(hopefully a harmless distraction from the more serious stuff – so if you are always serious don’t read any further)
I had a student who wore a baseball cap to all my classes. At first I had an emotional response – who does this guy think he is wearing a baseball cap in my class. Then I got used to it and realized – it does not matter if he wears a cap or not. As long as he does the work and acts civilly in class - who cares?
Next thing you know I was a convert. So much so that I wore a hat and got tossed out of a dinner party. My experience is that most people ignore you when you do not remove your hat at a hockey game when the national anthem is being played. But, a few get downright venomous.
Is there some evolutionary advantage of requiring a hat to be removed at certain times or in some venues?
After visiting Hair Club for Men a few years ago and realizing it was way too expensive to buy a new wig every few months and getting locked into an expensive styling plan even more frequently, I decided to go with the immensely cheaper option of wearing stylish hats for my bald spot.
Nobody expects someone to remove their wig when the national anthem is being played – so why should they have to remove their hat which is being used for the same purpose. Removal of a hat for the anthem can be done by the most morally depraved person who has no respect at all for his countries laws. What is wrong with me substituting hat removal with my hand over my heart instead?
What is wrong with me wearing my hat at dinner?
I suspect the majority of people get enraged with people not removing their hat. I am curious as to what a group of freethinkers will say.
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Permalink Reply by Kittie Wilkes on April 5, 2012 at 1:46pm I'm a bit slow to engage my appropriateness filter... I would likely have responded with something like, "I really hate it when I get dandruff in my soup."
Permalink Reply by dr kellie on April 5, 2012 at 1:39pm Why does it seem weird at the dinner table? I think that is the big question. Because if it seems weird just because it is unconventional, we have opened a somewhat theistic bag of worms.
Permalink Reply by Regina M on April 11, 2012 at 2:13pm I'm sure it's mostly to do with how I was raised. I don't think my mother ever wore a hat, but my father had one that he would wear to church or special occasions. It always came off when we went in somewhere. It's not like I freak out when I see someone sitting at Panera munching on a sandwich whilst lurking under a hat, but I do catch myself thinking "hey-hat" just like I would thinking "hey-orange car" or "hey-paper cut" or "hey-fresh strawberries on sale" before moving on. Not a big deal, more like a brain hiccup.
Permalink Reply by dr kellie on April 11, 2012 at 2:52pm That is cute. I like insights into silly thought processes, and I know exactly what you mean.
Permalink Reply by Regina M on April 12, 2012 at 11:42am I have a lot of silly thought processes (I'm pretty sure I'm not alone in this). It's always good to take off the cover and give them a look sometimes!
Permalink Reply by Richard ∑wald on April 5, 2012 at 4:40pm "Oh, and I don't really care about the wearing of hats indoors, but at the dinner table it does seem weird."
That one doesn't even make me raise an eyebrow. But then, I'm almost never without a bandana on my head at anytime (especially dinner tables, keeps the long hair out of my food).
Permalink Reply by Pat on April 5, 2012 at 2:12pm dr. kellie, I think your comment may have just made me realize why I get a bit miffed at the whole dinner thing. I was raised Catholic in the 1950's and early 60's when it common for men to wear hats in more formal settings. But, when you went to church, men had to take off their hats, and women had to don head gear. And, the same rules applied to men when you went out to lunch afterward mass. Hmmmm, could this be a vestigial and unseen remnant of my traditional upbringing rearing it's ugly head?
Permalink Reply by dr kellie on April 5, 2012 at 4:17pm Quite likely. I think that is why it ruffles my feathers. You know what else pisses me off? Having to wear a shirt. I remember being young and running around on the ranch with my brother in jeans and boots and shirtless. Then, at about 7 I was told I had to wear a shirt. I think that was the first moment in my life where I realized that being a girl was not as good as being a boy. It comes with shirt wearing:(
Permalink Reply by Jason Fleming on April 5, 2012 at 5:54pm I'm all about top freedom. It truly is a double-standard that should be done away with.
But again, you are female, so its your place to be ashamed of your body. </sarcasm>
Permalink Reply by Pat on April 5, 2012 at 6:50pm A couple of years ago, I went to Cuba. (Psssssst, please don't tell the US government. They're still in a "snit" with Fidel). Anyway, me and my significant other were at a beautiful beach about 100 miles from Havana. The women were unabashed about sunbathing au natural. While my S/O was somewhat taken aback, I was trying finish my book The Evolution of God. I had to explain, after several mojitos, that Americanos were the only ones who acted like 6 year olds at seeing "nudie" parts. Get over it and let me get back to my book and drink!
Permalink Reply by dr kellie on April 5, 2012 at 7:14pm It never slowed me down. I'm allowed to go shirtless in my own house, as it turns out, and sometimes it is quite a stoke of luck.
http://www.atheistnexus.org/group/hangwithfriends/forum/topics/what...
Permalink Reply by Alex Barnham on April 16, 2012 at 10:06pm If one is light skinned and not used to the sunlight, only 5 minutes of direct sunshine is advisable each day. As the skin darkens, a minute or 2 can increase the toleration. Sunblock is not recommended as the chemicals are not healthy. Skin absorbs sunlight and transforms the fats under the skin to vitamins which are very necessary for good health. Read T Colin Campbell's book, The China Study. Many interesting health facts will give you a new outlook on sunbathing...do not sit out in the sun all day long with no protection. That is dangerous and insane.
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