I’ve become accustomed to the trip into the town. The train that does not empty, but becomes fuller as it nears the middle of it all. I do the rounds, but I don’t really pay a lot of attention. Passing windows. I’m there to see a friend. This is my only real excuse for getting back into town anymore.

I’ve become accustomed to the drinks and the often unsatisfying food that we share or not share depending on the order. I don’t eat out much. Money’s too tight for anything more than an appetizer at half price. It soaks up what it needs to. This is my only real excuse to grab a cheap bite anymore.

I’ve become accustomed to the conversation shifts. My tide beating against your calm. The distractions that we both encounter. I just mask it better than you do. Or at least I think I do. At the end of it there’s never hostility or resentment. This is my only real excuse to pay attention anymore.

I’ve become accustomed to the years and the days and the idle hours and the myriad of friends and associates that you share. On occasion I bring one to the table and you are warm and ready to receive. I have two close friends that did not cheat me and you’re the one that’s still alive.

Il y a deux types de personnes dans ce monde, et le plus tôt vous le comprenez, plus vite vous vous sentirez heureux, épanoui, efficace – même si cela signifie devoir vous séparer de votre meilleur ami, voisin, voire même, oui même, de votre mère.
Le premier type, positif, vous apporte de l’énergie. Ce sont les personnes qui vous motivent, vous donnent de la force, vous donnent envie de devenir une personne meilleure, vous inspirent, vous font vous sentir bien dans votre vie, vous encouragent à prendre des risques, et vous aident à atteindre vos but et réaliser vos rêves.
Le second type, négatif, ce sont les sangsues. Ce sont les personnes qui drainent votre énergie, qui vous font vous sentir mal dans votre peau et dans votre vie, se plaignent sans cesse, sont négatives, répandent des commérages, vous parlent pour ne rien dire, et vous démotivent.
Qui que ce soit, au sein de votre entourage, famille, voisinage, au boulot peut être classé dans l’un ou l’autre catégorie. Plus de temps vous passez en compagnie des négatifs, plus vous devenez malheureux. Mais savez-vous comment dire qui est positif ou négatif?

Voici comment vous pouvez faire:

• 1ère étape. Faites une liste de tous vos amis, collègues, associés, membres de la famille, et des personnes avec qui vous êtes régulièrement en contact.

• 2ème étape. Maintenant mettez un + devant chaque personne positive, et un - devant chaque personne négative (vous pouvez tout aussi bien mettre un sourire ou une grimace à la place, ou tout autre signe expressif à votre convenance). Pour 95 pour cent de votre liste, il sera plutôt facile d’identifier qui vous transmet de l’énergie et qui vous en pompe. Les 5 derniers pour cent seront un peu plus difficiles à définir, ils peuvent avoir une attitude variable, tantôt positive, tantôt négative. Alors comment les classifier ? Fermez vos yeux, imaginez-les. Que ressentez vous au fond de vous? Positif ou Négatif?

Maintenant que vous avez classé chacun selon ses mérites, il est temps de faire le ménage : sortir les négatifs de votre vie. Pensez à ces personnes comme à une vilaine dangereuse et contagieuse maladie. Votre but est d’éviter ces personnes à tout prix.

Que faire si vous ne pouvez les éviter? Que faire si vous devez travailler avec ces personnes? Tant que vous ne pouvez les éviter totalement, essayez au moins de passer le moins de temps possible en leur compagnie. Quand vont-ils manger? Allez-y à un autre moment. Ne vous engagez pas dans les projets où ils sont impliqués.
Il y a un parent facheux, qui ne fait que se plaindre, à chaque fois que vous le rencontrez devant le club de sport où vous déposez vos enfants? Déposez vos enfants ou plus tôt ou plus tard. Soyez créatif. Préparez-vous une liste de réponses automatiques que vous pouvez sortir quand vous n’avez pas le temps de leur parler. Voici quelques exemples:

J’attends un appel urgent.

J’aimerai beaucoup deviser en votre compagnie sur l’état du monde, mais je dois vous quitter précipitamment pour résoudre une affaire de la plus haute importance. Je vous en prie, n’hésitez pas à m’envoyer un mel.

