Why Have People Become So Anti-Social?

Social media has become a catchphrase.  And the number of platforms available for it are almost uncountable.  Unrecognizable. But is it social?  No, it’s a way to avoid.

Personally, I AM on Facebook.  And I hate it.  But it’s the only way some of the people I care about ever communicate anymore.  That makes me sad.  I miss hearing their voices, seeing their faces.

I have a Twitter account, but haven’t posted anything there in years.  And don’t plan to anytime soon.  I don’t have anything worth saying in 140 characters or less, more or less I suppose.

As an aside the fact that our current president uses Twitter to communicate to the public really kinda annoys me.

Everyone is becoming disconnected from everyone else.

Since I’ve gotten older, I’ve had the chance to travel and meet many of you fine people face to face.  Having “known” many of you online was not a bad thing, don’t get me wrong.  But getting to meet many of you, and getting to know you as real people, have been some of the most rewarding days of my life.

Yesterday, I finally met WCS  and his lovely wife in person for the first time.  Even before that, he and I had grown a friendship by telephone.  We talk probably 2-3 times per week.  And even though I hadn’t ever been able to hug him until yesterday, we generally communicate in real time.  It’s easier that way.

But wrapping my arms around him and hugging him was very fulfilling.  And (almost) totally not gay.

I’ve known King Hippo  in real life for a few years now, and always enjoy spending time with him…even though he never gives me any pills.  Stingy bastard.

The California tribe, BallsofSteelandFury, Rikki-Tikki-Deadly, Yeah Right, Brett Favre’s Colonoscopy, Brick Meathook and Low Commander

Those guys are all amazing.  I love each and everyone of them and I cherish all the time I’ve been able to spend with them as well.  Hopefully SonOfSpam  won’t duck me again in couple of weeks.

Social media is not a bad thing.  I’m not saying that.

But it’s no replacement for getting up close and personal.

We get so caught up in our screens that we forget to actually look one another in the eyes, I think.  We’ve gotten so caught up in what’s going on on the interwebz that actually learning to relate to and understand another human being in real time is getting lost in the shuffle.

Every weekend, I keep my niece.  Generally she is dropped off on Friday (or whenever there is a school closing), and picked up on Sunday.  We (Mom and I) cook for her and for her parents both on the day she is dropped off, and picked up.  And then after they eat dinner, I sit there and watch as her parents, and my niece as well because it is what she’s been conditioned to do, all just sink into chairs in the family room and stare at their screens and don’t talk to us, one another, or anyone else.

It’s disheartening.  What’s the point?

I’m on the road right now.  When I’m traveling I try to talk and interact with anyone I meet.  It doesn’t always go well.  Sometimes people have had a bad day and they don’t want to talk to some stranger like me.

Sometimes, I’m the one who has had the bad day and I don’t want to be bothered with talking to some stranger either.

It’s a sliding scale, just like everything else in life.

(And don’t anyone say “ASS HERPES” or I will come and kidnap your pets, lol)

Recently, I had a relationship which I thought was finally going to be “the one”.  When we were together in real time and space, or even just on the phone, it worked wonderfully.  Even with the current distance and our respective life difficulties currently.  Then she decided….

Well let’s not go into those specifics.  But it became months of only communicating by text msg.

Trust me, that did not work.

And I only bring that up as an example….

Don’t get so caught up in your screens, that you forget the real people in your lives whom you love and who actually love you back.  It’s not worth it.  Not even close.

My day with WCS  yesterday was one of the most fun days I’ve had in recent memory.

Moreover, I cannot wait to get back out to California in a coupla weeks for the pub crawl with those jerkweeds.

My point is I guess….

LIVE your life, don’t let it pass you by.  It could end at any moment.

Sorry if this sounds preachy, and I guess it is a little.  But you know I’m right.

Put your phone down, shut your computer down, and go actually meet and talk to someone.  Do something nice for them.  If they are a decent person, they’ll probably do something nice back.

You’ll be glad you did.

 

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theeWeeBabySeamus
An unapologetic, even if often manic-depressive (it's a requirement given his choices of sports teams), fan of NC State University, the Baltimore Ravens and the Baltimore Orioles. When not parked in front of the computer and/or TV, can often be found on the golf course shouting obscenities to no one in particular.
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Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

Koepka with a three shot lead and a short putt on 17…

Blows the putt, and puts his tee shot on 18 into the shit.

I wish I didn’t dislike Dustin Johnson so much; this would be amusing otherwise.

WCS

This would be Greg Norman-esque.

Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

And now Dustin Johnson trying to mend fences with me by braining some Long Island golf fan right in their overprivileged skull.

/do rich people actually live on Long Island? Even though I grew up within 100 miles or so of there I actually have no idea.

Low Commander of the Super Soldiers

I read this while sitting next to and ignoring my parents.

scotchnaut

That is great not-hustle!

Low Commander of the Super Soldiers

Having recently caught up, I’ll say it’s a really, really good show, until the last two seasons.

