Category: Humor

Joe inherited some C code that left him scratching his head.

It doesn’t start too badly:

typedef unsigned char byte;
typedef unsigned short word;

This aliases two built-in types (unsigned char and unsigned short) to byte and word, respectively. This isn’t uncommon, using typedefs to give types more convenient or descriptive names is generally a good practice. The typedef is just an alias at compile time, so you’re not really changing anything, just creating an easy to reference name.

As always, it’s worth noting that short has a minimum size, but no maximum size defined in the spec. So assuming that a word is two bytes is potentially a mistake.

But that’s not the WTF. The WTF is the next two lines, so here’s the whole snippet, for context:

typedef unsigned char byte;
typedef unsigned short word;
#define byte unsigned char
#define word unsigned short

This creates a preprocessor macro that will replace all occurrences of byte with unsigned char, and all occurrences of word with unsigned short. This will run before compilation, and essentially be a find/replace. This means that by the time the compiler gets the code, there will be no bytes or words. So the typedef doesn’t matter- the compiler will never see the alias used.

This code isn’t the worst abuse we’ve seen in C, by far, but it still leaves me scratching my head, trying to understand how we got here. I could understand it better if these four lines weren’t all together. One header doing a typedef, and another header doing a #define would be bad, but that’s just the life of a C programmer, as you pull together modules written by different people across different years. I could understand having that happen. But right next to each other?

Being a parent is never easy. There are a million things that might be bouncing around your mind at any moment, including where your kids are, what they’re going to eat for dinner, whether or not they’ve finished their homework, how you’re going to get the laundry done this evening and more. Add having a useless partner on your plate, and you just might start to lose it.

That’s why one formerly clueless father has been sharing advice online to help other men learn how to anticipate their partner’s needs and actually help out around the house. J Fisher has started a series on TikTok titled “Chronicles of a Clueless Husband,” so below, you’ll find some of his best videos detailing lessons he’s learned while taking his marriage from the brink of divorce to a happy, healthy place. Enjoy hearing J’s words of wisdom, and keep reading to find conversations with the father and Psychologist and Marriage Intensive Leader Dr. Wyatt Fisher!

More info: Instagram

It’s extremely common for women to be stuck with the lion’s share of household and childcare responsibilities

Image credits: Ron Lach / pexels (not the actual photo)

So one father has made it his mission to educate fellow “clueless husbands” on how to turn their marriages around

@jfisher62 What NOT to do as a husband #fyp #husbandsoftiktok #wivesoftiktok #fairplay #parenting #feminism #dismantlethepatriarchy #relationship #marriage #support #partnering ♬ original sound – J Fisher

“One of the things I really try to process now as a middle-aged man is the full extent to which I really thought that I was the main character. Let’s give you an example. Early in our marriage, my partner and I, say we’d be going on a trip, my partner would at that point in time be doing the laundry, vacuuming the house, making sure the dishes were done. I would literally think: well, yeah, but you don’t have to do that. That’s, YOU wanting to do that. It’s not what I WANT to do.

She would get everything ready. And eventually, I would say, ‘Oh, now it’s time to get ready’, and have a go, and this is not a joke, this literally happened on more than one occasion. I would get a backpack or suitcase or something. And I would get my own clothes. And I would get 2 or 3 books that I wanted to read. And I would literally bring highlighters because I’m a nerd. And I’d think, I’m ready. I’m ready to go on the trip.”

Image credits: jfisher62

“Looking back I’m like, what, WHAT?! How could I possibly think that was okay? And the thing is, when we had kids it didn’t stop, right, my partner would do all the work to get all of them ready, and make sure they were bathed, snacks packed, and I would get myself ready. I’d think, oh, I saw my own father do this quite a bit where he would take care of his own needs, so I know I didn’t learn it from nowhere. But I also had to UNLEARN it, because it NEVER was okay.

I thought that my role was to do all of these things outside of the home and that the home was, you know, a woman’s domain. I saw that modeled and even taught as the way it should be, but oh my gosh, is that not PARTNERSHIP and that sucks. So if you are a person, especially if you’re a man, and you think that division of labor is okay, you shouldn’t be married, you shouldn’t be in a relationship. And I shouldn’t have been at that point in time. And that would have made me so so very mad because I would have been like, what more do you want from me? Turns out quite a LOT!”