Bon, d’accord, ce dernier est un peu poussé. Quoique…

Vous ne pouvez pas éliminer toutes les personnes négatives de votre vie, mais vous pouvez limiter très sérieusement le temps que vous devez passer en leur compagnie et donc les dommages qu’ils peuvent vous causer. Mais, que faire s’il s’agit de votre épouse, enfant majeur et adulte, père, sœur, grand mère, petite amie, cousin, voisin, meilleur ami, ou mère? Sortez-les de votre vie! S’ils vous démoralisent, vous prennent votre énergie, vous font sentir minable, virez les.
Ça vous paraît extrême? Faux. La vie est trop courte pour devoir subir une telle nuisance. Vous pouvez être forcé de travailler avec des sangsues, mais ce que vous faites en dehors du bureau vous appartient. Vous pouvez choisir avec qui passer ces précieuses heures. Ne vous sentez pas coupable ou obligé de vous lier ou de parler avec qui que ce soit qui ne vous encourage pas. Demandez plus aux personnes qui partagent votre vie.
Votre mission est de passer au moins une heure cette semaine avec une personne positive, et de virer une sangsue de votre vie. Coupez le cordon.

Alors, qui allez-vous virer?

J’ai pensé que cela pouvais vous interesser. Si vous trouvez là une aide, vous aurez peut être à coeur de me le faire savoir en faisant une donation.

So I was speaking to one of my best friends tonight and he asked me for a favor.  I said, sure not a problem to his request. Then the conversation evolved into my reasons for not asking others for favors when I am in need. He was amazed.

I don’t ask others for loans or favors, because I hate disappointment and frivolous excuses.  I don’t have time for nonsense and foolishness. We’re all adults and yet some of us act like kindergartners. Then again, I shouldn’t even insult that grade level.

Have you ever been asked for a world of things and yet when you turn around to ask the same, you hear “no?” Have you always come through for your friends, but when you’re in need, everyone is busy?  I for one am tired of the imbalance.  I rarely if ever ask anyone for anything. When I have, I had to either do things on my own because he or she didn’t put their all into it as I would. Past experiences have taught me to rely on myself, because in the end if you want things done right, you must do it yourself.

I don’t ask others for loans, because I am mindful that they have more responsibilities than I do (i.e. spouse, children, mortgage, car note, health bills, parents, school, or past debts) and need their money more than I. So if I have to cut extra corners on previously cut corners (if any of that makes sense), then that will have to do. The funny thing is, while I am living on that extra tight budget, unnecessarily to help a  friend out. He or she has yet to show their gratitude by paying it back.

Yea, I don’t ask for favors because of my pride, fear of disappointment, past experiences, etc. In reality I don’t want to owe anyone, anything. I’ll take care of myself. I have never been a loan shark. However, I doubt that my courtesy would be reciprocated.

2009 has taught me a lot of painful lessons. Those you thought were friends, really weren’t. Something so small, formed such a huge gap. I have looked around and see only darkness. Those close are now far away. Who am I to go chasing after them? Why bother asking for a favor if the answer is, “I’ll get back to you” “I can’t,” or just plain “no.”

So no, I won’t be asking you for a favor anytime soon. Don’t take it personal, it’s just how I am.

There are excuses, and there are reasons. More often than not, regarding exercise and nutrition, what people think is a ‘reason’ is actually an ‘excuse’.

For example: I don’t exercise because I don’t have time….or I don’t eat well because I don’t know how to prepare healthy meals.

But occasionally you come across something that sounds like an excuse that is actually a reason:  I don’t eat vegetables because I am afraid of them.

Not much to shout about this week, I haven’t lost any weight.

I may well have hit my first plateau. Which means that I need to change what I have been eating and start doing some real exercise. If I do not, I will keep going up and down in weight. To be perfectly honest, I didn’t expect to hit this plateau so soon, but there it is.

The real dieting starts now.

This week I have hit my first set back. I have unfortunately gained 4lbs.

Moving my weight back up to 18st 5lbs (257lbs).

I’d love to say, that the extra weight gain was due to the natural build up of muscle from training and I have actually lost a few inches, but it isn’t due to these factors. Over the last couple of weeks I have been out a few times, had quite a bit of alcohol and eaten out on a few occasions. It is inevitable when you act this way that weight gain will soon follow, and I have paid the price for not being sensible. That said, I feel that even though reaching my final target is what I desire most, trying to maintain a balance between dieting and having an unrestricted social life is also very important.

I believe as I continue my journey I will find the key to this and hope to pass it on through my ramblings.

