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Well I was diagnosed with breast cancer and have started treatments and, the treatments take a lot of energy out of me and i just dont feel the same, my fiancee is horny almost everynight i can say babe im tired i just want to go to bed but then as soon as we go to bed he starts trying things, I feel bad telling him no, so I give in.... Its early in my treatment but Im losing sexual intrest Im not turned on as easily either, how can I get him to calm down and realize that I really need sleep, or am I being selfish?

Ok, I actually have a more black and white view to this problem than some of the other answers.

You are have been diagnosed with a serious illness As a result you are undoubtedly carrying a very heavy emotional burden, apart from the physical effects of the treatment.

This is a case where he must accommodate you. I do not think you need to compromise with him as such. He should have the empathy to understand what it is you are going through. A bit of perspective should make him see that his sacrifice of occasionally forgoing sexual intimacy is fairly trivial in the greater scheme of things.

Now, it may be that he does not really understand that you do not feel like it. Since you gave in a few times, he may think that you just need to be "warmed up a bit", so to speak. Naturally you need to explain this to him. Ask him also to understand that you are going through a difficult period and you need his support on this.

As your future husband, he should be more than willing to make that adjustment. Guys may or may not need sexual intimacy more than women, I have no clue to be honest. However, I do know that this is a time when any fiance, husband, friend, family member, etc. must do their best to support you to get through this difficult period.

I wish you the best of luck, and I hope you get well soon.

Alin 33/m

I want to know what guys like on girls "down there" -- bush, triangle, totally shaved, etc? I always hear that different guys like different things, so what do you guys personally like?

Also, do guys like large labia or small?

Yeah, call me old fashioned, but totally shaved makes a girl look a bit underage... or maybe its just in my head, but I do prefer when a girl is not totally shaved. I suppose unshaved and trimmed would be the best, though in the end its not that big a deal.

As for your second question, I truly couldn't care less (uhm... in the good way lol).

okay, well its kinda like this im sixteen and i dont even know how to feel or were to get advice but last month i was late for my period and i thought i was pregnant and i wasnt and again this month im late and iv been having sex with my amazing boyfriend but i dont think i need to take a test or anyything but for next month i ffear cause i know he ejected in me a few times and he has a daughter already help?

Ok, I am not sure what the question is to be honest. If you are asking if you might be pregnant, the answer is yes. If your boyfriend ejaculated in you, of course there is the possibility that you are pregnant. More than that, even if you engage in unprotected sex and he pulls out... there is still the chance that you could be pregnant.

You should get yourself tested as soon as possible. There is no need to delay getting to know whether or not you got yourself pregnant.

The other thing you need to do is stop having unprotected sex. Frankly I have a hard time understanding how you let it happen in the first place, considering that your bf has living breathing proof of what happened last time he engaged in unprotected sex.

I don't mean to lecture you, but you have already been scared once before and did nothing about it. Is it not time you took control of the situation and stopped exposing yourself to the risk of pregnancy (and STDs for that matter).

Good luck.

I'm 17 and I'm dating a guy who is 22. The age of consent in the state where I live is 18. Will he get in trouble if he kisses me (and someone finds out and tells)?

Also, I've been wondering this lately, why would a 22 year old man be interested in a 17 year old girl? Is this anything to be concerned about? I'm not getting any creepy vibes from him...

Oh and I don't know if this matters but we're both in college so we're in similar stages of our lives.

I will just add my view to the second part of the question. I tend to agree that what Razhie said is generally true, but I have seen many instances where things worked out pretty well.

One of my friends has been living with his girlfriend for the last 3 years or so. He was 30 when they started and she was 18. No problems at all... other than the usual relationship kind of stuff.

Another one of my friends is 25 and currently involved with a much younger girl. As he puts it, they are the perfect couple, with her being more mature for her age and him being very much on the immature side :D

Some years ago I had another friend who was involved with a 17 year old. He was about 23-4. No problem there either... related to age that is, the family of the girl hated him for dating her.

