Nekkidarsia

Time for Yet Another Dose of Random Thoughts:

Ξ June 27th, 2009 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Random Thoughts |

1) Did you ever wonder why it seems that so-called “celebrities” always seem to die in 3’s?   The most recent “threesome” was Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson.  Yet, if you take notice… it seems that several times every year,  there are groups of 3 celebrity deaths that occur.   In 1997, Princess Di, Mother Teresa and Burgess Meredith (the Penguin in the original Batman TV series) all died within a 2-week period.  In 2008… within an 8-day period, Brad Renfro, Suzanne Pleshette (of the Bob Newhart show) and Heath Ledger all died.  Also, in 2008… in a 4-day period, the deaths of Harvey Korman, Yves Saint Laurent and Bo Diddley made the news.  Within a 2-1/2 week period in 2007, the world lost Evel Knievel, Ike Turner and Dan Fogelberg.  The list could go on and on.  I wonder who the next 3 will be?   Whoever it is, I’m sure we won’t be able to turn on the TV or radio… or open the newspaper without being inundated with “everything we always wanted to know about (enter name)”.

2) Another thing that tends to “irritate” me (if I can be irritated) is that people MUST purchase memorabilia of that recently deceased celebrity. They run out to the store and buy up all the CDs, videos, T-shirts, books and whatever else they can get their hands on.  It seems to me that if the person was a genuine fan of the now-deceased celebrity, that they would already have all those things anyway.  So many people tend to “go with the flow” of whatever the “flavor of the day” is.  The marketing companies and mechandisers KNOW this, so they always look ahead to the impending death of celebrities. When I worked as a retail manager in Daytona Beach,  if a race car driver got killed in a crash, we would sell out of EVERYTHING in the store that had that person’s name on it… within a day.  One thing I learned is that any collectible item (trading cards, coins, etc) was worth the most money at 2 different times: 1) When it first came out, and 2) when the person on the card (or whatever item) died.  It just seems so wrong for people to capitalize on someone’s death!  Let the person rest in peace… and for god’s sake: Please don’t inundate the media with the “news” of the death for days and weeks on end.

3) This morning, I paid a “junk removal” company a few “bills” to empty out a 10 x 20-foot storage unit that I had kept for about 10 years.  Everything in it was pretty much ruined by moisture, heat and wood mice, anyway.  So why keep paying $75 per month to store “junk” that I would never use again anyway?   Yeah, it was a chunk of money, but it was well worth the cost to get that money pit off my back once and for all.

4) Last night, I finished reading Scott Musick’s book, “The Labyrinth Home”.  I read it in 3 sittings… mostly at night after I got home from work.  I must say that Scott’s book is nothing short of AMAZING.  Though the book is “fiction”, there is so much truth in it, and I know most of it was drawn directly from Scott’s own life.  For anyone of us who is gay and grew up in a “Christian” household, this book speaks of so many truths that we will literally relive a part of our early lives as we delve into each chapter.   Scott has such a magnificent way with words;  spiritual reality is so well woven into the “story” that as we read, we often “forget” that Scott is not only entertaining us, but is teaching us ALL  many lessons in the ways of Spirit.  As I read the book, and was thoroughly absorbed by the Spritual truths taught by Helena and Buck, I could feel my Higher Self conquering my Ego.  “The Labyrinth Home” should not only be on the New York Times list of best sellers… it should be required reading for everyone!

5) One thing I have been considering for the past few years has become reality.  I have enrolled as a student of The University of Metaphysical Sciences. A few years ago, I studied for a while at an Esoteric Mystery School (mainly Angelic communication and the teachings of the Magi)… but that course of study didn’t really seem to tell me much that my own Higher Self didn’t already know.   I want to thank 2 people for helping me in a truly “synchronistic” manner:  1) My true soul brother (and former boyfriend) Tony.  I know that the reason we “met” was pre-arranged before our current incarnations… we were to make sure that we helped each other “find” the true path of our individual journeys.  2) Scott Musick… his teachings in his book, as well as his poetry and e-mailed words of wisdom once again alerted my Higher Self to the track I needed to take.  Thank you Tony and Scott (also Roger) for showing me the right track to take at the “designated” times.  I have learned to “listen” to my inner voice and to recognize the synchronicities that guide me in the direction my soul is destined to go.

