Time has a funny way of passing extremely quickly in one moment and then turning around and going extremely slow in another.  My weekdays tend to pass extremely quickly, and then weekends slow down like crazy, which isn't bad, there are just days that I wish I had just a little more time to work on weekdays, cause I feel like I'm rushing through everything, and never have a whole lot of time to get anything done.

If you're so inclined, pray for me, to have more patience, so that I can learn to put things into God's hands, and that I learn to worry less

The garden is the only practical way for urban societies to come in close contact with the basic realities of life....To feel the searing heat as well as the comforting warmth of the sun, or to endure the dry wind as well as the soothing breeze; to pray for rain but not too much rain; to long for a spate of dry weather but not too long; to listen to the music of nature as well as the rock beat of human culture; to know that life depends on eating and being eaten; to accept the decay of death as the only way to achieve the resurrection of life...these are all part of an education that the industrial world hungers for but cannot name.

i do hunger for reality.  and for roots.  i want to buy a little place far away from the Grid, and buy nothing but oil.

Also, I have some blog series in mind that will focus on an array of topics that I  have interest in. I don't know, what you do all think?

We got to the subject of me purchasing a house so I let her know that Muslims don't indulge in usury.  She was surprised although I mentioned that to her before.  I know it is hard to live in the west without dealing in riba. But it is not impossible nor is it difficult. The fact of the matter is that although using credit  seems easy, it is hard to get out of and hard to control. The prohibition of it is hikmah min Allah. Without it, we would be in the same situation as many others are during this climatic economic time period; relying on credit instead of hard cash.

People are losing their homes. People are losing the money they thought they had in investments. On top of all of that, people are losing their jobs. Many people just haven't been preparing for the future. Every dime they make is demolished by their debts which leaves them unable to save money. They have just been living in the moment which makes these economic problems even more troubling.

For me, it feels good to purchase things with cash. Alhamdullilah, you do what you have to do to survive. You don't live outside your means. You don't accrue large amounts of debt that you or anyone you know could not pay for you. You pay with cash and then that's the end of it. You live in real time.

It is easy just to whip out a card to get what you really want or even what you might need. But is also easy to get caught in the credit web to the point that you think credit is actual money you have in your hand. To the point that people really look at stock investments as real money. These are illusions to keep people sucked into the cycle; never really getting ahead and almost always falling behind.

The woman I was talking to asked me if I would like purchase a house. I said I would, not necessarily in the west though, but I would just the same. But I would never get a home that I can't pay for because I don't know when I will take my last breathe. I don't want my children to be burdened with paying off my debt because I didn't know my limits. I want them to be comfortable and living their lives with what we were prepared to sacrifice to give them afore time. I want them to have the best of what I can give inshaAllah.

Although I've been known to get hooked on a season or two of various reality shows (Season one of Survivor and last year's American Idol) in general I'm not a huge fan of reality TV. But I have to confess over the last few seasons I have become a fan of The Amazing Race.

Last night I was flipping through the channels and came across an episode beginning. I was pretty stoked, as I hadn't realized the season was beginning! And then of course, I heard the announcer say, "Previously on The Amazing Race..."

I quickly flipped off the television, as I didn't want to give anything away. It started already?! I went online to download the episode I missed only to find I had missd the first two episodes! How did this happen? We're on week three already?!

Today at work I was re-telling the story to Ann in the office who is also a fan of the show. "How could you not tell me it started?" I jokingly reprimanded. I told her I hadn't watched either of the first two episodes yet but am excited to catch up. And then Ann proceeded to not only tell me who got eliminated in the first show, but also who is still in the running.

Can someone please tell me what it is about me that makes people want to tell me the endings of movies/TV shows after I tell them I haven't seen it yet?

Everywhere I look, lately, I keep running into people saying the same things:

• I wish I could buy a better car.
• I wish I didn't have so many bills
• My kids are making me nuts. Why can't they get along?
• I hate my job. I wish I could find something I like.
• How come I can't find a nice guy (or girl)?

All this begins with a wish that life was different. Being that I talk a lot and enjoy conversation, I end up getting into some sort of discussion with these folks. "So why don't you buy a nicer car?" I'll ask them.

What almost always happens is that we get into an increasingly long list of why these people want to very specifically do exactly what they're doing. They don't want to change a single thing at all, but they want to complain about the fact that it isn't working.

Want to buy a house? Buy one. If it isn't affordable, move to someplace where it is. Can't move because of your job? Get another job. Don't want another job? Ah Hah!...then you really don't want a house.

"I like what I'm doing, I just wish it would work the way I want it to work."

Lots of people nowadays like to use as a definition of insanity: Repeating the same set of actions expecting a different outcome.

If things aren't working the way you wish they should work, then in many cases (not all) it's part of a failed process. Change the damn process! Don't argue that the process should work in theory, ought to work because you feel it ought to! Just accept that what you're doing isn't working and isn't going to work. Get on with it!

Nah, most people won't do that. I'm not sure why so many of us fall in love with a process. It's a mystery.

American Idol cannot be the honest standard for American music these days for these reasons:

#1: Everyone on American Idol is looking for fame. I've yet to see someone on American Idol say that they love singing so much that they'd be happy if they didn't win; just singing in front of people is enough. Everyone on the show is looking for their first royalty check before they even get into the first judging. While it's not a problem that people want to get famous; it is a problem when being famous out does you want for the music.

#2: Judging is extremely biased! No one watches the show and votes without having the judges comments in mind. If the show wants to really get America's opinion just do the show with the musical acts and vote; do the vote on the results show. Plus look at the judges: Randy Jackson, (Producer to such talentless acts like the RECENT Mariah Carey. He doesn't produce music, he produces voice from a computer) Paula Abdul (A singer whose Career tanked worse than the Titanic) and Simon Cowell (this is the man who puts together albums for talentless; but, profitable acts like the Power Rangers and Alvin & the Chipmunks)who says they're qualified to judge these marginally talented kids?

#3: The signing is clearly for those people who have NEVER experienced a live act before. The singing at best is "ok". The poor kids have to look left at the camera and then move gracefully to the right and look into camera B longingly as if they've lost someone they really care about. All of those theatrics (combined with the dumbest Auidence; swaying thiner hands back and forward during every slow song and clapping at any horrible performance)must make it hard to concentrate on FEELING the music. Ever seen Tina Turner on stage? She most certainly doesn't have the time to worry about Camera B and looking pretty so that every shot they take of her can make the A.M. news the next day.

