The evil germ.....forget about it.

Do yourself a favor.... whenever a news show does a story about anything relevant to germs and bacteria...turn the channel.  We have somehow raised an entire generation of germophobes.  I find it strange how some people spend a great deal of time and energy avoiding germs when if fact germs are everywhere.  You can't avoid them... and more importantly -you shouldn't avoid them.

Your immune system is like a muscle. If you don't use it - it gets weak. More and more studies show that people who live in sterile environments tend to get sicker and/or develop auto-immune disorders.  The emergence of antibiotic resistant bacteria is also a clear sign that we are making the germs stronger. Think "survival of the fittest" - most disinfectants say that they kill 99% of germs. That means the 1% left to reproduce millions more germs are strong enough to withstand the disinfectant.  So you are killing off all the less harmful germs your body can fight off and are helping the more dangerous germs to proliferate. STOP USING ANTI-BACTERIAL SOAPS AND CLEANERS.  Infectious disease specialists say there is no point to buying these expensive chemical laden soaps and cleaners. The only case where disinfecting can be made is when handling raw meats, otherwise thoroughly washing with plain soap and water is enough to protect you from harmful germs. 

The reason why these news shows do these reports on "what you should know about ____" in regards to germs is that we are a fear driven society and fear sells.  The more you watch, the higher the ratings, the more money they make from ad revenue.  The story usually involves some lab tech swabbing a dozen surfaces and shining a black light.  While they report to you the various bacteria they found (e coli, strep, etc) what they don't mention is that all of these germs are DEAD. Germs don't live long if they are not in ideal conditions - usually a moist and warm environments. Dead germs are not harmful -- in fact they are what help build your immune system. Most vaccines are made of dead bacteria and viruses.

So the next time some TV show does a "report" that you "need to know"- and for good measure I'll include stories about animal attacks, child abductions, violent crime, and other scary stuff - turn it off.  I'm not a head in the sand and stay ignorant kind of person - it's just that the likelihood of these things happening are about the same a winning the lottery. So the amount of anxiety ridden people who behave like any and all of these things could happen at any moment is dumbfounding.

DON'T WORRY -- BE HAPPY

The obnoxious passive-aggressive hollow soap box

We all like our opinions to be known on some level. It's pretty evident from the vast number of social networking sites, discussion boards, comment sections, and blogs. But the trend that is annoying as hell is the reposting of empty proclamations where there is some sort of passive aggressive manipulative statement that if you don't repost the picture/poster/statement than you are inherently against what the statement says.  They usually involve proclaiming love and appreciation for mom, dad, kids, spouse,  supporting our troops, patriotism, having faith in their religion, or supporting those with illness such as cancer, etc. 

I have consciously chosen not to repost any of this drivel - for many reasons. I resent being bullied into saying what I believe in.  I also resent to notion that if I don't repost something that automatically makes against it and therefore a "bad" person. It kind of drives that "you're either with us or against us" mentality.  The best part of freedom of speech is the freedom part.  I also think most of the statements in these proclamations are obvious to most people. (with the exception of religion)  Of course most people love their mother, support the troops, and are against cancer.  But you had to post a picture of a sunset or flag with cursive writing on it so everyone was clear on the subject. Duh. It seems a little ridiculous to make a pointless proclamation. If you are going to take a stand at least do it with a topic that can make a difference. And please leave off  statements like "I know 99% of you won't repost this but I know my true friends will". (ugh-eye roll)  The biggest reason I don't repost these is that it's a meaningless gesture. Anyone can copy and paste or click share. It doesn't accomplish anything. If you love your mother - call her and tell her.  If you support the troops, then donate to organizations that support soldiers and their families.  If you love Jesus, then follow his example and help those who are less fortunate.  Actions speak louder than words....and are surely more inspiring than passive-aggressive comments.