What is Bullying?

Bullying is a widespread and serious problem that can happen anywhere. It is not a phase children have to go through, it is not "just messing around", and it is not something to grow out of. Bullying can cause serious and lasting harm.

Although definitions of bullying vary, most agree that bullying involves:

Imbalance of Power: people who bully use their power to control or harm and the people being bullied may have a hard time defending themselves

Intent to Cause Harm: actions done by accident are not bullying; the person bullying has a goal to cause harm

Repetition: incidents of bullying happen to the same the person over and over by the same person or group.

Types of Bullying

Bullying can take many forms. Examples include:

Verbal: name-calling, teasing
Social: spreading rumors, leaving people out on purpose, breaking up friendships
Physical: hitting, punching, shoving
Cyberbullying: using the Internet, mobile phones or other digital technologies to harm others

An act of bullying may fit into more than one of these groups.

Victims of Bullying:

Jamey Rodemeyer:

Jamey Rodemeyer, a 14 year old boy; committed suicide after being bullied since the beginning of Middle School; He committed suicide on Sept. 18 2011 he was a freshman in High School.

Joe Chearmonte:

Joe Chearmonte committed Suicide after being bullied in High School.

And many more victims. We must stop bullying!

They say, "Sticks and Stones can break my bones, but words will never hurt me." This saying is wrong..... Words can hurt.....

Words Can HURT or Heal. What did your words do today?

Unsettling

Dreams are creepy. Last week, a dream I had brought that home to me again. I’ve been realizing that sleep truly is a time when your mind guddles about in a subconcious that knows a lot more than your conscious mind is aware of.

In my dream, I was talking about one of my favorite Thai dishes, green papaya salad. My former 11th grade teacher, Mrs. Price, was randomly there, and she explained that she had tried that up in L.A., but there they called it "patina."

That dream conversation hadn’t faded when I woke up, and I wondered what "patina" meant. Huh. Wouldn’t it be uncanny if patina meant "a mixture"?

Patina means a sheen or a gloss. It didn’t fit the context of the dream conversation. Yet patina is not a word I say, write, or even think of. What else does my mind know that I don’t know? This is the idea that I find unsettling.

Mrs. Price, did you try green papaya salad--in L.A.? Now that would be creepy.

http://www.myspace.com/msun/blog/369275889

Lies and Deception are the Conditions of Life

As ugly as it may translate in our eyes, this, I find most truth in (ironic huh). Without the ability to mask ourselves, our actions, our thoughts, our images, and our past big and small----we wouldn't be where we are today. To some degree or some form, we have done it repeatedly over and over again, sometimes without thought as if it was some survival instinct. And yet society's barking in our ears,

"You should be HONEST."
"Lies are bad."
"You are a bad individual."

If speaking out of self-inwardness, I would be saying those things too. As a matter of fact, it's killing me out of frustration right now to condemn those who take me for a fool. However I'm sure I've done the same and so forth. What's worse is self-denial, when you're so good at deception that you fool even yourself into belief and lost sight.

But really, to what reliable extent can we differentiate between "real" from "fake"? To label others as superficial or social con artists without making yourself a hypocrite? It is a question of consciousness, intentions, measures, and selfish interpretations.

All I know is that I'm discouraged a great deal. I think to myself, sure there are times for our own sake where we must exhale, inhale, or even hold our breath altogether in spite of our surroundings. But oh people....

What ever happened to the concept of balancing between give and take in a place where you happen to want to share life with someone other than yourself?

http://www.myspace.com/msun/blog/330247822

Late Night Nothing

So it's semi late. I don't feel like sleeping yet. A little tired but I don't want to waste this time to just do whatever the hell I want and not what I have to. I'm not quite content nor am I truly disappointed. I sit here listening to songs I don't relate to, staring out into space and dimensions that don't exist, writing words with no particular direction. I just know I have to do something, express something----even if it's nothing.

If I dig deep enough, I'm sure I can come into focus. But the closer I get to that point, I feel like I'm farther from what I'm looking for. Don't know what it is however it's out there. I can feel it. At the same time, I'm lost.

I'm frustrated and at what? I still have no idea.

In the end, this is just a way to doodle out my stress. I spend my time thinking over things when in the end nothing comes out. It's not that it lacks substance. It's just that I get wrapped up when attempting to reconcile with them, make them clear, obvious, and coherent. It makes sense, but it isn't the answer alone. Sense and logic sometimes tend to ignore the impulse drives of our emotions and desires.

