Category: family

Different Headlines:A Ferrari F-40 With Only 456 Miles Hits The Block; The Terrorists Hit Christmas Markets….again, Same Thing/Different Year; FBI Stops New Years Tranny Attack; The Paris Agreement On Climate Is Dead Without the US Who Pulled out; You’re Canned Drink Is Really a Plastic Bag…..and more

Cars

1992 Ferrari F40 with only 456 Miles – better bring a big wallet, a lot of people have millions for a car like this

 Why Germany’s auto capitals face financial crisis – Mismanagement 101

Terrorism

 Muslim Terrorists Busted in Christmas Market Attack in Poland, Germany and Germany Again – We need to stop these MF and boot them back to the shitholes they came from. Why Merkel let them in is that she’s a liberal white woman who never should have been given any power. These camel humpers hate Christians as much as Jews. They hate everyone.

Germany Fortifies Christmas Markets With Armed Guards, Security Barriers as Anti-Christian Violence Surges – Why is it always the goat humpers

Sen. Kennedy Reveals Damning Minnesota AG Office Memo on Somali Fraud – Send them back

Tranny Terrorists

FBI Arrested A Fifth Trantifa Militant In NYE Bomb Plot – sort of makes you think they’re a problem, doesn’t it? Maybe they should fix the underlying issue first. Put them in Arkum.

Climate Hoax

A Decade of Debate: U.S. Exits Paris Pact Amid Claims of Failure and Economic Harm – so the grifters won’t get any US money now. That was the goal all alone

Islam takeover

‘Guaranteed to offend’: Leftists unravel when U.S. senator repeats what Islamists already have confirmed! – they aren’t here to assimilate, but to take over and take us back to 610 AD. Get those Burkas ready liberal women. You’ll be wearing them while you get your asses beat for not behaving

Affirmative Action

The one very simple thing that’s wrong with affirmative action that people overlook… – 2 wrongs don’t make a right

How to irritate Dad’s at Christmas

IKEA Has A Huge Selection Of Last-Minute Gifts At Every Price Point (Under $25, Under $50, And More!) – shit they have to put together instead of watching football and enjoying the day

Dirt biking highlights

Dirt Biker Tyler Bereman Goes Full Send Between 10 Islands On Homemade Jumps To Cross An Entire Lake

Biden and Obama Get Roasted

NEW: White House Installs Plaques Under Presidential Portraits on White House Walk of Fame – ROASTS Biden and Obama: “By Far, the Worst President in American history” and “One of the Most Divisive Political Figures in American History” – Call a spade a spade

Health

FDA Recalls MR.7 SUPER 700000 Supplements for Hidden Viagra, Cialis Drugs– Trannies were getting boners

The Hidden Layer in Your Canned Drink… – you’re drinking from a plastic bag

How To Ruin a Nation

Are White Men a “Lost Generation”? – Get rid of the people that built the greatest nation and helped the most people in the history of man

Artificial Intelligence

U.S. and China Are Headed for an AI Collision

Darwin Awards

3 People Go Snowboarding In Colorado. Only 2 Come Back: ‘Tell Them What Happened To Gregory’ – Her comment, not mine…., “it’s why black people don’t go skiing”, he went over a cliff

Football

10 Of The Most Dominant Individual College Football Playoff Performances On Record

Flying

New Jersey Flight Attendant Shares Secret Menu Drinks, Including ‘The Jet Fuel,’ ‘Pink Drink.’ Why Is Everyone So Mad About It?

Dine and Dash, Chew and Screw

‘We’re Really Walking Out On Tabs A Week Before Christmas In 2025?????’: Illinois Server Says Customer Left Without Paying. Then She Spots Her Outside Waiting For Her Uber – Bitch

Meathead and TDS

 Watch Brennan and Clapper Use Rob Reiner to Subvert the Trump Presidency – Trump was right, he was suffering from TDS so badly he couldn’t think straight. He was a useful idiot that Clapper and Brennean used like a toy.

Rare Earth Minerals

Tennessee $7.4 Billion Smelter Deal Aims to Break China’s Grip on Critical Minerals – the DOD has a 40% stake so something is up. Battle China on every front. They hate the west as much as Islam

Tell us one thing you hope people say about you.

Tell us one thing you hope people say about you.

I don’t care what people say about me. I can be the nicest person on earth, or one of the biggest assholes. I treat people accordingly. It depends on you.

I’m always the same, so if I’m not nice to you, look in the mirror to understand why.

They say in 3 generations, no one remembers you anyway, so who cares what they say about me?

So in conclusion, it’s not important to me what people say about me. I gave up caring about that in high school.

United Airlines Flight Attendant Makes ‘Airplane Mashed Potatoes.’ Why Is Everyone So Horrified?

Before I post the article, I want to ask, WTF happened to flight attendants? It used to be glamorous, and they had to make a weight every month or be suspended. They used to be cute and nice. Just like the rest of the air travel experience, it’s all gone downhill.

There is also the joke about how many straight men flight attendants does it take to screw in a light bulb. The answer is both of them.

I’ve had friends and relatives have this job since the 1950’s. It has turned into a flying cocktail waitress, Coke serving group with an attitude. The other thing that I noticed is that to a person, every one of them, men and women, were cheaters, including my then girlfriend. I found out about it after I dumped her for being a cnut. Even my Aunt met my Uncle when he was married to someone else. Other than my friend Rick, I found them all to be not smart enough to get a job other than being an air hostess. Even then, the best he could do was be on the phone, in tech support.

Flying used to be a good experience. Maybe if you are a first-class flyer with lots of miles, it’s better, but who wants to fly that much? It’s a cattle call now on dirty airplanes that are poorly maintained, flown by pilots who were forced to take the Covid Jab. That makes them more susceptible than most to heart issues because of the altitude.

Now this:

Some days just call for mashed potatoes. But what if you’re 30,000 feet in the air?

No problem. A United Airlines flight attendant has got your mashed potato-needing back. All you need is a few items carried on many commercial flights. Then presto! mashed potatoes.

Well, sort of.

United Airlines attendant Rachel (@rachelleahtia) shared her secret for getting that potato fix mid-air. The recipe is inspiring shock and horror.

Rachel’s recipe, posted on TikTok, is simple: Crush Pringles potato chips in a can (though probably any potato chip would do), and add water, coffee creamer, and salt and pepper—all items readily available on many flights.

She describes the mashed concoction as “a lil ghetto but it tastes good.” She noted that she wasn’t on duty at the time.

For most observers, it’s giving prison.

“So now we’re making prison food on airplanes?” wrote one.

“Baby… I know you don’t have a new contract yet, but you not in jail,” a second said.

More

Name your top three pet peeves.

Name your top three pet peeves.

Unless you are new here, you know I’m an introvert. That puts small talk at the top of the list. It’s usually meaningless and content free. It’s irritating to listen to. Talk to me about something deep that stirs my intelligence and/or emotions, or has great content, then I’ll want to engage.

Next, big crowds. I usually avoid it unless it’s impossible. Sometimes a small crowd is big if they are people I don’t want to be around (like family gatherings).

I look for the first excuse to not go, or leave early if I have to. If I’m stuck in an auditorium, I’m by the exit so I can leave.

Finally, internet arguments. You can be the top expert in a field, write a thoughtful piece that is fully documented with facts, and the first comment is: bullshit. You can say almost anything, and people will find a way to argue about it. See a few posts below on commenting.

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Feminism And The Dearth Of Children

I wrote about the callousness of females in dating, how they think they deserve everything, and then can have a family, but that is not how things work out for the best if you look at history.

It turns out that Children are the measure of a Society.

“The test of the morality of a society is what it does for its children.” These words, attributed to Dietrich Bonhoeffer, echo like a warning bell across generations. They are not merely poetic, they are prophetic. If we dare to measure our society by this standard, we must confront a painful truth: we are failing.

At the heart of this failure lies the collapse of the nuclear family. Once the cornerstone of civilization, the family, father, mother, and children bound by love and duty, has been systematically dismantled. In its place, we find broken homes, single-parent households, and blended families struggling to find emotional equilibrium. The consequences are not abstract, they are measurable, generational, and devastating.

As Ronald Reagan once said, “The family has always been the cornerstone of American society. Our families nurture, preserve, and pass on to each succeeding generation the values we share and cherish.” When that cornerstone crumbles, so too does the moral architecture built upon it.

Today, the majority of children are raised without both biological parents. Fatherlessness has become a defining feature of modern childhood. Studies consistently link father absence to increased rates of poverty, incarceration, substance abuse, and suicide. Children raised in single-parent or stepparent homes often face emotional instability, identity confusion, and a longing for roots that were never planted.

Feminism takes a lot of the blame:

The takeaway? Messing with nature has unintended, adverse consequences. Legions of females are practically cultists. Many are as barren as the Sahara.

Basic biology: young women are hardwired to bear children. Yet, that simple fact is shrugged off by progressives. Instead of having kids, too many females are adopting malignant social causes.

“Manmade” climate change is one such cause, as Weinstein cites. Woke ideology is another. Socialism? Mamdani won the NYC mayorship in no small measure thanks to younger voters, particularly younger women, who backed him lopsidedly. What about “fascist” Charlie Kirk’s assassination? Left-leaning females were in the forefront, cheering Kirk’s murder on social media. Not only is that creepy, but it exposes a growing social pathology.

Government has become a spouse substitute for self-proclaimed empowered females. Government may provide some protection — in terms of a social safety net — though little in the way of emotional sustenance and meaning.

A feminist tenet is that not only can women do anything that men do but do it better — and do it without men. In a common-sense world, that’s good for laughs.

Eschewing nature and evolutionary development are conceits. The interdependence — the complementary nature — of the male-female bond are dismissed. Humans are putty. Gender is assigned at birth. Differences between the sexes? Only if feminists care to assert female superiority. Do hardcore feminists despise men? Appears so.

Source

Go to the first link in this post and you’ll see why feminism has made women ruin themselves and now our society

Introvert Thanksgiving Nightmare

Introverts hate being put on the spot, icebreakers, and networking events. My Brother in law (who I nicknamed Flounder from Animal House) did this to me on one of the 2 worst Thanksgivings I’ve had. He was at the other one also. I mumbled some answer when I should have just passed and felt awkward the whole meal.

Holiday Heart – And How To Avoid It

This was written by Dr. Philip Ovadia. A link to contact him is provided below

Some doctors dub it “holiday heart.” Others refer to it as HHS. But no matter what you call it, the data is clear: more people die of heart attacks during the holidays than any other season.

Research in Sweden found a 15% increase in heart attacks for the winter holidays, with a spike of 37% on Christmas Eve. It’s especially high risk for people over 75, those with diabetes, or anyone who’s suffered from cardiovascular disease.

Please know that I’m not saying this to scare you. I just want you to enjoy the holidays without sabotaging your metabolic health.

Knowing your risks is half the battle.

So here’s what you should know, plus how to keep your heart in check.

Reducing your heart health risks during the holiday season

Does the holiday season inherently raise your risks for heart disease? No. But does it become more difficult to manage risk and avoid metabolically unhealthy practices? Most definitely.

Fortunately, there’s quite a bit you can still control.

Let’s take a look at some of the risk factors below.

Cut sugar

You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to realize sugar intake climbs during the holidays. Between the cakes, cookies, and pies, it’s hard to say no to the comforts of the season. It may be harder on those with existing metabolic conditions. One study following diabetics in the post-holiday season found that glycemia and lipids do increase after the festivities are over.

But as we know, sugar consumption does no favors for the heart. High consumption is directly linked with heart failure, diabetes, stroke risk, and even neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia.

I’m not saying you should cut all sugar during the holidays — just make better choices to protect your metabolic health. This might be swapping to whole, real alternatives such as honey instead of corn syrup. There are some sugar alternatives, but be advised fake sugars come with potential health risks. 

I realize it can be hard to avoid sweets at gatherings with family and friends, especially if they’re not necessarily supportive of your efforts. 

But I highly recommend doing your best and cutting sugar to whatever extent that means for you.

Monitor processed foods

The holidays (quite literally) bring all sorts of processed foods to the table. Prepackaged sweets, sausages, pies, and baking mixes promise to add “the flavor of the season” to your dining room table. And considering 73% of the US food supply is made up of processed foods, there’s a good chance UPFs will be present during at least one of your holiday events.

It is still possible to enjoy holiday classics with whole, real food once you master simple cooking skills.

Manage stress

I don’t need to remind you just how stressful the holidays can be. Two in five people say their stress increases during the holidays, with fears about money, travel, and busy schedules topping the list.

I realize there’s no way to eliminate stress during the holidays completely, but chronic levels can increase many heart health risk factors. They may also encourage poor habits, such as smoking, binge drinking, or poor sleep. 

I highly encourage you to find time for yourself, set up relaxing routines, and seek support when needed. You can also get more specific advice around this in my guide covering how stress increases your risk for heart disease. 

Keep yourself warm

Cold weather forces blood vessels to constrict, which can increase your blood pressure and put more strain on your heart. For those with a history of chest pain, this can lead to (or worsen) angina. In extreme circumstances, it could limit blood flow to the heart.

Keep in mind that cold weather may also affect the viscosity of your blood. It may be thicker and stickier, which makes it more likely to form clots. This ultimately raises your risk of heart attacks and strokes if you’re already at risk or have a history of heart problems. 

Be conscious of your drinking

I’m not a fan of alcohol at the best of times — even one glass a day contributes to poor metabolic health. Apart from increased blood pressure, drinking can also spike your blood sugar and increase your risk of heart disease. Yes, this applies to holiday favorites like hard ciders and eggnog.

Drinking too much alcohol can also lead to arrhythmia, or an irregular heartbeat, that lasts for many hours. That’s actually where the term “holiday heart syndrome” came from in 1978.

So I recommend limiting alcohol significantly and looking for alternative celebratory drinks. But if you’re struggling to pull back, start with baby steps first. Maybe this means one fewer glass before going to bed, or experimenting with non-alcoholic versions of your favorite drinks. 

Make activity a priority

Between the weather, holiday movies, and potential long-distance travel, people are typically far less active during the winter months. This can certainly raise your long-term heart health risks. But there are also some short-term risks to consider: namely, deep-vein thrombosis.

Thrombosis occurs when blood clots form in a vein or artery, usually within the leg. There are a multitude of factors that contribute to clot formation in the case, but one of the most common is immobility — being unable to move around for long periods of time.

You may be immobile while working a desk job, sitting in a car or plane, or sitting down on the couch to watch the Hallmark channel. These things aren’t inherently ‘bad’ per se, but in an already inactive season fraught with cold weather, your risk factors will be higher.

Do your best to continue some semblance of an exercise routine, perhaps extra movement sprinkled in (like an after-dinner walk, for example). I understand it might feel awkward or embarrassing to continue a routine around friends or family, so you may want to check out these four ways to strengthen your heart when you don’t have time to exercise.  

A final note

This isn’t, I’m sure, the most exciting thing to read before the holidays. And yet, as a heart surgeon, I care too much not to say something. 

Please understand I’m not asking you to moderate your fun, or give up things you enjoy during this special time of year. The purpose of my content is to give you information, so you can come to your own conclusions and make decisions to improve your quality of life.

If you’re interested in learning more about the intricacies of your heart health, I highly recommend the following resources:

And if you want to remove the confusion about your own individual heart health, book a free call with my team today.

You Get More Introverted With Age, According to Science

We all become more introverted as we get older, even the most extroverted among us. Of course we do

I’m a classic introvert, but in my teens and twenties, it was normal for me to spend almost every weekend with friends. Now, in my thirties, the perfect weekend is one with zero social plans.

And I’m not the only one socializing less these days. My extroverted friend, for example, used to run through her entire contact list, calling friends whenever she was alone in the car. She told me she hated the quiet, the emptiness, because being alone felt boring.

You know, for the whole 10–15 minutes it took to drive to the grocery store. Oh, the horror.

These days, I can rarely get her out for brunch or coffee. She’s content spending most nights at home with her husband and two kids. And I haven’t gotten one of her infamous calls in years.

So, what gives? Do we get more introverted as we get older?

Probably, says Susan Cain, author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking — and this is actually a good thing. Let me explain.

Why We Become More Introverted With Age

In a post on Quiet Revolution, Susan Cain confirmed my suspicions: We tend to act more introverted as we get older. Psychologists call this “intrinsic maturation.” It means our personalities become more balanced, “like a kind of fine wine that mellows with age,” writes Cain.

Research also shows that our personalities do indeed change over time — and usually for the better. For instance, we become more emotionally stable, agreeable, and conscientious as we grow, with the largest change in agreeableness happening during our thirties and continuing to improve into our sixties. “Agreeableness” is one of the traits measured by the Big Five personality scale, and people high in this trait are warm, friendly, and optimistic.

We also become quieter and more self-contained, needing less “people time” and excitement to feel a sense of happiness.