I actually have more examples, but I will leave it at that.

So, let me get to my point. I do not think that this makes him creepy. I do not believe that one is necessarily a poor fit, nor that one absolutely must be at a different stage.

It varies a lot from person to person. Some choose to "mature" in such a way that they cut all ties with who they once were. A good many of us do not. My friends group ranges in age from about 21 to 64. I get along with all of them.

So, if you are getting along and have no issues, don't worry about the numbers, except of course in regards to the law.

I answered a question about weight loss for Halloween and you said losing 12 pounds in a week was not healthy. I gave my website for her to visit and if you would have gone there I believe you be surprised with the info on the site. Yes water and fat loss can rapidly reduce your weight at first but a changed lifestyle is what I teach. I might have made loosing a lot of weight sound easy but my site is much more than that. Check it out. www.healthfix4life.com

Does my info seem accurate to you?

First of all I did go to your website. That was one of the first things I did (the section you had linked in the other answer).

Second, I made no other comment in reference to you, or what you teach, other than that 6 pounds in a week is certainly not recommendable.

Frankly, if I might add, that's a pretty reckless thing to say to someone who was a teenager looking to fit into an outfit. Like I said in my answer, that amount of weight loss is not recommended even for the obese, and even then there was no indication in that question that she fit in that category. Quite to the contrary actually.

Now, I did not mean to attack you personally. However I have to stick to the things that I have learned, both through quite a bit of personal experience and through taking the ISSA fitness trainer education. I have to provide advice that I believe is safe, realistic and sustainable.

That was the reason I made the comment I made. With that in mind, reviewing the information on your site is not exactly relevant.

Edit: Oh, one last thing. This is the sort of thing that is best handled on the personal forums. I dont mind answering this at all but, just so you know, one is not supposed to use the question function for anything other than advice.

I need to lose weight by halloween and fast so i can fit into my costume. How can I do it that in a healthy way?

Ok I dont agree with the answer below. 12 pounds in two weeks is totally not recommended. Not even if you are extremely obese should one lose 6 pounds a week. Even for those cases (and I am assuming you are not one of those) one can stretch the max healthy weight loss approximation of 2lbs/ week to maybe 3 or 4.

The problem with those kinds of "fast" results is that they typically involve high proportions of muscle loss or water loss. The former is really counter productive because you mess your metabolism and become very prone to weight gain. Remember it is not just about numbers. Its about what those numbers represent. If you lose 6 pounds and 4 are muscle mass... you are not making better progress (on the contrary)

Now I will sum up a few very basic things you can do below, however I answered a weight loss question in great detail a day or two ago. Check out my answer here:
http://www.advicenators.com/qview.php?q=551300

Exercise wise, the key is cardio. Resistance training is great as well, but cardio is essential. Try to keep it at moderate intensity for over 30 minutes. If you have time and energy work in other kinds of exercises as well.

Eliminate your empty calories from anything with sugar added to it and excessive amounts of saturated fats.

Aim to eat 4-5 small balanced meals a day, focusing on what you are about to do, not what you have just done. Ask yourself, what am I going to do in the next 4 hours, and then eat accordingly.

Any late evening eating should be void of carbs and primarily contain a lean protein source.

Stick to wholesome, non processed foods. Moderate your daily carb intake, minimise saturated fats (from animal products) and base meals around a good lean protein source.

Good luck.

I'm an educator and as I was proctoring for an exam in another college department,& I caught two students cheating.
One of them was mouthing the words
" What is the answer to number two?" when I caught them. She even gestured number 2 with her fingers. Her seatmate had her back on me, it was obvious that they were talking to each other.
I reported them to the Discipline Officer and the D.O. in turn, called for the 2 students. The students insisted that they were just making small talk during the exam & they obviously reversed my statements.
Since I do not have any substantial evidence, I am the one now being in question as to why I confiscated their test papers for cheating. My question is, DOES CRYING WHEN CONFRONTED WITH THEIR SINS, A TELL TALE SIGN OF GUILT?

