Are You a Dark Cloud, or Are You Sunshine?

 

Are you a dark cloud, or are you sunshine?

Do you brighten a room

or are you less than divine?

Do you spread happiness

or are you distributing pain?

When people see you do they begin to smile

or do they turn their heads, because they think you're vile?

It's not too late to be ethical and kind

All you have to do is have an open mind

When you're polite people treat you differently

Try respect and integrity, and then you'll see. 

Walgreens Needs to Remind People to Be Kind

It's hard to believe that we're living in a world where kindness isn't an
instinct. Most children are naturally kind. Adults should be the same 
way. If Walgreens had to display a sign to tell adults to be kind, some-

thing has gone terribly wrong with our society.

We have to inhabit this earth together, so please be someone who 

doesn't need a sign to be kind.♥

See a Doctor If You're Losing Weight Without Trying

 

 

I know there are a lot of people who wish they could lose weight with-
out trying, but when this happens, there's usually something wrong.

I've known three people who all lost weight without trying, and they all

had serious medical conditions. There was a girl in high school that got

skinnier and skinnier, so she went to the doctor. She was diagnosed with

type 1 diabetes.

A few years ago, a boy became withdrawn and sad. He also stopped 

sleeping and eating. He had gotten so small that his pants were falling

off of him. He was diagnosed with catatonia. 

Recently, a man was losing weight, but he thought he was just eating

less. He didn't realize his weight loss wasn't normal. Other people

noticed his weight loss, but he was still in denial. After having pain

and feeling sick, he went to the doctor and found out he has cancer.

I'm not trying to scare you, but if you're doing the same thing you've

always been doing, and all the sudden you start losing weight without

trying, get yourself checked out by a doctor.

Don't Put It On Top Of Your Car!

 

Have you ever put something on top of your vehicle, and you drove
off without removing it? By the time you remember, it's usually too
late.

When I was younger, I was at the bus stop and a man drove off with

a big box of Playboy magazines on top of his car! The boys rushed 

to get their hands on the magazines. That man had no idea his Play-

boys were lying in the streets and being grabbed up by school boys.

Another guy I know decided to put his $300 eyeglasses on top of 

his car while he pumped gas. You already know...He drove off and

never saw his glasses again.

If you ever put something important on top of your vehicle, you 

better write yourself a note to remove the item before you drive 

off, or you may be left without it.

5 Reasons Why Retaliation Doesn't Work

 

If someone makes you mad you might want to retaliate, but it won't do
you any good. 

5 Reasons Why Retaliation Doesn't Work

1. You put the spotlight on yourself as a vengeful person.

    Do you really want to be known as someone who is always trying

    to get back at other people? I hope not.

2. It's a waste of energy.

    You don't want to give your precious energy to a negative situation.

     Please find something constructive to do like reading, writing, 

     dancing, singing, crafting, etc.

3. Hurting someone will not make you feel happier.

    Instead of wanting to hurt someone, how about you find someone 

    to help. This will make you feel better.

4. You'll hurt your reputation.

    You may end up jeopardizing something in your life like...a future

    job opportunity, or something much worse.

5. You'll look foolish. 

    Retaliation makes you appear weak, childish, and an all around 

    negative person. 

Stay Away From Drama Queens and Kings

 

Hanging out with drama queens and kings is a bad idea, because they will
only pull you down. They will complicate your life along with their life.

You know how they operate. They're full of gossip, complaints, and they

can't wait to tell you how bad everyone is treating them.

Drama queens and kings usually have low self-esteem. It's actually the 

drama that makes them feel better about themselves. Most of them don't

even realize that they are sabotaging their own lives. They believe that

they're awesome, and there's something wrong with everybody else!

So if you have these people in your life, stop spending your valuable 

time and energy on them.

Please Get Life Insurance!

Most people don't wanna talk about death until it happens. Then when
it happens, your loved ones probably wanna have a big old drawn out
funeral for you. I don't believe in funerals. They're a waste of time, 

money, and after the funeral nobody says, "That was so much fun!"

I knew a man who passed away leaving a wife and multiple children.

He had no life insurance, but his family wanted to have a funeral for

him. Nobody had any money, so they were scrambling around trying

to raise funeral money. If he'd only discussed dying with his wife, and

purchased life insurance, all of that chaos could've been prevented.

If you have a family who depends on your income get life insurance,

so they can financially survive without you. And if you insist on tor-

turing your family with a funeral...please get life insurance!

I Went Maskless Today!

 

I started wearing a mask three years ago, because I felt unsafe due to
COVID. I haven't been to the grocery store maskless since then.

