Germs

I have gotten an e-mail twice in one week from friends about one of those "studies" that people do about germs in food.

This one has to do with the lemons you get in your water or drink when you are at a restaurant and how they are loaded with "fecal bacteria" and are touched by "dirty fingertips of the restaurant employees".

Here is the video on You Tube if you are interested: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeye8wnBJoU

Another fear we can add to our list!

Listen very carefully to the very last part on this video!!!

Now...I'm not a germ-o-phobe. I know many people are and I know there are some people who get sick very easily, but I side more with George Carlin's view on germs:

Our immune system needs something to practice on! It needs germs to practice on!

Armpits, Asshole, Crotch and Teeth!

Amen brother!

To me, this is what "giving" really means

I read this post on another blog called: Just Eat Your Cupcake and had to share it. I think it's a wonderful story.

Flowers and Hugs for Molly

Interesting Observations

While I've been struggling with weird things that have been happening to me - both physically and mentally, I have made a choice to significantly cut down on my use of alcohol.

M & I have always enjoyed our "weekend wine." We don't normally drink during the weekdays, and we had a routine that one of us would pick up a few bottles of wine on Friday night on our way home from work.

When I started working from home on Mondays and Fridays, my weekends became "extended". I found myself rationalizing that Thursday was really my "Friday" and Monday was really my "Sunday" and heaven forbid I had any "left over wine" lingering around. I wouldn't want it to "go bad!" So, I found that I was drinking Thursday - Monday!

Funny how that happens!

Hmmmmm.....

Sooooooooooo, I cut out the wine altogether. I just found that it was giving me horrible indigestion, nasty headaches and it was totally interrupting my sleep. (guess what folks...alcohol does NOT make you sleep better!)

My consumption of alcohol nowadays is down to: 1 beer after I've been out working in the yard or if we go out to dinner.

It has been interesting to see the reaction of friends, family and co-workers when I decline the offer of a drink.

"Are you OK?"

"Do you want something else - mixed drink?"

"How come you are not drinking anymore?"

"How long is this going to last?"

"Wow!"

"Well, whatever is wrong with you that is keeping you from drinking, you better get that fixed!"

"Oh, that won't last long." (snicker, snicker)

****

I will have to admit that if any of my own friends told me that they give up drinking, I would probably have the same reaction(s).

What I find really interesting is the difference in the reactions when I tell them it is more of a "personal choice" to stop rather than a "medical choice". They can accept a medical reason.

There are some who are really uncomfortable with this concept.

I wonder why?

I wonder why their discomfort makes me uncomfortable?

Hmmmmmmm again.

Looking back at my drinking habits...I wonder if I was headed towards a serious problem. Every day you can read conflicting opinions about alcohol: "1 glass of wine a day is good for you and may reduce your risk of some kinds of cancer" to " drinking every day can lead to serious health problems".

I know, I know - drinking 1 glass a day is a LOT different than drinking 1 bottle a day and it's all about how much you are consuming.

Anyway - for the moment, this is what I am doing...or not doing - however you want to look at it.

The office Holiday party should be interesting this year! Also - some of the conferences that I attend where the standard practice of "meeting later for drinks" will no doubt raise a few questions offer some interesting challenges.

I tell you what though, I'm saving a lot of money and losing weight because of my abstinence!!! So far I am only seeing benefits!

Backpack vs. Purse

Up until about 1 1/2 years ago I carried most of my "personal stuff" to and from work in a backpack.

I've had to dress up my act a bit because now I am in a position where I have to "look the part", and your basic Jansport nylon backpack doesn't quite work well with a suit. Also, shoving things in my pants pockets kind of makes me look like an inverted chipmunk.

Carrying a purse is the most awkward thing for me. I don't know what to do with it most of the time or I leave it behind because I forget about it. (Or subconsciously I don't want to be seen with it).

Generally, the people that I meet in my business carry either a backpack, fanny pack or an assorted variety of tote bags that they have collected at various conference throughout the year. I'm kind of thinking that wouldn't mind if I didn't carry a purse, but it just doesn't look too professional.

Soooooo, I bought a spiffy new briefcase last week and thought that would solve all my problems. It's big enough to carry my laptop and shove in assorted papers and whatever, but by the time I shoved in all of my personal stuff, the thing got so damned bulky it just looks like an overstuffed mess!

I need a bag in a bag. I need a briefcase that I can carry my laptop in, but then have a little bag inside of it that will carry my wallet, keys, b-berry, cell phone, checkbook, assorted "feminine needs" and of course the tweezers!!

Dressier than a backpack, not as girlie as a purse, something sturdy and smart looking.

