Gohan blog post

A collection of random thoughts....

I've not typed a blog post before and have no idea what to say specifically, so I'll just do some random thoughts about this site or otherwise.

- I really hate aphids. You know, those little parasitic plant suckers that kill plants you actually like? I enjoy growing alpine strawberries and man do they love to suck on those things. Really ruined my enthusiasm, but then I discovered biological pest control which is when you include flowers in your garden that attract insects that feed on aphids and other plant pests which has been quite fun to mess around with. However, a very naughty squirrel started coming up on my deck and helping himself to my strawberries. Like, all of them. I didn't get any last year, the little bastard. So this year, I had eight large pine trees removed from my backyard and will be replacing them with a fence to grow morning glory on to my heart's content and a large enclosure surrounded by deer netting so I can grow my edibles in peace! I really enjoy growing things from seed and it will be fun experimenting with biological control methods and various fruits, vegetables and spices going forward. I also plan on starting my own worm farm to make my own worm castings which should also be fun!

- I have met several very nice people that have come and go over the years on this site, but by and large, I just love to look at profiles, pictures and just sort of engage in the internet version of "people watching". One thing I like about this site is how there are people from so many different countries and it's interesting to see.

- However, from what I've experienced anyway, profiles are mostly full of the same bullshit. Most of the women are "simple" and go on to tell you all about how they view themselves (humble, caring, not judgmental etc..), but all too often these claims seem to be made more for the purposes of telling potential messagers what they want to see instead of what's really there. I don't know, I've always found it to be a little strange how people make all these declarations about who they think they are as opposed to letting others decide those things from their interactions with you. We often don't see ourselves the same way others see us and I find it interesting how different they can actually be in reality. This is magnified on dating sites particularly this one based on my interactions with people and their profile declarations. Sure, some people do know who they are, but most people don't seem to be so in touch with themselves and instead view themselves the way they wish they were instead of what they really are. I always find it to be LOL funny when I see a profile full with wordy declarations about themselves for days only to get to the end and see them say they want someone who doesn't just talk about being a certain way or try to fool you with cheap talk. Hilarious. lol

- I also don't understand why people would hide their profile pictures from people who aren't already on their friends list. What's the point? The picture is half of what people look at to decide whether or not they want to message you. It's like going out in public with a bag on your head and not letting anyone see you unless they agree to be your friend first. It's just bizarre to me especially on a dating site and something I consider to be a red flag. I don't message people very often as I am very picky, but I never do so for such profiles or the ones with wordy, self declarations. It just makes me think the person is a little too full of themselves. :)

- What's with people who add you to their friends list, but never message you or answer you when you try to send them one? I am not interested in padding your friends list. I never really understood "social media" and this is one reason why. I don't use the term "friend" loosely, but I feel social media and "friends lists" all too often serve to diminish and trivialize what a "friend" is. Ask yourself, how many people on your friends list do you actually know anything about? How many of them do you talk to or have talked to long enough to consider a friend? How many of them are people you could go to when you need someone to talk to? I see a lot of the same men's profiles on almost all women's friend lists. It's like having a large friends list is some pissing contest with no substance whatsoever. I think social media is bad for society in a lot of ways... perhaps more ways than it is good at least as the entity currently exists as.

- I used to have three dogs when I was a kid. I had a miniature dachshund named "Lady" when I was a young teen and my parents decided to let her breed and have puppies. I remember watching them being born on the dining room floor and it was one of the coolest things I'd seen to that point in my life. She had five puppies, but one had to be put to sleep because of some defect it had. It couldn't walk right and was incontinent. He got the name Charlie Horse because of how he walked, but that was sad having to put him down. The only black one (Doc) went to NY and another one (Rusty) went to a nearby house. We ended up keeping the other two (Princess and Cuddles) along with the mom and the three of them would be in my bed some nights all at once.

However, no matter what people tell you, dogs are not loyal. Let me ask you this. If your significant other pounced on everyone that walked in the door to the point you had to yell at them to knock it off and tear them away, licked them and generally loved them instantly even if they were complete strangers, would you consider that person to be loyal? I'd consider them to be a whore. lol .. That's what dogs are; attention whores. They will love anyone for any or no reason. They're whores and whores aren't loyal! Dogs are loyal to groups if anything, but certainly not individuals. There is no loyalty. They'll love anyone instantly with all their heart especially if you give them food.

