pockets's advice column

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Q: what is a prick? when someone said oh, hes such a prick.. what does it mean?

Calling someone a prick is the same thing as calling them a dick.

Q: i recently put on 10 pounds and it went mostly to my but and my boobs. I want to work out my stomach butt i dont want to lose the weight on my butt and my boobs. how can i do this?

Lucky. I put on 10 pounds too, in my stomach and thighs.

You won't lose your breasts unless you do intense chest and upper body workouts. Your butt will tone and become more firm, but it won't shrink.

Q: I have a strange condition that I am unsure of what it is.

It started a couple years back when I cringed at the sound of my, or anyone else's fingernails, on any type of clothing. To explain it in more simple terms-- It's like fingernails on a chalk board for me. Since then it's progressivly gotten worse. Today, I cannot carry a cloth bag on my left shoulder and carry my schoo binder in the same arm for the fear of the two coming in contact.
While walking down the hall I make it a point to not run into anyone for the fear that their binders will touch my clothes and make the sound. In fact, it isn't much of a sound-- it's the feel.

For example-- My friend could PRETEND to stractch her fingernails on her jeans and I would cover my ears and make noises so I couldn't hear it. Even if I CAN'T hear it-- I can imagine it.

I'm completely unsure of what this could be-- it's getting so much worse and the only thing that makes this feel better is if I scratch something smooth-- a desk in school or metal, or my palm.

Any Ideas?

I'm like that too, but not as bad. I cannot stand the feel of my head rubbing against the back of car seats. Not the leather kind, but the carpet kind. It gives me the chills.

Your situation however, is interfering with your life. If you can't take it anymore, go to a psychologist, you could be obsessive (not obsessive compulsive like the person under me said...compulsions are the urge to do something, so you only have the obsessive part).

Q: does proactiv really work? i saw a commercial for this other stuff called murad or something and its like proactiv but i heard it works better then proactiv. i want to buy one of them but i dont know which one really works.any advice?

Here's the deal with ProActiv.

The people that say it works wonders...they have good skin. I used to have horrible skin, so I tried ProActiv. It took care of the new pimples, but it wouldn't get rid of the ones i've had for years and couldn't get rid of. It basically CONTROLS the acne, it doesn't TREAT it. It isn't worth the money, but that's my personal opinion.

If you have acne, go to the dermatologist and they will reccomend a cream or face wash, those things work.

Q: everyone says cardio is the way to lose weight.
well is ddr considered cardio?
cos i like playing it, but like i dont like running.
so could i play ddr and still be doing cardio then do like squats and crunches on the ablounge to tone the muscles?

please help.
other cardio ideas [not running] would be appricated.
thankss

I guess DDR could be considered cardio, but you would have to play for like an hour to get the same results. I play all the time, I haven't lost weight with it but I now have rock hard calves.

Q: when my bf and i have sex i make myself moan, yeah it feels good but i can lay there and be silent but i dont want to be so i make moaning noises. are you like that too? or do they just come out of you? i just dont get if moans are "fake" or if you actually cant help them.

It all depends on how well you can handle your "muscle spasms"

Q: i am an eigth grader who is slightly overwieght. when my friends joke about my weight, it makes me feel sad. i try to joke around about myself to lighten the moment, but they end up laughing harder.

is this what you call true friends?

If you laugh about it, they're going to assume it doesn't hurt your feelings and they're going to keep joking about it.

Tell them it hurts your feelings, and if they continue to joke around...they aren't your true friends, they're insecure bitches.

Q: I've just got some questions for bulimia for an artical i'm doing.. i'd like questions from people who know what they're talking about, not people who are just looking for ratings, please.=)

so first off, is there really a major difference between bulimia and laxative use? as in, in the long run are the results of losing weight different? which makes you lose weight at a more rapid pace, ect. just general information.

also, what are the positives and negatives of bulimia? please pay attention to the positives from the eyes of someone who sees him or herself as overweight. =)

i'll rate accordingly!

Laxative use is a form of bulimia. Using laxatives and throwing up are both ways to purge yourself and get rid of the food. The weight results between the two are mainly the same, depending on how often you vomit or use laxatives.

Positives- weight loss

Negatives- anemia or low protein, low nutrients in general, erosion of the esophagus, gross teeth, heart problems, stomach damage, other various health problems, and the hastle of hiding it from others (for example, trying to purge after dinner with the family home).

Also, laxatives can make you extremley sick. You get dizzy and lethargic when you use them, and eventually you'll get excruciating stomach pains.

Q: May I still consider myself vegetarian if i do not eat chicken, turkey or beef, but I still eat fish ocasionally?

No, but you can be considered a Pesco-Vegetarian.

