If there were a biography about you, what would the title be?

If there were a biography about you, what would the title be?

How to enjoy being alone by yourself. How to not care what others think or let it affect your self-esteem. How to have passion about your avocation to the point that you excel past others who do the same thing over a variety of activities.

I could go on, but you get the point. It’s the introvert thing again.

I Guess I’m A Rare Breed, Resisiting 100 Billion Dollars

But then so is Ken Lane at Knuckledraggin and Phil and maybe Cederq at BustedKnuckles and a few others I follow. Make yourselves known and be proud.

I’m a pureblood, full of horse paste.

Not a damn one in my family is other than me, nor are any of my friends.

I had one guy tell me he was sorry that I wasn’t jabbed and I thought, that’s a strange thing to say. You must be a dumbass or a sheep.

You get some great, amazingly fantastic news. What’s the first thing you do?

You get some great, amazingly fantastic news. What’s the first thing you do?

Nothing. It’s not important to others so I don’t bother them with it. Some people have to tell the world, but I don’t think others care that much so I usually don’t say much.

I hate people who brag anyway so I go out of my way not to do it.

Since I’m not on Fake book or X, I’m not obligated to post about it.

Life is a lot easier when you live in your own lane and don’t have to show off to others. Those that are happy for you will be. They’ll find out the news sooner or later.

I’ve been around long enough now to know that things are fleeting. Whatever news will fade into life and there will be downs as well as ups. Once you understand that, you look at news differently.

Are there any activities or hobbies you’ve outgrown or lost interest in over time?

Are there any activities or hobbies you’ve outgrown or lost interest in over time?

Just about every damn one of them. Girlfriends too.

I was infatuated with boats as a kid. I wound up owning two and was glad to unload both of them.

I played Tennis in college, playing and practicing every day for years, and don’t even bother turning on Wimbledon anymore.

I fished (see the boats) for decades every week and haven’t wet a line in years. I caught thousands of fish

I did martial arts for decades, but that fell by the wayside also.

I hunted for years until I decided not to kill anymore unless it was life or death. My house has trophies on the wall from many hunts, but there won’t be anymore.

I biked in group rides competitively multiple times a week for years and even though I ride for exercise, I do it alone now about once a week, just to stay healthy and to get away.

It was the same with all the girlfriends I had before being married. They lasted until I realized who they presented themselves to be to win me over wasn’t who they were, and it was over.

Hell, I don’t even want to see my extended family unless I have to. I keep them at arm’s length as much as I can to not have the stories of my childhood replayed for the 1000th time.

What all of these had in common was that I conquered them. The thrill of victory was over and there were no more dragons to slay. When the passion was gone, so was I.

Now, I try not to get small-talked to death and most of the stuff I do are solo sports.

About the only things that remained in my life were golf, auto racing, reading, and bible study. The rest faded away due to a lack of passion.

Such is life. I try to stay to myself. I compartmentalized the things in the past and write about them occasionally, mostly to myself.

I’ve become more introverted in life and my enjoyment comes from within and time alone rather than in groups. Hell, I have to face people from my past this week and I can’t say I’m excited about that either.

How do significant life events or the passage of time influence your perspective on life?

How do significant life events or the passage of time influence your perspective on life?

I look back for patterns. It’s part of critical thinking that I have no control over. It just happens.

Stuff just comes together and I know something is right.

When they introduced the PC, no one knew what to do with it. The word on the street was that no one would buy these and there was no future. I saw a career move.

When they forced people to get jabbed for Covid-19, I knew I had to avoid it with everything I had.

So now, I’m not surprised when I see stuff starting to happen and I know what is the right thing to do. It just happens.

What was your first Computer?

What was your first Computer?

In college back in the 70’s, I worked with punch cards on some timeshare system that the school had, but I have no idea what it was.

My first real computer was an IBM System 34, in the pre-PC days. We coded in RPG II and even had Star Trek as a game on it. It used 8-inch floppies, had 4K of memory, and maybe a 4 MB hard disk (the memories are hazy from those days).

I wrote about it extensively here along with my Mad Men shennanigans about sex and drinking at work before the cancel culture, MeToo and the other bullshit that took the fun out of work.

What books do you want to read?

What books do you want to read?

I’ve started liking History, so historical fiction not textbooks. I’m starting a series by C.J. Box about the outdoors. If it’s good, I’ll have a whole series to read.

I’m also reading Hillbilly Elegy by JD Vance

I’m finishing the last book of the Expanse so Sci-Fi has been good to me for a few months now.

The point is I always want to read. I’ve read since I was a young child. I was the only one of my siblings who did. I can escape into my own world this way and people don’t bother you when you are reading.

Peeing In The Girls Room Back In The 80’s With My Date, And Sport Fucking

This happened around 1984 when you’d get kicked out of a place and likely arrested for being in a girl’s restroom.

I went out with Tracy for a brief time in my mid-20s. She was the girl that introduced me to the term sport fucking. I thought that was only something guys did, but she didn’t have any problems with it. For her, it was going out, picking a guy and giving him the goods, no strings attached.

She didn’t have any problems with one-night stands if she wanted one and was down for just about anything. Even though she loved head, her technique wasn’t that great, but who’s going to kick a gift horse in the mouth?

She also didn’t have any problems flashing her tits at a school bus of boy scouts while at a stop light either. That was a busload of boys who I’m sure rubbed one out for the next month given the show she and her girlfriend who was in on the prank put on for them.

How It Started

I met her at Fantasy Fest in Key West. She came as my then roommate Al’s guest for the weekend. They weren’t dating, rather just there for fun and we all stayed in the same house.

There was a girl sunbathing topless on the beach and Al woke up at 1 am later that night to her pleasuring herself while describing the plentiful size of the (then med school) girl’s boobs. I’d seen them on the beach also and they were spectacular. I even talked to said girl during the party on the street and she had a boyfriend or I would have made the move.

I dressed as Dr Strangelove, a gynecologist. I had a metal speculum that I clicked for the girls on the street. About 2 steps past me, every one of them turned around and said, “I know what that is!”. It was a good joke for all.

Al told me they weren’t an item, she was just available and liked to give it up. He had no problems with me getting a piece of the action when we got back home as she wasn’t marriage material. It was satirically funny that her first marriage was to a guy whose last name was Tracy, making her Tracy Tracy.

The Bathroom

I decided to take her to Bennigan’s for dinner. It was dinner and sex and was pretty well agreed on up front by both parties (sport fucking for her). The restaurant was empty as it was a weekday except for us and a party of girls going out after work for dinner and booze. They were loud and I’m guessing about 10 of them at one table drinking margaritas.

As things go, I had to hit the men’s room. When I excused myself, Tracy said let’s go to the girl’s room. At the risk of getting kicked out for untoward behavior, I agreed. I’d been in a girl’s room, but when it was closed off for cleaning. I was young and stupid and it seemed worth the risk.

To my relief, there was no one in there so we walked through the powder room, went into the same stall and both relieved ourselves.

I was a few drinks down so was pretty happy with myself for the bold move, all the while hoping that we’d be soon walking out nonetheless for wear and also not kicked out as we hadn’t eaten yet.

Just about that time, all 10 of the girls from the other table came in. Girls go to the bathroom together. Even Tracy kind of got worried so I stood on the toilet seat while her legs and girls’ shoes were visible below the stall door.

The girls took up every stall and all started going at once. 10 girls peeing together sounded like Niagra Falls. Tracy and I were trying not to laugh at the situation and were just going to wait it out until the crowd left. Then we’d celebrate what we were getting away with. She was a giggler though and I was sure we would be made. I could see my picture in the paper, busted and my burgeoning career derailed for unbecoming behavior.

Instead of just heading back to the table, the girls assembled in the powder room to fix their makeup. Girls going to the bathroom together can take forever and never shut up. They made a lot of noise yapping about a lot of things they would have wished I didn’t hear about.

Finally, it seemed like the coast was clear and we agreed to walk out and try to make it back to our table instead of the back of a police car.

Thinking they were all gone and back at their table, we decided to make our break.

I decided that if I was going to be arrested, I was going to do it in style, so I walked out of the stall as if I owned the joint. In passing through the powder room, there were still a couple of stragglers and I got the look of a nice Sunday surprise. I made eye contact with one of them and her mouth dropped open.

As it turned out, we had to walk by their table to get to ours and at least 7 were sitting down, but knew what happened in there. Their table faced the women’s restroom and they saw me come out after they were done. I walked right past them and grinned and even caught a couple of laughs from their table. Their margaritas had taken their effect, fortunately.

Our dinner came out and we ate and left, albeit faster than we normally would have. It was somewhere between not wanting to see a cop car and wanting to get back to her apartment for some sport fucking.

At the end of the day, I don’t think anyone really gave a shit. The other girls had a story to tell, it got Tracy all excited, which worked for my libido and I got stuck in a girl’s bathroom for 15 minutes with 10 other women.

We didn’t last long being a couple as I was in a time of life when girls regularly came in and out of it. Neither of us cared. We didn’t have any feelings for each other (besides some youthful lust) and I even went back for seconds on several booty calls.

Those were the days I was single, then I got married. See Marriage Monday memes to get a feel for that.

Portland, Still A Shithole

Antifa militants targeted an ICE detention center in Portland, Oregon, on Monday night, just hours after President Donald Trump was sworn into office. The incident was in retaliation to the Trump administration’s mass deportation operations and crackdown on illegal immigration. No arrests were made and the far-left extremist group vowed to carry out more acts of violence against federal immigration officials and facilities, according to social media posts.

Video footage posted to X, formerly Twitter, shows a group of roughly 15 Antifa militants dressed in black bloc riot gear igniting fires and squaring off with federal law enforcement outside the ICE detention center located at 4310 S Macadam Road in Portland. The clip was filmed by an anarchist and uploaded to X under the username @comradecamera at 11:08 pm.

According to the video, Antifa militants encircled officers as they attempted to extinguish one of the fires, with a few of them utilizing megaphones to issue threats and harassment. “I’m so glad you signed up for this,” one Antifa member could be heard yelling, mocking authorities.

story

I’ve been there a bunch over the years due to relatives. It gets worse every time. It started with make Portland weird, but now it’s just make Portland suck more.

People shit on the street. Businesses board up windows, crazies yell at you in the street and the homeless and drugs are everywhere. They don’t do anything to improve it and it decays every day. I’ve stopped going. I stopped wanting to go years ago, but finally put my foot down.

I don’t go anymore because of the state of the city. It’s due to liberals running things into the ground. It’s not even recognizable as part of the rest of the United States. It’s become it’s own country

The Best Of Marriage Monday Meme’s – Part 8

Marriage Monday Meme’s

Marriage Monday Meme’s

Marriage Monday Meme’s

Marriage Monday Meme’s

Marriage Monday Meme’s

This should catch everyone up to the beginning of last year. I have a new round probably starting next week that I’ve been collecting

What is your favorite animal?

What is your favorite animal?

Again, this is sort of a layup for me.

My dog.

He loves everyone, but at the end of the day, he comes to me over everyone else. He’s as much of a dog as there is. He digs, pisses on everything when we walk, barks at the delivery people, loses his mind over cats, squirrels and deer but loves getting his ears scratched.

img_2618-1

Explaining Why Danes Are Hating The Thought Of Greenland Becoming Part Of The US

Greenland’s Prime Minister Now Says Open To Talks With Trump: ‘Status Quo No Longer an Option’

We are continuing to watch the developments related to Greenland, which have gotten especially interesting after President-elect Donald Trump tasked his pick for Ambassador to Denmark with persuading the Danes to sell us the resource-rich Arctic land.

Shortly after that announcement, Greenland suffered a major power outage due to a downed transmission line. The blackout plunged the region into darkness as temperatures dropped below -27 degrees Fahrenheit (-33°C).

This was soon followed by Greenland’s Prime Minister Mute Egede calling for independence from Denmark, marking a significant shift in the rhetoric surrounding the Arctic island’s future.

Trump’s son later went on an “unofficial” visit to Greenland.  At that time, I speculated that persuading the people of Greenland to become an independent territory of the United States might be the best deal that could be placed on the table.

Intriguingly, Egede recently had a joint press conference with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen during which he said that he’s ready to speak with Trump as ‘the status quo is no longer an option‘.


My wife’s Danish relatives, to whom I’ve had to associate in the last 3 decades of marriage finally can’t hide their contempt for Trump and the USA any longer.

In dealing with them and many Europeans throughout my business career, it’s clear that trashing the US is their favorite sport (not football/soccer). They keep trying to re-make America by their rules, rather than accept the history of a country that has surpassed centuries of European culture.

A point of note is that while they are trashing America, they are wearing Levis or Carhartt, smoking Marlboro cigarettes, and regularly vacationing in America all while bitching that it isn’t Danish enough. They love shopping here because it is so much cheaper because of their 70% tax rate which pays for their “FREE” education and healthcare (that is just above malpractice)

The press coverage and the feedback I get is that the Danes are livid that Trump wants Greenland.

One of her nieces posted that Elizabeth Warren is the “bomb”

My wife also has a brother who lives in Greenland and the natives there hate Denmark owning them, but subsist off of the money that Denmark pours into them yearly. They’d rather be Greenlandish and free but realize they get a heck of a lot more from the US than they would Denmark, given the economic difference.

