dr1819

If it's not sexual in nature, it's not a fetish. If it takes up an inordinate amount of time, to the point of neglecting other important things in your life, it's an obsession. If it's something you spend a good deal of time on, but it's neither sexual nor neglecting your other responsibilities, it's just a hobby. For me, it's partly a hobby, partly medical - I'm just a better person in heels.

If you have a narrower foot than normal, be suspect. The vast majority of close-toed Pleasers have a pointed toebox. Usually my size in women's is a little loose, but the one pair of Pleasers boots I purchased (in leather) were loose everywhere but the toebox, where it was so cramped I could have screamed. So - short, stubby toes, no problem. Anything else, look elsewhere. But by no means are they "anatomically correct" shoes like Clarks, Franco Sarto, or other better-known manufacturers with whom I've been very pleased. My favorite pair of boots are made by Predictions. Leather, side-zips, no lacing, with the rubber bottom and 2-1/2" block heel. Absolutely exquisitely well-fitted boots and have probably put more than 100 miles on them walking around town and all over Germany over the last year.

I agree with you in part. Seeing men in heels and hose etc. does nothing for me. Though, and I think this is where we have different tastes, I believe a women in heels “FMP’ or not is always, always great.

Definately!

^ Exactaroo, and that's why I was incensed at the way people were talking of you in that wikipedia talk page thingy. People who knew nothing about something you possessed a wealth of knowledge about figured they could shut you down simply because THEY didn't know about MUGs, then said your language was more "talking down" than "talking to."

However, there are office managers et al who will speak to their office workers as if their sole intent is public humiliation.

Hi, Danielle - I sincerely appreciate your words of encouragement.

While searching for information or content on MUGs on Wiki, I ran across another person's home page. He's called mugaliens, and one comment hints that he's interested in this topic, as well. I may be able to persuade him to rewrite the page properly. He's some bang-up edits on other pages, so...

I've seen a lot of heels on a lot of different body types. While I agree some heels look better on the thin and spindleys, other heels look fine on all body types.

There's nothing sexier than a great pair of legs!

I'm sure it was "enlightening." However, the brain most certainly multitasks on many cognitive and autonomous levels.

Consider what I'm doing now, all at the same time:

1. Thinking, specifically formulating this

2. Typing

3. Listening to music

4. Chewing gum

5. Breathing (this begins the autonomic nervous system part)

6. Heart-beating

7. Body temperature regulation

8. Regulation of intestinal functions

There's about another thirty items going on, right now, all the time, all together. The brain does not "task-switch." It multitasks.

Here's an excerpt from Wikipedia:

Humans have unique neural capacities, but much of their brain structure is similar to that of other mammals. Basic systems that alert the nervous system to stimulus, that sense events in the environment, and monitor the condition of the body are similar to those of even non-mammalian vertebrates. The neural circuitry underlying human consciousness includes both the advanced neocortex and prototypical structures of the brainstem. The human brain also has a massive number of synaptic connections allowing for a great deal of parallel processing.

That's a computer term, and it's synonomous with u]multitasking.

The brain has been described by brain experts as a "massively parallel processing machine." In fact, so much goes on in the brain at the same time that it's utterly amazing.

What you're probably confusing the issue here is the fact that our cognitive attention is usually focused on between one, and at most, three areas. However, this totally ignores the fact that as you learn, whether that's how to ride a bike, walk, talk, drive, react to situations, etc., these processes are no longer controlled by the cognitive portion of the brain, concentration primarily in the procencephalon, but are instead relegated to autonomous functions, carried out primarily in the mesencephalon and the rhombencephalon.

It's a well-known fact that top atheletes in high-speed endeavors such as ping-pong have absolutely no time to think about their shots, but that those decisions have been learned and are executed at the spinal cord level most of the time, and occasionally in the hind brain. Every once in a while enough time exists for the forebrain to have some input (usually during lobs), and the result is often strange - a missed shot, despite the extra time.

The reason for this is simple survival - deeply learned responses are often executed at far greater speed and accuracy than shallower learned responses. This is one of the principle reasons tribes for years (and today) practice war - to ensure that all the lessons of fighting are deeply learned and nearly automatic, because the forebrain is just way, WAY to slow to actually handle critical tasks such as driving, dodging other band members, auto racing, except as an overseer and a key component of the feedback loop which trains the mesencephalon and the rhombencephalon and spinal cord.

