My good friend Jenna's Diary...

who's driving this life? who's driving this life? who's driving this life? it's not me. it's not me. it's not me. it is you! "HELEN GiLL VALd.Ez"

it aint over .. til we say its over! and it looking like Interpersonal Communication could be a Career?

Seriously, I will remember Gabys game, Jazmyns angry txting, Jordon always showing up 10 minutes late, Madisons zany creativeness, Oh and always beung weirded out by the other R Tovar and thinking he was a fed? Bryanas smile and wondering if Joel evr talks to the Tower at the airport,cuz i always hated to talk to those guys when i was assigned at the airport in Laredo. The always sensible class of Ms Aleman.....always being reluctant to say hello, or how was ur day going to Chimka cuz I couldnt say ur name rite if u told me a thousand times. Dr Wilkings ability to take the tart out of the Interpersonal Communication course. let me think... Oh and I think i kept calling Isaac the cake boss all semester and I am sorry. i wanna be a cake boss too? Ms Mendiolas sensible advise she once gave me and the rest i havent mentioned cuz my time is almost up, but I hope to see you all in my next lifetime where i hope to come back as a Woolie Mammoth. oh and I cant forget Amanda or Whitney.. have fun during yalls break and i hope i get these 25 points or i am doomed!?

Party monday or wednesday

so when is the party going down? cause i dont remember what day it  was. Please let me know!!

Final BLOG!!! Due Monday, Dec 10th

So this is it!  The last blog......:(  Y'all have been a WONDERFUL class!  So much fun in such a small amount of time.  You guys are awesome!!!!  So for our last blog, I thought it would be fitting for everyone to share with each other your favorite memory (assignment, activity, person(s), lecture, etc) of this class.  Whether it was a topic that hit home, or a concept/theory that you related to, an activity that resonates in your mind, or something someone said or did in class, let us know and WHY!  Reflection is an important part of learning.

See everyone Monday for the last few movie analysis presentations and extra credit final!

My kid has even seen that show DEXTER, WoW!!!!

complete abuzz over those clips I saw in class yesterday.... still gotta figure out how to hyperlink..coool name , but I havent figured out how to do that...my computer class only took me as far as doing tha powerpoint, not emailing it to myself//

Done, I think?

2 research papers down... 1 to go..... I dont get all tha hub-bub about not using wikipedia? It beats bs'ing throughout your entire paper... don't U think? C'mon... who hasn't done that at least once in their life? I swear,.... sometimes I wonder? you guys are a tuff crowd! No sleep in 44 hours.. and the coffee is goin down like motor oil. Tomorrow, its goin to be expressos all day!!!

hopin I aint the only one pulling all nighters to get the end of semester stuff done?

Dang nabbit!!!! I stayed up the whole night researching an extra credit assignment on the Medici Family of Florence, Italy and my brain is like mush.. Today I have to pull a Neo trick outta my butt and first figure out how to do a powerpoint presentation then prep it for tomorrow,AAAaaaaaaauuuuuggggghhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh what the heck, I am sure mine won't go down in the history of NWV as being the worst presentation ever done. lets hope, if not I am going to have to fake it. Gotta go! Looking forward to seeing everybody tomorrow especially my favorite Instuctor in the WHOLE WIDE WORLD. What can i say folks; I am desperate.

Interpersonal Communication?

Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls... I can honestly say that I still don't have the foggiest idea what it all means. If I were to ask someone in class; Hey you.. what color was your turd ? Cuz I know you just came from the bathroom. Thats sounds like a pretty personal question. I could go a step further and say its even an intra-personal question cuz I am asking what was actually inside the person just moments ago. no? I encourage all of you to laugh at yourselves the way I do at myself. I am always giggling and never too serious, because I guess I have been shot at in war, I have been run over by an 18 wheeler, patted on the back by Zetas while they kicked my buddies Butt, I dash into burning buildings for a living...I am lucky to be alive, and so should all of you.Treat every day as a gift from God and if I never see a one of you again, I wanna wish U all a Happy Holla Day this Season. I just had to say that before the World ended, cuz you never know?

who doesnt relate to getting pulled over by Johnny Law?

I have done everything throughout my driving experience to aid and assist drivers that I have seen pulled over and in distress, but that never gets noted when a cop pulls one over and tha law decides that you are the one that is getting a ticket or is going down because you dont have the interpersonal skills to get out of this one. Dont get me wrong, I have gotten outta of about two hundred tickets, but this one cop had it in for me. I declare from this day forward, I am not giving it a second thought for assisting a single person in a jam. Period!

If I could fake it anymore than I already am,I would be on a moviescreen

Sorry guys and gals for tha layoff from tha blog but alas, Duty calls... OMG, who the heck isn't out there faking it to some extent? Do tall girls really expect no one to notice that they are wearing flats to a gala with the 5 ft 2 in date? The guys have to admit that they gotta mention that they are either headed to go work out or they just left working out,but then on the other end of the spectrum there are those guys who will state that they are on their way to do some computer programming on the other end of campus. I love the whole aspect of people watching and watching them fake it. It makes me better at it as well. Have I ever walked into a fire and thought that I wasn't a little bit more cautious after seeing a fellow firefighter forget his earcovers on his helmet and watching his ear catch fire during a flashpoint in a fire excercise. All the guys at his station now call him coffee cup handle in Spainish. When am I faking it the most; easy! October! That is typically Fire Prevention Month for the Nation and The Local fire Stations go around to the the elementary schools to show the Kids the Fire Truck and The Fire Prevention guys/gals show the kids how to Stop,Drop, and Roll and so forth but always the Highlight and Finally of the show is when Sparky comes out from the Fire Truck and waves to all the little kids; and unfortunate for me, I have been delegated to being Sparky at my Station because the other Firefighter got too big for the outfit. I am always told that Sparky never talks from the Fire Prevention crew,but its hard to be quiet when the kids are trying to pull Sparkys head off or kick him where it counts, I have even been punched down there. They always try to pull off Sparkys long gloves with paws at the end which I am supposed to wave to wave goodbye to all the nice children; which really they arent, but ey! We all gotta fake it!!! Even if it hurts.

Glory never dies

After watching this video and trying it, I honestly noticed no out come. But I believe that is because I am already a very confident person, I lead all most every thing I'm in volved in and I also act so understanding body language is very important to me.
I also am a Red Cross first responder, so when it comes to dealing with high level stress, I have already taken many classes on how to stay focused and on the ball in very stressful, life and death situations. So all of that ties in over a time.
I think her imformation is very helpful for those who lack self confidence, but for those who already have it, it's merely a good reminder of how to stay on top of the world.

Can You Fake It 'Til You Make It?- Blog 11 Due Nov 26th

Good communication is the foundation of successful relationships, both personal and professional. But we communicate with much more than words. Most of the messages we send other people are nonverbal. Nonverbal communication includes our facial expressions, gestures, eye contact, posture, and tone of voice. The ability to understand and use nonverbal communication, or body language, is a powerful tool that can help you connect with others, express what you really mean, navigate challenging situations, and build better relationships. Research has shown that we can actually change our brains by our nonverbals.