The US has had a military base there for a long time and they love the Americans in Greenland, more than the Danes


Back to my wife’s relatives, the Danes hate Trump. He is as atypical of how the Danes think they think (Janteloven) as possible. They are as averous as any other group despite what they claim. She’s got nephews who brag about the price of everything they bought and the status of the item. With Trump, They can’t handle the thought of an alpha male actually being successful and achieving more than others because of hard work and outsmarting others (like my wife’s relatives). Mostly, he’s not a socialist like a lot of thinking in Denmark so they can’t grasp it so they use the “typical American” and hate him. They actually don’t know why other than their press has told them to.

I had to cut them off from social media for the childish trashing of him for the last 8 years. I haven’t missed anything though other than them being the compass for what is wrong by going against everything they think is right (Warren/Pocahantis, Biden, Kamala, Obama, Obamacare, and the list goes on). So Trump lives rent free in their heads now as they seethe every time he wins (and wins again).

Here is an unscientific poll that backs up my observations.

A new survey found that a majority of Greenland respondents support joining the United States.

According to a poll by Patriot Polling released Sunday, 57.3 percent of respondents approve of Greenland becoming part of the U.S. Just 37.4 percent disapproved of the potential acquisition, and 5.3 percent are undecided about the move.

President-elect Trump has in recent days floated the idea of acquiring Greenland, a Danish territory. He said owning Greenland is an “absolute necessity.”

While the survey only polled 416 people in Greenland and is the first of its kind, it signals support for Trump’s larger international plans.

source

I think Trump just wants a bigger military footprint and access to rare earth minerals (and petroleum). He is a master of negotiations and everyone should be happy in the end, except my Wife’s family, but I don’t care what they think. Their bias doesn’t allow them to think rationally about Trump and America anyway. Not that I care what they think anymore.

Enjoy your shopping when you are in America.

What are your thoughts on the concept of living a very long life?

What are your thoughts on the concept of living a very long life?

I don’t worry about it. In fact, I never think about it. When it’s your time, it’s your time. Some, like Bryan Johnson pays 2 million a year to try and not die. That is a dreadful way to live

I get plenty of exercise and eat healthy, but It’s for the quality of life I have left, not to find the fountain of youth. My life is full and I’m happy with each day.

Besides, here is how long you are going to live anyway and so why worry about it.

What are your biggest challenges?

What are your biggest challenges?

Look, I’m an introvert. While I’d like to say that curing cancer, ending world hunger, or overcoming a life threatening disease were my macro challenges, it’s not my daily struggle.

Avoiding people and small talk constantly raise their heads to dog me. I can’t expect most other than fellow introverts to get this, but it’s a struggle for me to face a crowded room of people. Having to engage in meaningless talk about stuff I know doesn’t matter is difficult also. It’s mentally draining for introverts. We are not built for it and when it comes up, it’s like being in a tunnel with the train light headed directly for you. It’s like having a grains of sand in your eye constantly and you can’t remove it.

I can do it, but with less and less enthusiasm and I have to work myself up to face it. My extroverted other has put me in situations I wish I weren’t in a lot of times in my life. I’ve finally fought that off. I find myself wanting to withdraw more and nothing pleases me more than canceled plans now.

I’m not going to be on my deathbed and wish I was more outgoing. I have a lot of other regrets that are more meaningful than small talk.

Trump’s victory marks the return of masculinity

I’m getting sick and F*****g tired of bashing men. It’s a cheap shot by the liberals, feminists, SJW, and pussies who don’t get their way or can’t do something that men can do. Tearing someone down to build yourself up is a crap way to make yourself feel better. It has not made the world any better either, stop it, now.

We need more masculinity. We’d have better kids, a better economy, less woke crap, and a better selection for the ladies to choose from. The world needs strong men who do the right thing and make the world better.

I have a dumbass cousin who got butt hurt that Trump said some stuff about girls when he was younger. I’ve got news for you, girls let rich and powerful men get away with more than they do with beta men or guys without money. It’s called hypergamy. Stop being a dumbass and realize that girls control most of what guys get in a civilized situation. She supported Biden who destroyed the country and a lot of the world.

The popular mandate of President-elect Donald Trump is an affirmation of traditional masculinity.

The war on men, orchestrated by the extreme left, has suffered a serious setback with his election. Mr. Trump was told that he’d have to soften his message to appeal to women voters. He didn’t, and it doesn’t seem to have hurt him.

This year, Mr. Trump carried a majority of White women, as Republican presidential candidates have since 2004. Overall, Vice President Kamala Harris did worse among women than President Biden in 2020 or Hillary Clinton in 2016.

The image that symbolized Mr. Trump’s spirit came after he was wounded at the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, when he got to his feet, pumped his fist and shouted, “Fight! Fight!” If it had been Ms. Harris, she would have fainted, and, when revived, returned to the lectern to blather about “What can be, unburned by what has been.”

Democrats tried to counter Mr. Trump’s charisma with a new model of masculinity: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who put tampon dispensers in the boys’ rooms of schools, and second gentleman Doug Emhoff, who put his career on hold to dutifully campaign for his wife.

Given a choice between Ms. Harris (who could barely articulate a coherent thought) and the Marxist Mr. Magoo on the one hand and Mr. Trump and Sen. J.D. Vance, a Marine Corps veteran, on the other, men went for the Republican ticket by a landslide. Men have taken a beating at the hands of feminists and “woke” culture for too long.

In “Why Can’t We Hate Men?” – a 2018 opinion piece in The New York Times – Suzanna Danuta Walters, director of the Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies Program at Northeastern University, declared that the essence of masculinity is sexual violence and economic exploitation.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who calls himself a feminist, says American voters had two opportunities to elect a woman president and failed both times, as if gender were the only issue in the 2016 and 2024 elections.

Such attitudes aren’t confined to the directors of women’s studies programs and socialist politicians desperate to retain power.

A study on changing attitudes toward men found that in 1970, 65% believed “men are basically kind and considerate,” compared with 44% in 2005. “Men’s egos require that they put women down” was a sentiment shared by 58% of respondents in 2005, next to 41% in 1970.

These toxic stereotypes have been cultivated by the media, academia and Hollywood – to the detriment of both sexes.

Who needs men? Among others, children do.

Fatherless families are responsible for 90% of homeless and runaway children, 85% of institutionalized youth, 71% of high school dropouts and most minors who suffer from drug or alcohol addiction.

Where are the role models for the 43% of boys who are raised by single mothers? Boys need men to instill masculine virtues.

Women need them, too. The traditional role of men as protectors of women and children isn’t outmoded, just neglected.

When men do man up, society tries to crush them.

When Daniel Penny saved passengers on a subway car from a deranged homeless man who had a long history of violence (including punching an old woman in the face), the state of New York charged the Marine veteran with criminally negligent homicide. A jury of five men and seven women acquitted him.

Unfortunately, there was no Daniel Penny on a New York subway car on Dec. 22, when a sleeping woman was burned to death. An illegal immigrant from Guatemala has been charged with first-degree murder and arson in that attack.

Women and children pay the price for the absence of male providers and protectors in the home and on the streets. The rise of crime, especially crimes targeting women, parallels the decline of masculinity. In 1993, women were 41% of violent-crime victims. Today, they’re 48%.

That’s why the election of Donald Trump is as important to the culture as it is for the economy. Men take responsibility, whether it’s by fighting crime, guarding our borders or meeting foreign threats.

Strong men are confident enough not to be intimidated by competent women. Witness Mr. Trump’s nominations of Pam Bondi for attorney general and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem for secretary of homeland security.

For the past four years, we’ve been misled by an increasingly feeble old man who hid in the White House or on the beach in Delaware. On Jan. 20, there will be a man of the house again.

The Best Of Marriage Monday Memes – Part 5

It’s still back in last year, before some of you started reading it.

Marriage Monday Meme’s

Marriage Monday Meme’s

Marriage Monday Meme’s

Marriage Monday Meme’s

Marriage Monday Meme’s

What is your all time favorite automobile?

What is your all time favorite automobile?

This is the easiest one for me to answer. It’s the Porsche 917. It’s one of the few cars that was the star of a movie (that wasn’t a cartoon).

I first saw it at the 24 hours of Daytona in 1970.

It was the first time I’d seen a car go over 200MPH in person in my life and I was a pre-teen at the time.

It would go on to dominate 2 different series of racing. It’s what got me fully hooked on endurance racing.

Here is the car on NASCAR turn 4 at well over 200 driven by my then favorite driver, Jo Siffert.

These Memes Perfectly Explain Introverts’ Thoughts at Holiday Parties

from Introvert Dear, but I can relate and I bet other Introverts can also. I don’t go if at all possible and am better for it.

Because introverts don’t just get ready for a holiday party — they gather strength for one.

Oh no, oh no, oh no. It’s today, isn’t it? The holiday party. And there’s another one tomorrow. A red-and-green glitter bomb of social obligation has exploded all over your calendar. Sure, you love your family, but the truth is, you’re an introvert, and big parties are utterly exhausting — even on those rare occasions when you actually enjoy them. Loud, crowded rooms and yet another round of “So, what’s new with you?” probably leave you dreaming of a white Christmas at home in your pajamas.

But the holidays only come around once a year, so you’ll rock around the Christmas tree anyway. That said, you’ll probably have some thoughts like these. Introverts, can you relate?

Want to feel more at ease in social situations?

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Thoughts Introverts Have at Big Holiday Parties

1. Is it too late to cancel?

a meme about cancelling plans last minute


Saying yes to the big holiday get-together seemed like a good idea when you RSVP’d. You even threw in some exclamation points (soooo excited to see everyone!!) and offered to bring your famous apple dumplings. But that was two weeks ago — you were younger then, full of hope. Now, in a moment of panic and desperation, you’re seriously considering canceling because you’re “sick.” Besides, didn’t you promise your dog you’d binge Netflix together tonight?

2. Sigh. I’m going.

a meme about feeling guilty about not going to the party

It is your family we’re talking about. And it is the holidays. That’s the double-edged sword of being an introvert — just thinking about skipping the party makes you feel guilty, even if it would be better for your mental health. You don’t want to let anyone down, even if saying yes means draining your energy completely.

3. I’ll just go for a little while.

a meme that reads I came, I saw, I left early

Yes, that’s it — the perfect compromise! You’ll say your hellos, grab some food, and even give nosy Aunt Gladys the most basic updates about your life, complete with a polite smile. Then you’ll make a swift exit, just like a certain snowman who knew better than to stick around when the sun was hot that day.

4. I can do this, I can do this…

a meme that reads introverts don't get ready for a party, they gather strength for a party

You’re doing this. You’re really doing this. You take a few deep breaths, savor the last moments of peace and quiet, and silently swear on Aunt Gladys’s fruitcake that you’ll be back home soon.

5. It’s so loud!

people are too damn loud meme

You’re at the party, and it’s SO LOUD. Christmas carols are blaring, everyone is talking at once, and your inner introvert is screaming for an escape to somewhere quieter. The noise feels like a physical force, crashing over you and draining your energy. You’re no Grinch, but suddenly his decision to live alone with his dog on a mountain makes perfect sense — it was quiet!

6. Small talk, whyyyyyy…

a meme about making small talk

Let’s face it — small talk has never been your thing. Gossip and chatter about weekend plans? It all feels so, well, boring. As an introvert, you’d rather dive into big ideas or, at the very least, something that feels authentic and meaningful. At the party, you do your best to stick to socially acceptable chitchat, but somehow, it always veers off into… something else entirely.

7. This is getting awkward…

stuck in awkward small talk eme

…so, so awkward.

8. There’s so much going on that I’m zoning out.

Introvert Doodles daydreaming introvert meme
Marzi Wilson/Introvert Doodles

Despite how it might look to others, you’re not angry, bored, or depressed — you’re simply turning inward to block out the overwhelming stimulation. The noise, the flurry of activity, and the endless social cues to process can be too much for introverts, who naturally thrive in calmer, more low-key environments.

9. But seriously, how long?

meme how long can I stay in the bathroom

This quiet moment alone is bliss. No small talk, no noise — just you, recharging in peace.

10. It’s not that I don’t like you, it’s just that…

why I want to go home meme
Marzi Wilson/Introvert Doodles

…there’s waaay too much fake smiling happening at this holiday party.

11. A pet! I’m saved!

where you will find me at parties meme
Gemma Correll

Many introverts are devoted animal lovers because our four-legged companions are the perfect match for us. They offer unconditional love without expecting small talk or fake smiles in return (see above). And unlike some extroverts, they’ll never talk your ear off or complain that you’re too quiet.

12. “Hey, sorry, can’t talk — too busy checking my phone!”

my brain at most parties meme
Buzzfeed

Pulling out your phone and pretending to be completely absorbed in it? A classic introvert move.

13. I’m actually having fun! And then…

when you're hanging out with friends and your social battery dies meme

Sometimes, even we introverts surprise ourselves by enjoying a social event. There’s something comforting about feeling included — even if half the time was spent dodging personal questions from family and quietly checking your phone. And let’s be honest, the holidays bring a certain warmth and nostalgia that’s hard to resist. Maybe you even found another introvert to chat with — or an extrovert who respected your quiet vibe. It feels good to connect, even for us fiercely independent introverts.