It rationalizes and detaches. It conveys nothingness.

This makes me think, our thoughts are made to flow out like toilet paper. In the heart of self reflection, no one should ever revamp their thoughts for presentation and have it rewind around our psyche, rubbing us from ear to ear, back and forth again of the same filth we try to rid of. Likewise, no one should ever reuse a wad of used toilet paper. It poisons the mind as much as it stinks our hands and senses.

And right now, I am very much disgusted by the smell of my fingers.
Thank you, thank you very much.

http://www.myspace.com/msun/blog/301736582

I Couldn't Come Up With a Clever and Deep Title

I'm not too happy with what's going on with my life lately. I've come to realize that I've been losing a lot of friends. I'm not quite sure if it's because I did something wrong (most likely) or because we just grew apart. What was once a tight and close friendship with countless inside jokes now feels like a casual forced "hello" that you would say to any stranger you see on the street that made eye contact with you.

I've always believed in fighting for friendships that you think count, but ultimately, I guess all relationships have to evolve. People change, priorites change, lifestyles change, new people come into each other's lives. And in the end, it makes it that much difficult to get things back to the way they were. Sadly, there's nothing you can do to try to save that... no matter how hard you try... but that's life.

http://www.myspace.com/msun/blog/285069582

Caring Too Much

I think my biggest problem is that I care too much. I'm always the one putting in all the effort, but the same never comes back to me. It sucks to feel like you're the only one putting in any effort. It's exhausting to get disappointed every time. I should stop beating myself up over it, because it is not my fault. I put in the effort, I showed I care, it's up to them to realize that and appreciate it. Sadly, I won't be holding my breath for that.

I guess it's true what they say, the good guys really do finish last. They are indeed the ones that get recognized last, appreciated when its too late, and hurt the most. I'm getting tired of waking up every morning and hoping that being the good guy will pay off.
And its a wonder why there are so many assholes in the world. Perhaps it's because they are sick and tired of being the ones that always gets let down, so they put up a shield to protect themselves from being too vulnerable.

Maybe I should start being an asshole, even if it is not my nature to be one... it sure is a lot easier to not care about someone. Someone once told me, "I have no one to love and no one loves me. The strange thing is, I'm happy about it. Because when you have no one to love, you can't get hurt." I used to feel bad for that person, but now I'm starting to envy their way of thinking.

http://www.myspace.com/msun/blog/275016972

Relationships

As a guy I have an utter and complete loss of words for how difficult you ladies can be. But on the other hand I am sure you all think that exact same thing. But being a guy I can only give you some bits and pieces of CONSTRUCTIVE criticism.

If you ask a girl on the street what she looks for in a guy she will give you one of these answers, if not all of them: good sense of humor; intelligent; caring; chivalrous; trustworthy and romantic. So riddle me this, why is it you are all out with Captain Hollywood Douche? Some of the smartest, funniest and romantic guys that I know are single and continuously shit on. And I am not talking about myself here, which would be conceited... though I am single. I am talking about great friends of mine who are friggin due for somebody who will love them as much as they love others.

In addition, I have a couple of ideas about the whole of dating. If you go out on a first date and you feel NOTHING, do everyone a favor and tell the other person. Why belabor the break up and pain of dating? It is horrid enough as it is without all the lies. On the other end of the gambit, if someone makes you smile when you are around them; if they give you a charge that you cannot explain in your body...hold on to that. Having a connection or a genuine spark is rare, so don't throw that away. That also means don't stay with a guy who treats you poorly and makes you frown or smile every ONCE in a while.

In short... don't let the jerks and Douchers of the world win...let the little guy who REALLY cares about you and would never, A) hit you or B) cheat on you, get the girl. Otherwise, the terrorists win.

http://www.myspace.com/msun/blog/274444873

Anger Managemet.

This made my day...
When you occasionally have a really bad day, and you just need to take it out on someone, don't take it out on someone you know, take it out on someone you don't know.

I was sitting at my desk when I remembered a phone call I'd forgotten to make. I found the number and dialed it. A man answered, saying "Hello."

I politely said, "This is Molinak. Could I please speak with Robyn Carter?"