12th November 2009

Excuse for missing a Thursday morning Concert Band rehearsal:

“I’m sorry, but I came into the Music School, got distracted, and then forgot why I was there…so I left!”

Ellie Sowden, baritone sax

Another week has passed and it is time to get on those scales.

I am happy to announce that I have reached my first milestone. I have now lost 1 stone (14lbs), which brings my weight loss for the week down by a further 2lbs.

Check out my Current Weight page to see my overall progress and target weight.

The groundhog knows what love is.  It holds him all winter and wakes him in the spring.  He may look thin and haggard and hungry, but so do I and what is my excuse?  And the hawk understands a little more of love than I could ever bear.  If he seized me now, I’d only scream a little.  Lovers talk about the moon and the sea, but they should talk instead about the humming-bird.  It lives on sweetness only.  And when its heart slows down it’s as if it weren’t alive.  But let me be like the ant, always busy.  Either walking crisscross through the desert of the ceiling or moving my antenna back and forth to warn my queen danger is near.

Just cried a few minutes ago..

Sweety has continually upset me for neglecting to care for his wedding rings..

and that’s not a typo or a grammatical error.. indeed we have more than one wedding ring..

We were still dating when I chanced upon these bronze rings being sold in a marketplace in Libon, Albay when I went there for a short vacation with my mother.

I’m not sure how much they were exactly, but it was no more than P50. (less than a dollar)

I was told that these rings when worn, could protect you from your enemies and from witchcraft.

Fascinated, I bought one for myself and one for Sweety.

When I got back to Manila, I had him wear the ring I bought for him.

When polished, they did look like gold wedding bands.

But I noticed that he was not always wearing it.

EXCUSES:

1. Not comfortable wearing it while playing basketball..

2. Went to the comfort room.. had to remove it because it might get dirty..

Fine, then..

After dating for six months, we decided to get married.. a civil wedding..

And because we didn’t really plan for it.. and everything was hush-hush.. (my family didn’t know I was dating him.. let alone marrying him..), we didn’t get the chance to buy rings.

We had our wedding a week after deciding to get married, and in the absence of wedding rings, we used our bronze rings.

But it was only a matter of time before they started leaving green marks on our fingers.

Of course, Sweety had a big excuse not to wear it anymore.

EXCUSE:

3. “It makes my finger turn green.”

I decided to buy a new pair.

Since we had no budget (I just got out of med school.. He was in between jobs), I decided to just purchase sterling silver rings from UniSilver for the meantime.

Price: Around P600 for both rings, plus engraving..

He wore it religiously for a week, and then he was back to giving excuses 1 & 2.

And then I got pregnant.. and my family found out about us..

He moved in into our home a month before I was due to give birth to our daughter.

A few months passed, he had another big excuse not to wear the ring.

EXCUSE:

4. Ring was cut.

It was cut from where it was joined together. I could have it fixed, but I decided to buy yet another pair.

I bought matching surgical stainless steel rings from Franco’s in Bulacan.

Old habits never die.

EXCUSE:

5. “It’s kinda small. It hurts my finger.”

Bought another matching pair.. He really just can’t handle it.. It goes in and out, in and out of his finger.

We decided to have our church wedding four years after we had our civil wedding, and I had our wedding rings made, again at Franco’s.

They were lovely, with yellow gold in the middle of the band, and white gold on the sides. They each had 3 tiny diamonds on them to symbolize the words I LOVE YOU.

He promised to wear his ring zealously, but not a year has passed and he lost it.

EXCUSE:

6. During their basketball game, the referee asked him to remove it, he put it in his bag, and then it was gone.

I was so disappointed, but I held my patience.

He went on for several months without a wedding ring, until I remembered the past rings that we had which I all kept, and made him wear the last one he wore before our church wedding.

I doubt that he will ever change.

EXCUSE:

7. Our kids might get hurt if he washes them wearing it.

The goddamn ring doesn’t even have a stone.

I gave up, and sadly thought to myself that I will be the only one in this relationship to value what the rings symbolize.

I never said he is not allowed to remove the ring.

I, myself, remove my ring from time to time to wash my finger underneath it or I might get Wedding Ring Dermatitis.

He’s just giving me all the wrong excuses.

I cried earlier because as I was putting lotion on myself, I removed my ring and showed him the white mark the ring has left on my finger.

I was making him see that I can go on with everything without having to remove the ring.