But then, the inevitable happens. No matter how much fun you had, you’re still an introvert — and that means your social battery only lasts so long. Time to head home and recharge!

14. Seriously, I have zero energy left.

my social battery at parties meme
Debbie Tung/Where’s My Bubble

And that’s okay — it’s nothing to be ashamed of. It’s just the way you’re wired.

15. If only extroverts understood what it’s like to be completely “peopled out”..

introvert tools meme
Aaron Caycedo-Kimura/INFJoe

…but let’s be real, a lot of them just don’t.

16. I’m so exhausted I don’t even want to say goodbye.

ways for introverts to leave a party meme
Kayla Yandoli/Sally Tamarkin/Will Varner/Buzzfeed

Dang, you forgot to pack your invisibility cloak. But it’s time to make your escape. Fingers crossed no one hits you with a “You’re leaving so soon?” as you quietly slip out the door.

17. I’m home! Hallelujah, I’m home!

introvert coming home meme
College Humor

On the left: What it looks like.

On the right: What it feels like.

18. And I am completely and utterly exhausted.

me after too much peopling introvert meme

The party might be over, but that doesn’t mean your energy magically returns. In fact, this is when the real exhaustion sets in. Cue the dreaded introvert hangover. For many introverts, social burnout isn’t just mental and emotional fatigue — it’s physical, too. The symptoms are real: headaches, muscle aches, and an overwhelming sense of feeling unwell. It’s your body’s way of saying, time to rest.

19. Because this is how my brain works:

the introvert's brain meme
Sarah’s Scribbles/Sarah Andersen

A WHOLE DAY.

20. Me:

meme every time I socialize

Can we make it 12?

21. Just back away slowly and close the door.

alone time is for everyone's safety meme

You shut your bedroom door and breathe in the sweet, glorious relief of solitude. If you have kids, you might try to pass them off to your spouse for a little while — because let’s face it, the only cure for an introvert hangover is downtime. Alone in your room, free from everyone’s expectations, you’re finally in your most comfortable, natural habitat. This time to decompress isn’t just nice — it’s necessary. Seriously, it’s for everyone’s safety!

What was the last thing you did for play or fun?

What was the last thing you did for play or fun?

I’m very content to be by myself. When you can do that, then being with others is fun, but not a requirement for fun. I do a lot of things and have a lot of activities, but they are taxing on my social battery. I don’t long for that like others

I was alone with my dog when this question came across my blog feed. I’m very content with just him and me and I realized that is fun.

The hustle and bustle of life doesn’t thrill me anymore.

Just my dog and me, fun for now.

Groundbreaking study shows dogs can use soundboards to communicate with humans

I know they can. I have to spell certain words as my dog knows exactly what I’m saying when I use them.

  • Dogs can form meaningful two-word combinations using soundboards, proving intentional communication.
  • Over 260,000 button presses by 152 dogs showed specific requests like “outside” + “potty.”
  • Dogs focus on immediate needs, unlike humans, who use soundboards for emotional expressions.
  • Future research may explore dogs’ ability to refer to past events or future plans.
  • Soundboards could revolutionize pet-owner communication and deepen interspecies understanding.

Dogs have long been considered “man’s best friend,” but a groundbreaking study published in Scientific Reports suggests that our furry companions are far more intelligent — and communicative — than we give them credit for.

The research reveals that dogs trained to use soundboards can form meaningful two-word combinations, proving they are not just randomly pressing buttons but deliberately communicating with humans. This discovery not only challenges our understanding of canine intelligence but also opens the door to deeper insights into animal cognition.

More here and it’s pretty interesting

Try talking to a cat and getting them to do anything

Fishing Story – Trying Take A Leak Off The Back Of A Boat In 32 Degree Weather

In my younger days, I was passionate about fishing. At the time, I was inland so lake fishing was my only real weekend option, so I was all in. I was good with catching anything, but bass and stripers were at the top of the food chain.

One winter day, my fishing buddy (read he had a boat and I didn’t) Brian called me up and said let’s go. I checked the weather report and it was going to be in the 30’s, but I had nothing to do so my dumbass bundled up and went out on the lake.

I knew damn well that the fish had lockjaw under 40 degrees, but away we went, at zero dark thirty o’clock.

I figured it would be a day of casting practice and not catching, but that never stopped a fisherman. The ride to the perfect spot is never short, so we blasted through the freezing air as fast as the bass boat could go. No sense in going at a reasonable speed. I had to wait once we got there just to de-ice.

Here’s where the story begins.

At some point, the coffee went through me and I had to piss. I waited as long as I could so that when I reached the moment of truth, I could actually go.

So here I am on the back of the boat about ready to bust and now I have to take off a jacket, gloves, a pair of Ski pants, long johns, thermal underwear, and finally try to find my dick.

It was all (relatively) warm at about 32 degrees, but once my dick hit the freezing air, it revolted and said not today Jack. As I said, I was at the moment of truth and had to go. I was hoping for a huge stream to get it over with and not piss on the boat because then I’d have to stick my hand in the freezing water to wash it off.

After digging through all of my clothes and trying to get ready to force it out, My dick tried to crawl inside my body. It gave a weak effort, so I’m trying not to piss on my clothes, the boat, and trying to hit the water instead of everything else. I managed to get it done, but I don’t recall my dick being that cold ever before. It even revoted when I had to grab it with freezing fingers.

As for fishing, on a day we should have been skunked, I slayed the bass. I seemed to throw the right lure in the right place all day. I caught them off of stumps, on the spawning beds, on crankbaits, and on worms.

It was a helluva day fishing, but a terrible time trying to take a leak. I think that was the last time I tried that, although I’ve spent plenty of time in a tree stand hunting deer and trying not to piss.

What could you do less of?

What could you do less of?

This one is a layup for me. It’s small talk.

I’m at the point where if it’s a deep subject or means something, I can go deep and listen and discuss until the subject is exhausted.

When I hear about shopping, what other people said, and the various examples of small talk, not only do I tune out, my social battery starts draining immediately.

Other introverts will relate to this one. It’s when the extroverts get going and talking is sort of a competition, where they wait for a break so that they can get in their point or part of the story that may or may not have anything relevant to what is being discussed.

Pathological talkers are like that. They wake up and their mouth starts going. I literally hide in my own house sometimes to make it stop

You Get More Introverted With Age, According to Science

I couldn’t agree with this writing more. It’s happening to me and I even crave it now. For example, I celebrate every time I miss another high school reunion. The 50th is next year for me and there is nothing or nobody that could drag me back to see people that I left behind decades ago. (see the last section).

I’ve got family within driving distance and I don’t text or call for fear that there might be a get-together that I’d have to suffer through. There just isn’t enough there for me to want to suffer through that anymore.

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

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.

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.

Have you found yourself becoming more introverted as you’ve gotten older? Let me know in the comments below.

Do you have a favorite place you have visited? Where is it?

Do you have a favorite place you have visited? Where is it?

I’ve been around the world, to most of the continents. It was for both business and pleasure. I’ve stayed in the finest hotels and some dumps. I’ve eaten with the best chefs and at a choke and puke.

I don’t want to do that anymore. The sense of adventure isn’t enough to make me want to fight the people, the waits, the lines, and the crappy service.

The answer now is that I want to be Home or my place in the mountains. I have my stuff in my place and I don’t have to fight airports, and security lines, stay in places that aren’t mine and someone full of germs was just there before me.

It’s because I’m an introvert and getting old. I don’t care anymore. I don’t have to see everything and right now, there’s nothing I want more than to be in my place, preferably alone with my dog.

Why Introverts Are Happier With Fewer Friends

In a world fixated on quantity, fewer friends mean deeper connections with those who truly understand us.

In a world that often sings the praises of an extroverted lifestyle and the constant whirlwind of social activities, we introverts prefer to walk a quieter path — one that values solitude, introspection, and a select few meaningful connections. For us, solitude isn’t just a preference; it’s a sanctuary — a place where we find the clarity and peace we need to thrive.

When I entered my twenties — a decade traditionally associated with socializing and expanding your circle of friends — my introverted journey took a refreshingly different route. Instead of a jam-packed social calendar or always being surrounded by people who were the life of the party, I found solace in solitude and the company of a select few cherished friends. If you’re an introvert, I’m sure you can relate.

Here are 10 reasons why introverts often prefer having fewer friends.

Why Introverts Prefer Having Fewer Friends 

1. Deep, meaningful connections

When we have fewer friends, we have more time and energy to nurture the relationships that matter most. These friendships are built on trust and shared experiences, creating bonds that grow stronger with time. They not only withstand the test of time but also offer unwavering support and comfort during life’s highs and lows.

In a world often obsessed with the quantity of connections, we understand that it’s the quality of these relationships that truly enrich our lives. We don’t consider everyone a friend, which makes each interaction a treasured moment of shared understanding and genuine care.

In her book Quiet, Susan Cain points out that introverts often thrive in more intimate, one-on-one interactions. Having fewer friends allows us to focus on building meaningful connections with those who truly “get” us and accept us for who we are. These authentic friendships are like warm, cozy blankets on a chilly night, providing comfort and genuine support when we need it most. 

2. Time to focus on the friendships that really matter

For us introverts, having a smaller circle of friends can be a blessing. With fewer social obligations and less influence from a large social circle, we have the time and space to deeply invest in the friendships that truly matter. I find that with just a few close friends, I can truly invest in understanding them on a deeper level and being there for them when they need support.

Like many introverts, I am not one for small talk. I don’t want to just talk about the weather or what you saw on TV last night. I want to hear about your childhood and life experiences — the lessons you’ve learned that have made you the person you are today. I want to hear about your hopes, dreams, and goals. I want to know how your relationship is truly going — not just the surface-level “It’s good” you might tell others when that’s not the whole story. The busyness of a big social network doesn’t allow for that kind of deep connection.

Plus, as a result, we can focus on understanding ourselves better and on what truly makes our hearts sing and souls dance. This journey of self-discovery is a precious gift that can guide us toward a more fulfilling path in life.

3. Independence with a support system

As we grow older, we become more independent, exploring the world on our own terms and savoring the freedom and solitude that come with it. Alone time recharges our batteries, giving us the energy to spread our wings and pursue the adventures that resonate with our souls.

Having fewer friends creates space for us to develop our individuality. In a world that often pushes for constant social interaction, this independence becomes a sanctuary — a place where we can fully embrace who we are.

4. More peace and quiet

In busy social environments, we introverts often experience sensory overload — loud music, crowded rooms, and constant conversations drain us. We start to feel overstimulated and unable to focus as external stimuli compete for our attention.

Having fewer friends translates to more peace and quiet, giving us the calm we need to recharge. We retreat into the soothing sanctuary of solitude, embracing the silence that stills our thoughts and relaxes our spirit. The chatter and noise of constant social interactions are replaced by tranquil moments of reading, reflecting, or simply being. This quiet space becomes our safe haven amid life’s chaos.

For us introverts, peace and quiet are not just luxuries — they’re necessities. We thrive when we can turn down the volume of the outside world and tune into our inner landscape. With fewer friends and obligations, we create space to hear our thoughts, reconnect with ourselves, and let stillness restore our energy. The silence nourishes us deeply.

5. Energy for your own goals and passions

With fewer social distractions, we can channel our energy into pursuing our passions and goals, turning what might seem like “alone time” into a wellspring of productivity and creativity. The result? We often emerge as high achievers in various aspects of life, including career and personal growth.

Our alone time — or creative space — becomes the launchpad we need to reach for the stars at our own pace. It allows us to develop our talents, chase our dreams, and make a meaningful impact on the world.

6. Less drama

Smaller social circles mean less conflict and drama. There’s less politics, gossip, jealousy, and fewer fallouts to manage. My energy goes toward nurturing a few intimate friendships, not maintaining a large roster of dramatic relationships.

As introverts, we strongly dislike confrontation and arguments; we prefer peace and harmony. Navigating friend drama can be exhausting. I’ve come to value friendships that are drama-free, where my friends and I can support each other and communicate openly. This kind of acceptance is incredibly refreshing.

7. Quality time

When we do choose to socialize, we introverts treasure meaningful conversations and deep connections with our friends. With fewer friends, we can dedicate more time to truly enjoying their company — sharing heart-to-heart chats that leave lasting impressions. These moments of genuine connection nourish our souls, reminding us that when it comes to friendship, less truly can be more.

8. Emotional resilience

Difficult times have shown me that I don’t need constant external validation or a large support network. Instead, I rely on a few close friends who provide perspective when I’m overthinking and need clarity.

Over the years, the advice and support I’ve received from them have helped me tap into my own inner strength, process emotions through reflection, and grow through life’s ups and downs.

This emotional strength becomes an invaluable companion as we move through life, helping us weather storms with grace. We introverts don’t depend entirely on others for comfort or reassurance — we carry a quiet confidence in our ability to cope and thrive, even when facing tough times alone. We understand that our worth comes from within, not from the size of our social circle. 

