Men of Serenes Forest!

[Shoblongoo]

Relationship Dynamics are a fluid thing, but I have three (3) hard rules:

Rule #1: Enjoy each other. Truly enjoy each other. Find someone who you can be your true self around and who can be their true self around you; a dynamic where neither of you have to put on airs for the other or be fake, and can just be loved and appreciated for who you truly are. 

Rule #2: Don't be a dick.

Rule #3: If there is an irreconcilable conflict between Rule #1 and Rule #2 because you can't bring "be your true self" into some semblance of alignment with "don't be a dick," you shouldn't be in a relationship.  

 

Edited July 30, 2018 by Shoblongoo

[DisobeyedCargo]

9 minutes ago, Shoblongoo said:

Rule #2: Don't be a dick.

This should just be a general rule for life 

[XRay]

18 hours ago, Pengaius said:

Well nobody's said anything for a while, so what kind of soups do y'all like, I'm partial to a nice herby chicken veg soup myself. 

Gumbo is my favorite, especially if it is super spicy. Clam Chowder (and seafood chowder in general), Corn Chowder, and beef stew (do stews count as soups?) are close seconds. Potato soup, broccoli cheddar soup, and very chunky chicken noodle soup are good too.

I like really thick, filling soups (and obviously stews) in general.

I also love chilled french onion soup, even though it is kind of watery. It is still okay if it is hot or warm, but it tastes best to me when it is cold.

[XRay]

Reading about the Atelier thread got me curious, do you guys buy anything that is clearly marketed for the ladies?

I do. I LOVE Victoria's Secret Temptation perfume. That is like one of the best smelling shit ever. I mostly use it as an air freshener for my car, but I also sometimes use it on myself when I want to smell really, really good. When I am using it on myself, I put a "foundation" of Axe's Phoenix first, then a spray a hint of Temptation or VS's For Him perfume over myself (I spray it into the air right above me and let the mist fall on me), and then I finish with a dab of Scent of Eros for Men (I think it is a musk? I am not sure what is the difference between all different types of perfumes) on my wrists, inner elbows, and neck.

[Excellen Browning]

I watch Star vs the forces of evil.

[Pengaius]

Well, I buy a penguin plush for myself every Christmas, even though I'm way too old. And plush collecting is more of a “girly hobby"

[Johann]

8 hours ago, Tediz64 said:

I concur. That message needs to have at the very end of it "in my opinion" because that is exactly what is. Relationship Dynamics don't all work like that idealistic stuff you just wrote. Some are more business oriented, some are more fluid like polyamorous, some are more casual with little commitment and etc. What you described sounded like a romance out of the 90s. You definitely need to mention that what you said isn't applicable to all relationships otherwise alot of people can rush in and tell you that is wrong and not at all how it works.

Edit: let me reiterate, I don't disagree with what your saying, but that isn't applicable to all. That only applies to some people's style of dating. Some people have different approaches to seeking out partners

Only so much he can actually learn from us posting stuff anyway. Any of us could say the most insightful or practical things ever and it can only do him so much good until he experiences things for himself.

5 hours ago, XRay said:

Gumbo is my favorite, especially if it is super spicy. Clam Chowder (and seafood chowder in general), Corn Chowder, and beef stew (do stews count as soups?) are close seconds. Potato soup, broccoli cheddar soup, and very chunky chicken noodle soup are good too.

I like really thick, filling soups (and obviously stews) in general.

I also love chilled french onion soup, even though it is kind of watery. It is still okay if it is hot or warm, but it tastes best to me when it is cold.

Good picks. I can't stand shellfish due to a bad experience I had as a kid, which is a shame since chowder here is allegedly the best in the world.

5 hours ago, XRay said:

Reading about the Atelier thread got me curious, do you guys buy anything that is clearly marketed for the ladies?

My deodorant is branded either for women or gender neutral, since I later discovered that they make a "men's" version, but it smells bad. The one is use smells like apricots and I regularly get complimented on how nice I smell. I also own a few things like sweaters or coats that were originally owned by women. I'm 5'7" and 125 lbs, so I have a hard time finding clothes that fit me well. Unless I pay good money, most shirts and pants won't fit me well since they're designed for men who have bellies.

If something suits my tastes, I have zero problem ignoring the marketing. Pretty sure I was the only man in the theater when I saw Mamma Mia 2 the other week, though that stems more from being an ABBA fan, and I know disco ain't everyone's thing.

[XRay]

5 hours ago, Excellen Browning said:

I watch Star vs the forces of evil.

I have not watched it myself, but the screen shots kind of remind me of Power Puff Girls and it seems to have lots of action. I might check it out.

