The little things that really piss me off!

My brain function has changed somewhat - I get flustered very easily, which I suppose isn't that unusual for me, but I now rave every time it happens. Poor Emilija has to listen to me rave at the TV all night - suppose it has its humours moments, but when I start to repeat myself that I get worried. Maybe I've got torettes :o)

But I thought I'd share with you some of the things I've been raving about for the best part of two weeks - all very minor really, but hey they're always the most annoying aren't they ....

Median Strips: The median strip is designed so drivers that are turning right across the road can sit whilst they wait for a gap in traffic. Too many of you pull into it at the last second, leaving your butt sitting out in the left lane so no one can drive past. Don't do this - it's really bloody annoying - start moving into the median strip as soon as you start to slow down (yes you are allowed to). Then you are out of the way and traffic doesn't have to slow down for you and in many cases stop.

Indicating: New Zealanders (particularly Aucklanders) just can't seem to indicate to save themselves and the ones that do only do so for a maximum of 1-second. They seem to be of the opinion that other drivers are psychic and automatically know what their next random move will be. Mind you having psychic ability wouldn't help much as there rarely seems to be any conscience thought granted to their driving. For your information you are meant to indicate for a minimum of 3-seconds. And for the record, no I don't believe in psychics.

Net curtains & blinds: Everywhere you look there are net curtains or blinds or curtains blocking out all the sun, so houses are damp and smelly. Please open up your houses let the light in and live healthy. No wonder we suffer from Asthma and mouldy houses. Stuff trying to insulate all the houses in NZ - just let in some healthy sun each day and fresh air and we'll save the taxpayer 1-billion dollars. And that's another thing that pisses me (and housemate off), we've just spent a small fortune on insulation and heating for the house and now we have to pay for the every other blugger to have their houses done. At least by dying I won't have to pay for anymore of this kind of crap (see it is torettes) and most of the rest of you support either Labour, National, NZ First or Greens so it serves you right - you voted for it.

Privot: You see it everywhere - especially on Council and Transit NZ land. This is a weed, it spreads like wildfire and smothers any plant or forest it grows near. It is not suitable as a hedge and it is not an attractive tree for your garden - kill it.

Toothpaste ads: I don't know why - they just really, really annoy me. And they must all use the same advertising company.

Kissing pets: They seem to have stopped showing owners and pets touching mouths in adverts, finally. But why people kiss their pets or let their pets lick them is beyond me - surely they must know where their pets mouth has been. If you do this vile activity you should be required to have a warning tattooed on your forehead, so I can avoid kissing you.

I'm sure there's plenty more that I've temporarily forgotten about - I'll get them off my chest as they come to mind. What little things annoy you - go on entertain me?

Warning: contains religious content

I'm never shy to discuss a topic, and since friends - and strangers - seem to be bringing up religion at regular intervals at the moment, I feel free to raise this topic all over again - don't blame me, you guys started it.

I thought everyone knew that I was a die hard atheist, but since it still is a topic of conversation obviously some think that since the end of my life is in the foreseeable future I would suddenly find some kind of spiritual belief and go against a lifetime of knowledge. Sorry to disappoint, but I'm still a staunch atheist and will be to the end. In fact, if at all possible I'm stauncher.

Some of my more humours agnostic friends have asked me to tap them on the shoulder if there is something on the other side, but since I feel they might have a tendency to be a little to eager to see me around, I've decided that I will only tap my other die hard atheist friends on the shoulder - these guys are less likely to see or hear things :o)

But seriously, this does raise the topic of my survival. I know that because I don't pray, or meditate, or spend my days with continuous 'positive thoughts', some of you will be thinking that I have wiped out my chances and if only I turned to the spiritual world I would be saved or add on extra years to my prognosis. A study done in Melbourne has shown what I thought would have been blatantly obvious that positive thinking makes no difference to surviving cancer and I add the same to prayer and meditation. The pressure that is put on patients to be positive all the time is just plain cruel. About the only thing staying positive probably will do is make life easier for friends, family and nurses - and in this matter I think I have a good attitude and am more than happy to discuss the whole cancer and dying issue to anyone who can handle it. And I'm happy to say that most can.

Then there is the other religion that seems to be completely faith based - the alternative health treatments. Having spent most of my life eating whole foods and avoiding chemicals I still managed to get cancer. I continued this health kick (except for my daily Gingernut fix) during my last bout of cancer but this didn't stop it returning. Another Melbourne study also debunk such things as Supplements and Green Tea.

Every alternative therapy that I've read about has absolutely no evidence that they work, yet the advocates talk like these treatments are miracle cures - they will advertise the case of one outlying patient 'that had been sent home to die' by the doctors, but had taken on this alternative treatment or other and survived. Never mind that they had been on chemo and radiation for that last year. Never mind that no studies are ever done on these alternative treatments. And never mind that they simply don't work - the pressure to pursue all this stuff is incredibly invasive and somewhat stressful.

But I'm starting to rave, so I'll sign off now :o)

PS: CT scan on Monday - so big day to see if the tumour is shrinking, or not. And no I'm not having thoughts (positive or negative) about this outcome - just simply a little nervous.

Public Health Warning

Don't go and see the movie Cloverfield - unless you have a cast-iron stomach.

I headed out to Sylvia Park on Sunday to buy some shoes (not successful I might add) and decided that since I had a couple of hours to kill I'd head to Hoyts to watch a movie - about to start was Cloverfield and I am Legend. Well Cloverfield looked interesting and started 20 minutes before I am Legend, so as I'm not one to sit around and wait for anything, I decided on the earlier session.

The film starts as documentary style with the characters using a handycam to record their activities. Unfortunately the whole movie is like this - it just goes on and on with the camera waving and jerking all over the place and after 15 minutes I left totally nauseous. Such a shame, it looked like it might have been a good story.

Now granted Hoyts does say that it is video style in its review, but I didn't read this before I went in. To Hoyts credit they refunded me the price of the ticket, which was most decent of them.

I suppose I could have then gone to I am Legend, but felt so sick I just had to go home to lie down.