Then I can pull the bag, out of the bag because I don't need my briefcase all of the time, but I need something smaller for business lunches...whatever.

Does such a thing exist?

It probably does, but I'm just not looking in the right places.

Super Bug

I was reading today about how they anticipate more deaths will occur from a Superbug than from the AIDS virus.

The Superbug is a drug resistant staph infection. On the average most staph infections won't really do too much harm, but some may actually "enter the bloodstream or destroy flesh and can turn deadly."

Apparently, these little Staphylococcus bugs have caught on to our over use of antibiotics and now doctors and hospitals are going to try to curb the use of them.

I had a conversation about 15 years ago with a co-worker about this very same thing. She was at a dinner party where several of her friends who have PhD.'s in all sorts of different fields were discussing that one day, our overuse of antibiotics will turn against us.

It makes common sense to me actually. Viruses are smart little things...they learn how to survive and adapt...pretty much like people do. If you have ever watched the movie The Matrix, Agent Smith makes the statement : “I’d like to share a revelation that I’ve had, during my time here. It came to me when I tried to classify your species and I realized that you aren’t actually mammals. Every mammal on this planet instinctively develops a natural equilibrium with its surrounding environment, but you humans do not. You move to an area and you multiply, and multiply until every natural resource is consumed. The only way you can survive is to spread to another area. There is another organism on this planet that follows the same pattern. Do you know what it is? A virus. Human beings are a disease, a cancer of this planet. You are a plague, and we... are the cure.”

This is a line from a movie, it's fiction, but it does make you think. Well, it made me think.

M sent me this great article in Slate magazine this week: Why Americans should eat more Crap!
I agree! My generation (I'm at the tail end of the baby boomers), were part of the last group of people who weren't over protected as kids. Consumer advocacy groups where just starting to gain momentum in the late 60's and 70's. We were still eating led paint and eating raw potatoes, and cooking our steaks rare and taking our lunches to school in brown paper bags that did not keep our mayo based sandwich cold at all!

Is this all part of a natural life/death cycle? We, as humans have overcome so many other health issues in the past, I am sure we will learn to overcome this as well.

I found a great card the other day, it said: Jim ate well and exercised regularly, but he died anyway!

It's like Rosanne Rosannadanna used to say: If it's not one thing, it's another!

I'm ranting and probably ragging too

You know...this kind of shit drives me absolutely crazy. Some girl in New Hampshire had her year book picture banned because she was holding a rose and the High School has a policy about holding props in year book photos.

The ban was put in place when previously another student wanted his photo in the yearbook holding a gun and they refused to print it.

The mother of the girl wasn't aware of the policy, the school didn't print the policy until this year, but they did send out an e-mail alerting parents of the due date of when to submit photos and stated that no props were allowed.

Now...if the school bends to the public pressure and allows the photo of the girl holding the rose, next year they are going to have to put before the school board a vote of what is an appropriate prop and what isn't. A referendum will take place, taxes will rise, protests will be held by the kids who want their pet rat, or a pick ax, a teddy bear, or whips and chains in their photos.

On the other hand, if they stand firm by their decision, they will be paraded by the media as being a little too strict...I mean come on...it's just a rose...it's not a gun for pete's sake and next year there will be a vote on the whole issue, are props allowed? What is an appropriate prop and what isn't? A referendum will take place, taxes will rise, protests will be held by the kids who want their pet rat, or a pick ax, a teddy bear or whips and chains in their photos.

Sometimes I think we have too many freakin' rules.

I say...let the guns and roses stay! Bring on the teddy bears and pick axes, throw in some rats and dogs, kitty cats and pet fishes, whips and chains and cars and boats and hats, scarves, knives, butterflies.

Who really gives a shit!?!? I mean...really?!?

It's a no win situation anyway because you just can't make everyone happy all of the time. It's impossible.

I could get into a whole dialog about personal responsibility, but I think I've said enough for one day.

Conversations in the bathroom

Being the practical type, when I go to the bathroom to "take care of businsess" I do just that. I go in...do what I gotta do...wash my hands and go out.

I'm not a primper, I don't have a lot of hair to fuss with so there really is no reason for me to linger.

I don't understand conversations in the bathroom, this is one thing that just mystifies me. Aren't there better places to have a chat in? Places with perhaps a cheerier atmosphere and less aromatic conditions? A place where your initmate conversations with your friends/colleagues do not reverberate against the tiled walls and echo throughout so that everyone can hear?

Cell phones in the bathroom are also another enigma to me - can't you call this person back after you have completed the task? Must the person on the recieving end hear the flush?