It felt strange shopping for groceries without wearing a mask. I felt

so exposed. I wondered if someone had just coughed or sneezed in 

the aisle I was walking down. What germs am I breathing now? I

calmed myself down by thinking about how I've spent most of my

life maskless. What used to be normal has to start feeling normal to 

me again.

But wearing a mask wasn't all bad. When it was cold it helped to

keep my face warm, and I felt a lot safer if someone was coughing

their head off.

I don't believe my maskless days are over, but I'm gonna try to wear

them less and less until I feel comfortable not wearing them.

10 Advantages of Being Weird

  

I know I'm weird, but it doesn't bother me, because I know who

I am and what I'm about. If people call you weird, take it as a 

compliment, because I bet you have some advantages over those

people that they would never imagine. Think about how many 

people were called weird, and they became massively successful.  

10 Advantages of Being Weird

1. You're probably creative.

2. You're never bored. 

3. You don't mind having time to yourself.

4. Your mind is full of good ideas.

5. You like trying new things.

6. You probably read a lot.

7. You look at life as a learning experience.

8. You like routines and spontaneity.

9. You're not wasting money on cable, but you do have the 

    internet.

10. You're smarter than you look.

Why I Buy Men's Clothing For Myself

  

I've been buying men's clothing for myself for years. I buy women's
clothing too, but there are certain men's items I prefer over women's.

I like men's t-shirts, because they aren't see-through like most wom-

en's t-shirts. They're also usually cheaper; they run bigger, and they

are longer than women's.

Men's tank tops are better than women's, because they're longer, so

you're not always pulling it down from riding up.

Men's socks usually pull up a lot easier than women's socks, and 

they typically don't shrink as much either.

If you're female and you've never bought men's clothing for your-

self, you should give it a try.

8 Ways to Protect Yourself From Monkeypox

 

Anybody can get monkeypox, so it's time to start protecting 
yourself. There are things you can do to reduce your chances

of getting it. The monkeypox vaccine is in short supply right

now, so that may not be an option.

1. Don't try clothes on in the store.

    If someone gets their pox germs on clothing and then you try it on,
    you run the risk of getting it. If it's hot outside, buy the clothes first

    and leave them in a hot car for a day or two so the germs will die.

    You could also buy the clothes and leave them in a bag for two 

    weeks and then try them on. 

2. If your skin touches public surfaces wash off as soon as possible.

    If the public surface is in bright sunlight you're probably OK, 

    because of the UV rays.

3. Don't touch your face with unwashed hands.

    It seems like common sense, but I see a lot people touching their 

    faces in public. I also see people licking bags, biting their nails, 

    sucking on their fingers, etc. 

4. Wear a mask in public and around people you don't know.

    With monkeypox being a virus, it can spread through the air. If 

    somebody sneezes and you're not wearing a mask you better run.

5. Wash your hands before you leave work.

    Everything you touched throughout the day is still lingering on

    your hands. You don't want to transfer those germs to your home. 

6. Wash your hands as soon as you get home.

    Don't feed the dog. Don't pour yourself a drink. Don't turn on the TV.

    Go wash your nasty hands first.

7. Clean your dirty cellphone off after you get home. 

    While you were holding your phone what else were you touching?

    Did you take it in the restroom? Were you working or shopping 

    when you were holding your phone? Clean that filthy thing off.

8. Wash you hands before and after using a public restroom.

    If you go to the restroom with dirty hands, all that dirty is gonna 

    be on your privates. I heard monkeypox really hurts down there.

When Everything Tastes Like Ammonia

 

I got a cold a few weeks ago like no other cold I've ever had. I did a
COVID test, so it wasn't COVID. My first symptom was a sore throat.

By the second day I had a runny nose and a sore throat. On day three

my symptoms were headache, sneezing, runny nose and a sore throat.

On the fourth day I had a headache, runny nose, and everything I ate 

and drank tasted like it had ammonia in it.

I started researching this weird symptom, and according to healthline

.com, I had parosmia. It's when your sense of smell is distorted by 

your olfactory neurons. This can cause food to taste unappetizing.

The only foods that tasted halfway decent to me were Club Crackers

and peanuts. Thankfully, by day seven the ammonia taste was gone. 

20 Reasons Why the 80s Were the Best Decade

    

Things seem to be so complicated and unpredictable nowadays, that's
why I'm longing for the 80s. The 80s were the best decade! 

1. TV shows were better: Most shows were well-written, entertaining,

    and thought-provoking. There was also no shortage of family-

    friendly programing.

