'Four eyes' and proud of it!

I read a blog in the newspaper recently in which the author describes her feeling at having to wear glasses. Like many people, and I am sure there are plenty of them, she spent most of her youth sneering at people who needed specs (the elderly aside), believing that they were geeks and weaklings who got picked on in the school yard. She also pointed out that film, literary and comic book heroes did not wear glasses (Harry Potter aside) and the ones that did like Clark Kent Peter Parker used it as a part of their disguise to 'hide their awesomeness' as she put it. She then goes on to describe her anguish at the news that she needed to wear glasses. Suddenly, she became one of these 'four-eyed' people. A geek. A weakling. A nerd. To compound the humiliation, she was forced to eat a huge serving of crow for looking down on bespectacled folks in the first place.
Fortunately, she eventually saw the positive side of things, mainly that her once fuzzy vision has been made clear and that it was possible to be a 'cool person' with glasses on (she cites Tina Fey as an example of a 'speccy superhero'). In the end, she embraced her specs and now cannot live without them.

I have to admit, I can totally relate to this story. I, too, wear glasses but this hasn't always been the case. In fact, my eyesight was pretty decent when I was a kid but too many video game and TV sessions later they deteriorated. Unfortunately for me, I also viewed bespectacled folks with snooty disdain, believing that only uncool people wore glasses and that they made the owner look silly. I also viewed them as a bully magnet for kids.
When I eventually noticed that my vision was getting fuzzier I tried to hide it. I was around 14 or 15 at the time and before I knew it, I suddenly had to squint to try and read what the teacher was writing on the board. If that didn't work I slyly peeked at my seatmate's notes and copy off them. As my vision got worse I started sitting right in front of the classroom. I'm pretty sure most of my classmates were thinking 'look at Bernd sitting out front like a goody-goody!' The truth was, I HAD to sit at the front. But in my state of absolute denial even that wasn't enough to get me to admit to myself that I needed glasses.

My problem soon manifested itself in different humiliating ways. People snickered whenever I couldn't read things from a distance. My family members looked at me suspiciously when I failed to see somethinng clearly on the TV screen. I started having to squint a little while playing video games. I kept sitting at the front of the class even though I didn't want to. It got worse and worse. At one particular day in high school, I was sitting in maths class with my friend and we were copying notes off the board. He caught a glimpse of my page and asked me why I had copied a particular formula wrong. I meekly asked him if I could copy it off his page and thankfully he obliged, no questions asked. But seriously, that was a huge blow to my ego. I obviously had a problem but I was too damn stubborn to admit it.

Finally, shortly before I turned 17 my mother forced me to get my eyes checked. She had began to notice my increasing inability to see things from afar and understandably, she was getting worried. I went to the optometrist, took the exam and my apparently-not-so-secret shame was exposed: I was short-sighted and needed glasses. Right at that moment I heard a voice inside my head shout 'NOOOOOOOO!!!!' I couldn't believe it! I was already a geeky kid to begin with but with these glasses I was stamping that label on my forehead in block letters. When I tried my new glasses on the only thing I saw was a four-eyed nerd begging to be mocked and laughed at for the rest of his life.

But, that was a long time ago. Just like the author of that blog I eventually came to embrace the glasses. Reading things from a distance is no longer a problem, watching TV and reading off the computer is no longer a frustrating experience and I actually think I look ok with them on (although taking pictures can still be a problem since the lens tends to form a glare). Besides, not all frames make the owner look like a total dork. There are trendy frames out there that can make the owner look cool and hip.
I'm sure there are some folks out there who look at me and think 'oh, there goes another four-eyed geek!' but to them I respectfully say, 'four eyes and PROUD OF IT, DUDE!!!!!'