6) June was a busy month (gift-wise).  My Dad’s birthday was 01 June; Father’s Day was the 21st; Chuck’s birthday the 22nd and Joey’s birthday was the 23rd.  I even sent Joshua a mid-year “surprise” parcel to England. All the gifts were wrapped and either delivered or mailed in plenty of time to arrive a few days prior to the event. And all seemed to be going fine, until Joey’s package appeared to have been “lost” in the mail.  He should have received it the same day Chuck received his (a week early)… but when I asked, Joey told me “No package yet”.  Finally, 2 days AFTER his birthday, he told me he got everything in great condition.  It turns out that the package was dropped off at the office of his apartment complex, and the lady had put it in a mail locker and dropped the wrong key into Joey’s mailbox.  When he was finally able to get to the office during business hours, the mistake was resolved and he was so excited that he called me while he was opening the gifts…. haha.  He was so cute!  I had a theme for most of his gifts this year (but I won’t mention what that was…hehehe).  And, talk about a sweet friend:  he told me he loved the cursing parrot I sent, so I asked him what he liked the best… the “penis” theme (OK, so I told ya…hahaha) or the naughty parrot?  Without a moment’s hesitation, he told me “I liked YOU the best”.  How sweet was that?

“Noise” and the Music of the Universe…

Ξ June 21st, 2009 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Joseph's Thoughts, Philosophical ponderings |

We live in a world that thrives on “noise”.  Most people interpret the word “noise” to mean some loud, sudden sound that is out of place with whatever they are doing. It might be the sonic boom of a military aircraft flying low over a residential neighborhood; it might be the bass of a car’s stereo turned to maximum volume as it drives down the street; it might be a pack of dogs barking or fighting as a strange dog walks through their territory; or perhaps a million other things that interrupt their concentration of the task at hand. Whatever “noise” is deemed to be, the one common connection it seems to share with all types of people is that it is an unwelcome sound. And, that seems to be where any agreement to the definition of the word “noise” ends.  What one person calls music, another may call noise; a sound that one person may call peaceful, someone else will hear as loud and cacophonous; someone may call a specific sound “pleasant”, while another person may say that same sound is irritating. It is sort of like the old cliché that states, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure”.  Sound affects us all in different ways. We each have varying levels of tolerance for “noise”.  And the same sound can have differing effects on an individual person, depending on his mood, health or stress level.  Most people have never even thought about why sound affects them in the way it does.  In fact, I doubt if the majority of people even care… they just know that some sounds are music to their ears and other sounds irritate the hell out of them. And, as far as they’re concerned, that is enough.

As a boy, I was always very inquisitive (not so much from asking questions of other people, but from wondering and thinking). I loved science, but my curiosity went beyond scientific “facts” and was constantly asking “Why?”… even if things had been proven to be a certain way, WHY were they like that, and were there other possibilities that could explain the workings of the universe. A “scientist” generally accepts something as fact ONLY when there is physical proof. That was never enough for me. I had a strong philosophical side to me that encouraged me to dig deeper into why things happened the way they did.  I was intrigued by the teachings of Pythagoras and Johannes Kepler and others who wrote of something called “The music of the spheres”. I would hike into the mountains and find a quiet place to sit and meditate. Without the harsh sounds of the noisy world of humanity playing havoc with my own energy, I began to understand what sound truly was… I could hear nature in its purist form. Beyond the rushing of a stream, the rustling of leaves or the chirp of birds… I could hear the vibrating energy of the trees, the rocks, the soil and the air. I could feel that energy merging with my own… and it was during those serene times far away from the man-made “noises” of life that I learned what true music was.  Years later, as the field of quantum physics emerged, everything began to fall into place for me.  I finally had the “proof” that my scientific side wanted, even though my philosophical side did not require any form of proof. Realizing that ALL things are made up of pure energy vibrating at different frequencies gave me an understanding as to why sound affects us in different ways.  Since WE are energy, we are affected in some manner by the other energy vibrations around us.
That is why my musical likes lean more to the side of classical, indigenous and celestial rather than heavy metal, hip-hop or any type that emits “noisy” vibrations.  The vibrations of specific types of music can heal not only the mind, but the body and even the soul.  To me, the most healing of all music is that of nature. That is the main reason I choose to retreat to the Tennessee mountains 2 or 3 times a year. I receive more healing to my mind and body in those 3 short days of solitude than I do the rest of the year amidst the “noise” of humanity.
Have YOU ever sat down in a quiet place and contemplated the world around you?  Have you ever asked WHY things happen the way they do?  Or are you one of the majority of people who merely accept life as it was taught to them “just because that’s how things are and have always been”?  I challenge you to find a quiet place, void of the “noise” of humanity, and just LISTEN to the world around you.  What do you hear? What do you feel? If you find it difficult to find such a serene location, find a room away from everyone else, put some headphones on and listen to various types of music. How does each type affect your mood and your body? You might be pleasantly surprised by the outcome of that experiment. Not only does sound affect us… we ARE sound.  Think about it!

