Tag: twitter

Time Wasters

Rob Says3 Comments

I’ve been active on Twitter and other forms of social media in a “serious capacity” for over two years now. I have a love/hate relationship when it comes to Twitter. On one hand, it’s where I’ve met some seriously incredible people. Smart, funny, knowledgeable, you name it. It also happens to be my best medium for putting my “message” out there. This blog, at least at the time of this writing, has only about 120 or so followers. I’ve been writing on here since October of 2016. I’ve got over 2000 followers on Twitter. Nothing to brag about and I’m honestly not trying to cultivate followers, I just want my message to be heard. Twitter is where it is at for me, at least for the time being.

That being said, the “hate” part of Twitter for me is the buffoonery and absolute stupidity that I see on a day to day basis. Guys LARPing about “saving the west,” “semen retention,” “whamen bad,” “orange man bad,” “degeneracy (whatever that means) bad.”

I came on to Twitter originally to learn, and learn I have. My more immediate goals with that platform is to connect with people and develop real life relationships with those people. I’ve succeeded so far. The part that I worry about occasionally is that I may in fact be creating an echo chamber for myself.

I’m all for intelligent conversations and discourse. I’m all for being able to agree to disagree. There are plenty of people that I follow that I don’t agree with them on everything. At least when we have a disagreement, it is civil and we still respect one another. No name calling and flipping out needed.

When I go to learn something, I start with what I don’t know and I “chunk down” until I can get to the most basic components of whatever it is that I’m trying to learn. Once I’ve figured out those basic components I tend to “chunk up” to a more broad picture that involves a lot more context and nuance. For me, that’s where I get to apply whatever it is that I have learned and put it to use.

At the highest and most useless “level,” there are people on Twitter.

The next level down, for me, is Time Wasters and Everybody Else. You can continue to “chunk down” if you want, I know I did, at least awhile ago, but now I’m good with this particular category.

I don’t care what your political bent is. I don’t care what religion you follow. I don’t care what you identify as. I don’t care about your sex or your gender, or anything else of that nature.

What I care about is: Are you a Time Waster? Are you going to waste my time with stupid shit? Are you saying stupid shit on the internet? Are you inviting me to join your circle jerk or are you saying something of substance that I might find useful, even if I disagree with it or you?

Can you teach me something about making YouTube videos? Can you show me something on a musical instrument? Can you paint or draw? Do you know how to write? Are you good with women? Or are you going to tell me that I shouldn’t be getting laid because I’m short? Are you going to give me worthless information like, “Just take her to the dance, man. And wear shoes! Not sneakers!”

Are you going to talk to me about giving yourself an enema and how you’re betting serious money on an election? Are you going to talk about “spirit cooking” and the illuminati? Are you going to spout off about how the Mormon’s and Islam is going to save the west?

Are you going to start off your theory, argument, thesis, diatribe, or rant with “As a Real Man” and hope that your weak statement can be bolstered by guilt and shame?

If so, that’s okay. You are a Time Waster. You are wasting my time. My time is my most precious commodity. I have less going forward than I do behind me. It’s the one commodity that I can’t get more of and I can’t get back any that I have spent or lost. In many ways, it’s actually finite because at some point in the future I’m going to stop breathing and I’ll be dead.

I don’t mind shit posting. Hell, I do that the most on Twitter. Twitter is where I go to relax if I can. Twitter is where I can “let my hair down” and just “hang out.” Twitter is my bar at the moment. It’s where I go to have a few drinks and talk shit with my friends. It’s not where I go to have my time wasted. It’s not where I go to get lectures from 24 year old’s on “How To Be An Alpha Male.” Dude, shut the fuck up and sit down, you’re giving me a headache.

It’s not where I go to learn about honor and virtue. Those things mean different things to everybody who encounters them. It’s not where I go to learn about religion and which one is supposedly the best. I don’t give a fuck.

I go to learn new skills not how to be a better LARPer.