#4: It's on T.V.! Just being on the television already takes away from your musical credibility; if you can't make a song SOUND good you can't substitute that for making a song LOOK good.

If you want American Idol to be credible...

Put it on the Radio.

My partner lives in an apartment above her pottery studio. Bed and computer on one end, counter, stove, and refrigerator on the other, a one-room apartment with no secrets because you can see the whole space and everything in it from wherever you happen to be. I went up to get something (I forget what) and came back down so we could go for a walk. “Do you like the sunflowers?” she asked. “What sunflowers?” “In the vase on the counter.” I’d walked within six inches of them and never saw them. Not once but twice.

Like dying crows and crashing airplanes, consciousness can present us with figments. Too, like mustard jars and sunflowers, it can hide objects in clear view. These effects are often transitory, dependent on storylines offered as snap judgments, on expectations, on the level of attention, or what else is on our minds at the time. It’s as if consciousness had a mind of its own and sometimes played tricks on us just for fun. But of course there aren’t two minds in our heads. In the examples I have given, I am really playing tricks on myself. Consciousness and what I call my mind are really one and the same. Consciousness is my mind. There’s no tiny projection room in my head where I screen my latest takes on reality.

The point is that consciousness should not be taken at face value. It requires periodic checking and verification. In fact, it is wise to doubt every phenomenon that rises in the mind from any source because impostors and rip-offs—like hackers and con-men—are always with us. Even autobiographical memory is suspect. I was shocked to hear my younger brother claim that he was the one who liked Brussels sprouts when we were kids, not me. Did the good old days play as we remember them? Probably not. There’s no warrantee on childhood memories. I have a vivid recollection from when I was eighteen months old of playing with a dog under the dining room table , of climbing on a chair, then onto the table, and being held to look into a white bassinette to see my baby brother just home from the hospital. Did that really happen? If so, it would be my earliest memory. I tell the story, but I have no way of knowing if it is true.

Even dreams seem to be true at the time, and they can be pretty preposterous. I am always wandering around in dreamland subway stations trying to get somewhere or other. Often I don’t have change to put in the turnstile, so I go through endless doors and down endless stairs trying to get to the trains. The only reality check is to wake up, which I always do gratefully. Illusions, delusions, hallucinations, apparitions—we’re always glad to see them go. Unless they’re built into our belief system, in which case we defend them to the death.

These days I picture the U.S. economy as a kind of sandbox where grownups play at making a living without having to work. This kind of self-deception is more common than we like to think. Not my self-deception this time, the traders’, bankers’, and lenders’. They may claim now to have seen the collapse looming, but they stuck to their posts to make the last possible dime. Their consciousness made them do it. The phenomena dancing in their heads, driving them on to a richer life. Which now appears not to have been real. The whole show was a delusion all along.

The problem is a general failure to doubt the horsepower aspirations of our souped-up economy. And beyond that, to question the wisdom of so many people trying to live so high on the hog off the markets of our one little Earth. The truth is out: only ecosystems and the environment are real; the rest is sham and pretense. Evolution has geared consciousness to survival issues facing Paleolithic hunter-gatherers. It hasn’t caught up with the life situations of the twenty-first century. And won’t catch up till consciousness evolves to a yet higher stage. Which, at the rate mutations get spread around, will take millions of years, not the few decades we may have available.

Reality checking on a grand scale is the kind of regulation we must insist on if we are going to stretch those decades into any sort of livable future. It will have to apply to all of us, all the time. And checkers will have to check on the checkers in an endless loop. That way we can tug on our own bootstraps and not have to wait for evolution to do the dirty work for us. ¦

Even the deceased cannot escape her heartless denunciations

By Allan Erickson

10.13.08

Why is Arianna Huffington attacking her friends in the mainstream media?  Can it be the MSM is about to report on matters she finds offensive, and thus, she employs a kind of Bush pre-emptive strike with this incredible scrawl?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/the-self-loathing-liberal_b_98419.html 

Concerning Tony Snow, may he rest in peace, she writes he lied to us, consistently, saying he promoted “ . . .  some pre-packaged PR pitch cooked up in the White House to keep us in the dark. This was always Snow's specialty -- along with a glib dismissiveness that made him the poster child for the Bush administration's brand of Callous Conservatism.”

Now there’s credibility, Arianna style.

Well, read on, because it has been made Kristol clear by Arianna Huffington: American politics is not, and cannot be, an exercise in reasoned debate engaged by contending patriotic parties working to acquire legitimate majorities.

No. Those who disagree with Arianna & Friends (Soros, MoveOn, Obama) are the “enemies of . . . reality.”  Of course to embrace this lunacy one must agree only Arianna has a grip on reality, which is, needless to say, beyond nuts. 

Arianna readily admits, as far as the Left is concerned, politics is war: the Right is the enemy, an enemy to be destroyed, not debated. 

She celebrates this kind of warfare on her propagandist blog, ignoring her own hyper-partisanship, at the same time accusing the MSM (the MSM!) of bias Rightward.  Yes, we all know how the massive media only serves the interests of conservative Christians and Republicans! 

The author of “Pigs at the Trough,” appears totally uninterested in the pigs at Fannie and Freddie, seeking our vote on confidence with a book entitled:

“Right Is Wrong: How the Lunatic Fringe Hijacked America, Shredded the Constitution, and Made Us All Less Safe.” 

Presumably the ‘lunatic fringe’ encompasses the 51% of Americans who put GWB in the White House, twice, but let’s not quibble.  Arianna has already demonstrated a chronic aversion to facts.  (And, don’t the facts have something to do with honesty, truth, and . . . reality?)

Arianna declares:  " . . . make no mistake, (Karl) Rove, (Bill) Kristol, and (Tony) Snow are the enemies -- of honesty, truth, facts, reality, and the public's right to know. Anything."  Arianna on Huffington today, an April reposting.  Good thing we have Huffington Post or we’d know nothing!

Certainly, Americans are a contentious lot.  We've been buttin' heads since 1776.  However, for Arianna, a once-devoted conservative, to insist politics is warfare belies her ignorance concerning values we once held dear, values that have tended to bind us together, rather than rip us apart.  Obviously she prefers ripping.