~ Curiosity didn’t really kill the cat… that’s what gave it nine lives! - Joseph.

Planning Another Get-Away…

Ξ June 16th, 2009 | → 2 Comments | ∇ Joseph's Thoughts |

It has been 3 months since my last escape to the Tennessee mountains.   At the start of the year, I told myself I was going to rent a cabin 3 times this year.  I think I may be on track to doing just that.  I found a “new” cabin that I had never seen listed before… and it was instant “love” when I saw the pics and read the blurb the real estate company included in the listing.  After the big initial disappointment of my March vacation (the cabin was listed as secluded, and was totally NOT secluded), I am hoping that THIS cabin meets my expectations.  I have hope, because the first 3 words in the description are “PRIVATE, PRIVATE, PRIVATE” .  I think from now on, I’ll search using the word “private” rather than “secluded”, since evidently most people think “secluded” means away from the city, whether “private” or not.

Here are some pics of the cabin, which is located on the side of a mountain high above the valley floor.  It is just a few miles from where Jason’s (of Jason & deMarco) parents live:

The Cabin

The Main Room

More of the Main Room

Kitchen

Queen bedroom w/ full bath on main floor.

King bedroom w/ full bath in loft

Jacuzzi by large window in king bedroom

Screened  back porch

Rocking chairs and grill on one of the side decks

The hot tub on the other side deck

I’ll be arriving there Sunday 8/02 and leaving Wednesday 8/05. Only 47 more days until I go…  WHY does that seem like such a LOOOOOONG time? Hunh?  haha  This is one of my many birthday gifts to myself (hehe), and yeah… I’ll be there on my birthday.  I love doing things for people who are special to me…  but, I never forget about “number 1″.  After all, we have to take care of our own needs from time to time also. I can’t wait to get there, and sit out on the porch or the deck and do a LOT of reading and writing and studying more aspects of the metaphysical world.  And, just the thought of relaxing in the hot tub is  NICE!!

Shoot… I just looked at my calendar, and it is STILL 47 days away.  That’s how long it was 5 minutes ago! I need to figure out how to traverse the space/time continuum…. Hmmmm.

Waxing Nostalgic . . .

Ξ June 14th, 2009 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Joseph's Thoughts |

Yesterday as I was running my Saturday morning errands (groceries, post office, etc.), I stopped by the gas station to refill my dwindling gas reserves. Something (that little inner voice that I am learning to listen to) had told me to fill up the day before, but I procrastinated and waited until Saturday.  That wait caused me to pay an additional 5-cents/gallon.  I know it is the beginning of the Summer tourist season, and consumers pay whatever price is asked, in order to have fun on their vacations.
Seeing the rise in gas prices got me to “waxing nostalgic”… I decided to go online and check how a few other prices have risen over the years.  I decided to compare 4 years:  1955 (the year of my birth into my current incarnation); 1973 (the year I graduated High School); 1991 (the year I moved to Daytona Beach) and 2009 (that would be NOW):

9) Minimum wage (per hour) -
1955: 75- cents
1973: $1.60
1991: $4.25
2009: $6.55

New Book is Worth a Read…

Ξ June 13th, 2009 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Joseph's Thoughts |

Scott Musick is an amazing man who is both highly spiritual and gay… I’ve known Scott for about 3 years now, and I have the utmost respect for him.  Among Scott’s MANY talents is writing. Scott & his partner Roger, sent out the following e-mail to their friends and customers:

Hocking Hills Roasters (Rockbridge, OH) is proud to announce & feature its newest product - “The Labyrinth Home”, published by Scott Musick. Scott’s book was released last week and can be purchased on-line at Amazon.com or hhcomforts.com (Hocking Hills Roasters’ webpage). If you purchase the book through hhcomforts.com - you have the option of having a signed copy shipped directly to you. Please be sure to note how you want the book signed via the shopping cart notes.

