пятница, 3 мая 2019 г.

"Feminism" Vs. "Equality"




In my last "Male Perspective" column at https://mrxproducts.com/, I called Caitlin Flanagan a "professional anti-feminist" and managed to touch off a huge argument about feminism.  So this column is way, way, way overdue.

Here's the key problem when we argue about feminism: we act like it's a settled thing, and it's not.

There are two feminisms people tend to talk about, that I've observed, and they tend to treat them as interchangeable: feminism as a political force and feminism as an intellectual force.  It's important to sort the two because more often than not, there's a clear line between the two that once you cross, guys either stop agreeing with or have real trouble understanding what's going on.

Feminism as a political force is pretty straightforward: women should have the same rights and responsibilities as men, and have the same treatment.  This is generally called "equality" but it's feminism.  I've yet to meet a guy who wasn't a total d-bag who didn't agree with this.

It's feminism as an intellectual force where things tend to go a little haywire, for guys.  Part of this is that feminism in academia is hardly a settled topic.  There's agreed-upon ground, of course, but then it diverges wildly.  A lot of it, frankly, has little application to men anyway; academic theory exists to be published, not applied.

And, to be honest, there are some incredibly obnoxious and stupid people in the academic world, just as there are obnoxious and stupid people in every walk of life.  This is generally where the "feminazi" stereotype comes from.  But a larger problem is the fact that they don't understand men perfectly, and yet so, so many believe they do, and an added problem is that, especially the undergraduates getting their degrees, some think they speak for all women.  This leads to some...awkward and unpleasant conversations, since it's very hard to explain to somebody that they are not holier than thou in a polite way.

None of this is helped by the fact that feminism is subject to internal politics, just like anything else.  One of the biggest fights brewing right now is whether or not feminism is inherently classist in its construction, for example.

Personally, when it comes to feminism, I tend to agree with the political and simply avoid the academic.  It's not worth it, and, frankly, most of it tends to fall apart outside of rarified air.  I'll just not be a jerk and respect other people, regardless of gender, and I think that should keep me from being a sexist bonerbeast.

Well, to most people.  You can't please everybody.


Become Remarkably Beautiful From the Inside Out



In today’s world we no longer have to compete with just our classmates, our friends, or our family. We have to compete with every damn person in this world. With social media at our fingertips, we are caught in a never-ending battle between who we are and who we wish we were. You must have the latest lip liner to make sure you are looking your best tonight. You must spend your year-end bonus on the latest Michael Kors purse, God forbid you don’t have it this weekend. You better start that 30 day detox tea you saw on instagram if you want to look good in your bikini this summer. Everybody’s doing it.

Society has already decided for you what trend you must follow, what diet fad is the one that is going to make you lose that 10 pounds quick, and which designer shoes are going to find you your prince charming. We always think, “if only I looked better on the outside, I would be happy.”

Don’t get us wrong, there are a lot of great things happening on social media to help you reach your goals. There is a solution to anything you want to change on the outside that can be found with the click of a button. The problem is that most of them are quick-fixes, or temporary solutions. What we are trying to achieve is long term confidence, long term success, and long term happiness. So where do you start?

Have you ever met someone you thought was absolutely gorgeous but as soon as she opened her mouth you could not understand why anyone would want to be around her. Or the opposite, have you ever met a woman you thought really got the short end of the stick and after getting to know her you could not wait to introduce her to your best guy friend?

The real truth is that internal transformation breeds external results.

Here are a few tips to start:

1. Get honest with yourself. 


What is really stealing your joy? Are you in an unhealthy relationship that continues to drag you down? Are you looking for validation in your friends or your significant other? Are you comforting yourself with food?

It is much easier to hold onto something that is unhealthy when it is comfortable. That cycle though is only going to reap misery instead of happiness. The longer you continue to blame your circumstance on others around you, the further you get from your destination. You have to get over what you feel like everyone else has done to you and accept that you are the only one who is accountable to you.

2. Baby steps are still steps. 
Set realistic goals for yourself. We have the tendency to go from zero to sixty and give everything which leaves us exhausted and not wanting to do it at all. Start doing something today that is going to get you one step closer to where you want to be tomorrow.

