Catfoot Blog

Shopping Carts

I thought I was lucky when I spotted the apparent vacant parking bay near the entrance of the supermarket; only to discover that it was occupied by a shopping cart. I sighed and started looking for another parking bay. Why do people do it, I wondered.

The immediate thought was that it was being inconsiderate behavior or sheer laziness but after a while I realized that it was not so simple. I managed to identify five reasons why people don’t return their shopping carts.

1. They believe that it's someone else's job to collect the carts.
2. It is too far from where they've parked their car.
3. They have a child whom they do not want to leave unattended.
4. It is raining or it is too hot or too cold etc.
5. They're leaving the carts for someone else to easily pick up and use.
6. They have a disability that prohibits easy movement.

And when I reconsider, five of them boil down to laziness. The only exception is No 6 and that is bullshít too because there are special parking bays for the disabled, so their carts won’t end up in normal parking bays.

Similarly, there are five categories of cart users:

1. Returners. These people always return their carts regardless of how far away they've parked or what the weather is like
2. Never Returners. People who never return their carts. They believe it is someone else's job to fetch the carts.
3. Convenience Returners. People who will return their carts if they are parked close enough.
4. Pressure Returners. People who will return their carts only if somebody is watching them.
5. Child-Driven Returners. These are people with children who view it as a game to return carts, riding them back.

In retrospect, I’m inclined to believe that external factors have nothing to do with returning the carts; it is determined by the attitude of the person who used the cart.

On second thoughts, shopping carts in parking bays does not really bother me that much. My girlfriend was bítching about the toilet seat again and I just had to find something to bítch about. Anyway, I told her that when I’m at her house I’ll leave the toilet seat the way she likes it and that when she’s at my place, I’d expect her to leave it the way I like it.

I expected a little of an argument but she said nothing until she left some 10 minutes later. Although she denies it, she’s upset about something and I don't know why. Women can be very finicky. Probably PMS. I’m not very clued up with these female diseases.

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Jun 2020
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English As A Second Language.

To the non-native English speaker, learning English can be a nightmare. Especially when you don’t have a good tutor on standby. Not that my own language is unblemished. We have exceptions to every rule and even rules to those exceptions with their own exceptions.

But what boggles my mind the most about English is how to pronounce the words. Why is it that the ough in similar looking words like cough, plough, through, tough, and though are pronounced different in each case. How am I to know how to pronounce it without the help of a native English-speaking person, bearing in mind that half our English teachers, esp in primary school, could not speak proper English.

As if that is not enough they also invented an animal called phrasal verbs. Things like throw up, throw down, throw in, and throw out. My first reaction will be to believe that throw up and throw down must be opposite actions but vomit and drop are not even related actions.

Next, we have make up, make over, and make out. Make up is such an interesting verb with at least 11 different meanings ranging from resolving an argument to fabricating a BS story.

If make up describes the action of applying facial cosmetics then surely the process of removing it, must be make down and, by the same logic, if shut up is an instruction to keep quiet then shut down must be permission to talk again. Right?

Then I did not even mention talk over, talk into, talk down, talk up, and talk out. Oh, and then we still have take on, take off, take in, take out, take over, take up, and take down. If an airplane takes off from one location, does it take on at the destination? I think not.

The strangeness of it all is that most these phrasal verbs have perfectly acceptable equivalents. Why can’t we rather use them? It is so much less confusing. Oops, was that an oxymoron?

I think I should stop it right here because one thing will only lead to the next and we will be here all day. But all this makes me wonder exactly who invented English and what they were smoking at the time.

You have a good day too.

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Jan 2015
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The Trolls Of CS

While it cannot be denied that they keep the blogs interesting, there are limits to what we have to endure. To have a difference in opinion is one thing; the blogs would have been a drag if everybody was in agreement all of the time but to insult and/or defame other bloggers as a habit is inexcusable and there is a vast difference between mocking and insulting.

My first impressions were that there were many trolls here but it seems that I was wrong in that early assessment; we only have a handful but they have several profiles and that is why they don’t care about being banned or suspended. They simply carry on with their other identities and reincarnate with a brand new identity; often very civilized in the beginning to gain a few friends. Sometimes when you think that you are outnumbered, it is actually the same person coming at you with different identities.

I don’t know what drives a person to act nasty when on the Internet. It could be that they are that way in real life but I’m more inclined to believe that most of them are not like that at all. I believe that by insulting people whom they don’t know at all, they are trying to divert their thoughts away from their own insecurities.

