My opinions may have changed, but not the fact that I'm right.
ASHLEIGH BRILLIANT
One of my favorite reddit boards is Unpopular Opinion. I don't post on the board or even have an account on reddit. I prefer to follow it in my feed reader. But I wish I could post on it. I don't do this because reddit is awful for deleting posts. So, I am going to post my unpopular opinions here at the C-Blog. If you disagree with these opinions, I do not care.
1. Put your lifestyle first.
This sentence is open to misinterpretation as people have visions of sports cars and motorboats. In actuality, I recommend that people decide how they want to live before making decisions on jobs, careers, living locations, and relationships. For instance, if you are someone who refuses to work on Sundays out of respect for the Lord, you shouldn't take a job that requires that. If you are someone who likes being home, you shouldn't take a job requiring extensive travel. If you hate shoveling snow, you shouldn't live in the Northeast. If you want to live large, then you need to pursue a profession that pays well. If you want to live like a bachelor, don't get married.
I am value neutral on these things. My lifestyle is different from others, and it takes all kinds to make the world go round. But what I think is universal is a conflict between your lifestyle and your situation only forces you to choose later in favor of the lifestyle. It would be better to make these choices at the beginning and save yourself the conflicts.
2. Mustaches and goatees look creepy.
I am not a facial hair guy. If you see me with a beard, it was because I was too lazy to shave. I never grow facial hair on purpose.
I am OK with a full beard. I don't care for mustaches or goatees. I grew a goatee for five minutes sometime back in the 90s but shaved it off after concluding that I looked like a prison convict. As for mustaches, I call them "pornstaches" and "molestaches." They are the facial hair for creeps and dictators.
3. Shorts on men look childish.
I ditched all of my shorts ten years ago as of this writing. I keep a ratty pair of cotton shorts from those days as sleepwear. When that pair gets decluttered, it won't be replaced.
I had a job that required pants. But it was Florida, so they decided to relax the pants rule to recruit talent. I kept my pants and eschewed the shorts. The rest of the guys looked funny to me in their shorts especially the ones with pasty white legs. On another job, our competitor went with shorts while we stayed with pants. We looked professional. They looked like children.
What do I do when it is hot? I just pull the pant legs up when I sit down and get a cool off. It feels nice. Otherwise, I feel underdressed in a pair of shorts.
4. Jeeps are stupid.
I am fine with Jeep pickups and regular SUVs. I just despise the Army style Jeeps like the Rubicon. They drive terribly on the road. They are freezing in the winter. You can't haul anything in a Jeep without a trailer. They are uncomfortable to ride in. And most Jeep owners never leave the pavement. All of the pluses of a Jeep can be had in a four wheel drive pickup truck. I think Jeep owners buy these things out of vanity, and I think they are douchebags. Don't buy a Jeep. Buy a pickup truck.
5. Backwards baseball caps are dumb and annoying.
I have been known to turn my cap backwards, but it is always when I am doing something requiring 360 degree peripheral vision like driving a forklift. Otherwise, the visor of the cap is in the forward position where it belongs. I never wear it backwards as a fashion statement. People who do this are idiots, but I appreciate them sending out the warning. My favorite thing to laugh at is when someone is wearing a cap backwards and squints or uses their hand to shield their eyes from the sun. Turn the hat around, dummy!
6. Smoking is not that big of a deal.
I am not a smoker, and I do not encourage smoking especially for kids. But I have to admit that smoking shaves off the worst 10-20 years of your life. The fact that Pope Benedict XVI lived into his nineties as a smoker is not something the Surgeon General wants out there. And when someone has some other terminal condition like a brain tumor, I think it is cruel to deprive them of a smoke.
Smoking is just annoying to us that don't smoke. That's the primary reason it gets demonized so much. Having to breathe someone else's air pollution is not fun. I am satisfied with pushing them to the smoker's ghettos outside of buildings where they have to puff away in the rain and the cold. If the cancer doesn't get you, the pneumonia will. Otherwise, enjoy that cigarette. Nobody lives forever.
7. Scrunchies and body washes are a waste of money.
I admit that I used a scrunchy for years. Then, someone pointed out that the body wash was 90% water. I turned back the dial on my memory bank to the time when I used a washcloth and bar soap for a fraction of the cost. I made the switch back and have been just as clean as with the body wash. Why did I ever go for the body wash? I blame marketing.
8. Taco Bell is better than any Mexican restaurant.
I have eaten at many Mexican restaurants, and I am going to say it. I'd rather eat Taco Bell. Taco Bell tastes better and costs less. And, you don't have to tip anyone. Plus, I can order vegan fare at Taco Bell with confidence. At the Mexican restaurant, you are getting the lard refried beans whether you want them or not. When you ask about the lard, you get the no speaka da English! I rarely eat out, but Taco Bell is my top choice when I do.
9. Ties are terrible.
I am down with the trend of wearing a suit or a sport coat without a tie. I think Mark Harmon made that look cool on NCIS. I'll wear a tie when it is required like for a funeral. Otherwise, I will do without one. I don't care to look dapper. As for bow ties, I really despise those. Tucker Carlson used to wear a bow tie. He ditched that awful neckwear, and his life got way better after that.
10. You should never marry more than once.
A long time ago, I decided that I was going to be a one-and-done on the marriage thing. I was not a Roman Catholic then like I am now, so that mindset and decision saved me from multiple bad decisions. I walked away from every woman I dated until I met the one I could not walk away from. If the Lord ever takes her away from me, I will not remarry but will live as a monk for the rest of my days. I will be grateful for what I had.
The vast majority of women today are not worth marrying. I do not believe in fornication or cohabitation. Either you are married with all of the joys and responsibilities that come with that, or you are single and celibate with the freedom that comes with that. I also do not recommend marrying a divorcee. She's already burned one sucker. She will burn you, too. Plus, that relationship is adultery in the eyes of the Lord.
That's it for unpopular opinions. There will be another round in a future post. You may disagree with what I have written here and dislike what I have written. I don't care. My opinion is worth the same as yours which isn't much.
