I think I'm going to vomit

Dear Movie Producers:

Stop pandering to kids as they can neither pay for their own tickets or go to the movies by themselves.  What you've added with the 3D element does not make the movie better.  A good storyline would though.  And for those of us that need to watch it in 2D... the blatant 3D elements - like a big huge nose coming toward the screen - don't impress either.  Seriously... I'm watching a movie in 2D and an animals big huge nose comes into a huge close-up across the screen.  Really?  That was necessary?  Not in 2D it isn't, but because you made this movie with 3D viewers only in mind - you've ruined it for those of us that aren't watching it in that venue.

The thing is... 3D makes me want to vomit. I've talked to a lot of other adults and it makes them nausea or have a headache too. It is, apparently, an actual medical issue called Cyber Sickness that is a form of, but in the reverse of, Motion Sickness.  Yikes... some other ailment to add to my list of freakishness!  Basically, what happens is that the image on the screen causes the eyes to send a signal to the brain that you are moving, but the fluid in your inner ear does not detect a change in the body's movement.  The signals from the eyes and the ears to the brain conflict causing nausea.

St. Peter's College in Jersey City, N.J. is actually studying Cyber Sickness and have a device called the Vominator.  Seriously... there is a study going on about the effects of 3D on people and they call a device used in studying it the Vominator.  That right there is reason to stop producing 3D movies.

Even Roger Ebert, an 'esteemed' movie critic hates 3D!

So please, go back to making movies for the people who are paying for them.  I don't need my kids whining to please, please, please to get to go to the more expensive, vomit-inducing 3D version of every film you produce!  Let's have some quality instead of cheap tricks!  And if you can't resist the urge to make it 3D, how about a revised 2D version that doesn't have all the gimmicky 3D in-your-face moments?

Put Your Shirt ON

Why is it that guys would think we want to see them with their shirts off?  Unless you are totally buff, the only one who enjoys seeing you with your shirt off is your significant other.  And then, still, maybe not so much.  I'm just sayin'...

There is no end to the grossness that ensues when driving home on a sunny summer day to see yard after yard of icky, sweaty, shirtless, blubbery guys.  I'm not saying there is anything wrong with you or that you need to lose weight - as that isn't what I think... I think that God gave us each unique body shapes and we need to do right by them (exercise, portion control) but still enjoy life and be comfortable by what we are and not judge our bodies based on the anorexic, over-steroid-ed media touted version of perfection.  So, no... I'm not saying lose weight.  I am saying though - put your flippin' shirt on!  Why do you need to take it off?  Women aren't mowing the lawn with our shirts off - though I would love to not have hot, drippy, clinging clothes when mowing in the heat.  It would be waaaayyyy more comfortable.  But you will  not see an emergence of naked female mowing in my cul-de-sac.  Thankfully - as I'm an icky, sweaty, blubbery gal when mowing.  So keep your shirts on and stop making us have to watch!

Reversed Discrimination

Recently one of my cousins posted a picture of a white male WWII veteran who'd been beaten by two black males on FB with a statement wondering why we aren't outraged by this. I was quick to respond as this is a topic that has been bugging me often since starting back to work 3 years ago that I'm seeing not just in the workplace but in society as a whole.  No one is outraged over the WWII vet because the pic isn't circulating and the media isn't picking it up for one simple reason.  We don't care about white males. Nor do employers. In the guise of diversity, 'we' only care if someone is a minority through race, religion or sexual orientation. The rest can bugger off. Lovely state of affairs isn't it? And this is from a someone who in the 90's was a white, jewish woman (total minority) hitting the glass ceiling... you'd think I'd be advocating for the equality that should exist - well, I am.  Equality should exist.  For all.  I think we've gone way to far to the other side where reverse-discrimination prevails.  I work at a place that is so determined to be anti-racism that they've actually become the complete opposite.  There is a mentality at my work that the only way to get hired or a promoted is if you are not a white male.  2nd in line to be passed on is a white woman unless she has some form of 'minority' that can be tapped into such as religion or sexual orientation.  Which employers shouldn't even know anyways.  That said, an ordinary white woman still has a much better chance at being hired or promoted than a white man.  It's not just where I work... I've talked to white male friends who have commented that there is no chance they would get a promotion even if they had seniority in years and better work performance.  Minorities can make clubs and events that exclude those that are not of the same minority but we would definitely hear outrage if there was a club of white males that excluded those that were not the same.  To be clear... I am not advocating a club for white males only I think that would be just as bogus as all the minority clubs currently circulating.  I also want to be clear, since I have previous posts advocating equal rights, that I do see where an inequality exists (such as marriage previously in Minnesota) and completely, 100%, believe in equal rights for all regardless of race, religion or sexual orientation.  Believing in equality is why I'm disparaged by the inequality that is starting to prevail in the name of equality.  Equality means all are judged or treated the same based on their own accomplishments or actions, not on their race, religion or sexual orientation.  Is there a prevalence of minorities being passed over or ignored? I can easily say that there used to be - but I'm not so sure about that any more.  Being a plain, white female, I can't presume to truly know what barriers still exist in the workplace.  But I do wonder.  