Switcheroo

When I was a kid, I was a fan of the Archie comics series. Sure, some of the stories were corny but there were enough laughs to keep me entertained when I wasn't sitting in front of the TV killing braincells or sitting in front of the computer killing even more braincells and my eyesight. It was quite fun reading about Archie's life as an all-American teenage kid, trying to decide which girl he ultimately wants to be with, hanging out with his mates, trying to one-up his mates on occassion and going through all the trials and tribulations teenagers go through. Yeah, he and his friends were loads of fun in between gaming sessions.
I haven't read the comics in a long time but according to a recent news article, Archie will accidentally be turned into a girl named Archina in a future story. I didn't know what shocked me more, the fact that this all-American teenage boy was turned into an all-American teenage girl or that the writers gave him/her a dumb name like 'Archina' (Archela, Athena, Anthea, Alana, Alina.....there ARE some better names out there!). Apparently, Sabrina the teenage witch will make an appearance here and, well, maybe she's the brains behind this little mix-up.

It also got me thinking about what the Archie comics series would be like if the entire cast changed sexes. I can just see it now:

-Reggie becomes Regina, an egotistical Kim Kardashian-esque popular girl who thinks the entire male student population wants her.

-Jughead becomes.....well....I guess Jughead could still be her nickname, and she's a dorky, sarcastic and lazy girl who hangs out with Archina and can out-eat any man she knows.

-Betty and Veronica become Benny and Vinnie, one jock and one spoiled rich boy, best mates who constantly fight over Archina.

-Moose becomes Doe (a female deer is called a 'doe', get it? Of course you didn't!), a big, intimidating girl who beats up other girls that try to get too close to her handsome, sensitive-new-age-guy boyfriend Mick (instead of Midge).

Well, you get the point. All the characters swap genders but still retain their personalities. Funny isn't it?

Reading this article got me thinking about which film, literary, cartoon or comic book characters would become more interesting if they swapped genders. Don't worry, I'll keep the list short and sweet.

1. James Bond aka: Jane Bond

I know what you're all going to say. 'She'll just be another Lara Croft! Big whoop!' Be that as it may but I think it would still be an interesting scenario. Bond usually travelled around the world armed with his gadgets, his wit and his ability to pull in the ladies, all the while fighting power-mad maniacs so wouldn't it be interesting to see a girl get up to his adventures? James Bond went on several missions dressed in a tux or a formal suit, wouldn't it be interesting to see if a woman in a formal dress can get the job done without messing up her hair, make-up and outfit? Wouldn't it be cool to see a woman utter the words 'The name's Bond. Jane Bond' and order a glass of vodka martini, shaken but not stirred with a flirty swagger? And most of all, wouldn't it be cool to see her do some of the stunts and martial arts moves that James Bond is renowned for, not to mention score with a different 'Bond Guy' in each film? I know I'd enjoy it!

2. The Simpsons

This one would be fun! Imagine the Simpsons family undergoing a gender switch. Bart becomes a bratty little girl who gets up to mischief and enjoys making fun of her younger, dorkier brother, the two have an adorable baby brother with psychotic tendencies while Homer becomes an overweight, beer-swilling, lazy female nuclear power plant technician who can out-burp her male colleagues and Marge becomes the high-strung stay-at-home dad who occassionally takes odd jobs. Man, I actually want to see this one come into fruition!

3. Holden Caulfield aka: Mercedes Caulfield

We all know The Catcher in the Rye's Holden Caulfield - he's an angry teenager who refuses to grow up, shows utter contempt towards most people, detests 'phony' qualities in people and is drowning in his own self-loathing. What if he were to become a she? Therefore, Holden becomes Mercedes, the angriest teenage girl in the world.
I can imagine that she would be the type of girl that someone like Kristen Stewart, Taylor Momsen, Shailene Woodley and even Avril Lavigne (provided she can rediscover her angsty teen alter-ego) would play in a film. Cute, youthful, young at heart but also angry and has a pessimistic view of the world. Yeah, lots of teens would look at her and think 'Yup, I can/have see/seen myself in her'.

