How do you know when someone truly, sincerely loves you?
That’s a question that every love song, chick flick, and romance novel attempt to explore. I’ve certainly done my share of exploring with the novels and sexy short stories I’ve written. They don’t always answer the question, but they do give it drama and substance.
What about love in the real world? Stories are fanciful and theatric. The real world is not. However, true love still exists in this world. Being a lifelong lover of romance, and having seen it manifest first-hand in real people, I know just how real and powerful it can be.
Those real-life love stories are often more powerful than anything in fiction. Those stories are still out there, even in this cynical world we live in. You just have to know the signs, but that’s easier said than done.
What are those signs? Well, I certainly have my theories, but I understand the love manifests in many diverse ways. My experiences are limited, as are those of most people. Thankfully, that’s where Reddit comes in.
While it may have its dark corners, there are some genuinely heartfelt threads to explore. These threads will make your day for all the right reasons if you find them. Below is a video from the YouTube channel, Radio TTS, on a thread from r/AskReddit on signs that someone truly loves you.
If you’re a romantic or just want to explore the question, this is something that will definitely help. It may even help you realize for yourself just how much that special someone loves you. Enjoy!
For much of my life, I’ve always been a creative person. All the sexy short stories and erotica romance novels I’ve written should be proof enough of that. Even before I developed a taste for romance, I had an active imagination. Growing up with cartoons and comics definitely nurtured that. While the nature of that creativity has evolved over the years, I still value it greatly.
I’ve also learned that it has sex appeal. If you need proof, then look no further than rock stars and the groupies that love them.
Now, that’s a very particular kind of creativity, but it still counts. It’s one thing to just look good on stage while playing a guitar or a set of drums. It’s quite another to put together a string of notes and lyrics that sound awesome. It’s just as challenging to create a beautiful piece of art, be it a picture, a movie, or a story. The ability to meet that challenge says a lot about someone.
It’s not just that they’re creative. They’re willing to put in the effort and the passion to make it real. It took months of writing, revising, and editing to write just one of my novels. For some, it takes even longer. If they’re still willing to put in the work, then that’s the mark of a genuinely creative person.
That will give them sex appeal. If you’re willing to put that much work into a piece of art, then just imagine what they can do in the bedroom. I’ll leave those with dirty imaginations to fill in those blanks. Here are some Sexy Sunday Thoughts to help in that effort. I hope they’re sufficiently creative. Enjoy!
“Even the most wholesome family must start with a raunchy act.”
“We’re only weird until we find someone who shares our kinks.”
“To some extent, civilized society requires that we hide how horny we are most of the time.”
“The line between great passion and the simple desire to get laid will always be blurred.”
“A slow learner will need a patient lover, by default.”
“Like it or not, revenge sex will always be more satisfying than make-up sex.”
“What you yell during sex reveals a lot about your priorities.”
We all have that one book that has a lasting impact on us. Sometimes, we seek it out. Sometimes, it comes to us unexpectedly. Even if you’re not a voracious reader, it still affects you in a profound way. Whether it’s the story, the characters, or the underlying message, it resonates with you and you still feel it years later.
That’s how I feel about Gorge Orwell’s famous novel, 1984. To date, it’s one of my favorite novels and that’s counting all the comic books I’ve read. It’s considered a modern classic and for good reason. This book, its author, and its message came along at a dangerous time for civilization. While times have changed and 1984 has passed us by on the calendar, the message of this book is still as important as ever.
To celebrate that message, I made a video about it on my YouTube channel, Jack’s World. If you need a book to add to your summer reading list, I hope this video convinces you to put 1984 at the top. It had a profound effect on me. It changed the way I thought about politics, authority, and freedom. I hope it can do the same for others.
Let’s face it. We’ve had a lot of that lately. Last year gave us plenty of difficulties, to say the least. It certainly doesn’t help that good stories rarely make the news, mostly because it doesn’t garner ratings or shock value. I tried to do my part, but I admit it wasn’t easy.
I managed to find some silver linings, by they hardly made up for all the soul-crushing hardship that year wrought. My spirit is still not fully intact after being so broken by last year.
Even so, I still want to make that effort to highlight good news, especially when it’s unexpected or surprising. One such story involves the less-than-uplifting topic of suicide, something that is both emotionally charged and incredibly devastating for a great many people and their families.
