Month June 2012

Summer Olympic Preview

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The summer Olympics are about a month away and to help you get into the winning spirit I did extensive research to find some of the sexiest athletes appearing in London this year. Unfortunately most summer athletes are runners, gymnasts, and swimmers who all have the classic slimmed/toned build. As you can imagine slim and toned is not usually my type so I had to dig deep to find the bears. I’ll be honest and tell you there isn’t much to chose from as far as eye candy goes. (thank god for Christian Cantwell) But here is a little preview…

              Mindaugus Mizgaitis
              Lithuania (Wrestling)
              6′ 3″ 278lbs

      
           Dylan Armstrong
                  (Shot Put) Canada
                  6′ 4″ 251 lbs

and

Drum Roll Please…

I give you America’s own Christian Cantwell!

Christian Caldwell
(Shot Put) USA
6′ 5″ 300lbs

For other Olympic geeks:
the 2014 games will be in Sochi, 2016 in Rio, and 2018 in PyeongChang. 2020 won’t be decided until September of 2013 but in the running is Rome, Madrid, Tokyo, Istanbul, Doha-Qatar, and Baku-Azerbaijan. (FYI Doha and Baku are both in the Middle East)
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Designer’s Challenge

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When I chose my apartment, the complex gave me the option to have any of the walls painted with accent colors and I chose to have one wall in my bedroom painted green. On June 8th when I finally moved in I was surprised to see that one of the walls in the living room was painted a rust/clay red. It really threw me for a loop. Being so busy with the move, I really hadn’t stopped to decide what my decorating would look like. Although red was never on my list. I have no problem with red but it’s not a color I would ever choose to decorate with. When it comes to paint color I tend to gravitate toward blues, greens, grays, and khakis. Although I love rusty red on cloths, my walls where a different story.

The color surprise was not enough of a problem to have the wall repainted and I took the situation as a challenge. I won’t let this red wall beat me! My first reaction was to avoid the red and use beige on everything. Wash out the color with neutrals on neutrals on neutrals. Then I had a burst of inspiration from a Target pillow. I really liked said pillow but my only hesitations were the touches of yellow amongst the neutral brown. Once I got home the pillow(s) looked great. The yellow complimented everything perfectly. I quickly realized how to work with my red wall. My color pallet should be one from an African safari. Rusty red, stone khaki, burnt orange and muted yellow offset by dark wood. To be clear, I don’t want an African theme with tribal masks and big stuffed giraffe. I’m only interested in the colors. I paired the pillow with an ottoman from West Elm (a splurge) that is stone gray with a white rosette pattern. The more the room comes together the more I like it. I’m almost glad my red wall forced me outside my decorating comfort zone.
My living room is far from done but the major pieced are in place. My next big hurdle is art work and wall decor. There is A LOT of empty wall space that needs to be dealt with. I have a couple small pictures to hang but they’ll be dwarfed without something more substantial. I’d also like a shelving unit of some sort to store knick knacks and tchotchkes. Originally I bought one from Ikea but later returned it after I questioned it’s stability. Everything will have to be put on hold for a while though while I let my budget catch up with my shopping.

The Basics

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Age: 30

Current Location: Dallas, TX

Born: Yale-New Have Hospital, New Haven CT.

Profession: Operations Specialist

Marital Status: Single

My favorite meal: Chicken and pasta

Turn off: Insecurity

Turn on: A man who’s confident, outgoing, and shorter then me.

Most of art work in my apartment was done or given to me by my friend Dan.

Living or Dead- 3 People I would invite to Dinner:

Song that makes cry: Glitter is the Air

Save or Spender? Spender

Major fear: Roller Coasters

Top 3 Favorite songs: It’s Not Right (But It’s Ok) Remix- Thunderpuss/Whitney Houston, Push It- Salt-n-Pepa, Bad Romance- Lady Gaga

Life Lessons: Don’t quote song lyrics in an online profile. You’re using someone else’s words and creativity to express who you are.

I tend to be to honest in many situations. My family calls it “truth bombs.” If you’re looking for real world practical advice, I’m your man.

I’ve known 7 close friends or family who’ve had cancer. I am happy to report they are all alive and healthy.

Items still on my bucket list: Going to a titty bar

Least favorite holiday: New Years Eve. (Ugh… I hate it)

Little known facts:

-When I was young I went through many hours of testing finally to come to the conclusion that I had strong learning disabilities. (dyslexia etc)

-Of my 4 grandparents, two died before I was born and remaining two died when I was 8 and 9 years old. My father’s mother (who died when I was 9) had approx 8 heart attached that year.

