Inventions & Ideas - WTF Were They Thinking!

Some inventions simplify things, but some are not thought out completely. Every invention should be in the inventor's home and used by their family for a year or two first. If it's still a great idea, go for it. Some are very traditional or fashionable, and you feel compelled and pressured to using them. Make the break, people. We don't need some of these things. Some are a complete waste of time and money, and others are simply a big pain in the ass. To offset my cynicism, I've also listed the more positive invention too. I don't want to be too critical.

WORST: Mounted Toilet Paper Holders. In our recent update of a bathroom, I decided not to install the mounted TP holder. I was the only one EVER to put a new roll in anyway.
BEST: Toilet Paper.

WORST: Pantyhose. They never fit. You can't put them after a shower. Runs, twists and sheer claustrophobia!
BEST: Legs - just plain legs.

WORST: Garbage Disposals, Computers and Toilets when they don't work.
BEST: Garbage Disposals, Computers and Toilets when they work.

WORST: Plastic Wrap. This clings to everything except where you want it to cling.
BEST: Ziplocs. Drop in and zip.

WORST: Passwords & Codes. Who can remember them all?
BEST: Internet security.

WORST: Mucilage, Paste, Rubber Cement & Elmers Glue. Come on, already! They don't hold shit together!
BEST: Duct tape and Krazy Glue. To use when you really gotta stick two pieces of anything together.

WORST: Snooze Alarms. They ALWAYS cause the most trouble.
BEST: Alarm clocks, especially the wind up, loud ass ones.

WORST: Red Bull, Monster & Other High Energy Drinks. Twitchy, nervous people piss me off.
BEST: Coffee.

WORST: Caucasian Colored Bandaids. No human is this color! Barbie, Ken and GI Joe are not even this color!
BEST: Clear Band-Aids. Matches every skin color - duh!

WORST: Saccharin, Sweet N Low, Equal, Splenda. These can only help diabetics, and should be consumed sparingly. Otherwise, they are chemicals that break down into forms of formaldehyde when ingested. It's just a little scary how much of these our country consumes.
BEST: Sugar and honey.

WORST: Traps That Kill Animals. No, not a political or eco statement - it's just nasty and icky.
BEST: Critter collectors that do this for a living.

WORST: Taxes of any kind. I hate paying them. I hate having them deducted. I hate the month of April. I hate all the tax laws and criteria.
BEST: Smooth roads, good schools and great teachers.

WORST: The Shark Lawyers Commercials On TV. You can sue for thousands of dollars, for almost any reason.
BEST: You can get a quick snack or do a run to the bathroom during these one minute breaks.

WORST: Directional Sticky Notes. For the dumb asses in the world, to show them where to sign or to show them an directional arrow to point to something. This makes it so we are trusting everything is in order and we are not reviewing our tax returns or reading contracts put in front of us.
BEST: Plain old 3 x 3 Sticky Notes. They are awesome!

WORST: Skorts. Recently purchased thinking it was a skirt. What the hell?
BEST: Skorts. Okay, they're coolots!

WORST: Tiny Sewing Kits From Hotels. We take them and we never use them. They are cute, and would be convenient, if used.
BEST: Safety pins.

WORST: Junk Mail. Flyers, credit card applications, political ramblings, tiny local newspapers with nothing but ads, and they all usually go straight into the trash.
BEST: Cheap pizza coupons.

I'm just saying . . .

What We Do For A Living

Occupations are born in several ways. Some train and/or go to school for their career. Some stumble into their jobs, with only hindsight and memories on the events that got them there. Some are owned or established by parents and passed down to their children. Others say theirs is a calling from God.

There are so many different occupations, it is hard to believe how many we actually encounter and use during any particular day. If you follow your footsteps, and pay close attention, it's amazing how many people of different people and careers we interact with along the way.

