Heaven in 2012 -- Dear Tipi #25

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In this episode: Tipi answers questions about 2012, Heaven and what she thinks about the "out" doors. To watch the video, please CLICK HERE.

Pet Costumes -- Dear Tipi #22

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In this episode: Tipi answers questions about pet costumes, tattoos and piercings and whether she's ever had rebellious thoughts. Congrats to Linseysavvy, soskuie and GothicTrioofEdwards for having their questions chosen. To watch the video, please click on the photo above.

Facebook Friends -- Dear Tipi #21

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In this episode: Tipi answers questions about Facebook, Clowns and whether or not she is afraid of the dark. Congrats to viewers katty3001, MiniaturePenguin and Vendetta297 for submitting the winning questions. To watch the video, please click here.

Cat Clips -- Creepy Companion

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In this episode, Tipi learns a secret that may threaten her future friendship with Boots and Tuck. Meanwhile, Trey and Tuck find an interesting development in the bedroom. To watch the video, please click on the image above.

Dear Tipi -- Yowza Yowza Yogurt

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In this episode, Tipi answers questions about her beauty secrets, her "human" Michael, and her love of yogurt. She even demonstrates some of her yogurt eating techniques with an Activia container. To watch the video, please click on the image above.

Dear Tipi -- The "Tippy One"

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In this episode, Tipi answers questions about maintaining a shiny coat, her career paths of choice, and how she got her name. To view the video, please click on the photo above. And don't forget to check out the Cat Clips t-shirts and coffee mugs at http://shop.wizardofwit.com/

Dear Tipi -- Heroines

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This episode features Tipi answering questions about her favorite heroines, what she thinks of Honey and the other cats, and whether biting humans is "the solution." To view the video, please click on the photo above.

Dear Tipi -- CheezbugerZ?

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In this episode, Tipi answers questions about her favorite vegetarian dish, whether she likes cheezbugerz, what she would do in the house alone, and more. To view the video, please click on the photo above.

Dear Tipi --Funny or Furry?

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In this episode, Tipi answers your questions about songs, hole foods, global warming and past times. To view the video, please click on the photo above.

Dear Tipi -- Hot Chocolate!

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In this episode, Tipi answers questions about Hot Chocolate, What TV show she would like to guest star on, and what YouTube celebrity she likes the most. To view the video, please click on the photo above.

Cat Clips -- Carusoism

In this episode, Tipi explains to Trey the reason why she's completely changed her mind about Honey. To view the video, please click on the photo above.

Dear Tipi -- Arts & Crafts

In this episode, Tipi gives her take on art, favorite foods and engaging with wild animals. To view the video, please click on the photo above.

Dear Tipi -- Other Cats & Dogs

In this episode, Tipi answers a marathon of questions, including what she thinks of other cats and dogs. To view the video, please click on the photo above.

Dear Tipi -- Jersey Joys & ABBA

In this episode, Tipi answers questions about her life in New Jersey, as well as a viewer's fight with his co-workers over music. Please click on the photo above to watch the video.

Dear Tipi -- What the Tuck?

Tipi devotes an entire episode to answering your questions about her relationship with Tuck. Please click on the photo above to watch the video.

Dear Tipi -- Spies or Pies?

In this episode of "Dear Tipi," Tipi answers questions on her age, whether or not she is a spy, and what her favorite song to sing is. Please click on the photo above to watch the video.

Dear Tipi -- Weight Gain

In the tradition of famous advice columnists "Dear Abby" and "Ann Landers," Tipi launches her new spin-off series, where she dishes advice and answers questions from viewers. Please click on the photo above to watch the video.

How to Deftly Deal with a Distracted Listener

Have you ever been in the middle of a conversation with someone when you suddenly realize they’re not even listening to you? Sure, they appear like they’re listening—they nod their head at various intervals, or interject pointless questions to keep you going. But as far as "active listening" is concerned, they obviously “checked out” long ago.

This practice is becoming a standard during phone conversations, when people are easily distracted by other factors while talking to you. Especially people who insist on calling you when they’re in traffic jam, so you can listen to them constantly scream expletives at other drivers. (So much fun!) Or the parent who calls you just as his child is having a tantrum, so you can suffer through two simultaneous conversations—the one the parent is having with you, and the one the parent is having with his child. And guess which conversation eventually wins? That’s right, the escalating argument with the child. Sometimes the parent even leaves your conversation to go yell at his children, and then never returns. They also forget to hang up the phone, allowing you an uncomfortably intimate peak into their domestic dynamics, an opportunity best left untaken. (Trust me!)

Nevertheless, I am used to people zoning out during phone conversations. We tend to be a society addicted to multi-tasking, so most phone conversations now take place while people are working, driving, on the computer, reading a book, or any number of other actions which allow them to talk at the same time. (However, if I ever hear anyone flush a toilet at any time during our conversation, I immediately end the call. After all, there are certain “distractions” I don’t need to be a part of.)

So during phone conversations, I give some leeway when it comes to a person’s attention span. But when someone is standing directly in front of you and you suddenly notice their eyes glaze over, or their attention shift to the table next to you, chances are they’re thoughts are elsewhere. At this point, I usually stop talking, allowing their processing system to catch up on their lack of participation. The more abrupt, the better, because this will immediately jolt the inactive listener into “defense mode.” They suddenly become very attentive and scramble to remember the last tangible thing they heard you say. Usually it was something you said at the beginning of the conversation, a realization that not only embarrasses your distracted listener, but hopefully keeps them attentive for the remainder of your exchange.

So whatever happened to good listening skills? Have we become so busy and over-extended in our lives that we need our conversations served to us in small bite-size portions in order to fit them into the rest of our schedule? To me, there is nothing more satisfying or stimulating than a good conversation with people I enjoy. I hope the era of text messaging doesn’t eventually encapsulate our interchanges into a series of blips and beeps, because the human voice is a terrible thing to waste.

But that’s just me. What do you do when you notice someone zone out during a conversation? Or do you even notice? (Which may have completely different implications.)