was clogged with people who were trying to get on the freeway from the mall. The mall parking lot was a sea of cars reflecting glimmers of sunlight. Thousands of people waiting and pushing and fighting to buy overpriced items (items they could have paid less for if they had bought it online), items that will break within days (which they would have known if they had read the reviews online), and items they didn't really want but bought anyhow because the mall didn't have the exact item they actually wanted (even though they could have purchased the exact item they wanted if they had bought it online).

So why do people still go to the mall for the holidays? What were they thinking when they decided to go? Did they assume that it would be an easy trip? Did they want to wait in traffic? Did they want to hunt for a parking space and push through crowds? Is that what makes the holidays special for them? Did they think that they would save money by buying stuff in person? I just don't get it.

Labels: Things that Annoy Me

I think one of the things that bugs me is that so many self-help gurus portray that "My life is perfect, and it was so easy to make it that way" aura. Then the public finds out that they have flaws, and they make excuses and wonder why the public is so interested in their flaws. Here's why: because everybody has flaws.

Everybody has demons. Everybody has problems that they're not quite sure how to fix, sometimes because there is no "fix." Everybody has qualities that they wish they could change. Everybody has made mistakes that they wish they could go back and change. And when you act like your life is perfect and that everything is easy for you because you have some amazing plan, it's a lie. And people love a good lie, especially when you portray a "I don't lie" value system.

If you just tell everyone, "Hey, I've got issues! But I'm working through them," or "Hey, I sometimes lie to make myself look better," then perhaps you wouldn't have a crowd of people pointing at you when your flaws are made public. Instead, they might just pat you on the back and say, "Oh, don't worry, it happens to everyone."

Labels: Things that Annoy Me

OK, so I'm still browsing through the CBN website. (I'm procrastinating. I'm supposed to be cleaning toilets right now.)

Let's talk about their article: "Ten Biblical Rules for a Happy Marriage"

My problem with the article isn't actually what they say. (My husband and I already do many of the things they suggest, and we have a great marriage.) But they suggest that everybody, regardless of circumstances, should follow their Biblical rules, no matter what, and I know quite a few couples who absolutely shouldn't take their advice.

Here's what annoys me:

"Never bring up mistakes of the past."

Yeah, like when you caught him with that hooker last night. It's in the past. Forget about it.

"Neglect the whole world rather than each other."

Don't talk to your friends. Don't take care of your kids. Don't go to work. Don't have a life of your own. Just sit around staring at each other all day.

"Never go to sleep with an argument unsettled."

So if your husband is beating you, make sure you apologize to him for being angry about it before you go to sleep.

"At least once a day, try to say something complimentary to your spouse."

Ummm, if you have to "try" to say something complimentary to your spouse, then you've got bigger issues to deal with. Especially if you can't think of anything complimentary or you have a disability that makes it impossible for you to communicate.

"Never meet without an affectionate welcome."

Wow, so if your spouse storms in the door, yelling and screaming, and demanding his dinner because, dammit, it's 6pm, then you should drop everything, run over to him, and give him a giant kiss. Forget about your dignity.

"'For richer or poorer' -rejoice in every moment that God has given you together."

Especially when you find out that your husband is actually a con artist who stole all your money, defrauded your employer, and cheated lots of poor people out of their last pennies. It's just money, right?

"If you have a choice between making yourself or your mate look good, choose your mate."

I swear officer, he never hits me. I just like beating myself with a baseball bat.

"If they're breathing, your mate will eventually offend you. Learn to forgive."

The Biblical passage they use to support this statement says that no matter how many times somebody rebukes you, you should forgive them and continue the relationship. Ummmm, no. I'm afraid I have too much self-respect for that.

"Don't use faith, the Bible, or God as a hammer."

I agree with that. A Bible makes a terrible hammer, and God is way too busy. Faith alone is useless, but have faith in an actual hammer, and it'll get the job done.

"Let love be your guidepost."

So you should let love guide you. But if you realize that you don't love your spouse anymore or your love turns toward somebody else... well then, of course, that's when you would ignore love because divorce is bad, and adultery is even worse, so don't even think about being with anybody else ever again.

Labels: Things that Annoy Me

The Imperial system (also known as the English system) is the most illogical system. Why do we still use it?

The Imperial / English System

Volume

3 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon

2 tablespoons = 1 fluid ounce

8 fluid ounces = 1 cup

2 cups = 1 pint

2 pints = 1 quart

4 quarts = 1 gallon

Weight

16 ounces = 1 pound

14 pounds = 1 Stone

2 Stone = 1 Quarter

4 Quarter = 1 Hundredweight

20 Hundredweight = 1 Ton

Length

12 inches = 1 foot

3 feet = 1 yard

22 yards = 1 chain

10 chains = 1 furlong

8 furlongs = 1 mile

Area

1 acre = 1 furlong x 1 chain

Now, wasn't all of that just obvious? Why would we ever want to convert to the metric system, in which everything is based on 10? Moving a decimal to the left or right would just be too complicated.

Labels: Things that Annoy Me

Parents who give their children soda. The younger the child, the more I hate it. Soda should especially never touch a baby bottle.

Labels: Things that Annoy Me