I do not believe that crying is a tell tale sign of anything. Some people cry in certain situations and others do not. It might be a tell tale sign for a specific person, but without knowing how they normally react, its impossible to tell.

I also, as usual, agree with YG. The thing is that you are not allowed to talk during an exam. That in itself should be adequate.

Just stick to your guns and remember why you were hired. Its your job to police that event. Explain to them exactly what you saw, in the same detail as you told us, and remain calm and collected at all times. I cannot believe that they would take the word of the two "accused" over the teacher who was responsible to watch them. If that is the case, anyone can cheat as long as they stick together (there will always be more students than teachers in an exam).

I wish you the best of luck and sincerely hope that the two culprits dont get away with their lie.

so my meal plan is pretty much everyday a strawberry/banana shake with soy milk and a scrambled egg for breakfast, cabbage soup and brown rice & beans for lunch, and then usually for a snack i have a couple apples, and sometimes strawberries or blackberriers whichever i feel like. then for dinner i eat brown rice and grilled chicken, broccoli, carrots, and green beans. and then sometimes before i go to bed i have another apple. ive been feeling a lot healthier since ive started this about 3 weeks ago, and ive lost fat pretty quickly. first of all, is this a healthy meal plan? ive heard that your suppose to have more vegetables than fruit, so should i include more vegetables in my meals? or does anybody have any suggestions on what other type of natural whole foods i can maybe include or replace in any of my meals because ive sort of gotten bored with what ive been eating, because i eat the same things everyday. thanks (:

Well first off the meal plan is good overall. It would have been useful to know what kind of training you do. If, for example, you did weight training, I would include a protein source with your snacks as well. There is only one deficiency in your diet, and I will address that below under "fats".

As for more veggies than fruit, thats correct if you are trying to lose weight. Fruit is good for you, make no mistake, but it does contain glucose and sucrose, so one has to control the intake somewhat. I do not however think that you are eating too many fruit, and if you are losing weight that is good enough.

If you want to eliminate anything (to make things easier), then the late night fruit could go. Much better late at night is a lean protein source. Protein is hard for the body to turn to fat and is generally used to repair damaged cells. Therefore intaking some before bed is ok since it will be used to recuperate from any physical training. Again, if you do weights, then it is very highly recommended.

A classic example is low fat cottage cheese, but any lean protein source will do.

As for other good options to sub in during the day:

Protein: turkey, tuna (if you like it, this is really healthy stuff), lean beef,

Carbs (always in moderation): whole wheat pasta, whole wheat bread, oats (excellent carb source, high on protein and fibre)

Fats: Now, it is very important that you intake an omega3 fat source daily. There is little to none in your diet and omega3 deficiency is linked with a huge list of health problems (including obesity believe it or not). It is a very common deficiency in western diets. Some of the best sources include oily fish, walnuts, flax (seeds and oil)and canola oil. You can also of course get fish oil capsules which are also great.

Well thats about that. Like I said you are doing really well overall, and I am happy that you are getting good results.

Good luck.

My computer had crashed about a month ago, and a friend of my mom's took it to his son to get it fixed. I know NOTHING about computers, but I heard something about having to replace the hard-drive. When he brought it back it seemed better, except my volume doesn't work anymore and I no longer have Microsoft Word or any other Microsoft features. It's very vital to me to have these, since I'm assigned endless projects at school. What can I do?

Djzmaguy426

The hard drive or hard disk is where all your info is stored. If they replaced it, well then maybe they didnt install Word etc on the new one.

You need to find the cd and install it again. Ask someone who knows something about computers if you are unsure, but you need the original cd.

If you need something that works more or less the same, you can always download and install openoffice from:

http://www.openoffice.org/

It is pretty much a clone for the MS Office package.

Good luck.

Oh and as for your volume, thats a bit odd. Are you hearing any sound at all? I would guess its driver related.

EDIT: The MS Office package is one of the most common piece of software around. You can buy it in pretty much any computer shop or online. You might be able to find an older version online that is cheaper (I think the 2007 version of Word is kind of horrible... but thats just my opinion).

