A list of companies that I am boycotting and the reasons why

 In this age of woke BULLSHIT, there's a lot of companies that decided to cow-tow to these Communist agitators and give in to their demands. Being sane and rational, I decided that these people were either cowardly, foolish or both. Therefore, I cut them off and decided to boycott them all until further notice. (And possibly forever...)

And unlike the 2020 election, this ballot
can't be 'lost' by the post office... :P

Here's the list of companies that got Das Boot and the reasons why:

The Sonic Drive-In by my house...

Why would I boycott a local burger joint? Because I specifically tell them NO mayo and then they slather the sandwich with mayo. When the burger looks like Ron Jeremy splooged all over your lunch, then that is a company that clearly doesn't give a fuck about what the customer wants or is simply incompetent. Either way, they do NOT deserve my business.

McDonald's 

Not only are their burgers greasy enough to lube my car's suspension, the service also tends to suck near 100% of the time. Also, their shake machine is always broken. And this is by design. McDonald's has had a decades-long partnership with the company that makes their ice cream machines. Franchise owners are required to use only these machines and only the company's repair techs. It's really expensive for them.

This same ice cream machine manufacturer sells their same product to numerous other fast food franchises like Chick-Fil-A and Wendy's. Yet, those restaurant chains are NOT known for always having a broken shake machine. Coincidence? Not at all. This was by design. McDonald's and their corporate partners are doing this to squeeze money out of their franchise-owners. Simply put, McDonald's is one of the most crooked corporations on Earth, screwing over even their own employees, to say nothing of customers. That is not a company that deserves my business.

Gillette 

Remember that bullshit woke ad from January 2020 that accused all men of having toxic masculinity and trying to lecture us all into stopping that (supposed) toxic behavior? If not, you can view it here.

I hate when companies get involved in politics. I just want them to sell me things, not start some annoying (and probably VERY uninformed) discussion on public policy decisions or social issues.

Also, I decided that I was really sick of paying a damned King's ransom for those cartridge razors that they sell under the Gillette Fusion brand. Since then, I have completely changed the way that I shave. I have blogged about this twice. You can read those posts here and here.

Also, that stunt caused Gillette's parent company to lose EIGHT BILLION DOLLARS in the month of January 2020 alone. This is also where the mainstream first heard the phrase 'Get Woke, Go Broke' for the first time. I am not sure when I first heard the phrase, but it was years earlier before that incident.

Netflix

There are many things I could complain about with this company. However, all of them pale in comparison to the fact that they started streaming a movie called 'Cuties', which features 11 year-old girls twerking like strippers. No, I am not exaggerating in any way. Yes, that is quite disgusting and more than enough reason to cancel that subscription. Besides, I don't always have time for watching TV. No need to pay $14 a month for something I won't use.

Also, I wasn't all that crazy about them pushing various Leftist agendas, either. What's the point of putting homosexual characters in damned near every original show of theirs, regardless of whether or not it was thematically relevant to the plot? They also decided to join the corporations supporting the BLM bandwagon, which was also a no-go. That's why I didn't go with Dollar Shave Club when I decided to eject Gillette from my life.

Nike 

Their shoes cost too much, don't really last very long anymore and I hate their little shit-stirring 'spokesman' Colin Kaepernick. Therefore, I have no further use for Nike as a company. Screw them. They will never get another damned dime out of me. If I actually watched sports, I'd probably start boycotting the NFL too, just because of that worthless/racist asshole. Let this be a VERY important lesson in the necessity of intense background checks/research about a celebrity/social media influencer before hiring them to do endorsements/promotion campaigns.

Seriously Nike, what made you think that hiring some America-hating racist piece of shit with a Mohammedan girlfriend whispering into his ear like Jezebel was a good idea?

Pepsi 

Not only do I prefer Coke products, Dr. Pepper, 7-Up and RC Cola, I am also not happy with them getting rid of Aunt Jemima. Some considered that brand to be based on a racist stereotype, but that is not the image that I had of the brand.

When I thought of Aunt Jemima, I thought about childhood Saturday mornings filled with pancakes for breakfast, cartoons and Nintendo games in the living room. The syrup brands used were often different. It could have been Aunt Jemima, Mrs. Butterworth or Log Cabin. However, Aunt Jemima being gone now means that yet another happy part of my childhood has gone by the wayside. Thanks a lot, Woke Mafia. Bastards...

Also, did anyone else notice that NO ONE seemed to have a problem with Aunt Jemima until 2020? She had been around for over a century by that point. Yet, no one makes any complaints until Corporate America decides to bend over for that domestic terror group called BLM. WTF, Pepsi? Where are your balls?

Sony's PlayStation division

I don't like how they are recording people over the voice chat for online games with the PS4 & PS5, even if I don't typically play online games. Either way, my conversations with other players are my business, not theirs. Why the Hell would they care if I talk smack to my friends and call them a faggot/loser/shitbag/noob/whatever after I owned their ass in a first-person shooter game? That's part of the fun, Jackasses.

Also, their EULA for the PS5 specifically bans talking smack against the Chinese Communist Party anywhere in the world. That violates my freedom of speech as an American. It's also an example of a multi-national corporation helping an EVIL government to subvert Human Liberty. Fuck PlayStation. I will NOT be giving them my business ever again. From this point forward, I'm sticking with Nintendo, PC games and maybe Microsoft if their consoles become more affordable. (And they don't do something that gets them put on this not-so-illustrious list...)

