Funny how almost two weeks ago, I had my little epiphany -and attitude change. I started looking at life differently – looking at my relationship with people differently.  And you know what?

I’m happy.

Insanely happy.

With the exception of a small bump that really led to nothing but a great evening, life is good.

Wow, have I missed this feeling. This feeling where I sit here and go “Damn, life IS great right now”.

And I’m saying all of this without a job.  With a dwindling bank account. With some lingering family drama.

Because, at the end of the day, that shit doesn’t matter.

I have people in my life – great people – who regardless of the situation I’m feel good they are around.  Damn that sounds way too happy.

But I do have snark too…..

My SIL’s sister posted a link on Facebook with the comment of “Maybe people need to start paying attention to the ratings of kids shows. Showing a 4yr old a show intended for 7 and up is inappropriate. I think my daughter has brain damage from Sponge Bob.”

The link is to a “study” done by researchers who after showing 60 random children Sponge Bob found they had short term learning problems.  Even at the end of this short article, there is another expert who commented that 60 kids does not make a study even if their data is good.

First off, my SIL’s sister is slamming herself because SHE has let her daughter watch this show.  I doubt she saw that in her comment.  Secondly, let’s promote a “study” that contains not enough data that even an expert on the outside finds it really significant.

I’m not a fan of Sponge Bob especially for kids under a certain age, but how many people after watching a movie they find highly entertaining can immediately take an aptitude test and not feel slow and fuzzy as they mentally switch gears? Blaming a particular show for your kid’s inability to learn is lazy.  Blame the parent for not finding those teachable moments before the age of 5 to teach the kids, but instead toss them in front of the TV.

Or, I’m going to jump on something Dana mentioned on her Tumblr the other day.  She challenged someone’s comment that “if anyone makes a joke about Sept 11, they will be immediately unfollowed.”  She felt it was odd to give out an ultimatum in a social network setting, an ultimatum many people would never feel comfortable giving in real life.  She was not questioning the day or the jokes, but the tactic used.

Sept 11th, I felt, was a time to reflect. It was a horrible day for all of us – just to varying degrees – and we all will know what that morning was like when we learned what was happening.  We were all forever affected one way or another.  Like I said, in various degrees.

But like Dana, I found myself being held hostage by people I knew IRL and on social networks. Statements like “if you question this day and how we responded, get out of the country” or “if you question things since then, then the terrorists win”.  The logic isn’t there. Plus, this country was found on dissent. It was founded by people who disagreed with their government and left because their government gave them no voice.  The idea that this country must be of people who only fall in line behind everyone else is idiotic and goes against what this country was founded upon.  As my dad used to say “I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend your right to say it”.

Let me make one thing clear – I’m not a fan of the Sept 11th jokes.  I think there is a level of tact people need to have especially given how many people’s families were directly effected by this day.  But, I also know that this is not true either:

Speaking of jokes that turn you away from people or shows and such, if I hear another inappropriate Herpes joke on a TV show, I will go on a longer rant.  Again I have encountered another show where Herpes was the infection you can get by sharing a toilet, sharing a bed, being in the same hot tub.  All of this is absolutely untrue. Just like the implied that someone with HSV is dirty, promiscuous, and unsafe.  Given how uneducated people are about STIs, I hate it when popular shows spread this misinformation.  And yes, I’m a bit biased about this one, for good reason.  To quote Dan Savage from his recent podcast “It’s not the mother fucking plague!”