Watch the Following TED Video on the Power of Nonverbals

 

Nonverbal Podcast by Amy Cuddy

 

This weekend, purposely change your nonverbals for 2 minutes (positively or negatively) as demonstrated in the above video and blog about the results.

im a bad bad putty cat.....Apparently?

After taking the quiz, I scored a 5. I didnt think it was that bad until the quiz informed me that I show signs of being abusive. I never have struck a woman in anger but I do acknowledge that I at times can be dismissive of my girlfriends opinions and absolutely scare every single person that gets in a car with me. After that question, I have to say that it was a loaded question; some people genuinely are bad drivers, and I admit that I am one of them. I must admit proudly though that I am not one of those guys that looks into a womans phone or into their computer to get dirt on them or to just be nosey. I do believe that you are more respected when the other person comes clean about anything they are involved in. As to why violence is up in dating relationships is beyond me? I would like to think that it isnt but according to the statistics; Apparently, it is up. I think if more people took time to set aside time for their significant other then alot of problems would resolve themselves. I see alot of violence in my job and from what I see, over half is alcohol related. I know that I need to be a better listener...

The tempo we live in

I think the rise of the violence in young adults is due to the tempo of our generation. We are in an insanely fast past moving world, and she just keeps spinning faster. With technology and the access to information it will drive any normal person crazy. So those who are boarder-line crazy as it is, are likely to go over board, because they will feel pressured and out of control. That is my belief.

Even 50 years ago, even though that was during the Vietnam war, people didn't have the same access to the rest of the world we have now. news could come with in 24 hours over the radio, images and footage would take up to a few days. As now we saw the impact of Sandy with in seconds of her hitting land. We saw Japan, the revolution in Libya and we even hear about who is hooking up with who, the neighbor shot in cold blood down the street. Our minds were not designed to take all of this information in at once with out feeling emotion and being over whiled. After a while people start to shut off there humanity and emotion towards all of the news.

Also with the new medias we as the children of this generations, have been raised with bloody video games, TV and movie dramas. We have seen footage of car rec's and other traumatic events. Since most of us have been introduced to these things from a young age, we have numbed out and quickly accepted violence as part of our culture.

Think back to when y'all were about 13-16 years old. What was a big event that had currently happened? Something that still makes you feel a strong emotion? Reason why I pick that age, is because that is the huge turning point from child to adolescents and between those ages, that's when you start to realize how big the world really is, but you still have the heart of a child and you think you can typically fix and concur the world. at that age.  For me It was Hurricane Katrina, I thought I could make a difference, I tried to make a fundraiser and all of that jazz... to young to realize I wasn't much help, but old enough to see this was a disaster.

So I think all is due to the speed of our world and understanding of every thing. We have all been forced to grow up faster than generations before us. We have been told by our parents to never walk alone down a street, because there are always bad guys, And I think that's where some people go wrong, they become afraid of  not being the ones with power, the ones in control, the ones who have made a name from them selves. So I believe many teens choice the path of violence because it makes them in charge, and its easier than making a name for your self though failures and successes, it is also quicker.

For relationships, Its seen on the internet, news and even in life, It has become so easy for abuse to brake out, no one even bats an eye until it gets bad. So it has also become an easy way to not lose some one, but also not work on your own problems. Since no one questions, it has just been blown out of proportion. There are so many things in our fast world, not many people have taken the time to focus on these problems when there is much bigger issues to battle with. 

Maybe It's Me? Blog # 10 Due Mon 11/19

  Love is Not Abuse, a program of our founding sponsor Liz Claiborne, has revealed the findings of their recent study of dating abuse among college students. The results? Dating violence and abuse among college students is more prevalent on college campuses than previously believed.

According to the findings, a significant number of college women are victims of dating violence.

• 43% of dating college women report experiencing abusive dating behaviors including physical, sexual, tech, verbal or controlling abuse.
• Nearly 1 in 3 (29%) college women say they have been in an abusive dating relationship.
• More than half (57%) of college students who report experiencing dating violence said it occurred in college.

Young adult dating violence is a big problem, affecting youth in every community across the nation.

• Nearly 1.5 million high school students nationwide experience physical abuse from a dating partner in a single year.
• One in three adolescents in the U.S. is a victim of physical, sexual, emotional or verbal abuse from a dating partner, a figure that far exceeds rates of other types of youth violence.
• One quarter of high school girls have been victims of physical or sexual abuse.
• Girls and young women between the ages of 16 and 24 experience the highest rate of intimate partner violence -- almost triple the national average.
• Violent behavior typically begins between the ages of 12 and 18
• Violent relationships in adolescence can have serious ramifications by putting the victims at higher risk for substance abuse, eating disorders, risky sexual behavior and further domestic violence.
• Half of youth who have been victims of both dating violence and rape, attempt suicide compared to 12.5% of non-abused girls and 5.4% of non-abused boys. 

While many of the controlling behaviors overlap between high school and college students, other behaviors are specific to college students. For example, 11% of respondents were prevented from going to study groups, 8% were told whether to live on or off campus and 7% were told exactly which classes to take.

While many of us know that abuse is wrong, how many of us may be doing it and not even realizing that our actions are borderline abusive?  Take the "Am I a good partner?" quiz and find out if maybe you're the problem in your relationships.  The quiz is from the Loveisrespect.org website that also has a lot of great information on how to tell is a relationship is abusive or healthy, and resources on improving your communication.

Am I a good partner? Quiz

Blog why you think dating violence among young adults is on the rise.  

Love the language of the heart

This test seemed very strait forward, I could pick out mine before I took the test. I am quality time and physical touch. Which I guess kinda fits with all of the other stuff I fall into now. Like Eros/agape and explore and all of that jazz.
I wonder how much these languages change over the years, do certain ones disapere or do they change in the person over time?

What's Your Language? Blog 9 Due 11/12

With more than 30 years of experience as a marriage counselor, Dr. Gary Chapman's 5 Love Languages has helped couples at every stage of marriage and at pivotal points in their relationships.  After many years of counseling, Dr. Chapman noticed a pattern: everyone he had ever counseled had a “love language,” a primary way of expressing and interpreting love. He also discovered that, for whatever reason, people are usually drawn to those who speak a different love language than their own.  Of the countless ways we can show love to one another, five key categories, or five love languages, proved to be universal and comprehensive—everyone has a love language, and we all identify primarily with one of the five love languages: Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Receiving Gifts, Acts of Service, and Physical Touch.

Since The 5 Love Languages^® debuted in 1992, over seven million copies have been sold, making The 5 Love Languages^® a perennial New York Times bestseller.
1) Find out what Love Language you speak at : Love Language Test
2) Blog about what Love Language you speak and share with us an example of either how you showed someone you loved them using your "Love Language" or how you knew that someone cared about you by what they said or did through their "Love Language".