None should ever be taken for granted. A brain surgeon, with a delicate touch and steady hands, along with a nonstop stream of education and training, has to have his garbage picked up every week. He has to go to the cleaners or pass by a highway worker or has been taught by a 2nd grade teacher. Each and every person is important in our lives. Though not always of dire need, most just make our lives easier, and we should be more grateful of these people in our lives.

No one has walked in the shoes of another, and no one knows the path other fellow humans have traveled. There are several people I encounter during the week, that were originally natives from different countries. These several examples have all learned our language, cultures and traditions. Some have incorporated them into their home lives. They have chosen to be here, though difficulties had laid ahead of them when they began their new lives in our country. They have adapted to their new lives here, have families, with all of life's struggles and adventures. All of them are exceptionally kind people, because they are appreciative of living in a better country with undisputed freedoms.

There is also a young man who sometimes bags my groceries, suffering from multiple sclerosis. He has a difficult time picking up the heavier items to bag, but still has the perseverance to continue, without wanting others' help, to do his job with determination and a smile.

There are several people I know personally that came from very modest beginnings in their childhood. To hear some of their stories of overcoming the hurdles in their younger lives is inspiring. They are grateful to have a decent job, a warm home, and food and education for their children.

I have always made it a point to speak to and interact with people I meet, and make the time to chat with them. Almost everyone likes to share a piece of themselves with another interested party, and will easily talk, as long as they have another person's ear. Most of the stories I have heard are interesting, and I always see another smile or wave on my next encounter with them.

I've learned that these people are the most successful people I know. Not everyone can be the next overnight celebrity. Not everyone can be the next president. Not everyone can be the intellect, solving the Earth's mysteries and problems. Most of us are a part of each others' life for a reason. Though it may be a reason we do not yet understand, if we look more closely, we can very easily see how we all connect to each other.

I believe that this interconnection is usually taken for granted, because if we knew each other a little better, we wouldn't have to care for each other. Loving and caring takes precious time, and some people think they do not have the time for these brief connections. However, the link to these people and their occupations are the details that make life kind and benevolent, instead of hurried and irritating. We should get to know a little about these acquaintances along the way, and recognize their worth. This appreciation is reciprocated and continues to flow within both people throughout the day.

Since most of us are not royalty or celebrities, and we are only trying to succeed a little between birth and death, we may as well be kind. Being pleasant and polite does not take a lot of energy, nor is it a waste of time. It begins a ripple effect that is certain to come back to us. It is best said by Dr. Leo Buscaglia, one of the best teachers on the subject of love: "Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, and honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around."

AGAIN, IN DEFENSE OF CATHOLICS: OOOHH WEEE, Am I Hated!

The real election fight is on its way. I received a bulletin email from someone today, talking about "Pro-Lifers". Bitch, please, if you don't know what you're talking about, please keep your mouth shut. You just look uneducated and ridiculous. Also, it helps that if you take on US politics, you actually are a US citizen. This must be the only way you can get attention, so I guess I will give you some.

Again, Pro-Life for some, like myself, means no abortion, no capital punishment, no UNNECESSARY OR SENSELESS deaths of any of God's creatures, including animals, by human hands, which is truly where the argument begins. You are only listening to what you want to hear and keep taking words out of their original context. You are twisting other's words to fit your own agenda and meaning. Maybe you should wear a muzzle and listen to other's speak, and try to truly hear what they are saying COMPLETELY.

I do not like extremists, and believe everything in life is best in moderation. When you stay in the middle, you can see both sides, to your left and to your right. If you're at either end of the issues, you can't see as far as the opposite end of the line. The extremists have ruined several items in our lives, where the majority of moderates have had to pay the penalty. The attacks in the US, the war, the endless supply of new laws, the expense and need for insurance, accountants and attorneys, are all items we have to contend with, due to the extremists' attitudes and actions of some people in this world.