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I fully expect this list to get longer over time. However, I think this is enough for a single blog post.

- Lord Publius

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EDIT 22 Jun 2021: 

We have one more addition to this awful list...

Victoria's Secret

Truth be told, I have never actually bought anything from this brand for any female acquaintance of mine. However, I won't be changing that in the future, either. Replacing the VS Angels with an ugly and mean-spirited lesbian like Megan Rapinoe turns off every male customer that brand ever had. (And probably quite a few female ones too.) 

I know that VS's parent company had to reverse their dwindling sales, but what made them think that this was a good idea? I can just hear the lamentations of adolescent boys across America right now... 

EVERY teenaged boy across America right now...

EDIT 20 July 2021:

2 more additions to the list...

Subway Sandwiches

They are getting the boot for the same reason as Victoria's Secret: they hired Megan Rapinoe. Their product quality has also gone down hill in recent years. Their customer service was never really that good at most locations. They also have so many locations that it's hard for franchise owners to make money. Also, they did once have an even worse spokesman with that child molester Jared Fogle. Kinda hard to forget about that, even if the company had no idea that he was the worst kind of degenerate homosexual...

Black Rifle Coffee Company

These people pass themselves off as being patriots. Then they decide to support that domestic terror group Black Lives Matter and disavow Kyle Rittenhouse. I wasn't there when Kyle ended up shooting someone and I will reserve my opinion on that matter until all the facts are revealed. I do like the fact that the guy he shot was a convicted pedophile, though. Thank you for your service to Civilization, Mr. Rittenhouse.

However, supporting BLM is unacceptable. Insulting their customer base doesn't help, either. Looks like I will stick with my favorite local New Orleans brand Community Coffee instead. I love that brand so much that I had friends and relatives at home send it to me while I was stationed overseas in Korea years ago. Black Rifle could have convinced me to try their product eventually, but not now. The owners of that company, like that shitbag John Kerry, are living proof that not all Veterans are good people.

5 weird Sci-Fi movies you need to see/analyze before you die

Just so you know, there are going to be some really weird choices on this list. Some you'd expect, and some you may not have even heard of... All are placed here in alphabetical order since I do not want to make it look like I prefer one of these over the others. This one is also going to be brief and direct. I don't feel the need to go on and on about a bunch of sci-fi movies, even if I am a bit of a nerd.

2001: A Space Odyssey

After discovering a mysterious artifact buried beneath the Lunar surface, mankind sets off on a quest to find its origins with help from intelligent supercomputer H.A.L. 9000. Slow-paced. Has some truly amazing special effects. Has been repeatedly analyzed ad nauseam by film students and scholars since its initial release in 1968. Will mess with your mind a LOT, even if you aren't stoned.

Donnie Darko

After narrowly escaping a bizarre accident, a troubled teenager is plagued by visions of a man in a large rabbit suit who manipulates him to commit a series of crimes. Involves Time Travel paradoxes and LOTS of mind-fuckery. This movie deserves to be more than just a cult favorite. You might also need to brush up on your philosophy for this one. It can get really deep into morality & determinism. You can see the whole movie for free on YouTube here.

Forbidden Planet

A starship crew goes to investigate the silence of a planet's colony only to find two survivors, one of them harboring a deadly secret. THE CLASSIC Sci-Fi film of the 1950s. Influenced Star Trek, Star Wars & Babylon 5 in numerous ways. (Probably many others as well.) First appearance of Robby the Robot. First all electronic soundtrack in film history. 10/10, would recommend to anyone.

Logan's Run



A police officer in the future uncovers the deadly secret behind a society that worships youth. Has scenes of a post-apocalyptic underground society that is completely ignorant of the outside world. Lots of weird shit. Last great epic sci-fi movie before Star Wars changed everything in 1977.

Star Trek: The Motion Picture

When an alien spacecraft of enormous power is determined to be on a course for Earth, Admiral James T. Kirk resumes command of the overhauled USS Enterprise in order to intercept the intruder. 

This film tends to cause division among the fan base. Some say it's brilliant, others think it's too slow-paced and dull. I think it's slow-paced AND brilliant.

It has some of the best visuals of any Star Trek adventure ever made and easily the best soundtrack. The Enterprise never looked more beautiful than she does in this film. This film is also as close to hard sci-fi as Star Trek ever got. Go into this one with an open and curious mind, and you will be rewarded with a truly thought-provoking tale.

Also, I got to see this one in theaters in 2019, as part of the 40th anniversary celebration of its release. It was the original theatrical cut. The pacing actually felt right and the visuals still looked absolutely amazing on that silver screen. I love this movie, haters be damned!

- Lord Publius

Possibly controversial Star Trek opinions

Time to make some nerds REEEEEEE for no reason other than my own amusement...

1.) I prefer the on-screen version of the Ambassador class to the prototype version.

The prototype design that Andrew Probert created just looked weird to me. It could still have worked as one of many ships in the Starfleet, but not as a hero ship bearing the name Enterprise. The version that Rick Sternbach created for Yesterday's Enterprise works better in that role. It looks and feels like the kind of Federation heavy cruiser that would be produced as a successor to the Constitution and Excelsior classes. (While still retaining a lot of influence from both of them...)

Oh yeah... That there is sexy... 

2.) I liked the Kelvin Timeline movies. I hope they continue. It's nice to have the characters of Captain Kirk and his crew back in the movies.