 

RE: Cheater, Cheater, Hobbit Queefer

This is a late response to the previous blog. I didn't have work yesterday and After class I did nothing but waste my life on Facebook and watch Lord of the Rings. So yeah. My bad. I take full responsibility for not blogging yesterday/last night.

ANYWAYYYYYYYYYYYYYY..

The reason for cheating depends on the person. If they're notorious for being a complete bitch, then chances are they didn't cheat because of their attractiveness or sexual desire. They did so to boost their own ego or try to stir up drama cuz the relationship's too boring without conflict. But for most everyone else, Sexual desire is probably the biggest. Sense of entitlement could come into play too. As my drummer pointed out to me, girls don't have penises. And everyone should have one. So as a male human being, it's only common courtesy to share our penises with those who have an emptiness in its place.

As with pretty much everything else, our decisions are more often than not mentally and chemically engraved in us.

cheating; whats the difference with networking?

All thing being equal, I have had many many animated conversations with either my spouse at the time or a girlfriend or my wife to be.. People wanna define everything in our World. Seriously, I have seen woman called Hoes for being bubbly and outgoing, and I have heard men called scoundrels for asking a waitress what she recommended on the menu in a brief moment of down to earth reality... However, just as the saying in the housing market: Location,Location,Location.. I to feel its about Opportunity,Opportunity,Opportunity....just as chemistry happens like lightening in a bottle at times, so to can someone click with us on a personal level even if its for a brief moment in passing. It typically wouldnt mean diddley to a man or woman if their significant other was present,but you take that same individual and place stressors on them like those on the reality show, TEMPTATION ISLAND, and half my classmates or more would be coming back to the mainland either single or with someone different all together. Peoples experiences in their life gives them a full cup of reality and todays generational twenty year olds are far more knowledgeable than I weas at their age. I commend them all and hope only with experience and a sense of moral empathy they can realize that relationships are built, they dont start as lasting as we see in Sundays Newspaper Announcements of fifty and more years being married without someone saying "Sorry" first.

it should be put under a big bomb and blown up forever.

Cheating is the saddest thing ever... I can't even watch it in movies with out getting up set, so this is a hard question for me to ponder. Not because I'm worried of it happening to me, but because I don't even know why anyone would even consider cheating, its so sad and devastating.
I guess out of the choices given I would have to go with the Risk taking over the rest, that's the only one that would make any since, Because the rest of the choices you would thing that if some one was attracted to some one else, they would call off the relationship and be honest before stabbing in the back.  and Opportunity seems like if you were having other feelings, you would either try harder to pull your loved one into your life or call it off cleanly and start anew. Then with sexual desire, that's where communication would have to play its role, and you would talk about it to figure out what is best for yall to move forward. Then with love styles, that isn't an excuse to cheat, do you love the person, yes or no? Now act upon your answer... yes or no? If there is a relationship problem, cheating is going to make it worse, put more bodies in your closet and make you feel worse than you already do, so you either need to fix what ever is wrong or move on. And finally a sense of  Entitlement doesn't even exist. You have no more right over your partner, than he/she has over you. if you are in a relationship, than you are equal. If you think you have a right over your lover, you are no better than a slave owner. Who sleeps around with his wife and property. And if you believe that's alright, go hang your self or become a monk because you don't deserve love from any human.

All righty, sorry for my little bashful rant, now on to why I think the risk factor is the only possible reason cheating should happen.

Some people love walking on the line, a close family friend of mine used to cut her self to see how many times she could do it to hurt those around her and to see how long her close friend would keep it a secret. It was so dumb, but as she explained it, it was exciting and made her feel  alive(adrenaline junky), and once she got caught she would start hiding objects, going farther than she should with guys, try drugs, all because she liked to keep secrets she said, it made her feel powerful and like she was walking on the edge. So that's sort of like cheating and I think that some people think they are the ones in control when they hold the power of there actions, choices and secrets.

Its sad really though, there are so many other ways to be in control and to hold power. And cheating is massively wrong... it should be put under a big bomb and blown up forever. :) then every thing would be much nicer.

Cheater, Cheater, Pumpkin Eater- Blog 8

Like most of our behaviors, infidelity is not intentional, but, for the most part, it is situationally driven.

When placed in the right situation (or wrong situation, in this case), our emotions can prompt us to act in ways which are counter to our beliefs. Please note that some of the factors listed below are drawn from Buss and Shackelford's work on infidelity.

What high risk factors influence an individual's willingness to cheat?

Attractiveness

All things being equal, an individual’s attractiveness influences how likely he or she is to cheat. Attraction comes in many different forms – it is influenced by one’s physical appearance, one’s social skills, and one’s tangible resources (money). The more one is in demand, the more likely one is to cheat. People, who have higher incomes, more education, and successful careers, are more likely to cheat than people who are less successful. And physical attractiveness also plays an important role.

Opportunity

Again, all things being equal, the more individual free time people have the more likely they are to cheat. Couples who have separate social lives, friends, careers, travel plans, and so on are much more likely to cheat than couples who spend most of their time together. The more opportunity people have to cheat, the greater the odds that cheating will occur.

Risk Taking

People who like to take risks or have a sense of adventure are more likely to cheat than people who are more fearful or timid by nature. And there is most likely a genetic component involved in risk-taking behavior - some people may be predisposed to taking risks.

Sexual Desire

Sexual desire varies from person to person. Some people have a very high sex drive while other people are much less concerned or interested in sex. And people with a high, rather than low, sex drive are more likely to cheat. Again, sexual desire appears to be influenced by genetic factors. Some people are inherently more easily aroused and driven by their desire for sex than other people. People who have multiple affairs are often addicted to the novelty and excitement which infidelity can provide.  Men, more so than women, also tend to have a higher sex drive and are more likely to cheat.

Attitude Toward Love and Romance/Attachment and Love Styles

Some people view love and romance as a sacred bond between two individuals. Other people see love as a game, where the goal is to manipulate another individual and gain emotional power over a partner (ludus). People who view love as a game are much more likely to have multiple love interests; cheating is just another way to gain control over one's spouse. Also, people with a dismissive style of attachment, are more likely to cheat.

Relational Problems

As problems emerge in a relationship, people are more likely to cheat. Infidelity is more common in relationships where people feel misunderstood, under appreciated and where fighting and bickering is common.

Sense of Entitlement

Some people, due to their position in society, their beliefs about gender roles, or their cultural upbringing, believe that it is their right to cheat on their partners. In other words, some people believe that cheating is a privilege to which they are entitled. Such individuals, philanders, often engage in infidelity with little guilt or remorse.

Which of the 7 risk factors do you think has the largest influence on whether someone cheats and the increase in infidelity among young people today?  Why?  And what can one do to "cheat proof" their relationship?

Self-Concept Game Pix!

