The Duality of a Man

I really do not like going on and on about myself in blog posts or other content that I create. I prefer to write about things that may help people, or at least commentary on different occurrences or patterns. However, I am probably the subject that I know the most about, and I will attempt to analyze one crucial aspect of my existence on this Earth. Hopefully, this analysis will be of some value to some of you readers.

I am a heterosexual Black man with Yellow Fever, as we have discussed time and time again. I am only attracted to Japanese (not Okinawan), Taiwanese, and Korean (with the occasional Vietnamese) 6/10 or better, weighing under 130 pounds (58.967 kg). Those that do not meet these criteria are not on my radar, regardless of how many Brothas tell me that I should "try Filipinas or Brazillians mayne".

I like what I like, unfortunately, she does too and it ain't me.

Of course, I understand that not many women that meet my criteria would choose me, given that I am a Black man. In fact, it is this reality that was the primarily catalyst to my becoming more racially aware. Becoming more racially aware, acknowledging my position in the world as a Black man, and cross-referencing this reality with other information that I have ingested (from so-called "redpill" blogs and forums, to personal development books, to philosophical books, and so on) has led me to believe that complete racial separation of Black people from non-Blacks would be the best solution to our problems, and mutual inability to coexist peacefully and freely.

This leads to an internal conflict. Do I pursue my desires, and likely end up losing, or do I devote myself to the service of my race and live a life of misery, with celibacy or companionship with women that I am not attracted to? Given that I am really only against the current system of racial hierarchy since it prevents Black men from pursuing our goals and our pleasures, it would almost be self-defeating to do so, although it would be in the better interests of my race.

On an individual level, I cannot live a life deprived of pleasure, but given my race in this system, this will likely be the outcome either way. The internal conflict rages on, and I am unable to commit myself fully to either side. Thus, I seem wishy-washy. I say and do things that are contradictory, such as tweeting about how Black men should not waste time pursuing relationships with members of other races, while moments later showing my dick on WeChat to a topless Chinese woman, telling her how I am going to cover her face with my seed when I return to her country.

I have come to the realization that for the betterment of the Black race, people like me are going to have to be written off or liquidated eventually. Either our "overlords" of other races are going to do us in, or we are going to be left behind if and when Black people finally decide to have our own as a collective. Our exposure to and dealings with other races may be useful temporarily, and occasionally, some of us may get a pat on the head or better yet some head from a non-Black woman (let us hope that she is not one of the grotesque ones that Black men are generally relegated to), but in the end, Black people that feel the need to integrate in any way are likely going to go the way of the dodo. The only outcome of integration for the Black man is "Triple D's" - Disappointment, Depression, and Death.

I am what I am. I have no shame in wanting what I want and going for it. The only shame, in my opinion, is that it is nigh impossible to attain. I made my bed, so I will have to lie on it. Hopefully, before I depart this plane of existence, a few more Northeast Asians that are to my liking will share it with me. Beyond that, at the very least, I hope that some of my philosophical tidbits can provide some measure of value to Black folks that wish to truly forge their own destinies.

My advice for Black men is to give up all hope of integration, and strive to build your own with your own. If you are like me and do not see yourself living the life that you desire under these circumstances, then try to get what you want without completely selling yourself or your people out, but prepare yourself to live a life of misery, then die.

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My book should be out by the end of this year. Be on the lookout for it. The link will be added once it is up and published.

Brony Weirdo Taxman Has a Point (Kind Of)

One of the YouTube users that I have been watching as of late is yourFriendtheTaxman. While not entirely educational, at least not in the fields that I am trying to dig into, his rants are often entertaining, in a "lulzy" sort of way. Essentially, Taxman is a racialist (as a surprising number of online nerds and weebs are) and a Brony that has become disillusioned with the madness of the real world, and believes that he will develop a portal into the My Little Pony world of Equestria.

In one of Taxman's latest videos (embedded below), he discusses themes from Don Quioxte de la Mancha (a classic that I will have to get around to reading one day, by the way), and focuses on how the titular character was happier when he was realizing his dreams of being a knight after years of taking on his responsibilities as a landowner. This boils down to one realizing their dreams rather than doing what society tells them to do and fitting the mainstream mold of success. 

Of course, in Taxman's mind, like in the minds of many other gamer geeks, online nerds, and other basement-dwelling types, this means escaping to the worlds of anime, cartoon bestiality, and vidya. I have firsthand experience with this since my specific attraction to Japanese women (as opposed to my general attraction to Northeast Asian women that I harbor today) was at one stage partially influenced by my childhood obsession with the Evangelion character Misato Katsuragi. I have also at one point in my life, embraced the L337 (or rather, NEET) gamer lifestyle, believing that there was no point to pursuing anything in real life, since I would always be rejected (in my mind). I cannot agree with this method of living, since it is just as empty as desperately seeking the approval of mainstream society and casting off our real dreams. At least in my case, gaming was a form of escapism from the real world, just as drugs are for dope fiends.