If ever there was a year during which people could be forgiven for thinking such morbid thoughts, it’s 2020. If a story came out that indicated suicides went up during 2020 as the pandemic raged, then I doubt anyone would be surprised. It probably wouldn’t even be news.
However, according to a story from CBS, that’s not what happened. In fact, the opposite occurred. Against all dire assumptions and understandable cynicism, the number of suicides in the US declined significantly during 2020. I’ll give everyone a minute to wrap their heads around that.
The number of U.S. suicides fell nearly 6% last year amid the coronavirus pandemic — the largest annual decline in at least four decades, according to preliminary government data.
Death certificates are still coming in and the count could rise. But officials expect a substantial decline will endure, despite worries that COVID-19 could lead to more suicides.
It is hard to say exactly why suicide deaths dropped so much, but one factor may be a phenomenon seen in the early stages of wars and national disasters, some experts suggested.
“There’s a heroism phase in every disaster period, where we’re banding together and expressing lots of messages of support that we’re in this together,” said Dr. Christine Moutier, chief medical officer of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. “You saw that, at least in the early months of the pandemic.”
An increase in the availability of telehealth services and other efforts to turn around the nation’s suicide problem may have also contributed, she said.
I want to make one thing clear again before proceeding. Suicide is a serious issue that affects a lot of people. If at all you’re struggling with suicidal thoughts, please consider calling a help line or reaching out to someone. There are people out there who will listen.
Having said that, I also want to note that this news genuinely surprised me. Even as someone who tries to have more faith in humanity than most, this is pretty much the opposite of what I would’ve assumed and in the best possible way.
During a crisis, people tend to panic. We all saw that last year. Anyone who fought someone for access to toilet paper remembers that. When people panic, they get stressed out. When they get stressed, they tend to get depressed. How else are you supposed to feel when you see the death toll climbing every day?
Despite all that, fewer people fell beyond that darkest of dark points. More chose to endure. That bold part is something I highlighted because that is a real effect. Whenever a disaster strikes, people tend to come together. Things like political divisions, racial strife, and what not tend to fall to the wayside when we’re all at the mercy of something we can’t control.
It’s one of humanity’s greatest strengths. Our tribalism may divide us a lot during times of peace, but when the going gets tough, we come together for the sake of survival. That’s powerful sentiment and one that can bring out the best in people. During a global pandemic, we all have to come together to some extent to make it through.
In addition, some cite the rise of telemedicine and the ability to treat people with mental illness remotely as a contributing factor. I certainly think that played a part, but I suspect that the shared struggle and solidarity that often comes during a disaster was a larger factor.
That same shared sense of community and commonality directly counter some of the most powerful risk factors for suicide. Those who make that dire choice often feel alone and isolated. They feel they lack that core sense of community that’s so critical to any social species.
The fact it was strong enough to reduce suicide during a once-in-a-century pandemic is both revealing and encouraging. It shows that this shared sense of community has tangible benefits to large swaths of people. It also hints that the world we had prior to the pandemic wasn’t given enough people this sense of connection.
You can blame that on any number of things, from smartphones to outrage culture to politics. I certainly have my theories, but I’m not smart enough or informed enough to make them credible. I highlight this story because I think it offers and important perspective.
When things get really bad, people will come together. It’s only when they get bad enough that we realize how much more we can do as a community than we can as individuals. We shouldn’t forget that. Even after this pandemic is over and things revert to some semblance of normalcy, we can’t forget that we’re a social species.
We need each other.
We need friends, family, and neighbors. It doesn’t just make us all stronger during a crisis. It’s an integral part of being human.
I am a proud American. I love my country, the ideals it espouses, and the vision it offers for freedom loving people. I consider myself lucky to have been born in the United States. I understand that being an American comes with many benefits that millions of others cannot enjoy. For that, I am eternally grateful.
That same misguided sentiment also has a significant impact on democracy, one of America’s highest ideals. Regardless of your political leanings, that’s the one tradition that America holds more dear. We embrace democracy and empower the people to pick their leaders. Considering how leaders have traditionally come to power throughout history, it’s an admirable institution.