Suffocate

I'm definitely going to say that technology has hindered relationships if I had a dollar for every angry phone call I have received just when a girl (eight out of ten times just a friend) has posted something somewhat flirty on my page or when a female wanted to go through my text messages and I have said no. I agree technology has made it easier to form relationships with all different types of people but you know how the saying goes "Easy come Easy Go!" and that's really what the majority of relationships are nowadays. I wouldn't go as far to say that I dislike texting but like my boy Isaac I didnt get a phone until after my freshman year so I like having a conversation with a girl and it kinda annoys me when they all just want to text. I just think technology gives people too much access to their significant other too soon leaving both parties with no room to breathe and ultimately kills the relationship. Technology it makes life easier, but Love harder.

Heartless like a robot

Technology makes us heartless like a Robot but more actuate too. I think its good for us to have technology with communication, because its so advanced it brings and breaks us down to our true primal selves. And in relationships I think that, is very important. Its best to know who each other truly are, than to dance around in a masquerade for life. Because if you allow your partner to keep putting up paper faces, you wont know what truly bothers them and or what they truly love, and then when some thing happens, and that partner just up and leaves it wont make any since, leaving you hurt and confused. But with clues from technology and their personality you will be able to see threw the mask and dance a wonderful song together, then when the song ends y'all may part more peacefully or chose to dance to another song. So I believe technology helps us grow.
I have a friend who gets really jealous  she knows that know by how she gets hurt when she stalks the guy she's with, because of that, she now tells that first thing when getting into a relationship, so there wont be any miss-understandings and he has heads up. Because of that, they have been doing really well together, he backs off on her things and she backs off on his and they work together much better.

(I was listing to Andrew Lyod Webbers music from Phantom Of The Opera while writing this, so that's why I had the theme of dance in my head)

How Much Communication Is Too Much? Blog 7 Due Monday, Oct 29th

Researchers looking at the impact of Facebook on relationships among college students found that the use of Facebook increased jealousy between friends and those in a relationship.  They identified four themes that contributed to increased jealousy.  They are as follows:

- Accessibility of information: Increased info about the interactions of significant others lead to increased monitoring and jealousy for 19.1% of participants

- Relationship jealousy: 16.2% of respondents were explicitly linked to Facebook use contributing to jealousy

- Facebook as an addiction: 10.3% of participants had major difficulty limiting the amount of time he or she looked at his or her partner’s Facebook profile.

- Lack of context: 7.4% of respondents referenced how Facebook can be ambiguous and that, without context, jealousy can be spurred over misunderstandings.

How do you think the use of technology has impacted interpersonal communication in the past 5-10 years?  Whether it be phones, texting, email, instant messaging, skype, social media, etc., has technology helped or hindered our interpersonal communication with others?  Please support your view with an example.  

I know it is late

Ok, I know it is late but I did post earlier, but it was in the board where I was not logged in and it erased my comment. So I have to make a new post.
What I said was my most important issues that I have encountered was number 2 and 3. I work at a 4 star hotel and since it is a high end resort, etiquette is a big deal because you have to act in the most polite mannered. The guest I deal with are "rich" people, well these people can act like the biggest @$$ ever. They are so rude that they don't even look at you sometimes when you are near them or ignore you. Not all of them are rude though. Number 3 is also an issue because the way some of these people talk to me is like they are talking down on me and like I am nothing to them. Their tone of voice is sometimes offensive. One day I was working another associate and he was from Houston, he was all tattooed up and had a slang tone of voice, but he is in college as a junior, and majoring in architecture. This guest who looks wealthy was walking out and made a comment about the weather. My associate said something different about the weather also, well the guest said, "where is that at? In the Southside," of course we didn't say anything because we can't, but we sure did want to say something. Remember, never be rude to someone who is taking care of something of value because I garentee we will test drive the crap out of you car!

diversity... In the workplace ,,,oh yeah, we have that..NO CHOICE

In the workplace that I am familiar with is based on a civil service job, which is one from the get go is test based.Nobody gets into a job of this magnatude with the good ole boy system or having a relative in an influential position. Primarily, this makes most civil service related jobs very diverse and it is reflective in how we deal with one another.Many of the Fire Stations in Laredo have a shift Captain who governs all the little attitudes that his subordinates have towards one another; which includes himself at times. We all have very diffrent backgrounds,with guys from as far North as Massachusettes to as far south as being born in Mexico and becoming Naturalized citizens and Ultimately becoming Firemen through the proper process of test elimination through our physical agility tests,background, and battery of psychological tests that are designed to weed out unfavorable characteristic types of candidates. In the end we all have a common purpose at the end of the day and that is to pool all of our knowledge to reach a common goal for the sake of the commmunity which pays us. I wanna say ettiquette is usually the biggest deal for the guys and that is just because we all acknowledge that working along a border city that Spainish is going to be the predominant language spoken by evryone we come across. So when the Guys from up North start barking at the native Laradoans on Sunday who want to watch soccer; while they want to watch NFL Football, all I can do is laugh and find a corner to sleep.FYI>>> there are several tv's to settle these little diffrences,but without those diffrences then we could not have diversity.

Differences

I personally love working with people who are different from me I feel that it helps me grow as a person and further confirm my beliefs.One thing that does make me mad when you meet one of those people who just feel the need to tell everybody about their life its like bitch shut up! I don't mean to rude but it's so ignorant to talk as if what's happening in your life is the only thing that matters life is hard for everyone that's why it's called life.I don't think I've had a problem in the workplace I generally get along with just about everybody I meet, and if I don't like someone I just tend not to talk with them or hang around them at all. Sorry this was pretty Generic but I just haven't had the displeasure of working with someone I just fundamentally didn't like; I really should've named this post Similarities but oh well :)

The differences between us

Being a military kid, I have been in many different cultures and with many differ races as well. And it's amazing how many differences there really are. Out of all of those, at lest from my experience, clustering causes the least emount of trouble.  Language differences a probably the most demanding in a work place. Like when your up north, coke/soda is called pop, in Aulstriala  a rubber is an eraser... That one was really awkward. In Hong Kong chips was either alive or fried centipedes in baggies to eat-shutters-.
Next I think the tone of voice is probably the next most important. Americans have very monotone/flat voices compared to most cultures, when I was in Germany they all thought had depression issues, until I fixed the fluidness in my voice. And there can be so many misunderstandings if you say small things with the different tones of voices. Because the tone of voice is pretty much like body language, you don't have to know the language but the tone of voice can tell you, if there is danger or is the person is pissed off... You don't have to be genius to figure the basics out.
I would put the values in third place, because if the people your communicating with know your not from around there, and you mess up and apologises they typically, exsplane their values and if you seem interested in learning more about them, they tend to become excited to share more. So as long as you can listen and at lest seem interested, they tend to think your pretty cool and are more likely to forgive.
A for the clustering, as long as your pretty willing to learn to go with the flow, it's not hard to be excepted.now again, they is probably because I have lived in about 10 different states and been to 5 different countries and lived in 4 different countries(I don't count living in a place if I was there for less than 3 months) the first time I moved I was 2 years old, then after that on average I moved every 6 months to 9 months. So the clustering my never have effected me as much because I never grew up with the one group and the same friends. I've been forced to learn how to live  and make friends with tons of different friends. So at lest for me, it isn't a big deal.