I do agree with Taxman's point of pursuing our dreams and defining success for ourselves, however. There must be a balance, and we must adhere to reality, of course. We will have pitfalls. We will have obstacles. We may have to take jobs that we don't want to work in order to eat before our big business, record deal, or whatever takes off, but ultimately, if our dreams are attainable, we should not give up on them for the sake of others that will bring nothing into our lives. If anything kills our dreams, it should be us, if we decide that we want to dream of something else.

The powers that be on both sides of the political aisle tend to have it against the heterosexual Black man. Whether it is the SJW that labels masculinity as "problematic", or the White supremacist that wishes to stifle Black masculinity to keep the playing field under his rule, both sides would rather people like me work under them, pay taxes, maybe hook up with an unattractive female (or tranny), and die, accomplishing few if any of my goals, and working to prop up their systems (for those that do not outright want me to be incarcerated or annihilated). It would not behoove me to march in line with either side, or take on their definitions of success for myself (which if followed, would likely bring them success and only misery to myself).

Keep after your dreams. Sometimes, we may have to take a break, and sometimes, the harsh reality is that our dreams will never come to pass, but you owe it to yourself to continue pursuing them (assuming that they are possible and somewhat based in reality, of course). To work, die, and get no pleasure out of life could be likened to slavery, and is mere existence, not life, at least in my opinion. China, here I come.

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Speaking of accomplishing dreams, be on the lookout for my eBook, coming when it comes like Duke Nukem Forever did (but likely in December).

RE: An Open Letter to Japanese People from Black Men (日本人の皆んなさんへの黒人からの手紙) - Part 2

This is the second part of my responses to the thirty-six points made in the Open Letter to Japanese People from Black Men. This post will address the remaining issues starting at issue thirteen. If you would like to read my responses to issues one to twelve, you can find them at this link.

13. I've gotten this sometimes. I've even had a microphone shoved in my face when the rap portion of a song came on at a KTV in China. If I wanted to be a smartass (or knew that the person was joking), I'd simply ask them if they can perform martial arts or some other Asian stereotype. However, if you can rap, by all means take full advantage of it.

14.See above.

15. Personally, I'm not the best dancer, but I can move freely to the beat of music, which must have been very impressive in the Xi'an clubs where most people were only swaying or doing a kind of line dance over and over and over. I do not mind getting accolades, free drinks, and female companionship over doing some basic moves at all.

16. Being fetishized is a problem if you are seeking a serious relationship, but if my Black skin and stereotypes that come with it make women fetishize me and want me for one night, I won't complain. Also, if the fetish can be used to one's advantage (getting hired for a job, modeling, getting laid, etc.), then I can see how it can be an issue, but it is something that should be utilized for its benefits.

17. You are correct. Just as Japan isn't all anime, samurai, and video games, Black people are not all rappers, basketball players, and so forth. It is on us to show this to the world though, and on us in some cases not to pigeonhole ourselves.

18. I agree with this. I'd be a liar if I said that I have never used the word "nigga", but it is a word that I prefer not to be used. If one insists on saying it, then I'd turn around and call them their respective racial slur as a "term of endearment". As a side note, it is going to be hard to stop the Chinese from using the word though; every other word out of a Chinese person's mouth is "那个".

19. This is true. In all honesty, it works both ways. There are Taiwanese people that I've met in Mainland, Mainlanders that I've met in Taiwan, Japanese that I've met in Hong Kong, Koreans that I've met in Japan, and so on.

20. I agree. There are a few Asian women that have a thing for Black men, and they often complain about not having a big enough butt, and one that I know that keeps eating and gets fatter and fatter since Black men like big butts in her idea (either that or she's just a lazy fat chick and goes for Black men since Black men do seem to be quicker to go for fat chicks, are low-standing, etc.). Unfortunately, many Black men seem to chastise me for liking Northeast Asian women since "they ain't got no azz mayne". If they only knew. As I've stated many times before, I prefer slim, petite Asian women with "refined curves", as can be found en masse in southern China and Taiwan. Proportions and face matter too, not just sheer size and not just the rump.

21. I agree with this, but once again, we are going to have to have more control over our image (and maybe even the image of others as they have done to us for years).

22. Agreed.

23. I don't think that Asians assume that all Black people are heterosexual. The gay agenda and Western media seem to be pushing homosexuality more on Black people than any other group, and Asians, along with the rest of the world, take this in. I have heard numerous stories of Black men not having the time of day with Asian women, but getting hit on by dudes. I disagree with this one; it would be great if strong, heterosexual male imagery were projected of Black men worldwide.