 
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Dazed and Confused

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The idea for this post has been kicking around in my head for a while but I couldn’t shape it into a meaningful article until now. It all started on Facebook. (of course) I thought I had someone generally figured out. Not in a bad way, but all my interactions with him had painted a pictures and I filled in the gaps with assumptions. I was surprised when a minor Facebook prank caused such a strong reaction from him He got angry and took the whole incident personally. It seemed so out of character for his laid back demeanor. I was not involved in the situation so there was no harm done, but it stuck out as an interesting observation. How can someone be so uptight in certain aspect of their life yet so relaxed in others? You may also know someone who is overall very predictable but has one or two issues that causes them to turn on a dime. This is the kind of person that does well on reality tv. I can’t help but think of the Real Housewives where an average woman can go from polite dinner conversation to flipping a table in 5.3 seconds. 

I started this off by saying the idea for the post had been in my head for a while. That’s true, the Facebook incident in question happened a while ago but I had decided not to post anything because I had no interesting observations or new ideas to lend to the subject. That was until I moved to Dallas. I’ve been meeting a lot new people and getting to know all the difference clicks within the city. In fact I was invited to a pool party thanks to a referral from a good friend. Everyone was very welcoming and pleasant but I was surprised but the excessive pot smoking going on. There were as many bongs as there were beer bottles. I’m not passing any judgement, it’s just not what I expected. I politely decline the pot and otherwise had a fun and sunny afternoon. While driving home I laughed to myself, “Why couldn’t they all just get naked and frisky like Connecticut pool parties.” That’s when it hit me like a bolt of lightning. I realized I’m just like that guy on Facebook. I’m the one who’s opinions aren’t consistent. I’m very comfortable having sex with a friend in front of other people and by most social standards I’m a slut. Yet I have very limited experience with drugs and alcohol. An outsider might assume someone so open toward sex would be as open to many other things too. Not the case. Those of you who know me won’t find this strange, but when you look at from an outsiders perspective it could be seen as quirky. When people meet me I wonder if they ask themselves, “He’ll get naked at the drop of a hat and suck your dick in the middle of the living room yet he won’t smoke a bowl… How strange?”
I realized I had much more in common with that FB friend then I thought. I now understand his point of view a little bit better. I may not agree with it but I understand. I’m probably just as bad when put in certain situations.

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Songs of Summer

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Songs of Summer:

Carly Rae Jepsen may have the official summer hit with Call Me Maybe. But my summer song obsession is Where Have You Been by Rihanna. Ermahgerd! She may be a trashy mess who’s dating her former abusive boyfriend, but girl can crank out some good songs. Watch the video, and then we’ll discuss it further.

Ok now that you’ve watched the video, is it me or does this video have the worst choreography on earth!?! The first part where she’s dancing in those pink harem pants… Atrocious! The song is actually much better without the visual of the video.

Other good songs for your summer play list:

Madonna: Girls Gone Wild

Ellie Goulding: Lights

David Guetta & Sia: Titanium

Flo Rida & Sia: Wild Ones

Dance Again: Jennifer Lopez ft Pit Bull

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Summer Fashion Guide

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Your summer guide to fashion:

Start with a tank top. They can be hard to find, but I found Macy’s has the best selection for between $10-$20.

Accessorie: Add a hat for sun protection like gray one is from H&M.

Next pair it with a pair of short. This summer cuffed shorts are the major trend. These kakhi short from Old Navy are reversable therefore you can cuff the bottom and show a bit of the blue striped material. Super Cute!

Accessories: Suspenders add pop to every outfitt.

Finish your look off with these exclusive New Balance sneakers available on Urban Outfitters.com. Bright and fun footwear. (sorry wide width not available)

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What I’ve Learned from Oprah

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My original idea for this post was a list of things I’ve learned from Oprah. When I started the list it ended up being shorter then I anticipated. How could that be? Referencing the Oprah Winfrey show in everyday conversation is a normal occurrence for me. Why can’t I remember any of it now?

As I dug deeper in the back of my brain I started to uncover general concepts and ideas rather then a specific lesson. As Oprah herself would say, “Ah Ha moments.” A good example came from an episode in her final season. She featured a panel consisting of several of her most famous talk show rivals. Ricky Lake , Phil Donahue, Sally Jessie, and Montel Williams were all there to reminisce about the past. What struck me was when the topic of competition came up. Everyone on the panel remembered ways they tried to compete with and be more like Oprah. Jerry Springer and trash tv came up as an obvious example. She responded by saying that she never tried to compete with or change her format. Her secret to success was that she always strived to be more of herself in every show. Don’t try and change to be more like your competition but instead be true to yourself.
I was struck by what she said and I’ve tried to apply it to my blog. Whenever I am unsure of whether to post something I try and remember the basic building blocks of my blog. Does it make sense with who I am? By doing so I’ve scrapped a couple topics and ideas. The cancelled posts are usually about major life or news events. For example: I have ignored much of the presidential race thus far. I decided I am not informed enough to make an educated commentary on the subject. If I posted anything it would probably be a rehash of what has already been said by someone else.
So I’ll continue to blog on and stay true to myself. On that note, as I wrote this post I realized I haven’t written anything about fashion in a long time. I’m overdue! Look for an upcoming guide to summer fashion article coming soon. If you’re curious of what the original “What I Learned” list looked like, here’s a glimpse. Funny enough most of these tips come from one episode about safety tips.
-If you are ever held up or mugged, do not let them take you to a second location. If they bring you someplace else, you won’t return.