9. Comfortable with your own company

While we introverts aren’t fans of constant socializing, there are days when we crave a change of scenery or the chance to connect. We might want to chat with a friend over coffee or catch up over lunch. However, having a smaller circle of friends means they’re not always available when we’re looking for company. As a result, we learn to embrace solitude and use it as an opportunity for self-discovery.

Learning to be alone has been a blessing for me as an introvert. I’ve discovered that it’s where I find true happiness, independent of others. Whether it’s reading, writing, journaling, or simply enjoying nature, I’ve come to cherish and embrace my own space.

10. Your self-worth doesn’t depend on others

Basing self-esteem on friendships and social approval is fragile. As introverts comfortable with solitude, our sense of self-worth comes from within. We understand that our value isn’t measured by the size of our social network or the number of likes and followers on social media.

This inner confidence allows us to form authentic connections without relying on external validation. The older I get, the more I realize that my worth isn’t defined by others — it comes from loving and accepting myself first.

Having a few close friends who truly see and appreciate me has shown me that I don’t need a big circle to feel fulfilled. I now carry a quiet confidence that comes from embracing my introverted journey. This realization has been one of the greatest gifts of my introverted life.

story and source

My mRNA Fear – Are Purebloods Being “Vaccinated” Via Blood Transfusions?

After avoiding being jabbed for Covid, despite pressure from my family to take it, here is how they could still get to those of us who didn’t comply

Are Purebloods Being “Vaccinated” Via Blood Transfusions?

The blood supply is already being tainted by letting homosexuals donate. Arthur Ashe got AIDS through a blood transfusion. That group has the riskiest behavior with drugs and unprotected sex.

Now, Covid vaccinated people have donated blood since 2021. It is estimated that 70% of the world got jabbed so do the math on the blood supply.

There is no real documentation on how long the poison in the jab stays in your bloodstream because we haven’t had enough time to tell.

From the Gates of Vienna, the whole thing is here:

Peter Kotlár is a Slovak physician and member of parliament. Since January of this year he has been the plenipotentiary of Prime Minister Robert Fico’s government charged with reviewing the government’s handling of the COVID-19 “pandemic”.

From his Wikipedia entry (machine translation):

In October 2024, he submitted a report on the results of his review of the COVID-19 pandemic to the Slovak government. At a press conference, he stated that he would recommend to the government, among other things, to halt mRNA vaccination until their safety and efficacy are proven, and to reject the updated International Health Regulations and the pandemic treaty. He described the [COVID-19] vaccine as a biological weapon that alters human DNA.

The following video is taken from a press conference that was held shortly after the conclusion of the October review. In this excerpt Dr. Kotlár discusses the possibility that nanolipid particles containing the mRNA “vaccine” may persist in the blood, and thus contaminate the blood supply that is used for transfusions. If so, any unvaccinated person who receives a blood transfusion is, in effect, being vaccinated against his will.

Many thanks to Xanthippa for the translation, and to Vlad Tepes and RAIR Foundation for the subtitling:

(it is quite a discussion on the whole subject. I encourage those who are purebloods to read or listen)

What are your favorite animals?

What are your favorite animals?

My dog of course. He’s the one I spend the most time with. Being an introvert, having him is better than most other people I encounter. When I go to someone’s house, I almost always gravitate to the pets if there are a lot of people. Introverts will relate to that one.

Next, most other dogs. I spent the weekend dog-sitting for my son and had fun with both of them.

Way out of that thought pattern came Cheetah. I like how fast it is and since I’m a big F1 fan, I thought of that.

Completely unrelated though are people that mistreat animals. They should be punished way worse than they are to stop this behavior. From building wind farms and killing whales to being cruel like tying a dog to a post and leaving it during Hurricane Helene (I’m not going to link to it because it pissed me off so much).

I hope someone has a good animal story or one about a really unusual animal.

Beach or mountains? Which do you prefer? Why?

Beach or mountains? Which do you prefer? Why?

I grew up in Central Florida and spent the summers at the beach. It was the days before crowds and huge Condos. I lived another 2 decades in South Florida where the beach was minutes away and I took advantage of it. There were huge condos and large parking queues to get there.

I enjoyed my time there and loved it when I went.

Either my family or I owned a beach house for 4 decades so I’m quite familiar with that environment. It’s just like going to Disney, but with sand in everything.

Now, the last decade has been spent in the mountains. I’ve done both for a long time.

It’s the mountains now by a lot. Just the drive alone getting there is worth it as the view is awesome, instead of a boring flat traffic-laden drive to where everyone else is going.

I got tired of the heat, sand, tourists, and traffic that comes with the beach.

In the mountains, I can get away with no people, less traffic and when it’s 100 percent humidity and over 90 degrees at the beach, I’m enjoying the 70 degree weather. There are fewer tourists (fewer assholes) and the peace and quiet is worth it.

Maybe it’s just me, but this is an easy decision. I get to spend my summers in the beauty of what is God’s Country. They never say that about the beach.

I never think about the beach anymore, especially in the summer. I always want to get away to the mountains.

If you could meet a historical figure, who would it be and why?

If you could meet a historical figure, who would it be and why?

Jesus. I kind of don’t have to explain what he did historically, but spiritually it would mean a lot to me. I’ve got a lot of questions that I’d ask now. When I die, they won’t be important as eternity brings a whole new perspective to what life is.

There is a whole list of other figures I can think of, but they are the same as everyone else’s.

I go back and forth as to whether I’d want to meet myself at a younger age and give some advice, but then I would be changing everything in my life the way it is now.

What’s the first impression you want to give people?

What’s the first impression you want to give people?

I don’t care, I’m an introvert. I don’t even think about things this way.

It’s more likely that I’m trying to avoid any small talk if possible.

What people think of me doesn’t affect my life anymore. I used to have to pretend to care when I worked, but it wasn’t sincere concerning me being worried about what they thought of me.

It’s not narcissistic as I just don’t think this way. If they like me, fine. If they don’t, also fine. I’m nice and say hello and do the minimal banter if I can’t move on, but I just don’t think this way. Their impression is what it is and doesn’t enter my mind to worry about it.

I learned a long time ago you can do whatever you want, but people are going to make up their minds the way they want to and while you can temporarily influence it, you reveal yourself eventually.

What is the most interesting thing you’ve lost and found?

What is the most interesting thing you’ve lost and found?

I was trout fishing in Denmark with my wife’s Brothers (I refer to them as her family as I don’t like being related to American bashers). At the height of my fishing prowess, I’d caught and released many fish while they were still rigging poles.

At some point during the day, one of my wife’s brothers lost another lure (he lost them all). I had been slaying the fish on a lucky red spinner so I gave it to him so he could catch something. Just like the rest, he lost that one also. I thought the fishing gods were against me and I’d be cursed the rest of the day. I have to admit I was a little pissed to have lost the best lure in my box. Having purchased it in America, I knew I wouldn’t be able to replace it like for like. I didn’t catch much the rest of the day.

At some point, we decided to have lunch and left one pole out just in case. My young son had come with my wife by that time and we ate leisurely.

I noticed the rod bending over and gave it to my son to reel in a very nice one. To my surprise, as I removed the lure from his mouth, I asked who had the extra red spinner they baited the hook with, and didn’t tell me.

As it turned out, the actual lure that caught the fish was still in its mouth, and on the other side was my lucky spinner. There may have been hundreds of fish in the lake and to catch the fish with the lure was remarkable. It was attached to a short piece of line so I knew it was the exact one as you couldn’t buy them in Denmark.

I put it away and decided to never fish with it again. I put it in a picture box of memories and knick-knacks on the wall and it sits there today.

What is good about having a pet?

What is good about having a pet?

What’s not good about having a pet?

They’re perfect for introverts. I get along with my dog better than almost all people. He loves me unconditionally. I do everything I can to take care of him and his health. I suffer for him when he’s not feeling well and take care of all his needs.

He’s right next to me as I type this.

He’s also a great reason for me to leave any gathering so that I can take him for a walk or feed him. Introverts will relate.

Yale Psychiatrist: Harris Voters May Need to Cut Off Friends and Family Members

First of all, what a crybaby. The rest of the country put up with the destruction of Western Civilization for the last 4 years and 8 under Obama.

Speaking as an introvert, if someone doesn’t want to talk to me, especially about something stupid like this, I’d welcome it. I have some family members already picked out that I’d be ok losing. If they are this shallow and fragile, it might not be a bad thing.

Anyway, here’s her whining.

With women pledging to break up with their boyfriends and divorce their husbands over the Trump victory, Yale University chief psychiatry resident Dr. Amanda Calhoun is advising that it may also be necessary for your mental health to cut off your family and friends who supported Trump. In that way, you can avoid being “triggered” by opposing political views — much like Yale itself.

As academics, we are dealing with the election on campuses across America. After the election, I had some valuable discussions with students who supported Harris and some who supported Trump. I wish there would be more interaction between the two groups. That is why this story stood out for me. I do not believe that further separation or isolation will help this country or these individuals.

Dr. Calhoun went on MSNBC’s Joy Reid to offer the curious take on good mental health. Reid has spent the week condemning the majority of voters (particularly minority voters) in the nation as racists and misogynists for the Trump victory.

Reid joined a rising tide of rage, which I discussed in my column this weekend. Dr. Calhoun added her voice to the madness.

“So, if you are going into a situation where you have family members, where you have close friends who you know have voted in ways that are against you… it’s completely fine to not be around those people and to tell them why…

…You know, to say, ‘I have a problem with the way that you voted because it went against my very livelihood, and I’m not going to be around you this holiday. I need to take some space for me.’ I think you should very much be entitled to do so, and I think it may be essential for your mental health.”

I question her mental health also. Joy Reid is a racist, but I’ll deal with that in a later post

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Why Introverts and Pets Just Get Each Other

This couldn’t be any more true for me. Every single point. Especially number 6 that I’m already planning on using at the family Thanksgiving dinner.

As an introvert, it’s a huge relief for me to simply sit with another creature in silence, with no expectation to say or do anything.

Many introverts are hardcore animal lovers (like me!). Why? Because animals fulfill a specific role for introverts that people just can’t. When we’re drained of energy and desperately need recharge time, the calming presence of a pet can provide exactly what we need as we recover.

Personally, I’ve had a variety of pets throughout my life, including cats, dogs, fish, hermit crabs, and ferrets. Each of them, of course, has had unique needs and personalities, but they’ve all shared the same purpose: being a constant source of friendship and positivity in my life. They offer so much and ask very little in return.

While not all introverts are animal lovers, I think many of us “quiet ones” would agree that pets make the perfect companions. Here’s why.

Why Introverts and Pets Just Get Each Other

1. No small talk

Even in casual gatherings — like watching a movie or joining a group hike — someone inevitably feels the need to fill every silence with chatter. Some people will say anything to break an “awkward” silence, which often only compounds an introvert’s dislike of small talk. This tendency can even lead us to make a quick excuse and head out.

But animals don’t do small talk.

It may sound silly, but it’s incredibly comforting to just sit with another creature in complete silence. There’s no expectation to talk or do anything; you get to simply exist. And you can relax, knowing your cat, dog, rabbit, or any other pet will never ask your opinion on the weather.

2. No expectations

Animals ask very little of us. All they want is food, love, and perhaps the occasional trip outdoors. That’s it.

Even the nicest people come with expectations and inevitably want something from you. They may want you to talk when you don’t feel like it, go out when you’ve already reached your “people limit” for the day, or listen as they vent about their problems. With animals, there’s no pressure — just a simple, unconditional companionship.

3. No judgment

I have to admit — I spend a lot of time in my pajamas. On days when I’m not working or don’t have important plans, you’ll most likely find me in comfy clothes all day.

That doesn’t necessarily mean I’m lounging in bed. I’m up, reading, cleaning, cooking, or handling other life things. I just prefer staying in the most comfortable clothes I own because, well, they’re comfortable.

Even the kindest people might find it odd if I showed up to hang out in my pajamas. But my cats and dog don’t care at all about what I’m wearing, whether my hair is styled, or if I’m wearing makeup. They accept me just as I am.

4. A constant source of comfort

Many introverts thrive on routine and consistency. We’re often not big fans of surprises, as they can catch us off guard and overwhelm us while we try to process the sudden shift. Being prepared helps reduce some of the anxiety and overstimulation that social events or large gatherings often bring.

But life, of course, is unpredictable. Some days go exactly as planned, while others take unexpected turns, with new things popping up constantly. On those days, our introverted souls need something comforting to recharge us — and a pet is perfect for this. After a tough day, it’s comforting to know you can come home to a snuggle and a furry face that loves you unconditionally.

5. A great conversation starter

Believe it or not, there are times when introverts actually want to socialize. But figuring out how to get a meaningful conversation started can be tricky for us “quiet ones.”

The good news is that your pet can be a perfect icebreaker, especially if the other person loves animals, too. Talking about your pet is a great way to ease into conversation without the focus being on you (since many introverts dislike talking about themselves with people they don’t know well).

And if you find a fellow pet lover? That’s as close to instant friendship as it gets! Prepare to spend the next half hour exchanging pet stories — a fun conversation that’s worlds better than small talk.

6. A great excuse to go home

What’s that? An evening get-together after a full day of work? Sorry, but my dog has been crossing his legs all day, and I promised to feed my cat precisely at 6:30 p.m. Looks like I’ll have to skip!

