Some thoughts and stuff....

    I have a habit of writing things down a lot; if a thought or idea hits me, I'll try to jot it down for later. Here's a selection of said thoughts I've accumulated over time.
    Enjoy! 

***Never give yourself a reason to not do something. Putting something off doesn't make it go away - it just makes it harder to finish.

***Never underestimate the power of a kind thought, word, or deed.

***Don't be afraid to 'color outside the lines'. That's where the fun usually is.

***One of the hardest things about dealing with people is having patience. It may be a virtue, but sometimes it makes you wonder if it's worthwhile. Especially when it feels like the odds are stacked against you. After all, how many times can you deal with someone who just doesn't want to understand what you're telling them?

***Your children are NOT your 'friends'. They're your children. Your job is to raise them, help them learn and mature, and make sure that they know right from wrong. They are a part of you, and they reflect what they are exposed to. It's not your responsibility to hang out with them, to party with them, to act like you're "one of the gang" with them. They need your love and your guidance, not for you to drink with them and act like 'the Cool Parent'. Be understanding of their wants and needs. Help them through the rough times, and share the good times with them. Build them up by being what they NEED, not what you think they want.

***Always check the coin returns on vending machines. Change is still money.

***"Love what you do, and do what you love. If you do that, then your work isn't really work!"
Yes, it is. If you have to produce something, have deadlines, have to actually do something in exchange for a paycheck, then it's work. It might be fun, exciting, challenging, etc., but it's still making a living. I don't want my work to be *FUN*!!!; I want it to be something separate from 'fun'. I enjoy 'Fun'. I tolerate 'Work'.

***Put the shopping cart into the corral at the store. At least put it out the way of where a car has to drive. Show a little sense, huh people?

***Never ask a question you really don't want to know the answer to.

***"Please" and "Thank you" aren't dirty words. They can be magic words, however. Said with sincerity they can actually work *Magic*! Try it! You may be surprised!

***Let the car pass you on the road, okay? Playing "NONE SHALL PASS!" on the road can be at best, troublesome. At worst, fatal. Just let them do it, and save yourself some trouble.

***I love watching the sun rise on a nice, clear day. I just wish it wasn't so early. Couldn't it rise at noon or so sometimes?

***Nothing lasts forever. People, places, things, animals, plants...one day the sun will set on every thing, and that will be that. Before it happens, though, make the most of things. LIVE. EXPLORE. EXPERIENCE. BE. Let yourself become enlightened with what's around you. Be curious about the world, but also be aware of your surroundings, both internal as well as external. Know your limits. See them, recognize them, acknowledge them.
And push past them anyway.

***Only YOU, are responsible for YOU. Who you are, what you are, what you want to be or accomplish...these things are for you to decide. Know who you are. And be what you will. There's only one You. So be the best You you can.

***If anyone ever gives you advice, remember this:
   You are under no obligation to follow it. If you feel it's right for you, then by all means, take it. If not, then don't. And don't feel bad for not following it. It's your life and your decision. And don't let people try to make you feel bad for not taking it. If it's so good, let them follow it.

*****Here Endeth The TED Talk for today.*****

Christmas songs already...?

   WE DO NOT NEED CHRISTMAS MUSIC TO START PLAYING THE DAY AFTER HALLOWE'EN! IT IS NOT FESTIVE, IT IS ANNOYING AND NOT CONDUCIVE TO GETTING ME IN THE HOLIDAY MOOD! IT IS THE SAME MUSIC, ALMOST PLAYED IN THE SAME ORDER, EVERY YEAR! THE SONGS I WANT TO HEAR, THEY EITHER DON'T PLAY ENOUGH OR NOT AT ALL! 

   I ESPECIALLY DON'T NEED TO HEAR THE SEVENTEENTH VERSION OF 'THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY' PLAYED FOR THE TWELFTH TIME IN FOUR DAYS! VARY THE MUSIC, OR JUST STOP IT!  

 
   PLUS, WE ALSO DON'T NEED MULTIPLE STATIONS FOLLOWING SUIT! ONE IS BAD ENOUGH! DO YOU LISTEN TO IT AFTER DECEMBER 25? NO? WELL, TRADITIONALLY CHRISTMAS STILL EXTENDS INTO JANUARY! THAT'S WHY IT'S THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS! EITHER DO IT 'RIGHT' OR NOT AT ALL!

 *Ahhh* Well, that was fun. Sorry. It had to be said!

Shopping...