-Pay attention to peoples actions. A person will always reveal who they really are from the very beginning, you just have to pay attention. Otherwise you end up say things like, “Now that you mention it, he did (fill in the blank) when we first met…”

-You get what you expect out of life

-If you are ever being attached yell fire. When you yell “Help” or “Rape” people are apt to ignore you. People are more likely to come to the aid of a fire. Sad but true.

-Walk looking straight ahead. Looking down is an unconscious sign of submission

Social Media Etiquette

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Emily Post, the grand dame of social etiquette, died in 1960. Well before many of the modern day luxuries we take for granted. She never could have imagined how far we have come with computers, the internet, iPhones, texting, and Facebook. Since no one has stepped up to take her place, I’ve taken it upon myself to provide you with a guide to social media etiquette. This post with focus mainly on dating and sex apps but look for future posts about Facebook, Twitter etc.
The term etiquette can bring to mind uptight rules and holding a tea cup with your pink out. This is not that kind of etiquette. This is an honest look at real world situations. Let’s dive in shall we!
App Etiquette: Whether you’re on a Droid or an iPhone you have access to apps like Growlr, Scruff, Grindr, BoyAhoy, Manhunt, Recon, and Bender.(amongst others) Chatting with guys is easy and convenient but you can unintentionally piss someone off by how you do or don’t respond. Here are my tips for maintaining some class of your phone.
Rule 1: If he want to see my private pics, unlocking G rated pictures is meaningless. Private=Naked.
Growlr gives you the ability to have private pictures. (this feature varies from app to app) If you have private pictures they should be naked pictures. At best, one cock shot and one ass shot respectively. You don’t have to have private pics and I have no problem with anyone who chooses that option. My problem is when someone unlocks there pictures and they are face shots from the beach or close ups at your sister’s wedding. When I see the message *Private Photo’s Have Been Unlocked* I expect to see cock and/or ass. When I don’t I get annoyed.
Rule 2: If he unlocks his pictures without saying hello first, I am under no obligation to unlock mine. (Nude or un-nude)
Plain and simple. Just because he unlocks his cock shots does not mean I need to unlock mine. A better approach is to start a conversation to see if the other person is interested first. 
Rule 3: Make the most of your profile picture
A good profile picture can make a shocking difference. If you’re not getting a lot of hits try changing up your pictures until you find one that’s a hit. Once you find the magic shot keep it for as long as possible. However, if your looks change so should your picture.
Rule 4: Be honest
This is true is all respects but specifically with regard to relationship status. If you have a boyfriend your profile should clearly say so. For some reason a lot my friends who are in a relationship get bent out of shape when I press this point. There is NOTHING worse for a single guy then chatting with someone for weeks only to find out he already has a partner. It’s like getting kicked in the balls. If you’re not up front from the very first conversation you’re a douche. There is a relationship status box for a reason. Partnered people will say that some guys won’t talk to them if they know they are already taken. Tough shit. When a man’s profile says he’s not interested in men with boyfriend’s it means on more then one occasion he’s fallen for and gotten his heart broken by a partnered guy.
Rule 5: A little response goes a long way
If you take anything away from this article I hope it is this rule. This is true across all types of social media and modern communication. It can be broken down into two parts. Responding to people you know and responding to people you don’t know. First, we’ll deal with people you don’t know. If you get a ping from a stranger and you’re genuinely not interested a simple Thank You or No Thanks is enough. If it’s someone from across the country whom you’ll never meet then no response if required at all. Sending a response may lead them on into thinking you’re interested. Now to the important part, if someone you know sends a text, private message, or email then you should respond to them. When you send a response it shows respect and maturity. Flaking out and forgetting to respond sends the signal that you don’t care enough about someone to type back. When I’ve confronted people about this in the past, they have always said that their intention was never to ignore me. It was just a simple case of absent mindedness. Good etiquette is not always the easy road and it may require you to overcome your forgetfulness. I can tell you from personal experience that I have almost ended friendships because they didn’t type a message back. On a side note, a late response is always better then no response.
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