Diversity in the Workplace- Blog 6 due Monday, Oct 22

Studies show that 52% of people perfer to work with people like themselves. This begs the question, "What about diversity in the workplace?" Since most of us cannot choose who we will have to communicate with at work, how do we navigate through the complexities of a multicultural workplace? The top 4 diversity issues that cause problems are:

1. Language Differences
2. Differences in Values and Etiquette
3. Tone of voice
4. "Clustering" (hanging out with others from similar backgrounds)

Post an example of how a difference in one of these areas has caused a misunderstanding due to diversity. Offer some suggestions on how you think communication between people from diverse backgrounds can relate better to each other.

True Story Bro

So today at work there was this baby screaming bloody murder in the restrooms across from my register. A few seconds after an abrupt silence, a morbidly obese woman waddled out the door.

I think it's safe to assume that a child has been devoured.

Real Border Wars!!!

I have had this EMScallthat has been irking me for 2 weeks now, the backdrop is along the Texas/Mexico Border where the Rio Grande River skirts the Nuevo Laredo{mex}and Laredo{us}cities. Now the former President Bush already knew of the escalating hostility along the border with Cartel leaders and Zeta rewards posted along the river for any US Official with a badge on.For this reason all Night operations fall under Federal Jurisdiction along the river

So one day I am assigned to 9109 and we are dispatched to the riverbanks in the Rancho Viejo subdivision,so my partner and I go. We arrive and find 3 children cold and shivvering at the very first house off a deadend street that goes right into the water of the Rio Grande. Once again, I must tell you that my spainish is piss poor to horrible as is my ability to decipher,.... Really, I like to call it the devil language to piss off my coworkers because its all they ever seem to speak in my presence. So I wrap the kids in blankets and ask the owners of the house to give me the lowdown on the kids. The owners of the house say that these kids walked over from the river all wetsoaked crying that their mother was washed away and they pointed to the direction she went which was down river. So I get on the dispatch radio and request to Central Fire Station to Launch the Rescue boat and look for a female who has gone downstream. Over the radio and suddenly, my EMS supervisor, countermands my request and requests the rescueboat to stand down. He arriver shortly thereafter as well as Border Patrol who has some hot chocolate for the kids and they want to know the story again which i already got,but it wasnt from the kids because I stupidly thought they all spoke spainish..... the eldest lil girl was 9 years old and she utters.."Sir, My mother went that way and is anyone going to go for her?". I am shocked that this child speaks english so fluently that I am still befuddled to this day... To all of our dismay we look at one another and again I ask my superviser, Why arent we going to dispatch the rescue boat? His response was that it was 15 minutes til sundown and by the time they got to our location and launched it would be time for them to come back. He was referring to the mandate that stated to all government entities that Homeland Security had now jurisdiction along the river at night because of the growing hostilities along the river so tonight their mother would have to hang tight against a branch and hope she didint get hypothermia and die overnight because Homeland Security hadnt allocated the funds for a recue boat for night operations, so the next day at first light it would deemed a body recovery....... Wait, Wait , Wait a godam minute I said, your both telling me that these kids mom is not even going to be searched for until tomorrow? My Supervisor says in a raised voice towards me," Tovar, are your pts in need of further assistance from EMS?". "No,they are a still a little hypothermic but they will be okay" I said. " Well then they are my problem now," the Border Patrol agent said to my left.. To which I now asked ," Well, whats going to happen to these kids now ?" ... My Super barks at me and says,"Tovar, thats none of your concern because they are no longer your pts and its rude to step on other agencies toes like you are doing."..............This is where, I get pissed.!!!! " MUTHER *UCKIN< *UCK YOU, AND *UCK HIM," "Whats going to happen to these kids?" Now the agent says calmly that they will be processed and kicked back across bridge #1 in abt two hours or so. The kids now hearing all of this start crying and the 6 yo girl says, can someone call my dad in san antonio.. he is a painter who lives off Culebra road and his cell number is %^*#&**&(*/ so I tell my super if I can do that for these kids to which he utters," Tovar, You can consider yourself on sick leave after this call because you have gotten to emotionally close to this call to be effective at your job." "GOD sent me to this call and it is god that compels me to always do the right thing.... So I absolutely did get back to the station and go on sick leave,but in the parking lot i called the kids dad and told him to get his ass to Nuevo Laredo bridge #1 that his children were about to be probably sold into the child sex trade or used as slaves because they just lost their mother tonight. What would yall have done? I am open to suggestions.... any takers???? Is there no1????

Why Would You Want To Break Up?

How do you know when Its really Over?\

That's a complicated question to answer for the simple fact that everyone is different, and that each person deals with breakups at their own pace. Me personally I'm usually back at the hunt in a couple hours or whenever I see a cute girl ha. But then again as most Ludos' know relationships have never been my strong point; there was one time not with a significant other but with a very close friend of mine we had gotten into an argument over some douchebag guy she liked at the time long story short she chose the guy. I think that's the closest thing I had to a shocking breakup, and lost a good amount of faith in the female gender as a whole. You know when it's really over in my opinion when you stop thinking about them and stop generally caring for their well being. That includes hating someone too "hate" takes energy and effort and if your willing to use all that energy or effort on that person you still must care for them.Two words. Three vowels. Four constenants. Seven letters. It can either cut you open to the core and leave you in ungodly pain or it can free your soul and lift a tremendous weight off you shoulders. The phrase is: It's over.” In actuality if you break up with someone 95% of the time it's probably because you two weren't meant to be together no one has to do anything wrong your just two pieces that just don't fit anymore. And that's why you SHOULD want to break up anything else is probably you just being selfish.


Just keepin it one hunnad

My confession to murder...

HEADLINES, PEOPLE!!! THAT'S how you grab a reader's attention!

I never killed anyone. Never consciously or on purpose.

But since you're here now reading this, my band's doing a battle of the bands this Sunday at Jack's Bar. It's only $7 if you buy the tickets off me. $9 at the door. All ages. So if you happen to have $7 in your pocket when you see me in class or around campus, and you have nothing planned this weekend, what better way to spend it all than supporting a fellow classmate?

