Advice, hypocracy, and ignorance: cornerstones of our society

People ask me for advice a lot. Usually, I'm lax to give it. But the reason I don't want to give it has nothing to do with the quality of my advice. I think I'm always giving good advice. If I thought it was bad, I wouldn't want to give it.

It's like believing you're always right; if you believed you were wrong, wouldn't you change your mind?

No, that's not why I don't like giving advice. I don't like giving it for two reasons: one, because it isn't always followed; and two, because it doesn't always work.

Why do I think that's hot?

When I walk around outside, one of the things I do is count pairs of boots. I count how many pairs of boots that I find sexy walk past me, or walk around me. I don't count Ugs, and sometimes I don't count rain boots. I only count the ones that I find attractive.

Today, I was doing it and wondering why. Why do I find these things so attractive? There was a girl maybe a hundred feet away from me. I could make out that she was wearing jeans, that she had blonde hair, and that she was wearing brown leather boots up to about her knees. And I thought it was incredibly sexy. Why is that?

The impact factor

It is said that on the day of my birth, stock markets around the world crashed. The Bermuda Triangle swallowed a cruise ship, stars in distant galaxies went supernova, and entire civilizations were destroyed by the aftermath.
And by 'It is said,' I mean just now. I just said it.

Some of it, in theory, is true. But that's all just coincidence. The truth of it is that my life hasn't had all that much of an impact on the universe at large. Or, really, even the planet.

Depression is an asshole

One of the most common things people are told when they are depressed is to 'get over it.' We are told to just feel better, to buck up, to stop feeling so down on ourselves. I'm not going to talk about how stupid that is. ("Just stop being depressed? why didn't I think of that?")

No, instead I want to talk about the other side of the argument. Because we say those same things to ourselves. We tell ourselves to get better. We tell ourselves to stop being so upset about everything, to stop feeling so down. That not everything is as bad as it looks, that things aren't all our fault.

Gender, genetics, and the mind

What is gender? For most people, that's an easy question. So easy that they don't even understand why someone would ask.

It's just gender, you know?

Well, okay. How many genders are there?

Two. Male or Female.

What about the transgendered? What about someone born male but dressed and acting female?

Still either male or female.

Okay. How about when someone defies the categories of gender entirely? Neither trying to act like a man nor trying to act like a woman. But rather intentionally acting in such a way that defies both genders?

Okay, fine. Three genders. I still don't see your point.

What is Manly?

I was reading something recently about manliness, and it got me thinking. What are the qualities of being 'Manly'? What does it mean? what activities are or are not 'Manly'?

I consider myself a man. My genetics, my physical appearance, and the choices I make in my formation of my identity all support that decision. The gender I perform is male. But is that the same thing?

I don't like sports. I don't like playing them, I don't like watching them. I think fantasy football is just dungeons and dragons for people too chicken to admit they like role playing games. I don't mind sports movies, but only because they only show the best stuff with the most drama.

Fantasy, reality, and the internet

Hi there. You're sitting down, presumably, and reading these words on a computer screen. So far as I'm aware, there isn't a print version of this blog, at least not yet. I bring it up because those are the things you can know for sure. Those are the realities of this blog.

I pretend that this blog has over a million subscribers, which is completely false. It's a fantasy, a lie developed so that I can feel like I'm reaching a whole lot of people with my ramblings.

Or maybe I'm lying. Maybe I say that no one is reading this, but actually, the stats on the site are ridiculous. Maybe you think you're the only one you know who reads this, but maybe everyone does. Maybe you all just don't want to talk about it.

I can understand why. I talk about life lessons and SFW stuff most of the time, but there are also some pretty hardcore fetish fantasy stories on here. And knowing that the borderline pornography (or blatant porn) is the most popular, maybe you're just nervous about letting other people know what you like, or about them thinking you enjoy something that you don't.

The point is, we can't be sure. Maybe everything I say is a lie. Maybe it's all true. There's no way to be completely certain.