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My
Pet-Peeves: Problems and Solutions
1) Problem:
Receiving the same thing in e-mail over and over again. .
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Don’t you ever
wonder how people can send you the same video, pictures,
or jokes several times, year after year and not have the
slightest clue to the fact that they have already sent it
to you before? I'm not talking about the occasion one. We
all forget at times, but the ones we receive several times
over. . .and years later, you still get it in email by the
same people?
Solution:
For those who
can’t remember if they have forwarded something or not. .
.
Think to yourself:
“If it looks familiar to you meaning:
If you have seen it or read it before then most likely you
have already passed it on to others so don’t send it again
even if you come upon it years later. If you’ve seen it
once, or if it seems familiar then that means
others have already seen it many times over.
2) Problem:
Those Who Can’t Spell. . .
We all make
spelling mistakes in on the web. I'm sure if I spent
enough time looking, I'd find a few spelling and
especially grammar errors in this site. It’s the
human thing to do. Then there are those, through no fault
of their own, who really cannot spell. If so, this does not pertain to you. I noticed
after being out of college for 30 years, when I went back,
the young ones, who just got out of
high school could not spell very well and could not
understand the meanings to similar words that are often
misused.
Take a look at the
comments that are left beneath the videos that are seen
in "YouTube". Even if they try to cut down their words as
if they were texting, they still can’t spell. These are
the basic words most often misunderstood; “There” vs
“Their” or "They're" or “Two” vs “Too” and let’s not forget
the word “You’re” which is confused with “Your”. In
college, that was a big problem I noticed in the young men
and women. They did not know how-to or when-to apply some
of these few basic words.
Grammar is the one
that gets me. I am terrible at grammar and yet, I'm
a writer. Go figure. But here are solutions that might
help those who get these few words confused. . . .
Solution:
When using these words you must think to yourself certain
rules before applying them.
"They're" is an
abbreviation for they are. Break up the sentence and think
about it this way. . ."They are going to the
party."
Now abbreviate it. "They're going to the
party."
"There" is used
when placing something or pointing something out. "She is
over there." "Put it over there."
"Are there any chocolates?"
"Their" means it
belongs to someone. "Their
school loans were consolidated." "It was theirs
to begin with." "Would you ask them if they want
their sandwich cold or toasted?"
Ok, now let's do
the terrible "Too". Think of the word "too" as
a replacement word for "also" or it can be used to mean "more than one".
Here is using the
word "too" as meaning "also". "She too, went to the
party." "I would like to go, too."
Here is using the word "too" as meaning extra or more than
one. "There are too many leaves to rake up."
"That's too much for me to handle."
Now, let's do the
"You're" - "Your". These are really simple words. "You're"
is an abbreviation for the words "You are." In
a sentence, use "you're" as an abbreviation, "Just make sure
you're on time." Think of it this way. . . "Just make sure you
are on time."
"Your" means that
it belongs to someone or it can be used as a 'claiming' word.
In a sentence, use "your" as a claiming word such as, "Is
this your change or mine?" "Are you taking a
shortcut to your house?"
If you can
learn the few basics ways to apply these words, then you
can figure out how to use them.
3) Problem:
YouTube’s Serious Lack of Control With Its User's
Content. . .
Some of the users
are severely foul-mouthed and what amazes me is that this
is our future generation of perverts, dopers and cult
worshippers. YouTube does very little to keep
their own “Terms of Use” in order. I think there is a
serious lack of understanding between "verbal abuse"
and "freedom of speech." I have actually read on YouTube,
(on two different occasions), the detailed description of some
demented man’s sexual abuse of a child. The first time I
read such a thing I easily found a link that allowed me to
report the user’s abuse. The second time I came across
this type of subject matter, I couldn’t find the link
anywhere. I did find a link where I could report the
abuser but when I clicked on the link given, it kept
leading me to a page with more links and I could never
actually report it.
Solution:
"YouTube" needs to reread their own 'Terms of Use' and violation
policies and
hold firm to their own regulations. How do you expect your subscribers to enforce what
you don't?