24. This goes along with number 23 and number 20, to a degree. I for one enjoy sex, and I am not ashamed to do so. However, I am not hypersexual to the point where I'll bang the ugly chicks, fat chicks, or bang anything to the point that I'd do gay shit. I enjoy sex, but I have standards and I'm only into women. Also, given how much sex goes on in Asia between super-duper White guys, local Asians, and so on, I see no problem with Black men getting ours too.

25. I agree.

26. I agree.

27. This has never happened to me, but it wouldn't be appreciated. That's pretty gay if you ask me.

28. Sadly, not all Black men have big ones (not to say that I'm Mandingo).

29. I personally do not mind dating girls that just want to try something new, but I just wouldn't take the relationship so seriously. A relationship cannot strive on a fetish or on novelty alone, but a few hours of physical lust can be enjoyed with these things as a basis. It can work both ways too.

30. This is true.

31 & 32. Right, not all Black people use these slang terms or listen to certain genres of music, for that matter. Once again, we are going to have to have control of our image so as not to be pigeonholed.

33. This is correct, just as not all Asians look alike, contrary to the beliefs of some.

34. That is correct. Most Asians and non-Blacks that dress up in urban styles these days don't seem to want to connect with Black people though, but just want to enjoy the fashion. Also, a Black person can spend decades in a country, learn the language, and they will still be a foreigner (gaijin or laowai) on top of being Black (kokujin or heiren), with the pros and cons that come with it, of course. I'll let Paul Mooney do the talking here:

35. Yes, I agree with this. Maybe we ought to do the same in retribution when they are on our turf?

36. I can see how this can be upsetting, especially on a bad day, but it can be used to one's advantage. I don't mind being referred to and treated as a cream-filled chocolate by some of the local ladies, if you catch my drift.

At the end of the day, these letters and what not don't mean diddly unless we have the power to either offer the Japanese (and other Asians and non-Blacks) incentives to modifying their behavior towards us, or punishments for not doing so. Unfortunately, we cannot realistically say that we can do much from the perspective of Black foreigners living in Asia at this time. It is great that this information is out there, although as you can see, I do have quite a few disagreements from the perspective of an unashamedly heterosexual and somewhat Machiavellian Black man.

RE: An Open Letter to Japanese People from Black Men (日本人の皆んなさんへの黒人からの手紙) - Part 1

I recently came across a post on Loco in Yokohama, a long-running blog of a Black man living in Japan. This "open letter" from a Black man to Japanese people is rather interesting, and in it thirty-six points are made (I'm not going to copy the entire letter here, but here is the link for you to check it out). I will make my responses to each of the thirty-six points from my perspective as a Black man that has spent time in Japan (and China). The first twelve will be addressed in this post, and I'll get around to talking about the others later.

1. We are indeed people, not accessories. It goes both ways too. I personally don't mind dating a girl just because she wants to try something new, but I'd keep that in mind and not invest too much into the relationship if she's only dating for the novelty factor of being with a foreigner or Black man. I touch on this topic a bit in my previous post.

2. Very true. Do not get caught up by "Eigo bandits", girls in Japan that date foreigners for free English lessons. At the very least, make them pay for dinner or teach you some Japanese. I was caught up in this by a few Japanese girls, but in China, the girls at least had the courtesy to pay for my dinner, and some of them did end up going to bed with me.

3. This is indeed annoying, especially if you are having a bad day (and this goes double if your bad day is based on racial issues). However, this can sometimes be used to your advantage, so it isn't always a bad thing. I certainly don't mind being told that I look like Denzel Washington, for instance, especially when it's going to get me dinner or some püh. How many White dudes take advantage of being "handsome" like Brad Pitt? Yeah, I don't think that I mind being called Will Smith and treated like a C-list celebrity for a night.

4. This is true, but once again, it can go both ways. What gets under my skin is that they will often dislike Black people unless we can fit whatever entertainment stereotype they think about us.

5. As a man that works out to stay in shape, I have to agree with this one.

6. Being complimented for being Black is much better than the usual negatives, but I get your point to a degree. When this happened in China, it seemed to come with a little bit of backhanded jealousy ("It's easy to get a job teaching because you are a foreigner").

7. This never happened to me, but it certainly is foul that we are perceived as drug dealers. What's even worse is that many non-Black foreigners feel the same way (and likely help to permeate this image), and I have heard stories of White foreigners approaching Black foreigners that have nothing to do with the drug game for drugs.

8. That's true. I don't mind Asians or others being interested in Black cultures, but it is upsetting if and when they take said culture, profit off of it, then show utter disrespect to Black people (this goes for the Kid Rock types in the States too). Also, I am interested in Asian cultures, and just as I mentioned in point #2, there should be some type of exchange.

9. I don't particularly care for this, and it always seems like there is a knife behind the person's back when they do this. Still, they kiss White folks' asses with their tongue, so I might as well get my Black ass kissed? I'd much rather operate on the grounds of mutual respect though.