And if binding together in these perilous times provides the tipping point to survival, Arianna's world view tends to hand our future to our real enemies.  In other words, demonizing Americans who disagree with her is not only sophomoric, it actively works against the greatest good for the greatest number.

The Founders set up a system of government where competing points of view could be heard, debated and evaluated, such that compromise and consensus might yield positive decision-making.   All this, it was expected, would be conducted in the context of honor, fair play and mutual respect, the assumption being everyone at the table sought what was best for the country.

Arianna's opinion and attitude demonstrates we have drifted far from any notion of fair play, mutual respect and a general focus on the greatest good for the greatest number. 

Arianna and like-minded people prefer we divide into warring camps.  They prefer savage politics and reject the politics of good will.  While she points the boney finger of accusation---denigrating good men by going so low as calling them the enemies of truth----she simultaneously ignores serial crimes in her own camp, and excoriates a massive media sympathetic to her cause.  If her goal is to alienate everyone, she appears right on track, or should one say, Left.

If she is not the personification of a loose cannon, then perhaps Arianna is simply taking a slight back seat to the likes of Joe Biden or John Murtha, two individuals chronically incapable of holding their tongues, uninterested in building bridges or embracing policy consistency, indeed, like Arianna, two people who demonstrate their net contribution has been making enemies of their own countrymen and ripping America apart from within.   

In war, all that matters is winning.  Some people fight according to the rules.  Others decide that winning is so important, the rules don't matter.  This is what Saul Alinsky taught Barack Obama, and this is what Arianna embraces. 

So, in war, without rules, ACORN, Ayers, Rezko, Annenberg, Jeremiah Wright and Farrakhan are of no concern to Arianna and her allies.  These are mere distractions, unless the MSM picks up the scent.

Dick Morris, writing today, indicates those associations will be of interest to most Americans, if the markets stabilize and financial chaos no longer occupies the front page.

"As ACORN gets raided by the FBI, it will hurt Obama. He was general counsel to its Illinois affiliate, and Obama channeled millions to the radical group when he got control over the money William Ayers got from the Annenberg Foundation.  All of these ties are damning for Obama and will reinforce the doubts that Wright first put in our minds. They will lead people to question Obama's values and his fitness for the presidency.  A man whose spiritual adviser is Wright, whose financial backer is Tony Rezko, and whose first major employer was William Ayers might not be a good choice for president. But for these associations to loom large enough in our consciousness to impact our vote, the market has to settle down so we can hear the campaign over its din."

Will voters turn and consider the glaring warning lights on Obama's dashboard?

Not if Arianna and her cohorts have their way.  

Dominating media, education, entertainment and politics for 50 years, the Left has learned how to manipulate, confuse and distract the public.  And the Left knows if you appeal to selfishness, you have an advantage right out of the gate.  Most people are motivated by selfishness, and so, the Left preys upon that destructive impulse.  Hence, the pervasive cries are heard:

>My healthcare: healthcare is a 'right'

>A college education is a 'right'

>My body, my self: it's my right to kill my unborn child due to an 'inconvenient' pregnancy so I can benefit economically and not be called upon to sacrifice

>My 'right' to marry my same sex partner and redefine traditional marriage

>Me, me, me, me, me . . .

Arianna, leading the Obama charge, will have you believe it is their 'right' to rule this country because anyone who disagrees with them is the enemy of " honesty, truth, facts, reality, and the public's right to know."  Is it not selfish to claim exclusive 'right' to truth and power, even infantile?

You will notice the Right acknowledges selfishness, as did the Founders, but encourages people to move beyond it in their politics, to focus on the greatest good for the greatest number, a focus which has always seen greater measures of success when we embrace democracy and economic freedom.

Historically, trending otherwise, toward government control, Leftist domination, and socialism, always translates into tyranny, always. 

Thus, Arianna and Friends trend tyrannical, unwittingly, waging war against our fundamental strengths: mutual respect, fairness, love of country, and a tradition of preferring patriotism to ideology. 

Fueled by an almost hysterical devotion to ideology bordering on psychosis, Arianna cannot even extend mercy to the deceased, slandering Tony Snow, by all accounts, one of the most decent, honest and respected figures ever to grace American public life. 

Misinformation accomplished Arianna.  Your blog is a bludgeon in the war you obviously relish, and profit from.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

PS:  Karl and Bill are good guys too.  Contrary to Arianna, they proceed according to what they truly believe is best for the country. 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

BACKROOM CONNECTIONS:

FYI--- Surprise, surprise.

"The Huffington Post has raised a modest sum of close to $11 million in two rounds of funding. Backers include the venture-capital firms Softbank Ventures and Greycroft Partners, and co-founder Lerer. Small investments also came from his friend former AOL president Robert Pittman, and writer Nora Ephron, a friend of Huffington's. As editor-in-chief, Huffington is paid a salary and also has a minority equity stake (she says she doesn't know exactly how much she owns) in what increasingly appears to be a more mainstream business. In September, the Huffington Post hired Betsy Morgan, who was general manager of CBSnews.com, to be its first full-time CEO. Willow Bay, the former TV anchor and producer, recently joined as editor-at-large."

http://money.cnn.com/2007/10/26/magazines/fortune/huffington.fortune/

Chuck Norris Cleans Arianna's Clock

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_Rb4W54JnI

http://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2008/09/13/chuck-norris-smacks-down-arianna-huffington

Arguably, recognizing the need for action is the most important factor in the process of creating a Path Toward Peace....Unfortunately once beyond this ,recognition, there is little to even no consensus as to the direction that such a path should take.

In that let me offer such direction, "Forward"...., though seemingly
simplistic in it's nature it is the only relevant and realistic choice.
Further more it is the only possibility lending itself to achievement.

I am not advocating an abandonment of lessens past, simply pursuit with the knowledge gleaned... An understanding and application, that though certainly possessing the ability for sidestepping and/or retreat, Man whether by design, evolution or a mixture of both is an amalgamation consisting mainly of forward moving adaptations, legs, feet, arms, hands, eyes and mouth!

Since the dawn of recognition, man has searched for his way "back", whether to the Creator and Heaven, or to the auroral pool of spirit. But~ think about this for a moment, "That which bars our way, is not behind us... , that both infant and prophet step forward with arms open."