     Been shopping recently? Going out to pick up your essentials, like food, toiletries, maybe shoes or clothes? As you go through the aisles, looking at the selections, do you encounter Them? Who? Why, Them, of course. The other shoppers who for some reason seem to think that the store belongs to Them and Them alone. They cut in front of others, leave their cart in the aisle (many times right in the middle) while They go three aisles down to look for something. And, woe be unto you if you dare - YOU DARE!!!1! - to touch Their Precious. They have no concept of others, or of courtesy. They will stand in front of the things that you want to get to, and become selectively deaf when you say, "Excuse me". Even better, They'll grab just about all of something, emptying the shelf, and act as if it's perfectly fine to deny others. And, be careful if YOU get the thing before They do, because then the sighing starts. Like you did it on purpose, just to inconvenience Them. But, at least you don't work at the store. That's a special kind of hell altogether, with way too many examples to put here. But I thing you can guess (maybe even seen it firsthand).

    I used to work in retail, but not anymore. Luckily, I've never been the target of the ire of Them. But I've seen it in play a lot. And it's not pretty.
    You see, there's an adage that comes up concerning working in a sales-related field: "The customer is always right!" It means that the Customer is SACRED, and the staff need to bend over backwards to make Them as happy and content as possible, so that they continue to shop at your establishment, and maybe recommend their friends and family to do the same. It's thought by many to be a Sales Rule of Law: no matter what, the Customer is king!
     Too bad it isn't.
     According to grammarist.com,

The timeless aphorism “The customer is always right” is widely attributed  to Harry Gordon Selfridge, the founder of the popular Selfridge’s  department store located in London. Wisconsin-born Selfridge introduced the phrase in the early 1900s to encourage employees to prioritize customer satisfaction and create an  environment where customers felt valued and respected. It was all part of his marketing and brand establishment.                                                                                                       

But, some sources also attribute the saying to other business magnates of  the era, like César Ritz, who was the founder of the famous Ritz Hotel. He actually coined the phrase as “Le client n’a jamais tort,” which translates  as “the customer is never wrong.” 

   In other words, it's just a marketing ploy. But, the trouble is, people have taken it and run rampant with the concept, thinking that retail people have no choice but to kiss their ass. And They get VERY angry when they don't. Which makes it rough for everyone.

     Look, I get it. It's frustrating when you can't find what you want, and even more so when you can't find anyone to help you. And sometimes the staff is not very helpful; there are times I've heard people tell of workers walking away from them when they need help. But it's still not an excuse to go off and throw out attitude at them or other shoppers. Just leave. Go elsewhere. If it happens enough, the store will have to take steps to improve things, if they want to stay open. Don't blame everyone on site, just because of one or two people. Shop at a different place; that's the best way to prove you mean business, not verbally (and sometimes physically) assaulting someone. Be an adult, okay?

     And the next time you abandon your cart in the aisle, it's moving to the back of the store. Hide and Seek, anyone?

People, huh?

    Watch out, I'm highly caffeinated, and somewhat annoyed.

    Sorry for the lag; life's been going at a rate I wasn't expecting; plus, a LOT has been going on in the world, as you might know. Indictments, lawsuits in the news, deaths (some more 'enjoyable' than others), and just plain old tomfoolery. So, what (you might ask) is "annoying you" today?
    People in general, really.
   This was going to be focused on one thing or other, but with too much between posts, it's a little hard to keep up. So, people it is!

   Ever since things opened up since the pandemic, people went from "ME! ME! MEEEE!!!" from before, to "Oh no! We need to help each other!!" during, to " We need to work together to get things back on track!" and ended up right back at "ME! ME! MEEEE!!" Seeing it first hand is a lot different than hearing about it. We've had people drive like no one else is on the roads (not a good thing , what with all of the construction going on around here); passing on the wrong side, cutting people off, turning without any signal at the literal last minute - you know, morons. It also includes people who back out of parking spaces without looking behind them, or hovering to take a spot, without leaving enough space for the person to get out of it. You can't park, if I can't leave. You know, morons.

   But the ones who bother me more than most, are the non-handicapped people abusing handicapped spots. You've seen them; they pull into them and "run in for just a minute!" Meanwhile, someone who *needs* it, has to wait or find another spot. Sometimes they end up getting ticketed, which is funny if they see the police writing it up, because they try to explain as to why they're justified in breaking the law "for just a minute!"
   When I worked at a local mall in retail years ago, I saw retribution in action. A person who needed the spot was heading for one, and some girl sped up the aisle the wrong way, just to snag it. No permit, no tag. She didn't need the spot, she just wanted it. He stopped by her, and seemed to be telling her to move her car, while she just walked off "for just a minute". When she was inside, he got out, took his key, and wrote something on her driver's side door. He saw me, told me I didn't see anything (which I nodded at), and drove off. I didn't go to see what he wrote, because I didn't want to be accused of doing it. Now, I don't condone vandalism as a means of replying to stupidity, but in this case, I'll allow it.