Psychologists have observed intrinsic maturation in people worldwide, from Germany to the UK, Spain, the Czech Republic, and Turkey. And it’s not just humans; they’ve observed it in chimps and monkeys, too.

This shift is why we slow down as we get older and begin enjoying a quieter, calmer life — and yes, it happens to both introverts and extroverts.

Becoming More Introverted Is a Good Thing

From an evolutionary standpoint, becoming more introverted as we age makes sense — and it’s probably a good thing.

“High levels of extroversion probably help with mating, which is why most of us are at our most sociable during our teenage and young adult years,” writes Susan Cain.

In other words, being more extroverted when you’re young might help you form important social connections and, ultimately, find a life partner. (Cue the flashbacks to awkward high school dances and “welcome week” in college.)

Then, at least in theory, by the time we reach our 30s, we’ve committed to a life path and a long-term relationship. We may have kids, a job, a spouse, and a mortgage — our lives are stable. So it becomes less important to constantly branch out in new directions and meet new people.

(Note that I said “in theory.” In my 30s, I still don’t have kids, a mortgage, or a wedding ring. These days, we have the luxury of not following evolution’s “script.”)

“If the task of the first half of life is to put yourself out there, the task of the second half is to make sense of where you’ve been,” explains Cain.

During the married-with-children years, think of how difficult it would be to raise a family and nurture close relationships if you were constantly popping into the next party. Even if you don’t marry or have kids, it would be hard to focus on your career, health, and life goals if you were always hanging out with friends like you did in your teens and twenties.

Once an Introvert, Always an Introvert

But there’s a catch: Our personalities only change so much.

In my book, The Secret Lives of Introverts, I like to say that our personalities may evolve, but our temperaments remain constant.

This means that if you’re an introvert, you’ll always be an introvert, even at 90. And if you’re an extrovert — though you may slow down with age — you’ll always be an extrovert.

I’m talking big-picture here: who you are at your core.

Research supports this idea. In 2004, Harvard psychologists Jerome Kagan and Nancy Snidman studied individuals from infancy into adulthood. In one study, they exposed babies to unfamiliar stimuli and recorded their reactions. Some babies got upset, crying and flailing their arms and legs; these were labeled “highly reactive” to their environment.

Other babies remained calm around the new stimuli; they were the “low-reactive” ones.

When Kagan and Snidman checked in with these individuals later, they found that the “highly reactive” babies often grew up to be more cautious and reserved, while the “low-reactive” babies tended to stay sociable and daring as adults.

The bottom line? Our core temperament — whether cautious or sociable, introverted or extroverted — doesn’t change dramatically with age.

Want to feel more at ease in social situations?

Discover the secrets to enjoying fun, meaningful conversations. Know exactly what to say — even if you’re introverted, shy, or socially anxious. Feel less drained and have more energy while socializing.

An Example: Your High School Reunion

Consider, for instance, your high school reunion.

Let’s say you were very introverted in high school — perhaps the third-most introverted person in your graduating class. Over the years, you’ve grown more confident, agreeable, and comfortable in your own skin, but you’ve also become a bit more introverted. If you enjoyed hanging out with friends once a week in high school, maybe now in your thirties, you’re content with seeing them only once a month.

At your ten-year high school reunion, you notice everyone has slowed down a bit, enjoying a calmer, more stable life. But those who were very extroverted in high school are still much more extroverted than you.

You’re still approximately the third-most introverted person in your class — but now the whole group has shifted slightly toward the introverted side.

And that’s not a bad thing. In fact, it might be exactly what we need to flourish as adults. If there’s one thing we introverts understand, it’s the deep satisfaction of a quiet life.

Source

My take, I just had my 50th high school reunion. I never even considered going. I enjoyed it immensely.

Do you trust your instincts?

Do you trust your instincts?

Always.

I somehow was blessed with an innate ability for pattern recognition. I can see disparate things happening, put them together, and know what a good opportunity is. I didn’t know it until things fell into place for me, and I thought everyone saw what I did, but I was wrong.

Here are a couple of examples. I’ll be as matter-of-fact as I can.

I chose a career in personal computers when I didn’t know what to do. They couldn’t do anything, except for VisiCalc, but I saw it as my future before they introduced the IBM PC. The head of a major company said he saw a demand for about 5 of them, and why would you want one on your desk. I made a career out of it. People thought I was chasing my tail at the time.

I had things in life I wanted to do, and knew that if I wanted to retire by 55, I’d have to start before 30. I finally left at 53, and people at IBM were still living paycheck to paycheck up in NY. I refused two job offers to move there to live where the cost of living was 30% less. Money is made 2 ways: make more and spend less. I did both. Plus, I didn’t have to live in NY.

It was clear to me that COVID was a hoax from the beginning, and I refused the jab when the sheep were lining up for it. Once I saw that the Government was forcing an untried and untested treatment they called a vaccine, I knew not to take it. I had studied gene editing and knew it was untested and untrustworthy. My whole family and all my friends thought I was nuts. They couldn’t wait to get it and thought I was risking my life by not getting it. They all got Covid anyway.

My Son in Law, who has patents and is a chip designer said I was smart, so why didn’t I get it? I’m not a lemming, that’s why. It was clear to me that Ivermectin and Hydroxychloroquine were the cure. They tried so hard to ban (and got the media to promote that it was bad) it that I knew to research it and found it to be the cure. I never regretted not getting jabbed, and the rest of the family now wishes they had made my decision. They rushed to get it because they were told that it was “safe and effective”. I called BS. We don’t talk about it because they hate me being right on that one. Thanksgiving is next week, and it will come up like Trump.

I never doubted that Trump would beat Hillary when Scott Adams talked about his ability to use persuasion techniques. I was an island on that one also. I was less certain in 2020, as the evidence of rigging and judicial interference was too overwhelming. Anybody could have called the 2024 election, so I don’t take any credit.

I worked in sustainability for IBM around 2009, but I knew Climate change was a scam when they worried about the hole in the Ozone layer in the late 1990’s. I knew it was a lie from the start, and we found out this week from none other than Bill Gates that it isn’t true, but rather a power grab. I read yesterday that the Ozone hole was mysteriously closing. Again, I was on an island calling BS.

I also have spatial Awareness that I got from my father. I can see how things fit together. It’s as clear as day when others are just arranging objects. Between that and pattern recognition, some things are clear to me as to their truth or the path I should take.

So yes, I trust my instincts.

What’s your favorite month of the year? Why?

What’s your favorite month of the year? Why?

January, actually December 26th. That’s when the world goes back to normal, and they stop playing all the same songs I’ve been hearing in the stores since October.

You can have too much of a good thing, and that is what they’ve done to Christmas, overdone it. I’m for the real meaning of our Savior being born, but people who don’t even care about that go overboard. It started in September with the Christmas decorations at the Home Improvement stores, and they are already up. Thanksgiving is next week.

It’s hard for introverts to process all the attention. We also know that for most people, it is fake. They act all happy and joyful, then get in their cars and cut you off and give you the finger.

All the production around it excites some, but drains introverted people. By the time we get to Christmas, our social battery is dead, and it’s hard to function. Look at the post a few below this on introvert hangovers, and that is what I’m talking about.

The holiday season is tough for some. Fake joy doesn’t make up for it. Too many people takes it out of me and I can’t wait for it to be over.

Different Headlines: AI China Toys Telling Children To Do Twisted Things; GLP-1 Side Effects From Vomiting To Life Threatening; New Lucifer Bee Discovered, Horns And All (on the females); The Left Want A Civil War, But Forgot Who They Will Be Fighting….and more

AI Toys From China

AI Toys From China Collect Biometric Data From Children and Instruct Them to Do Extremely Dangerous and Twisted Things

GLP-1 Weight Loss Side Effects

Weight Loss Jabs Like Ozempic and Mounjaro ‘Linked to 170 Deaths’ – Including Adults in Their 20s – Yet concerns are growing over the side effects, with milder ones including headaches, vomiting, and diarrhea.

In more serious cases, GLP-1s can cause gallstones, kidney stones and inflammation of the pancreas, with some doctors warning of ‘life-threatening complications’.

Nature

New Nightmare Just Dropped: Scientists Discover Horned “Lucifer” Bee – So the male bees are totally cool and lack stingers, and the females have stingers and devil horns?

Hmmm…you don’t say. It’s always the girls that are the devils.

The Real troublemakers tearing America apart

‘F-ck Your Dead Homie’: Violent Antifa Mob Terrorizes Attendees of TPUSA Event Honoring Charlie Kirk at UC Berkeley – Haven’t you got something better to do? Or are you being paid to protest? Here’s your hint, it’s the liberals, Antifa and the socialists.

Climate

Reality Caught Up to ‘Climate Change’ – Greed for AI power is more important that the carbon lie. Bill Gates pulled the rug out from under the Green New Scam

Air Travel

‘It Hurts Our Feelings’: New Jersey Flight Attendant Of 11 Years Shares All The Things Customers Do That Flight Attendants ‘Hate’—You Might Be Guilty Of The ‘Stretching’ One – what a whiner. You signed up for the job. The travelers overpaid for their tickets for usually poor service and late arrivals. If you don’t like it, learn to code. Oh, that’s right, you’re a stewardess. Every job sucks that deals with people, but you chose it.

Cost of living around the world

Visualizing How The Cost Of Living Differs Around The World

Inflation and Tarriffs

150 Years Of Data Destroy Democrat Dogma On Tariffs: Fed Study Finds They Lower, Not Raise, Inflation – NBADJT

Child Welfare Mistreatment

193 Youth in Care of Illinois’ Child Welfare Agency Missing in 2025 – How the F do you lose 193 kids?

Incompetence

San Fransicko’s Newly Appointed Supervisor Resigns Over Pet Store Controversy – I took one look at her and knew she was a loser

Civil War

Too Many Americans Want a Civil War – First of all, Katie Couric is a F’n idiot. Second, Antifa and the left don’t know that hunters have been practicing with camo and high powered rifles since they were kids. A lot of us had to fight real fights, not the pussy name calling they are used to. The are in for a nice Sunday Surprise if they try it

How Is This Legal? Drinking and Driving In Florida

‘How Is This Legal?’: Tampa Bay Woman Pulls Up To Drive-Thru. Then She Proves Why Florida ‘Isn’t A Real Place’

If you know, you know: Florida is more than a glorious, sun-drenched vacation land. It’s a weird and chaotic, semi-lawless-feeling place dangling off of the edge of America. And for Maddy (@maddy.1414), who lives in Tampa Bay, that is exactly why she swears it’s not even a “real place.”

In a TikTok video that’s been watched over 689,000 times, Maddy spotlights one of the quirkiest, most counterintuitive things about life in Florida. And shockingly, it has nothing to do with alligators or the Brightline. It’s all about drive-thru drinks. 

One For The Road, Literally

“Florida is not a real state,” says Maddy in the intro to her video. Sure, she’s going hard, but she promises to back up her claim with evidence. The video then cuts to her ordering at a drive-thru. “Can I just get one espresso martini?” she says.

A voice replies, “Yeah, sure thing.”

She pulls around to the window. But while waiting, she speaks directly into the camera again. “OK, if you know me, you know that I always say Florida isn’t a real state because you can do things here that you shouldn’t be able to legally do,” she says.

MY STORY FROM YEARS AGO

When a stupid youth in high school and college, I remember going through the brew-threw to get a six pack for the beach or wherever I was going. They were available in Orlando and along the beach. We had fake IDs and just cruised in and out. The best thing I ever did was move out of that state. That meant splitting a six-pack to the beach and another one on the way home. It was only a one hour drive away. I could have blown the limit by double, which was higher back then. That business made a killing. We’d have to wait in line for our turn, it was so busy, any time of day. I think they finally passed a law to stop it, but I haven’t been there in years.

How I’m alive is beyond me.

Now, when I see a Florida tag in my current state, I steer clear because I know it’s a bad driver. The minute you cross the border from Georgia, people pass in the right lane. The old people get into the fast lane and drive slowly. They also drive into pools in South Florida fairly regularly

Now, If I have to go out with my brother-in-law to dinner, he has a cocktail, a bottle of wine, and an after dinner drink. I gave it up 30 years ago, yet he drives because I don’t know where I’m going where they live, and he thinks he’s a big shot. How he doesn’t have a DUI or a broken neck is beyond me. It’s why I avoid my family when possible. I also won’t drive with him anymore.

If I’m a cat, I’ve used up 8 lives.

Feeling Drained? Here Are 12 Signs You Have an Introvert Hangover

An introvert hangover can leave you feeling exhausted, making you want nothing more than to escape to a quiet place alone.

Does this sound familiar?

You’ve spent the whole day with your friends or family. You’ve had a great time eating, playing games, and catching up. But now, you’re so exhausted you can barely see straight, while everyone else seems as energetic as ever. In fact, they’re already setting up the next game as you’re wondering how you can slip out the door.

The next day, after the event is over, is no better. You might have a headache, and your body may feel sore and drained, almost like the onset of the flu. You’re tired — so very tired.

If this resonates with you, you might be experiencing something we call an “introvert hangover.”

What Is the Introvert Hangover?

Introvert, Dear writer Shawna Courter coined the term “introvert hangover” in this article to describe the exhaustion she felt after celebrating Christmas with her in-laws. She writes:

“An introvert hangover is a pretty terrible thing to experience. It starts with an actual physical reaction to overstimulation. Your ears might ring, your eyes start to blur, and you feel like you’re going to hyperventilate. Maybe your palms sweat. And then your mind feels like it kind of shuts down, building barriers around itself as if you had been driving on a wide open road, and now you’re suddenly driving in a narrow tunnel. All you want is to be at home, alone, where it’s quiet.”

Yes, the introvert hangover is real. It’s a funny term that describes the serious social burnout many introverts experience, marked by significant mental and physical fatigue.

Here are 12 signs that you might have an introvert hangover, which I discuss in more detail in my book, The Secret Lives of Introverts. You don’t need to experience all these symptoms to have one, and your symptoms might vary.

Signs of an Introvert Hangover

1. Every little thing gets on your nerves.

When you have an introvert hangover, even small annoyances can overwhelm you. Normally, you might brush off a sarcastic comment from your partner or stay calm when you misplace your keys — but not in this state. An introvert hangover can make it feel as though your head is so full it might burst, leaving no room for even the smallest extra bit of information. Because you’re so tired, you may find it hard to control your emotions.

2. You struggle to make decisions.

Even small decisions become difficult. Paper or plastic? Pumpkin pie or cherry? Normally, these choices wouldn’t be hard, but when you have an introvert hangover, your brain is so tired that it doesn’t function properly. For bigger issues, you might find yourself obsessively thinking about the situation to the point of frustration. You’re searching for that one piece of information that will show the right way forward, but because you’re so exhausted, your mind can’t focus enough to find it.

3. You can’t think clearly.

Similar to the previous point, you’re so tired that it feels like your mind is processing everything in slow motion. You might struggle to recall details of things you should easily know, like your daily schedule, where you left your phone, or even common passwords.

4. Your speech changes.

You might speak slower, with unusually long pauses between your words. Sometimes, you might use words that are close to what you mean but not quite right — for instance, “dessert” becomes “candy” and “where’s my coat” becomes just a vague gesture. You might even seem a bit intoxicated, even if you haven’t had much or any alcohol. You might slur your words together, mispronounce them, or both.

5. You feel physically unwell.

Some introverts report experiencing headaches, muscle aches, upset stomachs, or other physical symptoms.

6. You’re tired.

Like, really tired. It feels like you’ve just finished an intense workout at the gym. If someone offered you a quiet spot to nap, you’d accept it immediately. After the social event, you find yourself collapsing on the couch, skipping your usual evening routine, or heading straight to bed.

7. You’re zoning out.

You find it hard to focus. Someone might be speaking, but you’re not absorbing their words. Your expression may appear blank, sad, or even angry, but you’re not necessarily upset. Your mind is simply wandering, perhaps lost in thought or daydreaming.

8. You feel anxious.

For some, an introvert hangover can intensify their anxiety. In social situations, they might feel particularly nervous, worried about how others perceive them and concerned they might say or do the wrong thing. They may also find themselves overthinking a particular decision, unable to escape an anxious thought spiral due to their fatigue.

Want to feel more at ease in social situations?

Discover the secrets to enjoying fun, meaningful conversations. Know exactly what to say — even if you’re introverted, shy, or socially anxious. Feel less drained and have more energy while socializing.

9. You feel depressed.

An introvert hangover can also trigger feelings of depression. You might find yourself overwhelmed by pessimism and cynicism, questioning past decisions, and experiencing dark thoughts. Everything in life may seem bleak or not okay.

10. You’re not acting like yourself.

You might be quieter or not as cheerful as usual. Something seems off, and those close to you are likely to pick up on it.