This one is going to trigger the ever-lovin' shit out of quite a few people... That being said though, Discovery still sucks.

I would have done something different with the deflector dish and
spaced out the nacelles more. Other than that, this design was nice.

3.) I liked the story behind TMP as well, just because it was so damned weird. 

Not to mention it was as close to hard sci-fi as any of the Trek movies ever got. Haters be damned, this was a great story and movie, it just wasn't quite what fans had expected. They thought it would be as action-packed as a typical TOS episode. Roddenberry never had any intention of making that kind of movie. So, to the people who constantly criticize this film, all I have to say is that I am...

Leave it up to a legendary Shitlord like me to find a way to turn
the Enterprise going to warp into an insulting animated GIF meme...

4.) I liked Enterprise from the start.

I liked the design of the ship too, even if it was heavily inspired by the 24th century Akira class. That was all too easy to ret-con in canon. Just say the Akira was inspired by the NX-01. Problem solved.

Although, I do have to admit that the theme song of that show just plain sucked.

This was actually a pretty cool-looking ship.

5.) I liked Voyager BEFORE they got a buxom blonde with curves in all the right places onto the show in season 4. 

Also, I really wish they did more with the Starfleet/Maquis conflict among the crew. That was never explored in any great detail.

By the way, I am not complaining about 7 of 9 being on the show at all. I am very fond of that character. She was Voyager's equivalent to Spock, Data & Constable Odo: the alien outsider that in some ways is more Human than any of the other characters. Jeri Ryan did an amazing job with her on Voyager. Too bad that shitbag hack Alex Kurtzman ruined the character in that awful Picard show.

This character should have been named 10 of 10.

6.) The Federation does NOT have a Socialist economy. 

Anyone who thinks that is both pretty ignorant of economics and Star Trek trivia. I'll go into more detail about this topic in a separate blog someday. 

That being said, how could you think that the Federation was Socialist when the government does NOT have control over the means of production? For that matter how could the Federation's government take control over the means of production? With everyone having a replicator in their home, they could conjure just about anything they need or want out of thin air.

- Lord Publius

Shaving blog 2: Electric Boogaloo

 I wrote a blog on 25 Jan 2021 about my changing consumer behavior with regard to shave products. Yes, I know. That was pretty random, even for this blog. I switched brands of cartridge razor (That's what razors like Harry's, Gillette Fusion and the Dollar Shave Club razors are called), shave cream and after shave. Other than the razor itself, I went back to using the same kind of shave products that my grandfathers used. They all work remarkably well. Pics below.

 

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And now, I've upgraded the quality of my shave even further by embracing yet another of my grandfather's preferred products: a safety razor.

'But Publius, didn't you say in the last blog that you were happy with the Harry's razor that you bought to replace your Gillette Fusion?'

Yes, I did. That was before I decided to start researching other methods besides electric & razors with cartridge blades. And that Harry's razor will still be used in various capacities. If I need to travel by plane for some reason (as unlikely as that is these days), I'll be taking the Harry's & my electric razor. Both of those combined can give me a baby-butt smooth shave. However, it takes more work and causes a lot of redness and irritation on the skin of my neck.

This new safety razor that I just tried gave me a completely different experience. I didn't bother to use the Lectric Shave and my electric razor first, like I do with the cartridge razor. I just wet my face with a towel, lathered up with Barbasol and put this new blade to work. There was virtually no learning curve. I just had to remember to angle the razor a little more than usual so the blade would catch the whiskers. Not only did this safety razor give me that baby-butt smooth shave that every man craves, it did so with comfort and ease. I could barely feel the razor working its magic on the 24-48 hours' worth of stubble on my visage. When I was done, there was also ZERO redness and irritation. So, yes, we have yet another winner.

The safety razor that I purchased. 
I am not putting the 'we have a winner'
graphic on this stock photo.

The razor that I bought cost me $28.88 from Amazon. I picked up a 100 count box of blades that got great reviews for $11.77. The brand is owned by a company in India and the blades were made in Turkey with Swedish Steel and German machinery for extreme precision. Globalization at work. At least this particular product didn't come from Communist China. :P

For this first shave, I used the sample blade that came with the razor. The box of blades that I bought are a different brand and may work better or worse. I'm not concerned either way. At that price, I would only be out about 12 cents per blade. I don't mind experimenting until I find what's right for me. I've even identified another brand that I might try in the future. That 100 count box would be a little more expensive at $14.95, but it gets rave reviews. (Other retailers besides Amazon might have better prices.) That brand was also the company that introduced safety razors to the USA over a century ago. However, it seems they're making the blades in Germany now. Damned Globalization!!! At least they are still being made somewhere in the (semi) Free World...

The box of blades that I bought...

The safety razor works soooooo much better than any cartridge razor with a lot more speed and comfort and at a much lower price per blade. I really should have done this years ago. And I could have done this a long time ago too. I went looking through my bathroom cabinet and discovered some old shaving supplies that actually did belong to one of my grandfathers: 2 old safety razors with the butterfly door design (both of which are functional, but need some cleaning and mild restoration work) and a cup & brush for traditional shave soap. I'm not sure if the brush is still usable. However, I did clean out the cup and now put the Barbasol cream that I use during a shave in there. And that cup has the Old Spice logo on it too. I really have turned into my grandfather here... And I'm only 39 years old... Lolz.

Either way, the days of me paying exorbitant prices for inferior cartridge razors are OVER.