He asked for his ring, which had been in the bathroom for more than a week now.

(I used to keep his rings whenever I see them lying around the house, and put them back on him while he slept.)

When I said, I didn’t know, he thought I was joking and was making me bring it out.

And that was the time I cried.

I told him that it had been in the bathroom for a week now.

That it was impossible for him not to see it all these time.

That for the past five years, I’ve been the one who’s buying us rings, and all he needed to do was wear them, and he can’t even do it.

How can he be so insensitive and so unappreciative.

He tried to make me stop crying by tickling me and hugging me.

But I held my ground..

But then, I don’t really hold grudges.. most especially to him.

I was just upset.. and as I am writing this I am feeling much better.

Maybe I should just have his wedding ring tattooed on him.

But then again, he hates needles.

*****************

Wedding Ring Dermatitis may be in the form of an inflammation, irritation, redness, and itching, and sometimes may even take severe forms when not treated properly.

According to experts, wearing a ring all the time can easily cause problems because the skin underneath your ring never gets any air. Add that to the fact that soap suds, hand cream, grease, and anything else you get on your hands can get trapped under your wedding ring and irritate your skin.

Another cause may not be the ring itself, but its nickel content. Nickel is being used by jewelers to harden their products. Wedding ring dermatitis is another form of nickel contact dermatitis that could be gained from prolonged exposure to nickel.

To prevent getting wedding ring dermatitis, you can apply a mild topical steroid on the area of the finger wearing the wedding ring. However, steroids are known to thin the skin when used continuously. Another precaution is applying a coat of nail polish underneath the wedding ring. This method though needs a lot of patience since nail polish periodically flakes off. Always keep the skin on your ring finger dry and occasionally place your hands into a sink full of water.

If you have practiced the necessary precautions for wedding ring dermatitis but still developed inflammation on the skin, maybe it is necessary for you to avoid wearing the wedding ring at all and opt for something skin-friendly. The application of medications for wedding ring dermatitis, as with all kinds of contact dermatitis depends on the severity of the disease. A 1% hydrocortisone topical lotion applied directly on the inflamed skin can help relieve the itchiness, redness, scaling and swelling. This product is available over-the-counter and can be in the form of either ointment or cream.

If you have a chronic case of wedding ring dermatitis that seems to be lasting as long as your marriage, see a doctor, preferably a dermatologist. She can prescribe medication and can test your skin to determine what’s really causing the problem.

This past weekend was very interesting in more ways than one. It started off with me going to Durham on Friday to help out with the homecoming events. I had the honor of meeting and sitting at the feet of some of the class of 1959. They were at the Sheraton celebrating their 50^th year class reunion. One gentleman stopped me and asked if I was a current student. I told him that I’d graduated May 2007 and that I hope to be able to celebrate my 50^th year reunion someday. He began to tear up as he shared how his journey hadn’t been easy but how he was thankful that he along with so many of his other classmates had made it to see this day. Ya’ll know I’m one of the biggest cry babies so it took everything in me not to let my tears fall, but Mr. Warren really touched my heart. I really could have stayed there all night just listening to their stories about our Alma Mater. Speaking of which they knew every word of the Alma Mater without looking at the paper. All I ever knew was the refrain…SMH I’m embarrassed. I felt like a bad alumnus, so my goal is to learn the entire song by next homecoming!

Verse I

The sloping hills, the verdant green,
The lovely blossoms’ beauteous sheen
Surround our college proud and gay,
Where wave our colors, Maroon and Gray.
What matters it how far we roam?
Our thoughts will oft return to home,
And hearts will e’er be true to thee,
Our Alma Mater, N.C.C.

Refrain

Then Rah! Rah! Rah! For our colors so gay!
Dear old N.C.C.’s Maroon and Gray;
Thy sons and daughters will honor thee,
Dear old N.C.C.

Verse II

We’ve gathered here to fit our lives,
As from the darkness light revives,
So let us hail, both night and day,
Our glorious colors, Maroon and Gray.
We’ll ever love and honor thee,
For thou hast taught us loyalty.
Then let our watchword “service” be,
To Alma Mater, N.C.C.

Verse III

You send us forth with hearts of love;
So like a blessing from above,
And from the path we’ll never stray,
Our dear Alma Mater, Maroon and Gray.
We’ll work and fight, we’ll win our way.
When duty calls, we shall obey.
And may we e’er return to thee,
Our Alma Mater, N.C.C!