When I get on Twitter my day consists of reading my DM’s, scrolling my time line, automatically muting “promoted tweets” aka ads (because fuck those) replying to people that I feel like replying to, writing an occasional tweet, and then muting time wasters. Why mute instead of block? Because fuck them, that’s why. I don’t need them knowing I blocked them so that they can parade it around to their fellow idiots. The only people I block is my ex-wife and those that are a real special kind of stupid. So if I have blocked you on Twitter, odds are pretty good you are not my ex-wife. Unless you are.

Now this isn’t hard science backed up by sources and facts, but in my experience I will say that at least 70% of people on Twitter are time wasters. The other 30% is everybody else and so I’m very careful about who and what I follow. If that builds me an echo chamber, then so be it I guess. At least it won’t waste my time.

Whatever you choose to do with your time is on you. Spend it on whatever you want. Waste it however you want if that’s what you want to do. Or realize that your time is finite and you can’t get more of it and you can’t get it back and so maybe put it to better use instead of guilt and shaming people into your point of view. If your assertion is really that strong it should be able to stand on its own without guilt or shame tactics. It should be able to speak for itself. Think before you tweet. Don’t be a time waster.

Or go ahead and be a time waster. I’ll figure out for myself really fast if you are and you’ll be screaming into the void from there on out.

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Digital Dark Gods and Babylon

Rob SaysLeave a comment

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Babylon A.D.

Just got back today to the city of sin.
They say the apple and the snake is how it all began…

And now I’m back, in Babylon…

Those are lyrics from the song, “Back in Babylon” from the band, Babylon A.D. Check them out sometime if and when you get a chance, you won’t regret it.

I was going to write this post over a year ago, but other projects, people, things, situations, and life itself got in the way. Lots and Lots of distractions and things to do.

Today is September 14th as I am writing this. This post will be published on Wednesday the 16th, that’s when you, Gentle Reader, will be seeing it for the first time. Thursday September 17th will mark the second year anniversary of my Mother’s death.

Two years already. Two years.

In some ways, it feels almost like she died yesterday. In some ways it feels like she died a long, long time ago. I can still see her face in my mind’s eye without having to look at pictures and I can still hear her voice if I so call on it.

If and when the day comes that I can no longer recall her voice, I have a couple of voice mails that she left me several months before she died. I can always listen to those if and when I want to. Right now, almost two years later, I’m still good not listening to them.

I haven’t been to her grave in almost two years either. I was there the day we put her in the ground, but I haven’t been back. Part of me thinks I’m avoiding it. But why? All that is there is a headstone and grass. Underneath that is her casket and inside is her body. Her “soul” isn’t there. Her “essence” isn’t there. If I want to “feel her presence” so to speak, all I need to do is go and visit my Dad. Bits and pieces of what she did in life are still in that house. There are some toiletries and whatnot that she purchased that are still there. Hell, some of her personal belongings are still there. None of that stuff is at her grave.

So I don’t go. And honestly, I don’t know if I ever will go except for when my Dad dies. His plot was purchased years and years ago, and it resides right next to hers. That may be the next time that I see her grave. And after that? Like the wind, I’ll be gone. Gone from Utah. Gone from the life that I have known and into a new life somewhere else. Somewhere warmer than here. I’m tired of the snow and I’m tired of the cold. A warmer climate where I can ride my motorcycle year round would be ideal. But not so hot that I’m cooking at night. Probably Texas.

I’m not running from my life and I know that wherever I go, there I am. You can’t run from yourself. Wherever you run to, you’ll still have to deal with you because there you are. I knew a few guys when I was much younger who ran from things in their home and their lives, and yet they could never run far enough or fast enough from themselves. Nowhere was good enough because there they were. Some of them kept running and are still running to this day as far as I know.

That’s not me. I’m not running from anything. I’m good with my life and my life choices. I’m good with staying here in Utah for the time being, I’m in no hurry to leave. At the same time, once my Dad dies, there’s nothing keeping me here. I’m not close to any of my extended family. I can always transfer my job from here to wherever I want to go for the most part, and if I can’t transfer, I can always find another job.