5. South Park

Man, this one would be a hoot for sure. Imagine if those four boys were four foul-mouthed little girls who get up to the same kind of hijinks that those boys did. I'm pretty sure that the outrage from this series would be doubled!
Instead of Eric, Stan, Kyle and Kenny, we got Erica, Sam, Kylie and Kimmy ('Oh my God! They killed Kimmy!' 'YOU BITCHES!!!!'). And I know they killed him off a long time ago but wouldn't it have been fun to see Chef as a funky female cook? Get someone like Octavia Spencer to provide her voice and she would have stolen the show for sure!

6. Twilight

Well now, how about this one? A moody, emo, over-dramatic boy (ie: the first or second teenage boy you'll encounter on the street) who has to choose between a mysterious but charming and stubborn female vampire named (think of an Angelina Jolie type but less slutty) and a likeable, cheerful, adventurous but temperamental werewolf (pretty much like your typical girl next door, I guess). I must say I would get a good laugh watching the male lead acting like a moody little pansy trying to decide which girl he wants to be with - not to mention those two girls trying to one-up the other in winning our hero's affections.

Well, that's it for now. Yeah, some stories, shows and movies would be quite interesting if different characters changed genders so I can't begrudge the folks at Archie comics for giving it a go. Female characters exhibiting male traits and vice-versa? Sounds fun to me!

Quick takes

Well, it's that kind of week again. Too many blog-worthy stories happened this week that your's truly couldn't possibly focus on just one for an epic blog. Therefore, Big Bad Bernd will take all these stories and give a brief but boisterous opinion on all of them.

This is going to be FUN!!!!!!

1. One Direction invades Australia:

Hey, guys! Justin Bieber called, he wants his loud, insufferable, psychopathic fans back!!!! Well, what can I say? Just two years ago Juzzy Biebs hit the jackpot and gained fans around the world and what happens? We all got confirmation that, when they're enraged, female pop music fans are the most dangerous creatures on the planet. They scream, they shout, they run, they crowd, they tackle....and they scared Bieber into holing up in his hotel room at one point while he was here in Australia! And who could blame him? As soon as he steps out that door all hell breaks loose!

Which brings us back to One Direction. If you thought the hysteria from Bieber's visit was bad, imagine that multiplied by five. That's pretty much what happened this week despite a rocky start when fans were let down as the boys touched down in Sydney on Tuesday. Apparently, the police and airport staff escorted them to a 'VIP exit' away from the fans.

And just like Bieber's fans, One Direction fans have already made threats against any girl who dares to get too close to their idols. During a radio interview one of the boys admitted that he had a crush on the station's receptionist and wished to take her out on a date. Well, she turned him down, mainly because she already has a boyfriend, but now she has to contend with the insults and death threats from over-zealous fans and even some fans who simply want to touch and be around her just because she had been in contact with the boys!

Wow. I'd change my phone number and my door locks, and become a master of disguise in the meantime if I were her!

And almost lost in all the hysteria is the fact that the boys are being sued by a US rock band with the same name. They have been using the name 'One Direction' since 2009 and in 2011 filed an application to trademark their name. Oh the humanity!

2. Kate Winslet's 3D breasts cut out of Titanic 3D's China release:

So it's been 100 years since the iconic doomed passenger liner Titanic sank in the North Atlantic Ocean and to commemorate this milestone, James Cameron's Oscar Winning epic Titanic (the film that dominated the 1998 Academy Awards, put Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet on the map, gave us that excruciating song by Celine Dion) was re-released into cinemas in 3D. Sounds all well and good, but there was some controversy involved in the China release. Apparently, Kate Winslet's 3D breasts were deemed 'too good' for the people of China and so were censored.

A spokesperson for China's State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT), there were fears that viewers might reach out to 'touch' the breasts and so obstruct people's viewing and might so the SARFT decided that censoring Winslet's bits would build a 'harmonious, ethical social environment'.