Problem:
People Who Talk Too Much
I knew a man
once, (thank God I don't associate with him anymore) who
talked nonstop on the phone with me for nine hours. I
really wanted to see just how long he could carry on this
one-sided conversation. I lasted from 9:00 that night
until 6:00 in the morning. He was still going strong
with no indication of slowing down. I was falling asleep
on him so I had to end the call. I couldn't stand it
anymore. I dreaded his calls until one day he mercifully
ended our email and phone relationship because I didn't
answer a question the way he wanted me to. Saying "no" to
someone is one of my biggest downfalls and it has been
difficult for me to learn the appropriate way to say no
without trashing someone's feelings. But he fit a purpose
in my life. God used him as another training tool for me.
Solution For
Those Who Talk Too Much Or Those Who Push Their Opinions
Onto Others Frequently:
Stop and ask yourself, "Am I giving (the person I'm
speaking to) time to answer? Am I really interested in
what the other person has to
say?" "Am I
respecting the other person's opinion without the need to
change them? Am I trying to make them think and believe as I do?"
I find that
those who dominate a conversation, whether in person or
over the phone, could care less what the other person has
to say. They just want to hash-out their differences and
opinions,
or complain about their miserable life or push their
obsessive thoughts and their 'immense knowledge' onto someone else without giving the person
(that they're talking to), a chance to object or agree to
what they're saying. I hate one-sided conversations.
Take a hint. If you're the only one talking, I can pretty
much guarantee that the other person is no longer
interested in what you're saying. Find someone else
who cares!
Some Help For
The 'Other' Person:
If you meet or become friends with
someone that never shuts up, ask yourself this question:
"Do I really want this person for a friend? Do I want to
be with someone who doesn't give me a chance to
express my opinion or join in the conversation?" Make sure
that the friends you make are of your choosing, not
theirs. We learn by experience. Next time you may
be more likely to say, "You know, I'm just not interested in
having anymore conversations with you."
If it's someone
that you love and you don't want to hurt their feelings,
just back off from calling them as often.
Problem: The
FDA
The FDA permits the sale of certain drugs knowing that
these drugs are dangerous and then it's the drug companies
and doctors that get sued later on, not the FDA for
allowing it in the first place. (Listen to the TV
commercials.) The FDA is pocketing
billions of dollars from these companies but are not
held responsible for the outcome. The same thing with our
food. They are knowingly allowing harmful chemicals into
our food (for preservatives, chemicals added for
texture, too much sugar, fructose, MSG, etc.) but are not
being held accountable for the public becoming obese, sick
which would include mental and/or emotional problems due to years of
digesting these chemicals. The FDA is not the public's
friend, but a deceiving enemy to America's health.
Many doctors are
over-medicating Americans. (Many Veterinarians are over
medicating and 'boosting' our pets). The medications that
doctors prescribe and the drugs that the pharmaceutical
companies push on the public, (Listen to the TV
commercials and listen to the side effects),
these medications are causing serious side-effects so to
combat those effects, we are prescribed more pills to deal
with those effects and on and on. I take meds. There are
times and reasons that we have to take medication and
thank God that they are available for us when we need
them, but just too many pills are being prescribed when it
is not necessary. My neighbor has so many medication
bottles on her kitchen table, it's ridiculous. She takes a
pill for just about every mood she gets into and every
ache and pain that she has. She's so stoned out of her
mind, she can barely talk at times and yet she is out
there driving. The last time I spoke to her, her doctor
had just prescribed her another pill to take.
When I was in my
twenties an elderly friend of mine died from being over
medicated. She was on 36 different pills a day.