10. This would piss me off too. This never happened to me in Japan, but when it did in China and Taiwan, the people that touched me had the courtesy to ask first. Maybe we should start charging people to touch our hair? It would be a business idea that could put money in the pockets of all of the Black folks that are denied English-teaching positions.

11. All people should love themselves, I agree. No, this is not fat acceptance rhetoric, but people should strive to be in good shape and love themselves. It is certainly OK to admire others, but it isn't healthy to constantly put oneself down.

12. I certainly agree with this! I never really cared for the Japanese girls that "acted Black". Sure, if one is interested in and exposed to the culture, they may pick up elements of it (just as I like the Japanese language and was into anime at one time), but I'll pass on the "Ghetto Japulous" birds. Despite this fact, I still don't expect any Japanese girl that I might hook up with to necessarily be "my geisha fantasy".

So those are my responses to the first twelve points. I'll get to the remaining twenty-four in the next post (or two). Until next time, またね。

Top 5 Strange (Potentially Life-Threatening) Behaviors from Chinese Girls

The recent news of an African student being attacked with his Chinese girlfriend has prompted me to reflect upon certain strange instances that I had with Chinese girls. Looking back, I probably could have ended up in a bad situation due to some of these girls, but I got lucky. I'd like to know if anything similar has happened to any of you guys reading this, and your interpretations of these behaviors.

5. Picture Time at Changsha-Nan

I ended up spending extra time in Changsha since I bought the wrong train ticket, but in retrospect, I am very happy that this mishap happened. The day that I thought that the train was supposed to leave was the day that I met one of the girls that made Changsha the best city for my adventures with the opposite sex in China. I noticed her staring at me, and I decided to stare back, as I was getting tired of being stared at. She came over and wanted to talk and take pictures with me, which was innocent enough in my mind. We consummated our short-term friendship by having a fling that night in a nearby hotel, naughty, but not exactly strange.

The strange part is that she posted some of the pictures that we took together on social media. Immediately, there were dozens of comments in the stream, some of them outright racist, and many of them overtly sexual, despite the fact that she did not post anything about us having sex. Either this shows the mindset of some people, or she does this often like The Weekend and her friends know her well. At any rate, given the stories that I have heard about foreigners (particularly Black ones) getting beaten and even killed over innocent pictures with Chinese girls makes me thankful that she deleted the photos.

4. "Welcome to Xi'an"

One of the nightclubs that I visited a few times in Xi'an was Tian Que, which translates to "Heavenly Palace". The decor of the club was amazing, modeled after traditional Chinese architecture, but the clientele at the two-story establishment was not my cup of tea, and both nights that I went were sausage fests. Running my usual game of dancing and having fun, I met a fellow that invited me over to his table for drinks; I obliged having no qualm with free beer. His friends at the table consisted of about a dozen guys and two women, one a bit on the chubby side and the other decent-looking, but with dyed blonde hair and blue contacts. I was introduced to the girls first, and a really skinny, nerdy guy was introduced as the blonde girl's boyfriend.

The unnaturally blonde girl told me "Welcome to Xi'an" as a toast. She then started stroking my cheeks and took my face in both of her hands saying that she wanted to welcome me to Xi'an again and again. The boyfriend was getting visibly pissed, but the original "friend" that invited me to the table said that it was OK. A few minutes later, this original friend paid me 300 RMB to leave the club. It's no matter; I had received a proper welcome to Xi'an a week prior.

3. Getting an HJ Among Friends

As you may recall, I wrote about a girl dubbed "D^2" in a previous blog post that gave me a handjob in the club. The thing is, we were surrounded by her friends, and if any of those Chinese guys would have had a nationalist awakening, it would have been trouble given our compromised position.

2. Karaoke

One night I met a girl coming out of a club that really took a liking to me. She invited me to go to KTV with her and her friends. This night didn't end with any action for me, but I ended up meeting her boyfriend who was called to sing one song with us. This could have been a ruse, but at least I got to slow dance, sing a bit, and enjoy a night out on someone else's Mao. The boyfriend wasn't an intimidating guy, and in fact, he did not even hug, kiss, or sit close to his girlfriend. The greater danger was the group of thuggish-looking Chinese men eating barbecue outside that stared at me like they wanted to tear me apart since I had three Chinese girls walking with me.

1. A Proper Welcome to Xi'an

My first lay in Xi'an was one that could have gotten me into serious trouble. On my first night out looking for a club to go to, I actually found the club just minutes before closing. I did not get to partake in any of the activities (or lack thereof) in the club that night, but the "afterparty" held just outside of the entrance was far more festive. I met people that I would continuously run into, mainly at the clubs, during my stay in the city. One of these people was a petite, fashionable young lady that was dating one of the dancers at the club.