Naturally, viewers were aghast at such a decision. One male filmgoer lamented that they had waited fifteen years 'and not for the 3D icebergs'. Well, can't say I blame him. When I watched this film in the movies I remember male viewers cheering and hollering when that scene in which Winslet's Rose disrobed in front of DiCaprio's Jack came up. Heck, some of my male friends back in high school stated that they mainly watched it for that scene alone. And well, being a man myself, I too enjoyed that scene. Yeah, poor Chinese audiences. What a waste!

3. Scorned woman crashes car into ex's workplace:

Lesson to any Facebook user out there: If you are going to change your relationship status from 'married' or 'in a relationship' to 'single', make sure you break up with your ex first BEFORE you change said status.

A British man learned this the hard way when his scorned ex-girlfriend drove his car into the bowling alley in which he worked, causing $21,000 worth of damage.

Wow. What an epic failure on that guy's part. Changing your relationship status on Facebook when your other half still thinks you're in a relationship with them (judging by her reaction I'm pretty sure she thought they were still in a relationship) and then leaving your car with her when you know damn well that she may find out about your transgression. Even if she hadn't decided to drive that thing into a building, who's to say she won't smash it into smithereens and then leave a big 'F**K YOU' letter sitting on top of the scrap heap?

Seriously mate, what you did was not only dumb, but also cowardly, even more so than dumping someone via text message. You got exactly what you deserved and you'd better consider yourself lucky that you're still alive.

4. Lady Gaga runs afoul of eating disorder groups:

Gaga has admitted in the past that she struggled with bulimia as a teenager and has urged young women to embrace a healthy body image. Therefore, she came under attack from eating disorder groups thanks to a twitter post she made. She tweeted 'Just killed back-to-back spinning classes. Eating a salad dreaming of a cheeseburger #PopSingersDontEat #IWasBornThisWay'.

Well, it was supposed to be a harmless post but according to the National Eating Disorder Association it was a hypocritical insult to many young girls, especially those who suffer from body image depression and eating disorders. Many of Gaga's own fans turned on her, stating their disappointment in her mocking such a serious illness.

I honestly don't know which side to take here. On one hand, I'm sure Gaga did not intend to disrespect anyone with this post, especially since she herself has suffered from an eating disorder and has always encouraged people to love themselves. But on the other hand, I can see how such comments could be viewed as insensitive and hypocritical, especially since she attached the hashtag 'pop stars don't eat' on the message. I guess in the end it comes down to how sensitive people are. You can either take it as a sarcastic remark and laud Lady Gaga for her dry wit and or you can view it as a tactless message and slam Lady Gaga as a stupid hypocrite who doesn't have a brain in her head. The choice is yours.

5. North Korea's epic failure:

You know, some people hear the word 'North Korea' and instantly think of a country ruled by a funny-looking madman who operates like a comic book villain - intimidates his own people, shows utter defiance to the rest of the world, shows no mercy towards people suffering under his rule and seems to have a goal to take over the world. Yes, I am talking about Kim Jong Un, who apparently has the same twisted mind as his late father and predecessor Kim Jong Il and even looks like him (no, that is not a compliment).

However, even Big Bad Un fell victim to Friday the 13th, and just for a moment he managed to make a laughing stock of both himself and his country. At 8:39am AEST on Friday, North Korean scientists launched a rocket that, according to them, has an observational satellite attached to it. The rest of the world, however, believes that it is yet another covert missile test.

Anyway, the rocket crumbled in mid-air and fell into the Yellow Sea. To add insult to injury, the rocket was supposed to symbolise strength and hard work from a nation suffering from economic hardship, as well as to celebrate the birth of the North's founder, Kim Il-Sung.

All I have to say is, way to kill four birds with one stone, guys. This epic failure was a slap in the face for North Korea, for Kim Jong Un and for Kim Il-Sung. It cost the North Korean government $850 million and Japan was ready to shoot it down had it flown over their airspace. I could only imagine the looks on the Japanese officials' faces when they saw that doomed rocket plummet into the ocean 10 minutes after its launch. No wonder the whole world is laughing.