            As Mr. Warren and I were talking one of my former teachers whom I didn’t realize was an alumnus, walked by. He and I both looked at her and chuckled. This lady is still walking around rocking a curly afro and a rat tail. Yes a rat tail! I had to do a double take. It was nice to see that although our generations differ in so many ways, he too found a rat tail in 2009 to be funny.

Then on Saturday morning I checked my bank account and realized that another pay day had come and gone and a fellow NCCU alumnus still hadn’t done what they said they were going to do.  So I sent them a text message which stated “Seriously this makes no sense. You said you weren’t trying to eff me over but you are definitely fooling me. If you’re not going to pay me back just say that. Don’t have me expecting something and you not come thru. Bank of rachelle is closed but bank of America is open today til 1. I’d appreciate a deposit.” This person responds back by saying “First I’m not, second I don’t want to argue…third save your f*%&ing sarcasm…shocked you know who I am since u spend your time talking to my friends rather than me.” (Then the issue of money was addressed) Now I’m looking at the phone like “huh” granted I was being very sarcastic in my text, but since September I’ve been told every excuse why the money hasn’t been paid. And what makes it even worse is this person waits until I ask them for the money to give an excuse. As I stated in a previous blog, if I owed someone something, they wouldn’t have time to ask me for anything. They would probably get tired of me calling them to let them know what was going on. But instead of taking that approach, they want to bring up who I talk to. I’m confused…what does who I talk to have to do with you paying me my money. How does you not wanting to argue have anything to do with you paying me my money? In my eyes it’s a simple case…Just pay back the money. Then it dawned on me, this person is a hit dog hollering. (No I’m not calling them a dog.) When a person is guilty, they’ll do anything it takes to deflect the guilt. Even if that means pulling unrelated issues in just so they won’t have to bear the burden of guilt alone. And for the record…I haven’t “talked” to any of their “friends”…I have responded to a couple of their friends (who I actually had met thru a mutual friend who dances) “tweets” so if that’s “talking” to their friends I guess I’m guilty as charged.

Anyhoo, after that pointless text conversation, I went to dance practice, and then I went to get my hair braided. Practice was from 8:30-10:30am and my appointment was at 11am. The lady calls me at 10:45 asking where I was. I told her that I had just gotten out of dance practice and that I’d be there before my 11am appointment. So I walk into the shop at 10:52 and she’s not even ready. She’s still walking around trying to set up her station. So now I’m pissed…how do you call rushing me, but when I get here, you’re not ready? So anyways, she starts on my hair, and then some lady that I’ve never seen comes out from the back and starts working on the back of my head. It didn’t bother me because I was getting micros and I didn’t want to be in that shop all day, so the more people the better. After about an hour or so, the lady who was supposed to be doing my hair just gets up and walks out the shop. I guess the other lady saw the expression on my face because she was like “oh oh she went to the store, she’ll be right back.” Fifteen minutes went by, she comes back and gets something out the back and leaves again. Needless to say I was not pleased. I’m paying you my money to do my hair, I’ve been coming to you since I was 19 and you just leave someone else to braid my hair???? I’m sorry if you had something else to do, you should have said that. The other lady did do a good job, but she was VERY slow. I chopped it up as a cultural difference

On a brighter note…the Mighty Eagles of North Carolina Central University won the homecoming game. And a little bulldog they call an Aggie lost. LOL Who loses homecoming? I don’t care if you lose every game of the season, you better win homecoming. I can hear you Aggies now, and I’ll give it to you…yeah ya’ll beat us this year. But losing homecoming??? That’s almost as bad as asking all your whole family to come to watch you play and you are a bench warmer!

Boss goes on vacation and WIP decides that she is not going to show up to work either.  She writes the following:

I have a cough and I don’t want to go in and cough on you guys and make you sick. I’ll come in when I feel better.

Then she’s a no-show for three days straight – no emails, no phone calls.  I call her and leave her messages since  I end up having to do her work.  No response.  Thankfully, Boss calls me:

Boss: How’s everything going?
Me: WIP hasn’t been into work for three days and she’s not responding to emails and phone calls.  I am taking over all her jobs and I need to speak to her about them.
Boss: What?? Let me call her.

Boss calls me back 10  minutes later -
Boss: WIP says that she has a stomachache.