Being anonymous has the effect of giving insignificant non-entities a false sense of security, invisibility, and power.

And remember, it is Be-Kind-To-A-Troll Day

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Sep 2019
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Oversensitivity

As long as there is something about you that causes you to feel bitter, inferior or ashamed, the mere mention of certain words will hurt you. I said it many times before and I’ll say it again; words cannot hurt until you give it the power to do so. Only then can they hurt you.

Some of the causes for hurt may be being dyslexic, stuttering, wearing glasses, having lost a limb, being born cripple, blind or deaf and too many other things to list here. We’re talking about things that you cannot change; things that are neither disgraceful nor scandalous. And until you can make peace with yourself, they will continue to hurt when people talk about it.

And if the reason for your hurt is something you can change, like bad teeth or untidy hair, or is due to intolerance to others, I have no sympathy with you for you are making yourself unhappy. If you don’t like homosexuals or hunting or if you don’t eat meat, you cannot expect the rest of the world to agree with your views. You either fix it you have to tolerate it.

Insults normally come to you as a statement of contempt and there are several ways to deal with it, depending on whether the insult is based on the truth and also whether the insult is based on disgraceful behavior on your behalf or just plain pettiness.

If the statement is based on ill behavior on your behalf, it is not going to help to trade insults with your quarry. This is not just words; it is the truth and it is embarrassing. We are not always proud of our actions. Nevertheless, admit that you were wrong, apologize for the indiscretion and not only have you gained the respect of the people around you but you also have taken the wind out of your enemy’s sails. Your enemy has nothing further on you and if he wants to proceed with his assault he must resort to lies and/or pettiness.

If the statement is untrue, it is not an insult but a lie. There is very little you can do about it… and unless if you can expose the lie in one swift and final stroke, ignore it. Those who know you will see it for what it really is; a common lie. If you try to defend yourself against it, it can only create a perception that there may just be some element of truth in it.

Then there is the third category; normally the tactics that slimeballs employ to hurt innocent people. The attempted insult is true but it is based on pettiness rather than shameful behavior. This is not an insult but we perceive it as an insult because we resent the truth; we feel bitter, ashamed or inferior about something that we cannot help for.

Don’t waste your time on shit you cannot change; don’t fall into the bottomless pit of self-pity because of something that you don’t like about yourself. Accept yourself for who and what you are for there is no shame in it. Say to the world, “OK, I have freckles and so what? How does it affect my character or my person?”

Only then you will have the resilience to resist words but until then words will hurt you more than sticks and stones.

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Oct 2019
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A New Look At Relationships

So now the honeymoon is over and what used to be ‘oopsy doopsy, who had a poopsy?’ became ‘you will still shit me out of this house!!’ and you feel that it is going nowhere. Then it is high time to get the ground rules in place if the relationship is to survive.

The most important thing now is that either the man or the woman has to be good at taking orders. Preferably, the man’s vocabulary should not exceed ‘Yes Dear’. There are no guarantees; if that’s what you’re looking for, go live with a stove or a fridge, depending on whether you want a hot

or a cold

relationship.

Relationships don't always make sense; especially to those on the outside. The difference between being in a relationship and being in prison is that in prison they let you play ball

on weekends. Relationships, on the other hand, give you a steady partner to argue with. No longer do you need to argue with a different partner every night.

The secret of a long relationship is to take time off to go to a restaurant once a week; a little candlelight, dinner, soft music and dancing. It is important that they go to different places. Ideally, couples need to live three lives: one for him

, one for her

and one for them together

. Men are from Mars, women are from Venus and they’re both marooned on Earth. Deal with it.

A bachelor’s life is no life for a single man. It's better to love and lose than having to do 40 pounds of laundry every week.

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Oct 2019
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The Way We See Ourselves

Disregarding the scammers, I have corresponded with a few women now since joining CS. Some of them were very pleasant encounters and others not so pleasant; some still in progress and others not. The 'others' having died a natural death along the way. These were women of different ages and different walks of life.

All of these started off by mutual interest and proceeded at a pace dictated by both parties. As the conversations proceeded and morals began to show, it turned out that none of them were as they were described in their profiles. And I’m sure they feel the same about me.