Suddenly a manic voice yelled out in my ear "Get the right f-ing number!" and the phone was slammed down on me. I couldn't believe that anyone could be so rude. When I tracked down Robyn's correct number to call her, I found that I had accidentally transposed the last two digits.

After hanging up with her, I decided to call the 'wrong' number again.

When the same guy answered the phone, I yelled "You're an a.sshole!" and hung up. I wrote his number down with the word 'asshole' next to it, and put it in my desk drawer. Every couple of weeks, when I was paying bills or had a really bad day, I'd call him up and yell, "You're an a.sshole!" It always cheered me up.
When Caller ID was introduced, I thought my therapeutic 'a.sshole' calling would have to stop. So, I called his number and said, "Hi, this is John Smith from the telephone company. I'm calling to see if you're familiar with our Caller ID Program?"

He yelled "NO!" and slammed down the phone. I quickly called him back and said, "That's because you're an a.sshole!" and hung up.

One day I was at the store, getting ready to pull into a parking spot. Some guy in a black BMW cut me off and pulled into the spot I had patiently waited for. I hit the horn and yelled that I'd been waiting for that spot, but the idiot ignored me. I noticed a "For Sale " sign in his back window, so I wrote down his number.
A couple of days later, right after calling the first asshole (I had his number on speed dial,) I thought that I'd better call the BMW a.sshole, too.

I said, "Is this the man with the black BMW for sale?"

He said, "Yes, it is." I asked, "Can you tell me where I can see it?" He said, "Yes, I live at 34 Oaktree Blvd, in Fairfax . It's a yellow rambler, and the car's parked right out in front."

I asked, "What's your name?"

He said, "My name is Don Hansen,"

I asked, "When's a good time to catch you, Don?"

He said, "I'm home every evening after five."

I said, "Listen, Don, can I tell you something?"

He said, "Yes?"

I said, "Don, you're an a.sshole!"

Then I hung up, and added his number to my speed dial, too. Now, when I had a problem, I had two a.ssholes to call.

Then I came up with an idea. I called a.sshole #1.

He said, "Hello."

I said, "You're an a.sshole!" (But I didn't hang up.)

He asked, "Are you still there?"

I said, "Yeah,"

He screamed, "Stop calling me,"

I said, "Make me,"

He asked, "Who are you?"

I said, "My name is Don Hansen."

He said, "Yeah? Where do you live?" I said, "A.sshole, I live at 34 Oaktree Blvd , in castle rock , in a yellow rambler mobile home , I have a black Beamer parked in front."

He said, "I'm coming over right now, Don. And you had better start saying your prayers."

I said, "Yeah, like I'm really scared, a.sshole," and hung up.

Then I called A.sshole #2.

He said, "Hello?"

I said, "Hello, a.sshole,"

He yelled, "If I ever find out who you are..."

I said, "You'll what?"

He exclaimed, "I'll kick your a.ss,"

I answered, "Well, a.sshole, here's your chance. I'm coming over right now."

Then I hung up and immediately called the police, saying that I lived at 34 Oaktree Blvd , in castle rock , and that I was on my way over there to kill my gay lover.

Then I called Channel 9 News about the gang war going down in Oaktree Blvd. in castle rock . I quickly got into my car and headed over to Oaktree . I got there just in time to watch two a.ssholes beating the crap out of each other in front of six cop cars, an overhead news helicopter and surrounded by a news crew.

NOW I feel much better.

Anger management really does work.

Edit: Just a story, I didn't do this. =)

http://www.myspace.com/msun/blog/274288773

I think I've figured out my problem...

Perhaps I'm selfless to the point of no return. At least that's what I somewhat realized on my own last night. It hurt too. I actually almost cried myself to sleep. And really, I have no one to blame but myself. People just come to me to hash out problems and that's fine. I don't mind lending an ear, supplying some advice, and or being a shoulder. It's just that when my friends come to confide in me, they expect some sort of reciprocation, and really, who's to blame them? After all these years of pushing them away and handling my problems on my own they must certainly think I've got my shit together, which is not the case.

It's not that I don't have friends I can go to because hell, I get shit for not confiding. It's not that I don't trust them because I do, with my life actually. The problem resides within me and not them. I think the only easy way of explaining this is comparing it to a therapist and patient relationship. It's almost isomorphic. There is no reciprocation going on. It's all one way and it's been that way for as long as I can remember. I'm flattered that people come to me and trust me. But you see, that trust seems to deteriorate when a patient finds out that their therapist needs a therapist of their own. Perhaps I'm afraid of losing that trust, which I shouldn't be because I don't do anything otherwise that would discredit it.