It may sound a bit silly, but for introverts who don’t have a spouse or kids at home “needing” them, a pet provides the perfect excuse to head straight home after work or make an early exit from a party.

Sure, pets require cleaning up after and sometimes get noisy at night, but I still stand by this: Introverts and pets make the perfect companions.

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What will your life be like in three years? Depends on who wins the election

What will your life be like in three years?

Actually, I’m so old that it’s not going to affect me as much as it will younger generations. They will either have a chance to prosper or know what socialism is. That is what is on the table today.

I’ve slayed most of the dragons that I will in life already. I’m hoping that the nation can continue as the greatest, like the one I grew up in. We are setting up the next generation for prospering or suffering depending on who gets elected

We’ll see when they sort out the cheating and the legal stuff. A lot is on the line in this election.

Biden-Harris Admin Licenses ‘DNA Vaccines’ in the U.S Food Supply

Great, Just freaking great. Some of us made a huge effort to not get jabbed to avoid the mRNA poison and now they are putting it in our food.

The Biden-Harris administration has begun licensing the use of “DNA vaccines” in the United States food supply, according to reports.

The bombshell was revealed by Ohio attorney Tom Renz.

Renz exposed the Biden-Harris admin’s United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for licensing the use of deadly DNA vaccines in food.

The USDA had previously given the green light for salmon to be vaccinated with the latest mRNA chemicals.

However, this latest scheme raises far greater concerns.

By licensing DNA vaccines, the USDA is allowing even more questionable pharmaceutical chemicals to be administered to animals that people consume as food.

Renz highlighted a video that shows how fish destined for the food supply are vaccinated.

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Will these assholes please stop poisoning us

What historical event fascinates you the most?

What historical event fascinates you the most?

This was a conundrum for me. I was between the resurrection of Jesus and putting a man on the moon.

I know they don’t compare, but it’s what I thought of and that’s what you get when you get asked the question and answer it right away instead of putting days of thought into the question.

Both have lengthy discussions behind them that I’ll spare you. Most have already thought it out in their own minds. One is a personal belief and the other is the furthest you can be cut off from the world you could possibly be with the technology we have today.

The 17 Phrases That ‘Scare’ Introverts the Most

Phrases That ‘Scare’ Introverts

1. “Let’s go around the room and introduce ourselves.”

The dreaded icebreaker. Is there anything worse? Introverts might rather face a masked figure wielding a chainsaw than endure that awkward moment.

2. “Everyone will be there!”

Whether it’s a party, work event, or family gathering, introverts prefer to be where the crowds are not. It’s not about hating people or having enochlophobia — they’re just wired to be more sensitive to all kinds of stimulation. For an introvert, few things are scarier than the looming threat of an introvert hangover.

3. “Tell me about yourself.”

Can we… not? When asked to reveal personal details to people they barely know, introverts might feel as uncomfortable as a kid who’s eaten too much Halloween candy. Ironically, they’d probably feel more at ease discussing something deeper — like how a career setback helped them grow as a person or the physics of time travel — than making small talk about what they did over the weekend.

4. “I invited some friends over. I hope that’s okay!”

Friends are coming… to my home? My sacred space? The one place where I can truly relax and be myself? For introverts, last-minute guests mean no time to mentally prepare to be “on,” which is a truly terrifying prospect.

5. “How ’bout this weather?”

Small talk — those pointless exchanges designed to fill awkward silences. For introverts who crave meaningful interaction, empty chitchat is the worst. No wonder introverts hide in their apartments like a serial killer’s on the loose when they hear that neighbor in the hall — the one who talks so much, you’re not sure they’re getting enough oxygen.

6. “We have plans tonight, remember?”

You forgot. You made the plans. And now every hope of a peaceful, relaxing night at home has vanished, like a nightmare fading upon waking.

7. “It’s a group project.”

Introverts thrive when they can focus deeply without interruptions. Unlike extroverts, they usually don’t “think out loud” but process thoughts, emotions, and ideas internally. For introverts, group projects at work or school feel like juggling multiple costume changes in one night — managing group dynamics, personality clashes, and the actual project itself, all while feeling mentally and physically drained. So. Much. Socializing.

The rest are at this link, but suck for introverts just as much

You’ll find the team building exercises, open office, and other hate speech towards introverts in this excellent article

Looks Like People Want To Drive Real Porsches

In early 2022, Porsche said electric vehicles would account for more than 80% of total annual sales by the decade’s end. That goal is still in place, although the company added an asterisk next to 2030, saying it will depend on how customers react to EVs. In a Q&A session with the press during the conference call pretraining to Q3 2024 sales, the German brand admitted things aren’t going as planned.

Chief Financial Officer Lutz Meschke said the situation in China is “challenging” for Porsche and all the European luxury brands. In the United States and Europe, Porsche sees a “slowdown in the BEV transition and the customer demand is not satisfying overall.” He mentioned that “a lot of customers in the premium/luxury segment are looking in the direction of combustion engine cars. There’s a clear trend in this direction.”

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You have three magic genie wishes, what are you asking for?

Oh, I could ask for world peace, stuff for people I love, and the usual stuff, but my mind went to the sarcastic side as soon as I saw the question. I’m sure the readers will have far more intellectual and meaningful answers than me. But, oh well.

You have three magic genie wishes, what are you asking for?

They were asking for this one. There are a thousand best genie memes out there, but this is my favorite.

If you don’t get it, search A-10 Brrrt for the sound, but I’ll bet all guys know it already.

What major historical events do you remember?

What major historical events do you remember?

I’m going to miss a bunch here because I’m just going to post off the top of my head. From the timeline, you can guess my age

Eisenhower was President

Cuban Missle Crisis

Kennedy assassinated

Corvette Introduced

Porsche 911 introduced

LBJ

Viet Nam

RFK/MLK Jr assassinated

Nixon

Porsche 917 won everything

Munich Olympics Terrorist murders of Israelis

Miami Dolphins became the only undefeated NFL team, and still is

Watergate

Viet Nam ended and millions murdered

Gerald Ford

Carter

Iran Hostage Crisis

Reagan

Iran Hostage Crisis ended

Tear down this Wall

The USA got better because of the President

Bush Sr

Read my lips, no new taxes

Soviet Union Collapses

Gulf War 1

Clinton

Monica Lewinsky

Bush

9/11 Terrorist attack in NYC

Gulf War 2

Afghanistan War

Kerry flip flop

Obama

Osama Bin Laden was taken out

Obamacare ruins Insurance for America and furthers us toward Socialism

Hillary

Trump

A president with dementia was installed by cheating in the election

Trump again

What’s something most people don’t know about you?

What’s something most people don’t know about you?

Who I really am.

I’ve learned not to talk about myself other than when I type stuff here. I can’t stand when people brag and so I try not to do it. I constantly write about my introverted nature so I naturally hold back a lot of things other people can’t wait to talk about.

I’d rather people ask, I didn’t know you knew that, or how to do that than me telling them.

For all I write on my blog, I write 10 times as much about what’s going on in my life in my daily diary. It’s where I work stuff out in life and write it before I have to say it when it’s tough stuff that has to be dealt with.

No one would believe who I really am if they read what I write in private.

What principles define how you live?

What principles define how you live?

Easy, The Ten Commandments.

Generations before we got them on Mount Sinai, Cain killed Abel and even then he knew it was wrong. The rules are written on your heart. It’s just whether you choose to obey them or not.

It’s the same with kids. They know when they did wrong before they were told. That’s how early we understand them

Tell us about a time when you felt out of place.

Tell us about a time when you felt out of place.

How about my whole childhood.

I was the youngest in every class due to my birthday. In reality, I should have started school a year later than I did, but I was able to keep up academically so no one did anything.

As a result, I was a year behind everyone in maturity. I was always small and learned a lot of social things after the others already knew. It made for a tough time. It was particularly awkward in the whole girl/boy life dance as the girls were a year older, but years older in maturity and size for many of them. Most of them stopped maturing at the end of high school as I discovered in conversations with them later. I was just beginning to catch up the end of high school. Kids are cruel though so it was tough.

I caught and passed almost all of them because it drove me to succeed after banging my head against the wall of life up until that time.

I got no help from my sibling who was 2 years older, but only one grade ahead due to the birthday timing. When She could have helped, she jumped on the side of the other kids to make my life a lot more difficult than it needed to be.

It made me tougher in the long run. I had to figure out how to be street smart without any directions. Like the song Night Moves, I was searching for answers without any clues.

So childhood, I spent a lot of it out of place.

Your life without a computer: what does it look like?

Your life without a computer: what does it look like?

I lived for over 20 years without one. No GPS to drive. No cell phone to text. I can do math in my head and write in cursive. I took a chemistry class with a slide rule.

We used to say we’d meet friends in a particular place at a certain time. Occasionally we’d have to use a payphone, but many times it was a handwritten list of directions. We all got there, mostly on time and at the right place.

Sure it makes a lot of stuff easier, but I did all of my thesis papers without Google and used the library as my search engine. I still type, but I learned on a typewriter.

My sense of direction is much sharper than the computer kids as is my grasp of a lot of knowledge and pattern recognition.

I think it would be slower, but I’d have a helluva lot easier time than any of the alphabet generations would. They laugh at OK Boomer, but have no idea that we can do a lot more when the power is out and there is no internet.

We just went through Helene and I was fine with no power, no internet and survival instincts I learned growing up.

20 Characteristics of High-Agency Men – ANTROPOMÁXIMOLOGIA

This is what it would be if men were men and not trying to be trans-testicles to invade the girl’s locker rooms and beat the hell out of girls’ teams in sports.

Here’s how to be a man and not a pussy, here goes.

Back when I lived in Mexico in my early 20s, I came across a document (its author unknown) entitled “ANTROPOMÁXIMOLOGIA.”

It roughly translates to “the study of maximum human development.”

It’s all about how to develop yourself to the utmost. It contains 20 attributes of individuals who make a difference in the world and do great things. In other words, the attributes that make for high-agency men.

Here are the attributes that make the difference, “the added value” that distinguishes people who achieve success in their endeavors.

  1. They are never satisfied with their level of development; they always want to exceed what was previously done.
  2. They avoid comfortable situations. They do things they may not like because they understand the importance of doing them.
  3. They have pressing goals. They not only feel they SHOULD do something but they are driven by their own will that they HAVE to do it.
  4. They never blame others. They solve problems. Any task is a challenge to be overcome.
  5. They like and encourage taking risks. However, they take these risks judiciously and in moderation—never recklessly or without calculation. They evaluate and proceed with tact and without fear.
  6. They have VISION; they can foresee in their minds the outcomes before embarking on the execution of the proposed plan.
  7. They are not slaves to work. However, if they need to accomplish something, they will work 24 hours a day if necessary.
  8. They handle pressures well. They recognize that no one is interested in whether they are nervous or pressured. They know that only they decide what to do with their lives. They need the tension of demand but trust in their decision-making capacity.
  9. They are objective. They are not selfish. They let others receive recognition for an achievement when it is deserved.
  10. They understand the nature of energy. They know that if they apply enough energetic force, they will be capable of moving anything.
  11. They know the meaning of nurturing. They build and nurture others, always leaving things better than they found them.
  12. They understand sociability. They enjoy others but do not depend on them, stepping away from friends and having fun if there are more important or higher-priority tasks to handle.
  13. They use and understand self-discipline. They do not let habits, desires, and faults control them because they have developed the ability to control themselves.
  14. They have COURAGE. They are not reluctant because others do not dare to do something. They make decisions and do not hesitate.
  15. They have confidence in themselves. They do not doubt or waver. Their confidence is nourished by action and deeds.
  16. They understand the importance of living in the present. They do not live on the laurels of yesterday nor with the aspirations of tomorrow; they aim for the best in the present.
  17. They do not worry about past mistakes and never base today’s decisions on yesterday’s errors. They expect and live for the success of the present.
  18. They recognize that experiences come individually and not in groups. When they receive training, they apply the lessons to themselves and do not hide behind or dwell on the mistakes of others.
  19. They are quick to forgive, forget, and move forward from where they are. They know how to forgive their own faults.
  20. They understand the importance of empathy; they are capable of interpreting the feelings of others, developing this quality to the fullest.

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I hit 18 of 20

In what ways does hard work make you feel fulfilled?

In what ways does hard work make you feel fulfilled?

This one is easy. My Mom told me about this when I was young. It’s our task in life to overcome. You have to climb the mountain and achieve.

To leave it there is easy and lazy, but the question is about being fulfilled. You feel that way when you achieve, accomplish, or figure out the difficult issues in life.

Humans need to over overcome. Complacency is unfulfilling.

The Real Reason Introverts Hate Small Talk

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.

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.

Full story

What brands do you associate with?

What brands do you associate with?

Anything not woke to start with. As soon as they start the DEI crap, I won’t buy it or even walk into their store.

Now that we have that out of the way….

I told my wife that if she died, I’d buy a Ferrari. I’ve always been a Porsche fan, but I’ve had 3 of them.

Microsoft-Owned LinkedIn Using People’s Data To Train Artificial Intelligence Models – How I Got My Revenge

The story in a minute. First, I stopped working so I didn’t need LinkedIn for anything other than a track record of people I worked with. I wound up changing it though to suit me.

