Monday, January 31, 2011

Geography Lesson: Egypt

Egypt has been in the news recently because of civil unrest and violence over the continued rule of President Hosni Mubarak. Mubarak was 'democratically' elected and has served for more then 30 years as president. Many American's do not pay much attention to foreign affairs and I assume most of us don't know much about the country other then the pyramids. Therefore, here is a short geography lesson on Egypt:

Egypt is located on the northern corner of Africa along the southern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Gaza Strip and the Middle East are neighbors to the east while Libya is to the west. With history dating back as far as 3200 B.C, it is one of the worlds oldest civilizations. The population is just over 80 million in a country 3 times as big as New Mexico. To learn more about Egypt (or any other country) go to The World Factbook at http://www.cia.gov/ where I found most of this information.
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Saturday, January 29, 2011

Agent Orange


I love shoes but they don't love me. My shoe size is 11.5 EEE. Understandably this makes shoe shopping difficult. But as anyone with wide feet can tell you, New Balance is a bear's best friend. I have owned a pair of NB sneakers consistently for the past 10 years. Now the creative team at J Crew is getting in on the action. The preppy retailer is now selling limited edition New Balance sneakers in colors specifically designed for their customers. I'm in love with this orange pair. The 'retro' style has always been one of my favorites but it has also been the one style typically no offered in wide width. J Crew continues that tradition by offering only standard width. For that reason, I am sharing them with you. If I can't have them hopefully someone else will give them a good home.


New Balance® for J.Crew 1400 sneakers in Raw Steel. $130

Shop http://www.jcrew.com/ for more details and colors.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Beach Bear Drag Queen

Dear Sir,

You are hot. However, the hotness is ruined by your tattoos. Lets start below the waist. You look like you're wearing thigh high stockings. It's not a good look. Second, you're neck... Why did you choose the boyscout neckerchief design for a tattoo? Just the sleaves would have been perfect, but now you look like beach bear drag queen.

Sincerely
Judgemental in Jacksonville

P.S. If you are a drag queen, props for saving money on leggings.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

More Money More Problems

Gov. Quinn of Illinois
Tax season has started. With that in mind, I wanted to give a shout out to Gov. Pat Quinn and Illinois lawmakers. Earlier this month Gov. Quinn passed a tax increase that is the largest increase in the state’s history. (from 3% to 5%) It may sound strange that I am applauding an increase in taxes, but I give Illinois credit for making some hard decisions that needed to be made. The state now has a $13 Billion debt. (that’s nine zeros) Many states around the country are facing similar budget issues. However most have not come up with a plan to fix the problem. Something has to give. No one wants higher taxes, but they also don’t want budget cuts. Republicans are always talking about cutting government spending. Although I've never heard a someone actually say what specific programs should be cut. I’m not saying one way is better then the other, but if you don’t want higher taxes you better prepare for deep budget cuts. Which logically leads toward jobs cuts. So if you had to choose a tax hike or loosing your job...which would you pick? In that light, the idea of a tax increase doesn’t sting as bad. This always makes me think of Southwest Airline. I remember learning in college that the company has a policy where they will not lay anyone off. Instead they have the right to lower wages in order to save jobs. It’s a very interesting policy.

There is a basic rule of finance that I’ve used in my own life. To pay off debt there are three options:

1. Make more money

2. Spend less money

3. A combination of steps 1 and 2



Sunday, January 23, 2011

A Little Face Time




I want to burry my face and tongue in his ass extremely bad.



That's all.





Friday, January 21, 2011

I'm a DANCER!


Showgirls from Jeffrey McHale on Vimeo.

Black Swan Trailer MASH UP
 
 
If you didn't know, one of my all time favorite movies is Showgirls. It's undoubtably the worst movie ever made and I love every minute of it! I couldn't help but enjoy this mash up of Black Swan and Showgirls.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Which One of These Does Not Belong?

 














 

















3 Pics are a great examples of a Hot profile picture. One is not. Can you spot the lemon?

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

The Globes Fashion Game

Here's a game: I'll leave my opinion out and let you decide who I think is the best and the worst. Here is a hint: There are 6 Worst dressed choices, 9 Best dressed choices, and 1 Wild Card. I'll comment on this post with the answers






  
 
  
 




 
 

Monday, January 17, 2011

I WON THE LOTTO!

Ok, so I didn't win the lotto...but what if I did? What would I do next? This is what I think about whenever I'm driving or my mind is blank. For example. would I give people money? If so, how much? I don't know everything I would do, but here is what I know for sure:

Step 1: Go see a financial planner. I'm not a money expert, so let them figure out how much to I should be saving, spending, etc. I've seen too many shows on Lotto winners who go bankrupt 5 years later.

