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Why I Left Twitter
Early in January I executed one of my New Year’s Resolutions; leaving Facebook and Twitter. I’d been on Facebook since 2008 ~ an early adopter as compared to the masses in the 2010’s and beyond. As for Twitter, I never got into that platform until the 2016 election cycle. …and that’s where my distaste for these two platforms began.
The rhetoric, the memes, the hyperbole, the blatant lies all played a part in my decision to throw my middle finger into the air at both sites. I wholeheartedly loathe both of them. Not that I didn’t think there wasn’t an opportunity for healthy discussion in social media, but true intellectual engagement never existed. Having an opinion is one thing, (you know the expression…), but if it is not an educated opinion, it is worthless. Feelings don’t trump facts.
I’ve made it through the 21 day abstinence period, so if I had a propensity for an addiction I have safely exited that time frame; thankfully. What do I miss about Facebook?
1. Keeping up with people that don’t get to interact with frequently.
2. Seeing the children/family of long-time friends.
3. Birthday reminders (thankful they synced with my calendar) and the ease of sending birthday wishes.
4. Event invites. You might as well have fallen off the Earth!
5. A place to be a smart-ass. I did have a lot of fun being silly and not having that outlet is a lot less fun.What I don’t miss? 1. The bullshit. That sums it up!
IMHO, Twitter can crash and burn. With 45 blowing that site up hourly, I don’t want to have anything to do with it. Hate-filled speech seems to be no violation of any policy. Anything goes in Twitterland; porn, harassment, sexism, misogyny, etc…
Where to now? Happier places. Pinterest for fun and curious things I like. Instagram to see what my friends are up to and post my life happenings. It’s really been alright after saying goodbye. However, it has also certainly been quite different without those two social media outlets in my life. I know I’m not the only one who is ‘over’ these two platforms. They wreaked havoc on our democratic process and directly aided a foreign government in meddling on our 2016 election, that’s unforgivable.
4 months later…..
Why I came back. Since I wasn’t on fb, some party invites never found their way to me. Seems like facebook events are the go to means of party planning. So I am back on the platform because I have FOMO. I plan not to engage in it too deeply though…
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Ageism and The Gays
On a random January Sunday, I invited a few of my friends over for cocktails and dinner. While everyone was having a great time enjoying the food and imbibing on margaritas, I noticed a central, unwelcomed, theme in the conversation; ageism. Knowing that gay banter can frequently be tongue-in-cheek, pointed, flippant and “shady,” I initially brushed off the comments as I am mostly thick-skinned. After the event, I found myself frequently lost in thought reflecting on the critical behavior of my friends. There were a few revelations in my retrospective. Firstly, my guests were not all gay, so everyone was in on the “fun.” Secondly, the age of my guests ranged from 27 to 36, placing 14 years between myself and the eldest guest. Thirdly, a mob mentality persisted. Every guest participated in the “let’s poke fun at Scott’s age” bandwagon.
While I certainly understand my friends having some fun and being a bit silly, I was quite taken back with the ferocity of the criticism. Aging is something I can’t escape. Frankly, I believe I’m managing my aging quite well. I’m quite happy about making it to midlife essentially unscathed. I’m healthy, financially secure, fit, and confident; qualities that everyone should be proud of. Having those qualities overlooked then being pointedly attacked for my age, didn’t have me doing cartwheels about the people I called my friends. Friends should prop each other up, not snarkily criticize them.
Many years ago I was having a heat to heart conversation with my mother and asked her for her best piece of advice on life. She didn’t hesitate one second to say, “Keep your friends varied. All ages and all walks of life.” I’ve tried to embrace that philosophy, but I find a sourness growing towards my younger friends due to their fixation on my age. There’s so much more to talk about and engage in other than sophomoric attacks on age. So mom, I’ve changed your mantra a bit to, “Gather friends who are varied, smart, intellectually engaged and supportive.”
I second this meme from Pinterest, apparently quoting Angel Bassett.
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Mangifting
Not sure what to get your dad or buddy for Christmas?
Think outside of the gift box and consider something more utilitarian.Topping my list is a flexible bit extender. Many times I find myself working on my car and a socket set just won’t quite get into a spot that I need to tighten a screw or bolt, this handy device is perfect for those hard to reach spots.
A hex bit set is great for those who tinker with technology and devices with super tiny hex screws.
Lastly, a quick-change bit holder. If you mess around with tools, bits are a royal pain to contend with. A bit holder makes swapping out bits super easy.
Good luck finding the perfect “dad gift.”
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Have a Manly, Manly Christmas…
Time to break out the list and write down your gift buying plans for friends and family. Men, I’ve found, can be quite tricky to buy for. There are the tried and true staples; shirts, ties, shoes, gift certs and booze. Such things seem to be great “go-to” items, but I try to be a little more creative in my gifting. Something with a bit of humor or a compelling story is a really good thing.
For instance, I have one friend who is always grilling and cooking. He’s very good at it. He loves using recipes but gets frustrated when they don’t turn out as planned. I don’t know why he even worries about it as anything he serves is always delicious. So the gifts I have planned to get him are a little cheeky.
Esquire Man’s Cookbook 
Esquire Men’s Cookbook I have another buddy who loves his whiskey and bourbon, so I found this little gem while shopping at Noah Marion Quality Goods. One little taste and I was sold. It is friggin’ delicious! (Plus is has a Texas story to go along with it, so win, win, win.)
Ben Milam Whiskey More info here:
Ben Milam Bourbon Lastly, cool shit that no one else has. Now that is alway a winner!
A local recommendation is Noah Marion Quality Goods on S. Lamar at Oltorf. Cool leather goods that show you took the time to look and buy something special.
Noah Marion QG If you want to do it all online, check out Smathers and` Bransen
I also have some great ideas on my Pinterest page
Oh, try Kate Hershe, aka Austin Morgan, too
Happy Holidays!
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Getting Through the ATX
If only they had actually followed through with this.
Rumor has it the Austin elders didn’t want the city to grow.
1960’s map -
Chronicling Cars
After some wine consumption with my sister, we decided to chronicle all the cars we’ve owned. We were both surprised at the number of cars we’ve owned and the vast range in vehicle type. Turns out, I am a Ford and Chrysler guy; the Ford prevalence was surprising.
I decided to rebuild the list in a catalog on Pinterest.
Update… I got another Caddy. Admittedly, the dealership left me less than happy with my last one, but we had a heart to heart and I came back to GM/Cadillac.
ATS Performance -
“Make Beautiful Affordable Again”
I love that title!
I wish developers would get on a bandwagon to build homes with artistic merit:
More here.
