Vent

I've been called unemotional in the past, which doesn't really bother me because nobody can really judge what you're feeling inside, only what you show on the outside. So, while I may openly wear my opinions on my sleeve, I don't necessarily wear my heart on my sleeve (I'd hate to fall into the trap of the Barenaked Ladies, "I have a tendency to wear my mind on my sleeve, I have a history of taking off my shirt..."). Nonetheless, while I may appear controlled on the outside, I do still FEEL on the inside and sometimes... especially at 4:00 am when I can't sleep... I just need to VENT. Consider this verbal vomit, something I will most likely go back and frantically delete in a momentary lapse of common sense and composure. Until that time comes, I need to get a few things off my chest. Here goes:

• To the woman who gave me a dirty look for almost running into her at a busy intersection -> when the light turns red, it means stop. Just because the two cars ahead of you chose to ignore that little detail, you should be the bigger person. Furthermore, by slowing down at the intersection, you gave the illusion of owning some common sense. Perhaps actually using your directional to indicate your intentions would've given the rest of us a clue that you were negotiating a turn rather than stopping to obey traffic laws. People like you give women drivers a bad name.
• To grocery store owners -> 6% of the US adult population is diagnosed with diabetes, 17% have high cholesterol, and 25% are hypertensive (I'm not even going to bother looking up how many adults need more fiber in their diet...). Why do you pack your aisles full of sugar free and low fat selections that are still packed full of sodium? Do you not realize you are feeding the silent killer of a quarter of the adult population?
• The second point is such an irritant for me that it warrants another bullet. Salt is an ionic compound composed of a cation (+) and an anion (-). Sodium is an element (Na) with the atomic number 11. Sodium, commonly digested in a salt form combined with chlorine, is bad for people with high blood pressure. Not adding salt to your food does not make your diet low in sodium. Baking powder and baking soda are very high in sodium, making baked goods some of the biggest offenders. Cheese (other than swiss) is also very high as are most deli meats. Even whole turkeys these days are injected with sodium rich broth to add flavor. The USRDA for sodium is 3000 mg. People with high blood pressure should keep it around 1400 - 1500 per day. When I watch my sodium intake, I keep it between 500 - 700 mg per day (this is probably too low for most healthy individuals, so I'm not suggesting you follow suit). So, consider the following if I show up for dinner at your house with my own bowl of fruit:
  

* Small order of McDonald's french fries = 140 mg of sodium
* 20 Lay's potato chips = 180 mg of sodium
* 1 cup of Raisin Bran cereal = 350 mg of sodium
* a 3 oz hamburger bun = 480 mg of sodium
* a serving of Bush's baked beans = 550 mg of sodium
* one cup of spaghetti sauce = 1000 mg of sodium

• To my former employer -> Thank you for the gracious way that you handled the recent reduction in force. Thank you for the modest severence package that you were not obligated to provide. I hope you will understand, however, if I remain somewhat bitter over the fact that the combined sum of the severance you offered to the 50% of my staff whose positions you eliminated totaled less than half of what you gave to our department head who you fired just two months earlier FOR CAUSE.
• To the men in my family -> please take more care to abide by our local town ordinances, particularly the one which prohibits: "...things within the town emitting or causing any foul, offensive, noisome, nauseous, noxious, or disagreeable odors, effluvia or stenches extremely repulsive to the physical senses of ordinary persons..."

And on that note, I'm going to play a few rounds of solitaire and head for bed. Good night!