How can any of us provide such motion?

Play to who you are. Are you a writer? Then Write.. Are you a builder? Then Build.. Are you a singer? Then Sing.. Are you a teacher? Then Teach... For those who may not know their strengths... Then strive to read.., or to Shelter..., or to Hum.., always strive to Learn!! Moving forward consist of simply taking a first step!!

“A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.”~ Lao Tzu (600 BC-531 BC)

For those interested in participating in this discussion, please stop by and Share your thoughts and feelings on these topics at: Our Evolution’s Forums

For more please visit the ORIGINAL post Path Toward Peace and explore the blog at Our Evolution by ~Alexander M Zoltai

Nais Tuke,(Thank You}

Sometimes, when faced with the harsh realities of things like numbers and spreadsheets life can seem a bit daunting and we wonder why we are doing what we're doing and will we ever be able to climb out of the hole we're in and touch our dreams, let alone hold them in our hands...

I (still) believe that if you don't give up, anything is possible. Well, as long as you're not a frog who thinks he's aerodynamic. We do have to work within the confines of the natural world here... But you know, even that little froggie found a way to experience flying.

Anyways, I guess the point being is to make the most of what you've got and find a way to build a life you love that fits inside the envelope your in.  That doesn't mean you have to let go of your dreams...but you do sometimes have to attend to the areas that are bleeding first.

I believe that together we can both have our dreams.  I believe that the sacrifices we make today will pay us back tenfold in the years to come.  I believe that without doing the work we need to do today, that those dreams will always be out of our reach.

It's wonderful to dream and it's important to find ways to fulfill our dreams lest they turn into 'jumping-off-a-cliff' fantasies of the 'not-in-a-good-way' variety.  It's also important to be present to the "here and now" so that we can do the work necessary to make those dreams come true.

Am I repeating myself here?  Probably, it's me that needs the convincing most of all.

Perhaps this dream will be a like a fine wine.  The longer it ages the sweeter it will be when we get there...

Ok. We've been hearing endless stuff about "The Economic Crisis" and what can/may/might happen as a result. I, for one, am getting overwhelmed. I can't tell anymore where the line is between realistic caution and fearmongering. And I am sick to death of interviews with Ordinary Americans Feeling the Economic Pinch.

I know there are real problems out there, and I know they go deeper than I can really grasp. But I've always been good at creating my reality out of sheer bullheadedness and refusal to believe in the limitations others try to put on me. We've learned from fairy tales and the stock market and psychology that belief matters: that what you think about a situation has the effect of making that situation "real."

So I'm tired of taking their crisis talk hook, line, and sinker. I am going to write here what I'm noticing about my own financial life right now, and I'd love to hear from the rest of you. Is it as bad as they're saying? Are there pockets of us out there who are actually OK? Maybe we can create our own picture of reality here that's less scary than what They are telling us. Even if it's short-term, I need to hear some news about what IS rather than OH NO WHAT MIGHT BE!!!

My details after the cut...

Economic impact at Eat Close to Home, as of Oct. 13, 2008

• We are both employed full-time, just got our annual raises, and I have almost more consulting work than I can handle.
• Gas prices have dropped by $1/gallon in recent months.
• I refinanced the house in January and locked in a very good rate for the remaining 25 years of the mortgage. We over-pay each month, and we even have a plan to be able to repay it in about 12 years...though that plan's contingent on not needing the money for other things like a new well, food, healthcare, etc.
• Food prices are rising, but they've been doing that for at least a year now. But we've been voluntarily paying more for our food for years as we move to an organic, local, sustainable diet, so it really doesn't seem like news to us. In fact...
• Meat prices have remained steady, perhaps because we buy local free-range stuff that is less dependent on fuel and corn prices, and our expenditures on yogurt have been cut in half because we've started making our own.
• Our retirement accounts have lost about $10,000 all told recently. But that was imaginary money, really, and we wouldn't be able to touch it for 30+ years, anyway. It may well come back as magically as it disappeared. Though I am changing the plan from "depend on 403b and don't count on Social Security" to "don't depend on any savings plan except a paid-off house and cash in a guaranteed account."
• Our non-stock savings accounts haven't lost any value; in fact, moving one money market to a savings account has increased our monthly interest earned.
• We have no immediate need for credit unless some kind of disaster strikes.
• Talking about all this has got my sweetie and I thinking and acting on a lot of our values much more actively than we've done in the past.

So how about you? Are you really, truly, having a crisis right now?

Ladies and gentlemen, I had a seriously full night of TV watching last night.  Goddamn that VH1, and all their crappy reality shows, sucking me in, making me watch.  Last night brought with it the premieres of Charm School 2 and the Pick Up Artist 2, two shows I’m fairly ashamed to admit that I was looking forward to not a little.

Everything was as expected on the Pick Up Artist: Mystery is still a douche, the contestants are all horribly misguided and all they really need is a good kick in the ass, and of course there was the obligatory fat, obliviously gay guy in the mix.  The only real surprise was the conspicuous absence of Mystery’s season one wing-man, J Dog.

I always had a soft spot for J Dog.  I admired his gumption, as it must be really hard to introduce yourself to a woman as J Dog, wait out her laughter, then manage to pick her up.  That takes real skill.  Anyway, for some reason J Dog got the boot this season, being replaced by some hot chick, promising to offer the female perspective.  Something tells me that her version of “the female perspective” is pretty much going to be pretty much the same as “the Mystery perspective.”  I smell some daddy issues on her, but that might just be my mustache.

But, the real treat of the evening was on Charm School 2.  This season featured a bunch of the classy young ladies from the two seasons of Rock of Love.  And, be still my heart, but who made an appearance but the girl of my dreams, Courtney from Rock of Love 2.

For those of you who don’t remember, Courtney was kicked off Rock of Love on the first night after getting wasted, passing out, and sleeping right through the night’s elimination ceremony.  Though that might not have turned on Bret Michaels, it absolutely melted my heart.  I absolutely loved Courtney because she did what I would have done on a reality show: drink as much free booze as I could get my hands on.  Plus, Bret Michaels claims to still be a rocker, yet he kicks off the most rock and roll girl but kept that anti-rocker Ambre.