When they wanted pronouns, I used “pronouns are woke” instead of He/him. My college is Faber from Animal House fame, Knowledge is good. I’ve adjusted a lot of of things to poke fun at them can call them out for being woke. I won’t bore the readers, but I lost respect for them and show it.

Now this:

Professional networking platform LinkedIn has confirmed that it automatically uses personal user data to train artificial intelligence (AI) models without first informing its members.

The LinkedIn app displayed on a phone in London on Jan. 11, 2021. Edward Smith/Getty Images

The California-headquartered company said in a Sept. 18 blog post that it has updated the privacy policy element of its terms of service to include language clarifying how it uses the information shared with it “to develop the products and services of LinkedIn and its affiliates, including by training AI models used for content generation (‘generative AI’) and through security and safety measures.”

The platform said that there is an opt-out setting for members when it comes to using their data for generative AI training.

LinkedIn is owned by Microsoft, which has invested heavily in OpenAI, the developer behind ChatGPT. According to the FAQ section of the platform’s website, the AI models used to power generative AI features may be trained by LinkedIn or another provider, such as Microsoft’s Azure OpenAI service.

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Sure, I know one profile isn’t going to change AI, but it’s the most I can do. I make the day of a lot of HR recruiters when my work background meets their search requirements and then they read the satire I’ve left there.

What’s your all-time favorite album?

What’s your all-time favorite album?

This should cause controversy. It is entirely personal

Led Zeppelin 2,3,4 Houses of the Holy or Physical Graffiti.

Living and dying in 3/4 Time, Son of a Son of a Sailor – Jimmy Buffett

Boston

5th Gear (Brad Paisley)

I could go on and on, but I’ll let others chime in

Here’s the list of best selling albums, but some people have strange taste. Linkin Park, Brittany Spears, Eminem are on the list.

We had the best songs and bands in the 70’s. It’s why they keep doing covers of them.

Best name? You can Tune a Piano, but you can’t Tunafish.

These ‘Extroverted’ Behaviors Annoy Introverts the Most – Especially Numbers 7-15

When someone feels the need to fill the silence with meaningless chatter while avoiding topics that actually matter

If you’re an introvert, you’re probably well aware that we live in an extroverted world. As Susan Cain pointed out in her bestselling book, Quiet, Western culture is shaped by the extrovert ideal — the belief that the “best” person is outgoing, highly sociable, and thrives in the spotlight.

However, introverts make up 30-50 percent of the U.S. population, and many of them find certain “extroverted” behaviors quite annoying. So, I asked the introverts who follow me on Facebook to share which behaviors bother them the most — and here’s what they had to say. The good news? If you can relate, you’re not alone!

Click here if you want to see the list

What would your life be like without music?

What would your life be like without music?

Although I am a trained musician with years of theory, the absence of music affects me like a lot of people. It is a part of much of my time, both physically and mentally.

I have it going anytime I exercise, which is nearly every day. I have biking playlists (3 hours) and gym playlists. Hell, this morning, I was listening to soft music at the driving range. While it doesn’t seem logical, I have a waterproof iPod that I use when swimming. I do miles at a time so it’s not your basic up and back and be done. That would be a lot more tedious once you go over 100 laps.

Where it gets me though is when I’m listening to a song (usually while driving) and it brings back a memory of a relationship or a time in my life. I relive it in my head and likely write pages in my diary about it. It is usually about growing up because the best music was from the 70’s.

I’m sure everyone does it, but I doubt they explore it in writing to flush out everything that happened when that song was on the radio.

Lately, I’ve forced myself to listen to songs that remind me of my cheating girlfriend who was a traveling whore (stewardess). I try to make myself see if I have any feelings and there is nothing left. I’ve emptied that tank other than the fact that it happened. I’m mostly grateful I didn’t wind up with her ass, being miserable.

Mostly, I’m very happy to feel the time in my life when my responsibilities were few and life was carefree and deadline free.

That’s what music does for me

How do you celebrate holidays?

How do you celebrate holidays?

I avoid them as much as possible.

I hate my birthday because the only real birthday happened a long time ago.

Christmas starts in September now and I’m fatigued by the time it comes. I don’t think most people believe in the real reason for Christmas anyway. They just want to decorate and get gifts. I question their sincerity when they are all nice in the season, yet give me the finger while driving.

As usual, because I’m an introvert, I have a hard time processing the attention and wish that it would just be over.

What’s your favorite word?

What’s your favorite word?

Perspicacious – of acute mental vision or discernment.

Synonyms:

shrewd, sagacious, perspicacious, astute mean acute in perception and sound in judgment.

shrewd stresses practical, hardheaded cleverness and judgment.

a shrewd judge of character

sagacious suggests wisdom, penetration, and farsightedness.

sagacious investors got in on the ground floor

perspicacious implies unusual power to see through and understand what is puzzling or hidden.

a perspicacious counselor saw through the child’s facade

astute, suggests shrewdness, perspicacity, and diplomatic skill.

an astute player of party politics

What personality trait in people raises a red flag with you?

What personality trait in people raises a red flag with you?

My first thought was the usual red flags for dating girls. There are the usuals like too many tats, piercings, hair dyed an unnatural color, and feminist attire.

Then it occurred to me that those are for the dating crowd. For me, it is chatty females. When they start in on nothing just because they can’t handle silence, I’m out of there. I can’t take small talk. I will talk for hours on something deep, but yapping just for the sake of talking is a red flag. That is the introvert in me coming out

When thinking deeper about the question and including the population of the world, the clear answer was disloyalty. That is the end of a relationship for me. Once that line is crossed, I can’t go back. Once you stab me in the back, that’s it.

Shout out to my college girlfriend who slept around I found out afterwards. This blog is for you.

If you had to give up one word that you use regularly, what would it be?

If you had to give up one word that you use regularly, what would it be?

When this question first came up, the obvious thought of particular swear words or a pejorative towards feminists crossed my mind.

When reading the biography of Ben Franklin, he inspired me in a different direction. It would be to not use a word that could be judged as egotistical or one that tried to convince someone of your position. Rather, he supposed was if you could inform or educate someone to come to a more enlightened position rather than beat them over the head (which I do here) with your beliefs, you are a better man.

3 Important Things to Know About the Introverts in Your Life

Here are some excerpts. The link to the full article is below. If you are an introvert, you already know this. If you are an extrovert, it’s really for you. They are the cause of a lot of our anxiety and problems trying to drags us along to a bunch of stuff we’re uncomfortable doing.

1. They need time to mentally prepare for socializing.

An introvert socializes very differently from an extrovert. Many of us “quiet ones” can socialize with people in small or large crowds, but it comes at a cost to our mental and physical energy. Instead, we prefer smaller, more intimate settings, or better yet, quiet evenings at home with just one other person as opposed to those spent out.

Even though I’m an introvert, I can “play the extrovert” when needed. I can put on the perfect smile, don my best dress, and be the perfect lady on your arm. I’ll be charming, witty, and entertaining. I can host a family feast during the holidays or attend that lavish event you’ve been looking forward to all year……

2. Alone time is how introverts recharge.

Speaking of parties, can an introvert go out and party? Sure! But we will probably be the first ones to leave and go home. The crowd of people and the noise — while energizing to extroverts — is utterly exhausting to us introverts.

After The Event is when an introvert needs their alone time the most. I want nothing more than to go home, possibly take a long bubble bath, and spend a day in my pajamas. Downtime is how introverts recharge their energy, both mental and physical. (Here’s the science behind why introverts love — and need — alone time.)….

3. Introverts need their world a little quieter and less crowded.

Even though we love spending time alone, you have to understand that introverts still want to be included. We want to be asked. If we turn down your invitation to dinner or a night out, we might tell you that we’re busy or have other plans. Those plans could very well involve spending the day reading, writing, or binge-watching TV……

Click to read more, especially if you know an introvert. You need to know this

What daily habit do you do that improves your quality of life?

What daily habit do you do that improves your quality of life?

Exercise, both my body and mind. I swim miles, climb mountains on my bike, play golf, Tai Chi, and take my dog for long walks.

I continue to study foreign languages and take college level courses. I read a lot of books also. I’ve always loved that.

This keeps me busy. It’s hard to stay young.

What TV shows did you watch as a kid?

What TV shows did you watch as a kid?

I grew up in the 60’s before they took off the good TV because it was wholesome, albeit not something that challenged our intelligence.

So it was Batman (Adam West), Gilligans Island (My Mom hated us watching that), The Beverly Hillbilies, Bewitched, I Dream of Jeannie (Even then I knew Barbara Eden was hot), The Wild Wild West, Green Acres and some others of this ilk.

They wiped all of those out for the next round, but we still had WKRP, Taxi, Barney Miller and some of those that were good.

The Trouble With People Today, This Close To The Election

I was having a conversation with my buddy George who claims he was perceptive. He was giving me the litany of reasons girls don’t like Trump, while standing firmly behind voting for him.

I did get a lecture as to how good JD Vance was because he was young and didn’t put out mean tweets.

I asked him if he’d investigated Tampon Tim Walz. He’d never heard of him. I’m wondering myself how can you be perceptive if you don’t know 1/4th of the Presidential election lineup.

This caused me to wonder about what Donald Rumsfeld said.

I was watching that press conference and it struck me how true this really was. Most people don’t know much outside of their little world and never see the big picture.

That took me to this well-known joke:

A guy was seated next to a 10-year-old girl on an airplane. Being bored, he turned to the girl and said, “Let’s talk. I’ve heard that flights go quicker if you strike up a conversation with your fellow passenger.”

The girl, who was reading a book, closed it slowly and said to the guy, “What would you like to talk about?”

Oh, I don’t know,” said the guy. “How about nuclear power?”

“OK,” she said. “That could be an interesting topic. But let me ask you a question first. A horse, a cow and a deer all eat the same stuff… grass. Yet a deer excretes little pellets, while a cow turns out a flat patty, and a horse produces clumps of dried grass. Why do you suppose that is?”

The guy thought about it and said, “Hmmm, I have no idea.”

To which the girl replied, “Do you really feel qualified to discuss nuclear power when you don’t know shit?”


Most people don’t know shit, yet they talk a lot of shit.

I caught a lot of shit from my cousin about Trump’s mean tweets and being an Alpha male, you know the kind that girls let them do stuff to that they wouldn’t a less rich or powerful type. Instead, she went out of her way to promote the disaster that was our current president and how our nation was wrecked by incompetence. She failed to understand the concept of hypergamy. She also ignored that girls sleep with who they want, (most) guys sleep with who they can, except alpha males.

I don’t have a moral to the story other than look at yourself. You probably don’t know as much as you think. You know what you’ve heard and your opinions are usually reflections of other people you’ve heard. That means we all need to get better educated as to the candidates.

Critical thinking is a lost art. They don’t teach it in schools anymore (other than private schools). We sure could use more of that in this election cycle to bring some common sense to how and who we should have run our nation. History for example is a great teacher. We have a lot of it telling us what is the right thing instead of the politically correct thing.

I think our lives would be a lot less difficult if we all thought through things a bit more than what social media and the MSM tells us to think. It’s why I dumped Fakebook and Twitter years ago.

So after lampooning those who claim to be perceptive, I’m not going to do it. I am a person who sees patterns. What I see is a bunch of sheep being told what to think instead of thinking for themselves

YMMV

What’s your favorite time of day?

What’s your favorite time of day?

When I am alone. I need this time to recharge my social batteries and recover from small talk.

When I was hunting and fishing, I’d get up early. So early that not even the dog would get up with me. No one was yapping at me and I could get things done.

Now, I’ve retired and my outdoor activities are different, but the common element is that they are things I do by myself.

You can take the introvert out of the country, but you can’t change his human nature.

Were You Born An Asshole, Or Did You Work At It All Your Life

Every time I hear this song, I think of people that I worked with.

My first job was relatively free of them, but then the list started.

At ICS, there was Gilbert/Carl Fiorentino – they went to jail.

The next job at Core was these two:

Robert Adamson and Sondra Arkin. Robert tried to screw people over out of sheer spite and Sondra was a loser who was a vindictive feminist. There were a lot of others like the head of software development, but he was more of a wiener.

I moved to IBM and there were plenty of people like:

Laura Knapp, Sandy Carter, John Callies, Amy Loomis, Ed Barbini, and a lot of New Yorkers, but the top of the list when I hear the song is:

Ray Gorman.

I always go to him as he was tied with Amy as my worst manager. No one continuously lied to me as much as Ray from day one. He also always tried to screw me but never could. He was mad that I made more money than him and beat the system continuously when he couldn’t. He thought I didn’t know what he was doing, but everyone told me what he was up to behind my back (not just to me, he fired a guy who had taken leave to serve in Afghanistan) so I was always a step ahead. It was funny that he could never get away with screwing me because everyone else thought he was an asshole also.

He’s really lucky that I didn’t actually kick his ass. I saw him in Vegas at a computer show after he got transferred to Lenovo and he tried to act like nothing happened. He thought we were friends after backstabbing me. It was all I could do to not deck him. I did the right thing and walked away, but not next time, he’s got an ass whooping coming . I dislike sniveling pricks and that’s why I think of Ray when the song plays.