Brick Meathook

Is that the show with the midget?

yeah right

Graphic violence, graphic nudity, graphic language with an incredible cast.
Well?

ThurberHerder

The first season totally 100% yes. However it is a show with lots of characters and allegiances so you have to try and remember who’s who.

They do play fast and loose with the incest though, most people ignore that uncomfortable bit.

Horatio Cornblower

Like I said below, watch the first 5-6 seasons, then just ask what happened and I’ll tell you and you’ll save a cool 12 hours.

Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

Looks like the dopamine rush is tapering off; Dustin Johnson is starting to cool off.

Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

Four bogeys in four holes for Koepka, and Dustin Johnson with a miraculous shot to put par back into play…

ALXMAC

Says a lot aboot me but every time I see his name I think of King Koopa:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkCM44tq45M

yeah right

Speaking of the phone thing, I finally disconnected and threw away my landline last week.
I only had it to pass my DSL through but when the goddamn thing went to 65 bucks a month and the DSL went to 62 a month well fuck them all.

New dedicated DSL line is only 70 a month and no landline required.

Honestly there was a slight separation anxiety.

Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

And now Koepka has flown the green at the par 3…

Mr. Ayo

Does Koepka lack the CLUTCH gene?

Ian Scott McCormick

Eventually they’re going to get beaten so badly they don’t even use numbers. I’ll just see the headline “Oakland beats Baltimore by a score of J”

ALXMAC

You just reminded me that I’m now a (adopted) Ravens fan b/c they’ve taken in so many former OU Sooners. Tony Jefferson, Mark Andrews (aka MANDREWS), Hollywood Brown, and Ben Powers. Boomer Ravens!!

Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

Koepka appears to be metamorphasizing into some kind of non-golf-playing monstrosity.

ALXMAC

oh damn I just saw this. plus 1

Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

I laughed at that at the time, but these days not even Tom Hanks can humanize a person wearing a MAGA hat for me.

ThurberHerder

When I first saw this I thought it deserved to be in the Library of Congress

LemonJello

Looks like these Blues have the right size boat for killing these Sharks.

ballsofsteelandfury

Asian checkout girl threeway?

King Hippo

the phone is a whole ‘nother topic entirely. I REALLY hate talking on the phone. I almost get PTSD every time it rings.

litre_cola

Yep, I use decilitre as an excuse. “Sorry we are trying to get him to sleep” Text me what you want.

Dunstan

One thing that “kids this days” got 100% right is their distaste for talking on the phone. It’s occasionally necessary/useful, but mostly a pain. And don’t get me started on voicemails.

litre_cola

I leave them on purpose as I know people hate icons on their phone. I guess that makes me an ass.

yeah right

My employees know that even if I’m right next to the ringing phone that’s THEIR job to answer it.

It better be damn important if they need to escalate it to me.

Horatio Cornblower

“Irony?”

No, dummy. Dinner.

scotchnaut

“Feal The Teal!”

-Team mottos that didn’t quite catch on

SonOfSpam

I’m not gonna skip the meetup (meatup?) but I am gonna spend the whole time on my phone.

Dunstan

That’s what the leash is for.

Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

Yeah but that’s only because they won’t broadcast your furry porn on the bar TV’s.

scotchnaut

Karlsson has some work to do to make up for that error. Maybe something like this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlZ_EuE0Ks4

Buddy Cole's Halftime Show

I met someone in passing who saw games at all (then) 30 NHL arenas. They said the Shark Tank was probably their favorite (and Joe Louis Arena was a dump).

King Hippo

a dump…in DETROIT??

LemonJello

High praise, indeed, for Detroit.

scotchnaut

“Uh, it’s the best dump. There’s no dump that was better, believe me.”

-a Trump acolyte

blaxabbath

accurate jokes are the best jokes

litre_cola

The stadium here in Calgary has now taken over as the biggest shithole.

Horatio Cornblower

The Whalers’ home, the infamous Hartford Civic Center, once had its roof collapse due to too much snow.

Fortunately, no one was in it. Just like most home games, which is why the Whalers are now in goddamn Raleigh.

Dunstan

Yeah, there’s a lot of online nostalgia for the Whalers, which seems odd given how meagre their support was when they were there, and the fact that they’ve now spent more time in Carolina (and had more success).

litre_cola

I have no issue with instagram for social media. I rarely post anything but when I get sad I can see dogs! As well as hot Mexican women with superb backsides!! Seriously, priinceesas_latinas is superb.

litre_cola

Worth it. Opened my eyes to a new genre in the Adult Film industry.

ballsofsteelandfury

Unfortunately, I do not have the Instagrams

Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

Instagram doesn’t really seem like social media to me because it doesn’t facilitate conversations. Or maybe it does, I don’t know, the only time I ever used it was when Balls and I did that scavenger hunt.

scotchnaut

/watching The PGA Championship

“I can’t get enough of all that Jazz Janewattananond!”