Courtney was back in top form last night.  She lived up to my expectations, as she proceeded to get hammered, pass out, and miss most of the evening’s goings-on.  She managed to wake up in time for the elimination ceremony this time, only to get the ax, with Sharon Osbourne telling her to go to rehab.

That’s bullshit.  All Courtney needs is a good supportive man (preferably one named Dan), a bottle of Jim Beam Rye, and a plane ticket to Columbia Regional Airport.  Come to me, my drunken beauty.  We shall drink, fall down, and pass out together.  What a sweet, sweet dream.

Guys are receiving advice on how to date more women and manipulate them to do what they want everyday in their emails.  I am not saying the advice is bad advice, but it is planting seeds in male minds that coaches them on manipulative tecniques to obtain women and reject women.  I understand that there are many men out there who wish they could double their dating by becoming a natural 'chick magnet' but the fact is I don't think anyone of us women or girls like to be 'played'.

So, ladies, lets open our eyes to the fact that there is a team out there called 'men' and they are playing ball with us, either we get played or we learn the rules, know the playing field, and use the information to help us make wiser decisions when we choose the men we share our time with.

I do not advocate "playing a game" or manipulating men or women...I do however believe when you become aware that there is a GREAT range of advice out there encouraging people tp manipulate their 'prey' then you empower yourself to "LIVE" without worrying if he/she will be there tomorrow or why he/she left or why he/she is behaving a certain way.  Awareness is your best advocate.

Here are a few pieces of advice I recently uncovered: ( by the way I find the fact that the writer dscusses 'trying to win over the "bartender" hysterical...it is so TRUE that guys fall fo rthe BARTENDER, why do they always seem to be set on attracting the bartender...LOL...because SHE is in CONTROL, she is UNTOUCHABLE, she is a CONQUEST...and they know other men probably want her in that bar too, other men have probably tried for her, and if they WIN her, they look like a REAL MAN in the eyes of other men there, the BARTENDER is like a GODDESS in many men's eyes. meanwhile, she is just a regular woman, girl who is doing a job, hoping to make enough tips to go out shopping or pay her bills...pretty funny to me)

Well here is some advice YOUR man may have recently received from his online dating advice friend:

5 Secrets To Increasing Her Interest In You

>If you're interested in learning how to
approach women, get phone numbers, get dates,
and then smoothly take things to a "physical"
level without rejection, then take a minute
and look through the programs I've created to
help you. You can see them all, and watch
video clips of each of them right here:

***Dating QUESTION From A Reader***

[NOTE: This is a short question, and it refers
to another newsletter I sent out in the past. If
you don't immediately get it, just read my answer
and all will become clear.]

"The Guy in the bar Story...

Why should he have left the bar as soon as he got
the waitress' phone number?

This is "Ultra Extra Important" you said. I think
I know why he should have left, he was probably
staring at her all night and she was turned off by
it, but give me your complete insight on why he
should have left immediately after getting her
e-mail.

Thanks, R."

>>>MY COMMENTS:

    As I said in the newsletter you quoted above,
this concept is VERY important.

    Understanding why you need to leave at this
point is part of understanding the dynamic called
ATTRACTION.

    So before I get into the specifics, let's talk
about the underlying process that creates
ATTRACTION...

1) ATTRACTION isn't a choice. It's an emotional
reaction.

    ATTRACTION is nature's way of taking over our
minds and bodies long enough to make sure that we
mate with someone with the best possible genes.

    I realize that this sounds pretty "clinical"
and lame, but it's the damn truth.

    Attraction isn't concerned with you, her, or
love.   It's evolved over a loooong period of time,
and it has a purpose that is very important.

2) ATTRACTION isn't logical, in the sense that it
isn't created by things that "should" create it.

    Buying women dinner and gifts, giving lots of
compliments when you first meet a woman, and
kissing up to women to get their approval are
examples of "logical" things that SHOULD create
attraction... but don't.

    When you understand how attraction works, you
begin to see that it has a "logic" all its own.

    Attraction is one of my favorite subjects...
and I think you should understand it if you want
to be successful with women. My second book is
called "Attraction Isn't A Choice", and you can
go and download the online version of it right
now... which I highly recommend... right here:

http://www.datingtechniques.com/AttractionBook

3) Women aren't attracted to guys who act like
needy Wuss-Bags. When guys give lots of
compliments, seek approval, act clingy, or try to
go out of their way to be overly "nice", it
usually backfires.

    Women run from Wussy men (either that or they
go shoe shopping with them... and the guy usually
pays).

4) Unfortunately, many guys are mentally
programmed to a sort of "Default Wussy" mode of
behavior when they encounter a woman who they're
attracted to.

    When you combine this Default Wuss mode with
nervous body language, you create an almost-
impossible barrier between you and ever creating
ATTRACTION.

5) Just like a painting or a song, too much can
ruin an interaction with a woman.

    You must know when to leave, hang up, or end
the interaction.

    Leaving at the right moment creates tension,
anticipation and mystery.

    YOU EITHER INCREASE OR DECREASE ATTRACTION -
IT'S ALWAYS EITHER GOING UP OR DOWN...

    Of course, there are more ingredients to
ATTRACTION, but these will set the stage for where
I'm going with this...

    In every situation, you can do something to
INCREASE the ATTRACTION... and you can do
something to DECREASE it. In other words, there's
always a way to dial up this magical emotion.

    And yes, you can increase the ATTRACTION even
when you've just met. In fact, this is often the
best time to do it.

    Let me ask you a question...

    What would most guys do in the situation with
the waitress (or maybe a bartender)?

    Imagine it.

    You're in a bar, you're chatting with the cute
gal serving drinks or behind the bar. You're being
Cocky and Funny, busting on her, etc. and she's
enjoying your company. You say "Hey, do you have
email?" and she writes it down for you...

    WHAT DO YOU DO?

    You could...

a) Sit there and keep talking.

b) Stay and talk to her a few more times.

c) Wait around hoping that you can go home
with her.

d) Leave.

      So let's do a little critical thinking about
this situation before I comment (or maybe this
will be the comment, we'll see).

    If you:

(a) sit there and keep talking, what's likely to
happen?

    In my experience, unless you're the ultimate
Mac Daddy of all time, the only place to go is
DOWN.

    Think about it... you got her info. You did it.
She's working. She's only going to get busy, which
will probably make the conversation more
difficult.