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Okay... I have worn out the first blade now. It worked quite well. The Parker blades also work quite well, with very little difference in performance. I'm still getting a baby-butt smooth shave every time with little or no skin irritation. Where once shaving was just another grooming chore like brushing teeth, now it's actually enjoyable. At least something these days is turning out right. School has become a drag. My old desktop died and I bought a new one this weekend. (The old one will be repaired and repurposed as one of several different things I am considering right now.) Then there's also everything you see in the news as of late, which is beyond being 'mentally exhausting' at this point. Oh, well. The world maybe running as fast as Usain Bolt down the road to Perdition, but at least I can get a good quality shave.

- Lord Publius

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions...

Sometimes, Life forces you to make tough decisions. However, that can be ameliorated with some judicious use of logical deduction... And just some of my own preferences in life. I will use a few memes to demonstrate.

1.) Decisions related to Consumer Behavior in various industries...

Not the most difficult decisions I've ever had to make...

Believe it or not, I don't have any difficulty in deciding between these choices.

With the rifles, I'll choose the AR-15. Being ex-military, I'm already quite familiar with it's military cousin, the M-16 Series. So, I know exactly what I'm getting into with that weapon system. Also, if at all possible, I don't want to use Communist made shit in ANY kind of product, especially my rifles. That 'Made in China' quality is not acceptable with ANY product, least of all the tool that I use to protect my Liberty. Also, this is a bit of a Hobson's choice because I don't want either of these two for my rifle. I want an M-1 Garand instead. If that 'greatest implement of battle ever devised' was good enough to enable my grandfather's generation to smash the Axis powers to rubble, then it's good enough for me too.

PICTURED: A rifle built for a MAN.

With the hand guns, I'm going with the All-American classic that is the 1911. It is the best handgun that anyone has ever invented. That Glock is made of plastic, uses inferior metric rounds and doesn't have a hammer. I don't like that at all. My weapons should be made of metal with wood furniture for the parts that a shooter will handle. Also, for the shooters that keep trying to defend Glock to more old-school, traditional shooters like me...

Just because something is old does NOT mean
that you should throw it away.

Also, about those metric rounds that Glock seems to insist on using...

Metric can be useful, but I don't like it in my weapons and ammunition.

And for those anti-gun shitbags that are only free because of people like me making that happen...

Yep...

As for the pickup trucks... I'm a Chevy man. However, I don't mind a Ford, if it's a good product. Some Fords in recent years have had some rather horrifying design flaws. For example, the 5.4 liter 3-valve Triton V8 used in the 2004-2008 model F-Series trucks. They had these weird spark plugs that broke easily and required some strange tools to remove them when/if they broke inside the engine block. The aftermarket already solved that problem, but it's weird that Ford did that at all. Also, that Triton motor was VERY easy to clog up with sludge if you didn't change the oil on a regular basis. When/if that happens, the only remedy to the problem is to either rebuild or replace the engine. Both options will cost you the same and it will NOT be cheap.

Please don't interpret this to mean that I believe Chevy to be perfect. Nothing made by the hands of man will ever be 100% perfect. However, of all the trucks I've driven (and there have been a LOT of them), GM's product is the all-around best. And yes, I have driven a few Japanese trucks from Toyota and rode in at least 2 Nissan trucks. I was NOT impressed with them. I'm also not interested in depending on foreigners for my transportation and my ability to use my right to travel. (Especially if it's a country that we nuked twice just to get them to surrender and end a world war...)

Also, for the purposes of full disclosure, I am not driving a truck right now. The truck I once had was rear-ended/wrecked back in 2018 and replaced with a gently used Chevrolet Impala. It was the best vehicle that I could afford at the time. I tend to prefer cars anyway. Trucks are for working men. I haven't had a blue-collar job in a long time.

America, Fuck Yeah! :P

As for the soda... I could go either way, but I like Coke better. Pepsi is just kinda boring by comparison. However, both of them are inferior to my all-time favorite soda: Barq's Root Beer in the glass bottle. And yes, being in the glass bottle does make it taste better. I don't know how, but it does.

Champipple was a running joke on the classic sitcom Sanford & Son.

2.) Decision for what to wish for from a Genie, I guess?

I'm going with the groceries on this one. That would save me up to $200 a month or more, depending on if I have to buy expensive stuff for holiday meals. No, I'm not eating too much. Grocery prices are just insanely high.

The free gas wouldn't mean much since I'm hardly driving anywhere during this pandemic bullshit. My dog died back in 2016. (RIP Dixie.) And as for the chick with the big ass... Well, I don't know anything about her as a person. Do I really want to be shacking up with her? 

Speaking of making love to beautiful women, that leads us to our next meme presenting a philosophical quandary...

3.) Which of these fantasy women would you date?

As far as tough choices go, these are at least really easy on the eyes...

Some guys would never be able to make this choice. Some would also be a smart ass and try to say ALL of them. However, I doubt any of these women would be the sharing type.

As for me, well, it's just an intellectual exercise/mental masturbation session. I'm not likely to ever meet any of these women, let alone seduce them into loving me. Also, I tend to prefer brunettes and redheads. That being said, we're just going to assume for the sake of this shitpost blog that I did have a serious interest in these ladies and a chance at wooing them. Which would I choose?