J has been sharing videos explaining how men tend to consider their own needs above their partner’s and children’s needs

@jfisher62 What NOT to do as a husband cont. #fyp #dismantlethepatriarchy #fairplay #husbandsoftiktok #wivesoftiktok #parenting #marriage #relationship #feminism #relationship #support ♬ original sound – J Fisher

“Here’s part 2 of men centering themselves, versus how women kind of moved through the world. I would wake up sometimes on a Saturday morning after a hard day or hard week of work and make sure I got a shower, and I would do this thing where I would literally massage my knees and stretch out for half an hour. And then I would go running for like an hour, while my partner was taking care of OUR babies, who has been taking care of OUR babies the ENTIRE week WITHOUT a break. And I just kept thinking, well, if you had main character energy, you would get up and you would do the thing, and I would just fill the gap in. But that is such a selfish, self-focused perspective to think that somebody else who’s been doing this labor would have to then speak up. But that’s how, as men, we are socialized to move through the world!

You just DO WHAT YOU WANT to do WHEN YOU WANT to do it, and everybody else MOVES out of your way. It’s almost like being a highway patrol officer who’s permanently a highway patrol officer, you’re going down the highway, and everyone else starts slowing down and going the speed limit for you. And if you didn’t have an intersectional identity, if you never got off duty, you might just think, EVERYBODY drives like that. So as a man, you don’t know that people are slowing down around you because they’re kind of SCARED of you. Maybe you’re actually even a little bit DANGEROUS. Everyone is altering their behavior so that they don’t get HURT by you.”

Image credits: jfisher62

“I really couldn’t see that. So when we bring this conversation into values around having kids, same kind of thing, right? It was a huge priority for my partner to get out on a weekend and not only to have a break from her day to day and taking care of the small babies, on top of me, who would also look to her to fulfill my own emotional and physical needs in ways that were very very childish as well. That is HELL. All she wanted to do was get out and ride bikes with the family, have experiences! Sometimes I would support that, but there were other times when I was, ‘Ugh, I really can’t because it’s not my value right now. My value is to get rest after this long week of work, and I just need to be home. And I would like you guys to be here, and I want to be around.’ It’s so kind of manipulative and controlling.

But here’s the thing, my partner wasn’t doing it because her values were just that she wanted to get out, HER VALUES were centered around the experiences of THE KIDS. HER VALUES were centered around how to make the FAMILY BETTER. MY VALUES were centered around how to MAKE ME MORE COMFORTABLE. That dynamic is a LOSING dynamic for EVERYBODY, but especially for women in a relationship, especially for moms, especially for primary caregivers. That’s not okay.”

He kept the series going by responding to comments from viewers and sharing more of his own experiences

@jfisher62 Replying to @Hannah What TO DO as a husband! Forgot to mention it is getting the baby as soon as she’s crying & jumping up to let the dog out at the first bark 😉 #partnering #fyp #marriage #dismantlethepatriarchy #relationship #support #parenting #husbandsoftiktok #wivesoftiktok #fairplay #longtermrelationship ♬ original sound – J Fisher

J even revealed what made him realize that he needed to change his ways as a husband

@jfisher62 Replying to @brittany_longstaff Key conversations to move forward #fyp #relationship #lightbulbmoment #love #marriage #dismantlethepatriarchy #husbandsoftiktok #wivesoftiktok #boundarysetting #healing #divorce ♬ original sound – J Fisher

Now, he continues to address issues that are relevant to many couples

@jfisher62 Replying to @Kimberly Schroeder J #fyp Chronicles of a Clueless Husband Part 5: Why One Person Can’t Bear It All #husbandsoftiktok #wivesoftiktok #longtermrelationship #friendship #community #marriage #healing ♬ original sound – J Fisher

@jfisher62 Replying to @beebeejay01 The One About Money & Financial Entrapment in Marriage #premarital #finances #entrapment #sahm #sahp #money #budgeting #longtermrelationship #husbandsoftiktok #wivesoftiktok #cluelesshusband #marriage #fyp #retirement #value #patriarchy ♬ original sound – J Fisher

@jfisher62 Replying to @Taj Turner The things that made me a clueless husband are directly correlated to white supremacy culture. We must all check our own intersectional privileges as partners, parents, community members, stewards of nature, but some more than others. #privilege #fyp #partner #husbandsoftiktok #wivesoftiktok #intersectionality #marriage #dismantlethepatriarchy #logodesign #negativespace ♬ original sound – J Fisher

“Our hope was that we could help some folks feel less alone while navigating the difficulty of marriage/parenting in a culture that is increasingly disconnected”

To find out what inspired this series started in the first place, we reached out to J Fisher on TikTok, who was kind enough to have a chat with Bored Panda. “Credit to my partner (@lotsofjaime) for having the vision to start telling our story on TikTok,” J said. “Our hope was that we could help some folks feel less alone while navigating the difficulty of marriage/parenting in a culture that is increasingly disconnected, and also hopefully reach some folks before they might make similar mistakes.”