By the way, I did not make a typo when I stated that this catastrophe killed four birds with one stone. The fourth bird is (drum roll please) Kim Kardashian. Some bloggers christened the rocket 'Kardashian 1', alluding to that over-exposed oxygen thief whose marriage crashed and burned. I'll bet Kim felt more hurt than the bag of flour that hit her in the head a few weeks ago after reading this - assuming, of course, that she can read.

Well, there you have it. Pretty interesting stories out this week. And in case you're wondering why news of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West hooking up and Brad and Angelina's engagement didn't make it here, I only have two words:

WHO CARES!!!!?????

Lucky Man

Kyle Sandilands is a lucky man.

Sure, most of Australia thinks he's a major-league moron and chauvinist and he has courted plenty of controversy during his TV and radio career, but I consider him to be a lucky man indeed.

Following a recent act of total foolishness late last year in which he hurled derogatory and sexist comments towards a female journalist who criticised his new TV show (or should I say TV train wreck), he was found guilty of seriously breaching decency codes. His radio station, 2DayFM will now be slapped with new licence conditions as implemented by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), in which any offensive language, particularly those directed towards women (Kyle's most frequent victims) will be regulated and any further offenses committed by Sandilands can lead to fines and even a termination of 2DayFM's licence.

Ok, now to address the reason why I think Kyle is a lucky man. He's lucky because, despite the fact that he's said and done numerous revolting things while on the air he still has his job. Most of the things he did seriously breached decency codes, most likely breached terms of his employment and he's still allowed to park his ever-widening backside behind a microphone every morning. Oh yeah, and he's the co-host of a breakfast radio show, people. There are likely to be some children who can hear the things he says while listening to the car radio on the way to school. To make matters worse, 2DayFM has already cost its network Austereo millions of dollars' worth of sponsors and, despite still being the top-rated show in New South Wales, is rapidly losing listeners, all thanks to the actions of this moron.

With most other employees in a different field of work, I'm pretty sure that continually making mistakes that breach codes of practice is grounds for dismissal and if you're lucky, you might get a second chance but that's it. But Kyle has made so many gaffes and offended so many people I've lost count. Seriously, haven't any of his bosses heard of the saying, 'fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me'? Well guys, I'm not pressuring you all to give Kyle the old heave-ho right away but it seems that he has fooled you all more times than I can count on one hand.

And even if you look beyond the on-air controversies, Kyle's work ethic is nothing short of abysmal. It's one thing to 'chuck a sickie'. But if you tell your bosses that you're too ill to come to work, don't get caught club-hopping on the SAME NIGHT that you called in sick!!! Oh yeah, and he's 'accidentally' done that more than once. It also doesn't help that he often calls in sick mere minutes before he's due to go on air. Also, please bear in mind that excessive sick leaves arouses people's suspicions, Kyle. I know he suffers from multiple health problems (he's overweight, smokes too much and has a poor diet) but even so, if you call in sick too many times people will start to wonder if you're faking it, especially after you are caught gallivanting around rather than recovering.

Oh yeah, he's also taken vacations without notifying his bosses and his co-host Jackie O, who has in the past expressed irritation over his lax work habits. Yup, sounds like a candidate for employee of the year. No wonder you guys are keeping him around!

Kyle Sandilands, I hope you know how lucky you are. Seriously, in any other field of work, or perhaps in any other radio station, if you've committed the kind of mistakes you made numerous times and displayed the same type of lackadaisical work ethic you would have been out of a job a long time ago.

At the same time, I hope the new conditions that ACMA are planning to impose on your station will convince you to grow up and think before you speak. You got away with it again now but mate, in the future, you might not be so lucky.

Pick your poison

Warning: This piece contains strong opinions, brutal honesty and occasional acts of harshness. You have been warned but please bear in mind that I don't mean to deliberately offend anyone.