Now sure as hell I did not lie in my profile, and I don’t believe these correspondents lied. We merely described ourselves as we think we are; the way we want to be. The problem is that other people don’t see us the way we see ourselves. And different people don’t see us the same either.

Even our physical attributes are hard to judge. Some people may think I have a prominent nose, while others might feel that my nose is out of proportion to my face. And yet I may feel that I have a cute nose; same for my ears. What I consider as confidence, other may interpret as arrogance. And my humbleness can easily be seen as weakness.

So, next time, before you accuse your correspondent of lying, remember that you too look different than what you think you do! And no two other people will see you as being the same; not even two friends who know you well.

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Feb 2013
in Uncategorized
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Karma

Contrary to popular misconception, karma has nothing to do with punishment and reward. It exists as part of our lives only to teach us responsibility for our doings.

Karma moves in two directions. If we act virtuously, the seed we plant will result in happiness. If we act non-virtuously, suffering results. As we have planted, so do we harvest; such is the way of karma. We pay for what we do, and still more, for what we have allowed ourselves to become. For the innocent, the past may hold a reward. But for the treacherous, it's only a matter of time before the past delivers what we truly deserve.

If you sow goodwill, you will harvest well. When positive things are made, that returns well. There will always be karma to be taken care of. How people treat you is their karma; how you react is yours. We are not punished for our sins, but by them.

Karma comes after everyone eventually. You can't get away with screwing people over your whole life; what goes around comes around. That's how it works. If you sow winds you shall reap storms. Sooner or later you will get you what you deserve.

Don't waste time on revenge. The people who hurt you will eventually face their own karma. Karma bides its time. Karma is unforgiving and always gets payback. You dare not do harm to someone because someone has done harm to you. You will pay just like they will.

Whatever you give to life, it gives you back. Do not hate anybody. The hatred which comes out from you will someday come back to you. Love others. And love will come back to you.

Karma has a surprising way of taking care of situations. All you have to do is to sit back and wait.

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Oct 2019
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When is a thief a thief?

For how long can we call a thief a thief? When somebody was caught stealing we call him a thief. If he’s sent to jail, we still call him a thief. But can we continue to do so when he’s paid his debt to society? Or is it once a thief, always a thief?

One can argue that being a thief indicates a flaw in character. It is probably true but once the person had been punished, is it fair to hold it against him for life?

For reasons I can perfectly understand employers are reluctant to employ people with a criminal record but is it the right thing to do? Are we not forcing him back to stealing when we refuse to give him some way to earn an honest living?

Many years ago I employed somebody like that twice a week to work in my garden. That was way below his abilities; he was a chef before. I guess working for the much lower wages of a gardener frustrated him because one day he absconded with my electric drill, jigsaw and angle grinder.

Everybody said it was my own fault as I knew he was a thief - which may be partly true but I say if he was properly and gainfully employed in what he was trained to do, this would not have happened.

How can we ever rehabilitate criminals if we cannot accept them back into society? Should we not take some of the blame when such a person becomes a habitual criminal? How else can he survive in this world if nobody wants to give him a chance to prove himself?

Have a great day!

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Sep 2019
in Opinionated
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My Ship Came In

A few days ago I received an important message in my Inbox. At first I thought it was a scam but after establishing contact with the lawyer to establish that he was not talking about Zim Dollars, Canadian Dollars or Aussie Dollars but US Dollars, and after a lot of other thinking – I do think a lot

– and I’m convinced it is genuine. Let me share the secret with you.

The message read:

Dear Friend,
I am secretery to Xxxxxxx Xxxx, a lawyer and personal attorney to the late business man from your country he died many years ago, my boss request your consent to present you as the next of kin with the following relatives in order to continue to release his unknown deposits to you which are estimated at $ 3.5 million.

Kindly get contact him in his email address at ( xxxxxxx@gmail.com ) to enable him give you the details of the said fund if interesting.

Regards Barrister Xxxxxxx Xxxx

Some will say that I’m just greedy but that is not true. This is too much money for me and when I get this money, I’m going to share it with my fellow bloggers. On the day when I receive the money, I will share it equally among those who have blogs on the first page. If you have two blogs there at the time, you will collect twice, and so on. So you guys better start blogging.

Knowing Blogland as I do, there will probably be a few ungrateful trolls to ridicule my kindness but I have bad news for them. There is a catch to it – isn’t there always?

