Things That Piss Me Off Tuesday - the my computer is an asshat edition

I know this is a day late, but the computer wouldn't boot up at all yesterday. Not even for five minutes.  I'm feeling extra snarky today, so here goes.

My Family versus Technology
There is a reason that they offer accidental damage coverage for computers.  That reason resides in my house.  I'm not exactly sure what we do to devices around here, but they don't last anywhere near as long as they are supposed to.  I'm pretty sure the powers that be at Best Buy are just going to eventually refuse to sell us this coverage.

This computer that I'm talking dirty to right now just to keep it going?  Has crashed over and over and over lately, assuming it would even boot up at all.  There's this weird beeping noise that is the signal of impending doom. Other times, it freezes without warning.

I have a fiction prompt to write, jerkoff.

We just bought a desktop computer, and it arrived today, so after we get that set up, this one gets to go to the doctor.  So that the people at the Geek Squad can ask me questions like I'm in some kind of technology abuse interrogation program.

People who don't know WTF they are talking about
You know them, I'm sure they've offered you advice or told you how you are failing as a parent in some way.  Except, oh yeah, by the way, they've never actually had to deal with whatever shit you're having to deal with and quite honestly don't know what the fuck they are talking about.

Doesn't stop them from offering up irrelevant advice that does little but piss you off.

People Without Boundaries
You ever just want to scream BOUNDARIES!!!! to some people?  I do.  A lot.  Like all the time.  This is part of the reason I don't go out in public much.

It's just better that way.

Besides, I manage to piss off enough people online as it is.

Flu Shots and the constant debate about them
As someone with a history in the field of public health, I just want to point out some things about the flu shot.  Ready?  Good.

1. Flu shots are never a guarantee you won't get sick.  The immunizations are developed from the best guess of scientists worldwide about which strain will be circulating the globe that season.  It's not a perfect science.  This year's shot has already been determined to be fairly effective at this particular strain.  Stop watching movies about epidemics and believing everything you see on tv.

2. The flu virus can mutate, but it doesn't mutate that fast.  And the mutations don't render the vaccine completely useless unless it's for the wrong strain in the first place.  They cover a fairly large spectrum of whatever strains are included.  Pretty sure this year's vaccine includes three strains.

3. The flu vaccine does not cause the flu.  It's a dead virus.  The flu mist (spray up the nose), IS, however a live virus, although in minuscule quantities.  Healthy non-immunosuppressed people usually do just fine with it, though the very young, elderly and asthmatics as categories should not have it.

4.  Not all flu vaccines contain thimerosal.  Individual doses generally do not, and you can always ask your doctor for thimerosal free doses.

5. If you don't get a shot, you are taking a chance of getting sick.  If you do get a shot, there's a chance it won't work.  Deal with it either way.

6. The idea with flu shots (as all vaccines), is that they only work to reduce the spread of disease if enough members of the population are vaccinated to create herd immunity.  Yes, I just referred to us as a herd.  It's a real thing.  If only half the people get the shot, herd immunity doesn't work.

7. Some people do have legitimate reactions to immunizations and should skip them.  My son is an example.  Since he could possibly have type 1 diabetes and is in this limbo phase, the chance of him having an autoimmune disorder makes us (and his doctors) hesitant to introduce other things into his system right now.  So don't sneeze on him.  Please.

8.  Real people die from the flu.  This actually happens. The CDC isn't making it up.

9.  If you want to rant about conspiracy theories and all that, go ahead.  If you want to proclaim that the flu shot is perfect go ahead too.  I'm probably just going to ignore you both anyway.  Do us all a favor and educate yourself before you hop up on that soapbox first, okay?

10.  The flu is a respiratory disease.  If you're barfing, odds are it's not the flu.  Stop thinking the shot failed because you threw up a few times.  Different viruses.

Cinnamon Life Cereal
I hate this cereal.  Loathe it.  My oldest daughter goes through phases with food.  She can't get enough of whatever it is.  Oatmeal, blueberries, Honey Bunches of Oats, Cinnamon Life.  Must.have.it.all.the.time.

Here's the thing....

I buy it every time I go to the store and we run out before I plan to go again. Last time, it was Honey Bunches of Oats (which incidentally is the grossest cereal ever made).  I thought I could outsmart her and stock up on it, which promptly caused her to fall so out of love with the cereal that she never touched it again.

I had four boxes of Honey Bunches of Oats in the pantry for over a year.  No one would eat them. I finally donated them.

Now, she's on my case constantly about buying Cinnamon Life.  Not gonna happen, sweetheart.  You get your weekly box and that's it.  I'm not stockpiling anything again.