Toilet Paper: The Biggest Scam to Ever Exist?

After I visited Japan, I’ve had a bidet to clean my ass. No more shit-stained undies or worrying that you might smell like shit if there was a chance of some oral satisfaction.

Now this:

Ah, toilet paper. That innocent little roll sitting quietly in your bathroom, innocuous, and oh-so-essential—or is it? If you ask me, my dear wicked ones, we might be staring at the greatest con in the history of mankind. Yes, I said it. Let’s dish.

Think about it. We’re paying good money for a product that we literally flush down the toilet. Every. Single. Day. We’re tossing away cash, wiping it on our behinds, and sending it to the sewage system like it’s nothing. Is this not the ultimate racket? The Charmin bears are probably lounging in their gold-plated forest homes, laughing at us all.

Let’s dive into the origins, shall we? Toilet paper is a relatively modern invention, but somehow, humanity has survived for centuries without it. A few leaves, a splash of water, a bit of cloth—crude but effective. Fast forward to today, and we’ve been brainwashed to believe that without this fluffy, overpriced tissue, civilization as we know it would collapse. Really? The ancients managed, and last I checked, they built the pyramids.

And don’t even get me started on the marketing. Those cute little puppies and bears in the commercials, selling us the dream of the softest, plushest experience for our derrières—oh please. It’s a game, my friends—a sly, cunning game. The manufacturers have you convinced that more plies equal a better life. But does your rear end really know the difference between two-ply and four-ply? I doubt it.

Of course, I’m not suggesting we all start using leaves again—after all, we’ve evolved past that (haven’t we?). But isn’t it time to question the necessity of this everyday item that’s silently draining our bank accounts and our forests? There are alternatives, from bidets to bamboo—dare I say, the time for a toilet paper revolution is nigh?

Here’s the rest which tells you why you should wash your ass.

I never had a problem during COVID-19 because my bidet did the job. I was laughing at people trying to find it at the stores.

Where did your name come from?

Where did your name come from?

I’m not going to put my full name out in public for privacy reasons, but my middle name is Dutch and my last name is a version of the French name my ancestors came to the US with.

I’m also a namesake so add a Jr on to the end of my name. I’m proud of my father so I’m glad to have the same name.

What motivates you?

What motivates you?

I don’t have to be motivated. It comes from within. I was born with a sense of responsibility that causes me to do what needs doing. I also prioritize it over other things because it is the right thing to do. That is life, work, and the stuff you have to do.

I think it comes from my father who always did a complete job until it was right. It rarely took him two tries

It’s why I never understood people who let things go

Now for stuff I want to do, I know that there is some sacrifice to become good at anything. It was that was for all of my avocations and is what keeps me healthy.

It’s the right thing to do, period.

Sayings I Used For My Email Closing At Work

I kept this file hanging around and thought I’d share it, YMMV:

L’esprit de L’escalier – things you wish you could have said after you leave an argument

Talk to a fool and he calls you foolish

“Rudeness is the weak man’s imitation of strength.”

Vous-avez le cerveau d’un d’un sandwich au fromage –you have the brain of a cheese sandwich

“Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts.” (Sign hanging in Einstein’s office at Princeton)

“Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.”
– Dale Carnegie

Robert Frost – “In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.”

Arrête de ramer, tu attaques la falaise. (you can stop rowing now, you’re on the beach)

It is easy to lose one’s perspective in a mass of details.

Failure is but a paragraph in the book of each human life. It is the pages that follow that ultimately define us

Laurence J. Peter – “An economist is an expert who will know tomorrow why the things he predicted yesterday didn’t happen today.”

“Racing is Life.  Everything before and after is just waiting.” Steve McQueen from the movie LeMans

Albert Einstein open original article “Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I’m not sure about the former

Joseph Heller -“The enemy is anybody who’s going to get you killed,
no matter which side he’s on.”

Sidney J. Harris – “A cynic is not merely one who reads bitter lessons from the past, he is one who is prematurely disappointed in the future.”

Abba Eban-“History teaches us that men and nations behave wisely once they have exhausted all other alternatives.”

When you win, say nothing, when you lose, say less. -Paul Brown

You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them. -Michael Jordan

Every game is an opportunity to measure yourself against your own potential. -Bud Wilkinson

Excellence is not a singular act but a habit. You are what you do repeatedly. -Shaquille O’Neal

“Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery.” Winston Churchill, as quoted in The New American Newspeak Dictionary (2005) by Adrian Krieg, p. 96

 Rudeness is a weak person’s imitation of strength – Oscar Wilde

“What is a cynic? A man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.”

Losers quit when they’re tired. Winners quit when they’ve won

370H-SSV-0773H – read upside down

I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race [is] not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.

For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so [are] the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.

— Ecclesiastes 9:11,12 —

“Meetings are indispensable when you don’t want to do anything.” – John Kenneth Galbraith

If guns kill people, then pens misspell words, cars make people drive drunk, forks make you fat, and TVs make you watch porn.

Listen to people. If they are worth talking to, they are worth listening to first.

You can’t change what happens to you in life. All you can change is how you deal with it.

I think I’m emotionally constipated because I haven’t given a $hit in days.

Liberalism: Moochers electing looters to steal from producers

Political Correctness – A term used by whiny pussies that need stuff sugar coated

“The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits.” -Albert Einstein

 “I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him.” Abraham Lincoln

“This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave.” Elmer Davis

“Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, to assure the survival and success of liberty.”  John F. Kennedy

“Sure I wave the American flag. Do you know a better flag to wave? Sure I love my country with all her faults. I’m not ashamed of that, never have been, never will be.”  John Wayne

“We must always remember that America is a great nation today not because of what government did for people but because of what people did for themselves and for one another.” Richard Nixon

“There is no limit to the greatness of America!” George W. Bush

“Liberals become indignant when you question their patriotism, but simultaneously work overtime to give terrorists a cushion for the next attack and laugh at dumb Americans who love their country and hate the enemy.” Ann Coulter

“I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.” Nathan Hale

“Patriotism is not short, frenzied outbursts of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime.” Adlai E. Stevenson

“One, if you attack my integrity, I will defend myself. If you attack my patriotism, I will defend myself. If you come after my family, I will counter-attack viciously, I will destroy you.” Scott Ritter

“The American patriots of today continue the tradition of the long line of patriots before them, by helping to promote liberty and freedom around the world.” John Linder  

“Patriotism is easy to understand in America. It means looking out for yourself by looking out for your country.” Calvin Coolidge

“This country will not be a good place for any of us to live in unless we make it a good place for all of us to live in.” Theodore Roosevelt

“You cannot spill a drop of American blood without spilling the blood of the whole world…. We are not a nation, so much as a world.” Herman Melville 

A great civilization is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself from within.

– Ariel Durant

“Blessed is the man who, having nothing to say, abstains from giving wordy evidence of the fact.” – George Eliot

Quote du jour

But isn’t it always that way with liberals? The only time they seem to make any sense at all is when they’re drunk or you are.

Burt Prelutsky

Ya gotta be tough if your gonna be stupid.

“Political correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical minority, and rapidly promoted by mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a piece of shit by the clean end.”

Laurence J. Peteropen original article

“Against logic there is no armor like ignorance.”

“Never judge a book by its movie.”

“Liberals are very broadminded: they are always willing to give careful consideration to both sides of the same side.”

“Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.”
Benjamin Franklin

“Give me four years to teach the children and the seed I have sown will never be uprooted.”
Vladimir Lenin

“When an opponent declares, ‘I will not come over to your side,’ I calmly say, ‘Your child belongs to us already… What are you? You will pass on. Your descendants, however, now stand in the new camp. In a short time they will know nothing else but this new community.’”
Adolf Hitler

Never take advice from women about women.

And the last one was when I retired:

If the phone doesn’t ring, it’s me – Jimmy Buffett

Why Some Introverts Hate Their Birthdays

I know I hate mine and it’s coming up, mostly the attention thing. No extrovert will understand this, but you should.

Anyway, here it is and boy is it right. Again, courtesy of Introvert Dear, link at the end

I’ve never really liked my birthday. In fact, it’s one of the days I dread the most. I hate all the extra attention and the pressure to make it a special day, usually with a party. It’s insufferable.

When I was a teenager, I used to have long, exhausting fights with my mother in the weeks leading up to my birthday. She always wanted me to celebrate with a huge party filled with family and friends. But to me, a huge birthday party is synonymous with torture, not celebration. Instead, I wanted something small, like going to the movies or the bowling alley with a few close friends.

No Birthday Party For Me, Thank You

More often than not, I used to win these fights and ended up doing what I wanted for my birthday. But all these arguments took a toll on my mental health and self-esteem. Whenever I refused to have a party or make a big deal out of my birthday, people called me a party pooper, a killjoy, and a downer. I didn’t have the words to defend myself (I was still a kid), so I internalized all those insults and convinced myself that there was something “wrong” with me. It took me years to realize and accept that there was nothing wrong with me — I am an introvert.

I am now a proud introvert who can defend the reasons behind my actions and behaviors. In case you’re curious, my relationship with my mother has improved, but I still hate my birthday. I believe a lot of the reasons stem from the fact that I’m an introvert.

Obviously, not all introverts hate their birthdays, but over the years I have noticed that a significant portion of the online introvert community feels aversion or indifference toward their birthdays. Here are a few reasons I believe some introverts (like myself) don’t like their birthdays.

Why Some Introverts Hate Their Birthdays

1. Too much attention

This one’s a no-brainer. Most introverts don’t like being the center of attention, so having an entire day dedicated to them can be quite uncomfortable. It’s especially tough when they are put on display in front of a lot of people, anxiously waiting to see their reactions while opening gifts or making a wish and blowing out the candles to the tune of “Happy Birthday.”

In my case, I especially hate all the attention I receive for something as trivial as turning one year older. I feel like I haven’t earned it, and I don’t know what to do with it. Being the center of attention makes me anxious, uncomfortable, and insecure. I always try to avoid it and redirect that attention to something or someone else. But when it’s my birthday, that is almost impossible to do because it’s “my day.”

2. The social exhaustion of a party

Birthdays and parties practically go hand in hand. When your birthday is coming up, everyone expects you to throw a big party to celebrate. Introverts tend to dislike parties because we don’t like big crowds, loud noises, and shallow socializing. This aversion to parties doesn’t change when the party is ours. If anything, it makes it worse.

When we throw a party, we might end up feeling anxious and worrying if everyone is having fun. It’s our party, so we feel the pressure and responsibility to be a good host and ensure everyone is enjoying themselves. But in the process, we sometimes forget to have a good time ourselves.

And don’t even get me started on surprise parties. It’s undoubtedly a nice gesture for someone to throw you a surprise party because it shows they care enough to go through all the trouble of organizing it. But a surprise party is practically a living nightmare for an introvert. If there’s anything worse than having a party, it’s not having knowledge or control over your own party.

3. The pressure to make it a “special” day

This is one of the things that bother me the most about my birthday. Sometimes, I just want to do something small to celebrate, like going to the movies or taking a long walk around the city. But the pressure from others to make it a “special” day can be too much. I get it, I was born on that day, but why does it have to be the most special day of my year? Why do I have to have the time of my life specifically on that day? That’s just setting myself up for failure because the expectations are always way too high. (And we introverts don’t like pressure anyway!)

Plus, when your birthday is coming up, it seems like everyone has their own opinion about how you should celebrate it. Instead of asking you what you want to do, some people tell you exactly what you should do. Whether it’s a party or going dancing at a club, your birthday might end up being about what other people want to do instead of what you want.

And God forbid you suggest you don’t want to do anything for your birthday — people might look at you as if you’re crazy. They will try to convince you that you’re wrong and that you will regret it for the rest of your life if you don’t do something special on that day.

4. All the phone calls and “happy birthday” messages

This one might come off as ungrateful because it’s undoubtedly nice to have people who care enough to wish you a happy birthday. But to an introvert, all that attention can be overwhelming.

Phone calls, in general, make some introverts uncomfortable. When the sole purpose of a call is to wish us a happy birthday, it’s even worse because all the attention is on us. After the “Happy Birthday”s and “Thank you”s, the inevitable small talk follows, making us even more uncomfortable. It doesn’t help that the people who usually call are relatives or friends you only talk to two or three times a year.

The same goes for the Facebook messages and texts you receive throughout the day. After the pleasantries and birthday greetings, you have to make small talk (again, in a different form) with all the people who wished you a happy birthday. This can be a bit too much, which is why I think some introverts hide their birthdays from their social media pages.

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 anxious. Feel less drained and have more energy while socializing. Click here to secure your spot in Jenn Granneman’s upcoming course, Easy Conversation.

5. The singing

Few situations are worse for an introvert than being in front of a cake while friends and family sing what feels like a three-hour rendition of “Happy Birthday.” I never know what to do or where to look when that melody starts, and suddenly I have a cake in front of me and dozens of eyes on me.

There is no appropriate reaction to that situation. Do I smile the whole time? No, that would look fake, and my cheeks would probably start to hurt after the third “Happy birthday to you…” Do I put on a poker face? No, that would probably come off as bratty and ungrateful. Do I sing with them? No, that would look awkward. Do I run away and hide in the bathroom? No, that would probably lead to a lot of questions. Whoever came up with this particular birthday tradition obviously hated introverts and wanted to see them suffer.