WTF. What kind of stomachache makes you cough? And how is it contagious??? And the WIP skipped out on the rest of the week with her “cough/stomachache.”

I feel like a chump for doing her work.

I forgot to sign on a couple of weeks back. Neither more, nor less. I just forgot. By the time I’d remembered that I’d forgotten, it was two days later, and the next day I went to the Jobcentre to ‘fess up. My biggest concern was whether this degree of memory loss was some sort of ghastly precursor to incipient Alzheimer’s, but for some reason this was not shared by my advisor. (Advisor – why do they call them that? I’ve never had any advice about anything, but let that pass.) No, the advisor took me royally to task.

I remonstrated that this was a very unusual occurrence, and that I’d try extra hard in future, but this was clearly insufficient.

“Why did you forget?”

“Er, I just did.”

“But that’s not really good enough!”

“Well, I’m very sorry, but what would you have me do? Make up a reason? I just forgot.”

When you’ve been a naughty boy in this way, you have to fill in an excuse form, a bit like the ones you forged from your mother when you forgot your PE kit. The advisor said that just writing, “I forgot” would not wash. I had to have a reason for forgetting, and I could tell that offering early stage Alzheimer’s as an explanation was not going to go down well.

So I decided to write the real, unvarnished truth. There was a reason behind my forgetfulness, and it was as brazen as it was simple. I am entitled only to what’s called “contribution-based benefit” and this lasts for only six months, after which you get nothing. My six months had elapsed, well, six months ago, and since then I’d had the indignity of the signing-on process for no benefit whatsoever, either metaphorical or literal. Thus the incentive to see the ritual of showing up at the Jobcentre every two weeks as of any importance is small indeed. There are in fact many more important things that I need to attend to, not the least among them the filling-in of yet more applications and supporting statements.

When she read my excuse, the advisor shook her head and muttered darkly about some shadowy other figure to whom she had to show my form. This person would not take kindly to my impudence, and might stop my benefit. What?  I’m scared, really scared.

Source: islandcrisis.net

Cette question semble stupide à première vue mais cela deviendra une réalité au cours des prochains mois! Je m’explique!

En fin de semaine dernière, les amis de ma belle-fille de 12 ans étaient à la maison et discutaient d’un examen de mathématique “full dur” qui aura lieu bientôt… Soudainement, j’ai entendu un garçon dire fièrement: “Si je ne suis pas prêt (pour l’examen), je vais dire à ma mère que je me sens pas bien…elle a tellement peur du H1N1!“. Pas besoin de vous dire que l’idée n’a pas tombé dans l’oreille d’un sourd…

Avec l’arrivée de cette deuxième vague de la grippe A et toute la couverture médiatique qui vient avec, j’ai bien peur que cela devienne “l’excuse ultime” afin de rater quelques jours au travail ou bien un examen à l’école… Ça pourrait devenir la nouvelle béquille à ceux qui ne veulent pas faire l’amour en pleine semaine: “Pas ce soir, j’ai la grippe H1N1…” Héhé!

Ce jeu, même s’il semble pratique et amusant pour certains, pourrait devenir très dangereux… Manipuler un mouvement de panique dans un danger bien réel peut entraîner un septicisme des autres! C’est un peu comme le conte “Pierre et le loup“…est-ce que vous connaissez? Non? Eh bien, Pierre gardait seul un troupeau de moutons sur un colline. Comme il trouvait le temps long, il décida, pour s’amuser, de crier “Au loup!” Évidemment, tout le village se précipita vers la colline afin de chasser le loup et sauver le pauvre garçon du loup en question…mais il n’y en avait pas! Les villageaois mécontents retournèrent à la maison… Quelques heures plus tard, un vrai loup fit son apparition devant Pierre qui se dépêcha de crier “Au loup!” à nouveau… Savez-vous ce qui est arrivée? Personne ne l’a cru et Pierre a été mangé par le loup!!! Me semble que c’est clair comme parallèle…

J’ai appris dernièrement qu’un “ami virtuel” (appelons-le Gerry), a été durement touché par la grippe A. Il s’en est sorti parce qu’il a été à l’écoute de son corps et n’a pas perdu de temps pour se présenter devant un médecin. Dans le doute, faites la même chose…la grippe A attaque tout le monde!!! Pour ceux qui veulent simuler, SVP, restez à la maison. Je vous demande de ne pas engorger les urgences avec votre grippe théatrale… Ça retarde les “vrais” cas comme mon ami “Gerry”!!!

