Posts from — March 2009

A sequel is not something that is planned as an afterthought. Nowadays soaps and movies, even books have their sequels planned well in advance. As a result, they like to keep an open ending, so that viewers and readers get the hook. This hook pulls them back when the sequel is out. A sequel also rides piggyback on the success of the first venture, and the marketing strategies are based on the success of the last version. There’s another show which ended on a teaser, leaving ample room for the storyline to be taken forward in the next season. It’s Jon and Kate Plus 8.

The current season of Jon and Kate Plus 8 ended without making a definite point about the relationship status of Jon and Kate. Are they going to get divorced? This is the hook that I’m talking about. To find out if they are actually divorced, people will flock to watch it the next time it’s on air. There are many other questions that lie in a heap of loose threads. No one seems to know if the Jon and Kate show will be back for the fifth season. The finale episode did nothing to let the cat out of the bag. So as it is, we’re not sure if Jon and Kate will stay together. Do you watch the show? What do you think?

Respect is very integral in a successful relationship. If you don’t feel that you are being given due respect, you are more likely to hold a grudge against your partner, which will not help matters in the long run. The first step towards winning the respect of your partner is to respect yourself. If you don’t have self-respect, there is no way in which anyone, let alone your partner, is going to respect you. You have to hold your own and make sure you show that you have a mind of your own. An independent mind never fails to attract people and you can see the respect in your partner’s eyes the moment you think in a more confident way.

Compromise and adjustments are necessary in a relationship, but to a certain extent only. If you keep sacrificing yourself without any rhyme or reason, there is no doubt that after a period of time, you’ll end up feeling like a doormat. Your partner will take you for granted, and that is the worst that can happen to a relationship. If you feel your dignity is being compromised, bring up the issue immediately and talk it out with your partner. A frank discussion can set to rest your apprehensions and sort out the matter appreciatively. You can also try to investigate why your partner does not respect you. Is it because of any financial reason? Is there any other issue?

Work on your confidence and thinking to get your due respect in a relationship. Similarly, make sure you respect your partner too. There are multiple reasons why you fell in love. Rediscover them and soon you’ll find that you have hit the refresh button in your relationship! Good luck!

“Don’t follow your dreams; chase them.” - Richard Dumb

Chasing your dreams is not easy. There are many obstacles that you need to leap over. There may be the occasional surges of depression and negative thinking. If you are determined to reach that summit, you will have to make sure that you don’t get distracted or lose sight of your goals. Following a dream is like being on a mission. You cannot afford to look away or indulge yourself in anything that is not beneficial to your mission. Things can go wrong in an instant, and one can never say if they can be repaired again.

Having the intensity to chase your dreams call for will power. Will power is something that can take you beyond the threshold of your own abilities. You have to keep pushing yourself to achieve what you want to. The road to success is never a walk in the park. You may have to make sacrifices on the way, or compromise with your comforts. But the joy of achieving your dream will ease out all the pains that you have suffered on the way. It’s always a better idea to try and go after your dream rather than lament what you could have done. Would you like to share your dream with us? Maybe with each other’s support, we may be better equipped to walk the tough path.

After a pup called Max, my niece Rachael wants a kitten! She has been reading extensively about every feline matter, and now she wants to have a member of the feline species in her own home. Obviously the task fell on me to try and get a kitten for her. I have been really busy lately, so that enterprise has been put on hold for the time being. But with this kitten thing coming up on me, I realized that people are divided when it comes to their liking for the cat and the dog!

Some people, like me, would hopelessly root for the dog. There are others who don’t like the canines much. They are fond of cats. I think there is a psychological reason behind it. I can’t remember who told me, but there was someone who enlightened me on a probable reason for this some years back. People who like dogs are attention seeking individuals, while people who prefer cats are attention giving individuals. I don’t know if there is any sense in this, but it somehow fits with the idea.

Dogs are actually very giving. They are never selfish and will always put you before themselves. I can say that for sure because my pet dog Kong is like that. He waits for me to serve him food and goes hungry unless I’m back home. Cats, I have heard, love to be pampered all the time. They want you to do things for them, while they roll around in glory. I have never had a cat, so I can’t actually say it’s true. What do you think? Do you like cats or dogs?

This is an unusual post from what I generally write. All this while I have been writing about staying together as friends and being there for each other. This time around I want to talk about staying away from those group of friends who are causing harm to you. Yes, at some point of time, we come across individuals who cause harm to us, or lead us on the wrong track. It’s very important to identify them at the earliest and stay away from them and their influence. These friends will only lead you to trouble. You have to say no to them and resist the temptation of yielding to the plans they make for you, however fun that plan may be.

How do you do that? First, make an alternative plan of your own at the same time. If you have a plan, you won’t try to fill up the void by going out with a toxic group of friends. You can tell them you have other plans, and if they check up on you, they’ll get it that you were not lying. You can also avoid taking any calls from anyone belonging to this group. Engage yourself in activities that will occupy your time. You may feel nostalgic about the good times you have had while passing by the hangout spots. You may also come across these toxic friends having a good time without you. To get rid of this aspect, avoid that street and use an alternative one. If you want to do it, you can actually do it. Give it a shot and if you have other ideas up your sleeves, write to me.