2. You could go to the grocery store and get money for your empty

    pop bottles.

3. Music was wonderful: A lot of the music didn't fit into any kind

    of category, but it didn't matter because it sounded good and it

    was electrifying.

4. When kids went to school you felt like they were in a safe place.

5. You could eat raw cookie dough, and cake batter without it 

     making you sick.

6. You always had a bagger when you checked out at the grocery

    store.

7. There was no COVID.

8. You could just plug the TV in the wall, and it would work...

    no box required.

9. There were so many good movies out it was hard to choose

     which ones to see.

10. Kids got to act like kids instead of mini adults. Things have

      gotten too serious for children. They have to worry about

      scary things like school shootings, and that's unfair.

11. Cellphones didn't rule people's lives.

12. Babies used to look around the store and learn about their 

      surroundings, but now most of them are handed a nasty 

      cellphone as soon as they can hold a bottle.

13. Food didn't contain as many chemicals as it does now: We

      are slowly being poisoned through food.

14. Tap water was safe to drink, and it tasted good too. 

15. Blue jean pockets were always real: I don't know anyone

      who likes fake pockets.

16. Most fruits and vegetables weren't foreign grown, so our

      food was safer, and it tasted better.

17. Less people had food allergies.

18. Food packaging and the food inside of the package wasn't

      always shrinking.

19. There was no such thing as being politically correct.

20. There was no social media to spread lies.  

End Staffing Shortages By Paying People More

 

I was surprised to see that the service desk at the grocery store was
closed. I thought to myself, This is ridiculous! It seems like every

company and every industry has a staffing shortage. The news claims 

people don't want to work, but it's not that simple. Some people can't 

work, because they're home helping their kids do e-learning. Some

are still on unemployment. Some are scared they'll get COVID if

they go to work. And a lot of people are sick and tired of working

for pennies! 

For the people who can work, they would be willing and able if a

reasonable amount of money was offered to them. Big companies

can easily pay people more than enough money to live on. Large

corporations know that $7.25 an hour isn't enough. Ten dollars an 

hour isn't enough either. 

If all the huge businesses paid the big wigs less, and paid the people

who actually associated with the COVID public more, there would

be far less staffing shortages.

Hair and Cultural Appropriation

Some things fit into the category of cultural appropriation, but hair 
isn't one of them. When a white person wears dreadlocks, cornrows,

box braids, Bantu knots, or anything past two pigtails, it shouldn't

be a big deal. White people aren't getting upset about black people

wearing straight hairstyles, or getting straight human hair weaved 

into their kinky hair.

It's petty to be bothered when you see a white person wearing a 

black hairstyle. Even if the hairstyle originated in Africa, that 

doesn't mean it's off limits to white people. It's hair! There are

more important issues going on in this world. If you want to 

change something, first change your state of mind. And if you 

want to get upset about something, get upset about public health, 

global warming, human rights, and the justice system.

We live in a world where we need to come together. We need to 

accept each other for who we are, and our diversities. Different

races and ethnicities should be able to get along, and share their

differences and similarities in harmony.

Why Corporate Doesn't Have a Clue

 

 

Corporate has a lot of ideas on how companies should be run. 
Unfortunately, many of their ideas only look good on paper. 

Does corporate even shop at or use the products from the com-

panies they operate? Corporate doesn't see employees as people;

they're seen as robots. And have you noticed no one ever takes

claim of the changes that corporate makes? Corporate is a name-

less and faceless power that controls so much, but knows so little.

Hey Corporate!!! Here's a few things you don't seem to understand.

* Instead of sending employees unhealthy snacks, and useless 

   games to play, give them a raise or a bonus for their hard work.

* When customers check out their purchases they want to simply

   buy the items and leave. It's annoying to be pressured to get a

   credit card, give an email address, phone number, or zip code.

* Don't claim you're Earth-friendly when you're constantly order-

   ing huge cardboard and plastic signs to display temporarily...

   And none of it gets recycled. 

* Can you explain why the mask required/mask mandate isn't

   being enforced? People not wearing masks can legally be

   refused service. Shame on you for putting your employees 

   in an unsafe work environment!

* Jacking up the prices of products, so they can be marked

   down, is a greedy game no one wins. It makes no sense to

   pay people to mark stuff down that was too high to begin with.

* Why does corporate cut the hours of the cleaning person, but

   there's plenty of payroll for markdown days?

* Why do you waste so much money on extended hours when

   there are no customers to be found?