I'm the middleman therapist that's bombarded with other people's problems perhaps to the point that I don't allow myself to have any. That, and I just feel that my problems seem petty compared to others. That I shouldn't be whining and complaining about things because other people have it worse. I know that my friends care for me and would listen to anything I had to say, no matter how small it might be, it's just that I'm having trouble getting past the feeling of me, who's not supposed to complain about things. Which is why I pour everything that I'm feeling into here because it's the only place that I feel like I can call mine, for it's compiled of my thoughts and feelings. None of my friends know that I post here, well most of them don't. I don't want to share my thoughts and feelings because I would feel that they wouldn't be mine anymore and at this point it's all that I feel that I have. Now how messed up is that?

Fuck, I've got issues. It was never about me but maybe it should be from now on...

http://www.myspace.com/msun/blog/218364519

Philosophical Thoughts...

"Desires are the cause of our miseries. Eliminate desires and you will eliminate misery..." --- Buddhist Philosophy

I think this is plausible on several levels. Most of the cases that I have thought about seems to be able to fit with this explanation. But something seems strange about eliminating a desire for knowledge. I know one can be in misery if they desire knowledge, for knowledge is something that is infinite and thus not attainable, and so we are left in a state of misery for we can never be able to grasp it. Perhaps these "desires" pertain to sensations rather than that of the mind. Perhaps, I'm not making sense here because it's hot....

With that said, I'm going to go drink my iced bottle water...

http://www.myspace.com/msun/blog/214867507

Thoughts on Relationships (Time and Distance)...

I know there are serveral ways of slicing and dicing up this topic, but I'm going to separate it into two meditations: gaps and nongaps (based on my own experiences).

The Gap

And no, I'm not talking about the clothing store.

I've surely have felt it among my friends, no matter how close I consider them to be. The time interval might be just for a week or even ten years or more. Nevertheless, there is that undescribable feeling that surges through your whole self as you see this person for the first time, in, whether it be a week or a decade. If you are like me, this feeling is rather uncomfortable. It's almost awkward to even be seeing each other again.

I always complain to a number of my friends, that I don't want to go this place or that place, because I'm bound to run into some annoying individual from the past. While I might have been able to tolerate them in my youthful days, it isn't so much the case now. There is that common courtesy of saying "Hi, how are you doing?" that is so masked by fakeness, when I do run into people. I always would think deep down to myself, "If I wanted you to know, wouldn't I have called you?... or vice versa..." Sure, they could have been busy because life moves at such a breakneck pace these days, but that's just me, a skeptic and cynic at heart, well, most of the times. And as I part ways by a hug or a handshake, out of formality, I am left wondering, "Well, that was pointless... chances are, I'm not going to see this person again nor is he/she going to call..." Sure, there's that curiousity factor. When one of my friends tells me that they saw so and so, I am bound to ask how they are doing, but it's only human to be curious.

Then there are those individuals that you wouldn't mind running into, as you wonder how they are; a former good friend, an old crush, or that special someone that made you laugh when you were down. For whatever reason (time, school, work), you aren't able to keep in contact and that relationship dissipates. But deep down in retrospect, you know that that relationship had that zest that made it standout among other relationships, maybe even to this day. It makes me wonder, what went wrong? Oh well...

Gaps can be good, especially when you want to get away from certain individual(s). Conversely, it can be kryptonite for those special relationships that you once had.

The Nongap

I'm lucky to have those few individuals in my life where this is evident, no matter what the circumstances may be, well so far that is. It just seems like whatever that may come between us, whether it be school, significant others, family, etc., a surprise visit or phone call seems to immediately gap that temporary distance. I have been thinking for longest on what it is about these relationships, where time and distance is not an issue, and well, all I have come up with is: chemistry

There are just some people you get along with. There is that mutual understanding, respect, and concern for one another, which I think, flourishes under chemistry. That's not to say that you only need chemistry, there are of course, other factors that I can't quite put my finger on. Although, in reflection, of all my current relationships, those that have sustained all have that chemistry factor in common.

Nongaps are great. I'm lucky to have a couple people in my life, where I feel no distance can be added, at least as corny as it sounds, spiritually. You know, when you can crack a lame joke and not feel stupid, yet that person will laugh at your stupidity, and you don't really care. So...

