(lygenztia *339) No shoes, no shirt, no problem...

My gosh, we are uptight. Listening to talk radio the other day, the topic being the distress people incurred when some guy took his slippers off in a restaurant. Oh, the horror!

How does this differ from someone wearing open toe shoes, or sandals in a restaurant in the summer? We frequently travel to Mexico. Where, EVERYBODY wears sandals, EVERYDAY. Including in cantina's, grocery stores, restaurants, pharmacy's, etc. etc. etc. And, I fail to see any public health crisis resulting from not wearing closed toed shoes there.

Some people have this deep rooted need to be offended. They thrive off being offended because they feel it heightens their sense of moral superiority. Chill the fuck out, foot watchers.

(lygenztia *338) Where, exactly, is the "off" switch??

I fucking love to swear. I never swear in a professional, or work context. Ever.

In a social context, I swear all the fucking time and you know what? Feels fucking great to lay that shit out there at times. Ah, the release...the freedom and the visceral form of expression.

At work, "Darn" or maybe "gee whiz" and there is the stand by "Oh my Gosh". I'm not sure if "Holy Cow" is appropriate anymore, so I dropped that bad boy.

Well, those words sure the fuck ain't what I use when i'm playing hockey with my buddies. Or, building a Goddam shed. Or fixing some piece of shit thing in the house that needs to be straightened the fuck out. Or having a pint or two at this great little fucking pub I go to.

But this leads me to my topic. How do we shut it off? I'd never swear in a professional context, or in a social context that is not appropriate. For example, at a funeral we are formal and stoic. Yet, we go across the street for a coffee or beer afterwards with old friends and within a few minutes it's "So, Fred..how the fuck have you been?"

It's interesting to me that we can turn it off, then back on and then back off quickly and usually with very few slip ups. Well, fuck me..I sure as Hell don't know. But it sure as fuck is an interesting thought.

(lygenztia *337) Sign, sign, everywhere a sign.....

I travel and fly. Alot.

I'm always amused as I stand in the airport security line up and hear people whining and complaining about the wait.

NEWSFLASH!!! It is NOT the fault of the good folks at CATSA/TSA that do the screening. It isn't.

Just watch sometime what people try to get through security. Machetes, knives, razors, key chains, lighters that look like weapons. Aerosol containers, liquid containers and all manner of potentially dangerous things. Then, invariably, they look all indignant when security says "no".

Ya, well pardon me if I don't want to fly with you if you are carrying a spear.

Then, of course there is the metal detector. People walk through it wearing watches, rings, belts (with metal buckles), necklaces, bracelets etc. etc. then cant believe the machine actually went off.

Duh....just read the damn signs and use some common sense. And, leave your medieval mace and broadsword at home and we will all get through quicker.

(lygenztia *336) Serenity NOW..................

Speaking from experience, I have some advice for parents who are considering allowing their "adult" son to continue living in their home:

If you ever want any of these things, do not allow you adult son to live with you:

-A clean home when you get home from work. (this will NEVER happen)
-A basement that will not require major, massive renovations once they FINALLY move out. (Because, they wreck everything....just like Godzilla)
-Tupperware, or plastic food containers.
-Underwear. (Yep, that's right they will wear Dad's. Gross, eh?)
-Socks. (see above)
-A basement free of a mountain of laundry. (clean, dirty...who the Hell knows, given the Mount Kilimanjaro like piles)
-Food.
-Your car not blocked in by your son's car.
-Clean bathroom(s).

There are more things. Many, many, many more; but I think you get the idea.

If you decide you don't want any of the following things, then by all means allow your adult son to continue living with you:

-Help with shoveling snow.
-Help with the garbage/recycle.
-Help with mowing the lawn.
-Help with home fix- it jobs.
-Help with any task that doesn't involve their world.

For God's sake, even birds throw their young from the nest. Mother Nature...... you were definitely on to something.

(lygenztia *335) The sound of silence....and no data..

I have a camp in Northern Ontario. There is no internet and no cell signal. Well, sorta....if you drive to the top of the mountain you can send a text (sometimes) and receive one (sometimes). But the main camp area has "zero" service. And you know what? I like that.

Whether are are making Maple Syrup, or making lunch we are all chatting. Skilled, meaningful conversation. I love it.

Conversation without distraction, with eye contact. With meaningful exchange of thoughts, stories, ideas and experiences. Beautiful. Clearly, the way it was meant to be. The contrast between pub conversation with everyone having phone in hand versus everyone standing in a circle, phone in pocket is stark and readily apparent. In the latter, everyone is in the moment.

A few people have said "you should get a hot spot device" to get internet service, or "run internet from your truck".

I respond by smiling and politely nodding and say "i'll look into it". Then I think to myself, not a snowballs chance in Hell.

(lygenztia *334) Keepin' it on the DL..........

Why do some people drive whilst wearing a hoodie? Are they cold? Is the furnace broken in their vehicle? Do they have some need to look "bad ass" to other drivers?

It looks.....ridiculous and stupid all in one. Kind of like a silly strudel, only it's baked in stupid.

Also (and here comes the "old guy" lecture), it's dangerous. Your peripheral vision is blocked significantly. Oddly enough, i've observed the hoodie donning stupid strudels to also have large, loud, can type exhaust systems. Oh, yes. Very cool.

Love how you placed a massive can on the end of your 1.2 liter 4 cylinder 98 HP "powerhouse" that used to belong to your Aunt to make it sound "fast".

Actually, on second thought..let Darwin take over with the hoodie dudes. Keep up the good work, tough guy.

(lygenztia *333) Freak.Me.Out.