J also opened up about the journey he and Jaime have been on in their marriage. “We are attempting to show up in real time from the messy middle of a long term relationship that holds a lot of beauty but was also founded on poor information that led to a lot of unnecessary pain,” he explained. “Through adversity, we have discovered some language that may give voice to the experiences of women and also hopefully can aid men in recognizing harmful patterns of patriarchal behavior in themselves.”

As far as why clueless husbands are so common, J says, “Much of men’s self-focused behavior in our culture is socialized and incentivized, but it is important to hear it can also be unlearned. Men are more than capable of being equal partners in carrying the mental load and emotional labor of running a household and parenting. So the thought was men and women alike might benefit from seeing examples and hearing stories of what this growth can look like.”

We also asked the creator what he thought of the reactions his videos have received. “It is heartwarming to see folks positively engage with our content and share their own stories and growth. We believe that in telling our specific story some universal truths may be revealed,” he told Bored Panda.

“We don’t how our story will ultimately play out. We have a lot of love for each other but also a lot of baggage,” J added. “But we are grateful to have an opportunity to work on healing what can be healed and to build community along the way.”

Image credits: Pixabay / pexels (not the actual photo)

“Humanity tends to be selfish by nature out of survival from when we’re babies, and most people continue that mindset into adulthood”

To gain more insight into this topic, we also got in touch with Psychologist and Marriage Intensive Leader Dr. Wyatt Fisher, who was kind enough to share his thoughts on being a “clueless husband” with Bored Panda.

“Men tend to be more independent and therefore think of their needs first, while women typically ‘tend and befriend’ by noticing relationship connections more and therefore are more tuned into the needs of others,” Dr. Wyatt explained.

However, men aren’t the only ones who often have trouble with this. “It’s something both genders struggle with,” the psychologist says. “Humanity tends to be selfish by nature out of survival from when we’re babies, and most people continue that mindset into adulthood.”

We were also curious how it might be possible to repair a marriage after years of clueless behavior from a husband. Dr. Wyatt shared that, as long as his wife is willing to give him a second chance, it can be done.

“She would need to see him sincerely own how he’s been clueless and insensitive, empathize with the impact it’s had on her, and apologize for how it’s made her feel,” he noted. “Then, most importantly, she would need to see him make changes in this behavior over time that is sustained.”

Image credits: Kampus Production / pexels (not the actual photo)

Becoming mindful of our own and our partner’s needs is key to having a healthy relationship

We also asked the expert for some advice that he would give to a clueless husband. “I would recommend he ask his partner what her top three ‘fillers’ are that she needs to feel loved and satisfied and what the top three ‘drainers’ are that he does that makes her feel negative toward him,” the expert says.

“Then, I would recommend he ask for examples for each item so he knows what she’s referring to,” Dr. Wyatt continued. “Last, I would recommend he ask for feedback on each filler and drainer once a week to see what he’s doing well and how he can improve. Doing these steps will open up their communication, heighten his awareness, and hold him accountable to being a good partner.”

Finally, the expert added that learning to become an effective partner is a growth area for everyone. “Most people are self-centered by nature not because they are bad people, but because they are human,” he shared. “Learning to become mindful of both our own and our partner’s needs and letting those two variables impact our decisions moment by moment in our relationship is how we become amazing partners.”

We would love to hear your thoughts on these videos in the comments below, pandas. Do you think someone in your life could benefit from these messages? Feel free to share, and then if you’re interested in reading another Bored Panda piece discussing similar themes, we recommend checking out this piece next!

Image credits: cottonbro studio / pexels (not the actual photo)

Viewers found J’s videos extremely refreshing, and many noted that men in their lives need to hear these messages

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Wow, what a groundbreaking innovation we’ve been blessed with in the EU – detachable bottle caps! This will save the world, just like paper straws! How did we even survive all these years without this life-changing innovation? Hats off to whoever thought, “Hey, you know what the world really needs? Bottle caps that stay attached.” Because, clearly, the biggest problem we were facing was the devastating, catastrophic separation of bottle caps from their bottles.

Your birthday is always special, but especially for children, it can easily be the most exciting day of the year! Throwing a party, getting to pick out a delicious cake and getting to open up gifts from loved ones can be a magical experience. As long as you actually get to keep all of your presents, that is.