Solution:
Our government needs to fire the FDA and hire
professional and reputable specialists to keep our food
safe and our prescription drugs safe. Listen to some of
the side affects of these new medications that
the media is pumping into our brains on TV. The ill
effects are more deadly than some of our illness. There are times
when we must have a medication, but the doctors and
pharmaceutical companies, Veterinarians and of course, the
FDA have made America so drug addicted and sick, that the
effects of these drugs are often more damaging to our physical
health than the sickness or disease, itself. For those in pain, we must have pain
medication. For those who suffer a physical illness or a mental
illness, medications need to be prescribed, but America
needs to be able to think for themselves before they just
start swallowing pills. Example: My sister came home from
the doctor one day and told me that her doctor gave her
these pills to take. When I asked her what they were for,
she said it was because her legs were turning black. (She
is extremely overweight and diabetic). I asked her what
the side effects were and she didn't know. The doctor
didn't discuss that with her. I asked her how this drug
was supposed to help her legs and she didn't know. Then I
asked her to think for herself by doing this: WHY WERE HER
LEGS TURNING COLOR? WHAT WAS CAUSING IT? She didn't know.
The doctor didn't tell her. She just gave my sister more
pills to take. If your legs are turning black, ask
your doctor what is causing it. If you are having a
medical problem, ask your doctor what the problem is
and what is causing it. Don't just take another pill for
it! Find out what your problem is, why you have it, WHAT
HAS CAUSED IT, and what you can do to change it before filling another prescription. Learn
to ask questions and think for yourself, first.
Years ago I had
a problem and asked my doctor what it was and what was
causing it. He gave it a technical name and said it was
caused by old age. (I was 32 years old!) Years later when
computers were available to us, I learned online what it
was that I had and it was not caused by age. Age had
nothing to with it. It was certain types of food I was
eating and the chemicals in these foods that had caused my
problem. I could have corrected it years ago if my doctor
had been trained in that area. Most doctors are not.
America is
slowly being killed over this kind of drug-pushing and all
for the sake of pocketing
billions of dollars. So many drugs are being prescribed to those who don't know any better and
doctors are taught to push these drugs. So is the media.
So many of our commercials today are about medications.
New ones pop up on the TV almost weekly. I honestly
believe that new diseases and disorders are being thought
up (and ridiculous names being given to them) just to fit
the new drug the pharmaceutical companies are making. Listen to the
side effects of these drugs. You have to weigh the
options. Find out if there is another way of getting well before swallowing more
pills. If you're not sure, go online and find out what the
side effects are and if there is something else you can do
to help yourself. If you do, ask your doctor about it and
see what s/he has to say. The doctor I have now is very
open to my preference of natural cures but at the same
time she will be quite honest with me if it is not
advisable. Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't. Find a
doctor you can talk to.
Problem:
Some Christian Newsletters, Organizations, Clubs or
Groups
This is my Pet-Peeve about some of these Christian
cliques. They create clubs, newsletters, groups (I'm also
talking about church groups as well) and as soon as they get a prayer request passed
onto them, they automatically grab that poor sap's email
address and put them on their own list of send-outs and
countless other forwards. Then, when you ask to be
unsubscribed, they get angry. This has happened to me
several times. It's happened to other people I know. Here
is how they work...
Let's say a very sick person or a person in a critical
situation sends out a prayer request to their own group
for the Prayer Warriors to pray over. Fine. But then some
well-meaning person in that group will belong to another
prayer group or some other Christian newsletter group and
they pass that person's prayer request on to their other
groups as well. The problem begins when they don't delete the
person's email address before passing the prayer request
on. The club or group or whomever gets a hold of the
email address and automatically puts them on their list of
forwards and other junk mail send outs. The original
person such as myself, or my friends that I mentioned
earlier are now on the list of several newsletters or
Christian organizations that we never signed up for. All
because we asked for prayer. As if
we didn't have enough problems already, (depending on what
our prayer needs were at the time), now we have all this
other email coming in, while our email address continues
to be passed around. We continue getting loaded with
Christian graphics, jokes, and other ridiculous stuff that
has already been sent around the world several times
over. In my case, I have replied to these 'strangers' and
politely but firmly said, "I never signed up to receive
your emails. Please take me off of your list. Sincerely,
Cheryl Taul" In a day or so I get a nasty letter
saying something like, "We've removed you from our mail
list and you will not be bothered any longer. We will
pray for you!"