However, if you once had it, are you sure the CD isnt lying about somewhere in your house? Unless you had someone install an cracked copy, the original should still be there somewhere no?

okay i have many many problems, too many to type out on here. but i have two major problems that i need to fix. im sixteen, female by the way.

numero uno: my weight and losing weight the healthy way.

heres the story, i used to be average weight, not skinny, but not "fat". i was fine with myself, and i used to be able to eat anything i wanted. i know that as i got older, my metabolism slowed down yadda yadda, and i gained some weight. im not fat, im just lazy. im normal weight for my height and age, but im not happy with it. im about 5'3 and roughly a little more than 120 pounds.

id like to drop about ten pounds, but i want to eat really healthy and actually work out and get muscle, im not worried so much about the scale as i am about how i look.

im not trying to make myself look better for other people, i want to look better to make myself feel better. (although it would be nice to look better in other people's eyes, but im focused on making myself feel better first)

so does anyone know any good plans to get on, nothing i have to pay for, just healthy foods and things. like things to pack for lunch at school, things to eat for breakfast that help you lose weight. i do not want any diet pills or things like that.

also, does anyone know any good workout moves besides crunches and pushups? that could really help me. i dont really want to buy anything to workout, like weights etc., but i do have an exercise bike to workout on.

okay problem 2:
its about a boy, of course. and also kind of self esteem issues, but its one in the same to me. i kind of like this boy, but i hate the word "like" or "crush", im just interested in him. ive never had a boyfriend, but im kind of over that. ive had little elementary school boyfriends, but none in high school yet(im a junior, so i find that kind of pathetic).

anyways, i started talking to this kid over the summer, but i knew of him last year a little bit, but never really felt like talking. i started talking to him online because one, i thought he was cute, and two, he has great taste in music and i love a guy who loves good music(and as we talked, i realized we have a lottt in common.)im just afraid that im stuck in the friend zone because i havent ever been myself around him yet.

so the problem here is, i get really nervous when i talk to cute guys, when i want to think of them as more than friends. my guy friends, i really dont care how i talk to them. but for some reason i cant be myself around guys i think are cute, i know its a natural teenage thing but i need some ideas of how to get over it. i know the number one reason why i get self consciense around the guys, its because i feel like they wont like me because im a little bit chubbier, but thats not the main main reason.

i just dont get why im so funny around my friends and i cant be myself/funny around him. i didnt really like him when i started talking to him, i just thought he was cute. he has a girlfriend, but i dont really care, i just want to be open around him and be my funny self. any tips?

thanks for reading all of this, and thanks if you actually answered with things that can help me out :)

Ok let me talk about problem 1, since that is something I know a bit about. Problem 2 would be just guesswork on my part :)

Now, first off you have the right idea. That is excellent and a great starting point.

I will outline some basic ideas behind healthy weight loss below. You can incorporate however many you wish/ can, at whatever pace is suitable for you.

1. The diet plan:

- At the very basic level try to eliminate or minimise empty calories and other blatantly unhealthy food such as: anything with sugar added to it, anything with a disproportionate amount of saturated fat (cheap animal products are the culprits here), and processed foods.

- The key is balance. Your body needs all the major macronutrients, at the right times. Carb control is crucial though, since that is often abused. In general (fasted cardios aside- see below), try to eat more of your calories and carbs before periods of activity rather than after.

- There are many several different distributions for eating balanced. You can experiment your way to it, or you can use a formula. A classic one is a 40- 40- 20 split, where 40% of your total calories come from carbs, 40 from protein, and 20 from fats (primarily non saturated). There are 4 calories to each gram of carb and protein, and 9 to 1 gram of fat.

