Stereotypes and knowitalls

It's strange how some people fit stereotypes to a T.  I know that the idea of stereotyping people is considered wrong, but consider this.  The stereotype wouldn't exist if there weren't actually people who look, act or sound like the stereotype they are compared to.  Take my neighbours for example.  They are three of the dumbest dogs I have ever met.  Truly thick, don't understand no and seem to think that making a lot of noise is a good idea.  Your typical party animal.  One is a gossip that can't keep her mouth shut (you know the type - always has something to say whether it's important or not), always yapping away.  Then there is the dumb blonde who is a total space cadet.  He can't think his way out of a paper bag, but there he is, slobbering on everyone, chasing anything in a fur coat and just generally being a nuisance.  Finally there is mister "I'm so tough", who bullies others, issues threats and bares his teeth when he feels threatened by anything he can't control.  Total animals, absolute dogs - really.  They are.  Dogs.  Unfortunately there are far too many counterparts in the human world.  I work with (or have worked with) people who act this way.  The "dumb blonde" coworker who is either a total space cadet or a paranoid freak, but either way can't think his/her way out of a paper bag and is generally a nuisance.  The gossip who knows everything there is to know about everything (and if she/he doesn't know it he/she makes it up) and absolutely must share, even if you don't want to hear it.  Finally, there are the bullies, and we've all encountered them at some point.  Makes me wish I carried a rolled up newspaper so I could give them all a good whack on the nose for bad behavior.  Hmmm.  That might be an interesting idea.  Just think of it.  Everytime someone thinks they should do one of the above things, you whip out your rolled up newspaper and whack them on the nose.  It wouldn't hurt - much - and they might get the point.  Then again, they might have a newspaper to whack you on the nose because you've fit their ideas of a stereotype.  Doesn't say much for the newspaper either.  Which one would you use?  The local rag or an international one?  Do you use the sports page or the social page?  What about the business section.  Might work great for business types.  Certainly couldn't hurt (well ok, it might hurt a little, but not as much as the financial mess we have been in lately).  As for the newspapers, well rolling them up is often all some of them are good for.  That and wrapping up peels and coffeegrounds for the garbage (does anyone do that any more?).  Until next time.

Exotic animals

So the article online said that exotic animals should not be kept as pets. I thoroughly agree. After all, men truly are animals and many tend to be exotic, often showing their 'wild' side by doing typically male things (and the list is endless so I won't even start). Some sit around looking lordly like their male counterparts, the lion or the gorilla, while others show their athletic prowess much like the leopard or cheetah, unless they are getting long in the tooth and expect their female counterparts to do all the 'work' of getting food (wait a minute - we do that anyway), but the most exotic male has got to be the tiger (and you can play with that image any way you want). We are told "he" has a tiger in the tank, everything is "Grrrreat" and 'he' sometimes tends to snarl and hiss, with 'his' ears metaphorically laid back, expecially if you change the channel on tv right in the middle of the male-in-question's favourite sports event.
Don't get me wrong. I like males. They can be cuddly, affectionate and often easy to tame, performing all sorts of tricks like jumping through hoops (including fire-y ones when you're not in a particularly good mood) on your command. All it takes is food, belly scratches and a little stroking of their male - egos. Easy. What I don't understand is why we keep trying to domesticate them and expect them to be good house pets. I know. It's nice to have them around, they can keep you warm on a cold night, and often are good to have to snuggle with on the couch when you're watching a movie (unless it's a chic flic, then they manage to go into hiding in plain sight), but let's face it, they also scatter the litter all over the place (figuratively speaking), eat way too much, demand attention when you really don't have time, leave all their "stuff" laying around, and tend to get into fights with any other animal that strays on to "their" turf. This creates a conundrum (which in my Collins Gem dictionary means puzzle). We want to have them, but find after a while they become very expensive and high maintenance, yet we can't turn them loose on the world because they could cause all sorts of problems we hadn't anticipated when we decided to keep them in the first place. Maybe the problem is that the puzzle is missing a piece or two and will never be solved.
There is, of course an even more exotic animal out there - the female, but I think I should leave that for another time, because that will take a lot more room to discuss don't you agree?