    And then there's the risk of saying or doing
something stupid, getting too drunk to make sense,
or just having the interaction go cold.

    All in all, you have very little chance of
anything good happening, and a great chance of
having something not-so-good happening.

    Doesn't sound like a very good idea to me.

    If you:

(b) stay there in the bar (maybe join friends who
show up), and talk to her a few more times while
ordering drinks, etc. what is likely to happen?

    Again, we're dealing with a situation that
almost can't get any BETTER. Remember, she already
gave you the info. Now she might start thinking
"Oh, this is just another loser who hangs out all
night and gets drunk with his buddies... like the
other 47 guys who hit on me."

    Or you might say something dumb... or you might
tip her too much or too little and make a strange
impression... or any of a lot of things.

    All downside risk, no upside rewards.

    If you:

(c) wait around hoping that you can go home with
her, I think you're REALLY taking your chances in
the situation.

    Again, unless you're the ultimate pick-up
artist of all time, you're not likely to be taking
home the bartender by sitting in front of her and
drinking all night... for the same reasons listed
above.

    But what if:

(d) YOU LEFT IMMEDIATELY after getting her info?

    What effect does DISAPPEARING have on an
interaction like this one?

    Well, let me ask you: What effect does
disappearing have IN GENERAL on people?

    It creates curiosity, mystery, etc. It makes
the other person think "I wonder where he/she had
to go so fast?"

    You can also combine this with having something
very INTERESTING to do. For instance, you might
say:

"Nice talking to you... I'm going to go meet up
with some friends to have some SERIOUS fun."

    This technique of leaving the moment I've
gotten a woman's information has worked WONDERS
for me... and for many guys I know.

    The long and the short of it is that if you
stick around after you get the info, you create no
tension, no mystery, and no curiosity.

    On the other hand, if you LEAVE IMMEDIATELY,
and have something interesting (even if you don't
say what it is) to go do, then you're seen as
busy... the kind of guy who has a life... someone
who is in demand.

    Leaving turns up the ATTRACTION. It creates
curiosity.

    Women are used to guys hanging on, clinging,
and generally NOT having other things to do.

    It's something that will INSTANTLY separate you
from other guys, and something that will
demonstrate all the right qualities with a single
move.

    Remember, you can do things to INCREASE or
DECREASE the ATTRACTION in any given situation. I
recommend that you start thinking of how to
increase it as much as you possibly can, because
if a woman feels ATTRACTION, then almost nothing
else matters.

    Let's shift gears.

    When it comes to CREATING ATTRACTION, you can
take it to the next level... and the next... all
the way to the point of "getting physical" with a
woman...

    ...I've gone from not being able to even TALK
to a woman I don't know... to being able to
approach any woman in any situation and have a
VERY HIGH chance of getting a date with her... and
of course more, if I want.

END

Like I said the advice, can work....so just like you probably give your best girlfriends advice, this is many men's first best friend in the dating game...the guy is lik ethe double your dating guru...BUT if we are now aware of the 'male advice' we can better prepare ourselves with not falling into the trap and instead make decision based on reality rather than manipulation.

Truth be told,

a) guys who sit at bars all night are unappealing, especially when they become drunks, SO ARE WOMEN who do the same.

b) guys/girls who get your number/email and remain at the bar are being watched by us on how they behave throughout the night so 'we know what we are getting' if we decide to communicate further.

c)guys/girls who meet at the bar and go home with each other afterwards are usually not in it for love & commitment...you just showed your cheap side.

d) if you were the guy or girl who went home with a number/email...good luck to you because you just did exactly what the advice guru said to do...now what???

KNOWLEDGE IS EVERYTHING

Enjoy the journey! Truth be Told

Diva Life

ps...regardless of what religion you are, there is something implanted within you that tells you 'when you hurt people it's 'not nice' and when you help people it is 'nice' God doesn't like ugly and neither should we. Make it a beautiful world!

Despite the crappy weather that Göteborg is giving us today (the city is really portraying itself from it's absolute worst side; the clouds start where the tarmac lets go, the rain is coming from every direction, even from the ground and up and the brightest of colour's wouldn't escape the compact gray) I took a trip into town and made use of a gift certificate I got as a present from my friends Fredrik, Eleonore and there son Viktor. It was a gift certificate from a sporting goods store so I went there and got myself a really nice sweat suit (ironically enough I bought a gray one... must be the weather). It's oversize and really soft. I have got it on right now. It's made for days like this. Just pop it on and put my feet in a pair of slippers and I'm good (I of course have a cup of coffee in my hand, which leads me to another gift that I got and will share with you when I make use of it).

I also went by the store where Camilla saw that perfect, must have, knitted sweater. I got it for her. She deserves a whole lot more but I think she will be pleased.

Nothing else today, yet. Tomorrow = good news... I hope.

[/caption]

ALERT: GUYS ARE BEING COACHED ON HOW TO TREAT YOU in order to keep you, manage you, manipulate you, make you love them, make you leave, make you attracted to them, how to "DOUBLE their dating".

LOL, and the truth is, I read the advice for over a year now and it's pretty right on the money! ...and that is the uncomfortable thing, because that guy you are dating or dated, probably followed some other guys 'advice' and treated you like a sweetheart one day and a creep the next, all for one purpose manipulating YOU to react the way he wants you to react.

Very creepy, but there's alot you should know!

If you've ever wondered  how "guys" all seem to act the same, certain traits that keep coming up in every single guy you date..

If you have ever find yourself ever asking ,"Why do all guys do that to me/to girls/to women?"

Welcome to the reality...GUYS ARE COACHED...there are actually emails that ALOT of guys are receiving on a DAILY BASIS that are giving advice of how to 'double their dating'. And I actually found it in my man's email...okay, yes, I checked his email ( past tense, now I could care less SINCE I now KNOW "The Deal With Guys" and I am not so naive anymore. And hopefully, you too will learn "The Deal With Guys" and soon will be okay with whatever he does because you are AWARE and expect anything.

I started this blog to help other women/girl/ladies/chicks/divas to understand that we can get through life and love, enjoying the process.... as long as we are open-eyed to the world around us and not like I was, "the deer in the headlights".

So join me on an adventure as we discover and uncover the reality in the world around us. How can you be safe in love,  if you dont know the game that exists? Share your experiences with us as we voyage through life and love!