It’s about that time of year again, the weather’s getting colder, the leaves are beginning to change color and girls are deciding which kind of slutty animal they want to be for Halloween. This blog is written for my female readers, all 3 of them.

Actually before I get into my post, I want to take a ten second break and send a friendly reminder to all my readers of this blog:

The Most Important Single Steve blog You Will EVER Read. EVER.
Basically the cliff note’s of the blog is Real Life Steve is not an assshole, well, not all the time, and Single Steve is a complete asshole. So when you read this, don’t think of the funny, attractive, smart, strong, modest, sensitive, nice, modest guy you know in real life, instead, read this as just some guy on the interweb with a web page. I know we’ve had this talk before, but people seem to have brain damage and can’t separate the two. Basically I want to be as ha-larlious as possible, and that involves me being a super jerk, but I still hold back because I fear people will associate these words with real life me. I not saying everyone that reads this blog has brain damage, just like 85 percent of you guys. You know who you are. I’m surprised most of the people that come to my webpage even know how to read, but that’s why I include so many pictures, so you can still pretend you know what’s going on, but I digress…

Penis penis penis, vagina vagina vagina. See, just some random words, some dude on the internet says. I’m about to use the word slut about 1000 times, just a heads up.

Where was I? Oh yeah, sluts. Halloween sluts. Halloween is a great time of year, it’s interesting to think about the “fun” levels of Halloween as you progress through your life.

When you’re little, probably 5-10 years old, its fun and exciting to dress up like your favorite super hero or princess and go trick or treating house to house, so innocent and naive. Then in your high school years it becomes “uncool” to dress up anymore, everyone knew “that guy” that came dressed up in a mid evil costume on Halloween and got beat up.

Then fun levels really pick up at 18, when you’re away from parents at college, every costume now gets prefixed with the word “sexy”, which is actually just code for “I can be a hoe and you can’t say anything”.

When I say slut, in no way shape or form is that an insult or meant to be a degrading comment. In this context. Halloween makes it okay. It’s actually kind of a complement I would say. Somehow, magically I can walk up to a girl (probably one that I know since I don’t talk to ones I don’t know) and tell her, that her costume looks totally slutty and I won’t get uppercutted.

I’m not saying that I disagree, am offended or discourage the way ladies dress on Halloween. NOT AT ALL.  I actually encourage this type of wardrobe.  I’m just stating the way things are.

Now you’re probably saying “But Steven I don’t dress like a slut on Halloween, is there something wrong with me??” No, no there isn’t. Well maybe, I don’t know, I’m not a doctor. But it’s okay to not dress like a complete whore on Halloween. Really it is. You can dress “normal”, maybe a funny or clever costume, good for you. I’m not mad at it. BUT what I ask is don’t be that girl that dresses in the costume that scares the shit out of me. I don’t want to walk into the bar and be scared because I think there’s actually a zombie at the bar. That’s really cool you spent 2 hours making it look like your bleeding from the face! Especially considering were at a classy place like  Cabo Catina where I just peed into a trough. I just want to drink, and be merry. At no time on my Halloween night do I want to wipe puss from your face off my costume because you walked by me. That’s a fact.

Halloween isn’t about being scared, it’s about getting drunk and trying not to embarrass yourself while dressed like an idiot. Anyone knows that. It’s science.

This blog was actually going to be about what kind of guy you would attract based on what slutty costume you dressed as, but I kind of got derailed, but I’ll throw a few in here at the end.

Cutting it short, passed my bed time. Maybe I’ll finish making fun of everyone’s costumes later this week.

What are you going to be for Halloween? Let me know so I can make fun of it.

I’ll be in Washington DC next week for work stuffs, anyone in DC that wants to celebrate like it’s our job on Halloween, let me know! Don’t know what I’m going to be yet, something I can pack in my suit case. Maybe a ghost? A sexy ghost? Well see.

One more thing, since you’re not paying or sleeping with me to continue to write these blogs the least you can do is invite you friends to join the facebook page. It’s the least you could.

Also starting a new thing, where I reverse stalk some random I don’t know who’s following the page. I mean they’re basically stalking me, they least I could do is photoshop them in some awkward situation. That’s why I need more random’s, as to not offend my “real friends”

Happy Halloween

Yes.

