Tuesday, April 05, 2011

Question of the Day: Are guys turned on by airheads?


I was talking with a good friend of mine the other day and as usual, the conversation shifted to what men want and vice versa. "I know that so and so had his 30-something year old eyes on this pretty little thing in her early twenties. When he was told that she was a bit of an airhead, he just shrugged and said, 'Why not?'" I hate to generalize here but let's just say that some men prefer their women to have an education that is the same or lower than theirs. Anything above that will possibly threaten their ego, masculinity and sense of self and also, sense of control in the relationship. Plus, being married to such a powerful woman (and by power I do not mean a b-word who does everything to get her way) seems more like a challenge than a promising opportunity. And this does not just include men who are narrow-minded, not so cultured or well-traveled. It's an ego thing, and all men have egos.

You (read: man) might say, "I don't mind if I marry someone smarter than me or has more income." Although that's a ballsy thing to say out loud, I won't believe it until it's coming from a man who is actually living it and does not mind it at all.

Another friend of mine who's been married for two years (or so) told her husband, "What would you do if one day I make more money than you?" Although it was theoretical, her husband just smirked at the thought. Keep in mind that her hubby is an Ivy League graduate in his late thirties.

Thoughts?

MP3's...
Bob Dylan - Think Twice, It's All Right
Frank & Nancy Sinatra - Somethin' Stupid
Garbage - Stupid Girl

at 8:30 AM 8 comments

Sunday, April 03, 2011

A Cure for Cussing

About two years ago, I was driving on the highway with my then twelve-year-old brother Squirt. A large van driving on the fast lane on my left decided to suddenly swerve in front of me in order to take the exit off the highway. If I hadn’t paid attention to the idiotic driver, my brother and I probably would’ve been pummeled by the van. The only thing that went wrong was this: I reacted angrily and sharply spat, “F-word!” As soon as I said it, my brother and I went silent. It was the first time I ever cussed in front of him and I didn’t know what to do. “I’m sorry Squirt, I didn’t mean to say that in front of you,” I told him calmly as I scolded myself for setting a bad example, “I was just mad about that driver’s poor driving skills.” Without looking at me, Squirt quietly replied, “It’s okay. You just said ‘duck.’”


That was the day when I vowed to avoid cussing regardless of the situation. That was also the day when I learned that Squirt really could keep a secret.


Personally, I was never a big cusser. Fine, you go through phases in life (read: college and certain friends) when you’re surrounded by people with equally unsupervised mouths. Come to think of it, I really think what comes out of your mouth reflects whom you surround yourself with. For instance, a friend of mine has grown up in a cuss-friendly household; using antiquated Kuwaiti cusswords and phrases in her home – no matter how extreme – portrays love and affection. On the other hand, one of my relatives grew up in a home where he would get slapped around if he called his sibling an “idiot” (7mar/7mara). When I sit with my mother, aunts and cousins at my grandmother’s weekly evening get-togethers, I come home to my husband only to find myself speaking in that same, breezy and slightly sarcastic tone of voice as my aunts, something that amuses me more than it does my husband.


But back to cussing and me attempting to cut it out of my life for (almost) good. I thought to myself, “What other words can I use as an alternative to cuss words?” Soon, I found myself saying the following whenever I hit my little toe on the bottom edge of the sofa or coffee table or when someone cuts me off when I’m driving down the road:

- “Potatoes!”

- “Crapper in the wrapper!”

- “Poopy in the loopy!”


I know. I don’t want to bother even thinking about an explanation but I’ll tell you this: they make me smile whenever I say them so I guess that’s one good thing to know and have.


Do you have any made up, PG-13 cuss words?



MP3's...

Cat Stevens - But I Might Die Tonight

Cat Stevens - Where Do the Children Play

Cat Stevens - If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out

at 8:30 AM 4 comments