2 hours ago, Pengaius said:

And plush collecting is more of a “girly hobby"

There are a lot plushes/stuffed animals for guys too. Super hero and gaming plushes seems more targeted to guys, or at least I have not seen a girl own one. Dakimakura are not exactly plushes, but they are mostly marketed for dudes.

32 minutes ago, Johann said:

The one is use smells like apricots and I regularly get complimented on how nice I smell.

Nice. I love fruity smells too. Just makes me want to hug someone.

[Johann]

1 minute ago, XRay said:

Nice. I love fruity smells too. Just makes me want to hug someone.

"Smell fresh", it's the secret to my success

[NinjaMonkey]

6 hours ago, XRay said:

Reading about the Atelier thread got me curious, do you guys buy anything that is clearly marketed for the ladies?

No.

[IfIHadToPickADude]

8 hours ago, XRay said:

Reading about the Atelier thread got me curious, do you guys buy anything that is clearly marketed for the ladies?

Sometimes ladies pants because my legs just have to be small. And if you consider cute things to be marketed towards women, then those too.

As for the soup, I don't really eat soup a whole lot.

[Pengaius]

1 hour ago, IfIHadToPickADude said:

Sometimes ladies pants

When I read this I did a double take because I thought you wrote panties

[Johann]

Leggings are pretty good and comfy, I'll wear those sometimes.

[wizzard of soz]

does buying a shirt for myself that says #1 Grandma on it count?

products that are heavily marketed to a certain gender always kinda turn me off. guess i tread a more neutral ground.

though clothing-wise i've been a bit wary of more feminine stuff because i am often mistaken for a girl irl (i think the most hilarious one was when i was at the post office and the woman at the desk said as i approached, "what can i do for you, sir - ma'am....sir?") until i speak or they notice my crappy excuse for facial hair (seriously, it just won't grow right), and i didn't want to add fuel to that fire. lately i've been saying fuck it in general. let people think what they will. i bought some dress shirts about 2 years ago that have a nice floral pastel print and wear them to more formal occasions. really like 'em. men's fashion kind of sucks so i'm glad to be more comfortable with exploring other options. also, being 5'3" with a small frame and small feet just makes it a more practical choice. 

however i will never buy women's jeans because the sacrifice of pockets is too much. i made the mistake once and didn't realize the pockets were fake while i was trying them on. at least they make my ass look nice. 

@Johann agreed on the leggings. though i wouldn't wear them out unless i have a long shirt/jacket to pair with them because, on topic of the thread, i go commando and that's a little much for me

[Johann]

18 minutes ago, wizzard of soz said:

does buying a shirt for myself that says #1 Grandma on it count?

products that are heavily marketed to a certain gender always kinda turn me off. guess i tread a more neutral ground.

though clothing-wise i've been a bit wary of more feminine stuff because i am often mistaken for a girl irl (i think the most hilarious one was when i was at the post office and the woman at the desk said as i approached, "what can i do for you, sir - ma'am....sir?") until i speak or they notice my crappy excuse for facial hair (seriously, it just won't grow right), and i didn't want to add fuel to that fire. lately i've been saying fuck it in general. let people think what they will. i bought some dress shirts about 2 years ago that have a nice floral pastel print and wear them to more formal occasions. really like 'em. men's fashion kind of sucks so i'm glad to be more comfortable with exploring other options. also, being 5'3" with a small frame and small feet just makes it a more practical choice. 

however i will never buy women's jeans because the sacrifice of pockets is too much. i made the mistake once and didn't realize the pockets were fake while i was trying them on. at least they make my ass look nice. 

@Johann agreed on the leggings. though i wouldn't wear them out unless i have a long shirt/jacket to pair with them because, on topic of the thread, i go commando and that's a little much for me

Do you do a lot of thrift shopping? We have a lot of good shops around here, and a couple that specialize in getting more unique stuff, like 60's/70's era clothing. I found a really nice leather jacket (presumably for women) that goes down almost to my knees, which came in handy last time I went to see Rocky Horror (combined with tight jeans, motorcycle boots, and no shirt made it like a Linus Reed outfit).

And yeah I get crap from my friends when I wear leggings, it's definitely a case of "everybody is now way too familiar with the exact shape of your junk" even with underwear sometimes. Yeah long shirts, almost tunic-like in proportions, are a good match, and I even have some awesome boots to go with em

 

[wizzard of soz]

1 hour ago, Johann said:

Do you do a lot of thrift shopping? We have a lot of good shops around here, and a couple that specialize in getting more unique stuff, like 60's/70's era clothing. I found a really nice leather jacket (presumably for women) that goes down almost to my knees, which came in handy last time I went to see Rocky Horror (combined with tight jeans, motorcycle boots, and no shirt made it like a Linus Reed outfit).