This young lady took an immediate interest in me, but it was not overtly sexual. This was totally understandable since some Chinese people tend to be interested in foreigners, and the younger ones are occasionally interested in Black people as well. However, when I told her that I was from America, she suddenly got the urge to hug me and proclaim her love for me. This angered her boyfriend, of course, who grabbed her and started pushing her to the ground. Each time the girl got up, she came over to hug me, and each time, the boyfriend grabbed her, accosted her, and threw her down, with their other friends acting as if nothing strange was happening at all.

Since I had heard about stories of foreigners trying to protect women getting beaten by hordes of Chinese men, I was not inclined to make a move to stop this. I simply gave the girl a look that conveyed "Hey, you're already dating, don't get yourself and me into trouble," and gave the guy a look to convey "Hey, I'm not trying to take your woman, check her! Take her home!" The boyfriend ended up storming off and taking a taxi home, leaving the girl alone with me. Since she did not have a place to stay, I brought her over and she gave me a proper welcome to Xi'an.

I ended up seeing this couple a few times, and they acted as if nothing happened, even inviting me to their table for drinks on occasion. Looking back at it, I am lucky that I did not catch an ass-whipping.

Has anything strange like this ever happened to any of you? I look forward to reading your comments.

Don't Waste Time with Unnecessary Battles

This page should redirect you to this post's new location, at General Quarters.

November Goals Assessment

To begin, I hope that everyone had a great Thanksgiving if you celebrate it, and I hope that you weren't separated from too much of your cash (or any of your limbs) on Black Friday. We have reached the end of the month, and it is time to look over the goals that we set on the first and see how we measured up.

Make $500 online

I only ended up making a fifth of this goal. I did, however, find other means to make income which should make this a much easier goal to reach by the close of the year.

Read One Personal Development Book

Another failure. I did not even crack open a personal development book this month since I became swamped with other information. there are no excuses for failure, but I am thrilled to report that the information that I have read will contribute greatly to my personal and financial development in the future.

Blog at Least Once a Week

If you have been following my blogs, you will know that I have succeeded with this goal, although most of my posts were on this blog here. My goal was only to blog at least once across all of my blogs, so this objective was completed. I am also ahead a bit in my writing, so I can take the first weeks of December a bit easier and focus on other things.

Regularly Comment on Other Blogs

Yet another failure. I did comment on other blogs, and I recently joined a social network (feel free to add me here) where I have been sharing links and interacting with a few other users, but I didn't complete my assigned task.

Looking at these goals, I have to say that I disappointed myself. Looking back at the month, however, I must say that it was an overall success and that my actions therein will open up new doors for me in the future. I will be recycling these goals next month with one modification: instead of trying to make $500 online, I only have to make an additional $500 by any legal means. I hope that you accomplished what you set out to do, and I wish you the best of luck next month. Let's finish the year strong.

Cast a Wider Net to Catch Your Prize

Rejection is a part of life that we will have to deal with at one time or another. It can effect us in just about every aspect of our lives: employment, dating, sex, entrepreneurship, you name it. Fear of being turned down, whether it is the fear of appearing weak or otherwise inferior, or fear that was developed after past rejections can stifle our personal development, and prevent us from reaching our goals in life.

Oftentimes, there is little that can be done. If a girl that you are after just does not want to be bothered with you, then you probably are not going to be able to do much to change her mind. If your business ideas are not getting the greenlight from certain investors, no matter how hard you pitch them, then you probably will not see a cent from them anytime soon. Does this mean that you should give up on dating, or throw away your ideas? Absolutely not! Instead of throwing in the towel, you should cast a wider net.

What this means is that you should always keep your options open, so that if you fail with one prospect, you have others to fall back on where you may succeed. For instance, if you are trying to pitch an idea to investors but you get shot down, that does not mean that you should kill your dreams. Instead, modify the idea or your pitch as much as you need to, and try to target other investors. If this does not work, you can fall back on crowdfunding, or a combination of these investment sources. Expanding your options makes it easier to find at least one source that will work for you.

The principle applies for girls. Now, this can be a hard thing to do depending on where you are as there might not be enough suitable women in your area (like in my hometown, especially given my preference), and that wide net might end up catching one big whale. In this case, you might have to relocate, or utilize online dating. If you are in an area where you have potential access to many attractive women, you will want to keep your options open with as many as possible. If a girl rejects you, then you can pick yourself up and talk to the next. If one flakes on you, then you can set up a night out (or a night in) with a different lady.

Knowing that options are available will help you to maintain your confidence, even after being hit by rejection. Cast your net as wide as you possibly can in order to increase your chances of success.

Hypocrisy and the Game of Power

When we are brought up as children, we are taught to do what is right and just for the benefit of society. In other words, we are taught to be moral. Growing up, we often encounter others that claim to do what is right, but behind closed doors (and sometimes, right in our faces) they will take action contrary to what they supposedly stand for. This is hypocrisy, and it is a major tool in the game of power in contemporary society.