We don’t really get to laugh together often, do we? In these times, it is hard anyway to find out a reason to laugh, let alone laugh together. When we went out on St. Patrick’s Day we were talking about those days when things were not this difficult. We used to meet up almost every weekend and share some light moments. Then there were complications which came up. There were break-ups and more work pressure on all of us. We started working extra hours to stay afloat. Even when we are not working, we are constantly thinking of work and how to stay one step ahead. The casualty in this process is that we don’t really participate in fun activities anymore.

This is more damaging actually than the work pressure itself. You need a safety valve to keep your sanity intact. Work pressure often gets on your nerves, and if you do not have your light moments, you cannot get back to work with a fresh mind. As the cliche goes, work hard, party harder. My friends believe in that too, but it’s really difficult to switch off the mind when you are out of office. I tried to do that on a number of times, but each time the thought of work kept popping up in my mind. And when it happens, it’s difficult to get it out of the mind. As a result, the whole point of having a nice time goes out of the window, and you have a worry crease on your forehead immediately. How do you manage stress? I’d really like to know, I can’t really think of an effective way.

American Idol Season 8 is in the Top 10 stage. After weeks of anticipation and speculation, we have the Top 10 contestants who will take a shot at the American Idol summit. The episode that decided the Top 10 was packed with tension and suspense. The ball was set rolling when Danny Gokey was declared safe. That set out a loud cheer from Irina! She also let out a shrill hoot. Adrian squirmed. He doesn’t like Danny. Lil Rounds got into the safe zone too. When Allison Iraheta, Adrian’s latest favorite, was declared as constituting the bottom 3, Irina let out a sarcastic sigh that was not lost on Adrian.

One by one Scott MacIntyre, Megan Joy Corkey, Matt Giraud and Kris Allen got into the safe zone. Just before going into the break, Allison was declared safe. Adrian jumped from his seat and took the popcorn tumbler away from Irina. He had not touched the popcorn before this. Irina was quiet. I got up and went to the other room to answer a call. When I got back to the TV, Alexis was singing to impress the judges and stay on in the show for at least another week. But she fails and she’s out. There was not much heart-break at our end, except for the bad feeling you have when someone falls out of a competition. Did the selection of the Top Ten contestants surprise you? Are you upset Alexis is out?

Having to argue with your Significant Other is a painful proposition in itself. There may be a lot of logical things that you have to say, and you can’t wait to begin. When you do get the chance to start speaking, you speak animatedly and sometimes yell your lungs out to get your point across. Does it help? I don’t think so. Arguing with an agitated mind is self-defeating because in times of agitation, your brain isn’t logical, how can you expect your partner to talk logic? Head banging wont take you anywhere. So the first tip is, calm yourself down. You can never talk sense when you are yelling at the top of your voice, and frankly, your partner doesn’t deserve it either.

When you think you’re losing control over your speech, shut up. It’s better not to say anything, than say something that is nasty. Try not to say something that you’ll regret later. Think before you speak and make sure your partner understands what you are trying to say. When you yell at each other, nobody hears another, and the whole purpose is defeated. Listen to what your partner is saying and answer accordingly, instead of shouting out pre-planned answers. Always insist on a discussion that is calmly debated.

Once you come to a conclusion and resolve the issue, forget about it. Don’t bring this up when you argue again. Laugh about it when the matter is resolved. An argument between couples is generally because you are being honest to each other. Celebrate the fact that you have a channel of communication open and that is not something that you should take for granted. After a fight, when you get back again, take it as a fresh start and take it then on. Good luck!

Irina, who’s a fitness freak, has found a new idea to get “naturally skinny”, if she knows what she means! She’s heard about this new book by Bethany Frankel. The book supposedly talks about a new concept about losing weight. Her idea is new in a sense that she says that there is no need to think of it as dieting with all its horrors! I’m a huge foodie and I am extremely panicky about going on a diet. To stay naturally skinny, she asks us not to stay away from those sinful dollops of calories. She asks us to balance them, like you would balance expenditures from your bank account.

The basic idea is, you have to balance you food. If you have had a heavy lunch, you must balance it out with a light dinner. There is no need to stay away from certain food items that feature high on your favorite list. You can take everything you want. But the catch is, you can’t gorge on them. You can taste, even eat, but not overeat. That takes care of the craving aspect and still keeps your calories in check. You can top it with some light exercises and you are ready to roll. Try it and if it works for you, let me know. I might start following this concept as well!

I’m sure guys have heard that Natasha Richardson, the Tony-award winning actress, suffered serious head injuries in a skiing accident. It happened at the North of Montreal. This is another case of accident that has happened after the NFL players got drowned after their boat overturned. They had gone out for fishing. It’s really tragic that people suffer from accidents when they go out for sports or leisurely pursuits. Natasha Richardson has been hospitalized in New York and there is a strong buzz in the air. She’s won the Tony-award for “Cabaret” in 1998. She has also portrayed significant roles in films like “The Handmade’s Tail” and “The Parent Trap”.

Married to actor Liam Neeson, Natasha Richardson was taking beginners’ lessons when the accident happened. It’s reported that she was not wearing a helmet. Though witnesses say that she didn’t crash against anything, she developed headaches later on in the hotel. That is when doctors were called in and she was taken to the Ste. Agathe, Quebec. Later she was transferred to the Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal. On face value, it seems like a freak accident, which turned dangerous Here’s wishing Natasha Richardson a speedy recovery. Hope she gets back to donning the grease-paint very soon.