Feeling Yucky

I seem to have left the house without my brain today (I forgot most of the things that I needed to bring with me) which is a sure sign that I am preoccupied by something or other. As a result, I am feeling yucky. My task now is to figure out what it is and deal with it. Unfortunately, this means going into my head, which is a bit dangerous. If you are going into my head to deal with the committee that’s in there, you need to bring a flashlight and a gun, because it’s a pretty bad neighborhood in there. I am also dealing with the fear of economic insecurity, as I have calculated that I need to earn an extra $24,800 per year to cover the expenses that I have now – expenses that will almost certainly grow – EEEEEK! So I’m considering selling Amway or something (actually I would, but I suck at sales). Maybe I’ll sell a kidney, I have two and based on the speed, with which the cup of decaf I just drank went through me, they seem to be working just fine. Any takers?

Anyway, I read a study on the train last night that links T.V. watching to autism, and as usual, I was left not knowing what to think. The design and methodology of the study seemed pretty solid (though unconventional) and the results were surprisingly robust. Statistical studies are a specialty/hobby of mine so I pay special attention to the numbers. There is no data on the television viewing habits of children under 3, so the researchers found another way. They found a strong correlation between the number of rainy days in a given area and the rate of autism for areas of high rainfall, the assumption being that kids stay in and watch T.V. on rainy days. They also found a very strong correlation between cable subscription rates for an area verses the autism rates for the same areas. Causality, of course, cannot be established but cable was introduced right about the time when autism rates started to spike. Hmmmmmn. I have read studies linking everything from soft-soap to cell phones, from power lines to vaccinations, from fabric softener to processed foods all to autism, and I really should stop reading these articles because they always leave me feeling yucky (that’s a technical term). What can I do? When it is your kid, you can’t help but ask questions and search for answers.

On a happier note, I also read an article showing that by the year 2050, if fishing and pollution continue, even at their present rates, the world’s oceans will be virtually devoid of fish. Astounding! Fish populations are collapsing all over the world and apparently for every one ton of fish taken out of the oceans, we throw three tons of garbage back into the oceans. At last!!! We have finally figured out how to get rid of all those pesky fish. They have been pissing me off for years, what with their stinking up the beaches and harbors and nibbling on my feet when I swim, maybe now the world can have some nice clean smelling oceans for a change!

Now that I've aired the yuck out of my psyche (it's nice and clean-smelling too now) I can get down to the business of just being. My projects for today are to sort out the direct deposit fiasco that I seem to be having, go to the mediation session with Mia (bringing a positive attitude may involve some Jedi mind tricks, but the force is strong in me), getting some yummy vittles for the kids to eat tomorrow, picking up a disposable digital camera so that I can post some pictures of the little monkeys on these pages for all to see and admire, and making a meeting. It can be done, and once done, I probably won’t feel as yucky.