Whether we are dealing with the White Nationalist that claims to promote racial purity, but cannot keep his mushroom tip out of Asian and Latin sugarwalls (all while telling the world that it is a sin for Black men to get any), the liberal social justice warrior (SJW) that claims to stand up for the equality of people with all sexual preferences, but slams the evil, cisgendered heterosexual male, or the preacher that tells his congregation to separate from their worldly possessions and tithe so that he can purchase a new Cadillac, we must be aware of the game that they are playing. You cannot deal with these types using logic, even their own logic, since they and their followers will strike you down. They do not care about following their paradigms and only wish to stifle you, mold you to fit their needs, or smash you as a competitor.

The hypocrite claims to play by the rules, and in some cases, may enforce the rules, but in reality, they break them while pointing out others to be scapegoats. Their prime targets are those that do wish to play the game by the rules and act right. Those that are overly conscious of breaking the rules, and those that are overly apologetic are easy victims of the hypocrite.

These days, it seems like everyone is a hypocrite. It is OK for them to take an action or make a statement, but if a member of the opposing team does the same thing, then it is evil, wrong, and the opposing party should be ashamed of themselves. There is no escaping this reality, for better or worse, so be mindful of it, and try to manipulate the playing field in your favor. If it is alright for them to take such actions, and they refuse to put an end to their lies, then feel free to use the same tactics for the benefit of your side of the conflict. Remember that mutual unfairness is as close to fair as life gets. When it comes to online arguments especially, it is best to simply ignore the hypocrite and go about your own way.

In real life, dealing with hypocrites is much more difficult since they may be in a position to take action that would have a direct effect upon our lives. If the offender has power over you, you may have to put up with the double standards, at least until you can attain power through other methods and end up on top. If you can, try to distance yourself from this entity. Keep in mind that power may give the offender a "halo effect" of sorts, making them look wholesome as they claim, while you are labeled as the bad guy. This simply illustrates the importance of gaining and keeping power for yourself.

A Catalyst Alone is Not Enough

In chemistry, a catalyst is a substance that increases that rate at which a chemical reaction takes place. In our day-to-day lives (aside from the chemical reactions taking place in our bodies and all around us), a catalyst can also be a person, thing, or event that causes us to take action or change ourselves. Some can be negative, such as financial hard times or deaths of people close to us, while others can be positive, like reading a motivational book (or blog post by yours truly), or meeting a successful person that you want to emulate, and others still may be neutral (or could ebb towards positive and negative depending on one's perspective) such as religion or the goals that we set. A any rate, catalysts light fires under our asses to make changes in our lives that we deem necessary to advance.

Once you have found your catalyst (or it has found you) and the fire has been lit, do not think that your life is in the bag. It is going to be up to you to kindle the fire into an inferno of self-improvement and development. There are many people that satiate themselves in self-help material or prayer, then wonder why their lives are not improving at all. This can be due to "paralysis by analysis", fear, downright laziness, or other causes, but if this behavior persists, one will find themselves right back in another rut.

 A catalyst on its own will not cause a chemical reaction; reactants are needed. In the case of your personal development, the "reactants" will be your passions, your goals, your visions, your skills, your work, and any other factor that will contribute to your success. These aspects must be cultivated and put in motion in order to find success since it will not fall out of the sky for most people, despite how many self-help books you have read, or prayers you have sent up to GodJesus, the Bear, the Flying Spaghetti Monster, or my personal favorite:

Is the [Gr]ass Greener on the Other Side?

As I am sure that you may know by now, yours truly has a hard case of Yellow Fever. I am not the only one, as according to statistics, Asian women receive more responses than any other woman on dating sites. It doesn't take a PhD to see that droves of Westerners fly out to Asia every year with women being one of the primary reasons why.

Yeah, I want you too.

Interracial dating (or at least screwing) has been happening since different races came in contact with each other, and it probably isn't going to go away anytime soon. There are numerous reasons why people choose to date interracially, whether it be a preference (like myself), an issue of what is available in one's geographical area, or rejection from one's own race. Some people, however, go so far as to believe that women of such-and-such race or from such-and-such country are perfect. Is this really the case?

I would err on the side of saying no. In some cases, it may seem that the ass (excuse me, I meant to say grass) is much greener on the other side of the fence, but when you dig deeper, you will realize that people of other cultures have problems too. For instance, people say that Japanese women are sweet, innocent, docile, submissive, and so on, but many that have actually been out there to the Kuni would say otherwise. I have heard of many foreign men that stopped getting sex from their Japanese wives as soon as the child was born. Some are denied custody of their children from sweet, demure Japanese women, and we cannot forget the phenomenon of "grass-eating men".

The same can be said for interracial dating in America. Given the behavior of most American women, dating different races can in some cases be like dating the same venomous personality type but in a different shade. This can also come with the addition of discrimination from family or friends of either party, be it women of the man's race hating to see him date out, or people of the other race having hostility towards the man. This is something that we must keep in mind (especially Black men, and on a global scale).

