Questioning Love, Women, Sex, and... Sex?

 

“I don't know the question, but sex is definitely the answer.”

-- Woody Allen

What does it feel like to hit milestones like 100k, 1 million, or ten million content views on this site?

According to the stats, I just hit 589,000 views. I don’t know whether this is good for just a couple of years of answering questions. Being a humble person, I always look at these numbers the same way, This and $4 will buy me a cup of coffee.

I enjoy answering questions. I hope my opinions, when I’m not being a smartass, helps. A few members of the League of the Perpetually Offended “follow” me. I wish they wouldn’t, as it takes effort to ignore them as they try to bait me, an effort I could put to much better use. I find it humorous that they attack me and end up, unwittingly, supporting my point most of the time. I usually smile and move on.

What quality do you love most about yourself?

Humility. Like happiness, I also strive to be always humble.

Reader question:  Tony, how do you achieve “humble happiness?”

My reply:  It was very easy, for me, at least. I require very little in life. I have no debt, drive a used car, and live off half of my military retirement income (the “ex” has the other half). I treat all people as I would want them to treat me until they give me a reason not to, and then I happily oblige.

How do you achieve it? Make the choice. Life is all about making choices, so I made a good one that works for me - strive to be happy always and in all things. The alternative simply sucks.

Every morning I wake up and thank God for the gift of another day in paradise and another chance to excel in this life. If I fail or make a mistake, this is simply an opportunity to learn why I went wrong and to correct it. Life is really that simple. We make life hard by making bad choices, letting others foist their bad choices on us, or we wallow in self-pity. Better to let it go and just be happy. 

What type of attitude should I have when I get rejected?

An “attitude of introspection” might be in order. 

“The problem with introspection is that it has no end.”

-- Philip K. Dick

What is the experience you've had in life which demonstrates the Dunning-Kruger effect to the point that you lost all doubt that it is a real phenomenon?

Past lives. When I was in my early 20s, stationed in the Mojave Desert. I laid down on the bed and relaxed to the point of almost falling asleep. I entered a dream state and realized what had happened while I was there.

I was a young boy, riding in the back of an opened wagon, handing a ladle of water to pony soldiers as they came alongside. I could smell it, taste it, hear it like I was back in time living it.

I woke myself up and laid there going over what just happened. I could dismiss it, except I could taste the dust and smell the horse sweat for several minutes afterward. The incident has stayed with me ever since.

Is Meghan Markle an introvert or an extrovert?

Do I use toilet paper or a bidet? That's right, who gives a shit.

Does gratefulness lead to advancement, stagnation, or backwardness?

Heartfelt gratefulness evidences the ability of recognition. Some see this as a weakness. People “climbing the ladder” seem to step on more people than they recognize. Great for “climbing the ladder” but not too good for leading people. They get to the top and no one will follow them into battle, or someone will initiate a “friendly fire” incident by “accidentally” putting a bullet in them, figuratively speaking. A little weakness isn’t that bad for a good leader.

Does a woman need to be pretty to find a good man?

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and a “good” man does not have to be the “Adonis” in the crowd. Judging someone by their outward appearance says more about the one judging. Taking the time to look inside, finding who they really are, also says much about both of them.

If a woman feels she needs to be pretty, she’s at the wrong end of the pool. She’s swimming on one side of the shallow end, and the women who think their looks will find them happiness with some studmuffin are swimming on the other side of the shallow end. Better they should all consider looking deeper.

“When you first look at a woman, you are in fact blind to her beauty. The true beauty of a woman is revealed only after you get to know her.”

-- Richelle E. Goodrich

Do you believe attractive females are privileged?

Privileged to be outwardly attractive, but do they feel their beauty equates to true happiness?

What’s something that impresses you more about someone than how much wealth they have?

How truly happy they are, regardless of their wealth. True happiness defines success. Wealth defines inheritance or having attained a goal. Wealth has little to do with true happiness. If you take away the wealth and they can smile because they’re still happy to be alive, this is being truly happy.

How do we live a happy life, through science or through religion?

Choose to live a happy life. Get rid of everything that makes you not happy, and make the conscious choice to strive to be truly happy always and in all things. If someone tries to get you into their pit of misery, don’t go. Be happy. If you rely on a crutch, like science, religion, success, or money, you may find “happiness” but it won’t be truly sustainable happiness. Happiness is really very simple. Choose to be happy always, and then strive to make it happen. The people around you might catch a clue.

How do I get wealthy from nothing?