- Base your meals around a lean protein source. Good choices include skinless chicken, turkey, tuna, other kinds of fish, lean beef, egg whites, cottage cheese, soya, skim milk, and so on. Then add a moderate carb source. This could be something like 50grams of rice, 50g of whole wheat pasta, 50 grams of oats, a slice of whole wheat bread, etc. Then for a couple of your daily meals add a small source of good fats from good oils, nuts, oily fish, seeds etc. Pay attention to your omega 3 intake (from oily fish, walnuts, flax, etc), you need this in small amounts daily. On top of this add veggies in generous portions, and fruit in moderation (and not late at night).

- Aim to eat 4- 5 meals a day. It makes it much easier to control what you eat in light of your activities. Every 4 hours or so ask yourself "what am I going to be doing next?"... then eat accordingly. If you take a nap, then 200 grams of cottage cheese and a few walnuts are your best choice. If you are about to play a sport, then rice, chicken and a salad might be the way to go. You get the idea.

- Good breakfast ideas include things like oats in skim milk (oats are really excellent carb sources by the way); scrambled eggs (say 1- 2 whole eggs and 2 egg whites) and some whole wheat bread; low fat yoghurt with oats and so on. On top of this fruit is always a good choice, and you can also supplement with any other kind of lean protein source if you feel you need it.

- Lastly, keep yourself hydrated (dont go overboard just make sure you drink when you are thirsty), limit excessive salt intake, and try to think ahead. Its always much easier to cheat when there is no healthy option readily available... at least it is for me :)

- In regards to how much to eat, well you can use a formula like BMI, but they are not all that accurate. Otherwise just monitor your progress and lower your calories a bit if you are not dropping enough every week.

2. Exercise

- Quintessential here is cardio. Its good to other things, but this is a must. You said you have a bike, thats great! I dont know how fit you are now, but start slowly and work your way up. Your ideal goal should be something like 4- 6 weekly cardios of over 30 minutes each. In bodybuilder circles 45 minute cardios are generally recommended. Other options are things like jogging, certain sports, etc.

- Fasted cardios are also popular. They are done in the morning on an empty stomach. It supposedly targets the fat stores better. Not essential but may be useful.

- Other than that, try to work as many of your muscle groups as possible. Check out this site, it has a lot of exercises (including ones that dont require weights and equipment):
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.htm

Just remember to try to balance your training. Dont train stomach and chest without training your back (particularly lower back). Thats common mistake and leads to poor posture and back problems. If you train one side train the other too.

Ok thats more or less it.

Good luck.

any bad effects on health?

Absolutely none at all.

How are we supposed to pay our debts with this economic crisis? Finances are getting tight and it's getting harder to pay our bills. The government will bail out business but what about the American people? If these businesses fall, like WaMu and Wachovia, what about people that have loans with them? Why are we paying back our debts to them if they no longer exist?

Well, I cannot say anything about how one is supposed to pay the bills. The reality is that in every economic recession there will always be some people who will go broke. The more severe the crisis, the more poor people. This is why when times are good, its so important to remember to save for a rainy day, and to keep in mind that the status quo never lasts forever. This is not a lecture mind you, I have blown my finances to hell over the years...

Bailing out the American people and bailing out the businesses kind of goes hand in hand. The government hopes that by bailing out the businesses this will help alleviate the recession. This in turn will have a positive effect on the people.

Normally when a company goes bankrupt its assets are seized by its creditors. Essentially the people that the business owes money to, get a portion of whatever they have left. These assets include cash, inventory, stocks, trademarks, and so on. It will also include the loans that people have with them. So these loans will very likely be transferred to another company.

I said some things that i wish that i could take back right now but I can't and I just feel like my life isn't going to get any better right now. What do i do from here?

It would really help to know what you said. However, in almost all cases you just have to remember that life will get better. The short version of the advice is:

- Realise that we all make mistakes and learn from them. Dont let it happen again. Everyone can screw up once, but fools repeat their mistakes.

- Apologise or explain if you hurt/ offended/ embarrassed someone and let them know how you feel. Even if you cant take things back, and even if your apology or explanation will not be enough, it is all you can do. It is also the first step towards regaining someones trust (I am going on a limb here with what happened since, again, I am not sure exactly what went down).

