10 Commandments for Urinal Etiquette

Warning:  Some may find this post offensive.

I am delighted to have a guest blogger this blog.  See Nicole's bio at end of post.

Having been on this earth for close to 50 years, I have seen my fair share of urinals. Women may wonder why men have such strong feelings about urinal etiquette, but if you are a man, you understand. There are just certain rules that every man should follow when he enters a restroom and needs to use a urinal. Here are the 10 Commandments for proper Urinal Etiquette.

Number 1

When going number 1, simply go about your business and take care of nature's call. You are there for one reason and one reason only. You need to relieve yourself from the build up in your bladder. Do not use the time to hum, sing or make any other funny noises. Keep your mind focused on the business at hand.

Number 2

This goes without saying, but I'll say it any way. Use the urinal for what it was designed to do. Never do number 2 in a urinal. In case you don't know what that reference is to, I will enlighten you. Don't do what both men and women do sitting down. Only do what men do standing and women do sitting down. Okay, never poop in the urinal. You may be extremely drunk or even totally angry with the owner of the establishment, but never do something that would upset your mother.

Number 3

Take good aim. Take a grip on your appendage and make sure you are aimed at the center of the urinal so that you do not cause any splash outside of the intended target. Be sure to stand close enough to the urinal so you won't miss. Caution should be taken when the urinal is set too low or too high as it can sometimes cause difficulty in directing the flow exactly in the right place.

Number 4

The "hockey puck" is there for a reason. Do not mess with the white tablet that sometimes rests at the bottom of the urinal. A very conscientious worker puts it there in order to keep the smell of urine from fouling the entire bathroom. A clean urinal is a good urinal.

Number 5

Selecting the right urinal is important. When you walk in to the bathroom and no one is there, simply pick any clean urinal. For some reason, I don't like the urinal closest to the door. If there are other people using the urinals, select one at least one space away. Never use the urinal right next to someone else, unless there is no other choice. It is better to step up next to someone than to stand patiently while they finish because you might be accused of trying to sneak a peek while they are exposed.

Number 6

Don't throw cigarette butts in to the urinal. First of all, you should not be smoking in the bathroom and second of all, it is a disgusting and filthy practice that someone has to clean up.

Number 7

Conversation should not be a part of urination. Don't answer your cell phone at the urinal.  It can wait until you leave the restroom. No one wants to watch you fish the cell phone out of the urinal.  You can call them back after your task is done.

Number 8

It is okay to use the potty for urinating when all the urinals are taken. Shy people can also feel safe behind the closed door of the stall.

Number 9

Urinals with dividers are better. This gives each user a bit more privacy and makes it easier to go.

Number 10

Stay away from urinals that are stuffed up and have liquid up to the top. The next pull of the handle might cause a serious overflow and a mess on your expensive shoes.

In conclusion, practicing good urinal etiquette is what separates the crude from the refined. As a society, we should strive to be the best we can be. Teach young boys proper urinal etiquette and they will grow up to be solid citizens of our country.

Nicole Rodgers has been blogging for 3 years; she currently helps people study for their DMV test and recommends sites to find free insurance quotes. 

Paradigms: A Fun Exercise

There is much talk about paradigms these days.  Paradigms are not new.  Many famous people have talked about them for decades.  They are just a realization of how you look at things in a certain way…the exercises are eye-opening.  Being a previous trainer in corporate America, I wanted to show this exercise for a long time and haven’t…no excuses, I just haven’t.  I didn’t invent this exercise but in business training, it was always fun to do.  It can enlighten you on your own paradigms.

Here is the simple exercise.  What is the pattern in these numbers?

8   5   4   9   7   6   3   2   0

Most people will look for the obvious…others will have seen the exercise but not remember what the answer is and still others will remember seeing the exercise and know the correct answer.  Which one are you?

Evolution of Reading: We Are The New Scanners

Reading has evolved and I am not sure that what we currently do can technically be called “reading” as it is more “scanning” than actual reading.  We have become a society of scanners instead of curious people that want to read about the juicy details in stories. I am still “old school” in that I read ALL the words that are written.  Sure, I scan some articles but when it generally is just for research and not something I WANT to read.  Books cannot be replaced by computer screens of any kind, in my opinion.

I was recently given some expensive clothing from a friend and decided I didn’t have the need for it so I sold it on eBay.   I was very careful to put the material it was made of, the size (in black bold) large letters/numbers, and the brand of the clothing on the ad for auction.  I placed all the details I would want on the ad plus where the item might be appropriate to wear.  Some fabulous pictures (if I do say so myself) taken on a partial mannequin hanging from the ceiling.  It was just like taking photos of a model (only no drama and the mannequin didn’t require all that makeup since the head was a hanger)…

Hands down, the most asked question was “what size is it?”  Are you kidding me? I so wanted to reply:  “Are you #%^@*! BLIND…it is in BOLD on the advertisement you idiot?”  “You don’t deserve to have these expensive clothes since you can’t read!” “Let them go to someone who is more literate than you, PLEASE!”

I have a 100% satisfaction rating and want to keep it that way.  It is important to me.  So, I took a deep breath and realized everyone misses things when reading.

I changed into my cheery helpful oh so nice customer service hat, my brain kicked in and my fingers typed a reply that was much different than my first reaction.  More like:  “The size on your item is (brand name) size 0.  In real sizes that equates to a Misses 6-8 in other stores.  Remember that is has 5% spandex so it can fit up to size 10, depending on how you like tops to fit.  Please let me know if there is anything else I can help you with on this item.  All the best, THE extremely gracious seller.

Then there was another and another asking the same question.  I checked the ads to make sure the size was included and it was there in big bold letters/numbers, just like I wrote it.  WHEW!  I was beginning to doubt my own abilities of writing an ad. 

After I got past several of those, another person wanted the measurements from another item…not just size but actual measurements:  the measurements from one shoulder to another, the length from end of collar to end of garment, the sleeve length, inseam length and of course if I would bundle the shipping if she won more than one item. 

Okay, okay, I know these items were a REAL bargain.  If these measurements were crucial, wouldn’t you think the person would actually go buy it at the store on clearance so they could try the item on?  I would have.

I found a cloth measuring tape and carefully measured each one of the places twice to ensure accuracy and typed each one of the measurements (checked those also) with my customer service graciousness.  The person never bid on the item (no surprise) but it went to a very happy customer.

We are all guilty of not seeing things (or remembering them after we saw them) that are right in front of us so I did realize we are all human and can miss things.  I have done it myself…now, agreeing on me being human might be up for grabs…but that is another post.

I will admit that I was so ready to get rid of the items; I would have given them away after that experience if they hadn’t sold.  The experience was way to high-maintenance for me.  I packed the sold items and got them to the post office in the middle of a snow storm just to get them out of the house and have the experience behind me.  This may be my last eBay listing.  Somehow, I thought the caliber of people would be higher than craigslist.  What was I thinking?

Have you had similar experiences on eBay?  

  

A Tribute to Stick Men: Our First Person

Remember stick men?  They were the first things we learned to draw when we were kids.  When the teacher said, “Draw a person.”  We would draw a stick man.  We were little and knew only straight lines.  Since then, some of us have learned that you can curve the line to make it more pleasing to the eye. This video caught my eye because of the stick man, who is the star of the video but also because someone realized that the stick man can be a secret agent, a spy, a hero, a superhero just like we did in the beginning of our life.  A child-like celebration for us all!

Enjoy!

(due to copyright laws, I can not put the video in here so you will have to click on the link)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_fPV13lKm4&feature=youtube_gdata_player

 Please leave a comment if you are so inclined.