One aunt shared a story on Reddit detailing how the birthday presents she gave her niece ended up in the trash because her mom wasn’t a fan of them. Below, you’ll find all of the details, as well as some of the replies readers shared and a conversation with Brooke Harris of Happy Simple Mom.

This woman picked out a birthday present for her niece that she knew she would love

Image credits: Thirdman/Pexels (not the actual photo)

So she was shocked to find out that only a few weeks later, the gift had ended up in the trash

Image credits: Pressmaster/Envato (not the actual photo)

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Image credits: Prostock-studio/Envato (not the actual photo)

Later, the woman clarified a few more details about the situation

Image credits: Bright-Trick7886

“We give birthday presents to show love and friendship; we want to celebrate the person we are buying for”

To learn more about the etiquette of gift giving, we reached out to Brooke Harris. Brooke is the woman behind Happy Simple Mom, a site dedicated to providing practical tips and advice on decluttering and simple living, so you can find order in life and focus on what truly matters.

Image credits: mstandret / Envato Elements (not the actual photo)

She was kind enough to have a chat with Bored Panda and share some of the most important things to keep in mind when giving gifts. Brooke noted that, while it’s impossible to know the dynamics of the family mentioned in the story, there are a few things to consider in general when navigating birthday presents. “As the giver of birthday presents, we give birthday presents to show love and friendship. We want to celebrate the person we are buying for, and it’s a way to show that we care,” she explained.

“In our consumer culture, sometimes we get so wrapped up in the thought that we must give something, that we forget to focus on what really matters, the person we are celebrating!” Brooke says. “As our kids collect more and more things, parents can quickly feel overwhelmed by the sudden inflow of items into their home.”

And if you want to ensure that your gifts are welcomed, the mom suggests reaching out to the parents and asking if their child has any interests right now. “Look for gifts that will peak their interests. You can also ask the child directly. If you know the parents are picky about what enters the home, then ask them for very specific ideas,” Brooke added.

Just remember that it’s the thought that counts when it comes to gifting. “You can’t get hurt feelings if it’s a duplicate, an item they don’t love, or is something that eventually gets returned,” Brooke noted. “In the end, it doesn’t matter, it’s the act of showing someone you care by celebrating them that matters!”

“If your child wants a gift, and it’s appropriate, then maybe give them the space to enjoy it”

When it comes to being the parent of a child receiving birthday presents, Brooke says she’s seen anything from parents saying “no gifts necessary” or “gift cards welcome” to please buy “XYZ” for my child. “I’ve even seen registries sent to friends and family members… For a birthday!” 

Image credits: GalinkaZhi / Envato Elements (not the actual photo)

“I get it. Clutter inflows aren’t fun. It can be overwhelming,” the mom says. But Brooke urges parents to think of their children first. “What do they love? If someone asks for ideas, then give them very specific ideas,” she suggests. “My child was once obsessed with building things out of Duct tape. I actually told one friend that Duct tape in bright colors would be a welcomed gift.” 

Brooke added that it’s also important to understand that if you are hosting a party or know your child will be receiving gifts from family, there will be gifts received you might not have picked out on your own. “What matters is, does your child like it? As long as the gift is appropriate, then give them the space to enjoy it,” the mom says.

Sometimes, parents will also have to deal with unwanted presents. “My children have received gifts over the years that were not appropriate,” Brooke shared. “For example, one child got a book once where the material was a little mature for her. I stuck it back, and years later, I gave it to her again, reminding her of the gift giver.” She added that it can also be helpful to let your child exchange the gift for something else, if the original present was inappropriate for them.  

“When it comes to unwanted gifts, it can be a balancing act of sorts,” Brooke says. “You never have to apologize for not wanting a gift and returning it. You like what you like.  However, if your child wants a gift, and it’s appropriate, then maybe give them the space to enjoy it, at least for a time.” 

“As the gift giver, know that the act of giving the gift is where it stops; you can’t control what happens next”

It can also be helpful to practice compassion in these situations. “In the case of this post, one of the items in question was a poster. It’s possible posters on the wall wouldn’t work in their home. It’s possible the parents HATE Minecraft and have been battling screen time addiction with their child,” Brooke noted. “A little compassion, from both sides, would go a long way.”  

“That being said, it never hurts to give children their own space to curate their favorite things,” Brooke continued. The mom noted that she has one child who is super organized, with a clutter-free room, while her other child is a collector of all things. “Realizing the collecting child didn’t have the same desires as I did for a clutter-free space, I gave her the tools to showcase her proud possessions,” she noted. 