11. You can’t handle small talk anymore.

When you’re experiencing an introvert hangover at a social event, you might find it hard to keep up with conversations. You’ve run out of small talk. Your mind is just too tired to think of anything polite or interesting to say.

12. You have an intense desire to be alone.

When you’re dealing with an introvert hangover, all you crave is solitude. Whether it’s sneaking off to the bathroom during a social gathering or cozying up in your pajamas afterward, you just need some time for yourself. For introverts, there’s nothing quite like the comfort of being alone after a hectic day or social gathering.

What Causes an Introvert Hangover?

Research shows that everyone eventually gets tired from socializing, including extroverts. Socializing requires energy, and after a while, everyone reaches their limit. However, introverts experience social burnout more quickly and intensely.

Why is this the case? Introverts are generally more sensitive to noise and other forms of stimulation compared to extroverts. Their dopamine systems are less active, meaning that an overload of dopamine — the “feel good” neurotransmitter — can leave them feeling tired and overstimulated. In contrast, extroverts often feel energized by the same levels of dopamine, which can help them push past social fatigue.

To learn more about why introverts need time alone and why they get easily drained from socializing, click here.

The Cure for an Introvert Hangover

The best way to recover from an introvert hangover is to spend time alone in a peaceful, quiet environment. Do your favorite self-care activities or hobbies — anything that helps uplift your mood and energy. For introverts, solitude is as essential as food and water.

If you can’t be completely alone, look for small ways to take a break. You could listen to soothing music with headphones, go for a walk, or find a quiet corner to read. Even short breaks can make a difference.

As introverts, we might feel pressured to fit into a society that often values extroverted behavior. You might worry that prioritizing your needs could inconvenience others or hurt their feelings. This pressure can lead you to hide or deny what you really need, causing more stress.

Remember that your needs as an introvert are valid. It’s perfectly okay to leave a party early or to spend time alone. Your needs are real and deserve respect.

Source

The holiday season is here. It’s the worst 2 months of the year for me. What is telling is that as soon as the presents are opened, people go right back to the other 10 months of the year.

I cringed when I saw the decorations for sale in September, and they started going up 50 days before Christmas near me. My energy started draining on the spot

13 Things Introverts Find ‘Horrifying’

1. When people call — and a text or email would have been more than sufficient.

As an introvert, I am frightened by people who call when a text or email would be more than sufficient. There is a certain anxiety that comes with an open-ended conversation, since phone conversations are expected to take longer than the 10 seconds necessary to transmit the information. This anxiety is compounded by the lack of visual cues during a phone call that are vital to us introverts, but are often summarily ignored by extroverts. 

–Steve

2. Not being able to exit an intense social setting.

The thing that horrifies me the most is not being able to exit an intense social setting. If I am somewhere and don’t have an out, my stress level skyrockets. I need to know that I have a way to step out or leave so I can recharge. 

–Lou

3. Networking events. Period.

Networking events are made for extroverts who gain energy by being around people and engaging with them. However, for most introverts, networking events are generally uncomfortable and terrifying — we find it hard to be open and let strangers into our lives. We are atrocious at small talk, and it is challenging to establish rapport with new people. For us, networking is definitely out of our comfort zone and ranks as one the top scary things for introverts.

–Albert

4. Being put on the spot.

My biggest fear is of being put on the spot to say something in a group or public setting when I’m not prepared. That feeling of all eyes turning to me to say something off-the-cuff really makes me uncomfortable! 

–Jen

5. Two words that strike intense fear into my heart are “overnight stay.”

I may be an introvert, but I love people. I can have a great time seeing friends and family and love spending time together over a few drinks and board games. But if we need to stay overnight? That’s when anxiety sets in. Keeping up the social energy in the morning, not knowing when we’ll be able to duck out and find some respite — these thoughts embed themselves into the back of my mind, which makes socializing that much harder.

–Mike

6. First dates terrify me. 

First dates terrify me because of my aversion to small talk and awkward silences. I can talk to someone online, no problem, but face-to-face? I make very weird small talk because I’m nervous. The terror is, I see the date and he’s not who I’m interested in when I meet him in person. Then I just want to leave as quickly as possible, so the small talk becomes even more painful. I just sit there, in anxious terror, and blurt out the first thing that comes into my head, whether it’s appropriate or not. 

Prime example: I went out on a one-date-wonder a few years ago. We met for lunch, he didn’t appeal to me in person, awkward silence ensued. The only thing I thought to say was: “Armadillos are the only other mammal that contract leprosy from humans.” (I learned that factoid in fifth grade and who would have thought it’d stick with me 35 years later?!) He looked at me in horror and I fled. I never heard from him again — whew!

–Lisa

7. Public speaking scares me to death. 

Any sort of public speaking scares me to death as someone who is basically a career introvert. It doesn’t matter if I’m leading a meeting of three participants or speaking to a larger audience, the thought of being the center of attention in any way, shape, or form truly terrifies me. It’s kind of like a fear of heights — you don’t understand it truly unless you suffer from it. All of the workarounds don’t seem to work, and I just manage it by avoiding it as much as possible. 

–David

8. Getting trapped in a social commitment that goes on for hours.

There’s nothing more frightening than getting trapped in a social commitment that can prolong for hours (like public speaking or large parties). I prefer shorter engagements when my energy levels are higher, but once things drag on, it becomes impossible to focus and incredibly uncomfortable! 

–Sara

9. Having roommates — thus having to be social all the time — is an introvert’s worst nightmare.

The one thing that scares me a lot is living with my friends permanently. While I enjoy socializing, after a while, I am mentally drained and need time to recharge. If I had to live with friends, I’d feel obligated to be social all the time and that would be mentally stressful for me as an introvert because I wouldn’t have “space” to get away from them. You’re stuck living in the same place, and I feel that would be pretty unbearable.

–Roger

10. My biggest fear is being embarrassed.

As an introvert who avoids social interaction at nearly all costs, my biggest fear is being embarrassed. When I’m in public, I usually become solely focused on how I look to other people, what others think of me, and the assumptions they make of me. In the past, it’s affected everything from the way that I walk to the comments I make to even the tone of my voice. It can be kind of brutal, but it’s something I’ve learned to deal with. Staying out of the public eye seems to help with that.

–Mike

11. I feel my introversion can scare off a romantic partner.

One thing that scares me is that being introverted and very independent could cause damage to my relationship or scare them off. 

–Lauren

12. I fear being alone forever because of my introversion.

We all need love and companionship, but as an introvert, I don’t like feeling like I have to compete for “airtime” in social gatherings. I love my alone time, but still want a solid group of loved ones. 

–Tolu

13. I find it horrifying when my work manager announces, “Let’s have a team-building exercise today.”

I call myself an introvert, as I am someone who enjoys alone time, would rather stay home than go to a party on weekends, and I regain energy by spending time away from people. 

The one thing that terrifies me is when my work manager announces, “Let’s have a team-building exercise today.” Though we introverts tend to be team players — as we are all about deep work and being invested in the goals of the group — when it comes to group or team activities, it scares us. Team-building exercises involve interacting with people, small talk, and, in some cases, having the spotlight on you alone. These are all things my introverted self dreads and runs away from.

Source

12 doesn’t bother me, and I pretty much have gotten over being embarrassed, but the rest are true. I have to face number 5 on Thanksgiving with a houseful of extroverts.

I got told that I have to take care of some adolescents that I’m related to next summer and the anxiety has already set in.

Different Headlines: American Support For Same Sex Marriage Failing, Gen Z Not Going To Chipolte, How Europe Funneled $2 Billion To Erode US Democracy, Space-X Flying Car, Obama Creeping On Girls Like Biden, Dilbert Creator’s Health Declining Fast, Cows Fainting…..and more

Marriage

American Support for So-Called Same-Sex Marriage Falls – statistics say only about 2% of the population are homosexuals. The press would make you think it’s 10 times that. People are behind it when it’s in vogue. If you’re not totally invested in something, you don’t give a shit after a while. They’ve beat us over the head with accepting it for so long that those not against it (actually the majority) don’t give a $hit anymore. You can only hear something for so long.

Gen Z

Chipotle CEO: Millennials, Gen Z Customers Choosing Groceries Over Burritos – Dave Ramsey would be proud of them, even if they were forced into being financially frugal.

Anti-Americanism

European Billionaires Funneled $2 Billion Via Transatlantic NGO Network To Erode U.S. Democracy, Finance Anti-Trump Protest Machine – Denmark, Switzerland, and the UK, thanks for your support.

Venezuela Regime Funded Black Lives Matter

Working vs Free Money

Universal Basic Income – Making Slavery Great Again – you take away the will to work, and people of all colors are on the plantation again. It’s not the story you think you’ll read. The government is the slave owner

Flying Cars

Is This The Secret SpaceX-Backed Flying Car Musk Just Hinted At?  – still not getting into it

Woke

Woke Hollywood Just Keeps Sinking as Box Office Receipts Fall to 27-Year Low – The movies suck, starting with Disney

Canada’s Military

WHAT A DUMB, PATHETIC CUNT – I just liked the title

Some Reality On Racism

Beyond the Cotton Field: How ‘Racist’ Was Pre-Civil-Rights-Era America, Really? – Muhammed Ali after his fight in Zaire – “Thank God our grandpappies caught that boat!”.

In other words, the real racism was by 2 people, LBJ and Obama. Let’s dispell some of the lies being told today.

Creepy Old Men

“You Look Cute.. But I’m Married! Michelle’s Fine Too!” – Creepy Narcissist Obama Flirts with Girl at New Jersey Rally For Mikie Sherrill (VIDEO) – I thought he was gay, or is this just subtrafuge?

Dilbert

Dilbert Creator Says He is ‘Declining Fast’ and Asks President Trump to Help Save His Life — Needs Newly Approved Drug For Advanced Prostate Cancer

Government Shutdown

Elon Musk STUNS Joe Rogan with SHOCKING TRUTH – Exposes Dems’ DIRTY SECRET Behind Government Shutdown: ‘If They Stop Paying Illegals, They’ll Lose Their Voters’

Justice

South Carolina Death Row Inmate Scheduled for Termination This Month Has Chosen His Method of Execution – Shoot Him

Taxpayer Wasted Money

‘Ghost students’: Fake college kids collecting very real cash – enrolling to get money but never attending class…..think that’s called stealing.

World’s Largest Economies

$124 Trillion And Counting… These Are The World’s Largest Economies – no real surprises, but interesting to see who ranks where

Government Shutdown

Why Are 42 Million Americans Relying On SNAP Benefits? – EBT Mom’s gaming the system

Voting

Here’s Why Asian Americans Shifted Right – They are tired of getting their asses kicked and other crimes.

World Series Rioting

Fans Go Wild After World Series Win, LAPD Deploys Tear Gas – Win or lose, they loot

Cow Farting And Fainting

Danish Cows Collapse After Controversial Anti-Methane Product Added to Feed – This is taking Climate dumbassery to a new low. I’m with the cows on this one.

The Science Behind Why Socializing Drains Introverts

To the extroverts, please read this. Introverts will read this and say this is me.

ByJenn Granneman

If you’ve ever felt exhausted from socializing, there’s a very real reason — it has to do with our unique wiring as introverts.

An extrovert and an introvert walk into a bar. It’s a Saturday night, so the place is buzzing with energy. A cover band croons away on stage while groups of people stand around, clutching drinks and nearly shouting to be heard.

The extrovert takes in the scene and feels a surge of excitement. He sees social opportunities everywhere — an attractive woman at the bar, friends to chat with, and the chance to cut loose and have fun. He walks straight up to his group of friends, gives one of them a hearty slap on the back, and orders a beer.

The introvert experiences the situation differently. He hangs back for a moment, surveying the scene and taking everything in. Then, he quietly joins his friends. He feels a bit overwhelmed, drowning in the noise and activity, but he tells himself to relax — this is supposed to be fun, after all.

And for a while, the introvert does have fun. But it doesn’t last.

Soon, the introvert starts to feel tired. Really tired. Not only does his body feel physically fatigued, but his mind becomes foggy and slow (and not just from the drinks). He desperately wants to head home — or at least step outside — where it’s quiet and calm, and he can be alone. He’s already getting an introvert hangover.

He glances over at the extrovert, who’s still chatting away with friends. The extrovert doesn’t show any signs of slowing down. In fact, he looks even more energized than when they arrived.

Sound familiar?

If you’ve ever felt exhausted from socializing, there’s a very real reason. Here’s the science behind why socializing can be draining for us “quiet ones” — it has to do with our unique wiring as introverts.

Socializing Can Be Draining for Everyone

First, let’s clear a few things up. The scenario above is just an example and a generalization. Not every extrovert spends their weekends partying, and sometimes, we introverts live it up, too. We all exhibit introverted behavior at times and extroverted behavior at others. According to the famed Carl Jung, the founder of analytical psychology, there’s no such thing as a “pure” introvert or extrovert. We all fall somewhere on the spectrum that defines introversion and extroversion.

Another point to consider: Socializing is actually draining for everyone eventually. A 2016 study from the University of Helsinki found that participants reported higher levels of fatigue three hours after socializing — whether they were introverts or extroverts. How tired they felt depended on several factors: how many people they’d met, the intensity of the interaction, and whether they had a specific goal in mind.

It makes sense that both introverts and extroverts would feel tired after socializing, as it expends energy. You have to talk, listen, and process what’s being said, among other things.

However, there are some very real differences between introverts and extroverts.

Introverts, Extroverts, and Rewards

These differences stem from how we respond to rewards. Rewards can be things like getting the phone number of an attractive stranger, getting promoted at work, or enjoying a delicious meal.

We all enjoy rewards, and we all desire them. But introverts and extroverts react differently to them.

To understand why socializing can quickly wear out introverts, I spoke with Colin DeYoung, a psychology professor at the University of Minnesota, who recently published a paper on introversion. I was conducting research for my book, The Secret Lives of Introverts. DeYoung, like other experts, believes that extroverts have a more activated dopamine system than introverts.

What Is Dopamine?

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that plays a crucial role in the body’s communication system, helping to control various functions by sending signals between the brain and the body. Often referred to as the “feel-good hormone,” it’s associated with positive emotions like bliss, euphoria, and concentration. Dopamine is vital for a wide range of bodily functions, from movement to sleep to mood regulation. When you experience pleasure — such as eating your favorite foods or during sex — your brain releases dopamine.

However, there can be a dark side to dopamine. It’s strongly linked to addiction. Some recreational drugs, for example, stimulate the release of dopamine and increase its levels in the brain, leading to dependency. That’s how powerful dopamine can be.

Social media platforms tap into the power of dopamine, giving you a boost of it when you watch a funny video or receive likes on your post. This is what keeps you scrolling, even when you know you have better things to do than stare at your phone. In this way, dopamine can keep us hooked on endless scrolling.

Extroverts Have a More Active Dopamine System

So, what does this have to do with socializing?

Because extroverts have a more active dopamine system, they get more excited by the possibility of reward. Dopamine energizes them to strike up a conversation with a stranger or stay at the bar until last call. Even though these activities can be tiring, dopamine reduces the cost of effort, much like getting a shot of espresso before running a race.

Dopamine even explains why extroverts might talk louder, faster, and with more confidence. These behaviors draw more attention to themselves and increase their chances of gaining social rewards.

Introverts have dopamine, too, but our dopamine system isn’t as “turned up” as that of an extrovert. We’re simply not as driven to pursue the same rewards that extroverts chase.

Having a less active dopamine system also means that introverts may find certain levels of stimulation — like loud noise and lots of activity — to be overwhelming, annoying, and exhausting. This explains why the introvert in the bar scenario was ready to leave after a while.

Want to feel more at ease in social situations?

Discover the secrets to enjoying fun, meaningful conversations. Know exactly what to say — even if you’re introverted, shy, or socially anxious. Feel less drained and have more energy while socializing.

Be the first to hear when Jenn Granneman’s new book is released — and get two FREE gifts to help you feel more comfortable in conversations right now:

The Introvert’s Superpower

Introverts don’t seek rewards to the same degree that extroverts do. Is this a bad thing? In my opinion, no. It’s actually the introvert’s superpower.

We all know that one friend who partied too hard and paid the price, or the workaholic who compromised her health and relationships. These are people who chased rewards — hard.

Instead of seeking external validation, introverts tend to turn inward. They might research topics simply for the joy of learning something new. In their careers, they seek a calling that’s more than just a paycheck. They desire depth and intimacy in their relationships — a connection that is mind-to-mind and heart-to-heart — rather than an abundance of casual acquaintances.

I’m not suggesting that all extroverts are shallow and all introverts are deep. That’s simply not true. Sometimes extroverts pursue quiet, intrinsically rewarding activities; sometimes introverts seek status and other external rewards. A healthy, successful life for anyone should include a mix of both.