Back to the picture though... why aren't we outraged?  Why isn't this circulating? Firstly, this crime hasn't been classified as a hate crime.  Neither was the story of a couple that were kidnapped and tortured.  We aren't outraged by ordinary violence and mayhem.  Something sensational has to happen around it.  No one is picketing or speaking out.  Crime happens multiple times daily.  Another interesting statement about our society today...  we've all desensitized ourselves to it.  But... we are totally interested in what the latest celeb is doing.  Really?  Who cares about narcissistic media hounds.  Really... you have to be somewhat narcissistic to want a life in the public eye.  I believe that every politician and celebrity has a very narcissistic ego.  They'd have to to purposely submit themselves to that life.  And we should thank them for it as they provide us the entertainment we are looking for.  But... I've wander off topic again.  Back to the picture... we should be outraged.  We should be outraged about the 'normality' of crimes, we should be outraged that people care more about a sensational story or reality TV show than the multiple crimes that occurred that day, we should be outraged by a society that is apathetic.  We should be outraged whether the victim is white being perpetrated by black or a black by white; a man being beaten by a woman should get as much time in the public as a woman beaten by a man (and by this I do not mean in self-defense... there is domestic violence against men, just the same as women, that we never see - but that is a whole different rant).  There should be an equal amount of media attention regardless of race, sex, religion or sexual orientation and we should have an equal amount of rage regardless of the victim or perpetrators.  I'll say it again America... we should have an equal amount of rage over this!

Food Trucks Beware: this allergy mama is headed your way!

Mr. Cheerful and I are thinking of going to a local festival that has my favorite ice cream place - Izzy's in St. Paul and Food Trucks.  I have a long standing love of both.  Izzy's is amazing in their flavor selection, quality, ease of ingredient information and friendliness when asking for said ingredients!  And food trucks, while grossly over-priced, have AMAZING food and it's just fun to walk up to one and order! *grin*  No idea why that pleases me so much!

So... anyways... back to the festival... I mean seriously... ice cream and food trucks - was there ever a question?  Mr. Cheerful cinched up the deal when we were talking about that we'd want to do off times for the food trucks because we'd have to ask about ingredients and he said

 "just because I have an allergy shouldn't mean that I don't get to do food trucks".  

BAM!  What an awful mom I have been - this one simple statement made me realize that I rave on and on and on about food trucks but have never taken him to one.  Why haven't I taken him to one?  Welcome to the world of being an allergy mom...  if my child eats annatto, a natural colorant - his lips swell up exponentially and the potential that I will have to epi him is increased every time he has a reaction.  Since he's already been epi'd and rushed to the ER, it isn't something I want to see as 'worse' next time.  My diligence since we were finally able to identify what the allergen was (the aforementioned evil natural colorant annatto), he has not had a single re-occurrence.  Thankfully - as Mr. Happy had a couple of accidental ingestion episodes early on and last year at a large gathering picnic there was a miscommunication that resulted in Mr. Cheerful eating a dish that had been brought but not ingredient checked - fortunately it turned out there was no annatto in any of the components.  But... back to over-diligence on my watch... I've dealt with the whole eating out-ingredient thing by calling in advance.  I have Mr. Cheerful look at the menu to decide what he will want and then I call and ask about the components.  When we aren't able to call in advance, we do the wait while the waitress checks on whatever it is that Mr. Cheerful wants (or might eat off someone else's plate) before we do any ordering.  Makes eating out with other families, who don't understand, a total nightmare!  Thankfully we've surrounded ourselves with compassionate and empathetic families so our friends seem to be pretty understanding - so far.  Honestly, I can't imagine being friends with someone who was so self-absorbed that having to check a life-threatening allergy would be an issue though.  But back to the original point of the blog... calling on a food truck in advance is a tad bit difficult as part of the joy in food trucks is that spontaneous decision on which one to eat at.  I suppose that I could call all of them that I know will be at the event in advance - but really?  That's a bit overboard and I'm not one of those kinda moms...  The thing is though, me being diligent about all this has a boat load of anxiety attached.  The what-ifs... what if they mess up on their ingredient check, what if he can't get what he wants then he's disappointed, what if we are putting someone out, what if there is a long line and people get frustrated waiting, what if, what if, what if!  The one that really is the stress-er though is the accidental consumption.  The fear of my child dying because someone made a mistake is awful.  However, I know that I am naturally a doom see-er, so I try to not let it paralyze me.  Ask Mr. Happy - a total worrier about stuff that will never happen is what he will tell you about me.

So... this bad mom is going to stuff her fear deep down inside and correct the sheltered youth that my child has lived by not eating at a food truck! He sounds sheltered and deprived, right?  I can't imagine a kid going through life not eating at a food truck!  So... we will look for off times when there is little to no line and then hope that the person in the truck is cool with checking on ingredients for us.  So beware St. Paul Food Trucks - an allergy mom is headed your way!