Product Description
Thirty-three-year-old Kyle Basil is at a crossroads. The son of celebrated televangelists Eli and Deborah Basil, Kyle has spent his life following his parents’ rules and echoing their conservative dogma. Yet when his marriage ends in a devastating divorce, he begins to question his role in the larger world. Kyle is haunted by childhood dreams of his grandmother, and he strikes out in search of her and the answers to the issues against which he’s been struggling for decades. Over the course of his emotional quest, he comes to terms with his long-repressed homosexuality, discovering that there are many paths to the Divine. Kyle’s effort to toss off the yoke of his parents’ hard-line teachings results in an emotional family showdown, one from which the combatants will emerge changed forever. The Labyrinth Home is a moving novel about love, family, and reconciliation, an enlightening examination of spirituality and the true nature of home.

About the Author
Scott A. Musick is a licensed massage therapist, a Reiki master, and an ordained minister. In addition to holding an associate’s degree, bachelor’s degrees in science and metaphysical science, and a master’s degree in divinity, he is currently completing a Ph.D. in Transpersonal Counseling. An adjunct instructor at a small Midwestern college, he lives with his partner and son on a small farm in southeastern Ohio. (Scott also makes the BEST fudge ever. If you like fudge, Scott will make any flavor you request).

Review from Amazon.com:
5 out of 5 stars A spiritual journey and coming to terms with oneself, May 22, 2009
By R. D. (Las Cruces, NM United States)
“Scott Musick’s The Labyrinth Home is a tale of love, courage, and the desire for knowledge in one setting that is spiritually powerful and another that is spiritually bankrupt. Kyle Basil’s grandmother is the spiritually powerful one, and she is there when Kyle most needs her. In fact she has been waiting for him to find her in a life-affirming setting. Kyle’s mother, however, is the spiritually bankrupt one who has been holding Kyle back all his life–until she discovers that Kyle has found his grandmother. And then, pardon the pun, all hell breaks loose. Mother and daughter (Kyle’s grandmother and mother) battle for Kyle’s well-being–one knowing that he must learn to be true to himself, the other fearing that he will. Musick does not shy away from spirituality in this book, all the while inching the readers toward the book’s conclusion. A must read for gays who need to rectify their homosexuality with their spiritual needs–without losing their souls.”

Texting, Sweating and Collecting…

Ξ June 6th, 2009 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Joseph's Thoughts |

This post will cover only 3 topics… they are all about recent happenings :
1)  Text messages -
A year ago, I probably never sent or received a single text message.  It’s funny how new ideas, fads or whatever take root quickly and grow into a monster.   When I got my current cell phone (LG Voyager) through Verizon Wireless,  I paid the extra $5.00 to get 250 text/pic messages from non-Verizon phones ( the messages  were unlimited “mobile-to-mobile” with other Verizon Wireless customers ).  As it turned out, not a single person I knew used Verizon.  At that time, the only person to text me was Joey, and we never came close to the 250 (incoming and outgoing) texts in a single month.  Lately, however, a couple of other people have started texting  me.  It never occurred to me to check my total number of texts for the month, so when my last bill came, my eyes were widely opened to the “close call” that stared me in the face:  if I had gone over 250 messages, I would have had to pay 10-cents per message over the allowed total.  My bill showed I had sent and received a total of 246  text/pic messages.  WHEW!!!!  I decided I’d upgrade to 1500 messages from non-Verizon users (just in case).  I committed to that extra $10/month “insurance”. Guess  what?  Yep! The person who was texting me the most got a new cell phone……. from Verizon.  haha  The texts between us are now FREE.  That means I have 1500 texts  that I can use without incurring the penalty charges. So…. if ANYONE wants to text me from time to time (or quite often), let me know and I will let you know my cell number.  Anyone I have ever sent a personal info card to ( that means anyone who has ever received a homemade greeting card from me should have gotten one of the personal cards as an insert) has my cell number. USE it!   If you don’t have my number…. just “Ask, and ye shall receive!” haha

2)  Air Conditioning - The air conditioner in my office has been BROKEN since Memorial Day.  That has been 9 days that I have had to work in my office with NO  AC.  The reason, according to maintenance, is that the compressor blew out and the AC company no longer stocked that particular model. That means they had to special order one. It is supposed to be here the first of this coming week… **fingers crossed… along with arms, toes, legs, eyes, pubic hair and anything else I can cross*** …. but I will believe it when it actually happens. In the meantime, I have taken a small fan to work, and it actually does a decent job of moving semi-cool air around… at least enough to keep me from sweating.  It is quite tolerable… but I want my AC!!!!   haha.  I asked the maintenance manager if he would at least install a beer cooler in the office in the meantime;  he grinned and said he’d get right on it…. but I think he kept it in HIS office, since I have yet to see that either.  **sigh**