When writing my book, I asked introverts to share what motivates and energizes them. They all mentioned low-key activities, like a solo shopping trip, a meaningful conversation with a friend, finishing a good book, or expressing themselves through art. If it weren’t for the introvert’s less active dopamine system, they might not engage in these activities as much. The introvert’s way isn’t about chasing rewards but rather about seeking meaning.

Rethinking What “Wealth” Really Means in Retirement

For most of our working lives, wealth is defined in numbers. We measure it in bank balances, investment returns, property values, and retirement account statements. It’s the sum of decades of hard work and careful planning — a financial safety net meant to secure our later years. But once you actually reach retirement, something shifts. The meaning of “wealth” starts to evolve. It becomes less about how much you have, and more about how deeply you live.

When you no longer have to chase paychecks or promotions, the things that once defined success lose their urgency. The focus moves from accumulation to appreciation — from “How much do I have?” to “What truly matters now?”

Time Becomes the Ultimate Currency

In retirement, time is the one asset you can finally spend freely. It’s the resource you once traded away for income, deadlines, and career goals. Now it’s yours again. How you choose to invest it — in travel, family, faith, or personal passions — says far more about your wealth than any number on a statement.

There’s something profoundly freeing about waking up without an alarm clock or a to-do list set by someone else. That sense of control over your time is a form of wealth that many people don’t recognize until they experience it.

Relationships Over Returns

While financial comfort is essential for peace of mind, studies repeatedly show that social connections have a greater impact on longevity and happiness than income or assets. True wealth in retirement often comes from nurturing the relationships that bring meaning to your life — whether it’s time with a spouse, deepening bonds with friends, or creating memories with grandchildren.

Some retirees even use their newfound freedom to rebuild old relationships that fell to the wayside during busy working years. Picking up the phone, writing a letter, or visiting an old friend can enrich your life in ways no financial investment ever could.

Health as the Foundation of Prosperity

Ask anyone facing health challenges, and they’ll tell you: without well-being, wealth doesn’t mean much. Good health allows you to enjoy the fruits of your labor — the travels, the hobbies, the simple pleasures. Maintaining physical strength, mental clarity, and emotional balance becomes a daily investment in your quality of life.

That might mean spending a little extra on nutritious food, gym memberships, or preventive care — not as expenses, but as deposits into your most important asset. A strong body and mind are what allow you to truly experience the richness of this chapter.

Purpose Is the New Paycheck

Many retirees struggle at first with the sudden loss of structure that work once provided. But retirement offers a chance to redefine purpose on your own terms. Maybe that means mentoring young people, volunteering, creating art, or building something new. Purpose fuels vitality and joy — and often leads to the most rewarding kind of “profit”: fulfillment.

You don’t need to earn a salary to feel valuable. Sometimes the wealthiest retirees are the ones who give the most — of their time, wisdom, and compassion.

Gratitude Turns Enough Into Abundance

Gratitude has a way of reframing everything. When you look at what you already have — health, freedom, family, faith, or the simple beauty of a quiet morning — life feels abundant, no matter what your portfolio says.

True wealth isn’t measured by accumulation but by appreciation. It’s realizing that every sunrise, every conversation, every moment of laughter is part of your return on investment for a life well-lived.

In the end, rethinking wealth isn’t about abandoning money — it’s about putting it in its rightful place. Financial security matters, but it’s just one piece of a much larger picture. Real wealth is health, time, love, peace, and purpose.

That’s the kind of wealth that doesn’t fade with the markets — and the kind that only grows richer with age.

Source

What Food Would You Say Is Your Specialty

What food would you say is your specialty?

When I was young, my Mom told me some people live to eat, while others eat to live.

Being an introvert, long ass meals are tedious for me. I just need something to fill up my stomach.

I also worked in an Italian restaurant that had real food based on recipes that came from the Mother Country, not just pasta.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve attended the three-hour business lunches in France, which often featured exquisite food. I’ve also gone hunting at 3 in the morning, and ridden in many 100-mile bike races that started at sunrise. I’d have to cram as much food as I could in the shortest amount of time, as I was on a deadline.

I know the difference between 5-star food, and reheated chicken and rice in the dark hours of the morning. I just need a proper meal (not fast food or processed) to get me to the next meal.

I bet some readers served in the military who ate some awful stuff, yet survived.

In contrast, my brother-in-law was the president of Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse and was obese for a good part of his life. He lived to eat and has failed at every diet and/or weight loss plan that exists. He now has health problems I saw coming decades ago. He also got the COVID-19 jab and has symptoms from that.

One last thing, I never miss the Hot Dog eating contest on July 4th. I’ve been a fan since Kobayashi was transforming the “sport”.

8 Confessions of an Extreme Introvert

By Delilah Ho

If I come across as rude, it’s not that I don’t like you. As a very introverted person, I’m probably just uncomfortable.

It’s difficult being an introvert in a world that only works smoothly if you’re an extrovert. You’re expected to perform well in large groups, socialize often, speak up loudly, and be outgoing. As a highly introverted person, I get mentally and physically fatigued doing all of those things on a daily basis.

Here are eight things I wish people knew about me as an extreme introvert who also experiences social anxiety. Fellow “quiet ones,” can you relate?

Confessions of an Extreme Introvert

1. If I come across as rude, it’s not that I don’t like you. I’m probably just uncomfortable.

Some assume that I don’t like people because I don’t talk or smile much when I first meet them. It’s never my intention to be rude or cold, it’s just that there are a thousand things running through my head at the moment: “What should I say?” “What do you think of me?” and “Do I look like a hot mess right now?” And so on.

I’m quiet around the people I don’t know well, but that doesn’t necessarily mean I don’t like them. As an extreme introvert, I’m just uncomfortable when meeting new people. Honestly, sometimes just being around new people overwhelms me and I freeze up.

It’s easy for my extroverted friends to chat with strangers and make new friends at practically a moment’s notice. But for me, it’s like I need a month in advance to mentally prepare! And even if I did get that advanced notice, when the day arrived, I probably still would not feel ready.

2. I love being alone but I hate the loneliness.

As an introvert, I enjoy doing things by myself. I go shopping on my own. I go to coffee shops on my own. I go to the movies on my own — and I absolutely love it. I don’t feel awkward or uncomfortable being alone in public. Honestly, it’s my preferred state. I love watching everything going on around me and being alone with my own thoughts.

However, as much as I relish being alone, there are times when I crave the love, company, and affection of other human beings. Although I say that I don’t mind doing things alone, sometimes I wish I had someone to do those things with me.

You know, doing what friends do.

You see, no one likes being lonely, even if they’re extremely introverted. We “quiet ones” need close relationships and strong connections in our life, too.

3. Small talk makes me nervous.

I despise small talk because I don’t know how to act around small talk. Usually, when people engage me in chitchat, I give short answers like “oh” and “yeah.” As a result, I think I unintentionally come across as aloof or rude.

Little by little, I’m getting better at making conversation, because it can be a joy to talk with someone who “gets” me. But to be completely honest, I still get nervous chatting about the weather or my weekend plans. It makes my heart beat fast, and later, I think about how I acted in the conversation. Sometimes I beat myself up for not knowing what to say or do. I know not every introvert experiences social anxiety, but it’s my reality every day.

I actually prefer deep conversations straight away.

Ask me what I think of the latest news. Ask me what I think of Freud. Ask me what I think about global warming. Oddly, I can answer those questions without feeling the least bit awkward.

4. I wish I had more close friends.

I have a small group of good friends. They are people who I feel comfortable being around, so I almost always hang out exclusively with them. But if I’m being honest, I wish I had more people that I could hang out with. Yet this goes back to #1 — I feel uncomfortable meeting new people.

Honestly, there are times when I wish people would approach me instead of me having to approach them. That may seem like a strange thing for an extreme introvert to say, but it’s easier for me when other people take the lead in social situations.

Because of this challenge, I finished four years of college with hardly any friends. I may say that, as an extreme introvert, I’m fine with it, but I actually regret not making more of an effort to meet people. Again, it’s a skill I’m working to improve, but like any new skill, it takes time.

5. Even though I love him, dealing with my extroverted boyfriend can be stressful.

I love my extroverted boyfriend but sometimes it drains me to be with him.

He often wants to do things that I would not do in a million years, and he struggles to understand why I’d rather stay home than go out and “explore,” as he calls it. He wants me to meet his friends and family, but I get extremely anxious just thinking about doing that. Sometimes he tells me about social plans last minute, which gives me little time to mentally prepare.

Source

Personally, I don’t agree with number 4. I’m good with what I have. I weed out the insincere ones and my friends are my true friends, few as they are

Sto Viaggiando. Sono Un Tifoso Questo Fine Settimana – So Marriage Monday Meme’s Next Week

I went to see the F1 race in Austin. You can read the results online, but I’m a Ferrari fan, and they finished 3rd and 4th.

I got to spend time with my son, and at my age, I won’t have many of those opportunities again.

I write about how much I hate traveling and crowds, but to spend time with your kids because they want to be with you is priceless.

There may be some random posts, but I didn’t schedule my favorite, Marriage Monday Meme’s.

Best Of Pet Meme’s – Part 1

This will be an intermittent series. It’s a happy post while I’m out. Don’t forget, pets are an Introvert’s best friend, and the first thing we look for when stuck with people

Pet Meme’s To Share, Some People Are Animals

Pet Meme’s And Stuff

Pet Meme’s

Pet Meme’s

Posting Will Be Slower The Next Week

I’ll be taking a Father/Son trip for a few days, so posting will be slow.

I’ve scheduled most of the usuals already, with at least one best of (tune in to see what), so there should be a post each day.

If I do put something up, you can take shots at where we went. It’s one of our shared passions. We’ve gone through fishing, hunting, Karate, and this together over the years.

I usually introvert out and try not to go to stuff with people, but spending some of the little time I have left with my son makes it worth it to do.

It’s not like what I post changes the world, but I hope it brings some diversion from life from time to time.

Oh, and bad guys who think my abode is free to raid, there is a special surprise for you if you try.

The Courage to Stand Alone in an Age of Cowards

This happens to me a lot. Most recently, I was the only one in my family or friends who refused to get the COVID-19 jab. I was pressured on all sides, but it was wrong for me. People even told me how sorry they felt for me that I wasn’t. While I didn’t reciprocate the sentiment verbally, I was thinking how I felt sorry for them. That’s just one example, but it’s a pattern that goes through my life. I’m willing to stand up for what I believe in, even if it means facing ostracism. Inevitably, a lot of what caused my actions came true. It was worth not doing what everyone else does. In reading back that sentence to myself, I just realized that it sounds like my high school experiences.

Fortunately, my introvertedness allows me to move along and not worry if I’m the odd man out. It’s a blessing to not be in the crowd.

Now for the story:

The bravest souls are rarely the loudest in the room, but they are often the most misunderstood. In an age when conformity is dressed up as virtue and applause is the currency of self-worth, those who refuse to play by the script become lightning rods. They provoke discomfort simply by existing in truth. They trigger the insecure, unsettle the complacent, and disturb the carefully curated illusions of the fake.

We like to imagine that the pressure to conform ends with adolescence, with the awkward teenage years when belonging matters more than authenticity. But Solomon Asch’s conformity experiments in the 1950s proved otherwise. In a simple exercise—identifying which line matched another in length—he planted actors in the room to all give the same obviously wrong answer. Time and again, the lone real participant abandoned the truth they could plainly see with their own eyes and went along with the group. Three out of four conformed at least once. Not because they were fooled, but because they did not want to stand out. The fear of sticking out, of being “that person,” overpowered reality itself.

And here is the sobering part: that experiment never ended. It repeats itself every day in classrooms, workplaces, media echo chambers, and politics. People choose the safety of the crowd over the solitude of truth. They surrender what they know is real because they do not want the chill of unpopularity or the sting of rejection. The applause comes cheap, but the price of dissent feels unbearable.

Pair that with Stanley Milgram’s obedience studies in the 1960s—where 65 percent of participants willingly administered what they thought were lethal shocks to another person simply because an authority told them to—and you see the bleak pattern. Obedience to authority and conformity to the crowd are the twin forces that crush truth. And yet, every turning point in history has been authored by those who resisted both—the prophets, the dissidents, the whistleblowers, and the reformers.

To live this way is to accept loneliness as a companion. It is to endure suspicion, ridicule, and rejection, not because one is wrong but because one refuses to settle for the comforting lie. Truth costs dearly, but its reward is integrity: an internal compass that does not lose its bearing when the crowd veers off course.

Applause fades. It always does. What endures is the quiet, steady force of those who never sold out, never bent, and never exchanged their essence for acceptance. They may never be fully understood in their time, but they will always be remembered as the ones who saw clearly, stood firmly, and lived bravely.

source, except for the lead in which is my life

The Real Reason Introverts Hate Small Talk

Small talk is neither emotionally nor intellectually stimulating, so it can feel like a waste of an introvert’s limited social energy.

Does anyone actually enjoy chatting at length about the weather? Unless you’re a meteorologist, probably not.

More often than not, small talk becomes the go-to conversation when we’re at a loss for words. It fills awkward silences, it eases tension during initial meetings, and it can help steer clear of controversial topics.

But it gets old fast.

Introvert Small Talk

Now, if you’re an introvert like me, you might hate the small talk ritual. Jon Baker, a business coach for introverts, found that 74 percent of introverts said they dislike small talk, as opposed to only 23 percent of extroverts who said they dislike it.

Why do the majority of introverts hate small talk?

By definition, introverts are people who feel drained by socializing and recharge their energy by spending time alone. Because small talk is neither emotionally nor intellectually stimulating, it can feel like an inefficient use of their limited social energy. In other words, if introverts are going to use up their energy, they want to spend it in ways that really count.

(Not sure if you’re an introvert? Here are 21 signs that confirm you’re an introvert.)

Also introverts tend to enjoy delving deep into topics and exploring ideas on a meaningful level. It’s more energizing to talk about things that feel important and relevant to them. Small talk, by its very nature, remains at a surface level.

But those aren’t the real reasons introverts might hate small talk.

Why Introverts Hate Small Talk

It’s not that introverts hate socializing or people. Even though we’re introverts, we still need close, healthy relationships to thrive.

As my friend Dr. Laurie Helgoe points out in her fascinating book, Introvert Power, “Introverts do not hate small talk because we dislike people. We hate small talk because we hate the barrier it creates between people.”

Small talk doesn’t bring people closer. Quite the opposite — it can create a barrier that prevents the kind of genuine, intimate connections we all crave.

Think about it. When two people get stuck in small-talk mode, discussing only “safe” and polite topics like the weather, they don’t really learn anything new about each other. They don’t get to know the other person or understand who they are. They miss discovering that their conversation partner, for example, wakes up early to go birdwatching, hates the color yellow, or grew up on a family farm.

As a result, the relationship doesn’t grow in a satisfying way. In general, introverts are interested in understanding people’s thoughts, feelings, life lessons, and experiences, which isn’t usually achieved through small talk.

The key is to transform small talk into meaningful conversation. Here are some tips from my upcoming course, Easy Conversation, designed to help introverts and those who are shy or socially anxious feel at ease in social situations and enjoy more fun, meaningful conversations.

Small Talk Tips for Introverts

Small talk has its place. Patrick King, in his book Better Small Talk, explains that socializing and cultivating relationships happen by degrees, not all at once. “Zoom out, and you can see where small talk fits in and why it’s so important — it’s the first of many steps in closing the distance between you and another person,” he writes. Small talk allows us to warm up to each other, but it’s not where we want to stay.

The secret to not just surviving, but also enjoying small talk, lies in transforming it into a meaningful conversation. If you’re an introvert, meaningful conversation will give you a much-needed energy boost. When you’re immersed in an interesting or thoughtful conversation, you might just end up chatting the night away!

So, here are four tips to turn small talk into more meaningful conversations.

1. Invite the other person to tell a story.

One powerful tool to make conversations more meaningful is to encourage the other person to share a story. To do this, avoid closed-ended questions, those that can be answered with a simple yes or no, or just a few words. Closed-ended questions like, “How are you?” or “Did you have a good day?” limit the depth of the response and can often end the conversation before it even starts.

Instead, ask open-ended questions. For example, instead of asking, “How was your day?,” try, “What was something interesting that happened today?” or “What did you do today that made you feel accomplished?” Questions like these invite the other person to tell a story.

Here are more ideas from Chris Colin and Rob Baedeker, authors of What to Talk About:

Instead of…

  • “What line of work are you in?”
  • “How was your weekend?”
  • “What’s up?”
  • “How long have you been living here?”

Try…

  • “How’d you end up in your line of work?”
  • “What was the best part of your weekend?”
  • “What are you looking forward to this week?”
  • “What’s a strange detail about where you grew up?”

2. Ask why instead of what.

Here’s a twist on asking open-ended questions: Instead of asking only about the facts, the what, probe deeper into the why. This strategy, suggested by The Date Report, pushes the conversation beyond surface-level information and delves into the person’s motivations and values.