- Another thing I don't like about dogs is that they are high maintenance and need to have their poop picked up every single time they go. Of course, dog owners are more than happy to leave their dog's poop on other people's property which is really a high form of insult and disrespect if you think about it. Deliberately leaving poop on someone else's lawn? You might as well pull down your pants and crap on their lawn, too. I see people who pick up the poop and put it in a bag, then throw the bag on someone's lawn. To me, these dog owners should have their dogs taken away from them because they are obviously not responsible enough to have one. I've seen poop or bags of poop right in front of signs that remind them to pick up their poop or face a $1,000 fine. Who's going to enforce that, though? Take their dogs away from them. It may be disgusting to pick up shit (and it is), but when you decided to own a dog, you also accepted doing so as a part of your responsibility as a dog owner. It seems many dog owners these days don't care to maintain those responsibilities and instead shirk them off on someone else's lawn instead. Pick up your dog's shit or give your dog to someone who will. This isn't really a strike against dogs, but dog owners are pathetic and it makes me dislike dogs more.

Then, of course, there's the fact that dogs never shut up. You can't walk past a house with a dog in it without the dog going nuts. I see poor dog owners walking their dogs trying to distract them with treats to keep them from trying to launch into an attack on a nearby pedestrian forcing the (sometimes petite females) to engage in a tug of war with their dog that they can barely hold their ground with. They just never shut up. Train your dogs, people.

I don't hate dogs by any means, I just don't want one of my own. I'm much happier with cats. Low maintenance, will go to the bathroom in the same place every time for easy maintenance and can be easily trained despite most people claiming cats can't be trained. You just have to know how cats work. I brush my cat's teeth, cut her claws, clean her ears/nose and I can do it all without much hassle. She doesn't claw up the furniture either and of course, cats don't need baths since they clean themselves constantly.

Anyway, I'm not trying to start a dogs vs. cats thing here, just randomly blathering on. I have no problem with responsible dog owners or their dogs and which animal best suits you is more about your personality IMO. Dogs are high maintenance, easier to control and bend to your will, more subservient and eager to obey and be enslaved. On the other hand, cats can pretty much take care of themselves and possess a will of their own often choosing to do their own thing, but can be just as clingy and affectionate as a dog; you just have to work harder to earn it and that is something I can respect.


- People often say they hate being alone. Hell, I used to be the same way and it caused me to hold on to people for far longer than they deserved. Not wanting to be alone can lead to a whole lot of self inflicted pain. It can also lead to a person not knowing who they are. Being alone sometimes is absolutely essential for self development. Being forced to spend time alone with yourself can teach you a lot about who you are and it's far better than being in a relationship that isn't really serving you anymore and when something becomes cancerous, it needs to be cut out. It's going to hurt, but it'll hurt more the longer you leave it in there.

Something I've learned along my journey is that being alone isn't a bad thing. It is a real chance to get to know the person you spend more time with than anyone or anything else; YOU and REALLY getting to know yourself will help you to make better choices in relationships in the future. You learn what you like and don't like, what you can deal with and can't deal with and you no longer settle for those things. It is also a time to reflect on your role in the relationship as far as things that were your fault or things you can do better and why you make those mistakes. Look critically at yourself, determine negative aspects of yourself that relationships expose in you and work to correct those things if you so desire. You might be surprised at how you feel as you think back to the ugliest parts in your relationships and try to examine your role in those things. It's much easier to do when you're not in the thick of it all and charged with emotion.

Being alone is far better than being with someone and miserable. Learn to be happy with yourself, know yourself and love what you discover about yourself in these times. Embrace it, accept it, own it and be proud of who you are. Someone will come along eventually, so make sure you're not wasting your time and energy holding something together that should have been allowed to fall apart a long time ago when that person does come along. Until then, you'll be spending a lot of time with yourself. Make the most of it!

When you really know yourself, you become completely comfortable with yourself and who you are. Your strengths, your flaws, your tolerance for certain things, what you want and need in a relationship, what you want and don't want and so on. When you're fully aware of yourself and have accepted all that you are, it is much, much easier to be picky in relationships because you no longer feel the need to desperately look to others for things you now recognize have been within you all along. Now, you can be more selective and wiser in your assessment of potential relationship partners and will no longer feel the need to get into toxic relationships or spend all your time trying to make something work so you don't have to feel alone because you're never alone. You aren't a stranger to yourself any longer and that is an incredibly powerful gift that few people seem to find, but it lasts a lifetime. :)


I think I've put enough people to sleep now. See ya!

-Mike