As far as women are concerned, if I have someone serious in my life at that time, she’ll either come along for the ride, or she won’t. If she does, great! If not, that’s too bad, but I’ll find another one, or several other ones, wherever I end up.

Let’s move along.

I mentioned that I’m taking up music again. I’m excited for this. I’m excited that I’ll be creating things that I haven’t created in a long time. I’m nervous at the same time. I don’t know how to explain it, but there it is. I’m nervous too. I’m sure it’s my inner perfectionist yapping about being perfect and being able to just “master this shit” right off the bat. That’s not how it works though. Just like writing or making videos, or standing in front of an audience, I don’t think you ever truly “master” it. You might become so good at it and so comfortable with it that other people will call you a “master,” but in your own head, it’s never quite there. You’re always striving to achieve more and to “do better” than the last article, the last video, or the last performance that you gave.

Since I’m taking up music again, something has got to give. I don’t have enough time in the day to do everything that I’m doing. So what is going to get the axe?

Not dating. I like women too much. Not motorcycle riding. I like that too much too, plus it’s therapeutic in ways that non-motorcycle people will never know. Not shooting guns. Got to keep my skills up for the upcoming apocalypse. Not doing my videos or liveststreams. Those are too much fun too. I still need to work and I need to eat and sleep. I’m barely getting enough sleep as it is, so I’m not giving up more of that. And I’m definitely not giving up writing. It’s another creative outlet for me to focus and channel some of my energy to. This blog isn’t done until I say it is done, and I’m not done here by a long shot. I’m going to keep it “non-fiction” as it were, and I’ll focus my fictional creativity over at Punchriot. You should go there and subscribe if you want to see my fiction as well as many other amazing writers. The only thing that I hope when it comes to my fiction is that I don’t disappoint my editor, Nick August, and that I don’t disappoint the people who read my work.

So I’m not going to give up all those things. What am I going to give up then?

Twitter.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ll still keep my account active and up, but I’m going to limit my presence there. Twitter has become too much of a waste of time for me. A couple of interactions recently showed me this. I’ll still be there to use that platform to promote this blog, my YouTube channel, my audio channel, and I’ll still be there to interact with people in my DM’s, but other than that, I’m going to limit my time and interactions there severely. I want to have time to focus on my music and video creations. I don’t need to be spending my time on Twitter arguing with idiots.

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My Concise Guide To Twitter

Rob Says4 Comments

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If prison is a bunch of guys having sex, Twitter is a bunch of guys wishing they were having sex. – Rob Says

So you’re new to Twitter and you want to know more about it?

Okay, so according to Wikipedia, “Twitter is an American microblogging and social networking service on which users post and interact with messages known as “tweets”. Registered users can post, like, and retweet tweets, but unregistered users can only read them.”

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Blah, blah, blah. That’s not want you want to know and that’s not why you are here reading this.

So walk with me for a bit and let me tell you about Twitter…

From phony tough guys, to faux Chads banging only 9’s and 10’s, to outraged Karen’s screaming their indignation at Susan, Twitter has it all.

From E-Whores taking your money to TradCons wanting to “Save the West” and having Jesus save your soul, there’s something for everybody, just with the volume maxed out and there is no off-switch.

Degenerates, dweebs, dorks, dickheads, douchebags, sluts, players, pimps, pornstars, prudes, priests, and puritans are all rubbing shoulders, shouting over each other in order to be heard.

E-Comm kids selling courses for $999.97 so they can drive lambo’s and do kick-boxing, and don’t forget the limited edition PDF that’s only available on gumroad.

Everyone is an entrepreneur, an author, a hustler, and a self made billionaire. Except for me. I’m the only guy that works a 9 to 5. Me and these two guys:

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I’m the one in the middle.

We’ve got guys periscoping in cars, guys ‘scoping in bars, and guys smoking cigars – the message is always the same (Look at me!) I’ll admit it, I’m no different.