After leaving the financial planner's office I would drive straight to the airport and get on a plane. Best idea is to get away and figure shit out. A money bomb has just blown up which probably fucks you up in the head. Rest, relax, figure out a plan. Depending on the time of year, I probably go to a tropical destination to sit on the beach for a couple days. Either that or go shopping in Vegas.

When I returned home, my next purchase would be a new car. Big expensive flashy cars are not my thing and they don't impress me. (Most of them seem like a big waste of money) However I do need a new one because the Matrix has close to 140,000 miles on it. Also see my earlier post about the Mini Countryman.

The major step would be to buy a condo. My dream is to live in Blue Back Square. There was a 2 bedroom unit for sale a couple of months ago for $650,000. So you can see why I'll need a lotto ticket for the move. As for a second home...I'd like one on the beach but I'm not sure which beach? So the summer home might take more time.
Other things on the to do list would be to sign up for laser eye surgery. Only if they could fix my vision without having to actually touch my eye with a knife. That's a deal breaker.

Saturday, January 15, 2011

10 Steps to Becoming a (Gay) Man


There are rights of passage that every gay must fulfill on their way to becoming a man:

1. Get de-friended

2. Feel Punk Beebe's balls.

3. Get a flat and have to change your own tire.

4. Go into Credit Debt

5. Have sex with a trick that you later regret as a total waste of time.

6. Have a threesome with a couple. One of which is uber hot and the other you're just doing to get to the hot one.

7. Buy fun (usually overpriced) underwear for an underwear party.

8. Know how to respond to the question: "Have you ever had cum in your eye Gabriel?"

9. Accidentally start to feel up a friend in a dark back room.

10. Work in retail or food service

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Speaking of Old Favorites...


This is one of those songs that is embeded in my brain forever. As soon as the music starts I can sing along and remember every word. Go ahead, give it a shot. You'll be amazed how much of it you remember.


Rediscover Music From Your Past




I uploaded a bunch of old CD's to my iPhone recently and I found tremendous joy in rediscovering old music from my past. Here is some of the music that defined my youth. The album Seasick by Imperial Teen is one of my all time favorite CD's. (It's in my top 5) The sad part is, now the album has been almost completely forgotten. You can't find it on iTunes and there are no videos on YouTube. If you ever get a chance, give it a listen. You will find their song Yoo Hoo from the Jawbreaker soundtrack. It'll gives you a good idea of their music.







 

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Beep! Beep!

I like my car but it's horrible in the snow. HORRIBLE. We got snow this weekend and my car prevented me from going out Saturday night because it took me 45 minutes to get out of the drive way due to a patch of ice about 1 foot wide. Part of that 45 minutes was walking to Walgreen's to get salt and ice melter. Side note: My sister's SUV was able to get out with no problem at all. Right now I drive a 2003 Toyota Matrix which has served me well and hopefully will last up to the 200k mile mark. (I'm at about 140,000 now) The Matrix is just the hatchback version on a Corolla and therefore not designed for heavy winter travel.

As I sat home last night I started to think about what my next car should be. I want something good in the snow, and my dream would be a cute hybrid car with 4wd. That being said, the only cute cars that fulfill that narrow criteria are an $88,000 BMW or a $108,000 Lexus. Everything else is a huge clunky SUV from Ford or Chevy. No Thank You to any of the above. So I'll have to widen my search. Getting a car that is good in the snow leads toward the 4wd SUV market. I've never been a huge fan of SUV's because I don't like being that high off the ground. (In addition to the poor MPG ratings) That's when I found it. My new DREAM CAR: The Mini Cooperman ALL4.  I've always wanted a Mini and now they have a 4 door model with all wheel drive. Perfect! If you go onto their website http://www.miniusa.com/ you can build and customize your own model like I have done above. Now the only problem is the $30,000 price tag. Does anyone have $18k taking up space that they'd like to get ride of? I'd be happy to take it off your hands. In return, you can get the first free ride.

This Makes Me Sad

Speaking of Tattoo's...


Friday, January 7, 2011

Life Lessons

To start the new year, I wanted to share some life lessons that I've picked up along the way.

1. Alcohol will lower your inhibitions, making it easier to hook up. However once you get the guy, the alcohol will also have killed your erection.

2. If you go to a leather event, a sci-fi convention and a renaissance festival, you'll probably see a lot of the same faces.

3. Before you go on a gay date, always ask the question: "Are you single?"

4. Don't be self conscious about dancing. No one will care because they are all to busy being self conscious about their own dancing.