 

Just move on with life

Maybe it's just me, but after a break up, yeah I'm sad but I don't really play any tug of war with my ex, if he left me(or i left him) he isn't meant to be in the big picture anyways, so it's time to look forward and move on. Grant it, I've had very few relationships, mostly cause I believe dating is ment for finding that perfect person, so for me, if I can't be best friends with them before hand, I won't get in a relationship With them, and we'll just stay close friends. Which is awesome too. But from my past history, I find that just moving forward is the best thing, get involved with your friends more, learn a new sport/hobby/thing and don't allow your self to all lost on them. They don't like you, they arnt worth your time and effort then. :)

Break-ups....like medicine,its horrible to swallow

I guess because throughout my middle and high school yrs I never dated let alone have a gurlfriend, Haaa!!! what a laugh!! I remember feeling so gruesome an ugly that I knew I couldn't get any; even in a brothel with a fist full of fifties. wife#1 comes along while I am in the Service and wants a career man in the military,but I was tired of saying,"yes Sir" to everyone in the sevice who wanted to send me off to some conflict or dissaster half way around the world. She threatened to leave me if I left the military..So I left. I wanna say that I began to feel not so monsterous shortly after joining the fire dept but reality hit when the other cadets also mentioned that every available female in town was coming onto them like a freakin tramp. Of course, with a firefighter they knew they could just be stay at home wives. I never have known what I could bring to a relationship except canned stupidity and the ability to drool on a pillow with regularity,but I did marry#2 and in my haste to please her... I lost myself. There absolutely must be comprimise in a relationship or it will never work.If someone takes all your m&m's long enough in the relationship eventually you will realize that if you were not allergic to chocolate then you might actually have had a problem with what they were doing? Allowing someone to dole out affection to another is almost a form of imprisonment,because that person is robbing them of their destiny of true love. So now,despite knowing I am not an Ogre..I always feel like one when I break up with a gurl. This girl I dated about a year ago was tremendously disfigured in her lower extremities to the point where she needed crutches all the time just to walk around anywhere. I was nice enough to help her whenever I saw her out and I would take the newspaper to her door for her because I couldnt bare to see her walk outside and struggle to get the dam paper. One day she asked me out and I could never turn down a girl who has the courage to ask a guy out, so I said," Sure". She mentioned that she did her laundry at the laundrymat and had trouble getting ready because she was running late to get ready for our date. I was shocked. So I had my plumber buddy go over and install washer/dryer connections outside her house so she didnt have to go anywhere. Eventually, I heard through the neighborhood kids that she had told all the neighbors that we were involved. I let it continue and never mentioned it to her because I realized she appreciated what i was doing for her and she had gained a bit of pride with my attention to her quality of life.However, I also have a son who requires a great deal of attention and when I didnt take her for an engagement she had made plans to attend with myself as a result of my sons school engagement which took presidence. I show up the next day to get her routine list of groceries that I get for her and she throws a pot at me and screams at me to get out. I had to say this because it needed to be told to her," You move like molasses downhill! I have spent more time assisting you than I do my own grandmother, and the truth is that you are going to just fall down one day and by the time you realize it, your going to be on a table with the surgery team in the next room prepping to cut one if not both your legs off." Y did I say those horrible things you ask?.....because I cared enough about her to say them to her. Now we are just friends and she is attempting to lose weight to have knee surgery because she needs to meet the surgical criteria to be a good candidate for the surgery an with me doing all those things before like going for groceries and accomodating her handicap, I was holding her back....from her destiny.

Are We Done Yet? Blog #5 Due Monday, Oct 15th

Break ups are usually messy. Your book doesn't talk about all of the tug-of-wars that happen after dissolution. (Getting back together over and over, trying to be "friends", jealousy when you see them with someone new, etc.) During this time, it's difficult to know when the relationship is completely over and it's time to move on. Share with us your thoughts and experiences on this whole "after the dissolution" phase. How do you know when it's REALLY over? When do you stop trying to rekindle the fire? When do you know that you're ready to move on?

DO NOT READ THIS POST!!!!

Wow. You actually clicked "view"


Not surprising.


It seems like the only way to grab people's attention nowadays is to tell them NOT to do something. Because most people don't usually do what they're told anymore. But I suppose that usually depends on deliverance and reception. And that pretty much goes for everything.

A perfect stranger with a scraggly beard and shades can beckon you from a distance and you might be prone to walk the other direction. But if he's wearing a police uniform, it might be in your best interest to do what you're told.

And that's not just limited to obedience. It applies to words in general.

I'm a cashier at Target. Last night I rang up a familiar face. A girl from middle school. Attractive, athletic, abides by trends, in with the social crowd, that type of girl. The type of girl who takes advantage of her high popularity and indulges in the misfortune of those with a lower social status than hers. At least that's the way she was in middle school. And people change, I'm living proof of that, but people like her usually don't. She was with a few friends. One in particular who I found especially attractive. She was more "pretty" than she was "hot" and there IS a difference between the two. I had to hold myself back from saying something. I could've complimented her on her eyes or hair, but why bother? Positive input doesn't mean a thing to girls like that. Not unless they already have a high perception of you. Someone like me (a musician, an artist, a Target cashier) could say one thing and they'd be all "thank you" about it; but if the same thing was said by a football player or Hollister employee, then it would mean ten times more to them.

It's one thing if an amateur writer received constructive criticism from a revered author vs a high school sophomore, but visual physical beauty is a little more universal than that and it doesn't require a certificate or badge of honor to be recognized with validity.... Unless of course you're a cheerleader or you formerly dated someone with a high status.

Blog #4 reply what's your eq

Out of the four major aspects, I think self awareness and self management are the most important in living in a successful life. Self awareness could be first, like what everyone said, because if you you don't know who you are or aren't aware of who you are or can be then you can have problems with a relationship or with friends. You have to know who you are before you can continue on with a relationship. Once you have an awareness of who you are and what you have become, then you can manage your self.  Basically you have to be aware of you are before you can become whatever you want and achieve everything you can.

To Be.....Or, Not To Be has always been the question

To have a fulfilling life with reasonable ups an downs; I have to say one has to master the practice of Relationship Management. This takes decades and I do mean decades to even grasp the heirarchy within ones own professional organization. Many times I see a new cadet get placed at a firestation and his naiveness to the competitiveness of his colleagues makes him prone to mishaps where he is made the butt of everyones laugh that day or at that training exercise. That cadet failed to recognize that his mentor at that particular firestation felt threatened enough by this more agile,younger,faster,more assertive cadet to bleed out his self contained breathing apparatus by 1/2 a tank; making the cadet look like he lacked conditioning while wearing and working in his full structural firefighting gear which adds 70+ lbs to your weight before you have even attempted to step out of the truck to put out anything that looks remotely like a fire. So typicly, the fire crew gets out and begins their little training exercize and the old smoking firefighter is working calmly and noting to the Captain that the cadet appears to not have any stamina to put himself in a good light,now the Captain knows the kid has consistantly done the best timewise when it comes down to his SCBA cylinder running out of air last among them all week,so he is floored when the kids cylinder alarm starts ringing before the rest of the crews meaning that engine company has to pull out of the rescue prior to the other engine companies times and distance into the exercize within that district. So come decision time the Captain will evaluate who remains at his firestation or who gets sent out to a diffrent district entirely; That cadet we all have been in one aspect or another either with a girlfriend who wanted to date the same guy you did or that coworker who always seems to save the day while making everyone else around him look grossly incompitent. The true tact comes from recognizing the social cues that others around you send off subconsciously, interpreting that and have your mentor firefighter want to leave that station of his /her own accord.

