Bros and hos

I recently set out to learn something about a facet of popular culture for which I was almost clueless. It all started innocently enough, with me thinking that two young people I know might want to meet each other. Not that I have any qualifications as a match-maker, but you never know who might hit it off.

The girl I know quite well. The guy - I know one facet of his life (his profession) pretty well, and he seems nice enough. The people he works with all speak very highly of him. So I show said girl a picture of said guy, and am surprised by her reaction. Yeah, he's good looking...but he might be a "bro".

When she tried to explain to me what she meant, it didn't seem to fit what I knew about said guy. But again I don't really know him outside of our professional relationship. So I wanted to learn more. A few words typed into a search engine, and I've got a ton of information for my research.

With billions of pages on the Internet, there are sites dedicated to everything you can think of (and even more to things most people would never think of). And there are plenty of bro sites with awesome stories of all things bro. They even have their own language, epitomized in this essay from The Onion (language warning).

These sites were a lot of fun to read. Assuming that most of what I read was super-exaggerated for comic effect, it seemed like bros are basically a modern version of the Deltas from Animal House.

So I was all set to do a funny take on the bro thing. I was even going to write about doing "field research" by observing the behavior of bros in their natural habitats (said girl offered to be my guide). But then my online research took me to places that weren't so funny.

What if many of those stories I read weren't exaggerated after all?

(to be continued)

Pooped puppy takes a nap

Meet Slim, the newest addition to our family. She's still very shy, getting used to her new home (my sister's house). She's sweet and fluffy and sleepy and I love her already.

Dogs love you back

I've always been more of a cat person, but let's face it...most cats barely acknowledge your presence unless they want something. Dogs actually do love you back.

Check out these videos of dogs greeting their long-absent owners.

I was in tears by the second video.

Do just a little more

I have given up on a lot of things in my life. Some things I wanted to do I never even started. But the ones I did start...how many of them could have been a success if I had just done a little more?

The line between failure and success is so fine that we...are often on the line and do not know it. How many a man has thrown up his hands at a time when a little more effort, a little more persistence, would have achieved success. A little more effort, and what seemed hopeless failure may turn to glorious success.

Elbert Hubbard
via Walk the Talk

Five o'clock moon

The view from my window tonight.

Knuckle chuckle

A friend recently turned me on to mixed martial arts. I've watched a few bouts, and it is not at all what I expected. What struck me (pun itended) was the grace of their movement. Watching them move reminded me of dancing - right up until the point where our guy got pummeled after taking one to the chin.

The MMA fighters are supreme athletes in extraordinary physical condition. Their training includes, of course, proper nutrition.

I wonder if this is on any of their diet plans!

Check out all the fun stuff at Insanewiches.

For the broken hearted

Seems several of my young friends have recently experienced breakups or that unique heartbreak of unrequited love. And my heart goes out to each of you. I wish I had words to make it all better for you.

All I can say is I know it hurts. A lot. It's gonna hurt for a while, then feel better, then hit you like a ton of bricks again. That is the nature of grieving.

Twice I have fallen hard for guys who did not love me back. I have been loved and dumped (rather publicly) for a prettier girl. At the time, I blamed it on the fact that she was prettier, but that's not why he dumped me. I've also been on the other side of a breakup.

Relationships are the stuff life is made of...the good ones and the bad ones alike. And the ones that were good that then turned bad...well, it's just gonna have to hurt for a while.

You will get over it - I promise! Don't be too hard on yourself, but don't wallow for too long either. Keep moving, living your life and trusting that there is love in your future.

And he might just be as awesome as Mr. Wonderful.