While most of us have been told since childhood that no matter what a person says to us, we should never resort to violence in retaliation, Mississippi law takes a slightly different approach.  Mississippi law recognizes that sometimes a person’s words are so insulting, so hurtful, so repulsive, that the target of those words might be justified in retaliating with force.

Under Mississippi Code Annotated Section 99-17-19,

In all trials for assault and battery, or for an assault, the defendant may give in evidence, in excuse or justification, any insulting words used by the person on whom the assault or assault and battery was committed, at the time of the commission thereof, toward the defendant, and the jury may consider and determine whether such words were or were not a sufficient excuse for or justification of the offense committed.

In other words, if the defendant in an assault case was insulted by the victim, he is entitled to argue to the jury that the victim’s comments to him justified the assault.  Furthermore, the Court will instruct the jury that if they find that the insults justified the assault, then they should find the defendant “not guilty.”

This defense basically allows the defendant to ask the jury to find him “not guilty,” because the victim needed his butt kicked.  Of course, it will be up to the jury to decide whether the insults were bad enough to justify the assault imposed upon the victim.  The worse the insults, the more likely the jury will acquit the defendant.

It falls to defense counsel to convince the jury that the assault was justified.  If you have an issue relating to a criminal case, please contact me, and I’ll be happy to discuss your case with you.

OnePoll.com surveyed 4000 Brits as to what excuses they use to get out of having sex.  The following represents their top 5.

1. Too tired
2. Not in mood
3. Have to get up early in the morning
4. Preoccupied with work
5. Angry with partner

Against conventional wisdom, men polled as giving excuses more often than female respondents.

I suppose we all have those times when we just don’t want to do it.  Assuming there isn’t a frequency to such times, it is perfectly normal to have occasions where you aren’t feeling very sensual or as though you can’t really give yourself to your spouse.  However, it should be noted that rejection hurts.

It is best when turning down a spouse’s initiation of sex that we make ourselves responsible for giving them an alternative time and making sure it happens.  It is equally beneficial to be honest.  If we are tired, then saying we are tired is appropriate.  However, if our sex life is boring or unfulfilling then we should find constructive ways to start conversations that may bring about positive change.

I think we often sense when our partners are being less than transparent.

Today’s PGem: (2 translations) 22:13- “The lazy person claims, “There’s a lion out there! If I go outside, I might be killed!” (NLTse) 22:13- The lazy man is full of excuses. “I can’t go to work!” he says. “If I go outside, I might meet a lion in the street and be killed!”  TLB

Today’s PGem principle: Don’t be lazy – PURSUE YOUR DREAMS! A lazy person will come up with ANY excuse not to go to work! Even thinking that some physical harm will come to them if they go to work! It’s just an excuse – BUT he wants that paycheck doesn’t he??  What about you & your dreams? That one thing deep in your heart that you would like to accomplish?? STOP being lazy; FIND OUT what it will take to accomplish it, AND GET OUT THERE and pursue your dreams!! Don’t let anyone hold you back!!

First, some good news! Since I started this blog last week I have lost 8lbs. So my current weight is now 18st 7lbs (259lbs).

Now on to the bit I was dreading. Uploading my first pics.

So here they are. As you can see, I am badly out of shape. The area, I most need to work on – it’s pretty obvious – is my stomach and love handles. Expect my workout plan to work very much on this area as I try to reshape my body.

Height: 5ft 11″
Weight: 19st 1lbs (267lbs)

Neck: 17.5″
Chest (Normal): 50″
Stomach inc. Love handles: 48.5″
Waist: 44″
Thigh (Top): 28″
Thigh (Above knee): 21.5″
Calves: 18″
Bicep (Relaxed): 15″
Bicep (Flexed): 16″
Forearm: 12.2″
Wrist: 7.5″

The future of mankind depended on them!

Hold onto your helium, seems the reason Balloon boy’s dad did the dumbass prank was because he thinks the world is going to end in 2012. But didn’t the Mayans just say that was baloney? Anywho, seems Dick Richard Heene wanted quick bucks to build himself a big bunker for the family before the sun explodes and kills us all. Hmm, now wouldn’t that be ironic if the Heene family were the only ones to survive! Geez, I hope he is out of jail before then, otherwise he comes with us!

Psst Falcon better behave, if there is only enough room for four people I would hate to be on the end of that Sophie’s choice!