And yeah I get crap from my friends when I wear leggings, it's definitely a case of "everybody is now way too familiar with the exact shape of your junk" even with underwear sometimes. Yeah long shirts, almost tunic-like in proportions, are a good match, and I even have some awesome boots to go with em

 

for sure! 80% of my wardrobe is from thrift stores. not only is it loads cheaper, but as you said you can happen upon some really interesting finds. one place around my hometown i believe had a vintage section (though the price tags for those went waaay up). i haven't seen any stores that made a point to specialize in older stuff, though i've definitely found some 60's/70's clothing here and there. i'm a sucker for leather jackets, and in moments of passion and deceiving myself that they fit properly have bought 3 of them...mistakes made...sounds like a sexy getup though. i'd like to try something like that but i don't think i could pull it off.

lol do you feel uncomfortable at all when they give you crap about it? and hell yeah, that's a good look. always found boots to be awkward to wear (especially the higher they go up on the leg) with anything other than leggings/stockings/tightass pants, which they compliment well. kinda wish the tunic style of dress in general could make a comeback for men.

[Johann]

14 minutes ago, wizzard of soz said:

for sure! 80% of my wardrobe is from thrift stores. not only is it loads cheaper, but as you said you can happen upon some really interesting finds. one place around my hometown i believe had a vintage section (though the price tags for those went waaay up). i haven't seen any stores that made a point to specialize in older stuff, though i've definitely found some 60's/70's clothing here and there. i'm a sucker for leather jackets, and in moments of passion and deceiving myself that they fit properly have bought 3 of them...mistakes made...sounds like a sexy getup though. i'd like to try something like that but i don't think i could pull it off.

lol do you feel uncomfortable at all when they give you crap about it? and hell yeah, that's a good look. always found boots to be awkward to wear (especially the higher they go up on the leg) with anything other than leggings/stockings/tightass pants, which they compliment well. kinda wish the tunic style of dress in general could make a comeback for men.

Not really haha, most of my friends are straight women or gay men, so it's mostly in jest anyway. Most of us have all seen each other naked (or near it) too so like it's not a big deal. I've done a lot of theater, and I've been on stage in my underwear a countless number of times, so I'm pretty accustomed to being exposed like that. I'm thin, but I'm very confident about my appearance so I'm not afraid to wear something revealing or different. Plus, where I live, there are a lot of artistic and open-minded people, so it's easy to wear something out of the ordinary and get a great deal of positive feedback.

There's a town not far from me that's well known for being a strong community for gay people, so there are plenty of drag queens and other unique outfits and designs,. They're very welcoming of anyone coming in bringing their own style, no matter how outlandish it may seem. It's great to go in the summer, where there are very few cars and people just walk around in the streets and being unabashedly themselves, no matter who they are or what they look like. Come to think of it, last summer for their pride parade, the theme was gods and goddesses, so there were a LOT of tunics.

[Excellen Browning]

I wish I could shop for clothes in second hand stores and thrift shops. There's very little for men and it's all in super large sizes.

[wizzard of soz]

35 minutes ago, Johann said:

Not really haha, most of my friends are straight women or gay men, so it's mostly in jest anyway. Most of us have all seen each other naked (or near it) too so like it's not a big deal. I've done a lot of theater, and I've been on stage in my underwear a countless number of times, so I'm pretty accustomed to being exposed like that. I'm thin, but I'm very confident about my appearance so I'm not afraid to wear something revealing or different. Plus, where I live, there are a lot of artistic and open-minded people, so it's easy to wear something out of the ordinary and get a great deal of positive feedback.

There's a town not far from me that's well known for being a strong community for gay people, so there are plenty of drag queens and other unique outfits and designs,. They're very welcoming of anyone coming in bringing their own style, no matter how outlandish it may seem. It's great to go in the summer, where there are very few cars and people just walk around in the streets and being unabashedly themselves, no matter who they are or what they look like. Come to think of it, last summer for their pride parade, the theme was gods and goddesses, so there were a LOT of tunics.

well that's good lol. i've only seen my close friends (who are my roommates) naked, by unfortunate circumstance. my best friend of 22 years and his wife - before we were living together, i walked into their place unannounced and came upon his naked wife who'd just finished showering. as for him i've seen him in swimwear and there was a time he was really drunk and pissed all over the table while half-sleepwalking so i got a great preview of his junk while gaping in horror ?....meanwhile i've been walked in on using the toilet a handful of times because i don't lock the door. i don't think we're on quite the level that you and your friends are - but i think it's really awesome that ya'll are that comfortable with each other. yeah, where i live now is pretty open-minded as well, which i really haven't taken advantage of. i guess i'm still a little cautious, still being in the good ol' Southern bible belt and all. 

that sounds really nice, and i'd love to witness it. for some reason, i'm very intimidated by both LGBT+ and artistic communities, despite both of them being ones that are likely the most welcoming to all walks of people. it feels like i'm not enough defined by either identity to warrant being involved in them...a feeling of inadequacy. 

