Editor’s Note: One of my favorite blogs to read outside of The Hall (yes the Dragon does fly off to different lands periodically is Revolutionary Paidera. The author and denizen of The Hall: Antonio Maurice Daniels, always writes gems that inspire deep thought and necessary reflection into our build-up. Recently he delivered an entry called “Drop out of popularity contests” which should be read by anyone who finds him/herself struggling to be relevant, cool, or impressive to outsiders. It’s all about DOING YOU and man if it doesn’t echo everything I believe in the way we should live our lives. Here’s a snippet and link to the rest… Too many people are far too focused on how they can get everyone to like them.  You must understand that everyone will not like you.  Some people will not like you without any rationale—don’t try to force them to like you because you won’t win them over. … [Read more]

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Nothing will make you feel broker than having a trip or activity come up and not be able to attend due to a lack of money. It will not faze you if this occurs due to life kicking your ass at every turn, expensive legal or medical bills, or having loaned your lot to a family member that needed it. But if you burnt your money on a house that you have no business owning, a car you have no business driving, or a chick you have no business dating, I am warning  you right now that you are going to feel like a loser. It is for times like this that you must respect the necessity of saving for a rainy day, or better yet, saving for a fun-filled day. Living recklessly, hood-rich or beyond your means will always have you broke at trip time and your smart friends (who actually save ) will… [Read more]

On its surface intramural sports for grown men seems like the perfect opportunity to get in shape, bond with a couple guys and praise the gods with the spirit of competition. Well it may be these things if you play in a league of friends who all know and respect one another but for the standard leagues that you will join it is not. My experience with intramural sports having done it for both basketball and football is that there are 3 types of people who come out to play against you. The first is the dad who wants an excuse to run around in hopes of losing his beer gut, the second is the ex-athlete that misses the game and the third (who ruins It for every one) is the never-was, the once-was or the wannabe. This third player is a guy who is either disillusioned that anyone outside of his screaming wife cares… [Read more]

While single men and married men can hang-out and do many things together, there are a few zones that shouldn’t be crossed as it will lead to nothing but heartache and misunderstanding. Like it or not there are 2 differing factions when it comes to your social life. There’s the Player’s Club for Singles and the Couple’s Getaway Club for Married folks. Awkward feelings tend to arise when a member of one of these Clubs tries to enter into the other without the proper credentials. Being that I have been the awkward single guy in attendance at many a Couple’s Getaway, I’ve compiled a list of events that you should probably avoid attending as a single man. Couple’s Getaway Club Exclusives: Weddings – when you’re the last man single: So you have a clique of friends and you’re the last one left to be married. Attending that guy’s wedding will be annoying as hell when… [Read more]

Are you the broke friend? It’s a simple question but it may not mean what you think it means. The broke friend oft times will annoy his other friends due to his belief that life sucks for him and him alone. The broke friend will listen to your advice but will rarely take it – despite how easy it is to get out of his financial hole. What we’re saying is that the broke friend title is earned through attitude more than it’s earn from your financial position. A cheap person that has money can be just as much the “broke friend” as can the guy that can barely pay his bills. It’s not an elitist title, it’s a “stop using money as your excuse to being a loser” title. Here’s the anatomy of the broke friend: Wants in on everything but can never afford it. Cries broke whenever it seems convenient – as if… [Read more]

Despite what movies and books depict, you are not guaranteed to do better than the cool people in your High School just because you were a social reject. The one part of being the social reject that people tend to ignore in movies (and in life) is that the social reject that becomes the baller has a few necessary components to achieve success. Being intelligent is great but do you have drive with that intelligence? Do you finish what you start? Are you the type to stay up nights obsessing over your business plan, your invention, and your future money maker? Many of you don’t but you assume that being the outcast in high school has afforded you the privilege of attending the class reunion in 10 years to laugh at all the hecklers who are now clerks at the local mall or mopping floors for the hospital that you own. While this may sound… [Read more]

Rule #56 (Critique): Never criticize a man’s wife, fiancé or long-term girlfriend in front of him. While this is bound to cause a fight or a rather awkward misunderstanding, it is in bad taste and unwarranted. As a rule a man’s wife and family should not have a place within your mouth unless it is to compliment or inquire on health and well-being. Rule #57 (Emasculating Men): While we always caution women to refrain from emasculating another man it should be a known law that this is something a man does not do to his male friends and/or family. To emasculate another man in front of others is a cruel thing, a life/death thing in certain cases and probably the reason you were given an open hand slap… the ultimate gesture of the duel. If you feel like telling tales about your buddy crying to you about his cheating wife then keep it to yourself,… [Read more]

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So you’ve been a hardcore introvert for most of your teenage life and want to get out, get a girlfriend, get some friends and become “normal” eh? Or you were homeschooled, chained to your house and disallowed from doing anything that mom and dad considered unchristian coming up, now that you’re free you’re a bit worried that you won’t fit into society. The following are a few pointers to getting yourself into the social graces of population without getting the “where the hell are you from?” glare from everyone. Practice makes perfect – as natural as it seems that some people make friends, party hard and get in relationships, the fact of the matter is they have had experience. One doesn’t get experience without trying and failing a few times. That being said, do not for the life of you ever assume that making friends, being cool with people and being considered “normal” is easy…. [Read more]