- Remember that we all have things that we regret. Its part of life. In most cases things seem much worse in the moment than after some time has passed. Learn from it, and become a better person.

Good luck.

My little sister is going to having a sleepover Halloween party next month. She will be having some of her best friends over to spend the night, probably a total of 10 other girls her age. They will be having all sorts of party treats, including games, costumes, junk foods, and movies (the normal ones though like Mean Girls, High School Musical, Camp Rock with the Jonas Brothers).

My little sister is only 10 years old, and recently turned 10 at that. My mom is trying to decide on a good bedtime for her and her best friends. She knows they'll want to stay up late for Halloween, plus they will be having a sleepover party, so she isn't sure what time is really appropriate to call it lights out.

So, I am wondering what other people thing about a 10 year old's bedtime during a Halloween slumber party. What time would you suggest my little sister and her best friends should be tucked in bed?

Wow 9.30 or 10... can't say I am on the same page there. Since its not a school night it should be ok to let them stay up late. I remember when I was a child about that age, during the holidays I could play pretty late.

I don't know, maybe I am totally off here, but I would let them stay up til midnight it being Halloween and all. Its just one night, can't really see why it should be a problem.

Anyhow those are my 2 cents :)

Good luck.

so me and my friend made a huge promise last year that'd i'd stop cutting my self.
she was my only absolute real friend
so she was worth it.
then about two weeks ago i cut my self again.
i got completly guilty so i told her about it.
i recommitted to the promise.
butt now everythings falling apart.
and people think its liek a "pathetic cry for attention"
&& its not. its just gives me a sense of hope and comforting..
i dunno.
i need help.
any other things i could do to get rid of all the pain besides cutting.
i really dont wanna hurt her again.

Look, I think its time you should consider talking to an adult. Have you tried approaching your parents about this? I know it may seem difficult, but if it continues you might need something more than the support of you friend.

Talking to a counselor as mentioned below is also a good idea. The thing is that there are people out there who might be able to help you. Don't fight this out on your own if you don't have to. You say you need to find a way to cope with all the pain, but the reality is you shouldn't actually be in all this pain to begin with.

Good luck, and do talk to someone.

can someone help explain this concept to me? how can something be greater than the sum of its parts?

I agree with the answer below. Basically its whenever two or more things complement one another, such that the results of them working together is higher than the results obtained when they work separately.

In business we have the stuff drilled into our brains lol (the word they keep flinging around is synergy... which basically means the same). Business units working together (e.g. departments) should produce synergy. When engaging in mergers & acquisitions you might also seek a partner that, when united with your resources, will produce an outcome more favourable than the two of you working separately.

This is the persuassive essay I has to write for language. Please grade this on a scale from 1 to 4. Please base this on a 8th grade level. Please criticise this essay, and help me make it better. Thank you in advanced. Also, just because I wrote about this topic, does not necisarily mean i believe what I wrote. And, please do not tell me my statistics are wrong because my teacher told us to lie about nthem, as long as they sound believeable. yes i know....weird

Television….Helpful or Harmful

Television is not really what you think it is. Television has little educational value. Television promotes violence, certain styles of clothing, and that affects the way you think. It gives you a reason to not exercise or eat right, which ends in health issues. It causes children to rebel, or beg their parents to buy items that the commercials showed.
The shows or commercials you see on television usually affect your actions, and the way you think. Boys who watch their favorite action shows are packed with fighting and violence. They cause them to think and act differently. Dr. Rodman, a licensed child psychologist, took a 12 year old boy named Charles, who had never watched any television in his whole life, and showed him 3 television shows packed with violence. When Charles came home, he took his little sister’s Barbie dolls and ripped off the heads. Girl’s who watch their favorite pop stars or “idols” on TV usually end up speaking and dressing like them. “My child came home and asked me to buy her a new wardrobe so she would be just like the girl on TV”, says Tessa Jones, mother of 2 children. Girls these days are becoming more aggressive, due to the latest news on television about famous stars. Television is affecting the minds and behavior of boys and girls.
In addition to changing your thoughts and behavior, people are getting unhealthy from TV watching and lack of exercise. The commercials on TV 3 out of 5 times talk about food, which causes children and adults to eat while watching television. Television gives people an excuse to not exercise.2 out of 3 people in America are overweight due to television watching and television commercials that promote eating. Dr. Drakeson, author of Kids Usa, states that kids watch more television, thank homework, exercise, and eating all together. Television is causing major health problems.
Not only does Television lead to unhealthiness, but television commercials also put down certain styles of clothing, pressure you to listen to a certain style of music, or pressure you into buying a product. Only 5 out 30 commercials talk about rejecting drugs,