For example, after asking, “What college did you go to?,” ask a follow-up question like, “Why did you choose that college?” The second question will reveal much more about the person. Their answer might shed light on their passions, their decision-making process, or even their personal history.

Similarly, if someone shares that they recently watched a particular movie, rather than just asking, “What was the movie about?,” you could ask, “Why did you pick that movie?” or “What about that movie appealed to you?” You might get some insight into their taste in cinema, their interests, or what kind of narratives or themes resonate with them.

In essence, asking why nudges the person to share more personal information, which can lead to a more meaningful conversation.

3. Share a few details and see what sticks.

This can be a hard one for us introverts, because we tend to dislike talking about ourselves. It places the spotlight directly on us, which might make us feel vulnerable and exposed. As a result, we may not open up for people unless we know them well. Unfortunately, this tendency can lead to a repetitive cycle of tedious small talk.

As I explain in my book, The Secret Lives of Introverts, a good strategy to break out of this cycle is to sprinkle a few personal details into your conversations and observe what resonates with the other person. For example, when faced with routine questions like, “How’s it going?” or “How are you?,” instead of responding with the standard, “I’m fine, how are you?,” try to expand on your answer by sharing a bit about your day. You could say, “I’m doing great! I woke up early this morning to jog along my favorite trail. It really invigorated me!” Or, “I’m feeling tired because my two-year-old woke me up in the middle of the night, and I couldn’t fall back asleep.”

When you share details about yourself, notice how the other person reacts. Do they show genuine interest and continue the conversation with a follow-up question like, “That sounds great! Where’s your favorite trail?” Or do they give a disinterested nod? If the other person doesn’t seem interested, try revealing another detail about yourself until you hit on a topic that gets the two of you talking.

This strategy is like throwing a few conversational lines into the water and waiting to see what bites. It might feel uncomfortable at first, but with practice, it can become a natural and effective way to transform small talk into meaningful conversations. Remember, it’s not just about finding common ground; it’s about revealing the unique layers of your personality and allowing others to connect with you on a deeper level.

And, if you’re an introvert, this approach allows you to control the depth of self-disclosure, making the whole interaction more enjoyable.

4. Dare to be honest.

We often sacrifice expressing our true thoughts and feelings for the sake of politeness. But there’s something very authentic — and surprisingly charming — about being completely honest. In her book, The Irresistible Introvert, Michaela Chung encourages us to elevate conversations by voicing our honest feelings and thoughts, which can be surprisingly captivating. For instance, instead of nodding along and pretending to agree, try saying things like:

  • “To be honest, I don’t go to parties very much. I feel pretty overwhelmed being here.”
  • “I’m not a big talker, but I like listening.”
  • “I don’t like camping. Like, at all.”
  • “I’m really proud of that.”
  • “This feels awkward.”
  • “That hurt my feelings.”
  • “No. I don’t want to go. I’d rather stay home and have some me time.”

Such candid admissions might seem intimidating to share, but when done tactfully, it strengthens the bond between you and the other person. By sharing your preferences, feelings, and thoughts directly, you give the other person a chance to know you better. It also signals that you trust them enough to share your true feelings, which can make them feel more comfortable doing the same.

Remember, honesty isn’t about being blunt or rude; it’s about expressing your authentic self in a respectful manner. For introverts, these honest exchanges can make socializing more enjoyable and less draining, because they transform superficial small talk into meaningful, authentic conversation.

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What Do You See In Europe News? Assholes Reporters Everywhere

Although I’m not at all surprised by these God and Morals hating reporters, I still am surprised they have no compassion. They are consumed by politics and only leftarded politics. I loathe these people.

Remember on 9/11/2001 when everyone stood with the USA? It lasted about 2 days

Oh, I know them well. My wife’s Danish family lets me know all the time about the shit they believe. They are a bunch of sheep who live and die by the press, despite the known lying. I literally listen to what they say and know the opposite is true. It’s been like clockwork (both her family and the press)

Well, here’s an excerpt. I’m not going to post all the vomit that they published.

They have reached a new low in assholiness

Even the tragic and abhorrent murder of Charlie Kirk didn’t stop some leading European media outlets from spewing their ideological contempt for President Donald Trump and those of the American right. They framed Kirk, a deeply committed Christian conservative, as an extremist and a bigot.

UK-based newspaper The Guardian described Kirk as someone “promoting misinformation and conspiracy theories.” 

“Kirk expressed openly bigoted views and was an unabashed homophobe and Islamophobe,” the left-wing daily continued. 

Another Guardian columnist, Margaret Sullivan, took this opportunity to blame the ‘right.’ According to her, it is “tragic is how partisan, violent and ugly much of the immediate reaction was, mostly on the right.”

Sullivan tried to muddy the waters by pinning the blame on ‘gun violence.’ She claimed that the “gun violence truly is an epidemic in America.” 

“America” waw “deeply entrenched in tribal politics,” … “egged on by a president who glories in violent rhetoric,” she complained. 

There’s a lot more at the link, but it’s all the same. Conservatives and Trump are the enemy

Charlie Kirk Assassination: European Media Blame ‘Trump’s Policies’ and ‘Gun Violence’ 

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Remembering 9-11: “That Feeling That We Were Really All One People”

I was working with our European divisions (every Country as it was IBM) and on 9/12 they were all “We are Americans too”.

By the next day, they were back to their favorite sport, trashing America. Everyone shoots for number one, and since Bush was a republican, the hate came back quickly and with even stronger wishes for the USA to be harmed.

Let’s not forget that I’m married to a European. Her family didn’t think that we should protect our country because of the violence it would cause. They stopped being my in-laws that day and became my wife’s family. I had mentioned that this was the biggest attack on American soil since Pearl Harbor.

An analyst I was forced to deal with was saying how the US didn’t have to fight 2 fronts in WWII. I calmly reminded him that we had the Japanese going on at the same time. Yes, he was an asshole and an ignorant one at that.

I don’t even go to see them anymore because the liberal press in Europe can out liberal the US liberal press. They believe every word and the hate they have for Trump is only matched by Keith Olberman and Rosie O’Donnell.

Anyway……

Next year will be the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terror attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City. Most folks who were adults at that time remember it like it was yesterday.

Many of us have also had years when we’ve felt like distancing ourselves from the anniversary commemorations. Even for those not directly impacted, memories of that day—and the days that followed—still bring back traces of a trauma we’d never felt before. A feeling of insecurity we’d never experienced. Perhaps actor Tony Danza summed it up best when he said “I don’t like revisiting how I felt.”

In some ways the trauma seems to deepen with time, as new layers of grief emerge–like memories of loved ones who shared those moments but are now gone.

This year I decided to crack open the door and look back, if only for a little while.

In doing so, I came across some videos I’d never seen before–interviews with celebrities of that time period discussing where they were on 9-11.

Ten years after the attacks, producer and director David P. Levin released his documentary “When Pop Culture Saved America: A 9-11 Story.” Originally produced for A&E Networks, it explored how entertainment, comedy, and music helped Americans cope and rebuild in the months that followed. Levin spoke with numerous celebrities for the documentary, later posting extended interviews on his “Pop Goes the Culture” YouTube channel.

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They didn’t remember. The people I dealt with were happy when we got attacked every time since and were mad when we protected ourselves.

Leading Headlines: Stuff I Found Interesting

click on them for the story

WATCH: Young Woman Who Witnessed Charlie Kirk’s Assassination Says Liberals in the Crowd Were CHEERING After He Was Shot

Stand-up ‘Comedian’ Calls Charlie Kirk “A Demon,” Mocks His Assassination as “White on White Crime” — “I’m Glad It Happened. I Got Giddy Reading It.”

From Bluesky To Reddit, Democrats Celebrate Charlie Kirk’s Assassination; Trump Slams Radical Left 

Pennsylvania Teacher Shares Post Calling Charlie Kirk a ‘White Nationalist’ Who Deserves No Empathy – white liberal female as usual

The Four Horsemen of the Western Apocalypse

University Dean Fired For Saying She Had ‘ZERO Sympathy’ For Charlie Kirk

NASA Is Testing AI Enabled ‘Dynamic Targeting’ from Space

Green Jobs Make Us PoorerRifle Ammo In Kirk Assassination Engraved With ‘Transtifa’ Ideology: Law Enforcement Memo
NFL Team Fires Communications Staffer Over Insensitive Kirk Post

How do you practice self-care?

How do you practice self-care?

Set boundaries

I had to learn that lesson the hard way. If it meant my sanity or a friendship, I’ve gone both ways, but I’m protecting my ass from now on.

I’ve done too much stuff that when in the middle of doing said stuff I thought, “I really don’t want to be here or doing this”. I don’t do that shit anymore. If it looks like a suck now, I bail early.

I also don’t let people run over me. It’s not that I was a dormat, I just didn’t understand that some people would use you and take you for granted. It never had occurred to me until it happened to my ass over and over again. I didn’t even know at first you could say no and not hurt someone’s feelings.

Well, no more. I draw the line. I’ve seen it upset people, only to find the people not being upset or even thinking of me shortly thereafter.

It’s made my life a lot better because I’m not in situations that I don’t want to be in.

You’d think it would have taken me less time to figure this out, but no.

The Hidden Cost Of Europe’s Free Education

My wife is Scandinavian. I’ve heard 3 decades of shit from them about free education, free medical, and free money if you can’t work or are going to school, or basically, if you are alive, you can suck off the system. There are a lot of illegals and goat herders who are getting free money also. Someone is paying for it.

The problem I point out is that their 70% tax rate is paying for this.

The other problem is that almost everyone in her family who got an operation had to either have it redone or had results that would be malpractice were it not socialized medicine.

Not all of her country finishes high school. So much for the education.

Even they don’t believe it is free anymore. Their argument couldn’t hold water as soon as I asked a couple of questions about how the economics work. They can be insufferable so the less we talk, usually the better, for me at least. You can only listen to so much shit before it gets old and it got old for me decades ago.

Now This:

Europe’s free university model is often seen as a triumph of modern society. With no crushing tuition bills, minimal student debt, and a promise of equal access, it sounds ideal. In countries like Germany and France, students pay only a small administrative fee, typically between $200 and $500 a year, compared to the staggering tuition costs in the US or UK. Many also receive financial aid in the form of grants that don’t need to be repaid, or low-interest loans based on need.

But behind the promises of fairness and opportunity lies a system that too often feels rigid, overcrowded, and uninspiring.

For all its accessibility, the reality of navigating these institutions can leave students feeling like just another number in a giant, bureaucratic machine.

When education is available to everyone, universities become packed. Lecture halls overflow, and personal contact with professors becomes rare. In many European countries, it is normal to attend classes with hundreds of other students. There is little space for discussion, feedback, or even questions.

You sit, you take notes, you pass or fail. It feels more like an assembly line than a place for learning. And the numbers explain why. In 2022, the European Union had 18.8 million students, about 7 percent of its total population, enrolled in tertiary education. In the United States, about 19.1 million people were enrolled in college during the 2024–25 academic year. In addition to similar enrollment figures, both the EU and the US have made higher education widely accessible. In the EU, where tuition is often free or heavily subsidized, higher education has been expanded to accommodate the majority. As of 2022, 44 percent of EU citizens aged 25–34 had completed a tertiary degree, compared to 50 percent in the US.

The two systems differ in structure. What sets these systems apart is not the number of students, but how education is delivered. European universities tend to rely on large lectures, rigid course pathways, and limited institutional competition. The result is a model built for efficiency over individualization. US institutions, by contrast, operate in a competitive, decentralized environment with a wider range of academic structures, including smaller colleges and more flexible program design.

When higher education is scaled to serve nearly everyone, as in much of Europe, it risks trading depth for throughput and personalization for administrative convenience. It works, but at the cost of treating education less as a journey and more as a bureaucratic process.

story

So I’m tired of hearing about their system. They are about to turn out a bunch of substandard students not to mention all of the illegals.

What do you enjoy most about writing?

What do you enjoy most about writing?

What I like best about writing is it forces me to slow down and makes me think about what I’m saying. Grammatically, I think my writing is a disaster sometimes, but many times I’ve been able to deal with a situation in my head through unspoken words only to me. When the time came for the conflict or resolution, I was practiced and ready.

Anybody who reads my blog knows that you’re gonna get a lot of introvert information from me. When I write, I’m not talking, and since 90 % of talking is small talk, it has reduced value for me.

Baby Born from 30-Year-Old Frozen Embryo Shocks World

It shoots down the abortionist (liberal) argument that a pre-born baby is just a bunch of cells. It proves life begins at conception, or this couldn’t be true.

Via Freepik

On July 26, 2025, Thaddeus Daniel Pierce was born in Ohio from an embryo frozen for over 30 years, marking a record for the longest-frozen embryo leading to a live birth, as reported by MIT Technology Review.

Lindsey and Tim Pierce adopted the embryo through Nightlight Christian Adoptions’ Snowflakes program. The embryo, created in 1994, originated from biological mother Linda Archerd via IVF.

In the early 1990s, Archerd and her then-husband faced infertility for six years before turning to IVF, a then-emerging technology, according to the BBC.

They produced four embryos, with one implanted to become Archerd’s now-30-year-old daughter, who has a 10-year-old child. The remaining three were cryopreserved, with Archerd paying annual storage fees of about $1,000.

After her marriage ended and she reached menopause, Archerd, now 62, chose not to discard the embryos or donate them for research.

As a Christian, she opted for embryo adoption to have input on the adoptive parents. She specified preferences for a married, Caucasian, Christian couple in the US.

Lindsey Pierce, 35, and Tim Pierce, 34, had tried for seven years to conceive before exploring embryo adoption. They registered with the Snowflakes program, open to various embryo criteria.

story

Tired Of Your Pet, Feed Him To The Lions In Denmark

Seriously, what is in the water over there? Maybe this is what is rotten in Denmark.

There is no way I’m sending my pet to get euthanized and eaten. I’m not a savage. Maybe they couldn’t hold back that Viking gene and had to kill something to feed it to the predators. Anyway, there is no way this was going to turn out good the minute some pissed off girl sends her ex’s pet to the zoo for lunch.

A zoo in Denmark is asking for donations of small pets as food for its predators.

The Aalborg zoo said it is trying to mimic the natural food chain of the animals housed there “for the sake of both animal welfare and professional integrity” and offers assurances the pets will be “gently euthanized” by trained staff.

The zoo in northern Denmark explained in a Facebook post that “if you have a healthy animal that needs to be given away for various reasons, feel free to donate it to us.”

The zoo points to guinea pigs, rabbits, and chickens as possible donations. After being euthanized, the animals will be used as fodder, the zoo said.

“That way, nothing goes to waste — and we ensure natural behavior, nutrition and well-being of our predators,” the zoo said.

The online call for pet donations is accompanied by a picture of a wildcat baring its teeth with its mouth wide open and a link to the zoo’s website, noting the facility also is interested in receiving horses.

story

Visualized: Every State’s Most Common Job in 1998 vs. 2024

Key Takeaways

  • Retail salesperson (39 states) and cashiers (7) were the most common job categories by state back in 1998.
  • In 2024, it’s fast food worker (15 states) and retail salesperson (11).
  • Home health aides are a new popular job category, the most common in 10 states.

1998 was a long time ago.

The first Matrix movie hadn’t yet released, the internet was still the purview of the Western world, and e-commerce giant Amazon was only five years old.

For obvious reasons, the U.S. labor market back then was different—but exactly how different?

This graphic compares the most common jobs in each U.S. state between 1998 to 2024, measured by the number of people employed in each category. Data for this visualization comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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Bugs Bunny Turns 85: The Cartoon Icon’s Impact Still Resonates 

Bugs is my favorite. I liked Jonny Quest also, but they didn’t make enough episodes and it kind of was the same episode every week. Every Jeopardy answer I get on Opera is from Bugs. He was the most anti-PC character before Beavis and Butthead

Not Bugs.

Bugs Bunny cartoon advertisement.

(LMPC via Getty Images)

Hans von Spakovsky is the manager of the Election Law Reform Initiative and a senior legal fellow in the Edwin Meese III Center for Legal and Judicial Studies at The Heritage Foundation.

I know, I know. We have been in the midst of a blizzard of important domestic and world events this summer, from the final week of the Supreme Court’s term with a slew of important decisions to the fight over the “Big, Beautiful Bill” to the war in the Middle East and the Russian/Ukrainian conflict. We also just celebrated the 249th birthday of the United States.   

But in the midst of all this, we should not forget the 85th birthday of that beloved all-American trickster and practical joker, Bugs Bunny. A look back at the original cartoon series shows just how much that rabbit reflected the culture, the politics, and the patriotism of the times and how some of his antics wouldn’t play well for the woke generation of today.  

On July 27, 1940, the wisecracking, mouthy bunny with a Brooklyn accent got his official start in the Looney Tunes classic “A Wild Hare,” in which he bamboozles and confuses the most unsuccessful and hapless hunter in American history, Elmer Fudd, for the first of many times.  