Take your time, you are never going back. Read self help books and find mentors who inspire and motivate you. The journey to the best version of you should be something you are proud to hang your hat on. You are not defined by your past, you are prepared by your past. No matter the size, every step you take forward will get you to your destination.

3. What you see is what you get.


Stop comparing yourself to everyone else. You are not everyone else, you were created with a purpose unique to you. As long as you continue to spend your time trying to be someone else you will never reach your full potential.

Use your scars to tell your story and wear the crown of victory you have so courageously earned. Your beauty will become immeasurable. You will never be able to stop life from happening, how you react is what will define you. Love the person you see in the mirror, she can be your worst enemy or your best friend.

4. You are your own worst critic. 


Own your imperfections. Learn from them, grow from them, and make them something beautiful. Do not get caught up in what you think everyone else thinks of you. At the end of the day as long as you know who you are, what you stand for, and what your purpose is; no one else’s opinion matters. Only you go to bed with yourself and only you wake up with yourself.

Learn to fall in love with every part of who you are. If you are not happy with something, change it. Be sure you want to making the change for yourself, not because someone else makes you feel that way. You must get rid of everything that negatively affects your life, you don’t have time for that.

Published with author permission


среда, 1 мая 2019 г.

Dealing with Jealousy


“Welcome to the wonderful world of jealousy, he thought. For the price of admission, you get a splitting headache, a nearly irresistible urge to commit murder, and an inferiority complex. Yippee.” ― J.R. WardDark Lover

So she’s got a hot body and he’s always surrounded by a gaggle of girlfriends and there you are lurking in the background, watching intently when your stomach churns, your heart races and an all-consuming heat starts to fill your body. Before you know it you’ve been bitten by the jealousy bug and can’t stand to look at either of them.
Jealousy is an annoyingly common feeling that can pull even the most confident of women into its grasp. While there are an infinite number of little things that can spawn it, nothing quite compares to feeling jealous when it comes to a close friend or boyfriend. So what do you do when the green-eyed monster takes control and jeopardizes the important relationships in your life? Don’t you worry about a thing, I’ve got the tools you’ll need to defeat that jealous monster and take control of your feelings.
Body Bitch
No matter where you are on your body love journey, too many women hate on other body types. There’s fat shaming, skinny shaming, and well intentioned songs that still shame skinny women. You want Suzy’s abs, the gym chick is too fit, this girl wears clothes that are too tight, the judgement never ends.
I mean how many abs does she actually need? In an instant all the time spent primping feels wasted. Now the only thing on your mind is how to make this bitch feel like shit for ruining your mojo.
Hello, Jealousy.
How to deal: Before you allow your jealousy to ruin everyone’s day, take a minute to accept what’s happening. Acknowledge that you’re jealous and try and pinpoint what exactly is making you feel that way. Is it her hard body? Is it her Brazilian bikini? Or is it the confidence with which she stripped down? Whatever the case, you won’t be able to banish jealousy without first confronting the catalyst. If she has a better body than you, ask her what she’s been doing to keep in such great shape. Try and put her progress in perspective, maybe she worked really hard to get that body, maybe she needed this day surrounded by friends to build the confidence to strut her stuff. Don’t be bitter; instead use it as a way to make yourself better.
He’s Mine
You and your boyfriend are enjoying the night by a fire pit at an outdoor bar, sipping on cold beers, when some teenager walks by with next to nothing on. You’re not even sure if he did a full look to check her out, but you can’t help but notice her group of friends dancing and laughing. You’re constantly looking over your shoulder to see what they’re doing, why they’re laughing and if any of them are making eyes at your man. Jealousy has reared its ugly head and now every move they make warrants your attention, any time your boyfriend moves you assume it’s just to get closer to them and now your mood is in the shitter. Before you know it, you’ve created a plan for any possible confrontation and are convinced that they’ve telepathically flirted with your man.
How you doin’ jelly belly?
How to deal: You may want to sit down for this one but … there are pretty girls are all over the fucking place! Recovered from that bombshell? Good. When you’re out with your boyfriend and you spot a sexy girl, shrug it off with a smile. Instead of imploding, think about it like this: at one point you were the youngin’ in the club with nothing but pasties on, but now you’re in a different place and have the love of a great guy. Don’t assume that he’s looking at every hot girl that passes by, sure he might grab a quick glance (he is, after all a man), but that doesn’t mean he’s going to run and leave you at the dinner table. Put more stock in your relationship and all the other things you have to offer beyond a sexy exterior package. After all there’s a reason he’s with you and not one of them.
Jealousy, be gone!