Hold your breath, and wait.  Or, you can count your many blessings.

“I'd rather have roses on my table than diamonds on my neck.”

-- Emma Goldman

What will not get you laid?

Rudeness, stomach-turning body odor, or a loud fart. 

Does having sex make you look older?

Well, that explains a lot. Probably the reason for my hair loss, as well.

Does having sex deteriorate your creativity and the ability to learn new things?

Not if you’re a multi-tasker, otherwise your mind will tend to wander… like your hands.

How long has it been since you had someone play with you sexually?

Don’t ask. I can’t remember.

Why is it okay for a woman to force a man to have sex with her but men can't do the same?

Please, force me. Spank me, use me, make me feel cheap. I don’t care. Really? Guys I know live for this to happen. The trick is making her feel like she’s forcing you.

“Good sex is like good bridge. If you don't have a good partner, you'd better have a good hand.”

-- Mae West

Is it time to stop celebrating the coming of the New Year?

Since it going and not coming, yeah.

You're either a winner or a loser, there's nothing in-between. How can I get people to understand this?

Because it isn’t true. If I’m working toward being a winner, I haven’t lost, yet. If I haven’t lost, yet, then I’m not a loser, yet. Besides the fact that what I am is what I feel I am. If I don’t succeed at anything, but I feel I’m a winner because I have life, I am so not a loser. If I don’t succeed in something, I’ve succeeded in something else, maybe just being alive. I’m only a true loser when I give up trying at anything, including life. 

What was the most influential thing that helped you to be happy?

Letting go of the extreme anger and hatred I’ve only felt for one person in my entire life. I always thought I knew what happiness was, but, then, I always thought I knew what abject hatred was, as well. Truth be told, I didn’t really know either of them. But, letting go of the hatred, learning to forgive both of us, and accepting the apology I knew I was never going to get, set me free from ever feeling emotion like that again. It just isn’t worth the effort we waste on it.

What is humanity's single greatest achievement only one answer no religion?

The science of medicine.

“Be ashamed to die until you have won some victory for humanity.”

-- Horace Mann

How do you make a valid will?

There are “will” kits at most business supply stores. Fill it out, sign it, and it’s about as valid as a will gets. If you want to make doubly sure, take the finished kit to a lawyer and, for a small fee, they will make it as legal as it can get. For the most part, in my opinion, any will that is written in your hand, signed by you and a couple of witnesses, is good as gold.

If I asked you for advice, what would you advise?

For you to expound upon the question.

How can I be respected at work and in life?

Develop a personal code of good moral ethics you will live by.

I could see having a few million or even 10 million, but what would one do with hundreds of billions, and, worse yet, hundreds of billions, especially when most people (by far) in this very US are struggling badly? Is this ethical?

It’s ethical if you obtained it ethically. It isn’t what you have, as much as it is what you do with what you have.

“It is impossible to escape the impression that people commonly use false standards of measurement — that they seek power, success and wealth for themselves and admire them in others, and that they underestimate what is of true value in life.”

-- Sigmund Freud

Editor's Note

(Re: disclaimer cum "get out of jail free" card)

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch, it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion. It doesn't make either opinion any more right or wrong than the other. An opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form opinions of their own, if they haven't already done so. This is also why, occasionally, I will present an "opinion" just to stir an emotional pot. Where it may sound like I agree with the statements made, I'm more interested in getting others to consider an alternate viewpoint. 

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and while engaging in peaceful and constructive discussion, in an arena of mutual respect, concerning those opinions put forth. After over twenty years with military intelligence, I have come to believe engaging each other in this manner and in this arena is the way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human. God's test for us is what we learn from the experience, and what we do afterward.

Pastor Tony spent 22 years with the United States Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, instructor, and senior manager. He spent 17 years, following his service career, working with the premier, world-renowned, Institutional Review Board helping to protect the rights of human subjects involved in pharmaceutical research. Ordained 1n 2013 as an "interfaith" minister, he founded the Congregation for Religious Tolerance in response to intolerance shown by Christians toward peaceful Islam. As the weapon for his war on intolerance he chose the pen, and wages his "battle" in the guise of the Congregation's official online blog, The Path, of which he is both author and editor. "The Path" offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's own personal, spiritual, path toward peace and the final destination for us all. He currently resides in Pass Christian, Mississippi, where he volunteered as a chaplain at the regional medical center.

Feel free to contact Pastor Tony:  tolerantpastor@gmail.com