b116 (12.5-1.2023): narratives

narratives [i]
by a. story tella
 
let me tell you a story
as if the verses (true)
what matters (if my-story has desired-effect on you)
_________________________________
 
·        a narrative… is a tale (or a story) that can easily become his-story -- if told with enough fervor, if told enough times, and if told by enough people.
·        it is important to note that evidence (or reason) are not necessary (and often lacking) in some of his-stories biggest-fish stories.
 
examples:
1.      the southeastern conference is stronger than the atlantic coast conference.
 
2.      a white-bearded man, up there, in the sky (who “knows if you’ve been bad or good”) flies around the world on a sleigh (pulled by flying reindeer)!  he (of course) brings toys to good boys (and [get this...]) on god’s birthday.
 
3.      “god” (of course) was born on december 25^th...sometime after "god" (who was never “born” [per se] but happens to be god’s father) -- somehow immaculately-impregnated an under-age virgin girl (named mary) who was (somehow) able to give consent to being impregnated by a god, with a god.
 
narratives.  they just might make your head spin.
___________________________________
[i] martino, j. (12.5-1.2023). narratives. book 116: love reigns. © 2023 by joal martino. 

b116 (12.3-2.2023): if you can't beat 'em, join

if you can’t beat ‘em, join [i]
by a. joined
 
if you can’t beat ‘em (lose)
if you can’t (flip a coin)
if you can’t beat ‘em (choose)
if you can’t beat ‘em (join)
_________________________________
 
·        since $$$ & power rule the day (and the narrative), it is important to be aware of options.

·        if fighting (and losing) lead you & yours into lives of misery, and if joining a power-team creates a life of Bliss… choose this.
___________________________________
[i] martino, j. (12.3-2.2023). if you can’t beat ‘em, join. book 116: love reigns. © 2023 by joal martino. 

b116 (12.3-1.2023): power-talking heads

power-talking heads [i]
by a. head & b. hind
 
power-talking heads
power-talking lies
power-talking (money walking) reality in disguise
_________________________________
 
·        there come times when it becomes obvious: money and power create narratives that win, thereby creating his-story.
·        is his-story real?
·        reality tv, virtual girlfriends and college football playoff committees reinforce that which we already know: his-story is a sham.
·        sadly, “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” makes even more sense than ever.
___________________________________
[i] martino, j. (12.3-1.2023). power-talking heads. book 116: love reigns. © 2023 by joal martino. 

b116 (11.30-1.2023): settling

settling [i]
by a. settler
 
settle down!  mature!
settle for your best
settle-up and join the club (so we can get some rest)
settle for the one who makes you run and dance and sing
settle for the one (what fun!) when you are
settle-ing
_________________________________
 
·        in romantic relationships, men & women settle for the best that they think that they can get, at the time.
·        a man is led to believe that this “agreement” means a lifelong supply of pussy and bjs.  how wrong he is.  dude has been misled.  it’s the ultimate bait & switch.
·        a woman will also settle… for her best alpha, or beta+, or beta, or whatever she thinks is her best shot.  she might even build-up her choice-of-a-man to her family & friends… so that they might think that the loser (him) will somehow become a family ass-et.
…but…
·        once the ink is dry on the contract, and once the honey-moon is over, she will have complete control over the (extremely rare and rarely extreme) bjs, the half-hearted pussy, and don’t even think about the a--.
·        the dumbass man, on the other hand, now gets to beg and plead and cower and “do” whatever she wants (not in exchange for pussy, mind you… not in exchange for an occasional bj, mind you… but…) in exchange for her not being angry or upset or concerned or unhappy (about something).  
·        at this point, he’s just trying to get a tiny-bit of quiet-time… hoping that he won’t unleash the wrath of the box of pandora.  dude is done!
·        ultimately, it is his own fault.  he bought-into the lie, and he tied a legal/financial knot.  he was lured-in.  he never questioned.  he never, ever thought ahead.  he never planned.
·        and now, in a legally-binding, financially-binding hell, he is still led to believe that she is the best that he could ever, ever do.
·        truth is, the only thing that he should do is to work on himself.  become a better man.  drink more water.  exercise.  get strong.  learn more.  question.  gain skills (including romantic ones).  since she has shut romance down, she has (in effect) breached her contract.  the true alpha will get it elsewhere.  she (the one who is withholding) will label him the “cheater.”  go figure.
·        the beta-male will spend his time cowering, taking care of her children, supporting her causes, and hanging-out with her low-level friends & family.
·        his best move is to bail, cut bait, suffer the financial losses, and work on himself. there are gals out there who can actually love men.  his job is to become the man that they can-not live without.
___________________________________
[i] martino, j. (11.30-1.2023). settling. book 116: love reigns. © 2023 by joal martino. 

