4/11/25 - Societal Rules, Fashion, and Don't Tell Chat GPT
- bribriny
- Apr 11
- 4 min read
Friday 4/11/25
Celebrate:
Barbershop Quartet Day
International Louie Louie Day
National Cheese Fondue Day
National Dive Bar Day
National Eight-Track Tape Day
National Pet Day
National Poutine Day (Canada)
National Ranch Water Day
Poet in a Cupcake Day
Submarine Day
World Parkinson's Disease Day
--
Buzzfeed has a new list of "made-up" societal rules that their readers think we should all just stop following. Which ones do you agree with, and which ones just seem whiny?
The "no double texting" rule. Some people think it's too much to send someone multiple texts in a row . . . even if they think of something else AFTER they already sent one.
Respect your elders. One person says, "Some of the nastiest people I've ever met are over 70. Good job, you've survived to be a dinosaur . . . but respect is earned, not given."
XXXXX Expecting people working in food service to always be happy. "It's an exhausting, thankless, and stressful job that doesn't pay enough." (I will say: If you're expecting a GOOD TIP, part of that IS working to make it a good experience for guests.)
That women should be polite to be considered ladylike. "Men are never held to these same standards."
It should be acceptable to respectfully decline gifts. "Why do I have to PRETEND to like something, take it home, and save to re-gift later?"
You can't eat in front of your friends unless they are eating too. "What if I'm really hungry, and they aren't? I'm not allowed to eat?"
Everyone thinking that it is rude to read a book at a function or event. "Most of the people are ignoring everyone on their phones . . . so what difference does it make?"
That it's unacceptable to date a friend's ex. "Just because it didn't work out for them doesn't mean it shouldn't work out for you."
Placing a napkin on your lap. "Forget it. It lands on the floor 99 out of 100 times.
Blessing people when they sneeze. "Stop calling attention to them . . . especially in the middle of meetings." Someone else added, "Why don't we bless farts. I'd be on board with that."
–
A.I. experts are cautioning people to be careful what they share with A.I. chatbots, because all that data could get hacked someday. Here are a few things you shouldn't tell ChatGPT.
1. Your passwords.
2. Stuff that could be used to steal your identity. Like passport info or your Social Security number. Even your full name and address might be risky.
3. Financial information. Don't share things like bank account numbers or crypto keys. People do it by mistake sometimes. You might ask it to summarize a document and not realize your account number is on there.
4. Illegal activity, even if you're just joking. OpenAI does track chats. Their privacy policy says they can use your data to "detect or prevent" illegal activity. And they can share it with authorities if required by law.
5. Embarrassing secrets. Hackers could use them to blackmail you for money.
6. Corporate info. If you use ChatGPT for work, be careful you don't disclose any sensitive information your company wouldn't want out in the world.
ChatGPT has an option that lets you manage its memory, and there's a big list of everything it knows about you. So maybe check that out and make sure none of the stuff we mentioned is on the list.
--
National Siblings Day was yesterday! A recent poll found 88% of us grew up with at least one brother or sister. But what's the BEST number of siblings to have?
People were asked how many they wished they had growing up. Can you guess what the top answer was?
26% said TWO siblings is perfect . . . 19% said one . . . 18% said three . . . and ZERO siblings got 14% of the vote. (10% said four siblings . . . and 2% said TEN or more.)
Here are a few more quick stats for National Siblings Day . . .
33% of people with siblings think their mom has a favorite child. Only 22% think their dad does.
Most of us DON'T think we're the favorite. Only 30% said yes.
19% of us think we're "completely different" from our siblings.
10% would describe a sibling as a "best friend."
8% have had a serious physical fight with a sibling before.
38% of people who don't have brothers or sisters are fine with it.
Would you rather be the oldest, youngest, or middle child? It's more or less a three-way tie, but slightly more people would rather be the OLDEST. Middle is next, and youngest is third. (21%, 19%, 18%, only 11%)
–
Lately I talked about Shoulder pads and grandpa shoes coming back in style.
Buzzfeed has an article about someone posting this question.. "What's a fashion trend that was huge when you were younger but looks strange now?"
Maybe these will try to make a comeback next?
Some of the answers
"Stirrup pants with an oversized button-up shirt and wide belt around the waist. It was my 8th-grade outfit that I thought was so hot.
"The first one that comes to mind is parachute pants." (or Hammer pants)
"The huge bell bottoms. We called them elephant bells."
"Remember guys wearing shorts outside their sweatpants while playing basketball and stuff?
"Culottes. I quite liked them, but I haven't seen anyone wear them in decades."
"Giant bows in big hair. I used my Grandma's scarves for a lot of those bows!"..maybe add those big flowers Carrie Bradshaw wore in Sex and the City.
"Huge hair...the bigger the better. Three cans of hairspray per week minimum."
"Moon boots: they are back. Maybe not the same foam insulation boots from back in the '80s.
"What about fitness wear from the '80s? I was an instructor then. Shimmery tights and a thong leotard. Leg warmers, of course. White Princess Reeboks." (don't forget the headband)
--
Today's Useless Fact of the Day - There are 11 U.S. states that only have one area code: Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming.
--
Comments