At the same time, it’s not without its flaws. Democracy, in principle, is great. It empowers the people. It allows the people to set the standards by which a ruler is put into power. Given how often power has been abused by rulers, that’s critical for a stable, functional society.
Despite that strength, it’s still worth asking an important question.
What are the greatest flaws of democracy?
I know just asking that will put me at odds with many of my fellow Americans. Thankfully, I’m not the first one to ask that question. In fact, this is a question that has been contemplated since before America was ever a country.
Democracy itself is not an exclusively American invention. Most educated people know that it existed in various forms throughout history, most notably in Ancient Athens. However, even back then, there were some who had major criticisms of democracy, both in principle and in practice. One of the most vocal critics was the Father of Philosophy himself, Socrates.
Now, I’m not a philosophy buff. I couldn’t begin to properly break down all the concepts, principles, and contributions that Socrates made to philosophy and Western Civilization in general. So, I won’t bother trying. Instead, I’ll just focus on what he said about democracy and why he viewed it so unfavorably.
To that end, this video form the YouTube channel, The School of Life, does a nice rundown of Socrates’ biggest criticisms of democracy. Watch it and follow his ideas. You may or may not agree with them, but they’re still worth contemplating.
Again, this is just a brief summary. The nuts and bolts of Socrates’ ideas and principles are far greater in terms of breadth and concept. With respect to democracy, though, his criticisms are fairly concise.
Democracy, namely the kind in which too many uneducated people have a vote, tends to lead towards demagoguery. Instead of diligent, qualified, well-meaning leaders, people will simply elect those who are capable of winning people over with promises and rhetoric. It doesn’t matter if they’re aristocrats or con-men. They just need to sway 51 percent of the population into giving them the power they seek.
I hope I don’t need to cite an example of this happening in the real world. I also hope I don’t need to name names of those who have carried themselves like demagogues in the American political landscape. In fact, there has been a distressing trend of American’s actively seeking to put their favorite demagogues for positions of power.
These are not skilled ship captains or trained doctors, like what Socrates described in his video. These are people who are just capable of persuading a large mass of people that they should wield power. They didn’t train to wield power like a doctor trains to treat illness. They just say they’re capable and it’s up to the people to believe them.
It’s not an unreasonable criticism. Does that mean I agree with it completely? No, I do not.
Does that mean I think there’s real merit to these criticism? Yes, I absolutely do and I think there are ways to address them.
Socrates’ issue wasn’t just with democracy in principle. He was more concerned about uneducated people who don’t appreciate or care for wisdom making critical decisions, such as who should lead a country. Another great philosopher, George Carlin, put it even better.
“Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups.”
I still love my country. I want it to be better. I want it to live up to its greatest ideals. However, I don’t think it can do so without taking the criticisms of someone like Socrates seriously.
I usually say this every couple of years, but I keep saying it. This may very well be the best time to get into comics. I know big time publishers are constantly marketing these big “jumping on points” that they see as a means to entice new readers. Most of the time, they’re just glorified sales gimmicks. However, it’s often when they’re not out to redefine their continuity that the best entry points emerge.
I feel like the current trends in the comics industry have made it easier than ever to jump right in. Between the Netflix-like service offered by Comixology Unlimited and the release of more omnibus comics, the industry has become a lot more user friendly. You no longer have to walk into a comic shop or book store, look at the walls upon walls of comics, and wonder where the hell you should start. These days, you don’t even need to leave your house.
On top of that, there are some big time upheavals going on in certain books. The Avengers is in the midst of the Heroes Reborn crossover event. The Justice League are poised to fracture like never before with Last Ride. The X-Men are about to raise their profile even more with the Hellfire Gala. These are exciting, promising events.
There’s also the prospect of more TV shows and superhero movies from Marvel Studios. Don’t discount that impact. As a long-time comic book fan, I like to think I have feel for when the industry is going through a transition. This feels like one of those times and if you want to join in, now is as good a time as any. You can even start today. Here’s my pull list and pick to help get you going. Enjoy!
It’s been almost a year since I began my YouTube channel, Jack’s World. It’s hard to believe it’s been that long. Then again, a lot of the work I put into this channel happened during the last year’s extended COVID-19 lockdowns. Hence, I can totally believe it’s been that long.