* what men should write (on dating sites)

 when asked "What kind of relationship are you trying to build, here?"  from photographs of hot women claiming to be 20 years younger...

men should answer:

"My dream relationship would be to wire lots and lots of $$$ to a hot, virtual girlfriend -- in exchange occasional AI-generated compliments."

b116 (11.27-1.2023): pray (when you want things)

      pray (when you want things) [i]
by ask s. anta
 
there’s a man (“up there”) who brings you toys (if you just sing)
call someone who cares
pray (when you want things)
___________________________________
 
·       i figured i’d begin the christ-mas season with a quick santa clause.
 
·        send your letter to santa (if you want to), but if you want something real-istic-ally, take matters into your own hands.
 
___________________________________
[i] martino, j. (11.27-1.2023). pray (when you want things). book 116: love reigns. © 2023 by joal martino.

b116 (11.19-1.2023): gladiator man

gladiator man [i]
by ima fan
 
gladiator man
gladiator (boy)
gladiator fight
gladiator toy
gladiator battle
gladiator cry
gladiator (pawn)
gladiator die
 
___________________________________
 
·       jordan travis’ injury (during last night’s fsu vs. northern alabama game) shows (once again) that the young men who entertain us as football players are akin to gladiators in the pit.
 
·       we cheer, and some of them are glorified.  most of them suffer.
 
·       i need to take a serious look at my relationship with u.s.a. football.
 
___________________________________
[i] martino, j. (11.19-1.2023). gladiator (boy). book 116: love reigns. © 2023 by joal martino. 

b116 (11.16-1.2023): d-man is a d

d-man is a d [i]
by ima tender bar
 
d-man is a d
cut-down humor, quick
insecure (pest-y)
d-man is a d---
___________________________________
 
·      just the other night, he (1) tried to coerce a free beer for m-man, (2) tried to get me to “give” him a guiness glass, (3) cleared-his-throat (“ahem, ahem”) when he wanted a beer, and was his usual d-self while (4) “teaching” me how to pour a guiness and then (5) how to enter a phone number in the register so that he didn’t have to walk 15 feet from his bar stool.
 
·       a true d-night.  his d-like behavior has caught-on with other patrons (like marc, and mike, and even ed!) forming a haphazard team of cronies to “f-with joal.”
 
·       we are going to put the kabash on that b.s., and soon.
 
___________________________________
[i] martino, j. (11.165-1.2023). d-man is a d. book 116: love reigns. © 2023 by joal martino. 

b116 (11.8-12023): a rat (by any other name)

a rat (by any other name) [i]
by ima blind
 
it’s just a little rat
not bird, nor plane, nor frog
it isn’t even that
 
nice habit-tat:
your dog
___________________________________
 
·       the obvious is that your little habit/addiction… the one that you love more than life itself… the thing that you allow to p-ss and sh-t on others’ lawns… the rat that barks, incessantly… the animal that you forgive for ‘nipping’ at friendly visitors…
 
·       is 100% yours.  you have raised it to be exactly what it is… as you overlook what everybody else on planet earth can plainly see.
 
___________________________________
[i] martino, j. (11.8-1.2023). a rat (by any other name). book 116: love reigns. © 2023 by joal martino. 

* f--- flowers

...because you don't care about the flowers, and because she doesn't (really) care about the flowers, and (unless you are already in the LTR/marriage), you will end-up in a worse position than you were before the silly, obvious, fake-gift that can be only be described as "flowers." 

b117 #6: Love's a game...

...wanna play?

Taylor gets it right (a-lot) and she is often dead-on-balls accurate: 

• it's a Big Game, gentlemen, and women will try to convince you that you're an a--hole for being a player.

• meanwhile... women are the best of players, and "players" are who they want most!

• dude: go ahead and be Mr. Nice Guy and Mr. Honest and Mr. LTR-at-first-sight.  It (her Game) is all a sh-t test, and you will lose -- if you play the Game by her rules. 

Don't lose.

Invest in yourself and your own Game.  Become more fit.  Enjoy your own existence.  If she is not chasing you... then you are doing something wrong.  Never be needy.  Have a life.  Nurture hobbies and interests.  Flirt, without caring.  You do not (ever!) need to cower to a psycho.