Manage your self.

After watching and taking that test I would say I believe the most important out of the 4 is managing your self. Because its one thing to be aware of your self, but being aware your upset or what ever won't help you is you can control it. So that's why I say managing your self. Same with the other two.  Social awareness can help you figure out where you belong, but if you can manage where you belong, then you also control your own social status, because you will have the ability to not just know where you are but where you choose to go and whe you want to be on that ladder. That's all from being able to manage your self. And then number four should have to go with out saying, there is no way you can manage relationships unless you have already gotten your self under control. Having self management gives you the upper hand in every situation, it gives you the ablitie to stay calm in a heighten situation, gives you the reason to stay cool in a stressful situation and it means you know yourself well enough to know your limits and levels. Now I'm not saying that means you don't push up to a certain point and stop, I'm just saying it teaches you to be smart and not get your self hurt in the presses. 
So my vote goes to saying, know your self, control your self, then move on to other people then the world. Just remember it starts with you alone, because your writing your journey.

What's Your EQ? Blog #4 Due Monday, Oct 8th

Dr. Daniel Goleman is the author of  "Social Intelligence: The New Science of Human Relationships" and well known and respected for his work on the importance of having emotional and social intelligence vs. academic intelligence.  Watch Dr. Daniel Goleman's video lecture on Emotional and Social Intelligence at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hoo_dIOP8k&feature=related  Take the self-test on emotional intelligence at the following link EQ self-test and then comment on which of the 4 major aspects of emotional intelligence you feel is the most important to living a successful life and why.

1.  Self-Awareness
2.  Self-Management
3.  Social Awareness
4.  Relationship Management

See ya,Maybe?

Maybe today will be a better day for myself than yesterday? I walked into class so zombielike that I just abt slept through a test and I am sure I Bombed the crap out of it like a big dawg!!? I hope to make it to this evenings class,but u know I gotta rack up my frequent flyer miles as I fly from one spectrum of the planet to the other. You know what I just figured out...????? This freakin town is tooo small for me!!!!!

Men Mars/Women Venus. Unga Bunga!!!!

love,love,love, love.. love.. love..luv, luv, luv,luv.....what else is there to say about the strongest force in The known Universe? Love,I recall is the reason why Brad Pitt went to war in a foreign country. Helen of Troy was said to have been so awe inspiringly beautiful that her face launched a thousand ships in the name of love. I have Absolutely No Doubt that a couple in love and I mean truly in love could move Mount Everest over five feet in any direction. The power of love is that inspiring. I also feel comfortable enough in saying that there also can be several degrees of love which can easily be misinterperted by either party as the relationship progresses. Can one member in this dou' be so spellbound and madly infatuated with the other individual that they become A Love Addict, any thing is possible I am guessing? In either case they most likely have a stalker on their hands, and that is why I try to not consort with the enemy during buisness hours, I realze that love can happen at first sight but the likelihood is astronomical. I better stop...I think sumtimes my willingness to be as insightful and direct to the point sends me on tanjunds where I speak rhetoriclly about who knows what????

No Love

EXTRA! EXTRA! EXTRA! I am not a love addict; I know huge shocker huh

What Love Is Suppose To Be: love is suppose to mean something its suppose to be one of those words that you say to someone when you are willing to sacrifice for them when just their smile can make your day

What Love Has Become: :( Yes ladies and gentlemen that is a sad face because instead of love being all that sappy crap that i wrote before its this

The Most Common Reasons People Say I Love You the 2012 Edition

1. To get sex i know these people and you know these people who say i love you just to get it in it is a sad reality but it is reality nonetheless

2. Whenever someone brings you sonic or Starbucks or really any type of food hey raise your hand if you have either heard this before or have even said this to a person. Hey if you bring me food I'll love you forever; I mean common people is the word Love so cheap that it can be bought with McDonalds or a cherry limeade during happy hour.

3. To your friends just about fifty times a day now i admit this one has really gone down since graduating high school but it occurred so much during high school that it still made the list this honestly drove me nuts throughout high school no @$#%? i don't love you just because you helped me pass English class

I honestly couldn't tell you why people fall in love so hard when in reality all you have is a little puppy crush i don't think its biology i think it has something more to do with the individual and their attachment style and self esteem. Love is suppose to mean something, its suppose to be said only when you honestly feel it, and aliens supposedly exist, and Sarah Palin is supposedly smart -_- do i think any this is true today yes (except for the Sarah Palin thing i mean come on) but only for about 20% of people today if Love is a drug it can't be bought or made and honestly there's no point at all in looking for it you just have to wait until it finds you but until then have fun :)

Love bug!

When saying that 4 letter word can change a whole relationship around especially when you don't mean it. What I think of a love addict is, is a person who who barely getting started in the relationship and is already getting ready to say that they are in love and that they want to spend the rest of their life with this person. Well honestly they are full of bs, excuse my language, but if you are going to use the word please use it when you mean it. The people who aren't love addicts actually know what the word means. Those people know for sure that if they are going to say it, then they know that that person is the one they want to spend the rest of their life with. Love addicts do not just pop up out of no where, they become love addicts through past relationships. This problem can be caused by self esteem or by attachment styles, at least what I think. Love is like a drug and can be very waddictive when abused in the wrong way, thus causing love addicts.

To compete with Tovar...

I will also be using this as a Twitter page and posting more about my thoughts and observations.
As quiet as I can be in class (and in public in general) I don't hold back on anything I say in writing.

You have all been warned.

Love, that funny thing in the air

After reading, taking the test and looking at the people I know, I believe the different leaves of love addicts come from ones self esteem. Because if you have a high since of self esteem you don't need others to complete you. People are drawn towards other people with a high since of self esteem, thus others will always flock to you, so you never have the need to seek them out your self. All one, with high self esteem, has to do is to simply is just smile and get to know the ones who are brave enough to say hi to you in the first place. Also people with high self esteem don't tend to be shot down as far as those with lower self esteem. For instances if a person with a high self esteem gets shot down at the bar he/she usually looks at the situation under this short of light: "he/she is a jerk neck and isn't worth my time any ways" typically those with a high seance of  self, know how not to let them selfs down/don't allow others to take them down. As some one with low self esteem would look at same situation and probably thing along the lines: "what's wrong with me?""he/she is better, I'm to skinny/fat, tall/small, ect..."
And with saying people who have a low self esteem tend to be more "needy" to say, Bruce they feel that if they are abandon there is no more hope. So when they do get hooked up with some one else, they feel important and it gives them that super human boost and acting like a drug upon their body.