Well, it had to happen eventually. Four years after Big Brother Australia was canned following eight, mostly controversial seasons the show is making a comeback. Former 'Dancing With The Stars' co-host Sonia Kruger will be the new host and once again the house will be based in Dreamworld in the Gold Coast in Queensland. The show has moved from the Ten Network and into the Nine Network. I guess that means we will soon be hearing about the shenanigans that goes on in that big house full of bored, mostly young people. If past seasons are anything to go by, this should be fun - and controversial no doubt.

Meanwhile, according to the Daily Telegraph this week the Ten network are already planning a Jersey Shore-type show to be based in Sydney's Sutherland Shire. Titled The Shire, it will follow a young girl who had gone to Los Angeles to seek fame and fortune, only to end up coming home nursing a broken heart and shattered dreams. She will be accompanied by some 'secondary characters' in this show, most of whom will be her family and friends but also some 'locals' that can represent the area well and give viewers what they want (eg. Bartenders, surfer guys, bikini girls, tradies with tattoos etc).

From what I can gather from the 'plot' this show sounds like Jersey Shore with a bit of Gossip Girl and The OC thrown in. And I don't know about being 'jilted' but that whole 'young starlet unsuccessfully trying her luck in Hollywood' thing sounds like former Big Brother housemate and former Zoo Weekly model Krystal Forscutt's ill-fated trip to Los Angeles a few years ago. Maybe she will play the main character in this show.

Well, what can I say? Fans of trashy TV are going to do cartwheels and editors of Zoo Weekly are going to jump up and down with joy. I don't mean to sound like a judgemental prick but let's face it, no matter how hard you try to market these shows as harmless fun they end up getting dragged into the gutter thanks to the antics of their 'stars'. And before you call me a jerk who needs to get off his high horse, I will admit now that I do like to watch these types of shows every now and then. I enjoy a good laugh and watching people make fools of themselves all for the sake of earning their 15 minutes of fame is quite amusing, so long as it's in small doses.

Big Brother was originally intended to cram several 'everyday people' together and see how they would interract under the watchful eye of 'Big Brother', but as the seasons went by the show became more controversial thanks to some crazy antics in the house, mainly of the sexual kind. Well, what can you expect from a house full of bored people, many of whom are young and sexy? But that didn't stop the fans, and as the years and seasons went by the average contestant didn't just get younger, they became more provocative and extroverted and you had to wonder if they had any shame at all. Or in the case of other contestants, if they've ever seen the inside of a padded room.

I still remember that final season in 2008. The show was in serious trouble, following years of controversies and there were calls for it to be axed. However, new hosts Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O thought they could revive it by casting a bunch of 'interesting people' for that series. They casted, among others, two contestants who were aged over 50, a man with a high-pitched voice and a bellydancing little person. Alas, the show was a spectacular failure and was mercifully cancelled by channel 10.

Now onto The Shire. Production has yet to begin on this show and already it is causing controversy, so much so that the people of the Sutherland Shire are divided on the matter. On the one hand, Channel 10's Head of Programming David Mott has claimed that the show will be prime time-friendly and should be tame enough to warrant a PG rating.

But Shire Mayor Carol Provan and many locals are totally against the series, fearing that it would portray the area in a negative light. A local girl who was interviewed by the Daily Telegraph pointed out that the area was still recovering from the negativity brought on by the 2005 Cronulla Riots and they didn't need something like this. Another local girl also recalled how her friend was approached via Facebook and asked if she and a few 'good-looking' friends would like to join.

Ok, I've dissected these shows enough. Perhaps it's now time for me to address the people who enjoy gawdy reality shows like this and advise them on which of the two is worth watching. Help them 'pick their poison', so to speak. On the one hand, you have a bunch of people locked up in a house for a few months. Eventually, someone is going to talk about their sex life or make a few stupid remarks, another person will act like a tool just for the sake of it and before you know it, all hell breaks loose. People seemingly try to out-moron and/or out-skank each other and the critics start wondering how such a show was allowed back on the screens in the first place.