I Don’t Hate All Birthdays, Just Mine

I love celebrating my friends and family’s birthdays. I enjoy seeing them happy and buying them presents to celebrate another year of their lives. But when the spotlight is on me and it’s my birthday, I hate it. I hate the pressure, the attention, and the Happy Birthday song.

However, that doesn’t mean I haven’t enjoyed my birthdays before. The birthdays I have enjoyed the most are the ones when I did what I wanted to do, like going to the movies or the bowling alley with my best friends, not when I succumbed to the pressure from others and ended up doing what they wanted me to do.

So if you have an introvert in your life and you want to make their birthday special, just ask them what they want to do and respect it. Don’t assume everyone wants to celebrate with a huge party and be the center of attention.

And if you’re an introvert who hates their birthday like I do, there are ways to enjoy this “special day.” Set realistic expectations, put your foot down, and do what you want to do, whether that’s having dinner with your family, going dancing with your friends, or staying home with a good book and a Netflix marathon. I can’t promise you’ll start loving your birthday, but at least you’ll enjoy it more. And the good thing about birthdays is they only happen once a year.

story

Happy Middle Child Day

History:

Middle children have a reputation for being ignored by their family, consequently growing up resentful, withdrawn, and disaffected. Although research shows little correlation between birth order and personality, the stereotype has persisted in pop culture characters like Jan Brady, who epitomizes the embittered middle child.

In fact, middle children might have some distinct advantages in adult life. The skills they develop as the “forgotten” sibling often translate into important qualities like empathy, diplomacy, and flexibility. In fact, over half of U.S. presidents were middle children, along with many other successful leaders.

Resourceful and independent but also cooperative and patient, middle children often grow up to be good leaders and helpful teammates. They can negotiate a variety of personalities but also do well on their own, and are known as risk-takers and independent thinkers. Because they’re frequently left to their own devices, middle children develop a self-sufficiency less common in their older and younger siblings.

Until the 1970s, American families had an average of 2.5 children. Today, due to modernization and economic and environmental pressures, fewer and fewer families have middle children, with the average American family having just under two kids.

National Middle Child Day began in 1986 as a way to celebrate the siblings who feel left out or unseen and give them a special day of their own. Until now, it’s been celebrated on August 12.

source

It was no party for me. I got shit on growing up and my youngest sibling has been gone for 12 years. I hope it was better for some of you out there. Whenever mine had a chance to help, she took the choice to screw me over instead of be a friend.

Perhaps it made me tougher and I had to try harder.

.

What is the most important thing to carry with you all the time?

What is the most important thing to carry with you all the time?

A Swiss Army knife of life tools. I couldn’t narrow this down to just one so here’s some. I bet bocopro has the best answer though. Maybe others want weigh in.

Your wits, self-control, belief in God, knowledge you’ve learned from the hard lessons in life, pattern recognitions, martial arts skills, situational awareness of your surroundings, and perhaps a 1911.

Externally, I’m never without a knife of some kind and breath mints which are always in my truck.

5 Reasons an Introvert Isn’t Talking

Why are you so quiet?

As an introvert, I’ve been asked this question countless times. It mostly happened when I was a child, but I distinctly remember one instance in high school when someone asked if I was mute. I replied that I simply didn’t like talking that much.

Growing up, I was the shy girl who preferred reading and writing stories over engaging in conversation. Classmates would ask me this question, while teachers and other adults would often sigh and comment, “Oh, she’s so quiet!”

Not all introverts are shy and quiet, but I happen to possess both these traits. And, I require much more alone time than most people around me.

In an effort to help the world better understand us “quiet ones” — and perhaps spare some of my fellow introverts from having to answer this annoying question — here are five reasons why an introvert might not be talking.

The list is here. Click to see if one of them is you or someone you know

The takeaway: Don’t try to force an introvert to talk more or change them into an extrovert. It won’t happen. Love them for who they are because there’s nothing wrong with being an introvert.

Thanks again to Introvert Dear who makes my life more understandable.

What’s The Most Money You’ve Ever Spent On A Meal – And Was It Worth It ?

What’s the most money you’ve ever spent on a meal? Was it worth it?

When I started hunting, I had to buy a tree stand, camo clothes, a gun, and corn to grow to in a field to attract them. I then had to get the tools to process the deer after harvesting it and the same for my son.

I could have bought a venison dinner for under $50 bucks, but probably spent thousands on that first meal.

Absolutely worth it and every deer after that. I guess the cost of the above listed amortized over all the deer, but that first one cost a lot.

Why Some Introverts Hate Their Birthdays

I’ve never really liked my birthday. In fact, it’s one of the days I dread the most. I hate all the extra attention and the pressure to make it a special day, usually with a party. It’s insufferable.

Introvert Dear has a great article today. Here goes.

When I was a teenager, I used to have long, exhausting fights with my mother in the weeks leading up to my birthday. She always wanted me to celebrate with a huge party filled with family and friends. But to me, a huge birthday party is synonymous with torture, not celebration. Instead, I wanted something small, like going to the movies or the bowling alley with a few close friends.

No Birthday Party For Me, Thank You

More often than not, I used to win these fights and ended up doing what I wanted for my birthday. But all these arguments took a toll on my mental health and self-esteem. Whenever I refused to have a party or make a big deal out of my birthday, people called me a party pooper, a killjoy, and a downer. I didn’t have the words to defend myself (I was still a kid), so I internalized all those insults and convinced myself that there was something “wrong” with me. It took me years to realize and accept that there was nothing wrong with me — I am an introvert.

I am now a proud introvert who can defend the reasons behind my actions and behaviors. In case you’re curious, my relationship with my mother has improved, but I still hate my birthday. I believe a lot of the reasons stem from the fact that I’m an introvert.

Obviously, not all introverts hate their birthdays, but over the years I have noticed that a significant portion of the online introvert community feels aversion or indifference toward their birthdays. Here are a few reasons I believe some introverts (like myself) don’t like their birthdays.

story plus way more including the list of things that suck about birthdays for Introverts.

I hate it as it’s just another day for me. Now that I’m (much) older, it reminds me of how little time I might have left.

If you won two free plane tickets, where would you go?

If you won two free plane tickets, where would you go?

Nowhere.

Travel is such a piece of crap anymore (Crowdstrike anyone) that I’d prefer not to travel by air.

Let’s see, TSA hassle, waiting in lines to be in a tube with a bunch of people I’d never choose to be with, being a mule that has to haul around your life in a box while you are gone, no. Then going to places that I don’t really want to go to (or I would have) while having to live out of a suitcase.

On top of that, Boeing just paid mega millions for building faulty airplanes so I don’t trust them either (DEI anyone?).

Even if you had the total first-class package, the flight part is over relatively quickly and you are stuck somewhere until you can get home. You still have to wait in the airports and if there is a delay, you are as screwed as everyone else

This is like the travel question a few days ago. Get a nice summer house and enjoy a relaxing time

What strategies do you use to maintain your health and well-being?

What strategies do you use to maintain your health and well-being?

Before I start, I’m betting that people who read my blog have better answers than me. It’s usually the case. I enjoy the comments and it’s eye-opening.

I was a martial artist for years. I learned that you need balance in your life. Mine are Spirit, Mind and Body. I guess I knew it all along, but that experience put words to it.

For Spirit, you need a relationship with God at the forgiveness level. Others believe in their own thing.

For Mind, I take University classes, write extensively, and keep learning. I try to find patterns and opportunities as they present themselves to me in life. You have to challenge your mind or it will become stale. I also learn foreign languages from the dreaded Duolingo.

For Body, I work out six days a week. I bike the mountains, lift weights, Tai Chi, golf and keep myself moving. If you don’t, your body starts the process of decay. At my age, it’s already happening.

The other thing I do is stay away from people who make my life miserable. I don’t have that much time left and spending it with those who are unpleasant isn’t worth it.

What Are Your Future Travel Plans?

What are your future travel plans?

I’m doing it right now.

Instead of waiting at an airport with flights canceled by computer glitches, I’m up in the mountains where it is 30 degrees warmer than home. The food is grown on organic farms nearby and traffic is rare. The only sound I hear while typing this is birds chirping and my dog is at my feet.

I traveled for business for many decades. It was a time when you got service and comfort. Those are long gone now replaced by inconvenience and a general lack of concern by the service and travel industries.

There isn’t much to make me want to get on another cattle car to go wait in lines.

I also grew up in Central Florida before Disney World was built. I watched people pay exorbitant prices to wait for hours in the blazing sun for hours. I went at night or in the 2 weeks that are the Florida winter when my friends who worked there gave me tickets. That isn’t my idea of fun either.

I’d still like to hear from those who like it. It counter balances my position

Favorite Game (card, board, video, etc.) Why? It’s A Lay Up For Me

What’s your favorite game (card, board, video, etc.)? Why?

Once again, you get the introvert answer. I loathe those long assed games where people get together and socialize for hours playing Monopoly or Bridge. I’m ready to leave before it starts.

I had the chance to play video games in 1981 before Nintendo came out with the orange button controller. I knew then that I didn’t have time to waste playing the same scenario over and over, although I get the attraction to others.

If I play a card game, it’s going to be solitaire. I don’t really play it anymore, rather spend my time writing and learning, but anytime I can do something to not drain my social battery quickly.

I played golf yesterday. I can be alone there also. I have my earbuds in and tune out the world.

What Bothers You and Why?

What bothers you and why?

This goes like the line, how do I love you, let me count the ways. The list is endless and sometimes I feel like Clint Eastwood with, get off my lawn.

Rather than make a list, I’ll stick to my introverted life and go with small talk. Introverts have a low tolerance for conversation that isn’t meaningful or that isn’t going anywhere. When you are young, you might put up with it for a longer time or if there is a worthwhile reward (employment, sex, etc.). That reward is less as you move on in life.

Conversely, I love deep and engaging conversation, that is intellectually stimulating. Even then, there is a time limit and I need to recover.

I’ve learned to say yes, good, right, fine, good point, and anything that could end the conversation and not leave it open-ended.

If You Could Host A Dinner And Anyone You Invite Was Sure To Come, Who Would You Invite?

If you could host a dinner and anyone you invite was sure to come, who would you invite?

I had this question at a team meeting years ago at IBM. An answer that I thought was better than mine came from another person. This is how it went.

I’d invite myself from 20 years ago, now, and 20 years from now. It would allow me to forgive myself for the mistakes I’ve made, congratulate myself for the things I’d overcome, and get advice from the future me on how to live my life.

While it seems a bit narcissistic, fundamentally it would be sound advice.

I forget what I answered, but I’m pretty sure Jesus and my parents who had since passed were some of my guests.

Cancelled Plans, An Introvert’s Favorite Gift

Nothing is better for me than when plans are cancelled for an event. The minute I agree to do something I’m somewhat on the edge about, the regret begins. I bet I burn up as much of my social battery dreading going to these events as being there. Hell, I’m burnt out before I even go if I realize it’s a big mistake or someone says there will be a lot of people there.

In fact, if you want to give your introverted friend the gift they want the most, give them cancelled plans. It’s one of our favorites. Heck, call them up and say that the plans you had to go out together are cancelled, even if you didn’t make any. That’s how good of a gift it is.

I’ve Seen More Star Trek Than William Shatner

I, like a lot of Trekkies, have seen almost all of the episodes of the good series. I don’t include Discovery in that and I’m struggling to finish Picard. That includes seeing some episodes double-digit times. I saw The Original Series when it was first aired in the 60’s. Heck, I’ve met him and talked about it.

I maintain that The Wrath of Khan and First Contact are the best movies. They stayed true to the TV series and brought in characters like Khan Noonian Singh.

Well, it turns out that Captain Kirk doesn’t watch it much. Read and weep.

At 93 years old, William Shatner continues to surprise us.

In a new interview with Entertainment Tonight, the 93-year-old actor — who portrayed Capt. James T. Kirk on the original “Star Trek” TV series from 1966 to 1969, and reprised the role in various films — revealed he’s actually only seen a “few” episodes of his work and has “never seen” any of the spinoffs. 

“I’m gonna tell you something that nobody knows. I’ve never seen another ‘Star Trek’ and I’ve seen as few ‘Star Treks’ of the show I was on, I’ve seen as few as possible,” he said. “I don’t like to look at myself, and I’ve never seen any other. I love it, I think it’s great. I just don’t, you know, I don’t watch television, per se.”

“I’m watching documentaries, I’m watching the news, I’m watching sports, I’m watching things that were, documentaries that were made, but I don’t watch television for some reason,” he added. “I’ve been urged to watch certain shows by my family, ‘You’ll love this,’ and I just never get around to it.”

In May, while promoting his documentary “You Can Call Me Bill,” Shatner told The Canadian Press it’d be “an intriguing idea” to reprise Captain Kirk today. 

“It’s almost impossible, but it was a great role and so well written and if there were a reason to be there, not just to make a cameo appearance, but if there were a genuine reason for the character appearing, I might consider it,” he said.

The rest of the story.

Live long and prosper