I Should Have That

You meet with your bestie for after work drinks, and she looks like the cat that ate the canary. Suddenly, she cuts you off mid-sentence to display a shiny rock on her left finger. Bam! You plaster a big smile on your face, marvel at the size and try your best to get the word “congratulations” out. Internally, your mind just exploded. She’s not even in love with this guy, she’s just with him for the money, she’s such a whore and he’ll definitely end up cheating on her. How could she possibly get married before you? You’ve been in a committed relationship for 6 years and she’s only been with him 6 months, where the hell is your ring?
Steady there, green eyes.

How to deal: So she’s got a massive rock on her finger and can’t wipe the smile off her face, want to get rid of that jealous feeling? Be there for her. You’re her friend and this is an exciting time in her life no matter what your opinion is and she shared it with you because she loves you. While you might be envious of her excitement and want the same, that doesn’t mean you have to bash her. Show her how supportive you can be and get the proposal details. She’ll be more than willing to spill and it will give you time to mentally pull it together. Don’t compare your relationship to hers and go home and bully your boyfriend into taking the next step. Your day will come and when it does, you’ll want her to be excited for you too.

Jealousy can take over everything if you allow it, but always remember you are in control. It’s not easy for anyone to admit they’re feeling jealous, but if you can master that, you remove the power it holds over you. Be the badass friend and girlfriend you know you can be and be a pillar of support and love because when your time comes, you’ll want them to do the same.

вторник, 30 апреля 2019 г.

Nonstop Irritation: How to Take the Moment Back


For the last couple of weeks Sarah and I have been getting bad service everywhere we go, literally everywhere. Bad service is one of those things that gets annoying really fast.

This last weekend we went on a girls trip to Whistler, BC. After a long six hours in the car and hauling six bags of luggage, for three women, for a four-day trip, we were ready for a nice cold beverage and a club sandwich at the local pub. We were so excited, we walked to that pub like we were evacuating our fifth grade class for a fire drill, let’s get this party started.

The waitress greets us with an, I hate my life and I wish I wasn’t here, slight tilt of her mouth. Great, here we go again. First item, drinks for the table. When Older S took her first sip of the red ale beer she was not happy at all. She asked the waitress if she could change it and her response was, “oh no, sorry honey, you already took a sip out of it.” I think she forgot this is a restaurant where they only provide food and beverages with the mission to please their consumers. “No, you can get your manager if you need to, but I will take a different beer.”

I have always admired this about Sarah. If you are paying for it, you should be happy with it. You work too hard not to get value out of where your money is going. Sarah does not make excuses for anyone.
The next morning we woke up ready to try again. There is a breakfast spot in Whistler across the street from our condo that is a must visit every year when we go to whistler. Two important things to know about breakfast for Sarah and Samantha: one, it is our favorite meal, and two, we always make it an experience.

We head across the street with an extra pep in our step, all to head into disappointment once again. They stopped serving breakfast just 10 minutes prior. I looked at the waitress like, you are telling me that nice looking man standing back there is not going to throw eggs benedict on the grill because we are ten minutes late? Nope. The waitress seemed slightly irritated with our over-irritation.

Sarah grabbed my arm and looked at me with genuine eyes, “I think God is trying to teach us something right now, patience.”

In that moment everything changed.

We chose something else on the menu, ordered a bottle of champagne, and let it go. We enjoyed every moment, the waitress started smiling and telling jokes with us, and we promised to be back.
The next morning we arrived at the same breakfast spot, on time. The hostess greeted us with a smile and a bottle of champagne they had chilling, waiting for us. The waitress served us with a positive attitude and great conversation.

The rest of our trip we got the best service every where we went.

The point is that it is not about what life throws at you or how other people treat you, it is about how you react to them.