3)  Fairies - I mentioned in one of my “tweets on twitter” (haha.. that’s a tang-tungler, hunh?) that I had a new item I was collecting in addition to old books.  The new collectible is polymer clay male fairy (or angel) art dolls.  My condition for collecting a specific doll is that his clothes (if any) and wings must be removable and he MUST be anatomically correct (that means he BETTER have a penis).  To date, I have 6 in my collection. They are OOAK (one-of-a-kind) and were created without the use of a mold, and no molds were taken.  They are also registered with IADR (International Art Doll Registry):

(A) The first one I bought was Lance. He was sculpted by artist Aimee Valdez-Swafford:

(B) The second also came from Aimee.  His name is Aspen:

(C) This one was not given a name by his creator, Melinda Wood. She registered him as the “Lounging Fairy“.  I will name him myself, eventually:

(D) This fairy is named Kane. His creator is Christel Hutson:

These next two fairies have very realistic looking penises… more so than the first four… **wink, wink** ….

(E) This adorable guy, who is named Dixon, is the most intricately sculpted of all my fairies. My camera wouldn’t give me a decent close up shot of his penis, so I’ll just post a clothed pic that the artist, Cheryl Fornengo, took:

(F) This beautiful angel is simply called “The Angel” by his creator, Linda Griego (from Hawaii).  I took this pic of him, as all the pics posted on eBay (where I found him) had to be censored (censorship is a vile crime, if you ask me….haha):

Let me know what you think of my new little family of fairies and angels.

Questions I ask… & Questions asked me:

Ξ June 2nd, 2009 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Joseph's Thoughts, Philosophical ponderings, Surveys |

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately… but, then again, I ALWAYS do a lot of thinking.  After all, my brain is my biggest organ (if you dis-count my skin and my penis).  And… apparently, a few other people have been exercising their thought processors also, since I’ve been asked some rather “out there” questions recently.  I’ll list a few examples of each :

Things I’ve been wondering about…

1) Why do gay men always want to know if a potential date is a “top” or a “bottom”?
Does their response to that question determine whether or not they get the date?
I, for one, do NOT categorize myself as a sexual position. My feelings for someone come not
from my anus, but from my heart.  So… don’t ask me if I’m a top or a bottom; rather, ask me if I am a compassionate man. Would you not prefer my answer come to you as the warm, loving beat of my heart than to come as a sudden emission of intestinal gas?

2) Why do people call a relationship that lasts, a “Long Term Relationship (LTR)”?
To me, that implies that the relationship is doomed to end eventually. Yeah, it lasts a long time, but isn’t the ideal for a relationship to last forever?  When I find my prince, I don’t want to be in a “Long term relationship”…. I want to be in a FOREVER relationship.

3) Why do so many gay men call each other “girl”?
Being “gay” implies that a man wants to be with another MAN… not a girl. Yet, I see so many gay men seemingly go out of their way to act like a girl. And, not to intentionally be crude here, but I cringe when I hear a guy call a man’s anus a “man pussy”.  I have no problem with females… I just have no desire to either be one or to date one.

4) What is with the term “football player build”?
That is merely a “politically correct” way of saying that the guy has a lot of muscles covered in a very thick layer of fat. Why not say “sumo wrestler build”?  I’m not a politically correct person. I always say things the way I see them.  If you’re overweight… SAY you’re overweight. I can handle honesty like that.  Just don’t try to tell me you resemble a football player. Besides, I don’t like football anyway… so anything that resembles something related to “football” will probably not get me excited.

5) Another term that I detest is “straight acting”.
I want to date a “GAY” man… not a straight man, so why would I want someone who acts like a straight man. And, the key word here is “ACTS”. You’re gay, so BE yourself. Don’t attempt to fool anyone by “acting” as if you’re straight. I never call myself “straight acting”.  I may not be the butchest guy you know, but neither am I an effeminate guy. I am ME. I don’t act like anyone other than myself.  I’m the real deal, baby… what you see is whatcha get.  I think what most guys mean when they say “straight acting” is that they aren’t stereotypically a flaming queen, and that most people wouldn’t even think they are gay.

Things that other people have asked me over the past few weeks (and my response… more-or-less)…

1) Don’t you think it looks silly when people wear socks with sandals?
~ No sillier than when people wear shorts over sweatpants.

2) When you bend over, can you touch your toes with your fingers?
~ No… but neither can I touch my penis with my mouth…  DAMMIT.  

3) Why do people always drive slow in the fast lane?
~ Because it’s easier than driving fast in the slow lane.

4) What’s the first thing you wash in the shower?
~  Now, what do you think I head straight for when I’m nekkid in the shower?  My face, of course!