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For the past 85 years, in addition to Elmer Fudd, Bugs Bunny has been trouncing, defeating, and outtalking a host of surly but memorable characters, including Yosemite Sam, the roughest, toughest hombre east of the Pecos; Porky “Th-Th-Th-That’s all, folks” Pig; and Daffy Duck. Elmer Fudd never managed to catch that wascally wabbit, and the same goes for Daffy Duck, who was never able to outsmart Bugs or get the better of him.  

Trouncing, defeating, and outtalking a host of surly characters? Gosh, who does that remind you of in today’s political world? 

There are even two cartoons, “Operation: Rabbit” (1952) and “To Hare is Human” (1956), in which Wile E. Coyote is up against Bugs Bunny instead of his usual opponent, the Road Runner, who is on vacation, with the same disastrous results. Wile E. Coyote actually speaks in that second cartoon, something he does not do in any other appearance, except by holding up a sign, usually about something stupid that he just did. 

Don’t you wish there really was a company like ACME, Wile E. Coyote’s go-to company for equipment? I know Amazon comes close, but it just doesn’t have the same expansive inventory as ACME of bombs, cannons, TNT, anvils, missiles, rocket sleds, and every other kind of fiendish device our fevered imaginations can imagine. 

While kids have always liked these cartoons, they were really designed by adults for adults, since they were shown in movie theaters before the feature films. The original cartoons contain many politically incorrect scenes that these days would get them instantly criticized by the “woke police,” another reason they remain so timeless.   

While Bugs Bunny was the main star, he had a host of other colleagues who appeared in other cartoons, including Pepe le Pew, Foghorn Leghorn, and Sylvester the cat, to name just a few. Besides Bugs Bunny, I have to admit that Foghorn Leghorn, the loud, blustering, overbearing rooster, is one of my other favorites characters, in large part because he resembles so many of the politicians one encounters here in the nation’s capital.   

Speaking of politicians, you shouldn’t miss “Ballot Box Bunny” (1951), where Bugs runs against Yosemite Sam for mayor of a small town. They play every trick you can imagine on each other to try to win—not too different from the tricks we see in real campaigns today—and Yosemite Sam’s campaign promises alone are worth watching. Bugs and Sam spend so much time attacking each other that, in the end, they are both beaten by a dark horse—in this case, literally a dark horse. Fortunately, neither of them is prosecuted by an overzealous U.S. Justice Department. 

While Daffy Duck may have never gotten the better of Bugs Bunny, he was the first American duck to go into space to battle aliens in 1953, long before Harrison Ford in “Star Wars,” when he fought Marvin the Martian in “Duck Dodgers in the 24 1/2th Century,” a takeoff on the “Buck Rogers” serial that premiered in movie houses in 1939. One of the cleverest of the Daffy Duck/Bugs Bunny confrontations also premiered in 1953. In “Duck Amuck,” an unidentified animator keeps changing Daffy’s shape, location, and even his voice. Of course, it turns out in the end that the animator is Bugs Bunny. 

But getting back to the woke police, there was actually criticism of Pepe le Pew as supposedly glorifying a sexual harasser and of Elmer Fudd for carrying a gun. In fact, the idiots at HBO Max decreed that Fudd had to be gun-free in their reboot of Looney Tunes in 2020. Just more proof that liberals really have no sense of humor, something the Babylon Bee proves every day. 

Bugs Bunny was a star for Warner Bros., the Hollywood studio started in 1923 by the four Warner brothers, Harry, Albert, Sam, and Jack. The animators at Warner Bros. created 167 brilliant and memorable Bugs Bunny cartoons during the golden age of American animation. I don’t count more recently produced Bugs Bunny cartoons, all of which lack the comedy, wit, and cleverness of the originals. These were cartoons created by adults for adults with a mischievous sense of humor. 

While Bugs Bunny always came out on top, he was not infallible. There were actually three cartoons that were takeoffs on the Aesop fairy tale about the race between the tortoise and the hare: “Tortoise Beats Hare” (1941), “Tortoise Wins by a Hare” (1943), and “Rabbit Transit” (1947). In each one, the tortoise gets the better of Bugs Bunny, including “Rabbit Transit,” in which Bugs Bunny actually wins the race but then is arrested by the police for speeding.   

Whenever he went on vacation, Bugs Bunny always took a wrong turn in Albuquerque. Having been to “Albukoykee,” as Bugs Bunny pronounces it, I can understand why. Those wrong turns led him to some dangerous places, including the middle of a bull ring in Mexico in “Bully for Bugs” (1953) or Nazi Germany in “Herr Meets Hare” (1945), where he confronted Adolf Hitler and Hermann Göering, and Bugs imitates Joseph Stalin.  

Speaking of Nazi Germany, Bugs did go to war like a lot of Hollywood during World War II. He became an honorary master sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps after he appeared in a Marine Corps dress blue uniform in “Super-Rabbit” (1943). Some of these wartime cartoons like “Bugs Bunny Nips the Nips” (1944) have been “banned” by oversensitive cartoon channels because of the racial or ethnic stereotypes used at the time. Bugs Bunny even got drafted during the Korean War in “Forward March Hare” (1952) when he got his neighbor’s draft notice by mistake. And no, he did not abscond to Canada to avoid service. 

If you love opera, you can’t beat the Bugs Bunny versions. Turns out that the directors and animators were all big opera fans. So, we have “The Rabbit of Seville” (1950) and “What’s Opera, Doc?” (1957), where Bugs and Elmer Fudd give us their versions of great Rossini and Wagner operas. You have to be an opera fan to get the joke at the end of “The Rabbit of Seville,” which was a takeoff of Rossini’s “The Barber of Seville.” At the end, Bugs drops Elmer Fudd into a huge cake that is labeled “The Marriage of Figaro,” which was Mozart’s version of “The Barber of Seville.” 

And what better way is there to learn about English or American history than watching the story of Robin Hood in “Rabbit Hood” (1945) or the American Revolution in “Bunker Hill Bunny” (1950). Or if you love the great American pastime, don’t miss “Baseball Bugs” (1946). Bugs Bunny takes on the Gas-House Gorillas in the Polo Grounds in New York City, the original home of both the Mets and the Yankees, playing all of the positions. He wins the game when he makes the ultimate play—catching a flyball at the top of the “Umpire” State Building, which he reaches by taking a cab from the baseball field to the skyscraper.  

There are many well-known lines from famous movies that have entered our culture, including from great classics like “Casablanca”: “I am shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on here,” or “Round up the usual suspects,” and the Bugs Bunny cartoons have those, too.   

All of the voices in the original cartoons were voiced by the brilliant Mel Blanc, probably the most talented and versatile voice that ever came out of Hollywood. One of his most repeated lines as Bugs Bunny besides “What’s up, Doc?” is “Of course, you realize, this means war.” Or “He don’t know me very well.”  

And one of Bugs Bunny’s commonly uttered derisions, “What a maroon,” comes to mind fairly often as I watch a slew of liberal politicians and left-wing activists at work in Washington each day. 

So, happy birthday, Bugs Bunny. You may be 85 years old, but you will always remain young in our hearts and a hare-raiser on the screen.   

That’s all folks!  

he Science Behind Why Introverts Need Alone Time

The same things that motivate and energize extroverts can feel tiring and annoying to introverts, such as a big party.

As an introvert, I love spending time alone. There’s almost nothing better than being at home in my comfy clothes, quietly reading a good book, or watching a show while munching on snacks. This doesn’t mean I don’t crave time with “my people” — those I laugh with, learn from, and share my day with. However, without enough alone time, I start to feel tired, irritable, and overstimulated, even when I’ve enjoyed the company of those I love.

I show all the classic signs of being an introvert.

Sometimes, when I need alone time, the people in my life feel hurt. They view it as if I’m rejecting them and our relationship. But it’s not about them. I need time alone to recharge my energy and function well in my daily life.

Why do introverts need alone time? Why does socializing exhaust us, even when we’re having fun? Recent research offers some interesting insights. I delve deeper into these findings in my book, The Secret Lives of Introverts.

The Curious Connection Between Introverts and Rewards

When writing my book, I spoke with Colin DeYoung, a psychology professor at the University of Minnesota who had recently published a paper on introversion. He explained that one reason introverts need alone time is related to how we respond to rewards.

No, I’m not referring to the gold foil stars you might have earned in grade school (though it could be argued that stickers are indeed a reward for kids). For adults, rewards can be things like money, social status, social connections, sex, and food. When you get promoted at work or convince an attractive stranger to give you their phone number, you’re receiving a reward. Hurray!

Of course, introverts also value things like money, relationships, and food. However, researchers believe that introverts are wired to respond differently to rewards than extroverts. Compared to our more outgoing counterparts, we “quiet ones” are simply less motivated and energized by these same rewards. It’s as if extroverts see big, juicy steaks everywhere, while introverts often see overcooked hamburgers.

In fact, as any introvert can confirm, sometimes those “rewards” aren’t just less appealing — they can actually be tiring and annoying, like a big party. This brings me to another reason why introverts need alone time: We react differently to stimulation.

An Extrovert and an Introvert Go to a Party

Take, for example, two friends at a house party — one an extrovert, the other an introvert. They’re crammed into a crowded room where loud music blares from huge speakers. Everyone is practically shouting to be heard over the din. There are a dozen conversations happening simultaneously, with just as many things demanding their attention.

For the extrovert, this level of stimulation might feel just right. He sees potential rewards everywhere — an attractive stranger across the room, opportunities to deepen old relationships, and the chance to make new friends. Most importantly, tonight offers a chance to boost his social status within his friend group, especially if he navigates the evening skillfully.

So, the extrovert feels energized and excited to be at the party. In fact, he’s so motivated that he stays late into the night. He’s exhausted the next day and needs time to recover — after all, partying is hard work. But to him, the energy spent was well worth it.

Now, back to our introvert. See him over there, hunkered down in the corner? For him, the environment feels overwhelming. It’s too loud, there are too many things happening at once, and the crowd creates a dizzying buzz of activity. Sure, he wants to make friends, fit in, and be liked, but these rewards just aren’t as tantalizing to him. It feels like he would have to expend a lot of energy for something he’s only mildly interested in to begin with.

So, the introvert heads home early to watch a movie with his roommate. In his own apartment, with just one other person, the level of stimulation feels just right. He exchanges some texts with a woman he met a few weeks ago in one of his classes. Like the extrovert, he too wants friends and a romantic partner. However, he finds it too tiring to deal with the noise and socializing at a big party to make those connections.

The Dopamine Difference

Chemically, there’s a good reason the introvert in the above scenario feels overwhelmed, and it relates to a neurotransmitter called dopamine. This chemical, found in the brain, is often referred to as the “feel good” chemical because it regulates our pleasure and reward centers.

One of its roles is to make us notice potential rewards and motivate us to pursue them. For example, dopamine alerts the extrovert to the attractive stranger at the party and fuels his motivation to come up with a cheesy pick-up line.

Another important function of dopamine is reducing our cost of effort. Socializing requires energy because it involves paying attention, listening, thinking, speaking, and moderating our emotional reactions. Technically, socializing is tiring for everyone, including extroverts. However, dopamine helps make it less exhausting for them.

According to DeYoung, extroverts have a more active dopamine reward system. As a result, they can better tolerate — and often push through — the tiredness that inevitably comes with socializing. Much of the time, they don’t experience the same level of mental and physical fatigue that introverts do, thanks to this dopamine boost.

It’s called the “introvert” hangover, not the “extrovert” hangover for a reason.

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Posting Might Be Light This Week

I’m on semi-vacation with some family. Go read my introvert posts on how well I do with that.

So I have some stuff ready, but mostly I’ll be watching my social battery drain. I went to one of the most average theme park yesterday. I mostly chased kids.

I’m already in introvert hangover

How the Transgender Movement Turned the Left Against Women

Recently we have had two contrasting phenomena.

One is that President Donald Trump had issued an executive order suggesting or maybe threatening K-12 sports programs—and indeed, college and higher education as well—that if they allowed biological men to compete in women’s sports, then he was going to consider cutting off federal funds for that.

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But at the same time he did it, the number of transgendered women—that is biological men who have transitioned to supposedly women—has increased and soared in women’s sports.

So, here on the West Coast, a trans athlete dominated the state high school track and field competitions, winning three or four main events. The same thing happened in Oregon. The same thing had happened in Washington. The same thing is happening in Minneapolis with girls baseball in the finals.

The point is it’s usually a phenomenon in blue states and in particular, blue cities. And Donald Trump’s executive orders are going the way of sanctuary cities. People are just ignoring them because they feel that he wouldn’t dare cut off federal funds because it would shut down the whole school.

But let’s get some background on this whole transgendered sports phenomenon. And maybe there’s five or six things we should keep in mind.

No. 1: We know a lot about gender dysphoria. There’s a long history of sex research about people whose psychological or hormonal makeup does not match their physical characteristics. But here’s the key: They’re very rare.

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What’s your favorite thing about yourself?

What’s your favorite thing about yourself?

I’m self-entertaining. I don’t need others to do something or for motivation to get something done. I’m perfectly happy to do a task alone and would likely enjoy it more.

It has other benefits such as I don’t look to others to see what I’m going to do, like not take the Covid-19 jab.

What I Hated About The Florida – The Heat

One of the things that makes the heat so dangerous here in Florida is the humidity. The dew point temperature is the temperature at which the air can no longer hold all of its water vapor, and some of the water vapor must condense into liquid water. At 100% relative humidity, the dew point temperature and the air temperature are the same, and clouds or fog can begin to form. While relative humidity is a relative measure of how humid it is, the dew point temperature is an absolute measure of how much water vapor is in the air (how humid it is). In very warm, humid conditions, the dew point temperature can reach 75 to 77 degrees F, but rarely exceeds 80 degrees.

The dewpoint for the afternoon that caused my heatstroke was between 71f and 74f. The temperature for that 4 hour period was between 91f and 94f. That results in a heat index of between 100f and 103f.

High dewpoints are dangerous because it is a limit on how well your sweat can evaporate and cool your body. Heat can build up to dangerous levels.

Combined with that, it was a bright, sunny day with almost no wind. The Navy actually has tables for permissible heat exposure. Under those conditions, Navy regulations say that acclimatized personnel shouldn’t perform heavy work for more than 15 minutes per hour. I far exceeded that for more than 4 continuous hours.

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I hated going outside. they say to understand, take a shower and don’t dry off. Get dressed and now you know what it’s like to live there.

I got out of there after 39 years and never looked back. I talk to friends there and the heat is unbearable. It’s why a beach vacation or a theme park is over for me in life.

Combine that with the shitty drivers and it’s not that great of a place once you grasp the length and depth of the constant heat.

Even now, many states away I park in the shade. I spend as much time high in the mountains as I can where it is cool in the summer.

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Study: Women Who Take Abortion Pills 22 Times More Likely to Die

A groundbreaking study reveals that women using mifepristone, the abortion pill, face a staggering 22 times higher risk of life-threatening complications than claimed by the FDA and Danco Laboratories, the manufacturer of Mifeprex. This challenges the narrative from abortion advocates and corporate media that the pill, responsible for over half of U.S. abortions, is “safe and effective.”

Conducted by Ethics and Public Policy Center President Ryan Anderson and Director of Data Analysis Jamie Bryan Hall, the study is the largest known analysis of abortion pill outcomes. It examined insurance claims from Medicaid, TRICARE, Medicare, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and private insurers, covering 865,727 mifepristone prescriptions dispensed to 692,873 women between 2017 and 2023.

The findings highlight a significant gap between reported and actual risks, raising urgent questions about the safety of mifepristone. As the debate over abortion access intensifies, this data could reshape public policy and medical guidelines surrounding the use of abortion pills.

Thefederalist.com reports: Approximately 10.9 percent of those claims, or 94,605 chemical abortions, involved potentially life-threatening “serious adverse events” such as emergency room visits, hemorrhage, sepsis, infection, and/or follow-up surgeries for the women who had downed the abortion drug within the last 45 days.

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why do these people want to kill babies so much anyway. Put on a rubber and have at it, don’t use abortion as contraception

Introverts Don’t Hate People, They Hate Shallow Socializing

When introverts socialize, they’re not looking for a way just to pass the time. They’re looking for a new person with whom they can share their inner world.

I like to make jokes about how much I hate people. As an introvert, it’s easy to do. The stereotype of the misanthropic introvert is backed by countless memes and pop culture references. Think of the animated character Daria with her oversized glasses and a book in her hand, or that catchy quote from Charles Bukowski, “I don’t hate people, I just feel better when they aren’t around.”

These memes and quotes exist for a reason. They’re funny and relatable, and I’ve enjoyed sharing them just as much as anyone else. But there’s a darker side to them. They can also serve as a coping mechanism — something to hide behind. Let me explain.