What do you call a cow with no legs?...


Ground beef!

Ha!... now that's what I'm talking about. Oh, come on, that was pretty funny. I know I know, I should stay in school. Oh well, just a thought...


http://www.myspace.com/msun/blog/213679260

Unique

http://www.myspace.com/msun/blog/206335581Unique
I have been called unique many times. I don't try to be. I'm beginning to think that it's really just a nicer way of saying that I'm weird. At least it sounds nicer. Anyhow, it's nice to be known as unique. I like the idea of being distinct from the crowd rather than being some carbon copy or sheep if you will.

But at the same time, being unique sets you apart from the crowd, literally, and it's a lonely place to be. There's no one that will quite be able to fully understand you, and by extension, there will be no one that will quite be able to fully be there for you. To share your thoughts and feelings among others would subject yourself to conceptualizing your thoughts and feelings onto a common wavelength for others to understand. I know this sounds arrogant and it probably is, but it's true. Somewhere in the conceptualizing process, the distinct features of your thoughts and feelings get lost because there just isn't words that can capture them and you are left feeling alone, at least I do.

A wise (now old) man once told me that the only person in this world that you should ever depend on is yourself. I know this. What this is all about is maybe I'm just tired of that, tired of being the only one there for me. I am really appreciative of the few that try and continue to try, I really am, and without them I would probably be worse off.

This is all spawning from my friend calling to my attention the reason why I may not be sleeping well. I told her I haven't been sleeping well for the last month or so. She loves her sleep and believes that there's nothing in this world that one should lose sleep over. She's tried to pry her way (which I'm thankful for) into why I haven't been sleeping well and the only reply I could give her is that there are a lot of things on my mind as of late. She's even tried alcohol to see if I would open up and tell her the real reasons. It's true though, there are so many things running in my mind right now, which makes it hard at the end of the day, to clear my head and lay down and have a good night's sleep.


On another note, Tapioca Express makes hella good ass Jasmine Teas with Pearls aka Bobas.

Fortune

I am whole, myself - but also one cell of the greater human entity. Each to a purpose, in pain, joy and hardship, indulgences, extreme reactionary swings - even in seeming chaos we grow.

I strive to guide myself - Discipline brings focus. Focus brings clarity. Clarity brings peace. Peace frees a human intelligence to surpass human instinct. Creativity is then released, bringing humanity to the next level of its adolescence. Yes- a pimply faced, squeaky voiced human potential, a small step towards universal human actualization.

Life force blesses the thinker, who explores existence in continually evolving conception. It embraces the artist, who shows us our foibles as well as our potential. It facilitates the humanitarians who illuminate one life at a time, more brightly than it otherwise might be. They are unlocking the future of humans everywhere.

My fortune lies in the soul of a child a thousand years from now. The creations I leave — or the ripple of a behavior, perhaps a single kindness - just one, just the right one, will be enough.

http://www.myspace.com/msun/blog/205352929

Getting Naked

Being naked with someone is not an easy thing to do because they get to see you.

All of you.

Beyond the pretty face, they get to the bumps, bruises and scars. For every perfection, there is another imperfection to match it. And because of this, sometimes a person can be afraid to get naked in front of someone else...because there are too many glaring imperfections.

A couple of weeks back, I had the chance to hear someone talk about how in a way, when you open yourself up to someone, it's like you're being naked with them because then they get to see your hopes, dreams, fears, insecurities. And that can be just as difficult to show someone, just as a naked body would be.

As for me, I haven't done much of either. Being a (relative) virgin by choice, by religion, and through insanity, I've survived this far without sexual relations in spite of comments from my peers that I should be done with it already. The thing is though, despite my hormones raging against me and temptations all around, I would like to lose my virginity on my terms, and no one else's, which means that I'd like my first experience to be with someone whom I love and trust, and hopefully the feeling would be mutual between us.

Something that's been harder for me to do than to lose my virginity, is to be really comfortable and open up to someone. To tell someone about my feelings, good or bad, about my hopes of becoming a photographer or teacher and yet let them know about my doubts and fears about my abilities to do well in those careers. It's hard for me to tell someone about how I worry about my others and how my inability to support them now gnaws at me constantly, and yet I want to be able to tell someone that. I want to confess to someone that I really don't know what love is but I'd want to know, and that at the same time I'm weary and intrigued at the possibility of getting into a relationship with someone, anyone. Not for experience, but because I like that person and could see myself with that person for a long time.