Let's be honest
here. They were being rude and sarcastic as if I
needed prayer for the sin I just committed by
unsubscribing from their so-called "Christian" group. What
they don't care about is, they have violated other
people's rights and privacy. They are being deceitful by
putting people on their mail list knowing full-well that
these people never subscribed in the first place. They
don't care about that person's illness or trauma to begin
with or they wouldn't burden that person with their
newsletters or group junk mails without that person's permission. Last but not least, they are the ones that
need prayer for their immense stupidity, rudeness and
deceit. Do they honestly thing that Jesus is pleased
with their deceitfulness? Isn't their organization
supposed to lift Christ up in other people's lives.
How can one truly witness and be of any help when they are
being abused in this way? Jesus is not pleased with this
behavior at all.
Also, be careful
of those who call themselves 'ministers' online. I got out
of what I thought was a Christian group when I started
suspecting that the so-called minister was collecting
himself a harem of women online. I closed down
communication when he began writing to me about the
problems he and his wife are having with sex! (Like I
really care!) No, Jesus is not pleased with this
either and yet so many do such harmful things to people in
the name of God. Besides, there are just too many strange
people out there calling themselves Christians, acting
insane and doing some really weird things and giving us
Christians a bad name.
Church-groups. Oh boy! Here's another one. For a true
example, I was having a conversation with a woman who had
a bad experience in her church because she did not feel
lead to go out at night with them and knock on
doors. I don't blame her. I wouldn't do it either. When
Jesus said "go out into all the world" I don't think He
meant to barge into people's private lives by pounding on
their doors. To me, that's the same as a telemarketer
beating a path into our home by telephone. Anyway, a few in that
group told her she was not a Christian because she would
not join their door knocking escapades. Some of these church
groups are so psychotic. I
am a Christian and I don't think it is necessarily wrong to
door knock if that is what the Holy Spirit is leading
someone to do, but don't condemn others if they are not
lead to do that. Maybe
Jesus has something else for that person to do. Maybe
Jesus did not want her to door knock. Maybe Jesus didn't
want any of them to door knock and she was the only one
that listened to God in the first place!
I remember many
years ago, a neighbor invited me to her church. I dressed
nice and I wore my crucifix as I did each day. Did I
believe that the crucifix I wore would save my soul? No.
Did I believe that I would be labeled a 'good' girl if I
wore one? No. The only reason why this necklace was so
special to me was that it was given to me by a Catholic
woman that lead me to the Lord. Because of her faithful
obedience to Jesus, I was saved soon after getting to know
her. Later she passed away and that necklace that she gave
me was my reminder of her. Plain and simple. It was
precious to me because it was hers. But after church I was
verbally attacked (viciously I might add) by several
church members including my neighbor for wearing it. They
yelled at me in the parking lot accusing me of putting
Jesus back on the cross to be crucified by wearing this
crucifixion necklace. I cried for hours over that
and needless to say, I never spoke to my psycho-neighbor
again! Can you imagine such cruelty and
stupidity? Did they honestly think that anything in this
whole world would actually take Jesus out of Heaven and
put Him back on the cross to be crucified again just
because someone was wearing a crucifix necklace? I mean,
have you ever heard of such insanity? And yet, like so
many cruel and hateful people in this world, they
truly believe they are doing God a favor. It's not a
wonder that the rest of the world look at Christians as
nuts? Who would want to come to Jesus by seeing this kind
of behavior? They are not displaying Christ in the true
way. They are dishonoring Him and driving others away from
Him.
Solution:
We must learn
that just because it is
a church or someone says they are a Christian, we have the
right not to trust them until they can prove it by their
actions. There is nothing wrong with being cautious with
businesses, churches, people, friends, or companies until
they can prove their intentions or their sincerity. It is
not being a wise Christian by opening yourself up to
strangers without knowing who they are. Jesus said to me
one day, "Be careful who you trust. Some people can be
violent."
"Either make the
tree good and its fruit
good, or else make the tree bad and its
fruit bad; for a tree is
known by its fruit." (Matthew 12:33)
"Beloved, do not
believe every spirit, but test
the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false
prophets have gone out into the world." (1 John 4:1)
© Copyright
Cheryl Taul 2009
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