Life is always going to give you those moments where everything is just annoying. How you respond is key. Put a smile on your face, keep a positive attitude, and take that moment back.

There is power in how you respond to situations. You get back what you put out. The minute we changed how we viewed the situation and changed how we responded, was the minute we started truly enjoying ourselves in every moment.




How To Keep Your Office Romance a Secret




You spend 40 hours every week at work. It’s only natural that you’re going to want to bone at some point in that time, and if you’re lucky enough to find a girl at work who also wants to bone, then you’ve got to do everything you can to keep the relationship safe. At most workplaces, office relationships are frowned upon, so secrecy is the key ingredient here, and there are 5 simple steps that you can take to ensure that your co-workers will never know what you’re up to:



Step 1: Don’t Talk To Her

Unless you’re a professional actor (like Paul Walker), or a complete douchebag (like Paul Walker), it’s probably going to be difficult for you to hide your attraction to your office girlfriend during a normal conversation. Tell-tale signs like smiling, leaning in close, drooling, flicking your tongue like a seductive snake, and working up a decent half-boner under the table are common, natural, and completely unavoidable side effects of close contact with someone that you’re secretly banging. The only way to avoid giving yourself away is to never talk to her during work hours. EVER. If you absolutely have to be in close contact with her on a regular basis, then you’ll have to resort to some more deceptive tactics.


Step 2: Talk Sh*t About Her

Remember in The Drew Carey Show, when Drew and Mimi would constantly be insulting each other by saying things that would’ve gotten them fired in about two minutes if their office wasn’t located on a television set? Did you ever think for a second that Drew and Mimi might actually be f*cking? No, of course you didn’t. That’s exactly the reaction you’ll have to impress upon all of your co-workers if you want your undercover sexcapades to continue, so throw insults at her like a monkey throws shit at an obnoxious child. The insults shouldn’t stop when she leaves the room, either. Talking shit about her when she’s not even around is a good way to secure your perceived position as her mortal enemy and conceal your true identity as her nightly jizz delivery boy.


Step 3: Spread Really Nasty Rumors About Her

This is one of the most beneficial steps in the process, and it’ll also be one of the most counterintuitive adventures you’ll ever embark upon. Normally, when spreading nasty rumors about people, there’s an explicit attempt to eliminate one’s self as the source of the information. You always want to say that you heard it from someone else so that you’re not held responsible for the information. In this situation, however, the exact opposite is true: you want everyone to know that you’ve been creating and propagating terrible rumors about your secret f*ckbuddy. Be loud and boisterous about it, and say absolutely horrific things about her. Tell everyone that she’s have five abortions in the past three years, and that the children were all of an ethnicity that the person you’re whispering this to will find apalling. Say that you heard she’s a dude who spent a fortune on a sex change operation, or that she’s actually a soviet spy that got so deep undercover that the motherland lost her, and then say something like, "have you seen that movie Traitor, with the black guy from Hotel for Dogs? It’s kinda like that, but with an ugly fat chick who’s hopelessly addicted to whippits."

Read more: http://izhevsk.ru/

Step 4: Bang Her Best Friend and Tell Everyone About It

If you’re sleeping with a co-worker and you want to make absolutely sure that no one will ever become suspicious, the best possible thing that you can do is to openly sleep with your fling’s best friend. Your work girlfriend probably won’t mind. In fact, she should be in on the plan, to make it more believable. You’ll have to get your office girlfriend to introduce the idea to her best friend. If they’re really best friends, and if they really want the best for each other, then her friend will have no choice but to sleep with you. It’s probably best to have her friend drop into the office every once in a while to put on a little show for the office staff. Public displays of affection are important here, including but not limited to the following actions: heavy petting, dry humping, and sloppy tongue kissing. The more you sell it, the more nobody will ever suspect you of sleeping with your co-worker. The brilliance behind this plan is that no bad could possibly come of it, and there’s no way that anything could possibly backfire on you.