    This is shorter than I originally wanted it to be, because there's a LOT about this subject that gets me going. So, I'll spare you. For now.

    Until we meet again, just remember, be nice to each other. We're all we got.
   

   

Supreme decision

    Once upon a time, on April 7, 2023, a judge in Texas (U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, by name) decreed that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had no right in approving an abortion medication known as mifepristone, a pill that has been on the market for over twenty years. He said that the FDA succumbed to political pressure when it approved it, and that the reasoning behind it was 'unsound'. A decision made by someone with zero medical experience, made this decision.
   On the day that this was written, the Supreme Court (who was tasked with making a ruling on whether or not it should stand) delivered their verdict on the matter: they blocked his decision. Which means that it's still available for now; however, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has scheduled oral arguments in the case for May 17, 2023. Which means that will probably be back in the Supreme Court. Again. (The vote, by the way, was 5-to-2.)
    Now, the big question: why do I, as a male, care about this? I can't get pregnant, therefore, why do I feel that I should have an opinion on this at all?
    Simple.
    Because I believe that a woman should have the right to choose what's best for *HER*, without someone else (especially a man who will never be in the same position as her) making that choice for them. Now, should a father make the decision for their minor daughter? In that case, I hope that common sense will prevail. Let's be honest, I really don't think that any girl wants to be a mother at 12. Especially if she's been assaulted (Double especially if it was by a family member).

    Now, before anyone wants to try and throw what they think is their logical counter-opinion at me... unless you're willing to adopt and raise these kids, you might want to think twice before you try the whole "They need to have a child, to know the joy of motherhood! They'll change their minds after the birth!" angle. It's not right to FORCE a girl or woman to have a child, any more than it's right to FORCE them not to. Discussion and reflection should always be a part of these decisions. Jumping the gun is no good for anyone. And besides, it's not an easy thing for a woman to choose to do. They know the risks and the feelings inherent with the procedure. Screaming at them to follow your views aren't helpful. Talking is. Do that, before you judge them. See where their thoughts are before you condemn them. Like they say, if you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem.

   On a final note....if you still feel that it's wrong, ask yourself, "Why are we punishing and threatening the women in this? Aren't the men involved in the pregnancy also part of this? Shouldn't THEY be punished, as well?"

    Congratulations. You've figured it out.
 

Bud Light debacle

    Well well well. Alcohol, huh?
    You've probably heard of the little mini-firestorm recently, where transgender actress Dylan Mulvaney made a short video, where she shows off a can of Bud Light with her face on it. She simply said some nice things about it, and they sent it to her. So, she showed it off. No worries, right?
   Wrong.
   All of a sudden, people freaked out! They've decided to stop selling at their concert venues, their bars, one moronic lunatic even shot some up, out of fear of...I  don't know what. All of them called the beer 'Woke' (that catch phrase that people like to toss around, without really knowing what it means). Some even claimed that "It's no longer welcome in my home! I drink THIS now!", with pics of the inside of their fridge, with different alcohol (which, by the way, was still made by Anheuser-Busch, the makers of-yep-Bud Light. In fact, you'd be hard-pressed to find something not associated with A-B in some way. There's even some clown marketing a Very Right Wing Choice (not the real name), that he says is the BETTER CHOICE FOR TRUE AMERICANS!!!, or some such nonsense. Guess who has connections to the brewery where it's made? Go on, take a shot!
   But, it seems that BL isn't the only casualty....seems some yahoo found out that his drink of choice, Jack Daniels *gasp* DID A THING WITH DRAG a few years ago. Seems they did a thing with RuPaul's Drag Race, and well, this guy went nuts! Read it here, because it's hilarious.

   You know what's really weird? The people destroying this stuff, already bought it. It's like when people were burning sports jerseys and smashing coffee makers not long ago: It's YOUR stuff! You paid for it! And now, you're trowing a tantrum for the sole purpose of getting attention. And when the camera is off, what then? While they might not buy the same jersey, I'll bet they went out and bought another coffee maker. Idiots.

   The bottom line is this: Dylan only got ONE CAN of Bud Light. ONE. There isn't any in the stores with her picture on them! You can't buy a case of them, or even just one. All of this, over ONE PERSON, over ONE CAN. Talk about sensitive snowflakes....

   Besides, it's not important who or what is on the can. What matters is what's inside.
   You know, like people.....

A new holiday!

    Well. It seems that we now have a new holiday to celebrate! 

    As of 2023, March 30th will now be known as: I-Day! Or, if you like.....