Personally, I am not interested in American women at all, so I am going to take the discussion back overseas. Women in other countries do indeed seem more feminine than women in the West, and for sure, they tend to be more attractive (at least in Northeast Asia, my target region), but they are not without their issues. If you think that gold-diggers are an issue in the West, then you will have to be wary of women that seek green cards. If American sluts give you problems, then be careful with what you settle down with, since many of the foreign D-hunters are sluts in their own right (I guess that it's all good when you are the one being selected rather than the frat boys and athletes though). Just be careful what you get into, regardless of where you get into it.

I am not trying to discourage interracial, intercultural, or international relationships (or trysts) at all. I just want people to be careful not to think that things are always going to be perfect just because you are "hopping the fence". Every relationship is going to have its issues, so just be on your P's and Q's and go for what you want, remembering to avoid putting women on a pedestal. It is your road to pave, but always keep AWALT in mind.

Do Affirmations Actually Work?

Affirmations are thoughts that are spoken aloud in order to change one's mindset. New Age self-help gurus and their followers often state that verbalizing affirmations will help a person to reach their goals in life. For instance, stating that you have gained twenty pounds of muscle each morning while looking in the mirror should result in you making those muscular gains.

Is there a mystical, magical realm where your words become a reality? Is there a second dimension with mystical beings that will make sure that your dreams become a reality? Do affirmations connect you with GodJesus or some greater spiritual consciousness that will make the world suddenly work in your favor?

Some may spout affirmations daily like they should, but nothing ever happens. They find themselves further and further away from accomplishing their goals. As life passes them by, and their bodies, minds, and skills atrophy, they wonder why they are not where they should be; the magic of affirmations failed them.

I am here to tell you that affirmations are not magic, and simply stating what you want while imagining that you are where you want to be in the future is not going to bring results. Does this mean that you should completely forget about affirmations? No, not at all. I just want you to realize that affirmations alone are not going to get you to where you want to be (assuming that your goals go beyond just reciting affirmations). Verbal affirmations can be quite useful for lifting your spirits or keeping you motivated. This boost of morale and self-motivation can get you in gear to take actions towards your goals. The actions themselves are what will get you to your objectives.

Personally, I have been using affirmations from time to time, and they have helped to stave off negative thoughts and put my mindset in a frame to do what needs to be done to complete my missions in life. If you think that affirmations will help you along the road of personal development and towards your goals, then by all means employ them. They can be a great way to boost and maintain morale. Just remember that you need to get the work done if you want to succeed.

Reasons Why Social Justice is Not For Heterosexual Black Men

In recent years, social justice warriors have crowded to the Internet in order to "promote awareness" and take part in virtual activism. Supposedly, these social justice warriors (or SJWs for short) stand up for the downtrodden, such as minorities, women, and homosexuals against the evil, oppressive heterosexual, cisgendered White men. Now, being a Black man, I most certainly do agree that White supremacy exists, it is global, and it is detrimental to my progress. However, much of the rhetoric spewed by SJWs would stifle the progress of a heterosexual Black man as well.

Their Problems Aren't Ours

Many of the problems that SJWs (mainly White women) talk about simply aren't ours. They do not go out of their way to help us along in life, so we do not need to waste our resources (including time, the most precious resource) trying to help them. The same thing applies to other non-Whites (referred to as "people of color"), gays, and to a degree, Black women. History has shown that Black people will stand up for other aggrieved groups looking for allies only to have them throw us under the bus when they do not need us anymore. I for one won't be falling for that trick anymore. It is indeed time for us to take responsibility and do for ourselves.

The paradigm that all injustices matter is only a marketing ploy to get people to jump on a bandwagon issue and allocate their resources to a cause that is not their own. The real world does not work like that, as history has shown us. The reality is that injustices and inequalities that are closer to home or have an affect on you or your group are going to be the ones that really matter. The problem with trying to think that all groups outside of the White, male, heterosexual, cisgendered group will naturally ally is that different groups have different goals, and in reality, these goals are often met by aligning with White supremacy and putting Black folks down or exploiting us.

But You Should Understand

Yes, I certainly do understand what it is like to be discriminated against and historically oppressed. I can turn that argument right back around to the members of other so-called aggrieved groups. At the end of the day, their actions will speak louder than their words. They are making real strides towards real power. I think that I will do the same, and I advise other Black men to do the same with no shame in their game.

You Aren't White, But You're Still an Evil Cisgendered Man

If you are attracted to attractive women, then you are objectifying women. If you have a particular taste in women (team #BlackWithYellowFever all day), then you are an evil fetishist. Never mind the woman that has a thing for K-pop stars, since it is OK for her to have a preference. Never mind the guy that likes to pack fudge; he was born that way and you have to understand. To top this all off, if you refuse to accept the advances of an overweight transsexual that prefers to go by the pronoun "zer", then you are promoting the evils of patriarchy.