It’s the whole “I’m too cool for school” persona. It’s easy for me to say I spent the majority of the party playing with the host’s cat because the people there weren’t half as interesting as the books I have at home. It’s harder for me to admit that getting past the barrier of small talk ranges from somewhat daunting to downright terrifying. So I oversimplify and say I don’t like people, when what I actually dislike are the surface-level interactions of most social gatherings.

We’ve all been to those parties where the sole purpose of the event is for everyone to break into small groups and talk about sports, the weather, or where the host’s second cousin got her hair done. It’s moments like these when it suddenly becomes very important to find out if there’s a pet you can play with — or, when all else fails, perhaps a large potted plant to hide behind. If there’s a drink to be fetched or a bowl of chips to be refilled, this task will instantly become the sole purpose of my existence, because literally anything is better than small talk.

However, despite appearances, I don’t hate people. I just hate shallow socializing.

And therein lies the problem that has kept thousands of introverts awake until all hours of the night. Because being an introvert doesn’t mean you want to be alone all the time. But unfortunately, in order to meet people to share your inner world with, it’s necessary to go out and socialize. In order to get to those coveted discussions about life goals, creative passions, and the existence of the universe, you sometimes have to start with some small talk — no matter how painful it might be.

Sometimes You Have to Go Out to Appreciate Staying In

As an introvert, I view socializing much like I view other aspects of my life that I know are good for me in the long run but really aren’t very enjoyable in the moment. Do I really want to go to the gym when I could just go home and watch Netflix? No. Do I really want a salad for lunch when I could have a hamburger? No. Do I really want to go to a party when I could curl up in bed with a book and a cup of tea? It’s a no-brainer.

However, to reap the rewards, you have to put in the work.

It’s all about balance. Just like I might treat myself to a piece of chocolate cake as a reward for all those days at the gym last week, I’ll spend a quiet Saturday night at home because I know I already put in a night of socializing and interacting with people outside of my comfort zone on Friday.

The reward of staying in is so much sweeter when it’s saved as its own unique event to look forward to — whereas staying home with a book feels a whole lot less special when you’re doing it for the tenth night in a row. Sometimes you have to go out to fully appreciate staying in, and vice versa.

I never would’ve met some of my closest friends if I had chosen to stay home and read all the time. The relationships I have now were worth the anxiety and apprehension I felt upon venturing out of my comfort zone to establish them.

Unfortunately, finding those kinds of relationships is rare, because socializing doesn’t always have tangible rewards. Sometimes I leave an event feeling drained and wishing I’d never left the house. Other times, I might feel that it went okay, but I know the surface-level conversations I held all evening probably won’t lead to any life-altering friendships. But that’s okay, because not every conversation or evening out has to be life-altering.

For the Introvert, Socializing Isn’t Just a Way to Pass the Time

As an introvert, it’s my natural tendency to always want every interaction to be about establishing a lifelong deep connection, but I’ve learned that can put too much pressure on the average casual conversation. Sometimes it’s just about staying in practice with my (albeit limited) people skills until the day when someone suddenly wants to talk about their dreams and goals and all the things that make them tick. It’s impossible to know where a conversation will lead unless you try.

I’m aware of just how ridiculous my socializing philosophy might sound to extroverts. To them, socializing itself is the end goal. My extroverted friends are always looking for something to do on the weekend, during the holidays, and even on work nights. They pursue socializing for the in-the-moment excitement that it brings. For me, attempting to socialize is a long-term goal — one that I carefully craft and balance so I don’t get mentally or emotionally overwhelmed.

“Going out” is rarely exciting for me in the moment. But I always have hope when attending a party or trying a new networking event that I’ll make a friend who is also dying for a quiet cup of coffee while chatting about life, or who wants to take a trip to the beach just so we can lie side by side and read in complete silence.

When I socialize, I’m not looking for a way just to pass the time. I already have a full list of hobbies and interests and not enough hours in the day to enjoy them all. But I’m always looking for a new person with whom I can share my passions and my world. Sometimes meeting that one new person can be worth the agony of socializing. I like to think I’m the kind of person worth socializing for, and I know I’m not the only one of my kind.

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Shit I Laugh At Europeans About

I get a ration from my wife’s Scandinavian relatives about free college, health care, and pension for life.

The top earners pay 70% tax and have to wait 6 weeks to see a doctor who is no better than a PA here, more like a nurse.

When the wifes Sister in Law came over, they compared Social Security to the state pension she was getting and the wife’s SS was 3 times more. They are locked into the pension where we live off investments and SS is just a byproduct.

Enjoy your free stuff

Socialism is just one step away from communism.

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What is your favorite restaurant?

What is your favorite restaurant?

Oh come on now. Did the people asking this ever consider introverts? This is the biggest softball I’ve been served since grade school.

I’ll eat at home every time if given a choice, with my dog.

My brother-in-law has been the president of 3 of the top 10 restaurants in the country and I ate at all of them. I’ve been to France and Italy. I’ve been to the Orient. I ate on other people’s money at some of the finest dining facilities that exist.

On business trips, I’d eat alone with a book if given a choice.

It’s at home though, my favorite restaurant, preferably alone.

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What Introverts Need To Be Happy

Since introverts process the world differently, what brings them happiness might not look the same as it does for others.

I used to feel bad about being an introvert. I wished I could be more like my extroverted friends. They seemed to have no problem carrying on a conversation with anyone at any time. They didn’t seem to get mentally and physically fatigued from socializing — or from life in general — like I did.

Later in life, when I began studying and writing about introversion, I learned that introverts aren’t broken extroverts. Our brains are simply wired differently. Our minds process experiences deeply, and we require alone time to feel our best.

It’s science: Essentially, we introverts don’t need as much dopamine as extroverts do to feel satisfied. You can read more here about the science behind why introverts need alone time.

Because of this wiring, we introverts need different things in life to be happy compared to extroverts. Here are 12 of those things, which I explore more in my book, The Secret Lives of Introverts.

What Introverts Need to Be Happy

1. Plenty of time to wind down and process

Yes, we introverts need downtime after things like parties and networking events. But we also need downtime after “little” things, too. Because we’re wired to process experiences deeply, introverts may get very drained by a stressful day at work, running errands, or a heated conversation with a significant other. Time to unwind allows us to fully comprehend what we just experienced and lower our stimulation level to one that’s more comfortable and sustainable. Without downtime, we’ll feel brain-dead, irritable, and even physically unwell or tired. This state is called the introvert hangover.

2. Meaningful conversation

How was your weekend? What’s new with you? We “quiet ones” can do small talk (it’s a skill many of us have forced ourselves to learn), but that doesn’t mean we enjoy it. Introverts crave diving deep, both in our interests and in our relationships. We need something more: What’s something new you’ve learned lately? How are you a different person today than you were ten years ago? Does God exist?

Not every conversation has to be soul-searchingly deep. Sometimes introverts really do just want to talk about the weather or what you did this weekend. But if we’re only fed a diet of small talk, we’ll leave the table still feeling like we’re still hungry. Without those intimate, raw, big-idea moments, we’ll be unhappy.

(Speaking of chitchat, here’s the real reason introverts hate small talk.)

3. Companionable silence

It may seem contrary to #2, but introverts also need people in their lives who are content with quiet. We need friends or partners who can sit in the same room with us, not talking, each of us doing our own thing. People who won’t nervously jump to fill a pause in the conversation but will let thoughts linger, waiting until ideas have been fully digested. Without periods of companionable silence, introverts just won’t be happy.

4. Space to dive deep into our hobbies and interests

17th-century horror novels. Celtic mythology. Restoring old cars. Gardening, painting, cooking, or writing. If it’s out there, introverts are diving deep into it. Having time alone to focus on our hobbies and interests recharges us because, while absorbed in them, we likely enter an energizing state of flow. According to the famed psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi, “flow” is a mental state in which a person is fully immersed in an activity and enjoying the process. A flow state comes naturally to many introverts, and without it, we won’t feel happy.

(Speaking of hobbies, here’s why introverts should take up new, random hobbies.)

5. A quiet space that’s all ours

Admittedly, this is something I don’t have right now because my toddler is the ultimate space-invader. However, introverts ideally need a private, quiet space to retreat to when the world is too loud. It could be a room that they can arrange, decorate, and have full control over — a true introvert sanctuary. Or it might be just a special corner, couch, or chair. Being fully alone, without fear of intrusion or interruption, is invigorating on a near-spiritual level for introverts.

6. Time to think

According to Dr. Marti Olsen Laney in The Introvert Advantage, introverts might rely more on long-term memory than working memory (for extroverts, it’s the opposite). This might explain why we introverts struggle to put our thoughts into words. While words seem to flow effortlessly for extroverts, introverts often need an extra beat to think before responding — or much longer to consider a bigger issue. Without time to process and reflect, introverts will feel stressed.

(Want to learn more? Here’s the science behind why writing tends to be easier than speaking for introverts.)

7. People who understand that sometimes we’ll be staying home

For introverts, socializing is all about dosage. We need friends and loved ones who understand that sometimes we just can’t “people” — and they accept this without giving us a guilt trip. It’s not that we don’t value their company; we simply need time to recharge. Having people in our lives who respect our need for solitude helps us maintain our energy and emotional health. This understanding allows us to show up more fully when we do spend time together.

Want to feel more at ease in social situations?

Discover the secrets to enjoying fun, meaningful conversations. Know exactly what to say — even if you’re introverted, shy, or socially anxious. Feel less drained and have more energy while socializing.

Be the first to hear when Jenn Granneman’s new book, Easy Conversation, is released — and get two free gifts to help you feel more comfortable in conversations right now:

❤️ 7 easy tips from the book

❤️ 15 simple phrases you can use to keep the conversation going

Click here to sign up and get your free gifts.

8. A deeper purpose to our lives and work

Everyone needs to pay their bills, and for many of us, that’s why we go to work, even if we have to drag ourselves kicking and screaming. Some people are content with this arrangement, or at least tolerate it. However, for many introverts, it’s not enough — we crave work that’s purposeful and meaningful. We want to do more than just earn a paycheck and put a roof over our heads. Without meaning and purpose in our lives — whether it comes from our job, a relationship, a hobby, or something else — introverts will feel deeply unhappy.

9. Quiet

Sometimes we just don’t have the energy to interact. We might be turned inward, doing what introverts do best — reflecting on and analyzing ideas and experiences. Pointing out, “You’re so quiet!” or prodding us to talk only makes us feel self-conscious. At these times, let us remain quiet — it might be what we need to be happy. After we’ve had time to process and recharge, we’ll likely return with plenty to say.

10. Independence

Unique and independent, introverts are more inclined to let their own inner resources guide them than follow the crowd. We often do our best work — and are our happiest — when we have the freedom to explore ideas, spend time alone, and be self-directed. Independence allows us to tap into our creativity and inner wisdom, setting our own pace and making the decisions that are best for us. Without this autonomy, we might feel stifled.

11. The simple life

I have an extroverted friend who seems to do it all— volunteering at her son’s school, caring for her family, planning get-togethers for our friends, and holding down a full-time job. As an introvert, I’d never survive that same schedule; besides, the simple life is good enough for me. A good book, a lazy weekend, a meaningful conversation with a friend, and some snuggles from my animal companions are what make me happy.

12. Friends and loved ones who value us

We’re never going to be the most popular person in the room. In fact, in a large group, you might not even notice us at all, as we tend to remain in the background. Nevertheless, just like anyone else, we introverts need people in our lives who see our value and love us despite our quirks. We know that at times we can be difficult to deal with — nobody’s perfect. When you love and accept us as we are, even when our weird introvert behavior don’t make sense to you, you make our lives profoundly happier.

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Europe’s Attitude Towards America (Is Shitty)

My wife’s side of the family lives in Scandinavia. They say that soccer/Football is Europe’s favorite sport. It’s not. Trashing America is. They are further left than the Portland crazies. I’m so tired of their shit that I won’t even discuss it with them anymore. I do better in Portland with the lefties than I do with them. I had to cut them off of social media it was so ballistic.

They have gone ballistic now over Trump and his policies. Next, My neighbor is canceling a trip to Italy this summer because she doesn’t want to hear this same shit from her family living there. It’s identical. They are offended that we don’t act like Europeans.

Why?

Because of (at least) 2 reasons I can think of. There are dozens more, but I don’t want to write a book.

  1. They act like they are morally superior just because they have been around longer.
  2. They are now going to have to pay for their own protection and can’t soak the US on exports with the latest Trump policies.

He’s living rent-free in their heads and they trash him consistently.

They really haven’t contributed anything close to what the US has done to humanity other than they were good at starting World Wars last century. I’m not denigrating cool cars, fat reducing drugs, and some other stuff, but it’s not close. How many countries put men on the moon without computers?

Look at the churches in Europe. They are museums instead of places of worship. Just like Europe, they were built centuries ago, and the only Europeans who are leading the world in just about everything now are Americans.

But let’s dive deeper.

The European veil of leftist intellectual and moral superiority is starting to crumble. In recent weeks, we’ve seen Europe begin to take responsibility for its defense, the climate crazies seeing many of their goals collapsing under the weight of the twin realities of science and economics, and the rise of conservative politicians who are seeking an end to the immigration invasion. Zeitenwende in German means the end of an era or turning point in history. Europe’s possible return to sanity will be our story today.

Europe is now fully awake to the fact that the U.S. is not their on-call military, and they are now genuinely worried, not just performatively so, about Russia. European nations know now that they are, for all intents and purposes, at war, primarily armed with a checkbook and too little actual military hardware. Thanks to decades of cradle-to-grave benefits, in addition to their reliance on the U.S. for their defense, Europe essentially has no functional militaries.

As just one example of how this works, in 2014, when a hijacked aircraft was about to fly over Swiss territory, Switzerland was unable to police its own territory, relying instead on the French and Italians. In fact, when the French military called the Swiss to have them intercept the airliner, they got an answering service saying they were closed for the weekend and asking them to leave a message. That one anecdote explains so much more.

Image created using AI.

Another aberration: Germany, Denmark, and Sweden allow their soldiers to join labor unions! You can’t make this up. Reality Bites.

When it comes to funding their defense, EU countries have two fundamental problems: 1. They all have low birth rates within their established native populations. 2. Their ability to provide those cradle-to-the-grave benefits has meant that European nations do not have money for guns and butter. Today, Europe is a paper tiger unable to wage modern sustained warfare.

European nations are trying to change, but it may be too little, too late. Germany has approved a €1 trillion spending package, marking its most ambitious defense initiative since World War II. EU-wide efforts include the “ReArm Europe Plan,” which aims to mobilize €800 billion for defense by 2030. This plan focuses on enhancing military readiness and supporting the European defense industry. NATO nations have increased their defense budgets, with 23 out of 32 members meeting the alliance’s 2% GDP spending guideline by the end of 2024.

As another example of the European leftist mindset, one unanchored to reality, let’s talk about the grand pronouncement from government-subsidized Airbus and the EU that, by 2050, new aircraft would be required to be zero emission. To those knowledgeable about airplanes and their development, this was always nonsense. Aviation Week published as much in its Viewpoint editorial.

After Europe and the rest of the world have spent tens of billions of dollars/Euros on electric, hydrogen, and clean fuel initiatives such as SAF, the balloon is bursting with the realities of science and economics. Airbus is giving up on hydrogen, and several other electric/battery technology companies are declaring bankruptcy.

The reality is that less than 2% of aviation fuels are SAF today, and the cost is as much as 4-10 times more than the jet-A fuel it replaces. Europe, being Europe, doesn’t see a problem. Reduced to its essentials, the Europeans said, “We’ll tax tickets to subsidize SAF.”

French authorities have admitted this will cause a massive drop in passenger traffic. Tres bon! Fewer passengers mean fewer flights and planes and further the green crazies who want to see an end to taking trips by plane anyway. Predictably, this nonsense is reaching its natural point of failure. The Emperor is now standing naked in front of all.

Finally, although those in power are fighting viciously, the European people are moving from center-left to center-right, especially regarding immigration. The center-right victor in Germany’s recent elections, Friedrich Merz, promised a radical crackdown on migration during his campaign, proposing that all illegal aliens be turned away at the border. Jens Spahn, a German parliament member, emphasized the need to “secure Europe’s external borders“ and strengthen Frontex’s mandate to ensure freedom within the Schengen area.

Greece and Croatia have been accused of forcibly returning migrants, a practice known as “pushbacks.” The Poland-Belarus border reports highlight systemic pushbacks, with migrants being forcibly returned to Belarus under harsh conditions. This reflects Poland’s firm stance on controlling illegal crossings. Some European nations have introduced laws to expedite deportations and limit asylum applications, signaling a shift towards stricter immigration policies.

