I stumbled upon JoeUser.com one evening after clicking on the banner above a friend's weblog hosted on Blogger. I wasn't really looking for a new weblog, already having well established my personal soapbox at afguyer.com. Famous Last Words has been up and running for a little over a year and a half and, though it isn't 'Famous' in any sense (nor is it comprised of my 'Last Words'), I always feel a rather distinguished pride at not allowing myself to lose interest long ago. It has been an outlet for every kind of personal rant imaginable for so long that my minute list of loyal readers know exactly what to expect every time I post. What I found when I came across JoeUser was an outlet of another sort.

As far back as I can remember my friends have been asking my advice, though it has taken me many years to understand why. I am brutally honest. Some take offence but, most understand that they're just getting their money's worth. My friends know that I'm only trying to help. I'm now working in retail. Men and women alike ask for my advice. I've found its harder to give advice to strangers as most of them only want to hear what they want to hear. It's extremely difficult to tell a plus-size lady that she won't fit into size four hip-huggers even if she asks. The trick is not in how to say no, it is how to hand her off to someone who will say yes.

I digress.

My point here is to give you advice. Sometimes it may not always be the advice you want to hear, regardless of how delicately put. Sometimes it may be brutal, though the entire truth.

And sometimes it may only be a pointed little hint that leads you into the entire scope of the problem...the tip of the iceberg.