From time to time, I reply to his posts, and today I sent along a little reply to an innocuos posting of his that he put up yesterday. It was just a little something about when it is appropriate to untie your tie. I started out with my usual wise-ass reply [the type I’ve been giving him since he was in high school], but it got me wondering about when other things are appropriate [or not]. His post really did get me thinking. And as I was pondering what is or is not appropriate, my thoughts eventually turned to Sandy Hook.
This recent tragedy that has ruled the news lately has made all of us sick inside. I’m not shaken by much, but this one really got to me. And what has made it worse, if that is possible, are all the parasites that are pimping this heinous event. The entire media, hack psychologists, anti-gun lobbyists, politicians, sociologists, lawyers, publishers, criminologists, you name it – they are all there to make a buck or advance their agenda. We truly have become a country of pimps – and the fawning public keeps asking for more.
I have not watched one newsreel or read one dissection of this tragedy other than the initial report. I’ll pass on contributing to the morbid curiosity that is already spawning a cottage industry over this tragedy. I know deep down inside, as we all do instinctively, that these poor people just need to be left alone. Unless you are resident of the town or a qualified aid-giver, you should be banned from coming anywhere close to Sandy Hook.
So, thanks to JNorman for getting me thinking this morning about what is or is not appropriate. Here’s his posting, along with my comments, and a link to his blog at JNormanPost.com
Throughout my entire grammar school, high school, and collegiate experiences, I probably buttoned my top button 3 times a year I’d say. The only reason I ever did such is because my teachers threatened to give me detention or the ever-so-awful JUG, when they would catch me with it unbuttoned. I just hated having that top button snug up to my neck feeling like Randy Savage had me in a chokehold.
I know that many men feel similar in this regard. I feel like it can sort of be an age thing, though. As a youngster, you couldn’t pay me to keep my top button buttoned or my shirt neatly tucked in. I feel like no one enjoyed it. However, as I have grown older and wiser, I have realized the importance of appearance. No one likes to see the guy at work who rolls in with his tie all loose around his neck and his collar looking discombobulated. It’s just not how things work.
If you are above the age of 18, you will find yourself being invited to parties, important events, weddings, and more in which you will be asked to dress up. When events require you to wear a tie, my advice is to button that top button and tighten your tie to the top. Or at least tighten your tie to the top so it looks like your top button is fastened (even if it’s not).
So, when is it appropriate to unbutton your top button if you have followed the rules and buttoned it in the first place? Well, I don’t like to do it and I want to say, NEVER, but I understand some people just can’t do it. I still like the way a tightened tie looks throughout the night rather than an loosened one but here ya go:
1. A Wedding – When you arrive to a wedding, don’t be the cool guy with his shades on as he walks into the church or reception with his tie undone. Take your sunglasses off before entering either and be sure your tie is secure! As the night goes on and the party starts at the reception, it is then alright to loosen the tie. I still like to leave it snug throughout all the dancing and what not, but some people simply can’t do it. Understandable. You’re hot, sweaty, and having fun. It’s okay to loosen up.
2. End of the Night – When a party is nearing its end, and you have left your tie tightened the entire night, wait until you get in your car or exit the party area to loosen.
Just remember that when entering a party, it is important to look proper when you are first greeting people. As the night goes on, you may then engage in making yourself more comfortable, but just remember which way you think looks better, and then you be the judge.
This can be the start of a whole new series of blogs called “When is it appropriate?” Maybe you can start with “When is it appropriate to unzip your fly?”
Fortunately, there is an endless supply of questions about when it is appropriate, and we all need the right answer from time to time. Right now, I need to know when it is appropriate to stop giving gifts to someone you really don’t want to give a gift to anymore.
Of course, the number one question that has plagued philosophers and moralists for centuries is “When is it appropriate to lie?” To avoid hurting someone’s feelings? To save a life? To protect your family? To protect your country?
In an interview recently, that little Hollywood weasel, David Geffen, was boasting about how he landed his first job in Hollywood by lying about his college degree from UCLA [which he never received]. He even went so far as to alter the letter from UCLA to his boss to perpetuate the fraud – and he was proud of this deception. Just sitting there all smug and smirking at his cunning and deceit. Of course, now that he is a billionaire and a real mover and shake in Hollywood, all sins are forgiven – at least in Hollywood and with a fawning public.
We have become a country of pimps, and in this day and age it is appropriate to pimp anything. From the most gut-wrenching tragedy to the birth of a starlet/whore’s baby, it’s all fair game, and it’s all a money-maker.
Tony Walker Post 
Great comments on the pimping of America. Thank you for the information and sharing of posts! Good write up.