pier pressure, or alcohol, while the others talk about wearing the “right” clothing, listening to the “cool” music. The commercials make children feel like they have to say and have the right things. Television commercials cause parents to feel pressured to buy the items that their children want. There are many commercials on television. Some are helpful, however most of them harmful to you in some type of way.
Some might argue that people who do not have a phone or newspaper, need the television to watch the news, to keep up on what is happening around the world, however, at the moment only 1 out of 5 show on television are actually news channels, in addition to that, the news mostly talks about gossip, or the latest buzz.
Personally, I believe television has little educational value and is harmful to any person who watches it in some way. The things on television affect the behavior of people and the way you think. People are getting more unhealthy from watching television. Television commercials are pressuring people to buy things, or change something about themselves, or the way they live their lives. If you do not want to be unhealthy, or be pressured into changing yourself, or pressured into buying what people may think is the “right” thing to buy, then cut down, or completely cut television out of your lives today.

Hey there. Interesting exercise with a lot of options. Its the kind of thing that I always used to like back in school.

Now, I will give you some thoughts. I warn you ahead of time I have been up for the last 20 hours so they might be a bit disorganised. Also, I cannot remember for the life of me what 8th grade level was like, so if I go beyond it, just ignore those parts.

Overall I think you make an interesting argument. I have some issues with a few sentences:

- "Television promotes violence, certain styles of clothing, and that affects the way you think."

This could be worded better so that it does not imply that your style of clothing influences how you think.

- The Charles example: I agree with below, one statistic is not enough for the conclusion you draw. This is a recurring issue that I deal with below.

- "Girls these days are becoming more aggressive, due to the latest news on television about famous stars."

Why does news of famous people make girls aggressive?

- "5 out 30 commercials": this is not that relevant, but thats 1 in 6 :)

- "The commercials on TV 3 out of 5 times talk about food, which causes children and adults to eat while watching television. Television gives people an excuse to not exercise.2 out of 3 people in America are overweight due to television watching and television commercials that promote eating."

The arguments are not properly linked. How has it been shown that 2 out of 3 people are overweight due to television? What study exactly has been done to prove a correlation between the large number of commercials and the fact that people dont exercise or eat wrong?

- "The commercials make children feel like they have to say and have the right things. Television commercials cause parents to feel pressured to buy the items that their children want."

How has this been demonstrated? Why is it a bad thing?

Now, one thing that can improve this essay is a deeper understanding of how an argument is formulated. I was thinking about this, and did some searching online to try to dig up some of the stuff I learned years ago. Anyway, check out this site:
http://philosophy.hku.hk/think/arg/valid1.php

Pay special attention to the statement "An argument is valid if and only if there is no logically possible situation where all the premises are true and the conclusion is false at the same time."

Now with that in mind, go back and review your arguments. Are they all phrased in such a way that they lead to the right conclusion? Do they discount all other possibilities? Are they all complete... i.e. do they follow up to the end?

For example, why is influencing you towards a certain style of clothing or towards buying a product a bad thing? Why is influencing a child towards acting a certain way bad?

Finally, another thing to consider is what is regarded as a useful study or set of statistics. Although popular articles love to give you a personal little story (like what you wrote about Charles), they carry little weight scientifically. To go anywhere near a scientific theory, let alone a conclusion you need to refer to studies that involve many people (thousands usually), in most cases over an extended period of time. Even if it is all imaginary, it adds weight to your claims.