Live. Your. Life. 

b117 #5: She WILL cheat on your dumb ass

You don't want to hear this, but she is out to get the best that she can get.  

You... might not be that guy (anymore).

Important: She also has two different "gets":

1. the Alpha - stud, fun, happy, fit, free, boy-toy, autonomous man, and...

2. the Beta - provider, yes-man, plow-horse, honey-doo (formerly Alpha), soon-to-be-sexless former-man.   

while she would like a fusion of them both... she will soon realize that that man doesn't exist... and she will seek out multiple men to supply her need for "the best."

b117 #4: All behavior stems from insecurity

Living things seek (1) to survive, and (2) to thrive.  Think about it.

#2 is just an extension of #1, really.   

Survival is simple: Air, water, nutrition, and propagation of the species (in its own image).  That's it. 

One could argue that it's all about propagation, or one could argue that it's all about the territory that allows for water/nutrition/reproduction, etc.

Truth is this: every-thing that you do... is for your own survival/thrival. 

Every atom, molecule, cell, tissue, organ, being/ego is (by nature) self-centered. 

Self-centered-ness... is ego-life.

b117 #3 Nobody (except you) cares about your kids.

People don't care if she is a "kindergarten graduate," or honor roll, or the next Einstein.  We acquiesce, of course, when you whip out the phone and show us pictures of your extension-of-self. 

#3 also applies to your grand-kids, car, boat, parakeet (and so on)...

b117 #1: Nobody likes your dog.

While others might smile at your dog and say cute things to your sweet, furry little life-companion (heck, they might even pet the animal): they don't like it when your dog barks, when it pees & sh-ts on their lawn, and when you fail to train it properly.

The truth is, they don't like you: the hu-man who failed to train the domesticated animal.

b117 (Title): It's True, and...

 ...you don't want to hear it.

Everyone (including you and I), has "blind spots" in our lives... in which we are simply not willing or able to allow ourselves to see through our own biases -- and to the truth.

This book will be comprised of hard Truths that apply far more often than not.

Most will be able to be expressed/described in less than a minute (and some, far less).

Let's play.

b116 (10.18-1.2023): i will support

i will support [i]
by a. claus
 
7 reasons why i will support your Christmas party, even if i don’t believe in santa claus:

1.     you’ve asked me to, and you really, REALLY want me to.
2.     i’ve done my due diligence, and i’ve raised the appropriate red flags.
3.     you have more information about christmas than i do (e.g. you have a personal relationship with christmas, and you are an informed, intelligent adult).
4.     you are going to have the party anyway.
5.     i vow to be there (to pick-up the pieces) if it turns-out that santa claus is mythological.
6.     my love for you outweighs my need to be “right.”

7.     your Christmas party amounts to one of the biggest events of your life. 

if, however, in the last minute, you changed your mind and asked me to help you cancel the party, i would do so with equal enthusiasm. 

___________________________________

[i] martino, j. (10.18-1.2023). i will support. book 116: Love Reigns. © 2023 by joal martino. 

b116 (10.4.2023): hayley runs with lejla

hayley & lejla [i]
by theb a. r. tender
 
lejla runs with hayley
harris teeter (smiles)
conversation reigns
youth (and smarts) and style
___________________________________
[i] martino, j. (10.4-1.2023). lejla & hayley. book 116: love reigns. © 2023 by joal martino. 

b116 (10.2-1.2023): once upon a time

once upon a time [i]
by i. pass time
 
once upon a time
for no good reason why
earth (she touched the sky)
One(ce) up-on a time
___________________________________
[i] martino, j. (10.2-1.2023). once upon a time. book 116: love reigns. © 2023 by joal martino. 

b116 (10.1-1.2023): fall

fall [i]
by i wanna spring
 
winter turns to spring
spring & summer (fall)
get-up (again) and sing
winter, summer, All
__________________________________
 
·       the changing of seasons re-minds me that being “born again” is not so much a religious experience… but a mind(re)set.
___________________________________
[i] martino, j. (10.1-1.2023). fall. book 116: love reigns. © 2023 by joal martino. 

b116 (9.28-1.2023): my comfort-food is lettuce

my comfort-food is lettuce [i]
by anna bunny
 
my comfort food is lettuce
it turns my onions green
red tomatoes blush amid a nightmare-salad dream
carrot-top (astonished)
olive oil (blend)
my comfort-food is lettuce and i’m at the bar (again)
__________________________________
 
·       “no great story every began with a salad” …except this one.
___________________________________
[i] martino, j. (9.28-1.2023). my comfort-food is lettuce. book 116: love reigns. © 2023 by joal martino. 