In short, ANYONE can learn to multitask. All they must do is practice. That's what it takes for the neurons to associate, for the management functions of the brain to develop, and for true multi-tasking/parallel processing to move from cognitive function to learned function, which is handled much more efficiently in the lower brain functions than the higher ones.

It's the way the human brain was designed to funtion following 100,000,000 years of evolution.

It's simply the way we are. Put in the right situation, nearly everyone can multitask! It may be scary, it may be intense, but your brains are already wired for it.

Guaranteed.

The problem is that you are in the minority, not the majority. While some people are better at doing multiple things seeminly simulataneously many are not.

I'm pretty sure everyone has talked while riding a bike...

And the brain does not multitask. It handles one thing at a time. We found this out in a conference by someone studying exactly this (cognitive psychology professor/researcher, first degree is engineering). Some people are better at task switching than others.

Even seen a marching band at halftime? The bandmembers march to complex choreographics while simultaneously playing complex music while simultaneous listening to others play while simultaneous watching the bendleader for timing cues.

It's not task switch, for if it were, there's be a lot of dropped notes and people running into one another.

If you had to pick a law/rule/convention for EVERYONE to follow, would you ban cell phones or allow them? Personally, I'd ban them. The bar is too low to get a drivers license.

Cars are dangerous, too. Some 35,000 people loose their lives in auto accidents each year. Following the logic behind banning cell phone use while driving, let's solve both problems and simply ban cars!

All of life carries risk. The appropriate solution isn't to ban things that are dangerous. The right approach is to educate people so that they make wise decisions. That way they're allowed to be adults, instead of being treated like children: "no talking in class" = "no using cell phones while driving."

I ceased being a child more than 30 years ago and will not allow anyone, including the government, to begin treating me like one.

If the government can't treat me like an adult, I'll simply move elsewhere so my tax dollars can support a government who will.

And some people really do have a bit more (or a lot more) knowledge than the rest of us. Take Dr. Shoe, for example - he's quite well-versed in everything having to do with heels. But I don't see him as being one that lords it over others or speaks condescendingly. Nevertheless, when someone is sharing their knowledge, it can seem consdescending, even when it's not. That's all part of debate. Similarly, JimC is very knowledgeable about guns, way, way more than I know, yet when he speaks I don't feel like he's being condescending, even if he were to disagree with something I'd posted and put me in my place! But I choose to recognize that his expertise does exceed my own in that area. On the other hand, I probably know more about flying than he does.

well for your information DR1819, even blue tooth head sets cells are very dangerous, be cause there is STILL a distraction on the road while driving!! when you are driving, you SHOULD pay attention to the ROAD and NOTHING else!!

Over the last 28 years, I've owned five cars until their deaths (by old age) and have driven somewhere between 600,000 and 750,000 miles, all while multitasking as our human brains were designed to do, eating burgers, talking on my cell phone, singing with my family, discussing topics, listening to music, etc.

I've never had an accident, except while parked (like stoplights) and someone has hit me (rear-ended three times).

Just lucky?

No. Rather, I'm simply able to focus an appropriate portion of my attention where it needs to be - on the road, while allowing the non-critical portion of my attention to attend to other tasks.

This talent is common among pilots, who must fly the plane, communicate with ATC, coordinate actions with other crewmembers, and operate often complex navigational equipment and aircraft controls. These tasks are far more involved and complex than driving while talking on a cell phone!

This talent is common among many professions, and others just possess it naturally. Some don't.

If you're among those who find it difficult to multitask, then by all means please do focus 100% of your attention on the road. But please don't tell me (or fine me) for doing things I've been doing all my life with aplomb and without any adverse consequences whatsoever.

I find that as offensive (and ridiculous) as other people passing laws against men wearing heels, skirts, or wearing their hair long, or getting earrings, etc.

In summary, by all means, do what suits you, but please refrain from telling others to do things that do not suit them.

O'k...

Linksys and some other router manufacturers have the capability of keeping the connection up indefinately.

Nice. And how did the police "determine" she wasn't using due care and attention? Obviously, if she caused an accident, that would be one thing. I do NOT support banning people's driving, unless their faculties have deteriorated to the point where they can no longer safely drive. For several reasons: 1. It's long been proven that punishment doesn't work. The US jails have the highest percentage of it's population incarcerated and gang violence continues to rise. 2. It's a horrible deterrant. Fines proportional to net income are far more effective. 3. Retraining and encouragement are, by far, the best proven means of changing people's behavior. Think of the horrible cost - no transportation often means a change in jobs, costing tens of thousands of dollars - the punishment is WAY out of proportion to the crime.