From just looking at my friends and seeing how they react differently is mostly where I take this idea from. Again I will say I'm a life guard, Ive been a year round swimmer all of my life, so I can say I know MANY people with a high self esteem(you sorta have to be, to be able to run around in a speedo/skin tight racing suit, because they show sooo much of your body to the world, that you have to be confident in your self, body and proformance or you will crumble from those around you) and with every group, there are always a few who arnt confident, but the way these two different type of people react to love is intently different. The confident high self esteem person, they tend to be confident to stay in love and love truly while the relationship is going on, so they have no need to be supper beggie and trust their partner to go out. And the low self esteem persons seems to constantly trying to prove that he/she is worthy and they tend to act more desperate... Like a person who is addicted to other things, be it caffeine, drugs, or other stuff.

And that is my view on love additions :)
-dani

Blog 3- Is Love Your Drug?

The Brain in Love Video
Love Addict Test
Dr. Helen Fisher's Attraction Test

Watch "The Brain in Love" video and take the self-quizzes at the links above and see what personality type you are and if you are a love addict.  Now that we know that love creates dopamine in the brain similar to many drugs like cocaine and meth, we can now understand how many can become addicted to being in love.

Why do you think some people fall in love and become love addicts while others fall in love but do not?  Do you think that it's a matter of biology? Life scripts? Attachment styles? Self-esteem? Etc.

Beluga Times

Thanks again everyone for letting me go to Sea World Monday and learn how to improve my interpersonal communication skills with Martha the beluga whale!  I tried your pick up lines on her and I think they worked!  HaHa

The crazy things we say

Many of you probably don't know this, but I'm a life guard. Life guards always seem to be hit on, why not, they only wear a swim suit for a uniform and save you life... But that's where I always hear some of the craziest pick up lines, the most typical one has to do with CPR. Usually some thing like "hey, need help practing CPR?" or "you may save me any time of day" or "hey, I think I'm choking, can you give me some CPR".... None of those worked for those guys at all, they are WAY over used and way to cheesy and an immediate turn off.
For my self, I've never used pick up lines on anyone, I typically just hang out with a person I have a cruch on or is hot to find out if he's worth the time of day. But my strategy is typically, asking the guy if he would like to play some paintball or air soft and from there I can figure out if he likes to have fus and is adventuresome or if he's lame and acts like a baby when he gets shot. But I think the best strategy is just to find out if  the other person is a neat person over all.
-Danika

Most studies are wrong..I say 2 minutes,not 4 mins.

Seriously, I think most of us in the fast paced world are very quick to dismiss either someone with no substance,no motivation,and above all else;wait...dang, I 4got...and it was the most important thing but when in doubt, don't utter a word. I have trended that males and females alike both tend to find a quieter person more mysterious than someone who is a blabbermouth at the end of the bar with all his/her friends around them. I am not saying that the strong,silent type is more agreeable..No,not at all..but what i am saying that is if they are easy on the eyes then males/females tend to look beyond the 2 minute mark with anticipation that at any moment this beautiful monument to the human species is going to open their mouth and vomit is going to start spewing out all over them. I am speaking figuratively..I hope you have gathered? I say this because we all have issues, every last one of us and life is complicated with sometimes enuff stress to overload a supercomputer,but that doesn't mean we have to throw word vomit all over a person that sat down next to us at the local tavern to buy us a drink. That truely is a difficult gauge about others in our realm of cohabitation, how much is enuff and how much is too much? Pickup lines. Hmmmmm? Seeing as I work primarily down in Laredo,Tx and thats a bordertown with very few non-spainish speakers, I get alot of women that go up to myself and try to trick me with conversation and after about 2 minutes wanna say,"Ah, ha! You do speak spainish." My personal favorite has always been....This is in Laredo only, I would never say this in this town without laffing halfway thru it....ready? Hereitgoes,"Oyes Babydoll, U tha best thing outta Mexico since chicklets." I cant even type it now without laughing. Remember this though most of all...Marraige is Grand,but a Divorce is ten grand! At least? So think hard before you take that galpal home or that cowboy with the black stetson,cuz nobody wants to be a notch in somebodys belt.

Blog # 2 SO YOU'RE ATTRACTED, NOW WHAT? Comments due Monday, Sept 24th

Now that we have discussed what men and women find attractive, what's the next step?  Studies show that we have approximately 4 minutes in the contact stage to make a good impression.   And based on that first impression, many of us make up our minds on whether or not we want to pursue the relationship to the next level or just remain acquaintances. 

Share with us your favorite pick-up lines (funny, serious, cheesy, etc).  From your own experiences, do they work?  What do you think is the best "pick-up" strategy? (Leave a green dangly earring behind? Put your phone number in their phone?)  Let's see what you can come up with!

Boys vs. Girls.

The last class was actually really funny because we went back and forward with both boys and girls. I just want to add for the guys on what we look for in a girl, which would be either to sing or dance. If you can't sing you better know how to dance like me! Ha, but if you can't dance, you have to have a voice of an angel. If you can do both you are just a pure angel.

P. S. Girls in jordans and can drive stick shift are bonuses. I'm just stating my opinion.

guys an gals with GAME

Who doesn't know of what I speak? That ability to play the opposite sex like a harp with magnificence and clarity. We probably all know who we have the ability to manipulate with our smile, with our silent treatment, with our glances that can say much more than words... and if that were the only means of defense then we would all be guilty and be sumarily put to death. I know I should be shot evry time I go to tha mall. Thank god for sunglasses.When I am cold busted; I usually utter...." Babydoll, you would look great in an outfit like that.." Lie,.... whats that? In Texas we call em tall tales and Gamerz can get away with some whoppers, and i dont mean burgers either. Yup, Its the true gamerz out there that have the real power.. they can unlock doors to rooms the rest of the world cant even access. As a man who has twice been divorced, I realized lomg ago that I am a horrible liar but I am getting better at catching the women in their web of lies that they weave. Obviously, I know that my wisdom has me at quite an advantage but I also realize that makes me harder to sway in any direction or another. LIke this one lady that I dated awhile back, she was an English teacher at a local high school and was always encouraging me to go with her to their high school football games. Primarily because she was the cheerleader coach as well. Well the first year I went out with her; that school went 0-10. Next year, I start missing games and she calls me out on it... I tell her that I wasted all my friday nights tha year b4 watching those poor chaps on the field getting kicked around the football field,and I deserved to have a good friday night for once..She agreed and over dinner she mentioned that one of the football players had started to cry after their latest defeat and evry1 of his teammates could see his emotional distress over it and she just said she had a feeling abt this next game... Well, its a week later and just for giggles I had decided to show up2 alamo stadium after having a few drinks after leaving a downtown drinkery. Wow, her high school was getting slaughtered like always but was doing a little butt kicking of their own. So I start hoopin and Holerin for the team and she sends me the most outrageous text telling me to leave and how embarrassed she was with my antics nd clearly her colleagues knew I was drunk and they all knew we were seeing one another,,, So what do I do but say, "Babydoll, 4give me? I dont know how to behave because yall have never won diddly in tha whole time I have dated U."......by tha way she 4gave me. GAME!