 

19 minutes ago, Excellen Browning said:

I wish I could shop for clothes in second hand stores and thrift shops. There's very little for men and it's all in super large sizes.

just give it up and go to the women's section. even my dad who's straight as a nail and slightly homophobic pays a lot of visits to the women's section. but yeah, most of the men's stuff i've gotten looks like i'm wearing an ill-shaped tent rather than a shirt.

[Johann]

31 minutes ago, Excellen Browning said:

I wish I could shop for clothes in second hand stores and thrift shops. There's very little for men and it's all in super large sizes.

On the plus side, it only takes like 5 minutes to go in and check to see if they have anything for ya.

6 minutes ago, wizzard of soz said:

that sounds really nice, and i'd love to witness it. for some reason, i'm very intimidated by both LGBT+ and artistic communities, despite both of them being ones that are likely the most welcoming to all walks of people. it feels like i'm not enough defined by either identity to warrant being involved in them...a feeling of inadequacy.

I can understand that, it's only natural to feel intimidated by new things. Most of the artists I know are easygoing middle aged people who are actually pretty mellow, like when you have a friend's parent who's just really cool and laid back. I can't speak for all LGBT communities, but the general atmosphere in that town is very much one of welcoming and non-judgment. After all, most of them have experienced considerable amounts of judgment (to say the least) in their lives, so they understand how it can feel. As a straight man, I've never once had anyone there do anything that would make me uncomfortable either (and if you get compliments, it's very flattering).

The important thing to understand about both artistic and LGBT communities is that discovery, including self-discovery, is a defining aspect. By nature, they are inclusive and all about helping people figure out who they are. Whatever background you may come from doesn't disqualify you from either.

[Excellen Browning]

5 hours ago, wizzard of soz said:

 

just give it up and go to the women's section. even my dad who's straight as a nail and slightly homophobic pays a lot of visits to the women's section. but yeah, most of the men's stuff i've gotten looks like i'm wearing an ill-shaped tent rather than a shirt.

Wish I could. I'm built like a stereotypical male; broad & thick shoulders, thick arms, thick neck, fairly small hips and thick muscular legs. Women's fashion just doesn't fit me or look good on me.

[MagicCanonBalls]

On 7/31/2018 at 12:50 AM, XRay said:

Reading about the Atelier thread got me curious, do you guys buy anything that is clearly marketed for the ladies?

Yes, back when guy's facial and skin care product are so few while female section has a whole bunch for different kinds of skin and different ways of applying (masks, gel, cream etc...)

[Hawkwing]

... I keep remembering why I leave this thread. And why I come back every now and again.

Anyway, to get some of the recent questions out of the way...

On 7/20/2018 at 1:50 PM, XRay said:

Any of you guys like cars, planes, or ships?

As long as it gets me from point A to B, I'm not really that picky about the method of transportation (well, as long as it's safe. And I can keep my dignity. Although if it didn't, I could just walk).

That being said, Stuntman: Ignition has really piqued my interest in stunt driving.

On 7/29/2018 at 5:28 PM, Pengaius said:

Well nobody's said anything for a while, so what kind of soups do y'all like, I'm partial to a nice herby chicken veg soup myself. 

Tomato soup that you can dump crackers or grilled cheese sandwiches into.

On 7/30/2018 at 12:50 PM, XRay said:

Reading about the Atelier thread got me curious, do you guys buy anything that is clearly marketed for the ladies?

Being honest, no. And for the things the come close, I tend to have genuine excuses for knowing about, or reasons for having an interest in it.

[Hawkwing]

A fun little video I remembered existed. I hope it brings a laugh or two:

By the way, this is months late, but...

I finally remembered to make that gif.

[SullyMcGully]

Studio C is awesome. Or used to be at least. 

On the subject of nudity, there's this custom where I live called "skinny dipping". It's perfectly acceptable, even in a more conservative setting, as long as you don't do it with mixed genders. As an asexual of sorts, I wouldn't really mind skinny dipping with girls, but I bet they would and I know men who would definitely take advantage of that situation in an improper way so it's probably a good thing that the rule exists.