First, let's identify these women. A is the movie star Scarlett Johansson. B is a supermodel/actress named Charlotte McKinney. C is another (now retired) supermodel named Kate Upton. D is another Hollywood actress named Kaley Cuoco. All of the links in the last few sentences are to IMDB profiles that should be safe for work. I will be referring to these ladies by their letter designation's in the photo because it's quicker and easier.

D is not up for consideration because she's married. She also admits to being a feminist so, that would remove her from consideration even if she was single. 3rd Wave Feminism is VERY unattractive. Why? Because the 3rd wave is essentially just a form of misandry and thus, morally wrong.

C is also married and recently had a baby with her husband. Therefore, she is also not up for consideration. She's about as 'off the market' as a woman can get. Her husband is a VERY lucky man.

A is twice divorced, now married for a third time and has a child from that second marriage. So, she's also not up for consideration due to being off the proverbial market. Even if she were single, I doubt I would want to marry her. Being twice divorced is a bit of a red flag. I'm also not interested in raising other people's children. Generally speaking, it doesn't seem to work out well and I have strongly advised men NOT to do that in a past blog post. 

So, that means B wins by default. That being said, she probably still would have won, even if all three of the others were single. The only 'flaw' that I know of with that particular woman is that she suffers from dyslexia. This caused her to drop out of high school at 17, meaning that she has some glaring deficiencies in her education. However, I would be more than happy to help correct that issue. Spreading knowledge is one of the things that I do best. 

- Lord Publius

Random blog post on Shaving...

It's been getting more and more difficult for a man to get a good shave in the last year. 

While watching an ASMR video where the video creator is pretending to give me a shave and a haircut, I suddenly remembered that I needed to get some new shave cream/gel/soap/whatever. The cheap generic Edge knockoff that I get from Dollar Tree is no longer acceptable. Why? Because I saw the words 'Made In China' on the can's label a few days ago. I am making it a point NOT to buy anything made in China, if it can possibly be helped. I don't want to put money into the pockets of evil Communist slave drivers with a penchant for genocide. Also, it's not doing a good job with helping the razor glide across my face anymore, which means that it has that typical 'Made in China' quality. UNACCEPTABLE!!!

Anyway...

First, there was Gillette insulting all of their male customers in January of 2020 with that stupid ad accusing us all of 'toxic masculinity'. That caused millions of men (myself included) to switch brands and make them lose 8 BILLION DOLLARS in a single month. (I'm pretty sure this is also when most folks first heard the phrase 'Get Woke, Go Broke'.) And now, there's this shit with my shave gel... Whisky Tango Foxtrot?

I tried several different options while continuing to use up all the Gillette Fusion razors that I had in stock. (Those things are freakin' expensive!) I was going to try Dollar Shave Club, but then I found out they supported that terror group Black Lives Matter. So, fuck them. They don't deserve my business, either. If you plan to sell me something, keep your shit opinions on social issues to yourself.

So, I decided to take a chance on a brand called Harry's, which had been getting a lot of good reviews and press coverage online. (Not to mention sponsoring numerous YouTube personalities...) 

Damned good razor system.
Haven't tried the shave gel, though.

I discovered that they worked just as well as the Gillette Fusion razors that I'd been using since 2009, if not better. They also cost half as much. And they're made in Germany instead of some Communist shithole. Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a winner.

As for the recent need to get a new brand of shaving cream/gel/soap/whatever, I had to do a quick web search to confirm a vague memory. I remember seeing cans of the classic Barbasol brand of shaving cream in the local Dollar Tree. I'm also pretty sure I remembered seeing 'Made in the USA' on the can. Well, according to their website, it looks like that was correct. 

The American Classic

Looks like Barbasol also has their own razor blade system, but I don't need that stuff. I like the Harry's blades and the lower costs associated with that brand of razor. It's been a long time since I used shaving cream instead of gel. However, I do like the idea of an American classic still made here in America that I can get for a single dollar from Dollar Tree. I'll give them a shot. Also, why have I not tried them before? They need to hire new people for their marketing department... 

While out running errands on January 17th, I stopped by the Dollar Tree to pick up some supplies, including the can of Barbasol. I saw the same brand of knockoff Edge gel. This time though, the can said 'Made In Turkey' on the label. I guess this brand got a LOT of negative feedback about their product being made in a Commie shithole. Not particularly interested in doing business with a country led by a snake-in-the-grass bastard like Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, though. 

Also saw that the cheap brand of Aftershave that I once tried from this store is now blue instead of green and using a different bottle. However, it's still made in Communist China. Therefore, I still need to get myself a new brand. Barbasol does have an Aftershave of their own. I wonder if it's any good...

Anyway, I bought several more shaving products to test. All are American-made, considered classics now and inexpensive compared to their competition. There's 2 forms of after shave, Aqua Velva and Skin Bracer. Also picked up some Lectric Shave to help make things easier for my electric razor. Using that in conjunction with the manual razor helps keep my blades lasting longer.

Will these products make the grade?

RESULTS

I tried the Barbasol when shaving in the shower on the morning of January 20th. The razor glide was incredibly smooth. My face was as smooth as a baby's bottom with very little need to go back over various areas. My face stayed smooth all day and well into the night. We have a winner.

Why have I not tried this amazing product before?

The second time that I used Barbasol for my shave, my face was dry. So, the skin was not as relaxed/moisturized as when I'm in the shower. The blade didn't glide quite as easily as it did the first time. However, it was still a LOT easier than any other shave product that I can remember using at any time in my life. I also used a lot less of the product than I typically would with the gel. It also takes a lot more time for the whiskers to grow back too. Looks like I can now go for more than 3 days without having to shave, just to get rid of a lot of itchy stubble. So, Barbasol is saving me money by both being cheaper and by needing a lot less of it to get the job done. Why did I not try this product 20+ years ago when I first started shaving my face? I can only imagine how much money I could have saved myself...