* boa-kyag

we had an acronym, in the military, for when/if things got real, real, Real, REAL bad.  it was b.o.a.k.y.a.g.:

"bend over, and kiss your a-- goodbye." 

* happy wife, happy life?

although it rhymes, uh... no.

a better saying is "if momma no happy, ain't noooooobody happy."

truth is human egos are only happy for fleeting moments... until they determine the next thing or emotion or feeling that they'd like to feel.  we can't get no satisfaction.

in 2023, beta-daddies have learned that momma is to be "asked" if he intends to do anything -- that falls outside of her ever-changing comfort zone.  

translation: "momma no happy (and so neither are you)." -the end :(

* pumped-up!

it is hard to described how pumped-up i am... about life, potential love, nature and college football!

friends, family, neighbors (heck, i'm even okay with dogs... uh... today).  the sun is out, the sky is blue, it's beautiful (and so are you!).  

won't you come out to play?

__________________________ 

* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUKYiQCB7ss 

* it's dog eat dog...

why (does it seem) as if everyone owns a dog?  

why do they 'walk' said dog, and allow it to urinate & defecate on others' property?
human relationships are challenging, 
so it is understandable that people might form even stronger bonds with a pet.  
a pet can be more of a companion.  

one might even spend more time with a pet than with a human friend/mate.

a dog doesn't disagree or argue.  a dog is owned.  a dog is dependable.  
a dog needs its owner. 

in today's day and age, 

maybe a dog-friend is just easier than a human-relationship?

b116 (8.30-1.23): halleluia!

halleluia! [i]
by a. believer
 
halleluia, brother!
our savior has been found!

it’s been 2000 years (don’t fear) that he is not around

it’s a time of making rhymes (of Be-ing god [and man])
it’s a way to know (while sticking head beneath the sand)
___________________________________
 
the “joy” of being a believer is often accompanied by keeping one’s head buried …deep within the sand.  if you don’t ask questions, it is easy to believe in things like santa… and saints.

since when has it been "smart" to be a blind-believer? 
___________________________________
[i] martino, j. (8.30-1.2023). halleluia! book 116: love reigns. © 2023 by joal martino. 

*nutshell world

this is the (known) universe... in a nutshell:

every living thing, just trying to get what it wants.

and what does it want?

1. survival

2. survival+ ...which i'll call thrival.

b116 (8.27-1.2023): praying

praying [i]
by a. believer
 
asking god for favors is the game that we are playing
asking god for favors
asking god (we’re)
 
praying
___________________________________
 
let’s be honest for a second: “praying” …is asking a god (who already loves us) to love us… but in a coercive sort of way. 
 

we beg, and (should “he” choose to) he gives us what we want.

wait 

...just a minute…

 
prayer… is one of those insane things that (on one hand) is highly regarded (e.g. “you need to pray”) while (simultaneously) being (overtly) non-trusting and non-believing!
 
in other words:
 

if god really loves you,

you wouldn’t need to beg for what you want.

 

if you really believe that god

knows what was best for you,

and if “he” really loves you,

why beg?

 
do not wait another day
get on your knees, and
 
pray.
___________________________________
[i] martino, j. (8.27-1.2023). praying. book 116: love reigns. © 2023 by joal martino.

b116 (8.26.2023): my (future) wife

my (future) wife… [i]
by a. cabana boy
 

a.     wants to keep me alive, as her:

massage therapy cabana-boy, personal trainer,

private yoga teacher, wellness coach, pilot,

boat captain, italian/french lover,

best friend, dance partner,

hot date…

 

b.     doesn’t want to keep me alive, as to inherit:

my social security & pensions, home equity, IRA,

life insurance, savings, cars, art,

spa, business…

 

c.      a & b (above)

 

d.     none of the above

___________________________________
[i] martino, j. (8.26-1.2023). my (future) wife. book 116: love reigns. © 2023 by joal martino. 

* i like women

ever since i can remember, i've liked female energy.  i like the c's: cooperation, communication, coordination, caring, connection, collaboration...

i love Love.  i believe that the ALL is Love. i was raised with Love.  i embrace love.

i like the way that women look, and move, and smell, and feel, and taste.  i'm probably not too different from most high-testosterone males, in that regard.

i've never wanted to spend the rest of my life with any, one woman... but (sometimes), i can entertain the idea.

it has been a pleasure to meet, and connect with women of all types.  

forever grateful,

j-