5) Do you have any nervous habits?
~  Do you mean those clothes that Catholic nuns wear? No, I don’t… but I’d think that most habits WOULD be nervous when a nun wears them.    Or, do you mean physical idiosyncrasies that I perform when nervous?  I rarely get nervous about anything. But, if I do, I subconsciously scratch my back or my leg or arm until I draw blood. So, I guess it’s a good thing I rarely get nervous, hunh?  Unless you’re a blood sucker that wants to lick my blood… then I suppose you’d WANT me to be nervous.

6) Have you ever been in a car accident?
~ Only once.  28 years ago… 5 months after I bought my very first NEW car, a stupid bitch ran her freakin’ Gremlin (remember those fugly cars?) into my car from behind. Not only that, but she swerved to the right TOO LATE and bent the frame on my car. Damned car was never right after that. Her excuse?  She was “checking out” the boy in the car behind her and didn’t see that I had stopped my car behind a line of other cars.

7) Have you ever been skinny dipping?
~  Yes.  Yes, I have. Why? Wanna go with me next time? **wink, wink**

8 ) What animal best represents you & why? (This was asked in a training class at work) -
~ Several, actually:  Porpoises for their intelligence and psychic abilities; Cats for their cuddliness and independent thinking; Dogs for their loyalty and friendship potential.

9) Who would you cast to play you in a movie?
~  I think Jonathan Rhys-Meyers would do a hell of a job. No… REALLY, I do! 

10) Have you ever been naked in a public place (other than school showers or doctor’s offices)?
~  Actually, I have. And you ask “Where?” …hahaha.  OK…  A hotel corridor; a beach; a car going down the interstate; a hiking trail; a city street (though late at night); and a few others.  Why? Did you happen to get a pic of me?

Friendship 101…

Ξ May 25th, 2009 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Joseph's Thoughts |

One thing I’ve noticed as I’ve grown older and wiser is that most people tend to take friendship for granted.  I’ve also come to the conclusion that MY definition of “friendship” is quite different than that of most other people.  To me, being able to call someone a “friend” is a great honor… for me and the other person. NO… I’m NOT a snob or some sort of social hypocrite… rather, I’m very selective in who I allow into my circle of “friends” (and especially my “inner circle”). The main reason is the time factor. If you take pause to consider how much time you want to (and CAN) spend with your closest friends, then you will realize that the average person has only so much time to commit to those friendships. I don’t take friendship lightly… by any means. If I can truly call you a friend, then know that I will give that relationship my ALL. There is absolutely nothing I would refuse to do (or at least TRY to do) for my closest friends (perhaps some things can’t be easily done a certain way, but there are ways to accomplish almost any request… so I would always give it my best shot).

Encarta World English Dictionary gives the following definitions of “friend” and “acquaintance”:
- FRIEND: somebody emotionally close ; who trusts and is fond of another.
- ACQUAINTANCE: somebody who is known slightly rather than intimately.
MY definition goes even farther.  What most people call “friend”, I call “acquaintance”. What I call “friend” is what most people would call a “best friend”.  So, if I call someone my “best friend”… that person means the world to me.  I can only think of 5 people EVER in my life that I elevated to “best friend” status.  One of them is no longer living as an incarnate human (though he is with me as a spirit guardian); one is still living, though we agreed on an amicable disconnect (we are soul brothers who accomplished what we were meant to do for each other in this incarnation);  and the other 3 are still very much in my life (you know who you are).

Too many people are what I call “friend whores”… meaning that they are apparently in some sort of competition with everyone else to see who can amass the most “friends”. If they meet somebody ONE time, they call that person a “new friend”. I think one of the better examples of this would be the social networking websites such as My_Space and Face_Book.  I’ve seen profiles on those sites that have THOUSANDS of “friends”.  I would bet that the owners of those profiles are genuine friends with only a few of the “friends” on their list. It is nothing but a stupid status symbol for insecure people who want everyone else to think they are “popular” and “loved” by tons of people.  And, it’s not only increased numbers of “friends” that people are after… they deem it to be a HIGH status symbol if they can make people think they are friends with “celebrities”.  Hence, the advertisements on the social networking sites that ask things like, “Want famous friends like Demi, Miley and Selena?”  Or the links one can click on, such as “Hot Celebrity Photos” or “Hot Celebrity Blogs”.