One last thing. Trump’s recent tariff moves have scared Europeans. With a trade imbalance of over $200 billion, Europe has little choice but to negotiate from a position of weakness. Europe is dependent on a lot of U.S. tech, banking, and military hardware—Europe’s inability to rise to challenges further cements America’s advantage.

Say what you will, but you can thank President Trump for getting Europe on the move!

source for part of this

How to Set Boundaries as an Introvert and Still Be Kind

Boundaries are not walls or dividers. They are a personal list of what is and isn’t okay for you as an introvert.

As a counselor, I see many introverts come to my office struggling to set healthy boundaries. This doesn’t mean they’ve failed in some way because, let’s be honest, most of us have never been taught how to do this — and it’s not easy. I often help by showing them a few simple strategies.

To be clear, both introverts and extroverts can struggle with setting boundaries, so it’s certainly not just an introvert issue. Yet, in my experience, they struggle for different reasons. There are typically two main roadblocks for us “quiet ones”:

Many introverts — especially highly sensitive ones — are naturally inclined to take care of others due to their strong sense of empathy. For more on this, see my article The Science Behind Why We Absorb Others’ Emotions (and How to Deal).

Introverts, many of whom are compassionate and eager to help, often see boundaries as walls rather than healthy limits.

Over the course of our sessions, I help my introverted clients understand that boundaries aren’t barriers or dividers. They are guidelines, rules, or limits that define reasonable, safe, and mentally healthy ways for others to treat them — and how they will respond when those limits are crossed.

Simply put, personal boundaries are a list of what is and isn’t okay.

Again, to be very clear, not every introvert struggles with setting boundaries. But in general, because of their empathy, introspection, and compassion, some introverts tend to see boundaries as obstacles to relationships. They may view saying no as unkind, and setting boundaries may even feel wrong.

In reality, boundaries are the foundation of an empathetic, compassionate relationship. As Brené Brown writes in Rising Strong, “Compassionate people ask for what they need. They say no when they need to, and when they say yes, they mean it. They’re compassionate because their boundaries keep them out of resentment.”

A Case Example: My Introverted Client

Sometimes, introverts come to me feeling upset or frustrated about a friend or loved one who isn’t meeting their expectations. One young woman, an introvert, was desperately trying to help her depressed friend. She repeatedly came to me with feelings of resentment and anger, saying, “No matter what I do, she isn’t getting better.”

This woman was so empathetic that she was pouring everything she had into trying to pull her friend out of depression. When we looked deeper, we realized she had an unspoken expectation — that her friend would get better because of her efforts. She believed she could heal her friend, and when that didn’t happen, she took it as a personal failure.

Instead of setting boundaries about when she would offer support and when she needed to take time for herself, she kept investing more energy, time, and effort into making her friend meet an expectation that wasn’t hers to control.

The more we talked, the more she realized that this wasn’t true empathy or compassion — it was actually harmful to both of them.

The Life-Changing Power of Setting Boundaries

Brené Brown captures it beautifully in The Gifts of Imperfection: “When we fail to set boundaries and hold people accountable, we feel used and mistreated. This is why we sometimes attack who they are, which is far more hurtful than addressing a behavior or a choice.”

My client began setting boundaries with her friend. She still offered support with kindness, but she no longer felt responsible for fixing the problem. She allowed herself to take breaks, spend time with other friends, and prioritize her own well-being. As a result, she became more present and compassionate with her struggling friend, and her own stress significantly decreased.

This is the life-changing power of setting boundaries.

3 Steps to Better Boundaries

Do you struggle to set healthy boundaries? Here are three key steps I share with my clients that can help you, too:

1. Decide what is okay and what isn’t in your life.

Start by reflecting on your values. Who are you? What matters most to you? Your boundaries are about you, so take the time to identify what you truly need from others. For example, as an introvert, you likely value alone time — your boundaries should reflect that.

Pay attention to your emotions, as they often signal where boundaries are needed. Do certain situations leave you feeling frustrated or resentful? Is there someone you frequently complain about? Do you feel suffocated, taken advantage of, or even unsafe in a particular relationship? Emotions are like warning flags, waving to get your attention and reveal areas in your life that may need stronger boundaries.

2. Communicate your boundaries.

For introverts, who often prioritize their inner world over external interactions, expressing boundaries can feel daunting —especially if it’s your first time. Here are some tips to help:

  • Keep it short and simple. Boundaries sound like this: “If you… (for example, don’t pay rent on time again), then I… (for example, will ask you to move out).”
  • Expect some discomfort. When you start setting boundaries, you may feel ashamed or afraid. Don’t lose heart — these feelings are normal! Keep going.
  • Trust your timing. You will set boundaries when you are ready, and not a minute sooner.
  • You are allowed to say no. For example, “Don’t vent your anger on me — I won’t tolerate it,” or “I won’t let you disrespect me. If you cannot treat me with respect, then stay away.” If someone continues to disregard your boundaries, you have every right to limit or cut off contact.
  • Your privacy is yours to control. Nobody can demand to know your thoughts or personal business. What you choose to share is up to you, not what others expect or want.
  • You have the right to your own mind. Nobody has the right to dictate what you think, feel, or do. Your thoughts, feelings, values, and beliefs belong to you.

source

If I’d only learned this earlier in life, it would have made a big difference. I just didn’t know how important this was

Married Women With Children Are Happier Than The Single Childless

They’ll tell you how happy they are being single, but girls always want what another girl has and their first role model was their mom and Grandmother.

World Happiness Report – The US Isn’t Happier, Afghanistan Is Last Again

We’re down the list for a number of reasons. I’ll put a link to the report so you can see the rankings and why. It’s mostly because of Biden’s policies that skyrocketed our inflation and all the other things we are finding out about. It’s all in there, you decide.

I will call out the bullshit about the Nordic countries being the happiest. When you set low expectations, you almost always meet them. My wife’s family lives there. It’s not that happy. They are being invaded by the goat herder Muslims and the taxes are 70%. They just say they are good with it until about the 4th glass of wine, then the real story comes out and you find out how they really feel.

Happiness report

21 Signs That You Are An Introvert

One clear sign you’re an introvert: You feel lonelier in a crowd than when you’re alone. Solitude feels good to you.

Have you always felt different? Were you the quiet one in school? Did people ask you, “Why don’t you talk more?” Do they still ask you that today?

If so, you might be an introvert like me.

Being an introvert means you lose energy from socializing and gain energy by spending time alone. That’s it. Introversion is not a flaw, a disorder, or a diagnosis. It’s a healthy personality trait that comes with many strengths.

Keep in mind, that nobody is completely introverted or extroverted — we all show both traits at different times, though we tend to lean more in one direction or the other.

To help you determine where you fall, here are 21 signs of an introvert from the book, The Secret Lives of Introverts. The more signs you relate to, the more introverted you are.

Signs of an Introvert

1. You enjoy spending plenty of time alone.

You have no problem staying home on a Saturday night. In fact, you look forward to it. To you, Netflix and chill really means watching Netflix and relaxing. Or maybe your thing is reading, playing video games, drawing, cooking, writing, knitting tiny hats for cats, or just putzing around the house. Whatever your preferred solo activity is, you do it as much as your schedule allows.

If you’re an introvert, you feel good when you’re alone. In your alone time, you’re free.

(Read the science behind why introverts love spending time alone here.)

2. You do your best thinking alone.

Your alone time isn’t just about indulging in your favorite hobbies. It’s about giving your mind time to decompress. When you’re with other people, it might feel like your brain is too overloaded to really work the way it should. In solitude, you’re free to tune into your own thoughts and feelings. You might be more creative and/or have deeper insights when you’re alone.

3. Your inner monologue never stops.

You have a distinct inner voice that’s always running in the back of your mind — and it’s hard to shut off. Sometimes you can’t sleep at night because your mind is still going. Anxious thoughts from your past might haunt you. “I can’t believe I said that stupid thing… five years ago!” Introverts tend to be somewhat more prone to anxiety and depression than extroverts.

4. You often feel lonelier in a crowd than when you’re alone.

There’s something about being with a group of people that makes you feel disconnected from yourself. Maybe it’s because it’s hard to hear your inner voice when there’s so much noise around you. Whatever the reason, as an introvert, you crave intimate moments and deep connections — and those usually aren’t found in a crowd.

5. You feel like you’re faking it when you have to network.

Walking up to strangers and introducing yourself? You’d rather stick tiny needles under your fingernails. But you know there’s value in it, so you might do it anyway — except you feel like a phony the entire time.

If you’re like me, you had to teach yourself how to do it. I tell myself to activate my “public persona.” I say silly things to myself like, “Smile, make eye contact, and use your loud-confident voice!” Then, when I’m finished, I feel beat and need downtime to recharge. Like me, you might wonder if other people have to try this hard when meeting new people.

6. You have no desire to be the center of attention.

At work, you’d rather pull your boss aside after a meeting and have a one-on-one conversation (or email your ideas) than explain them to a room full of people. The exception is when you feel passionate about something. You might risk overstimulation when you think speaking up will truly make a difference.

7. You’re better at writing your thoughts than speaking them.

You’d rather text your friend than call her or email your coworkers than sit down for a staff meeting. Writing gives you time to reflect on what to say and how to say it. It allows you to edit your thoughts and craft your message just so. Plus there’s less pressure when you’re typing your words into your phone alone than when you’re saying them to someone in real time. You may even be drawn to writing as a career.

(Here’s the science behind why writing is typically easier than speaking for introverts.)

8. Talking on the phone does not sound like a fun way to pass the time.

One of my extroverted friends is always calling me when she’s alone in her car. She figures that although her eyes, hands, and feet are currently occupied, her mouth is not. Plus, there are no people around — how boring! So she reaches for her phone.

However, this is not the case for me. When I have a few spare minutes of silence and solitude, I have no desire to fill that time with chitchat.

9. You avoid small talk whenever possible.

When a coworker is walking down the hall toward you, have you ever turned into another room in order to avoid having a “Hey, what’s up?” conversation with him? Or have you ever waited a few minutes in your apartment when you heard your neighbors in the hallway so you didn’t have to chat? If so, you might be an introvert. It’s not that introverts are afraid of making small talk, it’s just that we’d rather not do it.

10. You’ve been told you’re “too intense.”

This might stem from your dislike of small talk or the way your introverted mind goes deep. If it were up to you, mindless chitchat would be banished and interesting philosophical discussions and personal stories about life lessons would be the norm. You’d much rather sit down with someone and discuss the mysteries of life — or at the very least, exchange some real, honest thoughts about what’s going on in each other’s lives. Meaningful interactions are the introvert’s antidote to social burnout.

(Speaking of chitchat, here are four hacks for introverts to turn small talk into meaningful conversation.)

11. You don’t go to parties to meet new people.

Sure, maybe you party every once in a while. But when you do, you usually don’t go to events with the intention of making new friends. You’re content with the few close friendships you already have.

12. You shut down after too much socializing.

Recent research shows that everyone gets drained from socializing eventually, even extroverts. That’s because socializing expends energy. But introverts likely tire faster than extroverts and experience social burnout with more intensity. If you’re an introvert, you may even experience something called the “introvert hangover,” which is when you feel extremely fatigued and perhaps even physically unwell after lots of socializing.

13. You notice details that others miss.

Introverts (especially highly sensitive ones) can get overwhelmed by too much stimuli. But there’s an upside to our sensitivity — we notice details that others might miss. For example, you might notice a subtle change in your friend’s demeanor that signals that she’s upset (but oddly, no one else in the room sees it). Or, you might be highly tuned into color, space, and texture, making you an incredible visual artist.

(Speaking of highly sensitive people, here are 27 “strange” things highly sensitive people do.)

14. You can concentrate for long periods of time.

I can write for hours. I get in the zone, and I just keep going. If you’re an introvert, you likely have your own hobby or pet project that you can work on for practically forever. That’s because introverts are great at focusing alone for long periods of time.

15. You live in your head.

You might daydream so much that people tell you to “get out of your head” or “come back down to earth.” That’s because your inner world is almost as alive and vivid as the outer one.

16. You like to people watch.

Actually, you just like to observe in general, whether it’s people, nature, etc. Introverts are natural observers.

17. You’ve been told you’re a good listener.

You don’t mind giving the stage to someone else for a bit and listening. You’re not clamoring to get every thought out there, and you don’t need to “talk to think” like many extroverts do.

18. You have a small circle of friends.

You’re close with just one, two, or three people, and you consider everyone else to be an acquaintance. That’s because introverts only have so much “people” energy to spend, so we choose our relationships carefully. It’s about budgeting.

19. You don’t get “high” off your environment.

There’s a reason big parties aren’t your thing: Introverts and extroverts differ in how their brains process experiences through “reward” centers. You can read more about these brain differences here.

20. You’re an old soul.

Introverts tend to observe, take in a lot of information, and think before they speak. We’re analytical and reflective, and we’re often interested in discovering the deeper meaning or underlying pattern behind events. Because of this, introverts can seem wise, even from a young age.

21. You alternate between being social and being alone.

Introverts relish being alone. In our solitude, we have the freedom to tune into our inner voice and tune out the noise of the world.

But introverts don’t always want to be alone. As human beings, we’re wired to connect with others, and as introverts, we long to interact meaningfully. So introverts live in two worlds: We visit the world of people, but solitude and the inner world will always be our home.

source

yes, most of these for me

What is one question you hate to be asked? Explain.

What is one question you hate to be asked? Explain.

What do you do during the day? It seems innocuous, but here’s why it isn’t for me. (the real answer is that I mind my own damn business and get done what needs doing).

I retired early and being a good introvert, I stay to myself, don’t bother others (especially with personal questions). I do normal introvert things like read and write a lot. I go about my business, get exercise usually for hours, do house repairs, help others, go to bible studies or other events, etc.

The point is that I don’t keep detailed records of what I do. I go about my business and try to stay out of other people’s business.

This question started with a relative I nicknamed Flounder from Animal House, for all the reasons Dean Wormer described about how not to go through life. Flounder went between high paying jobs to bankruptcy due to money mismanagement (spent like a drunken sailor). We’ve never been particularly close because we are so different and shit like this makes me not want to try very hard.

It should be noted that if I give someone a nickname in life, it’s not a good sign of how I feel about them.

Every conversation was, “What do you do all day, sweep the floors?” In fact, it was one of the things I did because I like a clean house. It was a shitty question though and it became monotonos. I’d just rather not have a conversation than discuss that. I finally turned it on him by saying most people ask me that because they wonder what they’ll be doing when they retire. He had no real answer as he defined himself by his job his wife told me.

Nevertheless, the condescending attitude was not even masked. I, the consummate introvert couldn’t defend the question on cue. I’d think of what I wrote above in the hours after the discussion when it didn’t matter.

Still, I hate the idea of anyone 1) intruding on my life and what I do unless I choose to talk about it and 2) getting this condescending attitude because I was able to retire early and it was a part of my life plan. (note: I saved, invested, and paid off all of my debt early to be able to do it. Flounder was in debt above his head and lost millions on houses and valuables he borrowed to get. He had to work until almost 70 and thought he was a big shot until his next firing.

Now, I’m still retired and set for the rest of my days. Flounder lives with one of his kids as he lost both of his houses. Do I ask what do you do all day? Hell no. I don’t want to know what he does, but it’s an intruding question.

Note: I got this question from one of my wife’s friends Randi when I said I was going to retire early. What are you going to do was the very next statement. I answered and got, and then what are you going to do.

Randi isn’t a part of our life anymore because of her shitty attitude. I couldn’t stand to be around her either. She was snarky when saying it and those things don’t get past me easily.

Hey Randi, I’m retired early and am loving life, doing what I want. That’s what I do all day. I go about my business.

This ends with the story about the kid eating all of his candy. A man said that isn’t good for you to which the kid said my uncle lived to be 120. The man asked if it was eating so much candy and the boy responded no, it was because he minded his own business.

How has a failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success?

How has a failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success?

I’ve learned more from my mistakes than my success.

I expect to win or be successful at what I do now. I’ve paid enough dues in life and have learned enough lessons at the school of hard knocks that I should be doing things correctly by now. (I hope I don’t eat those words).

Life was tough growing up. I had no manual and a couple of siblings who rooted against me the whole time. It almost forced my will to overcome and to not only win, but to overachieve at whatever I did.

Along the way though, failure at tasks, life, relationships, and a lot of other things taught me more lessons than success. I hate losing and I hate screwing up. I only want to fix something once. That’s easy to do with carpentry, electrical, plumbing and repair. It’s damn near impossible with relationships.

I know the Tom Brady’s of the world must hate losing more than anything. He learned how to win. That’s how I feel about it.

To My Introvert Readers, Who are your favorite people to be around?

Who are your favorite people to be around?

I’d like to say something witty or emotional like my family or my oldest friend from childhood, but it would be a lie.

It’s my dog

Don’t get me wrong, I like (a few of) my family and my friends, for a bit.

The introverts will know what I’m saying without me even explaining animals, small talk and time alone to re-charge