My Mama always said, "be aware of your surroundings, life ain't no box o chocolates"

 Dating Game Diva....exposing the truth about The Dating Game

The phrase just means, sometimes you have to fake the reality you live in just to get by.

However, to steal a phrase - "Honesty is the hardest thing to fake," the above phrase is to be used when any other option will not be fair to the person or group you are interacting with.

A person that gives off positive energy has a limited supply. Your goal is to add energy to the interaction, not leach from this person.

Good friends understand. Don't abuse them. Having a person/friend you don't have to fake is a good thing, just don't step in the nopherhole resulting in distancing that person.

Naufraga d’eccezione, di ritorno dall’Honduras, Valeria Marini racconterà al pubblico la sua esperienza durante la puntata de “L’isola dei Famosi”, in onda lunedì 13 ottobre, alle ore 21.00, in diretta su Raidue. Grande attesa per l'ingresso di tre nuovi naufraghi. Atteso, anche, il verdetto del pubblico che deciderà, tramite televoto, se fare restare sull’Isola il bidello bolognese Carlo Capponi o la peperina siciliana Maria Grazia Maniscalco. Ampio spazio verrà dedicato a Rossano Rubicondi, entrato durante la scorsa puntata, che negli ultimi giorni ha contribuito ad animare la vita sull’Isola. In collegamento con la Selva Oscura e Filippo Magnini si svolgerà la Prova Ricompensa dove, in caso di vincita, i concorrenti verranno premiati con beni di primaria necessità. In studio con Simona Ventura e i due opinionisti  Mara Venier e Luca Giurato, ci sarà l’ultima eliminata Sonia Borgonuovo, i concorrenti già usciti dal reality tramite televoto o per ragioni di salute ed i parenti dei naufraghi, chiamati per un “supporto morale a distanza” . Filippo Magnini è, anche, conduttore della striscia quotidiana di Raidue, in onda dal lunedì al venerdì alle 18.50 e il sabato alle 19,  con il riassunto della settimana.

I tre nuovi naufraghi saranno due personaggi famosi : Ela Weber e Peppe Quintale e uno per i non famosi che saranno due gemelle ma che saranno considerate un solo concorrente.

Now, as you may or may not know, SGI sells top of the line computers used in many different industries. On average, they're about three times as expensive as personal PCs and are meant to be used by professionals in the industries they're used in.

Anyway, the following call came in:

Customer: "I just received an Onyx yesterday, and I tried to set it up today and it doesn't work."
Tech Support: "It just doesn't boot up?"
Customer: "It doesn't even turn on. I see nothing on the screen, and the fan doesn't even turn on in the back of the system."
Tech Support: "Is the monitor functioning? Is there a little green light in the lower right corner of the monitor?"
Customer: "Yes, there is."
Tech Support: "Ok, is the computer plugged in?"
Customer: (irritated) "Look, I think I know how to set up a system. I'm a college graduate, you know."
Tech Support: "Ok, let me finish typing up this report, and I'll send it off. You will get a reply within one business day."
Customer: (exasperated) "Thank you. Geez, I mean I paid a huge amount of money for this computer. The least you people can do it make sure it works before sending it to me!"
Customer: "I mean, to add to the poor quality control, you even sent me one extra power cord."
Tech Support: "One extra cord?"
Customer: "Yes, it looks just the one I used to plug in the monitor and computer, but that's all you sent to me. I have no use for this other one."
At this point, I thought I should inquire a little more...but use a bit of tact to do so.

Tech Support: "Sir, can you double check the serial number on the back of your computer?"
Customer: "On the back of the computer?"
Tech Support: "Yes, sir."
Customer: (sigh) "All right, all right, hold on..."
I heard a few muffled grunts as he crawled over his desk to see the back of the computer. He repeated the serial number from the sticker. I didn't bother to verify it.

Tech Support: "Thank you, sir. Oh, by the way, can you check to see if the computer is plugged in?"
Dead silence. I could just picture the man's face when he realized that the computer was never plugged in in the first place and that the "extra" power cord he was holding in his hand was for the computer. I didn't wait for a response from him. I thanked him for calling, hung up, and closed the case.

From: www.onlyfunnystories.com

Nu mai pot de ras. Baba puturoasa si mosul cu acordeonul.

Ωχ τυχαία συνέβη.....

Επίτηδες  συνέβη και επειδή ήθελα....

είδα ένα βράδυ ΛΟΙΠΟΝ

τι παίζει στην ελληνική τηλεόραση..

καθώς δεν είμαι τηλεορασάκιας..κουμπιουτεράκιας ναι...ε...και με το ζάπινκ...έπεσα σε πολλά και διάφορα....

Πρώτα από όλα έκανα το σταυρό μου....

Βεβαιώθηκα με σιγουριά...ότι ο κόσμος δεν πηγαίνει καλά....

δε ξέρω ..τον έφαγαν τα προβλήματα...έχεΙ λαλήσει από το καυσαέριο και το άγχος??

Το σίγουρο είναι ένα....

Δεν πάμε καλά....

Είδα αρχικά το x-Factor....

Aπό που να αρχίσω και που να τελειώσω...

Ηλικιωμένες,άμουσες,κακέκτυπα του Ρουβά,Χατζηγιάννηδες παρέλασαν μπροστά από την κριτική επιτροπή...

Το δάκρυ προσωπικά κορόμηλο από το γέλιο....

και μετά, για να είμαι ειλικρινής..

δεν ήξερα τι να κάνω περισσότερο..

να κλάψω??

να γελάσω??

Να τους λυπηθώ??????

Αντε πες ότι αυτή η εκπομπή δίνει μια ευκαιρία σε νέους ανθρώπους να γίνουν γνωστοί...

Μια κοπέλα ειδικά είχε φωνάρα ήταν εξαίσια!

Από εκεί και ύστερα το χάος....

Και καλά ο άλλος έχει εκατό κιλά ψωνίασης πάνω του και δεν αντιλαμβάνεται πως τραγουδά και σπάνε καθρέπτες..δεν αντιλαμβάνεται ότι δεν πάει στα μπουζούκια Αθηνών Λαμίας....

θα πω το μαμαδίστικο:

Μάνα δεν έχουν??

Ν α τα μαζεψει?

