A slight change in tone

This blog, ultimately, is a personal blog. My intention for this was always to be a commentary upon the little events in the world that I found interesting, in the hope that others out there would find something to think about.

Thus far, there appears to be a trend towards the political and economic. It’s not entirely accidental, as these are subjects fairly close to my heart, and the recent events both global and local have caused these to prey upon my mind.

I also prey on other things. I’m sure my friends would have a smart comment to make about that. They’d probably be right.

In the words of Clarkson: And on that bombshell...

When did the world get so prudish?

I stood today in the gym changing rooms, stripping to my nude after a thoroughly enjoyable workout in preparation for a shower. Sharing the changing room with me were a couple of lads who, from the look of them, were no strangers to a little physical exercise. Now, I’m quite good at checking people out on the sly. If I think they’re checking me out, I’ll be a little less subtle about it, but on this occasion, I was landed in a pack of fit straight boys.

Quelle tragedie.

To a man, they stripped down, face to the locker, back to the room, and two even wrapped towels around themselves before they dropped their pants, and scurried off to the shower room so covered. Up to this point, I hadn’t been paying them much attention beyond an initial, very casual glance around the room.

I’ll admit I have a vested interest in asking this, but why do people feel the need to cover themselves up? What is it about the male genitalia that young lads get all shy?

For clarification, I’m talking twentysomething lads here, but it applies to older chaps as well to a degree. As a rule, I have noticed that people seem to be less bothered about that sort of thing with age, so there is no doubt a correlation.

When I was a young boy at Robert Gordon’s College up in Aberdeen, we went to the playing fields every week, and showered naked in the communal showers and thought nothing of it. When I was a little older, on the cusp of puberty, I found myself in a gym changing room at Secondary School down in England, and everybody seemed to be showering in swimming trunks.

What the deuce?

Was it adolescence that brought this awareness and shame to the fore? Were people afraid their manhood might be compared to the boy next to them, and found wanting?

Is that what the lads were worried about in the gym today?

Let’s assume for the moment that they didn’t know I would have liked a sneaky peak. I’m fairly confident of that so we can take it out of consideration. Assuming that I was just another lad getting changed, I find myself wondering why I don’t mind being naked, and they all appear to.

If it’s a size issue, well, I have nothing to be ashamed of, even if I’m not in the Dirk Diggler leagues. I don’t think it’s particularly a straight/gay thing either, as I know plenty gay lads who get all shy. By the same token, I know plenty gay guys who get it out any chance they get. I may even be one of them, in the right environment. The gym changing rooms is probably one such environment.

Short of asking them, I’m unlikely to get an answer. Even if I did, I suspect they might not even know. It’s far more likely to be conditioned, or through a lingering self awareness from puberty – one I admit I never really had.

In the meantime, I’d just like to say this: Get your cock out for the lads!

Because naked is fun, and if you’re fit, you should be used to being looked at. Enjoy it.

UPDATE:
After some of the comments posted I feel I should clarify my position. I'm not just saying fit boys shoudn't be all shy, it applies to everyone. Devil be damned what everyone else thinks.

I've said this already...

...but in all seriousness, just because other people are doing it doesn't make it right.

The Tories have the temerity to suggest that we live within our means, or at least make an effort to. Darling and Brown respond by calling them a 'do nothing' party. I get it... no, really...

While I agree that doing nothing is not a viable solution, I can't see that is what the Tories are suggesting. Cameron and Osborne are suggesting that the £20bn is unsustainable and could cripple us in the long-term, and having looked at Gordon's sums, I can't say I disagree.

We're facing a massive tax-hike down the road to cover the cost of borrowing now, when our currency is dropping like a brick. That means printing more money to reduce the real-terms value of the debt, which will benefit borrowers, but penalise the savers who are the only ones who acted responsibly through all this.

Yes, fiscal stimulus is needed, but not in the amounts Labour are proposing. It's a lazy, clumsy response and is akin to using a sledgehammer when what is required is a well-honed sabre.

Somewhat delusional

And so Gordon Brown has responded to David Cameron's critisism of his spending frenzy by declaring that everybody else is doing it, so it must be the right decision.

Yes Gordon, you keep telling yourself that while you plunge us further into debt. Did someone say something about lemmings?

It also seems that I'm not the only one a little confused about his math.