Anyway, I was so happy with the product that I picked up a 2nd, larger can that day, along with the previously mentioned pre-shave and after-shave stuff.

As for the after shave and Lectric Shave...

Shaving with the Lectric Shave actually did make the electric razor glide over my face a LOT easier. The closeness of the shave was slightly better too. It also prevented the redness and irritation that often happens to my poor neck after using that electric razor, even with the brand new blades that I just installed a few days ago.

The two different brands of aftershave both worked well with regard to tightening the pores of my skin. Both of them smelled nice to me. The smell of the Skin Bracer was not quite as strong as I remembered from childhood when my grandfather used that product. I've also heard that the formula has been altered and that it's not as potent now. I don't know if that's true, but I do know that the stuff serves its purpose and at a low price. 

The smell of the Aqua Velva was slightly stronger and I think I like that one better. It's also more noticeable to me after putting it on my face. I think I'll save the Aqua Velva for special occasions and when stepping out on the town. And since virtually EVERYTHING is still shut down because of the Commie Cough, that means that I might not be using much of that product in the foreseeable future. Not sure how I feel about that one.

All of them turned out to be good.

It's amazing... Products that have been around for over a century, are made in America and all dirt cheap... And only now am I coming around to using them. How did that happen? I know why I started using the Edge gel when I was a teenager. That's what my father used. It worked well for years. Then, I started using a generic equivalent because I like being cheap. And now, continuing to be cheap, I am using products that are now marginalized as 'old man's aftershave' or something similar. That doesn't bother me in the slightest. My grandfather's generation survived the Great Depression and World War Two. They made America the Super Power it is now. Clearly, they did a lot of things right. We shouldn't be so quick to dismiss things that are associated with them and their time.

Furthermore, when I picked up the aftershave products from a local Wal-Mart on the 20th, there was a 7 oz. can of the shaving gel that Harry's (the company that makes my razors) wants to sell. That can sold for six bucks. A 5 oz. can of Barbasol sells for ONE Dollar in any store across America. And the 10 oz. can of Barbasol on that same Wal-Mart shelf was $1.47. Not hard to guess why I'm going cheap on this product, huh? The fact that this product is American made and FAR more effective than everything else tried is a really nice bonus.

Barbasol, Skin Bracer, Aqua Velva & Lectric Shave really should advertise more. Preferably with a more effective kind of ad that the current generation of young men might actually see, like sponsoring Youtubers. That's how I first heard about Harry's razors. It would also be a welcome change from constantly seeing these Youtubers being sponsored almost exclusively by that cell phone game RAID: Shadow Legends.

- Lord Publius

Good (and often harsh) advice for men living in today's world...

This one is going to be VERY blunt. These pieces of advice will be posted in no particular order. Many of them will deal with the fairer sex. They are not always going to be nice. Women will hate them, but I don't care. If some members of the sisterhood hadn't been misbehaving, I wouldn't have to give men the kind of advice about them listed below. 

Clark Gable didn't put up with any THOT bullshit.

I take no pleasure in having to write any of these things. It saddens me that the world has devolved to this point. As I wrote this, I was reminded of an observation that an old female friend once made about me 'wanting to marry someone like Donna Reed.' The name was familiar, but I couldn't place it at the time. I looked up that name later and discovered that she was the actress that portrayed George Bailey's wife in the Frank Capra classic 'It's a Wonderful Life'.

My friend was talking about the character rather than the actual person, but the message was clear. She thought I wanted a doting housewife. That's not 100% accurate. Like every man, I would definitely want a woman that was as loving and loyal as that character was, but I don't expect her to be a housewife. Even if I were a multi-millionaire, I wouldn't ask her to be a homemaker against her will. Some people derive a lot of satisfaction from having a job they enjoy. However, that is beyond the scope of today's blog topic. I'm also not interested in discussing my personal life.

Not all of the following advice is from my own experience. A smart man learns from his mistakes. A wise man learns from the mistakes of other men. I am well known for being a wise man. Much of what you'll read here is based on what I have seen happening to friends, family, co-workers, business partners and just about anyone else I've ever met. And that actually leads us into the first piece of advice...

0.) Be observant of what goes on around you.

The best way to avoid making mistakes is to watch what others do and learn from the mistakes they have made. That is also one of the secrets behind my genius. People think it's the Asperger's or the high I.Q., but that isn't the case. There's lots of Aspies and High I.Q. people that are complete dumbasses. For example, Leftist college professors.

If not for skills training & research projects,
most colleges & universities would be utterly worthless.

1.) Don't let people make their problems your problem. You can't fix other people.

Self-explanatory.

2.) JOB = Just Over Broke. Sooner or later (preferably sooner), entrepreneurship of some kind should be in your future. 

Even if it's just selling old junk on eBay, that is still extra cash in your pocket. I am looking into doing this right now. I've got all kinds of old stuff I'd like to unload.

I'll never do this again.

3.) THINK BIG.

Because even in these tough times, America is too big for small dreams.

I think Elon Musk is a little nuts, but you can't argue with his success.

4.) Don't waste time on (or get into long-term relationships) with attention-seeking women.