In that time, I’ve learned a great deal about the art, process, and particulars that go into making YouTube videos. I assumed it was a lot harder than successful YouTubers made it seemed. I was right on many levels. At the same time, I was somewhat relieved that the tools you need were readily available and learning to use them did not require going back to college.
I hope that those who have been following my channel since it began have seen an uptick in overall quality. Some of that uptick is largely due to hardware. If you listen to my first video, you’ll hear some fairly poor audio quality. That’s because I used a cheap USB microphone to record it. Compare that to my more recent videos and the difference should be clear. That’s the benefit of investing in a better mic.
I’ve made other investments in my channel, some of which came at a significant cost. However, there’s still room for improvement.
One such improvement involves my recent foray into video game footage. If you’re subscribed to my channel, you’ve seen me posting screen recordings of me playing a video game called Marvel Strike Force. I’ve created an entire playlist from it. I’ve even had a little fun adding epic music in the background and doing large mash-ups of extended gameplay.
The problem is that I’m finding it more and more difficult to refine that content. Aside from just recording the gameplay and putting music behind it, I’ve been struggling to add much more to it. At one point, I wanted to do some audio commentary during the gameplay. I found that to be difficult because these screen recordings come from my iPhone and I can’t use my fancy new mic on that.
Since I use a PC and not a Mac, I can’t really take advantage of better hardware on my main computer where I do all my video editing. I’ve also taken up a lot of space with some of the footage I’ve recorded and that’s on a relatively new device. Clearly, if I’m going to keep providing this kind of content, I’ll need to find a better way. I’m considering a software like Blue Stacks.
However, I’d like to take things a bit further than the games I play on my iPad and iPhone. At some point, I want to start doing gameplay from my PS4 and, eventually, a PS5 whenever I get one. With games like “Resident Evil Village” and “Mass Effect: Legendary Edition” coming out, I want to be able to stream longer and more extensive gameplay.
I know there are established ways to do that. I’m just not sure what form it’ll ultimately take on my channel. Will I use this gameplay as a means of offering background footage while I offer commentary? Will I just leave it alone and just show the footage? Will I use the footage to mash it up into something more creative?
I don’t know yet and I’m certainly open to suggestions. For now, one of the most immediate solutions I can pursue is getting a large external hard drive that I can use to store footage from both my iPad and my PS4. Another is to simply upgrade my iPad so that the resolution is better.
It really depends on what I feel will make a better video, in the long run. I’ll still do plenty of videos breaking down my favorite TV shows, movies, and thought experiments. My channel is still young with less than 100 videos. I’m also still building my audience. I don’t know how big it’s going to get or if I’ll hit a limit, as I’ve done with my many other creative endeavors. Only time will tell.
Again, I’m open to suggestions and tips. If you have any, please feel free to share them. In the meantime, enjoy this footage of me beating Dark Dimension IV in Marvel Strike Force.
The past few months have been full of objectively great news in terms of ending the COVID-19 pandemic. Given how, at this time last year, the entire world was shutting down and the news kept getting worse with each passing day, I welcome that news. Hell, I’m willing to celebrate it.
Again, this is a good thing. I got my vaccination and I cannot overstate the relief I felt when it was all said and done. I still take precautions when I go out in public, mostly because there are still some restrictions in place and I understand that not everyone has gotten their vaccine. That includes wearing a mask.
Then, last week, a big announcement from the Centers for Disease Control brought more good news to those who have been vaccinated. Apparently, if we get the vaccine, then there’s no reason to keep wearing a mask. Here’s the story from NPR.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that fully vaccinated adults can safely resume activities indoors or outdoors without masks or distancing, in gatherings large or small. The announcement marks a major milestone in the effort to emerge from the coronavirus pandemic in the United States.
CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky announced the new guidance Thursday.
“You can do things you stopped doing because of the pandemic,” Walensky said.
The new policy is based on recent real-world studies from Israel and the U.S. on people who’ve been vaccinated, she said.
Once again, I welcome this news. Like everyone else, I’m sick of having to wear a mask, just to go and get groceries. I also don’t like wearing a mask when I work out. That’s just one other piece of cloth that gets all sweaty and stinky. I’m as eager as everyone else to discard them.
However, despite this welcome news, I’ve already made a choice. I will continue wearing a mask in public, at least for now.
