Hand Stations

It's much warmer out today, 19 degrees to be exact compared to the icy 9 degree morning temperature yesterday. Not to mention the slight breeze most of yesterday afternoon added to the cold. According to the weather guessers they said it was more like -10 or so if you factored in the windchill. I dunno, either way it was cold and still is really - I am just being sarcastic.

Sanitation Station

About a month or so ago while walking down to the gym I could not help but notice all of these hand sanitation stations all over the company, popping up like weeds in the cracks of a sidewalk during summer. Was there some sudden outbreak in the company, a shortage of soap or was there findings that the soap in the bathrooms was not enough for this newly discovered, nasty bacteria floating about? Or was this a tactic to get people to use the stations to clean their hands in some manner since most do not wash their shxt hooks after using the restroom?

You have to love it when someone cleans up their ass in the stall next to you after finishing up an explosive diarrhea session only to run the water in the sink, not getting their hands even the slightest bit wet, then tearing off about 5 feet of paper towel to "dry up". Go ahead, enjoy that burrito at lunch with your soiled mitts, it's your lunch - do with it as you like.

I dunno maybe adding my company added the stations as more of a conscious effort to show that the corporation cares and is trying to prevent the spread of germs and the common cold during the winter months? After opening a door, typing on a conference room keyboard and so on. Honestly I don't know the actual reasoning as I don't have visibility to that sort of thing, nor do I want it.

One thing that I would say if I was in the meeting deciding whether or not we need to bring these into the company -- As they ask me "what is your opinion on the subject?" My opinion? Ok you asked - "My opinion is that adding the hand sanitation stations is a fuckin' complete waste of money, effort and materials". It has been proven time and again that they are pretty worthless and you can actually generate more problems simply by using the stations and personal bottles of goo. If you take notice in the medical industry nearly all doctors will wash their hands before looking you over, not reach for the hand sanitizer station. Plus I still think we need germs to some extent. We have far too many gels, creams, injections and so on as it is and everyone is still sick half of the time.

Don't misunderstand, most peeps that know me fully understand that I am a germ-a-phoebe and I will never deny that fact. Although you will never see me using one of these stations for hand cleanliness. I would rather lather-up my hands with soap, rinse, dry and be done with it. I mean how hard is that to do? It has worked for as long as I can remember and even longer before that. Without sounding as though I am tooting my own horn; I have not been sick in over 3.5 years. I may have had a quick sniffle or an upset stomach at times, that would last less than a day or so and I will almost guarantee you the stomach upsets were because some jackass reached for the hand sanitizer or put their latex covered hand on unsanitary items while prepping my food. It was not due to the cleanliness of my hands because I happen to be anti-hand sanitation goop.

Of course now that I have put it into writing the universe is going to teach me a lesson and strike me down with a cold! Nah, I don't think the universe is spiteful like that but just for good measure I am going to go wash up real quick after I finish this paragraph.

Perfection

Ok all washed up and back to my mini-rant for the day. Am I perfect and do I never forget to wash up? No, I would be a liar if I tried to get you to buy into that story and so would most everyone. Although I do cover my mouth when sneezing, coughing and related. I wash my hands after doing any of those as well as after the restroom break. I guess I don't see the difficulty in doing so. If nothing else, it's a common courtesy to wash up for those that work with you day-to-day and more importantly for yourself.

Heck now even at the grocery store they have these stations to wipe down the push handle of the shopping carts. How hard is it to not touch your face, lick your hand and so on when at the store? The products you touch should be washed anyhow if they don't have their own packaging (i.e. banana for example has its own case / packaging). Pretty remedial stuff people.

Rounded Corner Society

I don't know, I guess to me it's nothing more than another nail in the coffin of freedom in an abstract sense. Society already wants to be protected from everything, especially those things in which they do not understand or want to understand. In turn churning out generations that cant make any decisions on their own. The scary part for me is they are having children and passing on these same beliefs so the problem grows exponentially. Because of this along with many other issues I will leave alone for today I feel that we are in a sense, doomed. By the time we figure it out it will not be too late to turn back it will be extremely difficult to do so.

Sheeple, and for once I am not referring to only the tree hugging hippies when I say "sheeple"! Most of modern society is in favor of kids being controlled protected in every way possible. From playgrounds plagued with safe activities, rounded corners everywhere all with fluffy landing areas. So controlling protecting them starts at one end of the crazy-spectrum and ends all the way at hand sanitation and it just keeps getting more and more looney.

Everyone assumes that its for the "better" but if you zoom out once in a while and look at the bigger picture and the longer term of things you will see that it's nothing more than the creation of a society that is so dependent on its government and others for right and wrong that it goes one of two ways. Crazy anarchism or compliant to "the man" 'cause its "easier". Fools!

New York Gun Control

I have to just briefly touch on the subject of gun laws after reading some news about New York passing laws today. I don't want to go into detail, rather only proclaim my udder disgust for bills like this and why I hope they fail miserably as the nation watches them as our "appointed test subject" and wonder, what will they try to take away from law abiding citizens next? Total fuckin' bullshxt laws that still do not address the root of the problem. The following is taken from NBC News:

New York's law, called the Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement Act:

**Bans possession of any high-capacity magazines regardless of when they were made or sold. Only clips able to hold up to seven rounds can be sold in the state. Clips able to hold seven to 10 rounds can be possessed, but cannot be loaded with more than seven rounds. If an owner is found to have eight or more bullets in a magazine, he or she could face a misdemeanor charge.

**Requires ammunition dealers to do background checks, similar to those for gun buyers. Dealers are required to report all sales, including amounts, to the state. Internet sales of ammunition are allowed, but the ammunition will have to be shipped to a licensed dealer in New York state for pickup.

**Requires creation of a registry of assault weapons. Those New Yorkers who already own such weapons would be required to register their guns with the state.

**Most controversially, requires any therapist who believes a mental health patient made a credible threat of harming others to report the threat to a mental health director, who would then have to report serious threats to the state Department of Criminal Justice Services. A patient's gun could be taken from him or her, as well.

**Stipulates that stolen guns should be reported within 24 hours.

**Tightens the state's description of an "assault" weapon. Previous state law defined an assault weapon as having two "military rifle" features, the new law reduces that to one feature.

**Requires background checks for all gun sales, including by private dealers -- except for sales to members of the seller's immediate family.

I honestly don't know what to say to all of this other than it is a total fucking joke and nothing more than a way for criminals to know exactly what you have, allow them to continue to do what they do and punish law abiding citizens. All the while, trying to control the uncontrollable - mentally sick individuals who will find a means to and end - laws or not.

Flush

Alright-then, I think that is all for today. Time to flush both of these topics as I could dredge on and on beating the horse that has no pulse for several more paragraphs. The hand sanitizers simply annoyed me when I started seeing the stations at work. It's like telling people "hey, you don't wanna wash up after taking a shxt, no sweat just put a little of this Kleenex goop on your hands before going back to work, eating lunch and related". Good luck with that, I say just do the right thing and "lather, scrub, rinse and dry". Plus you will probably find out that it's much more refreshing to do so. Go on - try it! As far as the New York crap, that is an entirely other story of stupidity that I will leave alone for now. Until next time, avoid the goop!

Photo: Kleenex Hand Station