On the other hand, you have a show that will follow a central character and help to promote the area she lives in and show how her peers live. Sounds harmless enough (well, it's supposed to be harmless), but once again it only takes one person's misconduct to throw the show off the rails. Not to sound judgemental and prudish, but seeing as how local bars will be featured and a majority of the cast will be 'young and attractive', you can expect a few drunken hijinks to occur here, as well as people trying desparately hard to become 'celebrities' and resorting to behaving like animals. I can see all the critics venting their spleens already. No wonder many locals declined the chance to appear on this show.

Me personally, I'd say if you're looking for the lesser of two evils, go with The Shire. Big Brother has already proved to be a train wreck and unless they somehow recruit a bunch of contestants who can keep it classy, you're pretty much going to see the same things you did in past seasons. So why not try something new? Yes, I know that there's a chance that this could turn into another Jersey Shore but what if the honchos at Channel 10 stay true to their word and it turns out to be pretty darn good? It's also to remember that these types of shows, for all the controversy they attract, still have their supporters. Whenever Big Brother is brought up it gets nothing but bad press. Also, people can talk all they want about the people on Jersey Shore and other similar shows but at least they aren't vilified as badly as Big Brother contestants and well, let's face it, people are still talking about the likes of Snooki, The Situation and J-Woww. When was the last time you heard someone talking about the last three people to win Big Brother? Heck, who even remembers their names?

Never take a good woman (or man) for granted

I was on Facebook recently and a friend of mine posted on her wall, 'never take a good woman for granted. It'll end up being your biggest regret.'

This one got me thinking, 'why do some guys and girls who have great girlfriends or boyfriends throw all that away just for some cheap thrill?' Call me old-fashioned but that just doesn't make sense to me. You chose that person because you love them, feel comfortable around them and feel that 'they are the one' (though that part doesn't always end up being the case) and most of all, they love you for who you are. So why throw them into the gutter, huh?

A guy who has the perfect girlfriend or wife should consider himself the luckiest guy in the world. Lord knows he'd be the envy of his friends and most other guys in general. It baffles me to no end when some of them (I said 'some of them', not 'all of them') decide to abandon her to chase someone else for a meaningless affair and leave their girl heartbroken and wondering why he chose her in the first place. Is it even a fair trade? Fine, you found someone who you think is much hotter and much more exciting than your girl and you 'live a little' so to speak, but most of the time that other woman won't compare when it comes to providing you with love and emotional support. And there's a chance that she just might be into you because of something you've got rather than who you are as a person. All that 'living dangerously' crap gets old very quickly and once that affair is over (let's face it, they never last most of the time), then what do you have left? Chances are your girl would have moved on to someone who will appreciate her more than you ever did and your friends and family will think that you're an idiot who had it all and gave it all away.

Newsflash boys, some of you may think that the idea of cheating on your missus is cool, but deep down people look at you with pity and/or contempt, rather than admiration. Any girl who has self-respect would certainly think so, and when the time comes that you feel like you want to settle down for real, good luck trying to find someone who will take you!

Which brings us to girls. It makes me laugh whenever I hear girls whining about how there are no more 'decent men' left on this world yet they continue going for 'bad boys'. Well what the hell did you expect, ladies? They don't call them 'bad' boys for nothing! Although some of them can be tamed over time, most of them almost inevitably break your heart and don't often look to settle down.

The sad part is, some of these girls have been approached by, or are in relationships with 'nice guys' but end up rejecting or leaving them because they are deemed 'too boring'. Well that's their decision but girls, would you rather be stuck with a 'boring' guy who treats you well and respects you or would you rather go for that other guy who looks tough and mean but has no qualms about breaking your heart and treating you like trash?