I was asked, not long ago, why I didn’t go out to the bars and nightclubs on weekends. I replied that I didn’t make it a habit to hang around places that cater to shallow people whose main reason for being there is to make an attempt at impressing everyone else (or “getting lucky” with a one-night-stand of anonymous sex). Next, they asked me why I didn’t go out to the movies or a restaurant with friends.  I explained to them that the majority of people I call “friend” live too far away to “go out with” on a regular basis. Their next question was since I didn’t have any real friends close by, why didn’t I just go out to the mall or somewhere and “MAKE NEW FRIENDS”. I then explained the “theory of friendship” according to Joseph.  I told them that anyone can go out and make acquaintances, but that a friendship must be developed over time. Acquaintances will almost always be nice to you in person, but will disrespect you behind your back if it improves their social status with their other “friends”.  A TRUE friend will stand up for you when he hears other people talking about you.  He will be there for you (either physically or emotionally or both) anytime you need him, regardless of the situation. If someone is a TRUE friend, you NEVER have to ask yourself or him if the friendship is real. IT IS!  True friendship is the most precious gift the spirit of creation can give us. That gift is RARE… but when it comes, it is worth more than life itself.

Penis (and Urinal) Humor…

Ξ May 24th, 2009 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Humor |

OK… I think it is time for a few quick laughs.  Most of you have probably seen the majority of the items below, but they are always good for a laugh during those down times when you need to exercise your laugh muscles:

First, a video:

Skeleton of an Ancient Man

Next, a few photos:

Now, that’s a chandelier! Wonder what happens when the cleaning guy starts polishing it?  Hmmm…!

Anybody want mushroom on your pizza?

Hmmm… I thought wood peckers were birds!  hehehe

Saw off a tree limb, take a pic and turn it upside down.

Time for another video:

Penis peeping

Now, for some funny urinal pics:

I wonder if you have to wash off the lipstick when you’re finished?

This one is NOT for the pee shy man!

Hey… if dogs can “water” the flowers, why not men?

I wonder if this one plays a tune while you pee….

0r is it reserved for brass monkeys?

This one is perfect for the man who refuses to set his shopping bags down in the germ-ridden restroom. Daddy’s little helper!

I wonder if they use these at the Vatican?

I don’t know what to say about this one… but it IS kinda cool!

And, last but not least….

Who said urinals were just for men?

Now… one last video:

Lord of the Penis Rings

Thoughts of the Moment…

Ξ May 16th, 2009 | → 1 Comments | ∇ Random Thoughts, Uncategorized |

Ok… So, it has been 6 days since my last post; and since I didn’t want to go an entire week (which is definitely not the record for my longest thought-drought), I decided to do yet another blog of random thoughts.  I just write about whatever pops into my mind (good thing I’m not looking at some cute guy’s photo right now… hehehe)!  So, here goes:

1) Cream  horns:

Yep… those decadent high-calorie pastries with practically NO nutritional value, and loaded with sugar and fat. Ahhhhh, I swear… if penises were actually cream horns (no jokes here, guys) I’d be on a permanent oral fixation, for sure. I LOVE those things, and it is very hard to walk past the display when I am in the bakery section of the grocery store. And, to make temptation even worse, the pastry-pushers have started displaying these yummy things in several places throughout the store. They come in a “4-pack”, and when my feet refuse to walk any further in the store until I put a pack in my shopping cart, it is rare that any are left after the second day.  If I happen to buy a pack on a work day… no problem! I eat one and give the other 3 away to co-workers. BUT… just let me give in to temptation on a Saturday morning, and all 4 of them have passed my lips by Sunday night….  *sigh* (but, that was a really good sigh)…hehehe.

2) Starbucks:

Another serious temptation at the grocery store is the Starbuck’s kiosk that is “conveniently” positioned right in front of the main entry. I’ve never really been a Starbuck’s lover… at least when it comes to the fancy-schmancy over-priced 500 calorie beverages; BUT… it is hard to pass up their “regular” coffee, especially the BOLD roast.  About 3 mornings each week, I stop in on my way to work and pay my $1.89 (after tax) for a Grandé (medium) Bold. Their medium is about the size of a fast food “large” (and fast food coffee SUCKS). The manager of the Starbuck’s kiosk where I go is (how can I say it nicely?) “a bitch”.  BUT, the assistant manager and one of the “regular” employees are super-sweet ladies. They have come to “like” me, and recognize me as a VIP regular (their words…haha).  When they see me walking across the parking lot into the store, they grab a cup and pour my coffee. Lately, when the “bitch” is away, the “super-sweeties” have started making me what they call a “red eye” (for no extra cost)… that is a Bold Roast coffee with TWO shots of espresso added. Talk about being wired all day (and at the end of the day there is no “crash” when the caffeine wears off).  As long as those two ladies work there, I will be a “regular”.  I think the manager must be a lesbian (on top of her bitchiness), since I have never seen a guy work there… and she is a LOT friendlier to female customers (especially pretty ones).