Step 5: Humiliate Her Frequently, and Without Remorse

Y’know how you’ve spent countless hours at work figuring out how to kill yourself because your job is so boring and dead-ended? Well, now’s your chance to put all of that work to good use on someone else. Tone down your plans a little, so that rather than ending in an untimely demise, they result in massive humiliation and embarrassment. For example, take your "spraying too much Visine into my coffee so that when I drink it I get such bad diarrhea that I actually shit out my internal organs" plan, lessen the Visine amount to a non-fatal level, and put it into your f*ckbuddy’s beverage of choice. Then, when she’s shitting all over the place, be the first person to make fun of her, and then actively work to get everyone else to chide her as well. It’ll be absolutely mortifying for her, and it’ll really prove how far you’re willing to go to keep your relationship with her safe and secure, because that’s how much she means to you. She should love you for that.

Read more:

10 Easy Ways To Scare Off Your Girlfriend



Guys, if you really want to lose that girl, there are some sure-fire steps you can take to make sure she hits the road in a big hurry. If you’re just not that into her, but don’t quite know how to tell her so, you need to try a more indirect, yet creative approach. Here are ten easy ways you can scare off your girlfriend:
1.       Tell her about your Uncle Elwood, who lives in your parents’ attic. Point out the fact that he’s only allowed out twice a year – Halloween and Valentine’s Day.
2.       Inform her that your family doesn’t believe in divorce, or breaking up. It’s blood in, blood out.
3.       Give her a glimpse of the old family tree. Share your collection of mugshots and newspaper clippings in the family photo album.
4.       Tell her that you can’t wait to get married, so you can have the same relationship with her that you’ve had with your mom.
5.       Take her to a porn movie on a date. For bonus points, tell her that by bringing a female guest, you’re earning membership points that can be redeemed for valuable prizes.
6.       While showing her your extensive knife and machete collection, ask her menacingly what her blood type is.
7.       Make it a point to remind her whenever you go out together that you need to be back home indoors before sunrise.
8.       Whenever you talk about previous dates or girlfriends, make the sign of the cross and refer to them as “the dearly departed”.
9.       Wrap your dog’s invisible fence collar around your leg before she comes over. Answer the door wearing shorts, then tell her that you can’t go into details, but you need to stay at home for a while.
10.   Tell her during a dinner date just how grateful you are to have a real live girlfriend for a change.

Sources:


7 Most Expensive Ways To Propose Online



There was a time when wedding proposals were done in private, on bended knee, in intimate and romantic settings. Today, everything is a media event, it seems. The bigger the splash, the better for many folks. We propose at sporting events, on daytime talk shows, and via social media profiles. So, what are the most over the top methods, we wondered? Here are the 7 most expensive ways to propose online:

1.       GPS Hunt – This one involves having your significant other follow an elaborate treasure hunt, via GPS tracking by mobile device, in order to find a prize. In this case, the engagement ring. The logistics and preparation could be pricey, and involve exotic locales, but the creativity factor is through the roof with this one.
2.       Placing Ads – As with traditional print media, you can purchase ad space online at all sorts of websites, and in all sizes. Buying large ad space on heavily-trafficked websites can run into some serious coin, we’re guessing.
3.       Make a Video – Sure, you could create one at home for free. But a real romantic would fly to the to New York City and film his proposal at the top of the Empire State Building – on Valentine’s Day, then post it on YouTube, if he really wanted to get her to say ‘yes’.
4.       Movie Trailers – Think about it: millions of people are queuing up for the trailer for the latest action thriller, and patiently sit through that preceding 30-second ad. They see you, kneeling and asking the camera, “Karen, would you marry me?”
5.       @KimKardashian – No matter how you slice it, this online proposal is bound to cost you some serious moolah. Think before you tweet. The cash you save may be your own. On the plus side, we hear that she is, in fact, recently available.
6.       YouTube, Me Screwed – Then there’s this poor guy, who thought it would be a great idea to propose to his girl at a basketball game – on YouTube – for the world to see. Sadly, she didn’t think it was such a great idea. This is just about as costly an online proposal as you can make, if you ask us.
7.       Long Distance Relationship – More and more couples are meeting online, and geography can be a major factor in some cases. Proposing to someone halfway around the world involves more than a simple Skype call. Then you have to meet in person, and that’s when it really gets expensive.

Sources:
http://translate.linksistem.com