* Why do high-touch surfaces have to constantly be wiped down,

   but maskless people are allowed to spread deadly germs inside

   your establishment?

* Your employees are worth at least $1 a year raise. That's a lot

   less than your raise is every year.

Mask Mandate Mess

For the states that don't have a mask mandate, shame on the "leaders"

who haven't done so! And to the states that do have a mask mandate

that isn't being enforced, shame on those "leaders" too! 

It's common sense to require EVERYONE to wear a mask inside of

a public building. It's not hard. It's not expensive. It's simple. What's 

not simple is trying to maintain your workforce when half of them are

sick, or in quarantine. There needs to be consequences to not wearing

a mask in a public place. Getting escorted out of the building by a 

professional enforcer, and at least $100 fine sounds good to me. These

consequences would save lives. That's what mask wearing is all about.

And it's about respect, caring, love, compassion, and humanity.

Everything's Weird

I know it's August, but part of my brain is still in March.
This COVID crap is weird, unnerving, and unreal.

Our lives are strangely intertwined, even though we don't
know each other. It's crazy how a few germs could have
so much power. It's even hard to find the products to keep
ourselves safe from the germs. And COVID has stolen
so many of what used to be normal moments. We have to
wear masks to save our lives and others. And our jobs are
either gone or so changed by CDC regulations that it feels
like a new job position. Some kids are in school, and some
are still homeschooling. Some parents can work, and others
have to stay home to be teachers and protectors of their 

children.

We also have protestors in the streets, trying to get justice
for multiple crimes committed against blacks. And unfor-

tunately, there are also disruptors causing violence, destroy-

ing property, and endangering lives. And if that wasn't 

enough, the government can't figure out how to help people

properly...and there's a change shortage. I'm getting really 

tired of rounding up my purchases. Can't these businesses 

round down?

I don't usually rant, but I'm sure I'm not the only one who's

frustrated. Writing is therapy for me, and I also like to take 

pictures, draw, and read. I'm feeling better now...I think I'll

go outside and get some sunshine. That's the only thing that 

hasn't changed.

Are You Too Embarrassed to Wear a Mask?

I've been wearing a mask in public for about two weeks. I never thought
I'd need to wear a mask, but I feel like it's not an option. I feel safer know-
ing I'm protecting myself and others. When Covid first came to America,
the "experts" told us it wasn't necessary for us to wear masks. But a month
later, they said we should! Imagine how many lives could've been saved
if from the start we all had a mask on.

Don't let embarrassment stop you from wearing a mask. A LOT of
people are wearing masks, and you won't be the only one. Someone I
know told me I looked crazy wearing a mask, and my mom replied,
"I'd rather look crazy than be dead!"

Cleaning Tips From a Germaphobe

 

I've been a germaphobe for a little over 13 years. My oldest son died when
he was seven from pneumonia, and that's what caused me to be a germaphobe.
I was devastated, angry, and I kept thinking how germs killed him. It really
messed with my head; it still does. I've tried to tell myself...Germs are normal.
Germs build our immune systems. When I was little I touched germs all the 
time and I survived. But telling myself these things doesn't work.

Now that coronavirus is here, everything I've been doing to combat germs for
the last few years doesn't seem extreme anymore. Some people think that be-
ing a germaphobe is a mental illness, and maybe it is, but I think the precau-
tions I've been taking to stay healthy make perfect sense.

It's interesting how coronavirus is making everyone rethink germs. If you
clean stuff the way I do, it will help you stay healthy from multiple illnesses,
not just coronavirus.

When I get home from the grocery store I put all of the bags on the floor. I
wash my hands and I clean almost every item with antibacterial wipes before
I put them away. I don't clean egg cartons, frozen dinner packages, bags of
fresh produce, or raw meat packages. If I buy cheese sticks, I drop them out
of the package on to my clean kitchen table, and then put them in a sandwich
bag to store in the clean part of my refrigerator. I consider the two bottom
drawers in the refrigerator dirty, and that's where I keep eggs, vegetables,
and thawing meat. I have a clean shelf in the freezer for cleaned off ice cream
containers and ice packs.The rest of the freezer is dirty.

When I travel, I sanitize everything that I believe should be germ-free.

• all of the light switches
• the kitchen faucet
• kitchen counter
• the dining room table and chairs
• lamp switches
• refrigerator handle and shelves
• microwave handle and turntable
• the cooking range handles
• toilet seat and handle
• the bathroom vanity and faucet
• the tub faucet
• every door handle

We should all try to be germ-conscious, and not because the news tells us to.

Our health and the health of everyone we care about is in danger if we don't.