Q: i know there must be alot of these questions but i need to know whether my daily diet is healthy oh btw im a vegetarian...

breakfast - toast (brown bread)
lunch - sandwhich (brown bread) crisps
dinner - i have a variety of things such as - pizza, noodles, vege burgers, vege fish fingers etc..
snacks - i don't normally snack but if i do i just normally have ome peanuts.

i've been eating like this ever since christmas and i've noticed iv'e lost a alot of weight and i have't really been active that much so i was thinking maybe because i changed my diet thats why i've lost weight...

oh btw 13/f

thanks
xxxx

I'm a vegetarian also. You have no fresh vegetables or fruit in your diet, you can't be a vegetarian if you aren't eating vegetables. Your breakfast is too small. Add fruit and soymilk. Have vegetables with your lunch. Try to eat less frozen food for dinner and prepare your own.

For snacking, the peanuts are good. Have some granola too.

Q: ok i went to the derm. for my acne and was put on Duac cream to apply every night. about a month later i went back for a check up and she said it was doing better [i didnt think so] so she gave me Tazorac cream [im pretty sure its a bleaching thing] and told me to start putting that on at night. i know she said to keep using Duac, but i think she said to put it on in the morning. but wouldnt that interfere with my makeup? she knows i use it because she asked me what kind i wear and said it was good. so wouldnt puttin make up on over it cause it to not work as well? i dont want to call and ask bc frankly its too much trouble to get a hold of those people. has anyone ever used these or know what i should do?

No, it's fine. I use duac in the morning 15 minutes before I wear my makeup.

Q: My friend has a cut on her face. I asked her how she got it, but she refused to tell me. I asked her a few more times after that but gave up because she said she couldn't say.

What I am scared is that she's cutting herself, or that her parents are abusive. I can't think of anything other than that, that would be so bad you wouldn't want to tell anyone (or be allowed to). I first thought it was her cat that scratched her but I think she would have told me.

OR.. maybe its really nothing bad and she's just looking for attention. But aside from all of that--what should I do? I am really worried about her and wish I knew why and how she got the cut. (Its a scrape, on her face)

If she was cutting herself, she wouldn't be cutting her face, she would be cutting her wrists, arms, legs, and chest.

If her parents were abusing her, they wouldn't do it in such an obvious place like her face, they would be more secretive about it.

Q: My best freind has the shoes i want. and i dont know if i should still get them or not. whatdo u think i should do?

Don't get them. Get better ones.

Q: um yeah this may sound stupid but here it goes... um me and my gf (im 14/m) were woundering is it safe to eat lube that is flavoured like not to just like eat it bottle after bottle but like rub it on her vagina or my penis and lick/ suck it off? any ansers will help thanx!!!!

That's the point. Why would they make it flavored if you couldn't do that? Your hands don't have taste buds you know. Eating it straight out of the bottle won't do anything to you either, I drank some as a dare...but that's besides the point.

Q: does anyone know any tips to make the area under my eyes brighter? wen i wake up, its really dark and i look gross =[

or any eyeshadows i can wear to make my eyes pop?
(i have brown eyes.)

If you go to MAC they have a kind of concealer made specifically for under your eyes. It's a stick and it's about $15.

If you have brown eyes, eyeshadow colors like light purple and green (not tacky, earthy purples and greens that will blend with your skin tone) will bring out your eyes. Use eyeliner on the top lid, but only go in half way (stop above the pupil), and for the bottom line only the corners. Use mascara and you're good to go.

Q: could someone please tell me what the symptoms of having a misscarage are. I had a baby 2 months ago and i've already had my period and been off it for two weeks and i woke up with some stomach cramps and bleeding.Please resopnd asap

You can't have a miscarriage if you've already had the baby two monthes ago.

Q: well,im going thrifting with my sister today,because really,you can just wash the clothes. anyways,im wondering,do they have any really trendy clothes there? like cute flatts,and maybe those hats with a bow on it,ripped jeans,things like that? and patterns? just wondering. thanks!

I get the majority of my clothing from thrift, consignment, and vintage stores. I go thrifting every Sunday and I get something I love every time. You'll be able to find a ton of shoes, since flats were popular years ago, there will be a ton in thrift stores now. You probably won't find ripped jeans but you can find jeans TO rip yourself.

Q: Theres something wrong with my camera, & I can't seem to figure it out. I'm not intirely sure what kinda of camera I have, but it says Kodak on the front? So, I guess its a kodak camera? Anyways, I turn it on, & like it starts green & then turns red. I put new batteries in.. also the little like lense thing our out. Like you know when you turn it on, they come out. or whatever.. well mine already is out. & I don't know what to do!

Help!

I'm assuming it's a digital camera. If it goes from green to red, the problem is the battery. You said you replaced the battery, check to see if the batteries are in correctly or try getting a new pack of batteries. If the lens is out and you can't get it back in, that's a problem in itself. Bring it to where you got it or to a camera store or something.

Q: Should I be worried if one of my spacers fell out before my braces go on in 4 days?

If a spacer falls out, it means it has made the space needed and its job is done.

So, no need to worry.

Q: would it be rude if i broke up with someone in a letter?

It isn't rude. It's more formal than doing it through text messaging, but kind of stupid considering the fact that you could just use the phone and be more personable.

If you've been dating for a long time though...i'd probably go with breaking the news face to face. More mature, yes?