Some blogs will be disqualified and the money will be forfeited to me – I deserve some of it as well, don’t I? Political blogs, religious blogs, blogs with very little or no text or substance, and blogs older than 12 hours will be disqualified. Likewise, bloggers who differ from me, curse at me or show any other form of hostility will also be disqualified. If I play this right I may end up keeping all the money for myself.

Those who think they may qualify on the day are welcome to forward their bank cards and pin numbers in the meantime to expedite prompt payment when the time comes.

You don’t have to thank me for this. I do it from the depth of my heart in order to promote a better camaraderie between bloggers.

Start blogging guys, that money can come any day now.

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Sep 2019
in Chatting
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Want To Be A Genius?

Like to know it or not, you most likely have an average IQ but fortunately, there are a few things you can do to change that. Your IQ peaks in your early 20s and remains more or less the same as we age but, that doesn’t mean it cannot be improved. In fact, intelligence can be increased quite a bit.

Intelligence is the ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills and includes the ability to reason, solve problems, remember information, and be creative.

Doing courses and reading books are two ways to broaden knowledge but there are seven more surprising ways to boost your brainpower.

Train your memory
Keep your brain busy.

Look at other viewpoints
Consider other people’s points of view and listen to arguments that make no sense to you. Try to make some sense of them.

Find Motivation
You have to want it so bad that you will never give up, so bad that you are ready to sacrifice time, money, sleep, friendships, even your reputation.

Do Cardiovascular Workouts
Cardiovascular fitness can raise your verbal intelligence and improve long-term memory, according to a study from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden. Increased cardiovascular fitness was associated with better cognitive scores.

Play Video Games
Video games can actually stimulate the growth of neurons and promote connectivity in the regions of the brain responsible for spatial orientation, memory formation, and strategic planning. Video games can reverse the negative effects of aging on the brain as well.

Meditate
Mindful meditation can increase the neuroplasticity in the brain, according to a study from the University of Oregon. Participants in a five-day study were led through a guided meditation for 20 minutes a day, focusing on breathing, posture, and mental imagery. This practice significantly improved attention and fluid intelligence.

Right, now you can chase Einstein!

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Sep 2019
in Chatting
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English As A World Language

No language in history has ever dominated the world quite like English does today.

Until fairly recently, the history of English was very similar to that of other global languages: it spread through a combination of conquest, trade, and colonization. But then, at some point between the end of WWII and the start of the new millennium, English transformed from a global language to a universal language.

So, do we still really need another ‘world language’? I think English is ready to take that position but is the world ready for that?

It's a fact, even the half bell can make himself understood in English.

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Sep 2019
in Opinionated
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Insanity

Insanity is not a disgrace or a crime. The only reason why the insane (and not we) are locked up in asylums is that we are more than them. See, that is how democracy works. The majority rules and to hell with minorities. That’s right! The winner takes it all.

It is not a requirement for CS members to be insane but it is a definite recommendation. Be kind to insane members; they will soon be the majority and then they will treat you the way you treated them in the past. You know that story about ‘do to others’… I think it is called Karma. Here on the blogs, you can be driven to insanity without a vehicle; 100% free of charge. Remember that later when you want to become part of the majority.

If you’re not born that way, don’t despair. It is inheritable; you can get it from your children. Another way to become insane is to spend prolonged periods in the company of the insane. Don’t take them too seriously or you will be driven insane before your time.

Not everybody can be insane. If you cannot get it in the normal ways don’t try to bash your head

into a wall. That causes brain damage and is not to be confused with insanity. The insane are not retarded, brain-damaged or stupid. In fact, some of them may have very high IQs.

The insane are masters of manipulation and perfectly capable of impersonating sane people… until they comment. If you’re not sure, tread carefully. Put a tame comment on his/her blog and see how it pans out. If the OP insults you without reason, you found one. Run for the hills. A more subtle approach will be to wait for a comment on your blog. If it is an insult, you found one. Run for the hills.

The moral of the story?
Sane, level minded people know how to behave towards other people. That is why they are not in asylums.

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Sep 2019
in Opinionated
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This is a list of Catfoot's Blogs. Click here for Catfoot's Blog List

Catfoot Blog (616)

Shopping Carts

English As A Second Language.

The Trolls Of CS

Oversensitivity

A New Look At Relationships

The Way We See Ourselves

Karma

When is a thief a thief?

My Ship Came In

Want To Be A Genius?

English As A World Language

Insanity

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