The meat and veggie crowd is having a food fight over whose diet is better, and son, you better fucking lift or you’re just pure soy.

We got women telling Men how to be Men, Men wanting to make women great again, and if you’re lucky, someone will tell you that you better get some sun on your asshole. There’s even a guy who specializes in enema’s. He just gave himself one and you can ask him anything.

We got life coaches giving life advice, being your cheerleader for twice the price, and single women as relationship experts telling you, how you too, can get your One. Nevermind that their lives are bigger trainwrecks than yours.

We got nerds who like their D&D, guys worried about their dick’s burning when they pee, some asshole named Gary V, and a whole lot of shit posting.

We got anonymous accounts telling the truth, guys who show their faces who are uncouth, and we’ve even got old men yelling at clouds, calling everyone a pervert or a degenerate. Yes, Twitter is really like that.

We got twenty year olds handing out life advice like it’s going out of style and as if they have lived long enough to be handing out life advice. (Sit down.)

We have Power Dad’s and Mommy Bloggers trying to outdo each other as to who is the best parent when it comes to their kids. A question for the Dad’s: “Do you want to be a ‘Good Dad’ or raise ‘good kids?’ It’s okay if you don’t know the difference, your kids will.” (h/t to Rian Stone for that question.) While I’m at it, hey Twitter Parents, do you think it’s a good idea posting pics of your babies on the internet for every weirdo and predator to see them? I’m just curious.

We got bullet-point list guys making bullet-point lists and if you follow each and every bullet point, well, you might be an idiot.

We got guys hawking platitudes like nobodies business and if you want to get your first 1000 followers, I highly recommend that you regurgitate the same shit that these dipshits are doing, because it does work. Who knows? Maybe you could be the next Tony Robbins.

We got guys making threads about anything and everything, and I can’t be bothered to read them because, well, life is short and I don’t have the fucking time. Besides, they are all about something that sounds profound, even though they aren’t really, and they all end with a link to a course or some E-book that is overpriced on gumroad.

We got guys taking pictures or videos of themselves eating meat in a restaurant, showing you, the common unwashed masses, just how good they are living, while you are relegated to eating ramen and processed foods. All in the name of staying relevant.

We got guys who barely tweet, women who take pictures of their feet, and if you are unfortunate, you’ll find the Island of Cortes. Stick around long enough, if you don’t find it, the Island of Cortes will find you.

We got feminists saying that they don’t need no man, thirsty beta’s doing what they can, and you can buy some girl’s bathwater, just click the link. She sold out quickly. What can I say? The thirst is real.

While we’re on the subject of women, there’s the progressive left, the status quo right, an ancap who does cosplay, and beware the Sunhat Gods. By the way, there are no women on the internet. Ever seen the movie Catfish? You haven’t? Better check that one out before coming on to Twitter.

We’ve got guys who lift, guys who don’t, guys who drink soy latte’s and those who won’t, and there’s a guy named Ed who only drinks his coffee black. (Nice guy by the way.)

Speaking of coffee, we got guy’s who take cold showers and guys that get up at ungodly hours because you’re a piece of shit if you wake up any later than 4:30 in the morning.

Oh that’s another thing about Twitter:

Fuck nuance.

Everything is binary, everything is extreme, everybody has all the right answers and fuck you if you tell them otherwise. The sperg levels and the autism is real. Just ask some random tweeters about single mom’s and see what happens.

Twitter is a shit show and everybody is flexing and lying about who and what they are, all in the hopes of getting laid, and if you aren’t getting death threats and nudes in your DM’s, you’re doing it wrong.

Gun nuts, truck nuts, peanuts, and if you don’t have nuts, you better sack up like you got a pair. Twitter ain’t for the timid or the weak, just ask any hard to kill guy, he’ll be more than happy to tell you.

While we’re at it, check out Inmate Twitter. It’s for those who are interested in what it takes to be a convict and how to capitalize on that status once you are back on the outside. It’s as real as it gets.

So welcome to Twitter. Wear a cup.

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