Image credits: vozdvizhenskayadina / Envato Elements (not the actual photo)

“Her room now has multiple shelving units built to showcase all her wonderful projects and collections. It’s not my style. It’s her style,” Brooke shared. “That’s okay, so long as we can walk into the room without having to shuffle our feet for fear of stepping on something!” 

Finally, Brooke reminded us that gift giving should be a joyous experience, for both the giver and the receiver. “Recognize the person who gifted the item. Tell them thank you. Go as far as to actually write the gift-giver a thank you note! (Thank you notes are a lost practice that should be brought back.) That being said, as the gift giver, know that the act of giving the gift is where it stops.  You can’t control what happens next,” she shared.  

“As the parent of the gift receiver, let your child receive gifts with an open heart, without fear if mom/dad will allow them to keep the (appropriate) gift,” the mom added. “If the gift is not appropriate, talk about it as a family, and communicate openly.”

Readers assured the woman that she had done nothing wrong, and many called out the sister-in-law for taking away her daughter’s gift

While we all might feel like family should be on our side, the unfortunate truth is that sometimes even one’s parents can be rude, entitled and hostile. As a child, there isn’t much one can do in a situation like that, but as a teen or adult, one has a lot more options.

A woman was fed up with the way her mother was treating her, so she decided to get some petty, culinary revenge. As it turns out, her mother had a deeply-unrelatable distaste for pasta. Revenge, it seems, doesn’t have to be served cold. We got in touch with the person who shared the story and she was kind enough to answer some of our questions.

Revenge doesn’t have to be grandiose and dramatic

Image credits: Ron Lach / pexels (not the actual photo)

One woman decided to use her cooking skills to get back at her mom

Image credits: On Shot / pexels (not the actual photo)

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Image source: badpettya*sdaughter

We contacted the woman who shared the story

Image credits: Abigail Keenan / pexels (not the actual photo)

Bored Panda got in touch with the woman who shared the story and she was kind enough to answer some questions. Firstly, she was a bit concerned about her mother actually discovering that her actions were intentional. “I really don’t want people in my life to catch on, though as some commenters pointed out, there’s a non-zero percent chance that my siblings and dad know,” she shared. Unfortunately, this is one of the main issues of family drama, it’s healthy to share, but also hard to make people confront their actions.

We also wanted to hear if anything new had happened since she shared the original story. “The only update is that I told my husband, and showed him the post, which made him laugh so hard he cried. He knew I didn’t like my mother, but I never really got into why, nor why every time they both came over I made pasta.”

“He cheered me on, which I really wasn’t expecting, though I probably should have. He’s my best friend in the world, and I don’t know where I would be without him. Other than that, not much. My dad and I have spoken, but not about this, and my mother and I never really talk, so nothing new there.”

We were also curious to hear her thoughts on just how popular the story ended up being online. “A lot of people were saying I was worse than her, because I’m “doing the same thing” but I really don’t see it that way. A petty person, and a bad person, sure! the same as someone who knowingly tortures a child with food? No.” Many also commented that the “revenge” was perfectly mild, if hilarious, as far as getting back at someone goes.

We also wanted to know if revenge actually taught her some culinary abilities

Image credits: fauxels / pexels (not the actual photo)

Naturally, we also wondered if this well-executed revenge also sharpened her cooking skills. “I have no idea, past that a lot of people told me that they wished they could do something similar to their abusive parents, but don’t know how. When it comes to my cooking, I wouldn’t say it’s made me a better cook, but a more inventive, a more curious cook, certainly.”

“It started because I knew I couldn’t just make spaghetti every time I cooked dinner at 16, and I started looking at more recipes for things other than pasta as well. I don’t compare myself to a chef- I would never- but I get along okay for what I do. When it comes to other things I’d like to add, I would say that I don’t think that being a petty person towards one person turns you into a monster towards everyone,” she shared with Bored Panda.

“I would like to restate, my mother is not an invalid who is bed bound or being forced to eat the food. She willingly steps into my home knowing what she will be served. I also want to add, I don’t make her food any differently than the food on my or my husband’s plate, I don’t make it gross or anything like that.” This would not be the only time that someone felt entitled to make their offspring provide them food.

“We all eat from the same dish. I don’t waste food, it’s just not something I believe in. She just doesn’t like pasta, and that’s enough for her. And, Uh… if you see this ma, well. The unspoken has been spoken, I guess? Sorry about that, I genuinely didn’t think this would get 1/10 of the attention it did.”

Some folks wanted more information

Generally, readers loved her plan and some even had some suggestions