CMO71:

 

Today is Thursday, January 11, 2024.

Hi Journal!

This is where I like to come when I have a lot on my mind. Coming here is like retreating to the cardboard box I used to hide in as a child. To quote a phrase one of my adult children likes to use, 'It feels like my safe place.'

To be honest, I respectively doubt that such a place exists, but it is nice to believe that it does [exist].

I suppose I need to find another resource, someplace more private, where I may speak freely about what is on my mind without offending the sensibilities of the reader. I would not want to be accused of leading a reader down the wrong path or seeming that I am indifferent, insensitive, not politically correct [I dislike that term], etc.

So, until such time that a new more private journal resource, asset, site, whatever the correct terminology is for such a site, I will guard my words and write with caution, remembering to keep family friendliness in mind.

You  never know who is reading these entries.

BOOKS

I purchased three new books while I was treating myself to retail therapy Wednesday afternoon. The title of the books are: "Where Is Our Solar System?" "What Was the Age of the Dinosaurs", and "Who Was Walt Disney?" 

All published by WHO HQ.

I realize these books are written for children [hence the reason I found them in the children's book section at Target]. Still, I enjoy reading them just the same.

I began by reading "Where Is Our Solar System?" I have always been fascinated with astronomy.

In my reading, I learned that ancient Chinese, farmers to be precise, thought an eclipse was a dragon eating the sun. According to the book, the farmers would make noise with the hope of scaring the dragon away, which they thought occurred once the light from the sun shone again.

Contrast that to the ancient Greeks who believed that a superhuman god names Helios, would pull the sun behind him with his chariot, which explained the difference between sunrise and sunset.

Fascinating!

Then there is the brief mention about the Mayans who believed sunrise and sunset was the direct result of a moon goddess fighting with the sun, forcing it to go down into the underworld every night.

I completed chapters 1-3 also reading about Aristotle, Ptolemy, Omar Khayyam, Copernicus, and Galileo--the latter being put on trial in 1633 by the Catholic Church because he pointed out that the earth revolved around the sun, not the other way around. Afraid of being punished, Galileo told the Church that he was wrong. For that, he was placed under house arrest until his death in 1642.

Bum deal! Still, better to be under house arrest than in a prison facility or worse. There I go again looking for the good in an unfair situation.

Getting back to the book, it's a fascinating little book to read.

LIFE BOOK

I suppose it is time that I get serious about chronicling my life journey. I suppose it will be more for me than a curios person who likes to read that kind of stuff. I cannot imagine anyone being interested in my life journey. The first question someone will ask is "Who is Carlos Michael?". Which will then be followed up by, " Is he famous? Was he rich? Was he a sports superstar? Musician? Actor? Business tycoon?" When the answer comes back "no" to all those questions, the response will then be, "Then why do I want to read about that guy!?

Good point. But if it is okay with you, I will write it just the same and leave it for history to decide.

DIGITAL CONTENT CREATOR

I have been giving serious consideration to my contract position title of Communications Coordinator with a local parish community. I am wondering if that title is accurate? I say that, because according to Google, a Communications Coordinator is an administrative role that supports a company's communications department. It's kind of hard to be a coordinator in an administrative role when there is no communications department, in the traditional sense. 

Well, yes and no. Unless you count the priest as the communications department.

Remove said position and I would look more like a  Digital Content Creator: someone who creates content for digital channels and social media platforms. Their content can include phots, videos, graphics, and blog posts. Digital content creators can communicate, educate, or entertain their audience through their content. 

Now that sounds more like me and what I do. Not just for Carlos Michael Communications Media but in that contract position as well.

THE UNDERWEAR EXPRESS 

Not just underwear, but a whole lot more! This was once the name and slogan of a business I attempted to get off the ground during the early 90s with the support of the former wife. However, to be brief (pun intended), I never could get the business to fly! Oops! Was that another pun? Not on purpose but now that I think about it, I suppose it was.  

It was during that time when boxer briefs, also known as tight boxers or A-Fronts began to gain in popularity. It was also during that time the term tighty whities came into use. It is a slang term for traditional male full-cut briefs or what some of us like to call old school classic briefs. The same style of briefs I enjoyed wearing back in the day AND today. The term tighty whitey is generally used as a derogatory slant just like banana hammock, butt huggers, etc.

It was bad enough, especially after 2000, if you like wearing the old school classics--but if you preferred white over colors, you were really biting the bullet. Someone once said to me, "If you're going to wear those male version of the girlie granny panties, you could at least wear colored briefs!" To which I responded, "If I thought it was any of your business as to the color choice of my underwear, I would, but since it isn't, I won't!"

Nothing rocks my boat or yanks my chain more than when someone accuses me of being less than a man because of my choice in underwear. And then to further exacerbate the situation by proceeding to tell me how boring or out of sync I am with the times just because I still enjoy wearing the same plain old boring white briefs that I wore growing up.

It was for that reason that I wanted to open The Underwear Express. While I fully intended to feature all three styles of men's underwear available at the time: briefs, boxers, and boxer briefs, I was going to go top heavy with the classic old school traditional briefs as a sort of...in your eye kind of statement even if the store never grew beyond just the one store.

It was my attempt to push back at all the negative publicity and smack talk traditional briefs were getting including those of us like me who still liked wearing them. To be brief, "Those negative, mean-spirited comments that were being made really hacked me off!"

Unfortunately, I fell short of my goal and the store never took off, however, that did not deter me from standing up in defense of the traditional classic old school brief that I find myself still doing to this day--defending and pushing back against those who continue to believe that the brief is dead. I am here to tell you they are not.

Okay, so why am I talking about this? Because I am considering launching a new podcast or blog that will be devoted to the defense of this simple, yet functional piece of men's fashion attire, but will not be the only topic I plan to discuss on the show. The goal will be to discuss a variety of family friendly topics of interest to men including tighty whitey apologetics.

Not so much a defense of, as it will be an explanation of why I am an old school, whites only, fan of traditional men's briefs. I will keep you posted.