You'll never be able to give them enough. They will eventually look for that attention elsewhere. Then, you'll have to deal with a bad break-up, divorce, custody battles and many other horrors. It's best to not even start that dreadful process with these nutcases.

If you take nothing else away from this blog,
be sure to remember this one important point.

5.) There are no short cuts in life. So work smart or you will work hard. There are no other options.

Self-explanatory.

6.) Stop ignoring red flags in life, especially with women and your health.

Self-explanatory. 

Seriously though, if you notice small problems with people in your life (especially wives and girlfriends), investigate that ASAP. You may find a few much larger issues that will make you want to get away from her. It's important to catch those things early before wedding rings and children get involved. Keeping that in mind may have saved my life in more ways than I know...

What the Hell was I thinking
with some of them hoes?

7.) Avoid women with Daddy Issues, especially strippers & single moms.

Women that take their clothes off for a living are just a few short steps away from some form of prostitution and/or sexual exploitation. You don't need that mess in your life.

Be gone, THOT!!!

As for single mothers... Well, just remember that she is SINGLE. Why did a man give her a baby and then leave her? Maybe the guy was an asshole that didn't care about taking care of his responsibilities in life. Maybe that poor gal was a rape victim. If so, those women deserve pity and emotional support from a friend. Probably still not a good idea to date them, though. It's a virtual guarantee that they won't be right in the head. Most single moms had a very poor relationship with their father. That will carry over to virtually any other relationship that she has with a man. After all, women learn how to deal with men through their relationship with dear ol' Dad. If Dad failed them, they are virtually guaranteed to be damaged goods.

All this being said, you shouldn't immediately jump to conclusions. If that mother is single because of divorce, find out why she got divorced. The divorce may not be her fault. She might have divorced her ex-husband because he was unfaithful and/or abusive. In that case, she did the only thing that she could do. Those single mothers might be worth dating, if you want. Living in this sad, fallen world, I think we all know at least one woman who had to divorce a husband for being unfaithful, abusive or some other kind of bum. Don't be immediately dismissive and/or prejudicial against these women.

There's also a VERY good chance that she was both promiscuous and irresponsible. If that's the case, then she is NOT the one you want. Broads that spent time riding the cock carousel can't wait to find a way to get back on it again... Assuming that it's still safe for her to do so... And that they even care about their health or the health of their partners...

RUN AWAY from this, gentlemen.

If that kid exists for other reasons (especially divorce), then you probably need to RUN AWAY as fast as you can. If the man that married them and gave them children couldn't stand to be around her anymore, chances are good you'll end up feeling the same way. That, or this woman is one of those predatory types that decided she was 'unhappy' with her marriage and then used the family court to take away everything in her ex-husband's life: money, house, car(s), businesses, even the right to see his own kids. I have seen this happen to some dear old friends and 1 or 2 family members. Don't put yourself through that mess. Avoid these women. No good will come from being associated with them.

Be gone, THOT!!!

Also, some women will try to trap a guy with an 'unplanned' pregnancy. That guy doesn't need to be you. I consider myself fortunate to have avoided these women. I refuse to conceive and/or have children out of wedlock. That's as embarrassing as it is careless and irresponsible. Like Don Corleone said in The Godfather, 'Women and children can be careless, but NOT men.' 

Hell, I once knew a chick that tried to trick a friend of mine into getting engaged when he was drunk. Yes, sadly, there are women out there that are this desperate and this much of a basket case. And yes, that friend of mine got rid of that girl very soon after this event.

Good advice that EVERY father
should give to their sons.

8.) Exercise. Use lots of weights in the routine. Optimize your endocrine system so you'll have strength well into your old age.

Self-explanatory. Also, see #6.

Running is good for cardio, but there are other ways of getting that kind of workout. If you suck at running, don't waste time doing it and hurt yourself. This one I did learn from my own experience. It made my time in the Army much worse than it would have otherwise been and was one of many reasons why I left. I loathe going for a run and refuse to do it ever again.

9.) Never allow the wife or the state to decide how things go in your married family life. 

Get air-tight pre-nups and keep control over your finances. Joint bank accounts are bullshit. Women can't be trusted in these areas. Don't believe me? Just look at the statistics for divorce, child custody and alimony payments. While not every woman looks to screw a guy over using the family courts, a staggering number of them do. Never assume that you know for certain that a woman wouldn't do that to you. As capricious as women can be sometimes, all of that could change in an instant. Oftentimes for seemingly no reason at all.

That, or the divorce lawyer might talk them into it so they can possibly increase their fee. Remember, ANY lawyer that doesn't work for you is a soulless bastard who is against you. Even if they do work for you, that lawyer is still likely to be a soulless bastard.

And apparently, at least a few of them are honest about it...

10.) Love people and use money. Never compromise or settle.

You'll always lose money chasing women. (Especially if that THOT is only interested in you because of your money.) You'll never lose women chasing excellence. Quality is always superior to quantity.

Yet another good reason why lottery winners need to be careful...

11.) Make Fuck YOU money and surround yourself with excellence.

There's 3 levels of money in the world:

Level 1 - Fuck Me money (i.e. 'Ah, fuck me, I gotta go work a crappy job to pay the bills.')

Level 2 - Fuck You money (i.e. You're financially secure, most likely your own boss and rarely need to care about anyone's opinions anymore.)

Level 3 - Fuck the World money (i.e. Folks with no major expenses anymore, multi-millionaires, billionaires, royalty, people with their own private planes and private islands.)