Each argument should be justified by the right statistic. Giving an example like Charles or Tessa is ok but not on its own. Remember the way premises lead to a conclusion? Well, what if Charles was for some reason more prone to violence? What if the fact that he never watched television until such a late age made him overreact in some way? What if he hated Barbie dolls? What if Tessa's child was very impressionable, and took after everyone else in the absence of tv?

You get the idea. Large studies average out all the individual differences and isolate the one issue that is in question- in this case the effect of television specifically.

Now, I cannot rate this essay without remembering what 8th grade was like. I think overall it was quite decent though and with a few tweaks it can be a very persuasive argument.

Hope you can use this stuff for something :)

Good luck.

Im fifteen years old and I took a carton of cigerettes from my gaurdian and she didnt notice but I smoked ALL of them in like 3 weeks, but I did give alot away, but not enough to blame my problems on them. I ran out today and Im finding myself wanting more and more, I even took one out of her secret stash and she only has two left.
Im scared, I dont want to smoke, I dont even know why I did it. If you have any advice, please help me. I already know it was wrong, and Im kicking myself now, I just replay it over and thought WHY DID I EVEN TAKE THEM?? Anyways, thank you for reading :)

Listen, we all make mistakes, but its important to not let them get out of hand. Nicotine, and all the other compounds they put in smokes, are incredibly addictive. They really are not exaggerating in the anti smoking ads. Heck, I ended up smoking for many years thanks to a just a few mistakes...

Anyway, there is no easy way to quit. You just have to tell yourself that, as hard as it is now, it will be much, much harder if you continue. You simply cannot let the addiction set in.

Things like gum, lollipops, avoiding other smokers, and keeping yourself busy do help, but not a lot. Remind yourself that if you pull through for a week or two, things will be totally manageable. It is hard, but not all that long a time to suffer through it all.

Good luck.

i have huuuge calves what to dooo? yes i know you can run anything else??

If those calves are huge because of muscle, then you should avoid explosive/ strength related movements. Things involving heavy lifts, sprinting, volleyball, jumping in general, and those kinds of movements usually lead to bigger muscles.

In general (genetic considerations aside) your body and its muscles will adapt to the stress put on it. A long distance runner has smaller, longer muscle fibres. They are ideal for the exercise he does. Short term, anaerobic movements on the other hand lead to bulkier muscles.

Now, if your calves are big because of fat, then you have a problem. Since fat cannot be spot reduced, you are limited to losing weight overall. A general body fat reduction is the only way to hope to get those stubborn fat stores. That involves clean diet, a calorie deficit, and exercise in general (cardio, full body routines, etc.).

Good luck.

im 28 years old and i like to gamble but when i spend my moneymy mom gets mad at me for spending it. i realize i need to quit spending all of it but i dont know when to stop. can someone give me some advice on this it would be appreciated. thank you

Its very hard to advise you on gambling responsibly if you actually have a real problem. Now I am not saying you do, I cant tell from this little information, but some people just cant stop.

If you like to gamble and you think you can do it responsibly, this is what you should be doing. First you should set a certain amount of money aside that you are willing to lose. Accept the fact that the odds are stacked against you in every gambling endevour (I dont count poker here unless one is a bad player... then its just gambling).

Anyway, once you have done that, and you have come to terms with the fact that what you are doing is buying yourself some hours of "fun", then you can gamble. Once you have lost the money however, you stop.

Never ever play it by ear. You need to make a budget for this, exactly the same way that you would make for any other activity that costs money.

Second, I would really familiarise myself with the odds. You might have done so already, but many gamblers have a misguided sense that they can beat the house. A decent knowledge of statistics and probability helps.

Finally, if you find that you cannot gamble responsibly, that you must try just "one more time", then you must quit. Some people just cant handle it once in a while. Its not unlike drinking actually if you think about it. So, if thats the case, save yourself a lifetime of debt and family problems and quit right away.

Good luck.

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