-Roy Scheider

ALXMAC

Jumbo Joe will be playing against the team that drafted and traded him some 35 years ago. Hockey Gods will make it so.

scotchnaut

[Canadiens fans burn St. Catherine Street to the ground, again]

King Hippo

I am NOT enjoying this combo of my coffee addiction and my HVAC unit being all fuckety again

LemonJello

Stop putting coffee in your swamp cooler when you’re on the pillz, Hippo.

Buddy Cole's Halftime Show

So apparently a Columbine survivor was found dead today. As a positive he can now watch Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris lick sweat off Satan’s taint for the rest of his life.

Unless he had premarital sex then he will be right next to them. I don’t make the rules people.

scotchnaut

survivor was found dead today

Do you write for Fox News or The Onion?*

[places big money on “both”]

Buddy Cole's Halftime Show

My work requires you to put an intrusive sticker on your phone to verify it is in fact yours. I kept it on for maybe a week and then said “Fuck it, I’m just not going to bring it inside” and scrubbed that little bastard off.

It’s been about 2 months since I did it and I don’t miss it. For 4-5 hours I force myself and others to talk with me person to person and I have gotten to know most of the people much better. There’s an older guy who is hilarious and another dude I just crack awful jokes with all night (see “Aryan Queen” song parody).

I did once have to take a 20 minute shit that I eventually found out prompted my supervisor to ask “Where are you?” via text. I noticed it an hour after the fact when I checked my phone in the car. In fact, I am typing this as I am giving birth to a Chipotle child and breaking a sweat in the process.

Uncle Ed once thought date rape was when you ate too much of a cake at an Afghani wedding.

King Hippo

No MOAR love, I’ve the runs…

Buddy Cole's Halftime Show

She touched by me in poopy stained jeans

King Hippo

Aryan Queen would naturally be into Germanic tradition, so this (poop offshoot) all fits.

scotchnaut

Hollywood Exec: [wipes trickle of blood from nose] “This Tomb Raider reboot? Only 15 minutes of Parkour action? A mere 5 minutes of free-climbing? WHAT DID I TELL YOU?”

Screenwriters: [cowering] “You said, ‘Make it relevant to those young shitheads out there with money in their pockets!’, sir.”

H.E.: [sniffs] “So where is the social media component when she gets to the deserted island?”

Screenwriters: “That wouldn’t be possible, sir.”

H.E.: “Don’t give me that bullshit! I get SnapGram in The Maldives, The Turks and Caicos, St. Tropez and Antibes. Get back to work.”

Screenwriters: “Yes sir.”

Horatio Cornblower

So did you make it with the receptionist or what?

King Hippo

I’m betting she was a courtesan. and/or a transvestive.

NOT that there’s anything wrong with that…

Horatio Cornblower

From my understanding anything that was going to happen happened after a 3 am closing time. And in those situations, to paraphrase the great Sam Malone “Honey, when the lights go out everyone’s the opposite sex and nobody’s lonely.”

King Hippo

We would have also accepted “ain’t nothin’ gay about getting yo dick sucked” which I learned from HBO’s Oz.

ballsofsteelandfury

I think that’s the main takeaway here.
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Buddy Cole's Halftime Show

She just played candy crush the whole night and said his dick was strange.

Dunstan

THAT’S MY FETISH

Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

I feel like “I’d like to see more of you” would be a good line to use late in the evening, because of the implication.

yeah right

Speaking of which I’ve got to get ready and then I’m driving to Torrance to visit eldest right, the son in law, the wahini and eldest granddaughter.
Eldest granddaughter turns 14 today.

Holy shit that makes me…

Old.

King Hippo

my only grandchild is a cat, that makes me feel old enough

King Hippo

I did finally start properly calling him “grandson” about a week ago. Still annoys my cat son quite a bit, for some reason (though he likes his nephew now).

scotchnaut

There’s never been a hobo I didn’t enjoy meating.

King Hippo

hey, there’s hobo chili and then there’s hobo chili amirite?

King Hippo

My favourite vacation destination is The Overleaf Lodge in Yachats, Oregon. I was last there 4 days/3 nights, and think I said maybe 2-3 words the entire time I was there. I had the mighty Pacific, giant boulders to sit on and think/read, and cool breezes in June.

It was heavenly bliss.

BrettFavresColonoscopy

When’s the Hippo counterpoint post arguing in favor of being a recluse?

King Hippo

Ya can’t blame social media for me – I refuse to participate in that entirely.

My favourite things about people are that they write books and play sportsball for my enjoyment. Other than that, I think the planet would be better off ruled by cats.

Y’all imaginary folks are ok.

LemonJello

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scotchnaut

“Let ‘Em Crash!”

-Dick Cheney, asked about Flights 11 and 175

King Hippo

as long as MOAR brown ppl die, it will be totes worth it!

Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

I have a hard time imagining Dick Cheney saying that, simply because he’d hate to see all that sweet, sweet avgas going to waste.

ArmedandHammered

More importantly, how was the late night date?

Gratliff

Somewhere along the way, I started reading this in Andy Rooney’s voice and I’ve been cackling ever since
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDBab-WBdIQ