If it had been me, I'd have made it a mid-heeled slide so the top part wouldn't catch all that air!

Good story - nice Mum! My mother's ok with it, provided I don't wear them when visiting them. She's not so concerned about it, but they do upset dad, and when dad's upset, mom's upset. My girlfriend, on the other hand, simply loves me for who I am, and while she's not thrilled about the heels, amazingly enough she digs kilt-wearers, and so long as I stick to masculine-looking skirts (partcularly if it has a zip flight that points to the right), she has no problem with me wearing them, either.

Wearing heels at the office can be a lot of fun. I occasionally used to work late, and I'd change into heels if no one else was around. Walking up and down the halls gave me some confidence to actually wear heels out on the town. I still wear flats at work, but I wear heels everywhere else.

You wear a loin-cloth in a hunting cabin in winter?

Yep. It's called a "Hanes Men's Brief."

But I was speaking of the bear skin, as my heaviest winter kilt is still a bit chilly in the middle of winter.

One thing about Germany - lot's of middle-aged and older men wear lederhosen (think knickers), so I have no problem getting away with wearing opaque tights (or actually lederhosen) under my kilt, provided I wear my knee-high hiking socks over the top. Although today lederhosen aren't usually heavily embroidered as they traditionally were.

You're braver than I am. I am way jealous - I would love to wear something like that into a bar. Way to go!!

You might have to pic your bar with some care, but most bars that are frequented as much by strangers as regulars are much more likely to be accepting than a bar that's only frequented by locals.

I wear heels out all the time, often in bars, and have never had a problem.

I'm more prone to more generous straps. In fact, my favorite "sandal" is a Clark's wedge-heeled clog - extremely comfortable.

Whether or not a man would look good in a skirt depends a lot on the skirt, and a lot on the viewer. I've travelled in many countries in which men normally wear skirts, so to me it looks perfectly normal.

Here are some pics: http://www.kiltmen.com/world.htm

Interesting chat, Danielle. I enjoyed reading through it. From what I can tell, most boys have spent some time in their Mom's closet, trying on not only shoes, but other items, too. Most outgrow it, some don't. As for me, I did, but came back to it about five years ago, and discovered I enjoyed wearing heels more than flats.

If you could get any one sandal/shoe/boot you wanted, for wear in public (yes, you would have to be willing to actually wear it in public), what one shoe/boot would it be?

Post pics, please!

Here's mine, a non-platform, round-toed lace-up leather boots with a 3-1/2 heel.

Nothing but real leather for me, thank you. Worn with cotton socks, real leather is extremely comfortable, warm in the winter, not uncomfortable in the summer, and generally all-around good. The only thing I don't like is that you have to buy your shoes snug (but not tight). Otherwise, they stretch out too much and become loose and floppy. This is also one of the reasons I would love to find a pair of non-platform, round-toed lace-up leather boots with a 3-1/2 heel. I've found literally thousands of styles on the net, but they either have pointed toes, are made of synthetics, have too high of a heel, a platform, in the wrong size, or aren't lace-ups! Why can't the manufacturers get it right?

Ever notice how some thread titles contain exclamation points like it's the best thing since sliced bread, but when you go there you find it's just another thread, much like the rest?

Indeed - it goes very well together!

Some friends drug me to a club. I felt out of place because of my age (most of the people were in their late teens, early twenties). But about half were dressed in alternative fashions ranging from punk to goth to glitter to pretty much everything goes. I saw two guys in full-length skirts. They looked like Menintime skirts. I also saw three guys wearing heels, all conservative styles. The place was huge, so statistically speaking, there were probably half a dozen or so guys wearing heels. I don't know if it's a local thing or what. I remember attending a cowboy bar in a small town in Illinois once, and just about every guy in the place was wearing earrings, either small hoops or diamond studs. So, to answer the question, it felt kind of weird to see other guys wearing heels. I was wearing a conservative pair of heeled boots myself, and at least one of the guys spotted me and gave me a grin and a thumbs up, so it's at least nice to be appreciated for simply being who I am!