One item is global warming. I believe it is important and to leave this world better than you found it. A sick baby born that only lives for one day, full of smiles and hugs from his parents, completes this task. He has left his indelible mark on this world and left it a better place. (NOTE: Catholic parents would have had the Sacrament of The Anointing of the Sick, and the gates of Heaven would have very much been opened and welcomed the baby.) We need to share resources (which this country has done to a fault), and keep things better than we found it, for future generations to come. This does NOT mean that we can take everything on. We have cars and homes that use precious energy, and we purchase this energy from, usually, the ONLY energy supplier we can purchase it from, i.e. utility companies. We usually have no choice, and take what is only offered to us by the industries. We must continue to go to work, using our automobiles, or we would not be able to afford anything, including a computer for the internet, which is where I read YOUR email.

Another is buying US goods and services. I always try to use local services, when I can. I believe in the small business people in this country, and know it is what makes this nation so strong and wealthy. However, when the German or Japanese car industry, puts out a better product for less money, I will purchase foreign goods. When US wineries spray chemicals on their grape vines, I will purchase French and Italian wines, who do not use pesticides. When a company buys foreign oil at a cheaper price and the savings is passed to the customer at the pump, I will purchase that gasoline. If I didn't, again, I would not be able to afford what I spend to do my part to make the economy continue to flow. I would neither be able to make my continual charitable contributions to the sick and poor in our world.

When animals are in trouble in this world, people flock to be by their side. Yes, this is the proper and ethical thing to do. However, when there are crack babies in hospitals, only to live for a few weeks of total agony, when children are dying at the hands of "Roe vs. Wade", when a tree is counted for more than a human life, when babies are suffering in an oppressed society, like Haiti, I get a little upset at the ignorance and thoughtlessness of my fellow species. Human life should be everyone's first concern, and I get tired of them being put in second, third or tenth place. In your case, they didn't even make your list!

Basically, if there is no generation after us, because we keep allowing the senseless killing and death of our innocent children, then what the hell are we saving the world for? Don't these children deserve the same love and respect we give a dying baby whale, a dolphin in a fish net or a sea turtle or manatee? Don't we need to begin with our human race first? If we show our children that they are worth loving, unconditionally, and bring them into a world with this being their first and continuous emotion they receive, won't they be an integral part of society that will love? Won't they be able and more equipped to handle the issues worth changing in this world, such as your ecological issues? Isn't it about love and shouldn't it certainly begin with humans?

I know, personally, know a brave young girl that chose life over "choice" recently. Is life difficult for her? Of course it is! She now has a beautiful baby girl and is raising her, taking her strength and energy. She is a new young mother now, in love with her child and taking great care of her. This young mom has put her education on hold for now, and has adapted a new life around the baby. It's difficult under the best circumstances, but I am so proud of her for loving the child and making the decision of life.

Again, I adamantly believe that the saving and conserving the world resources should be constant in our daily lives, but let's not forget that we were once someone's "choice". We would not be speaking, listening, loving, and reading your message, without someone having once made the choice for us to live.

Please get your ego in tact. YOU do not make the decision on how many people live on God's Earth, whether you agree with their upbringing, their circumstances or their way of life. Only GOD makes this decision. It is very arrogant of you to think you make these decisions, but knowing you will have to explain them one day is satisfaction enough for me. I was brought into this lovely world with a quite a few bookmarks of abuse in my life. Does being a victim to a few people's crimes make my life not worthwhile? Please note, I never ended up in prison or became a piece of "social chaos", as you said I did. To you, my life should not have existed -- but then again, you are not God. He thinks my life was worth the breath He gave me. You are not listening when you say "Most pro-lifers" - you are listening to the extremists at the other end. You are so far to one side, you are not even hearing what you are saying yourself.

It is very obvious you haven't been in a Catholic Church in awhile. You do not personally know The Eucharist. You are not familiar with The Mass. We pray for the decisions of our lawmakers. We pray for the unborn babies. We pray for women to make a LIFE decision, instead of abortion. We pray for people on death row. We pray for all of God's creatures, both human and animals. Luckily for you, the Pro-Lifers (and Catholics) continue to pray for the uneducated and the ignorant.