I want to say this and a lot more, and it feels like I'm bursting at my seams to not just talk to someone, to be naked with someone, someone I trust and love.

That's all anyone needs really, whether they're exposing their body or their soul. We all need someone by our side that we know we can love and trust to help us every step of the way.

http://www.myspace.com/msun/blog/203541459

Eating Disorder!

I saw this on Oprah and I couldnt stand it; the 5'6, 80 pound woman caught my attention today. Nothing was mentioned about her weight or her problem when I flipped on the channel. Her thin face, and stick legs are what caught my attention.



When The Oprah Winfrey Show asked women what is missing in their lives, the number one answer was "love for myself." According to Dr. Robin Smith, there are many signs that you may be suffering from a lack of love for yourself. Eating or drinking too much, abusing drugs, overspending, working too hard or even gossiping could all be signs of a lack of self-love.

This self-hatred can even be deadly. Leigh has been married for 12 years, has two children, and is dangerously anorexic. She is 5-foot-6 and weighs 82 poundsless than an average 10-year-old girl.

Leigh says she used to work out two hours a day, but now after 20 minutes her weak body can't take any more exertion. Leigh says she's disappeared both physically and emotionally. "I used to be the life of the party," she says. "Nobody really wants to be around me anymore."

Leigh has begun worrying how her disease is affecting her 8-year-old son, Benton, who weighs nearly as much as his mom. "My children eat, but they see how I eat and [in turn] don't eat snacks," Leigh says. "It's not that I try to keep it from them, but I worry about my oldest and I worry about what he's going to eat."



In what Oprah calls "one of the saddest things" she's ever heard, Leigh's son, Benton, shares his feelings on his mom's health.

"I wish my mom could play longer with me. Because of her energy loss, she sometimes just doesn't feel like doing anything. I feel kind of sad because my dad usually gets onto her because she doesn't eat enough. And he always says, 'If you put on about 30 more pounds, I'll be happy.' I feel a little sad for her because I know she can't put on 30 more pounds because she doesn't eat enough.

"At supper, she usually eats way before us. Sometimes I would like to prepare supper for her so that she can eat a little more.

"When my mom and dad are in the arguments and I'm still awake, I get pretty scared when my dad yells. And my mom usually just says, 'This is the way I want it.' She asks me sometimes if she needs to gain a little more weight, so she knows that I'm thinking about it. Usually I don't ask her because I don't know if it will hurt her feelings or not. Telling her that she needs to gain a little more weight, that she needs to play with us more. If I asked her that, well, she'll probably say, 'I'm doing the best I can.'"



After hearing Benton say how sad he is about her eating disorder, Leigh tearfully says, "I guess they understand more than you think, don't they?"

Dr. Robin urges Leigh to understand the impact her anorexia has on Benton. "When you have children, we give up our right to self-destruct because there are people depending on you," she says.



Leigh's husband, Brian, also has been struggling with his wife's anorexia. He says that in the past he has begged her to eat. Dr. Robin is distressed by his attitude. "If the ship is going down," she asks, "do you plan on it going down with you and your sons in it?"

"Yes, we'll be there," Brian says.

"That's a problem," Dr. Robin explains. "We think love means, 'I'll go down with the ship.' If we have kids, some parent must say, 'If this ship is sinking, it will not take my children down with it.'"



Dr. Robin says that the origins of Leigh's anorexia can be found well before the date she actually stopped eating regularly. Leigh says that though she was adopted, she had a "wonderful childhood." Dr. Robin asks her to more deeply analyze her feelings about being adopted.

"Now I'm more okay with it," Leigh says. "But as a child you wonder, 'Why didn't someone love me?'"

"In many ways, you are still a child who is still asking, 'Why am I unimportant?' And how do I know that? You're evaporating, you are becoming invisible," Dr. Robin says. "You are willing to die and leave your children and your husband alone to prove the fact that she wasn't worthy to be kept."

Dr. Robin says that anorexics like Leigh, and people who otherwise abuse themselves, are refusing to feed themselves physically, emotionally or spiritually. "You are redoing that pain and showing yourself that you deserve to be rejected," she says.

http://www.myspace.com/msun/blog/158044645

Listen for the silence

Amid all the noise and chaos in the world, I stopped to listen for the silence...