5. American Dad is under rated and Family Guy is over rated.

6. I don't trust people who refuse to tell you their age.

7. When a telephone operator puts you on hold and there is no music, most likely you are just on mute. Be careful what you say because they can hear you.

8. If you're at a bear event and want to strike up a conversation, here are some universal topics to bond over: Sci-fi/Fantasy, the latest tech gadget, video games, and Charmed. (My relationship status is also clear due to my lack of interest in any of these topics)

9. The people who love drama the most are the people who constantly talk about wanting a 'drama free' life.

10. Sarcasm can create problems when texting. Proceed with caution.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

I Hate Cliché Tattoos

Tattoos, Friends or Foe? I like the idea of tattoos but I'm not sure if they're right for me.
One problem is...where on the body do you get the tattoo? Ink on a man's calf muscle is a classic that always looks great. Plus your calf muscle will not sag as much as other parts of the body. Once aging sets in, your once flat tummy will have grown and stretched. It's something to think about...What will this look like in 15 years? Will my pec muscles be in the same place when I am 50?

The arm band in a very popular spot. However it looks best when there is some muscular definition. As much as I love chubby boys, I am not always of fan of a chubby arm band. It's not a totally bad look, but proceed with caution. Side Note: The best arm band I ever saw was Pac Man being chased by the blue ghosts!

Tramp Stamps must be mentioned. A tattoo on the lower back can look good but beware of the connotation. Some people even think of it as a bull's-eye for cum. I still like it though despite what the critics say.

For the more hardcore guys, sleeves are the way to go. There is no going back after getting your arms completely covered in ink. The boy pictured above has a belly tattoo which looks hot! (despite the bizarro Arabic script) I have no way of knowing if this boy has a connection to middle eastern culture. He may... but I find it doubtful. If you are not connected to a culture, do not get their language tattooed on your body. Think of how many blonde college girls have Chinese symbols on their shoulders. You're not Chinese, you do not know Chinese, and you are not Buddhist. Stop being tacky with cliché tattoos. Have a tattoo that has some connection to your life or one that is visually creative.

Saturday, January 1, 2011

The Horoscope Test

The fun with horoscopes is to read them at the end of the day to check for accuracy. That gave me an idea. Yahoo.com posted horoscopes for 2011, and below is mine. The big test will be in 2012 when I look back and read it to see if they got anything correct.
Career:

Now that Chiron is finally coming out of your work sector this February after an extended seven-year saga of pushing every social insecurity button known to man, your work environment should be considerably less painful. If you've had trouble with co-workers or employees, you'll finally feel like you're getting some thicker skin compliments of Neptune moving out of your work sector between April and August. Use this planetary reprieve to take a more detached attitude towards all of the drama.
The absence of Chiron and Neptune in your work sector facilitates renewed confidence in your talents. You can stop second-guessing your skills and put more energy into furthering your assets. With a major eclipse pattern hitting your career sector in June, you can expect monumental changes to occur in your professional life between June and next January. This is the year for your hard work to pay off. Plus the lessons of compassion and heightened sensitivity you've learned over the past several years will only work to serve you in reading people's subliminal motives and assess who is a true ally and who to avoid at all costs when doing business.
Between the end of January and June, Jupiter comes back to bless your sector of legacy and other people's money. You'll likely be gifted with a considerable karmic jackpot in the form of a donation, gift, inheritance or loan. Do you still have issues receiving? Now is not the time to look any gift horses in the mouth Virgo. You've more than paid your dues with the amount of free help, guidance and other such service and now it's your time to receive and replenish the well.

Romantic

Your love life is beyond rich and transformational again this year. After enduring a prolonged deprivation spell, where true love seemed like something that only happened to other people, your turn for real love has arrived. Chances are you're already in the midst of a very soulful tryst that began last year. But if you happen to be one of the remaining diehard hermits, get ready to experience one of the most intense romantic encounters of your lifetime. Your birthday season tops the charts in garnishing romance and pleasure, so be sure to take some time off to properly enjoy the amorous gifts of Venus.
You've got two powerful planetary energies working to make your love life the stuff movies and dreams are made of (and for the long haul.) Neptune, the planet of dreams and soulful experience will take up residence in your relationship sector this April to bring you a preview of what's to come for the next fourteen years in radically spiritualizing your relationships. And then Pluto, the god of the underworld continues the excavation begun in 2008 in your romance sector. Over the next 14 years you can count on Pluto to bring unparalleled intensity and reveal hidden aspects of your self through the vehicle of romance. Nothing light or frivolous anymore when it comes to love, Virgo. If it's not a