I just do not see how a perfect, social justice utopia would bode well for a straight man of any race.

It Takes Time Out of Your Busy Schedule

Unless you are pulling in those SJW dollars from ad revenue or some other source, then participating in online social justice crusades is a waste of your time. Not only are your interests unlikely to be addressed for the most part, you are also wasting valuable time that could be used to produce something or hone a craft that will potentially bring about real tangible power, and thus, real justice.

The same applies to arguing with SJWs (and any other fanatic adversary, such as White supremacists, religious zealots, naysayers, etc.), especially online. They will always bring some of their buddies to the fray, and you will never get through to them. The only time that I can see a purpose in such arguments is in the realm of political debate if you are running for office and can actually have an effect on policy, or if you are trying to drum something up that you can turn in your favor (maybe like some of the troll posts that the fellows at RoK write). The best thing for you to do when "confronted" by an SJW or another opponent to your side is to push forward with your endeavors and only confront them when absolutely necessary for defense of yourself, your teammates, and the pursuit of your objectives.

Always Be Playin'

One of the books that I read while I was in China instead of studying Chinese like I should have been was The 50th Law by Robert Greene, author of The 48 Laws of Power and many other personal development books. The 50th Law uses examples from the life of famous rapper, 50 Cent, as well as historical figures to illustrate important themes in the game of power. One of these lessons that I have learned and continuously try to implement in my life is found in Chapter 4 of the book: Keep Moving.

This chapter conveys the importance of constant motion. When one stagnates, they miss opportunities, but if one is constantly working towards a goal, even if they feel as if they are on top, then they can push further ahead and better secure their position from would-be adversaries. In other words, "Always Be Playin'". Although the way this is phrased sounds like it applies to gaming girls, this philosophy applies to just about any arena of life.

For instance, you might have a great job with an amazing salary, but you must remember that when you work for others, you are essentially expendable. There will always be someone else that can do your job and do it for less money, which means that you never know when a younger, more ambitious, or perhaps more willing rival will arrive to push you out of your job. However, if you know that you should "always be playin'", then you might apply for other jobs based on your experience. Even if you do not take these jobs, you might gain contacts in your back pocket just in case you need them, or at the very least, keep your interview skills fresh and potentially improve your confidence. Taking things a step further, you may choose to pursue entrepreneurial endeavors in order to develop skills and have alternative modes of income.

"Always be playin'" applies to the mind as well. As we get older, our mind tends to stagnate as we get set in our ways and the curiosity that we once had as children fades. Some of us may have been praised at a young age (deservingly or not in the Western world), which while good for building confidence and self-esteem, can actually stifle personal development. Thinking that we are entitled "know-it-alls" and that our ways are the only ways, especially when there is no power to back these claims, can lead to ruin. Instead of going down this path, one should open their mind to new ideas and opportunities.

Stay abreast of new developments, be they technological, economic, social, etc. on a global scale, then strike when the opportunity presents itself, or at the very least prepare yourself to deal with the "new world" that will emerge from these developments.

Lessons from China: Step Outside of Your Comfort Zone

Although I failed to learn Chinese during my stint in China over the summer, I did learn and relearn some important life lessons there. The most important lesson that I learned was that one must leave their comfort zone in order to unveil and capitalize off of opportunities.

This does not mean that one has to leap directly into the danger zone, but taking a few steps outside of the box, especially for starters, can open up new worlds. In my case, going to China in the first place was a step outside of my comfort zones of Japan and the United States (comfortably numb in the case of the latter). The next step was to open up to people, despite language barriers and racial barriers (both real and perceived).

The Danger Zone

This somewhat more outgoing approach to life lead to numerous opportunities (mostly chances to drink or get laid, but I won't complain about that), and numerous friendships that may develop into more profitable relationships in the future. In order to profit, one must be able to reach people, and one way to reach people is to venture out into the world and get to know people.

Of equal, or perhaps greater importance is stepping outside of your mental comfort zone. Many people have been mentally conditioned for failure for a variety of reasons. Some of us have been so thoroughly conditioned that failure becomes a habit. We seek sources to justify our failures, such as sob forums like the now-defunct PUAHate, and consistently put ourselves down, making our lives even more miserable and the lives of our competitors easier. This is a habit that I am trying to cast off completely.

This is not to say that life does not have obstacles, but if we do not take that step forward, we will never be able to surmount the obstructions that life may throw at us, instead staying stagnant as life passes us by. In order to change my mindset, I have begun a program of serious study. This includes studying those that have succeeded in realms that I wish to succeed in, as well as reflecting on my past experiences and comparing notes with those in similar situations that are seeking solutions to common problems.

I have not reached all of my short-term goals yet, but I am a few steps closer to doing so. I am also more open to and aware of opportunities that present themselves. I hope that those of you reading this are willing to take that first step out of the comfort zone towards your objectives.