It's harder than it should be, but something's always making noise in my head. It definitely wouldn't hurt to put everything out of my mind for a little while.

I'm trying to get back to being healthy again. That means nutrition and exercise and all that. I've been getting really lazy lately, so it'll be a challenge. Even despite my relaxed work schedule, I still can't get myself to make time for some things. Not yet at least.

Which reminds me... I need a priority check.

http://www.myspace.com/msun/blog/81681451

Theory

Einstein once asked the question: "How much choice did God have in constructing the universe?"

Even if there is only one possible unified theory, it is just a set of rules and equations. What is it that breathes fire into the equations and makes a universe for them to describe?... Why does the universe go to all the bother of existing? Is the unified theory so compelling that it brings about its own existence? Or does it need a creator, and, if so, does he have any other effect on the universe? And who created him?

... if we do discover a complete theory, it should in time be understandable in broad principle by everyone, not just a few scientists. Then we shall all, philosophers, scientists, and just ordinary people, be able to take part in the discussion of the question of why it is that we and the universe exist. If we find the answer to that, it would be the ultimate triumph of human reason - for then we would know the mind of God.

http://www.myspace.com/msun/blog/71714396

I'm apprehensive.

It's strange when you wait anxiously for something to end, and when it does. It's scares you. Everyone goes through school wishing it were over, feeling like the end will never come. Some people figure it out- their high aspirations of things they wish to acheive, the steps they'll take to get there. Plans of how their lives will change for the better- an excitement, a sense of readiness and direction. Some don't know, and for some thats alright. I'm not so sure. It's not alright for me. I want to see how it will all unfold. Sometimes I wish that just for a moment, I could see into God's plans- How this sense of confusion and loss fits in. The whole thing honestly leaves me scared and almost insurpassably insecure. Maybe I have yet to figure out exactly who I am, and who I want to be. Maybe it's a fear of rejection and inadequacy. I would like to think everyone feels this way, but I guess I'm not the only one.

http://www.myspace.com/msun/blog/70465922

What I found when I checked out ViralURL...

So you have finally stepped into the world of making money online. You too, like the others, have decided to start with the affiliate programs. Also, you must have heard that it's not a big deal to make good money with affiliate marketing, provided you choose the right programs and do some strategic planning while promoting your affiliate products. So far so good.

Whether you are promoting other people's products or promoting your own products - that doesn't matter because after all it is nothing but your own business and your means to earn good money. So whichever be your case, I am sure you would not want to leave money on the table and invite others to steal your share of profit.

Even though the industry of affiliate marketing is pretty competitive but if you are cautious and are strategic in your marketing techniques then, it could be very profitable for you.

Take a close look at the industry, you will see that not every one who gets into affiliate marketing is successful. People who are doing well leave no room for failure and take all security measures and understand its importance.

Yes! Security is one of the key factors in affiliate marketing. If you do not adopt proper security measures, then your business will be at high risk. One of the most important way to restore security is to protect your affiliate links. Do not take them for granted. A bit of carelessness on your part in regards to affiliate links may cost you a lot of dollars.

Do you know the long complicated links that you send to your prospective customers not only look convoluted but they can create a lot of problems too! If you send such an affiliate link to your customers, then the smart ones will definitely figure out that you are promoting someone else's product and they would rather visit the parent company. Also, if your link does not function then your customers have to type a really long URL into the browser, which will definitely put him or her off.

You could be a victim of even a worse situation. What if some devious Internet pirates steal your affiliate links and replace them with theirs. If they do that, then you get no commission at all.

Did I scare you off with all of the above possibilities? Well, that certainly wasn't my intention. I just wanted to open your eyes and state facts that actually happen in the world of Internet. It happened with me until I came across ViralURL , that brought a revolution to my online ventures.

So, if you are not getting the desired results out of your affiliate marketing, don't lose hope. There's definitely a remedy to this problem and that is ViralURL

Do I hear you asking, what is it and how can it help in averting any adverse situation for an affiliate marketer like me?
Be patient and read on, if you love your business.

ViralURL is a link shortener & cloaker that protects you in the truest sense. There may be many unethical people lurking around, who might play with your affiliate links by cutting them off or replacing them with their own etc. How much effort you put in towards building your business and advertising your business, if your links are tampered with, then all your hard work will be rendered useless.