Have you ever seen something in nature that just made you think "WOW"? I recently set up a trail camera in Northern Ontario and was wonderfully surprised when I viewed the photos taken by the trail cam.

Turkeys and Deer feeding at the same pile of feed. An incredible capture and yes, it Freaked.Me.Out.

Nature will sometimes do that to you. Check it out...and enjoy!

(lygenztia *332) Taking a walk...

Why do we say "Take a Walk" when we go plan to go for a walk? I mean we aren't "taking" anything, we are in fact going for (or on) a walk.

Maybe it's a throwback to olden tymes of yore and how ye spoke of things, then. More's the pity.

It just sounds so off to me. "Take a Walk"...does that mean you put the walk back when you return home? It's all so unnecessarily confusing if you actually choose to think about it. And let's not forget "take a break". Don't even get me started on that one.

(lygenztia *331) The salt that stirs the drink.....

Some people should be banned from ever using a coffee counter. C'mon, you know the type. You just want your morning coffee, BUT the guy in front of you is looking at all the the choices like it's the fist time he has ever seen them.
Milk??? "Do i want milk today?"
Cream?? "Oh, look they have cream, should I?"
Sugar and two kinds...Brown and White? "Whatever shall I do?"
Honey?? "Oh my, i'm not sure..i've heard honey is good."
Sweetener? "Oh, maybe that would be more healthy?"

"I wonder if they have lactose free milk substitute?"

Then, once he has finally decided, he delicately pours his choices into the cup and proceeds to stir it for about 22 minutes.

All the while, he is blocking the entire coffee counter off so that nobody else can reach anything. Yes, he has to stand in front of everything and stir incessantly to show his coffee prowess. Usually, this type looks around at everyone (while stirring) and smiles some quirky smile. Then once they are done, they shuffle out of the way and look at you as if "Oh, I didn't know you were waiting."

Next time, i'm slipping salt into the guys coffee when he isn't looking.

(lygenztia *330) Really? Like......really?

Tell me why a grown man would pee on a toilet seat? There is no fathomable reason that I can come up with, except for the following caveats. Disabled, in some way..or delayed in some way.

Other than that, WTF? Even a child knows enough to lift the seat, or sit down. There needs to be signs, I mean there is a sign for everything else, so why not post a sign?

"Attention Gentlemen: Please do not pee on the toilet seat."

Would that work? I doubt it, because I have an image of a toilet seat soiler. I conjure up an image of a tobacco chewing knuckle dragger that thinks "Gubmint" should not exist. Well, dammit we need "Gubmint" to regulate behaviour such as this. Eww...gross. I bet it would even piss off Honey Badger and usually, Honey Badger don't care.

(lygenztia *329) Do as I say....

I wish I could live my life following the teachings of the Dalai Lama. I read his proverbs and teachings and they are always so profound and beautiful. They make me self reflect and think "I should think and act like that." Then, I consciously try to follow the way of Buddhism and end up failing miserably the first time somebody pisses me off.

It's easy to be at inner peace when you aren't facing stress, or dealing with an asshole. Usually, when I get cut off in traffic the last thing that comes to mind is the teachings of the Dalai Lama, in fact......... I generally wish ass-cancer on the person that cut me off. Maybe that's the key...think of the Dalai Lama first? I think i'll put his picture on my dashboard.

I'll give it another try the next time i'm faced with anger, but my hopes aren't quite as high as the mountains of Tibet.

(lygenztia #328) This is a revelation to you?

Clinical Studies, including one from the National Institutes of Health in the United States indicates that teenagers brains are still under construction.

Basically, the early adolescent brain has higher levels of dopamine (the hormone most responsible for feelings of pleasure). The finding being ......teens need more excitement and stimulation than adults and therefore engage in risky behaviour. Ok, I don't have a PHd but surely most of us already knew this? At least anecdotally.

Teens that managed to endure the pre-internet years had the very same cravings for excitement and stimulation as those that participated in the study(s). It just the pre-internet teens risky behaviour came in a different form than our current bubble wrap, snowflake society's teens.

To name just a very small few, the teens of old would...
-jump off cliffs into lakes
-teens flirted before Tinder and Snapchat were even a concept
-canoe without a life jacket
-"blue angels"
-sneak out of our bedrooms at night to meet friends
-build ramps to jump our bicycles (without helmets)
-play pond hockey without helmets
-fight out a disagreement, then be friends afterwards (Oh my, the horror)
-sneak into an orchard to pilfer an apple (or throw one at a buddy's head)
-ride in the back of pick up trucks
-have parties when our parents weren't home
-skip school for no real reason
-play in abandoned factories and buildings
-climb trees (sometimes falling)
-race dirt bikes in fields

Yes, quite the earth shattering study.

(lygenztia #327) Well, yes. But.....

Have you ever found yourself socializing or conversing with the "forever disagreeable" type? My goodness, it is draining and arduous. C'mon, you know the type. You are engrossed in pleasant conversation and the "Yes, but" type comes into the fray. They are not necessarily confrontational, but generally they are condescending...at least from my perch of self imposed perfection. (insert writers's self deprecating sarscasm here)

It all begins with you making your statement, or point. The "forever disagreeable" then counters with disagreement, to every single point that you and every other person in the conversation makes, no matter what the topic may be. It has been my observation that the skilled conversationalists take two actions in response to this scenario:
1-They cease participating in the conversation.
or
2-They leave the conversation entirely and find other people to speak with.

My theory is that the "forever disagreeable" is of the insecure variety. They have a need to be heard, to be seen as superior in intellect. They can't listen, it's not in their repertoire. They can only expel poor taste and bad form.

And don't try to speak with them about this trait, they'll just disagree with you anyway. As Elsa famously sang..."Let it go".