*** point of clarification: I have no problem with lesbians… I just wish she liked guys enough to hire a few and to at least be nice to male customers***

3) Bright light tailgaters:

One thing that “bothers” me (physically… not emotionally) is driving at night or early morning and a car comes zooming up behind me with the headlights glaring brightly. My eyes are very sensitive, and at night I can see rather clearly under the starlight and moonlight. But, when any other light approaches, my eyes get confused. And, if it is raining on top of being dark, car lights almost blind me when I attempt to drive. That is why I rarely go out at night.  One thing I’ve noticed lately is that I must have a large banner floating over my car that says, “Hey you in the car behind me: Turn your headlights on bright, and pull up as close to my car as you can!”  I don’t know what it is with people who commute to work in the morning. They invariably wait until the very last possible minute to leave, then have to speed to get to work on time.  Then they ride your ass all the way.  Do they actually think that by getting 3 feet closer to the car in front of them that they will arrive at their destination 10 minutes sooner?

4)  Automatic air fresheners:

While I’m on the subject of work… I swear the Norse god of mischief (Loki) lives in the restroom in my office.  It never fails that when I go to the urinal to take a piss, the automatic air freshener shoots out a mist of whatever it is that freshens the air, and it always lands on my head. I’ve been told that it is set on a timer, but if that were the case, my urge to pee would be set on a timer also… and I know it isn’t.  So, yeah!  Loki resides in that restroom, for sure.

5)  Speaker phones (the walls have ears):

One more thing that irritates me at work is the trend for people to call someone and use the speaker on their phone rather than picking up the handset.  First of all, that distorts the voice, and I almost always end up asking them to repeat what they just said.  Secondly, I don’t know who else is in the room with that speaker phone.  When I talk to someone on the phone, I want to talk to that ONE person…. not the entire damned room!  I’ve gotten to where I say, “Are  you on the speaker phone? I can’t hear you very well!”  Eventually, they will pick up the receiver like a “normal” person.  One person told me once that he wouldn’t use the handset because he was afraid of germs…. and I’ve seen this man on more than one occasion take a piss and NOT wash his hands afterwards….. *sigh* (yet again).

6)  Special days:

Once again, it is that time of year when so many “special days” come one right after the other.  It starts out with Mother’s Day, followed by my Dad’s birthday, then Father’s Day, then Chuck’s birthday, then Joey’s birthday (the day after Chuck’s) and finally my Mom’s birthday.
All that between May 10 and July 8.  A few other people have birthdays in there, but the ones mentioned are the ones I consider “special”.  Then… I’m fairly well set until December, which is the month for not only Christmas, BUT for Joshua’s birthday.

7)  Wishlist:

Taking a cue from Chuck, I’m going to write a bit about the “Wish list” available to anyone on Amazon.com.  I’ve kept one for years… (Here is a link to my wish list so you can see what it is like).  At first, it was mainly a place to put items I planned on buying at a later date.  I always make sure I order at least $25 worth of merchandise when I order from Amazon, since I then get free shipping. So, I always keep a few items ranging from $7.99 to $19.99 on there in case I need a bit more to add to an order to get to that “free shipping” point.  Yeah, I have some more expensive items there also… I guess that is why it is called a “Wish” list. However, for the past couple of years, I’ve also kept items there because I have one or two people who NEVER have a clue what to get me for Christmas or my birthday.  I always tell them that I don’t want anything, since their friendship is a gift that can’t be surpassed by some trinket.  Yet, they still insist on buying me something. So, rather than risking them getting me a fruitcake or a chia pet, I keep a wide range of possibilities on my Wish list. hahaha.
I’ve been thinking  a bit lately (I know… that’s scary, hunh?)…  I wish everyone I know would keep a wish list on Amazon.com. You can add items from any website also (not just Amazon). I am a major giver of gifts… NOT because I want praise, nor because I try to buy love; but, because that is just ME. I love to give things to people who are special to me… and I like to give them something that is truly special to them. I can’t always think of something appropriate, so once in a while it would be nice to “see” a list of some things they’d like to have.
So…. go to Amazon.com and start your own wish list…. and PLEASE send me the link to it.

OK… I think that is enough randomness for this time.  I’ll see y’all later!