Look!

Over the past couple of years and some change, or basically the amount of time this men’s site has been up and running, I’ve done virtually fuck all to promote it. I did this, or didn’t as a better way of saying it, for a few reasons, not the least of which it was hugely embarrassing to look at. How could I ever put myself myself out there as a worthy alternative men’s journal with a mug such as the one my site had? Jeezus, college-professor tweed and suede patches’ll sooner get a man nutted.

So I more, but mostly less, kept this site to myself in the hopes that I’d one day find the right look, which of course includes a logo. Gotta have a logo. As if that weren’t enough, I had to find somebody to do it. Somebody with a special tablet, it turns out, with a writing utensil specifically for that tablet and fluency in the kind of software it takes to design something cool and edgy and manly and slightly irreverent–a skill set I just don’t carry around with me. I’m a writer. Goddamnit, I just to write.

That’s funny.

How do I say this in standard Things Men Carry lingo: Penelope is my sometimes barber, an artistic force, 180-degrees opposite me in social politics, a hot mess, a perfectionist, and a huge pain in my ass this past year or so. In addition, she said to me the other day when we were hacking away at my site and talking about drugs: “yeah, drugs will take you away from your shit, but ‘shrooms? Shrooms will make you face your shit They will call you out on your shit.”

That makes Penelope a few more, maybe things around here, besides her being the final chapter in my logo saga, a one time shoe-in at medical school if she wanted it, and did I mention pain in my ass? She’s now also the unlikeliest of drug correspondents for us should we decide to go there. Penelope. Knows. Drugs. She’s also going to be my personal drug dealer. Should I ever go there.

I digress.

Yes, we got consumed by what I consider a ridiculous amount of drama, which maybe I’ll do a whole tirade on her and her fellow Gen Zers who, too, were a pain in my ass in this project, Maybe she and I will go a few rounds in our Actual Conversations section, even better. For now, though, that drama has a rightful place, and it’s the rear view mirror. Because look.

Look!

It’s time we go viral, homies.

Time, too, I suppose to take a little stock of things, but not before a final shout out of bear-hug gratitude to Penelope for this logo. And of course a free (Instagram) plug: @piecesofpenelope

And to every virtual geek at WordPress who put up with every stupid question that I had with patience and grace in getting to this, a much cooler look–thank you!

On second thought, I think I’ll leave it there for now and bask in my new look a sec. Celebrate this wonderful milestone. Pause real quick to tell you it was with patience and many iterations (of logos) and trusting my first impression reaction and not not not ever settling and and and.

And yes, even putting my foot down, like with what I had to do with Penelope at one point. It’s important how I did that because I could have fucked it all up and had to start at ground zero again. I. Don’t. Do. Graphic. Design.

So, very soon, we head into the dirty season of presidential politics, when everyone is gonna return to their staunch camps and start being douchebags again, especially if Trump wins the nomination. Sure, be staunch. Have your opinions. Vote your conscience. Shit, put your foot down, too. How you choose to do that is up to you. We’re not prescriptive around here. We’re not life coaches, either. We do recommend, however, that if you do put your foot down, don’t put all your weight on it.

You just never know when you’ll need your Penelope.