I would've thought that these girls would be happy to be with a guy who loves them, takes care of them and makes them laugh. I mean, I keep hearing girls going on about how as long as he is a good guy and can make her laugh then that's all she needs. Apparently for some they'd rather that he was a complete jerk who takes her for granted just so that they can have something to whine about to their friends. It's sad, really.

Another sad thing is that once these girls realise that they want that decent guy, it's too late. To most guys, they'll be seen as tramps who have no self-respect and wouldn't be worth their time. Sounds harsh, I know, but that's just the way it is.

Well, it's not my place to judge people on their taste in partners, but I'm just telling it like it is, as usual. If you want to be with someone who treats you well, then go for it. If you want to carry on some tryst with someone, meaningless as it is and at the expense of an innocent person's feelings, then that's also your choice. If you want to chase someone who makes you feel bad but makes you feel like you're living, then again, it's your choice. Whatever your choice, it wouldn't be fair to take a good man or woman for granted. If you feel that your current relationship isn't working out well, do the honest, decent thing and tell them that you want to break up. It won't be easy, and it could get messy, but at least you won't look like a jerk and a coward.

Oh Puh-lease!!!!!

As I was reading the paper this morning I ran into one of those advertisements for some 'miracle drug' that promises to get you into the best shape of your life. I normally bypass these ads without giving them a second thought but this particular one got my attention.
Why? Because they fervently preached that their product does work and that working out to lose weight is futile.

I swear, I nearly choked on my own spit reading that gibberish. I know this is going to sound cruel but if you're working out hard and still not getting favourable results, then maybe it's because you're not doing it right (note how I said 'maybe' because I understrand that there are people out there who have deficiencies that may cause them to put on weight easily and, conversely, others who naturally experience difficulty losing weight). Whether it is improper form during training, impatience, lack of ambition or lacking the DISCIPLINE needed to train AND watch what you eat, you can't expect a quick fix when it comes to weight loss. Sure, there are some products and drugs out there that claim to be able to get you there faster, but as far as I'm concerned, nothing beats the old-school method. Besides, who's to say that clever advertising isn't just conning people as they usually do into wasting their hard-earned cash on products that don't even work?

This ad even provided some arguments against diet and exercise from 'professionals'. Apparently, sleep helps you lose weight faster and working out makes you hungry. Well, sleep is an important part of losing weight. It's the process in which your body repairs itself and therefore, it is an important PART of your training. Did these people ever stop to note that your body repairs itself better during sleep when it is strong, fit and healthy? Yeah, bet you guys didn't see that!
As for that other argument, have these people ever heard of the fact that the more you work out the more you're SUPPPOSED to eat? The body would need nutrients to recover from a rigorous session and to maintain a strong metabolism and so you've got to feed it often - hence why serious gym junkies eat four to six small meals a day. A person just needs the self-discipline and will-power to make healthy choices and not splurge so much on junk. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out!
Oh yeah, and you are allowed to splurge once in a while, but only if you keep it at that - just every once in a while. In fact, any nutritionist or trainer will tell you that 'cheat days' are good for your sanity!

Finally, after all these arguments the ad outlines how the product works. I'm not going to go into it, but let's just say that it absorbs fat and cholesterol, it SUPPRESSES your appetite and makes weight-loss so easy that you won't have to change your diet and lifestyle. I'm sorry, but I'm not falling for that tosh. No disrespect, but that to me sounds like encouraging laziness and suppressing your natural appetite? Really!!!??? So this 'miracle' has the power to stunt your body's natural urges??? WOW!!!!! Way to rob people of their natural will-power, guys! I know I'd rather keep things natural, keep my powers of discipline sharp and stand proud and claim that I got myself into shape ON MY OWN rather than become a drug-dependant fool who panics when they don't get their dosage.

But hey, like I said this is just my opinion. To anyone out there who is seriously considering, or currently using this product, well that's your decision and you're entitled to it. But me myself, I'd rather stick to the good, old, tried-and-tested method of eating right and working out. There's no reason for me to mess with a winning formula.