Level 3 may not be possible to attain. Level 2 is, if you're smart about managing your money. When you have this kind of money, the entire world is going to be kissing your ass trying to get you to part with that cash. Use that to your advantage to pick and choose who you have in your life. Rule of thumb should be that anyone who is only interested in you for your money should NOT be in your life.

And THOTs have NONE of these things. Don't waste time on them.

12.) Live a purposeful life by setting goals and achieving them.

For example, my immediate goals are finishing this second college degree that I'm working on right now and opening my own business. I am well on my way to accomplishing these goals, unless something truly catastrophic happens.

The long-term goals for the next few years are to wipe out what's left of my credit card debt (I got rid of half of it in the year 2020) and pay off my car. Those goals will be happening within 2 or 3 years, unless something truly catastrophic happens.

The life goals that take more than 2 or 3 years involve paying off my house and acquiring enough cash to retire. That will probably happen earlier than most folks because of the government checks I'll get for life as a disabled veteran. Once the house is paid for, that check should be more than enough to cover monthly living expenses. Good thing that check is in my life because I doubt that social security will exist by the time I turn 65. 

SMART Goals

13.) Generally speaking, it's not a good idea to date single mothers. 

Self-explanatory. Also, see Numbers 4, 6 & 7.

It's probably not even a good idea to have one for a 'friend with benefits', either. If you are going to do that, be sure to use protection. You don't want to be the father of her next 'unexpected but not unwelcome' child. Flush that protection down the toilet after you've 'done the deed' too. Some women take used rubbers and the seed they contain to get themselves pregnant. Single moms looking for a husband are prime candidates for that kind of horrid behavior. Don't take any unnecessary risks.

Are you sure that you want the kid
messing with your phone?

Also, make sure she understands that you're not interested in being a step dad to the children she already has, either. Trust me, it's more trouble than it's worth. More often than not, you'll be expected to be the kid's meal ticket, but you won't be allowed to assume the fatherly role and raise/discipline them. That's a pretty rotten deal.

14.) There will always be critics. Screw these haters. They are just jealous that you're doing better than them.

See #11 & 12.

Trust me, you won't have to try hard. :P

15.) As a man, you have 100% responsibility and often 0% authority. Whether it's your fault or not, you will still likely get the blame for other people's stupidity in life. Therefore, reduce your risk of this wherever possible.

It doesn't matter if they're co-workers/subordinates at work (especially stupid Privates in the military) or irresponsible women. (See #4, 6, 7 & 13) Therefore, be sure to surround yourself with people who will NOT cause you to be responsible for their misdeeds. If they're at an adult age, they should also be acting the part. It doesn't matter if they think you're being anti-social or an asshole. That's better than being stuck dealing with their bullshit. (See #1)

Yet another good reason why I left the Army...

16.) Give ZERO fucks to things/people that are not worthy of said fucks. What other people think is, in general, not your concern. 

See #14.

Me using math to explain the principle
of ZERO FUCKS to some people...
(2021, Colorized.)

17.) Go into things with a winner's mentality. Being unsure of yourself is a sure way to fail.

Self-explanatory. And don't let life distract you from your goals.

Sometimes, you have to make sacrifices in life
to accomplish your goals... ;)

18.) Be careful associating with women that have lots of tattoos. (Or tats that are difficult to cover up in public.)

There was a time when tattoos on women was considered low class and/or something only done by prostitutes, especially the lower back tattoo. (AKA Tramp Stamp or Slag Tag.) While tats have become a lot more fashionable since the 1990s, this old rule of thumb often still applies. She might have thought she was being rebellious by getting inked. Or, maybe she just thought it would look pretty, which is totally subjective. However, what is actual objective fact is that she was engaging in cliché behavior and probably making herself a friend to this fallen world. Be very careful here, gentlemen. This is definitely one of those red flags that were mentioned earlier.

Also, if you see a woman with the phrase 'follow your heart' tattooed anywhere on her body, walk away. That is a woman that makes decisions based on emotion rather than logic. Her decisions are likely to be very selfish and VERY harmful to herself and others. Avoid these people.

Just one of many fine pieces of good life advice that you'll find in Scripture.

19.) Have strict standards for people. If they don't meet them, don't associate with them. 

See #1, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 13, 14, 15, 16 & 18.

For the man who enjoys only the finest
(and often craziest) poontang in the world... ;)

20.) Never assume that any relationship will be perfect. They never are.

And don't assume that God brought them into your life for some reason. There's no way you can know if that's the case or not. Even if he did, it may not be for the reason you think. After all, he might have sent her your way just to show you what NOT to pursue in a mate. If God did send that little red-haired girl my way back in 2010-11, it might have been for this very reason. (And maybe a few others...)

Been there, done that, felt really foolish about it afterward...

21.) Remember the 3 F's: Feeding, Financing and Fooling around.

If someone doesn't feed you, finance you or fool around with you, their opinion most likely doesn't matter. Especially if it's a woman who doesn't like what she sees in this blog post. That is more than likely a woman you don't want to associate with anyway. (See #14 & 16.)

Following this advice may not get you many friends in life, but it will get you the right ones. That is what is most important. True happiness/satisfaction for men comes from a sense of accomplishment and success in pursuit of our goals, not necessarily from lots of interpersonal relationships. 

Best of luck to you, Gents. I hope this helps you out.

- Lord Publius