In order to avoid such a rip off, ViralURL gives you full protection and sees to it that your affiliate links never get exposed to others.

So save yourself from getting ripped. Get all the commissions to your account that you rightfully deserve. All this is made possible by ViralURL

It is a blessing for every affiliate marketer like you and me, who wants to achieve success in their endeavor.

Is ViralURL limited to only link protection?

NO!

It does much much more than that. Let's see what ViralURL can do for us:

*ViralURL helps us in protecting commission.
*ViralURL helps in building mailing lists.
*ViralURL helps in tracking statistics.
*ViralURL helps in earning extra ad credits.

In short, ViralURL allows us to create massive business leverage.
I don't see any negative aspect associated with ViralURL. All you have to do is join it for free, then cloak your links, promote them and see your business soaring higher and higher.

You can get all detailed information about the program from the ViralURL site at http://vur.me/hypervrlhtm. There, you can find several unsolicited testimonials from various users of ViralURL. So if you want to protect your business and see your earnings grow, try ViralURL. You have nothing to lose with it.

Simple tricks to increase Adsense CPC/CPM/earnings/revenue 100

If you are a HubPages user, chances are you're using Google Adsense? Why? Cuz Adsense is the biggest, highest-CPC program out there today.

What does CPC mean? Cost per click. CPM? Cost per 1000 hits (whatever the M means, I have no clue, but that's what it is.)

Anyways, I have a few small strategies to increase your Adsense CPC, thus allowing you to make much more money than you already were without doing much different than you are doing now.

1: KEYWORDS. Figure out which keywords have the highest CPC and search traffic, using the Adwords tool. Search, search and search more, and find keywords that have high CPC. Then, center your pages or HubPages articles around such keywords. Don't bother with keywords that pay 1 cent, 30 cents, etc per click/CPM. Go for, ideally, the $2.50+ keywords - and ESPECIALLY go after the over $10.00 keywords.

This is THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT part of your mission. You don't want a page that makes 1 dollar out of 6 ad unit clicks - you want a page that pulls 6 dollars out of 2 ad-unit clicks, or 60 dollars out of 8 clicks, or even better. Even if you already have a lot of traffic, you WILL NOT make a nice amount of change unless you are smart with your keywords. Even if you are not an internet marketer, you should still use this.

2: LIMIT THE AD UNITS. If you can help it, don't go having 12-15 different ad units on your page. Why? Cuz there is less competition for advertisers to get ads onto your page. That means advertisers can pay less, meaning Google pays you less. If you have, say, 6 ads on your page, you knock off the 6 lowest paying ads, because advertisers are fighting for just 6 spaces instead of 12 spaces. (This mostly applies on your own sites, not on HubPages)

And if you are one of those tinker-happy jackasses, like me, quit tinkering, set your page to a certain ad-unit setup, and leave it. I've noticed my clicks AND my cpc go down if I'm always tinkering with the type and positioning of the ad units.

That said, if your keywords check out with the adwords tool as being both high-CPC and high-traffic, and high-advertiser-competition, you can probably get away with more ad units

3: MAKE YOUR HIGHEST-CTR UNIT YOUR HIGHEST CPC UNIT. You can't do this for HubPages, but you can do this for your own websites. Use your channel tracker to figure out WHAT your ad unit is that has the highest CTR (click through ratio). That means what are most of your viewers clicking on? Then, make sure that that particular ad unit comes FIRST in the HTML. Whether or not it's at the top of the page is irrelevant - MAKE SURE it comes first in the code. Change your lower-CTR units into link units or move them, or delete them.

I don't make any riches off of Adsense, but just doing half of this so far has more than tripled my income (from about 13 dollars a month to over 40 a month). Hey, at least I'm honest, not lying to try to get you to believe that I make 1000 a month off of this garbage without putting in a HUGE amount of work. For me, Adsense is good beer and gym-membership money. My goal is to make it car-payment money. Will it?

• Free Adsense Guide - Guide to increasing your revenue, CTR, CPM, CPC and income
• Some tips to increase Adsense CTR (click through ratio)  Well, I already posted a tip on how to increase your CPC on Adsense (cost per click), but CPC doesn't help worth a crap if you have no clicks or are getting a 0.5 percent CTR. Who cares if you make 1.50 a...