My reason for doing so has nothing to do with my trust in the science. I believe it’s legitimate. This is the Center for Disease Control. They’re not some wannabe guru trying to sell vitamins as a cure all. These brave men and women have been on the front lines since this crisis began. They’ve earned that credibility.
For that same reason, I choose to wear a mask because I understand that not everyone trusts the news and policies that public officials have given. That includes those who refuse to get the vaccine and refuse to wear masks. As a result, these people, who are a sizable chunk of the population, are still vulnerable. They’ll remain vulnerable until the infection rate is at a point where it’s easy to track, treat, and contain.
We’re not quite at that place yet. As of this writing, only about half the population has been vaccinated by at least one of the available vaccines. Just this past week, most clinics and pharmacies in my area started offering walk-in vaccinations without an appointment. That’s a great thing and people now have no excuse not to get one.
However, until that vaccination rate gets to a point where the virus can’t easily spread, I’m still wearing a mask. Even though the vaccine does prevent me from getting ill or showing symptoms, there’s still the possibility of breakthrough infections. While those vaccinated may never feel ill at all, they may still spread it and they could spread it to someone who is not vaccinated.
I do not want to be one of those people.
I do not want to be someone who spreads this terrible disease to someone, even if I never feel sick.
Yes, wearing a mask is uncomfortable and I look forward to discarding them.
No, I’m not willing to risk hurting other people for my own personal comfort.
That’s not just an informed choice. It’s the right thing to do and it’ll get us out of this crisis that much sooner.
I love going to the gym. I love working up a sweat, grunting through sets, and pushing my body to be better and stronger. I say all that after having made very clear that I was not at all like that for a good chunk of my life. I know I belabor that a lot, but it’s still worth saying. If a guy like me can learn to love going to the gym, then anyone can. Of that, I am certain.
However, I still wouldn’t go so far as to call myself a full-blown gym rat. I know people who definitely qualify. I am not at their level. I go to the gym at least three times a week, usually for an hour or so at a time. I know people who go every day and for hours at a time. Trust me. It shows and not just in terms of their muscle mass.
For a gym rat, going to the gym isn’t just about staying in shape. Working out is a passion and an understandable one. You work hard, you push your body, you feel the burn, and you get a good rush from it when you do it right. You don’t need to have too dirty a mind to see how that can have some sexier connotations.
It’s not just men, either. I know a few women who are just as fond of the gym and would definitely identify as gym rats. Their workouts tend to be different, but they’re just as passionate. It also shows in how they carry themselves, both in terms of their effort and their sex appeal.
That shouldn’t surprise anyone. Working out and exercising helps make you healthier, fitter, and sexier. Most people understand and appreciate that. Gym rats just take it to another level. Most of us will never be on that level, but you have to respect the passion they put into it, as well as the results they get from all that hard work.
To all the passionate gym rats out there, keep sweating, grunting, and pushing. Here are some Sexy Sunday Thoughts to get your heart pumping, among other things. Enjoy!
“The existence of the orgasm gap between men and women is definitive proof that psychics don’t exist.”
“An accident during sex can either be horrific or revealing or both.”
“It’s very likely we’re all underestimating how many people have tried anal sex in some form or another.”
“We’ll never know the biggest pervert for the same reason we’ll never know the greatest spy.”
“Our taboos towards sex ensure we’ll always be suspicious of women with vibrating back massagers.”
“Those who struggle to improvise are destined to struggle in spicing up their sex lives.”
“Having a boring sex life is like having a car that can never go above the speed limit. It’ll get you where you need to go, but you’ll rarely get excited along the way.”
The following is a video from my YouTube channel, Jack’s World. In this video, I wade into the world of shipping wars, which is something long-time romance fans like me tend to do often. As much as I love romance, there are certain romantic pairings that evoke a special kind of passion from the fans. One such ship is Reylo, the romance between Kylo Ren and Rey Palpatine in the Star Wars sequel trilogy.
Now, I know this pairing is controversial among fans. I know the Star Wars sequel trilogy is controversial among the entire Star Wars fandom. This romance is often part of that controversy. As such, it’s worth exploring. This video is my way of breaking down the appeal, the strengths, the flaws, and the possibilities of this unique pairing. Enjoy!
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