Καθρέπτη επίσης??

Φίλους να τους συνετίσουν?

Αν εγώ έλεγα στον αδερφό μου πάω στο x factor παρόλο που είμαι 35 και ο ίδιος  από τα πιο απελευθερωμένα άτομα που εχω γνωρίσει....θα νόμιζε πως μπήκε ο Σατανάς μέσα μου ή ότι έχω λαλήσει...Κοινως θα με έπαιρνε από το μαλλί και θα με έφερνε σβούρες....

Αυτά τα παιχνίδια αποτελούν άλλο ένα στοιχείο που αποδεικνύει την άμβλυνση των ηθικών αξιών και τη σύγχυση που επικρατεί...

Παλιά κάναμε μια αταξία και κάναμε το σταυρό μας μη μας μυριστεί η γειτόνισσα ή η μας δει κανείς γνωστός

και το πει στη μαμά κα ι μας κακοχαρακτηρίσει...

Και τώρα βγαίνουμε με άνεση φόρα παρτίδα στην τηλεόραση ,ξευτιλιζόμαστε και δεν μας ενδιαφέρει τίποτα..

όλα για την προβολή...

που εγκλωβίζει σε μια ουτοπική πραγματικότητα......Κοιτάς ..άτομα...που είναι έτοιμα να παρατήσουν τη δουλειά τους και με μηδέν ταλέντο επιτρέπουν στον εαυτό τους να τους ξευτιλίζει και να τους κρίνει μια επιτροπή...

Οι ΑΔΕΚΑΣΤΟΙ ΚΡΙΤΕΣ....

Ε ρε ξύλο που πάει χαμένο σε αυτη την κοινωνία...

ΥΣ1και εγώ είμαι σαν την ΚΕΙΤ ΜΟΣΣ

και τραγουδώ σαν την Κάλλας...

μη με ενοχλέιτε...

πάω στπο x factor!

"Why I Believe in God"

I’ve really thought about this a lot. I’m not writing this because I believe what I am going to say will be profound in any way. I don’t think it will be profound. It’s not even going to sound very smart.   

I believe in God because I want to. People can say they are atheists because it is logical or rational, but the truth in the end is that they want to be atheists. People do what they want and believe what they want regardless of the soundest logic or rationale.   

Sometimes I am asked to prove that there is a God. I am told that for some reason, and many here seem to believe it, that God is apart from reason and that if He did indeed exist, we would have to build up a proof from what we “know” to Him. I know Him.   

My belief, from what I have seen, is that first you have to be willing to believe in Him, truly willing before you can really see Him at all. Now how is this fair? That you have to somewhat believe in something before you can see it. If a step to eternal life in heaven, where happiness is, requires you to almost blindly believe in something that you cannot see, how is that fair? It’s fair because hell is not as bad as some people think and God is always seeking opportunities for you to believe in Him at every possible corner. He will find you if you want to be found.   

I realize this may sound like “Dogma”, but it works for me.   

I have questioned God, His existence, many times. I honestly fear what my life would be without Him. I fear the thought of permanence of death. Is that why I ultimately believe in Him though? No. The worst possible outcome that I see is not believing in God and it turning out that He is real and ending up in hell forever. The next worst to that would be believing in God and living life accordingly and dying, to know nothing afterward because there is no God. But is that really the next worst? Only if you believe a life of atheism is more enjoyable, more fulfilling or if you would like to see it this way, more productive to society. I actually don’t really care if I waste my life away believing in something that does not exist, especially something that has so many benefits were it to be real. I don’t hurt people, except occasionally with words. I don’t think I would be that much greater not believing in Him, to anyone.   

This whole thing wouldn’t make that much sense unless I had a reason to believe in Him in the first place though or a reason to continue believing. I believe in Him because my religion fits for me. It is a very peaceful, thought provoking and powerful religion. It teaches of a God who loves all, a God I have grown to know. And you can say I imagine it, but so powerful it is, so all containing, so completely peaceful and meaningful without fears, why would it concern me if it is imagined?   

I know a God who holds you and me in His arms with an incredible will and love to protect all those He can. How could I give up on such a being that I constantly feel by my side? He is my Lord, He is my Father, He is my friend.

by Owen Schnarr

By: Tony L. Jefferson, Jr.

From the outside in

From the inside out

The world we see has gone crazy

Lost its ever loving mind

Gone are the days of prosperity

Forgotten is the struggle of our forefathers

Was it all a dream?

Is our existence morphed into this twisted reality?

We are susceptible to lies

Threatened by fear

I am enraged by all that I see

My pleas are ignored

My vision disputed

The blind eyes don’t see the tragedy unfolding

Our people turn to others and chastise their own

Dismissing where they come from

Ignorant and close minded we become

Common sense is lost to our society

Eroded by the constant saturation of stupidity

Bring me a change

Open up our minds

Unlock our hearts

We see the tragedy but fail to change our destiny

“If we don’t learn from our past, we are doomed to repeat it in the future”

Fantasy Football... get it?

It's Sunday, which means I'm glued to the TV and computer watching NFL football. I watch live games one the TV while stats and points are updated on the computer. I have three fantasy teams this year, and have had more in the past.

The first time I tried fantasy football, I was hooked immediately. I've been a football all my life, so discovering a game I could play that was based on what real players did was very attractive. I'm able to compete against people I know, and measure myself against people I don't.

This is a very popular game people are playing, and even if you don't play it yourself, chances are you've been affected by someone who has. A lot of people spend a good amount of time checking out their fantasy football stuff, and it can take time away from getting out and doing other things, especially on Sunday.

But it's okay.

Everyone seems to have their shows that they have to watch. No matter what happens, they need to know what happened on "American Idol" or "Lost" or whatever. Football and playing fantasy games are just the shows that I need to watch. I have to see what happens to the characters (players) on the show (game).

People who have shows they need to watch every night don't seem to understand that people like me just watch all of there shows on a Sunday, with one game on Monday night.

Think of it as reality TV for those who don't watch regular reality TV.

It's like "Survivor," but you have a player you're pitting against the other competitors, and if he or she wins, then you do. It's kind of like that, only the NFL players actually have some sort of talent and skill.

This also raises the question of why some people prefer sports over other television entertainment. That answer is a little longer and more complicated, but definitely not impossible. I'm working on it.